NLC calls for public declaration of assets by political office holders

Mr Issa Aremu, Deputy National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), said political office holders should publicly declare assets to facilitate easy tracking of ill-gotten wealth.

Aremu gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Kaduna.

“The President-elect has promised to publicly declare his assets. Let all public officers follow. We can then know who has what and who is having an eye on our commonwealth.

“Let nobody earn more than what is recommended by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission,’’
He described Nigeria’s system of governance as most prohibitive with very low dividends for the people.

“Nigeria system of governance is the most prohibitive.

“Worse still is that it delivers low benefits to citizens; poor roads, lack of water, irregular electricity, insecurity and of late scandalous non-sale of petroleum products while government officials remain indifferent.’’

Aremu attributed the situation to greed and mismanagement by public office holders.

“May be we should talk of high cost of mis-governance or high cost of no-governance.
“What is responsible is greed not the need of government officials.

“Why would a poor state build houses for two term governors in his state and Abuja and some state assemblies generously awarded governors pension benefits for jobs that are not pensionable,” he queried.

He cited the example of the National Assembly whose budget shot up from N15 billion in 2003 to N150 billion in 2015.

“A lot of what they earn are not salaries but self-awards.
“In the 2003 budget, N15 billion was allocated to the National Assembly and in 2015 they helped themselves to N150 billion.

“Can you see how office holders underdevelop Nigeria.”
He insisted that the salaries and allowance of political office holders must be tied to their productivity and made public knowledge.

“It should be linked to their productivity and the income of workers in the country.

“We should discourage widening income gap between ruling elite and poor working men and women.’’

Nigerian politician wanted

A Nigerian politician wanted in the United States on drug trafficking charges failed to appear in court on Monday, the country’s anti-narcotics body said.

Buruji Kashamu, who was elected in March to represent southwest Ogun state in Nigeria’s upper chamber of parliament the Senate, was indicted in an Illinois court in 1998 over conspiracy to distribute heroin.
He was placed under house arrest at his Lagos residence on Saturday after years of US requests to extradite him to face trial.

But the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said on Monday he failed to appear at the scheduled hearing.
“The agency is working hard to ensure that he submits himself to the due process of the law,” the NDLEA said in a statement.
“His house remained cordoned by anti-narcotic officers pending his appearance in court.”
No date was given for the next hearing.

Nigerian narcotics agents said on Saturday a senator-elect was placed under house arrest who is wanted in the United States on drug trafficking charges, with an extradition hearing set for Monday.

Kashamu was previously arrested in Britain in December 1998 but convinced the authorities that the drug trafficking evidence related to his now late brother, and that he was the victim of mistaken identity.
He was released in 2003 and returned to Nigeria, where he became a major funder of the powerful Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan.

Kashamu and his aides have cried foul, claiming his detention was illegal but the NDLEA said it had acted in accordance with the law.

The claims against him stem from the arrest of a trafficker caught trying to smuggle 14 pounds (6.4 kilograms) of heroin through Chicago’s O’Hare Airport in 1994, according to documents filed with the US District Court in Illinois.


During interrogation, that trafficker identified Kashamu — then a resident of Nigeria’s tiny neighbour Benin — as the ringleader of the heroin operation.

Kashamu has repeatedly denied any involvement in drug smuggling, consistently throwing blame on his deceased brother, whom he reportedly resembles.

Househelp in court for stealing N15m jewellery from employer on may 28, 2015 at 10:01 am

Lagos—The police brought a 28 years old housekeeper, Hope Hazhi, before a Tinubu Chief Magistrate’s Court in Lagos for stealing her employer’s jewellery worth N15 million.

The defendant, who resides at Akpako House, Ipare area of Lekki, Lagos, is facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing levelled against her by the police.

The prosecutor, ASP Chidi Okoye, told the court that the defendant’s accom-plices were still at large.

He said the incident took place on April 30 at 10, Susan Oji Street, Ikota Royal Estate, Ajah, along the Lekki-Epe Expressway, Lagos.

Magistrate Abimbola Awogboro admitted the defendants bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the case to June 29 for mention.

Four great enermies Buhari must terminate after being sworn in Friday

Muhammadu Buhari is sworn in as Nigeria’s next president on Friday but he has a daunting to-do list after promising wholesale change during elections two months ago. Here are four key areas, otherwise termed enermies of his successful administration he will have to tackle when he takes office:
– Corruption –

Buhari, 72, has said the corrupt and corruption will have no place in his administration, sparking fears of a wide-ranging crackdown similar to his previous time as military ruler in the 1980s. But he has pledged outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan has “nothing to fear” and there will be no witch-hunt against the former administration.

Some areas are likely to be too big to ignore, however, such as the running of the opaque, state-run oil firm, which is seen as riddled with corruption. Analysts predict Buhari will beef up existing anti-corruption agencies, while he has personally promised to declare his assets and liabilities for greater transparency and accountability.
Buhari’s All Progressives Congress (APC) estimates it could save three trillion naira ($15 billion, 13 billion euros) by streamlining government and plugging “leakages” in the system.

– Security –
Jonathan’s administration will be remembered for the rise of Boko Haram Islamists, who left least 15,000 people dead and more than 1.5 million homeless in a six-year campaign of violence. Boko Haram is currently seen as on the run but security experts say the war is far from over, with sporadic attacks continuing and the likelihood the rebels could regroup in border regions.

Former army general Buhari has recognised the need for top-down reform to boost poor morale and end graft that hit military procurement, leaving troops ill-equipped to fight. But restructuring also needs to go hand-in-hand with social and economic programmes to tackle the root causes of the insurgency, namely lack of development and unemployment in the Muslim north.

Buhari has indicated he will maintain regional cooperation with Chad, Niger and Cameroon but he faces potential trouble on another front from former militants in the oil-producing southern Delta. Rebels wanting a fairer share of oil wealth have threatened to resume their activities against energy facilities in the region if a government amnesty programme is not extended beyond this year.

– Unemployment –
Nearly two-thirds of Nigeria’s population of more than 170 million is under 30. But unemployment is currently nudging 30 percent, despite strong overall rates of economic growth in recent years. Outgoing Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in 2013 recognised the benefits of growth needed to be shared more equitably. The APC says some 110 million people still live in poverty.

Buhari’s administration has pledged to embark on a massive programme of industrialisation, including building railways, improving roads and ports, and improving crumbling infrastructure. But those programmes could be hamstrung immediately by lack of funds, with Nigeria hit hard by the slump in the global price of oil, on which it depends for 90 percent of foreign income.

Observers say diversifying the economy is a must, as is educational reform to improve skills. Some 10.5 million Nigerian children are currently out of school — the most in the world.

– Energy –
Last Friday, the government said Nigeria was producing just 1,327 megawatts of electricity — an all-time low and down even on Buhari’s last time in power in 1983-85. Reversing the country’s crippling power deficit is seen as key to driving economic growth but has evaded successive governments because of mismanagement, incompetence and vested interests.

Buhari is expected to decentralise, deregulate and privatise the transmission sector, opening it up to competition. The APC has reportedly promised to triple generation to 12,000 MW by 2019. He will also have to address the oil and gas sector and controversial subsidies paid to fuel importers who bring in petroleum products because of a lack of functioning refineries.

The government’s alleged non-payment of arrears saw fuel supply lines shut down in recent weeks, causing a crippling shortage that brought Nigeria to a near standstill.

Nigeria loses $2bn annually to fake subsidy operators —Saraki

ABUJA—FORMER governor of Kwara State and senator representing Kwara Central, Bukola Saraki, has said that Nigeria was losing a total of $2 billion to fake fuel subsidy operators, insisting that the fuel subsidy management in the country was a very big platform for fraud.

Saraki, who regretted that the alleged fraud in the scheme was being allowed to fester by the Federal Government, urged the incoming administration of General Muhammadu Buhari to completely remove the fuel subsidy and restore normalcy to the petroleum sector.

Speaking to newsmen, yesterday, in Abuja, the senator accused the government of issuing import licenses to very bogus number of companies totaling 82 and being used by oil marketers and government officials to rip off the national treasury on yearly basis.

He argued that it would be better to remove the fuel subsidy and deliver the sector and the citizenry from the grip of racketeers in the industry, who would never allow things to work well because of their personal aggrandizement.

According to him, subsidy in itself was never a problem to the country but the bad management of the subsidy, which he said had been turned into a huge racket that created the lingering crisis in the oil sector.

He said: “No matter what is happening now, if you go back to look at it, the major issue that dwindled us was the subsidy management. We are talking of about minimum of over $32 billion wasted on it over the last five to six years.

“That is the difference between where we are now and that time. It has impacted on our exchange rate, it is going to impact on our infrastructure, there is no money for capital budget.

Speaking on his ambition of becoming the next Senate President, Saraki maintained that he had the capacity, competence and the will power to drive the 8th Senate to reposition the country towards rapid socio-economic development, advising the elected Senators of the All Progressives Congress, APC, to focus on competence, capacity and merit in their choice of the next President of the Senate and other principal officers rather than on sentiments.

He said he had observed with dismay that Nigerians were not receiving the needed services from their elected representatives in the last many years of democratic governance in the country because leaders usually emerged through ethnic, religious and sectional sentiments rather than on the basis of qualification and competence.

COUNT ME OUT OF POLITICS—UCHE JOMBO

Nollywood actress, Uche Jombo Rodriguez, who is currently with her husband in the US, has said she is not politics inclined.

