I’ll curb corruption better than Buhari, says Atiku

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has vowed to tame corruption like never before if given the chance to preside over Nigeria’s affairs. </br> The APC chieftain said this during a facility tour of the new ultra-modern Yaliam Press Limited in Jabi area of Abuja on Monday.
Atiku was quoted as saying, “he would fight corruption like never before if he is given the opportunity to preside over the affairs of the country... It is sickening to continue to regurgitate allegations of corruption against me by people who have failed to come forward with a single shred of evidence of my misconduct while in office.”

Nigerian Newspapers: 10 things you need to know this Saturday morning

Good morning! Here are 10 things you need to know this morning:

1. The Supreme Court, Friday nullified the election of Senators Stella Oduah and Andy Ubah over pre-election matters. Also nullified was the election of House
Of Reps members from Anambra State. Odua and Ubah are to be replaced by Annie Okonkwo (Anambra Central) and Chris Ubah (Anambra South) respectively.

2. Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, was Friday denied bail by an Abuja Federal High Court. Kanu was sent back to Kuje Prison after the judge ruled against his bail application.

3. The Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, has said a new tariffs regime for electricity consumers across the country will become effective on Monday, February 1, stressing that the new regime will enable the power distribution, generation and transmission companies to acquire needed infrastructure.

4. No fewer than 10 persons were killed in a bomb blast that occurred inside the grain market in Gomi international market, Adamawa State on Friday. Report says twenty-eight others were injured and taken to different hospitals for treatment.

5. The management of Leadership Holdings Limited, publishers of Leadership newspapers, has reportedly returned the N9 million it received from the Presidency through the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria as compensation for the seizure of its publications in 2014. This contained in a letter dated January 29 and addressed to the General Secretary of NPAN.

6. Justice Uche Agomuo of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt Friday granted bail to twenty pro-Biafran protesters. The accused were granted consolidated bail, but each of them must present 2 sureties.

7. Students of the Obafemi Awolowo University, on Friday called on President Muhammadu Buhari to probe the activities of the university’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Bamitale Omole.
They made the appeal in a message they sent to the President through the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who was at the university to deliver a lecture, titled ‘Nexus between corruption and underdevelopment of Nigeria’ at the University’s Faculty of Arts.

8. Kogi State governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has reinstated 15 Local Government chairmen sacked by former Gov. Idris Wada, for decamping to the All Progressives Congress (APC). This was contained in a statement issued in Lokoja on Friday by Bello’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Kingsley Fanwo.

9. Three suspected armed robbers were on Friday morning burnt to death at Orunu village in Ofu local government area of Kogi. Report says the armed suspects blocked the Orunu-Idah road junction and were about to start their operation when some youths in the area mobilized against them.

10. Former Ondo State Special Adviser on Information Communication Technology, Engr. Tunji Light Ariyomo has joined the governorship race in the State. The politician disclosed this on Friday, saying that he joined the race to make a difference.

ISLAMIC MOVEMENT ATTACK: WE DEFENDED COAS – ARMY

The Shiite Sect on the orders of their leader, Ibrahim Alzak-zaky  today afternoon in Zaria attacked the convoy of the Chief of Army Staff while on his way to pay homage on the Emir of Zazzau and attend the Passing Out Parade of 73 Regular Recruits Intake of Depot Nigerian Army, Zaria.

See Pictures Of Army-Islamic Movement Confrontation

The sect numbering hundreds carrying dangerous weapons, barricaded the roads with bonfires, heavy stones and tyres. They refused all entreaties to disperse and then started firing and pelting the convoy with dangerous objects. The barricade was obviously a deliberate attempt to assassinate the Chief of Army Staff and members of his entourage while on a legitimate official assignment as Special Guest of Honour at the passing out parade which has earlier been widely publicized.

The troops responsible for the safety and security of the Chief of Army Staff on hearing  explosion and firing were left with no choice than to defend him and the convoy at all cost as well as open up the barricaded road for law abiding citizens. This is in line with the Nigerian Army Rules of Engagement and Code of Conduct. This kind of behaviour will not be tolerated from any individual or groups and should not be allowed to repeat itself.

We wish to implore all Nigerians to continue to be law abiding and remain conscious of other people’s right to life, freedom of movement and passage. The Chief of Army escaped unhurt and continued with his duties.

Despite Cash Crunch, Senate Illegally Buying N4.7billion Exotic Cars For Saraki, Other Senators

The Nigerian Senate is currently on the verge of illegally buying various brands of exotic vehicles for use by its President, Bukola Saraki, and the 108 other senators, PREMIUM TIMES can authoritatively report today.

