There is palpable fear in the Banking sector as the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, over flouting of orders revolving around the publication of their Financial statements as required by regulations. It was gathered that no fewer than eight Banks are under scrutiny.
The CBN had warned Chairmen of Banks who fail to publish their Financial reports as at when due will face sanctions, and even removal depending on how long the delay was found to be, baring other parameters. Some banks, it was gathered, have even delayed the publication of their for upwards of twelve months. At the last count, at least nine banks may have been under scrutiny by the apex bank . The list includes Diamond Bank, Union Bank, Sky Bank, Heritage bank, Keystone Bank, Providus and Suntrust Bank. The Banks and Other financial Institutions Act, BOFIA, have placed an April deadline for all Banks to have tidied up their Bank statements, a clear four months from the end of the last financial year. It was gathered that some banks were in default of the regulation for several months. Sky Bank, for example, defaulted by over two years.
Sky bank last posted audited accounts in 2016.
Sky Bank management claimed to have sent request to the CBN to agree to terms of extension of their guarantee for another year, citing the peculiarity of their own case. It is not clear the current position of the Apex Bank on the request, but it hs thrown doubts into the willingness of CBN to pursue the sanctions with vigor. The need to protect consumers and the backlash from the case of insolvency that resulted in the Bank management being sacked and a new management, instituted that was expected to do a turnaround. But it appears the turnaround is facing obstacles. Since the new Board took over, they have not published any statement.
Diamond Bank, on its own, has kept shifting the goal post, and were forced to go to the Floor of the sock exchange to make a promise that the account will be ready April 30, though they put the cause of the delay on the doorsteps of the CBN.. They did not keep the deadline. Both Diamond and Sky are publicly quoted banks.
Defaulting Banks may be barred from the meeting of Bankers’ committee. The rest have not published their full year audited statement for 2017.
Banks have been plying hide and seek with the CBN regulations. Some Banks were known to publish their accounts in Newspapers as required by law but deliberately make it too tiny for investors to read, and take their AGM to as far away as Zamfara state to minimize attendance. Sanctions may send panic into the market, so the CBN is being circumspect in view of the skepticisms that the financial sector is held. Already so many investors are divesting for fear of another Banking crisis, which pundits believe that the alleged non transparency in the sector may breed.
Ahead of the 2019 general elections, the political landscape appears tense as gladiators go back to the trenches to prepare the ground to occupy Brick House, the Seat of power in Rivers state. The PDP still want to maintain its tenancy of the Brick House while the APC, led by Rotimi Amaechi, the former governor of the state and Minister of Transport wants the opposition party to be the new occupant of the Brick House.
The Source investigation shows that Peter Odili, a Medical Doctor and a former governor of the state; Uche Secondus, PDP Chairman; Felix Obuah, Rivers stste PDP chairman; Nyesom Wike and other PDP stalwarts across the political divide of the state have gone back to the drawing board to calm frayed nerves in the party over the alleged endorsement of Wike re-election bid on the ticket of the party come 2019 . The party stalwarts, according to a party source do want to make any mistake that could provide ammunition for Amaechi to strike and unseat the party from its control of the oil rich Rivers state.
Many believe that what the unity currently being enjoyed at the national may not be replicated in the state as politicians have become very desperate to occupy the Brick House . There are indications that what the party may enjoying was a fragile unity. This is because the Ijaw governorship Candidates who lost out to Wike at the state Convention to select the party flag bearer in 2015 and other entrants from the Kalabari axis of the state are not ready to shift ground in 2019.
Tamunoeni Ibieneye, a former Commissioner of Information in state may have spoken the mind of the Ijaw people in the party when he said that ”if the PDP fields Wike again for the 2019 governorship election race, the Ijaws will vote massively for the opposition APC Candidate, if it adopts Peterside, an Ijaw as their governorship Candidate in the election.
Ibieneye, who , incidentally happens to be the Spokesman of ” Kenegema Osaki”, the Kalabari advocacy group reportedly said the party must return to the zoning formula originally enshrined in the party Constitution which was 2015 by the party leadership to pave way for their favoured aspirants, even though it was not yet their turn to vie for the position.
The Ijaw nation had presented three formidable Candidates -Odein Ajumogobia, a senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Dumo Lulu-Briggs, a Lawyer and Sampson Ngeregbara, an Engineer, and a former President of National Union of Rivers state Students, NURSS, to slug it out at the Convention , until Wike , the then minister of state, Educatin, under President Goodluck Jonathan emerged to clinch the ticket and went ahead to beat Peterside, the APC Candidate in the 2015 general election.