The actress-cum-filmmaker was reacting to the fuel crisis that almost brought Nigeria to a total collapse.

The expectant mother also explained that her day was ruined when she received a phone call that the electricity supply in the country was nothing to write home about.

She also said, “Nigerians just want fuel no matter the motives behind it. I will still say, kudos to Ifeanyi Ubah #Fuel Scarcity.”

When a fan accused her of being silent on the political situation in the country, but the actress responded that she has no time for politics.

Buhari should step on toes including those who funded his campaign – Okorie

Chief Chekwas Okorie is the founder and National Chairman of the United Progressive Party, UPP and also the founder of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA. In this interview he says that for Buhari to succeed he would have to step on toes including those who sponsored his campaign. Excerpts:

Nigerians have been subjected to untold hardship as a result of fuel scarcity and there is the clamour for the removal of fuel subsidy, what is your take?

I think it is a measure that is long overdue because the fuel subsidy has been a major source of corruption. And not only that, it is drain in the treasury of the Nigerian people; it has also distorted the real price of petroleum products in the open market.

Now payment of subsidy or lack of it has been referred to as the reason for non steady supply of petroleum products.  Now  it  has been removed, it means the product  will now be subjected to market forces.

And if that means first of all blocking that  drain on our common treasury and the availability of the products, it is better.

It doesn’t really make for sound logic to expect  petroleum product to sell the same  rate as it sells   at the point of delivery. If it is open to the open market then market forces will determine. Competition will set in and it will, at the long run, be better for Nigeria.

There has been scarcity of  the products for some time now, what do you think may be responsible for that?
One the anticipation of the removal of subsidy because this thing did not just occur overnight  and there  are  people who have been monitoring the recommendations of the National Assembly with regard to the budget.

Another one is that the Jonathan administration is winding down. Another is that they are owing the marketers subsidy money.
You said that after the election you would present a formidable opposition against the incoming administration, how would you operate?

Well, maybe the opposition will provide more of the constructive engagement. But you see, this thing about opposition, nothing is fixed.  The attitude of the incoming government will determine the attitude of the opposition.

If we are invited to participate in government, we will not turn it down. We  will participate and continue to make our views and see how  far we can canvass our own views.

But I can tell you too that even from some of the statements credited to the president elect, we are beginning to see some meeting points in our ideological  approach to government as articulated in my revolutionary agenda during the campaigns.
For example,  the president- elect has been credited to have said that the declaration of assets will not only be compulsory but also will be made public just as we would want it to be.

Then, the president-elect has also been credited as saying that he would also look into the  missing 20billion dollars NNPC  funds. We agree on that. There was a recent recovery of N307 looted by Sani Abacha. So you can imagine the amount of our money in private hands.It has been so but our government didn’t seem to be interested, maybe because of those who are involved. Buhari  administration shouldn’t toe the same line.

So  far we  are beginning to  see  a  meeting point in what we thought we would have done  if we had that opportunity. And to that extent, all we can do is to offer hand of  fellowship and engage his government constructively.  And of  course, where we think things are not going well, we shall very constructively  criticize it.

The opposition said rather than  remove subsidy as a means of tackling corruption, there are other measures  that could be adopted.

The point  is that, what it costs the average Nigerian now to get a  litre  of fuel  is so high now, it is not even available and this is across the country. And where you get the so called  government fixed prices, are only in government regulated filling stations and they are just few.
And so  people are suffering  buying fuel sometimes adulterated fuel on the road just to be able to  move around.  And it is all because of this subsidy thing.

I do believe that prices will go down over time because it will now be competitive.
Would you support the in-coming administration to raise supplementary budget for fuel subsidy? Do yo not support partial subsidy for now?

My attitude is that we should not go back to it.  It has brought a lot of  distortion; it has opened the room for a lot of corruption  and I even don’t see what the  Buhari administration  can do to  check the cartel once you continue to pay  subsidy on the  products they have imported and  they have their own way of manipulating figures with  the banks and the suppliers. It will be difficult to monitor what we are paying as to what is actually supplied  because it is all paper work and that is why the corruption there has gone so high.

The cartels in the oil and gas business are well plsced Nigerians who call the shots. Do you  think this incoming government and  administration will  actually  be able to  step on the toes of this cabal?

I personally trust  Buhari  to be capable  to step on any toes including those who funded his campaign.  He  has that moral standing, strength to do that. He can do it. If he fails to do it, he would have failed the whole country because part of what gave him the presidency is respect and admiration for his high moral rectitude.

NDLEA officials storm Buruji Kashamu’s residence

There are reports that officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have surrounded the residence of Ogun State Senator-elect, Buruji Kashamu.

The drug law enforcement agency is said to be set to extradite the Ogun State born politician to the United States of America to answer drug related accusations proffered against him.

Liverpool FC transfer gossip: Reds ready to seal Vidal transfer, Atletico striker on Rodgers' shopping list, Man City favourites for Sterling

Liverpool are ready to seal a £25m transfer deal for Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal, that's according to The Metro.

The Metro credit the Daily Express, who report that Vidal is being made available by the Italian champions, and Champions League finalists, and Liverpool are ready to bring him in as a long-term replacement for Steven Gerrard.

However the Express also report that Arsenal have beaten Liverpool to the punch and have now agreed terms for the Chilean midfielder. Vidal shares an agent with Alexis Sanchez, and that, say the Express, has swung the odds in the Gunners' favour.

The 27-year-old, along with Paul Pogba, has been a key player in Juventus' midfield as they won the Serie A and the Italian Cup and also knocked out Real Madrid to get to the Champions League final against Barcelona.

The Reds are also in the market for a centre forward and Brendan Rodgers has today been linked with a move for Atletico Madrid frontman Mario Mandzukic.

The 29-year-old has scored 12 goals in La Liga this term but it is reported that Atletico are already looking for replacements for the striker - ironically they have been linked with a another player also rumoured to be a target for Liverpool, Christian Benteke

Why investors, families prefer to settle in Canada – Immigration lawyer

Mr Julien Tétrault, is a Quebec lawyer, President of JTH Lawyers Inc, Canada. He founded and acted as President of the Immigrant Investor section of Québec Lawyers abroad. According to report, he has represented over 1,000 immigrant investors from over 60 countries, including a significant number of Nigerian families that have already relocated to the province of Quebec, Canada. In this interview, he speaks about Quebec Immigrant Investor Program.

About Quebec Immigrant Investor Program
The program was designed to offer the possibility to managers, executives, company owners to obtain unconditional Permanent Residence to Canada through a guaranteed investment of about 220,000CA$ (about N35million), regardless of their age or education. A price that may seem high at first glance even for HNWI, but that leads to further savings already in student fee just by having two children doing their superior studies in Canada.

Benefits
Most people will do it first and foremost for their children, because it is the smartest solution on all levels. On economical level, it gives top quality education, free until college, then get about 90% rebate compared to foreign student fees at University. Its free healthcare system is amongst the best in the world. And as Canadian permanent residents (eventually citizens), they enjoy the freedom to take employment.

But there is more to it- quality of life, low crime rate, social stability, affordable housing, and also excellent business opportunities. Canada is at crossroads of a generation gap that will lead to about 50% SME to change hands in the next 10 years, and this is especially true in Quebec province where 25,000 businesses will be sold within the next 5 years. Canada is the only country in the world actively seeking for new immigrants to support the growth of its economy. With Nigeria economy being now the first in African; Canada economy has continued to strive despite the world economic crisis, the ties between the two countries continue to grow substantially, and Quebec is the best location and strategic province in Canada.

Besides all these advantages, we cannot ignore the security issue. For example, our clients from Libya, Iraq, Lebanon and Syria that have gone through the process are so happy they took the decision to engage in the Investor Program while there was still stability in their country. I am very confident in Nigeria stability, do not get me wrong on this, but no one can ignore the fact that it is intelligent planning to continue to plant seeds – and by this I mean submitting one’s application under the QIIP, – for having the option to later move to a safer harbor. The Quebec Immigrant Investor Program is not a process that can be completed overnight, and people that realize that usually want to engage in the process right away.

Professional assistance
Only Quebec lawyers or registered Quebec immigration consultants are authorized by our government to represent immigration applicants, and we are to my knowledge the only law firm in Quebec to have focused solely on servicing applicants under the Quebec Immigrant Investor Program.

But we as lawyers have been confronted with the challenge of having Nigerian investors seeking further support in the document preparation and collection, or simply wanting to see how legitimate we were because of numerous fraudsters taking advantage of Nigerians.

Hence, in order to be closer to our Nigeria HNWI clients, our Canada office has made an affiliation with a Nigerian entity called JTH Immigration Services.
Our lawyers in Montreal are still taking full charge of file preparation, from identifying tailor-made solutions to investor applicants under the QIIP, to designing their file and representing them throughout the process of immigration until they obtain permanent residency in Canada, which is the first step prior to citizenship.

But in order to facilitate this process, the support from JTH Immigration Services will have an added value for the customer : from assistance to document collection, guidance through the process, to after-landing services such as school registration for the children, assistance in finding a home, getting a car, and all the paper work such as getting the Canada health card, Social Insurance card, etc.

Basically, the Permanent Residence status in Canada leads to the Nigerian investor to enjoy same rights and privileges as Canadian citizens, except for the right to vote. Then four years after getting permanent residency, family can apply for Canadian citizenship. Canada allows dual citizenship so it will not affect the Nigerians nationality. Besides, I cannot think of any passport that has a better reputation and value than the Canadian passport and its visa-free travel possibilities throughout North America, Europe, Asia, etc.

