Ekoupdates- latest news and updates

Monday, 7 November 2016

Benin Monarch hails Buhari anti-corruption war

PRESIDENT BUHARI

The Benin Monarch, Oba Ewuare II has hailed President Mohammadu Buhari for the anti-corruption war.

Oba Ewuare II said President Buhari management of the country’s scarce resources will improve the welfare of the people.

The Benin Monarch spoke Monday when President Buhari paid him a courtesy visit as part of his two days working visit to Edo State

Oba Ewuare II noted that the President was the first person he would receive at the new palatial palace since he was crowned the 40th Oba of Benin.

He urged President Buhari to improve the welfare of Nigerians in his effort to reposition the country.

Oba Ewuare II requested for more federal presence in the state and reminded the President on the need to support the transformation of Gelegele jetty to an export processing zone.

The Benin Monarch said the transformation of Gelegele would provide employment and contribute to the economy development of the country.

President Buhari praised Governor Adams Oshiomhole for developmental strides despite the economic downturn.

The President said Oshiomhole has served well and would not be allowed to go as the All Progressive Congress would look for a place for him to serve.

He promised the Benin Monarch he would do well to move the country forward.

Saturday, 8 October 2016

Crowd gathers as Crown Prince begins trek to Benin

Unknown 21:58

From Osagie Otabor, Benin
A huge crowd has gathered at the Uselu Palace of the Crown Prince of Benin Kingdom and Edaiken N’ Uselu, Ambassador Eheneden Erediauwa to escort him to Benin.
Several musicians and cultural troupes are also playing performing to entertain the crowd.
Today will be the last day Prince Erediauwa will step foot at the Uselu Palace.

He will trek a distance of about ten kilometres to Benin.
Some Chiefs from Benin are already stationed at Iyan-Akpan to escort the Crown Prince to Benin.
The event was last witnessed in 1979

NDDC working on Bayelsa roads, not state govt – Semenitari

Unknown 21:56

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Saturday, said it was shocked at the attempts by the Bayelsa State Government to take credit for roads the commission was undertaking in different parts of he state.
The Acting Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, NDDC, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, said contrary to the claims of the state government, the commission commenced repairs and rehabilitation of 14 roads in the state including the capital, Yenagoa.
Semenitari in a statement signed by her Special Adviser, Media and Communication, Bekee Anyalewechi, said she was reacting to claims by the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Jonathan Obuebite.
Obuebite reportedly said on a live radio programme in Yenagoa that the ongoing emergency repairs on roads in the state were the handiwork of the state government.

But Semenitari flayed the claims and explained that the projects, which covered NDDC’s nine mandate states, were initiated and being executed by the commission.
She wondered why instead of commending the interventionist agency for its bold step to bring a huge relief to the suffering people of the state, the government resorted in turning the truth head-down.
“Such deliberate falsehood erodes public trust in authorities”, the NDDC boss said adding that the emergency work was designed to relieve the government of some infrastructural burden.
Semenitari said the commission had expected that the Government of Bayelsa State would, in best practice, emulate its Cross River and Akwa Ibom states counterparts in commending the NDDC.
“Or, where it lacked the courage to attribute credit to NDDC, would keep quiet than spreading misinformation”, she said.
She expressed disbelief that the government, though knew the truth, chose to hide it from the public noting “that such style of governance erodes confidence in government and ridicules the tenets of probity”.
She said: “NDDC saw gaps in road infrastructure across its nine mandate states and the urgent need to intervene and after a management meeting, decided to act as to procure relief to motorists and other road users.
“So the option of emergency road repairs came handy as it would afford immediate remedial solutions, relieve states of financial burden and enhance inter and intra-city communications.
“Under this intervention, hitherto impassable roads have become usable routes thereby boosting economic activity and improving livelihood of the people.”
The commission listed the 14 roads in which it was working on in the state as the Oporuma-Sabageria-Polaku road in Opokuma local government; Odi-Trofani road; Otiotio Road, Yenagoa; DooGood Street, Yenagoa; Goodnews Street, Azikoro, Yenagoa; Shepherd Vine Road, also in Yenagoa.
Others in Yenagoa are Capt. Ayeni Street; Saptex Road, Yenizue-Epie; INEC Road, Kpansia; Jasmine Suite Road, Kpansia; Erepa Road ; and NIIT Road, Dimrose-Green; Villa-Custom Link Roads 1 & 2, Biogbolo; and Tolda Road, Ekeki.
“While we are not engaging the Bayelsa State Government in any verbal war, it is necessary to leave the public with the correct information because it is critical for good governance and sustainable development.”