It is not surprising why the people are not ready to play a second fiddle in the party but to see that one of their own sons fly the flag of the party in 2019 and are said to be desperately working round the clock to actualize their dream.
Nyesom Wike: Governor of Rivers state, mocks APC.
The All progressive Congress, APC, in the state may not have learnt from the mistakes of the PDP in the past as it may have played into the hand of the PDP in the state as it has failed to put its house in order, a politician remarked . Trouble may have started in the party as Magnus Abe, a former Amaechi ally, representing , Rivers South East Senatorial district could not abide by the party decision to endorse Peterside, the NIMASA boss to fly the flag of the party in 2019. He was said to have made a bold statement when he made it clear to those care to listen he would not drop his governorship ambition for Peterside.
As a prelude to the party Convention to decide on the party flag bearer in the 2019 election, the party ward congress which kick-started on Friday, May 4, was engulfed in crisis with accusations and counter-accusations by supporters of Abe and Peterside, the two leading governorship Candidates in the party . The aggrieved supporters of Senator Abe were said to have raised alarm that names of delegates for the exercise had been illegally compiled by a faction of the party which had hijacked the process. They alluded to the fact that forms were not sold to Abe’s Candidate but only to those loyal to Peterside to give an edge over other aspirants.
The crisis in the party became pronounced last Friday when the aggrieved party members opposed to the party decision to endorse Peterside allegedly broke into the party secretariat and carted way materials needed for the Saturday, May 5, 2018, congress.
Amaechi, the minister of Transport was said to have laid the foundation of the crisis with the alleged platoon of soldiers and the over 200 SARS personnel who were with him in the state for the ward Congress. The Abe loyalists believe that the minister had come with the retinue of security personnel to provide a soft landing for Peterside to clinch the party governorship ticket at the state Convention, on a date yet to be announced by the party leadership.
In spite of the internal crisis that may have engulfed the two dominant parties in the state over the endorsement of Candidate for the 2019 election, Political analysts fear that the crisis in the state APC may take a turn for the worse because Abe is not ready to shift ground to Amaechi’s Candidate, Peterside. Speculations are that he may jump boat with his supporters if the national leadership fails to intervene to save the situation from degenerating.
The party may have played into the hand of Wike who is making mockery of their inability to hold an ordinary ward Congres. The APC leader, Amaechi has never hidden his plot to make Peterside , the NIMASA boss, the governor of Rivers state in 2019, since all efforts to actualize it in 2015 failed.
As a prelude to keep Peterside, political ambition alive, he was said to have facilitated his appointment of the Director General, Nigeria Maritime and Safety Agency, NIMASA by President Muhammadu Buhari. The appointment, political observers said was made to enable him ”recoup his investments in the 2015 general election”. Indeed, the NIMASA boss , governorship ambition in Rivers state on the ticket of APC is an open secret in maritime circles.
Insiders confirmed that some APC Chieftains in the state, including Chief Davis , the party Chairman have been trooping to his office and official residence in Lagos and Abuja to hold consultations with the 48-year old Ijaw APC governorship hopeful from Opbo town, in Opobo/Nkoro Local government Area, The NIMS helmsman was said to have been visible in the political scene since 2002 both at the local, state and national level.
The minister may have flown a kite when he told the people of Opobo/Nkoro Local government Area recently that ”they should blame their Chief if their son, Peterside failed to emerge the governor of the Rivers state in 2019”.
He was said to have created the impression that the Ikwerre political leaders were not united in the struggle tore- elect Wike as the governor of Rivers state, stressing that” if the Ijaws failed to get the governorship position in 2019, they should blame their Chiefs for not having a united front”.
Appealing to the indigenes of the local government to join the governorship race, he urged them to mobilize strongly to sack Wike from Brick House in 2019. He may have provided a soft landing for the Opobo born politician to get the backing of the people when he disclosed that his Administration reclaimed much land in Oppbo town but could have done more but for the difficulty in getting sand from the river to continue the reclamation work.
It was corroborated by Peterside, who was the then Commissioner of Works. Andrew Uchendu, a Senator, representing Rivers East Senatorial District says the Ogoni born Senator, has no reason to cry foul because he was part of the decision to endorse the NIMASA boss at a joint meeting of the party elders stressing that the decision was taken to strengthen the party ahead of 2019.
