SENATOR AKUME: I REGRET HELPING SAMUEL ORTOM BECOME GOVERNOR

Former governor of Benue state, Senator George Akume, has said that he made a grevious mistake by supporting Samuel Ortom in 2015 to emerge as governor of Benue state.

He said that he realised the kind of person the governor was after he recently dumped the All Progressives Congress Party for the Peoples Democratic Party.

Akume’s regret came just as the APC leaders and stakeholders warned that they would no longer fold their hands and allow blatant breach of the constitution by Governor Ortom.

Speaking at a press conference at the weekend, Senator Akume, said the Benue APC leaders had expressed their confidence in both President Muhammadu Buhari and the national chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, for their laudable achievements.

Akume who said that Benue state was under siege due to the unfortunate actions of the governor, lamented what he described as abuse of the law through the wrongful removal of the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Terkimbi Ikyange, from office.

On the sudden change of gear after Ortom defected to the PDP, Akume said that he and other APC leaders in Benue state didn’t know much about Ortom’s record until when he left.

“For Ortom to run away with our mandate and continue to commit series of constitutional breaches is completely unacceptable,” he said.

He accused the governor of unconstitutionally removing the Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly.

He also accused the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and Speaker Yakubu Dogara of supporting illegality in Benue State.

A bitter Akume said: “If it were in those days during Obasanjo administration, we would have sacked that man with just five lawmakers for his unconstitutional acts.”

While stating the party’s position, Akume described the Ortom-led administration as a disaster, warning that APC members cannot continue to watch the situation without reacting.

According to Akume, 11 out of the 23 Local Government chairmen of Benue state who are loyal to APC are being persecuted by the state government and are being starved of funds.

He also alleged that the government had been withholding allowances of the faction of Benue state House of Assembly loyal to APC, without any justifiable reason.

He said that APC was urging the Federal Government to consider suspending allocations to local governments in Benue pending full investigation of their accounts.

Speaking on behalf of the Benue APC stakeholders, Akume warned that if the governor did not desist from his unconstitutional acts, including plan to sack APC loyal chairmen of local councils and to unleash terror on our members, we are going to use every constitutional means to checkmate him.”

Akume also asked the Federal Government to investigate the alleged stockpiling of arms by loyalists of the governor.

He said that Ortom was using religious sentiments and herdsmen killings as a means of winning reelection in 2019.

Regarding an alleged move by the governor to sack some local government council chairmen loyal to APC, Akume said that the party will not allow it to happen.

The party therefore directed the local government chairmen to resist moves to remove them from office saying “impunity will collide with impunity.”

The APC leaders also alleged that Governor Ortom had collected about N28 billion as bailout funds since the inception of the present administration.

PLATEAU: TWO KILLED AS BANDITS RUSTLE 70 COWS

Two persons were confirmed killed on Friday in Turu village in Kuru District of Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State by suspected Fulani herdsmen as they rustled 70 cows.

Sources said that three herders who were in control of the cows were taken along with the 70 cows and were declared missing.

However, security operatives were able to rescue the 70 cows and one of the herders, who had been declared missing. The other two herders, aged 10 and 14 were killed during the rustling.

When contacted, the spokesperson of Plateau State Police Command, Matthias Tyopev, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, confirmed the incident.

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He warned cattle farmers against employing teenagers but “more matured herders who can take care of the herds and sense danger far ahead of them.”

Tyopev said, “On September 14 2018 at about 19:15hrs, Ezekiel Dalyop of Turu village in Kuru District of Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State reported at the Kaduna Vom Police Division that three herders entrusted with 70 of his cattle were missing.

“The Police swung into action immediately the complaint was incidented and were able to rescue one of the herders by name Bitrus Joseph (16 years) unhurt. The police team of detectives also recovered the 70 missing cattle.

“Unfortunately, in the process of rustling the cattle, two of the herders; Meshack Dalyop (14 years) and Pam Danjuma (10 years) were killed and dumped in the bush at Dahool Bob in Kuru District. Their corpses have been recovered and deposited at the Vom Christian Hospital.

