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Tag: Saraki’s wife

  • Saraki’s wife gets WHO job

    Wife of President of the Senate Toyin Ojora-Saraki has been named special adviser to the Independent Advisory Group (IAG) of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Regional Office for Africa (AFRO).

    The Media Office of Toyin Saraki, in a statement in Abuja yesterday, said the appointment was made earlier this month by WHO’s Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti.

    “This move is intended to bring Mrs. Saraki’s considerable frontline experience to bear on WHO’s strategy and policy.”

    Toyin Ojora-Saraki had accepted the appointment based on the Advisory Group’s focus on women and children’s health and in view of her role as a global champion for Universal Healthcare Coverage (UHC).

    She said: “I welcome the Advisory Group meeting’s focus on the health of women, children and adolescents as flagship indicators for Universal Healthcare Coverage (UHC) progress.

    “As a global champion for UHC, I advocate for a fuller understanding of its benefits, which go beyond health outcomes and include improved gender equality, higher levels of preparedness for epidemic outbreaks and transformative economic effects.

    “As Global Goodwill Ambassador for the International Confederation of Midwives, I particularly welcome the introduction of WHO AFRO’s focused curriculum for the professional qualification education of Midwives and Nurses in Africa,” she said.

    “I am looking forward to hitting the ground running in my new role as special adviser at the Independent Advisory Group meeting this week in Johannesburg.”

  • Saraki’s wife bemoans ordeal of Chibok girls

    Saraki’s wife bemoans ordeal of Chibok girls

    Wife of the Senate President, Mrs. Toyin Saraki, has bemoaned the continued ordeal of over 200 Chibok school girls kidnapped by the Boko Haram sect over 590 days ago.

    Saraki, who is also the founder of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, stated this when she represented the wife of the president, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, as the Special Guest of Honour at the premiere of ‘Searching’ – a film that vividly depicts the realities and struggles of the girl-child in Nigeria.

    She stated that while securing the release of the girls by security agencies is the most important step for now, schools must be protected to provide safe and quality education for all Nigerian children.

    She also called for increased access to education and the protection of the rights of the girl-child through the removal of social and structural barriers in girl’s education in the country.

    Recounting the ordeal of the 200 girls kidnapped from their school in Chibok, Borno State, over 590 days ago, she said: “Their kidnap and the continued assault against the rights of young children to an education by Boko Haram is part of a wider conversation that we must continue to have in Nigeria and all over the world.

    “Securing the release of every girl kidnapped by Boko Haram is the expected step, but we must return the focus to securing our schools and protecting the right to a safe, quality education for all of our children. This will ensure that the horrors of Chibok never happen again.”

    While expressing great concern about the plight of the girl-child in Nigeria, Saraki stated further, “As a nation, we must focus on developing the policies and initiatives that can empower girls and give them the tools that they need to lead.

    “As a nation, we must collaborate and unite to break the culture of silence over the rights and welfare of our young girls. We must continue to speak up and speak out against early marriage for our young girls. We must summon the inner will to say no to children giving birth to children. Storytelling is one way of driving these messages home and we must not be tired of telling their stories.”

  • EFCC quizzes Saraki’s wife for five hours

    EFCC quizzes Saraki’s wife for five hours

    FOR the second time in a week, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday quizzed the Senate President’s wife, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Saraki.

    She was grilled for another five and half hours, making her appearance before EFCC’s crack investigators a cumulative record of 11 hours.

    But Mrs. Saraki said the anti-graft agency only had a chat with her and not interrogation.

    According to sources, she arrived at the EFCC office at 10a.m and left at 3.35p.m.

    Mrs. Saraki’s supporters, including senators, who were with her on Tuesday, were absent.

    It was learnt that she spent the day responding to “follow up questions on the statement she wrote on Tuesday”.

    A source in the commission said: “We have had preliminary investigation with Mrs. Saraki, but we are yet to conclude our findings.

    “We will still do more work on what she said on oath and crosscheck a few things before we can establish whether or not there is a prima facie case against her.

    “Certainly, the investigation has not been concluded at all. We will brief the public as appropriate.

     “We may still invite Mrs. Saraki when necessary.”

    But Mrs. Saraki said she only had a chat with EFCC investigators and not an interrogation.

    The Special Assistant (Print Media) to the Senate President, Mr. Chuks Okocha, who spoke on her behalf, said: “Her chat with the EFCC was concluded on Wednesday and she is cooperating with them.

    “Anytime they want her, she will honour the invitation.”

    On Tuesday, Mrs. Saraki promised to cooperate with the EFCC and she asked the anti-graft commission to adopt global best practices.

    The statement said: “As a citizen with utmost respect for higher standard of democratic accountability, Mrs. Toyin Saraki visited the EFCC at their invitation.

    “Mrs. Saraki made herself available to assist the commission wholeheartedly with any lawful enquiries they may have.

