Labenas: Imo poly student steals N19m car, sells it for N30...

Labenas: Imo poly student steals N19m car, sells it for N30...: A 26-year-old student of Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo, Johnbosco Ashiegbu, and 34-year-old Chinonso Ewurum, have been arrested by operat...

Nigeria, The 2017 Budget, And The Dawn Of Abundance - by Yemi Osinbajo

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has addressed Nigerians on plans that the government hopes to put in place with the current budget to restore the economy of the country.

Yemi Osinbajo

 

A short while ago, I signed the 2017 Appropriations Bill into law. This is an important milestone in our economic recovery and growth plan laid in April by President Muhammadu Buhari.

I would like to express my appreciation to the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, as well as the entire leadership and members of the National Assembly for completing work on the 2017 Appropriations Bill.

The process of preparing and processing this Bill was much smoother than that of the 2016 Appropriations Bill. On the executive side, there were no allegations of errors, or mistakes, and there was a significant improvement in the quality of the preparation, as well as the presentation.

I wish to commend the Ministry of Budget and Planning for such a remarkable improvement over a single budget cycle.

On the side of the National Assembly, I wish to commend the collaborative spirit of the engagements our MDAs had with their various committees, and with the leadership, during the budget defence sessions. There were far fewer reported cases of acrimony, or hostile wrangling this year, than in the past.

From the reports we received, the sessions were generally conducted in a friendly atmosphere. There is no doubt that our democracy is maturing.

However, the final presentation and the signing of the budget has been considerably delayed. This was largely due to disagreements we had about the changes introduced to our 2017 Budget proposals by the National Assembly.

The executive took the view that the changes fundamentally affected some of our priority programmes and would make implementation extremely difficult and in some cases impossible.

I must say that the entire leadership of the National Assembly led by the Senate president and the Speaker, adopted a commendably patriotic and statesmanlike approach to our engagements on resolving these critical issues.

In sum, the engagements yielded acceptable results; the most important being that the leadership of the National Assembly has given us a commitment that they will re-instate the budgetary allocations for all the important executive projects, such as the railway standard gauge projects, the Mambilla Power Project, the Second Niger Bridge, the Lagos – Ibadan Expressway, etc. which they had reduced to fund some of the new projects they introduced.

This re-instatement will be by way of an application for virement by the executive, which they have agreed will be expeditiously considered and approved by the National Assembly.

It is as a result of that understanding and the outcome of our detailed engagements that we feel able to sign the 2017 Appropriations Bill into law today.

I am also pleased to mention that, in our discussions with the leadership of the National Assembly, we have jointly resolved to return to a predictable January to December fiscal year.

It is a particularly important development because this accords with the financial year of most private sector companies, underscoring the crucial relationship between government and the private sector.

The 2017 Budget, which I have signed into law today, is christened “Budget of Economic Recovery and Growth” and reflects our commitment to ensure strong linkage between the medium-term Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) recently launched by His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari and the annual budgets.

Therefore, on the understanding that we will be submitting the 2018 Budget to the National Assembly by October 2017, the leadership of the National Assembly has committed to working towards the passage of the 2018 Budget into law before the end of 2017. I must, once more, express my appreciation to the leadership of the National Assembly, for the collaborative spirit in which these discussions were conducted.

The 2017 Budget, which I have signed into law today, is christened “Budget of Economic Recovery and Growth” and reflects our commitment to ensure strong linkage between the medium-term Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) recently launched by His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari and the annual budgets.

It is designed to bring the Nigerian economy out of recession unto a path of sustainable and inclusive growth. The budget has a revenue projection of N5.08 trillion and an aggregate expenditure of N7.44 trillion. The projected fiscal deficit of N2.36 trillion is to be financed largely by borrowing.

Let me assure those who have expressed concern about the growing public debt that we are taking several actions to grow government revenues, as well as plug revenue leakages. This is because, notwithstanding the fact that our borrowings are still within sustainability limits, we are determined, in the medium term, to reduce our reliance on borrowings to finance our expenditures.

Details of the budget, as approved by the National Assembly, will be made available by the honourable Minister of Budget and National Planning.

As you are all aware, our economy is already signaling a gradual recovery as growth is headed towards positive territory. The first quarter GDP, at -0.52 percent, compares favourably with -2.06 percent in the first quarter of 2016.

Inflation is declining, down to 17.24 percent from 18.74 percent as at May 2016. Our external reserves are now US$30.28 billion as at June 8, 2017, up from US$26.59 billion as at May 31, 2016.

We are also gradually instilling confidence in our exchange rate regime. This improvement in GDP growth and other macro-economic indicators is largely attributable to our strategic implementation of the 2016 Budget, as well as stronger macroeconomic management and policy coordination.

I am confident that the 2017 Budget will deliver positive economic growth and prosperity – one that is self-sustaining and inclusive. In this regard, the 2017 budget will be implemented in line with our Economic Recovery and Growth Plan.

Over the 2017-2020 plan period, we are focusing on five (5) key execution priorities, namely:

● Stabilising the macroeconomic environment;

● Agriculture and Food security;

● Energy sufficiency in power and petroleum products;

● Improved transportation infrastructure; and

● Industrialisation through support for micro, small and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs).

The 2017 budget includes provisions that reflect these priorities.

To demonstrate our commitment to following through our Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, the 2017 budget allocates over N2 trillion to capital expenditure, principally infrastructure.

For instance, we are committing over N200 billion to improving transport infrastructure such as roads and rail; over N500 billion for investments in works, power, and housing; and N46 billion for Special Economic Zone Projects to be set up in each geopolitical zone.

Our path to progress and abundance is clear. The tools are in place and the resilient, resourceful and hardworking Nigerian people are set to go. I have no doubt that by the grace of God, the bleakness of recession is about to witness the uplifting dawn of abundance.

The signing of the budget today will trigger activities in the domestic economy which will lead to job creation and more opportunities for employment, especially for our youth. And, as I indicated earlier, we will be returning to the National Assembly to seek upward adjustments by way of virements in relation to a number of critical projects which have received inadequate provision in the budget just passed by the National Assembly.

We acknowledge that government alone cannot achieve the overarching goal of delivering inclusive growth; that is why the 2017 budget provides a lot of opportunities for partnerships with the private sector.

To help the private sector thrive, we are determined to create an enabling business environment. We are already recording verifiable progress across several areas, ranging from a new Visa-on-Arrival scheme to reforms at our ports and regulatory agencies.

The online business registration process has reduced time required for business registration from 10 to two days. It is expected that the Executive Order on transparency and efficiency in the business environment will make it even easier for investors to get the permits and licenses they require for their businesses.

Pursuant to our commitments to the Open Government Partnership, we recently issued an Executive Order that will promote budget transparency, accountability and efficiency. We want to make the federal budget work more efficiently for the people.

Thus, beyond the huge provisions for investments in critical infrastructure, we have mandated government agencies to spend more of their budgets on locally produced goods. This will open more opportunities for job creation with benefits for government in the form of tax revenues.

We are also working hard to improve our revenue collection efficiency so that we can achieve our revenue projections. While we are deploying technological tools to enhance collection, the implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) will continue to contribute significantly to improving transparency and accountability over government revenues.

Our fight against corruption is yielding positive results. Some of the recoveries are included in the 2017 Budget, which will be expended on identifiable capital projects.

Already, we are beginning to see some improvement in the quality of public expenditure. This is great motivation for us to remain resolute in our fight against corruption so that economic prosperity is enjoyed by all Nigerians.

Let me reiterate that the implementation of our 2017 Budget will bring added impetus to our ongoing economic recovery. We will intensify our economic diversification efforts in our bid to expand opportunities for wealth creation and employment, thereby creating inclusive and sustainable growth.

Our path to progress and abundance is clear. The tools are in place and the resilient, resourceful and hardworking Nigerian people are set to go. I have no doubt that by the grace of God, the bleakness of recession is about to witness the uplifting dawn of abundance.

God bless Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Imo poly student steals N19m car, sells it for N300k to ‘have a good life and take care of his girlfriend’

A 26-year-old student of Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo, Johnbosco Ashiegbu, and 34-year-old Chinonso Ewurum, have been arrested by operatives of Special Anti-Robbery Squad in Imo State for allegedly stealing two vehicles.


