Looters Burying Stolen Funds In Forests, Burial Grounds – FG

Lai Mohammed

The Federal Government says its anti corruption agencies have been inundated with information of how looters have resorted to burying stolen funds in their backyards, deep forests and burial grounds. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday in Lagos, said the whistle blower policy is working and has led to the recovery of more looted funds in many currencies. Mohammed assured in a statement signed by his Special Adviser, Mr Segun Adeyemi, that all the recovered looted funds were safe and government will give full account to Nigerians. 

The minister thanked Nigerians for their enthusiasm and commitment in helping the government to tackle corruption through disclosure of useful leads to appropriate government agencies. “Since we launched the whistle blower policy, we have received immeasurable support from Nigerians. “Yes, there is monetary reward for any information that leads to recovery of looted funds, but from what we have seen, most of the Nigerians who have come forward with useful leads were driven by patriotism rather than reward. ”Nigerians, fired by a fervid resolve to help banish corruption from their country, have daily inundated the offices of the appropriate government agencies with valuable information. “We have been told how looters have resorted to burying stolen funds in their backyards, in deep forests and even in burial grounds. ”Thanks to whistle-blowers, it is now clear that a rapacious few have pillaged the nation’s wealth through a vicious orgy of corrupt practices,” he said. 

The minister, however, noted that more funds were in the possession of looters than were available to government at all levels to meets its obligations including paying workers’ salaries and providing social amenities. He stressed that the government will not abandon the policy for whatever reason, but will continue to rejig it and make it more effective as a tool for fighting corruption. The minister assured that as soon as the necessary reconciliation process and the litigation in some of the cases were concluded, government would give full account of the recovered looted funds to Nigerians Mohammed re-assured Nigerians who have useful information on looted funds that the government will protect their identities and give them their stipulated reward.

President Buhari Appoints Heads of 23 Federal Agencies (See Full List)

President Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointments of Chief Executives and Directors for twenty three Federal Government Agencies.

The list was released Thursday night.

The names of the new appointees and the agencies are as follows:

S/N ORGANIZATION APPOINTEE DESIGNATION


1) National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP)

Barrister Julie Okah-Donli – Director-General

2) National Centre for Women Development (NCWD)

Barrister Mary Ikpere-Eta – Director-General


3) Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF)

Bayo Somefun – Managing Director

Tijani Suleiman – Executive Director

Mr. Jasper Azuatalam – Executive Director


Kemi Nelson – Executive Director


4) Federal Mortgage Bank (FMB)


Arc. Ahmed Dangiwa – Managing Director


Melvin Eboh – Executive Director (Org. Resourcing)


Hajiya Rahimatu Aliyu – Executive Director (Loans Department, Securities Issuance and Market Development)


Umaru Abdullahi Dankane – Executive Director (Policy and Strategy Loans Set-Up and Pay Off)

5) Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE)

Alex Okoh – Director General

6) Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA)

Abdulkadir Saidu Umar – Executive Secretary


7) National Park Service (NPS)

Ibrahim Musa Goni – Conservator-General/Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

8) Service Compact (SERVICOM)

Nnenna A. Akajemeli – National Coordinator/CEO

9) National Directorate of Employment (NDE)

Dr. Nasiru Mohammed Ladan – Director General

10) Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS)

Saliu Dada Alabi – Director General

11) National Research Institute for Chemical Technology

Professor Jef. T. Barminas – Director General

12) Nigeria Institute for Social and Economic Research (NISER)

Dr. Haruna Yerima – Director General

13) Nigeria Insurance Commission (NAICOM)

Sunday Thomas – Deputy Commissioner

14) Consumer Protection Council

Tunde Erukera – Executive Secretary

15) Federal Character Commission

Barr. Mohammed Bello Tukur – Secretary

16) National Pension Commission (PENCOM)

Dikko Aliyu Abdulrahman – Director-General (Subject to Senate Confirmation)

Funso Doherty – Chairman

Akin Akinwale – Executive Commissioner

Abubakar Zaki Magawata – Executive Commissioner

Ben Oviosun – Executive Commissioner

Nyerere Ayim – Executive Commissioner

17) Federal Capital Development Authority

Engr. Umar Gambo Jibrin – Executive Secretary

18) Nigeria Agriculture Insurance Corporation

Mrs. Folashade Joseph – Managing Director

19) Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON)

Cecilia Umaru Gaya, mni – Director General

20) Lagos International Trade Fair Management Board

Mrs. Luci Ajayi – Executive Secretary

21) Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority

Barrister Emmanuel Jimme – Managing Director

22) Nigeria Lottery Regulatory Commission

Lanre Gbajabiamila – Director General

23) Nigeria Automotive Design and Development Council

Jalani Aliyu – Director General

Easter Celebration: FG Declares Friday And Monday As Public Holidays

The Federal Government has declared Friday April 14th and Monday April 17th as public holidays to mark the Good Friday and Easter celebrations.

Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, announced this in a statement released today. He enjoined Christians in the country to extend the spiritual benefits of Easter, which are love, peace, justice, sacrifice and kindness to their daily living.

FG Debunks Report About Monitoring Citizens’ Calls, Social Media Posts

Lai Mohammed, Information Minister

The Federal Government yesterday debunked the reports that the Ministry of Interior was monitoring the phone calls and social media posts of the country’s citizens. A statement by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed described the allegation as another example of disinformation that had permeated the media space.

The Special Assistant to the Minister, Segun Adeyemi, said the intention of those behind the false news was to label the Federal Government as working to stifle the freedom of speech in the country.

He said: ‘’There is no regulation, old or new, from the Ministry of Interior or any Federal Government agency that required the recording of calls or the monitoring of social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Twitter or Facebook.

“We are therefore using this medium to inform all Nigerians that what is being circulated in this regard is totally false and should be disregarded.” He commended all patriotic citizens who had reached out to the government to confirm the authenticity of the information, which is now being widely circulated in the social media.According to the report, all phone calls would be recorded and saved, including communications made through Whatsapp, Twitter and Facebook. It added that all devices had been connected to the Interior Ministry’s systems and urged parents to warn their children against their wrong usage.

The Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu also denied such claims. He told The Guardian that he was “not aware of such regulation and I don’t think there could be such. It may, however, has to do with security. But I doubt if there is anything of such.”

A top official at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), who did not want his name in print, said such alegislation could not work in a democratic setting, except in a military regime.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has vowed to lead a protest against phone tapping or any indiscriminate arrests made in that regard.

FG Sued For N100m Over Death Of Late First Class Kano Corper Ifedolapo At NYSC Camp

A retired civil servant in Osun State, Mr. Wale Oladepo, has taken the Federal Government to court following the death of his daughter, Ifedolapo, at the National Youth Service Corps Orientation Camp in Kano State.

The bereaved father, who is seeking N100m as damages for the death of her daughter, who finished from the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso with a First Class in Transport Management, filed the suit before the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Punch reports a copy of the writ of summons was made available to their correspondent in Osogbo on Sunday.

Counsel for the plaintiff, Mr. Wale Afolabi, who is a former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Osun State, prayed the court to order the defendants to pay N100m  to the bereaved family as general damages for the emotional distress caused by Ifedolapo’s sudden death.

Apart from the Federal Government, other defendants in the suit are the Director-General, NYSC, Brig.-Gen. Suleiman Kazaure; and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

The father stated in the statement of claim that his daughter died on November 29, 2016, as a result of negligence on the part of the NYSC because the agency failed to give his daughter prompt medical attention when she took ill three days after she reported to the camp.

The plaintiff asked for,

“A declaration that the officers of the first defendant (NYSC Director-General) breached their duty to the late Ifedolapo Racheal Oladepo, daughter of the plaintiff, by their failure to give proper medical attention and proper medication to the deceased, which culminated in her worsened state of health and eventual death on November 29, 2016.

“A declaration that officers of the 1st defendants breached in their duty to the late Ifedolapo Racheal Oladepo by their failure to refer the deceased to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital when the adequate facilities to cater for the deceased’s health condition were not available at the NYSC Kano Orientation Camp Clinic.”

Source: Gistreel

No Plans To Sell National Art Theatre To Lagos State Government — FG

 

Lai Mohammed

The Federal Government of Nigeria has says there’s No plan to sell off the National Art Theatre to the Lagos State government (LASG), Lai Mohammed Says

Lai Mohammed made this known on Tuesday night at a dinner with Nigerian TV and online content developers attending the ongoing MIPTV in Cannes, France.

MIPTV is an annual leading TV and online content development event and the largest global distribution television and digital content market.

The minister who described the Arts Theatre as a national monument stressed that it was impossible for anyone to sell any asset of government without following the due process and clear cut rules.

