Gov Dickson Breaks The Ice, Embarks On Charm Offensive, Visits Jonathan’s Close Ally

By

-

October 28, 2019

By Gideon Njoku

On Monday, in Abuja, friendship triumphed. And an effective political alliance of 16 years was revived and re-cemented.

Both situations played out live when the Governor of Bayelsa State, Honorable Henry Seriake Dickson, paid a surprise visit to his friend and political associate of over 16 years, His Royal Highness King AJ Turner, the Obigbo Mikimiki 1 of Opume Kingdom in Abuja on Monday.

The once bubbling and enviable relationship has, inexplicably, been under stress in the past several months, thus making way for political vultures to feed on it.

But all that, to the excitement of most Bayelsans, came to an end Monday morning when both men met behind closed doors for over an hour at King Turner’s Abuja residence.

Turner is a very close ally of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Recall that last Saturday, six PDP Governors visited former President Goodluck Jonathan at his Abuja residence, and appealed to him to take more than a passing interest in the Governorship election coming up on November 16.

After their meeting, Jonathan endorsed the PDP candidate, Duoye Diri, dismissing as ridiculous an mischievous, insinuations that he would ever, in anyway, support any other party but the PDP in Bayelsa state.

It is expected that Jonathan would be the Host at the PDP mother of rallies in Yenegoa on November 6.

FCMB, SystemSpecs Sign MoU, Launch Payroll Solution for SMEs

By

Bayo Bernard

-

October 28, 2019

0

By Tosin Olatokunbo

First City Monument Bank (FCMB), a leading financial services provider, in collaboration with SystemSpecs Limited, has launched a solution that is focused on aiding different aspects of business operation.

In a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony held in Lagos on October 24, 2019, the Bank said the product is a payroll solution, designed to meet the yearnings of thousands of its SME customers seeking more efficient, easy-to-use and affordable business tools to seamlessly operate their businesses.

This, it was disclosed, will be very useful to individuals in business, small and medium enterprises as well as corporate organisations.

Tagged “FCMB Payroll”, the solution comes with exciting features that enable SME owners to easily process payroll; pay employees’ salaries into commercial/micro-finance bank accounts or wallets and issue them regular pay slips.

To all staff of any customer or registered SME, the solution also over-rides collateral requirements, even without the traditional documentation to access loans from FCMB.

The product enables these customers easily maintain historical personal and payment records of all employees, including items such as their taxes, pensions and other possible transactions.

Besides other benefits, staff who are on the payroll solution will have access to payday loans after 3-6 months of enrolment.

This is on the premise that salary payments are consistently done through the portal.

The lender also declared the solution is open to both FCMB and non-FCMB account holders.

Meanwhile, salaries can be paid from any bank account in Nigeria to any individual salary account in any other bank.

FCMB Payroll is delivered in partnership with SystemSpecs, one of Nigeria’s leading payroll solution and services companies with over 25 years’ experience of providing payroll solutions and services to public and private sector organisations in Nigeria and other African countries.

The company is also the provider of Remita Payments Application, Payment Gateway and Payment Infrastructure.

Commenting on the initiative, the Managing Director, First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Mr. Adam Nuru, said the introduction of the FCMB Payroll initiative is in line with the commitment of the Bank to grow the nation’s economy by providing SMEs with cutting-edge business tools to support their operations and help them build scale.

Mr. Nuru further stated that, “we are excited to partner with SystemSpecs, a major solutions provider in the financial ecosystem to address some of the challenges confronting SMEs. The FCMB Payroll platform has been designed to provide a more convenient and modern business tool for business owners and their employees.

As a Bank that is consistently innovating to meet our increasingly dynamic customer base, we are confident that the FCMB Payroll initiative will go a long way to boost the operations of SMEs and improve their productivity’’.

Also speaking, the Managing Director of SystemSpecs, Mr. John Obaro, said, “as an organisation, our aim is to continue to provide individuals and organisations with innovative tools to help them become more productive and take full charge of their operations.

We are delighted at the opportunity to partner FCMB to extend our experience and expertise in payroll solutions to the Bank’s customers.

We are convinced that FCMB Payroll would help SME customers improve their processes, maintain a satisfied workforce, boost margins and increase scale speedily.”

FCMB Payroll has offerings for SMEs at different phases of growth and these are available to all FCMB SME business account holders and a select SMEs segment that maintains business accounts with other banks.

The base option is FREE to use for all SMEs. Signing up to use FCMB Payroll is easy and fast and can be achieved from the Bank’s website.

