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Alleged fraud: Ex-governor Nyame justifies extra-budgetary expenditure

Former governor of Taraba State, Jolly Nyame said extra-budgetary expenditure is normal when executing government projects as there is always room for supplementary budget.

Nyame who testified in an FCT High Court, Gudu in a N1.64 billion fraud case filed against him, said he was prudent in spending state funds during his tenure.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC ), slammed a 21-count charge on Nyame, bordering on misappropriation of Taraba funds to the tune of N1.64billion during his tenure as governor.

Nyame, who was cross examined by EFCC’s prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Jacobs ( SAN ), was responding to a question on whether he regarded spending state funds outside budgetary provision as prudent.

The prosecution served the former governor with exhibit 001, which was money budgeted for the Governor’s Office during his tenure in 2005.

The Governor’s Office made an excess expenditure of N982million.
In his response, Nyame said, “budgets are only estimates,’’ adding that he considered himself being prudent with state funds though he exceeded budgetary provisions “because I performed.’’

Jacobs also made available exhibit 002, being overhead cost for 2006 for the Governor’s Office.

The House of Assembly approved N40 million, while N713million was spent, with an excess expenditure of N673million.

When asked by Jacobs if he regarded that as being prudent too, Nyame replied, “My Lord, I was prudent and it could have been the House of Assembly that could have proved otherwise.’’

In 2007, N100million was budgeted for the Governor’s Office as overhead, while N2.1billion was spent, with N2billion as excess expenditure.

When asked by the prosecution if he knew that it was an offence to exceed the budget estimate, the former governor replied that he knew, but only if there was no supplementary budget.

Nyame said that exceeding budget estimates was normal when executing government projects and that “there is room for supplementary budget.’’

Justice Adebukola Banjoko adjourned the case until Oct. 12 for continuation of cross examination.

NAN

October 12, 2017
‘Turkish, U.S. Officials decide to meet to resolve dispute’

Turkish and U.S. Officials decided to meet to work on resolving a diplomatic crisis between the two NATO allies, Deputy Prime Minister, Bekir Bozdag, said on Thursday.

The dispute was triggered by the arrest of local U.S staff in Turkey, prompting the United States on Sunday to suspend non-immigrant visa services there.

Hours later, Ankara issued a similar suspension on visas for U.S. citizens.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke with Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, on Wednesday and expressed his “profound concern’’ about the arrests, the U.S. State Department said in a statement.

“Talks between the foreign minister and (U.S. Secretary of State) Tillerson were very constructive.

Representatives from both sides decided to meet and work together,” Bozdag said in an interview with broadcaster Haberturk.

He also said a U.S. consulate employee arrested in Turkey had not demanded lawyer access and the U.S. mission could apply to send a lawyer to see him.

U.S.-Turkish relations were already strained over U.S. military support for Kurdish fighters in Syria and the United States’ unwillingness to extradite Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen.

Gulen is a former Erdogan ally whom Ankara views as the mastermind behind 2016’s failed military coup.

NAN

October 12, 2017
Liverpool out to halt United’s charge in Anfield clash

Liverpool and Manchester United’s globe-trotting squads must shake off the effects of international duty for one of English football’s most eagerly-anticipated clashes on Saturday.

According to Sky Sports their players clocked up 139,000 miles taking part in World Cup qualifiers since the last Premier League action.

But all roads will lead to Anfield this weekend as the English top flight resumes after a two-week break with a potential cracker.

The stoppage was badly-timed for United who won their last three Premier League games with nine goals scored and none conceded, albeit against sides in the lower half of the table.

Jose Mourinho’s side, joint leaders on 19 points from seven games with Manchester City, will hope to continue that momentum in what will be their biggest test of the season to date.

Liverpool’s form has been less impressive and Juergen Klopp’s side, beset by defensive problems, are seven points off the searing pace being set by the two Manchester rivals.

They are also without a Premier League victory over bitter adversaries United in their last six meetings, but Mourinho says recent history will have no bearing on Saturday.

“These kind of matches, every single moment plays a part,” Mourinho told Sky Sports. “We are playing against a good team with very good players.

“Form doesn’t matter, the moment doesn’t matter. It’s a match of three points.”

United will be missing midfielder Marouane Fellaini, who hurt his knee playing for Belgium against Bosnia, while Paul Pogba is still absent with an injury.

Liverpool have a potentially more significant absentee, however, with forward Sadio Mane facing a six-week layoff after injuring his hamstring representing Senegal.

Meanwhile, City who have built up a goal difference of plus 20 during a stunning start to the campaign, will host Stoke City.

Prolific striker, Sergio Aguero may possibly be in contention for a squad place after recovering from injuring his ribs in a car accident last month.

Tottenham Hotspur, in third place, will attempt to lay their Wemble jinx in the league at the fourth time of asking as they host Bournemouth.

While fourth-placed champions Chelsea, beaten by City before the international break, visit Crystal Palace.

Toothless Palace are the first top-flight side to lose their opening seven games since Portsmouth in 2009, and the first in 129 years of the Football League to do so without scoring.

