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IGP orders detention of Policemen over death of Abuja lady

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris has ordered the FCT Commissioner of Police, Bala Ciroma to detain and personally investigate the policemen who shot a lady dead in Abuja.

The lady, Miss Anita Akapson was allegedly shot dead on Saturday night by policemen in Katampe Extension area of Abuja.

The Force Spokesman, Ag. DCP Jimoh Moshood in a statement in Abuja on Monday said: “IGP has ordered the detention and investigation of Policemen involved in the incident that led to the death of Miss Anita Akapson.

“The IGP has directed the Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja to immediately detain and personally carry out a thorough investigation of policemen involved in the incident that resulted in the death of Miss Anita Akapson at Katampe Extension, Abuja on the night of Saturday, 13th October, 2018; and bring the perpetrators to justice.”

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The IGP while commiserating with the family of the deceased also assured them that justice will be done in the matter.

Moshood also disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command was already in touch with the family as directed by the Inspector General of Police.

The Police also promised to inform the public of the outcome of investigations into the incident.

October 15, 2018
Buhari mourns Usman Abubakar

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed his deep condolences to the Abubakar family over the death of Engineer Usman Abubakar, Chairman of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC).

President Buhari, who was represented at the burial of his close associate on Friday at the National Mosque in Abuja by his Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari and a number of presidency officials, said he would personally miss the wise counsel of Engineer Usman.

Buhari, in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, also described the deceased as a well-educated and dignified gentleman.

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“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, the government and people of Katsina State following the irreparable loss of this selfless and patriotic Nigerian,” he said.

The President prayed to Allah to grant him Jannatul Firdaus.

October 12, 2018
I’m under pressure to leave APC – Yari

*Insists primaries held in Zamfara

*Says it’s a huge joke to nominate Zamfara Gov candidate from Abuja

Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, on Friday said that he has been under intense pressure to defect from the All Progressives Congress (APC) with his supporters.

Yari, who is the Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) spoke with State House correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja.

He also handed over the results of the primaries conducted in the state to the President after the Jumaat prayer.

He promised that despite the pressure from his people to dump the APC, he will remain with the party and fight against any injustice.

According to him, his supporters were aggrieved over the turn out of events following the party leadership’s refusal to acknowledge the primaries conducted last week in the state.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had also barred the APC from fielding any candidates for the 2019 poll in Zamfara for not conducting primary elections in the state.

He explained that the development has caused frustration among his supporters.

The governor also warned the national leadership of the party not to present any list that did not emanate from the primaries conducted before the expiration of the deadline for the primaries in the state.

Reacting to reports of his purported romance with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party on the social media, Yari, who was flanked by the Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, said, “I don’t know whether that is a joke or otherwise.

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“But for me, if you check my history since 1998, APP, and 2002 when Buhari joined ANPP, and 2015 APC, no time that I shifted from one party to another. That is not in my culture. So, the issue of leaving the party is not true.

“But some other people are sending rumour through the social media. I have seen my picture with the PDP and other parties. Yes, I cannot deny pressure from the people that we should leave APC but what I told them is that what we are looking for is just justice.

“We conducted election and we want to see what the result is going to look. But I think for any body to come under the national secretariat and say he is going to nominate a candidate, I think, it is a very huge joke.” he said

The Zamfara State Governor wondered why the INEC could claim that there were no primaries in the state when the government agencies including the Resident Electoral Commissioner of the electoral umpire was at hand to monitor the process in the state.

He said though there were some hitches in some places in the state that made the committee to postpone primary elections in the affected areas, the process he said was concluded the next day.

He said, “There were hitches somewhere but we decided to suspend the area there were problems until the following day. So, the following day, we continued and we concluded the election by the people nominated by that committee to conduct election but the committee ran away and refused to collate the results.

“So, what we did was that we filed the results and kept it under the watch of those people and waited to see what was going to happen. The second committee waited 32 hours to the closing, we thought the committee will hasten and come up with modalities for the election.

“But committee wasted about 18 hours discussing about how the modalities were going to be. So, when we realised that, we were actually advised by the supervisory agency that is INEC and other agencies there that the best thing to do as the people had voted and since it was 7am was to start counting.

“When they finished, they released the materials and we adopted the numbers. Already, we had produced our own set of forms for the national Assembly which we have done and then, when we concluded, I didn’t see members of the committee until one and half hours to the time.