    “Mrs. Saraki will continue to cooperate with EFCC and she hopes for a prompt and positive resolution in the satisfaction of this enquiry.

    “Having placed emphasis on the importance of accountability, transparency and diligent reporting, Mrs. Saraki maintained that she has always operated within the law and to the highest standard of global compliance in all her activities.

    “Mrs. Saraki affirmed her willingness to assist the EFCC and expect that the spirit of this enquiry will follow global standard and principles of open democracy, transparency and impartiality that the EFCC and other similar organisations around the world are founded upon.”

  • EFCC grills Saraki’s wife, PDP BOT’s chair for hours

    EFCC grills Saraki’s wife, PDP BOT’s chair for hours

    •Ailing Yar’Adua’s daughter makes appearance
    •I ’ve nothing to hide, says Senate President’s wife

    For about six hours yesterday, crack investigators of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) grilled Mrs. Oluwatoyin Saraki, wife of the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki.

    The team also quizzed the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Haliru Bello Mohammed and ex-First Lady of Kebbi State, Hajiya Zainab Dakingari (the daughter of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua) over alleged N2 billion contracts in the state.

    But Hajiya Zainab had a brief interaction with the EFCC team because of her ill-health.

    Moved by her condition, the EFCC allowed a director to stand as surety for her, pending her being fit for questioning.

    Her condition affected the planned interaction with the Chairman of the BOT of PDP, who will be re-invited by the anti-graft commission.

    Mohammed’s invitation is said to be for alleged “unexecuted” contracts in Kebbi State.

    The star attraction was Mrs. Saraki, whose invitation by the EFCC  generated mixed reactions in the media.

    According to a source, Mrs. Saraki arrived at the headquarters of the anti-graft agency at about noon.

    She was accompanied by  senators, members of the House of Representatives, wives of Kwara State commissioners and others.

    Her supporters milled around the EFCC headquarters.

    The source said: “For about five hours, our investigators interacted with her on some issues having to do with her tenure as the First Lady of Kwara State.

    “She was calm and she responded to questions from the EFCC team. It was the first time she got to know why she was invited.

    “We will not give you the details in order not to prejudice ongoing investigation.”

    Responding to a question, the source added: “I cannot say whether she will be detained or not because we are still talking with her.”

    The source said Mrs. Dakingari, “appeared briefly, but she looked frail and we had to give her time to take care of her health.”

    “She is expected back after recovering from the ill-health. Actually, we were to interrogate her alongside the Chairman of the BOT of the PDP, but we could not.

    “The two people have questions to respond to on the award of some contracts in Kebbi State.”

    Contacted, the Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said: “The three people came and met with our team.”

    After her release, Mrs. Saraki released a statement, in which she said she has nothing to hide.

    She promised to cooperate with the EFCC and she asked the anti-graft commission to adopt global best practices.

    The statement said: “As a citizen with utmost respect for higher standard of democratic accountability, Mrs. Saraki visited the EFCC at their invitation.

    “Mrs. Saraki made herself available to assist the commission wholeheartedly with any lawful enquiries they may have.

    “Mrs. Saraki will continue to cooperate with EFCC and she hopes for a prompt and positive resolution in the satisfaction of this enquiry.

    “Having placed emphasis on the importance of accountability, transparency and diligent reporting, Mrs. Saraki maintained that she has always operated within the law and to the highest standard of global compliance in all her activities.

    “Mrs. Saraki affirmed her willingness to assist the EFCC and expect that the spirit of this enquiry will follow global standard and principles of open democracy, transparency and impartiality that the EFCC and other similar organisations around the world are founded upon.

    “Mrs. Saraki looks forward to drawing a line under this matter and will continue to focus on her global advocacy on maternal, newborn baby and child health.”

     

  • EFCC gets team for Saraki’s wife, Yar’Adua’s daughter

    EFCC gets team for Saraki’s wife, Yar’Adua’s daughter

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday raised a team of crack investigators to grill Senate President Bukola Saraki’s wife, Oluwatoyin and the late President Umaru Yar’Adua’s daughter, Hajiya Zainab Dakingari.

    Mrs. Saraki has written the EFCC seeking to appear today or tomorrow.

    Expressing her readiness to cooperate with the anti-graft commission, she had never received unlawful public funds.

    A source in the commission said: “We are ready for Mrs. Oluwatoyin Saraki and Hajiya Zainab Dakingari – if they honour our invitation.

    “We have a crack team of investigators that will handle their matters with fairness and objectivity.

    “Our invitation does not presume them guilty. There are petitions against them; we want to hear their side too. If there is no prima facie case against them, the EFCC will release these women. So, we are still at a fact-finding stage.”

    But ahead of today’s appearance, Mrs. Saraki has written the EFCC, seeking leave to be available for interrogation either today or tomorrow.

