Nigerian And World News

Friday, August 7

'We Have Curtailed Boko Haram '

Former Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Adesola Amosu (retd) has disclosed that the Nigerian military has reduced Boko Haram to a shadow of its former self and expressed optimism about its final destruction sooner.

Amosun who said this yesterday during the fly-out parade at Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Base, Abuja, held in his honour as he takes a bow out of the military after a 35 years of service, warned against complacency, saying terrorism is real and must be fought with utmost ruthlessness.

According to him, the December 2015 deadline given by President Muhammadu Buhari for ending of the Boko Haram threat is more a military operation.

He said: “Don’t forget there are two aspects of fighting terrorism; one aspect is the counter- to be led by the military – must conclude by December. The other aspect – the anti-, is a continuous process with Custom and other paramilitary agencies involved, with the police leading the operation.”

Speaking further, he said: “The fight against terrorism is going to receive higher boost. I want to assure you that the people we have left behind are part of the team, and of course we know that the freedom of movement and actions of the Boko Haram terrorists have been substantially curtailed. What is left now is mop-up exercise and to make sure some of our borders are completely closed and secured.”

“The threat of terrorism is very real, and should the terrorist succeed no part of the nation will be spared, hence, it is absolutely critical that we match the determination of terrorist with an even more ruthless determination of our own to overcome the threats of terrorism.”

According to him, Nigeria needs its gallant arm forces to rise to the challenge of defending the country against the scourge of terrorism and restoring the peace and security necessary for sustained development.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control on Friday said it had arrested five suspects for alleged sale of expired products.

NAFDAC’s Director-General, Paul Orhii, who was represented by Kingsley Ejiofor, Head of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, made the disclosure in Lagos.

He told a news conference that the suspects were arrested following an intelligence report.

Mr. Orhii said the arrests were made in the last few weeks and that investigation was ongoing.
He said that one Charles Onyekachi was arrested for an alleged counterfeiting of Derica Tomato paste, adding that the product was discovered in Kano and traced to Lagos.

“Onyekachi imported 1x20ft. container from China and shipped to Cotonou, Benin Republic from where it was transported to Kano.

“He has registered products with the agency among which is the Tomatoes paste.

“He now sells his registered brand along with the counterfeit to discredit the popular Derica Tomatoe Paste with an intent to gain market space.

“The quantity and value of the counterfeit released into the market is four times that of his own brand. The counterfeit product is worth N8 million.

“A criminal charge has been filed against him at the Federal High Court, Lagos,” he said.
Mr. Orhii said the agency also arrested two suspects, Tochukwu Ozala and Obiora Ochuba for production, distribution and sale of counterfeit Maxiquine Syrup.

He said the suspects were arrested by the police in Onitsha with four bags of empty bottles of Maxiquine Syrup, four litres of white liquid chemicals, one bottle of unlabelled substance and 12 empty cartons.

He said Mr. Ozala during interrogation claimed that the Maxiquine Syrup belongs to one Emma who is at large.

“On Feb. 12, the same Ozala was arrested for counterfeiting of a popular brand of Codeine containing Cough Syrup.

“The first case is still being investigated when he committed this.

“The suspect is an unrepentant drug counterfeiter, his activities constitute a serious danger to the society and public health.

“He will be prosecuted at the Federal High Court as soon as investigation is concluded.
“Chisom Onwudinjo is the main counterfeiter of the Codeine containing Cough Syrup and he is hereby declared wanted.

“A handsome reward awaits any useful information that can lead to his arrest,” he said.
Mr. Orhii also disclosed the arrest of one Onyekachi Okafor for alleged distribution and sale of counterfeit Renew Cold Water Starch.

He said that Mr. Okafor was arrested in Aba and he had admitted that the consignment was counterfeited in China and supplied to one Arinze Asomnanya.

According to him, appropriate international partners have been contacted for necessary action.
“Okafor and Asomnanya will be arraigned at the Federal High Court, Umuahia,’’ he said.

Mr. Orhii said that another suspect, Victor Ebuka was arrested for allegedly selling expired products, particularly food condiments which included expired Maggi Arome seasoning, Amoy Soy Sauce, Dark and Superior Soy Sauce.

“The Maggi Arome which expired in August 2014 with the following markings — Man: 15/08/2011, Expiry: 15/08/2014 was being re-labelled as Man: 10/10/2013 to Expire on 10/10/2016.

“While the Amoy Soy Sauce has been re-labelled with Best Before January 2018.

“The suspect is being interrogated and he is helping investigators with useful information about his nefarious activities.

“The estimated cost of the counterfeit products evacuated is worth N15 million and the suspect is being arraigned at the Federal High Court, Lagos,” he said.

(NAN)

Pope Francis, in a letter to the church community on Friday in Jordan, slammed the “atrocious, inhuman and inexplicable” persecution of Christians and minorities, urging the international community not to remain silent.

This is contained in a message carried by the Secretary General of the Italian Bishops Conference (CEI), Nunzio Galantino, to the ecclesial community in Jordan, a country that has taken in a large number of Syrian and Iraqi refugees.

“They are the martyrs of today, humiliated and discriminated against for their loyalty to the Gospel.’’
The Pontiff renewed his “solidarity appeal” on behalf “of a Church that does not forget and does not abandon her children exiled on account of their faith.

“They know that we raise a daily prayer for them, together with gratitude for the testimony that they offer us.’’

Francis also said his thought goes to the communities that took in these brothers and sisters, not looking the other way

He told the Catholics of Jordan “You have announced the resurrection of Christ with the sharing of sorrow and the solidarity that you have provided to the hundreds of thousands of refugees.
He said they did this “With your bowing to their suffering, which can stifle hope; and with your fraternal service, which also illuminates such dark moments of existence.’’ (AGI/NAN)

Nigeria plans to double the value-added tax rate to 10 per cent this year to help shore up government revenue eroded by the declining price of oil, the country’s main export, the Federal Inland Revenue Service said.

“The plan is to increase to 10 percent this year, but we have to consult first with relevant stakeholders,” Sunday Ogungbesan, Acting Executive Chairman of the FIRS, told reporters.

Nigeria depends on crude exports for about 70 per cent of government revenue and more than 90 percent of foreign exchange. The price of Brent crude has dropped by more than half since peaking in June last year, undermining President Muhammadu Buhari’s ability to deliver on his election promises since he took office in May.

FIRS will put more effort in meeting targets after its collection of 1.97 trillion naira ($9.9 billion) in revenue in the first half fell short of a goal of 2.29 trillion naira, Ogungbesan said.

“If we achieve our revenue targets, to a great extent government deficits will be reduced,” he said. “Our plan is to bring every business into the tax net, this economy can survive outside oil,” he noted.

Eight members of the terror group, Boko Haram, have denounced their membership of the sect, in a town around Mussa in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, the Chairman of the youth vigilance group in the town, Apagu Istifanus, told journalists on Friday.

According to him, the eight claimed they are tired of killing innocent persons.

Istifanus, who spoke with journalists on the telephone, said the eight were arrested in Mussa and after interrogations, they confessed their membership of the sect and stated their readiness to renounce their membership and rejoin their families.

He said, “We arrested eight Boko Haram members in Mussa around 4pm on Thursday and when we interrogated them, they said they were tired, they did not want to wage Jihad again and we handed them over to the military in Mubi, Adamawa State.”

He revealed that six out of the arrested members of the sect were from Gwoza town‎, the headquarters of Gwoza Local Government Area.

Another member of the youth vigilance group from the area, who spoke on condition of anonymity to journalists, said the eight were nabbed at a remote village of Mussa in Askira-Uba LGA in the southern part of Borno State.

Meanwhile, residents of Miringa town of Biu LGA of the state have decried the locking down of the town by the military authorities for about six days.

They lamented that they had been made to go hungry as they were made to go without food, water and other basic necessities of life.

A resident of the town, Idris Musa, told journalists on the telephone that they were locked up in their homes since last Saturday, without prior notice and not allowed to replenish basic necessities.

