Saraki condemns President Buhari’s budget

– Senate president Bukola Saraki described the 2016 budget as ambitious.
– Saraki asserted that the non-oil and independent revenue generating sectors should be made the crux.
– Saraki explains why MDAs defend their proposals before the senate committees.
The Senate president, Bukola Saraki, has condemned the 2016 budget presented by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Senate president, Bukola Saraki, has described the 2016 budget as ambitious.

The Cable reports that Saraki, who entertained questions from senate correspondents after commissioning the newly upgraded and refurbished senate press centre at the national assembly in Abuja, on Tuesday, February 2, described the budget as ambitious.

The Senate president explained that for the budget to be genuine and successful, the non-oil and independent revenue generating sectors should be made the crux.

He disclosed that the lawmakers would concentrate on the revenue generating sectors and make sure all leakages are clogged. He expressed optimism that despite the fact that the budget proposal was ambitious, it could be accomplished if all that was necessary to make it work was put in place.

When the Senate president was asked if the 2016 budget is implementable considering the fall in crude oil price at the international market, he said: “I think this is one of the reasons why we are having the MDAs defend their proposals before the committees to be able to test some of the scenarios and some of the assumptions, particularly on the revenue side.

“If you look at the revenue, out of about N3.8trillion, N3trillion is coming from non-oil and independent revenue. The success of the budget, in my own view, is less on the benchmark. It is more on those two items, non-oil revenue and independent revenue, and that is why we directed our Committee on Finance and other relevant Committees to really scrutinize the revenue side.
“Even the Senate leadership intends to also engage with the ministries as well to really check those two lines, because that is really where the questions come on whether it is achievable. Before we put our signature to it, we need to be sure that those funds are there.

“I believe they are ambitious but it is a good sign, because it begins to make us less dependent on oil… because if N830billion is coming from oil revenue and it is only 23%, even if the price of oil goes down or up, we are not really so much vulnerable than the time when oil revenue was accounting for 70 of our revenue. From that point of view, I believe that once we can do that, it is achievable.”
Saraki urged the executive arm of government to instill an appropriate strategy for implementing the budget since the National Assembly was working to pass it without much delay.
The Senate president further disclosed that the national assembly would soon amend the Public Procurement Act to expedite quick implementation of the budget.
“But also talking about being achievable or implementable, already, some of the things we are going to look at and which we are going to advise the executive on is that while we are working on the budget now, they too should also start making a plan on how to implement the budget because what tends to happen is that even after we have passed a budget, the administration or its bureaucracy sometimes makes the budget difficult to be realisable.
“And two areas: one is looking at the procurement process and it is very likely that we will need to come out with an amendment bill as regards to certain areas of the procurement law. That is something that we are likely to come out with very soon. People are looking at that now to see again how we can assist the executive to see that the budget is implementable,” he said.
Saraki, while responding to question on the need for transparency and openness in the National Assembly budget, said: “On the issue of national assembly, I think I’ve kept on repeating this many times. If you remember, even during the time the leadership was constituted, one of the issues that came forward was that we will have an open and transparent eighth senate and I still want to be held to that. Also during this process, of course, national assembly budget too will also be debated and by the time the final document is out, I can assure you that we are going to move away from the time of one-line item for the national assembly to a national assembly where there will be a break down according to different sections of the institution.”
Meanwhile, the Senate committee on education on Monday, February 2,recordedhuge success after it discovered that about N9, 982, 258, 479 was hidden in the 2016 budget of parastatals by the Federal Ministry of Education. The discovery was made by the committee at the commencement of its 2016 budget defence.

Dasukigate A Sham As Jonathan’s Ammunition  Bombs Boko Haram Base In Sambisa

The ammunition purchased by the immediate past government of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan destroyed a logistics base used by members of the Boko Haram sect. Air Force spokesman, Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa, comfirmed.


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The Air Force UAV was on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) mission when it came across the gathering of terrorists at Garin Moloma, about one kilometre north of the Sambisa Forest.
Nigerians are worried on the claim by President Muhammadu Buhari led government that the money meant to procure arms to tackle insurgency was squandered by Jonathan’s government as several kinsmen of former President Goodluck Jonathan were been arrested, questioned and detained by law enforcement agency.

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According to reports gathered by Vox Populi, many Nigerians believed the claim that former President Goodluck Jonathan’s government did not purchase any ammunition and the trial of the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki and others for alleged diversion of N13bn, part of funds said to be meant for procurement of arms were nothing but sham. While some believed the trial is welcome as they claimed it will put corruption to end in government.