Advice for prospective immigrant
First of all, beware of fraudsters: ask for recommendation from former clients, and double-check the validity of the license since all Quebec lawyers are registered with the Quebec Bar and verification can be made by anybody online. Also, seek for experienced lawyer that knows the Nigeria environment and its challenges: ask questions and make sure you can get the assistance you need.

And finally, look for added value, look for leadership: immigration process is important and must be properly done, but once landed immigrant, you will wish to be accompanied for business and investment solutions. For all these reasons, I believe we represent the best choice for Nigerian HNWI.

Every one of our client tells us the same thing. They say: “If I had really understood and realized all these advantages, I would have started this process much earlier.” Every year the Quebec Immigrant Investor Program is getting more expensive, conditions are becoming more stringent, delays are not getting any shorter.

Top managers and business owners are used to planning for the future hence if they ever consider getting permanent residency for Canada for their families, they don’t miss the opportunity. There is no better time than right now to launch their application.

Shocking: Buhari abandons presidential pre-inauguration service, jets out to UK

ABUJA – Surprise greeted the faces of most people at the national mosque in Abuja who felt disappointed over the absence of the president-elect, General Mohammadu Buhari at the special Friday service to mark the beginning of a week long activities of his inauguration next week.

Journalists who were invited to cover the ceremony had gathered but to the chagrin of everyone, Buhari was not sighted anywhere around the crowded mosque.
No official reason was given for his absence at the mosque.

Presidfent-elect, Buhari
Vanguard correspondent later read from an online news medium, Shaharareporters that Buhari jetted out of the country to the United Kingdom, UK, in early hours of Friday morning without prior knowledge of most of his aides.

It later became obvious that the president-elect was not available when former Vice President and chieftain of All Progressives Congress, APC, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar stepped out of the mosque and said he was Buhari’s representative at the special service.

Speaking, he said “I’m here with some of the governors that accompany me to represent the president-elect who is unavoidablly absent. The prayers have gone on very well. We are grateful for all the support and corporation of all Nigerians. We have prayed to have a successful transfer of power on the Inauguration Day which is on the 29th of May this year insha Allah.”

Meanwhile, in his sermon earlier, the Deputy Chief Imam of Abuja Central Mosque, Dr. Muhammad Kabir Adam said that public office and position was a trust given to people by God.

According to him, anyone given a position of trust should lead with the fear of God even as he prayed for God’s guidance, protection and blessing upon Nigeria.

He said: “The central massage of today is on trust. When Almighty Allah gives someone position in whatever kind, that position is a trust. So, the massage today is that everybody should fear Allah in managing the affairs of the trust that was giving to them by him.

“We pray to Allah to  protect this country, shower his blessings on this country and also pray to Almighty Allah to guide our leaders. Let them lead with justice and let them do all they could do to make sure that common man of this country lives a good life.”

As at 7:15 pm when this report was filed, we had not received official comments from Buhari’s media aide, Mallam Garba Shehu who when called promised to issue a statement as to what led to the absence of the president-elect at the 2015 presidential inauguration service.

It will be recalled that the last public function Buhari had was the receipt of the interim report of his transition technical committee and the Nigerien president, Mahamadou Issoufou who paid him a congratulatory visit in Abuja on Thursday evening.

FG raises alarm over dwindling electricity supply, power plants shutdown

Abuja – The Federal Government on Friday in Abuja raised alarm over dwindling and epileptic electricity supply across the country.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Mr Godknows Igali, made this known after a meeting with Vice-President Namadi Sambo to State House correspondents in Abuja.

Igali, and Prof. Chinedu Nebo, Minister of Power, had briefed Sambo on the state of power generation, transmission and distribution in the country.

He said the ongoing strike by Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas had further worsened the power supply situation.

The workers were protesting the transfer of the operatorship of the Oil Mining Lease (OML) 42 to two indigenous companies, claiming the move would affect the fortunes of NPDC and its staff.

“With the strike which has gone on for one or two days there is dramatic turn as of this afternoon we have gone down for the all time low to 1,327 megawatts.
“So, if you look at it from 4,800 there is dramatic turn, the loss is terrible,’’ Igali said.

He said as at 12 noon May 22, 2015, Utorogu, CHEVRON ORE DO, OB EN gas plants were all shutdown while UGHELI and CNL ESCRAVOS were already isolated.

He said, “on the eastern axis Shell Gas, ALAKIRI has also been shutdown. This has led to the several power plants being stranded and shutdown.

“This includes EGBIN, OLORUNSHOGO I & 11, OMOTOSHO 1& 11, GEREGU I & 11, IHONVOR and SAPELE (NIPP) on the western axis and ALAOJI on the eastern end.’’

According to him, besides, pipeline vandalism which has continued to have very negative impact on the power supply situation in the country, the ongoing strike by the labour unions in the oil and gas sector has added additional toll.

“The overall effect is that power supply which had started picking up steadily since the beginning of the week following repairs of various vandalised portions of the ELP Line and the Trans-Forcados Gas Pipelines, has fallen to all-time-unprecedented low of 1,327m was at 1.00 p.m. May22, 2015.

He, therefore, warned that “situation could get worse if the strike continues’’.

Igali expressed the hope that the ongoing discussion between the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and, the labour unions, would end amicably.

“Indeed, it is hoped the labour unions will help restore supply of gas to the power plants even while negotiation are ongoing.’’(NAN)

Baby born with traditional beads in Lagos

Despite adopting several family planning strategies, a 52-year-old grandmother, Mrs. Funke Adamson, has ended up giving birth to a baby girl clutching white ‘Ileke’ (Yoruba name for beads) on her hands. Funke, a traditional worshipper said she was delivered of the baby that has now been described by many as  a “miracle child” on Monday, May 11, 2015 at a Trado-medical home in Apapa.

Speaking to Vanguard, she said: “I received a message from an Osun Custodian who said that a child is on the way for me. I didn’t believe him. I didn’t realize until the baby was three and half month old when I began to experienced flow of membranous fluid.”

When Vanguard visited the home of the Adamson at No.16 Olayinka Street, Ijora, Apapa-Iganmu Local Council Development Area, LCDA last Monday during the naming ceremony, it was gathered that Funke and her husband, Mr.

Hamzat Adamson, 63-year-old never planned to have a child at this time.
Sources said that Funke who celebrated her 50 years birthday two years ago had already entered her menopause age. The baby named Bukola came three years after another 32-year-old single mother, Mrs. Kikelomo Ilori was delivered of a baby boy in a Cherubim & Seraphim Church, purportedly clutching a Holy Quran. On the signs discovered during her pregnancy, Funke noted that prior to her discovery, she couldn’t sleep comfortably for two months.

“So I started praying before I later discovered that I was pregnant. Also, while trying to open a perfume, it caught fire, which made me suffer severe burns.

After discovering the pregnancy, I couldn’t sleep without having a dream. In these dreams, I often found myself sitting at the shore,” Funke added. After her birth, the grandmother explained that the traditional healers who attended to her raised alarm that they found the baby clutching white beads.

“When I heard this, I was afraid. I told them to inform my husband for any possible solution. Rather than demand that they discard the beads, he said they should be kept. After regaining my strength I removed the beads and tied it on her wrist,” she said.

Corroborating her story, the husband, Hamzat said “I was surprised when I saw the baby delivered holding beads in his hands. But I realized that the beads are important and that was why we have decided not to throw it away.”

Similarly, Rashidat Ojesanmi, the Osun custodian who gave the family the prophesy said “I was consulting the deities when I got the revelation that she would be blessed with a unique gift, which I told her. But she didn’t believe.

Later, when the revelation was further revealed that she will be blessed with an important child, she declined, saying that she cannot conceive at her age.

She said so because of the family planning she had earlier done and considering her age. But as prophesied, few months later, she called me and told me of the signs she discovered.” Also speaking, a midwife, Mrs.

Adenike Adeyemo, described the case as one out of ten cases, saying “it is rare to have such cases because at this age, the woman may have entered menopause stage.”

Speakership: Tinubu, Lagos lawmakers-elect in ding-dong over Ikuforiji’s replacement

Countdown to the inauguration of the 8th Legislative Assembly in Lagos State, there is currently a serious face-off between some lawmakers-elect and former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, over who will take-over from Rt. Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly (LAHA).

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Barely 10 days to the inauguration of the incoming legislative assembly, the challenge of who to fit into Ikuforiji’s shoes capable of maring the smooth take-off of the incoming administration Legislative and Executive Arms of government is yet to be settled among members–elect.

The pomp and pageantry that usually greets inauguration of the assembly is likely to be adversely affected. Who succeeds Ikuforiji is apparently occupying the minds of the incoming lawmakers.

However, for the first time, the legislative assembly will be having a significant number of minority, as seven out of 40 seats of the house will be occupied by Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, members, while 33 seats will be occupied by members-elect from the ruling All Progress Congress, APC.

One major fall-out of the last election is that the current Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Hon. Kolawole Taiwo, fondly called HKT by his admirers will not be returning in the 8th assembly.

Taiwo, having served four terms in the House, representing Ajeromi Ifelodun Constituency 1, is the most favoured to clinch the office. But having suffered defeat to a candidate of the PDP, Mr. Dayo Famakinwa, this automatically destabilized the earlier permutations for a new speaker come June 1. The contenders for the speakership race are Lanre Ogunyemi, representing Ojo Constituency II is returning to the House for the second time. Ogunyemi is from Lagos West.

