NAF NEUTRALISES BANDITS NEAR DOUMBOUROU HILL, ZAMFARA STATE.

Nigerian Air Force Alpha jets

The Nigerian Air Force, says Air Task Force (ATF), of Operation DIRAN MIKIYA has destroyed another armed bandits’ hideout and neutralised several of their fighters near Doumbourou Hill in Zamfara.

Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, who announced this in Abuja, said the operation was carried out on Wednesday.

“The attack was executed yesterday,Jan. 2 , following human intelligence (HUMINT) reports, which were later confirmed by Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), missions, indicating that a large number of bandits, armed with high calibre weapons, regularly assemble at a compound around the foot of the hill before going out on operations.

“Accordingly, the ATF scrambled two Nigerian Air Force (NAF) attack helicopters, supported by an ISR platform, to engage the bandits and destroy their compound.

“The helicopters strafed the target area in successive waves of attack, with the first wave causing some damage to the structures and neutralising some of their fighters.

“The second wave was sequenced to engage the armed bandits as they re-emerged out of their hiding places, thus inflicting further fatalities on them,” he said.

Daramola said that credible HUMINT sources later revealed that the leader of the group was among those killed during the attack.

He said the ATF would continue to work in close coordination with surface forces and other security agencies, to conduct reconnaissance and air interdiction missions with a view to restoring normalcy to the affected States in the North West.

WHAT I EXPECT FROM MY WIFE’S CAMPAIGN TEAM — PRESIDENT BUHARI

President Muhammadu Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari says he expects the women and youth presidential campaign team led by his wife to exhibit the same loyalty and support they gave him in 2015.

Mr Buhari stated this Thursday while inaugurating the team at the Banquet Hall of the State House presidential villa, Abuja.

Mr Buhari told them that the gathering reminded him of his political struggles over the years and the support he enjoyed from them.

“My association with you has been for very long and is characterized by loyalty to the cause of change,” he said.

The president said his administration has recorded ”numerous landmark achievements”.

He said his mantra of ”change” remains
”unshaken and continues until we return Nigeria on track to assume its rightful place among the comity of nations”.

He reminded the committee that they are expected to support the Presidential Campaign Council which he chairs.

”This shows the importance with which we view the role of women and youths as the backbone of the Nigerian electorate.

”As such, they should be the drivers of our campaign, more so, they are the major direct and indirect beneficiaries of our social investment programmes,” he said.

He tasked the team to remind Nigerians about his plans, good work and achievements.

”Tell the people why they should give us another four years. Our dream is to sustain CHANGE so that all systemic distortions can be corrected and we can enjoy the fruits of being Nigerians under the banner of freedom.

”It is also our hope that our unborn children will inherit a better nation,” he said.

The president also commended all APC members for their unwavering support and commitment to his administration.

”I call on them to redouble their efforts and re-elect us in February, so that they can witness the next level of CHANGE.

”To all Nigerians, I appreciate your love and support. I hope you will renew the mandate you overwhelmingly gave us in 2015. Please do not be distracted, our country is on course.

”I am very pleased to inaugurate the ‘Women and Youth Presidential Campaign Team’. I charge you to reach out to all Nigerians door-to-door and remind them why we need another four years,” the president said.

IRANIAN HEALTH MINISTER RESIGNS OVER SIGNIFICANT BUDGET CUTS DUE TO SEVERE FINANCIAL CRISIS

Hassan Rowhani, president of Iran

Iran’s health minister has resigned, saying he could not accept any further cuts to his budget as the country struggles with a severe financial crisis.

“I am not an impatient person, but enough is enough,” Hassan Hashemi said on a video posted to the Khabar One portal on Thursday.

Reports that Mr Hashemi had resigned have been circulating for days, but on Thursday came confirmation on state media that President Hassan Rowhani had accepted his decision.

Mr Hashemi said he could no longer work effectively given the restricted spending limits proposed in the government’s next budget.

The ministry’s budget was significantly cut for the year beginning March 21.

The cuts were linked to an acute financial crisis caused partly by U.S. sanctions that were re-imposed in 2018.

As the sanctions have hit oil exports, it is not clear how much the state will earn from oil revenues in the future.

The U.S. measures have badly affected the health sector, as some medicines cannot be imported due to bank sanctions.

The sanctions have also put moderate Mr Rowhani under serious political pressure.

He has had to reorganise his cabinet due to pressure from parliament.

Many Iranians are also unhappy that the government is spending money in conflicts abroad – including in wars in Yemen and Syria, and in support of Palestinians – instead of focusing on domestic affairs.

