Algeria’s Defence Ministry on Wednesday said Algeria’s armed forces had mounted operations against Islamist militants in the east of the country, killing five fighters in the past few days.
The campaigns were taking place in the eastern coastal regions of Jijel and Skikd
The Algerian government is fighting two armed groups, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and the Caliphate Soldiers, a branch of Islamic State.
Since the end of a civil war in the 1990s, which killed more than 200,000 people, Algeria has become a U.S. ally in its fight against armed Islamist militancy in the Sahel.
As Abia State marks the 24th anniversary of its creation on August 27, the state governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has congratulated the good people of the state for their sacrifice and support in nurturing and growing the state to its current level of development.
Governor Ikpeazu thanked the people of the state for demonstrating an unflinching faith and belief in the state even in the face of daunting challenges, adding that the progress recorded by the state in its 24 years of existence would not have been possible without the devotion and commitment of the citizenry towards the vision of the state.
The governor also applauded the founding fathers of the state, both the dead and the living, who fought doggedly for the creation of the state out of the old Imo State in 1991, saying that history shall remember them for their patriotism and visionary leadership.
While describing the founding fathers as men of good conscience, Ikpeazu said they envisioned a state that will be guided by the principles of justice and equity as enshrined in the Abia Charter of Equity, stressing that this dream must be kept aflame and the labour of our heroes sustained.
He also commended the successive military administrators and civilian governors who have ruled the state from inception for their contribution in bringing the state to its present status, noting that the former leaders laid the solid foundation upon which the current government is anchoring its pursuit of innovation and development for the state.
The governor identified that from a humble beginning, the state has made landmark achievements in human and material infrastructure, stating that his administration is determined to expand the frontiers of these strides and take the state to higher heights.
He used the occasion to further reaffirm his commitment to service to the people, assuring that his mission in government is to uplift the living standard of Abians by improving on the quality of governance, driving a new innovation and creating new opportunities for the citizenry through a total overhaul of the public service system.
He also called on Abians both at home and in the Diaspora to develop a new spirit of patriotism to our state by keeping faith with the government and showing solidarity towards the programme and policies which are all dedicated towards ushering in a new dawn of life.
Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed during a meeting with heads and bursars of state-owned tertiary institutions in the state on Tuesday in Ilorin
The Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed has vowed that no form of blackmail and misinformation will deter his administration from growing Internally Generated Revenue as that is the only way government can continue to meet its obligations to the people and survive the current economic downturn. This comes as the state government unveiled plans to conduct a thorough audit of its workers with a view stamping to out ghost workers and certificate racketeering.
Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, who stated these during a meeting with heads and bursars of state-owned tertiary institutions in the state on Tuesday in Ilorin, said that while it is common for some people to resist change, the best interest of the people must prevail at all times. It will be recalled that the government’s directive to tertiary institutions to open Single Revenue Accounts with designated banks in a pilot scheme was greeted with speculations that it was planning to hand the management of the institutions to its holding company, Harmony Holdings Limited.
While calling on the people to ignore such rumours, Governor Ahmed stressed that the newly-established Kwara State Internal Revenue Service is the only body authorised by law to collect and manage all state and local government revenues.
Speaking on other measures to plug leakages, Governor Ahmed said the planned audit of workers in the state will go beyond biometric verification and involve a through assessment including the authentication of academic certificates of staff while also eliminating any lingering cases of ghost workers in the system.
Alhaji Ahmed reassured that the Single Revenue Accounts will ensure transparency and budgeting as government will have a better idea of revenue coming into the coffers of the affected agencies so that it can support them where necessary. He called on the heads of tertiary institutions to embrace the Single Revenue Account as the new scheme will be a litmus test of their managerial ability.
The Governor said that under the new scheme, any revenue transactions outside the Single Revenue Account will be regarded as fraudulent and those found culpable will be punished accordingly.
According to him, there is a pressing need to identify alternative sources of revenue apart from dwindling federal allocation to the state which he said cannot fund government monthly obligations and major upcoming capital projects by his administration such as Share-Oke-Ode Rd, Ipetu-Rore Rd, Dualisation of Gamo-Micheal Imoudu Road, Ilorin, Kishi-Kaiama Rd, Pategi-Kpada Rd, and Tanke to UITH Road, Ilorin.
