Fight against corruption: Buhari reads ‘riot act’ to family members, "Misbehave and Face The Wrath"

The President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) has sounded a note of warning to his family members that he will not use his powers as president to protect any of them who broke the law, as he is set to assume the leadership of the country. A family member, who attended the meeting summoned by the president-elect, told us at the weekend that the General was very firm and solemn when he spoke to his ward in his Daura country home in Katsina State. General Buhari addressed the members of the family, comprising his children and other extended family members who look up to him, after he won the March 28 presidential election. He called for the solemn assembly in between his various meetings with well-wishers from various parts of the country who thronged his country home in order to congratulate him. According to the member who spoke to the our reporter, Buhari made it very clear to his family that he would not protect them if they violated the country’s law, harping on the anti-corruption mantra, which is one of the reasons why he received massive votes during the presidential polls. We learnt further that he admonished his family members to seek meaningful means of earning a living, giving his life story as an example of how one could start life from a humble beginning and achieve great success in life. The president warned them against engaging in acts that would tarnish the image of the incoming administration, adding that family members who have no legitimate business or who are not invited to the Aso Rock would not be allowed into the Presidential Villa. He also told them that he would not condone laziness from any member of the family. He advised them to work hard to earn a living, saying he worked very hard to become what he is today. He reminded them that Nigeria is a great country with numerous opportunities, adding that only the lazy ones would wallow in poverty. The president-elect, who will be sworn in on May 29, said that none of his family members would accompany him to Abuja without formal invitation. He, however, said they would have enough time with him whenever he is in Daura, adding that Aso Villa is meant for those who are ready to work, not idle family members. Speaking in an earlier interview, the Vice-President-elect­, Professor Yemi Osinbajo had said General Buhari would not spare anyone who is engaged in corruption, not even his family members. Professor Osinbajo had said, “On the various issue of corruption, what General Buhari has said categorically is that as far as he is concerned, the day he is sworn-in as president, he would have drawn a line. Anybody who runs foul of the law, anything that is been investigated before will continue as it is. “If you are found to be corrupt, you will receive the consequence, no matter who you are. Whether you are his brother, sister, his friends there will be consequences. That is what he has said and I think that is in line with the position of the party.”

America Declares Rivers Gov-Elect, Wike, Orubebe, Dokubo, Others Persona Non Grata

America has declared a former  Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Godsday Orubebe, Rivers State Governor-elect, Nyesom Wike, former militant commanders, Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo) and several other persons who either encouraged violence through inciteful comments or interfered with the electoral process during the last general elections as persona non-grata, meaning that they are barred from entering the United States and subjected to visa sanctions. Though the US government did not specifically name those it intends to punish for their actions before, during and after the elections, Orubebe, Wike, Tompolo, Asari-Dokubo, First Lady Patience Jonathan, Katsina State Governor, Ibrahim Shema and several other major political actors made national news headlines by their heated comments and actions. According to Greenbarge Reporters,  the US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who disclosed this in an article captioned ‘When Nigeria decides, Nigeria wins,’ hailed Nigerians for participating peacefully and enthusiastically in the electoral process which culminated in the election of General Muhammadu Buhari of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC). The Assistant Secretary of State, who was also one of the international observers that monitored the elections, noted the commitments made by President Goodluck Jonathan, who lost his reelection bid and Buhari to work together in order to ensure a peaceful and smooth transition to the new government. She warned Nigerians that the next phase will be critical.

Incredible! 2Trillion Naira Looted For Jonathan's Re-Election Bid As PDP Guns For Who Got What

Following the defeat suffered by President Goodluck Jonathan and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, during the March 28 and April 11 elections, the President has asked the party and government officials who handled campaign funds to refund monies not spent, or those not judiciously expended.

Jonathan, according to credible sources, has also set up a committee of five to get those with the funds to return them.