“While we commiserate with the families that lost loved ones, we are urging owners of cattle to employ more matured herders who can take care of the herds and sense danger far ahead of them. The command is intensifying efforts aimed at arresting the perpetrators of this dastardly act to face justice.”

FULL TEXT: KEMI ADEOSUN ’S RESIGNATION LETTER TO PRESIDENT BUHARI

14th September, 2018
His Excellency
Muhammadu Buhari
President, Federal Republic of Nigeria
State House
Aso Villa
Abuja

Dear Excellency,

Let me commence by thanking you profusely for the honour and privilege of serving under your inspirational leadership. It has been a truly rewarding experience to learn from you and to observe at close quarters your integrity and sense of duty.

I have, today, become privy to the findings of the investigation into the allegation made in an online medium that the Certificate of Exemption from National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) that I had presented was not genuine. This has come as a shock to me and I believe that in line with this administration’s focus on integrity, I must do the honourable thing and resign.

Your Excellency, kindly permit me to outline some of the background to this matter. I was born and raised in the United Kingdom, indeed my parental family home remains in London. My visits to Nigeria up until the age of thirty-four (34) were holidays, with visas obtained in my UK passport. I obtained my first Nigerian passport at the age of thirty-four (34) and when I relocated there was debate as to whether NYSC Law applied to me. Upon enquiry as to my status relating to NYSC, I was informed that due to my residency history and having exceeded the age of thirty (30), I was exempted from the requirement to serve. Until recent events, that remained my understanding.

On the basis of that advice and with the guidance and assistance of those, I thought were trusted associates, NYSC were approached for documentary proof of status. I then received the certificate in question. Having never worked in NYSC, visited the premises, been privy to nor familiar with their operations, I had no reason to suspect that the certificate was anything but genuine. Indeed, I presented that certificate at the 2011 Ogun State House of Assembly and in 2015 for Directorate of State Services (DSS) Clearance as well as to the National Assembly for screening. Be that as it may, as someone totally committed to a culture of probity and accountability I have decided to resign with effect from Friday, 14th September, 2018.

Your Excellency, It has been an exceptional privilege to have served our nation under your leadership and to have played a role in steering our economy at a very challenging time. I am proud that Nigeria has brought discipline into its finances, has identified and is pursuing a path to long term sustainable growth that will unlock the potential in this great economy. Under your leadership, Nigeria was able to exit recession and has now started to lay the foundations for lasting growth and wealth creation. Repositioning this huge economy is not a short term task and there are no short cuts, indeed there are tough decisions still to be made but I have no doubt that your focus on infrastructural investment, revenue mobilisation and value for money in public expenditure will deliver growth, wealth and opportunity for all Nigerians.

I thank His Excellency, the Vice President and my colleagues in the Federal Executive Council for the huge pleasure and honour of working with them. I also thank most specially, the team in the ‘Finance Family’ of advisers and heads of agencies under the Ministry of Finance. Your Excellency, this group of committed Nigerians represent a range of backgrounds, ethnicities and ages. They have worked well above and beyond the call of duty to support me in the tasks assigned. The diversity in my team and their ability to work cohesively to deliver reforms, convinces me that Nigeria has the human capital required to succeed.

Your Excellency, let me conclude by commending your patience and support, during the long search for the truth in this matter. I thank you again for giving me the honour of serving under your leadership, it is a rare privilege, which I do not take for granted. As a Nigerian and committed progressive, I appreciate you for your dogged commitment to improving this nation.