Fire Guts FIRS Headquarters in Abuja

By

Uche Mbah

-

October 28, 2019

0

By Uche Mbah

Early morning inferno Monday engulfed the headquarters of the Federal Inland Revenue Service in Abuja. According to reports from the tax office, the fire started in the canteen of the complex and spread out, but was contained by the Abuja Fire service. Officials say the fire service was on hand to quench the fire.

They also said that investigations are already set up to probe the fire.

Although some critics are skeptical about the fire, going by precedents where alleged arsonists act to cover up crimes, officials, barring further discoveries by the investigating committee, believe that the fire is entirely an accident.

A viral video shows the fire service working to put out the fire while onlookers watched.

It is not clear, however, whether sensitive materials were affected.

The presidency is depending on the FIRS to fund the 2020 budget. Last year the service could only meet about 50% of their projected target, and the boss, Babatunde Fowler, is under pressure to deliver.

Sources even said his job might be on the line if he does not live up to expectations this time.

Analysts believe this was the reason for the taxes being levied on virtually everything.

Fowler, who was appointed on August 20, 2015, is expected to have ceased to hold office as Chairman of the FIRS after August 20, 2019 in accordance with the decision of the Supreme Court and having regard to the combined provisions of Sections 3(2) (a), Section 4(a) and Section 11 (a) of the agency.

Recently, a lawyer took the government to court over his continued occupation of the seat.

Leah Sharibu: Open letter to the Christian Association of Nigeria

By

The Source

-

October 28, 2019

0

President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Supo Ayokunle, and Leah Sharibu

My dear Rev. Ayokunle,

I feel constrained to write this open letter to the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the hope that someone close to the hierarchy would stumble by it and draw your attention to it.

It is now a very familiar story in Nigeria that on Monday, 19 February 2018, over 110 girls were abducted from their boarding school, the Government Science and Technical College in Dapchi, Yunusari Local Government Area of Yobe State by gunmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect.

It was later revealed that the girls were taken to an island in Lake Chad known as a stronghold of fighters loyal to Abu Mus’ab al-Barnawi, a factional leader of Boko Haram. Of the more than 110 girls, about 5 died in captivity. The rest were later released, leaving only one – a Christian who refused to convert to Islam. Leah Sharibu remained the only captive after she refused to renounce her Christian faith and embrace the Muslim faith.

The released girls confirmed that the insurgents insisted that Leah must denounce her religion for them to free her. But she told them she had no knowledge of Islam at-all and couldn’t possibly renounce her Christian faith for one she was so ignorant about. She was then left out of the Dapchi home-trip on the condition that any day she accepted Islam, she would be released.

In these more than two years she has been in captivity, appeals had come from Christian communities world-wide, asking Boko Haram to release Leah Sharibu, like her other mates. Pope Francis, Jorge Mario Bergoglio had sent a message to the Nigerian government on Leah. So had many other heads of state, heads of government and well placed dignitaries across the globe.

President Muhammadu Buhari had pledged on Twitter at the time that he would do everything in his power to bring Leah back safely. But whether Leah is still alive as I write this, or whether she has been butchered by those soulless insurgents who had kept her captive all these gruesome years remains a matter of speculation.

On 22 March 2018, more that 18 months ago, Leah’s mother, Mrs. Rebecca Sharibu, told the Nigerian press that her daughter sent a message to her requesting her family to pray for the will of God to be done in her life. That message was, perhaps, the best hope Christians world-wide could hold on to, as the last wishes of a true follower of Christ – that Christ’s purpose be fulfilled in her life. It was the same way, when the burden became difficult for even Jesus, he had prayed that if it were possible, God should take the cup away from him. But then, not as he wished for himself but as God wished for him. It was a great teaching on obedience to the will of God.

One thing is certain, though. And that is, assuming Leah is still alive, why was she no longer communicating with her parents? It simply means that Leah has either remained in captivity incommunicado or she has even been killed. The Nigerian government has kept a studied silence over her whereabouts and her welfare all this while. And that is a part of the problem. As far as Nigerian Christians and the democratically elected government of President Muhammadu Buhari are concerned, Leah’s case throws up very pertinent questions that need urgent answers.

Is it morally right for her to die for her faith in a democratic country where freedom of association is a fundamental right of citizens? And if she was killed on account of her faith by insurgents who are yet to be declared terrorists by the government, what could possibly be the stake of the Christian Association of Nigeria on her situation?

