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Omegachild's Posts on ECHOnigeria

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Re: 8 Places Where Men Can Get A Wife Material In Nigeria. by Omegachild(f) : 3:27 am On Nov 09

nurses too.

Born again child of GOD. by Omegachild(f) : 6:42 am On Dec 16

As a genuine born again child of God,knowing full well that s*x before marriage is a sin,and you are in a relationship with some one who can wait for marriage and is same faith with you.what will you do?

Marriage is for the matured. by Omegachild(f) : 7:12 am On Dec 16

Most marriages end up in divorce,separation and the likes cos most pipi prepare for the wedding only few prepare for marriage.wedding is one day and marriage is for a life time.the first criteria for marriage is maturity.Maturity bring the best in you.There are different kind of maturity.(1)MATURITY in PREPARATION;marriage is not accidental,you must consciously walk into it by preparing ahead.(2)DOMENSTIC maturity;constantly maintain a good personal and environmental hygiene.{3)Maturity in ASSOCIATION:He that walketh with the wise shall be wise,but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.prov 13:20.

Re: THIS IS FOR THE WISE GIRLS AND FOR THOSE WHO CAN BE ABLE TO DISCERN THE TRUE COLOUR OF ANYTHING by Omegachild(f) : 7:16 am On Dec 16

Yes oooo.you are very correct.

Re: Meet Wife Material Ladies on ECHOnigeria(Ladies Profiles) by Omegachild(f) : 7:36 am On Dec 16

MY name is Edi,from Edo state.Have background in Nursing.my ideal man should be God-fearing,genuinely born again christian, educated,hardworking,loving and caring.

FG lift ban on 41 iterms by Omegachild(f) : 6:02 am On Dec 17

The National Association of Government Approved
Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) on Friday lauded the
Federal Government’s plans to lift foreign exchange
restriction on 41 imported items.
Mr Stanley Ezenga, the National Publicity Secretary
of the association, gave the commendation in an
interview with newsmen in Lagos.
The Federal Government had indicated its readiness
to lift the forex ban it placed on some 41 items in
2015.
Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun, had in the 2017
Fiscal Policy Roadmap, said Federal Government
“will replace administrative measures on list of 41
items with fiscal measures to reduce demand
pressure in the parallel market.
Ezenga said that the plan would boost importation
activities at the nation’s ports.
He said that lifting of ban on the items would not
solve the declining value of the naira, urging
government to come up with a more result-oriented
forex policy.
“The plan by the government to lift foreign exchange
restriction on some 41 imported items is good
news for import.
“We can now have more import activities at the
ports and the various jobs lost to the restriction can
now come back.
“However, the unbanning alone will not solve the
problem of the naira.
“Government should come with a more workable
policy to boost value of the naira,“ Ezenga said.
He said that freight forwarders had lost 50 per cent
jobs to the restriction, hoping that the lifting would
address the situation.