The NIMASA boss may have known that he has been anointed to fly the flag of the party in 2019 when Amaechi, popular the leader, stepped aside from the day to day running of the party over alleged busy engagements and official duties ‘in 2015 and handed over to him.
Given the desperate stance of the governorship aspirants from the PDP and APC against their parties decision over the Candidate to fly the party flag in 2019, political analysts fear there may be alignment and realignment of forces in the political equation of the state.
This is evident going by the overtures that was said to have been made to the aggrieved members of the APC by Wike, using cronies urging them, to dump the party described as the sinking boat and join the ruling PDP in the state. The question on the lips of most people is: who takes over Brick House among the governorship aspirants in PDP and APC jostling for the position in the state?
Political observers in the state said that the disagreement between Amaechi and Abe, his former political ally will make Wike, the acclaimed PDP candidate, in the 2019 poll victory in the state a mission accomplished, an indication that there is no vacancy in Brick House, PortHarcourt.
Rice importers across the country appear to be in dilema over government policy measure baring rice importation from the Central Bank of Nigeria , CBN,allocation, from the foreign exchange, forex, market. Rice , vegetable Oil and processed tomatoes/Tomato paste and palm oil are among the 41 items classified by the apex bank as ineligible for forex, according to Isaac Okoroafor, an Assistant Director, and the apex bank spokesman because they could easily be produced in Nigeria, rather than spend the country’s reserves to import them.
Heneiken Lokpobiri: Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development
The importers may have been forced to source their forex for their rice imports because of the fiscal policy measure which was said to have been initiated by the National Economic Council, NEC, headed by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the then minister of Finance and Coordinating minister of the Economy at the instance of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
President Muhammadu Buhari may have found the economic policy workable that he did not hesitate in enforcing into law through a CBN Circular that was released in June 2015, barely one month in office. Aliyu Muhammed, Managing Director, Nigeria River Basin Development Authorities has justified baring the 41 items including rice and tomato/ paste to the huge scarce forex spent yearly by the government on food imports.
Prior to the implementation of the CBN circular by the Nigeria Customs Service at the ports and land border stations, Aliyu confirmed that the government was accumulating annual import bill of $11 billion.
Many had expected the government to reverse the policy because of its implication to the economy. This is because of the recent revision of the documentation requirements for forex allocation for small scale importation and transactions value of $20,000 and below per quarter by the bank, making possible for such importation to qualify for forex allocation but on the condition that the importer must complete form Q.
Okoroafor , the apex bank spokesman may have dampened the enthusiasms of the rice importers to get a reprieve on Thursday, May 4, 2018, when he said that the 41 classified items by the apex bank are still not valid for forex allocation. It was bad news for the rice importers who had been going through difficult times sourcing for forex through the black market to remain in the business and keep Nigeria port busy.
More frustrating to them was the additional 70 percent levy on the cost of rice importation by the government. Still having a toll on their business was the high cost of clearing the bulk cargo from Nigeria ports. The consequence of the government was the forced relocation of these rice importers to Cotonou port and other ports in the West African sub-region to take delivery of their cargoes, which still found their way to Nigeria markets through unapproved routes. Investigation by The Source shows that ship loads of rice sailing to Apapa port and other ports within the country were said to have been diverted either to Cotonou , Abidjan, or Tema ports in Republic of Benin, Cote’dvoire and Ghana respectively.
The Magazine learnt that ships loaded will prefer to be on the queue at any of these neighboring countries seaport rather than sailing to Nigeria that has the market to discharge its cargo at the designated port.
Heineken Lokpobiri, minister of state, ministry of Agriculture and Rural development confirmed that importation of rice and other food items over the last couple of months had reduced significantly, stressing that that the battle has not been won. ” Food imports into the country are reduced to the barest minimum”.
Impounded Truck Load of Rice by FOU, Zone A, Personnel
The drop in importation of food items due to the government fiscal policy measures baring 41 items including rice and vegetable oil have been the gain of smugglers. Muda Yusuf, Director General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, wants the government to review the tariff on rice to curb its smuggling.
An aggrieved Yusuf said: ”Rice smuggling has continued to thrive , despite barring it from the forex market by the CBN”. He noted that rice is not a Contraband Commodity because it could still be imported through the seaport . The LCCI boss disclosed that what is creating the problem of smuggling of the Commodity is the high tariff of imports through the country’s seaports.
From, Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Cross river, Kaduna, Kano Jigawa, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Kwarra to the north eastern states of Bauchi, Taraba, Adamawa, Borno to Yobe, the story is the same. Smuggling of rice and vegetable.
It is not surprising why rice and vegetable oil are found in all nooks and crannies of the Nigeria market. many believes that the Customs anti-smuggling war in the south is yielding results with the seizure of thousands of ”50” kg bags of foreign parboiled rice which translates to several trucks load of rice monthly. The arrowhead of the seizures, Muhammed Uba Aliyu, Comptroller, Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A, was said to be making things making things difficult for the smugglers.
There is hardly a week, an insider said that the Command Surveillance and the Lagos Roving team officers including the Headquarters Strike Force, Lagos, Zone, under Salisu. A, an Assistant Comptroller, who is the Commandant.
Sources told the Magazine some vegetable oil importing firms who had queued into the government policy to import semi-processed have established vegetable oil processing firms at established approved free trade zones within Lagos, Calabar, Onne and Kano to take advantage of the available raw material for processing and packaging of the product in the country. The establishment of these vegetable oil firms has created a big market for the palm oil market in Nigeria as farmers are smiling to the bank daily and job opportunities created for the teeming unemployed youths across the country.
Just as Nigerian youths and Nigerians are trying to swallow the alleged misinformation of President Muhammadu Buhari to the comity of nations that the Nigerian youths just sit down and expect everything to be done for them, and by inference, they are lazy, the number one citizen went ahead to tell the whole world that the killings without boarder allegedly by AK47 wielding Fulani herdsmen is false. He said that they don’t carry AK47 rifles.
Buhari had during the bilateral talks with President Donald Trump of the United States of America told his American audience that the Fulani herdsmen that he knew did not carry guns, blaming the killings on returning militia who had been trained and armed by the late Libyan leader, Mammar Gadaffi.
This claim has however not gone done well with Nigerians, especially those whose states have been the worse hit of these inhuman killings, among whom is Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba state.
The governor who disagreed with the President observed that there must have been some contradiction, wondering, if they don’t carry arms as claimed by the president, then who are the ones brandishing AK47 rifles and killing locals. He stated that Buhari’s statement was “absolutely not correct.”
“I mean who kills who? They cannot be imaginary. People are being killed with AK 47 rifles and we have to stand up and do something to stop it.
“The insecurity has certainly put a lot of pressure on our health care facilities, much more than we anticipated, and we have almost 150,000 displaced persons.
Further disagreeing with President Buhari’s claim, Governor Ishaku expressed shock that the President said that the Fulani herdsmen move around with sticks and machetes. He stated that this is rather false and misleading.
“It’s absolutely wrong for the President to say herdsmen don’t move around with guns. I mean, who then kills who? It couldn’t have been imaginary that people have been killed with AK-47 in the farmers-herdsmen clashes. “We simply have to stand up to the truth and do something to stop the killings,” he said.
What does the President who Nigerians voted for to oust the former President Goodluck Jonathan administration and set things right stand to gain by portraying Nigeria and Nigerians in bad light?, many ask. Are the blood of innocent Nigerians shed almost on daily basis worth nothing to him, or is his ambition to go for a second term worth more than the blood of Nigerians?
Is this not a type of hate speech which is capable of making the affected to arm themselves and challenge any AK47 wielding Fulani herdsmen seen anywhere within their vicinity, whose only aim is to destroy farmlands with the protection of these arms?
In a chat with the Magazine, Kelvin Ekwuo, a political analyst said: ‘ It is a pity that whenever Mr. President goes outside the country, I don’t know what happens to him that makes him degrade Nigerians in the presence of these foreigners who will do such about their countries no matter what they stand to gain.
‘ Just when Nigerians are calling on him to give the directive and check the killings, he is doing otherwise. His claim is capable of setting fire to this country. I believe he did not mean what he said. It might be that he did not know how to explain what he meant or may not have been well informed by the security agencies. His aides also should be held responsible.’
However lamenting, Unyio Peters, a housewife said: ‘ It’s a pity the President is sounding like this as if ghost killers are responsible for these senseless killings, and as if he is handicapped to do anything about it upon all the powers the constitution granted him. Many are now being forced to believe that there may be a hidden agenda to all these. President Buhari should know that these western countries are not fooled, unless he wants to trade Nigeria for his selfish ambition.’