    The letter was signed by the Private Secretary to the Wellbeing Foundation of the wife of the Senate President.

    In the letter, Mrs. Saraki said she had never received unlawful public funds.

    The letter reads in part: “Her Excellency is currently outside Nigeria and expects to return to Abuja on Monday, 27th of July. She thus requests an appointment to attend your office on Tuesday, 28th July 2015 or Wednesday, 29th July 2015 at mutually agreed convenience.

    “We look forward to your response and acquiescence to the appointment date requested by Her Excellency.”

    Mrs. Saraki said she was ready to cooperate with EFCC though the allegations had not been made available to her.

    She also said she had never received unlawful funds in and out of office.

    The letter added: “While she has no idea whatsoever what matter this may pertain to, Her Excellency will be delighted to assist your respected office with any lawful enquiries you may have as a law-abiding, responsible, transparent and accountable private citizen who has never been sought recourse to, nor received any unlawful public funds in any private capacity or activity.”

  • PDP denies authorship of petition against Saraki’s wife

    PDP denies authorship of petition against Saraki’s wife

    Kwara State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday denied the authorship of a petition purportedly sent to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which warranted the invitation of Senate President’s wife, Mrs. Toyin Saraki, by the anti-graft agency.

    Mrs. Saraki is billed to appear before the investigative body today.

    Last week, similar development occurred after a statement purportedly issued by the party accusing the state government of not releasing its share of the bailout money to workers.

    The party’s spokesperson, Rex Olawoye, whose name was appended on the statement, had disowned it and warned reporters against falling victims of those he claimed were using the party for selfish reasons.

    Again, the media was awash yesterday with a statement credited to Olawoye with PDP claiming responsibility for the invitation based on a petition the party had purportedly written against the former Kwara State First Lady.

    But a statement jointly by the state party chairman, Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, and Olawoye dissociated themselves and the party from the statement.

    They said the party had not written any petition against Mrs. Saraki to the EFCC.

    The statement reads: “The attention of our party, PDP, Kwara State chapter, has been drawn to a report by an online medium and newspapers titled: ‘PDP claims responsibility for Toyin Saraki’s EFCC ordeal’, and credited to our spokesman, Chief Rex Olawoye.”First, Kwara State PDP dissociates itself from the said publications. The publication is the handiwork of dubious, desperate, faceless and spineless individuals or groups, who are always in the mass and social media to malign characters and damage their superiors in order to gain cheap popularity.

    “We want  to put it on record that Kwara PDP has never, at any time, written any petition against anybody in the state as far as the party is concerned. Kwara PDP has no hand in the imbroglio that is going on between the EFCC and Mrs. Toyin Saraki. We therefore emphatically state that all the statements credited to Kwara PDP are products/mechnisations of people who are disgruntled as well as spineless cowards.

    “Kwara PDP views the publication credited to the party as being politically motivated and emanating from those who have issues with the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and his immediate family.”

  • Kwara PDP: we ’re behind ordeal of Saraki’s wife

    Kwara PDP: we ’re behind ordeal of Saraki’s wife

    THE Kwara State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has claimed responsibility for the investigation of Senate president’s wife, Toyin Saraki, for corruption.

    In a statement yesterday, the state PDP said it was the petition it sent to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that got Mrs. Saraki into trouble.

    It debunked claims that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and its National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, were behind her ordeal.

    The EFCC last week invited Mrs. Saraki, who was the Kwara State’s First Lady between 2003 and 2011, in relation to alleged questionable inflow of funds into companies in which she has interest.

    The statement, by the party’s spokesperson, Rex Olawoye, reads: “It has become imperative to inform  the public that we have every reason to believe that a petition recently submitted to the EFCC by the PDP, Kwara State Chapter, is largely responsible for the invitation and eventual criminal prosecution of the former Kwara First Lady and wife of the Senate president, Mrs. Toyin Saraki.

    “It will be recalled that our party had, sometime early this year, discreetly submitted a petition to the EFCC detailing how certain individuals in high places under the past administration of Dr. Bukola Saraki milked the state dry and left the people more impoverished than they met them.

    “In the petition, we carefully chronicled how state officials, including former First Lady, former Special Adviser to the Governor on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Mr. Ope Saraki; Personal Assistant (PA) to ex-Governor Bukola Saraki, Mr. Abdul Adama from Kogi State; a former Commissioner for Information, Mr. Tunji Morounfoye, all working in a ring, got enmeshed in a cesspool of corruption unprecedented in the history of Kwara State or any other state for that matter.

    “Although we believe that the arrest and prosecution of Mrs. Saraki is long overdue, we, nevertheless, take solace under the fact that the long arm of the law seems to have finally caught up with her and her cronies. We are particularly delighted that our painstaking efforts at chronicling the monumental heist that defined the eight years, almost uneventful rule of former Governor Bukola Saraki in Kwara, has not gone unnoticed.