How DSS report made senate to reject Magu. by Omegachild(f) : 6:13 am On Dec 17

The Department of State Services has said
the Acting Chairman of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim
Magu, has failed integrity test, warning that
he will hinder President Muhammadu Buhari’s
anti-corruption war.
The Senate had on Thursday rejected the
nomination of Magu by Buhari as the
Chairman of the EFCC.
The upper chamber of the National Assembly
cited “security reports” as the reason for the
rejection.
The PUNCH, however, sighted a copy of the
“security report” by the DSS in which Magu’s
activities were alleged to have made him
ineligible to hold the office.
The letter, dated October 3, was addressed to
the Clerk of the Senate, in reference to a
letter by the Senate, dated September 21,
2016, asking for Magu’s security check.
The report, which listed several alleged
malpractices against the EFCC boss, said his
confirmation would frustrate the anti-graft
drive of the Buhari-led administration.
Part of the allegations against Magu was his
being in possession of EFCC documents in
his private residence during the chairmanship
of Farida Waziri.
The DSS also made reference to the
circumstances surrounding Magu’s arrest,
detention and suspension by the Nigeria
Police.
The secret service also alleged that the sum
of N40m was paid for the rented apartment,
which costs N20m per annum, where the
acting EFCC chairman currently resides.
It added that the accommodation was not
paid for from the commission’s account but
by a presidential appointee, who had been
under investigation.
The DSS alleged that after renting the
apartment for Magu, the friend awarded a
N43m contract for the furnishing of the
accommodation.
The appointee, who is a retired Air
Commodore, was said to be a close
associate and ally of Magu, allegedly and
“runs questionable business” and was once
arrested by the service.
The report, which cleared the other four EFCC
appointees, said Magu, flew a private jet
owned by the retired military officer.
The service also claimed that the EFCC boss
was once in the same flight to Maiduguri
with a Managing Director of one of the new
generation banks, who it alleged was under
investigation.
It added that the bank chief had been linked
with a former Minister of Petroleum
Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.
The DSS stated that after the arrest of service
chiefs by the EFCC, including Badeh, Umar
and Amosu, Magu’s ally, while under
interrogation by the service, had confessed
that he didn’t want Amosu to be probed, the
reason why the EFCC arraigned Amosu after
his friend’s interrogation.
The acting EFCC boss was also accused in
the report of making false allegations against
individuals “for personal reasons.”
The report said, “The circumstances
surrounding the return of Magu to the EFCC
and the role played by Lamorde and their
close relationship are clear indications of his
culpability in the allegation of corruption
tendencies of the Lamorde-led EFCC.”
The DSS also alleged that “Magu uses only
his police cronies to execute operations,”
adding that the fact that the cronies had
acquired landed properties “led credence to
the questions about his integrity.”
The report added, “In this light, Magu has
failed the integrity test and will eventually
constitute a liability to the anti-corruption
drive of the present administration.”
In rejecting Magu, the upper chamber of the
National Assembly had cited “security
reports” as the reason for the rejection.
The screening had been listed on the Order
Paper as part of the activities at the chamber
for the day.
The lawmakers were to conduct a
confirmatory screening for Magu and four
members of the EFCC on their nomination.
The plan to conduct the confirmatory
screening had allegedly divided the senators.
It was reliably learnt that at the usual pre-
session meeting by the principal officers on
Thursday, which held at the Senate
President’s office, the lawmakers engaged
themselves in a shouting match.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Media
and Public Affairs, Senator Sabi Abdullahi,
before the end of the closed-door session,
announced that the lawmakers had rejected
Magu’s nomination and would not screen
him.
Abdullahi, who read from a statement while
addressing journalists, said, “The Senate of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria wishes to
inform the general public that based on
security reports available to the Senate, the
Senate cannot proceed and confirm the
nomination of Ibrahim Magu as the Executive
Chairman of the EFCC.
“Accordingly, the Senate hereby rejects the
said nomination and has returned the said
nomination to Mr. President for further
action.”
In an attempt by journalists to ask Abdullahi
questions, especially on the reported power
play involving Magu, individuals and the
Presidency and the Senate leadership, the
Senator said, “There’s no confusion here. We
have said it is based on security reports.
Please, all of us – public officers – go for
security screening. Everybody! And we are
saying based on security reports, we cannot
proceed and confirm (Magu) and we are
rejecting it (the nomination) and returning it
to Mr. President for further action. That is
just the statement.’’
The report, it was gathered, had been with
Senate President Bukola Saraki since
October.
Saraki, who presided over the plenary,
referred the other nominees to the Committee
on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes for
screening.
Magu, who was appointed by the President
as acting Chairman of the EFCC in November,
2015, following the removal of Ibrahim
Lamorde, has remained in the acting capacity
for over one year.
Apart from Magu, the confirmation of four
members of the commission was also
delayed.
The affected appointees are Moses Nda Sule,
Mamman Lawan, Imam Najib Galadanchi and
Adebayo Adeleke.
The letter for Magu’s confirmation was dated
June 17, 2016, and signed by the Vice
President Yemi Osinbajo, who was then the
acting President while Buhari was in the
United Kingdom on a 10-day medical
vacation.
Sagay, others accuse lawmakers of fighting
corruption war
Reacting to the rejection of Magu on
Thursday, Sagay berated the Senate for
refusing to confirm the acting EFCC
chairman.
Sagay told The PUNCH during a telephone
interview that the Senate acted for selfish
reasons and not in the general interest of
Nigerians.
He said, “The Senate doesn’t appoint a
chairman of the EFCC; what it does is to
confirm an appointment. If it doesn’t confirm,
then, he will remain acting, he doesn’t
become substantive but the powers of acting
or substantive chairman are the same; it is
just a difference in nomenclature.
“So, any act of bad faith to slow down the
corruption war is misplaced and it won’t
work. It is sad that people will go to that
extent of rejecting what is good for the
country for their selfish reasons because they
think it is not convenient for them. So this is
preference for self-preservation at the
expense of the nation and the people of the
country.”
He asked Nigerians to rise up and join the
fight against corruption and condemn the
action of the Senate.
“They must show that they are interested and
affected by the misery and poverty that have
been caused by looting. They must come out
and fight and join in the struggle; otherwise,
they will wake up one day and realise that
there is no country again.”
Also, human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana
(SAN), believed the Senate had not rejected
Magu officially.
He said, “What the law says is that the
Senate shall confirm an EFCC chairman; not
an executive session, not a committee and
the Senate has not done this.
“So, the Senate has not rejected him and if
you look at what has been done, they are
saying they received a security report for
which reason they are not considering his
nomination.”
Also, a group of lawyers, under the aegis of
the National Association of Democratic
Lawyers, demanded the disclosure of the
nature and content of the “security report”,
which the Senate relied on to reject the
nomination of Magu.
In a statement on Thursday by its President,
Mr. Luke Aghanenu, NADL said it was curious
that the Senate would reject Magu in spite of
the good performance of the EFCC under his
watch as acting chairman.
The group said, “Perhaps it is to save its
face from what obviously seems to be
outright bias that it embarked on this
rejection by invoking unexplained security
reasons.
“As the power to confirm or reject a nominee
for the Chairman of the EFCC is a
constitutional duty, we demand that the
Senate should immediately disclose to
Nigerians what the ‘security report’ on Mr.
Ibrahim Magu, is to justify the announced
rejection of his nomination.
Groups condemn EFCC boss rejection
Also, civil rights groups, in separate
interviews with The PUNCH condemned the
rejection of the EFCC acting chairman by the
Senate.
The President of the Nigeria Voters
Assembly, Mashood Erubami, said there was
a context in which the Senate had been
reluctant to accede to the confirmation of the
EFCC Chairman before the rejection.
He stated, “The context is that corruption is
strongly fighting back albeit vindictively. The
rejection is not only targeted at stepping on
the toes of the executive in its dogged fight
against corruption but also to pull down the
institutions being used and to rubbish the
President’s efforts to strongly put up a good
fight against unethical practices.
“Indeed, the direction in which the legislators
are going to either end the fight against
corruption or crush its fighting legs is well
known to Nigerians but it will be left to
Nigerians to rise to bail themselves from the
menacing acts of their tormentors.”
A member of the House of Representatives in
the Second Republic, Dr. Junaid Mohammed,
described the Senate’s rejection of the
nomination of Magu as a blow to
democracy.
Mohammed said, “I find the whole
development rather curious. I do not accept
that in a democracy, the legislature should
presume and deliberately delay the
confirmation of such an important position in
the government, and now, belatedly, advance
some funny reasons such as adverse security
report.
“My suspicion is that some members of the
cabal around the President and their friends
in the Senate, who are determined to make
sure that Magu does not get confirmed, are
responsible for this situation.
“Secondly, since Magu has served in this
capacity for six months and has not been
found wanting, the normal routine is to
confirm his appointment. The government of
the day, in conjunction with Senators, has
refused to confirm him. I feel this is a blow
to democracy.”
The President, Campaign for Democracy,
Bako Usman, said the lawmakers might have
rejected Magu for being too close to the
Presidency.
“The irony behind the tragedy of not
confirming (Magu) may not be far away from
the fact that Magu has been seen by the
majority, not just the Senate, as being
selective in his quest for bringing citizens to
justice.
“The romance that exists between Magu and
the Presidency is glaring, the National
assembly will rather want a different person
in that position,” he added.
But a lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, said the
action of the Senate re-asserted the
independence of the legislative arm of
government.
He stated, “It is wrong to build our
institutions, especially the anti -corruption
agencies, around individuals. We should
strengthen the institutions rather than the
individuals.
“In this regard, the rejection of Mr. Magu
should have no impact on the work of the
EFCC, ordinarily. In a country of about 180
million people, the President should shop for
a replacement that can perform the job as
much or even better than Mr. Magu.”
Magu will not be removed –PACAC boss
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Presidential
Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof.
Itse Sagay, has said Magu will not be
replaced by any other person.
Sagay, who stated this in the current edition
of The Interview, said Magu’s appointment
would be renewed whether he was confirmed
or not.
In the interview conducted by The Interview
before Magu’s rejection on Thursday, Sagay
said, “Corruption is fighting back. The people
who are supposed to confirm him, many of
them are under investigation and, somehow,
they think if they don’t confirm him, the
investigation will gradually fade away,
forgetting that an acting chairman is a
chairman. There is no difference in powers.
He is going to be there.
“Whether they like it or not, he will be there.
His chairmanship will keep on being
renewed.
“Since Nuhu Ribadu left, we have not had a
man with such sterling qualities as Ibrahim
Magu, and whether they like it or not, Magu is
going to be there until he completes all the
terms he is supposed to under the law.”

