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  • NASS Defection won’t affect Buhari’s re-election,says Yoruba Ronu

    NASS Defection won’t affect Buhari’s re-election,says Yoruba Ronu

    Defection

    By Abolade Ogundimu

    Abuja, July 24,2018(NAN) A socio-cultural group, Yoruba Ronu Leadership Forum, says Tuesday’s defection of some members of the National Assembly from APC to other parties  will not  adversely affect  President Muhammadu Buhari’s bid for  re-election in 2019.

    Mr Akin Malaolu, Secretary -General of the group made this known on Tuesday in a statement he signed in Abuja.

    According to Malaolu, some political elements are making futile efforts to pressurise democracy.

    “We are not sad over the political troubles which some reactionary political elements are putting Nigeria’s democracy into gloomy forebodings on account of war against corruption.

    “They are not capable nor with the capacity to turn the table against APC in the 2019 elections.

    “We hold on to these views mainly because Buhari was and still is the tree trunk that others leaned on to get into their seats at the National Assembly.

    “Such characters’ decision to cross carpet, though unlawful, will not carry them far and given time they shall all become sober and remorseful soon,” the group said.

    “Yoruba Ronu expected APC defectors’ constituencies to ask qualified questions for which they must provide their people with good answers.

    “The people of Nigeria today, now know their enemies to include looters and purveyors of irrational consolations that dotted our landscape.

    “This clearly has drawn a line between evil and good, which  shall herald us into a better and greater Nigeria of our dreams.

    “One good thing that has stood for Buhari and his government is the respect for law and order with honesty to right the wrongs done to the helpless and hapless masses,” he said.

    He called on Nigerians especially, those craving for progressive and people-oriented governance to keep faith in APC-led government.

    Yoruba Ronu cautioned the Senate and House of Representatives against any attempt to impeach Buhari.

    “We must, however, warn against forceful impeachment of the President, the consequences may be amazing in every nooks and crannies of the country.

    “Anyone or group that pushes 20 million  people into general resentments caused by religious divisions and to the ethnic may not survive it, that is not our wish for Nigeria,” he said.

    He said itself and Yoruba nation stood solidly behind APC despite unfair judgements on the government by reactionary forces.

    “It shall be so into many elections to come. We are glad that the government of Buhari is making progress in the right direction for the teeming masses as his first choice”.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 13 APC senators defected to PDP while another one moved to African Democratic Congress(ADC).

    Similarly, 37 APC members of House of Representatives left majorly for PDP, alleging lack of democracy within the APC. (NAN)

  • NASS Defection: Defectors are mercenaries, I’m happy water will fill its level – Oshiomhole

    NASS Defection: Defectors are mercenaries, I’m happy water will fill its level – Oshiomhole

    The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiohmole has reiterated that he would not miss sleep for minute over Tuesday’s defection of some members of the National Assembly from the party.

    It would be recalled that 15 senators on July 25 announced their defection from the APC to the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).

    In a letter to the President of the Senate, signed by 14 senators, they indicated their intention to leave the ruling APC for the opposition PDP.

    Also 37 members of the House of Representatives formerly in the fold of the All Progressive Congress (APC), dumped the party the same date and moved to the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and African Democratic Congress (ADC)

    The Representatives in a letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara officially announced their defection during plenary on Tuesday.

    Oshiohmole, however, said the APC was not worried with the defection which he described as “mercenary activities’’.

    He said: “Well, my attitude is like I have told you before, as the National Chairman, I am committed to listening to very legitimate grievances and engaging all those who are aggrieved that we can see through their grievances.

    “But I insist that I will not miss a sleep one minute over mercenary activities.

    “I had said and I want to repeat, this business of governance must be driven by men and women of honour.

    “If the only motivation is personal interest, what is in it for me, how many people have done xyz for, if that is the basis, the earlier those in this business of personal gains, the earlier they return to where they belong the better.