The police claimed that the vehicles stolen by Ashiegbu and Ewurum included a N19m Hilux van belonging to the Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State, adding that the suspects sold the vehicle to one Nnamdi Ejinkeonye in Onitsha for N300,000.

The other vehicle, a Toyota Camry, the police said, was stolen by the suspects in the Imo Housing Estate axis of Owerri, where it was parked by its owner.
The Toyota Camry, valued at N3.9m, was said to have also been sold to Ejinkeonye for N350,000.
The undergraduate, who hails from the Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State, said that he took to the crime so as to raise money to “sort out my results in school.”
He said,

“My desire to sort out my results in school led me into crime. After arranging my results in school, I used the remaining money to live a good life and to take care of my girlfriend.”

He explained that while he got N30,000 from the sale of the Hilux owned by the government, he realised N285,000 from the sale of the Toyota Camry.
A police source, who spoke to Southern City News on condition of anonymity, said the suspects were notorious for using fabricated keys to open peoples’ cars, which they usually sold at Onitsha Market.

Why Blogging Is a More Lucrative Job Than Banking - Popular Blogger, Laila Ijeoma Speaks Up

A popular Nigerian blogger, Laila Ijemoa, has spoken out about why blogging is a more lucrative job to do than banking.

 

Laila Ijeoma

 

In the Nigerian blogosphere, Laila Ijeoma commands a lot of respect, not just because she owns  www.LailasBlog.com; an entertainment website that reports trending Nigerian news read by millions monthly. On June 30, 2016, Laila took a bold step of abandoning her over N5million per annum bank job to become a full time entertainment blogger; risking everything to take a gamble on her passion.

 

She traded her lucrative job to pursue what was still at that time, just a hobby she was passionate about, but today, the decision has become one of her best turning points. In a chat with Saturday Woman, she says she has no regrets a year after taking this huge leap of faith as she now has all the time to focus on her family and continue to grow her blog even bigger.

 

Why did you dump your bank job for fulltime blogging?

 

I started blogging as a joke in 2012; I wasn’t looking for money because I was already gainfully employed at that time. All I wanted was an outlet to share my life with Nigerians, inspire them with my stories. So I started a Facebook group called, ‘True love for my man’- that should be around 2010.

 

That was the first social media account I used to gather people together and we chatted about love and heartbreak. My big dream had always been to have a top Nigerian talk show, so I later started a show on radio. I eventually had to put it on hold because it was so demanding.

 

Being married, a mum to 3 boys, working at the bank, there was a lot to do in just 24 hours every day and the whole schedule nearly ‘killed’ me, so I had to drop the radio show. Along the line, I discovered blogging through a colleague at the bank where I worked; he owned a blog, after he introduced me to it that fateful day, I got hooked. I realized I could reach out to people through it with much less stress compared to a radio show.

 

I told him I would love to have mine and he helped me set it up. I didn’t even take it serious then. But as I kept on sharing stories, and I read comments from my audience, I knew this was what I was born to do. I have always been a science student in school, I knew nothing about blogging, and I had zero celebrity friends, zero celebrity sources for my stories but I didn’t let that stop me.

 

How difficult was it juggling being a banker, blogger, wife and mother of three boys?

 

It was a crazy, hectic schedule! On a daily basis, I woke up 4am; go to bed sometimes 12 midnight. And the next day, I still have to go to work. No excuses. I was able to run my life like that for four years because I was purely fuelled by passion. I just love blogging, there’s this irreplaceable, beautiful joy it brings me.

 

As with every new venture, the beginning is usually slow.

 

How long did it take for your traffic to skyrocket?

 

It took about 6 months after I made the first post on my blog for my traffic to start skyrocketing.

 

Did the traffic immediately translate to money for you?

 

No it didn’t. My traffic didn’t translate to so much money till 2014. That was the year this particular company contacted me and ran an advert with me that lasted for a full year and changed my life.

 

Would you say blogging is lucrative in Nigeria?

 

As long as you are a passionate blogger, as long as you are in blogging because you enjoy what you are doing, as long as your blog, its concept, its contents are original, not a rip off of another blogger’s website;   blogging is the best thing that can ever happen to you. The rewards will blow your mind! It’s already an open secret that blogging can make you a billionaire. You get lots of free stuff from brands too. People just call you up.

 

They want to advertise on your website and they are handing out their products and services to you for free so you can review them and share with your readers. Then you have the best reward; you are recognised as a voice that can start a change. You are respected. People want to read what you have to say about a situation. Readers are so addicted to your blog that they wake up in the morning and can’t wait to read what is on Laila’s Blog today. As a blogger, you can comfortably work from home in your pyjamas.

 

So you prefer blogging to banking?

 

I did banking for 10 years in one of the best banks in Nigeria and I enjoyed it. But I wasn’t self-fulfilled, I wanted more. Again, I was already blogging for over 3 years alongside my day job. Truth is as time went on, it became harder running my blog, bank job, family and taking care of myself efficiently. I wanted to wake up in the morning to the joy of knowing that all I had to do for that day was write about the trending stories in Nigeria and not miss any story just because it happened while I was offline. I also wanted to spend more time with my very supportive husband and children every day.

 

How would you compare your income now to when you were a banker?

 

It has been tremendously rewarding, spiritually, family-wise, and financially. You know with a steady day job, you don’t have to worry about getting your paycheck at the end of the month. There are days I worry- what if I don’t make money this month? That was why before I quit my bank job, I made sure I saved up my salary and had at least 6 months’ salary set aside. I actually had a full year salary saved up before I made the leap and resigned.

 

If you don’t plan properly, things can actually go wrong and your dreams won’t come out the way you planned them; you will fail and life will become miserable. I’m so glad I conquered my fears of what if something goes wrong and took the leap. My friends, family, parents thought I was crazy when I first mentioned it. But after they saw I wasn’t going to quit blogging and that I had prepared for the worst; they rallied round and supported my decision to leave banking. Having them behind me made me stronger and I left.

 

Any regrets so far?

 

None whatsoever; my income tripled. My kids wake up in the morning they see mummy. Mummy takes them to school, mum brings them back, mum tucks them into bed every night, mummy helps them with their school assignments, things I couldn’t do before. I love what I do now and it gives me so much joy. I just miss my former colleagues once in a while.

 

What are the challenges you face as a blogger, especially those peculiar to the Nigerian blogosphere?

 

My biggest challenge is internet network; there are times I wake up to blog and I discover my internet isn’t as fast as I need it to be. Sometimes, it’s entirely down so I can’t even blog. Second challenge is power; a laptop is to a blogger what the Bible is to a Pastor. Laptops can only work if they are charged. Because I am online at least 18 hours daily, I spend a lot on fuel for generators.

 

What stands you out from other bloggers?

 

You can be very sure that out of the over 50 stories you read on Laila’s blog in a day, at least 50% are our original stories. Again, we deliver stories as they are happening. You will read breaking news, trending stories first on Laila’s blog before they appear on other websites.

 

In your estimation, what’s the future of blogging in Nigeria in the next five years?

 

With a computer today, anybody can build a global business from his/her bedroom, with a bit of creativity and sheer determination.

 

Every day, we have over a hundred new bloggers coming online. Vlogging is now a huge thing! Five years from now, I see more younger people doing big things, conquering boundaries, becoming millionaires through blogging in Nigeria. I also see blogging in Nigeria becoming more professional. I am a registered member of this CAC registered bloggers’ association called The Guild of Professional Bloggers in Nigeria.

 

Aside blogging, any future plans?

 

I have this huge passion for taking care of orphans and vulnerable children, kids under the age of 18 years who are at high risk of lacking adequate care and protection. Right now I have 10 under my care, children my husband and I take care of. We have plans of taking that number up a notch.

 

Any tips for upcoming bloggers who look up to you?

 

One Mr. Mohammed Mustafa Ahmedzai once said ‘The easiest job on earth is starting a blog but the toughest job is maintaining it.” And this is simply because patience matters in blogging, and most upcoming bloggers don’t have that! Experienced bloggers will tell you that you should only start to think about making money from your blog at least after 6 months of blogging.

 

But every day, I get emails from new bloggers with 1-2 month old blogs asking you how to apply for Adsense. These new bloggers apply for AdSense and most times, they are rejected and you see them quit blogging. From the day anybody starts blogging till the day he/she ends her blogging career, there are lots of problems you’ll face.

