Sabinews Evening News Update for June 23, 2015

Buhari vows to recover stolen funds

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday said officials of the recent past government abandoned all financial and administrative instructions put in place in parastatals and agencies, thereby throwing the country into financial crisis.

He regretted that the impunity, lack of accountability and financial recklessness in the management of national resources which were the order of the day under the past administration have thrown the country into a situation that is worse than what happened in the Second Republic. He promised that the days of impunity in the management of national resources are over in the country with his inauguration. Read more

Health Workers to Resume Strike

Health workers under the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital have threatened to resume strike.

In a letter sent to the Chief Medical Director of the UCTH, Dr Thomas Agan, at the weekend, the union called for immediate payment of their 2013 promotion arrears as well as salaries. Read more

Buhari, govs resolve to end financial crisis

The meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and the state governors on Tuesday rose with a resolution to end the financial crisis being faced by some state governments.

Zamfara State Governor, Abdulazeez Yari, disclosed this to State House correspondents at the end of the meeting. Yari, who is also the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, said instead of bailouts, the governors requested for the refund of Federal Government projects they carried out in their states. Read more

Africa Nations Should Liberalise Their Aviation Sector, Says IATA

The global airline industry association on Tuesday urged African nations to liberalise their aviation sectors in order to make the industry competitive and accelerate regional integration.

International Air Transport Association (IATA) Director-General, Tony Tyler, told an aviation forum in Nairobi that African airlines should have the freedom to develop their businesses. Read more

EFCC Docks Man For Job Scam

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned Ifeanyi Ozoh before Justice B. O Quadri of the Federal High Court, Port-Harcourt, Rivers State on a two count charge bordering on fraud.‎ According to the EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwjaren, “the accused person allegedly collected various sums of money from one Nwachukwu Pleasure on the pretext that the money would be used to procure an Arik Airline ticket to Lagos to enable the victim attend a job interview with the airline.

“The petitioner alleged that he received a call from the accused, who introduced himself as a senior staff of Arik Air. He told him that there are job opportunities at Arik Air and that he should pass the information to his church members, which he did. Members of the congregation contacted the accused who asked them to pay various amounts for their flight tickets for the interview. They were provided with the account details of one Edmund Anyanwu with a new generation bank, to which they paid the money.” Read more

Nigeria Urges UN Peacekeepers To Be Transparent In Actions

The Nigerian Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York has urged peacekeepers of the world body to always be transparent in their actions so as to ensure effective peacekeeping missions.

Making this charge while briefing the United Nations Security Council at its meeting yesterday, Mr. Anthony Bosah, a top official of the Mission underlined the importance of enhanced cooperation among the United Nations, troop- and police-contributors and States, asking how to sustain camps for internally displaced persons. Read more

NFF may expel Enyeama from Super Eagles

Vincent Enyeama’s 13-year stay in the Super Eagles may come to an abrupt end soon following the Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) plans to expel the Lille of France skipper from the national team over alleged indiscipline.

An NFF source told The Guardian yesterday that the federation may sack Enyeama from the national team if he is found culpable in the allegation of indiscipline leveled against him. Read more

400 Nigerian-trained welders get International certification

The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) has said that 400 Nigerians who participated in its welders training and certification programme had received International Institute of Welding (IIW) certification. This is contained in a statement by Mr Kalu Otisi, the Head Media and External Relations of PTDF on Tuesday in Abuja.

The PTDT said that the certificate recognised and acknowledged the trainees’ proficiencies in welding and fabrication in the oil and gas industry and related sectors anywhere in the world. It said that these last additions brought to 1,500 the number of Nigerians it had trained at different levels of welding and fabrication processes. Read more

Why I stopped issuance of gifts during Ramadan, Xmas – El-Rufa’i

Gov. Nasiru El-Rufa’i of Kaduna State, on Tuesday reacted to criticisms over state government’s stoppage of gifts during festivities, saying it was due to poor finances of government.

El-Rufa’i said in a statement signed by his media aide, Mr Samuel Aruwan that the government was broke and needed to conserve resources for development. Read more

Saraki to senators: We have great legislative challenges

WELCOME SPEECH BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, HIS EXCELLENCY, SENATOR (DR) ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI (CON) TO SENATORS OF THE 8TH SENATE ON RESUMPTION FROM A SHORT RECESS ON TUESDAY, 23 JUNE, 2015.