Musa adeed, “We were locked up since last Saturday without food, water and other essential needs of life. It was only on Wednesday they gave us time to go out from 8am to 12noon and today, Friday, they allowed us to go for Friday prayers.”

A Mararaba Upper Area Court, on Friday ordered the remand of a 28-year-old student, Gimba Emen for allegedly jilting his girlfriend. The prosecutor, Sgt. Samuel Okoro, told the court that Jessica Ibrahim, a girlfriend to the accused, reported the matter at the Sani Abacha Road Police Station, Mararaba, on Aug. 4 at about 11:30 a.m. Okoro said that sometimes in Jan. 4, the accused who resides at Mararaba, approached Jessica for a relationship to which she accepted.

He alleged that the accused deceived and deceitfully induced the complainant, who is not lawfully married to him, to believe that he will marry her. “The accused cohabited with Jessica and had sexual intercourse with her which resulted into pregnancy.

“He drove her out of the house without providing for her needs,’’ Okoro alleged. According to him, the complainant is carrying a seven-month-old pregnancy. Okoro said that the offence committed by the accused contravened Section 383 of the Penal Code. Section 383 prescribes a three-year jail term as penalty for offenders. Emen, however, denied committing the offence. He told the court that he had relationship with Jessica, but that it was in the past. The prosecutor objected to the bail of the accused, adding that he is trying to deny his responsibility. The Presiding Judge, Mr Vincent Gwehemba, ordered that the accused be remanded in Keffi Prison until the next adjourned date. He adjourned the case till Aug.17 for further mention.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has announced the redeployment of Mr Gbenga Komolafe as the Group General Manager, Special Duties.

This is contained in a statement signed by Mr Ohi Alegbe, NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, on Friday in Abuja.

According to the statement, Komolafe, until his appointment, was the Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division of the NNPC.

According to the statement, the most senior General Manager in the Crude Oil Marketing Division, Mr Musa Yola Usman, has been directed to function as the Group General Manager in acting capacity.

(NAN)

The metal part of a bra saved a female tourist from suffering greater injury when she was hit by a stray piece of ammunition during a hunt in northern Germany, police reported Friday.

The 41year-old woman from North Rhine-Westphalia was cycling through a rape field in the north-eastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania with a male companion when she suddenly felt pain.

“According to our enquiries so far, she was hit by an object in the breast area,” a police spokesman in the port of Wismar said.

A wild boar hunt was taking place in the area at the time of the accident. The woman from the city of Guetersloh suffered only bruising. A piece of ammunition was found on the bra’s metal wire.

Police were questioning one of the hunters on suspicion of bodily injury caused by negligence.

A local newspaper reported the incident on Friday, saying that it took place on Sunday.

The hunt was stopped and the hunter’s rifle was seized. It is possible that a piece of shot ricocheted during the hunt.

A dead young boar was also found during the investigation after the incident.

As part of efforts to cut Nigeria’s dependence on imported arms, President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday directed the Defence Ministry to design a plan for local production of weapons for the armed forces.

Buhari, who spoke at the graduation ceremony of the National Defence College in Abuja, said the country can no longer depend solely on other countries for critical military equipment and logistics.

He described the present situation as unacceptable.

“We must evolve viable mechanisms for near-self-sufficiency in military equipment and logistics production complemented only by very advanced foreign technologies,” President Buhari was quoted yesterday as saying in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.

He added:”the Ministry of Defence is being tasked to draw up clear and measurable outlines for development of a modest Military Industrial Complex for Nigeria.

“In this regard, it is to liaise with other strategic MDAs and industries to re-engineer the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) to meet national military hardware and logistics requirements.”

Buhari said his administration since its assumption of power has reviewed the nature and character of the country’s security threats and challenges.

“We recognized first and foremost, the external dimensions of these threats and the need for international cooperation and common security mechanisms to tackle them,” he said.

At least seven people, including four soldiers and two gunmen, were killed on Friday in an ongoing siege at a hotel in the Malian town of Sevare, where the attackers have also taken a number of hostages, the Malian army said.

Attackers stormed the Byblos hotel early on Friday in what military sources and local residents said appeared to be an attempt to kidnap Western hotel guests.

The hotel is reportedly popular with troops from the MINUSMA force (the UN Stabilization Mission in Mali). FRANCE 24 correspondent Ahmed El Kori in Bamako said that Ukrainian pilots from the force were present at the hotel when it was attacked.

Nationals from South Africa, France and Ukraine had also been in the hotel, Malian military spokesman Souleymane Dembele said in a text message.

“It is a hostage-taking,” another military source said, adding that two of the troops surrounding the Byblos hotel had been killed and another three injured.

A man wearing an explosives belt was shot dead, the source said, while the body of a white man was lying outside the hotel.

“It is still not over,” the source added.

Smoke rose from the hotel and heavy weapons fire was heard as government forces moved in to dislodge the gunmen, who raided the hotel near the airport in Sevare, around 600 kms (400 miles) northeast of the capital Bamako, before 8am (GMT).

Malian troops were surrounding the hotel after what may have been an attempt to kidnap Western guests, the military sources said.

“The Fama (Malian armed forces) have sealed off the area… and the operation is still going on,” one military source told AFP from Gao, the main town in northern Mali.

A body could be seen lying sprawled in front of the hotel, the source added.

It is the third assault in just a week in the West African country, which is still struggling to restore stability despite a landmark peace deal agreed in June to end years of unrest, ethnic divisions and jihadist attacks, particularly in the north.

One resident said she had been woken early Friday by the sound of gunfire and was hiding out at her home with her family.

“The shooting is still going on but I don’t know who is shooting,” she told AFP.

Initial reports said the assault targeted another hotel, the Debo, but the military source in Gao said it was the Byblos that had come under attack.

(AFP)

The Presidential Amnesty Office in Abuja on Friday began the payment of outstanding allowances to ex-agitators in the Niger Delta region and beneficiaries of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

This followed the approval by President Muhammadu Buhari of payment of the stipends and allowances to the beneficiaries.

In a statement, Head of Media and Communication, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, said the Central Bank of Nigeria on Friday began the payment with May outstanding stipend of N65,000 per beneficiary.

The statement said the outstanding stipends would be paid in batches.

It added, “We have commenced payment with the outstanding May 2015 stipends. That of June and July will be paid afterwards.

“The outstanding allowances and school/training fees of beneficiaries will be cleared at the end of the ongoing verification of genuine claims.

“Hopefully, the other payments will commence soon once the verification team concludes its exercise.”

Special Adviser on Niger Delta to the President, Brig.-Gen. Paul Boroh(retd.), told the News Agency of Nigeria that “Mr President has, by his approval, demonstrated his commitment to strengthen the Amnesty programme”.

Boroh stated, “It is heart warming that he graciously approved funds so as to quickly resolve the issues that have affected the smooth running of the programme.

“Now, beneficiaries, whose training or studies have been affected, can look forward to resuming their studies sooner than later.

“We are committed to a quick resolution of all outstanding issues, including the training fees.”

(NAN)

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday said crude oil and gas exports would no longer be sufficient as the country’s major revenue earner.

He said time has therefore come for Nigerians to do more than pay mere lip service to agriculture.

According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President spoke while granting audience to the Nigerian-born President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, Dr. Kanayo Nwanze, inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

“It’s time to go back to the land. We must face the reality that the petroleum we had depended on for so long will no longer suffice. We campaigned heavily on agriculture, and we are ready to assist as many as want to go into agricultural ventures,” Adesina quoted President as saying.

Buhari also pledged that his administration would cut short the long bureaucratic processes that Nigerian farmers had to go through to get any form of assistance from government.

He told the IFAD President that improvement of the productivity of farmers, dry season farming, and creative ways to combat the shrinking of the Lake Chad will also receive the attention of his administration.

“There is so much to be done. We will try and articulate a programme and consult organisations like IFAD for advice,” the President said.

He added that foreign exchange would be conserved for machinery and other items needed for production, instead of using it to import things like toothpicks.

Nwanze congratulated Buhari on his victory at the general elections and assured him that IFAD was ready to give all possible assistance to the Federal Government and Nigerian farmers to boost agricultural production in the country.

