Senator Dino Malaye in fresh trouble as Police declare him wanted

Senator Dino Melaye representing Kogi West District in the National Assembly, has been declared wanted by Kogi command of Nigerian Police.

Melaye has also been requested by the Police in Abuja to report at its headquarters for questioning, following his involvement in a protest by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja on October 5, 2018.

Officers were deployed to his home in Aiyetoro-Gbede, Kogi on Friday to effect his arrest, but didn't meet the Senator at home.

A statement by the Abuja Police Command read: "Consequently, Senator Bukola Saraki, Senator Dino Melaye and Senator Ben Bruce who were captured on camera to have been involved in the disturbance of public peace and public safety... and violent attack on policemen posted to ensure security of the force headquarters, pushing and hitting the policemen to forcefully enter the force headquarters to cause damage to police equipment are hereby invited to report themselves to the IGP Monitoring Unit at the force headquarters on Monday, 8th October, 2018 for investigation."

However, according to NAN, for the Kogi Police Command, Melaye was declared wanted for his alleged connection to a shooting incident which occurred on July 19, when thugs attacked a policeman on patrol.

The police spokesman, DSP William Aya, noted that the clarification followed the allegation by Melaye on Twitter on October 12 that the ADC to Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi led some officers to his house to assassinate him.

It reads, “The ADC has nothing to do with this case. The Command wishes to state unequivocally that the statement is not only a figment of the imagination of Sen. Melaye who has mastered the art of political gimmickry, but totally false, malicious and highly mischievous.

“The Commissioner of Police sent Police Officers to his country home for arrest, unfortunately we did not get him at home."

The statement accused Melaye of mobilising thugs to attack officers on routine duty along Mopa–Aiyetoro-Gbede on July 19 without provocation.

“The thugs shot and injured Force No. 432913 Sgt. Danjuma Saliu who is currently receiving treatment at Veda Crest Hospital, Abuja,” the statement said.

Aya said Melaye was invited officially through letter No. AR:3000/KGS/X/VOL.43/670 on July 23, 2018, to respond to the charge, but the lawmaker had refused to honour the invitation.

The statement noted that Melaye has been declared "wanted by the Kogi State Police Command for criminal conspiracy, attempted culpable homicide and unlawful possession of firearms", and appealed to him to report to the Police headquarters in Lokoja to answer the allegations levelled against him. It concludes.

Buhari Bans top 50 Nigerians from traveling abroad

In a sprees statement published by the presidency on Saturday 13 October 2018 placed 50 prominent Nigerians on travel ban backed by executive order (6).
The statement reads thus;

PRESIDENT BUHARI DIRECTS IMPLEMENTATION OF EO 6 IN FULL FORCE

Following the instant judicial affirmation of the constitutionality and legality of the Executive Order 6 (EO6), President Muhammadu Buhari has mandated the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice to implement the Order in full force.

To this end, a number of enforcement procedures are currently in place by which the Nigeria Immigration Service and other security agencies have placed no fewer than 50 high profile persons directly affected by EO6 on watch-list and restricted them from leaving the country pending the determination of their cases.

Also, the financial transactions of these persons of interest are being monitored by the relevant agencies to ensure that the assets are not dissipated and such persons do not interfere with, nor howsoever corrupt the investigation and litigation processes.

It is instructive to note that EO6 was specifically directed to relevant law enforcement agencies to ensure that all assets within a minimum value of N50 million or equivalent, subject to investigation or litigation are protected from dissipation by employing all available lawful means, pending the final determination of any corruption-related matter.

The Buhari administration reassures all well-meaning and patriotic Nigerians of its commitment to the fight against corruption, in accordance with the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the general principles of the Rule of Law.

Accordingly, this administration will uphold the rule of law in all its actions and the right of citizens would be protected as guaranteed by the Constitution.

We, therefore, enjoin all Nigerians to cooperate with the law enforcement authorities towards ensuring a successful implementation of the Executive Order 6 which is a paradigm-changing policy of the Federal Government in the fight against corruption.

Garba Shehu
(Senior Special Assistant to the President)

PDP gives Saraki, Tambawal, Kwankwaso return tickets

Information reaching our news desk has it that there were serious indications  that three of the major losers in the People’s Democratic Party, PDP nomination convention may have been rewarded with return tickets in their present positions. 

Former Speaker of house of Reps and now Governor of Sokoto State Aminu Tambuwal , Senate President Bukola Saraki and Senator Rabiu Kwankwanso it was gathered last night has been rewarded with tickets for the Sokoto governorship, Kwara Central and Kano Central Senatorial positions respectively. The tickets were given to them after the names previously listed for the above positions were dropped and most likely would be compensated in forming the new government come 2019. 

Zambia starts export of honey to China

Zambian government on officially launched the export of organic honey to China worth 34,000 U.S. dollars on Thursday.

Minister of Fisheries and Livestock Kampamba Mulenga, who flagged off the export of the first assignment of 3.4 tons of organic honey in the central town of Kabwe, said the market access to China was a milestone to Zambia's diversification agenda.

