TROOPS OF OPERATION LAFIYA DOLE KILLS TWENTY BHT/ISWAP CRIMINALS AT BAGA BORNO STATE May 18, 20200

In a decisive intercept offensive operation, troops of 130 Battalion with the support of Army Super Camp Baga, had a fierce encounter at the north west of Baga town with BHT/ISWAP Criminals on the 17th of May 2020.
The criminals armed with mortars, rocket propelled grenades and small arms were heading to attack villages surrounding Baga, when the troops attacked their convoy with overwhelming fire power killing 20 BHT/ISWAP criminals, captured six AK 47 Rifles, 520 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition and five 36 hand grenades.
However, nine of our gallant soldiers were wounded in action with no loss of life. They were evacuated to Sector 3 hospital for treatment.

The Chief of Army Staff commends the gallant troops for their professionalism and directs them to remain resolute towards eradicating the criminals from the North East.
JOHN ENENCHE

Major General
Coordinator
Defence Media Operations
Defence Headquarters
17 May 2020

We have lost a Woman of Candour and Character. Adieu HRH Lady Christy Anagende – Dele Adesina SAN

On behalf of my colleagues at Dele Adesina LP, I commiserate with the Benue State Government, members of the Ministry of Justice, Benue State and members of NBA Makurdi Branch on the passing of Her Royal Highness Lady Christy Anagende on 17th May 2020.
Until her sad passing, Lady Christy Anagende, whose pleasant personality was a distinguished trademark was the Permanent Secretary and Solicitor General in the Benue State Ministry of Justice.Most definitely, she would be missed by her family and colleagues.
I share my heartfelt condolences with the her family, His Excellency, Dr. Samuel Ortom, the Executive Governor of Benue State and the good people of Benue State.
May the good Lord grant her learned soul eternal rest, Amen!
Dele Adesina SAN

I’m not in race for governorship, others – MC Oluomo

Kayode Oyero
The Lagos State Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Musiliu Akinsanya also known as MC Oluomo, says he has no plan to contest any elective position.
He said the Union has liaised with the commercial bus drivers in the state not to make life difficult for the travelling public by hiking transport fares, especially now that they carry fewer passengers due to the new transportation guidelines by the state government.
In an interview with broadcaster, Funmi Iyanda, on Instagram on Friday evening, the NURTW boss said the Union has a monitoring team that enforces compliance with the new transport guidelines of the state as it entered a phased easing of lockdown.
MC Oluomo, who spoke in the Yoruba Language, said, “I trained as a transporter and I give God the glory that I have started attaining a peak in my career as the Chairman of the NURTW in Lagos State.
“The constitution allows anyone eligible to run for a public office. My child can come out tomorrow to contest an elective post. But count me out of it, whether for House of Representatives, Senate or as a Governor. I am, however, in full support of all politicians in the state.”
When asked about the disregard for social distancing by commuters in the state, MC Oluomo said, “All parks in Lagos have COVID-19 monitoring team and they are well aware of the state government’s regulations regarding the pandemic. We also informed our members of the sitting arrangement to maintain social distancing.
“So far, our task force has reported compliance by commercial vehicle operators in the state but the only problem is that drivers leave our parks with two passengers on each seat but they bring more commuters onboard on their way to their destinations.
“We also had a meeting with the drivers and notified them of our decision to reduce ticket fees because they now carry fewer passengers than before. We told them not to make life difficult for the public by increasing transport fares as a result of the new transport guidelines of the state government.
“We have control over inter-state transporters in the state. No inter-state passenger vehicle enters beyond Berger which is one of the borders between Lagos and Ogun States.
“I don’t know how they do it to get to that point but NURTW officials don’t allow them into the state. Our task force was at Berger at 5 am on Friday. About 25 inter-state vehicles were seized just today (Friday) and moved to our Headquarters. When we interviewed the drivers, they told us they bribed their way through Ogere. They said they offered the soldiers there N1,500.”
On the Okada ban in some routes in the state before the pandemic, MC Oluomo said the government’s decision was a welcome one and in the interest of the security and safety of lives and property in the state.

Copyright: Punch.