Sources within the party and government told our correspondents that President Jonathan was disturbed that despite giving campaign coordinators, ministers, special advisers, close aides and friends, support groups and traditional rulers over N2trn in cash, most of them could not deliver their polling booths and local governments.

 The President was said to have been further irked by the results of an investigation he ordered. The probe showed that some coordinators used campaign funds to buy very expensive properties, especially in Abuja, and luxury cars. Some of the funds have also been traced to the bank accounts of senior party and government officials who were charged with the disbursement of funds to voters and groups.

A reliable source within the Presidency told our correspondents that the President, who recently admitted to a few close aides that it would be difficult to retrieve all the funds, was bent on getting senior party and government officials who received funds to account for all monies collected.

The source who is a close associate of the president said monies given to traditional rulers in different parts of the country, for example, would not be demanded for. But the source was quick to add that the President was determined to get his ministers, close aides and special advisers to make refunds.

He said, “Some ministers did not get less than N20bn each. None of them can deny it because this fact isn’t hidden within government circles. The only problem with such monies is that there is no receipt to show that they collected money. The sad part is that almost all of them performed woefully. Even in the states where the PDP won, some ministers could not deliver 100,000 votes. They could not mobilise their people to come out. The President is not happy. They all went property and car shopping. This was the most expensive election in the history of this country, yet there was no result.

“The sad part was that even after the President lost on March 28, more money was given to all of them to make up for the dismal outing by winning their states during the April 11 elections. But that turned out to be a bad decision because apart from losing the governorship elections, we didn’t perform well at the National Assembly and House of Representatives polls.

“They must give an account of the money since they didn’t use it for the election. The President is not particular about the funds spent on genuine campaign needs like the hiring of jets, advertisements and the rest that also cost billions of naira. His focus is on the individuals that collected billions to deliver their states but couldn’t even win their polling booths.”

Our correspondents gathered that apart from the N20bn given to some key ministers and senior special advisers, especially in states where the PDP hoped to capture from the opposition All Progressives Congress, some pro-Jonathan support groups received about N16bn.

A former legislator who was to print five million recharge cards, T-shirts and base ball caps has also come under pressure to account for the billions she received because only a few people got the items she was paid to produce. Also, a top female politician in Lagos who got a contract to produce and supply thousands of mobile phones with pro-Jonathan messages was said to have produced just a few and pocketed most of the funds.

It was learnt that the funds Jonathan released were disbursed in three phases. Some were released before the March 28 elections, others on the day of the presidential election and more before the April 11 governorship polls.

Already, the committee of five has started asking some of the campaign coordinators and ministers who received a minimum of N20bn each to give an account and also refund residual funds where applicable.

However, our correspondents learnt that most of the people who received the funds had not cooperated with the committee. While some have not been forthcoming, others have simply ignored the committee.

Jonathan is said to be particularly focusing on the South-West and northern states.

In Lagos, a popular PDP chieftain who lost in his polling booth reportedly received $50m in cash a few days before the governorship elections.

A senior PDP party member who spoke to one of our correspondents in Lagos over the weekend confirmed the cash splurge in Lagos.

The source said, “Lagos was a show of shame. A few days to the governorship poll, about $150m was received in cash by about five top campaign coordinators. But they failed again, even more than we did in the presidential poll because we lost some areas we won on March 28 to the APC on April 11. They were to share this money to the local governments and the masses.

“Please understand me, I am saying that the sum of $150m was just for the governorship election in Lagos. We are not talking about the sums they got for the presidential election. Only one out of the five people that shared the money gave some of it to local government chairmen. This person disbursed about N2bn. The rest of them sat on the money.

“The coordinator that collected the sum of $50m later went to a Federal Government agency and complained of not having enough funds for the election and got an additional $20m. The story is the same in almost all the South-West especially Oyo, Osun, and the northern states. A female minister from the North, who got the highest amount of funds for that region, lost her state in a shameful manner.”