He listed other upcoming projects to include the construction of new hospitals, new campuses for Kwara State University (KWASU), additional 2000 secondary classrooms and the proposed Independent Power Project (IPP) to power industries across the state.
Governor Ahmed said the only way to fund these and other people-oriented projects and programs is to grow the Internally Generated Revenue so that government can meet its obligations such as payment of salaries promptly, create new jobs and funding of major development projects.
Signed!
Muideen Akorede, PhD
Senior Special Assistant to the Governor,
(Media and Communication)
Please follow His Excellency Governor Ahmed Abdulfatah on twitter via @Governor_Ahmed.
The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dan Abia, has dismissed allegation that N183billion is missing from the account of the commission.
Abia, who was fielding questions from State House correspondents in Abuja on Wednesday after briefing President Muhammadu Buhari on the activities of the commission, said the claim was untrue.
The special periodic check report of the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, had claimed that N183.7 billion was unaccounted for by the commission.
The Auditor-General of the Federation, Samuel Ukura, had insisted that his office stood by the report and directed those not satisfied, to be prepared to defend their position before a special committee of the National Assembly.
Abia, however said that he was not the Managing Director of the NDDC during the period that the Auditor General referred to in his allegation.
According to him, his hands are clean and that he is ready to defend the allegation with the records available at the commission.
“We briefed the president on our mandate. As far as the audited account of the NDDC is concerned, how many of us know that the audited account under under reference refers to 2008 to 2012.
“I was not the managing director then. Let’s get that fact clear. In principle, I came to brief Mr President proper.
“Let me assure you that even by the admission of the Auditor-General, no N180 billion is missing.
because Advanced Payment Guarantee (APG), as you know, is governed by advanced payment directives.
“Office of the Auditor General is a government agency, whatever clarification, we shall engage the office and proper record will be strengthened.
“I said that even before the president, no N180b is missing.’’
The Director General also dismissed the allegation of contract splitting being leveled against the commission.
“Let me also tell you that I cannot be a party to contract splitting. NDDC is a very unique institution; we have a budgeting process.
“Those people that are now crying, where were they when NDDC was not having project up till the end of the year?’’ he queried.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has invited the entire crew on Arik Air flight W3101 that left the country for London Heathrow Airport on Monday for questioning. The entire crew member including some support staff that worked on the flight before it departed Lagos are currently before narcotic investigators at the Ikoyi Headquarters of the NDLEA. They include two pilots and members of the cabin crew comprising an Australian and a South African.
The invitation which was made by the Agency was swiftly complied with by the management of Arik Air. The crew members were conveyed to the NDLEA office in an official bus belonging to Arik Air. This is part of ongoing investigation to determine their level of involvement in the smuggling of 20 kg of cocaine found with Chika Egwu Udensi, a member of the cabin crew in London. The latest Range Rover car belonging to the prime suspect parked on the airline’s premises had also been moved to the NDLEA office as exhibit.
Meanwhile, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Ahmadu Giade has promised to carry out elaborate investigation in the on-going case, stressing that all persons involved shall be exposed and prosecuted. The Agency has made remarkable progress in her counter-narcotic efforts and will resist any act capable of reversing the gains so far recorded.
Former minister of Niger Delta, Elder Godsday Orubebe, has said that he would soon expose the Edo state governor, Adams Oshiomole as whom he described as a ‘garage boy,’ saying the governor has failed to address the issue of sycophancy which he accused him of.
He therefore declared that Oshiomhole is suffering from chronic diarrhea of the mouth which is why he has lately been misleading Nigerians, adding that “his illiteracy is beyond human comprehension.”
The former minister who was reacting to the statement by the governor that he should be cooling off in jail following his actions at the 2015 presidential election collation Center , said: “if he is reasonable, he will not refer to my action at the election result collation center. This is because, history will talk about it and Nigerians will be proud of me. Yes, I had to apologise to Nigerians, particularly the youths over my wrong approach to a just course. Yes, I had a just case that was deliberately ignored , as one who felt cheated, and so reacted.”
He argued that his integrity and high level of accountability all through his six years service to the nation as the minister of Niger Delta Affairs, cannot be matched nor compromised.
He said, “I am proud to have been a vital instrument used by God to take the once abandoned East- West road project to an admirable 80 percent level of completion. its unfortunate that our respected Niger Delta could produced the likes of Oshiomhole who is a garage boy that should be at the motor park as a son.