Please be assured, as always, of my highest regards and best wishes

Kemi Adeosun (Mrs)

ONE DAY AT A TIME LYRICS - Cristy Lane

One Day At A Time - Christy Lane

One Day at a time, sweet Jesus

I'm only human, I'm just a woman
Help me believe in what I could be and all that I am
Show me the stairway I have to climb
Lord, for my sake teach me to take one day at a time

One day at a time, sweet Jesus
That's all I'm asking from You
Just give me the strength to do everyday
What I have to do

Yesterday's gone, sweet Jesus
And tomorrow may never be mine
Lord, help me today, show me the way
One day at a time

Do you remember when You walked among men?
Well Jesus, You know, if You're looking below, it's worse now than then
Cheating an stealing, violence and crime
So for my sake, teach me to take one day at a time

One day at a time, sweet Jesus
That's all I'm asking from You
Just give me the strength to do everyday
What I have to do

Yesterday's gone, sweet Jesus
And tomorrow may never be mine
Lord, help me today, show me the way

One day at a time

Christy Lane

HOW DEFENCE MINISTRY MISSPENT N35bn LOAN ON SUBSTANDARD MILITARY EQUIPMENT – PRESIDENTIAL REPORT

A Presidential Committee report on the Audit of Defence Equipment Procurement in the Armed Forces from 2007 to 2015 has revealed that a N35bn loan given to the Ministry of Defence for the purchase of Contingent-Owned Equipment was misspent on equipment, which did not meet the United Nations’ standards.

The committee, in its Fourth Interim Report, obtained by The PUNCH, said it observed several abnormalities in the Ministry of Defence’s administration and use of the N35bn loan.

The Fourth report, released on October 23, 2016, through the Office of the National Security Adviser, for submission to President Muhammadu Buhari, detailed how the Ministry of Defence and the Debt Management Office did not follow due process in the release and use of the N35bn loan.

It said that the lapses in the disbursement and administration of the N35bn should make the Federal Government call for a review of the “entire DMO loan portfolio with a view to remedying the observed lapses.”

President Buhari had in 2015 approved that the committee should investigate the former service chiefs, military officers and ministry officials who were allegedly involved in the irregularities uncovered in the contract awards and procurement process.

The committee had said it was investigating 18 retired and serving military personnel, 12 serving and retired public officials and 24 chief executive officers of companies involved in the procurement.

Among those the committee is investigating are two former Chiefs of Army Staff, Lt Gen Onyeabo Ihejirika (retd.) and Lt Gen. Kenneth Minimah (retd.), former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr Nurudeen Mohammed, and three former Permanent Secretaries in the Ministry of Defence, Bukar Aji, Haruna Sanusi and E.O. Oyemomi.

The committee had in July 2016 released its Third Interim Report on the Audit of the Defence Equipment Procurement, which said that a total of N185bn  and $685m were spent on procurement and operations between 2007 and 2015.

The Third Report stated that between 2007 and 2015, the committee found out that N71bn and $685m were spent on procurements for the Nigerian Army by the ministries of defence, finance, foreign affairs and environment.

Others mentioned in the Third Report were the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Office of the National Security Adviser. The report said that some state governments, notably Adamawa, Kano and Yobe, as well as the ministries of finance and power also funded the army operations with N114bn during the eight years.

Our correspondent obtained the Fourth Interim Report on Wednesday, which further revealed that a N35bn loan given to the Ministry of Defence for the purchase of Contingent-Owned Equipment was misspent and failed to meet the UN standards.

The report partly reads, “In March 2008, the President approved the request of the Ministry of Defence for the procurement Contingent-Owned Equipment with a domestic loan of N35bn by selective tendering through Original Equipment Manufacturers or their representatives and reputable defence vendors. It was estimated that the nation would generate over N4bn annually from the COE and recoup the investment within nine years. Consequently, the Debt Management Office raised and transferred the loan into the MOD Unity Bank Operations Account in June 2008, instead of a dedicated capital project account.

“In spite of the sense of urgency created by the MOD, the funds remained inexplicably unutilised for the intended purpose for over nine months thus stalling the anticipated reimbursement and repayment of the loan for more than two years. MOD awarded the first set of eight contracts with a total value of N9.2bn in October 2018.

However, while some of the equipment procured was not required based on the Memorandum of Understanding Nigeria signed with the UN, others were acquired at highly inflated costs, far above the Generic Fair Market Value recommended by the UN.