Meanwhile, with these goofs, many pity Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, who has another goof to clear as the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, struggles to put its house in order observed in the failed primaries, to see how far it will go in the 2019 general elections.
In spite of the tight security at the nation’s border Communities with Republic of Benin, smugglers appear to have devised new tactics to beat Customs personnel to it at the checkpoint . The smugglers were said to have resorted to the use of bunkers built into their buses or vehicles to smuggle foreign parboiled rice, vegetable oil and textiles into the country.
The Magazine learnt that this had been the practice over the years at Seme axis as thousands of bags of foreign parboiled rice, Vegetable oil and bales of textiles were smuggled into the Nigeria market through the Lagos – Seme Express Way or through the waterways.
Busy Seme Border
The situation was said to be so bad at Seme until the deployment of Muhammed Aliyu and Muhammed Uba Garba as Comptrollers of Seme Command and Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A, Ikeja respectively.
Muhammed, the Comptroller of FOU, Zone A, who was said to have tightened up security along the Lagos end of the Seme land border station , may have forced his counterpart, Aliyu, to be on the offensive against the smugglers in the area.
The Seme Comptroller was said to have drawn close to the Youths and Community leaders in the area who may have furnished him with the tactic of smugglers which involved the use of in- built bunkers into vehicles by smugglers to carry out their nefarious activities.
The recent seizure of the in-built bunker bus used in smuggling rice and textiles along the border route , speaks volume. This is because at Seme are said have been put on the alert to forestall vehicles with inbuilt bunkers from smuggling prhibited goods into the country.
It was learnt the smugglers of the seized bunker bus loaded with rice and bales of textiles, but for the operational experience o could have escaped f Aliyu, the Command Comptroller who was in constant touch with the patrol team stationed along the route of the smugglers. of bags of rice and bales of textile materials were said to have been neatly parked into the bunker which could only be deciphered by a diligent Customs officer on the road.
Given an insider information, Taupyen Selchang, a Chief Superintendent of Customs and the Command Image maker disclosed that within the last three months , the Command had made numerous seizures, ranging from Poultry products, foreign parboiled rice, and textile materials valued at about N12.30 million.
Selchang disclosed ever since it became known them that smugglers are reconstructing their means of conveyance for concealment to facilitate easy passage at Customs checkpoints along the road, the Command had reviewed its operational network to thwart their efforts, stressing that” it is yielding results”.
An Insider told the Magazine that the Seme land border could have been a no go area for smugglers but for the fact that the resident officers and the FOU A , Zone officers are said to be working at cross-purposes.
The source disclosed that there is a story building opposite the Igbeleri road where scores of smuggled rice from the Seme axis are stock piled daily. A source told the Magazine that the area is like a big market every evening as customers troop in and out to buy rice or vegetable oil. He disclosed that most Customs patrol teams are aware that such a place exists for stock piling smuggled foreign parboiled bags of rice but there is nothing much they could do about it.
A senior FOU, Zone A, officer told the Magazine that Seme Command officers should be blamed for the lapses over the continuous smuggling of rice or other prohibited into the country though the land border. The officer stated that they are not privy to the examination of cargoes at the Command Examination to know the goods loaded into the truck.
He revealed that the only contact they have with the truck drivers was the SGD form which must be dropped at the Checkpoint for record purposes. The Magazine witnessed the discharging of a truckload of Vegetable oil between Iyana-Oba and Alaba international market Wednesday, April 2, 2018 from a truck. The Magazine attempt to take the picture with his phone was frustrated by thugs in area.
Many believe that the high rate of smuggling rice, Vegetable along the Seme axis may not be unexpected because of the low volume of cargo imports through the land border, which was attributed to scarcity of forex.
Ekene Oyebuchi, a Lagos based business and major transporter at Seme land border confirmed that cargo imports through the land border had dropped significantly as many of their trucks are virtually wasting at the border for lack of goods to carry. Before, Onyebuchi’s trucks were always on the road with go ods including raw materials to deliver to Customers. One of the Companies that was said to be booking for the services of the transporter all the time was the Ibadan based Nigeria-America Tobacco Company. The demand for the transporter services by Customers may have forced him to always place orders for spare parts from the oversea suppliers to always keep the trucks in top form.
A visitor to the Transporter’s Truck mechanical workshop would be surprised at the the level of repair work going on there but the volume of work had dropped because of the drop in volume of cargoes carried.
Perhaps, what may have caused the drop in imported goods through the land border may not be unconnected to the fact that most of the importers using the Cotonou port in Republic of Benin are not compliant to the government fiscal policy measures.