Monday, 3 October 2016

N23.29b poll bribe: Buhari to determine fate of RECs

Unknown 18:48


president buhari

two INEC commissioners, 16 directors, 82 others to face trial

All is set for the trial of about 100 Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) officials who allegedly collected over N23.29b bribe to influence the 2015 general election.
The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu and the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, have met on the list of those indicted in the scam, the investigative report and how to go about the trial.
The INEC chief, The Nation learnt, promised that the indicted officials will immediately undergo an internal disciplinary process before being handed over to the EFCC for prosecution.
But Yakubu said the law does not allow him to take a disciplinary action against the two Resident Electoral Commissioners,Gesil Khan and Mr. Slyvester Ezeani, who were implicated in the scandal, because they are appointees of the President. They can be disciplined only by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The EFCC has decided to refer the two RECs to the President to determine their fate.
The EFCC has been investigating the bribe, which was allegedly facilitated by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.
About four oil firms, some directors of some oil companies, two banks and some politicians are under probe for their roles in the scandal.
From the EFCC’s findings, the two RECs, 16 INEC directors and 82 others were allegedly involved in the scam.
Many of the indicted INEC staff and politicians have owned up and refunded huge sums of money to the EFCC.
Some choice assets belonging to the officlas have been placed under Interim Asset Forfeiture until the determination of cases against them.
A source in the EFCC, who spoke in confidence, said: “We are closer to the trial of INEC officials implicated in the scandal. The EFCC chairman and INEC chief have met at the office of the anti-graft agency on the report and the list of those to be investigated already sorted out at the meeting.
“One of the key decisions at the meeting is the need to subject the indicted officials to internal disciplinary action before the EFCC can charge them to court. The INEC chairman, it was learnt, made a commitment that the electoral body would expedite action on the disciplinary procedure.
“After the internal disciplinary measures, INEC will then forward its decision to the EFCC to pave the way for the trial of the affected officials.”
The source added: “Based on the mode of appointment of RECs, the INEC chairman said only the President could exercise disciplinary control on them because they are his appointees.
“With this development, EFCC will now refer the two RECs to the President for necessary action. All the evidence will also be forwarded to the President.”
Section 3 of INEC Establishment Act says:
(1) “ The chairman and members of the Commission shall each hold office for a period of five years and on such terms and conditions as may be specified in their letters of appointment.
(2) “ A member may at any time be removed from office by the President for inability to discharge the functions of his office (whether arising from infirmity of mind or body or any other cause) or for any act of misconduct but shall not be removed from office except in accordance with the provisions of this subsection.
(3) ”A member may resign his membership by notice in writing addressed to the President and that member shall, on the date of the receipt of the notice by the President, cease to be a member.”
Some INEC officers already grilled are REC Gesil Khan for collecting N185, 842,000 out of a N681million bribe deal; Fidelia Omoile( Electoral Officer in Isoko-South Local Government Area of Delta State)—N112,480,000 ; Uluochi Obi Brown( INEC’s Administrative Secretary in Delta State)—N111,500,000; a former Deputy Director of INEC in Cross River State, Edem Okon Effanga—N241,127,000 and the Head of Voter Education in INEC in Akwa Ibom, Immaculata Asuquo—N214,127,000.
Also, a retired INEC officials, Sani Isa was grilled over alleged N 406,206,000 bribe sum allegedly collected on behalf of the deceased Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), in Kano State, Alhaji Mukaila Abdullahi.
Those grilled in Gombe were: Godwin Maiyaki Gambo Balanga, Bukar Alone Benisheik, Dukku, Jibril. B. Muhammed,Billiri, Dunguma Musa Dogona, Funakaye, Mohammed. A. Wanka, Kaltungo, Ishaku Yusuf, Kwami, Suleiman Isawa, Nafada, Babagana Malami, Shongom, and Nuhu Samuel, Y/Deba.