Mudasiru Obasa, representing Agege constituency I, is the current Chairman of the House Committee on Budget and Economic Planning. Obasa is considered one of the most respected lawmakers in the House and commands much respect among his colleagues. He is from Lagos West. Rotimi Abiru, representing Somolu Constituency II, is currently the Deputy Chief Whip of the House.

Interestingly, Abiru is the only principal officer that got re-lected during the just concluded polls. Other principal officers lost out either at party primaries or during the elections.

His experience cannot be overlooked as he is coming in as a third term lawmaker. Having been in the House since 2007, Abiru is regarded as one of the most vibrant lawmakers. Abiru is also regarded as a good manager of human and material resources. He reads the mood of the House and proffers solutions on issues where necessary, that is why he is nicknamed ‘Barometer’ by his colleagues. He is from Lagos East.

Moshood Olanrewaju Osun, representing Lagos Mainland constituency 1, is coming as a third term lawmaker. Coming from a rich legislative background, Osun is from Lagos Central and this may be an advantage if the party considers his zone. Hon. Funmilayo Tejuosho, the only female contender, represents Mushin Constituency I. She is from Lagos West. She was the Deputy Speaker in the 6th Assembly.

Tejuosho has remained consistently dogged and the most formidable Amazon on the floor of the House. She is brilliant, articulate and capped it up with needed legislative experience. Leading the Assembly will not be new to Tejuosho as she had once served as Deputy Speaker in the Assembly where she presided over proceedings in the absence of the Speaker.

Gbolahan Yisawu, from Eti Osa 1, had shown interest in the speakership even before the party’s primaries and this development made many of his colleagues to regard him as having inordinate ambition. He is from Lagos Central. Wasiu Eshinlokun-Sanni, elected to represent Lagos Island 1, was a member of the House between 1999 and 2003. Pundits posited that the absence of 12 years may have shut him out of the current legislative reality, though he is also from Lagos Central.

Lagos State House of Assembly
With the governor-elect, Mr. Akinwummi Ambode coming from the East and his Deputy, Fausat Adebule from the West, the odds might favour Eshinlokun, who is from the Central. Following initial intrigues, horse trading, negotiations, arm twisting and high-wire politicking, it was gathered that some members decided to queue behind Eshinlokun for speakership, while some queue behind others and some are undecided.

Eshinlokun, is said to be the candidate of APC national Leader and former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the “Jagaban” as he’s fondly called. However, Tinubu who was yet to publicly endorse him as at press time, eventhough it was gathered that mercenaries had been sent in motion to convince other members to support Eshinlokun’s ambition who is the anointed candidate.

He might have difficult time convincing his colleagues because they (colleagues) believe that he has lost touch with legislative matters because of his absence since 1999.

Another obstructing factor is that Eshinlokun has a pending court case with a fellow party member, Hakeem Masha, over who was the legal candidate to represent APC in the election to represent Lagos Island 1.

Another stumbling block to Eshinlokun’s ambition is that the current Speaker, Ikuforiji prefer to give it to his stooge and ally, Abiru, in order to fully cover his tracks after leaving office.
Meanwhile, Obasa is said to be a non indigene, from Ewekoro in Ogun State. The house would not want a situation where the speaker will be seen as a non-Lagosian as the case against the governor- elect, who is said to be from Ondo State. Moreso, there is one Abiru as the Clerk of the House, so the issue of Abiru as speaker and the Clerk did not augur well with members.

Abiru, not wanting to let go has also employed the support of Hon. Oshinowo, popularly called “Pepper,” and House of   Representatives member-elect, Kosofe in the quest to change Asiwaju’s decision and endorse him, Obasa as the anointed candidate. It was gathered that many attempts to see Asiwaju on the matter have not yielded any positive result. Hence, the game continues.

Osun and Yishawu are also not giving up easily. They have embarked on one-on-one canvassing with members. While Osun is enjoying some attention, Yishawu is not, as he is considered to be too ambitious and arrogant for the job.

Interestingly, Hon. Tejuosho, who many believed has gathered enough legislative experience, coupled with her profession as a Lawyer, is still unsure to replace Ikuforiji’s.

Her close links with APC strong member, Muiz Banire, is likely to affect her ambition because of the frosty relationship between Banire and Tinubu. Members believe that if she eventually becomes the speaker it will be difficult for Tinubu, who is the godfather to many to shadow and control the speaker.

There is murmuring among members to reject any imposed candidate on the assembly, warning against the repeat of 1999 episode, when the majority candidate for speakership, Hon. Ola Animashaun was consumed at the 11th hour by the power that be then and Hon Olurunnibe Mammora, in a twist of fate, emerged the speaker.

Though, the incident saw members of the house throwing chairs at one another during the session of the election. According to one of the members-elect who preferred anonymity, “The Assembly is supposed to be independent, hence, we should be left alone to choose our own popular leader rather than imposition. The era of imposition in the assembly is over. We have brilliant members now and we are ready to go the whole hug to stop any form of imposition.”

Sanusi’s misreading of forensic report

The article by the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN and the new Emir of Kano, Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, published last week in the Financial Times, made fascinating reading not least because of his amazing ability to reach conclusions totally at variance with those reached by the writers of the forensic report themselves, Pricewaterhouse Coopers. This is a trait that has sadly followed the former Governor of the CBN.

During the time of the whistle-blowing, public opinion was summarised on a television breakfast programme in February 2014, by two leading Nigerian lawyers. Liborous Oshomah was of the opinion that the government fell out of favour with Sanusi because the suspended governor’s tenure was characterised by crisis and inconsistencies.

Oshomah stressed that many of the decisions taken by Sanusi, while in office, were controversial. He mentioned the issue of the banking crisis which resulted in several banks folding up and thousands of workers being laid off, stressing that banks are still unable to recover from it. While commenting on the controversies exposed by Sanusi, Oshomah said the suspended governor waited until the near end of his tenure to hit the government he was a part and parcel of.

On his part, Kenneth Odidika described Sanusi as a “very brilliant man who seemed not to appreciate the enormity of the responsibilities of the office he occupied.” Odidika went ahead to label the suspended governor a ‘talkative’ whose good diction and spoken English and “musical voice” is mere theatrics from Hollywood. He said: For a Central Bank governor to be in every forum, talking both about the economy and all things that are not related to the economy, was unbecoming of a Central Bank Governor.”

He added: “It is rare to see a Central Bank governor, anywhere in the world, speak as inconsistently as Mr. Sanusi.”
Entitled, “Questions on Nigeria’s stolen billions,” Sanusi was his usual pompous, prescriptive self: praising his personal efforts at blowing the whistle on the alleged $20 billion scam at the NNPC, rewriting history and acting as prosecutor, judge and jury.

“Nigerians did not vote for an amnesty for anyone. The lines of investigation suggested by this audit need to be pursued. Any officials found responsible for involvement in this apparent breach of trust must be charged,” he said.

He was wrong
One hopes that his royal highness is also ready to face the truth, as he also cannot hide under amnesty. The truth is that he was wrong when he first wrote his letter to the Presidency insisting that $49 billion was missing. He was wrong when he reversed the figure to $12 billion and he was certainly wrong with his insistence that $20 billion was not remitted to the Federation Account.

Every panel that has investigated this matter had reached a different conclusion than that reached by Mr. Sanusi, yet he clings to his rather unsupported allegations.

The inter-ministerial committee that first tried to unravel the mystery noted a few discrepancies but said no fraud was involved. The Senate committee chaired by Senator Ahmed Makarfi discovered no wrong doings and concluded after exhaustive sessions that money was not stolen. Needless to say, that report was wholly adopted by the upper legislative chamber.

However, when Mr. Sanusi and other conspiracy theorists wouldn’t let the matter lie, one of the leading auditors in the world, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, were contracted to investigate.

What the report says
So what did the report say? In an analysis by Edward Owono on May 11, 2015 in the Tribune, PwC found that there was indeed a shortfall between the amount ($69.34billion) the NNPC received from crude oil lifting and total cash ($50.81 billion) that the NNPC remitted to the Federation Account for the period January 2012 to July 2013.

However, the report then goes on to state clearly that the “NNPC has provided information on the difference leading to potential excess remittance of $0.74billion”. In other words, NNPC actually paid more, NOT LESS, than what was due from it into the Federation Account!
The report showed that NNPC ran its expenses from the money it received from crude oil and remitted the balance to the Federation Account in accordance with the law which set it up. PwC found that the expenses NNPC actually ran were more than it had deducted from crude oil receipts. So on that ground, it was the FGN that owed NNPC money and not vice versa.

DELSU dons to Christians: Stop demonizing Urhobo culture

WARRI—TWO lecturers at Delta State University, DELSU, Abraka, Professor Christopher Orubu and Dr. Emmanuel Biri, have condemned the demonization of Urhobo culture under the facade of Christianity.

Chief Enyote Gbogbo (in traditional attire) and Dr. Emmanuel Biri (DELSU) flanked by Epha Ughievwen, during the maiden Ughievwen Cultural Carnival led by Chief Gbogbo in Otughievwen, headquarters of Ughelli South Local Government.
Both lecturers, speaking at the first Ughievwen Cultural Carnival,  staged at Otughievwen, headquarters of Ughelli South Local Government Area, said the trend was robbing  Urhobo nation and Ughievwen Urhobo in particular, economic oppor-tunities to sell its culture and heritage to the outside world.