CBN looking into digital currency in Nigeria. by Omegachild(f) : 7:11 am On Dec 17

As the popular ponzi scheme, Mavrodi Mudial Moneybox, MMM, has seemed to induct many Nigerians into its fold,  Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim, the Managing Director, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Commission (NDIC), on Friday said the commission and CBN had set up a committee to look into the trending “digital currency, ‘bitcoin’. Ibrahim said this at the ongoing 2016 Workshop for Financial Correspondents in Kaduna. The theme of the workshop is ” Economic Recession and the Nigerians Banking Sector: Opportunities,Challenges and the way Forward”. Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele “On our part, we have constituted a committee together with the central bank to have an in debt study of this phenomenal bitcoin. “We will look at it’s advantages and disadvantages, what it means for the payment system and what it means for safety and security of customers. “We will also look at what it means for money laundering, anti curruption, crime and measurement of money /near money instrument for the economy. “But we need a lot of education to do this and I’m calling on you (media) to educate yourselves about all of this so you can educate the public,” he said. Ibrahim said ‘bitcoin’ included what is being called block chain technology based products in the market. He said that a lot of Nigerians had already started patronising bitcoin, stressing that ‘it had started to creep in and nobody could stop it. He said that in Europe and the United States, it had gained currency and some of the leading banks in Europe had also adopted their own versions of bitcoins. “Some of the central banks have also adopted it and are seriously doing everything possible to bring in the emergence of this invisible products. “The owners do not need any central bank; they do not need any physical bank. “If you are a subscriber, you only know yourselves and they give you a bit of the bitcoin and in some countries you can convert it to cash. “You can make payments with it because it has been recognised and one of the famous ex-chief executive of Barclays PLC, Antony Jenkins, have joined the groups board of directors,”Ibrahim said. He explained that the financial service industry is not spared in all of this. On the issue of “MMM”, he said it had been pronounced that it was not recognised and was illegal. “It is a very serious matter and all hands must be on deck to educate the public against things like this. On the current problems regarding the emergence of wonder banks, Ibrahim said NDIC would not relent in calling on Nigerians, educating and sensitising Nigerians on the dangers of patronising wonder banks. He urged the media to help and continue to educate the public not to in anyway patronise institutions that were not licenced by the Central Bank or insured by the NDIC. On financial inclusion, he said although the success recorded was not much but there had been improvement in the area of financial inclusion in the country. “The successes recorded is not much, but it is a good start given the prevailing number if Nigerians excluded financially, “I think if you check the statistics that has been rolled out you will appreciate that we have recorded tremendous successes in the last three years. “This is since the introduction of cashless policy and mobile banking to the extent that more Nigerians are getting involved. “But we have a very long way to go and it is your responsibility, as journalists, to continue to help educate Nigerians on the advantages of not keeping their money under their pillows and matrasses or in some cases in soak aways and ceilings. “We know that people fear electronic fraud, but I can assure you that CBN and the banking community are doing everything possible to block all loop holes associated with mobile banking. “And the advantages far out ways the disadvantages,” he said.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/12/mmm-ndiccbn-looking-digital-currency-official/

CBN looking into digital currency in Nigeria. by Omegachild(f) : 7:11 am On Dec 17

As the popular ponzi scheme, Mavrodi Mudial Moneybox, MMM, has seemed to induct many Nigerians into its fold,  Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim, the Managing Director, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Commission (NDIC), on Friday said the commission and CBN had set up a committee to look into the trending “digital currency, ‘bitcoin’. Ibrahim said this at the ongoing 2016 Workshop for Financial Correspondents in Kaduna. The theme of the workshop is ” Economic Recession and the Nigerians Banking Sector: Opportunities,Challenges and the way Forward”. Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele “On our part, we have constituted a committee together with the central bank to have an in debt study of this phenomenal bitcoin. “We will look at it’s advantages and disadvantages, what it means for the payment system and what it means for safety and security of customers. “We will also look at what it means for money laundering, anti curruption, crime and measurement of money /near money instrument for the economy. “But we need a lot of education to do this and I’m calling on you (media) to educate yourselves about all of this so you can educate the public,” he said. Ibrahim said ‘bitcoin’ included what is being called block chain technology based products in the market. He said that a lot of Nigerians had already started patronising bitcoin, stressing that ‘it had started to creep in and nobody could stop it. He said that in Europe and the United States, it had gained currency and some of the leading banks in Europe had also adopted their own versions of bitcoins. “Some of the central banks have also adopted it and are seriously doing everything possible to bring in the emergence of this invisible products. “The owners do not need any central bank; they do not need any physical bank. “If you are a subscriber, you only know yourselves and they give you a bit of the bitcoin and in some countries you can convert it to cash. “You can make payments with it because it has been recognised and one of the famous ex-chief executive of Barclays PLC, Antony Jenkins, have joined the groups board of directors,”Ibrahim said. He explained that the financial service industry is not spared in all of this. On the issue of “MMM”, he said it had been pronounced that it was not recognised and was illegal. “It is a very serious matter and all hands must be on deck to educate the public against things like this. On the current problems regarding the emergence of wonder banks, Ibrahim said NDIC would not relent in calling on Nigerians, educating and sensitising Nigerians on the dangers of patronising wonder banks. He urged the media to help and continue to educate the public not to in anyway patronise institutions that were not licenced by the Central Bank or insured by the NDIC. On financial inclusion, he said although the success recorded was not much but there had been improvement in the area of financial inclusion in the country. “The successes recorded is not much, but it is a good start given the prevailing number if Nigerians excluded financially, “I think if you check the statistics that has been rolled out you will appreciate that we have recorded tremendous successes in the last three years. “This is since the introduction of cashless policy and mobile banking to the extent that more Nigerians are getting involved. “But we have a very long way to go and it is your responsibility, as journalists, to continue to help educate Nigerians on the advantages of not keeping their money under their pillows and matrasses or in some cases in soak aways and ceilings. “We know that people fear electronic fraud, but I can assure you that CBN and the banking community are doing everything possible to block all loop holes associated with mobile banking. “And the advantages far out ways the disadvantages,” he said.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/12/mmm-ndiccbn-looking-digital-currency-official/

