SABINEWS MORNING NEWS UPDATE FOR OCTOBER 16, 2016
Buhari was in Germany for medical treatment – Junaid Mohammed
With the dust yet to settle over an interview Aisha Buhari granted the British Broadcasting Corporation, a Second Republic lawmaker, Junaid Mohammed, has stated that the President’s recent trip to Germany was for medical reasons.
Mohammed, a Russian-trained medical doctor, revealed this in an interview with SUNDAY PUNCH on Saturday. Read more
Nigeria is in the wilderness, says Gowon
A former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd.), on Saturday reflected on the state of the nation and came with a verdict that Nigeria is “walking in the wilderness.”
He however expressed optimism that all the challenges currently facing the country would be temporary because God’s promise was that joy cometh very soon. Read more
EFCC probes Buhari’s ministers for corruption
Strong indications have emerged that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has opened investigations into activities of some serving ministers in the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
SUNDAY PUNCH’s investigation revealed that operatives involved in the discreet probe had gathered some evidence against the affected ministers. Read more
Arrested judges fight back… say AGF, DSS persecuting them over past judgments
Two judges of the Federal High Court in Abuja, whose official residences were raided in the Federal Capital Territory between October 7 and 8, have written to their employer, the National Judicial Council, narrating their ordeals at the hands of the Department of State Services operatives.
Both Justices Adeniyi Ademola and Nnamdi Dimgba threatened to sue the DSS for violating their rights if their wish was granted by the NJC. Read more
Aisha’s bombshell: Nigerians urge Buhari to fire lazy ministers, aides
Nigerians on Saturday asked President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately reshuffle his cabinet, following the revelations made by his wife, Aisha.
This call came on the heels of the displeasure expressed by the President’s wife that her husband does not know most of the appointees in his cabinet. Read more
Buhari inaugurates Nigeria’s first solar power plant in UI
President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday inaugurated the first major solar power plant in the country at the University of Ibadan.
The plant has the capacity to supply 10 megawatts of renewable electricity to the university community and its environs when completed. Read more
EFCC impersonator jailed 14 years in Gombe
The High Court sitting in Gombe, the Gombe State capital, has sentenced a man, Muhammad Adamu, who falsely presented himself as an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in the state, to 14 years in prison.
The spokesman for the commission’s zonal office in Gombe, Mr. Gbenga Aroyehun, said this in an email toSUNDAY PUNCH. Read more
Gunmen kill three policemen
Gunmen struck again in Imo State killing three policemen few days after two policemen were killed in the state. The three policemen were killed on duty and the gunmen took away four of the rifles belonging to the team.
According to a source who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, the incident occurred in Atta, in Ikeduru Local Government Area of the state on the Owerri-Okigwe Expressway. Read more
Again, youths clash in Kaduna, 44 Shi’ites remanded
The Kaduna State Police Command, on Saturday, warned that it would deal with those taking the law into their hands.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Aliyu Usman, in a statement said some members of the public had become lawless and were acting contrary to law and order and in total disregard to rights of other citizens. Read more
Kanu’s detention: 50 groups threaten to join IPOB
About 50 groups from the South-East and South-South on Saturday in Enugu State demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.
The groups, comprising Christian bodies, town unions, women and youth organisations, students and traders associations, threatened to join IPOB if Kanu was not released immediately. Read more
Houses, farmlands destroyed in Niger communal clash
Several houses were destroyed and other property worth millions of naira were destroyed in a communal clash that broke out between two communities in Katcha and Mokwa local government areas of Niger State on Friday evening.
No fewer than five people were injured in the fracas in which dangerous weapon were used by the combatants in the crisis. Read more
Motorists lament collapse of roads in Imo
Imo State residents and motorists have decried the poor state of road infrastructure in the state, saying “we have never had it so bad.
A resident of Umuguma in Owerri West Council Area, Frank Anele, who spoke with Sunday Sun said: “All the access roads in and out of the state have collapsed. You can’t drive through the Hospital road right now because it has become a nightmare in this rainy season. The contractor hired to expand the road has long abandoned it. Also the other alternative access to Umuguma which is World Bank assisted project has equally collapsed. So, whenever it rains, people are stranded.” Read more
Stop bombings or be crushed, Navy warns militants
The Nigeria Navy has again warned Niger Delta militants to desist from bombing of oil facilities or be crushed.
The warning came on the heels of the weekend bombing of oil facilities belonging to the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in Delta State by suspected members of the Greenland Justice Mandate.