What role did CAN and the Peoples’ Democratic Party, the opposition party that is supposed to be the Shadow Government play in putting the required level of pressure on the ruling party to forestall giving the impression to the world that the government was not in control of the security situation in the country after all, at least by getting Boko Haram to release Leah?

Would it be right for Leah to die for her faith? To a large extent, the answer would be a resounding ‘no’. The story is told in St. Matthews Gospel 26 and verses 30 to 35 of how Jesus foretold of his betrayal by his most trusted disciple, Peter. Jesus told his disciples: “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: “‘I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And Peter did. But despite his shortcomings, Jesus made Peter the leader of his church, the first bishop of a church which today boasts of more than 2.3 billion adherents.

What if Leah had denied Jesus for once to save her life and afterwards confessed and went on to continue with her real faith? Would that have been a wiser thing to do, since dead men do not praise God? In a way, this fanatical and stubborn clinging to faith revealed to what extent parents usually indoctrinate their children into religious dogma. And whether such deep indoctrination helps them in the long run or whether it undermines them has also remained a matter of speculation.

Beyond this is the fact that in life, there are formidable political and religious leaders who have cult-like followership. Some of their followers would be more than willing to die in defence of their masters. In politics, former President Jonathan and the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari had such followers who would have been ready to die for them, had Jonathan not given way even before the result of the election was declared nationwide. In religion, Jesus was one such leader. Even at my age and with all my exposure and experience in life, I find Jesus so fascinating that I cannot really help myself about him. I am trapped like so many other adherents of the Christian faith.

And that is why I feel strongly that it will be a sad reflection on Christianity if Leah were to die in vain. I feel that it is the duty of the Christian Association of Nigeria leadership to begin early to immortalize her in any way possible so that at the fullness of time, her faith would exonerate her as a martyr who died in the knowledge that those who died in Christ would not have died in reality for they live in Christ. Can the Christian Association of Nigeria rise up to this challenge?

Can they encourage Christians worldwide to understand that those who die in Christ do not die in vain by laying the foundation for Leah to become a martyr? The story of the faith of this young girl is a testing ground for the spiritual leadership of the Christian community in Nigeria. If we allow that poor little girl to die in vain, Christianity in Nigeria and indeed around the world would become one huge joke, one laughing stock. And so, for the sake of our belief and our faith, if for no other reason, we must not let Leah down.

Will the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria rise up to the challenge?

Chief Sir Asinugo is a London-based journalist, author of “The Presidential Years: From Dr. Jonathan to Gen. Buhari” and Publisher of Imo State Business Link Magazine (Website: imostateblm.com)

Army Begins Raids On Insurgents, Kidnappers Hideouts, Nationwide

By

The Source

-

October 28, 2019

0

By Akinwale Kasali

Troops of the Nigerian Army has continued to raid the hideouts of insurgents, bandits, kidnappers and other criminal elements nationwide, aimed at restoring security.

The Army recorded success in one of such operations, carried out by troops of 342 Artillery Regiment.

The troops, while acting on credible intelligence information, raided a suspected kidnappers’ den at Ihie Community in Ohaji/Egbema LGA of Imo State.

Two suspects, Umah Kingsley and Chukwu Happiness, were arrested during the raid. Items recovered during the operation include two empty magazines and a locally fabricated gun.

Similarly, following the alleged murder of one Alhaji Tanko of Janda Village in Jema’a LGA of Kaduna State by unknown assailants, troops of 1 Division Garrison deployed within the area, were said to have swiftly moved into the suspected crime location and arrested two suspects, Danladi Bisallah and Manesa Danladi with a locally fabricated rifle and 12 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition.

Also, in two separate night operations conducted by same troops at Gindin Dutse Village and Rijana Forest of Birnin Gwari and Kachia LGAs of Kaduna State respectively, five bandits terrorizing the areas were neutralized while three locally-made guns were recovered from them.

The troops also rescued a 12 -year old boy, Rabe Abubakar, who was kidnapped on 21st October 2019 by some bandits at Ruwan Sanyi Village close to Liberia Forest in Kubau LGA of Kaduna State.

In the course of rescuing Abubakar, one bandit was neutralised through diabolic means as reported, one motorcycle belonging to the bandits was recovered while three other bandits were believed to have escaped with gunshot wounds.

In another development, troops of 1 Brigade Garrison raided suspected kidnappers’ hideout at Dogun Karfe Forest in Bakura LGA of Zamfara State. Troops, however ,recovered one AK 47 Rifle, four magazines and 80 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition which were abandoned by the fleeing suspects.

Similarly, troops of 16 Brigade Garrison (Main) raided a suspected kidnappers hideout at Isisiama Village in Akuku –Toru LGA of Rivers State.