MMM didnt crash. by Omegachild(f) : 7:24 pm On Dec 17

As anxieties continue to mount over the
suspension of the popular Mavrodi Mundial
Moneybox, MMM, by its administrators;
promoters, consultants and subscribers have
assured both the participants and prospective
participants that there is no better time to
make more money than now.
Some of those who spoke to Saturday
Vanguard maintained that the fear of the
scheme crashing was misplaced, adding that
other activities such as pledging to get help
and registering for providing help were
ongoing.
An unofficial consultant, analyst and participant
in the scheme, Osa Amadi said despite the
misconception of the suspension, it is the best
time time to make money as all it is required
is to pledge to give help of a certain amount
of money while the money remains in the
pocket pending the lifting of the suspension
and maturity date.
According to him, “the fear of MMM crashing
is misplaced. I know a lot of people were
stampeded into withdrawing their money from
the scheme, just like it happens in the
conventional banks when there are rumors of
distress and people begin to lose confidence.
So, the MMM administrators got wind of that
fears and moved to stem the impending
catastrophe. So, they stopped withdrawal, while
all other activities of the scheme are still going
on such as the Mavrod growth. As at today,
December 15, 2016, people are still getting
orders to be matched with participants. By
January, the scheme will open up fully and
people will start receiving money again. There
is no better time to make money in MMM than
now.
He explained that: “if you offer to provide help,
nobody will receive your money now based on
the suspension of withdrawal. Your money will
stay in your pocket for 30 days which is
incidentally the maturity period in MMM. So,
while your money is still in your pocket, it has
matured for interest. The day you will be
paying, the following day you will be
collecting. Unlike before your money will have
to be in the system for three weeks or more
before you withdraw. It is a rare opportunity
and experienced brokers like me will know that
there is no better time to make money than
now.”
The problem was caused by the panic and
remember that people are going on holidays,
so everybody wanted their money for the
Yuletide, and there was this mass withdrawal
and the administrators had to stop the trend.
He maintained that some top members of the
scheme who are called Guiders have been
directed to pump money into the scheme in
order to respond promptly to any shortfall in
withdrawal request so as to keep the scheme
going. “The Guiders are the leaders in MMM
and they have received matching orders to
move fund into the scheme. They are the
highly rich participants in MMM. So, with this
order, there will be excess fund to pay people
in January.
A participant in the scheme, who does not
want his name in print said: “Don’t panic, it’s
all for good. Recently, MMM started a promo
called holiday bonus in which they were giving
20% extra on top of the 30%. They instructed
that the bonus would only go for new money
not money that is already in the system. But
participants as stubborn as they are wanted to
withdraw money from the system and reinvest
it to get the holiday bonus. If this was allowed,
the withdrawal level will rise so high that it will
surpass the donation level and finally crash the
system. The bonus was meant for new money
not old money in the MMM system already.
“Remember, PH still continues only that
people will be matched by January. Their
Mavro will be growing but it won’t be matched
till January when GH starts. If this measure
wasn’t taken, MMM would have crashed last
week. So, as the case is now, money will keep
growing till January. Please don’t panic, MMM
did this to ensure that the system is sustained
and that it doesn’t crash.
A promoter known in the scheme as a Guider,
who is believed to have benefited immensely
from the scheme rationalised the move on the
social media saying that it was meant to
strengthen the scheme for continuity.
“I want to say that this new message that
seems to be causing panic out there in the
hearts of all MMM participants, does not say
that nobody will be able to Get Help, GH until
January, instead the message is saying that
you will not be able to GH until after 30days
that you actually made the payment of your PH
and the recipient confirms. Meaning that your
money must actually spend minimum of
30days outside. So, for example, if you are
Providing Help PH of 100K on 5th November,
and you are matched to pay on 10th
November, assuming that you made the
payment but the recipient does not confirm
your order until 15th November when he finally
confirms receipt of your payment, from that
instant (15th November), your Mavros will
change status to “confirmed” ( irrespective of
colour Blue or Green ), so you will only be
able to request for help (GH) on that particular
100k + 30% growth as from 15th December. It
is not that you can’t GH before January.

Crude oil discovered in Borno state by Omegachild(f) : 8:58 pm On Dec 17

ABUJA— After several months of exploration
activities, Borno State has joined the league of
oil-producing states in Nigeria, as the Federal
Government, yesterday, said crude oil had been
discovered in the state.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of
Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Jamila Shua’ra,
disclosed this during the agreement signing
ceremony for joint venture, JV, cash call exit
and presentation of the petroleum sector score
card in Abuja.
Shua’ra, however, failed to state the particular
area in Borno State where oil was discovered
and if the discovery was in commercial
quantity.
She attributed the discovery of oil in Borno and
Lagos states to the doggedness of the present
administration.
In the scorecard presented to stakeholders, the
ministry also noted that the introduction of
Price Modulation Mechanism and Appropriate
Pricing Framework had helped the Federal
Government to save N1.4 trillion that would
have been expended on subsidy payment
between May and November.
Also, the ministry announced that the
Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR,
would in 2017 conduct bid rounds for open
blocks and conclude the previously aborted
marginal fields bid round to enhance the entry
of new players, stimulate competition and
generate revenue for the government.
Osinbajo
Osinbajo on gains of subsidy removal
Commenting on the scorecard, Vice President
Yemi Osinbajo disclosed that the elimination of
petroleum subsidy had removed a huge
financial burden from the Federal Government.
According to him, the Federal Government had
commenced moves to raise the country’s
domestic refining capacity for petroleum
products by repairing the existing refineries,
licensing modular refineries and supporting the
development of private-led refineries.
He said: “Recently, the Federal Executive
Council approved new measures and strategies
aimed at eliminating the burden of joint
venture cash calls arrears and easing future
payments in the upstream sector. The
measures will boost additional investments
and raise daily production levels to about 2.8
million barrels per day, mbpd.”
Speaking in the same vein, Minister of State
for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu,
stated that prior to the removal of fuel subsidy,
the country was losing over N1.2 trillion
annually, while the issue of fuel scarcity was
rampant.
According to him, the elimination had led to a
situation where refined petroleum consumption
had gone down from an all-time high of 40
million litres a day to about 28 million litres a
day.
Commenting on the JV cash call exit,
Kachikwu expressed optimism that the
arrangement would bring about a flurry of
investments in the oil and gas industry, while it
would also ensure that projects that were
earlier abandoned by international oil
companies were revived.
The companies involved in the new cash call
funding model are Shell, Nigerian Agip Oil
Company, Chevron, Total and ExxonMobil.
Kachikwu challenged the oil companies to put
their money where their mouth is and increase
their investments in the country.
Also speaking, Group Managing Director of the
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation,
NNPC, Mr. Maikanti Baru, disclosed that the
cash call exit arrangement would help address
the longstanding issues of unpaid cash call
arrears, underfunding of the joint venture and
the burden of monthly cash call payments by
the Federal Government.

