Sahara Reporters Latest News Thursday 24th January 2019
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 24/01/19
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E2%80%94-sowore-says-theres-miscommunication-between-buhari-and target=_blank>‘It’s A Bifurcated Presidency’ — Sowore Says There’s Miscommunication Between Buhari And Osinbajo
Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), has taken a swipe at the current administration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to Sowore, there is a “miscommunication between the President and the Vice-President” over how to develop the country.
He stated this while responding to a question on the solution to herdsmen/farmers clashes, at a town-hall event tagged ‘The Candidates’ on Wednesday night.
‘The Candidates’ is a presidential town-hall co-production between Daria Media and the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), supported by the MacArthur Foundation.
Appearing alongside his vice-presidential candidate, Dr Rabiu Rufai, Sowore answered questions on the economy, security, education, power supply, among others.
While answering a question on addressing clashes between herdsmen and farmers, Sowore spoke on the solutions proposed by the current administration, stating that the ideas of President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo are “two different things”.
His words: “What they are saying is that they want grazing corridors and cattle colonies. We are proposing commercial ranching. There are 20 million cows roaming around in Nigeria. And you find out that because they are even roaming around in ways that are not productive, they hardly can produce milk and most of them are suffering from malnutrition. If you keep them in ranches, they will become fat. And anybody can go into the business because the cow meat business is a billion-dollar industry that we have not tapped into.
“Beyond that, there are droppings from which we can generate over 1000 megawatts of electricity. So, this is what innovative leadership is about; not this analog leaders who are talking about the past.”
When the host, Kadaria Ahmed, mentioned that Osinbajo proposed commercial ranching as well, Sowore said: “The President never mentioned commercial ranching. What the VP knows about Nigeria and what the President knows about Nigeria are two different things. Going by what we saw here last week, there is a miscommunication between the VP and the President. It’s a bifurcated presidency. Our own will be one.”
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target=_blank>BREAKING: I Was First To Prove Onnoghen Has Money He Can’t Explain, Says Sowore
Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), says he was the first person to expose Walter Onnoghen, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), as possessing accounts containing unexplainable funds.
Sowore said this on Wednesday night while featuring at a town-hall meeting tagged ‘TheCandidates’, broadcast live on the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) with the support of MacArthur Foundation.
He made the statement while answering a question on how his administration would tackle corruption, if elected.
He explained that for any anti-corruption war to succeed, it must be fought indiscriminately.
“There must be consequences, you know… for people to know that it is not alright to be corrupt and still get a chieftaincy title,” he said.
“Look at the judiciary. Look, Nigeria has been playing around with crruption for a long time, but you know, as an individual, I have been fighting corruption for the last 12 years with SaharaReporters.
“The Chief Justice of Nigeria who is under trial now, I was the first person on SaharaReporters to put out his account that he has money that he cannot explain. Do you know what happened when I did it? The EFCC issued a statement that I was wrong. Now, when it is politically expedient, he is underoing trial.”
Onnoghen is currently being tried at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) for fraudulent asset declaration, with latest revelation about his bank account detailing a series of dubious payments to the tune of bundreds of thousands of dollars.
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target=_blank>BREAKING: Sowore To Solve Nigeria’s Electricity Problem ‘In Less Than A Year’
Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), says it will take him less than one year to solve the country’s electricity problems.
He stated this when he appeared alongside the AAC vice-presidential candidate, Dr Rabiu Rufai, on The Candidates, a town hall meeting for presidential candidates hosted by Kadaria Ahmed and aired live on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) with the support of the MacArthur Foundation.
Speaking on his plans for the power sector, Sowore said: “If we come in today, we are looking at investing in solar farms that will generate 4,500MW of power. It’ll be 90KW per university, and we’re going to do solar farms across the country for 500MW each. It’ll take less than a year.
“It took Egypt less than two and a half years to generate 14,000MW at N500,000 per megawatt of power. It’s the cheapest in the world. Here we can even do it cheaper because we have plenty of cheap labour; I’m not saying we’re going to abuse labour.
“And it’s the same Siemens who came to Nigeria to do the same thing and people were asking them for bribes that went to RASCOM, a state-owned power generating company in Egypt to do the same. This is public information. We need leadership; we don’t have it. That’s the problem. We need innovation.”