Monday, 26 September 2016

NiMet predicts cloudy, rainy weather conditions for Tuesday

news Unknown 16:25

NIMET

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted cloudy weather conditions over the central states of the country on Tuesday. The NiMet’s Weather Outlook issued by its Central Forecast Office (CFO) on Monday in Abuja, predicted chances of morning isolated thunderstorms over Abuja, Jos, Jalingo, Gombe, Markurdi and its environs. It added that there would be localised thunderstorm over Minna, Bida, Yelwa and Ilorin axis in the afternoon and evening period with maximum temperatures of 26 to 32 degrees Celsius. The agency also predicted that the southern states would experience increased cloudiness in the morning with localised rains over Lagos, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Abakaliki and Enugu. It also predicted that localised thunderstorms/rain showers would prevail over most inland and coastal cities during the afternoon and evening hours with maximum temperatures of 28 to 31 degrees Celsius. NiMet also predicted partly cloudy conditions in the morning over northern states with isolated thunderstorms over Maiduguri, potiskum and Nguru later in the day with maximum temperatures of 32 to 34 degrees Celsius. According to the prediction, rainfall activities are expected to occur over some parts of the country with varying intensities in the next 24 hours.

court jails man 30months for theft slippers

news Unknown 16:14

A Kano Senior Magistrates’ <b>Court </b>sitting in Rijiyar Zaki on Monday sentenced, Rabiu Sani, 22, to 30 months imprisonment for theft of slippers.

The Senior Magistrate, Aminu Fagge, sentenced Sani to two years and six <i>months</i> after he pleaded guilty to a one-count charge.

Fagge did not give the convict of Aisami Quarters in Kano an option of fine.

Prosecutor Yusuf Sale had told the court that Surajo Umar of Kurna Quarters, Kano, reported the case to Nasarawa Police Division, Kano, on Sept. 16.

Sale said on the same date at about 8 p.m the convict went to the complainant’s business place at Gidan Gashash Singer Market Kano.

He said Sani “used razor blade and tore the sack where the complainant Umar kept his goods and stole one roll of bath room slippers containing 35 pairs valued N6, 000.

Sale also told the court that the convict was charged for theft at Chief Magistrate Court and sentenced to three months imprisonment or a fine of N10, 000 on Feb. 5, 2016.

He added that Sani was also sentenced to six months imprisonment or a fine of N20, 000 at the same court on April 7, for theft.

The prosecutor said this was the fourth time the accused was arraigned for theft this year, stressing that the offence contravened Section 285 of the Penal Code.
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Biafra: Another judge withdraws from Kanu’s trial

news Unknown 16:08

Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court, Abuja withdrew from the trial of pro-Biafra agitator, Nnamdi Kanu Monday.

He announced his decision to return the case file to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta for the case to be reassigned to another judge.

Kanu and two of his associates – Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi were arraigned before the court earlier this year on a six-count charge of treasonable felony filed for the Federal Government by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation.

The case was assigned to Justice Tsoho after another judge of the court, Justice Ahmed Mohammed withdrew from it upon allegation by Kanu that the judge (Justice Mohammed) was incapable of ensure justice in his case.

Trial was expected to open in the case Monday after the Court of Appeal, Abuja rejected Kanu’s appeal against an earlier ruling by Justice Tsoho allowing an arrangement for the protection of prosecution’s witnesses.

Monday, Kanu’s lawyer, Chuks Muoma (SAN) drew the court’s attention his application for the judge to withdraw from the case, alleging that he was biased in the way he was handling the case.

Muoma said his client has also petitioned the National Judicial Council (NJC) on the issue. He contended that the best option was for the judge to suspend proceedings in the case pending the NJC’s decision on his client’s petition.