“Then, when they came I asked them what they came for, they said they came for reconciliation and I said which reconciliation? People can not reconcile over a month and you are trying to reconcile in an hour. Then, I realised that there was a game that was being played so that we can run out of time.” he said

According to him, the national body of APC had other crude ways to produce candidates contrary to section 87 of the Electoral Act that the party must follow a process before producing any candidate.

“Therefore, the most important is that we conducted election on the 3rd and 4th of October and all agencies, INEC, Civil Defence, Police, and DSS were there and they signed for us and the report was written by the REC that elections were conducted.

“Unfortunately, for the INEC to say that there was no election, we don’t know where they got their information but we believe they have a report directly from their representative there that election was held in Zamfara state, so, it depends on what they want to do.

“But, in any way, we were advised when the chairman of the committee came out and said there was no election in Zamfara state, we realised it was going to be a litigation issue. We quickly rushed to court, we filed a case and the case is coming up next week.

“So, I think that is the only saving grace for the party and INEC for court of competent jurisdiction to give judgement on Zamfara matter that there was election.” he stated.

October 12, 2018
Accounts must be given for all financial transactions – Buhari

*ANAN warns President of another recession

*ANAN seeks privatization of non-performing govt assets

*ANAN backs Buhari for second term

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday promised that his administration must render accounts of what comes into government’s coffer and what goes out.

He made the promise while receiving the leadership of Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) who paid him a courtesy visit at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Femi Adesina, the President said his administration remained focused and more energised in ensuring accountability in the country.

The enforcement of the Treasury Single Account (TSA), he said, was not optional for growth, stressing that his insistence on the financial structure required much sacrifice and focus on the part of the government since “accountability” was no longer optional.

He said “One of the cardinal objectives of this administration is that people and all government institutions must give account for what comes in and goes out.

“We did not introduce TSA, but we enforced it. TSA makes a lot of sense that you must have to give account for whatever comes in and goes out in government finance; that’s accountability.”

President Buhari urged accountants to remain focused and support the government in the ongoing fight against corruption.

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He warned that they might not be liked by many people because of their professional ethics, but the sacrifice was necessary for the country to grow.

In his remarks, the President and Chairman, Governing Council of ANAN, Alhaji Shehu Usman Ladan, described the alarm over a possible relapse into recession as timely, saying that it was a wake-up call for President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to work harder on the economy to avert it.

The association also advised the Federal Government to privatize non performing government assets and enhance regulations for the financial sector development.

He appealed to the President to control enhancement for the prevention of corruption in the public sector.

ANAN also endorsed President Buhari for a second term and urged him to develop institutions and programmes that will prevent corruption through control mechanism.

Ladan, who spoke to State House correspondents after he led the delegation on the visit said that the country’s economy was well enough to inspire ANAN’s confidence that Buhari would be able to work harder to prevent a second recession in three years.

He said “We commend the Government for bringing the country out of recession and effort to place the country on the path of sound economic growth.

Ladan also praised Buhari for diversifying the economy from oil to other sectors like agriculture; attracting local and foreign investments; empowering the youth through programmes like the N-Power Scheme; and tackling corruption in the country headlong with instruments like the Treasury Single Account (TSA).

Declaring ANAN’s support for Buhari in his speech during the visit, he said “We have no doubt that second term of your Excellency will bring more succour to the citizenry and a better economy”.

ANAN also canvassed for more recognition and appreciation of members of the association in the public service, as it had observed a bias in favour of the rival body, Institute of Chartered Accountants of the Nigeria (ICAN).

The group said “ANAN should be included in the Federal Scheme of Service where a number of professional bodies are listed for direct appointment on Grade Level 10. This is to say that ANAN should be placed on Grade Level 10 at the point of entry in the public service just like their counterparts in other professions”.

The Association further asked for rotation of positions of Chairman and Executive Secretary of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria between ANAN and ICAN, instead of having the latter hold both positions at same time as happened recently.

The ANAN leadership finally begged the President to “consider the appointment of members of the Association into key positions in the Government. We have many capable members that can assist the government in the formulation and implementation of its policies/programmes”.

October 12, 2018
Court jails man for theft of cell phone

A Karmo Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, on Friday, sentenced a 29- year-old man, Brown Donatus to six months imprisonment for stealing a mobile phone valued N20,000.

Donatus, a resident of Mpape village, Abuja, pleaded guilty to two-count charge of stealing and trespass brought against him.

