Ministerial List: What Buhari Did That Shocked Tinubu, Osinbajo

Geopolitical zones lobby for ‘juicy’ portfolios
A cold war is brewing among top leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the ministerial list released last Wednesday by President Muhammadu Buhari, New Telegraph gathered at the weekend. Sources said some party leaders, especially Vice- President Yemi Osinbajo and former Lagos State Governor, Senator Bola Tinubu, were upset that the list did not contain the names of their nominees. It was learnt that the ministerial list, comprising 21 names, did not feature any of the nominees compiled by Tinubu for the South-West, which is regarded as his major sphere of influence.
Even in Lagos State, which is Tinubu’s exclusive preserve, he did not have the final say on who will represent the state in the cabinet. Rather than pick any of his nominees for the cabinet, Buhari did it alone and even selected Tinubu’s estranged godsons such as former Governors Babatunde Fashola (Lagos) and Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti). Osinbajo, a protégé of Tinubu, also failed to get Lagos-based lawyer and human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), on the list. Falana, from Ekiti State, was being tipped to emerge as the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
Osinbajo was said to have made a case to the president four times to consider Falana, without securing any commitment from Buhari. Instead of Falana, the president opted for Fayemi, whom sources said was being positioned to head the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Osinbajo also rooted for Prof. Pat Utomi as a ministerial nominee for Delta State, but the president opted for the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Ibe Kachikwu. Kachikwu will serve as Minister of State for Petroleum since the president has said he would hold the portfolio of Minister of Petroleum Resources.
One of the sources said Tinubu, who had relocated to Abuja since Buhari came into power on May 29, hurriedly returned to Lagos last Thursday. “Asiwaju was disappointed with the ministerial list as none of his nominees made the Buhari’s cabinet. He felt used and dumped,” a senior party member told New Telegraph.
Tinubu invested his resources to prosecute the Buhari presidential election such that the president’s wife, Aisha, said the former governor drafted her to join the campaign train. But a source in the presidency said the president sent copies of the ministerial list he sent to Senate President Bukola Saraki to Tinubu and the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.
It was learnt that Tinubu received the ministerial list in company of his aides and political associates, including former Interim National Chairman of APC, Chief Bisi Akande. A source said Tinubu ran through the ministerial list and was so surprised that he did not utter a word.
“Tinubu just took the list and called Chief Akande into an inner room in his Abuja residence,” the source said. The discussion, it was learnt, centred on the ministerial list after which Akande called the president requesting for an audience. The president was said to have fixed a meeting for last Wednesday at 11p.m. New Telegraph learnt that at the meeting, Akande sought to know why the president rejected Tinubu and South-West leaders’ recommendations for the ministerial list. Buhari was said to have told Akande that since Tinubu produced the vicepresident, he has to allow other ‘tendencies’ in the South-West to have a share of the appointments meant for the region.
Buhari explained that since Fayemi lost his reelection in Ekiti, he has served the party in many capacities unlike Falana. Fayemi was the chairman of the APC National Convention in Lagos where Buhari emerged as the party’s presidential candidate and was the Director, Directorate of Policy and Strategy of the APC Presidential Campaign Council. On Fashola, the president said Tinubu’s successor was chairman of the presidential fundraising committee and he worked more for his campaign unlike Mr. Yemi Cardoso, a former Lagos State Commissioner that Tinubu had proposed. New Telegraph learnt that Buhari had earlier told Fashola and Fayemi to reconcile with Tinubu to ease their appointments. It was learnt that Fayemi, through the intervention of Akande, met Tinubu in Lagos to rebuild their relationship.A source said the Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, intervened on behalf of the former governors to appease Tinubu.
The president also justified the choice of Mr. Adebayo Shittu as Oyo State ministerial nominee. He added that Shittu had been with him since his days in the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). Shittu, a 2007 CPC governorship candidate in Oyo State, is not on good terms with Governor Abiola Ajimobi. Buhari said he had to defer to Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, on the state’s nominee, because of their relationship since the days of the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP).
While Buhari was the ANPP’s presidential candidate in the 2007 general elections, Amosun was the gubernatorial candidate of the party in Ogun State. Former National Auditor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode Mustapha, was the candidate of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. However, Buhari agreed to cede the Osun ministerial slot to Obasanjo’s candidate, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, a former governor of the state.
Besides the reasons adduced by the president for rejecting Tinubu’s ministerial nominees, a group of young elements close to the president worked against the APC leader. It was learnt that Governors Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna) and Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), former Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi and Pastor Tunde Bakare played crucial roles in the choice of the ministers.
It was learnt that the idea was to whittle down the political influence of Tinubu as El-Rufai’s group was said to have impressed it on the president the need to cut Tinubu to size before he takes over the government. But an associate of Tinubu said his camp was not surprised about recent developments. “We knew it was a conspiracy.
I can tell you El-Rufai and Tambuwal’s marriage is that of convenience because the two of them have presidential ambition. So, let’s see how it plays out,” the source said. Also speaking on the ministerial list, National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, stated that Tinubu had lost out in the Buhari’s government. Odumakin said: “When a man thinks he’s too smart, he will ultimately dribble himself. What has happened to Tinubu is that those he launched all kinds of war against have become the victors. He never knew that the attack he was launching against them was a way of actually helping those people.
“President Buhari who appointed Fashola, Fayemi and others doesn’t want people under Tinubu’s influence in his cabinet. Now, he can’t begin to claim them after they have been appointed despite his opposition.” Former Chairman, Presidential Advisory Council on National Conference, Senator Femi Okunroumu, also told New Telegraph that his prediction had come to pass that Tinubu would be humiliated by Buhari. “I am having a good laugh. This is what I expected. In any case, Tinubu is stretching his luck too far as he wants to dictate who will rule Nigeria. Tinubu’s wings need to be clipped.
With the ministerial list, Tinubu has been dumped. He should not just be dumped, he should be disgraced,” Okurounmu told New Telegraph. Afenifere chieftain, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, said he was not surprised with Buhari’s approach to governance. “I’m not disappointed at all. I warned before the election that Buhari would not change, although he said he is a converted democrat.
“APC is not a party; it is a gang of people whose sole aim was to remove Dr. Goodluck Jonathan as president. In a real party, you share the spoils of office before elections not after elections. This is what is happening in APC. We warned our people, but they failed to listen,” Adebanjo said.
New Telegraph also gathered at the weekend that ahead of tomorrow’s screening of the ministerial nominees, lobbying had begun among geopolitical zones to corner portfolios considered juicy for their kinsmen. Senate President Bukola Saraki is expected to read out the full list of 21 nominees who made the first batch of the federal cabinet tomorrow.
Besides Fayemi and Fashola, other ministerial nominees included Senator Chris Ngige, Amaechi, Lt-General Abdurrahman Dambazzau (rtd), Senator Aisha Al-Hassan, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, Mallam Abubakar Malami (SAN) and Senator Sirika Hadi.
A top party source confided in New Telegraph that although Buhari could not be directly approached by the nominees, their lobbyists commenced moves to engage the services of those they considered close to the president to make a case for them. It was gathered that the most sought after ministries are those of Justice, Works, Finance, Defence and Interior. For the Finance Ministry, while some powerful APC elements are already said to have argued that the portfolio had eluded the region for too long, APC leaders from the South-West are also making a case for one of their own to be the next Finance Minister. Same argument is being pushed in respect of the Agriculture Ministry.
For the Justice Ministry, Fashola and Malami are strong contenders, even as close confidants of the president, like Alhaji Ahmed Joda, are favourably disposed to Malami who once served as national legal adviser of the defunct CPC. For the Works Ministry, some APC elders were said to be rooting for Onu.
However, some Northerner leaders were said to be rooting for a nominee from the zone, whose name is to be in the second batch of the ministerial nominees to be sent to the Senate. The source said: ”I think lobby is part of politics; it is allowed like the would be ministers are said to be doing with the senators.
We like it because as a party, we have no intention to coerce the senators to give the nominees a blanket clearance. Let all prove their worth before the lawmakers. ”The only thing we find laughable is that aspect of going beyond that level to scheme for specifics in the planned cabinet.
”You know that people are naturally insatiable in their wants, especially when it comes to politics, nothing is seen to be enough until the last is given out. ”As a party, we all waited for this moment in anxiety and apprehension because no one knew before now, I think no one still knows what is contained there.
”But it is curious and unexpected that some persons are already lobbying to be made minister of this, minister for this, it is wrong because the thing is already generating interregional concerns among the party leadership. ”All we know is that President Buhari has picked his team.
They have to work as a team and not what any of them desire to hold as a portfolio. Only the president has the right to allocate offices and he should be given the chance to so do. ”For God’s sake, what do we want a juicy ministry for? Under the present arrangement, there is nothing like Grade A or B ministry. So, for those who have the chance of being nominated that are already lobbying for specific portfolios, they will be disappointed at the end of the day.”