Confirming that campaign directors in different parts of the country had been asked for an audit, the PDP Campaign Director in Akwa Ibom, Mr. Idongesit Nkanga, said the instruction was not new.

He stated that the PDP’s campaign organisation in the state had concluded its audit.

“It is the normal thing. It is the right thing to do for transparency’s sake,” he said.

Nkanga said he would not be able to comment on the refund because he did not collect money from anyone.

According to him, the PDP’s campaign organisation in Akwa Ibom State received a letter for an audit from the PDP campaign headquarters.

He explained that “because the letter emanated from the national headquarters of the p

arty, they were under obligation to submit the audit report about the campaign’s expenditure to them.”

He maintained that at the campaign headquarters, some of the information was available, adding that he would not be able to give accurate details offhand to avoid possible conflict in the figures.

Asked what sanctions would be meted out to defaulters, Nkanga said they might be prosecuted.

However, our correspondent reports that prosecution, while not impossible, may be difficult as most of the monies disbursed were not receipted.

Contacted, the national leadership of the ruling PDP said it did not know anything about the money spent on its presidential campaign.

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Olisa Metuh, stated this in an interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja on Saturday.

Metuh said only those put in charge of the funds were in a position to account for the monies.

He said, “The national leadership of the PDP is not aware of any campaign fund. We were not part of it and therefore we can’t be asked to account for what we didn’t know anything about.

“There was a campaign committee and only the committee is in the position to account for any fund.”

Efforts made to speak with the Director-General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Sen. Ahmadu Ali were unsuccessful.

Ali, a former national chairman of the party, did not pick his call and also failed to respond to a text message sent to him.

Similarly, efforts to get the Presidency’s reaction did not yield any result as calls made to the telephone line of the presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati, as at 10.30pm did not connect.

Via SUNDAY PUNCH

Disturbing Pix Of Xenophobic Killings: South Africans Warn Nigerians, Others, "Please Go Back Home Or Die The More"

As you read this, the xenophobic killings in South Africa is at its peak as Nigerians and other African citizens are being burnt, maimed and butchered like rams while the South African police and other security agencies watch live! And while this is going on, this is what a South African PHD holder has to say: Readers are warned of the disturbing pictures.

Scary News From South Africa...A country whose activists enjoyed super star largesse from Nigeria... See below: Just received from young Nigerian PhD student in South Africa.

Happy sunday all
Dear Neighbour from Africa & Other Parts of the World

We have travelled the world and have not found one country that allows the floods of humans across its borders as South Africa is experiencing. Even in wartorn part like Syria, Ukraine, Yemen and Somali.

We were 7 million people in Johannesburg City in 2011; today we have an estimated 13 million. Of course our infrastructure and services must collapse.

If you were quite prepared to disrespect the first Law of the sovereignty of our country why should you respect the rest of our laws?

We have just come out of an oppressive bloody Apartheid system while you North of the Limpopo had been enjoying freedom since 1960, 1975 and 1981 respectively.

We remember those proud milestones. But we are all still developing countries and our development must be impeded with so many strangers and illegals in our midst.

In Johannesburg alone you have taken over entire suburbs: Yeoville, Berea, Bez Valley, Turfontein amongst many. You have even moved into rural parts of our country that have 80% unemployment; and there are no visible signs that you have jobs either. But there are signs of drug-dealing, prostitution and other criminal acts that you conduct- sometimes in cahoots with desperate locals.

Your presence at this moment in our history is most destructive and destabilising to our country and our citizens.

Yes, we want to be proudly part of the geographic construct called Africa but we are as different from one another as Kenyans are from Nigerians, Ivorians from Chadians etc.

We recently received a story from the archives of teachers at a school in Cape Town. During the World Cup a group of primary school kids from different African countries north of the Limpopo were having a bloody fight in a suburb in Cape Town, South Africa/Azania, over a soccer match and one was stabbed to death and some others hospitalised. Those were kids between 9 and 11 years. They disliked one another's countries and at the same time felt that they did not really belong in SA.