The export of organic honey follows the signing of an export protocol by Zambia and China during the Forum on Africa-China Cooperation (FOCAC) Beijing summit held last month, according to state-broadcaster, the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation.

The minister appealed to more bee farmers to increase their production now that the market access has been created.

 Zambia is producing 2,500 tons of honey annually and the southern African nation exports 1,000 tons to the European and African market, leaving a surplus of 1,500 tons, she added.

Atiku visits Obasanjo in Abieokuta

The former vice President and the PDP presidential flag bearer visits his former boss in Abiokuta.

The details of the meeting is not yet known but it may not be unconnected to his quest for Obasanjo's support as he battles Buhari in the 2019 general election.

More details on the way.

Buhari replies Atiku with 64 achievements

The Presidency on Thursday released 64 achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari in the agricultural sector.

Buhari’s aide, Lauretta Onochie disclosed this in a statement titled ‘Sixty Four Achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari in Agricultural Sector’, made available on her Facebook page.
The statement reads thus;

“1) The anti-corruption drive of Mr. President put to a halt the exogenous leakages in the Agricultural sector to encourage, empower, and enhance the locally made farm produce thereby increasing our internally generated revenue (IGR) index and foreign exchange capacity and reserve to over $45 Billion in cash and bonds.

2) President Buhari initiated the Home Grown Feeding Programme which is designed to put an end to importation and market monopoly of farm produce that can be grown here in our country which is a pilot vehicle to sustainable economic, agricultural, academic and job creation across the length and breadth of our nation.

3) Under President Buhari, the Standing Inter-Ministerial Technical Committee on Zero-Reject of Agricultural Commodities and Produce / Non-oil Exports in Nigeria was inaugurated.

4) Under the Buhari-led administration, Nigeria has benefitted from 13.1billion Euros honeybee project.

5) The Buhari administration has commenced steps improving the standards of Nigeria’s agricultural exports to align with global standards due to the rejection of our produce at the EU Border Controls.

6) Under President Buhari, Standards and Quality Control measures have been developed in.

7) Under President Buhari administration at the end of 2016, agricultural goods as share of total trade got N212.73bn and 4.02 per cent and Agricultural goods exports were 2.7 per cent higher in Q4 2016 than Q3 2016.

8.) Under the Buhari-led administration, Sesame seeds contributed N6.46billion to Agricultural product exports in the fourth quarter of 2016.

9) In the fourth quarter of 2016, Frozen shrimps and prawns chipped in N4.4billion to Agricultural product exports under PMB’s administration.

10) Under President Buhari administration in the fourth quarter of 2016, Flour and meals of soya beans contributed N2.59billion to agricultural product exports

11) Under President Buhari administration in the fourth quarter of 2016, cashew nuts in shell contributed N0.95billion to Agricultural product exports with the Buhari-led administration.

12) Crude palm kernel accounted for N0.62 billion of the total Agricultural exports under the President Buhari administration in the fourth quarter of 2016.

13) Under the President Buhari administration the agricultural universities coordinating agency is being revitalised as stipulated in the enabling Act which will work closely with the Nigerian University Commission and development partners to re-focus the universities of agriculture in the country.

14) The Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises (LIFE) programme was initiated by the Buhari Administration and it is aimed at bringing life back to rural communities through the empowerment of youth, women and other vulnerable groups across the country.

15) Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises (LIFE) Programme initiated by the President Buhari administration is geared towards promoting community-based on-farm and off-farm business activities as a model for job and wealth creation amongst unemployed youth and women in rural and suburban households.

16) Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises (LIFE) Programmes under President Buhari are expected to establish 150,000 cooperatives nationwide under commodity value chain groups.

17) Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises (LIFE) programme under President Buhari will establish and operate up to 1,000 cottage industries in the country, and ultimately engage about 1,995,500 youth and 997,500 women for enhanced productivity.

18) Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises (LIFE) programme under President Buhari would add about 5,965,000 metric tons of foods to the national food store.

19) Anchor Borrowers’ Programme is an intervention of the Buhari administration aimed at fast-tracking access of rural farmers to finance productivity.

20) The Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) of the Central Bank of Nigeria under the Buhari-led administration has made available N82billion in funding to 350,000 farmers of rice, wheat, maize, cotton, cassava, poultry, soy beans and groundnut; who have cultivated about 400,000 hectares of land.

21) The Buhari-led administration has made provision of agricultural credit for financing the production of rice, wheat, ginger, maize and soybeans in Kebbi, Niger, Kaduna, Kano, Enugu, Benue, Zamfara, Anambra and Kwara States.

22) The Anchor Borrower’s Programme (ABP) under Buhari’s administration has provided quantum of money for dry season farming in 2015, wet season rice and wheat farming in 2016 and is currently supporting the 2016 dry season farming in many states.