IFAD is an international organisation dedicated to addressing issues of agriculture and poverty alleviation. It was established in 1978, and has been collaborating with Nigeria for over 30 years.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has hailed President Muhammadu Buhari for fast-tracking the clean-up of Ogoniland in accordance with the Report and recommendations of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP).

In a statement signed by the Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, on Friday in Port Harcourt, Rivers APC said the clean-up of Ogoniland by President Buhari, though not from the region, has proved that he is a better son of Rivers State and the Niger Delta than immediate past president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.

“The news of President Buhari not only directed the cleaning up of Ogoni land but also the fast-tracking of the process came to us as a great relief particularly considering the fact that former President Jonathan in demonstration of his hatred and disdain for Rivers State and her people ensured that this exercise did not see the light of the day throughout his regime,” Rivers APC said.

It insisted that “President Buhari has demonstrated by this act that he is a better son of Rivers State and the long-suffering Niger Delta than Dr. Jonathan and Chief Wike who, though from the region, instead teamed up to ensure that the region was under-developed and even ceded our oil wells to other states while also ensuring that no Federal Government presence was felt in Rivers State throughout,”

It commend and congratulated President Buhari “for this brave and patriotic step in cleaning up Ogoni land,” assuring him and the National APC Leadership that it would do everything constitutionally possible to get the impostor out of the Rivers State Government House.

This development once again proves that Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi was very right in mobilising us and the entire Nigerians to vote for President Buhari during the March 28th, 2015 Presidential polls as President Buhari has proved that he is truly a God-Gift to Nigeria at this particular time to right the wrongs, injustice and wickedness Rivers State and Niger Delta suffered under the regime of Dr Jonathan Goodluck.

A Nigerian teen has become the youngest black female to ever fly from one end of America to the other known in aviation parlance as cross country flight.

Kimberly Anyadike whose parents are Nigerians broke the U.S. record and entered into the record books when she flew a single-engine Cessna cross-country from her hometown in California to Newport Virginia.

Anyadike also became the youngest African American female pilot to complete the journey, which took 13 days.

Anyadike learned to fly at age 12 through the Compton-based Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum, which offers aviation lessons in an after-school program for disadvantaged youths. It was their plane that she flew on her cross-country trip.

The brave teenager came up with the idea for the trip on her own.

Anyadike

The museum’s founder Robert Petgrave said: “I told her it was going to be a daunting task, but she just said, ‘Put it on. I got big shoulders.’”

In her company for the historic ride were an adult safety pilot and 87-year-old Levi Thornhill, one of the Tuskeegee Airmen during World War II.

“They left such a great legacy,” Anyadike said of the American all-black combat unit.

“I had big shoes to fill. All they wanted to do was to be patriots for this country. They were told no, that they were silly, that they didn’t have cognitive development to fly planes. They didn’t listen. They just did what they wanted to do.”

At least 50 Tuskeegee Airmen autographed the young pilot’s plane during her journey.
“I wanted to inspire other kids to really believe in themselves,” Anyadike said.

Nigerian troops on routine operation have discovered piles of street lamp poles used in making Improvised Explosives Devices (IEDs) by Boko Haram insurgents, the Nigeria Army said in Abuja on Thursday.

The army, in a statement issued by its spokesman, Col. Sani Usman, said that the troops made the startling discovery while combing and clearing terrorists around Dikwa, Borno state on Wednesday.

“During the painstaking operation, the troops of 7 Divisions Garrison, in a cordon and search operation in Jakana village, also recovered 15 cows, 174 goats and a donkey from rustlers.

“The animals have since been handed over to their identified legitimate owners while the rustlers have been apprehended and are currently undergoing investigation,’’ Usman said.

He said that troops had in a separate operation at Jehu, near Jakana, arrested one Mai Mustapha, the fuel supplier to Boko Haram terrorists and one Madu, who allegedly coordinated the buying of food items from neighbouring villages for the terrorists.

He said that troops on operation early Thursday morning dislodged elements that attacked Dumbuluwa village in Fika Local Government Area of Yobe State.

Usman said that the soldiers killed eight of the insurgents while two members of the vigilante group were injured by Improvised Explosive Devices fragments during the operation.

He said that the operations would continue in the area until all elements were dislodged from the hideouts and arrested for possible prosecution. (NAN)

Donald Trump continued to dominate the Republican race for United States president by causing further controversies in the first debate.

The tycoon’s refusal to rule out a third-party run drew boos from the audience on Thursday night, the BBC reports.

And he stood by offensive comments he has made in the past about women.

The 10 candidates in Cleveland, selected by Fox News on the basis of recent national polls, provided a frank and bruising exchange of views.

Mr. Trump stumbled on his past support for a national healthcare system but his most uncomfortable moment came when moderator Megyn Kelly challenged him on his views about women.

“You’ve called women you don’t like fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals,” she said.

He answered by joking that he only said that about actress Rosie O’Donnell and stating that political correctness was one of the country’s biggest problems.

Chelsea start their defence of the Premier League trophy when the new top-flight season kicks off on Saturday. Here AFP Sport takes a closer look at the five leading contenders for the English title.

CHELSEA
Manager: Jose Mourinho (POR)
2014-15 position: champions; FA Cup: fourth round; League Cup: winners; Champions League: last 16

Transfers in: Asmir Begovic (Stoke, £8million), Nathan (Atletico Paranaense/BRA, £3m), Danilo Pantic (Partizan Belgrade/SRB, £1.2m), Radamel Falcao (Monaco/FRA, Loan)

Transfers out: Filipe Luis (Atletico Madrid/ESP, £16m), Petr Cech (Arsenal, £10m), Josh McEachran (Brentford, £750,000), Gael Kakuta (Sevilla/ESP, Undisclosed), Didier Drogba (Montreal Impact/CAN, Free), Christian Atsu (Bournemouth, Loan), Mario Pasalic (Monaco/FRA, Loan), Izzy Brown (Vitesse Arnhem/NED, Loan), Lewis Baker (Vitesse Arnhem/NED, Loan), Marco van Ginkel (Stoke, Loan), Tomas Kalas (Middlesbrough, Loan), Patrick Bamford (Crystal Palace, Loan), Danilo Pantic (Vitesse Arnhem/NED Loan), Dominic Solanke (Vitesse Arnhem/NED, Loan)

– Led by a serial winner in Jose Mourinho and bolstered by last season’s Premier League and League Cup triumphs, Chelsea look a good bet to live up to their billing as the bookmakers’ favourites to retain the title.

The Blues would also dearly love to mount a stronger challenge for the Champions League after a frustrating last 16 exit against Paris Saint Germain last term.

But with Diego Costa’s fitness still a major concern as the Spain striker battles a recurring hamstring problem, there is no room for complacency and Mourinho must get the best out of Radamel Falcao, the Colombian he signed from Monaco despite a miserable loan spell with Manchester United, if Chelsea are to emulate the blistering start they made 12 months ago.

MANCHESTER CITY
Manager: Manuel Pellegrini (CHI)
2014-15 position: runners-up; FA Cup: fourth round; League Cup: fourth round; Champions League: last 16

Transfers in: Raheem Sterling (Liverpool, £44m), Fabian Delph (Aston Villa, £8m), Enes Unal (Bursaspor/TUR, £2m), David Faupala (Lens/FRA, Undisclosed), Patrick Roberts (Fulham, Undisclosed)

Transfers out: Alvaro Negredo (Valencia/ESP, £19m), Karim Rekik (Marseille/FRA, £3m), Scott Sinclair (Aston Villa, £2.5m), Dedryck Boyata (Celtic/SCO, £1.5m), James Milner (Liverpool, Free), Micah Richards (Aston Villa, Free), Joe Nuttall (Aberdeen/SCO, Free), Angelino (New York City/USA, Loan)

– Finishing as Premier League runners-up would be a worthy achievement for most top-flight clubs, but for a team of City’s vast wealth and huge ambitions, trailing in eight points behind Chelsea and once again failing to make the latter stages of the Champions League added up to a major disappointment.

