Nigeria’s problems can’t be solved in a day – APC

National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday met behind closed doors with members of the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress inside the Defence House, Maitama, Abuja.

The President’s guests were led to the meeting by the party’s National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.

Odigie-Oyegun later told journalists that they decided to embark on the visit in order to pledge their loyalty to the President and express their determination to work with him through thick and thin.

He said Buhari could always depend on the party which he used as a platform to become the President.

Odigie-Oyegun added that the party noted the fact that Nigerians’ expectations were extremely high and that the public expects a totally new dawn.

He said, “On that note, we told him we are with him and that he will succeed because the entire party will be galvanised as one man behind him to ensure that days into this Presidency that Nigerians will indeed see that things are changing.

“All the problems cannot be solved in one day but what Nigerians want is to be sure that we are getting it right and that we are on the proper path towards addressing their long frustration towards ameliorating their condition and that is what they will get.”

Wike orders Perm Secs to produce 18-month account details

Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike

The RIVERS State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has directed permanent secretaries in the state to produce account details of their ministries’ expenditure over the last 18 months.

Wike also advised the permanent secretaries to shun partisan politics as career civil servants, adding that the role some of them played in the closing days of the immediate past administration was politically-motivated.

The governor, who addressed the permanent secretaries during a meeting at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Tuesday, expressed regret that some of them helped the immediate past administration to illegally withdraw funds from government coffers up to May 28, 2015.

“I want full details and printout of every ministry’s account in the last 18 months. I will not accept any handover note without an accompanying account details.

hady oil deals: Reps reject move to absolve Diezani

Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke

The House of Representatives failed again on Tuesday to make progress on the consideration of the report on the Petroleum Industry Bill.

The lawmakers also stopped a report, which sought to give a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, and other actors a clean bill of health in their alleged involvement in “shady deals.”

The House has only Wednesday (today) and Thursday (tomorrow) left to sit before the expiration of its current tenure on June 5.

The PUNCH had long reported exclusively that the House might abandon the bill, as it was making slow progress on the 348-page report.

As the consideration resumed at Tuesday’s session, which was presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Emeka Ihedioha, members were noticeably divided along regional and political lines.

For example, the provision for a Frontier Exploration Fund to be used for exploring oil in other parts of the country, outside the South, divided members along regional lines.

Buhari seeks Senate approval to appoint 15 advisers

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday requested the approval of the Senate to approve 15 Special Advisers who will assist him to carry out his functions as the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

The President, in a letter addressed to the Senate President, David Mark, said his request was in accordance with Section 151 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, (as amended ).

The President did not attach the list of the 15 special advisers but craved the indulgence of the federal parliamentarians to urgently consider his request.

Buhari’s first letter to the Senate, read by Mark, noted that his action, was pursuant to the provision of the constitution which confers on him the power to appoint special advisers to assist him in the performance of his functions.

Buhari said, “I write to request for your kind consideration and approval of the distinguished members of the Senate of the Federal Republic to appoint 15 special advisers as prescribed in Section 151(2-3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

Osun earned N204bn in four years –Aregbesola 

Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola

The Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, said on Tuesday that the state earned N204bn from the federation account, internally generated revenues and other accruals from Abuja between 2010 and 2014.

The governor gave this explanation in his speech when he inaugurated the sixth assembly in the state.

Aregbesola spoke just as Mr. Najeem Salaam was returned as the Speaker of the House of Assembly for the second term.

The governor, who was obviously reacting to allegations of financial recklessness levelled against his administration by the Social Democratic Party in the state, denied exposing the state to a financial crisis.

While promising that things would soon get better, the governor traced the genesis of the financial crisis in the state to 2012 when salaries increased drastically as a result of hike in wages.

Aisha Buhari mourns Al-makura’s mother-in-law

The wife of the President, Hajia Aisha Buhari, on Monday paid a surprise visit to Jos to condole with the Nasarawa State Governor, Tanko Al-makura over the death of his mother-in-law, Hajia Aisha Musa.