“Additionally, equipment that did not attract any reimbursement from the UN were procured in excess of the total requirements of the battalions in the UN Missions. For instance, procurement of the K-38 High-Speed Assault Patrol Boats awarded to Doiyatec Communications Limited at N3.12bn was wasteful as boats were not needed in the landlocked region of Sudan. Moreover, Level II Hospital was procured through Kishalom Nigeria Limited at N475m whereas the UN recommended only N10.5m for such equipment.”

The Presidential Committee report added that the MOD also retained the N35bn  loan at the bank for 21 months and subsequently disbursed the outstanding balance of N28.4bn into six commercial banks.

It said, “Similarly, the MOD procured a large quantity of communications equipment from RCN Nigeria Limited and Richfield Technologies at the total cost of N5.2bn even though the equipment did not attract reimbursement from the UN. These trends manifested in all subsequent contracts awarded by the MOD from the N35bn loan, suggesting that the entire loan package was deliberately packaged to rip off the nation.

“Furthermore, the MOD contravened emphatic Presidential directive that the loan should be used only for procurement of COE that would generate reimbursement from the UN for repayment of the loan. The committee also established that in June 2010, MOD transferred the sum of N2.175bn from the 35bn to the Defence Intelligence Agency as a loan for construction of building for the Defence Section at the Nigerian Embassy in Brazil. However, the DIA could not account for the utilisation of the money released as it was confirmed that only N400m  from the 2010 budgetary appropriation was remitted to Brazil for the stated purpose.

“Over N1bn of the N35bn loan was also used to settle bills of 10 revalidated contracts awarded in 2006. Unfortunately, some of the contractors still failed to perform or return the sum of N262m paid to it as 20 per cent mobilisation fees for contracts worth over N1.31bn. In the committee’s view, it was fraudulent and a disservice for the MOD to commit the funds into expenditures other than those approved by the President.”

Responding to the indictment of the Debt Management Office, Director General, Ms Patience Oniha, said there was actually a Memorandum of Understanding between DMO and the Ministry of Defence.

She said available record indicated that the ministry had been able to repay a significant part of the loan while the balance had been restructured.

Oniha said, “There was a loan to that effect. However, there was a MoU. There were terms. For confidential sake, I will not disclose the figures involved.

“The Ministry of Defence has been servicing the loan. The loan has not been fully repaid but there has been restructuring. They have made a significant repayment but for confidential purpose, I will not disclose the amount involved. For the President to grant a standalone approval means that there was some sense of urgency around it.”

BREAKING: KEMI ADEOSUN RESIGNS

Kemi Adeosun

Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, has reportedly resigned from the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to sources, Adeosun resigned over allegations that she forged her National Youth Service Corps certificate.

However, it was gathered that the minister resumed in her office this morning and it is unclear when the reported resignation will take effect.

Adeosun had come under fire with several Nigerians, particularly on the social media, demanding investigations from the Federal Government into the allegations and calling for her resignation for presenting an alleged forged exemption certificate.

The reports claimed that the finance minister, who did not participate in the one-year national youth service, allegedly forged an Exemption Certificate several years after her graduation.

The certificate, which is dated September 2009, was reportedly signed by an NYSC Director-General, Yusuf Bomoi, who already left the scheme in January 2009.

In November 2015, Adeosun was appointed as Minister of Finance under President Muhammadu Buhari after she had been cleared by the Department of State Services and by the Senate.

SOUTHERN, MIDDLE-BELT LEADERS CONDEMN BUHARI’S REMOVAL OF MATTHEW SEIYEFA AS SSS DG

New SSS DG Yusuf Bichi

Some elder statesmen from the south and parts of central Nigeria have condemned the removal of Matthew Seiyefa as the Director-General of the State Security Service by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The leaders said Mr Buhari’s action has further shown that he does not believe in a united Nigeria in which state duties are conducted with fairness and equity.

Mr Seiyefa was replaced by Yusuf Bichi from Kano State Thursday night. He will take office on Friday, the presidency said in a statement announcing the changes.