Protocol: Distinguished colleagues, I am especially delighted to welcome you back to the hallowed Chamber of the Senate after a short recess. It is my hope that the recess afforded some of us time to rest from the dizzying activities of elections and inauguration such that we could feel the pulse of the nation again and be ready to get unto the business of making laws for the peace, order and good government of Nigeria. Read more

Veteran actor Lari Williams going blind, homeless

A veteran actor, Lari Williams, on Tuesday lamented that he needed help from philanthropists because he was homeless and going blind.

“I have heard people say that the Lagos State or the Federal Government had given me a two-bedroom flat somewhere, it is all lies,” he said. Williams said in Lagos that he was only conferred with a Member of the Federal Republic (MFR) honours by the government; without any cash backing. Read more

Gov. Ambode pledges commitment to protect women’s rights

Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Tuesday pledged his commitment to vigorously pursue programmes that would guarantee and protect the rights of women in the State. Ambode, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Dr Idiat Adebule, made the pledge at the commemoration of this year’s Public Service Day in Lagos.

The theme for this year’s commemoration is ‘The Role of Public Service in Women Empowerment, Innovation and Access to Service Delivery’. He said that the day brought to mind the collective desire to empower women and help them realise their potential, irrespective of status, religion and backgrounds. Read more

50-year-old woman arraigned over alleged theft of laptop, TV

A 50-year-old woman, Bukola Awolu, has appeared before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, for allegedly breaking into an apartment and stealing valuables including a laptop valued at N168, 000.

Awolu, a trader, who resides in Oyo State, is facing a two-count charge of stealing and break-in.

The Prosecutor, Insp. Feddy Asu, told the court that the offences were committed on Feb. 26 at No. 36, Niger St., off Odaliki Street, Ebute Meta. Read more

Amaechi must be probed, Wike insists

Rivers State Governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday explained why the probe of the administration of his predecessor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, was inevitable.

Wike, who spoke in an interview with journalists in Abuja, said Amaechi was going to the media to divert attention from the probe panel he set up. Justifying the probe panel, the governor said, “The essence of the judicial commission does not have to do with witch-haunting anybody, but to understand things we could not have understood. Read more

Telecoms subscriber base hits 143 million – NBS

The National Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday put the subscriber base of the mobile telecommunications sector at 143.05 million as of the end of the first quarter of 2015.

The bureau, in a report for the telecoms sector, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent, said the sector recorded a significant growth from 2.27 million subscribers in 2002, when the first mobile license was issued, to 143.05 million.

Out of the four telecoms providers, MTN dominated the number of subscriptions with 61.21 million subscribers or 42.84 per cent of the total. Read more

IG deploys 138 more patrol vehicles to secure highways

Following President Buhari’s directive on Monday that all soldiers should withdraw from checkpoints nationwide, the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, has deployed additional 138 police patrol vehicles to fill the vacuum that has been created with the dismantling of military roadblocks on the highways.

Arase said the deployment would complement the 300 patrol teams that were deployed nationwide last month to curb terrorism, armed robbery and kidnappings. Read more

I met Rivers in comatose – Amaechi

he Immediate Past Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has said the state was in comatose when he assumed office more than eight years ago.

Amaechi, in Abuja on Tuesday, added that because his government was accountable to the people, he would not shy away from giving the account of his administration to the electorate. The former governor was reacting to series of allegations made against his government by his successor, Mr. Nyesom Wike, at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday. Read more

New York to get nearly 1,300 extra police

strengthen counter-terrorism efforts, and improve neighborhood policing and relations with local communities, the mayor has said.

The announcement marks a U-turn for progressive Democrat, Bill de Blasio, who said repeatedly he did not see a need for more officers, and comes after an increase in murders and shootings. Read more

Zimbabwe struggling to pay diplomats on time: official

The cash-strapped Zimbabwe government is battling to pay salaries on time to diplomatic staff deployed to its 43 embassies across the world, a senior official said Tuesday.