2016 Budget’ll Diversify Nigeria’s Economy – PMB

President Muhammadu Buhari has reiterated that the 2016 national budget is being fashioned in a manner that would accommodate fresh policies and measures to encourage rapid diversification of the Nigerian economy away from its current over-dependence on the oil and gas sector.
The president hinted this during a meeting with the president of the Movement of the Enterprises of France (MEDEF), Mr. Pierre Gattaz, and a delegation of French investors.
LEADERSHIP recalls that following Buhari’s visit to France last month, firms under MEDEF had offered to visit Nigeria between October 4 and 7, with a view to exploring its business climate for possible investment in the country.
The president had got this assurance at a meeting with French firms and investors who had converged at the Nigerian-France presidential business forum held at the headquarters of MEDEF in Paris three weeks ago.
Buhari’s visit to that country may have started yielding results, as the umbrella organization of French investors, made up of 800,000 French manufacturing firms and businesses, met with him behind closed doors at Aso Rock, Abuja, yesterday.
At the meeting, Buhari stated that policies being evolved by his administration to boost domestic manufacturing and attract greater investment in Nigeria’s agricultural and mining sectors would be given full effect under the 2016 budget.
The delegation of the French investors that met with President Buhari included over 50 companies with interest in manufacturing, agriculture, infrastructure development and other areas.
The president’s senior special assistant on media and publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, noted in a statement after the meeting that the president urged Gattaz and the French trade mission to return to Nigeria again next year in order to take full advantage of the new policies.
Buhari also assured the French investors that, under his leadership, Nigeria will not fall short of international standards in the protection of foreign investments and the repatriation of returns on such investments.
According to Shehu, the president admitted that domestic security and the inflow of foreign investment were intrinsically linked, and gave the assurance that his government was taking all necessary measures to overcome Nigeria’s security challenges.
The presidential aide quoted the president as saying, “Our government came into office at a time when many people had abandoned the country’s manufacturing, agricultural and mining sectors.
“We are doing our utmost best to encourage diversification into these sectors which can employ a lot of people and we will welcome your support in this regard. Ultimately, reducing unemployment will also help to improve security because unemployment and insecurity are inseparable.”
Buhari further said that Nigeria would also welcome more French investment in its power sector because the availability of steady power would lead to the reopening of closed factories and the creation of more jobs.
He also assured the delegation that his administration was tackling corruption with vigour to ensure greater probity in the management of national resources.
Earlier, MEDEF president, Gattaz, who spoke on behalf of the French investors, had sought assurances from President Buhari on the safety of their planned investments in Nigeria and the easing of bureaucratic bottlenecks.
He noted at the business forum that the organisation’s delegation that would embark on the trade mission to Nigeria next month would consist of prospective investors with varieties of interests in area like agriculture, mining, automobile, energy, skills development, light manufacturing, food processing, military and civilian transportation services and “business to consumer” products among many others.

Buhari confirms plan to reduce ministries

• To retain a minister per state
• ‘Badly’ privatised public assets to be
revoked
• MDAs to receive zero budgeting framework
AS part of measures to reduce redundancy
in public service, President Muhammadu
Buhari is working on reducing the number
of federal ministries which currently stands
at about 28.
He intends to merge those with similar
functions.The Guardian had recently
reported the plan to reduce ministries.
Also, state-owned enterprises dubiously
allocated to friends or relations under the
guise of privatisation are to be reviewed
and reclaimed by the Federal Government
while those that went through transparent
and credible processes are to be retained by
their investors.
However, to abide by the provisions of the
Nigerian Constitution that each state shall be
represented by a minister at the federal
cabinet, the President will still recommend
36 ministerial nominees to the Nigerian
Senate for consideration.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo revealed these
plans of the Buhari-government in a chat
with The Guardian and two other media
organisations in Abuja at the weekend.
The implication is that most of the ministers
to be appointed would serve as Ministers of
State to the few senior or supervising
ministers.
Osinbajo explained that the plan is part of
an overall strategy to reduce waste of public
resources and channel same to human
capital investment and key infrastructural
revival.
The Vice President was responding to
questions during the chat on the Federal
Government’s economic agenda.
He said: “Definitely, we are not going to
have as many ministries as we have now
and there is no question at all about that.
The President has made it quite clear that he
intends to work with fewer ministers and of
course you may not have fewer ministers
because the constitution says you must have
a minister from every state. But surely we
must have fewer ministries. That’s
definitely what the President has said not
once or twice and I believe that we will
overcome.”
On the privatisation of public assets,
Osinbajo said: “Obviously, there is no
intention whatsoever to roll back
privatisation. Government generally must
honour the obligations because government
is a continuum. But suppose what has
happened in some cases, for example, is that
there was no bidding process and if it was
just mere allocation? Some of the noisiest
people who complain about policies that
would not favour them are people who have
benefitted from the system where things
were not done properly.
There is no reason why anybody will
interfere with the process that was done
properly, but if you were just allocated a
major government facility without due
bidding process, then, it is the duty of
government to ensure that you are put
through the right process. When individuals
have been allocated resources that are very
beneficial and there was no due process,
then, it cannot be allowed to stand.
Look at the bidding process that took place
for telecoms in 2001 and even some of the
bidding processs for some of the National
Independent Power Project (NIPP) plants
although that was stalled and we have to
reopen it. People would come forward and
make completive bids. That’s the way
government grows its resources and you
can’t give people gifts that belong to
everybody. Privatisation must have
integrity, must be transparent and must be
proper.
As chairman of National Council on
Privatisation (NCP) I very, very strongly
believe in privatisation in the first place
and I believe that it’s the way to go. I also
believe that the process must be strictly
transparent and it must be clear to all that
there are no entries through back-doors or
anything not transparent. It must be stated
that there is no intention to roll back any of
the privatisation process that has already
taken place,” he reassured.
Speaking on the preparation of the 2016
Fiscal Plan of the Federal Government,
Osinbajo said efforts were already on, just
as he expressed the hope that the budget
would not suffer too much delay as the
framework will be submitted to Ministries,
Departments and Agencies (MDAs) on
Tuesday for their input.
His words: “What we are doing at the
moment is on the Medium Term
Expenditure Framework (MTEF) in
particular and we expect that it would be
submitted to the House of Representatives
very shortly.
‘‘We also have many ministries already
working and by Tuesday we would be
sending guidelines for the zero budget
process and all of that. We have tried to
sensitise the heads and have held several
meetings between the revenue generating
agencies and the Budget Office, the National
Planning Commission (NPC) all the revenue
generating agencies, like Customs, Federal
Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and others.
We are basically meeting and working out
the parameters for the new budgeting
system and would by Tuesday, be sending
the guidelines to the MDAs. We are trying to
work round the clock, holding meetings
daily. It’s a rigorous process and I don’t
want to commit to any timeline or dates and
anyway very soon we are going to have our
ministers in place.”
Meanwhile, the Director-General of the
NILS, Dr. Ladi Hamalai, who has been
talking on the place of the institute and its
relevance in the overall contribution to the
political and economic growth, regretted
that the bill seeking the establishment of the
Budget Office of the National Assembly in
Nigeria suffered a set back leading to it’s
being thrown out.
She gave assurance, however, that NILS, as
part of the research base of the National
Assembly would spearhead the
representation of the bill and push for its
passage.
Hamalai explained that the passage would
correct the erroneous perception by a
section of the population that the National
Assembly was not productive enough.
She said: “We are working on it and very
soon we will re-present the bill for the
Budget Office of the National Assembly
because of its importance to even the
lawmakers and for the speedy passage of
budget proposals by the executive."