    “We, therefore, commend the EFCC for its resourcefulness and painstakingness. We pledge our cooperation with the EFCC and all other relevant anti-graft agencies to ensure that all those who knowingly looted our collective patrimony, but now walk the streets of Kwara free with their ill-gotten wealth, do not go unpunished.

    “We urge the anti-graft agency not to buckle in to pressure or blackmail that is already being mounted by political jobbers over Mrs. Saraki’s invitation by the EFCC.

    “Instead of sponsoring paid activist-for-hire to stampede the EFCC out of the prosecution, one would have thought that the most moral thing for Mrs. Saraki and her handlers to do now is to allow the law to take its cause. Since the duo of Ope Saraki and Tunji Morounfoye are already standing trial for their crimes, one would expect Mrs. Saraki too to seize the moment and clear her name, instead of playing to the gallery.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, we reiterate that the offences Mrs. Saraki is being accused of are criminal in nature and such offences are not known to be statute-barred.

    “Therefore, the fact that it took over five years after Mrs. Saraki left office as Kwara First Lady before she is eventually brought before the law does not matter.

    “What matters is that justice is ultimately served, especially for the sake of the hard-working Kwara civil servants, poor Kwara farmers and the promising children of Kwara who were and are still being subjected to all manner of deprivation as a result of the rapaciousness of a privileged few who could not contain the temptation to steer clear of the cookie jar.”

    The statement has contradicted the position of a group of senators loyal to the Senate president, under the aegis of ‘Like Minds’.

    The senators had questioned the investigation, expressing concerns that the probe might be politically-motivated. They suggested that the leadership of the APC might be hounding Mrs. Saraki as a way of getting at her husband.

    Joseph Waku, a chieftain of the APC, had also on Saturday accused Tinubu of masterminding a “baseless petition” that led to the invitation of Mrs. Saraki by the EFCC, a charge the former Lagos governor denied.

    Saraki has been locked in battle with the leadership of the ruling APC over his emergence as Senate president on June 9, contrary to the party’s position.

  • Reps raise alarm over EFCC’s invitation of Saraki’s wife

    Reps raise alarm over EFCC’s invitation of Saraki’s wife

    A group within the House of Representatives has kicked against the invitation of wife of the Senate President Mrs. Toyin Saraki for appearance on July 28 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

    In a statement in Abuja by Hon. Umar Buba Jibril (Lokoja/Kogi federal constituency) and Hon. Muhammad Kabiru Ajanah (Okehi/Adavi federal Constituency) on behalf of 25 other lawmakers in the Green chamber, the group described the sudden invitation of Mrs. Saraki by the anti-graft agency as highly suspicious.

    It said while it will continue to encourage the EFCC to carry out its legal mandate, it was optimistic that the anti-graft body “will not lend itself as a tool to propagate the political agenda of any person or group.”

    The Reps members added that it holds strongly that the days of using the EFCC to harass and intimidate political opponents are gone for good.

    According to them: “We must never return to that dark and dangerous side in our polity.”

    They expressed concern that the leadership of the National Assembly is being targeted for unnecessary harassment using state institutions.

    The statement titled: “Curious EFCC invitation of Barr. Toyin Saraki” reads: “We the concerned Members of the House of Representatives have followed the recent trend of political intrigues since the emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki as the Senate President.

    “We are acutely aware that certain power blocks are determined to use any means to mount pressure on the Senate President. It is in light of this that we view the recent sudden invitation of the wife of the Senate President, Barrister Toyin Saraki, by the EFCC with a high degree of suspicion.

    “We observe that Senator Bukola Saraki was in office as Governor of Kwara State for eight years from 2003 – 2011. He left that office over four years ago.

    “In this period of 12 years, not once has any mention been made of his wife as being involved in anything untoward. It is therefore very curious timing that this “invitation” by EFCC is suddenly raised.”

     

  • Invitation to Saraki’s wife curious, say senators

    Invitation to Saraki’s wife curious, say senators

    Senators belonging to the “Like Minds” group yesterday said they found the decision by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to invite the Senate President’s wife, Mrs. Toyin Saraki, in connection with an unknown investigation curious.

    In a statement on their behalf, Senator Dino Melaye said they hoped that the invitation was not politically-motivated or linked with the leadership tussle in the Senate.

    They added that the decision of the EFCC to invite Mrs. Saraki created a lot of coincidences, which any discerning mind would not want to ignore.

    “Though, we do not want to make any hasty conclusion, we are surprised that about five years after the Sarakis left Government House, Ilorin, the EFCC suddenly realised the need to invite the wife. We hope this is not part of the plot we have heard about aimed at wrestling the Senate president down with different tactics.”

    He added that members of the group would continue to watch developments around the invitation and would later make its position known to the public.