ONDO ASSEMBLY IN TOTAL SHOWDOWN WITH AKEREDOLU, PROBES SOURCE OF #4.3 BILLION SECRET ACCOUNT AND SPENDING WITHOUT APPROPRIATION

The Ondo State House of Assembly says it will do everything within its constitutional power to unravel the circumstances surrounding the stashing of a sum of 4.3 billion naira in a secret account in a third generation bank.
Further revelations concerning the fund came to the fore at plenary on Thursday when the Chairman House Committee on Public Acounts, Honourable Edamisan Ademola reeled out the list of banks which at various times benefitted from the alleged secret transactions.
Honourable Edamisan challenged the competence of the Accountant General for failing to produce necessary documents bearing the transactions and the accrued interest to date.
He maintained that if the statements of financial transactions in the listed banks were not supplied as requested, the House would be forced to take necessary steps as entrenched in the Constitution.
Among other details, the House sought to know the source of the fund, the date the money was lodged into the alleged secret account, the person who authorised the lodging and the accrued interest to date.
The House equally wanted to know how the money which members claimed was not appropriated was spent.
Responding, the Commissioner for Finance, Mr Wale Akinterinwa pledged to provide the necessary documents as requested by the House.
In his ruling, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon Oleyelogun Bamidele David mandated the Commissioner and the Accountant General to furnish the House with documents on the alleged secret transactions on Thursday 21st May, 2020.
The issue of the 4.3 billion naira stashed in a secret bank account was earlier raised at plenary on Tuesday by the Chairman, Public Acounts Committee, Honourable Edamisan Ademola, following an audit query from the office of the State Auditor General.
The Finance Commissioner claimed he facilitated the recovery of the money kept in a secret account over ten years ago.
The House has vowed to get to the root of the secret transactions in the interest of transparency and accountability, as elected representatives of the people.
Also summoned to the House plenary on Thursday were the Commissioner for Environment, Mr Funso Esan and the Chairman of ONDIPA Mr Boye Oyewunmi.
The House inquired from the Commissioner while the impact of the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) has not been felt by the people even when the state government has paid a couterpart fund of five hundred million naira.
Members equally requested to know the modalities adopted for the uneven allocation of the twenty four NEWMAP projects among communities in the state especially the delay in the execution of the projects
Chairman, House Committee on Environment Honourable Success Torkhuerijo frowned at a situation where twenty four projects were slated for execution in selected communities at the expense of those facing serious ecological challenges.
Also speaking, Honourable Sunday Olajide, Akure South Constituency ll condemned delay in documentation for world bank projects which he noted delimit accruing benefits from such projects.
He equally advocated that all constituencies in the state must be covered by the NEWMAP projects adding that the relevant Committee of the House must be carried along as representatives of the people.
Responding, the Commissioner for Environment assuaged the feeling of the Lawmakers.
According to him every Constituency of the state will benefit from the world bank projects being executed in phases.
The Speaker, Rt Honourable Oleyelogun Bamidele David who charged the Commissioner to always involve the House in his ministry's activities directed him to appear with the list of all earmarked project sites on Tuesday 26th May, 2020.
In the same vein, ONDIPA Chàirman, Boye Oyewunmi was directed to furnish the House with documents on property of government in Abuja and Lagos on Tuesday, 21st May, 2020.
In the meantime, the House has drawn the attention of government to the plight of the Ministry of Natural Resources.
In a motion sponsored by Chairman House Committee on Natural Resources, Hon. Tomide Akinrogunde, he outlined the importance of the Natural Resources Ministry to the economy of the state.
Akinrogunde lauded the visionary leadership of Pa Adekunle Ajasin for laying the foundation for a viable natural resources sub- sector of the economy.
He however noted the dwindling fortune of the sub-sector due to poor staffing and neglect.
Akinrogunde stressed the need to support government through legislation to reposition the natural resources sub-sector in the interest of the state and the people.
To do this, the Natural Resources Committee Chairman stressed the need to checkmate encroachment into state forest reserves, procure motorcycles and operational vehicles for proper monitoring of the forest reserves.
Akinrogunde emphasised the need to upgrade and rehabilitate rural roads to facilitate movement of goods from rural to urban communities.
Other Co-Sponsors of the motion stressed the need to urgently address the dwindling human resource in the sub-sector by employing new hands to monitor the state forest reserves.
They added that effective monitoring of security posts must be carried out to check leakages while efforts should be geared at regeneration of old species in the forest reserves and rural communities should be developed to check rural urban drift.
Responding, the Rt Honourable Speaker commended the Sponsor and Co Sponsors of the motion for doing a good job.
He stressed the need for government to urgently commence recruitment of produce and forest officers as a way to reposition the natural resources sub-sector for greater productivity.
The Speaker equally stressed the need to procure motorcycles and operational vehicles to facilitate the monitoring of the state forest reserves while renovation of forest facilities must be given urgent attention.
Oleyelogun maintained that a conducive operational environment must be provided to enhance effective monitoring of control posts across the state adding that political will must be mustered to ensure reclamation and regeneration of the state's forest reserves through policy statements to enhance valuable relationship among all sectors of the state economy.
The motion was thereafter put into voice votes and supported by members.
Signed:Akogun Olugbenga Omole,ODHA Spokesperson.