By : Godwin Onoghokere

VERY REVEALING!!! HOW NIGERIA'S EX - MINISTER OF PETROLEUM MADUEKE LAUNDERED LOOTED MONEY, HER ACCOMPLICES REVEALED

An investigation by SaharaReporters has revealed
some of the ways in which former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, and her network of accomplices, family members, and shell companies sought to conceal and launder an astonishing amount of the former minister’s corruptly acquired wealth. The laundered funds are the focus of twin investigations by British and Nigerian anti-corruption agencies.
Last Friday, the International Corruption Unit of the
British National Crime Agency (NCA) arrested Mrs.
Alison-Madueke and four other suspects in London.
SaharaReporters has exclusively obtained intelligence
documents and briefing on financial information
regarding Mrs. Alison-Madueke’s extensive acts of
corruption and money laundering. Our investigation
also involved interviews with several individuals in
possession of highly sensitive information about the
illicit flow of funds to the former minister’s front
companies and individuals.
An intelligence analyst with intimate knowledge of the
embattled ex-minister’s family and business network
told SaharaReporters that UK investigators were
focusing on several real estate properties in the United
Kingdom. The source added that “[Diezani Alison-
Madueke] was most likely aware that the Crown
Prosecution [in the UK] was investigating her
properties going back as early as 2013.”
SaharaReporters learned that British prosecutors
decided to be low-key about their investigation of Mrs.
Alison-Madueke’s suspicious ownership of real estate
assets in the UK because the UK Foreign Office and
security establishment did not want to unsettle UK-
Nigerian ties by going after the former minister during
the administration of former President Goodluck
Jonathan.
Sources in the Nigerian government and law
enforcement told SaharaReporters that the National
Crime Agency (NCA), which arrested Mrs. Alison-
Madueke and four other suspects last Friday, did so
unilaterally and without the cooperation of the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
However, once the EFCC read media reports about
Mrs. Alison-Madueke’s arrest, their agents moved
swiftly to search her residences in Abuja and
elsewhere in Nigeria. The EFCC’s action led to media
reports, now established to be misleading, that UK and
Nigerian authorities were coordinating their
investigations of the former minister.
Mrs. Alison-Madueke was the most powerful minister
in the Jonathan administration, and had long been
linked to shady deals and policies in Nigeria’s oil
sector. She fled Nigeria in May, days before the
official end of her tenure as Minister of Petroleum and
the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s
administration.
Earlier in May, SaharaReporters reported that Mrs.
Alison-Madueke booked herself a seat on the same
flight in which then President-elect Buhari was
traveling to London, and made awkward attempts to
strike up a conversation with Mr. Buhari. A source on
the flight told SaharaReporters that Mr. Buhari quietly
ignored the former minister during the flight.
A Nigerian who met Mrs. Alison-Madueke in the UK said the former minister claimed she was receiving medical treatment.
HOW ALISON--MADUEKE LOOTED NIGERIA AS OIL MINISTER:
Two of our sources said that the former Petroleum
Minister acquired an astonishing sum of looted funds
through shady dealings that included theft of kerosene
subsidy payments, manipulation of fuel subsidy
payments, so-called swap deals in which she used a
number of personal and corporate fronts to sell
Nigerian crude oil that was meant to be refined and
brought back for local consumption, fraudulent
acquisition of marginal oil fields and allocation of other
lucrative oil field to fronts.
Our sources disclosed that Mrs. Alison-Madueke’s
most daring fraudulent deals were her strategic
partnership agreements with two respective companies
officially owned by her most notorious fronts, Jide
Omokore and Kola Aluko. The agreements were worth
over $6 billion, according to one source. He added that
another avenue of money laundering by the former
minister was the controversial Malabu deal in which
she, former Attorney General, Mohammed Adoke, and
President Goodluck Jonathan may have pocketed close
to $2 billion between them.
Our financial intelligence source said Mrs. Alison-
Madueke was able to get away with her deals and
schemes in the oil industry because she was “one of
[former President] Jonathan’s money managers.” The
same source pointed out that the Jonathan
administration had designed the Petroleum Industry
Bill (PIB) to give Mr. Jonathan and Mrs. Alison-
Madueke “sweeping discretionary powers to award
contracts, licenses, and leases for the Nigerian
petroleum industry.”
ACCOMPLICES AND COMPANIES IN MRS. ALISON-- MADUEKE'S ORBIT:
SaharaReporters learned that several key individuals
helped the former minister to hide her loot. Two
separate intelligence reports identified one Donald
Chidi Amamgbo as a key figure in Mrs. Alison-
Madueke’s money laundering activities. Mr. Omokore,
Mr. Aluko and Walter Wagbatsoma were also named
as close collaborators in the former minister’s
suspicious web of financial activities.
Mr. Aluko, who went to near-anonymity to become a
flashy, high-flying and yacht-owning “entrepreneur,”
was identified as a “money-launderer” for Mr.
Jonathan and Mrs. Alison-Madueke. Our source
claimed that Mr. Aluko recently bought several real
estate properties in Los Angeles and New York ranging
between $8 million and $23 million. Recently, rap
mogul, Jay Z, and his wife, Beyoncé, spent their
vacation on a $50 million yacht owned by Mr. Aluko.
According to our source, Mr. Aluko’s flamboyant
lifestyle led Mr. Jonathan and Mrs. Alison-Madueke to
decide to use more discreet fronts. Besides, the
source added, Mr. Aluko also fell out with the former
Petroleum Minister Diezani when he absconded with
funds he was supposed to have laundered for her and
the former president.
Mr. Aluko’s Atlantic Energy, formerly known as Atlantic
Energy Drilling Concept Limited (AEDCNL), was one of
the major corporate entities used to stash away the
former minister’s looted funds. Mr. Aluko established
the company in Zug, Switzerland, along with Nigerian
national Temidayo Adeoye Okusame and British
national Oscar Seda Mbeche.
In July 2015, SaharaReporters had published an
investigative report that revealed connections between
Mrs. Alison-Madueke, Nigerian Petroleum Development
Company (NPDC), and Atlantic Energy. This website
reported, “on July 19, 2010, Atlantic Energy Drilling
Concept Limited (AEDCNL) was incorporated as a
portfolio company,” adding that this was barely three
months after Mrs. Alison-Madueke assumed office as
the Minister of Petroleum Resources. The report
continued: “Atlantic Energy, even without prior record
of successful experience in the oil and gas sector,
announced that it had entered into a Strategic Alliance
Agreement (SAA) with the Nigerian Petroleum
Development Company (NPDC) in April 2011. That was
exactly six months before AEDCNL was legally born.”
One oil industry expert told SaharaReporters that there
was widespread shock when Mrs. Alison-Madueke
awarded an unknown company like Atlantic Energy a
strategic agreement with the NPDC “without following
any process as stipulated in the government
procurement laws and policy.” The stated that oil
industry operators knew that the deal between Atlantic
Energy and the NPDC “was an unholy arrangement”
between the former minister, top NPDC officials, Kola
Aluko and Jide Omokore. He identified Mr. Omokore as
a “controversial business mogul” and political
financier.
According to a report published by the Natural
Resource Governance Institute, Atlantic Energy had
entered into strategic alliance deals with the NPDC for
at least five oil blocks or oil mining leases.
Walter Wagbatsoma, also listed as a “money manager”
for the former Petroleum Minister, runs several
companies that investigators found to be entangled in