(NAN)

'DESPITE CORRUPTION FIGHT, CORRUPTION STILL THRIVES IN NIGERIA' - NBS

Corruption, which Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said he came into office to fight, is flourishing under his nose, with the Federal capital territory recording the highest number of cases, according to data released by the National Bureau of statistics, covering year 2016.
NBS data show that corruption cases increased in about 15 states in the country, while only about six and two states reported a decline and zero in the number of corruption cases, respectively.

Abuja, the capital city of the country where major political and administrative activities hold, had the highest number with 657 reported cases in that year, according to the report.
Abuja was followed by Lagos and Kaduna, with each reporting over a 100 cases, according to a graphical representation by the NBS, as the statistical agency did not provide exact numerical values of corruption cases in other states besides

President Buhari assumed office as president in May 2015 vowing to intensify eliminate corruption and set Africa’s largest economy on a path of sustainable development. His administration has since embarked on prosecution of persons alleged to have looted public funds, using the anti-corruption watchdog, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
It may not be entirely true to assess President Buhari’s anti-corruption fight of corruption based on the NBS data alone since the figures reflect barely one year of his presidency. However, the 2017 Corruption Perception Index released in 2018 by Transparency International, placed Nigeria as number 148 among 180 countries, from 136 in 2016, showing a retrogression of 12 places.

“The initial optimism that accompanied the Buhari’s government following his anti-corruption agenda appears to have waned and this is not unconnected to the observed delay in prosecuting corrupt officials who are members of his parties,” an analyst who does not want to be mentioned because of the sensitivity of the matter, said.

The NBS report said that Adamawa, Edo, Enugu, Rivers, Anambra and Imo states all recorded declines in corrupt cases, while there were no cases recorded in both Jigawa and Yobe states.
The report further shows that in terms of percentage distribution of bribes in Nigeria by types of request, direct request from the officials came top at 65.4 percent, while indirect request of payment by officials came next at 19.9 percent.

Bribe request where nobody asked for it, that is, a bribe request done willingly to facilitate/accelerate the procedure, was next at 8.2 percent, the report said.
The report also said that almost 70 percent of bribes were paid before service was delivered, while 13.5 percent were paid after service was delivered.

The percentage of bribes collected at the same time that the service was delivered was 10 percent, while those who paid partly before/ after the service was delivered were 2 percent.
Gbolahan Ologunro, an equity research analyst at Lagos-based CSL Stockbrokers said, “tackling corruption will require strengthening of the judicial system in ensuring the speedy resolution of corruption cases; improved computerisation in procedures required in obtaining important documents so as to reduce face-to-face contact between officials and the populace.

“In addition, there is the need for government to implement policies that will enable the people exploit opportunities in the business environment to improve their standard of living which might act as a deterrent to engaging in corrupt practices.”

Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan at the launch of his book “My Transition Hour” last year boasted that the country is more corrupt in 2018 than it was when he handed over to the Buhari’s administration in 2015.

Technocrats and activists have also raised eyebrows against the incumbent’s fight against corruption, saying it is mainly targeted at the opposition.

Shehu Sani, senator representing Kaduna Central, captured this feeling when he said, “When it comes to fighting corruption in the National Assembly, the Judiciary and in the nation at large, the President uses insecticide, but when it comes to fighting corruption within the Presidency, they use deodorants.”

While President Buhari has maintained his stance on the fight against corruption, the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has contended that “fighting corruption,” is not an economic policy.

Its Vice Presidential aspirant, Peter Obi, at the recent debate said: “You cannot lock your shop and start chasing criminals.”

Bent on showing how firm the current administration is on the fight against corruption, Nigeria’s Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo responded: “If you allow criminals to steal the inventory in your shop, you’d soon have no shop.”

"MY ROLE IN NIGERIAN POLITICS IS TO RAISE ALARM" - OBJ

Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria’s former president, has stated his role in the nation’s politics.

The former president quitted partisan politics in the country when he dumped the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) tearing his membership card in the process.

Prior to the 2015 general election, he pitched his tent with Muhammadu Buhari, then opposition candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

The APC flag-bearer after the endorsement of the former president won the election but the duo has fell out politically due to the second term ambition of the president.

Last year, the former president advised Mr Buhari to shelve his re-election bid due to alleged incompetence. The president has since dumped the advise in a trash can and went on to actualize his ambition.

Despite his acclaimed stance, Obasanjo has publicly endorsed Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the PDP to battle it out with the president.

Addressing Yabaji Sani, presidential candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) and his team when they paid him a visit on Thursday at Abeokuta, Mr Obasanjo said his role in the country’s politics is to raise alarm when events turn around in the way they ought not be.