The defence lawyer told the court that the NJC has acknowledged receipt of the petition and has commenced investigation.

“We are only asking the court to hands off the case. My client has lost confidence in this court. Following the development, all we are asking this court to do is to hands off this case pending the outcome of the NJC Investigation.

“It would not be proper for the court to continue with this matter when investigation is ongoing. So, in the interest of justice, we are asking the court to hands off the case. I would urge the court to transfer the matter. I will suggest that it be sent back to the CJ.”

The lawyer accused the judge of acting in line with the suggestion of President Muhammadu Buhari that Kanu was not going to be released under any circumstance.

Ruling, Justice Tsoho said he has no personal interest in the case. He elected to return the case file to the court’s Chief Judge.

The judge frowned at the attitude of the defence lawyer. He noted that Muoma he acted un-professionally through his utterances. He said it was not bothered by the defence’s decision.

The judge said since the defence has expressed lack of confidence in the way the court has handled the case, “it is only reasonable for the court to disqualify itself from further hearing the matter.

“Accordingly, this case is hereby forwarded to the Chief Judge for further re-assignment”, Justice Tsoho said.

Shekau is mad – Buratai

news Unknown 15:54

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, on Monday in Yola, described Abubakar Shekau, factional leader of the Boko Haram, as a mad man. Asked to react to the video posted by Shekau on Sunday where he claimed to be alive and in good health, Buratai said: “He – Shekau – is a mad man. “We don’t have anything to tell him, he is on his way to his waterloo.’’ The chief of army staff said the army had stabilised the security situation in the North-East. He called on the Federal Government and government of the affected states to give priority attention to issues of peace building, reconstruction and humanitarian needs.“There is need to ameliorate the challenges of the IDPs,’’ he stressed. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that while paying courtesy call on Gov. Jubrilla Bindow of Adamawa, Buratai said that the fight against insurgency had reached an advanced stage. He said the major challenge now was humanitarian and called on the government to provide the needed facilities to enable the IDPs return to their communities. The governor commended the army for degrading the insurgents and promised to continue to support the military.

Friday, 9 September 2016

Ambode’s wife charges women on regular cancer screening

Unknown 17:47

Wife of the Governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode has advised women to go for regular cancer screening to know their latest status. She gave the advice at the maiden scientific conference of the Lagos State branch of the Association of Female Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria, at Alausa, Ikeja on Friday with the theme: ‘Cancer in the Life of a Woman not a Death Sentence (the Medical Laboratory Perspective)’. She observed that cancer screening was necessary for early detection in case of affliction, stressing that when detected early, it could be treated and cured like any other health condition. “Truly, cancer in the life of anyone today is certainly not a death sentence. Through relentless advocacy, public education and mass enlightenment, we have come to know that early diagnoses mean easier management of the condition and increased chances of survival. “The message we are trying to pass therefore is that, people with the challenge should not be heartbroken or see it as the end of life. Normal, happy life is possible with a cancer condition,” she said. Mrs. Ambode who appealed that persons living with cancer should not be stigmatized, showered encomiums on female laboratory scientists. She said, “The role of lab scientists is such that one wonders what would happen in the health care delivery chain, if you are not there to confirm the blood groups, do the wide array of tests and general laboratory investigation that could make or mar the patient treatment process”. Earlier, Chairperson of the Conference Planning Committee, Mrs. Audu Habibat, noted that the conference was aimed at building bridges of understanding and cooperation between the laboratory scientists and other healthcare professionals, towards improving healthcare delivery in the state. She said that the maiden edition was dedicated to public enlightenment on cancer as a health condition that could be managed like any other if diagnosed early.