The judge, Alhaji Inuwa Maiwada, sentenced the convict to six months imprisonment and warned him to desist from committing crime in the future.

Maiwada, however, gave the convict N8, 000 option of fine.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Mrs Ukagha Ijeoma, told the court that on Oct. 3, one Chibuzor Okoro of Bazango Kubwa, Abuja, reported the case at the Utako Police Station.

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“The complainant said that on July 7 while at the Chisco Motor Park, Utako, Donatus criminally trespassed into the park and stole his Nokia Lumia phone valued N20,000,’’ Ijeoma said.

The prosecutor said that Donatus stole the phone and ran into unknown destination, until Oct. 3, when he was seen at AMB Plaza Utako by the complainant and was arrested and handed over to the police.

He added that during police investigations, Donatus confessed to the crime, adding that all efforts made to recover the phone proved abortive.

The offence contravenes Sections 348 and 288 of the Penal Code.

October 12, 2018
Shittu attends FEC meeting

The Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu was among cabinet members who attended the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday.

The meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari started around 11.08a.m at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

A fortnight ago, Shittu and the immediate past Minister of Women Affairs, Aisha Alhassan, were disqualified from participating in the Oyo and Taraba states governorship primary elections, respectively, under the All Progressives Congress (APC).

While Shittu was disqualified for not taking part in the compulsory one year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme, Alhassan was disqualified over issues of loyalty to APC.

Shittu also failed to present any NYSC exemption certificate to the APC screening committee.

While disqualifying him, the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, had stated: “He (Shittu) admitted that he did not do the mandatory NYSC as provided for under the law and in his own judgment, his being a member of the House of Assembly in the state and now as a Minister of the Federal Republic, that these were enough sacrifices. But for us as a party we know that NYSC is a mandatory scheme.

“It is not something you may elect to do or abstain from doing and my understanding of the NYSC Act is that no employer of labour is permitted to employ anyone who graduated under 30 years and who did not obtain an exemption for reasons as provided for in the NYSC Act.

“So, for us, not participating in the NYSC raises very serious moral issue as well as legal issue.

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“After interviewing him, we were convinced that….for our party, there are clear lessons we need to learn from our recent past when people…anyway, we were convinced that if he did not do NYSC, that for us, was enough to disqualify him and we had to find the courage to do so.

While Alhassan had immediately resigned from the cabinet, Shittu arrived for the first FEC meeting after his disqualification around 10.56a.m.

He exchanged pleasantries with his colleagues before taking his seat.

President Buhari called for rendition of the opening National anthem at the FEC meeting around 11.08a.m

Opening Muslims prayer was said by the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed , while the Christian prayer was offered by the Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu

Recall that the immediate past Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, had resigned from the cabinet due to fake NYSC exemption certificate presented to get the job.

Her ignorance of the status of the certificate she had presented could not save her from losing her seat in the cabinet.

October 10, 2018
Buhari, Amosun meet in Aso Rock

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday met behind closed doors with the Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The meeting started around 11.30a.m when he arrived the President’s office.

The governor was among state governors that had issues with the primaries held in their states.

He had accompanied other eight governors to see the President on Thursday over the issue.

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After meeting with the President last Thursday, Amosun had also met with the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo the same day.

His meeting with President Buhari on Tuesday was still in progress at the time of filing this report.

October 9, 2018
Excitement greets Buhari’s branded campaign wristbands

The flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 presidential election, President Muhammadu Buhari, now has new
campaign wristbands.

The wristbands were shared at The Eagle Square, Abuja venue of the party’s recently held primaries thus highlighting an early start to
his campaign.

Excitement greeted the distribution of the branded wristbands, as 7,000 APC delegates gathered to endorse Buhari for a second term at the Square on Saturday October 6.

The branded wristbands were distributed by Directors of the Good Governance Ambassadors of Nigeria (GOGAN) and the Buhari Unity Band (BUB) namely, Hajia Zainab Mohammed, Dr. Abayomi Oyekoya and Mr. Yinka Oladunjoye.

A statememnt signed by the Director, Communication and Media, BUB, Dr. Kunle Hamilton, said printed leaflets titled “Ahead 2019 Presidential Election” were also distributed along with the Buhari wristbands.

Billionaire business mogul Chief Felix Idiga is the Chairman and National Coordinator of GOGAN and BUB.

The statement also said National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Secretary to the Federal Government, Boss Mustapha, were the first to wear the wristbands. Mustapha then distributed the bands to the hierarchy of the party.