We are pleading with you to return to your home countries- as our King Goodwill and many other great leaders have asked. Go and build up those countries so that we can all live in economic, social and political prosperity and peace -as neighbours. The genocide in this corner of Africa will be far worse than what happened in Rwanda in 1994. Then the entire continent will be condemned to ashes. Is that what you want?

Our people built this country with their blood and tears, but built it we did. For you to come here and take jobs at cheaper rates, use and abuse our scarce resources (schools, hospitals, shelters, clinics, parks, streets- even our churches and shacks and open spaces to live in while shops are literally running out of food) and further add to already high crime rates, IS WRONG and IMMORAL. South Africans not fully employed or who were found guilty of crimes, were recently repatriated from Nigeria and rightly so.

Our people are preparing for war against all foreigners (from Bulgaria to Pakistan and Bangladesh to Africa north of the Limpopo) and we are all very scared. Please GO HOME and BUILD Africa. Millions will die if you don't. This we can guarantee.

Good luck with your return

Patriotic Movement
Pan Local Forum
Unemployed Workers Forum
Anti-Crime Movement
And others.

Fayose's Impeachment: Court Summons Omirin, Ekiti Chief Judge, IG, Others...Warns Parties Against Contempt

Justice Ahmed Mohammed of a Federal High Court sitting Abuja on Thursday told parties in the suit filed to stop the impeachment Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State to be mindful of the steps they take since they have subjected themselves before the court in the matter.

The trial judge also cautioned them to steer clear of any action that could cause trouble or chaos in the state.
The court fixed April 29 for the hearing of the suit seeking to stop the All Progressive Congress (APC) members of the Ekiti state House of Assembly from impeaching Governor Ayodele Fayose and his deputy, Kolapo Olusola.

He further stated any party that discover that the other is making moves to forment trouble should bring an application before the court.
The plaintiffs, Speaker of the House of Assembly (described as being occupied by the Peoples Democratic Party factional Speaker, Olugbemi Joseph Dele); Ekiti State House of Assembly, Fayose and Olusola through their counsel Ahmed Raji SAN had approached the court via a motion ex-parte seeking to halt impeachment moves against the governor.

‎At the last adjourned date, the court ordered defendants in the suit, the APC factional Speaker of the House of ‎Assembly, Adewale Omirin, and the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Ayodeji Daramola to appear before it and show cause why the plaintiffs request should not be granted.
During yesterday’s proceedings, the plaintiff’s counsel informed the court that the defendants has not filed any process.

Defendants’ counsel, Terence Venber, told the court that his clients were served last Saturday which was an election day and therefore, are still within time as provided by the rules of court to respond.
In a short ruling, the court noted that since April 11 was an election day, it would be deemed to be a public holiday and the service of the process will take effect from the next working day, from which the three days provided by the court rule will start counting.

It was on that note that court adjourned to enable the defendants file and serve their response.

Apart from Omirin and Justice Daramola, other defendants in the suit are the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba, and the Independent National Electoral Commission.

‎In the ex-parte application, the plaintiffs had urged the court to grant the interim injunction setting aside the impeachment notice already served on the governor and the deputy and also restraining the defendants from taking any further steps in the impeachment moves.

They also argued that the act by Omirin to issue an impeachment notice and serve same on the governor and the deputy governor as Speaker of the House of Assembly amounted to ‎impersonating the incumbent Speaker.

The plaintiffs also urged the court to grant the prayers and make the interim injunctions to subsist pending the determination of their motion on notice for interlocutory injunctions seeking the same set of prayers.

Raji urged the court to grant the prayers “in the interest of justice, public order, peace and safety of the people of the state”.

‎However, the judge in his ruling ordered the parties to appear in court to convince the court why the plaintiffs’ prayers for interim injunction should not be granted.