Aliyu, the Seme Command Comptroller may have made things worse for the importers by getting classified information on goods loaded into the trucks from the trans-loading point which forced many of them out of the importing business for fear of losing their trucks loaded goods to FOU, Zone , anti-smuggling officers on the road.
President Muhammadu Buhari may have played into the hand of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and other political leaders, when he invoked a curse on Nigeria former Political leaders for mismanaging the economy of the country. ”God will Judge Nigeria past Political leaders who squandered the resources of the nation with nothing to show for it: no roads, no electricity or functional rail lines.
Buhari had alluded to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, 16 years of misrule that includes the eight year rule of former President obasanjo when he said that between 1999 and 2014, the country produced 2.2 mbd when the price of a barrel of oil at the international oil market then was at least $100.
Godwin Emefiele, CBN, the governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, may have provided the ammunition for him to say ”God will judge past political leaders for mismanaging the resources of the nation over the years.
”I went to the governor of CBN on assumption of office and asked him how far and he said ” nothing was left apart from debts”. I had reminded him of the revenue generated within the period from the sale of Crude Oil in the United States, Europe and the Asian countries of China and India which he confirmed but disclosed that ”all is gone”.
This is may have forced him to say ” only God will judge this thing”. Many believe that his major target of the attack were former Presidents Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan of the then ruling PDP. Many see the President’s emotional outbursts as a bottled anger against duo, particular obasanjo, over his open letter to him last January on the state of the nation and urging him not to run for the 2019 Presidential election.
It would be recalled that former President Obasanjo was among the power brokers who endorsed Buhari of the All Progressive Congress, APC, which facilitated his victory over the then sitting President Jonathan.
Aware that he has lost the support of Obasanjo for his Presidential bid in,2019, his supporters may have gone back to the drawing board to link the former President with the alleged endorsement of Buhari to run for 2019. The former President may not have the claim funny as he was forced to come out harsher on him. ”He is a failure and unworthy of a second term in 2019”, Obasanjo had said on Wednesday, April 2, 2018.
He stressed that” the mediocre performance of Buhari in the last three years cannot be described as superlative by anybody even by morons”. The former President, who is known for speaking out on national issues when it matters assured Nigerians that he has not endorsed Buhari re-election bid , insisting that he cannot ”endorse failure.
in apparent reaction to his recent visit to the United States on the invitation of Donald Trump, Obasanjo described it as a waste as nothing was achieved from it for the country. ” Buhari bungled another opportunity to self-redeem”, he had said. the visit , he said only succeeded in making mockery of Nigeria as Trump confirmed that the US will continue to reduce purchase of Crude Oil from Nigeria but will export Agricultural products to Nigeria , which the president nodded in approval.
He may have described as an indictment on the Buhari’s government over the directive given to him by Trump to ”stop all the killings taking place in Nigeria by herdsmen”. There is no gain saying the fact that the President had attributed the killings to expatriate herdsmen trained late President Mummar Quadaffi of Libbya, noting that ”no Nigeria is to blame and Buhari cannot do anything to stop it”.
The World Bank may have given a killer punch to Buhari re-election bid when it said that ”unemployment and poverty had increased in the country despite the government’s claim of exit of recession in the economy in 2017. Kemi Adeosun and Udoma Udo Udoma, ministers of Finance and National Planning respectively as well as Emefiele, the CBN, governor could not hesitate in telling the World/IMF, officials, at their various meetings that recession is over in Nigeria, stating that the economy has picked up .
Dr. Olusegun Obasanjo: Former President.
The Brettoon Wood financial institution in its latest report on Nigeria fragile economic recovery” had said that the ”decline in the non-oil and non-Agricultural sectors of the economy had continued as aggregate demand remained weak and private sector credit low. The president may have to convince Nigerians that he is not failure to actualize his 2019 re-election bid. The Christian Association of Nigeria , CAN, may be warming up to participate fully in the 2019 election.
Already, Supo Ayokunle, President, CAN, in his efforts to ensure that the right Candidate would be elected as President of Nigeria in 2019, has urged members across the country on the need for them to fully participate this time around by to trooping out in mass to obtain their voters card with which to play a role in the emergence of new set of political leaders .