23) The President Buhari administration has commenced the use of National Soil Map Data, with the promotion of the use of soil-specific fertilizer formulations and application in prescribed dosages based on soil types following the conduct of soil mapping/test to enhance agricultural production and productivity.

24) Under President Buhari administration a resurrected interest in agriculture has awakened among small holder farmers.

25) Under the Buhari-led administration, Nigeria’s fertilizer market is growing.

26) The President Buhari administration has signed an agreement with the Government of Morocco for the supply of fertilizer raw materials on concessionary terms to boost local blending to facilitate making soil and crop-specific fertilizer blends available and accessible to smallholder Nigeria farmers.

27) The Ministry of Agriculture under President Buhari is facilitating the timely access of farmers to appropriate quality seeds.

28) The President Buhari administration has facilitated seed trading locally and internationally through the application of regionally agreed principles and rules.

29) The enabling environment for private investment in the seed industry has been created by the Buhari-led administration.

30) Under President Buhari, the National Irrigation Policy and Strategy has been developed and focuses on the need to overcome the irrigation challenges and put available irrigation facilities in the country into effective use.

31) The PMB Administration has assessed the status of infrastructure in all the 12 River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAs) hence, commenced immediate and effective use of the facilities for commercial farming.

32) Under President Buhari, the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) has been strengthened for improved delivery of services through consolidation and recapitalisation in collaboration with the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) to ensure loan disbursement at a single digit interest regime in the agricultural sector as obtainable in developed and emerging economies.

33) The President Buhari administration has approved the restructuring, re-capitalising and repositioning of the Bank of Agriculture (BOA).

34) The Buhari administration has secured the approval of a grant of $1.1 million from the African Development Bank (AfDB) for the restructuring of the Bank of Agriculture, aimed at staff training to strengthen service delivery.

35) The President Buhari administration has embarked on the re-validation of the claims of agro- dealers and input suppliers under the 2014 wet and 2014/2015 dry seasons to ensure that genuine claims are paid by the  government.

36) The President Buhari administration has facilitated the payment of the sum of N20 billion, as part of the debts owed agro-dealers while efforts are on to fully settle the outstanding liabilities.

37) The President Buhari administration has established a N50 billion mechanisation fund to facilitate the second phase of Agricultural Equipment Hiring Enterprise (AEHE) to roll-out 6,000 tractors and 13,000 harvest and post-harvest equipment units across the country.

38) With the Buhari-led administration, Tractors and Implements were rolled out in Ilorin and Abuja on January 12, 2016, to support targeted commodity value chains.

39) The rising spate of hostilities and attendant insecurity arising from clashes between crop farmers and nomadic herdsmen has raised serious concern within the government. Accordingly, the PMB administration has commenced efforts towards resolution of pastoralists-farmers conflicts through the provision of 55,000 hectares of land by 11 states as part of the 5,000 hectares each expected from the 19 northern states for the development of pasture/paddocks grazing reserves.

40) The Buhari administration has established 40 large scale rice processing plants and 18 High Quality Cassava Flour (HQCGF) plants with a stake commitment of China EXIM (85 per cent) and Nigeria Bank of Industry (BoI) (15 per cent) through concessional credit facilities of US$383,140,375.60 for the rice mills and US$143,722,202.40 for the HQCF Plants.

41) The President Buhari administration through the Ministry of Agriculture is embarking on a programme of distribution of rice mills, of ten tons per day capacity, 20 tons a day, 40 tons a day, 50 tons and a few 100 tons. Collectively between them, the capacity for rice milling will be close to 3,000 tons a day nationwide. That is expected to close the gap between paddy availability and mills to process it.

42) The President Buhari administration has established 10 large scale rice processing plants and 6 High Quality Cassava Flour plants to be owned and operated by the private sector and would be funded by the Special Rice Processing Intervention Fund and the WB Assisted Agricultural Development Policy Operation [AgDPO] Funds.

43) Through President Buhari administration, Real GDP in agriculture grew by 4.11 per cent in the year 2016, and this growth rate was higher than that recorded in 2015 of 3.72 per cent.

44) Under Buhari’s administration as captured by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), there was a continuing strong growth in Agriculture (especially Crop Production) in the Q4 of 2016.

45) Agriculture contributed 21.26 per cent to nominal GDP in the Q4 of 2016 and the sector grew by 6.45 per cent year-on-year under President Buhari administration.

46) In the Buhari-led administration, the contribution of Agriculture to overall GDP in real terms was 25.49 per cent in the quarter under review, higher than its share of 24.18 per cent in the corresponding quarter of 2015.

47) The Ministry of Agriculture under President Buhari administration also provided 2283 bags of industrial salt to hides and skin dealers in 12 targeted states.

48) The President Buhari administration placed ban on rice importation and that has saved Nigeria an average of $5 Million daily.

49) The growing success story on agriculture in Buhari’s Administration has prompted more youths to commence full production in agriculture.