Despite speculation that City’s underachievement would cost boss Manuel Pellegrini his job, the Chilean has been granted a chance to make amends and once again expectations will be sky high at Eastlands after the arrivals of Raheem Sterling and Fabian Delph — two dynamic English talents with the ability to add pace and power to a team that looked increasingly sluggish last season.

ARSENAL
Manager: Arsene Wenger (FRA)

2014-15 position: third; FA Cup: winners; League Cup: third round; Champions League: last 16

Transfers in: Petr Cech (Chelsea, £10 million), Jeff Reine-Adelaide (Lens/FRA, Undisclosed)

Transfers out: Lukas Podolski (Galatasaray/TUR, £1.8m), Ryo Miyaichi (St Pauli/GER, Free) Semi Ajayi (Cardiff, Free), Abou Diaby (Marseille/FRA) Free), Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill (Swindon, Free), Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Ipswich, Loan), Carl Jenkinson (West Ham, Loan), Wojciech Szczesny (Roma/ITA, Loan), Chuba Akpom (Hull, Loan)

– A strong finish in the Premier League, combined with a swashbuckling FA Cup final rout of Aston Villa, has created a belief among Arsene Wenger’s players that they are ready to end the club’s 12-year wait to be crowned English champions.

A tenacious Community Shield victory over Chelsea provided further proof the Gunners shouldn’t feel inferior to their title rivals and with Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech lured from Chelsea to fill the one obvious hole in Wenger’s squad, Arsenal at last have the look of a serious contender for the crown. Now all they have to do is finally turn their potential in prizes.

MANCHESTER UNITED
Manager: Louis van Gaal (NED)
2014-15 position: fourth; FA Cup: quarter-finals; League Cup: second round; Champions League: Did not qualify

Transfers in: Memphis Depay (PSV Eindhoven/NED, £25m), Morgan Schneiderlin (Southampton, £25m), Matteo Darmian (Torino/ITA, £12.7m) Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich/GER, £14.4m), Sergio Romero (Sampdoria/ITA, Free)

Transfers out: Angel Di Maria (Paris Saint Germain/FRA, £44.3m), Nani (Fenerbahce/TUR, £4.2m), Robin van Persie (Fenerbahce/TUR, £3.8m), Angelo Henriquez (Dynamo Zagreb/CRO, £1.2m), Rafael da Silva (Lyon/FRA, £2.5m), Saidy Janko (Celtic/SCO, Undisclosed), Tom Cleverley (Everton, Free), Ben Amos (Bolton, Free) Tom Thorpe (Rotherham, Free), Will Keane (Preston, Loan)

– Although United’s qualification for the Champions League ensured Louis van Gaal achieved the minimum requirement of his first season at Old Trafford, finishing 17 points behind Chelsea wasn’t good enough for the Dutch coach, who has embarked on a major overhaul of his squad as he aims to challenge for the title in year two.

Angel Di Maria and Robin van Persie were axed after failing to live up to expectations, while van Gaal splashed out nearly £80 million on four new faces, with Memphis Depay expected to prove a vibrant presence on the flanks and Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin much-needed additions to a midfield low on style and substance.

LIVERPOOL
Manager: Brendan Rodgers (NIR)

2014-15 position: sixth; FA Cup: semi-finals; League Cup: semi-finals; Champions League: group stage

Transfers in: Christian Benteke (Aston Villa, £32.5m), Roberto Firmino (Hoffenheim/GER, £29m), Nathaniel Clyne (Southampton, £12.5m), Joe Gomez (Charlton, £3.5m), Danny Ings (Burnley, Tribunal to decide fee), James Milner (Manchester City, Free), Adam Bogdan (Bolton, Free)

Transfers out: Raheem Sterling (Manchester City, £44m), Iago Aspas (Celta Vigo/ESP, £3.5m), Rickie Lambert (West Brom, £3m), Sebastian Coates (Sunderland, £2m), Steven Gerrard (Los Angeles Galaxy/USA, Free), Glen Johnson (Stoke, Free), Stephen Sama (Stuttgart/GER, Free), Jordan Lussey (Bolton, Free), Brad Jones (Released), Andre Wisdom (Norwich, Loan)

– Steven Gerrard’s departure signalled the end of era at Anfield, but it was the limp nature of the Liverpool icon’s farewell that resonated most powerfully with Reds boss Brendan Rodgers.

Easily beaten by Crystal Palace and then hammered 6-1 at Stoke in Gerrard’s last two matches, it was all too clear why Liverpool lagged eight points behind the top four and failed to make it out of the Champions League group stages.

Rodgers has been quick to take action as he seeks the first trophy of his four-year reign and, once the decision had been taken to bow to Raheem Sterling’s desire to join Manchester City, he brought in a host of new signings, the most important of which is likely to be the powerful Belgium striker Christian Benteke.

Who do you think will win the 2015/2016 English Premier League?

The management of Diamond Bank Plc. has apologized to former House of Representatives member, Abike Dabiri-Erewa for naming her as one of its chronic debtors.

The bank had published the list of debtors following a Central Bank directive and had named Mrs Dabiri-Erewa as a Director of Thriller Endeavours Ltd, a company which was said to be owing N122 million.

The former lawmaker denied the reports via Twitter and proceeded to sue both Diamond Bank and Punch Newspaper, which had put a photo of Mrs Dabiri-Erewa in an article about the issue on its website.

The apology from the bank was contained in today’s edition of Punch.

“The inclusion of the name of Hon. Abike Dabiri (stated as Director in Thriller Endeavours Ltd) was erroneous and is deeply regretted.”

“The Central Bank of Nigeria has been informed of this error. Hon Dabiri is not indebted to the bank in any capacity.”

The Central Bank had, on April 22, 2015, ordered the banks to publish the debtors’ lists from August 1.

The PDP has called on President Buhari to order a probe on the tenure of some APC government officials, particularly those of Bola Tinubu and Rotimi Amaechi.

While speaking at a meeting with some PDP Senators at the party's national secretariat in Abuja yesterday August 6th, the acting National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, said the EFCC has arrested more of PDP government officials in recent times and wondered why APC governors are in anyway clean of corruption.

"Mr President should intervene, that so far, statistics shows clearly that the EFCC have only arrested members of our party, those who have served in government before. But there are APC governors, members of the APC who have served in various governments, they have been left alone. We believe that a government serious on anti-corruption crusade, it cannot be one-sided, it cannot be selective; it should be holistic. Therefore, let’s use this medium to ask that members of the APC who were governors before, are they clean? Are they giving them clean bill of health?” he said

The Golden Eaglets have been drawn in Group A of the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile, slated for October 17 to November 8, alongside the hosts, Croatia and the US.

The Golden Eaglets placed fourth at this year’s African U17 Championship in Niger Republic to qualify for the tournament where they will be hoping to defend the crown they won two years back in the United Arab Emirates.

The draw ceremony took place Thursday night at the theater of the Centro de las Artes 660 in Santiago de Chile, Chile. The event was greeted with great fanfare that entertained the crème de la crème of world football – plus Chilean President Michelle Bachelet.

Then it was time for a little music as Chilean singer-songwriter DJ Mendez, the man behind the tournament’s Official Song, took centre stage with the Brochico, the Official Mascot, to entertain the audience with his catchy tune.

Hosts New Zealand were zoned in Group A against Croatia, Nigeria and the United States of America.

African U17 winners, Mali will battle with Belgium, Honduras and Ecuador in Group D.

Last edition's runners-up Mexico will slug it out against Argentina, Germany and Australia in Group C.

Elsewhere, South Africa, who finished second at the African U17 Championship will try North Korea, Costa Rica and Russia for size in Group E.

The Golden Eaglets will face the United States U17 in the opening match of the competition on October 17, 2016 at the Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos, Santiago.