Nigerian Senate
Premium Times
The cars will cost taxpayers an estimated N4.7billion that could be spent on vaccinating newborns and save them from dying or on providing electricity for remote communities so kids stop doing school assignments using paraffin lamps.

The upper legislative chamber is buying the vehicles at a time millions of Nigerians are facing severe economic hardship, including nonpayment of salaries.

The procurement is also happening at a time millions of Nigerians are enduring long and humiliating fuel queues across the country because the federal government is too broke to pay importers of petrol several billions in subsidy claims.

Already, the management of the National Assembly has invited bids from contractors interested in supplying the vehicles.

In an advertisement published in some newspapers, including Blueprint of November 20, 2015, the authorities asked the companies to tender for “Lot 1S, Supply of Utility Vehicles”.

The advert, in what appears a deliberate ploy to conceal details, failed to indicate the number, type and specification of vehicles being bought.

However, PREMIUM TIMES has now obtained detailed copies of tender documents being discreetly issued to prospective contractors.

In one of the documents, the Senate indicated it was buying 120 units of Toyota Land Cruiser, 2016 model.

Other details of the vehicles included that they must be “American Brand, V8, VXR, 5.7, Auto Engine WITH INTELLIGENCE”.

The senators also want the vehicles to come with integrated navigator cruise control, QI-Compatible wireless charging and Kinetic dynamic suspension system, as well as being “full option”.

On November 21, the Senate also put up another advert it labelled “addendum”.

The latest advert under Lot 2S, which was couched to look like an oversight in the first advert, was for the purchase of vehicles for the use of the senate president’s convoy.

Under Lot 2S and based on the tender document, which we have also obtained, the national assembly is seeking to purchase a 2016 modelMercedes Benz S550 for Mr. Saraki.

Other vehicles being procured for Mr. Saraki include four 2016 Toyota Prado jeeps, four 2016 Toyota Hilux SS (Auto) as well as a 2016 model Toyota Hiace Bus.

The spokesperson for the Senate, Aliyu Sabi, could not be reached Saturday to comment on these new procurement as his telephone was switched off the several times our reporter called.

The Director of Information of the National Assembly, Ishaku Dibal, declined to comment on the matter. He said he was driving and couldn’t comment after our reporter put his question to him.

Subsequent calls to his telephone failed to connect.

PREMIUM TIMES carried out a market survey on all the vehicles being bought by the senate and we can confirm that the upper chamber would spend over four billion naira of taxpayers money to enhance their taste for luxury.

Specifically, give or take, vehicles are valued at N4.739,515,625.

Although there are 109 senators, the lawmakers are buying 120 Toyota Land-cruisers. It is not clear where the balance of 11 vehicles would go.

We arrived at our figure of N4.7 billion after computing the cost of the vehicles, 35 per cent duties to be paid, and another 35 per cent levy.

There is also the expected 35 per cent profit margin to be made by each supplier based on the requirements of Nigeria’s procurement act.

Our checks revealed that a Toyota Land Cruiser, 2016 model, goes for $84,000, and at the current exchange rate of N250 to the dollar, it amounts to N21,000,000.

If 75 per cent of cost is added, being duty, levy and profit margin (translating to N15, 750,000) each vehicle would cost Nigerian tax payers N36,750,000.

Given that the senators propose to buy 120 units of the vehicles, the t

NPAN tackles Tribune, Peoples’ Daily, Telegraph over NSA Dasuki compensation payment claim

The Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) on Saturday explained why some of its members were yet to be paid the compensation money released to the body by former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.
The publisher of ThisDay Newspapers, Nduka Obaigbena, had said in his response to a letter of invitation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, that he received N120 million in March 2015 on behalf of NPAN and 12 newspapers.
The newspapers had demanded compensation for the unlawful seizure and stoppage of circulation of their newspapers by armed soldiers in Abuja and several cities in June 2014.
But in separate statements on Friday, some of the 12 newspapers dissociated themselves from the payments.
The newspapers are African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc, publishers of the Tribune titles; Peoples Media Limited, publishers of Peoples Daily; Daily Telegraph Publishing Company Limited, publishers of New Telegraph, Saturday Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph, and Independent Newspapers Limited, publishers of Daily Independent newspapers,.
However, in a statement Saturday, the Executive Secretary of NPAN, Feyi Smith, explained why the affected papers had not been paid.
Mr. Smith said, “Our attention has been drawn to statements issued last night by the Nigerian Tribune, Peoples’ Daily and New Telegraph Newspapers claiming that they did not receive the compensation for the military disruption of circulation of newspapers by the Federal Government.