50) More than 7 million Nigerians are actively employed in agriculture under the Buhari Government’s diversification agenda and the Ministry of Agriculture is working to ensure that Agriculture will offer 20 million jobs in the nearest future.

51) Nigeria’s milled rice production has increased by about 60 percent, from 2.5 million MT in 2015, to 4 million MT in 2017 under the President Buhari administration.

52) The Buhari-led administration set up the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) to deliver commercially significant quantities of affordable and high quality fertilizer to the Nigerian farmer at the right time.

53) The Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) under the President Buhari administration has resulted in the revitalization of 14 blending plants across the country, with a total installed capacity in excess of 2 million MT.

54) The Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) under the President Buhari administration has resulted in benefits which will include annual savings of US$200 million in foreign exchange, and N60 billion annually in budgetary provisions for Fertilizer subsidies.

55) Under President Buhari administration, the current cumulative in terms of IGR generated through Agriculture since the fall in price of crude globally has placed agriculture as the best alternative for creating wealth and increasing our National Foreign Reserve to an all-time high.

56) Nigeria’s economy has since bounced back after the recession of 2015/2016 and has continued to grow back as the strongest stabilizing economy in Africa under Buhari-led administration.

57) Through the Buhari-led administration, agriculture is already ripe to be the next green oil and global gold the world has ever seen and the green-rush will lead all roads to Nigeria.

58) Buhari-led Administration has revived 11 moribund plants with a combined capacity of over two million metric tonnes.

59) In 2017 under the President Buhari administration, Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) delivered 10 million 50kg bags(500,000MT) of NPK 20:10:10 fertilizer at a price of N5,500 in time for the wet season which is down from the price of N9,000 per 50kg bag in 2016, a 40% reduction in price.

60) Under President Buhari administration there is a higher patronage for the country’s rail network due to movement of raw materials and finished goods.

61) Under President Buhari administration, the bag-making sector of the economy was boosted, with over 10million packaging bags produced exclusively for Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI).

62) The Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) has been able to create 60,000 direct jobs and even a higher number of indirect jobs under the Buhari-led administration.

63) The Buhari-led administration has cut down on imports of agricultural products in order to enable self-sufficiency in food production and consumption.

64) Under President Buhari administration, The Green Alternative (TGA) was initiated, a major policy thrust to build an agri-business economy capable of delivering sustained prosperity by meeting domestic food security goals, generate exports, support sustainable income and job.”

Senate approves 234.51 billion for INEC

The approved sum is about N7.9 billion less than the N242.45 billion requested by President Buhari.

The Senate also approved that the total sum of N189 billion which will be for the funding of the 2019 elections be moved from both recurrent and capital components of the special intervention programme.

Atiku Issues Buhari 14 question Challenge

In a press release, the campaign team of PDP presidential candidate issued a 14 question challenge to President Buhari and APC. It reads thus;
It has come to our attention that the Buhari government and the All Progressives Congress have been very idle of late, which explains their abandonment of the vital duties of running the government in order to focus on hurling insults and false accusations on the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar.

In order to give Nigerians the answers they want, we urge the Buhari Campaign Organisation to take the Buhari Challenge and answer the following questions.

·  Name one project initiated, started and completed in the last three years by the Buhari administration.
·  Name one youth in President Buhari’s cabinet.
·  Name one campaign promise President Buhari has kept.
·  Name one Southerner heading a National Intelligence Agency under Buhari.
·  Name one terrorist arrested, tried, convicted and imprisoned by the Buhari administration.
·  Name one Buhari government official arrested, tried, convicted and imprisoned by the Buhari administration over their many budget padding scandals.
·  Name one member of the Buhari administration fingered in corruption that was fired, arrested and currently facing trial.
·  Name one former President or Head of State that has not been blamed by President Buhari for the precarious state of the economy he led us into.
·  Name one year that Nigeria’s GDP grew faster than her population under Buhari (for 16 years of PDP administrations, Nigeria’s GDP always grew faster than population growth).
·  Name the initiatives the Buhari government has put in place to address Nigeria being named the world headquarters for extreme poverty under Buhari.
·  Name one initiative the Buhari government has put in place to address Nigeria having the world’s highest number of out of school children (13.2 million according to the United Nations Children Fund).
·  Name the date the Ogoni cleanup will begin.
·  Name what President Buhari has done with the ₦13 trillion loans he has taken in 3 years (compared to the ₦6 trillion borrowed by the PDP in 16 years).
·  Name the real owners of the Ikoyi Apartment billions.

These are the issues the Nigerian people want to hear about, not insults from a Presidency and a party that have spent three years in office only to preside over Nigeria’s first ever recession in 25 years.

We urge the Buhari administration to remember that it is this disinterest in real governance and focus on trivia that caused Bill Gates to look President Buhari in the eye and tell him that ‘your economic blueprint does not address Nigerians’ needs’.

The Atiku Presidential Campaign Organisation runs an issue based campaign where refined language and cerebral arguments founded on facts are used to disseminate the vision of our candidate which is why we call on the Buhari Campaign Organisation to waste no time in taking the Buhari Challenge in clearing the air on these knotty issues bothering the minds of Nigerians.

