Category: Politics

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Friday called on Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State to call security outfit, Ebubeagu to order in the State

IPOB said the security outfit has turned into a kidnapping ring that demands huge money from its victims.

The group vowed to use its secret strategy to stop the security outfit allegedly created by Soludo in the state.

A statement by Powerful reads: “The attention of the global movement and family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) ably led by the great leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has been drawn to the random killing of innocent people, especially the youths of Anambra State by Nigeria Army and the secret security outfit created by Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State. The unfortunate thing is that Prof. Soludo is claiming ignorance of the dirty job committed by this criminal security outfit, as innocent lives are being wasted in Anambra Stated.

“IPOB have no problem with anyone creating a security outfit to secure the land so long as the Security outfit is not after the innocent Biafrans. It is important that Soludo call this secret Security outfit and their handlers and Military commander to order because they have turned into kidnappers who kidnap innocent citizens in the name of arrest and turn around to request huge amounts from their victims before they are released, and those unable to pay are wasted.

“Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo must look into numerous attacks, kidnapping and killing of innocent people in Anambra State committed by these Security outfits.

“Example of such killings was the reckless killing of one innocent youth at Abatete on the suspicion that he was an IPOB member by trigger happy terrorist soldier on this security outfit on the mere suspicion of being an IPOB member. IPOB is not a terrorist group even a Nigerian court and recently, the UN has confirmed so. Only in Nigeria that being an IPOB member is met with instant killing by the same government sponsoring more than four different terrorist groups in Northern Nigeria.

“Nigeria Fulani terrorist government think that they can break IPOB members with arrest and killing, but in the end, Biafra Nation will be restored.

“Soludo created secret security militia thinking that we will not know, and they are now calling themselves Ebubeagu security militia. Everybody in the State of Anambra State can see how these criminal Security outfits are attacking and killing innocent people while blaming it on faceless criminals. These hoodlums called themselves Soludo security are Ebubeagu in disguise. Their modus operandi is the same as that of Ebubeagu Imo State supreme Court Administrator Hope Uzodinma.

“Mr. Governor, you must call Nigeria military and your Ebubeagu security outfits who murder people at random to order. Otherwise, we will use our strategy to stop their madness and mindless attacks and killing of our people.”

We will assist PDP lose election – Wike

The Rivers State Governor has threatened to assist the Peoples Democratic Party lose the 2023 presidential election.

The governor issued the chance on the commissioning of the inner avenue in Omerelu network in Ikwerre neighborhood authorities location of Rivers on Thursday.

The governor who turned into responding to latest feedback with the aid of using the National Chairman of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu stated the chairman is showing arrogance.

He stated “Doctor Ayu stated we’re youngsters. Yes, the kids introduced you from the gutter to make you chairman.

“Now we’ve visible which you don’t need the celebration to win election, we are able to assist you.

“These youngsters you stated we’re, that introduced you from nothing.

“Ayu, you stated you based this birthday birthday celebration, however you left the birthday birthday celebration in 2007. You based a organisation, you left the enterprise, humans stood and taken out the organization to what it’s far today, you don’t have any ethical proper to nevertheless come and declare which you based that business enterprise, you left together along with your shares.

“You need to reveal integrity, you need to expose a celebration to Nigeria that we need to take over, you have to persuade Nigerians that we’ve got the integrity.

“You are the motive force so as to force the automobile to bring us to head our destination. That is the victory we’re searching for.

“If the motive force has no integrity and can’t display honesty, how do you persuade Nigerians?

“If you inform Nigerians some thing and can’t do it, is it while you input into strength that you may do it?

“Nigerians have visible how ungrateful a number of you could be, and that’s why Nigerians additionally need to be careful, if we supply those human beings energy, are you positive they may additionally be thankful to Nigerians”.

Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested the Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Olakunle Oluomo.

Oluomo was arrested Thursday morning at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos and taken to the office of the agency at Ikoyi, Lagos for questioning.

It was learnt that the Speaker failed to honour invitations.

Efforts to reach the spokesperson for the agency, Wilson Uwajaren on the phone for further details were not successful.

In January 2022, EFCC invited Oluomo for questioning over alleged Financial Misappropriation, Forgery And Money Laundering.

EFCC had earlier in a letter dated December 9, 2021, with a reference No: CR:3000/EFCC/LS/CMU/OG1/VOL.3/165, asked Oluomo to report to its Lagos office but the Speaker had claimed he was working “on the 2022 budget presented by Governor Dapo Abiodun.”

However, in another letter dated January 05, 2022, with reference No: CR:3000/EFCC/LS/CMU/OG1/VOL.1/004, and obtained by newsmen, the EFCC asked the Speaker to report to its office along with the Accountant and Director of Finance and Account for questioning.

The letter read, “The commission’s letter with reference number CR, 3000/EFCC/LS/CMU/OG1/VOL.3/165 dated 9th December 2021 and your response of 13th December 2021 on the above subject, refer.