Professor Orubu stated that as a people, Ughievwen of Urhobo evolved with peculiar cultural practices and heritage giving its sons and daughters a self- identity that cannot be sustained by any borrowed culture.

He said: ”Our four pivots of chieftaincy, Adeh, Eboh, Igbun-Otor and Igbun-Eshovwin, which have been handed down from generations have exclusive entertainment carriages in various festivals, which were the envy of non-natives, who throng the community from far and near to share in the fun.

Demonization of culture
“Today, in the name of Christianity, these attractions are fast fading away. We demonize our culture on the notion that they are fetish, but even the Pope has entered shrines, not of Christians, and acknowledged the sense of faith in God by adherents of the deities worshipped in such shrines.”

In a separate lecture on The Past, Present and Future of the Ughievwen People, Dr. Biri of the Department of Mass Communication, DELSU, said that some of the core cultural values of Ughievwen Urhobo, being so demeaned in the land, were being celebrated with growing global recognition in other climes.

Biri asserted: “The Epha (celebration of bare breast maidens), which is Urhobo’s appreciation of the purity in women, is gradually going into extinction on the notion that it is fetish and obscene.

“But in Swaziland, the same heritage has become an annual tourist attraction visited by several people from around the world.

“In Ughievwen, ancestral worship has also been condemned as demonic and fetish whereas in Japan, the second largest economy in the world, ancestral veneration remains a valued culture.

“Japanese, including the most highly placed, go to venerate the graves of their dead parents, decorating them with flowers.”

Why we organized carnival
Chief Enyote Gbogbo, who headed the team of organizers of the event, told Niger Delta Voice: “The pains expressed by the DELSU scholars underpin the motivation for originating the Ughievwen Cultural Carnival.

Gbogbo said: “We noticed Ughievwen will have no sense of identity as a people if our cultural values are being rubbished and discarded, no matter the excuses.

“To revive the dying culture, we have decided to bring the various cultural celebrations into one big annual carnival.”

Liverpool cancel showdown talks over Sterling’s future

Raheem Sterling’s future at Liverpool was plunged into fresh doubt on Thursday after the Premier League club reportedly cancelled a meeting to discuss a new contract for the unsettled forward.

Sterling’s agent Aidy Ward had requested a meeting with Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre and Reds manager Brendan Rodgers this week to discuss the 20-year-old’s future following reports he was keen to leave Anfield at the end of the season.

After turning down a £100,000-a-week ($156,000-a-week) contract offer in January, Sterling is said to have decided to seek a transfer to a club playing in the Champions League next term, sparking a reported approach from Manchester United this week, while Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Real Madrid are also watching the situation with interest.

Liverpool had hoped to use their talks with Sterling to persuade the England international, whose current £35,000-a-week contract runs until 2017, to commit his long-term future to the club.

But quotes from Sterling’s agent in an interview with the London Evening Standard on Thursday have, according to the BBC and the Daily Mail, convinced Liverpool there is no point in meeting with the player, even though his representative has subsequently disputed the words attributed to him.

“I don’t care about the PR of the club and the club situation,” the Standard quoted Ward as saying.
“He is definitely not signing. He’s not signing for £700,000, £800,000, £900,000 a week.

“My job is to make sure I do the best with them (my clients). If people say I am bad at my job, or they are badly advised it does not matter.”

While Sterling refuses to put pen to paper on a new Liverpool deal, the club did manage to secure the signatures of two other promising youngsters on Thursday.

Jordon Ibe, the highly-rated 19-year-old winger who broke into the first team after a successful loan spell at Derby earlier this season, has agreed a reported five-year contract that the Reds call “a long-term” arrangement.
“Liverpool are a great club and I like the philosophy here,” Ibe told Liverpool’s website.

“I’ve just been brought into the first team and I’ve enjoyed the games I’ve played in. Hopefully I can just keep doing well at the club.”

Meanwhile, Jon Flanagan has extended his stay at Anfield for another 12 months as the England international battles back from a second knee operation.

Flanagan will be sidelined for a further six months, having missed the entire season, but Rodgers is optimistic the 22-year-old defender will come good again.

“He’s a very important player and has been a huge miss for us this season,” Rodgers said.

“He has got a long road ahead of him over the next four to six months but I’m sure he’ll get his rewards at the end of that.”

Countries vow to all but eradicate malaria by 2030: WHO

Countries have agreed to rid the world of malaria almost completely over the next 15 years, the World Health Organization said Thursday.

Diplomats gathered in Geneva for the UN health body’s annual decision-making assembly agreed late Wednesday to a plan to cut malaria cases by 40 percent by 2020 and by 90 percent by 2030, WHO said.

The disease currently kills 600,000 people each year.
The plan also calls for completely eliminating malaria in at least 35 new countries over the next 15 years.

Pedro Alonso, head of WHO’s Global Malaria Programme, told AFP the targets were “ambitious but achievable” and would “bring us very close to eradication”.

“This is the most ambitious but realistic strategy… the world has endorsed since the middle of the 20th century,” he said.

He insisted the targets were achievable and if anything “edging on the conservative side”.

About 200 million people are infected with malaria each year, and around 600,000 die from the mosquito-borne disease, with children under five accounting for at least three quarters of those deaths.

Africa accounts for 90 percent of the world’s malaria deaths.

The world has already made huge strides against the disease, with global incidence plunging 30 percent and mortality rates falling 47 percent between 2000 and 2013, according to recent WHO figures.

Alonso acknowledged though that “a very large unfinished agenda” remained, pointing out that 50 percent of households in Africa have no access to insecticide-treated nets, while 60 percent of malaria cases still go undiagnosed and untreated.

Growing resistance to malaria drugs is also compounding the other shortcomings in prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

To reach the goals set this week, countries will need to make sure existing tools to fight malaria are made universally available, he said, also stressing the need to improve surveillance to help catch and treat every case.

Much investment will also be needed to develop new and better drugs, diagnostics, insecticides and hopefully vaccines, Alonso said.

Meeting the targets will not be cheap, with WHO estimating this will cost the world around $100 million — but Alonso insisted the investment would pale in comparison to the returns.

“Eliminating malaria, reducing the burden in terms of lives saved, but also the expenses incurred by health systems and by loss of productivity vastly outweighs the cost of this strategy,” he said.

Why Keshi ignored me – Martins

Seattle Sounders striker Obafemi Martins has said that his being frozen out of the national team was due to coach Stephen Keshi’s personal decisions.

The Seattle Sounders forward just came off a season where he led his side to Major League Soccer play-offs as well as winning the Supporters’ Shield.

Despite being in top form and scoring 17 goals in the just ended season where he earned nomination for the Most Valuable Player award, Martins was ignored for the Super Eagles’ 2014 FIFA World Cup campaign.

Last month he called time on his international career after earning 39 caps and scoring 18 goals in the span of 10 years playing for the Eagles.

Martins played two matches under Keshi’s watch in 2013 – a friendly against Venezuela in Miami and a World Cup qualifier against Kenya in Calabar – without scoring.

Obafemi Martins
“I don’t think [Keshi] likes me, that’s all. I don’t have any issues with him,” Martins told media when asked about his relationship with the coach who is yet to have his contract renewed.

“I respect him as a coach but I think Keshi doesn’t like me.”

Martins scored the lone goal in the Football for Hope charity match organized by the Lagos State government that left Governor Babatunde Fashola’s side on the losing end on Saturday at the Campos Mini Stadium in Lagos.

Other stars that played in Martins’ team were Asisat Oshoala, Lukman Haruna, Babatunde Michael, Razak Omotoyossi, Nnamdi Oduamadi, Onome Ebi and John Dosu.

The BRF All Stars paraded former internationals Victor Agali, Jonathan Akpoborie, Gbenga Okunnowo, Godwin Okpara and Waheed Akanni.

Majek Fashek resurrects in The Grave Dust

Reggae legend, Majek Fashek who has been off the scene for some years now, resulting from his addiction to drugs and alcohol has bounced back, producing the sound track of an upcoming movie, “The Grave Dust.”

Majek-Fashek
The iconic musician, now looking stable and agile is gradually getting his groove back. He said, he worked with the producer, Obi Madubogwu on a movie set some years back which informed his decision to ask him to do the sound track for the movie. The big-buget movie is due to premiere on the 29th of this month.

Starring the likes of Joseph Benjamin, Ramsey Nouah, Amaka Chukwujekwu, Joke Silva, Emeka Okoro, Emma Edokpai among others, the movie is an intriguing story of love, and intimacy, full of suspense, action, denial and fulfillment.

Obi, who also featured in the film described it as a very strong film, adding that it’s his first bold step to producing a cinema film. Joseph Benjamin believes that every film comes with its own challenges.

Starring in the film, the Kogi State born actor said, he steps up his game, ensuring that he interpreted his role excellently.

The film directed by Ikechukwu Onyeka centres on Johnson, a young handsome stockbroker who hangs his life, love and hope on a young hard working woman, Clara.

We’ve a deadly attack – Oshoala

Super Falcons forward Asisat Oshoala has argued that if they can blend enough as a team, they will have the best attack at the tournament.

Asisat Oshoala
The 20-year-old Liverpool Ladies forward is in the team, alongside Desire Oparanozie, Iniabasi Umotong, Courtney Dike and Francesca Ordega, and believes they will potentially have the deadliest frontline in Canada.