 

Solving these problems and moving ahead is not easy as it sounds! And that’s another reason upcoming bloggers quit blogging easily. So my first tip for them will be to have patience. Without it, their eyes shall not see the billions blogging can drop in their bank accounts. If your main reason for blogging is money and you have no patience for earning it, then you’re not going to earn from blogging at all!

 

What’s your biggest wish in life?

 

I wish to make the world a better place by saving abused and vulnerable children and making sure their oppressors get severely punished for their wickedness.

 

Man who killed a 4-year-old girl is shot dead and hung from a crane in chilling public execution (Photos)

A sick paedophile who raped and killed a four-year-old girl has been shot dead and hung from a crane in a chilling public execution in Yemen today.

Yemenis gathered in the country’s capital Sanaa to witness the gory spectacle after the condemned man was found guilty of the monstrous crime.
Hussein al-Saket, 22, was convicted of abducting, raping and murdering a four-year-old girl, who he later buried, according to Rajeh Ezzedine, a judge who attended the execution.


Ali Ayedh, the victim’s uncle, said Saket “took part in the search for the girl before being unmasked” as her killer during the police investigation.

He said his public execution would act as a “deterrent for criminals”.


Saket was brought to Tahrir Square in Sanaa which the Shiite Huthi rebels have controlled since 2014 – before being forced to lie face-down on the ground.
A cop then stood over him with an AK-47 assault rifle before firing down repeatedly into his body.
The policeman shot him through the back with five bullets aiming for the heart, before his bloodied corpse was strung up from a crane for all to see.

Buhari Sets Guiness World Record, Becomes First Elected President Resident In Another Country - Reno

Popular Nigerian writer and ex presidential aide, Reno Omokri has criticized President Muhammadu Buhari's continued stay in London.

Reno Omokri

 

President Muhammadu Buhari must be congratulated because he has set a new Guinness World Record: President  Buhari has become the first elected president of a country to become resident of another nation while still in power! Shame on all those haters who say President Buhari has not achieved anything in over two years of being in office. Is this not an achievement!

 

And where are all those shameless critics who keep comparing President Trump to President Buhari? The two of them are not mates at all.

 

Not only is President Muhammadu Buhari older than President Donald Trump, in a comparison between them on an elementary matter like jobs we find that according to the latest US job report from the United States Department of Labor, the US economy has added 1,074,000 under President Trump while according to to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, the Nigerian economy lost 4.58 million jobs in President Buhari’s first year!

 

This is no mean task! It is easy to do what Trump did and make jobs appear, but it is much harder to do what President Buhari has done and make jobs that someone produced disappear!

 

And as President Muhammadu Buhari continues to make London Nigeria’s new Federal Capital Territory, his rapidly shrinking horde of supporters want us to feel sorry for him by selling the narrative that what is happening to him could happen to anyone.

 

That is true enough, but make no mistake, President Buhari does not deserve our sympathy. When the shoe was on the other foot, he called on the Executive Council of the Federation to declare the late President Yar’adua incapacitated and failing that, for the Senate to impeach him.

 

His exact words on March 9, 2009 were “If the Executive Council of the Federation had acted in accordance with the constitution, by invoking the necessary sections to declare the President incapacitated, we would not have found ourselves in this present situation.”

 

Again, when he thought he could be sanctimonious without proving his sainthood he decried the practice of government officials going abroad at public expense for medical treatment.

 

His exact words on April 27, 2016 were “While this administration will not deny anyone of his or her fundamental human rights, we will certainly not encourage expending Nigerian hard earned resources on any government official seeking medical care abroad.”

 

Today he is spending his 96th day in London and “expending Nigerian hard earned resources” on himself. If these are not prima facieevidence of hypocrisy, then I am as old as Robert Mugabe!

 

And I must say that I was not really surprised that the Buhari administration brutalized popular musician Charly Boy and his #ResumeorResign group who were beaten, tear gassed and slapped at the Unity Fountain on Tuesday the 8th of August 2017.

 

What less can one expect from an administration that killed 347 shiite men, women, children and infants in cold blood on December 15, 2015?

 

The incident at the Unity Fountain involving Charly Boy and others only proves that dictators may grow old, but they do not grow into democrats!

 

And the Senate lost a chance to side with Nigerians when it described the Charly Boy led group as “unreasonable”.

 

‪If Charly Boy’s group is unreasonable for demanding that President Muhammadu Buhari #ResumeOrResign was President Buhari also unreasonable when he demanded that the late President Yar’adua resume or be impeached on March 9, 2010?

 

President Muhammadu Buhari himself, his side kick, Nasir El-Rufai, and other top shots of the present All Progressive Congress led government protested against the Jonathan administration but were never tear gassed or harassed!

 

In the case of El-Rufai, woe betide you if you dare hold a press conference in Kaduna. You may end up being treated worse than Senator Shehu Sani and his guests!

 

I mean, we are not allowed to see President Muhammadu Buhari. We are not allowed to hear from President Buhari. We are not allowed to protest against President Buhari. Yet President Buhari’s government wants us to pray for President Buhari’s health!

 

And the most ridiculous part of the saga is that the Presidency has the guts to tell Nigerians that it is disrespectful to ask after the President’s health status and that he is entitled to his privacy as a ‘private citizen’.

 

Is the Presidency not ashamed to call President Muhammadu Buhari ‘a private citizen’? He is staying at ‘Abuja House’ not ‘Buhari’s House and we the citizens of Nigeria are paying for his treatment. He is NOT a private citizen. Yesterday he released a statement condemning the Ozubulu massacre and assuring us of our safety. Which private citizen does that?

 

Nigeria is tired of a part time President. Nigeria is tired of a free lance President. Nigeria is tired of a private citizen President!

 

In fact, I suddenly feel inspired to write a book titled How To Identify A Dictator: He uses your tax money to pay for his medical treatment yet you are not entitled to know his medical condition. When it suits him, he is a public official. When it does not, he transforms to a private citizen. Yet his government instructs you to pray for him. No, I am not talking of Kim Jong-Un here!

 

That President Muhammadu Buhari’s Anambra statement assuring Nigerians of their safety though! How can a private citizen in London assure another private citizens in Nigeria of their safety? And what is the point in having an acting President in charge when the London based private citizen President is issuing statements. Has he resumed from London? Nigeria is getting mixed signals from the Presidency. Has the President resumed from London or is the acting President still acting?

 

President Muhammadu Buhari wrote to the National Assembly to make Professor Yemi Osinbajo acting President, yet he is still releasing statements as Nigeria’s President. Is he a freelance President? Osinbajo is either in charge until President Buhari returns or he is not in charge at all. In fact, I don’t know why people still pay to watch Game of Thrones on Cable TV when they can watch it for free at Aso Rock?

 

And a week after it became public knowledge that an anti Igbo hate song is circulating in parts of Nigeria we have radio silence from the Presidency. Vacationing President Muhammadu Buhari, who condemned the Ozubulu killings in a statement, has nothing to say about the anti Igbo hate song.

 

How won’t the anti Igbo hate song take root when the Arewa Youths who gave the Igbo quit notice are walking around freely in public. In the wake of the anti Igbo song, I remind the Buhari administration that we have not forgotten the speed of their one sided arrest during the Ife Yoruba Hausa clash!

 

Obviously, this administration is very quick to go after real or imagined enemies of the Buhari administration but is slow to act against Nigeria’s enemies, if at all they even act.

 

Look at the difference in the way they treated the Charly Boy group and the Arewa Quit Notice group. Look at the speed at which they arrested the Buhari dog man. But what have they done against Fulani herdsmen?

 

According to The PUNCH Newspaper, half of Nigeria’s 71 million hectares of arable farmland is not being cultivated because farmers have abandoned their farms due to the activities of herdsmen. In Benue state alone, the Governor says 1800 farmers have been killed by herdsmen in the last three years (no wonder he says we are all sick because of Buhari’s sickness). According to the Global Hunger Index, the Jonathan administration reduced hunger in Nigeria from 16.3 in 2005 to 15 points in 2013 (please Google it).