    “This party that I am privileged to chair is not worried at all, we are not disturbed.

    “But let me assure you, I am so happy that over time that water will fill its level.’’

    According to Oshiohmole, the APC is a progressive party and all its members must subscribe to the values and ideals of a progressive party.

    “If indeed you belong to the extreme right, and you mistakenly find yourself in a progressive party, obviously that is not where you belong.

    “As soon as you realize that you can’t adjust to the requirement of progressive, which is people driven, people based, people oriented and you choose to return to the right wing where you know what the name of the game was, share the money, it is your choice,’’ he added.

    On the reported siege on the houses of the Senate President and Deputy Senate President by security personnel, Oshiohmole said he was not aware of such incidents.

    He said: “When you are dealing with law and order issues I am not going to stand here and make comment on the basis of your own speculations,

    “I need to have the details. I am not into security apparatus, I do not understand how they operate but you also don’t want to accuse me of obstruction of justice, which a democracy requires.

    “So I am going to limit myself to my brief, namely issues that affect membership and the running of the APC. Just to reassure you, I am happy.

    “I have made this point long ago that with time, Nigerians will really have to be able to say, this is what this party stands for, this is what the other party stands for.

    “This thing that in the morning you will have breakfast with me, in the afternoon you are having lunch with python and in the evening you are having sugarcane with some other forces,

    “I think in the interest of our nation we need to simplify these issues before the electorate. Because, the confusion is that you have coalition of people whose ideas are not compatible.’’(NAN)

  • NAPTIP investigates alleged trafficking of Nigerian minors to Russia

    National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP)  has launched investigations into the alleged trafficking of Nigerian minors to Russia in the guise that they were football fans attending the 2018 World Cup.

    The Director General of NAPTIP, Mrs Julie Okah-Donli, made the disclosure to newsmen in Lagos on Tuesday.

    Okah-Donli said the agency would leave no stone unturned to ensure that those behind the trafficking of  230 Nigerians, including minors, stranded in Russia after the tournament were fished out and prosecuted.

    President Muhammadu Buhari on July 16 directed the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, and his Aviation counterpart, Mr Hadi Sirika, to evacuate the Nigerians to Abuja immediately.

    Following the directive, a chartered Ethiopian Airline flight on July 20 conveyed 155 stranded Nigerians back to Abuja.

    The Federal Government also vowed to arrest and prosecute the travel agents who cancelled the return tickets of the 230 Nigerian football fans stranded after the World Cup.

    The fans had alleged that their return tickets were cancelled abruptly by airline agents, resulting to their being stranded in Russia without any hope of returning home.

    Okah-Donli  said although few minors were screened and given papers by NAPTIP for the tournament, the agency did not screen majority of minors who travelled as fans for the tournament.

    “We wrote to the Nigeria Football Federation asking for the details of all those who went to Russia for the World Cup.

    “Our investigations will be geared towards finding out sponsors of all minors involved who travelled without proper documentation with NAPTIP and the airlines that issued the tickets,” she said.

    She said that sponsors, airlines, and travel agents who procured the visas would all be prosecuted when the investigations were concluded.

    The director-general further said that the agency had  prosecuted 359 persons for trafficking since its   inception .

    “Under my watch as DG in the last one year, NAPTIP has prosecuted 43 persons for trafficking.

    “We have continued the rehabilitation of those rescued. Some of them are in the universities, some in secondary schools and others learning one trade or another they do desire.

    “The fight against child trafficking cannot be won by government alone. It needs concerted and collective efforts of all Nigerians,” she said.

    On the plans of the agency for the July 30 World Trafficking Day, the NAPTIP DG said that it planned to continue creating awareness on the menace of trafficking.

    “”We will have walks and we have invited stakeholders to come join in creating the awareness that the Federal Government must be supported in this fight.