“It is undemocratic, the attitude of some politicians who heat up the polity by undermining and denigrating other Nigerians through thuggery and harassment of innocent citizens,” Obasanjo was quoted in a statement by Pam Ibrahim, Director of Media and Publicity of Sani’s Campaign team, as saying.

“My role in Nigerian politics would be that of a watchman who is expected to be vigilant and raise an alarm whenever it is necessary,” he said.

Speaking earlier, Mr Sani while urging Nigerians to vote for him and his party said he is in the race because of bad leadership of previous administration particularly in the areas of security.

“We are in a country where the security of citizens is no longer guaranteed giving the crime rate we experience on a daily basis, especially insurgency, armed robbery and kidnappings across the country”, he said.

MAN KILLS MOTHER OF 73 IN ENUGU

Enugu- A 73-year-old woman, Mrs Cecilia Attah, has been reportedly killed by her son at Nru, in Nsukka Local Governments Area of Enugu State.

Mrs Cecilia Attah

Mrs Attah was killed, Wednesday by her son who used a plank to hit her on the head, following a slight argument.

It was gathered that shortly after killing his mother, the suspect ran to the nearby Nsukka Police Station to report that his brother wanted to kill him.

Apart from the suspect, the deceased is said to be the mother of a priest, Rev Fr. Nobert who is now on sabbatical at the United States of America, USA, with Athanasius Igwenagum Attah, 54, as the eldest.

Athanasius, a panel beater at the Mechanic Village, Nsukka, was seen at Nsukka Police Station, yesterday, making a statement over the issue.

N30,000 MINIMUM WAGE: FG BUDGETS N160BN FOR CIVIL SERVANTS’ SALARY INCREASE AND PROMOTION ARREARS

The Federal Government has budgeted a total of N160bn this year to take care of adjustments that may arise as a result of the planned increase in minimum wage.

The amount is contained in the 2019 budget proposal which was submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari to the National Assembly.

The 2019 budget has an estimate of N8.83tn made up of N4.04tn for recurrent expenditure, N2.03tn for capital expenditure and N2.14tn for debt servicing, among others.

An analysis of the budget showed that the sum of N160bn had been provisioned to take care of public wage adjustment and salary increases in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the government.

The amount is captured under the service wide vote in the 2019 budget document.
The N160bn is also projected to take care of arrears of promotion and severance benefits to civil servants.

Apart from the N160bn, the government has also budgeted the sum of N4.5bn for the payment of retirement benefits to former Heads of Civil Service of the Federation and retired Permanent Secretaries.

Also, about N5bn was budgeted for payment of death benefits for civil servants and men of the Nigeria Police Force.
The entitlements of former Presidents/Heads of State and Vice-Presidents is to gulp N2.3bn in 2019 while retirement benefits for former heads of government parastatals are estimated at about N1bn.

In the same vein, the government is proposing to spend N121.6bn on military pensions, N28.3bn on civilian pensions, N7.4bn on police pensions and N50bn on arrears of 33 per cent increase in pension rates.

The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udo Udoma, had said the government was committed to increasing the minimum wage.

FATHER, 42, KILLED TWO OF HIS SONS WITH POISON OVER WITCHCRAFT ALLEGATIONS IN BAYELSA

The Bayelsa State Police Command has arrested a 42 - year - old father , Sunday Otasi , for allegedly killing two of his sons with a poisonous substance , identified to be ‘ Sniper ’, over suspicion of witchcraft .

The third son , however , narrowly escaped death and is in a critical condition after he escaped from the bush, where his father and his younger brother had tied the three of them to trees.

Otasi, who hails from Agbobiri -Okodia in the Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, was said to have taken his three sons, Success , 14 ; Miracle, 12 ; and Godstime , 10 , to a bush along Glory Drive Road , Igbogene, Yenagoa.

He was said to have tied them to trees with the help of his younger brother , Levai Ayah , and forced them to drink the poisonous substance .
It was learnt that the three children got into trouble with their father in September last year when a Yenagoa - based prophet , George Odoko , of the George Odoko Outreach Ministries , told Otasi that his children were wizards and were responsible for his illness .

WHY I WON’T SURRENDER TO POLICE — SENATOR DINO MELAYE

The embattled Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, senator representing Kogi West, Mr. Dino Melaye, has finally spoken from his hideout on the reasons why he will not surrender to the Police.

Sen. Dino Melaye

Mr. Melaye, who had earlier alleged that the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, would inject him with substance that would kill him if he was arrested, compared his challenges to that of Prophet Elijah in the Bible, in a tweet on Tuesday evening.