 

But guess what? Under the Buhari administration according to the latest Global Hunger Index, 32.9 per cent of Nigerian children under the age of five suffered stunted growth due to hunger and malnutrition. By halting attacks by herdsmen, the Buhari administration can immediately and dramatically increase the amount of food grown in Nigeria and push prices down. Yet what is this administration doing to halt the herdsmen crisis? I do not know. If you do, maybe you can tell me!

 

***

Reno’s Nuggets

 

When you hear someone’s success story, don’t get jealous. Instead, get zealous about creating your own success story. If your friend is ‘jealous’ of your success story, know that he was never your friend. He was a fake friend. So how do you deal with fake friends? Fake friends always desert sinking ships. So if you want to identify your fake friends, just pretend that your ship is sinking #RenosNuggets

 

Reno Omokri is a Christian TV talk show host and founder of the Mind of Christ Christian Center and the Helen and Bemigho Sanctuary for orphans. He is the author of the worldwide amazon #1 bestseller (Conspiracy Theory) Facts Versus Fiction: The True Story of the Jonathan Years: Chibok, 2015 and Other Conspiracies and three books, Shunpiking: No Shortcuts to God, Why Jesus Wept and Apples of Gold: A Book of Godly Wisdom.

Billionaire Kidnapper, Evans' Criminal Activities in South Africa Exposed as More Wealthy Kidnap Suspects are Arrested

New revelations have shown how the suspected billionaire kidnapper, Evans was involved in shady deals in South Africa as more suspects are nabbed.

Evans

According to The Nation, ongoing police investigation of the suspected kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, alias Evans, has revealed that he was also involved in crimes in South Africa, it was gathered yesterday.

That is besides his alleged illegal procurement of a Ghanaian passport that bears his passport photograph but a Ghanaian name.

Police spokesman, Mr. Moshood Jimoh, said that the investigation has also led to the arrest of more associates of Evans who were found to be probably wealthier and living bigger than him.

Evans is spending his second month in police custody and is expected to be formally charged within the next one month, Jimoh said.

He said: ”You may recall that a Federal High Court granted us a three month remand warrant for Evans. We are just into the second month now and before the expiration of the third month, it is expected that we should be taking him to court.

“The little time is to ensure that we conduct a thorough and detailed investigation. This is somebody that committed crimes across several states and even went outside Nigeria.

“You may recall that he illegally acquired a Ghanaian passport with a Ghanaian name but with his passport photograph.

“He was also fingered for involvement in other crimes in South Africa and other places. So we need a little time to properly round things up and ensure that he is properly prosecuted because Nigerians will not be happy if we lose such a case in court on the basis of technical matters.”

He said relations of former victims of Evans’ are among those being detained by the police.

They are suspected of giving information about the former kidnap victims to Evans.

He advised the public to be security conscious at all times to avoid falling prey to kidnappers.

His words: “He (Evans) did things with lots of such people and we have lots of suspects who had collaborated with him in one way or the other; we even have other prime suspects apart from those that were arrested with him and paraded.

“In the course of this investigation we have other prime suspects including people who broke away from Evans’ gang to start their own gang – they left Evans to go and do a similar (kidnapping) business.

“Some of the suspects we later picked after detectives’ interactions with Evans are even living larger than Evans.

“We are going to ensure that we don’t make things public until we gather all our evidence towards securing a conviction in court.

“I won’t give you figures but they are many suspects; there are a lot of accomplices, lots of former gang members and lots of other people that have in one way or the other facilitated the offences committed by Evans and others.

“There is a special group of criminal suspects that are referred to as ‘catchers’; in criminal syndicates, they are the people that identify targets and give information about innocent, law-abiding people and more of such suspects are being rounded up.

“Part of our investigation reveals that Evans himself jogs round the estate where he lives every morning and uses that opportunity to assess information on those potential victims that have what they describe as ‘kidnap value’.

“It was after his arrest that some of his surprised neighbours realized that it was this man that used to jog around; that is why security-consciousness necessitates that every citizen should be alert and see things beyond their noses now.

“Sometimes, it is easy to jeopardise your security by being a good Samaritan through acts like offering someone a lift in your car because there are persons who can take advantage of your kind or welcoming nature.

“All citizens equally need to know where potential help can come from in security emergency situations like where police or other security people are located, the right telephone numbers to call and so on.

“The Inspector-General of Police is taking the battle to criminals but maximum security is achieved through the alertness of everybody in the interest of everybody and such attitude goes a long way to prevent many people from becoming victims of criminality.”

The Redeemed Christian Church of God has banned the use of the popular aso ebi uniforms worn at wedding ceremonies.

.

Pastor Foluke Adeboye

The leadership of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), has banned the use of compulsory uniforms also known as Aso Ebi worn at church functions.

According to Tribune, wife of the General Overseer of the church, Pastor Foluke Adeboye, disclosed this yesterday, when she spoke at the church's women’s meeting, which was part of the activities of its 65th annual convention of the church themed “Halleluyah”.

Pastor Mrs Adeboye described as ungodly acts by some church leaders to compel their members to buy and wear a particular uniform aka Aso ebi during any church function.

She said that there have been reports that some members of some parishes in the church that cannot afford to buy some of these Aso Ebi's have been exempted from some church functions. She warned that such un-Christianly act of keeping church members out of programmes because of Aso ebi, must never be heard of again among the women in the church, adding that those caught would be severely sanctioned.

According to her, Aso Ebi which should ordinarily be for the family, must not be elevated to the point of making it to overshadow the spiritual life of the congregants.

Mrs Adeboye also frowned at the idea of what is seen as petty lies during Christian wedding engagement, where those conducting such events would have to engage in lies to make money from the attendees.

According to her, there is no white or black lie, small or big lie with God. She stressed that when attendees are asked to bring air fare to fly in an item already provided for at the event venue, those involved are simply engaging in ungodly act which is a sin.

She called for moderation among Christian women, saying that their focus should be bringing halleluyah and spirituality into their homes and not engaging in the ungodly acts of the unbelievers.

10 Ways To Prepare For Competitors You Don’t See Yet

When you are starting a business with an exciting new idea, it’s easy to dismiss potential competitors as not being in the same space, or too fat, dumb, and happy to be concerned that you even exist. I hear it all the time as an angel investor, but I also see that same naïve or cavalier attitude come back to haunt entrepreneurs once they really get out in the marketplace.
“Sleeping giants do wake up,” I always say, to remind new business owners that nobody cares what you do when you are not a threat, but when you get some real traction with customers, competitors will come out of the woodwork with a vengeance. Therefore it behooves you to ask yourself these ten key questions, and formulate concrete answers, before even entering the fray:

1. What “secret sauce” does you bring to the problem? A strong work ethic is great, but patents and intellectual property are critical. You need quantified value for customers to see, feel, and pay for. Fuzzy words, like “improved usability”, “paradigm shift,” and “breakthrough technology” won’t convince investors, customers or deter competitors.
   
2. Have you lined up the stakeholders who drive success? Stakeholders are key people impacted, and leaders who influence key people. For example, early adopters may be easily sold online, but new technology product success really hinges on adoption by mass demographics, more likely associated with distributors and brand name retailers.
   
3. Do you have all the key deliverables for maximum impact? The last thing you need in a new business is a false start, where you can’t deliver on a seasonal deadline, volume manufacturing, or support. Deliverables and the resources you have on board are two sides of the same equation. Make sure all the elements are aligned before you commit.
   
4. What metrics should you use to measure success? Define both hard data and soft (anecdotal) metrics on the new solution, as well as on the productivity of you team. That means you must know the current state of competitors against the same metrics, before you can assess progress or success. Make sure the team has buy-in, and is motivated.
   
5. Are your financial projections consistent with current realities? It’s important to separate optimism and dreams from market possibilities. Ask yourself, “If I were an investor, would I support this effort, given the costs and traction to date?” Just because Google sales hit $1.5 billion in 4 years doesn’t mean any other new business can do it.
   
6. Do you have the business discipline to prevent scope creep? Making last-minute enhancements to a solution without additional time or resources is called scope creep. It takes a strong team and strong leadership to manage it. What works is a documented change request process, as well as quantification of resources and incremental return.
   
7. Is your business plan complete and documented? If your business plan isn’t written down and approved by all key players, it’s probably not complete. Calibrate the plan with the financial and people resources available to deliver it. Keep the plan simple, focused, and up to date as you learn more from early experiments and early customer feedback.
   