Ayokunle may hit the nail on the head when he said that Nigerians need a leader would” guarantee their security and safety”. This is where Buhari may have to do more work as Nigerians may have lost interest in his capability to deal with the notorious armed herdsmen who have been innocent citizens, particular Christians in Benue, Taraba, Adamawa, Plateau, Nasarawa and Zamfara states. the recent killing of two priests in Benue state bear eloquent testimony to nefarious activities of the herdsmen who have no respect for human life.
The killing spree of the armed herdsmen in parts of the country is not different from the killings of the Boko Haram insurgents in adamawa, Borno and Yobe states, their traditional areas of operation. The worry of most people was that Buhari had ridden to promise on the promise to stop the Killings in the north north east within six months in office. He had declared severally that the Islamic Fundamentalists had been technically defeated. But that was how far he could go, as the insurgents had continued to make mockery of the government tight security network in the region to launch attacks.
Only recently, 68 people were killed in twin suicide bombing in a Mosque in Mubi town in Adamawa state. The suicide bomber was said to have detonated explosives at the Mosque during Afternoon Prayers, forcing worshippers to scamper for safety. Indeed, the last time that so many people were killed in an attack blamed on Boko Haram, was in Borno state in in 2016, when at least 90 people were killed in Dalori, at the outskirts of Maiduri, the Capital. The incessant killings in the country may have put the President in a tight corner to convince Nigerians that he can do really do the job.
Senator Dino Melaye has in recent times been under attack from the Police high command, with the police weaving one drama or the other around him. For one, the running battle between him and the unelected governor of his home state, Kogi, governor Yahaya Bello, has been common knowledge due to the rumored gubernatorial ambition of the embattled Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial zone. And the governor relies on fawning over the presidency to return to power in 2019, while Dino, a widely acclaimed rabble-rouser, is depending on his legendary radicalism to pull him through.
Both gladiators are members of the All Progressives congress, APC.
In the Senate, the mass appeal he enjoys is because of his penchant to swing with popular mood prevalent at the time. With Senators Shehu Sanni and Ben Bruce, they form the populist triumvirate, and are therefore the arrow points when it is the issue of doing hatchet job for the Senate.
The squabble between him and Bello reached a point where Bello allegedly sponsored his recall process. But that recall died at incubation since it was not a well thought-out plan. Furthermore, it was clear that the issue of recall is a near impossibility with the present Nigerian situation-unless it be to put it on record that a legislator has been recalled. This is because, even if the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, succeed in the recall process, the final buck stops at the doorsteps of the Senate for the final determination.
Hence Bello, with the alleged tacit node of the presidency, failed in the first recall attempt.
Not giving up, he then accused Melaye of being a gun runner, and sponsor of terrorism.For this reason he was declared wanted by the Police, who at the same time still provided him with security details while he continues his work at the red chambers.Then the story of the appropriation of money for the purchase of Tucano jets from the US broke. President Buhari has already withdrawn the sum of $496 million from the Excess Crude Account, ECA.
In a letter to the National Assembly to inform them of the withdrawal, Buhari wrote:
“In the expectation that the National Assembly would have no objection to the purchase of this highly specialized aircraft, which is critical to national security, I granted anticipatory approval for the release of US$496,374,470.00. This was paid directly to the treasury of the United States Government. I am therefore writing, seeking approval of this House for the sum of US$496,374,470.00 (equivalent to N151,394,421,335.00) to be included in the 2018 Appropriation Bill, which the National Assembly is currently finalizing. The balance of the requirements for critical operational equipment is still being collated from the different security services and will be presented in the form of a Supplementary Appropriation Bill, in due course”
The Legislators finally saw the stick with which to beat the presidency after the disgraceful invasion of the red Chambers by Suspended Senator Omo Agege, who strolled into the red Chambers with some people and took away the mace, the symbol of authority of the Senate.They had decided to move a motion for impeachment of Buhari,and Senator Melaye was to move that impeachment. Buhari got wind of the deal and ran back from the United Kingdom where he went for the Commonwealth Heads Of Governments meeting. The instruction was allegedly to make sure that Melaye is put away for good. And the word went out:: Pursue all available cases simultaneously.
Hence INEC should open the recall case at the same time that a criminal case is brought against him. An All Points Bulletin should be sent out on him. Which was why he was prevented from flying out of the country to Morrocco for an official function.
A failed recall (for a second time) and an Alleged N1 billion down the drain by Bello, a livid Bello has sworn that heads must roll for those who could not judiciously use the alleged funds for the recall process.