Court orders Aluko’s arrest over ‘Ekitigate’

Adesoji Adegboye, a chief magistrate in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti state, has ordered the state commissioner of police to arrest Temitope Aluko, former secretary of the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over alleged perjury. Aluko, who earlier testified before the election tribunal that the June 21, 2014 governorship election in Ekiti was free and fair, told journalists on Sunday that the PDP rigged the election.
He said former President Goodluck Joanthan released $37 million to Ayo Fayose, governor of the state, and summoned top security chiefs to Aso Rock to strategise on how to deliver the state for the former ruling party. On Wednesday, the chief magistrate gave an order for his arrest after considering a motion ex parte number MAD/10cm/2016, filed by the Ekiti state government against Aluko and the state commissioner of police, pursuant to Section 117 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap C16, law of Ekiti State 2012, Section 79 of the Ekiti State Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2014 and Section 23 (D) of the Magistrates’ Courts Law 2014. In the motion, which was filed and moved by Gbemiga Adaramola, the state director of public prosecution, an order of the court was sought to issue warrant of arrest against Aluko, to be executed by the state commissioner of police for the purpose of committing Aluko for trial for the offence of perjury.

Adegboye said the order was granted as a means for the first defendant (Aluko) to attend the court for defence. The matter was premised upon an application to the state attorney-general by a lawyer, Sunday Olowolafe, calling for the prosecution of Aluko for alleged perjury. “I hereby apply to your office that Dr Temitope Kolawole Aluko be arrested and sued for perjury in view of the interview recently granted on Channels Television by 8:00pm on Sunday 31 January, 2016,” the lawyer was quoted as saying.

“The said Dr Temitope Kolawole Aluko now recanted the evidence he gave in the cause of the hearing of the Ekiti state governorship election petition as a star witness even up to the supreme court. The certified true copy of the state on oath, evidence of Dr Temitope Kolawole Aluko in court on the 12/11/14 and Nigerian Tribune and The Punch newspapers of Monday, 01/02/2016 that reported the interview granted are hereto attached. “It is to be noted that this if this act (perjury) is not looked into, it will definitely defile the cause of justice and consequently rubbish the judicial proceedings.”

The affidavit filed in support of the motion ex parte by Lere Olayinka, special assistant to the state governor on public communications and new media, said Aluko, who was a witness before the governorship election petition tribunal, swore to a statement on oath on August 4, 2014, wherein he stated that the election was not only free and fair, but devoid of violence, thuggery, hooliganism, snatching of ballot boxes, and related forms of electoral disorderliness. Olayinka further averred that Aluko tendered and adopted his statement on oath on November 12, 2014, and further gave evidence under cross examination. He stated that all what Aluko said on Channels Television on Sunday, January 31, 2016 were contrary to and opposite in direction to his evidence before the tribunal. Issuing the warrant of arrest against the chief magistrate said that since the court had the power to grant the order and it would serve the interest of justice, the state commissioner of police should arrest Aluko for the purpose of investigating and prosecuting him.

We’ll treat pro-Biafran ship hijackers as criminals – Military

Chief of Defence Staff, Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin

The Defence Headquarters on Tuesday vowed that some suspected Pro-Biafran militants, who hijacked a merchant vessel off the coast of Nigeria on Friday would be treated as criminals and saboteurs.
The ship, believed to be an oil tanker, was said to have been hijacked by some militants, who issued a 31-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu.

While some maritime industry sources claimed that the vessel was an oil tanker seized about 160 kilometres off the Bakassi Peninsula near the border with Cameroon, the Defence Headquarters told theThe PUNCH on Tuesday that the ship was seized about 7.5 nautical miles off the Port of Cotonou.

The suspected pro-Biafran militants had hijacked the foreign merchant ship and threatened to blow it up with its crew if the Federal Government failed to release Kanu.

It was learnt that the 31-day ultimatum by the militants was given at the weekend by one ‘General Ben.’
Kanu is being prosecuted by the Department of State Services for running an illegal organisation (IPOB), threatening to break away from Nigeria to create an independent country; importing radio transmitters and making inciting and seditious statements, while his co-accused persons had been charged with possession of firearms.