Nigerian army went on rampage over nor payment of allowances by Omegachild(f) : 9:08 pm On Dec 17

The 21 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Borno
witnessed a complete breakdown of order and
discipline yesterday as soldiers attached to the
brigade to fight Boko Haram in the North East
went on the rampage over unpaid allowances
running into hundreds of thousands of naira, and
bad treatment by their commanders.
It was gathered that the troops turned against
their officers and started firing gunshots in all
directions threatening to kill any officer who
dared them.
Military Sources confirmed to Saturday Vanguard
that troops of 21 Brigade of the Nigerian Army
who have been in the fore-front of the assault on
the dreaded Sambisa Forest in Borno State
complained of maltreatment after making so
much sacrifice amidst tough conditions that
seemed unappreciated despite several
assurances from commanders that outstanding
allowances will be paid.
However, when the money was eventually said to
have been released, the soldiers discovered that
they were short changed by the army authorities.
For instance, those who were owed between
N300, 000 and N250, 000 after several months
were being paid between N80, 000 and N100,
000 which they felt was unjustifiable after what
they had gone through in the war on terror.
According to the military source,”The brigade is
based in Bama but is currently deployed at Bula
Bello in Sambisa for Operation Rescue Final. But
suddenly soldiers started going on the rampage
at about 6am today, (yesterday) firing in all
directions and threatening to pull out of the
operation.
“As some of them fired gunshots, some started
preparing vehicles to move out of location. They
also warned officers to steer clear or they would
be shot dead. They are saying their commanders
have been treating them badly and telling them
lies. As I speak to you, the firing is still going on,
and there is confusion everywhere.”
The Nigerian Army is yet to issue a statement on
the incident while its spokesman, Brigadier
General Sani Usman did not respond to calls
made to him.
It will be recalled that the army had experienced
repeated cases of mutiny by Nigerian soldiers
since the war against Boko Haram began, while
the Army has tried over 100 soldiers for the
offence.
In May 2014 troops of 7 Division, who were angry
by the circumstances leading to the death of 12
of their colleagues in a Boko Haram ambush,
opened fire on the vehicle of their General Officer
Commanding (GOC), Major General Ahmad
Mohammed. The soldiers were later arrested,
tried and jailed.

Navy troops arrive Boron by Omegachild(f) : 9:12 pm On Dec 17

The Nigerian Military said on Wednesday that
it deployed Naval troops to Borno as part of
its renewed efforts to end the Boko Haram
terrorism in the North-East.
The Theater Commander of the Operation
Lafiya Dole, Maj.-Gen. Lucky Irabor, told
newsmen in Maiduguri that the troop were
inducted into the theater as the Maritime
Component to strengthen its operation.
“The advance party for the Maritime
Component of Operation Lafiya Dole has been
inducted into the theater on Sept. 8.
“They will be deployed at Naval Outpost in
Baga and will later operate around the fringes
of Nigerian side of the Lake Chad.
“However, they are now temporarily
accommodated at the Federal College of Fresh
Water and Fishery Technology in Baga,
awaiting arrival of the main body and other
logistics.
“Currently, they are conducting patrols in
conjunction with troops of Multi National Joint
Task Force in Baga,” he said.
The commander said that the troops of the
theater recorded tremendous successes in the
clearance of Boko Haram remnants under its
“Operation KARYA GWIWA’’.
“On Oct. 28, our troops commenced clearing
operations on two axis to clear and destroy
insurgents along Golgore, Doksa, Ajigin and
environs.
“The troops located a terrorist’s camp and on
sighting the team, they fled the camp
abandoning seven motorcycles, five bicycles, a
desert camouflage and a large quantity of
drugs.
“All the recovered items were destroyed and
during the operations, 37 terrorists were killed
while two officers and five soldiers were
wounded and a member of the vigilante died,
during the offensive operation.
“On Oct. 29, our troops continued their
advance and later came under Boko Haram
ambush at Ugundiri, where five soldiers
sustained gunshot wounds.
“Two anti-aircraft guns were recovered from the
terrorists and a gun truck was destroyed,” he
said. (NAN)

Woman steals 4 years old boy to deceive boyfriend into marriage. by Omegachild(f) : 9:26 pm On Dec 17

She was arrested by operative of the Inspector
General of Police Special Intelligence Response
Team, IRT, for kidnapping the boy at Masaka
area of Nassarawa State.
Vanguard gathered that the suspect, who is a
native of Kagoma in Kaduna State and a mother
of three, was said to have kidnapped the boy
(names withheld) last Monday, after telling his
mother that she wanted to buy clothes for the
boy.
Patience Benedict
The suspect had two boyfriends: one in Masaka,
Nassarawa State, and the other at Kubwa, Abuja,
where he took the stolen boy.
Police sources disclosed that Okpe’s mother was
thrown into confusion when her son did not return
while Patience, who took him away, refused to
pick her calls.
The boy’s mother reported to the police in
Nassarawa State and when they could not make
head way, the case was transferred to IRT.
The IRT operatives trailed Patience to Kubwa area
of Abuja through her mobile phone, apprehended
her in the home of her boyfriend and rescued
Okpe.
Confession
During interrogation, the suspect said she had no
intention of kidnapping the boy, who she just
wanted to use to f00l her boyfriend, who she
claimed refused to marry her.
According to her, “I have no intention to kidnap
that boy, but only wanted to use him to get back
my boyfriend’s attention because he abandoned
me since 2014 when I had a child for him.
“I was formerly married to a man in my home
town, who I had two children for. But I divorced
him because he was always beating me when he
is drunk.
“I came to Abuja and I had two boyfriends. One
was at Masaka, Nassarawa State, and the other
was at Kubwa, Abuja. I became pregnant and
gave birth to a baby girl for my boyfriend in
Kubwa, known as Itortim Iorhemen.
“But he did not know when I put to bed. Two
months ago, I called and told him that I had a
male child for him and he was eager to see his
son. He even promised to marry me if could
bring him his son.”
The ‘kidnapping’
She said it was then that she went to the house
of the other boyfriend in Masaka, where she saw
the small boy in the compound.
According to her, “I told his mother that I have a
sister, who has a child of same age and that I
want to buy him clothes for Christmas so I would
use his (victim’s) measurement to buy the
clothes.
“After much persuasion, the woman allowed me
go with her child and I took him to my boyfriend,
who was very happy. We even took group
photographs and I fed the boy very well. But
three days into our stay, the police showed up
and arrested me.”

Senators protest removal of Kano by Omegachild(f) : 11:43 pm On Dec 17

It will be recalled that the Senate, while
passing the Bill for an Act to establish North-
East Development Commission and other
related matters, had included the two states as
beneficiaries of the commission because they
had also been negatively affected by the
activities of Boko Haram insurgents.
The removal of the two states was contained
in the Conference Report presented by the
Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume.
SENATE CHAMBER
Protesting the removal of Kano and Plateau
states, Senator Kabiru Gaya (APC, Kano South)
contended that the Senate had earlier agreed to
include the states, and asked why they should
be dropped.
Also, Senator Kabiru Marafa (APC Zamfara),
insisted that the recommendation be thrown
away, arguing that the two states were
affected by the activities of Boko Haram and
should be included in the commission.
Senate Leader, Ndume, who explained why the
two states were removed, said the
commission was to coordinate the
development and reconstruction of the area.
President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, who
appealed to his colleagues to accept the
report, said the important thing was
commitment to the development of the area.