Seven Things About the new chief of staff


  • Professor Gambari also served as Joint AU/UN Special Representative in Darfur and Head of UNAMID (2010-2012).
  • He is currently a Chairperson of the Panel of Eminent Persons of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).
  • Professor Gambari attended the Provincial (now Government) Secondary School, Ilorin, before proceeding to the Floreat Collegium Kings College, Lagos.
  • He received his BSc (Econs) degree from the London School of Economics (1968) and his MA and PhD in Political Science/International Relations (1970, 1974) from Columbia University, USA.
  • He has taught at Universities in the Unites States, Nigeria and Singapore, and has to his credit the authorship of a number of books.
  • He has received several academic and national honours, including the “Commander of Federal Republic of Nigeria” (CFR), and the “Order of the Champion of the Oliver R. Tambo” (OCORT) of South Africa.
  • He is the Pioneer Chancellor of the Kwara State University (KWASU), Ilorin, Nigeria, as well as the current Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Bayero University, Kano (BUK). He is married with children and grandchildren.

Nigeria coronavirus: 4,971 cases; 1,000+ recoveries; Yobe mystery deaths

4,971 cases, recoveries pass 1,000

Total confirmed cases = 4,971 (new cases = 184)
Total recoveries = 1,070
Total deaths = 164
Active cases = 3,737

Over in north-eastern Yobe State, there are reports of mysterious deaths which authorities say have led to 471 being buried in the past five weeks.
The situation is similar to that of Kano State where government has ordered the NCDC to probe a spike in deaths weeks ago.
Yobe State Commissioner for Health Muhammad Lawan Gana told the BBC that an initial investigation found most deaths were of elderly people with pre-existing medical conditions such as hypertension and diabetes.
Officials say the toll is unusually high from health issues but have not linked it to the coronavirus. They admit however that some deceased persons had shown symptoms.
National coordinator for the presidential task force on COVID-19 last week said the Kano deaths were virus-related but Health Minister Osagie Ehanire later said the investigations were yet to be concluded.

4,787 cases, Buhari names Abba Kyari’s replacement

Case statistics at close of day May 12 stood at 4,787 with 146 new cases. The number of discharged and deaths stood at 959 and 158 respectively. The new cases were spread across 19 states and FCT, the top three being 57 in Lagos, 27 in Kano and 10 in Kwara.
Meanwhile, the first virtual Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting was held today during which Buhari named a new chief of staff in the person of Ibrahim Gambari. He succeeds Mallam Abba Kyari, who passed away on April 17, 2020 after contracting coronavirus.
The new chief of staff has had a diplomatic distinguished career he was Minister of External Affairs (1984-1985) and subsequently Ambassador / Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations (1990-1999).