8. Do you have a model to predict funding requirements? Without adequate funding and people to support your efforts, you will be faced with trade-offs that lead to cash flow problems and a burned-out team. What works is creating a financial business model, using credible advisors, with a reserve buffer of at least 25 percent for contingencies.
   
9. Are you prepared to hire and train team members required? Most innovative solutions require new ways of working, including new knowledge, skills, mind-sets, behaviors, relationships, and processes. You need to provide adequate time, step-by-step job aids, training, and a hiring process to cover critical aspects of the new plan.
   
10. Do you have a contingency plan to mitigate risk? A key aspect of mitigating risk is to first identify the competitive risk elements early, and build contingency plans, in case the risks materialize. Then establish trigger points to clarify when contingency plans need to be activated. This will speed up pivots and remedial actions and minimize damage.
    

Even if you believe there are no competitors today for what you are planning to deliver tomorrow, you still need all these questions answered. If the opportunity you are addressing is large, there are most likely several potential competitors, not yet visible, who will be there working against you near your rollout. Waiting for one of them to find your gaps before you do can kill your dream

6 Keys to Marketing Customer Experience vs Products

6 Keys to Marketing Customer Experience vs Products


Not so long ago, every business assumed that the keys to success were the highest quality product, the best value for the buck, and the best customer service. Now all we hear about is providing the best “customer experience.” Exactly what is that customer experience that every modern marketer is talking about, and how do you measure it?

A classic article in the Harvard Business Review “The Truth About Customer Experience” defines it as your customer’s end-to-end journey with you, not just the key touchpoints or critical moments when customers interact with your organization. Customer experience is the cumulative impact of multiple touchpoints over time, which result in a real relationship feeling, or lack of it.

The advent of social media and real-time interactive feedback via the Internet allows every customer to build and expect a relationship with your business, rather than just touchpoints. Yet we are all still learning what that means, in terms of hard business practices.

I like the insights outlined in a more recent book “Summit,” by F. Scott Addis, who is an experienced business executive and recent Inc. “Entrepreneur of the Year” finalist. He ties business success and your personal summit to elevating your customers’ experience with the following specific recommendations and key differentiators:


Listen to the individual customer. Every relationship requires listening, as well as talking. You have to hear your customer’s dreams, goals, passions, and aspirations. That opportunity for your customers to talk and be heard is pleasurable and memorable, and defines their customer experience, more so than just satisfying business touchpoints.


Exploit your product and service differences. A memorable experience has to have something different from the norm. You must be able to highlight these differences between your products and services, and those of your competitors. If not, you are part of the crowd, and no relationship can be built.

Don’t talk about just another device added to your product line, but highlight how you have added new capability to connect easily to other ConnectKey devices and customize the experience to fit unique needs across the business.


Demonstrate the value of your offering. The first step in being able to demonstrate your value is being willing to find out what your customers want or need. This will create a connection with them, which demonstrates more value than price or quality.

Show how production workflow software expands customer reach, streamlines processes and reduce costs, rather than merely introducing the latest technology. You create a loyal customer that wants to buy from you, and will recommend you to others.


Show your passion and creativity in every solution. This active discovery mindset searching for new questions drives real innovators away from more of the same. They fundamentally become value seekers; they look for value in every experience, in every conversation.

Customers don’t want prescriptions - they seek possibilities. For example, make configuring your new office solution a transformational experience, rather than a technical installation challenge.


Demonstrate your personal commitment. When in contact with customers, focus 100 percent on them, and do all you can to determine and meet their needs. Remember, customers are the reason you do what you do. Give them the respect and results they deserve and they will tell others about your good work and your business.


Shoot for the customers’ hearts. Engagement and an emotional connection will make a customer relationship the driving force for loyalty and differentiation. Move from customer friendliness to customer charisma. A business with charisma gives the customer something very special, and they want to tell others about it.

Once you know how to improve your customers’ experience, you need to also know how to benchmark it. Remember the old adage, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” So how do you measure customer loyalty and relationships? One metric now commonly used is called the Net Promoter® Score (NPS).

This works by asking your customers for feedback, and dividing them into three categories:
Promoters. Loyal enthusiasts who keep buying from you and urge their friends to do the same.
Passive. Satisfied but unenthusiastic customers who can be easily wooed by the competition.
Detractors. Unhappy customers who feel trapped in a bad relationship.

The formula for the Net Promoter® Score is the percentage of customers who are detractors, subtracted from the percentage who are promoters (NPS=P-D). Legendary companies like Amazon and Costco operate with an NPS between 50 to 80 percent. But the average venture sputters along at an NPS of only 5 percent to 10 percent, or even negative.

Maybe it time for all of us to focus more on the customer experience. There is ongoing evidence that companies with the highest customer experience typically grow at more than double the rate of their competitors. The inverse case is that you can lose you competitive lead very quickly by focusing on the wrong things. Have you checked your customers’ experience lately?

8 Big-Company Habits That Don’t Work In A New Venture

8 Big-Company Habits That Don’t Work In A New Venture

When I hear executives and professionals in larger businesses talking about their dream of going out on their own to start a new company, I always cringe. I have been there and done that. They and I never realized how hard it is to break the big-company habits and conventions. If you are going to do it, don’t wait too long. The longer you wait, the more traumatic the decision will be.

First, the list of excuses for waiting gets longer and longer over time – need to work on my resume, broaden my experience, enhance my skills, save a larger nest egg, and maintain a stable income until the children are gone. Second, the list of non-entrepreneurial habits that you pick up in a large corporation gets bigger and harder to break. These include the following:

1. Executives rely on staff to do the real work. Leaders in an enterprise soon forget how to write contracts, manage cash flow, or even how to schedule their own time and events. It’s easy to grow accustomed to saying “My staff will contact yours to work out the details.” In a new business, that luxury isn’t affordable, so key things may never get done.
2. Professionals get dependent on big company perks. They assume that every business role comes with health insurance, a subsidized retirement plan, and maybe a company car or first-class travel. The longer you wait to start your own business, the higher the default burn rate, and the less happy you will be to take a financial step down.
3. Expect to manage the team rather than be a part of it. In a new business, you are an integral part of every team, and the only member of many. Managing is not considered part of your workload. That’s a whole different mindset and skill set from the one you learned in a big enterprise. Small businesses require collaboration and walking the talk.
4. Relish being the expert within a limited vertical domain. Entrepreneurs need to enjoy being a generalist, rather than a specialist. In a new business, there will not be an IT team to configure your computer, a procurement department for supplies and contracts, or even a personnel specialist for hiring and firing. You must be all of these and more.
5. Rely on training courses and coaching for new roles. In a startup, you can’t afford to spend the time or the money for out-house training, so self-learning from the Internet and unpaid advisors is the norm. There are no in-house experts or training organizations to rely on. Thus big-company executives tend to under-estimate learning costs in a startup.
6. Ability to attract top talent and offer near-term compensation. Entrepreneurs find it much harder to attract equity partners, compared to offering a premium salary to industry experts and people with highly relevant experience. Betting on the future is never as attractive to most professionals as an existing successful company and real cash today.
7. Measure their worth by the size of their office and salary. Even the best new business owners often take no salary for the first couple of years, and use a cluttered back room for their office, if they have one at all. After too many years in a big company, that’s an unacceptable step backwards for many. Self-worth and self-confidence suffer.
8. Social status becomes tied to recognized brand or role. Once you work for a prestige brand or carry a big title, it’s hard to be associated with a tiny business. Your extended family and social friends may still expect you at the country club, or ask you to join them on international vacations. Even your spouse won’t understand the new social norms.

So when is the best time to make the leap from a big corporation to a new business? My scan of the literature and talking to investors would indicate a few years of experience in a large organization (two to five years) is a good thing, while twenty or more years before founding your own venture will stack the cards against you.

Unless you are really young at heart, if you haven’t made the leap by the time you are in your early 40s, those habits you have picked up with your experience in a big company will be evident to you, your team, and to investors. Not to mention the fact that if you are accustomed to a big-company culture and lifestyle, you will likely not be happy or never risk the step to a startup.

So if you really want to start your own business, don’t wait too long. Old habits die hard, so the longer you wait, the harder it will be to make the jump, and your odds of success go down. In addition, if you change your mind, going the other way is always a lot easier.