Elder Orubebe who threatened to expose the governor more, said, “I will disgrace him publicly and tell the world about his dubious deeds as governor as well as his role in the botched Third Term Bid of former president Olusegun Obasanjo. Am going to open his can of worms to the point that Nigerians will stone if seen on the streets. I don’t talk carelessly as I have my facts to prove my points.”
As regards allegations of embezzlement of several billions of Naira under his regime as minister of Niger Delta, he said, “I am not afraid of probe, am a man of integrity under whose watch the abandoned 42 bridges and 1040 culverts that was initially without designed was upgraded to the level it is today. Every reasonable Niger Deltan and Nigerians at large knows that I am the admired face of the East West road, I can stand tall, anywhere and anytime to defend my administration as well as account for every dime that was allocated for the several projects we embarked upon.
“My Co- ministers and every other person who was a member of the federal Executive Council under former president Jonathan’s watch can attest to the fact that I was a vessel par excellence who had result oriented contributed to make towards moving the nation forward.”
It is often said that in the world of the blind man, the Cyclops must be crowned King. Hence, in a world that has become dominated by the media, whoever controls the media, controls the masses. In Nigeria today, what many people do not know is that there has been a systematic scheme of one man to dominate the daily news, influence the outcome of events, and control the opinions of the Nigerian masses through the media.
The media in general, has historically been used to inform and educate people about the happenings around them. Over the years, since the advent of print and digital media, people have come to trust that the news that they receive everyday is in all actuality a narrative of the events that occurred. However, this is not always the case.
In Nigeria today, the media has derailed from being an informative ‘watchdog’ entity that keeps institutions honest and accountable by shedding light to the people on the events that happen in the dark corridors of power. This derailment, has led to the media becoming a negative tool that is used to promote lies and confusion; brainwash the public; and push certain parochial interests.
These days, it is a common practice for politicians to attempt to own a medium of mass communication, simply to control the flow of information in their favour. One man in particular, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a self-styled National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, and a one-time “bagman for heroin traffickers,” has made it his Machiavellian duty to own all the pieces of prime media around him. (See: Nigerian Pres’ Svengali Tied to Heroin: http://www.thedailybeast.com/ articles/2015/04/27/nigeria-s- next-leader-s-ties-to-a- heroin-ring.html)
Tinubu, who is popularly called the ‘Jagaban of Borgu’ by his fans in Lagos, in his desperate quest for national domination at all costs, has utilized the Nigerian news media over the years to attack, discredit, dishonor, and at times – destroy anyone that shares a difference in opinion with him. This development is unhealthy for democracy, and is a threat to the sanity of the Nigerian system.
Like Australian billionaire businessman, Rupert Murdoch, who has many times been caught using the news for dishonest reasons, Tinubu’s overbearing control of the media in recent months has caused his ruling party a lot of embarrassment. Tinubu, who out rightly owns The Nationnewspapers, is also believed to have acquired a silent majority stake in The Punch newspapers, one of Nigeria’s most widely-read publications. Additionally, Tinubu’s noiseless funding of both Premium Times, and SaharaReporter’s visual platform, SaharaTV, has made him the undisputed overlord of Nigeria’s media space.
Despite these acquisitions, a thorough look into the life of Tinubu, will reveal that he is a man who delights in extending olive branches to even his most despicable enemies – as long as he stands to benefit from such actions.
An investigation revealed that as far back as the 2003 presidential elections, Tinubu struck a deal that sold out his former party, the Alliance for Democracy (AD), to the then-incumbent President Olusegun Obasanjo. This deal allowed Obasanjo to sail away with the votes of the South West, which was controlled by Tinubu’s AD.
Even Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, has been at both the giving and receiving end of Tinubu’s double-dealing antics. In an article published in ThisDay newspapers on the 19th of April 2011, General Mohammadu Buhari, the then-presidential aspirant of the now-defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), made some high-wired comments on how Tinubu sold the South West to Jonathan in the 2011 presidential elections, in exchange for him (Tinubu) being able to nominate some juicy ministerial positions.
In the article in question, Buhari asked Tinubu to “stop hiding under false excuses after striking a deal with President Jonathan.” Buhari went on to state that: “Tinubu should leave me alone – he even lost his ward to the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in what should have given birth to a new Nigeria.” (See: How Tinubu Gave South-West to Jonathan:http://www.thisdaylive.com/ articles/buhari-how-tinubu- gave-s-west-votes-to-jonathan/ 89907/).