“We have a very good attack and I think that is one thing that will work for us if we blend properly as a team,” she said.

“The most important thing is just for us to get a better understanding of one another, understand each person’s strengths and that will give us an advantage.”

The Falcons will play Sweden in their opening fixture and Oshoala is expected to lead Nigeria’s forward line but she says it will be a team effort and not just her.

“I’m not the only one on the team, I have teammates and it’s going to be a collective effort,” she stated.

Luis Figo pulls out of FIFA presidency race

Former Portuguese international Luis Figo withdrew from the race to succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA president on Thursday, firing a bitter broadside at the election campaign.

Figo’s decision came just hours after Dutchman Michael van Praag had announced that he too was dropping his bid and would throw his support behind Jordan’s Prince Ali bin al Hussein.

“I do not fear the ballot box, but I will not go along with nor will I give my consent to a process which will end on May 29 and from which soccer will not emerge the winner,” Figo wrote on his Facebook page.

“My decision is made, I will not stand in what is being called an election for the FIFA presidency.”

Kenyan mosque in Garissa briefly taken by al-Shabab

Militants from the Islamist group al-Shabab briefly took over a mosque in northern Kenya, local leaders say.
The jihadists are said to have addressed the congregation for two hours before escaping into a forest.

They criticised Kenyan authorities and warned people not to pass intelligence to the security forces.

The mosque is in Garissa county, 240km (150 miles) from Garissa town, where al-Shabab last month killed at least 148 people at a university.

Police commander Caleb Matoke told The Standard newspaper that 25 fighters were involved. He said he believed they were sent by Mohamed Kuno, the man Kenyan authorities have accused of being behind the Garissa University college attack.

One resident told the BBC: "They [militants] came to [Hulugho] town and proceeded to the mosque where they gathered people and started giving out sermons.

"They said that they are also Muslims and they are only targeting government officials whom they have a problem with."

Al-Shabab has been at war with Kenya ever since Kenyan forces entered Somalia in October 2011 in an effort to crush the militants.

It has staged numerous attacks in Kenya. As well as the attack on Garissa university, al-Shabab also attacked a shopping mall in 2013, leaving at least 67 dead. Westgate Mall is due to open again in July.

The BBC's Abdullahi Abdi in Nairobi says Kenya is building a wall between Somalia and Kenya in an effort to keep out al-Shabab militants but this shows that the militants are active deep inside Kenya.

TOP SECRET: PDP SPONSORED 2FACE WEDDING IN DUBAI...ERIC AMODU REVEALS

Mr & Mr Tuface Idibia with Godswill Akpabio, Governor of Akwa-Ibom State

There might be serious fire on the mountain if the information below credited to Nigerian singer, 2face is anything to go by.

Recall that some days ago, the singer had lashed the Ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for not adding value to the development of the country since the inception of democracy, well things may likely turn soar as one of his top secrets have been revealed.

According to Benue.com.ng through a social commentator, Mr Eric Amodu, who got angry at the singer’s comment, opened old secrets about how the PDP government had used money meant for state development to invest in his Dubai wedding.

Here are his comments below:

Too bad you threw the bomb at yourself on this. You are my friend but the truth must be told.

Question 1. Name a single soul you’ ve ever helped?

Question 2. Why did your fellow childhood friends deserted u?

Question 3. What have you given back to the society that made u?

Infact lets go deeper

First of all, OJB produced you and brought you to limelight and even gave you a song for free without you paying a dime. But you threw your back at him when the world were rallying round to save his life. Not even a dime from you when lesser musicians gave their widows mite.

No any Idoma sons could say he’s on your scholarship list yet you have the mouth to talk back at the people that you helped in eating from their states’ funds.

You ate the resources meant for Benue State during Akume days in PDP as a governor when he bought you a Camry.

How about Donald Duke when he was the PDP governor of cross Rivers State? He lavished the state resources for you and still paid 20 million naira just to reunite the plantation boiz yet you have the guts to say PDP did nothing? Better still, you for reject all the money.

Akwa-Ibom state governor under the PDP-led government lavished the money meant for the state to sponsor your wedding. Why didn’t you kick against it when he gave you eight jeeps and sponsored several people to Dubai just to attend your wedding?

Jolly Nyame wasted th state resources on you and you practically abandoned Lagos for Taraba just because you began to taste the juicy side of unmerited resources from government coffers.

Don’t forget… when you sang ” I de feel like so so so and so person… because you de spend for me.” Over 70% of the names you mentioned were PDP people you joined in eating away the future of their states.

Brother man, sorry to say this… you don’t even stand the moral ground where conscience speaks to talk about PDP.

I would love Banky W, the little Davido that just started, Ice Prince, Don Jazzy and so many others to talk because they don’t dine with the PDP and their states’ funds yet they’ve given a whole lot to the society.

On your wedding day, you took away the pleasure of the eyes from Nigerians to Dubai so that dem no go fit benefit even small thing from you. Stingy life.

Senate c’ttee vice chair advocates subsidy removal, deregulation

Abuja – The Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum (Upstream), Senator Kabir Marafa, has called for the removal of oil subsidy to end the lingering scarcity of the product in the country.
Marafa (APC Zamfara Central), who spoke in Abuja, also called for the deregulation of the oil sector.

He said the unending subsidy claims were as a result of the non-deregulation of the sector. According to him, fuel meant for Nigeria is being diverted to other African countries, where it sells at a higher price.

He said: “With all sense of responsibility, I think Nigerians need to stand up and say enough of this hypocrisy.

“This thing called fuel subsidy; I do not believe there is one. I do not believe it is benefiting the masses and it does not help them in any way, as far as I am concerned.

“So long as fuel is selling at a lower price than some other neighbouring countries, you will continue to have fuel going out through the borders.

“Until the neighbouring countries get enough, the local markets will not be served. If Nigerians want to help this incoming administration and if this incoming administration wants to help, I think we need to look at the issue of this subsidy and do away with it once and for all.

“If you deregulate the market, you allow whoever wants to bring petroleum products into the country to go ahead and bring it; you regulate only and fuel will not sell as much as it is selling now.’’

The telecom example
He cited the transformation in the telecommunication sector from near comatose landlines to the GSM phones that had reached even the remotest areas in Nigeria as an example.

The lawmaker said: “Before it, everyone will tell you that if there is no NITEL, the common man will not make call. But today, you have people with telephones even in remote villages.

“So also with this fuel thing, we may suffer in the first one or two months. But as the thing starts taking its roots, these things will all go away, our local refineries will start functioning and all these cartels will go.”

He said that with deregulation, prices would stabilise and petroleum products would be readily available and competition would force down the price of the commodity.

Meanwhile, fuel subsidy payment was not captured in the 2015 budget passed by the National Assembly on April 28.

SERAP backs Okonjo-Iweala’s on $20bn Excess crude fund

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has welcomed “the promise by Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to publish details on the disbursement of Excess Crude Account (ECA) fund for the last four years.”

This followed the request on Tuesday by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum for an explanation from Mrs Okonjo-Iweala, on how $20bn that allegedly accrued to the Excess Crude Account   was disbursed.
In a statement Wednesday, by SERAP executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni, the organization urged her “to release without further delay as full details as possible not only on the disbursement of the ECA funds but also indications and assessment by her ministry as to whether the funds have been appropriately spent.

It is also important to indicate where and how the information will be published. As Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, we know that Mrs Okonjo-Iweala is well positioned to undertake this assessment.”

“SERAP is monitoring the situation very closely. Once the information is published, we will study it very carefully, undertake further research and investigation to establish exactly whether the funds were appropriately spent, and if any mismanagement or theft of public funds is established, take necessary legal action nationally and internationally to achieve full accountability,” the organization said.

“SERAP also hopes Mrs Okonjo-Iweala will share information on internal controls and any surveillance process that her ministry has put in place regarding disbursement of ECA funds. Disclosing the information will allow the citizens to ask questions on the handling of the country’s wealth and resources, and whether the funds disbursed were appropriately spent,” the organization also stated.

The organization also said that, “Having a strong, credible, and transparent system for tracking spending by governments is an essential building block of the international system to prevent and combat corruption.”
According to SERAP, “Transparency and accountability are critical for the efficient functioning of a democratic government and for fostering social well-being.

Transparency ensures that information is available that can be used to measure the authorities’ performance and to guard against any possible misuse of powers and national wealth and resources.”

“Transparency can indeed contribute to a greater level of accountability that means high ranking government officials can be held responsible for their actions. Without transparency and accountability, trust will be lacking between a government and those whom it governs.”

Security guard dies after winning drinking, smoking bet

LAGOS—A security man, simply identified as Thompson, has died after drinking a bottle of a popular alcoholic drink and smoking five sticks of cigarette in two minutes, which were the terms of a bet he entered into with others he met at a joint.
The incident happened at Agege area of Lagos on May 7, after the deceased bought bottles of Ogogoro (local gin) for his drinking companions, who then challenged him to finish a bottle of bitters and smoke five sticks of cigarette within a stipulated time.

If he had won, the friends would have paid for everything he consumed.

Vanguard gathered that after agreeing to the terms, the deceased opened the bottle of bitters, drank it in less than two minutes, smoked two sticks of cigarette, stood up and began to walk away.

His friend’s story
His friend, 28-year-old Earnest Joseph, who had gone out with him said: “At about 8am, Thompson returned from his security guard job, went inside his room and slept.