Bologna unveil Sadiq Umar

Unknown 17:40

Nigeria striker Sadiq Umar has been unveiled as a Bologna player. The striker joined Bologna on a season-long loan from Serie A giants AS Roma. The 19-year-old, who was part of Nigeria’s squad that won bronze at the men’s football event of the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, met the press for the first time as a Rossoblu player on Thursday at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara alongside fellow new recruit, Federico Viviani. “This is a great opportunity,” Goal quoted Umar as saying to the press. “I can’t wait to get started for the fans, and everyone. “I want to thank the director for bringing me here. “I’m thankful and I will do my best. “It’s a great opportunity to play with [Mattia] Destro, [Sergio] Flocarri, players who have been in the Seria A for a long time; watching them and staying near them is something I will learn from. “Playing at the Olympics is a high level in football. “Getting the bronze medal is a step forward in my career and a good feeling.”

NIFOR, PZ Wilmar sign MoU on oil palm development

Unknown 17:31

PZ Wilmar on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nigeria Institute of Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) to help develop Nigeria’s oil palm. The chairman, PZ Wilmar, Kola Jamodu, said the MoU would help Nigeria to regain its lost glory in palm oil production through research. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeifun witnessed the signing of the agreement between the two firms. Jamodu, who signed on behalf of the company, said the essence of the MoU was to promote research on how Nigeria could regain its position in palm oil production. He said the firm has three location covering 30, 000 hectares of lands and the first set of the company’s fruits has started coming out. He said: “The whole essence was on research. We thought to share our knowledge with NIFOR to translate into other farmers to provide employment opportunity to youths in the country.” The Executive Director, NIFOR, Dr. Omorefe Asemota, said this was a milestone for Nigeria’s palm oil industry because PZ is a major stake holder in the development of the agricultural sector.

Firm promises 70% freight savings to business owners

Unknown 17:28

Simplified Corporate Logistics, a global procurement, handling, clearing and forwarding service targeted at Nigerian businesses has recently launched and revealed its promise to help business owners. The procurement company disclosed in a statement, its plans to help Nigerian business owners who are currently facing difficulty ordering goods from overseas due to high costs of clearing and logistics, reduce their incurred fines and charges, improve their cargo logistics efficiency and shrink their freight costs up to 70%. The statement reads in part: “Offering a full service cargo logistics package for export and import, including global procurement, warehousing locally and internationally, clearing, documentation review to ensure Customs and regulatory compliance, Simplified Corporate Logistics takes risk away completely from businesses complexity associated with import and export – by handling their forex needs to reduce the long processing times needed to access forex, providing a transparent Customs Clearing typically within 6 days while handling documentation for efficiency and offering a cargo consolidation service that will save businesses up to 70% on freight costs. “Speaking at the launch of Simplified Corporate Logistics, in Lagos, founder and Chief Eecutive Officer (C.E.O) Nduka Udeh remarked: “Nigerian businesses of recent have been hit by a steep hike in the price of ordering, handling and clearing goods from overseas. What Simplified Corporate Logistics does is that; it removes the risk factor for businesses. “We make it our responsibility to source for Forex to carry out transactions so our customers only pay in Naira. Then we guide them through the entire clearing process and handle the documentation on their behalf so that they reduce incurred fines and charges to the barest minimum. Our process is so efficient that we can guarantee clearance of goods within six days. “We can even source for the items our customers want from trusted manufacturers globally, and get them at the best prices – thanks to our partnership with several auction companies in the USA. Most significantly, we offer a cargo consolidation service that can save our customers up to 70% in freight costs. We believe that it is these cost and efficiency savings that will propel the Nigerian small and medium enterprises into the future.” The company added that details on the launched Simplified Corporate Logistics, could be found on its website www.sclogisticsng.com

Nigeria will overcome economic recession – Saraki

Unknown 17:17

Senate President, Bukola Saraki, on Friday assured that Nigeria will overcome the current period of economic recession. Speaking with State House correspondents after observing the Friday Jumaat prayer with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Saraki urged Nigerians to be patient. He said the nation’s leaders are very much aware of the economic hardship in the land. The leaders, he said, are also feeling the people’s pains. He urged Nigerians to support President Buhari in order to succeed. The Senate President wished Nigerians, especially the Muslim faithful, a happy Sallah celebration. He said: “With prayer Insha Allahu, we will overcome it (economic recession). The most important thing is for us to stay together and give the President support and continue to believe in this great country that we all have and be rest assured that we will all weather the storm and scale through together. “Once again, as a country in this period, we will continue to pray. On Sunday, the day of Arafat, we offer prayer for our leaders and President so that we can do what is right, because we feel the pain. We know what the country is going through. “Because there is no Nigerian with blood flowing through that will not know that things are difficult now and we pray that with God’s guidance, He will see us through.”