He also maintained that he will continue to remain in his hideout.

It was earlier reported that the Police laid siege to the senator’s Abuja residence on Friday, ending on an aggravating note a turbulent year which began with allegations that the lawmaker was involved in multiple robberies and murder plots.

The siege marks, at least, the fourth attempt to arrest Mr. Melaye by the Police in 2018.

Melaye, in his Tuesday tweet, said he was being wise and not scared by hiding.

Mr. Melaye said the Bible records Prophet Elijah to be one of the strongest prophets that lived, but he went to Mount Carmel to hide when King Ahab wanted him dead because of the way he declared the truth.

“There is a difference between being scared and being wise,” the controversial lawmaker wrote on Twitter.

Melaye is seeking re-election in Kogi on the platform of PDP.

He is already facing two different trials by the Police for alleged attempted suicide and allegedly arming criminals.

He was granted bail by the court in both instances.

It will be recalled that the Police had already disconnected electricity and water to the premises on 11 Sangha Street, off Mississippi, Maitama, Abuja.

Melaye, who has had running battles with the Police, it was gathered, had promised to report to the Police this week.

Lawyers react

Meanwhile, some lawyers and senators have kicked against the continued siege to Melaye’s home, even as the Police insisted on its actions, saying “we will not retreat until Senator Dino Melaye surrenders himself for arrest and investigation.”

Mr. Norrison Quakers (SAN), said: “It is indeed unconstitutional and beyond international standard of law enforcement and in violation of the administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.

“I think the Senator should seek redress in court. We are not in a police state but in a constitutional democracy.”

Another lawyer, Mr. Israel Mbaebie said: “What is happening to Dino is a clear extension of what has been the sad hallmark of the excesses of this present government.

“It is sad. It is demeaning to all Nigerians that we are witnessing what we have never witnessed not even under the military junta years of Abacha. To imagine that we are in a democracy makes it all even more bizarre if not brazen.”

…senators, too

Some senators, who took a swipe at the Police over the invasion of Melaye’s residence, described the action as barbaric and unacceptable.

Senator Samuel Anyanwu (PDP, Imo East), condemned the Police action.

Senator Anyanwu said: “Nigeria is turning into a Police State. We believe that our democracy must be guided. Taking over the residence of Senator Dino Melaye is a sad development.

“The Police must, as a matter of urgency, vacate the house.”

Also, Senator Rafiu Ibrahim (PDP, Kwara South) who condemned the action, described it as witchhunt and political, adding that Senator Melaye was at the National Assembly prior to the holiday and the Police never came for him.

He asked the Police to stop playing politics with everything, urging them to vacate the residence with immediate effect.

The Senate President

Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, had earlier faulted the move, arguing that the timing of the action by the Police and the claim that Senator Melaye had been invited were not true.

His words: “The general belief now is that the Police action against Senator Dino Melaye is aimed at keeping him out of circulation so that he would not participate in the February elections.

“Though the Police in their statement claimed that there was a request to the Clerk of the National Assembly, inviting Senator Melaye to report to the Police, my enquiry from the clerk showed that he had no such letter.”

We won’t leave here until…—Police

Meanwhile, the Police in a statement, by Jimoh Moshood, Force Public Relations Officer, has maintained their ground, saying “Senator Melaye is wanted by the Police for a case of criminal conspiracy and attempted culpable homicide, committed on July 19, 2018, when Senator Melaye and his thugs attacked Police personnel, shot and wounded Sergeant Danjuma Saliu, attached to 37 Police Mobile Force on stop-and-search duty along Aiyetoro Gbede, Mopa Road in Kogi State.

“Police operatives with a duly obtained warrant of arrest deployed to arrest Senator Melaye in his residence in Abuja will not retreat until Senator Melaye surrenders himself for arrest and investigation.

“It is on record that the Police investigators submitted a letter of invitation on July 23, 2018, by the Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Police Command, addressed to the Clerk, National Assembly, Abuja, inviting Senator Melaye to report on July 26, 2018 at 11a.m., at the Kogi State Police Command, CIID, Lokoja, to answer to a case of criminal conspiracy and attempted culpable homicide against him under investigation in the Kogi State Police Command.

“The claim by the Senate President in the media that the Police did not submit a letter of invitation to the Clerk of the National Assembly is, therefore, incorrect.

“Despite this, Senator Dino bluntly refused to report himself to the Police till date.

“The Force will ensure a thorough investigation into this matter while making sure that the rule of law prevails and that no suspect, no matter how highly placed, involved in any criminal matter escape justice.

“We will not retreat until Senator Melaye surrenders himself for arrest and investigation.”