    “I will also use the occasion to launch the two books I have written on child trafficking,” she added. (NAN)

  • BUA Cement empowers block, concrete makers

    BUA Cement empowers block, concrete makers

    BUA Cement, a subsidiary of BUA Group, it had trained block and concrete makers on using the right mix of cement with other components, to guarantee high standard of block and concrete.

    Mr O’tega Ogra, Head, Corporate Communication, BUA Group, on Tuesday said in Lagos, said the essence of using the right mix of cement with other component was to reduce building collapse in the country.

    He said the workshop was organised in collaboration with the Modern Skills Training Centre of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON).

    Nasiru Ladan, General Manager, Sales and Marketing, BUA (Obu) Cement, said the workshop was part of the company’s efforts to address poor mix of quality cement to reduce the incidence of collapsed buildings across the country.

    ‘If the quality of the cement is good and the other materials you are using are not in the right proportion, you are likely to end up with a product that is substandard.

    “So the importance of this meeting is for us to rub minds and exchange ideas on how to achieve the best quality of whatever product we are producing.

    “Most cases of collapsed building have been attributed to either the use of poor quality product or no adherence to quality standard towards the use of the right mix,” he said.

    Ladan appreciated the stakeholders for their patronage of BUA Cement and restated the company’s commitment to continuous production of high quality cement that would enhance the standard of the building industry.

    On her part, the Training Manager, Modern Skills Training Centre, ITF, Mrs Ayodele Shodunke, urged block makers to utilise the knowledge acquired during the training to change the narrative of poor quality blocks.

    She said ITF was committed to equipping block makers with relevant modern skills that would impact positively on building materials.

    Chairman, Abuja Concrete Manufacturers of Nigeria, Comrade Uzor George-Tiga, commended BUA Cement for the life-changing programme and described it as an eye opener which would strengthen activities around their businesses. (NAN)

  • 15 Senators dump APC for PDP

    Fifteen senators of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    They announced their movement to the PDP in a letter to President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, which was read at plenary on Tuesday.

    The defectors are Dino Melaye (Kogi-West), Barnabas Gemade (Benue North-East), Ibrahim Danbaba (Sokoto), Shaaba Lafiagi (Kwara North) and Ubali Shittu (Jigawa North-East).

    Others are Rafiu Ibrahim (Kwara South), Suleiman Hunkuyi (Kaduna North),  Isa Misau (Bauchi Central), Monsurat Sunmonu (Oyo Central), Soji Akanbi (Oyo South) and Usman Nafada (Gombe North).

    Also on the list are Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano Central), Suleiman Nazif (Bauchi North), Olanrewaju Tejuosho (Ogun Central) and Abdulaziz Nyako (Adamawa Central).

    Citing Section 68(1G) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the defectors said “we hereby inform the Senate that we, the undersigned are changing our political affiliation from All Progressives Congress (APC) to Peoples Democratic  Party (PDP).

    “We thank you for your exemplary leadership.”

    They said that their action was after due consultation with their constituents and stakeholders in their constituencies.

    Reacting to the development, Senate Leader, Sen. Ahmad Lawan, said “the APC, our party certainly has its own internal challenges.

    “But, Mr President, we all know how much effort he and other stakeholders have put into addressing the issues that bedevil this party.

    “The disagreements do not translate into factions. I therefore feel that our senators of the APC do not have to move to any other party.

    “I also believe that because the issues are under serious discussions by the major stakeholders of this party, I will urge that the announcement be quarantined.

    “Very seriously, this matter should be stepped down until we exhaust all the opportunities,” Lawan said.

    In his remarks, Saraki said “as you know and have seen that the seat beside you is empty.

    “As we speak, the Deputy Senate President cannot get out of his house.

    “He is under siege. This morning, I could not also leave my street as well, all by efforts of some people that believe that today’s sitting must not hold because some members want to move or defect.

    “It is not something that has started today; it will not end today; people have gone, they’ve come back.

    “But this kind of action does not allow for what you are saying.