Mr Seiyefa, from Bayelsa State in the oil-rich Niger-Delta, was appointed on August 7 by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. Mr Osinbajo, who was acting-president at the time, took the decision as part of a disciplinary action against Lawal Daura, who was accused of organising organising an SSS siege to the National Assembly without approval from the presidency.

Mr Seiyefa’s appointment was widely hailed by rights activists and pro-democracy campaigners who largely saw him as fitting for the position based on his antecedent in service.

Although he was due to retire next year, there have been strong indications that Mr Buhari was keen on removing him from office in order to appoint someone he feels more comfortable with ahead of 2019 elections.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Seiyefa was pressured into subservience by Mr Buhari’s Chief of Staff Abba Kyari. Mr Kyari overruled some personnel and administrative changes made by Mr Seiyefa shortly after assuming office, despite strong protest from the top spy chief.

Mr Seiyefa was the most-senior official at the SSS when Mr Osinbajo asked him to lead, a development that was widely celebrated at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja and field offices across the country.

It was not immediately clear whether he would be asked to return to his previous position at the SSS training school or be compulsorily retired when Mr Bichi assumes office Friday.

Mr Buhari’s action has drawn criticism from leaders in the southern parts of the country, who condemned the president for being too quick to undo the laudable appointment made by Mr Osinbajo, which also placed a southerner in the top national security position for the first time since Mr Buhari assumed office in May 2015.

The leaders in their statement said Mr Buhari has dismantled all precedents that engendered a united Nigeria in order to satisfy his sectional inclinations.

They said Mr Bichi has retired from service but was only brought back because six most-senior officials at the SSS who should have led the agency based on hierarchy are all southerners.

Mr Buhari has been accused of glaring lopsidedness in his appointments, especially into security and law enforcement agencies. He often pushes back against this claim by pointing to some appointments he made from the south.

Read the full statement as sent to PREMIUM TIMES bellow:

Appointment of new DG-DSS: Buhari’s vote-of-no-confidence in One Nigeria.

The outright disregard for the conditions precedent for a united Nigeria and an inclusive country which President Buhari has become well known for was taken to a new height this evening with the removal of the Acting DG of DSS,Mr Matthew Seiyefa and replacement with Mr Yusuf Magaji Bichi from Kano.

The I-don’t-care and in-your-face attitude of the President in restoring Nigeria security architecture to the provocative situation of having 16 out of 17 service chiefs from his corner of the country is a clear demonstration of the fact that Nigeria for General Muhammadu Buhari is no more than his section of Nigeria and the resources and the constitutionally mandatory votes from other sections of the country.

Since 1960,Nigeria has never had a leader more sectional ,narrow,parochial ,and tribalistic like the current President who went on a global stage to divide Nigeria into “97% and 5%”.

We have looked critically at the profiles of the Acting DG who was removed and the one Buhari just appointed and it is crystal clear that Bichi does not come with any experience close to that of Seiyefa.

The only qualification for this appointment is therefore only the rabid nepotism of the President which has seen him always masking personal and sectional interest as “national interest.”

Besides, Bichi is an out-of-the -system man drafted by Mr Lawan Daura in the days of his nepotism rule at the DSS.

The next six most senior persons in line of succession at the DSS after Seiyefa are from our findings are all southerners which may explain why the President picked a man who already retired from the DSS to lead because of ethnic affinity.

That the President went ahead to deep himself further into the cocoon of ethnic irredentism in making this insensitive appointment shows clearly that he does not care a hoot about the unity ,cohesion and oneness of Nigeria.

We reject this appointment and we do not shy in telling Mr President that he no longer pretends that the country is one under him.

In the last few days, there have been fears coming from the international community about the dangers that would come the way of Nigeria if Mr President returns for another term.

With his latest action,we add that the country is not safe in the remainder of his first term.

Lastly we ask Mr President: Are we still one county?

Chief E.K Clark.

SOUTH SOUTH

Chief Ayo Adebanjo

SOUTH WEST

Chief John Nwodo.

SOUTH EAST

Mr Bitrus Pogu

MIDDLE BELT.