According to the judge, “The order is hereby made directing the 1st to 4th defendants (Omirin, IGP, INEC and Ekiti CJ), ‎to appear before this court on April 16, 2015 and show cause why the interim order sought by the plaintiffs via an ex parte motion dated April 7, 2015 should not be made by this court.”

‎The court also granted leave to serve Omirin and Justice Daramola, who reside in Ekiti State, outside jurisdiction.
It also ordered that Omirin and the Ekiti State Chief Judge be served through advertisement in a national newspaper.

It also made a separate order that the Chief Judge be served with processes of court through the office of the Chief Registrar of of the Ekiti State High Court.

In the main suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/302/2015, ‎the plaintiffs are seeking nine prayers among which is “an order setting aside the purported notice of impeachment and all steps taken by the 1st defendant (Omirin) with other errant members of the 2nd plaintiff (Ekiti State House of Assembly) in relation to the purported issuance and service of the said notice of impeachment for the purpose of commencing and concluding the impeachment proceedings against Peter Ayodele Fayose and Dr. Olusola Kolapo, except and until there is absolute compliance with provisions of section 36(1) and section 188(1), (2), (3) and (4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).”

They also want an order prohibiting the 1st defendant (Omirin) and other errant members of the 2nd plaintiff (Ekiti State House of Assembly) from further taking any step, or engaging in unlawful activities relating to the impeachment of Peter Ayodele Fayose and Dr. Olusola Kolapo, except and until there is absolute compliance with provisions of section 36(1) and section 188(1), (2), (3) and (4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

In addition, the plaintiffs want an order prohibiting the Chief Judge of Ekiti State from taking any step or action in relation to the request of the 1st defendant (Omirin) for the purpose of appointing a panel of seven persons to investigate and purported allegations of gros misconduct against Peter Ayodele Fayose and Dr. Olusola Kolapo, except and until there is absolute compliance with provisions of section 36(1) and section 188(1), (2), (3) and (4) of the 1999 C(as amended)

Boko Haram's Abubakar Shekau Makes World's Top 100 Most Influential Person

Abubakar Shekau, the leader of the Nigerian militant Islamist group Boko Haram has been named one of the world’s most influential people by TIME Magazine.

In the article, the Boko Haram spokes person was described as 'the scourge of Africa'.
President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili and bestselling author, Chimamanda Adichie are other Nigerians who made it to the list.
Read Abubakar Shekau’s profile as written on TIME’s website below:

Abubakar Shekau – Scourge of Africa (by General Carter Ham (U.S. Army, retired)

Most Americans do not yet recognize his name, but the citizens of Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, know Abubakar Shekau all too well: he is the most violent killer their country has ever seen. Shekau took over the terrorist organization Boko Haram in 2009 after the group had been weakened by Nigerian government forces.
Shekau, who is believed to be in his 30s, began to stage increasingly daring kidnapping and killing raids on schools, churches and mosques thought by Boko Haram to be violating their interpretation of Islam. The taking of over 200 schoolgirls in April 2014 brought Boko Haram into the international spotlight.

By most accounts, Boko Haram has killed more than 10,000 people and is spreading into neighboring countries. Shekau’s latest action may finally summon a U.S. response: he has publicly aligned his group with ISIS, the terrorist group that holds territory in Syria and Iraq and has expanded its reach into Yemen and Libya.

Fear of Buhari: Dieziani Madueke Relocates To The UK

The incumbent Petroleum Minister who doubles as OPEC Chairman, Dieziani Allison Madueke must have decided to leave the country before the May 29th, 2015 hand-over date. 

The expensively sophisticated woman, we gathered has found her way to the Queen's land where she hopes to seek asylum as a way averting possible probe into the petroleum ministry where she's the boss.

Following her failure to get President Jonathan and the ex-head of state, Gen Abdulsalam Abubakar secure a soft landing deal for her from Gen Buhari last weekend, Nigeria’s controversial petroleum minister, Mrs. Diezani Allison Madueke has fled the country to the United Kingdom.