“In view of the above, you are kindly requested to report along with the accountant and Director of Finance and Account for the pending interview with the undersigned through the Head, Chairman’s monitoring Unit as follows.”

It had been reported that the Speaker was being investigated by the anti-graft agency along with the Assembly Clerk and some former members of the House.

In another letter obtained then by newsmen, the EFCC had asked the clerk to provide it with information on all budget appropriations and allocations of the House from May 30, 2015, to date.

“The Speaker and others are under probe for different allegations. First one is financial misappropriation. About N85,000,000 monthly for running cost of the Assembly cannot be accounted for since June 2019 till date by Mr Speaker and Clerk, the approving officer and accounting officer respectively,” a lawmaker had told newsmen.

“This led to a rift between the Speaker and the recently impeached Deputy Speaker after the latter demanded accountability and transparency.

Even doing Covid-19 lockdown, running costs such as local/international travel, cost for fuelling the generator were diverted to private accounts.

“Diversion of constituency allowance funds (each member of the 8th Assembly collected N20,000,000 twice between 2015-2019.

Most of the retired receipts were forged and fictitious pictures of purported ghost projects were filed by members.

The current Speaker and 3 other current members were part of the 8th Assembly under investigation. A current Special Adviser to the Governor of Ogun state who also has a school certificate scandal case over him was part of the 8th Assembly under the EFCC radar.

“Forgery of Financial Bills (i-The House passed a resolution to approve only N75 billion Bond for the State Government sometime in June 2020, but the Speaker secretly falsified the content of the resolution letter in favour of the Executive, changed it to N200 billion after members had already passed and signed resolution for just N75 billion on the floor of the House before the camera.

“Speaker falsified some contents {S.7(4)} of Ogun State Legislative Funds Management Bill, after passage, for personal/selfish grounds.

After the passage on the floor of the House, he falsified the contents in his favour before sending a clean copy to the Government for assent.

“Speaker in connivance with Mr Clerk, also falsified the current Standing Order of the House before the commencement of the 9th Assembly, to favour his election as the Speaker and disqualified others to contest, amongst other contents.”

A lawmaker in late 2021 told newsmen that the Speaker had been bragging that “nothing would come out of the EFCC investigation.”

He added that the documents Oluomo in collaboration with the House Clerk submitted to the anti-graft agency were fake.

“Things have been quiet from the side of EFCC and the Speaker has been bragging that nothing will come out of it,” the lawmaker had told SaharaReporters.

“Kindly check these documents he and the Clerk of the House submitted to EFCC to cover up how they embezzled N95million monthly allocation, these documents contained fake signatures of principal officers.

“There are still more documents also containing forged signatures of all honorable members. Most of the Honourable members and principal officers are yet to know that monies are been signed out in their names.

“In addition, hundreds of fictitious hotel invoices and gas station invoices were part of the retired receipt they submitted to EFCC. You can even see that the signatures on the two documents don’t even match. Yet, none of them is the true signatures of these honorable members.”

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Iyiochia Ayu, has taken a swipe at Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike and others calling for his resignation, saying they were children when the party turned into commenced in 1999.

He said this in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Hausa service on Wednesday, adding that he has no plan to resign as the chairman of the party.

According to him, “When we started the PDP, all those ones were children, they were not there. We will not allow one person to become a spoiler. This is our country. So, all that is expected of us is to fix the country and provide security and dividends of democracy when we take over power in 2023.

“All that he is doing does not affect me because I know I am fixing the party, I am doing my work diligently, I have not committed any offence, I have not stolen any money, so there is no reason for my resignation.”

He added that “I stood for election and I won the election and I am fixing the party, I have not stolen anything, I have not committed any offence, we will not allow one person to come and spoil the party for us with frivolous calls and conditions.

“I was elected as PDP national chairman for a four-year term and I have spent up to one year, so the call for my resignation is uncalled for.”

He noted further that the presidential ambition of Abubakar Atiku under the party cannot affect his position as the national chairman, even if Atiku comes from Benue State.

Commenting on the return of former Kano State governor, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, to PDP remarked that Shekarau’s return to the party is a welcome development.

“Ibrahim Shekarau’s return to PDP is a welcome development, he is a straightforward person, he left his party to come to our party because he knows PDP is the one that will fix the country. Both Senator Shekarau that have returned and his men will be accommodated in the party’s activities in the State accordingly because they are all PDP men and women now,” he said.

INEC Warns Against Campaigns In Churches, Mosques, Violators Risk Imprisonment

Exactly one month to the commencement of campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission has warned political parties and candidates against the use of masqueraders, public facilities and religious centres for campaigns.

The commission asked political parties to align strictly with the provisions of the Electoral Act to avoid sanctions as stipulated by the Act. INEC had fixed September 28 for the commencement of campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly, while the elections would hold on February 25, 2023.