How we killed pregnant woman, six Fulani herdsmen in Abuja by Omegachild(f) : 11:53 pm On Dec 17

A couple of months ago, eight armed men
raided, Supper Cell Estate, an upscale
residential estate located in Apo area of the
Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja,
unleashing terror on its residents, killing two
persons, including a pregnant woman. Two
other victims sustained life threatening
injuries. Among those injured, was the
husband of the pregnant woman who lost his
two legs during the robbery operation, with a
middle-aged woman, Glory Uzoh, who
relocated recently to Abuja, from Lagos State.
The robbers shot at her twice; one in her
abdomen and the other, on her arm. Uzoh,
could not have been luckier as the bullet which
penetrated her abdomen, also damaged her
intestine, before pulling out from her back.
Saturday Vanguard gathered that the gang
behind this carnage was led by a notorious
armed robber, Denis Avaugwa, a native of
Kastina Ala in Benue State. The 24-year-old
who was said to have been arrested twice for
armed robbery and was remanded at the Kuje
Prison in Abuja, formed a new gang in 2014
after he regained his freedom.
The robbers, armed with three AK47 rifles and
four locally made revolver rifles, were said to
have carried out several high profile armed
robberies around residential estates in Abuja,
where they carted away huge sums of money,
exotic cars, jewelries, laptops and mobile
phones. They were said to have gruesomely
murdered six Fulani herdsmen who they met in
a bush while escaping from a robbery scene in
Lugbe area of Abuja. It was gathered that the
gang, after raiding some apartments in Gold
City Estate, Luge, escaped through Pyakasa.
The robbers, on sighting the herdsmen
sleeping by the road side, they opened fire on
them and killed all of them on the spot. It was
learnt further that the gang leader, Ava, as was
fondly called by his colleagues, ordered the
killing of the herdsmen in retaliation for their
activities in his state.
But after the November 2015 carnage,
Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase,
deployed his elite operatives, from the Special
Intelligence Response Team, IRT, to track
down the bandits and bring them to book.
Sources disclosed that after gathering sufficient
intelligence, the IRT operatives, led by CSP
Abba Kyari stormed Nassarawa, Plateau and
Bauchi States in search of these bandits and
those who had links with them.
Eight suspects, including the gang’s financier
and also their arms supplier, were identified as
Ibrahim Suleiman, a.k.a, Scorpion, Jonson
Aikko, a.k.a, Stigma, Pius Gabriel, a.k.a
Double Spirit, Rabo Yakubu (arms supplier),
Oladimeji Ikotun, (stolen goods, vehicle
receiver and financier) Umaru Nda, Matthew
Ofe and Nicodemos Shittu and were all
rounded up by the IRT operatives. While Ava
and Ogbona Chidubem, a.k.a, Oyibo were
equally arrested by men of the Special Anti-
Robbery Squad, SARS, attached to the FCT
Police Command.
A few days ago, Saturday Vanguard had a chat
with these suspects, except Ava and Chidubem
as they weren’t available as at the time this
interview was conducted. Stigma who told
Saturday Vanguard that he was the third in
command after Ava and Nautica who is yet to
be arrested, narrated how the gang was
formed, their robbery exploits and how they
grew into a dreaded gang robbers using AK 47
rifles.
“How I joined the robbery gang”
Stigma said; “I am Jonson Aikko, but my
friends call me Stigma. I am 30-years old from
Benue State. I had only primary education and
I am a bricklayer. I came to Abuja in 2009 and
I was staying at Gwagalada area of Abuja and I
was doing my job there. But my story changed
in 2014 when I became friends with two boys
from my State, Ava and Nautical. I met these
boys on the same day in a bar in Masaka,
Nassarawa State. They bought me drinks and
we became friends. I told them that I was a
bricklayer and they told me that I was strong
and I could make good money if I joined their
own business which I later discovered was
armed robbery.
I was given N4000 and a cell phone in my
first operation
“I accepted gleefully because of the way I saw
them spending money. They took me to their
first operation on the highway in Abuja and we
snatched bags from people and I got N4000
and a smart phone as my share of the loot. I
didn’t know how much was made from that
operation. Since I was new, I accepted what I
got. We also did some small robberies within
Abuja and Nassarawa State and after each
successful operation, Ava and Nautical usually
travelled back to Benue State, where they have
farms. I think they were investing more of their
loot in farming. But because we were using
locally made revolver rifles, we found it difficult
executing big operations in Abuja.”
From locally made revolver rifles to automatic
AK 47 riles
“In 2015, after the general elections, luckily,
one of Ava’s friends who was used as a
political thug, came to Abuja with two Ak 47
rifles which were given to politicians during the
elections. He told us that they wanted to join
our gang and he would like to work with us.
Because he was new in Abuja, Ava and Nautica
accepted and took the rifles from him, but one
week after then, they told him that some
farmers had found the rifles where they were
buried in the bush and they have handed them
over to the police. They also told the guy that
they were going to run way from Abuja because
the police were going to come after them.
“The guy reluctantly left Abuja and later went
back to Benue State. Ava and Nautica joined
him in the village so as to make him believe
their story. They came back to Abuja after two
weeks and called me. Nautical said that now
they were ready for big business, but they
needed ammunition. Ava contacted a prison
official he met during his stay at Kuje Prisons
and the official linked him to a mobile police
officer who started selling ammunition to us.
They sold a round of the live ammunition to us
for N400 each and we bought over 150 rounds
for our first operation.”
How we stole 12 cars from Gold City Estate
Abuja
“That operation was coordinated by Nautica.
He was the one who picked the targets which
were first at Gold City Estate, upscale
residential estate in Lugbe area of Abuja and
he also brought in five other guys increasing
our number to eight. On the night of operation,
we stormed the estate in a taxi and we scaled
the fence and held the security men hostage
and we started breaking into people’s houses.
The first things we looked out for were keys of
exotic cars parked within the estate. Four of
the guys Nautica brought would drive the
vehicles out of the estate to our waiting buyers
in Masaka and once they arrived, trackers on
the vehicles would be removed and the
vehicles would be taken to Jos and other parts
of the country.
“The moment the vehicles left we then started
ransacking their houses in search of money,
jewelries and other valuables. We would only
leave when we heard that the police were
approaching and we would then escape
through the bush in Lugbe.
We murdered the herdsmen in their sleep
“We robbed that estate for three consecutive
times using the same pattern and on each
operation we normally left with four of their
cars, but in our last operation, while we were
escaping through the bushes, in Lugbe, we
saw about six Fulani herdsmen sleeping and as
we approached them, Ava ordered we should
kill them all because they were the ones killing
our people in their farms in Benue State. I was
carrying one of the locally made rifles and we
rained bullets on them in their sleep, killing all
of them.
“I felt no regret killing those people, because
they were also very ruthless. After that
operation, I traveled home, but in November of
last year, Nautica called us and said he has
information that there was money in some
houses in the Estate in Apo Abuja. We all met
in a bar, off Airport Road and when it was
almost time, we boarded a taxi that took us to
Super Cell Estate, in Inumba District, Apo, and
when we got into the estate, we split ourselves
into two groups.
“I watched helplessly as Ava murdered a
pregnant woman in front of her husband.
Nautica led a group while Ava and I were in
the second group. That night I didn’t know
what came over Ava, it was as if he was high
on drugs. The first apartment we entered, we
met pregnant woman and we demanded for
money. She was overwhelmed by fear and we
did not know what she was doing and Ava
screamed at her and she brought out N150,
000 in N500 denomination and handed over to
me, but before I knew what was happening Ava
opened fire on the woman and shot her in her
private part. I was stunned. He also shot the
woman’s husband before we went into the next
apartment.”
The second apartment
“The owner, refused to open her doors and Ava
rained bullets on it to force it open but the
door refused. We then went through the kitchen
and opened the door, and went in search of
residents of the apartment. Ava was so angry
when he saw the woman. He demanded for
money and the woman gave him just N4000.
This got him even angrier and he grabbed two
of the woman’s children and threatened to kill
them and they knelt and begged him. At that
point, I said to him and held him that it was
okay that we should leave and he said that he
wanted to kill the woman. I told him in our
language that we have collected some
jewelries and that the woman may not have
money in the house and that people don’t
usually keep money in their houses anymore.
“He then turned around and ordered all of us
out of the house and said that if we refused, he
was going to kill us. I obeyed him because I
knew he could make good his threat because
of his powerful charms. As I stepped out, I
heard rounds of gun fire and I thought Ava may
have killed the woman because she gave him
N4000. I also heard gun shots from the other
apartments Nautica was robbing and I also felt
that they might have killed some of the
residents who didn’t obey their orders
immediately. When we left the estate, I was
filled with guilt for taking part in such carnage.
I sold our AK 47 rifles to a community leader
in Jos.
“Few days after that operation, news came in
that Ava and Ogbona Chidubem have been
arrested, then I sensed trouble. The Ak 47
rifles were in my possession, I quickly took
two of them to Jos, plateau and sold them to
a community leader who said he needed them
to protect their community. I met the
community leader through somebody
introduced to me by one Ola, who received
some of our stolen cars. I sold the rifles to the
community leader for N600, 000 and I also
bought 50 live ammunition from one Rabo who
was supplying arms and ammunition to people
in Jos. I didn’t know how the police knew
where I was, they stormed my house and
apprehended me”.
Rabo’s Confessions
Meanwhile, when Saturday Vanguard spoke
with Rabo Yakubu, a native of Bauchi State, he
denied being an arms dealer, stating that he
got the arms he sold to Stigma during a Boko
Haram raid in his State. He narrated that some
Boko Haram insurgents attacked his home
town in February 2015 and while they were
being repelled by the military and local group,
he stumbled on a bag containing ammunition.
“I had the ammunition with me for a long
time and I didn’t know what to do with them
and when Small called to say that he had
someone who wanted to buy ammunition, I
took it to him and sold it at N300 per one. I
didn’t know that he was an armed robber. I
thought he was going to use them to protect
his farm,” he stated.