2015 FIFA WORLD U17 CHAMPIONSHIP IN FULL

Group A (Santiago, Vina del Mar, Coquimbo): Chile, Croatia, Nigeria, USA

Group B (La Serena, Coquimbo, Vina del Mar): England, Guinea, Brazil, Korea Republic

Group C (Chillan, Talca): Australia, Germany, Mexico, Argentina

Group D (Talca, Chillan): Belgium, Mali, Honduras, Ecuador

Group E (Concepcion, Puerto Montt): South Africa, Costa Rica, Korea DPR, Russia

Group F (Puerto Montt, Concepcion): New Zealand, France, Syria, Paraguay

Lieutenant General Gordon Messenger, British Deputy Chief of Defence Staff on Military Strategy and Operations has re-affirmed the resolve of Britain to help Nigeria in the fight against terrorism.

Lt. Messenger gave this assurance when he and other senior British military officers paid courtesy call on the Nigeria Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Gabriel Olonisakin at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja on Thursday.

Lt Gen Messenger stated that the essence of the visit of the senior British officials to Nigeria was to broaden the deep relationship and re-energise the bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and Britain.

He pointed out that they came to Nigeria for deliberations towards identifying the ideal area of collaboration to be adopted in the fight against insurgency and the best way to make it work.

He stressed that the fight against terrorism is a multifaceted problem that demands strategy and careful exploration of grey areas in order to re-appraise the best support the British could offer.
In his remark, Nigeria Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Olonisakin thanked the British officials for the visit and the determination of the Britain to assist Nigeria.

The CDS acknowledge all the assistance the Nigerian Armed Forces had enjoyed from Britain, especially in term of training and retraining of its personnel for capacity building to crush Boko Haram.

Major General Olonisakin noted that the Nigerian Armed Forces is doing everything within its power to liquidate Boko Haram and its cells. This, the CDS said has received boost with the inauguration of new Multi-National Joint Task Force and the appointment of a Nigerian Commander.

The MNJTF, he reiterated, is coordinating with the Nigerian Military command and control centre in the North East for effectiveness. Present at the occasion were the British Assistant Chief of Defence Staff on Defence Engagement, Rear Admiral Simon Ancona, top officials of British Embassy in Abuja and a list of high ranking Nigerian military officers.

The Federal Government may recoup its money from debtor power distribution companies by calling on their bank guarantees.

This, it was gathered, had been brought before Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who is the Chairman of the National Council on Privatisation.

Mid last month, the Federal Government ordered the power distribution firms to remit the outstanding amounts for capacity and energy invoiced against them since February before the close of business on July 24, 2015.

But two weeks after the expiration of the ultimatum, the affected power distribution companies have yet to comply with the directive.

Impeccable sources at the Federal Ministry of Power and the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company Plc told our correspondent on Thursday in Abuja that the Federal Government had through the NBET written to the Discos and their various banks notifying them of the intention to call on their respective bank guarantees.

A top management official of the NBET said the decision had not been implemented because the vice president recently held a meeting with operators in the sector and the issue was discussed.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the subject, said, “We have written to the Discos and we have notified the banks that we intend to call on the guarantees. But how much of the guarantees should we call on is something that we are evaluating. But I can tell you that there have been some meetings at the highest level of government, where the Discos are consulting with the vice president, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Power and the Chairman of NERC.

“We also attended that meeting. And due to that intervention, we have to see how the outcome of that meeting goes. So, that’s really why we have to wait. The Chairman of the NCP is the vice president and he is serious about this issue. We have brought out this issue of poor remittances as one of the cases before him. So, we have to wait for the conclusion of that meeting to know what next to do.”

Another source at the Power ministry told our correspondent that when the Transitional Electricity Market was declared, the expectation was that all the Discos would make 100 per cent remittance to the government.

The Managing Director, NBET, Mr. Rumundaka Wonodi, explained to our correspondent that it was important for the Discos to remit funds to the government now that power generation was gradually improving.

He said their failure to make stipulated remittances might result in a fall in power generation and that the government might not have enough funds to pay for generated electricity

“Generation is coming up and we need to be sure that money is being transferred from the distribution to the generation companies to incentivise generation. The gas suppliers are ramping up gas to the power industry; if the money does not get to the generation companies and they do not pay their suppliers, we may see supply falling,” Wonodi added.

Meanwhile, the Transmission Company of Nigeria has announced the attainment of an all-time maximum energy of 101,088 megawatt-hour wheeled through the national grid in a day.

The TCN said in a statement signed by its General Manager, Public Affairs, Mrs. Seun Olagunju, that the feat was recorded on Wednesday, August 5, 2015.

The company’s previous highest wheeled energy of 99,450MWH was attained on October 31, 2014.

The Vice President of the United Arab Emirates and the Emir of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has described Nigeria as the business hub of Africa and a potential world super-power.

He made this remark at a recent meeting with the CEO of a Nigerian construction firm, Sujimoto Group, Sijibomi Ogundele, during the latter’s visit to Dubai. The forum was strategically designed to explore investment opportunities and exchange between Nigerian luxury real estate brand, Sujimoto Construction and top Emirati architectural firms.

Speaking further, Shiekh Al Maktoum added, “Dubai is great, but Nigeria’s potential is beyond our imagination. Nigeria would be one of the greatest countries not only in Africa but also in the world with the right investments and infrastructural developments. Her economy is developing rapidly and her construction industries can match what obtains in many advanced countries.’’

On his part, Ogundele whose construction outfit is at the forefront of redefining and delivering high-value residential structures in Nigeria and major international cities said, “ The real-estate sector in Dubai inspires me a lot so I desire to transform the Nigerian building sector to match that of the UAE.

“Our flagship buildings, ‘LorenzoBySujimoto’, are designed after outstanding UAE structures. We intend to achieve this by bridging the gap in the provision of exceptional luxury structures in Lagos, Nigeria, other parts of West and ultimately the UAE.”

Sharing his vision for his country since he assumed leadership of the UAE in 2006, he said, “Failure is never an option. Dubai can never afford to settle for less. The fear of failure is my number one motivating factor. I wake up each day reminding myself that I would do everything to show the world that the UAE and Dubai in particular would never become followers but Leaders in all sectors of leadership.

Sijibomi Ogundele concluded that with the right investments and infrastructural developments, Nigeria’s economy would develop rapidly and our construction industries would be able to match what obtains in many advanced countries.

The All Progressives Congress in Ondo State has urged banks and the Federal Government not to grant any loan to the government of Governor Olusegun Mimiko.

The party said this in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Omo’ba Abayomi Adesanya, on Thursday.

It also asked Mimiko to give account of all allocations that had accrued to the state since the inception of his administration more than six years ago.

The APC also challenged the state government to explain to the people of Ondo State why he should be granted a N7bn loan from Access Bank when he has yet to fully offset the over N70bn debt formally incurred.

The party cautioned the Federal Government and the bank on the danger of approving such loan for Mimiko. The APC further explained that projects executed under Mimiko’s watch could not justify the N44bn his administration inherited and the huge allocations he had received since 2009 when he took over the reins of government.

The statement read, “The approval of this loan will create pitfalls and drawbacks for the incoming administration. This is similar to what President Muhammadu Buhari inherited from his predecessor, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. Mimiko was only planning to spread banana peels on the way to prevent his successor succeeding.

“The good people of Ondo State must ask Mimiko why the state should borrow more money when he could not properly manage previous loans, account for inherited state treasury and offset outstanding loans and indebtedness.”

The APC said Mimiko’s government when inaugurated promised to turn Akure, the state capital, to a “small London” and that the Oyemekun/Oba-Adesida Road would be converted to a six-lane dual carriage way.

It noted that houses and shops were demolished while project were awarded for N3.2bn, but residents were shocked that the contractor ended up only “replacing street lights and road dividers.”

“We, therefore, urge the Federal Government and the bank involved not to grant the loan to this government and we are also calling on the lawmakers, who are representatives of the masses, to invite the governor for explanation on how he has been spending the state’s allocations for the past six years,” the statement added.

A civil society group, Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari not to consider the immediate past Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), for appointment.

The Executive Chairman of the group, Mr. Debo Adeniran, told newsmen during an interview on Thursday that Fashola’s administration was engulfed in several controversies which could not be overlooked.

Adeniran said his organisation was troubled by many dilapidated schools in the state. He noted that when the Socio-Economic Right Accountability Project invoked the Freedom of Information Act to know how the Fashola government spent a $200m World Bank education funds, the state government refused to disclose it.