Willard Manungo, secretary for the Finance Ministry told a parliament committee discussing foreign affairs that the government owes diplomats about $10 million (nine million euros) in salary arrears. Read more

Algeria oil exports plunge 45% through May

Algeria’s oil export revenue plunged 45.5 percent in the first five months of 2015, throwing the balance of trade into the red, customs figures showed Tuesday.

Oil exports, which account for more than 95 percent of all sales abroad, were $14.91 billion (13.31 billion euros), against $27.35 billion a year earlier, APS news agency said quoting customs statistics. Read more

Sambisa returnees’ phones should be seized – Security expert

A security expert, Max Gbanite, has advised the military to confiscate and search the phones of women who were liberated from Sambisa Forest, some of whom, he said, might have been brainwashed and indoctrinated by Boko Haram.

The security analyst observed that the terrorist group could have sleeper cells among the liberated women, noting that all it would take to activate such cells to carry out suicide bombings was a phone call.Read more

Boko Haram: Buhari to visit Cameroon after Ramadan

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday accepted an invitation from President Paul Biya to visit Cameroon at his earliest convenience for talks on the intensification of cooperation between Nigeria and neighbouring countries in the war against Boko Haram and terrorism.

Receiving the invitation from Mr. Sadi Rene Emmanuel, the Cameroonian Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, President Buhari said he will visit Cameroon for the high-level talks after the end of the Ramadan fast. Read more

Imo: Okorocha dares kidnappers

Determined to make Imo State a safe haven for investors and residents, the State governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha said government is working hand in glove with all the Security Agencies to nip kidnapping and other violent crimes in the bud.

Governor Okorocha disclosed this when he visited the Department of State Security Services (DSS) Imo State command as six kidnap suspects aged between 16 and 25 years were paraded. The Governor who expressed worries at the resurgence of such ugly trend in the State announced that government is battle ready to end kidnapping and violent crimes in the State and assured Imo people that his government shall guarantee the safety of lives and property of residents in the State. Read more

FG owing us N600bn – Contractors

President, Federation of Construction Industry, Solomon Ogunbusola, says FG, states are owing construction firms N600bn. Read more

2 Men Remanded For Attempting To Hack Enterprise Bank Server

Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo of an Ikeja High Court on Tuesday remanded two men — Ola Lawal and Abass Ajibade — at Kirikiri Prisons in Lagos for attempting to hack into the server of Enterprise Bank.

The accused are to remain behind bars till Oct. 15, according to Lawal-Akapo.

According to Mr Seidu Atteh, counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the accused committed the offence alongside one Olumide Kayode, now at large, on July 10, 2014 at Ikeja. Read more

Benue Lawmaker In Trouble Over Defection Claims

The tide, it seems, has become turbulent for member, Benue State House of Assembly (BSHA) representing Obi constituency, Nick Eworo, over claims that he had defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He is faced with the dilemma of rejection by the APC, just as the PDP has said it is suing him over allegations that he forged the letter purportedly claiming he was expelled from the party. Read more

Okoroji Calls For Immortalisation Of Dan Maraya Jos

The Chairman, Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), Tony Okoroji, has expressed sadness at the passing away of the iconic composer, instrumentalist and performer, Dr. Adamu Dan Maraya Jos.

Okoroji who is away in Europe sent a message saying that he was shattered by the news of the death of the great musician celebrated across the country and beyond. Read more

Defection of Jonathan’s loyalists to APC, shameless, insignificant – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party, Bayelsa State chapter, has described defectors of some ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s loyalists from the party to the All Progressives Congress in the state as shameless and inconsequential.

Recently, stream of defections has hit the PDP in Bayelsa State with those cross-carpeting accusing the party of lacking internal democracy, full of betrayals and deceits. But at a news briefing on Tuesday at the PDP secretariat in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, spokesman for the party, Osom Makbere, insisted that those that defected only displayed a show of shame, saying they had no electoral value. Read more

Mass Promotions in INEC as Jega pledge to clear all backlog of Promotion

With less than seven days to the end of his tenure, the chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega has vowed to clear the backlog of all promotions before the end of this month.

The INEC chairman is expected to commence his terminal leave on June 30 and he is expected to go with some of the national commissioners and the Resident Electoral Commissioners in the state. Read more