Defence sources, who claimed knowledge of the hijacking on Tuesday, explained that the operatives of the Nigerian Navy were on the trail of the captured vessel and the hijackers.
One of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the hijackers had threatened to blow up the ship and its crew members if the government refused to release Kanu, who is currently being detained and undergoing prosecution for treasonable felony, after 31 days.
The Director of Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Rabe Abubakar, confirmed on Tuesday that some militants hijacked a vessel on Friday off the Nigerian coast, but threatened that the military would deal decisively with those he called criminals and saboteurs.
He said the vessel, named MT LEON DIAS, was hijacked outside Nigeria’s territorial waters about 7.5 nautical miles off the Port of Cotonou, adding that the vessel was under the watch of the Navy of Benin Republic.
Abubakar added, “Well, I can confirm to you that a vessel, a tanker with the name MT LEON DIAS with number 9279927, was hijacked 7.5 nautical miles off Cotonou port. The ship is presently in Benin Republic. It is a merchant ship.
“I must add that on this issue of militancy, there are no more militants now, what we have are criminals. The Amnesty programme has taken care of the militants.
“The military will treat those behind such acts as criminal and saboteurs; the law will take its course; the security agencies will do their job.
“The country’s interest is above any other person’s interest. We have to work towards the enthronement of peace and stability because development can only take place in an atmosphere of peace.”
He said the military would treat those behind such crimes in the nation’s maritime domain as criminals and saboteurs.
Abubakar admitted that there “were some sort of threats,” but he was not specific on the 31-day ultimatum issued by the hijackers.
A Bulgarian-based Maritime News had said, “The group boarded the tanker from two fast boats and took control of the vessel and locked the crew in the mess room before heading for the Niger Delta,” reports AP.
A factional leader of the Movement for the Actualisation of a Sovereign State of Biafra, Uchenna Madu, had also explained that the said ‘General Ben’ was one of the Niger Delta militants, who had volunteered to join forces with the secessionists groups.
“Ben is not a separatist but some Niger Delta militants have shown interest in working with us,” said Madu.

Return to Nigeria or be disgraced out of U.S – APC spokesman advises Obanikoros

Return to Nigeria or be disgraced out of U.S – APC spokesman advises Obanikoros

Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Lagos State, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, has advised a former governorship aspirant in the state, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, as well as his two sons to return to Nigeria to face the allegations of fraud leveled against them or face repatriation.

 

 

The ex-Minister of state for Defence, who is a citizen of the United States, has since the defeat of former President, Goodluck Jonathan in the last election, relocated to the United States, where he is currently studying History at Oglethorpe University in Georgia. His sons are also in that country presently.

 

While Obanikoro has been accused of helping the then Candidate, Ayodele Fayose, to rig the June 21, 2014 election, his sons, Gbolahan and Babajide, are said to be investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for allegedly receiving N4.75bn from the Central Bank of Nigeria Impress Account of the Office of the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki between June 6, 2014 and December, 12, 2015. Obanikoro has, however, issued a statement debunking the allegations leveled against him and his sons.

 

But Igbokwe stated that the matter was such a serious one that the Obanikoros cannot just rely on issuing a statement from the US. He stressed that they should return to Nigeria to clear their names.

He reminded them that Nigeria had an extradition treaty with Washington, adding that President Barrack Obama had even promised to assist Nigeria in fighting corruption.

 

He, therefore, expressed optimism that should the Obanikoros fail to come back of their own volition, the US government could repatriate them, warning that it was better for them to honourably come back to Nigeria than be disgraced.

 

According to Igbokwe, “I advise the Obanikoro family to come back and prove that they have nothing to do with these allegations. They must come to clear their family name. It is important that they do this because the money that we are talking about is too huge for them to just brush aside.

 

“Issuing statements is not enough especially when there is evidence that cannot be ignored. So, they better come back because if they don’t, America, which has promised to support us, will extradite them.”

 

Biafra : IPOB berates Anyaoku Accuses him of Insincerity and Insensitivity

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have repied the Former Commonwealth Secretary General Chief Emeka Anyaoku regarding the statement he made as regards the Biafra Restoration. In a swift reaction reaction the USA based Cordinator of Coordinators of IPOB Mazi (Dr) Clifford Chukwuemeka Iroanya said Anyaoku is being driven by materialism, lack of knowledge, insensitivity to the plight of his people and living in self denial.

Mazi Iroanya stated that Anyaoku’s interest is in his oil wells and Orient Refinery locateed in the Anambra Basin of Nigeria. He went further to inform the world and Anyaoku that with his position in the society the road leading to Anyaoku’s commuinty has been in a very bad state till date and posses great hazard to the people of his community in Anambra State.