Mrs. Alison-Madueke’s financial activities. An
intelligence report discussing Mr. Wagbatsoma’s
business dealings found that “he holds a private plane,
said to be bought by [Mrs. Alison-Madueke], probably
in 2011, in trust for the Petroleum Minister.”
However, Mr. Wagbatsoma is associated with a
shadowy energy company named Ontario Oil and Gas,
which trades Nigerian crude on international markets
and whose directors are currently facing money-
laundering trial in Nigerian courts. According to the
Berne Declaration, an independent watchdog
organization, Ontario Oil and Gas continues to export
Nigerian crude despite accusations by the Nigerian
government that the company misappropriated more
than 4.2 billion naira—and arrests of the firm’s
executives by the EFCC. According to the company’s
own website, it exports at least 2 million barrels of
crude oil a month.
The Natural Resource Governance Institute reported
that Ontario Oil and Gas, along with another company,
Aiteo, saw “their shares of the Nigerian crude and
products markets grow rapidly under the Jonathan
government,” despite their very limited experience. The
report also noted: “Ontario relied on a few foreign
traders to take its [petroleum] allocation to market.”
Mrs. Alison-Madueke’s third accomplice, who was
described as such in two separate intelligence reports
leaked to SaharaReporters, is Donald Chidi Amamgbo.
Mr. Amamgbo reportedly studied law at Howard
University in Washington, DC at the same time Mrs.
Alison-Madueke was studying there as a student of
architecture. It is believed that they met each other in
DC.
According to biographical information available in
intelligence reports, in January 2012 Mr. Amamgbo was
suspended from practicing law in California, where he
relocated, for one year. However, his main focus
seemed to have already turned to managing three
companies under his ownership, specifically Tidax
Energy, Mezcor SA, and Lynear SA.
Tradax, Mezcor, and Lynear are all based out of
Geneva, Switzerland and all three are connected to a
Portuguese national, Daniel Roy Joanes, and an
American national, Richard Levinson. The Natural
Resources Governance Institute characterized Tridax
as an example of suspicious conduct because the
firm’s “corporate structures stretch outside Nigeria.”
The report found that Mr. Amamgbo owned 49% of
Tridax with the remaining 51% of the ownership
belonging to Tridax Oil domiciled in Switzerland.
Further tracing the corporate structure of Tridax, it
was revealed that 100% of it is owned by a sister
company based in Malta, with 99% of that company
owned by Calpenergy Fund in Gibraltar, with 67% of it
owned in turn by Daniel Roy Joanes, with the
remaining 33% owned by Turicum Private Bank also
located in Gibraltar. This kind of circuitous ownership
arrangement often typifies an attempt by a corporate
entity’s real owners to hide their identities.
SaharaReporters obtained an intelligence report that
stated, “Mezcor SA is clearly the lead company of the
three run by Amamgbo.” Mr. Amamgbo also owns 49%
of Mezcor, with the remaining 51% owned by Mr.
Joanes and Mr. Levinson. Mr. Joanes, who previously
worked as an asset manager for Clariden Leu, later
worked for Bank Hapoalim. He also owns NFS
Partners, which is co-located in the same office as
Mezcor in Geneva.
Mr. Levinson is described in one report as having “a
scandalous past” and has the dubious distinction of
owning one of the first companies to be suspended by
the US government for fraudulent activity during
reconstruction after the Iraq War in 2003. According to
the Wall Street Journal, “a [US] federal jury in
Alexandria, VA found that Custer Battles [owned by
Levinson] defrauded the US government of $3 million
by filing faked invoices.”
US authorities later discovered that Mr. Levinson’s
companies billed the American government $10 million
for work estimated to actually cost only $4 million. In
a curious corporate sleight of hand, Mr. Levinson sold
Custer Battles to Danubia Global Inc., a company
based in Bucharest, Romania, for one dollar. It turned
out that he owned Danubia as well.
One intelligence investigation found that Mr. Levinson
“acts as a director of the five companies [in which]
Daniel Roy Joanes is also a director.”
According to another investigation, Tridax is a
beneficiary of one of “38 contracts for 1,179,000
barrels per day crude lifting awarded by the [Nigerian]
Federal Government last year.” The NNPC, which
awards these contracts, also awarded a contract to
Mezcor SA and two companies it worked with—India
Oil Company and Fujairah Refinery.
These companies’ ties to Mrs. Alison-Madueke extend
beyond questionable crude oil lifting contracts and her
relationship with Mr. Donald Chidi Amamgbo.
Investigators showed SaharaReporters documents that
established that Timi John Agama, the former
Petroleum Minister’s younger brother, has a financial
stake and is a part owner of both Mezcor and Tridax.
THE Madueke-Agama FAMILY BUSINESS NETWORK:
SaharaReporters has learned, from profiles of Mrs.
Alison-Madueke’s sons, brothers, and nephews, that
the family’s core businesses are suspiciously located
at a single address: Unit 8, Quebec Buildings,
Manchester M3 7DU in the United Kingdom. The main
business is listed as Hadley Petroleum Solutions Ltd.
But other corporate entities registered at the same
location include Ryan and Bell Solutions Ltd., Callserv
Ltd., Parrot Mobile Ltd., Mail Express Ltd., and Stone
International Ltd.
All these companies are associated with close
members of Mrs. Alison-Madueke’s family, including
nephews Abu Fari, Abiye Agama, Somze Agama, and
her son, Ugonna Madueke. According to one
intelligence report, “key in the Diezani Alison-Madueke
family business structure is her elder brother, Doye,
who is a Pentecostal Archbishop based in Manchester,
UK. SaharaReporters learned that in addition to his
business activities with the Madueke-Agama family,
Bishop Agama presides over the Apostolic Pastoral
Congress located in Manchester, UK.
Before becoming part of the clergy in 1994, Mr. Doye
Agama worked as a telecommunications consultant to
the oil industry, central and local government and the
emergency services.
Investigators told SaharaReporters that Mrs. Alison-
Madueke owns a number of properties in the United
Kingdom and the United States, under a variety of
names, often those of her family. One property,
located in London at 22 Parkwood, St. Edmunds
Terrace, St John's Wood, London, NW8 7QQ is
registered in the name of her mother, Beatrice
Agama. Her younger brother, Timi John Agama, has a
property registered under his name at 67, Wades Hill,
Winchmore Hill, London, N21 1AU.
The former minister’s elder brother, Bishop Agama,
has a property located at 27 Tavistock Square,
Holburn, London, WC1H 9HH registered to his name.
Winihin Ayuli-Jemide, a younger sister to Mrs. Alison-
Madueke, is active in organizing a series of
conferences ostensibly to empower African women.
Her seminars are called the Winihin Jemide Series.
Curiously, her conferences and seminars are often held
in cities like London and Vienna where her elder sister,
Mrs. Alison-Madueke, is suspected to have business
interests. The former minister was often invited to
speak at the conferences.
In the United States, the former Petroleum Minister
owns three properties that are registered under her
maiden name, Diezani K. Agama. They include a posh
apartment located at 1220 West Highway, Silver
Spring, Maryland, with the zip code of 20910. Her son,
Ugonna Madueke, has at least three properties
registered in his name, two in Virginia and one in
Maryland. The former minister’s son’s properties in
Virginia are located at 11711 Scooter Lane, Fairfax, VA
22030, and 4227 Summit Manor Ct, Fairfax, VA 22033.
His property in Maryland is at 13116 Silver Maple Ct,
Bowie, MD 20715.
The former minister’s husband, Admiral Alison
Amaechina Madueke, was Nigeria’s former Chief of
Naval Staff. On retiring, Mr. Madueke went into the
maritime services business, serving as the chairman or
director of numerous companies, including Radam
Maritime Services Ltd.