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APC Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, wore the new wristband, which bears an arty image of Buhari and showed the president who also wore one with excitement.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Governor Nasir El Rufai equally shared Buhari’s excitement.

According to Chief Idiga, who has just picked up a House of Representatives ticket in the Imo State APC primaries, “We believe in the second term candidacy of President Buhari for his exemplary discipline, integrity and commitment to the unity and progress of Nigeria.

“GOGAN is committed to the same ideals and will continue to cooperate with our party leadership in ensuring strict implementation of our party manifesto.”

The new wristband, which thousands of people at the APC presidential converge squabbled for, has the inscription, “Buhari for one more term; Nigerians’ 1st Choice” plus APC’s logo. The four versions of the wristband made available at the Eagle Square were in English, Yoruba, Ibo and Hausa.

October 8, 2018
Two docked for giving false information to police

The police on Monday arraigned one Prince Jeff, 37, and Mohammed Sanusi, 39, in a Wuse Zone 6 Magistrates’ Court, Abuja, for giving false information on embezzlement.

Our reporter reports that the defendants, residents of Gwarinpa, Abuja, are standing trial on a two-count charge of giving false information and conspiracy.

Mr Celons Ukpong, the prosecuting counsel, said the defendants went to the police station on Sept. 24, and reported a case of embezzlement and corruption, against one Innocent Yakubu of Gwarinpa.

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They alleged that a large sum of money suspected to be stolen was kept in the house, on getting to the house, nothing was found.

Ukpong further told the court that the defendants alleged that Yakubu was not the owner of the house, but belongs to one Emmanuel Mbaka.

The prosecutor said the offences contravened the provisions of Sections 140 and 96 of the Penal Code.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges levelled against them.

Mr Abubakar Suleiman, counsel to Jeff, applied for his bail on liberal terms.

Similarly, Mr Saidu Alfa, counsel to Sanusi prayed the court to also grant his client bail, saying it will provide him the opportunity to prepare his defence.

The Magistrate, Mr Ahamad Ndajiwo, admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N300, 000 each, and two sureties each in like sum and adjourned the case until Oct. 29 for hearing.

October 8, 2018
Lions club to touch lives of 50m visually impaired Nigerians

Lions Club International, district 404B2 has revealed that it hopes to touch the lives of over 50m Nigerian visually impaired all over the country.

The club which is erecting a specialist eye centre in Abuja says it will provide capacity building, awareness, eye screening and cornea transplant to over 50m Nigerians when completed and will be bigger than the eye centre in Kenya which has so far served the whole of Africa.

International President Lions club Gudrun Yngvandottir said that the international body allows the districts make the decision for their communities.

Her words, “They decide what they do, they identify the needs in their communities, we always ask the questions what do you need, what is needed in your community no decisions are made at the top of the, we make decisions together and we realize that the need is now, it is diabetics and visually impaired people.

“We have plans to assist about 200m people worldwide and this is based on the reports we get from the clubs and we know that we can reach the goal, the needs are different in parts of the world.”

2nd Vice district governor, district 404B2 Nigeria, Ademola Adesonya revealed that the district has plans of touching the lives of 50m visually impaired Nigerians.

His words, “We are working on building a huge eye centre in Abuja in which the whole of Africa can use, the sample of which can be found in Kenya but that of Abuja will be bigger, the hospital will do eye screening and cornea transplant in which we remove the whole eyes and replace them with another but this project is not the first project of Lions club international multiple district 404 Nigeria.

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“We have sited a lot of projects but most of them are in the southern part of the country because Lions club international is more in the South, we have projects all over the south but the one being set up in Abuja will not only be accessed all over Nigeria but Africa.

“We have four major districts in Nigeria, district 404A1, 404A2, 404B2 and 404B2, each district has a lot of projects. In district 404B2 where I belong we gave signed a Memorandum of understanding (MOU) the Teaching hospital Ekiti to build a diabetic centre for them this Lion year and we hope to touch the lives of not less than 20m Nigerians within the district alone and other districts are doing theirs.

“The one we are siting in Abuja, we have not completed the building but as it goes on the capacity building, awareness and screening will be going on, the only one we might not do this year is the cornea transplant because the hospital will have to be completed first, this project will hopefully benefit the whole multiple district and touch the lives of not less that 50m Nigerians.”

October 6, 2018