    “You are speaking as the leader of the Senate, who has been here for many years.” (NAN)

  • Senate receives petition to reject Banire as AMCON Chairman

    Senate receives petition to reject Banire as AMCON Chairman

    The Senate on Tuesday received a petition to reject the nomination of Mr Muiz Banire as chairman of Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).

    Sen. Solomon Adeola (APC-Lagos), who laid the petition at plenary, said “there is a petition here from my constituents on the nomination of Muiz Banire as AMCON chairman.

    “Enclosed are the signatures of the three senators from Lagos State against the nomination.’’

    In his remarks, President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, asked the lawmaker to lay the petition, and referred it to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions.

    On July 18, the senate acknowledged receipt of the request from President Muhammadu Buhari for confirmation of Banire (SAN) as Chairman, Governing Board of Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).

    The request was in compliance with Section 10(1) of the AMCON Act 2010.

    The Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Matters screened the nominee on Monday, but the Senate is yet to confirm him. (NAN)

  • Accountant stole N14m using company’s ATM card — Witness

    Accountant stole N14m using company’s ATM card — Witness

    By Moji Eniola
    A prosecution witness, Mrs Olufunmilayo Akinsanya, on Tuesday narrated at an Ikeja Special Offences Court how a 37-year-old accountant, Olufemi Oluyamoju, stole N14 million from his employer, the Asset Management Group Ltd.

    Akinsanya, the Head of Operations and Human Resources of the company, revealed that Oluyamoju stole the money over a period by making withdrawals from the organisation’s Union Bank account using the company’s ATM card.

    The witness, who is also the Head of Operations and Human Resources of the Muritala Mohammed Foundation,
    was led in evidence by Mr E. A. Jackson, the prosecutor of the Police Special Fraud Unit (SFU).

    She said that sometime in May 2016, the management of the organisation noticed some discrepancies in its bank
    accounts, complaints from payments of vendors as well as other outstanding payments.

    Akinsanya revealed that the company’s newly employed accountant who joined the organisation in June 2016
    discovered the discrepancies when Oluyamoju was asked to handover to him.

    She added that the statement of account from one of the company’s account with Union Bank and other documents that Oluyamoju handed over to the new accountant were forged and contained some discrepancies.

    She said: “We realised that it did not contain the volume of transactions that the company had.

    “We approached Union Bank, we were given the statement account, we also asked if they had issued a statement
    of account and they said No.”

    “We compared the two statements and realised that the two statements had differences.

    “We asked Oluyamoju to come and explain why, he did not come,” she said.

    Akinsanya told the court that Oluyamoju sent a message to the CEO of the company, admitting that he diverted
    the money and that he would want to repay the stolen funds.

    “As a result of that, he wrote three cheques  totalling N6.8 million which he had mentioned in his e-mail that he was going to pay in three instalment, though, we have in our account records was N14 million.

    “A decision was reached at the management meeting to hand him over to the police.

    “Oluyamoju paid only N900, 000 into the company’s Standard Chartered Bank account and he was not forthcoming with the other payments.

    “He later paid in another N1.1million to the police at Panti.

    “Because we were not satisfied with the way the case was going, we then referred it to the Special Fraud Unit (SFU) where he paid in another N500, 000 to the company at SFU.

    “The defendant has refunded only N2.5 million,” the witness said.

    Akinsanya said the defendant allegedly stole the funds from the company’s account at Union Bank which was the petty cash account of the company.

    She said that funds in the Union Bank account were usually transferred from Standard Chartered Bank.

    “When these funds are being transferred into the Union Bank account, the defendant withdraws it through ATM
    of the organisation and used it for his personal needs,” she said.

    The prosecution sought to tender the cheques purportedly issued by the defendant as evidence but the defence counsel,
    Mr Olawale Olanrewaju, objected on the grounds that it was not “front-loaded” as required by law.

    The vacation judge, Justice Olusola Williams, ruled in favour of the defence and directed that the prosecution should also front-load the additional proof of evidence.

