Kogi: APC Will Replace Faleke - APC Chairman Oyegun

Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, says James Faleke will be replaced as deputy governor-elect should the need arise.
 Odigie-Oyegun said this in Abuja on Wednesday in an interaction with newsmen.
Faleke, who was running mate to late Abubakar Audu in the Nov. 21 gubernatorial elections in Kogi, rejected the same position after the party replaced Audu with Alhaji Yayaha Bello, who was runner-up in the party’s primaries.
Faleke demanded that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should declare him governor-elect, and chose Audu’s son, Mohammed, as his running mate. He threatened to court of INEC failed to do so, and had since gone to court.
Odigie-Oyegun said: “On the Faleke issue, it is rather a straightforward and easy issue; we have replaced a governorship candidate.
“If the need arises and subject to what the law says, we will also get a deputy governorship candidate but we will cross those bridges as they arise but they have not arisen yet.’’
On Falake’s statement not to be available for swearing-in on Jan. 27, 2016, he said, “as a political party, we simply understand the frustration that emanated from the death of Abubakar Audu.
“However, it is normal for us to accommodate the immediate reactions coming from the people involved.
“They were at the gate of victory but the gate was shut in their faces because of the unfortunate death of their mentor, Abubakar Audu, who would have been our governor in the state.
“So, a lot of things which normally we would not have accepted happened but we have to accept them so long that everybody will simmer down as time pass by.
“Wielding the big stick in a situation like this might not be appropriate but there will be a timeline to it, enough will be enough at a certain time.’’
According to the chairman, issues in the state have been resolved in favour of the APC even as the entire polity had to be original to finding solutions to problems which were not detailed in the Constitution.
“In the next few weeks depending on who goes to court or who doesn’t, we will know the boundaries of the law in respect of these issues.
“As at now we are very glad with the results that we have got and I’m very sure that they would be upheld virtually in every tribunal whatsoever, because we have adopted simple commonsense solution, legally defendable,’’ he said.
He said that the party was not disturbed by the cases in court on the Kogi situation, stating that it was still evolving.
‘’We cross every bridge as we get to it; we’ll wait and see who does what and work out answers that meet each situation
“We have thought the process through and we have won the election in Kogi; those we feel aggrieved, it is for them to call to question whatever they feel aggrieved about and we are going to meet them on those grounds.
“For us in APC, Kogi is a settled issue; if you want to go to the tribunal, we’ll meet you there. If you want to go to court, we’ll meet you there,’’ he said.


SOURCE: VANGUARD NIGERIA

Dokpesi Arraigned In Court For Money Laundering

Media Mogul Raymond Dokpesi has been formally arraigned in an abuja federal high court on a six-count charge which includes money laundering.Dokpesi, the Chairman of DAAR Communications, owners of African Independent Television, AIT and Raypower, was earlier invited and arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja, over money disbursed by the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.
Shortly after he took his plea, Justice Gabriel Kolawole ordered that he be remanded in EFCC custody pending the hearing of his bail application by 12:30pm on Thursday.
The prosecution led by Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN),‎ accused the defendants of receiving, N2.1bn from the office of the National Security Adviser between October 2014 and March 19, 2015 for the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential media campaign in breach of provisions of the Public Procurement Act, Money laundering Act and the EFCC Act.
Justice Kolawole has fixed trial for February 17, 18 and March 2 and 3.

FG Deploys 5000 NSCDC Officers To The North East

The federal government has ordered the immediate deployment of 5,000 officers and men of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to help tackle Boko Haram threat in the North-east.
The Minister of Interior, Gen Abdulrahman Dambazzau, said yesterday that the deployment of the NSCDC officers is part of government’s move to stop insurgency in the region as well as help reclaim territories and secure the northeast.
This is as he advised the leadership of the Nigeria Prisons Service (NPS) to emulate the cost cutting strategy of the NSCDC, whom he said has matched allocated budgetary funds with results.
Dambazzau, who described the corps as an active and leading contributor to peace and security on the national stage made the revelation at the permanent site of the corps in Sauka, Abuja.
He said the officers drafted to the region will not only help stabilise the region but help secure areas that have been liberated by the Nigerian army.
The minister expressed optimism that the Corps has the capacity needed to undertake crisis management operations in the country as its promotes democratic value.
He said, “You have come a long way and a lot is expected of you. This is the time that the country needs you, especially in the areas of peace building in the North- East, to stabilise the areas that have been freed by the NIgerian army.
“You must rededicate yourself to training so as to perfect your responsibilities. I have no doubt that you are capable. Aside providing adequate security in the region, the officers will secure places of worship and critical government assets”.
Earlier, the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Abdullahi Gana Muhammed, told the minister that the Corps has already deployed about 3,800 men at the instance of the Nigerian army, he promised that the remaining 1,200 officers will join them in no distance time to meet up with the number requested by the Nigerian army.