By : Godwin Onoghokere

CSNAC Petitions EFCC Over N67.2b Illegal Withdrawal UNDER Jonathan

The Civil Society Network against Corruption (CSNAC), has petitioned the Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Lamorde, to investigate the circumstances surrounding the movement of N67.2billion from the
Central Bank of Nigeria under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
In a petition written by the coalition’s chairman,
Olanrewaju Suraju, and made available to
journalists, the group said it is demanding a swift and
thorough investigation into these allegations in order to
recover the nation’s dwindling resources at the hands
of unscrupulous elements and the deserved
punishments meted out where necessary.
“In its publication of the 19th day of September, 2015,
the Premium Times, an online newspaper reported that
the former President Goodluck Jonathan, authorized
the withdrawal of a whopping N67.2 billion in cash
from the Central Bank of Nigeria between November
2014 and February 2015 for what was called ‘special
services’ during the lead up to the 2015 general
elections. Insiders at CBN said the huge cash was
carted away in bullion vans.
“The report further states that one of the withdrawals
was made through a memo which originated from the
office of the former National Security Adviser Sambo
Dasuki, while the second was generated by the
National Petroleum Investment Management Services
(NAPIMS), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation in charge of the Federal
Government’s investment in the petroleum industry.”
Furthermore, the report states ‘the first memo dated
November 2014 contained a request for the withdrawal
of $47 million cash out of N10 billion earmarked for
release for an unbudgeted ‘special services’. In the
memo with reference number NSA/366/S and titled:
’Request for Funds for Special Services’, an official
from Mr Dasuki’s office had drawn the CBN’s
governor’s attention to a previous discussion and
requested the release of the said funds by the bank’.
“The balance from the N10 billion the memo directed
was to be paid out in Euro, while a certain Director of
Finance and Administration with the name S. A. Salisu,
was authorized to sign and receive the haul of US
Dollars and Euro in cash, on behalf of the NSA’s office.
"It remains unknown for what purpose the ‘special
services’ fund was utilized.”
While stating that the huge withdrawals violate the
Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 which was
signed by the ex-president, the group noted that the
transaction was a brazen disregard for the rule of law
and due process that should be condemned and
discouraged. “From the foregoing, this is another case
of high profile corruption and money laundering that
deserves a thorough investigation to identify the key
players and circumstances surrounding the movements
of such huge sums of money.
“One would wonder how a President who signed an
important act such as the Money Laundering Act into
law will now be responsible for flouting the same
enactment, whether personally or through his stooges,”
the petition said.
THE FULL PETITION CAN BE FOUND BELOW:
23rd September, 2015
The Chairman,
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,
No. 5, Fomella Street,
Off Adetokunboh Ademola Crescent,
Wuse II, Abuja.
Dear Sir,
REQUEST FOR THE INVESTIGATION OF THE
CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE MOVEMENT OF
N67.2 BILLION FROM THE CBN UNDER THE FORMER
PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN ADMINISTRATION
FOR “SPECIAL SERVICES”
Civil Society Network against Corruption (CSNAC) is a
coalition of over hundred and fifty Anti-corruption
organizations whose primary aim is to constructively
combat corruption vigorously and to ensure the
effective monitoring of the various Anti-graft agencies
in the fight against corruption and contribute towards
the enthronement of transparency, accountability,
probity and total commitment in the fight to eradicate
corruption in Nigeria.
In its publication of the 19th day of September, 2015,
the PremiumTimes, an online newspaper reported that
the former President Goodluck Jonathan authorised
the withdrawal of a whopping N67.2billion in cash
money from the Central Bank of Nigeria between
November 2014 and February 2015 for what was called
‘special services’ in the build up to the 2015 general
elections. Insiders at CBN said the huge cash were
carted away in bullion vans.
The report further stated that one of the withdrawals
was made through a memo which originated from the
office of the former National Security Adviser, Sambo
Dasuki, while the second was generated by the
National Petroleum Investment Management Services,
NAPIMS, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation in charge of the Federal
Government’s investment in the petroleum industry.
Furthermore, according to the report, ‘The first memo
dated November, 2014 contained a request for the
withdrawal of $47 million cash out of N10billion
earmarked for release for an unbudgeted ‘special
services’. In the memo with reference number
NSA/366/S and titled:’Request for Funds for Special
Services’, an official from Mr Dasuki’s office had
drawn the CBN’s governor’s attention to a previous
discussion and requested the release of the said funds
by the bank’. The balance from the N10billion, the
memo directed, was to be paid out in Euro, while a
certain Director of Finance and Administration with the
name S. A. Salisu, was authorised to sign and receive
the haul of US Dollars and Euro in cash, on behalf of
the NSA’s office. It remains unknown for what
purpose the ‘special services’ fund was utilized.
Also, the second memo raised by NAPIMS and dated
February 25, 2015 conveyed an instruction to the
Director Banking and System Payment Department of
the CBN to urgently pay in cash, the sum of
$289,202,382 (N52.7 billion) to the National
Intelligence Agency (NIA). ‘Upon receipt of this
mandate, please pay urgently the under listed
beneficiary the cash amount indicated. Please debit
CBN/JVCC Foreign Account No. 000000011658360
with the JP Morgan Chase New York and advise (sic)
as soon as the payment is made’. The payment
instruction in favour of the NIA was signed by one
Okonkwo Godwin, General Manager, Finance, NAPIMS,
with staff no 18526 on February 25, 2015. However,
sources claimed the funds were taken away at night
with bullion vans under heavy security cover. When
contacted, according to Premiumtimes, "the CBN’s
Director, Corporate Communications, Ibrahim Muazu
declined comments as well as former spokespersons
of the former president. However, a senior official of
the bank on the condition of anonymity confirmed the
report. He said ‘My brother, the report is true. Every
detail is on point but since they claimed the
withdrawal was for security services, anything could
have been referred to as such. Nobody knows”
These huge withdrawals violate the Money Laundering
(Prohibition) Act 2011 which was signed by Mr.
Jonathan. According to Part 1, Section 1 of the law,
“No person or body corporate shall, except in a
transaction through a financial institution, make or
accept cash payment of a sum exceeding- (a)
N5,000,000.00 or its equivalent, in the case of an
individual; or (b) N10,000,000.00 or its equivalent in
the case of a body corporate.”
Section 16(d) of the Act says anyone who makes or
accepts cash payments exceeding the amount
authorised under this Act shall upon conviction be
liable to a forfeiture of 25% of the excess above the
limits placed in section 1 of the Act.
From the foregoing this is another case of high profile
corruption and money laundering that deserves a
thorough investigation to identify the key players and
circumstances surrounding the movements of such
huge sums of money. One would wonder how a
president who signed an important Act such as the
Money Laundering Act into law will now be responsible
for flouting the same enactment, whether personally or
through his stooges. This is a brazen disregard for the
rule of law and due process that should be prosecuted
appropriately to serve as deterrent.
In the light of this, CSNAC is therefore by this petition
demanding that a swift and thorough investigation be
launched into the allegations as contained above, in
order to recover the nation’s dwindling resources in
the hands of unscrupulous elements and the deserved
punishments meted out where necessary.
Thank you in anticipation of your cooperation.
Yours faithfully,
Olanrewaju Suraju
Chairman.

By :  Godwin Onoghokere

UK Court seizes 27,000 pounds from former petroleum minister, Alison- Madueke

UK Court seizes 27,000 pounds from former petroleum minister, Alison- Madueke
The Westminster Magistrate’s Court on
Marylebone Road, London, on Monday
granted an application for seizure of 27,000
pounds seized from a former Minister of
Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-
Madueke.
Mrs. Alison-Madueke was arrested and later
released on bail on Friday for alleged
corruption-related offences.
The cash was seized under Section 295 of
Proceeds of Crime Act 2012.
By granting the application, which was filed
by the UK’s National Crime Agency, the
money would be held in the custody of the
court until April 5, 2016.
PREMIUM TIMES gathered that although the
former minister did not appear today in
court, her mother, Beatrice Agama, and
another woman, Melanie Spencer, appeared
in today’s sitting.
Reports also said a separate application was
also made against Ms. Agama for the seizure
of an undisclosed amount of money.
PREMIUM TIMES learned that there were
indications the money seized by the court
was found recently with Mrs. Alison-
Madueke as the National Crime Agency
applied for the seizure within 48 hours.
PREMIUM TIMES had exclusively reported
the arrest of Mrs. Alison-Madueke alongside
four others in London on Friday, for
offences related to bribery, corruption and
money laundering.
An overview of the Proceeds of Crime Act
says “The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002
(“POCA”) sets out the legislative scheme for
the recovery of criminal assets with
criminal confiscation being the most
commonly used power.
“Confiscation occurs after a conviction has
taken place. Other means of recovering the
proceeds of crime which do not require a
conviction are provided for in the Act,
namely civil recovery, cash seizure and
taxation powers.
“The aim of the asset recovery schemes in
POCA is to deny criminals the use of their
assets, recover the proceeds of crime and
disrupt and deter criminality.
“Since 2010, more than £746 million of
criminal assets has been seized (to 2013/14)
across all four methods of recovery – a
record amount.
“Over the same period, assets worth more
than £2.5 billion have been frozen denying
criminals access to these resources and £93
million has been returned to victims,” said
a factsheet.