He explained that the Lagos government offered to renovate the main bowl of the theatre, two cinema halls, the exhibition lobby and the banquet hall as part of its collaboration with the federal government.

“I want to say it loud and clear that there is no iota of truth in the rumour that we are selling the national theatre to the Lagos state government.

“We do not have the capacity to do so and will never do so.

“What is happening is that we are fortunate to have a governor like Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos who is very passionate about the creative industry.

“The governor decided that he is going to mark the 50th anniversary of Lagos with cultural activities, films, music and he was looking for a befitting venue.

“He now decided to take the opportunity of this 50th anniversary to collaborate with the federal government to revamp the national theatre to use it as a venue for most of the programmes and at the same time laid the foundation for a viral and dynamic creative industry,’’ he said.

The minister noted that the whole essence of the collaboration for the renovation of the theatre is to ensure that the national asset did not go into ruins.

“The governor is asking for nothing, rather he is foresighted in knowing that a renovated and functional national theatre will be a catalyst for the film industry, theatre art, music.

“He also realised that by revamping the theatre, more young men and women will be able to exhibit their talents and more jobs will be created and more taxes will accrue to Lagos state purse.

“Therefore, for everybody, it is a win-win situation and there is no attempt whatsoever to sell any national asset to anybody,’’ he said

The dinner was hosted by the Director General of National Broadcasting Commission, Modibbo Kawu.

Some of the TV and online content developers at the dinner were, Mr Tajudeen Adepetu the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Soundcity, ONTVand ONMAX, Mr Jason Njoku the CEO of Iroko TV and Ijeoma Onah of Aforevo TV, a French Nollywood Channel.

Information Minister, Lai Mohammed Gives Analysis On How You Can Earn As A Whistle-Blower

Minister for Information and Culture, Alh Lai Mohammed

Nigeria's Federal Government has clearly spelt out the irresistible benefits that await whistleblowers as it also pledges protection for them, as there are some controversies that some whistle blowers have been victimized. 

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said any whistle-blower whose information leads to the recovery of up to 1 billion Naira will receive 5 per cent of the amount. 

“For those who may have suffered any backlash as a result of the information they provide, their cases will be reviewed and appropriate mitigating actions taken”

“Whistle-blowers have nothing to fear, because the committee has put in place the necessary measures to safeguard those who give useful information. As a matter of fact, whistle-blowers have everything to gain and nothing to lose,” he said.

How much you can make by being a whistleblower:

• Recovery of up to 1 billion Naira will receive 5% of the amount;
• The reward for any amount between 1 and 5 billion Naira will be 5% for the first 1 billion Naira and 4% of the remaining 4 billion Naira
• And then for any whistleblowing amount of over 5 billion Naira will attract 2.5% reward.
• For example, if a whistle-blower provides information leading to the recovery of 10 billion Naira, he or she will receive 5% of the first 1 billion Naira, 4% of the next 4 billion Naira and 2.5% of the remaining 5 billion Naira.

Don't Expect Much From Buhari As He Just Resumes Office Today — Garba Shehu

Buhari

The presidency over the weekend has warned Nigerians not to expect much from President Muhammadu Buhari as he resumes office today

Speaking during an interview with a print media, Senior Special Assistant to the President, Media, Mr. Garba Shehu, said, “Let me first of all caution that he (Buhari) is not going to start in a dramatic way. He has been away from the country for nearly two months, so he needs to get into the temperature of the place.

“For instance, yesterday (Saturday), he went through the newspapers page by page, and he read everything that interested him. So he needs to get back to that place. The thing is that he’s basically human like all of us. He is coming out of an ailment and like he himself had said, he needs to start gradually.

“Don’t expect the president to be given neck-breaking schedules or punishing schedules like from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., or sometimes to 1a.m. to 2 a.m.,” Garba submitted.

Rehabilitation of Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport Begins (Photos)

The recent closed airport for it rehabilitation project begins it restructuring by Julius Beger constructing company today. The airport runway was cleared of unwanted equipment and aircrafts while Julius Berger vehicles were seen moving construction equipment to the site on Thursday.

The Manager, International Terminal, of the airport, Hajara Musa, said the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) had handed over the runway to the contractor. Musa disclosed that the company had already done the marking to clearly indicate the runway had been closed to landing.