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target=_blank>WATCH LIVE: Sowore, Rufai On #NGTheCandidates
Video of Omoyele Sowore | Dr. Rabiu Rufai #NGtheCandidates Debate #TakeItBack #AACParty #SoworeRufai2019
Omoyele Sowore | Dr. Rabiu Rufai #NGtheCandidates Debate #TakeItBack #AACParty #SoworeRufai2019
LIVE: Sowore, Rufai On #TheCandidates
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target=_blank>LIVE: Q&A With AAC’s Omoyele Sowore, Rabiu Rufai On NTA’s ‘The Candidates’
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target=_blank>Three Arrested For Impersonating INEC Staff
The suspects: From left, Folahan Kaiyewu, Akintunde Ibukun and Azeez Kazeem.
The suspects: From left, Folahan Kaiyewu, Akintunde Ibukun and Azeez Kazeem.
Three persons have been arrested for impersonating officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and recruiting ad hoc staff in Shomolu Local Government Area of Lagos State.
The arrest was made on Wednesday, after a complaint was lodged by Mrs. S.O. Akiwunmi, the INEC Deputy Director in Shomolu LGA.
A statement by Chike Oti, the spokesman of the Lagos Police Command, noted that the suspects have been charged to court.
The statement read: “Following a complaint from the Deputy Director of INEC, Shomolu LGA, Mrs Akinwunmi S.O., on January 22, 2019, that some persons at Shop No. 33, Aluta Plaza, Federal College of Education, Akoka, were impersonating INEC workers and recruiting ad-hoc staff, the state Commissioner of Police, CP Edgal Imohimi, directed the Pedro Police Station DPO to infiltrate the camp of the culprits with his undercover operatives.
“The operatives did as directed, leading to the arrest of the suspects, namely: Kaiyewu Folahan, Akintunde Ibukun and Azeez Kazeem. Exhibits recovered from them included a laptop, 511 INEC Lagos ad hoc recruitment forms, already filled with passport photographs attached.
“Meanwhile, the suspects were today arraigned at the Chief Magistrate’s Court 2, Yaba, for conspiracy, impersonation, forgery, fraudulent act and unlawful possession of INEC materials. They were remanded in prison pending when they would meet their bail conditions.”
The case was adjourned till April 16, 2019.
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target=_blank>GOOD NEWS: Nigeria’s First Automatic Firefighter Simulator Coming To Kaduna
As part of plans to reduce capital flight, the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, Kaduna State, has announced its plans to procure and install automatic firefighter simulator equipment in the college before the end of the year.
Captain Abdulsalami Mohammed, Rector of the College, disclosed this in an interview with journalists on Wednesday in Zaria.
Muhanmed lamented that despite the huge number of firemen in the employment of government at all levels, no organisation had simulator equipment for training and retraining of technical personnel.
He said an automatic fire simulator is currently being built in the United Kingdom to be housed at the college.
He said the country’s firemen are regularly trained in Cameroon, stressing that this has contributed in no small measures to capital flight. He, however, expressed hopes that the new Boeing 737GN simulator to be acquired by the college would be installed this year as all the requirements set to install it have been approved.
He detailed improvements at the school and also noted that the school currently has eight serviceable aircraft with approval from government to acquire 20 diamond aircraft for training.
“We have another simulator that is being installed in Zaria for this year. The simulator is for firemen. It is automatic fire simulator. As you may be aware, we have never had fire simulator in Nigeria in spite of the number of firemen that we have in this country. All these years, we have been sending our firemen to Cameroon for training. So, this administration felt it is more economical for us to have our own simulator here in Nigeria and this decision was taken to house it here because we have the land. The simulator is being built in the United Kingdom.
“As you know, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has gotten firemen in every airport and you can imagine the number of firemen that require training and retraining. We also expect people from the Federal Fire Service to make use of this simulator. We also intend to incorporate some of our cabin crew training into the use of this simulator because you can simulate cabin fire, cabin smoke, lavatory smoke and the likes with this equipment. So, it is very ideal for us to have it here in Zaria.”
On the Boeing 737NG simulator, Abdulsalami confirmed that the equipment would be installed in Zaria. He, however, said delivery of the simulator B737 equipment was delayed because of the change in policy by the government.
He explained: “The contract was for acquisition and installation of Boeing 737GN simulator. So, we looked at our existing facilities if they were adequate to house the simulator, but the simulator manufacturer after seeing the dimension, said the building was inadequate. So, we have to now start the process from scratch; we had to get consultants, get the plan approved by the manufacturer before we could go forward.