“Later in the afternoon, two of his friends came. So I prepared Eba because he had soup and we all ate. We went out to a nearby local hot drink vendor, popularly called Tee Sugar. Thompson bought N50 quantity of Dongoyaro and N30 sachet of Chelsea for each of us.

“From there we went to another vendor in the neighbourhood and met some of Thompson’s friends from his home town. He ordered for two full bottles of local gin, Ogogoro, which we drank together.

“As soon as we finished consuming the first bottle, Thompson and his relatives began to speak their local dialect, which I do not understand.
“All of a sudden, the vendor brought a big bottle of bitters. I asked Thompson if he was the one that ordered for the bottle. He said his friends ordered it and that he wants to prove to them that he can drink a bottle of Alomo Bitters and five sticks of cigarettes.

“I tried to stop him but he drank it in less than two minutes, smoked two sticks of cigarette and decided to leave. His relatives called him back to smoke the remaining three.”

Trouble
He said trouble started as soon as he finished the fifth stick.

He reportedly became uncomfortable, staggering, sweating profusely and breathing heavily as he walked away.

Joseph said he took Thompson home on okada. He was said to have vomited several times and then died at about 8p.m. in his room.

Joseph said: “I was arrested because I was the one that brought him home in that condition.”

Confirming the incident, Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Kenneth Nwosu, said the suspect has been arrested and the case transferred to the Homicide Division of the Department of Criminal Investigation, Yaba, Lagos.

Messy Amendments

ONE of the assignments the out going session of the National Assembly set for itself very early in the day was to ensure certain sections of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria were amended.

The need for the amendments was also shared by President Goodluck Jonathan who empanelled the Justice Alfa Belgore Committee to codify all previous constitutional conference reports for the Federal Government. The Senate and House of Representatives set up separate committees. The National Assembly found a joint committee approach too acrimonious.

After a tedious and painstaking effort, which involved passage of amendment of certain sections and the concurrence of the State Houses of Assembly, the federal law makers presented a document to President Jonathan late in 2014. Trouble, however, started when the President announced his decision to withhold assent to the document, citing unwholesome procedures in passing some sections and the implications of their interpretations.

An enraged National Assembly started a process of over riding the presidential veto, and the President instructed the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, to seek the intervention of the Supreme Court.

The National Assembly appeared set to do the unthinkable by over riding the President’s veto though the Supreme Court ordered suspension of action on the process.

Fortunately, President of the Senate, David Alechenu Mark, once again, exerted his statesmanship on his colleagues, and after an executive session, the Senate backed down, saying it does not intend to be a “lawbreaker”.

We commend the Senate for its timely decision not to disobey the Supreme Court for any reason. It is true each arm of government has its constitutional powers, but the separation of powers ensures no arm of government becomes over bearing, or usurps the powers of the other. The Senate would have set a terrible precedent if it rejected the Supreme Court’s effort to interpret the law to settle the disagreement between the Legislature and the Executive. With all three arms cancelling each other out, we would have wound up in a “jungle” of sorts, and still the amendment would never have worked.

It is a pity that such valuable time, efforts and over N4 billion were wasted on this exercise. It made the actors look like amateurs. We must learn the relevant lessons.

In any case, it was unwise to seek to amend so many sections at the same time. The situation would have worsened if the Presidency had made good its intentions to implement the resolutions of the National Conference.

The nation must take a collective decision on what to do to bring the Constitution up to date. It should no longer be the pet project of any arm of government.

Lewandowski and Boateng clash in Bayern training

The duo had to be separated and were ordered away from the pitch by Pep Guardiola after a heated exchange, but there was better news concerning David Alaba

Bayern Munich's tepid end to the season took a testing turn on Wednesday as footage emerged of Robert Lewandowski and Jerome Boateng quarrelling in training.

The Bundesliga champions wrapped up a third domestic title in as many seasons with four league games to play, but their season has unravelled since then.

Defeat in five of Bayern's six fixtures since a 1-0 victory over Hertha Berlin led them to the title has resulted in elimination at the semi-final stage of the DFB-Pokal and Champions League.

That leaves Pep Guardiola unable to even match his achievements of last season, with Wednesday's bust-up at an open training session doing little to soothe the hurt at the Allianz Arena.

Boateng, who also made headlines for a training-ground scrap with Mario Balotelli while at Manchester City, is thought to have sparked the disagreement with Lewandowski with a heavy tackle which the Poland striker took exception to.

Thiago and Bayern captain Philipp Lahm were quickly on the scene in an attempt to diffuse tensions, while Guardiola was quick to order both from the training field.

There was better news concerning David Alaba, however, as the Austrian took part in some individual training exercises having spent seven weeks on the sidelines.

"It's a super great feeling when you can be on the pitch again," said the 22-year-old to the club's official website.

'PSG could pay Ibrahimovic to leave'

Former defender Alain Roche says the French champions must assess whether the veteran striker is worth keeping until the summer of 2016

Paris Saint-Germain may have to decide to pay Zlatan Ibrahimovic to leave the club, according to former defender Alain Roche.

The Sweden star has inspired PSG to three Ligue 1 titles since joining the club in 2012 and could complete a clean sweep of domestic silverware this season.

The 33-year-old's contract is set to expire next summer and former employers AC Milan have been linked with a possible move, even though his agent says such a transfer would be almost impossible.

Roche, however, thinks the club must assess whether Ibrahimovic can offer the same level of excellence next season or if he should be moved on this summer.

"Zlatan Ibrahimovic? It's a question of choice. If the club considers it to be more of an advantage than a disadvantage, then they have the means to pay him to leave," he was quoted as saying by Le 10 Sport.

"Ibra, he's [worth] 20 to 30 goals in the championship, provided he understands that he can't do everything.

Chiellini: I'll mark Suarez like I did Ronaldo

The Juventus defender insists that he is over the Uruguayan's bite on his shoulder last summer and is only thinking about winning the treble

Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini says he will not pay Luis Suarez any special attention in next month's Champions League final.

The Barcelona attacker and the Bianconeri centre-back are set to meet for the first time since the Uruguayan received a four-month ban for biting the 30-year-old Italian during a World Cup group match last summer.

Chiellini insists that the incident is firmly in the past and says he will not treat Suarez any differently to Real Madrid trio Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale, whom he helped successfully nullify in the last four of the Champions League.

"It has been a week since we knocked out Real Madrid and people only ask me about Suarez," he told reporters.

"I bear no grudges. I have no problem with him. I will mark him the way I did Benzema, Ronaldo, Bale or any other striker, so there's nothing different about it.

"The only thing that disappointed me that time was going out of the World Cup."

Chiellini added that nothing was more important than the match against Barcelona on June 6: "It's a special game. It's been far too long since we won the European Cup."

Before their meeting in Berlin, Juventus face Lazio in the Coppa Italia final on Wednesday and the former Fiorentina man is hoping to complete a domestic double before switching his attention to Barca.

"It’s a special final because Juventus haven’t won this trophy for a long time," he stated. "I’ve been here for 10 years and in all this time we’ve got to just one Coppa Italia final and the fact we lost it still rankles.

"Winning this one is really important to us and our thoughts are exclusively on the game.

"Our strength has always been our ability to take things one game at a time. We’ll focus on tomorrow’s game and try to win, then we’ll shift our attentions to the match on June 6, but there’s still a long way to go before you can talk about a possible treble.

"What’s important is maintaining our will to win and celebrate, because that’s been the driving force behind our success over these past few years.

"We’ve done well to not rest on our laurels and that’s been our strength in recent seasons."

Chiellini did, however, warn his team-mates that Lazio's Felipe Anderson can hurt their chances of success at the Stadio Olimpico.

"Felipe Anderson’s got a good engine, pace, skill, passing ability and a decent shot on him," he added.

"He’s put in consistent displays and his explosion on to the scene has enabled Lazio to make an important step up."

If Pogba joins Manchester City, it'll only be for the cash - a move to Real would be for prestige

EXCLUSIVE: AC Milan and Chelsea legend Marcel Desailly has urged Europe's most coveted youngster to consider trophies, not money, when deciding his future

Money is the only reason why Paul Pogba would choose Manchester City over Real Madrid if he leaves Juventus this summer, according to World Cup-winning Frenchman Marcel Desailly.

Pogba has established himself as the most coveted young footballer in Europe since joining Juventus on a free transfer from Manchester United in 2012, winning the prestigious Golden Boy award in 2013.

Goal understands that Paris Saint-Germain have already had a £58 million bid accepted for the 22-year-old, who is carefully weighing up his options. City have also identified him as a priority target as they prepare to overhaul an ageing squad this summer.

But Pogba's outspoken agent Mino Raiola fuelled speculation around a potential move to Madrid by visiting the club’s training base earlier this month, and Desailly believes that if his countryman does decide to leave Juventus this summer, the Santiago Bernabeu is his only viable destination.

"Juventus are in the final of the Champions League, they won Serie A," the former Chelsea captain told Goal. "Why would he want to move from there unless crazy club comes in with big money?

"City, I think, would be just for the money. Madrid would be for the prestige. Madrid is probably the best club for him, where the philosophy is to play forward.

REWARDED | Desailly surprised Chelsea fan Rachel Key with the Premier League trophy this week. She will present it to John Terry at Stamford Bridge on Sunday
"If they play three in midfield Madrid could be tactically the best team for him to express himself. He would be an amazing player.