The Navy, which stated that it was closing in on the suspects restated its determination to rid the Niger Delta region of militants by ensuring that the suspected bombers were arrested and brought to book. Read more
Justice Adeniyi Ademola: I Signed Confessional Statement at Gunpoint
Justice Adeniyi Ademola has declared that his arrest penultimate weekend during a raid on his Abuja house by operatives of the Department of State Services was a personal vendetta against him masterminded by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN. In a letter to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, Ademola said Malami was trying to get back at him because while serving as federal judge in Kano he once ordered the minister’s arrest and detention for alleged misconduct. Read more
Customs arrests 22 suspects, impounds N1.9bn items
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone C, Owerri, intercepted 231 contraband items with the Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N1.9billion in the third quarter of 2016, it was learnt, yesterday.
This is in contrast to 379 seizures with a DPV of N2.2billion impounded the same period in 2015.The FOU also arrested 22 suspects in connection with the seizures carried out along Benin, Asaba-Agbor-Onitsha express way, Calabar, Enugu, Owerri and Port-Harcourt axis within the South-south and South-east zones, while 16 cases are pending in court. Read more
Witnesses: How Jang Diverted SUBEB’s N3billion, Sold State’s Property
Former governor Jonah Jang has been accused of diverting the board’s N3 billion private accounts.
Testifying before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by Governor Simon Lalong to probe the administration of Jang, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Plateau Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mr. Michael Gowon said that the former governor diverted the board’s marching grant to other ministries and unknown individuals during his administration between May 2007 and May 2015. Read more
Oba of Epe Commends Ambode’s Vision to Make Lagos Tourist Centre
As local and international tourists’ troop into Epe to celebrate Kayokayo Festival, the traditional ruler of Epe Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Oba Shefiu Olatunji Adewale, has commended the Governor of Lagos, Akinwumi Ambode for his plan to make the area a tourist destination in Nigeria.
Oba Adewale, who recognised the aquatic gift of Epe and Lagos State as huge source of revenues for the state in the nearest future, noted that the clearing of the Marina in Epe in preparation for development means that a very important project that would boost the tourism potential of the town was in the offing but that only the state government can say what the project is all about. Read more
Militants bomb another oil facility in Delta
The adamant militant group, Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate (NDGJM), yesterday continued its onslaught on oil installations with the bombing of Oviri-Ogor delivery line to the QCC in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta, operated by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC).
In a statement by its Spokesperson, Aldo Agbalaja, which was made available to newsmen in Warri yesterday, the group described its attacks on oil facilities within the upland areas as a reaffirmation of its determination to settle scores with various multinational companies who had betrayed the region. Read more
Direct crude sale saves Nigeria N102.6bn
By putting an end to the crude-for-products exchange arrangement, popularly known as crude swap, Nigeria was able to save N102.6bn between April and July this year.
In February, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, announced the replacement of the crude swap arrangement with what he described as the Direct-Sale Direct-Purchase framework, which commenced in April. Read more
Stemming the tide of declining oil reserves
Over the past few years, Nigeria has recorded a significant decline in oil reserves as the delay in the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill and the prolonged period of depressed oil prices have continued to discourage investment.
Prior to the slump in global oil prices, which started in mid-June 2014, the regulatory uncertainty in the nation’s oil and gas industry had led to the suspension of some projects and reduced exploratory drilling activities. Read more
Despite Recession, Business is Good in Nigeria, Says US Firm
An emerging high-tech mobile phone manufacturing giant, Akyumen Technologies Corporation has given the Nigerian business environment a clean bill of health inspite of the current economic challenges facing the country.
The United States-based company which is at present exploring ways to establish base in the country, disagreed with the notion that foreign firms are scared of coming to invest in Nigeria due to the economic down-turn. Read more
Still on the proposed sale of national assets
In the last one month, Nigerians have witnessed some weird some contemplations within government circles on the best way to exit the country from the raging recession. One such contemplation is a fiscal stimulus initiative anchored on immediate injection of an estimated US$10 – $15 billion to be sourced from the sale of some national assets into the economy.
The suggestion, reportedly the brainchild of the President’s Economic Management Team, did not only gain the support of the National Economic Council (NEC) and even the Minister of Finance Kemi Adeosun, some prominent Nigerians like Aliko Dangot; Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele; Senate President Bukola Saraki and the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi 11, have lent their support. Read more
High Hopes on CBN’s Planned Fine-tuning of Forex Policy
As the country continues to grapple with shortage of foreign exchange, particularly the United States dollars, it has emerged that the nation’s FX policy would continue to be fine tuned by the Central Bank of Nigeria. Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, dropped the hint during the just-concluded annual meetings of International Monetary Fund-World Bank, which held in Washington DC, United States.
Indeed, the FX shortage in the system and the negative impact on the economy require no reiteration. Arguably, the worst hit is the real sector. The protracted situation has rendered the sector prostrate as many manufacturing businesses have either closed shop or downsize capacity because they are unable to procure the requisite USD to either import raw materials or spare parts required in their production lines. This has resulted in sharp increase in unemployment rate in the country. Read more
Recession: Abubakar cautions Politicians against frivolous promises
Amidst the series of efforts being made by the Mohammed Buhari led federal government towards navigating the country out of the present economic recession, former military Head of States, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd.) yesterday cautioned members of the political class in Nigeria against dishing out frivolous promises that would be difficult to keep to the citizens in time of difficulties.