According to a reliable source in the presidential villa “madam had to take off far ahead of the inauguration of the government of Gen. Buhari because she is scared he may turn his searchlight on the oil sector.” Ironically, the minister who is widely known to travel around in private jets had to travel this time in the first class cabin of the British Airways flight.

When contacted to confirm the minister’s whereabouts, one of her aides who asked for anonymity confirmed Allison-Madueke indeed left the country on Monday morning but gave a different reason for the trip.

 According to the minister’s aide “it is true the Hon. Minister travelled but she went to take care of her health because she has been down medically and she needs proper medical attention.”

Asked when the minister will be back in the country, the aide said “no one can say when she will be back. That depends on her health and the advice of her doctors. She may come before May 29, she may decide to stay back with her children over there till anytime to take care of herself.”

Mrs. Alison-Madueke is yet to account for the $20 billion which the former CBN governor and now Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has continued to insist was diverted from the federation account by the minister and her cronies in the NNPC.

Gov, Abiola Ajimobi Replaces Transformer Removed by Teslim Folarin

This is no doubt an interesting time as politics is being played to its peak. Remember the transformer which was installed and removed by the PDP guber aspirant, Senator Teslim Folarin on account of losing election, it has been replaced by the incumbent cum governor-elect.

Governor, Abiola Ajimobi , we gathered has replaced the said transformer, with even a bigger one when he got wind that, the PDP loser threw caution to the wind by sending his aides to remove the transformer simply because he lost in that ward.

Governor Ajimobi is of the opinion that, whatever the case may be, there's a need for spirit of sportsmanship. Below is the photograph of the transformer being installed.

Revealed! The Incredible Salaries and Entitlements of Ex-Governors, Deputies

Shortly after his victory at the poll, the President-Elect has begun to identify some of the excessive financial leakages that's wrecking the nation's pulse and one of these several recklessness is the cutting down of jumbo payments to erstwhile State governors, deputies, their families and even domestic staff.

Following General Buhari's treaty to end the payment of pensions to former governors of Nigerian states, people's lawyer, Festus Keyamo has expressed his pleasure at the decision.

“Fantastic, fantastic," said the lawyer, "it is a very welcome proposal.”

Vanguard newspaper has meanwhile published a list of states that have passed the law, through which ex-governors enjoy a stream of wealth, some even equal to what the incumbent governor earns.

- LAGOS (100% of basic salary)

The Pension Law named the Lagos State Governor and Deputy Governor pension law of 2007 declares that “a former governor and family (spouse and children both married and unmarried) are entitled to free medical treatment which is not capped."

Furthermore, an ex-governor is entitled to a cook, a steward, a gardener and other domestic staff (who are also pensionable.)

Vanguard newspaper publishes the benefits as follows:

Annual Basic Salary: 100% of annual basic salaries of the incumbent governor and deputy.

Accommodation: One residential house in Lagos and another in FCT for the former governor; one residential house in Lagos for the deputy.

Transport: Three cars, two backup cars and one pilot car for the ex-governor every three years; two cars, two backup cars and one pilot car for the deputy governor every three years.

Furniture: 300 per cent of annual basic salary every two years.

House maintenance: 10 per cent of annual basic salary.

Domestic staff: Cook, steward, gardener and other domestic staff (no limit) who shall be pensionable.

Medical: Free medical treatment for ex-governor and deputy and members of their families (not just spouses).

Security: Two DSS operatives, one female officer, eight policemen (four each for house and personal security) for the ex-governor; one SSS operative and two policemen (one each for house and personal security) for the deputy. PA: 25% of annual basic salary.

Car maintenance: 30% of annual basic salary.

Entertainment: 10% of annual basic salary.

Utility: 20% of annual basic salary.

Drivers: Pensionable (no limit to number of drivers).

Severance gratuity: Not specified.

Other states include: Kwara, Rivers, Edo and Oyo states...