N30,000 MINIMUM WAGE: PRESIDENCY MOVES TO APPEASE ORGANIZED LABOUR

• Asks govs to plug waste to accommodate workers’ demand

• Pleads with NLC for more time to resolve logjam

Following organized labour's threat to call out workers to embark on indefinite strike come Tuesday, 8th January, 2019 to protest non-implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage as recommended by the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage, the presidency has moved to pacify the workers, appealing to them to tarry a while on their planned action.

The organized labour had asked President Muhammadu Buhari to submit the N30,000 minimum wage implementation bill to the National Assembly for passage by December 31 last year or face a nationwide strike action.

With the deadline unmet, the NLC President, Mr. Ayuba Wabba, had said the Tuesday strike had become imminent despite a federal government offer for a resolution meeting schedule for January 8.

Authoritative presidency sources, however, told our correspondent, Wednesday, that the president is making efforts to resolve the wage dispute, which threatens to further obstruct the nation’s fragile economy should the strike hold.
State governors under the auspices of Nigerian Governors Forum had objected to N30,000 as the baseline wage bill for the federation on the grounds that most of the states could not afford it.

Offering N22,500, the governors said anything more would send most of the states into insolvency.
But labour disagreed, contending that N30,000 was a compromised figured, which if diligently pursued would be realisable.

Buhari, according to sources, had intervened, asking the governors to reconsider their stand and find ways of acceding to the workers’ demand.

“The president met with the representatives of the governors and appealed to them to plug areas of waste as a way of securing the funds to meet the workers’ demand,” a source disclosed.

He said the governors had agreed to heed the advice of the president and had gone back to evaluate their finances, adding that what was needed was some more time for the governors to report progress to the president.

“Certainly, the governors need to come back to the president with their revised position before he could proceed to the National Assembly with an implementation bill,  the source added.

Stating that time, though now a scarce commodity, was what was needed to resolve the logjam, he explained that even if the president was minded to proceed to the National Assembly with the bill as requested by labour, the federal legislators had been on Christmas break, adding that there was no way the NLC’s demand could have been met.

“The National Assembly had been on break. And so, even if the president is to overrule the governors on this, there is no way the National Assembly can reconvene before the Friday deadline given by labour,” he said.

Wabba had called on the federal government wednesday to urgently transmit the bill on the new national minimum wage to the National Assembly for a speedy passage.

He said, “It is unfortunate that the federal government is yet to transmit to the National Assembly an executive bill for the enactment of N30,000 as the new national minimum wage.

“Government’s dilly-dallying on the issue has strained government-labour relations with a potential for a major national strike, which could just be days away.

“I want to appeal to the government to do the needful by urgently transmitting the bill on the new national minimum wage to the National Assembly.

“We also would like to use this same opportunity to urge workers to fully mobilise for a prolonged national strike and enforce their right.”

Explaining that the strike would become inevitable as the last option for labour, the NLC president called on all Nigerians and businesses to understand and support it.

He, however, assured workers that their labour, patience and diligence would not be in vain.
Wabba said the NLC leadership remains committed to giving all it takes to ensure workers get just and fair wages in a decent work environment appropriate to their well-being.

He added that the NLC leadership is similarly committed to social protection for workers.
According to him, “The new year presents great opportunities for workers, pensioners, civil society allies and their friends and families to put their numbers to good use.

“This is by voting out, not on the basis of tribe or religion but purely policy, any candidate that cannot serve their interest.

“In the year that is ahead of us, the NLC remains unequivocally committed to the national and workers’ goals which include the campaign for industrialisation, against selective enforcement of “No Work, No Pay” policy of government, among others.”

The N30,000 new minimum wage, which was a compromise figure arrived at by the Minimum Wage Tripartite Committee comprised of the government (federal and states), organised private sector and the organised public sector was contained in the report forwarded to President Muhammadu Buhari. Labour had initially proposed N66, 500, while the federal government proposed N24,500 at the negotiation meeting before the N30,000 was adopted.

However, wednesday the federal government said it would meet with the union on Friday.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, said government had invited executives of the organised labour for a meeting at the Conference Hall of the ministry.

General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson, said the labour had received letter from the labour ministry for a meeting on Friday.

Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has issued a notice to all its structures and organs to commence mobilisation for mass action against the federal government, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), and the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP).

This was contained in a statement signed by the association’s president, Danielson Akpan.
The ASUU commenced a nationwide strike on November 4 after the lecturers accused the federal government of not implementing previous agreements.

The association had earlier issued an ultimatum of two weeks to the federal government, ASUU and ASUP on December 23, to call off the strike or face confrontation.