    Justice Williams adjourned the case until July 25 for hearing of the bail application and continuation of trial.

    NAN reports that the Oluyamoju is facing a three-count charge of stealing, forgery of statement of account and using a false statement of account.

    He allegedly committed the offence between January and December 2016 at his employer’s office located at No. 2A, Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

    At the court’s proceedings held on July 16, Justice Williams revoked Oluyamoju’s bail and ordered that he should be remanded in Ikoyi Prisons for previously failing to come to court for his trial.

    The offences contravened Sections 278(a), 278(2)(f), 285(7), 361(1)(a), 363(1) and 364 of the Criminal Law of Lagos 2011. (NAN)
    MAE/ENN/DA
    ===========
    Edited by Edwin Nwachukwu/Dele Akinsola

  • Offa robbery: Police insist Saraki must honour invitation

    By Joseph Edeh

    The Nigeria Police Force said it would not hesitate to use all instruments of law to ensure that the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, honoured its invitation.

    The News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) reports that the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, on July 23, invited Saraki to report to the Head of Intelligence Response Team ( IRT) on July 24 at 8 a.m. in Guzape, Abuja, over the recent Offa robbery.

    NAN reports that armed robbers attacked five commercial banks in Offa on April 5, during which 17 persons, including policemen and a pregnant woman were killed.

    “The Senate President must honour Police Invitation; otherwise the force will not hesitate to use all the instruments of the Law to ensure compliance with the law,”he said.

    The Force Spokesman, acting DCP Jimoh Moshood, who disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday, said that Saraki was being expected to report to the police.

    Moshood said the invitation was aimed at the president of the senate to make more clarification following his indictment by five suspects in the robbery.

    Meanwhile, the force has denied laying siege at the residence of Saraki on Tuesday.

    “The force wishes to categorically state that there was no authorised deployment of Police personnel to besiege the residence of the Senate President or his deputy as reported in the media.

    “The police personnel seen in pictures in the media were those in the convoy of the Senate President and others attached to him,”the police spokesman said.

    He said that the inspector-general of police had directed a thorough investigation to ascertain the facts in the episode.

    He said that the force would not allow justice to be perverted by this distraction, adding that it would ensure that the rule of law prevailed.

    NAN reports that as at 3 p.m when this report was being filed, Saraki had not reported to the police.( NAN )
    JPE/AMY
    ===

    Edited by Abdullahi Yusuf

  • Buhari expresses commitment to democratic values, wishes defectors well

    President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed his total commitment to the values of democracy, freedom of choice and total willingness to work with all members of the National Assembly, irrespective of their political party.

    Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday, said Buhari was reacting to purported defection of some members of the National Assembly on Tuesday.

    Buhari noted that none of the defecting federal lawmakers of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had any specific grievances against him or the APC-led government; neither did he harbour anything against any of them.

    “As the saying goes, all politics is local.

    We understand that some of the distinguished and honourable lawmakers have issues with their home states, especially on zoning which bars some of them from seeking another term in their constituencies,” he said.

    While noting that the APC had done its utmost to stop the defections, the president commended the leadership of the party for relentlessly working for its unity and ensuring success in the upcoming elections.

    Buhari assured members of the APC of his total support and urged party faithful not to despair but to see the defections as a seasonal occurrence that happens on election eves.

    He expressed confidence that no harm or injury would be done to the party and its aspirations by the movements.

    The president therefore wished all the decamped members the best in their future undertakings.

    It would be recalled that 15 senators on July 24 announced their defection from the APC to the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).

    In a letter to the President of the Senate, signed by 14 senators, they indicated their intention to leave the ruling APC for the opposition PDP.

    Also 37 members of the House of Representatives formerly in the fold of the APC dumped the party same date and moved to the PDP and African Democratic Congress (ADC).

    The legislators in a letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, officially announced their defection during plenary on Tuesday. (NAN)