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More than £5 million recovered from the funds stolen by former Bayelsa State Governor Dieprieye  Alamieyeseigha was handed back to the state government in 2012, it was learnt at the weekend. Nigeria’s retiring High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (UK) Dr. Dalhatu Tafida who broke the news at the at the weekend in Birmingham where he spoke with the Nigerian community on the amount of stolen funds received from the UK by the Federal Government through its High Commission in London. Tafida’s visit to Birmingham was part of a thank-you-tour as his tenure ends on August 15, after an eight-year stint as Nigeria’s chief envoy in the UK. He had earlier visited Manchester, Liverpool, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Newcastle and Belfast. According to Tafida, the £5 million was received from the British authorities and handed over to two government officials from Bayelsa State, who came to London for the transfer. He told his audience that the money was lodged a Bayelsa State governm...

l CBN Headquarters, Abuja There is good news for cash-strapped states. The N300 billion Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) lifeline, which will enable them pay their workers, will be ready in two weeks. Of the 36 states, 27 have applied to draw from the cash relief packaged by President Muhammadu Buhari through the apex bank. The CBN facility is one of the three-pronged reliefs designed by the Federal Government to help financially troubled states. The other two are: sharing of the $2.1 billion (about N414 billion) 2014 Income Tax/Education Tax; and dividends paid to the Federation Account through the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) by the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited. Besides, the states’ loans are to be rescheduled. President Buhari, about three weeks ago, directed the CBN to package the loan to enable the states pay the backlog of salaries owed their workers. The CBN is to package a Special Intervention Fund ranging from N250 billion-N3...

l The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) policy restricting importers of some  items from accessing foreign exchange is generating heated debates.  The directive categories 41 items as ‘not valid for forex’. OKWY IROEGBU-CHIKEZIE reports that although the  ‘policy will help curb a situation where poverty is being imported and jobs exported, there is need to review the list  to ensure that raw materials are not taken as finished goods IN its heydays,  it supplied the plywood needs of many and employed hundreds. Now, the vast empire called Epe Plywood is a shadow of the dream of its founder – Oodua Investment Company. But, Epe Plywood is not alone in its afte. Take a stroll around industrial areas in Ikeja, Ilupeju, Kano, Kaduna and elsewhere in the country, and you are bound to be confronted by huge factories that are either dead or dying. Most of these companies are into enamelware, steel drums, steel pipes, wire rods, iron rods and reinforcing bars,...

CLERK OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, SALISU MAIKASUWA (R) SWEARINNG-IN THE SENATE PRESIDENT, BUKOLA SARAKI AT THE INAUGURATION OF THE 8TH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY IN ABUJA ON TUESDAY National Assembly Clerk Salisu Maikasuwa, senators and any other person found culpable in the illegal amendment to the Senate Standing Order should be prosecuted, some eminent lawyers said yesterday. The police have declared the Standing Order, which was used for the June 9 election of Dr. Bukola Saraki as the President of the Eighth Senate, a forgery. Prof. Itsay Sagay,  Yusuf Ali (SAN) and Monday Ubani yesterday called for the prosecution of those who had a hand in the alteration of the standing rules applied to pick the Senate President, his deputy and four principal officers. But the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice in the defunct Second Republic, Chief Richard Akinjide (SAN), held a contrary position.  He argued that the police lacked the power to meddle in what he described as t...

•Boko Haram Hopes of freedom for the 219 Chibok girls have been rekindled, with preliminary talks between the Presidency and some Boko Haram leaders. The new deal is being brokered by some confidants of the Presidency and the sect. Some key commanders of Boko Haram in detention are also eager to be part of the initiative,  The Nation  learnt. The new understanding came amid security reports that about 500 insurgents in a neighboring country are interested in renouncing terrorism –  in line with the reconciliatory agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari. But the President is being cautious in rushing at the new offer from some leaders of the sect to avoid what a source described as the “costly mistakes of the past administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan. Buhari has asked security agents to “screen or certify” those spearheading the new negotiation to ensure that the government is dealing with the right Boko Haram leaders. Some Boko Haram leaders ...

il Ekweremadu A Federal High Court in Abuja has declined to stop the police from its ongoing investigation of the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and others in relation to the alleged forgery of the 2015 Standing Rules of the Senate. Justice Gabriel Kolawole in a ruling on Monday refused an ex-parte application filed by Senator Prince Gilbert Emeka Nnaji, with which he sought to among others, restrain the police from proceeding with the investigation and making public the report of the inquiry. Nnaji had sought interim orders to restrain the defendants in the case – the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) – from continuing with the matter, pending the determination of his substantive suit. The plaintiff is challenging the constitutionality of the investigation within the context of the doctrine of separation of power. Justice Kolawole said he could not grant the prayer sought by the plaintiff at ex-parte stage ...

By Our Reporter on July 27, 2015 COVER From Femi Folaranm i, Yenagoa FRESH facts have emerged on how security and intelligence reports made Governor Se­riake Dickson of Bayelsa State to cancel the meeting of former leaders of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which was convened by Government Ekpemu­polo aka Tompolo. Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, had in a terse state­ment announced the cancellation of the meet­ing, promising the former agitators that he would meet with them to discuss their griev­ances in the overall interest of the Niger Delta . Dickson , investigation revealed, was forced to cancel the meeting when he received a secu­rity report that some politicians in the state had sponsored a parallel meeting of some former militants. The mo...