Troost-Ekong rejoins Gent in November

Unknown 17:04

Nigeria international William Troost-Ekong has said he will return to parent Belgian club Gent in November. The player is presently on loan at Norwegian club, FK Haugesund. “In November, at the end of the season in Norway, I will return to Gent, where I have extended my contract,” the defender told africanFootball.com. “It’s the next step in my career development. “I will be with Moses Simon and Rabiu Ibrahim and we will play in the Europa League.”

How PDP plans to rig Edo election – Oshiomhole

Unknown 16:50

oshiomole

GEdo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, has unveiled
plot on how the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) planned
to rig the state governorship election rescheduled for
September 28.
The governor disclosed that the PDP through some
governors in the South-south planned to rig the election
by registering 8,000 militants from their states for the poll.
Oshiomhole, who spoke while receiving the Inspector-
General of Police, Mr. Idris Ibrahim, at the Government
House in Benin City, said the PDP opted for militants from
other states because they couldn’t find any local thugs to
help them perpetrate violence which they have done
between 1999 and 2007.
He said the PDP resorted to liaising with his brothers
(Governors) in the sub-region, Delta and Rivers, in
particular, to export criminals and militants into Edo State
in order to make peaceful election impossible.
The governor recalled how he first raised the alarm on the
eve of the INEC Continuing Voters’ Registration exercise.
He explained that the militants registered in the state to
have the lawful basis to be present at the designated
polling units where they were expected to unleash
violence on election day.

‘Foiled Paris attack was directed by IS’

Unknown 10:24

Three women arrested over a foiled attack in Paris were
directed by so-called Islamic State (IS) from Syria, a French
prosecutor has said.
The group “wanted to make the women into fighters,”
Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said.
A policeman was stabbed during an operation late on
Thursday to arrest the women, after the discovery of a
suspect car containing gas canisters, the BBC reports.
The vehicle was found near Notre Dame cathedral in Paris
on Sunday.
Police shot and wounded one of the women during the
operation in Boussy-Saint-Antoine, south-east of the city.
One of the three women, aged 19, reportedly declared her
allegiance to IS in a letter.
The others arrested were said to be aged 39 and 23.
President Francois Hollande said: “An attack was
derailed… a group has been disbanded, but there are
others and we must be able to act each time before it is
too late and that’s what we’re doing.”
Mr. Molins said the latest plot showed IS was now
recruiting women to carry out attacks.

NAL hails Oloyede’s appointment as JAMB Registrar

Unknown 09:06

Nigeria Academy of Letters (NAL) on Friday hailed the appointment of Prof. Is-haq Oloyede as Registrar/Chief Executive of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), describing it as “a highly merited appointment.”
A statement issued by the Spokesperson of JAMB, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, said the President of NAL, Prof. Olu Obafemi, made the commendation, when he led the NAL’s team, including the Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, to Oloyede’s office in Bwari area of Abuja.
Obafemi described NAL as an intellectual organisation whose sole mandate is the promotion of research and scholarship at the highest level in all branches of humanities.
He said Oloyede is an active and dynamic member and a fellow of NAL.
“The appointment of Prof. Is-haq Oloyede is a highly merited one not because he is a former Vice Chancellor but because he has distinguished himself in Nigeria. It is a merited appointment considering his profile and pedigree,” Obafemi stressed, adding that the Academy’s visit was to assure Oloyede of their support and collaboration with a view to ensuring that he excels in his new appointment.