“We had to go to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for the contract to be awarded. It was only last year that we got FEC approval for the building. We have awarded the contract and it is our belief that the building would be completed and the simulator would be installed this year. The simulator has been constructed, but it is there waiting for shipment; it is too big to enter a container. So, when they bring it in the counter, they won’t be able to cover it. So, if they bring it in and the building is not ready, it would be exposed to the elements and that is why the manufacturer advised us not to expose it until the building is ready.”
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E2%80%99s-n72bn-fraud-trial-till-further-notice target=_blank>JUST IN: Judge Abandons Orji Kalu’s N7.2bn Fraud Trial Till Further Notice
Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday said the court would await further directives to proceed with the trial of a former Governor of Abia State, Orji Kalu, on charges of N7.2 billion fraud.
Kalu, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), was alleged to have committed the offence between August 2001 and October 2005 when he was in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Kalu together with his former Commissioner for Finance, Ude Udeogo, and a company, Slok Nigeria Ltd., for the alleged offences.
On October 31, 2016, the EFCC preferred 34 charges, bordering on N3.2 billion fraud, against the accused. The charges were, however, amended and increased to 39 counts. Kalu and the others had each pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bail.
Justice Idris, who had been sitting as a trial judge in the criminal charge against Kalu, was elevated to the Court of Appeal, but he continued with the trial, following a fiat authorising him to continue with the trial.
At the last adjourned date on November 12, 2018, Kalu was absent from trial, after being absent on a previous adjourned date of November 5, 2018. Although the defence counsel had informed the court that he was away for medical treatment in Germany, the court had revoked his bail and ordered that at the point of his entry into the country, he must submit himself and all relevant travelling documents to the EFCC, failing which he would be arrested. The court had then adjourned the case until January 23, for the continuation of trial.
On Wednesday, the prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), appearing for the prosecution, informed the court that in spite of its order, the accused had refused to submit himself or his travelling documents to the EFCC.
He argued that such attitude constituted a clear disregard for the court, adding that in the circumstance, he would urge the court to give effect to the provisions of Section 352(4) of the ACJA and continue with the trial of the accused even in his absence.
Jacobs urged the court to order defence to call in its witnesses, failing which the court is allowed by the provisions of the law, to close their case.
Responding, counsel to the accused, Mr. Awa Kalu (SAN), expressed his displeasure with the submissions of the prosecution, noting that such arguments should be put in an affidavit for the defence to reply.
In its reaction, however, the court informed parties that although the case had been adjourned for the continuation of the trial, the fiat issued by the presiding judge of the appellate court expired at the end of November 2018.
He said that on January 10, he had received fresh fiat in respect of some other matters before him, adding that the case in point was not mentioned. Idris said that for this reason, he had strong doubt if he should continue with proceedings, adding that it was important he acted with abundant caution.
“I should not proceed further, otherwise, I will be acting without authority. So, in the circumstance, I am of the view that further proceedings shouldn’t go on until I receive further instructions,” he said.
The court added that as soon as such notice was received, hearing notices would be served on counsel.
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E2%80%99s-memo-nigerians-washington-i-am-con-artist-suck-it-churchill-okonkwo target=_blank>Atiku’s Memo To Nigerians, From Washington: I Am A Con Artist, Suck It-up! By Churchill Okonkwo
Fellow Nigerians, greetings from Washington. After being banned from entering the U.S. for 12 years, I finally made a “triumphant” entry and shamed the “e-rats” and APC trolls. I even slept at the Trump Hotel, where our President, Jubril, the lifeless one can only dream of visiting. While the “e-rats” were making empty noise on social media, my boy, Osita Chidoka, arranged a $1.1 million contract between the PDP and Ballard Partners which was a cover to buy my way to the U.S. You see, I am a con artist that can buy anything with my money, so, suck it up distractors!
While I am busy taking about the important project of how I will get Nigeria working again for my poor friends Bukola Saraki, IBB, Danjuma, David Oyedepo, Obasanjo and co., you, the toothless opposition was talking about stupid and unimportant things like, fighting corruption, Trademoi, and infrastructural development, pensioners, integrity, etc.