SOURCE: LEADERSHIP

Text Message Earns Undergraduate PhD Scholarship

An undergraduate of Geology, University of Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, Paul Chidozie,26, last Sunday, bagged a PhD scholarship following a text message he sent to the Leader, Enugu State House of Assembly, Mr. Ikechukwu Ezugwu. In the last three years, Ezugwu had marked his birthday on November 24, with award of scholarships to indigent students of various tertiary institutions in the country.

Hon. Ezugwu, Enugu House Leader disbursing a cheque during the exercise
Hon. Ezugwu, Enugu House Leader disbursing a cheque during the exercise

It was like the Biblical lesson where Jesus Christ treated 10 leprosy patients but only one person went back to thank him. South East Voice watched as tears of joy rolled down freely on the House Leader’s chicks with nostalgia, that out of 20 persons who benefitted from the yearly scholarship scheme, only Chiedozie deemed it fit to come back to show appreciation and wish him many happy returns on his birthday.

Ezugwu told South-East Voice that in the last three years, he had marked his birthday by reaching out to the less privileged.

“I decided to celebrate my birthday annually by selecting two undergraduates from 10 wards in Udenu Local Government Area on merit for the award of scholarships. This is the third year into this scheme and I am bent on expanding, so that more people would benefit.

“Usually, November 24 is my birthday which I have decided to be marking with giving of awards. Out of the undergraduates that have been receiving this, Chiedozie was the only one who remembered to wish me well on my birthday. I was so touched emotionally and that singular gesture has earned him a full scholarship to PhD level.

“Even if am not alive (God forbid) the machinery to ensure that he studied to PhD level has been put in place. My prayer is that at some point in life, the beneficiaries will do unto others, that which has been done unto them. I urge them to prudently utilize the funds to advance the course of their academic pursuit. Shun vices that will detract them from giving their career utmost attention.

The package

The 20 benefiting students received N50,000 each bringing the total amount to about N2 million doled out in this year’s scholarship scheme alone.

Beneficiaries elated

Celestine Odo, from Obollo-Eke ward and a student of the University of Nigeria Nsukka, UNN, who was visibly elated prayed Almighty God to expand and refill the pocket of the House Leader even as he assured of prudent deployment of funds. Also, Paul Chiedozie, who was the major beneficiary revealed that with the gesture from Hon Ezugwu,a jinx has been broken in his family where none of the members is, so far, a graduate.

“In my family, we do not have any graduate both from my maternal side. Look at me now, I am in third year in Geology Department and already have scholarship to study to PhD level. I want to assure my benefactor that I will not disappoint him. I will not be distracted in the campus.”

SOURCE: VANGUARD NIGERIA

EFCC Files 6-Count Charge Against Dokpesi Accuse Him Of Money Laundering

The federal government yesterday filed charges against businessman and media proprietor, Raymond Dokpesi, before the Federal high Court in Abuja in relation to his alleged receipt of about N2.1billion from the last administration from funds meant for the purchase of arms.


The charges marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/380/2015 and filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) indicated that Dokpesi is charged along with his company – Daar Holding and Investment Limited.


They are accused of violating the Money Laundering Act, the EFCC Act and the Public Procurement Act. The charge is yet to be assigned to any judge for hearing.


Dokpesi is the second person to be charge among some highly placed Nigerians accused of involvement in the mismanagement funds meant for the purchase of military wares in the President Goodluck Jonathan administration.


Already, a former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Mohammed Dasuki, is being tried before the Federal High Court, Abuja for illegal possession of firearms and money laundering.


Dokpesi, who is currently on bail from the EFCC, was last Friday ordered to be produced by Justice Gabriel Kolawole also of the Federal High Court, Abuja.


The order followed an ex-parte application by Dokpesi, who claimed to have been unlawfully detained beyond 48 hours by the EFCC.
The judge, who heard Dokpesi’s lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), in chambers, ordered the EFCC to produce Dokpesi before his court on the next hearing date of December 14.