During the operation, troops arrested one suspect and recovered three pairs of military camouflage uniforms, two Shell Petroleum Development Corporation (SPDC) Overall Suits, five Speed Boats, and two Generating sets.

Other items recovered include one pump machine, one power bank, four mobile phones, 117 Voters Cards, one boat engine and one Box Radio.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai

pleaded with Nigerians to provide the Army with informations that could assist in taming the Insurgents, kidnappers and perpetrators of evil in the society and country at large.

Ambode: Tinubu, Lagos Speaker Plot Next Move

By

Bayo Bernard

-

October 28, 2019

0

SUPPORTERS OF EX-GOVERNOR PREPARE FOR SHOWDOWN

Fola James

Former Governor of Lagos state, Akinwunmi Ambode will not appear before the state house of Assembly anytime soon, very close sources to the ex-helmsman have told the magazine.

The Mudasiru Obasa-led assembly last week summoned the former governor to clarify some issues on how he managed the finances of the state while he was governor, particularly the one relating to the purchase of over 800 luxury buses for LAMATA, the state public transport agency.

The ex-governor had earlier in August refused to show up when he was invited by members of the assembly.

The Assembly acting under Motion Number 2,’ by the member representing Eti Osa 2, Gbolahan Yishawu, decided to invite Ambode over his decision to spend N17bn to purchase the buses in the 2017 budget, which was not approved by the Assembly.

“The Lagos State House of Assembly, pursuant to Section 129 (1)(c) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) hereby summons His Excellency, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, the former Governor of Lagos State (May, 2015 – May, 2019) to appear before the Committee of the House on Wednesday, October 30, 2019 at the Lateef Jakande Auditorium, Assembly Complex, Alausa, Ikeja by 1 pm,” the assembly stated in the summons.

The reason for the summon is that , “You are kindly requested to furnish the committee with 15 copies each of all relevant document(s) relating to the issues raised through the Office of the Clerk of the House on or before Tuesday, October 29, 2019.

“It is pertinent to state that your presence at the proposed meeting would give you the opportunity to shed light on issues that are material to the investigation.”

Before the lawmakers decided to invite him, the state Assembly had set up a committee to investigate the purchase of 820 buses out of the 5,000 buses proposed by the embattled former governor because the lawmakers had originally opposed the idea.

Recall that two former commissioners in the state, Olusegun Banjo and Olawale Oluwo penultimate week told the lawmakers that Ambode gave approval for all transactions under his administration.

Absolving themselves of allege financial recklessness by the administration, they insisted that the ex-governor is in the best position to explain what transpired during his administration.

Governor Ambode, he explained gave approval for all spending for the four years that the administration lasted.

But the former governor has said he will not appear before the lawmakers.

Sources close to him told the magazine at the weekend that, the ex-helmsman will not give the lawmakers the benefit of questioning him, because he regarded their action as witch-hunting to rubbish him.

Besides, the source said the lawmakers were wrong to summon the former governor as a person for whatever reason, as he enjoyed immunity while he was governor.

“What the lawmakers are doing is rascality. Have you ever witnessed a situation where a former governor is invited to manage the affairs of the state.

Obasa (Speaker) and his cohorts are being used by some people in the state to achieve a purpose: they want to destroy Ambode’s legacies in the state. But they will fail,” the source said.

According to him, the people of Lagos state and supporters of Ambode are aware of what’s happening and they will resist attempt to bring the former governor to disrepute.

“What happens in Epe few months ago will be a child’s play if anyone try anything funny to embarrass former Governor Ambode,” he stated.

Another close associate of the ex-governor said what is going on is a battle for the soul of the state ahead 2023, that Amdode will “triumph over the godfather of Lagos state who will not stop to make sure that perceived power blocks in the state are demolished because of his ambition.”

But ‘darkness will prevail over light,” he told the magazine.

The aide to the former governor was referring to what happened in Epe, the hometown of the former governor when his supporters violently stopped some operatives of the EFCC, after they tried to search Ambode’s house for vital documents.

Last Surviving Wife of Tafawa Balewa Dies

By

Uche Mbah

-

October 28, 2019

0

By Uche Mbah

The last Surviving wife of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Hajia Jumai Balewa, is dead. She is said to have died in the early hours of Sunday.

Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was the first Prime Minister of Nigeria after independence, who doubled as the foreign Minister. He was killed in the January 15 coup 1966. He was knighted by the British Empire.