Buhari pictured with Obama and his wife

President Buhari in a photo with Michelle and Barack Obama during a reception at the 70th session of the UN General Assembly in New York last week.

Nigerian man who predicted Abuja attacks deletes Twitter account.

Nigerian man who predicted Abuja attacks deletes Twitter account
A Twitter user, Chima Okoro, who predicted the attacks in Abuja on Friday on the social networking site, has deactivated his account.
Okoro, with @chimaokoro63 as his username on Twitter, between 8.34 am and 9.12 am on October 1, had repeatedly posted:
“I pray for Nigeria: there will be a bomb blast in Abuja & Lagos, Boko Haram is going to attack and kill police_army &_ Navy their evils (sic).”

In the profile picture of the account, which was captured by us  before the user deactivated it,  the young man has description of dark complexion is seen slouching in a room with cream-coloured walls, dressed in a red T-shirt, while holding up a mobile phone in his left hand and smiling to the camera.

Checks on Twitter revealed that other users had started raising the alarm about Okoro’s tweets as early as 10 pm on Friday.

One user, Eduozor Henrie, at 10:47 pm, said, “@Omojuwa @toluogunlesi @ogundamisi, please guys see the timeline of @chimaokoro63… worrying. He tweeted this yesterday.”

Another user, @md_oyereyi at 11:31 pm, said, “The attention of the DSS and other security agencies should be called to this… @Ifyduoz @Omojuwa @toluogunlesi @ogundamisi.”

Debo Oduola, at 11:32 pm, said, “@Ifyduoz @toluogunlesi @Omojuwa @ogundamisi @chimaokoro63 he should be arrested asap,” while Dame Jayla Peperempe, in her reaction (11:03 pm), said, “Hmmm this is all he tweeted yesterday.”

Ogundana Michael (11:16 pm) said, “Who is this that tweeted this? He tweeted this just yesterday!” and

Dogoh Orduen @MackDogoh (11:18 pm) expressing disbelief, said, “@MickeySunny @chimaokoro63 you are kidding.  We're is our intelligence strength?

Liverpool Ladies star Asisat Oshoala has been named as the BBC Women's Footballer of the Year for 2015.

Following a poll held online, as well as via mobile phone and handheld devices, Reds star Oshoala received the most votes to become the winner.
The four other contenders for the award were Veronica Boquete (Spain and FFC Frankfurt), Nadine Kessler (Germany and VFL Wolfsburg), Kim Little (Scotland and Seattle Reign FC) and Marta (Brazil and FC Rosengard).
The shortlist was selected by a panel of experts including administrators, journalists, coaches and former players.
Reflecting on her award, Oshoala said: "I am extremely proud to have won this award as it is a real honour for both myself and my family.

Just to be nominated against such world-class players was a real privilege, but to have won the award is absolutely fantastic.

Last year was an incredible year as I managed to help Nigeria U20s get to the U20 World Cup final, as well as being named African Women's Footballer of the Year, so this award tops off a great year.

I would like to thank everyone that voted for me, with a special mention to my supporters in Nigeria, including my previous club River Angels and my current club, Liverpool Ladies."
Paying his own personal tribute, Liverpool Ladies manager Matt Beard said: "It's a great accolade.

She caught our eye in the U20 World Cup with her performances when she had a fantastic tournament, and then she did the same for the first team when she helped them qualify for the World Cup.

Since she came to Liverpool this year she has improved with every training session and every game, and it's fantastic for her and great for us as well.

She's also a great character. Anyone who saw her goal against Birmingham will remember the celebration dance she did.

She's young and she's given up everything she knows to come over to England and play for Liverpool FC. She's settling in nicely and we are delighted to have her on board.

Chocolate Royale Shut By NAFDAC For Distributing 1billion Naira Expired Goods

National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC has sealed Lagos – based confectioneries and multinational food outlet, Chocolate Royale over what it described as “unethical practices” and non-adherent to Good Manufacturing and Hygienic Practices.
Vanguard gathered that the outlet was sealed following a tip-off and intelligence report which indicted the company of illegal importation, storage and use of expired ingredients and food products for preparing of food and confectioneries served to unsuspecting customers.
The company was also accused of operating and maintaining illegal cold-rooms at their Managing Director’s resident where large quantities of various expired and spoilt food ingredients worth millions of naira were uncovered.
The Agency claimed that it’s action became necessary following avalanche of complaints of violation and affront of the company to the regulatory body’s regulations. Announcing the closure of the facilities located at Plot 267A Etim Inyang Crescent and the Managing Director’s residence on No 1, Karimu Kotun Street, all in Victoria Island, Lagos, the Director, Investigation and Enforcement of NAFDAC, Mr. Kingsley Ejiofor disclosed that some top officials of the company were equally arrested for interrogation for willfully obstructing the NAFDAC operatives in the course of their duties during the exercise which lasted over, nine hours.
The expired products worth over N1bn had been evacuated from both premises in six vans, Ejiofor confirmed.
He said six persons were arrested in connection with the incident, explaining that they were held for intentionally obstructing NAFDAC officials while on official duties.His words: “The suspect will be interrogated, while the products will be sampled and taken to the laboratory for analysis, where the labels and contents will be properly analysed. And at the end of the day when the results are out, that will determine the next of action.”
Ejiofor who is also the Chairman of Federal Taskforce on Fake and Counterfeit Drugs, Unwholesome Processed Foods and other regulated products, said that the food and confectionery outlet will remain closed to allow for proper investigation.
“They will be investigated by the Federal Taskforce and NAFDAC. At the end of the investigations, files submitted will be reviewed and after evaluation, we will send them to the legal division which will advice on what next to do and if we have enough facts, then will proceed on prosecution,” he added.
Meanwhile, NAFDAC’s Director-General, Dr. Paul Orhii has inspected the seized products evacuated to the Agency’s Enforcement office at Apapa, assuring Nigerians that the case would be thoroughly investigated to ascertain the level of violations to aid prosecution.
Orhii who frowned at the development disclosed that apart from the products being expired, they were not registered by NAFDAC therefore should not have come into the country in the first place.
The Director General directed that in the course of the investigation, those handling the matter should request the company to furnish them with their clearing documents to ascertain if the offending products were legally cleared at the point of entry.
Reiterating that Chocolate Royale will remain sealed and closed to the public until all the issues are fully investigated and resolved, Orhii commended Nigerians for their support for NAFDAC and urged them to help to provide more information that will assist them unravel the activities of those he described as the ‘’merchants of death’’ just as he revealed that there is a reward system in place for those who could furnish the Agency with useful information that will aid it to uncover more hideout of violators.

Chocolate Royale is a subsidiary of AIM Group belonging to a Lebanase business mogul, Mr. Amin Moussalli who is also the owners of broadcast stations; Cool Fm, Nigerian Info Fm, Wazobia Fm, Cool TV, Wee TV and Wazobia TV respectively among other business interests in Nigeria

A New Creature Has Been Found In India

A New Creature Has Been Found In India –A new kind of creature found in the forest of nandulbard district (maharashtra-india) it appearance resembles much with the human being, some behave, it is actually a form of Goblins (dwarf-like villainous character of European stories).
What do u think of these creatures?