According to her, FAAN management has handed over the airport runway rehabilitation to Julius Berger Plc, which is on the ground carrying materials from one place to the other.

President Muhammadu Buhari Returns To Abuja (Watch Video)

Buhari's Return

The trending News on Social Media is the return of President Muhammadu Buhari. Everyone at the aso rock are happening to see the Nigerian President returns in good health.. The President later disclosed that he will return back to the United Kingdom for further medical check-up. The 75+ Year old president needs more rest so he only come back to Nigeria today to showcase himself that he's alive Not dead


Watch the video below

Acting President, Osinbajo Orders Release Of N1.6bn Loan For Women

Yemi Osinbajo

The Federal Government has authorized the release of N1.6 billion for the National Women’s Empowerment Fund.

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo said this Wednesday on the occasion of the 2017 International Women’s Day.

Osinbajo said the present administration was committed to protecting all women from all forms of gender-based violence, especially those living “where the security situation is difficult and living conditions are challenging.”

The acting president assured that the Federal Government was determined to ensure that Nigerian women lived to fulfill their aspirations in a peaceful and prosperous country.

“On International Women’s Day, I would like to, on behalf of the President, government and people of Nigeria, recognise and appreciate the very valuable work done, and role played by women in our country, over the years, since the struggle for independence,” he stated.

Osinbajo noted that though Nigeria had made some progress over the years in creating opportunities for women and girl, more ground remains uncovered.

“We must strive to use our laws, cultural and religious institutions as well as our resources to empower women, give them opportunity, and protect their rights to a safe, healthy, stable life in our country.”

Osinbajo said the government acknowledged and valued the contributions women were making to national development, affirming that

“They do this daily working within and outside the home as well as in public life. Indeed they sometimes are the sole providers for their families.

“This administration also established, as part of its Social Investment Programme, the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) which provides interest-free soft loans to artisans and traders.

“At the moment, 60% of beneficiaries under the GEEP programme are women,” he added.

Source; Information Nigeria

FG Reveals Economy Recovery Plan

The Federal Government has released the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) which unveils a road map for Nigeria’s economic recovery, growth and sustainable development.

This was according to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Media Adviser to the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Akpandem James.

According to the statement, the development of the plan went through a rigorous process including wide consultation and robust engagements with stakeholders from a range of relevant fields.

They include: economic experts from the public and private sectors, academia, the Organised Private Sector, Civil Society groups, Organised Labour, sub-regional governments, International Development Partners (including the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and African Development Bank), the National Economic Council (NEC) and the National Assembly.
The statement hinted that the Plan has been approved by the Federal Executive Council, adding that its ceremonial presentation would take place when President Muhammadu Buhari returns from vacation.

Achieving Structural Economic Change

The statement read: “The core vision of the Plan is one of sustained inclusive growth. There is an urgent need as a nation to drive structural economic transformation with an emphasis on improving both public and private sector efficiency.

“The aim is to increase national productivity and achieve sustainable diversification of production, to significantly grow the economy and achieve maximum welfare for the citizens, beginning with food and energy security.

“The Plan envisages that by 2020, Nigeria would have made significant progress towards achieving structural economic change with a more diversified and inclusive economy. Overall, the Plan is expected to deliver on Five key broad outcomes namely: a stable macroeconomic environment, agricultural transformation and food security, sufficiency in energy (power and petroleum products), improved transportation infrastructure and industrialisation focusing on small and medium scale enterprises.

“Realising that the country’s economy would remain on a path of decline if nothing was immediately done to change the trajectory, the present administration, when it assumed office, embarked on strategic moves to halt the trend and redirect the course of the country’s economy and growth process.

A Knowledge-Based Economy

“The process started with the development of the Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP) for the 2016 Budget of Change as a short-term intervention. The ERGP, a Medium Term Plan for 2017 – 2020, builds on the SIP and has been developed for the purpose of restoring economic growth while leveraging the ingenuity and resilience of the Nigerian people.

“The Plan seeks to eliminate the bottlenecks that impede innovations and market based solutions, recognises the need to leverage Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) to build a knowledge-based economy, and is consistent with the aspirations of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“The ERGP differs in several ways from previous strategies and plans as it:

is anchored on focused implementation which is at the core of the delivery strategy over the next four years;
outlines bold initiatives such as ramping up oil production to 2.5mbpd by 2020, privatising selected public enterprises/assets, and revamping local refineries to reduce petroleum product imports by 60 percent by 2018;
builds on existing sectoral plans such as the National Industrial Revolution Plan and the Nigeria Integrated Infrastructure Master-plan;
signals a changing relationship between the public and private sector based on close partnership.
utilises the value of the merger of budget and planning functions into one Ministry to create a better and stronger link between annual budgets and the ERGP; and
provides for strong coordination with the States to ensure that the Federal and sub-regional governments work towards the same goals.