Again, Buhari Jets Out To Saudi Arabia

By

Uche Mbah

-

October 28, 2019

0

By Uche Mbah

Barely two days after he came back from Russia,President Buhari Thursday jetted out again to Saudi Arabia to attend a conference of the third edition of the Future Investment Initiative. Buhari is the most widely traveled President of Nigeria since independence.

The program is organized by Saudi’s Public Investment Fund, PIF, and will end by Thursday.

He is expected to use the opportunity to sell the investment opportunities that abound in Nigeria. This, of course, has been the thrust of his diplomatic shuttles, though in most cases, after the initial hype, the gains of such diplomatic shuttle becomes subsumed in silence. The presidency, however, insists that capital inflow increased by $2 billion from 2018 to the first half of 2019-from $12billion to $14 billion-but did not say how much of this are loans. Reports of increased divestment from the Nigerian economy are rife, with foreign firms scared of increased economic volatility.

Part of their target is to lay pipeline from Ajaokuta to Kano via Katsina, and the revamping of the Oil and gas sector by Aramco, a Saudi Arabian firm that has shown interest in the sector. Nigeria appears to be moving away from her traditional diplomatic allies.

Perhaps this explains why besides the Minister of state for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, and the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, he is accompanied by three governors from the North-Aminu Masari from his home state, Katsina, Babangida Zulum of Borno, and Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffry Onyeama, is not on his entourage. Instead, he took the junior minister, Zubairu Dada. He also took both the head of the National Intelligence Agency, Ahmad Abubakar, and the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno with him-a move described in intelligence circles as “a pragmatic false step”.

He did not go with any member of his Economic Team.

The Presidency announced that he will also perform the lesser Hajj after the event.

Atiku vs Buhari: Supreme Court May Have Fixed October 30 For Hearing

By

Uche Mbah

-

October 27, 2019

0

By Uche Mbah

Feelers are that the Supreme Court may have fixed Wednesday October 30 for the hearing of the appeal filed by the Presidential Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, against the incumbent president, Muhammadu Buhari, over the result of the 2019 Presidential election. The Independent National Electoral Commission had declared Buhari Winner of that election.

Reliable sources have indicated that the apex Court has fixed the date, but were silent on the constitution of the Judges who will handle the case.

This Magazine has reported the altercation between the opposition parties on the one hand, and the Supreme Court, the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC and the Presidency on the other hand over the composition of Justices of the Supreme Court that will adjudicate over the case. While a coalition of opposition parties insisted on the age long standard operating procedures of using the senior judges in hierarchy, the Chief Justice of Nigeria may have favored hand picking of Judges to adjudicate the case, a position the opposition insists is the presidency is teleguiding.

Details to be provided as they come…

Under-17 World Cup: Golden Eaglets Scale Hungarian Hurdle, Wins Opening Match

By

The Source

-

October 27, 2019

0

By Akinwale Kasali

The Golden Eaglets of Nigeria, Saturday night, kept the hopes of the nation alive in its quest to win the coveted cadet FIFA World Cup for the sixth time.

The Garba-Manu tutored boys laboured from a a goal down to win the match 4-2 sitting comfortably at the top of the Group.

As early as the third minute, Hungarian midfielder, Komaroti, scored from a defensive lapse of the Eaglets to slot in the first goal of the match.

The Golden Eaglets were on top of their game, out-playing their opponents, but failed to make it count.

It took the Nigerian youngsters 13 minutes after the European side took the lead to equalise from the penalty spot following a foul on striker, Wisdom Ubani, with captain Samson Tijani slotting the ball into the net.

The joy of the Golden Eaglets was short-lived as the Hungarian capitalised on a defensive mix-up from the Nigerian lads to take a 2-1 lead courtesy of Hovarth Major.

Hungary took the lead into the break, foiling all the attacks of the Golden Eaglets, who were pressing forward to get an equaliser.

The Golden Eaglets had to wait until the 78th minute before Usman Ibrahim nodded home from a corner kick to give the West African side a deserved equaliser.

Within the next 49 seconds, the Golden Eaglets had taken the lead from right back Oluwatimilehin Adeniyi who also nodded home from close range to give Nigeria the lead.

A defensive minded Hungary came out of their shells to salvage a draw from the encounter, but they were left dumbfounded and disappointed as captain Samson Tijani extended the Golden Eaglets lead from a set piece that was deflected into the Hungarian net by its center back.

With this victory, Nigeria has garnered three points and will be hoping to win its second group match against Ecuador on Tuesday 29th, 2019, at Belo Horizante, to book a place in the knockout stages.