Kwankwaso threatens to leave PDP if...

Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso has threatened to leave the Peoples

Democratic Party (PDP) if the leadership of the party in Abuja removed any member of the Kwankwasiyya movement from the list of its aspirants.

Recall that Kwankwaso had held primaries for various elective offices in Kano which were allegedly won by his chosen aspirants, leaving aside other PDP members.

A source within the party confided to Daily Trust yesterday that the former governor sounded the warning of leaving the party during a meeting held at Legacy House, Abuja.

The meeting, which commenced at 3pm and ended around 5pm, was attended by many PDP stakeholders including Bello Hayatu Gwarzo and Ambassador Aminu Wali among others.

According to the source, the meeting was organised to review the list of aspirants from Kano State.

The Senator Mas’ud El-Jibril Doguwa-led faction of the PDP had also conducted its primaries where candidates emerged for various offices.

It was gathered that in order to have a unified house, the Prince Uche Secondus-led National Working Committee (NWC) brought together all the contending factions with a view to having a win-win situation.

The source said, “Kwankwaso told the gathering that any move to remove any member of Kwankwasiyya from the aspirants list will lead to his defection from PDP.

“However, the Doguwa-led faction also threatened to dump the party if the leadership failed to review the list of aspirants.

The meeting ended in a deadlock…Neither Kwankwaso nor Doguwa faction agreed to accept the terms offered by the leadership of the party,” the source said.

According to him, the leadership of the party in its effort to reconcile the aggrieved members, resolved that the national and state assemblies slots be shared 50-50 between the Kwankwaso and Doguwa factions of the party.

He added that when the meeting reached its peak with no sign of success, the party’s presidential flag bearer and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, sent a former minister of Aviation, Mr Osita Benjamin Chidoka, to intervene on his behalf.

He, however, said the former minister also failed to reconcile the contending factions and the meeting ended without yielding any positive result.

Asked to comment on development, the Public Relations Officer of  Doguwa faction of the PDP, Alhaji Musa Danbirni, said he was not aware of the said meeting.  “I am not among the people that went to Abuja because I fell sick and I am still at home. So I don’t know what exactly transpired in Abuja.”

The spokesman of Kwankwaso faction of the party, Jamilu Dambatta could not be reached for comment  at the time of filing this report. On her part, Kwankwaso’s spokesperson, Hajiya Binta Spikin said she was not in Abuja. “It will be wrong for me to talk about party matters; the people that should talk on this are party officials,” she said.

Contacted, a strong pillar of the Kwankwasiyya movement,  Aminu Abdulsalam,  said he was not aware of the meeting.

Abdulsalam said, “The party’s chairmen, secretaries and other stakeholders were taken to Abuja by a different group with the sole aim of conducting a fresh primary election but to be honest with, the National Vice Chairman (North) told them that he has no mandate to do so.

“He told them it is beyond his powers to hold a meeting with them and he asked them to go back to Kano and await further instruction from the party’s national leadership. That is all I know about this issue,” he said.


Source: Daily post

Buhari Signs Executive Order Compelling Nigerians To Pay Tax On Foreign Assets

President Muhammadu Buhari has signed a new executive order which among other things compels Nigerians with offshore assets and incomes to pay taxes on them.

The Executive Order (008), tagged Voluntary Offshore Assets Regularisation Scheme (VOARS), was signed by the President on Monday and takes effect from the same day, the Presidency said on Wednesday.

According to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, with the order, the Buhari administration is tightening regulations on money laundering and tax evasion.

“By this order, Nigerian taxpayers who hold offshore assets and incomes are expected to, within a period of 12 months, declare voluntary those assets and pay taxes on them,” he said.

“When they do this, they should expect to derive certain specified benefits.”

Specifically, the order reads, “Any taxpayer who truthfully and voluntarily complies with the conditions of the scheme, pays a one-time levy of 35 percent on the total offshore assets or pays all outstanding taxes, penalties and interest after forensic audit of their offshore assets and income shall obtain immunity from prosecution for tax offenses and offences related to offshore assets, among others.

“Equally, failure of any defaulting taxpayer to take advantage of this scheme shall, at the expiration of the scheme, result in investigation and enforcement procedures concerning offshore assets anywhere in the world pursuant to information now readily available through automatic exchange of information between Nigeria and foreign countries.”

Based on the order, the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice will set up a VOARS office in Switzerland for all categories of taxpayers who have defaulted in the declaration of their offshore assets, payment of taxes due and collectible subject to the fulfillment of the terms and conditions as stipulated in the order, or any other subsequent complementary regulations that follow.

Shehu added that the “scheme is open to all persons, entities, and their intermediaries holding offshore assets and are in default of their tax obligations in any way, including those who are not already under investigation by law enforcement agencies in Nigeria or any other country and have not been charged with any crimes including theft of public funds or obtaining offshore assets through corrupt practices”.