Vision Of Inclusive Growth

“The thinking behind the development of the Plan was driven by several fundamental principles, including a focus on tackling constraints to growth; leveraging the power of the private sector and promoting national cohesion and social inclusion, as well as allowing markets to function.

“The Plan has three broad strategic objectives which are expected to help achieve the vision of inclusive growth: restoring growth, investing in the people, and building a globally competitive economy.

“The ERGP focuses on achieving macroeconomic stability and economic diversification by undertaking fiscal stimulus, ensuring monetary stability and improving the external balance of trade.

“The delivery mechanism has been identified as a major determining factor in the successful implementation of the Plan. The implementation strategy therefore focuses on prioritising the identified strategies, establishing a clear system of accountability for well-defined assignment of responsibilities, setting targets and developing detailed action plans, allocating resources to prioritised interventions, creating an enabling policy and regulatory environment, developing an effective monitoring and evaluation system to track progress, and using effective communication strategies”.

Source: Channelstv

Past Chief Judges Of Nigeria [Full List]

Onnoghen

Here is the list of the past appointed chief judges in Nigeria, justice Onnoghen happens to be the 17th appointed chief judge..

Hon. Justice Edwin Speed, 1914-1918

Hon. Justice Sir Ralph Combe, 1918-1929


Hon. Justice Donald kingdon, 1929-1946


Hon. Justice Sir John Verity, 1946-1954


Hon. Justice Stafford Foster Sutton (Past CJF) 


Hon. Justice Adetokunbo Ademola KBE, GCON 1958 - 


Hon. Justice Taslim Olawale Elias CFR, GCON 1972 - 


Hon. Justice Darnley Arthur Alexander CBE,KCMG,CFR,GCON 1975 - 


Hon. Justice Atanda Fatai-Williams CON,GCON 1979 - 


Hon. Justice George Sodeinde Sowemimo CON,GCON 1983 - 


Hon. Justice Ayo Gabriel lrikefe OFR,CON,GCON 1985 - 


Hon. Justice Muhammed Bello CON,GCON 1987 - 


Hon. Justice Muhammadu Lawal Uwais CON,GCON 1995 - 


Hon. Justice Salisu Modibo Alfa Belgore CON,GCON 2006 - 


Hon. Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi CON, GCON 2007 - 

Hon. Justice Aloysius Iyorgyer Katsina-Alu CON, GCON 2010 - 


Hon. Justice Dahiru Musdapher CON, CFR, FNIALS, GCON 2011 - 


Hon. Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar JSC, CON, CFR, FNIALS, GCON 2012 - 


Hon. Justice Mahmud Mohammed GCON 2014- 


Hon. Justice Walter Onnoghen 2017

Information Minister, Lai Mohammed Appoints King Sunny Ade As 'Change Begins With Me' Ambassador

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has appointed King Sunny Ade as an Ambassador of the National Re-Orientation Programme “Change Begins With Me.”

Speaking in Abuja on Monday when he received the music maestro on a courtesy visit to his office, the Minister described King Sunny Ade as an icon and a trailblazer, who has reigned in the music industry for over 50 years without blemish.

Announcing the appointment, he said “we are looking for people like you (King Sunny Ade) that the younger ones can look up to. It’s not just that you have been around for fifty years but you have been around for fifty years without any single stain on your part and that is very hard.
“Most people like you would have had one issue or the other that today their integrity would be at stake. Your integrity is as strong if not stronger than when you started. So it would be a pleasure if you can accept to be our Ambassador of the “Change Begins With Me”.

”I want the younger ones to look at you and see that you can actually get to the top without cutting corners. That is exactly what you have done. You have never cut corners and you have gotten to the top.”

Alhaji Mohammed said after performing music for fifty years, the energy, dexterity and the passion exuded by King Sunny Ade have remained amazing and a source of inspiration for the younger artists.

He hailed King Sunny Ade for promoting the juju music genre to an enviable height with an originality that makes imitating his music an exercise in futility.