With the failure of the recall, the only thing the police is holding is the gun running case. Melaye was charged to an Abuja Magistrate Court where he was denied bail and to be kept in police custody for 38 days effectively to keep him out of circulation. And the alleged theatrics on both the side of the Police and Dino gives it a garb of a Nollywood blockbuster, and at the same time, increasing the popularity of Dino due to sympathy to his perceived persecution.
The Senate, however, has gone ahead with the preliminaries of the impeachment plan besides summoning the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris. For the second time, Idris snubbed the Senate summons While the Senators are livid, Senate President Bukola Saraki suddenly began to play a stalling game.
Nigerians are waiting to see how the drama will unfold.
The fairy-tale journey started in August 2017, when the merseyside club, Liverpool was to face Hoffeheim Football Club in the playoff for a place in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League, after been absent from the competition close to a decade.
Liverpool humbled the German side to book a place in the group stage. Having been grouped alongside Spartak Moscow FC, Sevilla FC and NK Maribor FC, the Reds as Liverpool are called never looked back.
Yesterday, coach Jurgen Klopp guided the Liverpool club side to the final of the UEFA Champions League.
Liverpool booked a Champions League final meeting with Real Madrid after beating Roma 7-6 on aggregate in the semi-finals on Wednesday despite losing a breathless second leg at the Stadio Olimpico.
After a 5-2 first-leg win last week, a 4-2 defeat on the night could not prevent the five-time champions from reaching their first final since 2007.
Jurgen Klopp’s men built on their Anfield victory with first-half strikes from Sadio Mane and Georginio Wijnaldum sandwiching an unfortunate James Milner own goal.
Needing four unanswered goals to force extra time, Roma piled on the pressure in the second half, but failed to repeat their incredible quarter-final comeback against Barcelona despite Edin Dzeko finding the net and a late double from Radja Nainggolan.
Liverpool will take on holders Real in the final at Kiev’s Olympic Stadium on May 26 in a repeat of the 1981 decider which the English side won 1-0.
It would be recalled that Klopp led Borussia Dortmund to the 2013 UEFA Champions League final against rivals, Bayern Munchen, in which Klopp side lost 2-1.
This will be third time Klopp will be leadin Liverpool to the final of a major competition. First was the final of the English Carling Cup now Carabao Cup, which his team lost to Manchester City. He also led Liverpool to the final of the Europa League which his team lost 3-1 to Sevilla. Now he is facing Zinedine Zidane led Real Madrid, who are the defending champions of the competition after winning the trophy back-to-back.
No doubt, it will certainly be a top mountain to climb for the Liverpool players, but, Liverpool have been known to always spring up surprises at the big stage.
May 1st was a date set aside to celebrate workers word-wide, the celebration was not different this year 2018, as workers in Nigeria came out in their numbers to celebrate the workers day.
The President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Mr. Ayuba Wabba and the President of United Labour Congress (ULC) Mr. Joe Ajaero demanded urgent review of minimum wages, and improved worker welfare.
Uche Nwosisi from the source magazine went round to capture the event.
Mr. Joe Ajaero,comrade Igwe Achese and comrade Kadiri KasumuWorkers displaying placardsCross-section workersCross-section of workers marchingUnited Labour congress members cutting the anniversary cake
Former President Olusegun Obansnjo, General Abdulsalami Abubakar rtd, Atiku Abubakar and other eminent Nigerians on Wednesday, 2nd of may 2018 converged at the Muson Centre in Lagos to honour the late NADECO Chieftain, Chief Abraham Adesanya, to mark the 10th Year Anniversary with a symposium entitled ‘’LEADERSHIP AND FUTURE OFNIGERIA’’ which was chaired by former head of state General Abdulsalami Abubakar rtd. The colourful event attracted former, and present political big wings, following; some personalities present at the event by Uche Nwosisi.
Mr. Tunde Adelaja,Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Mrs. Dupe AdelajaChief Olusegun Obasanjo ang General Abdulsalami AbubakarChief Olusegun Osoba and Chief Bisi AkandeMr Emeka Ugwu -oJU and Chief John NwodoChief Nike Akande and Mrs Josephine AnenihChief Bisi Akande and Mrs.Yetunde OnanugaAtiku Abubakar (middle) being cheered by party supportersMrs jakande and Mrs. Serah SosanOtunba Gbenga Daniel and Atiku AbubakarPrncess Abiola Dosunmu and Dr.Tokunbo Dosunmu Awolowo