No Going Back On New Vision for Niger Delta - Osinbajo

Abuja has remained resolute about its plan to develop the Niger Delta region which has suffered environmental degradation due to decades of oil exploration.

 

Professor Yemi Osinbajo

 

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday night declared that no effort would be spared to implement the new vision for the Niger Delta.

 

Stressing that the Federal Government has been committed to the vision, he said the government would be fair to all parties towards implementation of the vision.

 

He stated these during over three hours closed doors meeting with members of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

 

In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, the acting President endorsed the integration of PANDEF in the Federal Government’s Inter-Ministerial Group tasked with the implementation of the vision.

 

According to him, the federal government is fully committed to realising a new and prosperous Niger Delta developed through forthright partnerships between federal government, state governments, private sector and local communities.

 

He said: “We are fully committed and thankful for your contributions and feedback. We are working on this day by day. From the beginning, we took the 16-point demand very seriously and we also developed our own plan mostly based on those demands.

“Personally, I believe the issues of the Niger Delta must be addressed. When I undertook the visit to the Niger Delta region, my sole intention for participating in this process is that we need forthrightness and a hands-on approach.

“There is no week that has passed that I have not held one meeting or the other on the Niger Delta issue. I have spent quality time looking at how we can implement this (new vision).

“It can’t be done overnight. We are also looking at the integrity of the process so we can meet our targets. We are not out of line. Everything is on course the way we set it out. We have got to do it right.”

Trump Extends Helping Hand to Nigeria on Boko Haram War

President Donald Trump has assisted Nigeria with military weapons to help the Nigerian troops in the ongoing 8-year battle against the Boko Haram sect in the north-east.

 

President Donald Trump

 

Nigeria has got the green light to acquire some American attack planes to fight Boko Haram, officials of the Trump administration have said.

 

The deal, which is about $600 million, will strengthen Nigeria’s fire power against Boko Haram and other extremists, AP reported.

 

The approval is despite U.S. concerns about human rights abuses by Nigerian security forces. The military has denied such abuses, which have been a subject of big rows with Amnesty International.

 

Specifically, Nigeria plans to  buy up to 12 Embraer A-29 Super Tucano aircraft from Colorado-based Sierra Nevada Corp, according to officials who were briefed on the matter but spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the development publicly. The aircraft come with sophisticated targeting equipment that the U.S says will help Nigeria fight terrorism, trafficking, insurgency and illicit trade.

 

In his final days in office, former President Barack Obama put the sale on hold after a Nigerian fighter jet repeatedly bombed a camp near the Cameroon border housing civilians who had fled Boko Haram. Local officials have said more than 230 people were killed. The incident brought new attention to alleged abuses by Nigeria’s forces.

 

A few weeks later, newly inaugurated President Donald Trump said he supported the sale. He told President Muhammadu Buhari that it would increase American exports and help Nigeria fight terrorists, according to officials.

 

The move is Trump’s latest to arm countries despite their questionable rights records, a report said. On his first trip abroad as president, Trump announced a $110 billion sale of military equipment to Saudi Arabia, including precision-guided munitions that Obama had cut off over concerns about high rates of civilian casualties in Yemen. Saudi Arabia is at war with Iranian-backed Shiite rebels in Yemen.

 

Despite approving the sale to Nigeria, the U.S. is keeping up the pressure on Buhari administration to improve its forces’ human rights practices and ensure accountability for violators, a U.S. official said. The aim of the sale is to help Nigeria and its neighbours strengthen their ability to fight Boko Haram and an Islamic State group affiliate in West Africa. Other countries in the region fighting similar threats already have the Super Tucano, the official noted.

 

Embraer A-29 Super Tucano

 

ABOUT THE AIRCRAFT

 

The Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano, also named ALX or A-29, is a turboprop light attack aircraft designed for counter-insurgency, close air support, and aerial reconnaissance missions in low-threat environments, as well as providing pilot training. Its features include Top speed: 593 km/h,Range: 4,820 km, Cruise speed: 520 km/h, Engine type: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6, Manufacturer: Embraer

 

The State Department notified Congress late Wednesday of its plans to approve the sale. That triggered a 30-day review period in which lawmakers can try to block the sale. While several Democrats in particular have raised concerns, Congress is unlikely to stop the administration from proceeding.

 

John Campbell, a Nigeria scholar at the Council on Foreign Relations said concerns had receded somewhat as Nigeria has taken steps to address shortcomings, including granting the International Committee of the Red Cross access to some Nigerian detention facilities.

 

“There are signs of some progress,” Campbell said. Still, he said Nigeria had a “long way to go.”

 

If the sale goes forward, the U.S. will have to send employees or contractors to Nigeria to provide logistical support and train teams on how to use the aircraft. They also would provide guidance on international laws for protecting civilians, officials said.

 

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has been accused of bombing civilian targets several times in recent years. The State Department said in report last year that the Nigerian government has taken “few steps to investigate or prosecute officials who committed violations, whether in the security forces or elsewhere in the government, and impunity remained widespread at all levels of government”.

 

Nigeria is Africa’s largest consumer market, with 170 million people, and the continent’s second-largest oil producer. It is strategically located on the edge of the Sahel, the largely lawless semi-desert region bridging north and sub-Saharan Africa where experts warn of Islamic extremists expanding their reach.

 

More than 20,000 have been killed and about 3 million displaced in Boko Haram’s insurgency since 2009, in which the extremist group has sought to enforce strict Islamic rule.

Post titleSaraki Clears the Air on His Son's Gubernatorial Ambition

APC chieftain, Saraki has played down reports that his son would be interested in politics as he explains his own political background.

 

President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, has ruled out the possibility of his son participating in the governorship race in Kwara in 2019.

He said at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja that it was untrue that his son was being groomed as the next governor of the state.

According to Saraki, the boy is not interested in politics. That is not in the offing at all; I am sure he doesn’t even want to hear politics at all. 

“You know it is not easy for children who are born to politicians, especially in this time, to embrace politics. 

“When I was much younger, we were insulated from some of the political issues, and because we didn’t read the newspapers, we didn’t know what was happening. 

“I reluctantly went into politics, you can go and check. Once or twice, I was given the form to run for House of Representatives, and I remember I just travelled and disappeared for months. 

“After seeing what my father had been through I thought to myself that this is not for me” he said. Saraki, however, said that the most important thing for him in the state was the legacy which had been left and the continuity and good relationship between former and the serving governor.

He said that his successor had also done a good job in transforming the state by creating an environment for entrepreneurship. 

“In the agricultural sector, we have done a lot of things that drive commercial activities which is not in the blueprint of the country. 

“Even in the universal health coverage which we are now talking about at the national level, I started that when I was governor, and now my governor has continued and built on that. 

“This shows the importance of continuity and stability and today, we thank God that we are one of those states where there is a very good relationship between former governor and current governor.” he said. 

He denied insinuation that pensioners in the state were still being owed arrears dating back to when he was governor. 

“Majority of the amounts still being owed are at the local government level, most of the state level pensions are not outstanding. 

“There might be issues with pensions here and there but I don’t know the details. I know that the arrears and liability are at local government level, not at state government level,” Saraki stated.

President Buhari Calls Gov. Aregbesola on Phone From London...Here's the Details of Their Conversation

The Presidency has revealed the details of President Muhammadu Buhari's telephone conversation to the Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola.

PRESIDENT BUHARI CALLS AREGBESOLA OVER PASSING AWAY OF HIS MOTHER, SARATU AREGBESOLA

President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday commiserated with the Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, over the passing away of his mother, Saratu Aregbesola.

In a telephone conversation, President Buhari expressed sympathy with the governor, describing his mother “as a great woman who was the pillar of discipline to her children.’’

The President said the matriarch of the Aregbesola family deserved great honour for “the sacrifices she made to bring up her children on the path of sound moral character and commitment to good reputation.’’

President Buhari said the governor's mother contributed immeasurably to the building of a respectable pedigree for her family by raising disciplined and humble children like Governor Aregbesola.

He prayed that Allah would bless her soul and reward all her good deeds with paradise, and also comfort the family she left behind.

Malam Garba Shehu

SSA to the President,

Media& Publicity,

August 3, 2017

How We Saved Nigeria from N119billion Judgement Debt - Fashola Reveals

In a statement by Babatunde Fashola, Nigeria's Minister of Power, Works and Housing, the federal government has revealed how it save about N119 billion resulting from a judgement entered against it.