Hajia Musa passed on in the early hours of Monday at the age of 85 in her residence in Jos.

She has since been buried according to Islamic rites.

Mrs. Buhari, who came in company with senators Ahmed Lawan, Abdullahi Adamu, and Solomon Ewuga, drove straight to the house of the deceased in the centre of the town and left immediately after.

While condoling with the Al-makura family, Mrs. Buhari urged them to take solace in the fact that Hajia Musa lived a life worthy of emulation. On behalf of herself and her family, the President’s wife prayed that the Almakura’s would be comforted by God.

Nigeria’s federalism lopsided, says Ijaw National Congress

The people of Ijaw ethnic stock in Nigeria, under the auspices of Ijaw National Congress, have said the current structure of the Nigerian state is skewed in favour of the majority ethnic nationalities.

They, therefore, argued that since the secession treaties between the Ijaw and the British colonial authorities had lapsed and that the instrument of amalgamation of 1914 that produced Nigeria expired in 2014, the Ijaw would initiate the process of renegotiating the basis of coexistence with other ethnic nationalities.

They contended that the current structure of the nation did not create adequate socio-political and economic space for the minority ethnic nationalities, particularly the Ijaw.

Their position was contained in a communique released after the pan-Ijaw stakeholders’ summit entitled, ‘Ijaw Agenda Beyond May 29, 2015’, and made available to our correspondent on Tuesday.

The communique was signed by 31 prominent Ijaw citizens including a former Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, a former Military Governor of old Rivers State, King Alfred Diete-Spiff and Emeritus Professor of History, Ebiegberi Alagoa.

The event co-hosted by the INC and the Bayelsa State Government was chaired by Diete-Spiff, who is also the Amanyanabo of Twon Brass

AU, ASUU urge Morocco to free Western Sahara 

ASUU President, Nasir Fagge

The President, Academic Staff Union of Universities, Dr. Nasir Fagge, and other African Union leaders have intensified calls for the liberation of Western Sahara which has remained under the occupation of the Moroccan government for over 30 years.

Western Sahara is documented as Africa’s last colony still under colonisation by Morocco since 1975.

Speaking on Tuesday in Abuja during a two-day international conference on the decolonisation of Western Sahara, the ASUU President said stakeholders should not relent in mounting pressure on the government of Morocco to ensure that the colonisation of Western Saharawi did not extend beyond 2015.

Why we didn’t stop Nigerian who joined ISIS –Turkish envoy

The outgoing Turkish ambassador to Nigeria, Mustafa Pulat, has said that Turkey does not stop the son of a former Chief Justice of Nigeria who crossed the Turkish border to join the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria terrorists in Syria in February 2015, because there was no information on the suspect.

Pulat explained that the suspected jihadist was issued a visa because he had strong credentials and references.

The envoy said this while responding to questions from journalists in Abuja on Tuesday.

He explained that the Turkish mission in Nigeria cooperated with security agencies when approached over suspicions that the former CJN’s son had gone to join terrorists in Syria.

Pulat, however, added that “there is an ongoing international cooperation to stop other foreigners who may want to join the ISIS jihadists,” noting that electronic optical control system had been installed at the borders to track smugglers and prospective militants.

Fayose writes Buhari, offers to nominate minister

Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose

The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to give him the privilege of nominating an Ekiti indigene for appointment into his cabinet.

Fayose, who was one of Buhari’s biggest opponents during the course of the presidential campaign, said this in a statement on Tuesday.

The governor said he had written to Buhari and was hopeful that the President’s response would be favourable.

Fayose said, “I shall be happy to nominate a worthy and competent professional who can always oblige your Excellency and your cabinet the benefit of a second opinion in the serious business of governance.”

He noted that he wrote the letter based on the declaration made by the President that he would put the overall interest of the country above every other, particularly political partisanship and biases.