Niger Delta group restates support for NDDC probe


…insists National Assembly is exercising its oversight functions
Niger Delta Renaissance Coalition (NDRC) has joined the swelling ranks of well-meaning Nigerians and people of Niger Delta region to drum support for the National Assembly for unanimously rising to their oversight function to probe an alleged N40 billion illegal expenditure by the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
This is contrary to a claim by Citizens Quest for Truth Initiative (CQTI), which falsely claimed that the Senate probe of the accounts of NDDC is an “affront to the ongoing forensic audit of the Commission…and an affront to the directives of the President, Muhammadu Buhari, who instituted the forensic audit.”
Lamenting the unsubstantiated and dubious claim by CQTI, led by Obiaruko Ndukwe, an NDDC IMC apologist, National Coordinator of Niger Delta Renaissance Coalition (NDRC), Comrade Alalibo Demiebi George, reminded the group that the National Assembly’s timely intervention was not only necessitated by the avalanche of alleged infractions by the IMC which have dominated the media in the past weeks, but more importantly by powers conferred on it by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Under the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 (as amended) the National Assembly is empowered to oversight activities of the executive branch of government including all ministries, departments, and agencies. It is not a right that can be abridged or subsumed under the executive branch as the Ndukwe’s of this world have been made to believe. In particular, Section 88 (1) of the constitution (as amended), confers on the National Assembly the power to “direct or cause to be directed investigation into – (a) any matter or thing with respect to which it has power to make laws, and (b) the conduct of affairs of any person, authority, ministry or government department charged, or intended to be charged, with the duty of or responsibility for – (i) executing or administering laws enacted by National Assembly, and (ii) disbursing or administering moneys appropriated or to be appropriated by the National Assembly.” This is why the National Assembly has a responsibility to investigate the books of NDDC where the IMC has been accused of misappropriating the sum of N40 billion so appropriated.













Acting MD/CEO, NDDC, Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei, PHOTO:Twitter

He reminded CQTI and other such proxies of the IMC of the concerns raised by Senator George Sekibo, whose motion “Urgent need to investigate alleged financial recklessness in the NDDC” led to the Senate probe.
Senator Sekibo had noted that “While the President’s action of setting up an IMC and the forensic audit may have been conceived to forestall the financial recklessness of the commission and reposition it for fast-tracking of the development of the region, the IMC has been more bedevilled with the same financial misuse, misapplication, misappropriation or outright fraud in the management of the funds of the commission. The IMC has inundated itself with undue gross misconducts in fraudulent contracts award without due recourse to due process and flagrant disobedience to the provisions of the sections 19, 25, 41 and 42 of the Public Procurement Act, 2007. Within the last three months, the commission has spent over N40 billion of the commission’s fund without recourse to established processes of funds disbursement which has opened up further suspicion among stakeholders of the Niger Delta Region.”
The lawmaker also faulted the IMC’s arbitrary use of executive power in alleged wrongful sacking of management staff without recourse to established civil service rules and practice with the aim of allegedly concealing the fraudulent financial recklessness they have committed.
NDRC also reminded the traducers of the National Assembly that President Buhari on 17th October, 2019 ordered that a Forensic Audit be carried out in NDDC, from 2000 to 2019. The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, who is also supervisor over NDDC, told Nigerians that the Interim Management Committee (IMC) will complete the Forensic Audit in maximum of six months. More than six months after, there is no visible evidence that the Forensic Audit has started, not to talk of submitting the audit report to the President.
Comrade George also drew the attention of well-meaning Nigerians to the statement of the Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, while inaugurating the seven-man ad hoc Committee on alleged financial recklessness of the NDDC IMC that “ the probe into the finances of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by the Senate is to complement the forensic audit ordered by the Federal Government,” re-affirming that “we are in total support of the president’s directive for the forensic audit of the finances of the NDDC, and this is, in some way, complementary to that directive.”
According to the Senate President, “the investigation would avail the management of the commission an opportunity to defend the allegations against it. We have no predetermined position on the outcome of this investigation as an institution. Issues raised are allegations; therefore, the NDDC has the opportunity to come forward and defend its position.”
Comrade George therefore regretted that CQTI and their masters have held on to their tired narrative that disgruntled elites who are uncomfortable with the forensic audit of the Commission have mobilized resources to demonize them, and has urged them to desist from further intimidation and blackmail of the National Assembly for rising to their oversight function.
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