Fifth-placed Arsenal are at Watford, while Burnley, the surprise package so far in sixth, will fancy their chances when they tackle West Ham United at Turf Moor.

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic has leapfrogged Everton’s Ronald Koeman as favourite to be the next managerial casualty after his side’s woeful start.

Koeman’s side travel to Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday hoping to avoid only a second loss in 20 against newly-promoted teams in the Premier League.

NAN

October 12, 2017
PDP criticizes FG’s $5.5bn loan bid

The Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) has expressed concern over the plan by the Federal government to obtain 5.5 billion dollars foreign loan.

The party in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja by National Publicity Secretary of its National Caretaker Committee, Mr Dayo Adeyeye, said the proposed borrowing was needless.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on Tuesday written to the National Assembly requesting the approval of the loan.

PDP said that the loan if approved by the National Assembly, would plunge Nigeria into further debt, and consciously mortgage the future of the unborn generations of the country.

It added that it was an attempt to push the nation into more debt that would affect the future negatively.

It noted that as a party that governed Nigeria “meritoriously for 16 years and handed over a buoyant economy to the APC in 2015’’, it was worried about the development.

“We are dismayed at the rate at which the APC government is plunging the nation into debt through local and foreign borrowing.

“The figure released recently by the Debt Management Office ( DMO ) stating that the nation under the administration of the APC government in the last two years has borrowed N7.51 trillion is mind-boggling.

“As major stakeholders in the Nigerian project, we are worried,” it said.

The party urged the National Assembly to stop “this latest demand for foreign loan”.

NAN

October 12, 2017
Ogun Bureau of lands generates 4bn in 7 months-D-G

The Director -General of Ogun Bureau of Lands, Mr Biyi Ismail, said on Wednesday that the bureau generated more than N4billion revenue between January and August.

Ismail made this known during an oversight visit to the Agency’s head office in Abeokuta by members of the state House of Assembly’s Committee on Lands and Housing.

He stated that the bureau generated N86million from survey/planning /building fees, N190 million from rent on government land while N116million came from ratification of Certificate of Occupancy.

“ We made N3.2 billion from plot allocation and layout fees during the period under review while we generated over N49million from Certificate of Occupancy, “he said.

The director-general said the state remained the best in the country in terms of issuance of Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) to land owners without undue delay.

He expressed optimism that by December, the Bureau would have cleared about 90 per cent of the 70,000 applicants for the C of O.

“We hope that by December, we would have cleared about 90 per cent of the over 70,000 applicants received for the Certificate of Occupancy.

“Some applicants built on acquisition land, some under high tension, that is why we have not given some of them who applied for the titled documents, “he said.

Ismail, also the Special Adviser to the Governor on Lands, however, said inadequate funding of the bureau’s projects, insufficient vehicles among others were major challenges confronting the bureau.

Responding, the Chairman of the committee, Mr Biyi Adeleye, said that the committee was not out to witch hunt the Bureau but performing its constitutional responsibilities.

He called on the bureau to put in place well coordinated and effective data management of land related documents in line with international best practices.

NAN

October 11, 2017
Former Katsina speaker happy over Gov. Masari’s development

Alhaji Aliyu Muduru, the immediate past Speaker of Katsina State House of Assembly, has commended Gov. Aminu Masari on his developmental projects in the state.

Muduru, who spoke with newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja, said he was particularly excited over projects sited in his constituency of Mani Local Government Area ( LGA ).

According to Muduru, who is presently representing Mani LGA in the Katsina House of Assembly on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) said that Masari was measuring up to the expectations of Katsina people.

“I invite the people of Mani living outside the state to visit home so that they too can appreciate and applaud the projects executed by Masari.

“I salute the governor for siting the oil refinery in Mani; the approval has been granted and hectares of land were already made available for the project.

“All stakeholders are working round the clock towards the successful execution of the project.

“Masari deserves commendation for earmarking hundreds of millions of Naira for the execution of projects that have direct bearing on the life of the common man in Mani constituency,’’ he said.

Muduru listed some of the projects as electrification and installation of transformers in 10 rural communities of Mani LGA; installation of about 1,000 water hand pumps and construction and renovation of 22 primary schools.

Others are the construction of drainage and feeder roads in several communities of Mani local government.

The former speaker said that the projects would address youth unemployment and restiveness as well as improve the revenue base of the state.

NAN

October 11, 2017
NDLEA arrests 38 suspects in Bayelsa for illicit drugs

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA ), Bayelsa Command, on Wednesday, said it arrested 38 drug suspects and seized 29.751 kilogrammes of illicit drugs in the state in September, 2017.

The command’s Principal Staff Officer and Superintendent of Narcotics, Osakwe Ikenna, gave the figure in a statement in Yenagoa.

Ikenna stated that the suspects included 26, male adults and 12, female offenders.

He said that the illicit drugs seized from the suspects comprised cannabis sativa, psychotropic substances, heroin and cocaine.