Fashola

While speaking at a press briefing after Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) Meeting at the presidential villa Abuja, the Ministry of Power Works and Housing, said it saved the federal government about N119 billion (N119,369,520,000) resulting from a judgement entered against it over a litigation from a metering contract awarded by the previous administration in 2003.

According to a statement by Hakeem Bello, the Special Adviser to Babatunde Fashola, Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Works and Housing, the feat was achieved through negotiations and compromise.

The statement revealed further that one of the three memoranda the Ministry took to the Council for approval was in respect of an inherited liability from the former Ministry of Power.

Fashola explained that the judgement came “as a results of acts of officials of government who varied the presidential approval without seeking further directives from him”.

Premium Times reported that the minister said the officials of government varied the presidential approval without seeking further directive from him and then awarded the contract on that basis adding that the party who was the beneficiary of that contract “which the officials subsequently sought to withdraw” went to court and got a judgment.

Fashola, who cited the incident as an example of some of the problems inherited from the last administration, added, “But we have successfully reached a compromise on that matter where the judgment has been compromised for the entire sum of N119 billion to N19,369,520. So, Government is no longer liable to, under this new agreement, to pay that amount”.

Pointing out that the negotiations took about the entire period of his tenure as minister to achieve, the minister added that the successful negotiation was able to free up another N39.17 billion held under another Judgement in court to be used now for the supply of electricity metres to the DisCos.

He also added that all of the disputes arose from a contract to supply 3,000,000 metres entered into with the contractor and NEPA, which became PHCN, in 2003, about 14 years ago.

“The contract was never fully performed by both parties; either by the contractor or government. So, from the very early days they ended up in court,” Fashola said.

“Government constituted one committee after the other to resolve the matter. So, there was court judgement, money was left in the bank, the purpose couldn’t be achieved. Then a new contract was created which became a liability of N119 billion.”

The minister, however, expressed delight that the Federal Executive Council approved the Memo “to give effect to the negotiations that we were able to put together to compromise that judgement entirely and to convert the old N39 billion to a loan to that contractor so that they can use it to supply metres to the DisCos” through new rules being developed by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

“The minister said one of the other two memoranda sent to Council by his ministry was with respect for approval to construct the Pankshin-Balang-Yeleng-Sara-Gindiri Road in Plateau State for N10.461 billion while the second one was with respect to Share- Pategi Road in Kwara State for N10.29 billion adding that both prayers were approved by Council,” the statement added.

Drama as Pastor is Caught Red-handed Having S*x with His Pregnant Sister-in-law and Beaten Mercilessly

A man of God has been disgraced and beaten mercilessly after he was caught red-handed having s*x with her pregnant sister-in-law.

*Photos used for illustrative purpose*

 

There was drama at an estate in Nyeri town on Wednesday after a pastor was caught pants down with his pregnant sister-in-law, The Star has reported. The incident happened in Kenya.

 

The man of God identified as Timothy Wanyoike, 40, was caught red-handed having s*x with Scholar Kariuki, 21, in her one-bedroom house bonking.

 

Narrating how it happened, Kariuki Macharia, husband of the cheating woman said he has been monitoring his wife's text messages and decided to lay a trap for the lovers by pretending to be away on a field assignment.

 

He descended on Wanyoike with kicks and blows, and accused the two of carrying on with the illicit affair for the last four years.

 

Residents jammed the estate and watched the pastor try to defend himself. Wanyoike's wife, Margaret, also joined the scuffle and started beating him in anger. The Sh10,500 that the bishop had taken to Scholar was recovered at the scene.

 

Wanyoike was seriously injured after the incident and was taken to Nyeri divisional police station by officers.

Five Redeemed Church Members Thrown Into Prison...You Won't Believe What They Did

A court in Benin, Edo state has ordered five members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God to be thrown into prison over a heinous crime.

Redeemed Christian Church of God logo

Five members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God have been thrown into prison for allegedly murdering one of their members. The order was given by an Evbuoriaria Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in Benin, Edo State.

PM News gathered that the accused identified as Godwin Ukrakpor (70), Uche Esegine (22), Taiwo Omogoroye (42), Austin Oni (39) and Meshak Owuh (28); were arraigned on a two-count charge, allegedly committed the offence at about 5 am on 1 July 2017, at Sapele Road, Benin City, while returning from a vigil.

The accused persons were alleged to have acted in a negligent manner and caused the death of 19-year-old victim, Lucky Chukwuka, who is a member of the Embassy Parish of the church, Ugbowo, Benin.

The alleged offence is punishable under sections 316 and 325 of the Criminal Code.

The Presiding Chief Magistrate, Frank Idiake, who refused to take the pleas of the accused owing to the magnitude of the offence, also declined jurisdiction over the matter

He ordered that the accused persons be remanded in prison custody and referred their case to the state DPP for legal advice.

Buhari Finally Coming Back? Presidential Plane Allegedly Departs from London as Anxiety Mounts Among Presidency

There is a current speculation making the rounds that the Presidential jet in London departed the country to Nigeria which has caused tension within the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

President Buhari

The Nigerian Presidential jet which has been parked in a London airport for over 80 days, allegedly departed the United Kingdom perhaps to Nigeria which caused tension within the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to a report by Vanguard, the media team of President Muhammadu Buhari, however denied knowledge of such thing, saying that it should be taken as rumour as there was no information available to them suggesting that the President had left London where he is on medical vacation.

Many online reports had speculated about the President’s return on Tuesday when some sources in London had claimed that the presidential aircraft had taken off from there to Abuja even as it was reported that some staff at the Presidential Villa had been on standby since Monday.

When contacted by a correspondent, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said he was not aware of the alleged departure of the Presidential aircraft from London from.

Also in denial of any knowledge of the alleged departure of the Presidential aircraft from London was the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adeshina who said he was not informed of anything like that.

According to him, “BBC also called me and said the president’s aircraft had taken off, I should confirm it. I said the tradition is that if the president is coming, we will be asked to issue a statement but there has been no such instruction.”

As at the time of filing this report, there was no confirmation to the effect that the presidential aircraft had left London and there was no movement within the Presidential Villa to support the rumour.

Only those looking for appointment want restructuring: An open letter to VP Osinbajo from Femi Fani-Kayode

Read his peace below...

"Those that are calling for restructuring are looking for appointment. When they say they want restructuring what they mean is that they want an appointment....... some people told us Nigeria is a "geographical expression" although it was not even original to them"- Acting President Yemi Osinbajo.

Your Excellency,

I trust that you are well despite the fact that your principal is still at large.

Permit me to take this opportunity to respond to your gratutious insult and your irresponsible and irreverant assertion about those of us that have been at the forefront of the fight for restructuring our nation for many years.

However before doing so I shall make a few observations and assertions of my own.

You have constantly condemned and warned against what you call "hate speech" in our nation yet you indulge in it more than anyone else.

I say this because you constantly call others, particularly members of the opposition, "looters" and you take pleasure on demonising them before the world even before a court of law has pronounced them guilty of any wrongdoing.

You also call them "plunderers", "liars", "clueless" and "destroyers". If this is not hate speech then I really don't know what is!

You have stigmatised and criminalised every single leading member of the opposition PDP, including our leader President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, over the last three years and you have sought to paint us as reprobates and evil souls that are not fit to hold public office and that have destroyed the very foundation of our country.

One of your most prominent and vocal sympathisers, supporters and leaders even called President Jonathan's wife, our former First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, an ugly and illiterate hippopotamus! Are these sentiments not motivated by pure hate?

Yet you know very well that all that you and your associates have said about the PDP and our leaders is not only a lie from the pit of hell but also a carefully crafted, purposely contrived and premeditated false narrative.

Worse still you are fully aware of the fact that over sixty percent of your party elders and APC governors, ministers, legislators and public office holders were, up until three or four years ago, all elders, leaders and members of the PDP, including President Olusegun Obasanjo and Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

If the PDP was so bad why did you give those that came from there such prominent positions and key roles to play at both the state and federal level before, during and after the presidential election of 2015?

You claim that those that are calling for restructuring are only doing so in order to get an appointment. You measure others by your own squalid standards and you do nothing but take shameless dictation from a tiny cabal of faceless shape-shifting reptilians, corpsocrats, bloodsucking demons and vampires.