By trying to ridicule me after I enriched my friends, who in turn, enriched my wife through the illicit transfer of over 40 million U.S. Dollars while I was the VP, you, the trolls placed your hands on a tipper with a load of sand. But like the con artist tortoise, I have outsmarted everyone in the animal kingdom by going to U.S. Ntoor to all the “e-rats”. Suck it up, guys.
Fellow Nigerians, give me, Atiku, some credit for guts. Apart from Saraki and Bola Tinubu, I am the only Nigerian with an impeccable integrity and track record of not enriching himself while in office. While serving as Obasanjo’s VP, I, Atiku got myself impoverished, privatized government agencies for the poor, built the American University of Nigeria for the poor. Now, I have dangerously poor Nigerians campaigning for my reelection. So, why can’t you trolls suck it up and join the saints and deliver Nigeria to the devil?
If you doubt that I, Atiku, will “get Nigeria working again” for the poor, close your eyes and look at my guinea pig, the American University of Nigeria (AUN). This is an exclusive University for poor Nigerians living below the poverty line. Here, I, Atiku, who was “born poor”, grew up poor until Nigerian government “invested in me” and I became rich, is showing an example of how to reinvest in Nigerian poor. Today, AUN is setting the pace by exclusively attracting the poor and the underprivileged Nigerians. Suck it up Nigerians and stop being jealous.
Fellow Nigerians, fear does not affect the stomach, that’s why it is always in the front. I fear no one. My boys Osita and Ben Bruce were very dependable. Did you not see the pictures from the meeting I had at the White House with Trump and my fellow con artist Bukola Saraki?
After Saraki failed in his presidential bid based on the promise to “grow Nigeria” in Panama and Seychelles, I quickly recruited him to help “get Nigeria working again” by growing our economy like he grew the stomach and bank accounts of Nigerian Senators. Having orchestrated the restoration of openness, accountability, and integrity in the Nigerian Senate, why won’t Nigerians let me and Saraki “get Nigeria working again”?
If you need additional evidence of Saraki’s capability to help “Get Nigeria Working Again”, look no further than Societe Generale Bank. Not only did Saraki transform the bank to the envy of other banks, but he also consolidated its capital, to the extent that it survived several credit crises that led to the collapse of many banks. Now, the bank does not only grant low-interest loans to small businesses without stress, but Societe Generale Bank also offer free services on how to grow the Nigerian economy by investing in offshore safe heavens like Seychelles and Panama.
Fellow Nigerians, a fish that does not swallow other fishes do not grow fat. I, Atiku and Saraki’s economic theory of growing the Nigerian economy is promoting the siphoning of the national wealth by the political class that corruptly enriched themselves. We believe that poor Nigerians like ourselves will grow Nigeria by buying houses abroad. So, suck it up.
Of course, I was thinking of “growing Nigeria and making it work again” for poor Nigerians when I bought my mansion in the U.S. for a chicken change of $1.75 million in 1999. I later sold the mansion for a small change of $2.95 million Dollars when I thought the Americans will never let me in again. It was the millions of Dollars proceed that I used to establish my Dubai base. Ntoor!
What else is expected of cigarette if not smoke? Just before I made my triumphant entry to the US, I expelled a large plume of smoke by revealing that even though I am campaigning as an anti-corruption champion, I do not even understand the meaning of corruption. The stupid “e-rats” were shocked when I said that I will enrich my friends. Poor ignorant fellow.
While the “e-rats” whined, friends who have known me for years laughed. What the “e-rats” refer to as corruption is what we believe in and practice every day. It is what we live for and what we are campaigning to reintroduce to governance in Nigeria. If the “e-rats” believe that enriching my friends is corruption, then, I am corruption and corruption is me. So, suck it up guys, after all, I just returned from the U.S you once dangled in my face as an impossible mission.
Unlike the wise man from the east with a big mouth, Peter Obi, who is quoting statistics, evoking China and boasting of how he won’t enrich his friends, I am bold, telling everyone who cares to listen that I am running for Nigerian President to enrich my friends one more time. Poor Peter Obi does not know that the style and tempo of the game in Abuja is different from the practice he had at Awka. He will be shocked to discover that politicians care about their friends. Fortunately for him and his teeming supporters, Peter has only ONE friend he can enrich, himself.