Ikenna said that statistics of arrest and seizure investigations showed high rate of abuse of psychotropic substances especially tramadol by both old and young people in communities across Bayelsa.

The NDLEA official expressed concern over the high rate of abuse of tramadol in the state by women and youths.

He said the command successfully counseled more than 25 substance dependent persons in Bayelsa from July to September 2017.

According to him, the trend in the consumption of tramadol and other psychotropic substances in the state was alarming.

He said that the State Commander of the agency, Abdullahi Abdul, would convene stakeholders meetings and rallies to sensitise the residents on the dangers of consumption of illicit drugs.

Ikenna appealed to parents and guardians in the state to keep watch over the activities of their children and wards to ensure that they were not misled or pressured into illegal drug use.

He appealed to the people of Bayelsa to ensure vigilance over illegal drug activities in their communities.

He also urged them to report such activities to the state command for further action with full assurances of confidentiality.

NAN

October 11, 2017
Gov. Obaseki receives report on Gelegele Seaport

The Technical Committee on the Actualisation of the Gelegele Sea port on Wednesday submitted its report to Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo.

Receiving the report at Government House in Benin, Obaseki said the successful building of the sea port would enhance the movement of agricultural produce from the state to local and global markets in a cost effective manner.

He said under the Federal Government’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, states were asked to develop an economic blueprint that would stimulate exportation.

Obaseki said that the seaport was also a critical infrastructure needed by the state government in view of the investment expected in the state.

“We have travelled to various countries, especially Asia, looking at how to re-enact our competitive advantage in oil palm and rubber.

“Edo is a logistic hub for this country, goods can be efficiently moved into various states and distributed across the country,’’ he said.

The governor assured the committee members that the report would be studied with a view to implementing its recommendations in addition to seeking experts’ inputs toward executing the seaport initiative.

Earlier, the Chairman of the committee, Mr Greg Ero, said the committee took a holistic view of the project and addressed in details the location of the seaport, sea route to the Atlantic Ocean as well as viability.

“We visited Gelegele community, relevant offices and locations and gathered information and data from various sources, including reports on previous assignments commissioned by the Federal Government on Gelegele,” he said.

NAN

October 11, 2017
Gov. Bagudu pays condolence visit to emir

Gov. Abubakar Bagudu has paid a condolence visit to the Emir of Yauri, Dr Zayyanu Abdullahi, over the recent boat mishap and outbreak of epidemic in the emirate.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Malam Mua’azu Dakingari, said this in a statement on Wednesday in Birnin Kebbi.

That scores of people were killed recently in a boat mishap and cholera outbreak in the emirate.

Dakingari quoted the governor as expressing concern over the frequent boat mishap and outbreak of epidemics in the state.

He, however, assured the emir that necessary measures would be taken to forestall further loss of lives in the state.

Responding, Abdullahi thanked the governor for the visit and attributed the last boat mishap to non-adherence to marine safety rules by an operator who had earlier received a warning of impending storm.

The emir also urged the governor to look into the issue of bad roads in Yauri, especially between Koko and Yauri, as well as the challenges of accessing potable water, electricity and medical services at the General Hospital.

Abdullahi further expressed concern over what he considered the non-challant attitude of the Nigerian Inland Water Ways Authority to removing grasses, trees and stones in rivers, saying this was hindering effective water transportation.

NAN

October 11, 2017
Army lunches operation crocodile smile II in C/River

The Nigerian Army has lunched the second phase of its operation code name `Crocodile Smile II’ in Cross River.

Maj.-Gen. Adamu Abubakar, General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Enugu lunched the operation on Wednesday in Calabar.

He said the operation was meant to complement the ongoing `Operation Python Dance in the South-East.

He said the operation was in line with the Army’s efforts to curb militancy, kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism and other forms of illegality in the state and beyond.

The Commander, 13 Brigade, Nigerian Army Calabar, Brig.-Gen. Ismaila Isa, conducted the GOC round the creeks of Ikang in Bakassi LGA to the Amphibious Training School fleet yard in Calabar by speed boat.

Abubakar said: “from Ikang in Bakassi local government to the Calabar channel, I can say that the soldiers have been doing well in protecting the coastal areas along with the navy.

“I am happy that the Director of the State Security Service also went with us throughout the sea patrol.

“It shows that we are united in providing security to the people of the state and beyond.

“I am very certain that this exercise will help in securing our nation just as we recorded tremendous success in exercise Egwu Eke.

“Crocodile smile cut across four divisions; they include 81, 2, 6 and 82 divisions respectively.

“We hope to record successful outcome at the end of the operation on the 28 of Oct.

“What we are doing here right now is exactly what is going on in Lagos, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa Rivers and Cross River states respectively.’’

The GOC said the operation would also help in enhancing civil-military relationship, teach the troops general administration, operational logistics, equipment maintenance, arms handling and others.

He called on the public to support the operation by availing the Army and other security agencies with useful and timely information that would enable them respond on time to cases of emergencies.

NAN

October 11, 2017