You cover up their atrocities and you endorse their wicked ways and their evil persecution.
You have forgotten who you are and where you are coming from.

From the outset and as far back as the early 1940's the Yoruba particularly, and indeed the people of the south generally, have wanted and fought for nothing but a restructured Nigeria where power is devolved from the center and now you insult those that support it and pooh pooh the whole idea.

As a Christian you have joined forces with those that hate your faith and that have sought to denigrate it and wipe it off the face of the earth.

Those that are behind this hideous and satanic agenda are not even real or true Muslims but rather they are Islamic fundamentalists and believers in radical and political islam.

They call their fellow Muslims who do not share their radical and bigoted views "infidels" simply because they believe that religion is a personal issue which must never be brought into or used in partisan politics and simply because they are prepared to support a non-Muslim for the Presidency or indeed any other political office.

Your new found friends and those you front for hate Christians and they hate real Muslims. Yet you do not care about this deviant disposition as long as you are given the opportunity by them to remain in office even though they treat you like filth and they regard you as nothing more than a mere quisling, puppet and puffed up, highly celebrated "national co-ordinator".



What a sorry impasse you have brought us to. We had hoped that you would be a man and stand up like one whilst your "father" was away trying to recover from his ill-health and many afflictions in London but this was not to be.

Nigeria is crumbling right under your feet and falling apart because you have refused to rise up to the occassion, muster the required strength and moral authority to set things right and build bridges of fraternity and friendship and ensure that there is justice and fairness to all in the land.

Under you no Fulani herdsmen have been arrested. Under you Boko Haram has gone from bad to worse. Under you the Arewa Youth threatened a whole ethnic race with eviction and genocide yet none of them were arrested.

Under you the Yoruba youth have said they do not want restructuring anymore but what they want is secession. Under you IPOB brought the whole of the south east to a stand-still and today they reign supreme in that region and zone.

Under you stage-managed pictures of our ailing President were put out with visiting governors which were proof of life but which did not ondicate whether he was mentally or physically well enoufh to come home and rule our nation. 90 days down the line and ww still dont know what is wrong with him and how much longer he will be away.

Not only has the President gone missing but even the presidential jet that took him to the UK and that was parked at Stanstead
Airport waiting for him for the last three months has now reportedly also gone missing.

Ours has become an international shame and we are now the laughing stock of the world because you find it very hard to tell us the truth. Even CNN and the Washington Post, your good friends that helped to bring you to power, are now mocking you.

Yet you do not care and you continue to act as if all is well. Are you not provoking the Living God? Did the respected General Overseer of your Church, the Redeemed Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adegboye (a profoundly good man who is undoubtedly one of God's endtime generals) not teach you that a heavy price will be paid by those who join forces with the Amalekites to hurt, wound, crush and destroy the children of light and the sons and daughters of promise?

What is your fear and what is the source of your cowardice. Can light overcome darkness? Did David not survive the wilderness? Did he not survive the brutal onslaught of Saul, the rebellion of his own son Absalom and the vicious attacks of the Phillistines?

Did he not defeat and destroy Goliath and redeem the honor of the children of Israel and the Living God? Is that God dead to you now?

Whose report do you believe? Do you believe the report of the Lord ot the report of man?
He who created the eyes and the ears, can He no longer see and hear? Is the arm of the Lord too short to defend and deliver?

Is there anything too big or too difficult for our GOD? Is He that created the universe and who chose to make the earth His footstool so weak that He cannot honor His word and deliver His people?

The truth is that if you fail to do the right thing and you turn your back on Him and His purpose, He will spew you out and find another that will effect His purpose and will in our country. We are not inbyour hands but in His.

Mordecai told Esther this over three thousand years ago and I am telling you the same thing today.

If you neeed to be reminded about the veracity and efficacy of the Holy scriptures when it comes to the truisms and strictures of leadership and governance and you are reluctant to hear them from your spiritual father because you are ashamed of the fact that you have gone astray then please do the following.

Ask for a secret audience with either Bishop David Oyedepo, Bishop Mike Okonkwo, Prophet T.B. Joshua, Dr. Daniel Olukoya, Apostle Suleman, Bishop Danson, Pastor Paul Adefarasin, Bishop B.O. Ezekiel or any of the other great men of God in our nation who will undoubtedly have the courage and the conviction to tell you what the Lord is saying and the bitter truth.

You need help and you need it fast. The politicians cannot help you now and neither can your new-found friends on the corridors of power or your beleaugered, divided and dying party the APC. Only the Living God can help you.

It is so bad that you did and said nothing when your fellow Redeemed Pastor (who happened to be a woman) was slaughtered right under your nose in Abuja recently. You did not even attend her burial.

Instead of doing the right thing and soothing frayed nerves you are encouraging division in our nation and you are consolidating and perpetuating a ruthless and heartless quasi-apartheid system of government which has no basis in deceny, rationality, justice or fairness.

It is a cruel and barbaric system which sees a few as the master race and the rest as slaves. Given all this how can you possibly live with yourself and how can you hold your head up high?

You join common slaves and ride on horseback whilst you condemn and confine the princes of the realm and the sons and daughters of the Most High God to walk around barefooted.

This is not only sacrilage but it is indeed a great evil under the sun. May god forgive you and may He deliver you before it is too late.

All those that said that we should have faith in the APC and the Acting President should carefully meditate on and consider his words and categorisation of those who believe in retructuring and self-determination.

He says that they are just looking for an appointment. Permit me to ask the following questions.

Is it the leaders of the south, Afenifere, Ohaeneze and the Niger Delta that are looking for appintments? Or is it the leaders of the Middle Belt?

Is it Baba Fasoranti, Baba Ayo Adebanjo, General Alani Akinrinade, Chief Amos Akingba, Bishop Gbonigi, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi or Chief Olu Falae?

Is it Chief John Nwodo, Governor Victor Ezeife or Chief Arthur Nwankwo? Is it Chief E.K. Clark, Chief Solomon Asemota SAN or Chief Albert Horsefall?

Is it General TY Danjuma, General Dogonyaro or General Zamani Lekwot? Is it Atiku Abibakar who was the Vice President that you are today 18 years ago?

Is it the respected Baba Bisi Akande who has been calling for us to go back to the 1963 regional structure and form of government? Is it General Ibrahim Babangida who was Head of State 32 years ago?

What appointment can you or Buhari possibly offer any of them at their age and with their wealth of knowledge and experience? Why should you measure these distinguished and respected people, most of whom are old enough to he your father, by your own sordid standards?

The other day you stood at a public function and clapped heartily when our father and leader President Olusegun Obasanjo said that the way to stop the Biafran agitation was to offer the Igbo people a slice of cake?

Does that make sense to you? Is this whole thing about cake and appointments as far as people like you are concerened?

Why do you seen to take pleasure in denigrating those that do not belive in a natuon that has all the powers of government concentrated at the center and that has dashed the hopes and dreams of millions?

Nigeria was meant to be a federation and not a unitary state with a federal facade! Have you forgotten that today simply because you are Vice President to Buhari?

Does Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the man that brought you into politics and that single-handedly made you Vice President, agree with you on this? Does he also believe that everyone thwt believes in restructuring is just looking for an appointment?

If so that would be very curious because he once believed in it and we used to discuss it extensively when we were closer. I am sure that at some point he would have lectured you on its merits and rudiments.

Honestly you have lost it completely. You have betrayed your people and jettisoned their cause. You have ignored their call for justice and equity and you have turned a deaf ear to their cry for deliverance.

Some will call you a shamelss coward but I will not go that far out of respect for your office. I am however constrained to say that I have lost the great respect that I once had for you.

Like the biblical Demas you have turned your back on your primary calling and you have gone the other way.

You have been seduced and overwhelmed by a Demastic annointing. You have fallen in love with the awesome power of governance at the Villa and all wordly things.

In short you are a self-serving modern-day Afonja who will eventually be consummed by those who he has joined forces with to destroy his own people and the children of the Living God. Thus sayest the Lord.

My regards to your family Your Excellency and kindly convey my warmest greetings and special felicitations to your brother "Jebi" who I am very fond of and was very friendly with whilst at London University in the early 1980's. Shalom.