President Buhari, in signing the order, explained that under the Nigerian law, every citizen has the duty to declare his or her income and assets and pay taxes on them but regretted that this, in most instances, had not been the case.

“The sad reality is that efforts to recover these taxes from defaulters through litigation are often frustrated by the complications caused by the change in the character and nature of such assets, insufficient financial intelligence, long delays in courts, among several other reasons,” he said.

The President is, however, optimistic that the new scheme will help to facilitate the expedient regularisation of offshore assets connected to Nigeria and lead to “a new expanded tax base for the Federal Government, and also fund the Nigeria Infrastructure Fund in Switzerland”.

Source: Channels

Second Trump: Italian President elect promise to depot 500,000 Muslim migrants

It wasn’t even close. Upstart Matteo Salvini, who ran on a platform that included deporting half a million migrants absolutely crushed incumbent Silvio Berlusconi. Ironically, Salvini and his party failed to secure an outright majority and will have to form a coalition government with Berlusconi’s party. The Italian presidential election closely mirrored the US presidential election in 2016. Both Trump and Salvini promised to deport immigrants and both focused on jobs for their countries that were hurting in that area. Both rejected the open borders policies of the Establishment parties and both won surprising victories.

Salvini’s election is a major blow to the European Union. After Macron and Merkel defeated populists, they believed that Berlusconi would win easily and return stability to the EU after Great Britain voted to leave the European Union. That didn’t pan out and now uncertainty has returned to haunt them. The bottom line is that globalism is the enemy of the people and when push comes to shove, people will usually vote in their own best interests.

A pair of populist parties that rode a wave of voter anger over jobs and immigration in Italy’s general election on Sunday are now pressing to form governments after the election day collapse of the traditional parties that have dominated Italian politics for years.

Matteo Salvini, head of the far-right, anti-immigrant League party, claimed he had “the right and the duty” to lead a government after taking about 17% of the vote, which put him in pole position in a broader coalition that led voting with 37%.

Salvini was challenged on Monday by Luigi Di Maio, head of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement, who said his party was “the absolute winner” after it drew 32.6% of votes, making it the largest single party.

Europe is holding it’s collective breath waiting to see what steps the Italian government will make after the win by populist Salvini.

Source: Jewish news

COURT STRIKES OUT SUIT AGAINST INNOSON MOTORS

Olusola Williams of an Ikeja High court Wednesday struck out the fraud case instituted by the EFCC against Innoson Motors and Innocent Chukwuma the CEO of Innoson motors due to the inability of the prosecution to produce him in court for arraignment. Founder and chairman of Nigeria’s automobile company, Innoson Motors, Innocent Chukwuma. In her ruling, Justice Williams said, ” the prosecution is well aware that it is the duty to produce a defendant in court, this court is not inclined to continue to waste the tax of Lagos tax payers.

This court cannot continue to waste precious time calling a case that is going nowhere. ” “It is a criminal matter that can be instituted anytime. I advice that the prosecution gets its act together before coming to court. I am inclined to strike out this case and I so do.

” However, the prosecuting counsel, Zainab Ettu had earlier informed the court that they have been able to effect the arrest of the 2nd defendant in order to physically serve him accusing that he has been hiding from operatives to carry out the arrest on him. “I think at this stage while we still pursue the arrest of the defendant, I think it behooves on the defence counsel being ministers at the temple of justice to carry out their duty to the court to ensure that they produce their client in court because they took brief from him and they can tell when who briefed them can be in court. ” “They filed multiple applications but they cannot produce their client in court. We ask for an adjournment to produce the 2nd defendant in court, no matter what he cannot be above the law.

We already have his warrant of arrest when the case was before Justice Moji Dada. ” In response to the prosecution and at the same time moving his motion, Counsel to the first defendant Joseph Mbaduga said, ” all the defendants in this matter are being charged at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi in charge number FHC/L/565C/2015 in respect of the same subject matter and transactions in this particular charge and it is being prosecuted by the AGF. ”

“The charge is still pending and some facts in the case have been forwarded to the Supreme Court, while it is pending, the EFCC commenced this charge and never served any of the parties but we saw a media publication that the EFCC had filed a charge in respect of the matter at a Lagos High court.

“Going by this, we are raising a preliminary objection dated 15th of January and filed on the same date as being an abuse of court processes and that the charge has not been served. And going by the norm as laid by the appellate court that it is the duty of the prosecution to produce the defendant in court and until then the court cannot exercise any jurisdiction over the defendant and the court cannot compel counsels to produce the defendants.

” However, prosecution held that ” for any application to be treated on behalf of a defendant, he should be present in court, they can then decide if they want to raise an objection before he takes his plea or after. ” “A fugitive cannot be asking for reliefs from a court he has not submitted to.
He is very much aware of the court proceedings but refuses to submit himself to court and instead engages counsels to represent him. ” “Although it is not the duty of the defence counsel to produce the defendant in court, it is highly unethical and unprofessional for them not to advise their clients properly to appear in court for justice to be done properly.