“The only problem he would have is on the left side you have Cristiano Ronaldo. If the new coach of Madrid [if Ancelotti is sacked] moves him up front and Bale plays on the left, you have a bit of a problem [for Pogba] on that side where he likes to play most of the time.

"But if he leaves Juventus, Madrid is the best club for him. If you leave Juventus - I know Serie A is not the best league but it is a prestigious club - you need to go to Real Madrid."

Desailly does not believe former club Chelsea will enter the scramble for Pogba because there is only one area of his Premier League title-winning squad that Jose Mourinho needs to strengthen – and it is not the midfield.

"Chelsea needs another striker," he added. "Costa has done well, Drogba also, but they need a third top player - a Cavani, a Higuain, someone very close to Costa [in ability] to be able to think about winning a Champions League.

"In other areas I don’t see anything unless a player leaves."

Barclays and their ambassador Marcel Desailly are delighted to have given young Chelsea fan, and Spirit of the Game Hero Rachel Key, the opportunity to present the Barclays Premier League trophy to Chelsea this Sunday.

Super Falcons head to Canada without veteran Perpetua Nkwocha

The Super Falcons coach has announced his provisional squad without the legendary striker to embark on a training tour in North America for the Fifa Women's World Cup.

Coach Edwin Okon named a preliminary 26-woman squad for the Nigeria senior women team ahead of the 2015 Fifa Women's World Cup in Canada which begins on June 6.

A notable absence is legendary striker Perpetua Nkwocha. The 39-year-old four-time African Women Footballer of the Year was dropped after participting in three straight World Cup outings in 2003, 2007 and 2011.

Her hopes of making a fourth World Cup appearance was dashed as the coached opted for younger players in keeping with his philosophy of building team for the future.

The African champions' squad, drawn after nearly four months of camping at the FIFA Goal Project in Abuja since Feburary 22, is composed of four goalkeepers, eight defenders, seven midfielders and six strikers.

The Super Falcons' team, captained by Evelyn Nwabuoku, is largely filled with members of the 2014 African Women Championship winning team, including the reigning African Women Player of the Year Asisat Oshoala.

Surprise selected talents who made the squad are AWC winner Christy Ohiariaku, former Falconets star Courtney Dike who plays for the Oklahoma State University team and Portsmouth Ladies' Iniabasi Umotong, and former Flamingoes striker Chinwendu Ihezuo.

Nigeria have been drawn in the tournament's toughest group alongside two-time winners USA, Sweden and Australia in Group D for the Women's World Cup that will take place between 6 June and 5 July.

The team departed for Canada on Tuesday night from the Abuja airport via Paris to connect to Toronto.

The duo of Nwabuoku of Biik Kazygut and Francesca Ordega of Washington Spirits will arrive Canada from their respective bases in Kazakhstan and the United States of America.

The African champions will play a friendly match against the senior women’s national team of Canada on 25 May - the same day Okon is expected to release his final 23 squad for the World Cup.

The Super Falcons will begin their campaign in the preliminary stages against Sweden at the 7th FIFA Women’s World Cup in Winnipeg on 8th June before taking on Australia at the same venue and then USA in Vancouver.

NGF: Money reunites our govs again

The country’s governors who had for the past two years been divided over their political allegiances, reunited last Monday. Just as before their quarrel, they have picked up a common cause in their agitation for more money from the common pool.

It was just few days to the date two years ago when Nigerian governors in collaboration with outside stakeholders brought democracy to a shame with their inconclusive election of a new chairman.

As they gathered for their first unified meeting in two years last Monday, the ambience of power which flows with governors was all pervading. One South-South governor who had championed the division of the Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF and had not sat face to face with the NGF chairman, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi asked to be seated next to Mr.

Amaechi. It was one of many surprises that culminated in the wholesome reconciliation of the governors who had for 24 months walked at cross purposes.

It was on May 13, 2013, at the expiration of the term of Mr. Amaehci as chairman of the NGF that a last minute challenge to his second term bid came from Mr. Jonah Jang, the governor of Plateau State.

The challenge as almost everyone knew, however, was inspired by Amaechi’s political traducers from outside the forum. For one reason or the other, Mr. Amaechi had fallen on the wrong side of the First Family in Aso Rock and the word was that he must not be allowed a second term to pollute the other governors who were key to President Goodluck Jonathan’s own aspiration for a second term that was due in two years time.

The message was subtly and overtly passed on to Amaechi, but the Rivers State governor refused to heed.

Mutual associates between the president and the governor sought a neutral ground one of which was to allow Amaechi run for re-election following which he would resign after one year. A number of other options were reportedly proffered and the president was said to be inclining himself towards a truce when one influential South-South governor affirmed that the president’s supporters had the capacity to outvote Amaechi in any election.

It was perhaps based on that promise that the presidency dragged in Governor Jang who reportedly had not been keen on challenging Amaechi. Jang of course had his reasons to be distrustful of many of his fellow governors. It was easy for the governor to recall that he had since 2009 been due to take up the chairmanship of the Northern States Governors Forum, NGSF, which was his state’s due after the two year stint of Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State.
The rotation of the chairmanship of the forum which flows in alphabetical order was, however, derailed at the turn of Plateau supposedly on account of the multifaceted crisis in the state. A number of the Northern governors, mostly the Hausa-Fulani and Muslim governors, were said to have picked offence at what they felt was Jang’s pro-Christian bias against Muslims in the state.

It was largely on that account that Governor Jang was denied the chairmanship of the NSGF, a development that forced him to begin a boycott of meetings of the northern governors.

Before Jang, Governor Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State had allegedly been one of those penned down for the onslaught against Amaechi but for some reasons, he was factored out. One reason some gave was that a Christian from the north be picked for the challenge against Amaechi in order not to give suggestions that Jonathan, a Christian was marshalling a war against a fellow Christian.

Ahead of the decisive election for the next chairman on May 24, 2013 pressures were brought from within and without the forum on the governors to kowtow to the plans against Amaechi. Presidency minders were known to have called a number of governors seeking their cooperation.

Just before that decisive date, there were allegations that a very top Nigerian in the presidency had repeatedly been coercing governors to sign a document pledging support for Governor Jang’s emergence as the next chairman of the body.
Governors were summoned to the villa and given the document to sign the document which read thus:
We the undersigned governors of the Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF, having taken congisance of the state of the nation and the perception of the Nigerian people, do hereby resolve as follows:
That we thank the out-going chairman, His Excellency Chief Rotimi Amaechi, governor of Rivers State for his leadership and achievements.

That we strongly agree for a change of leadership of the Forum from April 2013 to April •We hereby, therefore elect His Excellency,Jonah Jang as the new chairman of the Forum.

It eventually emerged that a number of the governors stubbornly refused to sign the endorsement paper. One of those who allegedly refused to sign was the governor of Borno State, Alhaji Kassim Shetimma. Those in the know say that his insistence on trudging along with Amaechi was perhaps one of the reasons he became a pariah in the presidential villa, a development that probably fuelled the presidency’s late response to the kidnap of the Chibok girls.

While the presidency henchmen led by Governor Akpabio prepared for the election acting in the confidence that the 19 signatures they had collected would see them through, the pro-Amaechi camp was itself not sleeping.

One decisive step taken by the pro-Amaechi camp according to some sources was to insist that the election be conducted as with the normal meetings of the forum in the Abuja official residence of Governor Amaechi. The pro-presidency group had kicked against it, but in the end, they could not prevail.

Holding the election in Amaechi’s territory reportedly put the Rivers State governor at an advantage. Even more, there were reports that mobile phones at the venue were blocked, a development that cut communication between the Jonathan governors and their foot soldiers in the Rivers State lodge.

At the end of the election where the NGF’s director-general, Dr. Asishana Okaru acted as polling officer, Amaechi was returned with 19 votes while Jang obtained 16 votes. The pro-presidency governors were stunned and virtually hurried out of the Rivers Lodge to a separate meeting. After recovering themselves, the G16 governors declared Jang as winner. Their evidence was the list of endorsements that Jang had reportedly received ahead of the election.

The governors had since that walkout, trudged separate paths with the Jang faction forming its own secretariat.

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP was quick in its response to the issue, as the party few days after the humiliation of the presidency suspended Amaechi from the PDP. A week later, Governor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State was also suspended from the party purportedly for not picking the phone call of the national chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.
On August 31, on the 15th anniversary of the PDP, the cleavage was firmed when five governors in the party walked out of the special national convention to form the New PDP, PDP which later merged with the All Progressives Congress, APC to deal the deadly blow that wrought the first presidential election defeat on the PDP.

The reconciliation effected on Monday night inevitably brought the governors again to their joint interest in projecting the finances of their states.

At the end of that evening the governors put aside their differences, and as before, took on a common enemy, Dr. Mrs.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala who they charged to now declare the estimated $20 billion they claimed would have accrued to the Excess Crude Account during their quarrel.

In their resolution, they said:
“We are hereby reconciled and reunited as a single umbrella association of the 36 State Governors of Nigeria regardless of party or region.

“Forum Congratulates the President- elect, Muhammadu Buhari on his victory in the recent presidential election which held on March 28, 2015 and President Goodluck Jonathan for his statesmanship in accepting the outcome of the elections.

“In light of the fact that Funds in the Excess Crude were disbursed in May 2013, there is need for the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi- Iweala to provide explanation fir accruals to this account from June 2013 to April 2015 which is estimated at over$ 20 billion.”