DO YOU KNOW THAT NIGERIA VISA GOES FOR A DOLLAR OR N162 IN 13 COUNTRIES? SEE THIS LIST FROM THE NIGERIAN IMMIGRATION SERVICE

While many Nigerians may have known visa fees of different European and American countries, not many take interest in what the country charges other nationals for the document.
But the fact is that the Nigerian Immigration Service has a long list of the fees on its website, indicating clearly the differences in terms of countries, the visa type and number of entries.
If what the NIS displays on the website is anything to go by, nationals of Mauritania, Monaco, Morroco, New Zealand, Panama, Uruguay, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Burma, Dominican, Chile and Colombia are charged between N100 and N 200 for a single-entry Nigerian visa. For those applying for multiple entries, the fee is multiplied by the number of entries they are seeking.
Weighed against the current exchange rate, it implies that a Nigerian visa is still going for half a dollar or a little above that.
Applicants from the United States are charged the highest. They pay N14,000 for either a single or multiple-entry visa.
Russia and other former members of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics are next to the US, and a visa application from the region attracts N10,500.
A traveller from the United Kingdom, who is applying for a single-entry Nigerian visa, pays N9,700, whereas a multiple-visa applicant is charged N16,200.
Interestingly, UK nationals picking up temporary employment in Nigeria pay N9,700, which is less than what their multiple-visa counterparts are charged.
A British woman married to a Nigerian has the option of obtaining an “indefinite” visa at N40,800, according to the NIS’s fee schedule.
Most European countries, such as Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Belgium and Spain, pay a little above N6,000 for a single-visa application. Multiple-entry visa application fee in most of the listed countries is N9,000 plus.
Based on the fact that the immigration service deals with many people in different parts of the world, it is expected that the facts presented on its website are valid as this is a major platform where potential visitors to Nigeria can access it.
Many Nigerian establishments have, however, yet to embrace online operation as an essential part of their corporate integrity. Hence, what such organisations, especially federal ministries, departments and agencies, tag new information are, in some cases, one or more years stale.
Even the NIS is not free from the practice, which visitors find worrisome. For instance, what the Service calls “news”, as of Sunday, is a notice of a recruitment exercise examination that was to be held on March 15, 2014 in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
Also, a document by the Service says it has in the past 10 years cancelled no fewer than 1,288 passports.
But an Internet search by our correspondent shows that the list has not been upgraded since August 2013 when it was uploaded despite a promise that it would be “updated regularly.” This is apart from the fact no reason is given for the cancelation. This, indeed, leaves visitors in the dark as to the number of the ‘green-back’ that have been cancelled in the past two years.
An online document obtained from the NIS portal on Sunday also says it started compiling the list in 2005. There is nothing anywhere on the site to show the updated status of the two-year-old document.

AM I DYING OR CUMMING? 70 YEAR-OLD-MAN DIES HAVING SEX WITH 2 SECONDARY SCHOOL GIRLS

A 70-year-old man identified as Collins Iheanacho, over the weekend allegedly slumped and died after engaging in a marathon sex with two secondary school girls-aged 14 and 16 in a hotel room situated at Ogbaku, a community in Imo State.Iheanacho until his death was a retired staff of Chevron and the village Chairman of Umueye village, a community in Owerri.The deceased before his demise was said to have been in the habit of sleeping with teenage girls.It was gathered that the two teenagers were the deceased regular sex partners even after being reprimanded by their parents.
According to a source, both girls, who attended a junior secondary school in the area, honored the randy old man’s invitation, though did not know until they both met at the hotel.
While in bed with both girls, he was said to have barely finished a sexual round with one of the girls when he started gasping for air and he later passed on.
It was further learnt that both girls on seeing what had happened , fled the scene but were later apprehended by the police at their various homes.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Andrew Enwerem, said the girls have been rounded up and are now cooling their heels in police custody, adding that investigation is ongoing.

UPDATE - Nigeria has no power to regulate DSTV prices — MultiChoice

South African digital satellite television company, Multichoice, has defended its decision to increase DSTV subscription rates in Nigeria, saying neither the country nor its courts, has the powers to regulate its prices.
The ruling on the objecti​on by Multichoice Nigeria Limited against an application seeking to stop the price increase has been scheduled for Thursday, May 21, 2015 at the Federal High Court, Lagos.
Two Lagos-based lawyers, Oluyinka Oyeniji and Osasuyi Adebayo, had initiated a class action on behalf of millions of Nigerians who criticised the new subscription rates as exploitative and insensitive.
The duo had sought the order of the court to stop MultiChoice or its agents from implementing the 20 per cent hike in the fees charged subscribers for using the service effective April 1, 2015.
The plaintiffs equally asked the court to compel the National Broadcasting Commission to take steps to monitor and regulate MultiChoice operations in Nigerian to ensure that it does not hike their fees arbitrarily.
The two applicants said they were expecting the NBC to ensure that they compel DSTV to deal with Nigerians the same way DSTV deals with other subscribers in other parts of the continent where MultiChoice operates, by ensuring that the pay-per-view scheme was introduced in the country.
This arrangement, they argued, would ensure that Nigerian subscribers to DSTV would only pay for programmes actually watched, as is the case in South Africa.
However, in objecting to the application, counsel to MultiChoice, Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), urged the court to deny the plaintiffs their demands and discountenance their pleas.
According to Mr. Onigbanjo, apart from the plaintiffs not having any good cause of action through their application, he also reminded the court that it did not have the legal authority to regulate what the company decides to charge its customers for its services.
The lawyer drew the court’s attention to clauses 40 and 41 in his client’s terms or conditions of service, stating: “Multichoice Nigeria may, from time to time, change the fees payable to Multichoice Nigeria for the Multichoice Service by way of general amendment.”
As a country operating a free market economy, Mr. Onigbanjo said, neither the Nigerian government nor the court has the power to regulate the prices for its services.
He noted that at the moment, Nigeria does not have an existing law that empowers the NBC to monitor and regulate the prices for services offered by satellite television operators.
To enable the court rule on the objection, Justice C.J. Aneke therefore adjourned further sitting till May 21.

EXPOSED! How SURE-P, FERMA defraud Unemployed Nigerians Youth.

Recruited officers of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) and Federal Task Force (FERMA) have accused the Lagos State coordinator of the programme of owing them three years salaries running into millions of naira.
The officers during a protest on Monday at the office of the National Human Rights Commission, Oshodi, Lagos, southwest Nigeria, equally protested against the fraudulent extortion of money from them by some executives of the programme.
The protesters accused their National officers and chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Lagos as being responsible for subjecting them to such dehumanising condition and extorting money from them, adding that the management was using the SURE-P/FERMA job to exploit desperate job seekers for their selfish political gains.
The protesters carrying placards with offensive inscriptions on it, sang and chanted solidarity songs alleging that they were mandated to pay outrageous sums before they were employed for the job, adding that three years after employment and resumption of duties they are yet to be paid a dime.
They said that at the commencement of the programme in 2013, applicants were made to pay the sum of N32,500 each for uniform while additional N5,000 was paid for the procurement of the SURE-P forms.
They alleged further that the forms were picked at the residence of PDP Chieftain, Chief Bode George, with a promise that they would be trained in recognised institutions in the country.
They lamented that to date, no form of training had been organised for them. Instead, they were used for political rallies whenever any prominent government official was in the state in the build up to the last general elections.
The angry protesters said the whole recruitment exercise was a fraud, adding that they were just exploited by some people in the name of Federal Government project.
They vowed to continue their protest till the Presidency pays them the arrears of their salaries for three years.
Some of the women among the protesters who spoke with our correspondent in tears also recounted their tales of woe in the hands of the coordinators of the programme.
The pains they went through knows no bound in the course of their respective trainings as they took turns to tell their stories.
Some alleged that they lost their pregnancies while undergoing rigorous training exercises in the course of the programme while some said they lost their loved ones including husbands and children. “I lost my sick husband while doing this silly work because I hardly had the time to take proper care of him. I expended all I had on the work because of the prospect I thought was in it being a federal government thing but at the end of the day, it was tales of regrets everywhere,” said Nkechi.
According to the coordinator of the protest, Aderibigbe Kayode Vincent,”we heard from a source within the Presidency that A PDP chieftain in Lagos (names withheld) told Mr President he paid us N350,000 each. This is a big lie. We have not been paid a dime for the three years that we have worked. We have over 70,000 staffs and they are owing all of us. So, I don’t know where he got that figure from.
“We ought to have had this protest on the eve of the governorship election but because they knew it will negatively affect the chances of the PDP at the polls, they called us and begged that we should shelve it. We went to their office on the Friday before the election as earlier scheduled and we waited till 7pm and they refused to show up and address us.
“We already wrote all the appropriate authorities on this ugly development including the police, ICPC, EFCC, our lawyer and others and they advised that we embark on the protest if not our money will not be paid. "

RS 7.11 returned the sum of N600,000 to an accident victim.