He said instead, the state government continued to run its affairs in secrecy by claiming that the FOI Act did not apply to state governments.

Adeniran said independent investigations by his organisation showed that the 1.36km Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge which was reportedly built for N25bn, cost only N6bn.

He said he had written a series of petitions to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to probe the various projects of the Fashola government in the face of the over N500bn debt left behind by the government.

He said he was shocked to find out that the commission had continued to ignore all the petitions despite the fact that Fashsola no longer enjoyed immunity, having left office over 60 days ago.

In a letter addressed to the President titled, ‘Don’t elevate Fashola,’ the group said if Buhari wanted to actualise his mission of ‘change’ he would need to distance himself from controversy.

The letter read, “Mr. President, we are constrained at this point in time to bring to your attention our critical reaction to the unbridled speculation making the rounds for some time now, from the members of the public as well as the media, as to the fact that the immediate past governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, is being considered by the presidency for higher national responsibility. Feelers have it that his name is prominent on the list of the president’s nominees for key offices in your administration.

“It is gratifying that you have promised at various fora that your appointments would be purely based on merit and that tested technocrats, with impeccable records, would be given their rightful places in your administration, as a way of ensuring good governance to the people of Nigeria. It is against this background that our organisation is appealing to you to please take the pains to dig deep into Mr. Babatunde Fashola’s record of performance as well as that of financial propriety on the part of his government while in office.”

Fashola’s spokesperson, Mr. Hakeem Bello, did not respond to telephone calls as well as a text message sent to his phone.

Prince Uche Secondus

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday gave account of how the controversial N12 billion generated by the party during the last general elections was spent.

The money was the proceeds from sale of nomination and expression of interest forms from various elective office seekers across the federation.

At a briefing in Abuja, the party’s Acting National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, said the actual amount was not N12 billion but a little over N11b.

According to him, “10 percent of the money went to the state chapters, five percent to the zonal chapters and another five percent to local government chapters of the party.

“Another 15 percent was expended on assignments by various party functionaries and the rest was used to fund our campaigns. We raised money and we used the money for elections. We don’t need to go into details”.

Protesting workers at the party secretariat have been at war with the Secondus-led National Working Committee (NWC) following the alleged embezzlement of the money, which they said was partly responsible for the poor outing of the PDP in the general election.

The NWC had threatened to sack half of the workers and reduce their pay by 50 per cent, a development that further infuriated the aggrieved workers.

Senate Minority Leader Godswill Akpabio, who led the PDP Senate caucus to the briefing, explained why the party must reduce the secretariat workers.

Akpabio said: “We can no longer run to the Villa for cash so we don’t have the wherewithal to maintain that large number of secretariat workers.

“The workers should understand that they are in a master-servant relationship in which you cannot force an unwilling master to keep a recalcitrant servant. We are definitely going to downsize”.

Akpabio and Secondus complained about what they described as “harassment and intimidation” of the party’s ex-governors and former ministers who served under the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

According to them, the Department of State Security (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) were singling out ex PDP public office holders for investigation.

They urged the anti grant and security agencies to prove that only ex-PDP public office holders were corrupt and that those that were elected under the All Progressives Congress (APC) were saints.

“We have been reading in the papers about corrupt practices in Rivers and Lagos State under the control of the APC. But the EFCC has not deemed it fit to invite the immediate past governors of these states,” Secondus said.

The party leaders also complained about what they termed the arrest and intimidation of electoral officials in Rivers, Akwa Inom and Abia states by the DSS, saying the trend was limited to states under the control of the PDP.

They cautioned the Federal Government against selective application of the law, saying the process must be seen to be holistic.

A lawyer and rights activist, Kabir Akingbolu, has dragged President Muhammadu Buhari and his vice, Prof Yemi Osinbajo before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos over allegedly failure to keep to their promise to Nigerians during their electioneering campaigns to publicly declare their assets.

Akingbolu, who initiated the suit, is contending that by declaring their assets secretly, Buhari and Osinbajo have violated Section 172 and Section 11 (1) and (2) of the Code of Conduct for public officers under the Fifth Schedule to the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

Other defendants in the suit are the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF and the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB.

Buhari and Osinbajo had declared their assets to the CCB secretly, a development which drew public condemnation, with many insisting that it was a departure from the anti-corruption posture of the president and his vice.

Akingbolu, is asking the court to declare that it was mandatory for the CCB to publicly publish the assets of Buhari and Osinbajo.

He is further praying the court to declare that the secret declaration of assets by Buhari and Osinbajo was unconstitutional.

He also want the court to mandate them to publicly declare their assets in line with the Code of Conduct for public officers under the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution.

Akingbolu, in an affidavit in support of the suit, averred that Buhari and Osinbajo made it abundantly clear while canvassing for votes from Nigerians that they would publicly declare their assets in order to prove that they would run a transparent government.

He further averred that under the code of conduct, the President and the Vice President were duty as public officers to declare their assets publicly, and that the duo have breached the said stipulation by not publicly declaring their assets as dictated and mandated by the Constitution.

He added that the sad aspect of the development, was that the CCB “has been shielding Buhari and Osinbajo by not publicizing their purported declaration of assets in line with the law.”

“I know as a fact as a legal practitioner that Buhari and Osinbajo are duty bound to declare their assets publicly and it will be in the interest of justice, public peace and good governance to grant the reliefs in this suit,” he averred.

A kidnap suspect, Linus Nlemadim, from Egbelu Obube in Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State, shocked his captors yesterday when he expressed readiness to reel out the names of his colleagues in crime.

Nlemadim was allegedly arrested in connection with the recent kidnap of one Eziopara Ben Anyanwu, an American-based indigene of the same autonomous community.

It was gathered from a source that the suspect, who made the promise soon after his arrest, vowed that he would not die alone.

“The suspect said he was ready to mention the names of members of the gang that were involved ing the crime, and that there was no way he would die alone,” the source recounted.

The source also said that the suspect hinged his position on the fact since his associates, who were earlier arrested, had leaked their secret, he would not keep quiet and die alone.

He said: “True to his threat, the suspect released the name of another colleague of his. This led to the arrest of his accomplice from Ngor Okpala Local Government Area.

“I believe they will be telling the police all they know about the alleged crime.”

A community leader revealed that the two suspects, who linked Linus Nlemadim to the deal, were natives of Upe and Umunam in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area.

The source said one of the kidnappers was caught when he went to Umuovum, Ulakwo to sell an i-Pad they stole.

“The man, who indicated interest in buying the gadget unlocked the equipment, saw the images of the kidnapped Ben Anyanwu and quickly brought the police into the picture,” the source said.

President Muhammadu Buhari have started a total probe of the administration run by immediate past president, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan as the National Economic Council, NEC, Ad-hoc Committee on the Management of Excess Crude Account Proceeds and Accruals into the Federation Account, headed by the Governor of Edo State, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, is to hire two international forensic audit firms to probe revenue that accrued into the Federation Account and how it was spent under former Dr Goodluck Jonathan as President.

Mr. Oshiomhole told journalists at the end of the first meeting of the committee in Abuja, yesterday that the auditors would cover the period January 1, 2010 to June 1, 2015.

It put paid to calls by the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, that Buhari should extend his probe to the administrations of Jonathan’s predecessors, Alh. Umaru Yar’ Adua.and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

Already, some revenue generating agencies have been invited to brief the committee which will take detailed briefings from all Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs of the Federal Government that deal directly with revenue.

The focus will be on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, the Nigeria Customs Service, the Central bank of Nigeria, the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI, among others.

Other members of the committee included Gov. Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai of Kaduna State, Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe, and Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom.

He said that the committee did not want its actions to be bogged down by political interpretations and that the members were not professionals. Even if they were professionals, he said that their duties as governors would not allow them the time to do a thorough work.

His words, “We held our first primary session today here with some of the revenue generating agencies that are supposed to remit funds to the federation account. We had a successful session with Customs, NPA, NEITI, SEC, FIRS, and quite a number of others and next week we will also hear from CBN, Ministry of Finance, Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

For the remaining ones, we agree we are going to meet on Thursday next week, NNPC, NPDC, DPR, NIMASA and other remaining agencies.