UK adopts new visa application process for Nigerians by Omegachild(f) : 12:02 am On Dec 18

The UK Embassy in Nigeria has adopted a new
visa application process, the British High
Commission said yesterday, in a statement.
The spokesperson of the commission, Joe
Abuku, described the new process as a slight
change in which “Visa staff now only need
electronic versions of support documents.”
The new process, which takes effect from
December 5 for customers applying for a UK
visa in Lagos, Victoria Island and Ikeja, would
bring applicants benefits from digital
improvements to the UK visa application
process.
“TLSContact (responsible for UK Visa
Application Centres in Nigeria) will scan your
supporting documents whilst you’re at the visa
application centre, and then return your original
documents to you,” the statement said.
“They will then send these (electronic)
documents to UKVI, with your passport and
application form, and visa officers will consider
your application in the usual way.”
In order to avoid delays in the visa application
centre, the Commission requested applicants
to ensure they complied with requirement to
provide all documents in A4 size, while any
other documents smaller or larger than A4
should be photocopied onto A4 sized paper.
While advising all customers to remove any
clips or pins from documents before
submitting their application, the Commission
warned that any torn, crumpled or heavily
creased documents, which is difficult to
photocopy, should be photocopied onto A4
sized paper before submitted, as they can’t be
scanned in this condition.

Mavrodi, MMM founder writes FG; lists benefits by Omegachild(f) : 12:08 am On Dec 18

Ponzi scheme company (MMM) Founder,
Sergey Mavrodi has allegedly written an open
letter to the Federal Government of Nigeria
explaining the benefits of the scheme.
According to www.nan.ng the letter was
displayed on the page of all participants of the
Scheme.
Recall the the Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC) and the Central Bank of
Nigeria (CBN) had warned Nigerians against
participating in the scheme which it described
as a “Ponzi”.
The House of Representatives in October also
ordered an investigation into the operation of
the scheme.
According to the letter, Mr Mavrodi implored
the government to look at the benefits of the
scheme rather than be against it without
knowing how it was helping Nigerians.
He insisted that if the government was really
interested in the welfare of the Nigerian
participant, then the scheme should be left
alone arguing that MMM was helping the over
3 million Nigerian participants.
Sergey Mavrodi of inventor MMM
Read below the full script of the letter as
obtained by our correspondent from the
Dashboard of one of the participants.
Open Letter from Sergey Mavrodi to the
Nigerian Authorities
Honorable authorities,
So far MMM has come under a constant attack
from you. In this regard, I would like to ask
you a few simple questions. Since you are
concerned with the interests of millions of your
fellow citizens, I hope that you would be so
kind to answer them.
What are you trying to get? Do you want the
MMM System to collapse and millions of
people to suffer? Who will support them then if
now MMM is their only means of livelihood?
Will you? You even don’t pay wages to people?
Or might you not care about them? Might you
be using a trendy topic to make a good name
for yourselves? What will you say to a mother
who will have no money to buy food for her
child? Will you let her child die for the sake of
the higher interests of the economy?
You say that MMM is a scam.
What is the scam here, if all members are
warned in advance about all the risks, the
possible and impossible ones? They know
there are no investments at all. The warning is
a red text on a yellow background placed on
most prominent place of the website.
You say that MMM is bad. Why? Yes, it
produces nothing, but nothing gets out of the
country either. The money is just redistributed
among the citizens of Nigeria. It gets from
those who are richer to poorer ones, in this
way restoring social justice. What”s wrong with
that?
You have repeatedly stated that “it should be
investigated!.. researched!..” It means you
know nothing about this System yet; you even
haven’t understood how it works………
And finally. If you know what is right for
people, why is the life so bad in the country?
Sincerely yours,
Sergey Mavrodi
P.S. As for your statement that “everything will
collapse soon”. The system has been working
in Nigeria for a year, and according to your
estimates, the total number of members now
is about 3 million people. In Nigeria the
population is approximately 195 million. Can
you calculate? Will it be “soon”?