” Innocent Chukwuma and his company Innoson were first brought before Justice Mojisola Dada of an Ikeja special offences court January 17 and had not appeared before the court in all the adjourned dates since then until the case was transferred from Justice Mojisola Dada in June after Innoson counsel wrote a petition in February against her asking her to disqualify herself from the case and it was transferred to the then vacation Judge sitting at Ikeja Justice Olushola Williams during the break in July.

Mr Chukwuma and his company, Innoson Motors Nigeria Ltd., were to be arraigned on a four-count charge of conspiracy to obtain property by false pretences, stealing and forgery in a transaction with Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB).

According to the charge, the defendants committed the offences between 2009 and July 2011 in Lagos.The EFCC alleged that the defendants with intent to defraud, conspired to obtain by false pretences containers of motorcycle, spare parts and raw materials, property of GTB from Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd, Apapa, Lagos.

They are said to have fraudulently induced staff of Mitsui OSK and Maersk Line to deliver to them via their clearing agents the goods which were imported from China in the name of GTB by falsely pretending that they were authorized by the bank to clear the goods. The prosecution claimed that the defendants in order to facilitate the fraud forged a bill of lading numbered 598286020 of Maersk Line Limited and 11007950841 of Mutsui O.S.K Lines by knowingly putting a false GTB stamp and signature of the bank staff.

The alleged forgery was in order that the forged documents be used or acted upon as genuine to the prejudice of any person within Lagos or elsewhere. The offences contravened Sections 1(1)(b), 1(3), and 8(a) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2016 and Sections 309(9), 388, 465 and 467(1)(j) of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State 2003.

We have not agreed yet on minimum wage ~ FG

The federal Government has denied reaching an agreement with the leaders of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) on the new minimum wage.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, disclosed this on Wednesday after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The Minister explained that negotiations are still ongoing as the different groups involved have agreed on different figures as minimum wage.

According to him, the labour leaders agreed on N30,000, the private sector agreed on N25,000 while the Federal and State governments agreed on N24,000 and N20,000 respectively.

He said negotiations will contiGovernment has denied reaching an agreement with the leaders of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) on the new minimum wage.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, disclosed this on Wednesday after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The Minister explained that negotiations are still ongoing as the different groups involved have agreed on different figures as minimum wage.

According to him, the labour leaders agreed on N30,000, the private sector agreed on N25,000 while the Federal and State governments agreed on N24,000 and N20,000 respectively.

He said negotiations will continue as they plan to harmonise the agreements reached tomorrow, Thursday.

READ ALSO: Aviation Unions Shut Down Murtala Muhammed International Airport II

Ngige also added that in accordance with Convention 131 of the International Labour Organisation, the most important thing to consider in fixing the new minimum wage is the ability to pay.

Earlier, before the commencement of the FEC meeting, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, presented a compendium to President Buhari.

The 1,042-page document is a compilation of the policies, programmes and projects approved by the FEC from 2015 to 2017.

Mustapha said the book serves as a reference material and an answer to critics who do not believe the Buhari-led administration has achieved so much.

Source: Channels

2019: 3 Big Hurdles Before Atiku Abubakar

Now that former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has emerged the presidential flag-bearer of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he has taken a step closer to realizing his ambition to be president of Nigeria.

Atiku’s first attempt to run for president was in 1993 when he contested as a Presidential aspirant of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), but came third after MKO Abiola and Babagana Kingibe.

The former Vice President again ran for the position, where he clinched the presidential ticket of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in 2007, but took third place, behind PDP candidate’s Umaru Yar’Adua, who later emerged President with 70% of the vote (24.6 million votes) and All Nigeria Peoples Party candidate, Muhammadu Buhari.

In January 2011, Abubakar contested for the Presidential ticket of the PDP alongside President Goodluck Jonathan and Sarah Jubril, and lost the primary, garnering 805 votes to President Jonathan’s 2736.

Atiku left the PDP to the join All Progressives Congress (APC), where he ran in the 2014 Presidential primaries of the APC. He again lost to President Buhari who polled 3,430 votes, as against his 954, to get the ticket.

But Atiku who is now 72years old beat 11 other aspirants, to emerge winner of the PDP primary which held on Saturday and Sunday in Rivers State capital, Port Harcourt.

Atiku clinched 1532 votes out of 3221 to merge as the PDP standard bearer and will be running against President Buhari, who re-emerged as the consensus candidate of the ruling APC in the February 2019 presidential bout.

But many political observers say Atiku’s victory at the PDP National Convention, will be one of many battles the Waziri of Adamawa will have to wage as 2019 approaches.

Although Atiku is not new in the game, THE WHISTLER will try to x-ray three big hurdles he will have to overcome to accomplish the dream he has been chasing since 1993.

NO. 1

The first hurdle to overcome is to make sure that the 11 aspirants he defeated at the PDP presidential primaries, work for him.