The former Nigerian military leader, who spoke at the 8th Convocation ceremony of the Crescent University, Abeokuta, Ogun state capital, declared that unfulfilled promises which is synonymous with politicians should be avoided as such are capable of hurting the nation’s “political environment” Abubakar, who spoke shortly after he was conferred with the honorary doctorate degree in Public administration by the institution, noted that un-kept and frivolous promises are like poisonous seeds that would germinate in no distant time to instigate public frustrations and ultimately
corrode many things. Read more
Releasing funds to contractors will end recession — Fashola
The Federal Government has said it is investing massively in road construction, public housing and other infrastructure as part of measures to take the country out of recession.
It said it had released funds for the payment of debts owed contractors, noting that this had led to the return of most of them to project sites and resulting in the re-engagement of workers who were earlier laid off. Read more
African Footballer of the Year: Mikel, Musa, Iheanacho nominated
Nigeria stars Kelechi Iheanacho, Mikel Obi and Ahmed Musa are among 30 players nominated by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for the African Footballer of the Year 2016.
This is Iheanacho’s first-ever nomination for the continent’s top individual accolade after he enjoyed a breakthrough season with Manchester City in the English Premier League. Read more
No Extension of Deadline for Foreign-Based Falconets – Media Officer
Monica Iheakam, the Media Officer of the U-20 national team, “Falconets”, says that there will be no extension of the deadline for arrival in camp for foreign-based Falconets.
Iheakam spoke on Saturday in Lagos against the backdrop of some of the players who have yet to report to their Serob Legacy Hotel Camp, Abuja. Read more
Denied by Nigeria, Osunwa turns Arab goals king
The name on the lips of football fans in the Arab world right now is definitely not the inimitable Saeed Al-Owairan, neither is it Rabah Madjar, Badou Zaki or even Mohamed Aboutreika, a more recent star of that part of the world.
It’s an unlikely name: Kelechi Osunwa, a Nigerian, a great goals scorer of repute, who plays for Al Ahly Shendi in the Sudanese topflight league. Read more
Governor’s Cup: Former champions win first leg
Former champion Spanish Enrique Lopez-Perez on Saturday at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan, defeated Frenchman Gianni Mina 6-2, 6-7 (7), 6-1 in the men’s singles final of the 16th Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis championship to claim his second title, having won the event in 2012.
In the women’s singles, Slovak Majeric, winner and runner-up in 2013 and 2015 respectively, overcame Swiss Conny Perrin 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 for the top prize. Read more
Dele Alli spares Spurs blushes in Baggies draw
Dele Alli rescued a point for Tottenham Hotspur in a 1-1 draw away to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday after it looked as if the Premier League high-flyers might suffer an agonising defeat.
The visitors dominated possession only for Nacer Chadli, a player Spurs sold to West Brom in pre-season, to put the hosts in front eight minutes from time against the run of play. Read more
Astronauts ready for China’s longest space mission yet
China is preparing for its longest-ever crewed space mission, with a spacecraft carrying two astronauts expected to lift off Monday, according to state media
The Shenzhou-11 “heavenly vessel” will blast off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert at 7:30 a.m. (7:30 p.m. Sunday ET), state broadcaster CCTV said Sunday. Read more
Former cop from Mexico charged in sexual assault of mother of one-year-old and suspected of attempted assault of 18-year-old woman in same building
A former police officer in Mexico is charged with sexually assaulting a mother and accused of returning less than a month later to the same apartment complex to try to assault another woman.
Ricardo Corral Venegas, 25, is charged with sexual assault and kidnapping in connection with the attacks of two women in the complex in Aurora, Colorado, where the suspect told police he also lives. Read more
Vets forced to rescue wild rhino stuck in abandoned tyre
Vets had to be called in to rescue a wild rhino that got a tyre stuck over its snout and was unable to eat or drink.
The animal, which was in one of Zimbabwe’s rhino protection zone parks, became entangled in the tyre which had been dumped in a watering hole on the site. Read more
Donald Trump: US election rigged, and Hillary Clinton should take drugs test
Mr Trump accused the media and the Clinton campaign of conspiring against him to undermine a free and fair election, claiming: “The election is being rigged by corrupt media pushing completely false allegations and outright lies in an effort to elect her (Mrs Clinton) president.”
Mr Trump was referring to several women who have come forward in recent days to say that the Republican nominee had groped or sexually assaulted them. He has denied the claims, calling the women liars. Read more