The Minister said this Administration is paying more attention to the development of the entertainment industry because of its vast potential in generating employment and creating wealth.

He however said having studied the industry, he has come to the conclusion that there is a systemic weakness in the industry, especially the inability of government to adequately protect the intellectual property of the nation’s artists, an issue he said his Ministry is now tackling with stakeholders.

Alhaji Mohammed said he had set up a Ministerial Task Force on the Creative Economy as a deliberate strategy to explore ways of turning the creative industry into a viable avenue for investment by the private sector.

While accepting the offer to serve as an Ambassador of the “Change Begins With Me” Campaign, King Sunny Ade pledged to partner with the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture to move the nation forward.

“You don’t need to say much. This is what I love to do and it has been in me. We are ready to do that officially throughout the whole world,” he said.

King Sunny Ade thanked the Minister for the uncommon passion he has shown to the entertainment industry, especially in organising the artists to achieve their potentials and contribute to nation-building.

He also thanked the Minister for attending his 70th birthday celebration, which was held recently.

(Watch Video) Osinbajo Meets With Oba Of Benin, Ewuare

Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo yesterday met with the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II after he had gone on an official visit to the state

He later held a meeting with Stake Holders to engage the oil producing communities in Edo State.

Don't Frustrate Our Efforts On Rescuing The Chibok Girls — FG Tells Jonathan

Lai Mohammed, Minister for Information and Culture

The federal government of Nigeria has urged ex-president Goodluck Jonatha to stop engaging in finger-pointing over the issue of the abducted chibok girls during his regime. The federal government describes the action as unnecessary distraction from the on-going effort to free the abducted girls in captivity

In a statement issued by the Minister of Information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed,following the former President’s reaction to the report by a British newspaper that the British armed forces’ offer to attempt to rescue the girls were rebuffed by then President Jonathan.

”While former President Jonathan reserves the right to defend his Administration, he should not engage in finger-pointing by saying, in a statement, that ‘some people who have obviously been playing politics with the issue of the Chibok girls will stop at nothing to further their interest’,” the Minister said.

He said if anyone ever played politics with the issue of Chibok girls, it was the Administration under whose watch the girls were abducted.

”In a statement on 8 Sept. 2014, we said: ‘President Jonathan-PDP’s political manipulation of the Boko Haram has to be understood as part of its poker-like calculus for clinging on to political power ahead of the 2015 elections. The Boko Haram crisis is readily used by the PDP to rationalise the Jonathan Government’s abdication of its constitutional responsibilities, including visits and assistance to areas affected as well as effective response to abductions (e.g. the GEJ government was silent over the Chibok girls kidnaps for over 15 days)’,

Alhaji Lai Mohammed said the statement has been vindicated by the report that claimed President Jonathan rebuffed an attempt by the British government to help rescue the girls.

Osinbajo, Dogara, Saraki Held A Close Door Meeting

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo is currently meeting behind close-doors with Senate President Bukola Saraki, House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara and other top government officials.

It is an extended meeting of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council.

The meeting, taking place at the Vice President's Wing of the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja, is being attended by Attorney-General of the Federation Abubakar Malami as well as the Ministers of Information, Trade and Investment, Power, Works and Housing.

Comptroller-Generals of the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigeria Immigration Service are also in attendance

More details later

DailyPost

I Need A Longer Time To Rest – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has sought for Nigerians’ understanding about issues surrounding his health.

He has said that he requires a longer time to rest, and have no need to rush back to work. This probably puts paid to speculations and claims by top government officials that he is actually fit and healthy.

Buhari wrote to Nigerians through his aide, Femi Adesina.

The president said this, on Tuesday, saying the rest was deserved following the results from the series of medical tests he carried out in the United Kingdom where he is on vacation.

The president, who noted that he is staying longer than expected in the UK, reportedly stated this in a four-paragraph statement through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.

The president, however, was full of praises to Nigerians for their prayers, good wishes and support adding that there was no cause to be troubled.

According to Adesina, “President Muhammadu Buhari thanks millions of Nigerians who have been sending good wishes and praying for his health and well-being in mosques and churches throughout the country.

“The President is immensely grateful for the prayers, show of love and concern.

“President Buhari wishes to reassure Nigerians that there is no cause for worry.

“During his normal annual checkup, tests showed he needed a longer period of rest, necessitating the President staying longer than originally planned,” he said.