The 11 aspirants amongst who are Senate President Bukola Saraki, Governor of Sokoto Aminu Tambuwal, and former Governor of Kano Rabiu Kwankwaso.

Other presidential aspirants who tried their luck during the contest were former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido; former governor of Kaduna State, Ahmed Makarfi; former Minister of Special Duties, Alhaji Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, former Senate President, David Mark; former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa; former governor of Plateau State, Jonah Jang; and founder of Baze University Sen. Datti Baba-Ahmed.

However, while some of the aspirants have congratulated Atiku and showed the willingness to work for him, many are still mute and are yet to publicly state their stance ahead of the election.

Perhaps Atiku will have to grasp the available time and seek to make sure that all 11 aspirants who were his opponents during the contest work towards the actualization of his dream to be President.

He may already have it in the kitty going by the pledge Saraki made, after the PDP Convention and Governor Nyesom Wike’s statement after the event.

“We are one family. You may support aspirant A or B, but once a candidate emerges, you owe it a duty to make sure your party returns to power,” Governor Wike said while rallying support for Atiku.

“We are doing everything we can to ensure that we don’t give APC any gap. They have failed Nigerians and we will take over in 2019,” Wike added.

NO 2

The other hurdle for Atiku is to secure the confidence of the Northern base of Buhari, who see him more as an elite politician who cares less for the common man.

NO 3

He also must be able to penetrate the South-West to achieve his dreams. All the five states in the region are currently under APC governments, and he will need to find a formula to penetrate the zone. But with friends like former Governor of Ogun State, who is the Director General of his campaign organisation, Atiku’s hopes of getting votes from that region could be tied to who he chooses to be his Vice.

By Emmanuel Ike.

Face your bigger problem Atiku and stop talking about my performance at PDP primary” – Saraki replies APC insult

The President of the Senate Dr Bukola Saraki has responded to the taunt by the All Progressives Congress (APC) over his (Saraki’s) performance at the just concluded Presidential Primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The APC spokesman, Yekini Nabena had in a statement issued on Tuesday, mocked Saraki’s performace saying that his “Presidential bid had crashed”.

 However in a statement Issues by Yusuph Olaniyonu, Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs to the President of the Senate, Saraki said that the APC is always disturbed by the sound of his name. Saraki however advised the APC and its leadership to stop focusing on developments in the opposition party and seek ways to solve the “civil war” thathad been ignited in the party.

The statement by Saraki reads: “We have noted the irresponsible statement issued by the APC spokesman, Yekinni Nabena. “We know that he and the leadership of the APC are always incensed and disturbed at the mere hearing of the name, Saraki. It is also notable that Nabena and the APC are always concerned about the developments in the opposition party, the PDP.

“However, we believe that with the ‘civil war’ that Adams Oshiomhole and Yekinni Nabena have ignited in the APC and the very low level that they have dragged the party, in such manner that the ruling party is wallowing in confusion and disorganization, they have too much to pre-occupy them than to be poking their noses in what happens to Saraki or the PDP,” he said.

Source: Vanguard

Prepare for war against Hamas ~ Natanyahu tells ministers

Israel's Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told cabinet members to prepare for war with Hamas, Israeli media said.

Israel’s prime minister warned top-level politicians that Israel is preparing for the possibility of a military campaign in the Gaza Strip should the situation in the besieged enclave escalate further.

According to a TV report by Israeli Hadashot news, Binyamin Netanyahu warned of an escalation in Gaza should the humanitarian conditions in the territory cause more protests on the Gaza border fence.

"If the reality of civil distress in Gaza becomes obsolete, that is desirable; though this is certainly not going to occur. Because of this, we are preparing militarily," he reportedly said.

"This is not an empty statement,” he warned.

His comments echo Israeli defence minister Avigdor Lieberman's warning that Israel is the most it has been prepared for war since the last decade.

"We're at the highest level of preparedness since the Six-Day War," Lieberman avowed in an interview with Israeli news outlet Ynet published on Tuesday.

The Six-Day War was fought in 1967, which led to Israel capturing the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria after its decisive victory.

"I'm not just saying it because this is what I think, [I'm saying it] as someone who has been sitting on the (Security) Cabinet for decades", he urged.

Israel announced on Thursday it was significantly boosting its military presence on the Gaza border, ahead of the expected unrest.

Snipers, infantry and armoured vehicles were moved to the Gaza border, as fears mounted that there could be a bloodbath at the protests.

Demonstrations began in March for the right of refugees in Gaza to return their homes lost since the 1948 creation of Israel, with at least 193 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces who have used live fire on the unarmed protesters.

Human rights groups and the UN have condemned Israel's overwhelming use of force to disperse the demonstrations.

The leader of Hamas' political wing, Yahya Sinwar, told an Israeli newspaper this week that although an "explosion is inevitable" he believed "a new war [with Israel] is not in anybody's interest", and called for an end to the siege on Gaza.