Additionally, Obasanjo, who had benefited from Tinubu’s two-faced antics, corroborates Buhari’s claims in his autobiography, stating that truly, Tinubu did in fact collect a bribe of N16 billion from Jonathan in the 2011 elections to betray his party. Many Nigerian political observers believe that it is amazing that till date, Tinubu has neither refuted nor denied these claims.
While Tinubu is not out there being a modern-day political Judas Iscariot, some of his other exploits include purchasing choice Real Estate and companies – using his money generated from ill-gotten means. Tinubu is said to own the Oriental Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos; several choice houses in Ikoyi and the Lekki axis; Oando Plc – one of Nigeria’s largest petroleum companies; Lekki concession company; the Ikeja Shopping Mall, TV Continental station (TVC); Radio Continental; and Alpha Beta- a tax consultancy company.
Tinubu no doubt is a smart fellow. Given his political history and precedents, he has undoubtedly scored an own-goal on several occasions. However, the problem that the people of Nigeria will have if they are not careful, is his proximity to President Buhari. Based on his antecedents, and his numerous backstabbing manoeuvers for personal gain, the earlier the Nigerian president realizes who he has gotten into bed with, the quicker he can pull out and save himself – and perhaps, his country.
The All Progressive Congress (APC) has named Kaduna state governor, Mallam Nasir El-rufai as the head of a 7-man committee
that will conduct the primary election of the party in Kogi State to determine who will emerge as the sole flag bearer for the polls scheduled for November 29th 2015.
While Senator Madnus Abbe will serve as Secretary, other members include Alhaji Ibrahim Sarki, Mrs. Omorge Osifor, Mr. Mohammad Wali, Mr. Lanre Asiwaju and Mr. Greg Egwu
Inaugurating the committee on Wednesday at the party national secretariat, the APC National Organising Secretary, Osita Izunaso charged the them to take the assignment seriously, adding that all state executives of the party in the state are delegates who will be participating in the primaries.
“You should hold a stakeholders meeting first and introduce yourselves as those who are called for this assignment, the party also requests that you should reach out to security agencies in Kogi State upon arrival, the SSS, the Police and other security agencies upon arrival so that they won’t say they were not informed, “he said.
According to him, the chairman of the committee will be the returning officer for the election primaries adding that once the exercise starts it must not be stopped half way.
“Once you start the accreditation, you cannot postpone, once you commence, you must complete and the winners will be announced on the spot, is not something you will go and compile and come back, it is not allowed.
“The aspirants with the highest number of votes shall be declared the winner.
“I want you to bear in mind, there is nothing like endorsement, maybe somebody will say he has been endorsed, there is nothing like that whatsoever, it is the people there that will choose” he said.
While inaugurating the committee, the APC Deputy Chairman North, Senator Lawan Shaibu said that the members of the committee were carefully chosen to do the job adding that they were credible.
…says name-dropping doesn’t translate to delegates in primaries
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State and close aide of its leader and ex-governor, Timipre Sylva, has stated that a former chairman of Niger-Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Timi Alaibe, can never become the party’s flag-bearer in the forthcoming elections despite dropping the names of some senior citizens.
Alaibe, was said to have been using the names of President Muhammadu Buhari and ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo to raise funds in a manner that embarrassed the two leaders.
He was also said to have boasted that not even Buhari will stop him from clinching the APC ticket because of the support from the national leader of the party and former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
Alaibe’s aide had on the social media boasted that “Alaibe will most certainly emerge as APC candidate in the forthcoming primaries because he (Alaibe) has the support and backing of APC national leadership, particularly with the solid support of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu”.
But Sylva’s aide, Sokari James, told journalists on Wednesday in Yenagoa that the former Managing Director of the NDDC will not get the APC governorship ticket in the state.
“There is no way the former NDDC Managing Director, Ndutimi Alapbe, will get the party’s ticket in the APC primaries scheduled for the second week of September.
His various comments have proved that he can’t make it.
“Alaibe is a disappointment because he resorted to name dropping and that will not translate to having delegates or winning at the primaries. The constant resort to name-dropping by Alaibe does not translate to number of delegates on ground that will vote for him in the primaries.