“It should be recalled that the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN) Executive Council meeting of March 17, 2015, held at the offices of Daily Trust, Abuja, resolved to accept the N120million compensation and passed two other resolutions thereto:
(1) that each member- organisation accepts to donate N1million from the compensation to the Association for the up-keep of the Secretariat;
(2) that members should bring their membership account current, by paying all past dues to the Secretariat before collecting their cheques.
“The cheques for the Nigerian Tribune and Peoples’ Daily remain in the Secretariat awaiting collection.
“In the case of New Telegraph, the Secretariat was confronted with a situation where 13 Newspapers made claims while compensation for 12 newspapers was made. Blueprint Newspapers which was inadvertently omitted from the list has since been been paid.
“When New Telegraph now demanded payment that had been collected by Blueprint Newspapers, the secretariat then brought the matter to the attention of the of the President, Mr. Nduka Obaigbena, who then called Governor Orji Kalu , the Publisher of both the Sun Newspapers (who had been paid) and the New Telegraph (which has not been paid), to urge him to be patient for the matter to be tabled at the next Executive Council meeting, where he would seek the approval of the EXCO to take the funds earmarked for the Secretariat to pay them.”

Customs N1.2b Rice Revenue Challenges Senate’s Suspension Order

By Airahuobhor
Barely one week after Nigerian Senate ordered Nigeria Customs Service to suspend rice imports
through the land borders, the Service has announced a total revenue of N1,178,720,376 on the
commodity through the land borders in October and November 2015.
During the same period, the total quantity of rice imported through the land borders stood at 17.596
million Metric Tonnes.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd) disclosed the figures at a strategy session
he convened to review revenue performance for the year.
“ The huge collection in just two months has vindicated our position. If we had stuck to our
previous directive, this much quantum of rice would still have been smuggled anyway, and we
would have lost over a billion Naira revenue as this critical period of our economic downtown” , the
CGC said.
Two months ago, the Comptroller-General of the Service had approved the removal of the
restriction placed on importation of Rice through the land borders shortly after assuming office,
sparking public criticism. Many condemned the decision on the premise that it would discourage
further investments in local production, which federal government sought to achieve with the
restriction order.
The removal by Col. Hameed was predicated on the large scale rice smuggling through the land
borders, resulting in huge revenue loss and distortions in the price of the item in the local markets.
The breakdown of the Rice imports shows that Idiroko border in Ogun Command has the largest
volume of 8.276 Metric tonnes, with a collection of N555,152,344 duty. Katsina Borders come next
in quantity of 3,636 Metric tones imported, where total revenue of N242,985,626 was collected
during the same period.
A total of 2.156 metric tones was imported through the land borders of Oyo/Osun command,
generating a total revenue of N144,278,025.
Other Commands include: Seme – 2,140 Metric Tonnes with N143,349,658, Sokoto – 602 Metric
Tonnes with N40,162,759;
Kano/Jigawa – 470 Metric Tonnes with N31,536,148;
Adamawa/Taraba – 248 Metric Tonnes with N16,545,422;
Niger/Kwara/Kogi – 68 Metric Tonnes with N4,710,394.
Meanwhile, Senators unanimously took the decision to suspend the importation of the commodity
through the land borders insisting that it must only come inn through the seaports till further notice.
They argued that considering the huge costs resulting from paying duty to Nigeria and Benin
Republic, anybody importing through the land borders must have an ulterior motive to cheat
government.
With the huge revenue recorded within two months from rice, will the federal government
reconsider allowing rice imports through land borders especially now that the country seeks
inncreased revenue?
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My life is in danger: they may become even more vicious and deadly---Pius Anyim

My life is in danger: they may become even more vicious and deadly---Pius Anyim

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Anyim Pius Anyim, has raised the alarm over a perceived threat to his life and property. He has asked President Muhammadu Buhari for extra security.

Pius Anyim

In a petition over a publication by Sahara Reporters, in which the online medium on December 2, stated that Anyim was under investigation over allegations that he is funding pro-Biafra protests, the former SGF linked it to a sustained media attack on his person.

In the petition Anyim said he was compelled to seek protection from government because of “the desperation that has sustained the evil elements in the last five months could drive them to become even more vicious and deadly.

“I have taken time in the last five months to uncover the masterminds of this dangerous plan and my findings reveal a bunch of touts and hirelings with a track record of dangerous capacity to commit any harm. They operate as a network and recruit other elements, when necessary, to act as their undercover agents.

“They occasionally appear frontal and, at other times, act as if they are faceless. They are well organised and employ multiple strategies to sustain their plans, including blackmail and spurious allegations.

“It may interest Mr. President to note that following my resolve to maintain my decency and absolute faith in God, I have watched their orchestrations unfold in the last five months. I may not need at this point to name the suspected masterminds but I believe that a clear presentation of their mode of operation would provide a useful lead to the investigating authorities.”

He, therefore, urged the government to uncover all the actors in the plan and bring them to book