How has Obasanjo betrayed Buhari? by Omegachild(f) : 12:19 am On Dec 18

DURING his talk at the first Akintola Williams
Annual Lecture, former President Olusegun
Obasanjo x-rayed certain aspects of governance
in Nigeria. He beamed his searchlight on the
state of the economy, the judiciary, the
legislature and the fight against corruption.
He came down hard on the legislature,
specifically the National Assembly which he
described as a den of unarmed robbers. On the
economy, he urged Muhammadu Buhari to take
concrete steps to fix it. As others have observed
before now, Obasanjo does not see how the fight
against corruption should hobble effort to fix the
economy. In other words, he does not believe the
two activities are mutually exclusive, zero sum
game. Indeed, he rightly observes that failure to
get the economy on an even keel could ultimately
hurt whatever gains are made in the fight against
corruption.
Not unexpectedly Obasanjo’s remarks have
elicited very passionate reactions from Nigerians.
People have responded in the typical way they
have always done to such periodic interventions
on the state of the nation by the former
president.
They focused almost exclusively on the
messenger, turning their nose at the message.
Giving his own role in many aspects of the
governance of this country, it would be hard for
Obasanjo not to be put under the spotlight
whenever he makes remarks critical of the
country’s leaders as he has just done. People
often feel obliged to criticise Obasanjo’s own
record in government. While this is justified in
certain instances, it cannot and should not be
seen as appropriate answer to the fundamental
questions of governance his lecture raised. There
was too much passion in the reaction to the
critical issues of the lecture than could be useful
for any reasoned analysis. It was in the end a
wasteful investment in emotion on the part of
many of his critics especially members of the
House of Representatives.
The House, nettled by the lecture and no doubt
smarting from the sting, was quick to respond
even when its spokespersons claimed it would
rather not want to join issues with Obasanjo. It
nevertheless called the former president the
grandfather of corruption. The response from the
House is not only lame but is neither here nor
there. It fails to address the question of probity
raised by Obasanjo. What does the House have
to say about Obasanjo’s claim that each member
goes home with a princely sum of N10 Million
every month while their counterparts in the
Senate each goes home with N15 Million?
Nothing! For many years now, the issue of what
members of the National Assembly earn has
been shrouded in mystery. While it is possible to
say in clear terms what the president and the
vice president earn as salary, the same cannot
be said of our national legislators. In the name of
constituency allowance and all sorts of hidden
expenses this largely self-serving body of so-
called law makers continues to run this country
into debt.
A responsible law making body which the
National Assembly pretends to be would not be
taking delivery of brand new fancy cars needed
for so-called constituency projects at a time the
rest of those in whose name they claim to serve
are starving and are unsure of where their next
meal would come from. The Buhari government
talks of the economy being in recession, urging
Nigerians to adopt belt-tightening measures and
the National Assembly parrots the claim even
when it reflects no evidence that it operates in an
economy in recession in its grasping ways. The
Academic Staff Union of Universities got the ears
of the National Assembly when it embarked on a
warning strike to press home its demands for
improvement in the education sector. The
National Assembly intervened to play the peace
maker in the disagreement between the Federal
Government and ASUU without acknowledging its
part in the rot ASUU has taken up arms against.
Nor are our legislators ready to give up any of
their unearned privileges as a mark of their
commitment to improving things.
Other Nigerians who have responded to
Obasanjo’s comments at the Akintola Williams
lecture have hardly done better than the House of
Representatives. Not a few have chosen to view
Obasanjo’s remarks as a betrayal of the Mu
hammadu Buhari administration. This note of
betrayal could be heard in some of the responses
to Obasanjo’s lecture from the House of
Representatives. For Nigerians in this category,
Obasanjo as a frequent guest of Buhari and
supporter of his government has no business
criticising the president or his administration’s
policies in the open. Remarks such as these
confuse support for a government or an individual
with suspension of critical but constructive
comments. This is a major flaw in the manner
Nigerians tend to interpret an individual’s support
for a government. We all, when it is convenient
for us, claim to be open to ‘constructive
criticism’ but fail to accept it when it is directed
at somebody we are supposed to have
supported.
It’s in this same vein that some people hurl
abuses at persons or groups they perceive as
having played a role in installing the Buhari
administration or supported the candidacy of the
incumbent president. To every statement critical
of the Buhari government, they respond with ‘That
is the change you voted for’. Case closed. If that
was ‘the change’ I voted for and that change
seems not to be happening in the manner
promised or envisaged, what stops me or any
reasonable person from asking questions? Should
one simply go on in blind support of a policy,
individual or government that is not living up to
expectation simply because one had lent them
initial support? If your support was based on
certain expectations that are not being met what
is the crime in changing tack?
And why should any statement by a perceived or
confirmed supporter of a political leader- why
should any such statement not dripping with
sycophancy be read as a betrayal? Are ‘honest’
and ‘criticism’ necessarily antithetical words?
Why should some Nigerians find it difficult to
understand that one can be critical without being
motivated by ill-will or any other base motive?
Why should anyone defend an untenable position
in order not to be seen as losing face? How
often do we hear it said that it’s a child that their
parents love that is chastised? Must
chastisement mean hatred? At what point does it
become an act of betrayal to ask questions?
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,
EFCC, was established to fight corruption by
Obasanjo. Obasanjo did other thngs besides
fighting corruption. And so should Buhari.
Nigerians are hungry and are quite justifiably
getting angry. A nation that cannot feed itself but
claims to be fighting corruption is lost even if it
does not know it.

Conditions given to Magu as EFCC chairman by Omegachild(f) : 12:34 am On Dec 18

The Senate has said it may still confirm Ibrahim Magu as the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), only if President Muhammadu Buhari explains why they have to. It said that the explanation by Buhari, who nominated Magu, would determine if the nominee would be considered or not.


On Thursday this week, the lawmakers rejected Magu’s nomination, because of a “security report” on him.

The security report by the Department of State Services (DSS), has since entered public space.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Sabi Abdullahi, told Punch: “This is not an issue that is ambiguous and I will not take issue with anybody. What we have said is very straightforward and unambiguous. It is not our responsibility or in our power to tell Mr. President what to do.

“It is his prerogative and for every action taken, there must be a basis. Let him take any action but, of course, he will base his action on explanations. If that happens, we will take his explanations based on their face value and see. Until then, our decision is very simple. It is unambiguous; that is what we said from the beginning and that is what we stand by.”

The Senate also said Magu’s rejection would be communicated to the Presidency next week.

Abdullahi said: “Allow us to do our job. This thing (rejection) just happened yesterday (Thursday). There is a procedure for the communication. We took the decision yesterday. Is the letter not going to be written? Is that the only issue that they (Presidency) have to deal with?

“This thing happened yesterday and who should do the communication? Is it not the clerk? Between yesterday and today, are there not so many things to be done? Is that the only thing we have ahead of us?

“We have taken our decision and the procedure for communicating it is there. Allow it to happen. Wait till next week and see whether it will be communicated (to the Presidency) or not.”

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