We have started the work, with the idea to hear them out, what they have been doing, with particular emphasis on revenue accruing from these organizations and whether or not these have been remitted to the Federation Account for judicious distribution.

His words: “We realised that this is a task and given our mandate, even if we were professional accountants because we are sitting governors, we would not have the time to do a forensic audit which this assignment entails.

“Therefore, we have agreed in line with our mandate to appoint two reputable international audit firms to carry out a thorough forensic audit, not only of NNPC, which is more of excess crude, but other monies that accrued to the Federation Accounts. We have other revenues like bonuses, royalties, taxes, VAT that flow into the Federation Account.

“We are taking a holistic review of the entire process, looking at all the agencies that make contribution of funds to the federation account.

We are convinced that by appointing audit firms, we will allow professionals to carry out this exercise, so that it will be free of any political colouration and also we will ensure the outcome of the investigation will.

“We have learned, we have listened and asked questions. I think we all have a clear picture of what is happening in those organizations before now. Some have information to supply and we have drawn attention to those areas, they are willing to oblige. We believe in the end, we will be able to not just establish what had happened over the period but much more important, going forward with the changes the President has promised the country.

“It is not going to be business as usual. He started on a clean slate and everybody knows the new rules of the game and in particular as the laws apply to the various institutions are implemented in full. So I think we started very well. We are very confident that we are going to come out with something that is going to be of immense benefits to the Nigerian people”.

On the rationale for embarking on another audit report with regards to the alleged missing funds, he said “Some reports were produced by PWC but in that report the PWC expressed their frustration and pointed to the fact that they were not able to access all the information they needed and that what they were able to produce was to the extent of information that was made available to them.”

He added: “Audit can only be credible as much as information that was made available to auditors. The good news now is that with President Buhari, all the books will be open, no agency has any protection. Any agency that refuses to open the books then is ready to go on confrontation with the authority.

“The forensic audit will act on the whole truth and nothing but the truth so that all stakeholders will have basis to formulate good policies and that Nigeria will never find itself in this circle where huge sums of money are allegedly diverted and unaccounted for. Audit has become a way of life for all public institutions.”

On the duration of the audit exercise, Oshiomhole explained that the committee had looked at it professionally. “We are focusing on a five year circle. What we have agreed is that we are going to carry out an audit for five years from 1st January 2010 to 30th June 2015.

“If the audit report reveals that we need to go backward, then we can do that. But for the first instance, this is the period that we consider good.

“We can’t impose a time frame on them but will engage them and by Thursday we will be able to make it public. We need to listen to them and agreed with them on how much time will be okay for them. We are all in a hurry to ensure that the right thing is done. The emphasis is not on time but doing thorough job.

“By next week we will meet with the big ones and we will then be able to tell you the audit firms that we have appointed. They are firms I am sure Nigerians will have confidence in.

“At the end of the audit we will hear them out and reconcile them with what the laws says and arrive at a position. Given the volume of work and complicated nature of issues, we agreed we need professionals to carry out the audit. It is only the professionals that can handle it. It is not good to compromise”.

Women from states in the Niger Delta on Thursday protested the continued detention and harassment of the Rivers State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Gesila Khan.

The women who protested in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, said the incarceration of Khan was an affront to mothers and women, alleging that men of the Department of State Security had been harassing the REC.

The protesting women, under the aegis of the Niger Delta Women for Peace and Development, however, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the matter.

The women, armed with placards with inscriptions, ‘Buhari! Don’t allow DSS violate right of women’, ‘The detention of Khan is a war against Nigerian Mothers’ and “Free Khan Now or Face curses from Nigerian mothers’ condemned the arrest and detention of Khan.

The leader of the group, Mrs. Grace Amabo, said the continued detention of Khan was creating a bad image for the Buhari administration.

Amabo said the arrest was an affront to issues of gender equality and women’s rights.

She said, “The continued arrest is an affront to Nigerian women and the Niger Delta people. It also violates the right of women in public office as enshrined in the Beijing Convention on Gender Equality.

“Her continued incarceration by the DSS in Abuja is biased, selective and having tribal connotations to witch-hunt and blackmail our revered daughter who has meritoriously served the nation.

Nigerian soldiers and members of the Boko Haram sect are currently engaged in a gunbattle in Gadaka, a town in Yobe state, TheCable has reported.

According to a source, the insurgents launched an onslaught on the town over the night, in a bid to seize it, while soldiers responded this morning to put up a resistance.

The source said, “As I speak to you now, there are three fighter jets bombarding the militants. They came to the town last night and the military responded this morning. They wanted to take over the town, because they were even telling people to leave and threatening to kill those who would not obey.

“More Boko Haram members wanted to gain access to Gadaka this morning but they were unable to enter the town because it rained heavily last night and the whole road has been taken over by flood.”

Efforts to confirm the development from the Yobe State police command did not yield any result, as Mr. Marcus Danladi, who was until last Friday the state police commissioner, said he had no information.

Nigerians Use Hilarious Tweets And Trending Hashtag, #SecSchoolInNigeria To FlashBack High School Memories

Many Nigerian youths have created a very funny trending topic all-day with the hashtag #secschoolinnigeria

#SecSchoolInNigeria helps Nigerians relive the gory details of secondary (high) school.

From tweets about teacher brutality, boarding school hardships, and classroom drama, everything to learn about the average secondary schools can be found in this hilarious trend.

Read Tweets about Nigerians talking about their past experience in secondary school (high sch) in a very nice and funny manner

The Spokeswoman of the Lagos State Police Command, DSP. Patricia Amadin, said on Thursday, that two policemen had been arrested for allegedly assaulting officials of Lagos State Traffic Management Agency.

Amadin made the disclosure in a statement made available to newsmen in Lagos.

“The command has arrested two policemen for complicity in the assault of LASTMA officials while on their legitimate duty.

“The Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, has warned policemen in the command to uphold the highest standards of their professional calling.

“The CP has warned that the command will zealously work to uphold zero tolerance for indiscipline, abuse of human rights and incivility to members of the public,” Amadin said.

She said the command would not hesitate to bring erring officers to book.

Amadin said the commissioner of police had always frowned at unprofessional conducts by policemen.

She explained that trouble started on August 5, when a policeman from the Ojo Division, who was said to be in pursuit of a suspected criminal, fired at the tyre of the fleeing car.

Amadin said the bullet brushed through the arm of a passer-by, causing instant tension and anger among some on-lookers.

She said, “The timely intervention of a senior police officer in Ojo area of the state averted what would have been a major civil disturbance at Iyana-Oba bus stop on Wednesday.

“An attempt by miscreants to take advantage of the situation to foment trouble was averted as the police leadership employed a combination of alternative dispute resolution and community policing tactics to calm frayed nerves.

“The policeman has since been arrested and detained, pending the commencement of disciplinary procedures against him.

“The injured citizen who was rushed to the hospital by the police is receiving treatment.”

(NAN)

Atiku’s daughter named commissioner in Adamawa

A daughter of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has been nominated as commissioner in Adamawa State.

Fatima Atiku Abubakar was listed as one of 22 commissioner nominees sent by Governor Bindow Jibirilla on Thursday to the state House of Assembly for screening.

Atiku pictured with all his daughters

Two associates of the former vice president were also nominated, a pointer to the improved relations between the governor and Atiku, our correspondent says.

The two leaders belonged to different political camps in the past.

The two associates of the former vice president are Ibrahim Mijinyawa, a former gubernatorial aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, and Umar Daware.

Also, a former director of press and public affairs to former Governor Murtala Nyako, Ahmed Sajoh, was also named a commissioner nominee.

The list has two former commissioners of the Nyako administration, namely, Lilian Kayode, and Mohammad Mustapha.

Altogether, four women made the list. They are Shanti Victoria Shashi, Kaletapwa Farauta, Fatima Atiku Abubakar and Lilian Nabe Kayode.

The State House of Assembly complex was filled as early as 9:00am Thursday, as political associates, friends and well wishes of the nominees besieged the premises.