Fellow Nigerians, tell the “e-rats” to suck it up. Just in case they have not realized, I can promise to sell Aso Rock when I become your President and my brainwashed, sorry, my Atikulated supporters, that hate Jubril with passion will still vote for me. The “e-rats”, especially those in the US, who are outside peeing in would have learned that teaching me, Chief Atiku Abubakar what constitutes corruption is like teaching a primary one pupil the concept of infinity in mathematics.
Finally, fellow Nigerians, as you go to the polls on February 16th, 2019, remember that what I have visited U.S. Remember that I have promised to enrich my gang of poor friends that have robbed and ruined Nigerian like Dopkesi, Doyin Okupe, Saraki, Ben Bruce, Reno, Wike, Tambuwal, Obasanjo, Ekweremadu etc. For this reason, I deserve your votes on February, 16th, 2019.
To my Atikulated fans, I trust that you will not only vote, but that defend your votes for the benefit of my friends. Forget what is written on the vehicle’s body and enter the Atikulated vehicle. Remain Atikulated forever! Together, we can make America Great Again. Sorry, this American thing has entered my head. We will get Nigeria Working Again!
From Washington, with love.
Waziri
You can email Churchill at Churchill.okonkwo@gmail.com or follow on Twitter @churchillnnobi
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Anger In PDP As Leo Ogor Appoints Sister Secretary Of Local Education Authority
Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State have condemned the appointment of Mrs. Margaret Egbabor (nee Ogor Okuweh), immediate elder sister to Leo Ogor, Minority Leader and member representing Isoko Federal onstituency in the House of Representatives, as Secretary of the Local Education Authority (LEA).
According to the PDP leaders and members, the federal lawmaker forced the elder sister on the people. They also lamented that Egbabor has not contributed anything to the party since it came into existence.
SaharaReporters gathered that the appointment was made in December in secrecy to avoid backlash from the public, especially those from the minority in the local government council who had before now lobbied for the position.
Condemning the appointment, a PDP leader in Isoko North and aide to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, who preferred not to be named, said: “There are several qualified people from the minority that can occupy that position. Why turn it to a family affair and empowerment for family members? I can tell you authoritatively that our leaders and elders, as well as members of our party, even the entire local government in general are not happy over the situation.
“The Minority Leader forgot he has election; a very tough one at that. And here he is forcing his immediate elder sister on the people because of selfishness and greed. You have been in the House of Representatives for good 16 years and staging a return for the fifth time and you know people are not happy. Yet, you went ahead forcing your elder sister on the people. This is mere wickedness and we all condemn it.”
A PDP member in the area, who simply identified himself as Ugofure, said: “The appointment was carried out between Leo Ogor and the council chairman, whose elder brother happens to be the husband of the woman that was appointed in December as the LEA secretary. So, we can conveniently say it’s a family affair. There are more qualified fellows across the local government, but the two actors decided to turn the whole thing to a family affair.
“This is the same Minority Leader who grabs all constituency projects and billions of Naira worth of NDDC contracts to himself, his younger brother, Jay Ogor, and cronies. Don’t forget that Leo Ogor is still having issues with the EFCC over corruption-related issues. Leo is an indigene of Ozoro; the current DESOPADEC Commissioner, Oghoore, is Ozoro; the council Chairman is Ozoro, the man currently heading the Public Complaints Commission in the state, Otheremu, is Ozoro too.
“So, you can now see how they don’t have the interest of the minority at heart. These are the same people that will complain bitterly that all appointments carried out by President Muhammadu Buhari are one-sided, and you do same in Isoko North. Is that not greed?”
Another youth leader of the party, who simply identified himself as Uloho, said: “How on earth will Leo Ogor force his immediate elder sister on us as LEA secretary for Isoko North, a position that is supposed to be for the minorities. Many aggrieved party members have decide to join forces with some leaders to support Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, the candidate contesting on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).”
However, Ogor has justified his elder sister’s appointment as the LEA secretary.
Speaking through one of his media assistants, Obaro Itewo, he said: “Is it a taboo for any relative of Right Honourable Leo Ogor to be appointed by Mr. Chairman if he or she is found to be the most qualified? Should he or she be denied a position he or she is deemed to be the most qualified for because her brother is an elected representative?
“Is there any part of the Constitution that states that for an elected officer, all his siblings should be denied appointments when they are so qualified? If you think any section of the Constitution has been breached by her appointment, then go to court.”
At the time of filing this report, party members, especially youth, are said to be making plans to stage a mass protest against the federal lawmaker.
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