By Our Reporter on July 27, 2015 COVER Buhari confirms attendance By Neta Nwosu THE Nigeria Police will hold a one-day National Security Summit with the theme, “Community Partnership Approach to In­ternal Security and Crime Management ” in collaboration with The Sun Publishing Lim­ited, publisher of Daily Sun, Saturday Sun, Sunday Sun and Soccer Star newspapers. Concerned over the growing violent crimes and insurgence, the present lead­ership of the Nigeria Police believes that a summit of this magnitude will help strengthen partnerships among law en­forcement agencies and relevant stake­holders, with a view to creating the right synergy and multifaceted approach to addressing the current national security challenges. Slated for Monday, August 17, 2015 at International Con...

Medical Students of the Benue State University, Makurdi, have deposited the coffin of their dead colleague at the office of the Vice-Chancellor in protest. Sunday Punch gathered that the deceased, Idoko Nicholas Inalegwu, died in controversial circumstances after receiving the news of his withdrawal after spending 10 years in medical school. Idoko was withdrawn for failing a re-sit. A student, who spoke to one of our correspondents on telephone on condition of anonymity, said they believed that Idoko took his life because he could not bear the news that his 10 years in medical was in vain. “He had been talking about it; that he wished he died a painless death; that the school had finished him. There is nowhere in the world that a medical student is withdrawn after spending 10 years,” he said. The student said the students had complained about the manner in which examinations were conducted, where re-sits were prolonged for up to one year, as against the stipulated six ...

Nnamdi Kanu , the director of heavily controversial radio station, Radio Biafra, is now threatening the whole of Nigeria with violence, a language he claims is the only thing we can understand as a nation.While sitting down to do an interview, he said: Quote “‘If they fail to give us Biafra, Somalia will look like a paradise compared to what will happen to that zoo. It is a promise, it is a pledge, and it is also a threat to them [Nigerians]”

Published on Tuesday, 21 July 2015 04:00 Written by Chidimma C. Okeke The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is not ready to apply federal character principle in its appointment of principal officers in the National Assembly, a House of Representatives member, Victor Nwokolo, has alleged. “The APC appears to be a party that does not believe in federal character because from what we understand that is going on today, the truth is far from what is happening. The South West has deputy speaker. But the APC is now saying some zones cannot have anything which will run contrary to the federal character,” Rep Nwokolo said in an interview with newsmen in Abuja. The lawmaker, who said he had no apology for being a pro-Dogara legislator, advised that the APC members must go back to the drawing board and “do the appropriate thing” if they must sustain their hold on power at the centre. Rep ...

From Godwin Tsa , Abuja Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed, yesterday confirmed that Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike visited his office at the Supreme Court Complex in Abuja, on two occasions this month, but said he was not around to receive him. The media aide to the CJN, Ahuraka Isa, who reacted to a report on Wike’s visits, said the CJN never had prior appointments with the governor. In a statement, Isah explained that on the first visit by the governor, the CJN was away in Saudi Arabia observing the Lesser Hajj while on the second occasion, he was at a meeting of the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee, where candidates shortlisted for the rank of the Senior Advocate of Nigeria were being interviewed. A national daily (not Daily Sun ) had reported that Wike’s visits...

Seeks Obama’s help to recover $150bn loots BY Emma Emeozor The long wait for new ministers will end in September, as President Muhammadu Buhari has given indication that he will constitute his cabinet in about one and half months. Revealing this in an opinion published yesterday in Washington Post, ahead of his meeting within United States President Barack Obama, Buhari also sought the US help in recovering about $150 billion stolen money. Buhari’s article reads: “This month, the world moved a step closer to the defeat of Boko Haram, the jihadist group that has terrorised hundreds of thousands in the northern states of Nigeria. In one of my first acts since taking office as President six weeks ago, I have replaced the heads of Nigeria’s Army, Navy and Air Force. Our new military leadership has not been chosen because of their...

• US pressure ensured free, fair elections – Nigeria’s President From JULIANA TAIWO-OBALONYE, Abuja with Agency Report   President Barrack Obama of the United States of America has promised to help Nigeria overcome terrorist group, Boko Haram and other challenges. He also commended President Muhammadu Buhari’s agenda for Nigeria, expressing confidence in his ability to tackle the multiple challenges facing the country. Speaking in Washington DC yesterday, when he met Buhari, as part of activities marking Nigeria’s President’s four-day official visit to the United States, Obama said Buhari has come with a clear agenda to tackle the problems of corruption, insecurity occasioned by the activities of Boko Haram sect as well as other violence criminal activi...

By Our Reporter on July 21, 2015 COVER , National Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State has said any parent in the state, who refuses to educate his children, will be liable to criminal offence, if a bill before the state House of Assembly is passed into law. The move, which is considered radical and revolutionary, is aimed at boosting school enrolment, and providing quality education to every child in the state as required by local and international laws. And as part of measures to enhance implementation of the new policy, government plans to build and equip 240 primary and tertiary healthcare centres in the three senatorial districts of the state. Making this known yesterday while addressing religious, traditional and political leaders from 11 local go...

President Buhari is having a swell time with @potus (president Obama), here are some photos from the visit:

  President Muhammadu Buhari, in an article published on Washington Post today, July 20, 2015, has explained why he will not appoint ministers into his cabinet until September 2015. Buhari also urged Nigerians to exercise patience with him as his administration sets the groundwork for the change the country so desperately needs. Here are 15 important things he said in the article: In one of my first acts since taking office as president six weeks ago, I have replaced the heads of Nigeria’s army, navy and air force. These new military leaders will be based in Borno State in northern Nigeria, where the headquarters of the armed services has been relocated. Already we are beginning to see a degrading of Boko Haram’s capabilities as a fighting force. While we work to defeat the terrorists, I ask the people of Nigeria and the world for resolve and fortitude. The campaign we will wage will not be easy; it may not be swift. But no one should have any doubt as ...