PDP accustomed to rigging – Oshiomhole

Unknown 09:05

OSHIOMOLE

Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, on Friday said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is accustomed to rigging and can’t boast of a transparent election in other states in the South-South geopolitical zone.
He said Edo is the only state in the region that had been able to dismantle the PDP rigging machine and would do so again on the rescheduled date for the state’s gubernatorial election.
Speaking while receiving a team of European observers led by Ben Llewellyn-Jones, of the British High Commission, Abuja, at the Government House, Benin City, Friday, Oshiomhole said, “We do appreciate the interest of what I might call friends of Nigeria, those who help us to continually and continuously remember that although there are different nation states, but the world has increasingly become one small village such that events in any part can affect the whole. So, we do not underestimate the import of this election even as it is limited to Edo State.
“Edo State as we speak is the only state that can boast of a record of transparent elections since I came on board in 2007. Since I came, my campaign slogan was, we must dismantle the rigging machine.
“Having been a union member all my life, I couldn’t condone the situation where people are imposed at various levels, and our people gave up on democracy in this state, just like the rest of the South-South.”

“I am sure you have witnessed elections there and you can write volumes. They vote with bullets, not with ballots. Terror, not persuasion is the name of the game in the rest of the South-South. But since I came in, we have fought the forces behind rigging. We emboldened the people to challenge authorities, which is what I have done when I was in labour. And even as they still rigged me out and I fought them through the legal process, painstakingly established how I was rigged out and I got my mandate restored. It never happened before, and nobody appreciates the essence of free and fair election more than myself.”

Edo election a big challenge – IGP

Unknown 09:04

The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, on Friday said the Edo State governorship election is a big challenge to security agencies being the first major election to be conducted since his appointment.
The IGP urged police officers and other security agencies not to relax until election results are announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He spoke in Benin City while addressing security officials to be deployed for election duties.
Idris vowed to deal with any police officer supporting political parties during the conduct of the election.
On the Boko haram threat, the IGP directed effective policing of prayer grounds and areas where people assembled to avoid embarrassment from “bad people.”

He urged all Divisional Police Officers to visit all polling units within their division and not read about them in the newspapers.
Idris warned security personnel not to collect money for election duties, saying the Federal Government has released money for payment of security officials.

Ambode explains N500b bond approval

Unknown 09:02

AMBODE

THE N500 billion bond approved by the Lagos State House of Assembly was a pool fund that will span over a period of time and not just for the 2016 appropriation year alone, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has said.

Ambode, who spoke to reporters yesterday, said it was relevant to clarify the bond programme because the approval had been technically misrepresented in some section of the media.

The governor said, since 2007, the state has had two bond issuance programme, adding that the one approved by the assembly during the week was the third. He said it would run for between three to five years.

Ambode added that for the present appropriation year, his administration can only draw N60 billion from the pool of N500 billion.

He said the government would draw from the fund for subsequent years as approved by the House.

The governor said: “Before you can actually even appropriate it in your budget, you need that programme and that was what was approved by the House.

“But what is in the Appropriation Law for 2016 is just N60 billion. So, it’s from this programme that we are pulling out this N60 billion.

“So, for next year’s budget, if the House approves for instance N80 billion as bond, we don’t need to go back to the House again after they have approved that budget. You draw from that issuance programme and take another amount, which is approved for 2017 budget.

“If they approve any amount for 2018 budget, you take from that pool of N500 billion, which can take the next five to 10 years. So it’s just a lump sum which you now draw down based on the authorisation by the House. That is the technical explanation.

“It’s not as if the state wants to go and take another N500 billion; it’s just a requirement by Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) so that you follow the procedure on a yearly basis.”

The governor assured that the N60 billion bond programme approved for the year would be used to accelerate aggressive infrastructural growth.

He said the funds would be channeled towards the completion of the Ajah Flyover, Abule Egba Flyover, Pen Cinema Flyover, as well as the construction of more lay-bys, bus parks, improve health facilities and the building of more public schools among many other infrastructural projects.

He said the financial arrangement is such that bond programmes embarked upon are easily repayable through Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), adding: “All we are just doing is to accelerate development for the future prosperity of Lagos.”

Ambode hailed members of the House of Assembly for approving the bond, saying that their actions have shown their passion and commitment to see the State make appreciable progress.