Dr. Iroanya went further to ask very fundamental questions to Chief Anyaoku which includes:
Where was Emeka Anyaoku when innocent Biafrans were killed in Aba Abia State, Nigeria?
Where was Emeka Anyaoku when innocent Biafrans were killed in Onitsha in Ananmbra State, Nigeria?
Where was Anyaoku when Igbo Biafrans were being killed by bokoharam in norther Nigeria?
Is Emeka Anyaoku not aware of the almagamation document that declares that Nigeria expires after 100 years of amalgamation from 1914.?

Where lies the integrity and leadership qualities of Emeka Anyaoku when the road leading to his community is in a deplorable state of disrepair.?

You will recall that this reply to Anyaoku by Iroanya is as a reaction to an earlier stated credited to Anyaoku in which he said that after 100 years Nigeria is still together and united despite the odds and in which he opined his commitment to one Nigeria. In conclusion Mazi Iroanya affirmed the commitment of Biafrans towards the struggle for the restoration of Biafra not minding the opinion of few like Chief Emeka Anyaoku

Biafra: IPOB, MASSOB not involved in seizure of merchant ship

– Groups insist they are not responsible for any seizure of merchant ship with foreigners
– They added that they are non-violent
– MASSOB supports any group fighting for Biafra, irrespective of the mode they carry it out

Members of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) during a recent protest.

The reports linking the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) and the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State Of Biafra (MASSOB) to the recent seizure and threat to blow up a merchant ship carrying foreigners, are false if recent reports by Vanguard are anything to go by.

These allegations were denied by both pro-Igbo groups which explained that they were not involved in the recent turn of events, as IPOB specifically stated that it remains a violence-free organisation.

The pro-Biafra agitators were alleged to have hijacked a merchant ship with a foreign crew and threatened to blow it up if the Nigerian government does not release its detained leader who is hell bent on the creation of a sovereign state of Biafra.

But Emma Powerful, who spoke on behalf of IPOB, said the group has a lot of responsible men in the Nigerian society and in diaspora and therefore, cannot involve in any violent activity that may possibly harm or take the life of anybody from within and outside Nigeria.

“Many people are sympathetic to the Biafran actualization cause because of the treatment meted to the entire Biafran land comprising the former Eastern Region.

“Many groups are also rising up to speak against the treatment meted to the IPOB leader and Director of Radio Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu who at present is being incarcerated in Kuje prison, and they can use any style to make their demand felt by the Federal Government but no IPOB member has a hand in it,” Powerful was quoted to have said.

The MASSOB leader, Uchenna Madu, who also denied his group’s involvement in the alleged hijacking of any merchant ship or any threat to blow up the alleged ship, stated that they are non violent and have no weapon to hold any ship hostage, let alone seizing and threatening to blow it with its passengers.
According to him: “I am aware that a militant group sometime gave the Federal Government twenty one-day ultimatum to release Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, failing which they threatened that they will do what will surprise the Nigerian government. May be it is the group, I do not even remember their name but I heard or read about that threat.

“You know that a lot of groups are springing up from the old Eastern Region to agitate for the actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra and as far as they are fighting for Biafra, we cannot disown them, but they have their own style which I think the Federal Government of Nigeria understands easily. If you are not violent, they will not understand and they will ignore you. So, we support the group if that is what they have actually done.

“We in MASSOB are not involved in violence, that is why they do not take us serious. They believe we are illiterate job seekers that are frustrated in life and decided to demand for Biafra. They think that our own is to demonstrate peacefully and they will shoot and kill us and go into jubilation that they have dealt with us, but now, they have seen their match. We support the people if they have actually done that.”

Madu added however, that, “any method applied by any Biafra agitating group to ensure that the Federal Government of Nigeria respects its law and court orders is approved by MASSOB, but we in MASSOB have chosen the path of non-violence and we will maintain it until Biafra is achieved.”
In spite of these denials, the Nigerian army has said it will take strict measures against the pro-Biafran Militants threatening the peace with the southsouth and southeast region of the country.

According to the Defence Headquarters, the pro-Biafran militants who allegedly hijacked a merchant vessel off the coast of Nigeria on Friday, January 29, would be made to face the wrath which is meted-out to criminal and saboteurs.

Defence sources, who claimed knowledge of the hijacking on Tuesday, February 2, explained that the operatives of the Nigerian Navy were on the trail of the captured vessel and the hijackers.