“Timipre Sylva, as leader of APC in Bayelsa State, has control of the party structures and he is firmly in charge of all the delegates that will vote in the primaries. Our findings have suggested that Sylva will likely pick the APC governorship ticket and that is the belief of political observers.”
James was categorical that former governor, Timipre Sylva was the candidate to beat, stressing that the former governor’s grassroots support was unrivalled in the state.
He further said that the clamour for Sylva’s choice was because of the importance APC attached to the December 5 election “given the enormous clout and power of the incumbent.”
According to him, Alaibe had ceased to be a popular politician among the grassroots and would be a mistake fielding him as candidate.
He said, “We cannot, under any guise, use Alaibe as our candidate. We cannot afford to surrender our party’s ticket to just anybody. Alaibe is no more a grassroots politician. People keep making reference to the past when he made attempt to fly the flag of the Labour Party (LP).
“That was then when he could spend so freely as MD of NDDC; but not anymore and that’s why he’s busy dropping names here and there. He’s broke and we have to face the reality that Alaibe is now a spent force and why most of his supporters have also deserted him.”
A public affairs commentator, Dr. Kemowei Franklin said, “The battle as to who emerges the APC governorship candidate is now a game of wits between the camps of Sylva and Alaibe. It’s a dagger drawn affair and will be interesting in the weeks ahead.”
Three suspected drug traffickers are being interrogated for swallowing two hundred and thirty-three (233) wraps of powdery substances that tested positive for cocaine with a weight of 5.05kg. The suspects were apprehended during outward screening of passengers by officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA). Two of the suspects, Obiekwe Frank Chuma and Okoye Jacob Okwuchukwu were going to Hong Kong while Chukwunyere Prince Emmanuel was caught on his way to Italy.
okoye jacob
obiekwe frank
NDLEA commander at the Lagos airport, Mr. Hamza Umar gave a breakdown of the seized drugs. “Obiekwe Frank Chuma, 47 year old who ingested 80 wraps weighing 1.930kg during screening of Emirates passengers; Okoye Jacob Okwuchukwu, 43 year old was found to have ingested 70 wraps weighing 1.515kg during screening of passengers on an Etihad flight while Chukwunyere Prince Emmanuel, 39 year old ingested 83 wraps weighing 1.605kg. Prince was going to Bologna in Italy through Frankfurt on Lufthansa. They have voluntarily recorded their statements and our investigators are working on their cases” Hamza stated.
Obiekwe Frank Chuma said that he used to be a textile merchant before he suffered financial setback. “I lost my father when I was at Merchant of Light Secondary School between 1983 and 1988. I was given admission at Edo State University but dropped out in 300 levels due to lack of sponsorship. In 1997, I came to Lagos and started textile business. Later I began to buy my goods from Czech Republic and Hong Kong before my business suffered serious setback. In the process of looking for assistance, I was introduced into drug trafficking. I was given the drug in a restaurant at Onitsha and they promised to pay me 10,000 dollars. It took me eight hours to swallow the drugs but was arrested at the airport” Obiekwe stated. He hails from Anambra State.
Okoye Jacobs Okuchukwu said that he met his sponsor at a wedding ceremony. “I have a Diploma in Computer Science at the Institute of Management Technology (IMT) Enugu. I used to import textiles from Dubai and Hong Kong. My business was flourishing and I have travelled to Hong Kong over 15 times. I later had problem that took my capital and I was stranded. That was what led me into drug trafficking. I was forced to swallow drugs for many hours in order to continue with my textile business. They promised to pay me over a million naira” Okoye stated. He hails from Anambra State.
Chukwunyere Prince Emmanuel said that he smuggled drugs to settle his bills. In his words, “I am a business man. I supply teaching materials. Armed robbers attacked me and I lost one of my eyes in the process. As I speak, I owe over 15 million naira. I am unable to pay my rent, my children’s school fees and even feeding. I have no rest of mind because my creditors are on my neck daily. This is my first time of trafficking drugs and I was promised 4,000 euros”. He hails from Imo State.
Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade expressed concern over the way drug traffickers expose themselves to danger by ingesting poisonous drugs. According to Giade, “it is very worrisome that highly poisonous substances like cocaine, methamphetamine and similar drugs are brazenly ingested by drug suspects. Despite the attendant risk, these suspected drug traffickers could still afford to ingest 233 wraps of narcotics. The Agency will continue to sensitize members of the public on the priceless benefits of a drug-free society”.