PHOTOS: Nigerian farmers kill 'Terror' Hippopotamus in Gombe

A group of farmers in Dadinkowa Dam area of Gombe state, today, killed a massive hippopotamus which was said to have been terrorizing the neighborhood.

Some of the farmers told NE that the hippopotamus was allegedly a prominent member of a terrorist sect in Gombe State.

See more photos of the huge animal below:

Photos: NAN

The Kebbi State High Court has jailed three former bank staff for 91 years over N114.6million fraud.

The convicts, who were jailed by Justice Ibrahim Mairiga, include Suleiman Ibrahim Musa, Bilyaminu Usman and Lawal Suleiman.

They were convicted on 16-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery, theft and criminal breach of trust brought against them by the Economics and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and subsequently sentenced to 91 years in prison.

The convicts, who were former staff of FinBank Plc (acquired by First City Monument Bank Plc in 2011), Birnin-Kebbi branch in Kebbi State, were first arraigned on July 21, 2010, and had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

A statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said: “Musa, who was then the head of operations, defrauded the bank of N101, 707,000, Usman and Suleiman, both tellers connived to defraud the bank of N6, 627,500 and N6, 267,500 respectively.

“The crimes were committed between 2008 and 2010. They had at different times debited the bank’s customers by carrying out unauthorized withdrawals.

“They were arrested by EFCC operatives following a petition by the bank’s management, after several customers lodged complaints alleging fraudulent deductions from their bank accounts. They had backed up their claims with various documentary evidence – stamped deposits and investment certificates.

“After five years of trial, Justice Mairiga, having been convinced by the evidence brought before him by the prosecuting counsel, Aisha Habib, found the ex-bankers guilty of the charges.”

The trial judge said: “By considering the amount involved and weight of evidence presented before the court by the prosecution, which was never challenged by the defence, it shows that their wrongful act caused a great injury to the bank.

“I therefore, find the accused persons guilty as charged, and so convict and sentence them to 55 years, seven years and 29 years imprisonment respectively without an option of fine, with the jail term to serve concurrently.”

The judge also ordered the convicts to return the stolen money to the bank.

PICTURES: Nigerian troops kill eight terrorists, arrest Boko Haram’s fuel supplier

Nigerian troops gained upper hand on Thursday in their counter-insurgency campaign in Borno and Yobe States when they killed eight Boko Haram insurgents and arrested the sect’s fuel and food items coordinator.

Also, the troops recovered 15 cows, 174 goats and a donkey from rustlers.

But two vigilantes were wounded by Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) fragments.

These disclosures were contained in a statement issued by the Acting Director Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Kukasheka Usman.

The statement said: “The Nigerian troops yesterday made startling discovery while combing and clearing terrorists in and around Dikwa, Borno State.

“During the painstaking operation, the troops discovered pile of street lamps poles cut into pieces by Boko Haram terrorists which they use in making Improvised Explosives Devices.

“In another development, during a cordon and search operation in Jakana village, the troops of 7 Division Garrison recovered 15 cows, 174 goats and a donkey from rustlers. The animals have since been handed over to their identified legitimate owners. The rustlers were apprehended and are currently undergoing investigation.

“Similarly, troops have at Jehu near Jakana, arrested Mai Mustapha a fuel supplier to Boko Haram terrorists and Madu who coordinates buying of food items from neighbouring villages for the terrorists.

“Additionally, early this morning Nigerian troops blocked elements that attacked Dumbuluwa village in Fika Local Government Area of Yobe State and had encounter with the terrorists.

“The gallant soldiers killed eight terrorists. Unfortunately, two vigilantes were wounded by Improvised Explosive Devices fragments.”

Former National Security Adviser Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) has spoken of how the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan silenced Boko Haram leader, Abu Shekau and recovered over 22 local government areas that had been occupied by Boko Haram terrorists.

Sambo who has been a subject of media focus since his homes in Abuja and Sokoto were invaded by operatives of the Department of State Security Services (DSS) barely days after he left office and on the eve of Eid -Fitri 2015.

The former NSA named some of the deciding acquisitions which changed the tide in the war against Boko Haram terrorists as Alpha jets, Armoured Personnel Carriers, MRAP vehicles, Advanced artillery pieces, assorted arms and ammunitions, highly sophisticated surveillance drones, T72 multi-purpose tanks, and the re-modification of F7 supersonic jet fighters.

Speaking in Abuja to an online news outfit, Dasuki said, “The armored tanks have comprehensive NBC protection system, just as we deployed Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles that we bought and could withstand improvised explosive device (IED) attacks and ambushes. The vehicles had protected our troops from the land mine threats.

“We are glad that we also provided assorted Armoured Personnel Carriers to transport troops to the battlefield. They are armed for self-defence and to provide protection from attacks from shrapnel and small arms fire.

“All these were acquired in the last one year after years of frustration by Western powers that denied us of the equipment and sabotage of our efforts to acquire same from other sources which were reasons for some delay in delivery.”

He said some other arms already paid for by the previous administration are due to be delivered soon.
“It was unfortunate that some elements were frustrating the efforts as we even had to query some suppliers for delay in delivery of arms and ammunitions,” he added.

The former NSA further said, “We utilized some of these equipment to recover more than 22 local governments under Boko Haram terrorists and ensured that Shekau did not disrupt the 2015 election as he had threatened. Not only did we ensure that the elections were peaceful, Shekau has never spoken to threaten anyone again since then.”

Responding to critics of past administration on security issues, he said: “In attempt to rubbish individuals for whatever reasons, political or otherwise, we should be careful not to rubbish sensitive institutions and their personnel that might still be in active the service.

“It is unfortunate that some elements hide under the cover of anonymity in the media to rubbish some of the sacrifices we made. They should the take the courage to come out publicly by identifying themselves with their baseless allegations. ”.dpuf

The immediate past Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu(retd), has begged the United States to consider releasing to Nigeria sophisticated surveillance equipment that would aid the military offensive against the terror sect, Boko Haram.

Amosu said the US was currently giving such high technology equipment only to countries under the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

He stated that such surveillance equipment would make it possible for the Air Force to carry out its surveillance activities from the air and detect Improvised Explosive Devices in the mission areas without much difficulties.

The former Air Force chief said this during a Flying-out ceremony organised in his honour at the Air Force Base, Abuja, on Thursday.

He said he was optimistic that the US might lift the restriction on such equipment to give African countries the opportunity to have such capabilities.

Amosu added, “There are some capabilities particularly for the Air Force. Essentially, there are three issues that affect the operations of this nature; one of them is the mission responsiveness, another one is the flexibility and capability, and when it comes to capability, whatever we can get from any nation is welcomed.

“It will come with training; it will come with platforms, particularly for surveillance, because this kind of enemies we are dealing with, I will like to call them evasive enemies. So, we need a lot of surveillance capability.

“Unfortunately, we in the third world, there are some kinds of surveillance equipment that are only restricted to NATO nations for acquisition. I’m hoping that they would accommodate African countries so that we can have some of those capabilities.

“Particularly, when it comes to force protection, you can actually do most of this surveillance from the air and you will be able to detect if you have IEDs around locations with ease; but right now, we are not enjoying that. So we are hoping that the US will lift that area(restriction) and let us have the capability that it extends to NATO nations. I think we will be fine.”

He stated that Nigeria was in need of more determination and ruthlessness to curb the threat of terrorism in the society, saying the success of the terrorists in any part of the country would put the remaining regions in danger.

The former Air Chief, who also commented on the recent declaration by President Muhammadu Buhari that terrorism would end in December, noted that the counter terrorism aspect of the ongoing campaign, led by the military, would be concluded then while anti-terrorism operations would continue.

“Very clearly, Mr President has given the time line that by December; don’t forget, there are two aspects of fighting terrorism. One aspect is the counter; he is saying the counter aspect of it, which is being led by the military, must be concluded by December.

“The other aspect, the anti; it’s a continuous process. The Customs Service is involved and the Police are supposed to lead in this. That aspect is still there. The aspect to counter is an agenda that can be met,” he added

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