SOURCE: THISDAY

Fayose Allocates N100million To Stomach Infrastructure In N67bn 2016 Budget

The Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, on Tuesday presented a budget proposal of N67billion to the State House of Assembly for the 2016 fiscal year.

Presenting the budget, Mr. Fayose said the figure represents a 17 percent reduction in the 2015 appropriation, which was N80billion.

According to him, the cut was informed by his government’s decision to live within its means and avoid proposing unrealizable projects.

The governor clarified that he decided to involve the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to monitor the implementation in order to prevent “political petitioners” from peddling lies against his government.

The governor appropriated N100 million to his “stomach infrastructure” programme, and also restored the scrapped Social Security Scheme for the indigent, which was initiated by the Kayode Fayemi-led government.

Mr. Fayose said 10,000 persons would continue to receive the sum of N5, 000 monthly from January, 2016.

Giving the details of the budget tagged Budget of Purposeful and Strategic Transformation, Mr. Fayose said N24billion and N44billion were earmarked for capital and recurrent expenditures respectively.

Under the capital expenditure, Mr. Fayose said the proposed airport, Oja Oba Market and the Flyover would become realities in 2016, being part of his efforts to give Ekiti a befitting facelift.

He expressed dissatisfaction with the huge recurrent figure of N43 billion, saying it was to enable him cater for workers’ welfare, which is a priority of his government.

He reiterated his position against the plan by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum to either retrench or cut the N18, 000 minimum wage, saying his government won’t associate with any anti-people policy.

Mr. Fayose said he recorded a 70 per cent budget performance in 2015, despite the dwindling revenues caused by slump in oil prices in the international market.


SOURCE: PREMIUM TIMES

Fashola To Re-Introduce Toll Gates On Nigerian Federal Roads

The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, says the Federal Government will re-introduce highway tolling to raise additional funds to finance road infrastructure and ensure efficient road maintenance.
Mr. Fashola said this on Tuesday in Abuja during his first news conference tagged “Setting the Agenda for Delivering Change”.
He said that adequate funding of the nation’s road infrastructure would generate job opportunities and reduce unemployment in the country.
“Maintenance would be our watchword. We are setting up a robust maintenance regime to keep our highways in good shape.
“This shows that tolling is necessary to support government funding. So, it will not be too much if we ask every road user to pay little to augment government funding for road maintenance.
“It is eminent commonsense for us to find that money. We will use technology; so if we don’t pay cash, you will pay by tokens or tickets and the money is accountable and it will go to the right place.
“We will manage that fund properly and we will hold those who we put there to account,” the minister said.
Tolling was scrapped by former President Olusegun Obasanjo after his administration imposed fuel tax. Since then, attempts to restart the policy failed.
Mr. Fashola said as a short-term strategy, the ministry would start with quick completion of ongoing inter-state roads in order to facilitate connectivity, before working on those that bear heavy traffic.
“We commit all our skills, energies, and collective integrity unreservedly to playing our part, but how much success we deliver is dependent also on the citizens’ commitment to their own part,’’ he said.
The minister observed that lack of funding had caused many construction companies to retrench their workers due to the huge debts owed them by the various tiers of government.
He said that with adequate budgetary allocations, the three ministries have an enormous role to play in repositioning the economy and creating jobs.
“Clearly, good roads will help reposition and grow our economy, reduce travel time, cost of transportation of goods and services, and restore jobs that have been lost to transport-dependent services.
“Some of the numbers from only four construction companies that were sampled, suggest that at least 5,150 workers have been laid off as at March 11, 2015.
“If each contractor has only 100 employees at each of the 200 contract sites, it means at least that 20,000 people who lost their jobs can return to work. If the right budget is put in place and funded for contractors to get paid.
“The possibility to return those who have just lost their jobs back to work is the kind of change that we expect to see by this short-term strategy.”
Mr. Fashola further said that the ministry would soon embark on enforcement of the right of way by dismantling all illegal structures infringing on the highways.
He advised persons infringing on the right of way to voluntarily dismantle the inappropriate structures before the government commenced the demolition of such structures.
“In order to make the roads safer, we intend to re-claim the full width of all Federal roads, representing 16 per cent and about 36,000km of Nigeria’s road network.
“We are immediately now asking all those who are infringing on our highways, whether by parking, trading, or erection of any inappropriate structure to immediately remove, relocate or dismantle such things voluntarily.
“This will be the biggest contribution that citizens can offer our country as proof that we all want things to change for the better,” the minister said.


SOURCE: PREMIUM TIMES