He said even former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, appointed the late Chief Bola Ige as the Minister for Justice despite Ige being a member of the Alliance for Democracy.

Mourinho praises Mikel, slams Ruben

Jose Mourinho

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has named Mikel Obi as one of the outstanding players in the Blues 1-0 victory over hosts Sydney FC in their post-season friendly in Australia on Tuesday.

Mikel, who did not enjoy enough first-team appearance with the London club in their last season’s campaign, played in the entire duration of the game, but teenage defender Temitayo Aina was on the bench throughout.

Loic Remy gave the visitors the only goal of the game via a left-footed strike at the ANZ Stadium, but Mourinho never underplayed the role of Mikel in the encounter.

NEPAD workers protest Jonathan assistant’s reappointment

Mrs. Fidelia Njeze

There was commotion at the Nigerian headquarters of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development on Tuesday as workers of the agency engaged in fisticuffs, while protesting against the alleged reappointment of the Special Assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Mrs. Fidelia Njeze, as NEPAD’s Coordinator/Chief Executive.

The peaceful protest at the agency degenerated into fisticuffs as some of the workers loyal to Njeze tried to stop the larger number of the employees from going outside the premises of the organisation.

Our correspondent gathered that the special adviser, whose job was meant to end at the expiration of the tenure of the former President, called some directors of the agency last Thursday to announce her new portfolio as the coordinator

N8bn currency scam: Court remands six CBN officials, others

Some of the accused

JUSTICE Ayo Emmanuel of a Federal High Court, Ibadan, on Tuesday remanded six officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria arraigned for stealing and circulating mutilated Naira notes meant for destruction by the apex bank.

The six — Patience Okoro, Afolabi Johnson, Ilori Sunday, Kolawole Babalola, Olaniran Adeola and Fatai Yusuf — were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, charged for conspiracy, diversion and stealing of mutilated naira notes worth N8bn.

Suicide bomber kills 50 after shouting Sai Buhari

Director, Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade

Another bomb blast rocked the troubled Borno State capital of Maiduguri   late on Tuesday morning , leaving many dead and others wounded.

Prior to the explosion at the popular Kasuwan Shanu (meat market), residents were rudely woken up at 12:45am on Monday by gunshots that boomed in parts of the city till 2pm.

No official reason was given by the military authorities for the gunshots which many of the residents feared were fired by advancing Boko Haram insurgents.

Senators, Reps to leave with 109 jeeps, 360 exotic cars

National Assembly building, Abuja

Senators and members of the House of Representatives will go home with the operational vehicles of the National Assembly currently in their possession as the 7th Assembly winds down on Friday.

Each of the 109 senators has a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, commonly referred to as ‘jeep’, assigned to them for “operational” purposes like carrying out committee and oversight duties.

Buhari likely to head oil ministry in new cabinet

President Muhammadu Buhari

There are speculations that President Muhammadu Buhari will keep the petroleum minister portfolio for himself in the new cabinet rather than trust anyone else with the ministry, which currently contributes over 80 per cent of Nigeria’s revenue.

Reuters quoted some close associates of the President as saying this on Tuesday.

One long-standing associate of Buhari, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the cabinet decision was still under wraps, said Nigeria’s oil sector was so dirty that nobody’s hands were clean enough to do the “surgical changes” needed.

Lagos tanker fire destroys 40 shops, 25 vehicles

| credits: Saheed Olugbon

No fewer than 40 shops, four buildings, 25 vehicles and six tricycles were ravaged by fire on Tuesday in the Iyana-Ipaja area of Lagos after a fuel-laden tanker marked, KJA 238 XN, skidded off the bridge and was engulfed in flames.

The tanker, carrying 33,000 litres of petrol, was said to have fallen on a van parked under the bridge, spilling its content which ran through the drainage channels from Iyana-Ipaja Road to Adebanjo, Oremeji, Oki and Bakare Jafojo streets.