Relying on Section 92 of the Electoral Act, 2022, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Committee on Information and Voter Education, Mr Festus Okoye, in a recent interview with our correspondent explained that the law expected political campaigns to be civil and devoid of abuse.

Okoye said, “Section 92 of the Electoral Act makes it mandatory that a political campaign or slogan shall not be tainted with abusive language directly or indirectly likely to injure religious, ethnic, tribal or sectional feelings.

“Therefore, abusive, intemperate, slanderous or base language or insinuations or innuendoes designed or likely to provoke violent reaction or emotions shall not be employed or used in political campaigns.

“Subsection 3 states that places designated for religious worship, police stations and public offices shall not be used for political campaigns, rallies and processions; or to promote, propagate or attack political parties, candidates or their programmes or ideologies.

“Masqueraders shall not be employed or used by any political party, aspirant or candidate during political campaigns or for any other political purpose.”

Tinubu Spent Five Years Insulting, Lying Against Jonathan

Reno Omokri, a former adviser to former president Goodluck Jonathan, responded to Bola Tinubu’s visit to the former leader of the All Progressives Congress.

Omokri responded and shared images from the visit on Wednesday, praising Jonathan for maintaining his cool despite what he claimed were attacks on him by Tinubu from 2010 to 2015 and asserting that the ex-President never harbored resentment despite this.

He said Jonathan was the best president Nigeria had ever had.

Tuesday night, Tinubu, the APC’s presidential candidate, visited Jonathan in Abuja as planned.

The meeting was a continuation of Tinubu’s nationwide dialogue with important stakeholders and was held behind closed doors in Jonathan’s home.

A team of five APC governors was led by Tinubu, who was accompanied by his running mate, Senator Kashim Shetimma. They were Bello Matawale, the governor of Zamfara State, Simon Lalong, the director-general of his presidential campaign council, Dapo Abiodun, the governor of Ogun State, Jigawa State’s Abubakar Badaru, and AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the governor of Kwara State.

While the details of the meeting was not made public.

Reacting via a tweet, Omokiri said, “H.E @GEJonathan, the best leader that Nigeria ever had. Look at his Godly gesture. Bola @officialABAT spent the five years between 2010-2015 insulting, attacking and lying against Jonathan. Even after GEJ left office, he continued. Yet, Jonathan never bore a grudge!”

Nigeria will stop importing petroleum products by 2023

Mele Kyari, group chief executive officer (GCEO), Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, says the country will stop importing petroleum products by mid-2023.

He said this on Tuesday during a press briefing at the state house in Abuja.
He said the combination of output from the Dangote refinery (scheduled to begin next year) and state-owned refineries would “eliminate any importation of petroleum products into this country”.

Even if all our four refineries in three locations are operating at 90% of installed capacity, they will only be able to raise 18 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS). That means even if all of them are working today, you would still have a net deficit of PMS to import into this country,” he said.

The GCEO added that because Nigeria’s population, the middle class as well as demand has grown, the volume of petrol required in the country has increased.
He said NNPC owned 20 percent equity in the Dangote Refinery and has a first right of refusal to supply crude oil to the plant. “But we saw this energy transition challenge coming. We knew that time will come where you would look for people to buy your crude and you will not find.

“And that means we have locked down ability to sell crude oil for 33,000 barrels minimum by right for the next 20 years and by right also we have access to 20 percent of the production from that plant.” Kyari added that the Dangote refinery would begin producing by the middle of next year, adding that it can produce up to 50 million litres of PMS.

FG set to borrow a token of N11.three trillion to fund 2023 price range; exceeds borrowing limit

The Federal Government is making plans to borrow N11.three trillion to fund the N19.seventy six trillion proposed 2023 price range.

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Dr Zainab Ahmed, disclosed this at the same time as offering the 2023 to 2025 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Policy Paper (FSP) to the House of Representatives’ Committee on Finance chaired via way of means of Honourable Abiodun Faleke. She additionally stated the government’s price range deficit is anticipated to exceed N12.forty two trillion if it have to hold petroleum subsidy for the whole 2023 financial cycle.

According to her, the economic parameters for the yr confirmed that oil manufacturing quantity became pegged at 1.69mbpd, oil benchmark – $70 in keeping with barrel, alternate rate – N435.57/$; N8.501 trillion as overall oil and fueloline sales; N1.one zero five trillion as derivation; N7.396 trillion as overall oil and fueloline sales after derivation; deductions – N3.538 trillion at the same time as different federally funded upstream tasks pegged at N3.432 trillion.

The minister provided  situations of finances parameters on gasoline subsidy expected at N6.seventy two trillion for complete 12 months 2023 (business-as-regular scenario) in addition to feasible provision of N3.36 trillion for mid-yr 2023 (reform scenario).

The lawmakers, however, expressed grave worries over the intent at the back of the spike withinside the economic deficit pegged at N11.30 trillion for 2023 in opposition to N7.35 trillion financial deficits for 2022.