The FRSC has returned the sum of N600,000 to an accident victim. We learned that the victim was involved in a ghastly motor accident RS7.11 Gwagwalada, the FRSC team dashed to the scene almost immediately, and were on hand to rush the victims to the hospital.
The Sum of N600,000 was found at the scene of the accident by a noble FRSC officer.

The cash has since been returned to the accident victim who couldn't help but show gratitude for honest and exemplary conduct.

Verification: FRSC To Share License Details With Security Agencies

Verification: FRSC To Share License Details With Security Agencies

The Federal Road Safety Commission(FRSC) said it would work with relevant security agencies to ensure quick verification of licenses.
FRSC said the measure was to apprehend erring drivers or vehicle owners in the country.
This was disclosed by Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, Corps Marshal of the commission, while addressing newsmen in Abuja on Friday at the end of the quarterly session with commanding officers of the agency.
According to Oyeyemi, FRSC cannot do it alone, and so, inter-agency cooperation is required to apprehend road traffic offenders and reduce crashes.
“We can’t do this alone, we need the support of all the other security agencies, especially the police.
“The Nigeria Customs Service has been working with us, so also the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
“We will work with all the relevant security agencies in the country. Anybody can verify the drivers license and vehicle registration.
“ We are going to do the same thing with number plates.
The corps marshal further said the commission also needed the services of the Judiciary to prosecute offenders.
He said that prosecution of offenders; prompt response to accident victims; removal of obstructions; use of cell phone while driving and seat belt violation topped the list of the commission’s priority, this year.
The 2015 second quarterly session was attended by commanding officers of  all FRSC commands and schools across the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the commission, had, after consultation with stakeholders in the road sector, fixed 100km/h as the maximum speed for private vehicles and 80km/h for commercial vehicles.
NAN also recalls that the commission had fixed June 1 for the commencement of enforcement of installation of Speed limiting Device (SLD) on every commercial vehicle in the country.(NAN)

Oluremi Olayinka sentenced to 266 years imprisonment for stealing N8m

Oluremi Olayinka sentenced to 266 years imprisonment for stealing N8m
A staff of popular eatery Sweet Sensation, Oluremi Olayinka pictured above has been sentenced to 266 years imprisonment by an Ogun state High Court for stealing N8 million from her employers.
Her company petitioned the EFCC after she made away with N8million handed over to her by her employer. Olayinka was in May 2013 dragged before the court for the offence.
Justice A.A. Akinyemi while delivering his judgement on the case yesterday April 22nd, found her guilty on all 34-count charges brought against her. She was sentenced to seven years on each of 30 counts and 14 years on the remaining four charges.
The sentences are to run concurrently. She was also ordered to return the money she stole in restitution to her victim. Olayinka who admitted to the crime initially, denied committing the crime when she was arraigned. 4 witnesses and 16 evidence were used by the EFCC to prove she was guilty of committing the crime.

Xenophobia. A Nigerian broke his MTN in protest South Africa

I just broke my mtn sim card in protest over the xnophobia
attacks against Nigerians in South Africa( MTN is a south
African owned mobile Telecommunication company operational
in Nigeria).- Ifeduba ThankGod Tochukwu
Tag, copy and Share this Picture.

Why Abdulsalami Abubakar Led Alison- Madueke To Beg President Jonathan [MUST READ Investigation]

A former military Head of State, Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar
(retd.), on Thursday led the Minister of Petroleum Resources,
Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, to a closed-door meeting to
beg President Goodluck Jonathan.
Sources tell NewsWireNGR that the President had refused to
see the one time powerful minsters in his cabinet, shortly
after conceding defeat, Mrs Madueke was at the Villa to meet
the President over the outcome of the Elections but was
turned back.
“The President on hearing it was the Petroleum Minister that
was visiting, basically screamed at the security agencies not
to allow her in, to everyones surprise, this is one minister
you don’t turn away her visits at the Villa”, the anonymous
source at the Presidency said.
Diezani had been in the news lately when she suddenly
disappeared from the public and was rumoured to have
travelled abroad for undisclosed reason. “After the shocker
she got from President Jonathan, it led to her trip abroad,
some her aides says the BCA Reports on her seeking asylum
was actually correct seeing as Jonathan was no longer on
her side”.
An online media ran the report that she had gone in search
of asylum but that so far six countries had denied her such
request.
The NNPC however refuted the claim. It said in a statement
Wednesday that the minister had travelled abroad to rest and
would be back this week.
Reports say that the oil minister has been ‘restless’ since
General Muhammadu Buhari defeated President Jonathan in
the general election and is billed to take office on May 29,
but more importantly, she’s been confused why President
Jonathan doesn’t want to see her.
A photograph of the minister during her visit to
Abdulsalami’s house in Minna recently went viral on the
social media.
It was alleged that she went to seek for his intervention,
after Jonathan asked he didn’t want to see her only days
after the Presidential elections.
Another close aide of the current administration of President
Jonathan tells NewsWireNGR on condition that his name is
not mentioned that “Diezani contributed to the failure of
Jonathan during the elections, her arrogance with almost
everyone that matters didn’t help”.
“While other ministers were trying to mend fences to see
that the President is in the good books of those aggrieved
with the administration, the Petroleum Minister created a
‘god complex’ around herself”.
The source narrates to us what really transpired, he said
Diezani is one of those that caused the final face-off
between Jonathan and former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
According to our sources, “Obasanjo had sent the former
NNPC GMD, Funsho Kupolokun, to her office for a meeting,
she did not only keep the man waiting for more than four
hours, she went on to ask her aides to send him out that
she’s too busy”.
According to our insiders account, that action angered the
former President who then called Jonathan to express his
displeasure at the way his Funsho was treated by one of his
ministers.
“I can go on and on to name the atrocities Diezani
committed, at some point she saw herself as the President of
Nigeria, if you read Obasanjo’s book my watch, he stated it
clearly. he added.
Alison-Madueke arrived the Presidential Villa, Abuja, last
night for the meeting to beg Mr President, about three
minutes after Abubakar made his way into the President’s
office.
Less than 30 minutes after both of them entered the
President’s office, Abubakar emerged, leaving Alison-
Madueke behind.
“Sources insists that if Abdulsalami hadn’t carried her along
to the Presidential Villa, there is possibly no way President
would have want to set his eyes on her again”.
Another member of the ruling PDP when questioned about
the role of the Petroleum Minister noted, “Diezani did not
release money for anything, she kept if for herself, even
money that is normally taken from leakages to fund
campaigns, she allowed the party to go on without funds”.
“If you noticed even up until when the elections where
postponed, PDP cordinators weren’t having money to fund
states to run the President’s campaign, she ignores everyone
including the National chairman”.
Although, when State House correspondents asked the
former Head of State for the purpose of his visit, the former
military leader said it was in continuation of his job as the
chairman of the National Peace Committee for the 2015
General Elections.
“As the chairman of the peace committee, there is always
interaction between the incoming president and President
Jonathan, in order to ensure that the peace we have been
able to get is sustained.
“So naturally, I am here to touch base with him and also to
give him a report of what the committee has been doing,” he
said.
When confronted with the issue of his recent meeting with
the minister and the fact that they entered the President’s
office almost the same time, Abubakar said those reading
meanings into the visit were just being mischievous.
He said he had met many times with Alison-Madueke and
other ministers, wondering why the latest meeting became
an issue.
He said, “I think people are just trying to be mischievous, I
have been meeting with a lot of people and a lot of ministers
in the course of this transition. So there is nothing strange
in me meeting with anybody.
Abubakar said he had continued to meet Jonathan and the
President-elect for the transition to go on smoothly and
maintain the peace.
On what will become of her after Jonathan, another member
of the ruling party said, “She has started talking to the APC
to refund some of the money, before the elections, she had
spoken to Bukola Saraki and now Abdulsalami is her
mediator but i doubt President Jonathan will be defending
her from the next administration.