Boko Haram kingpin arrested by soldiers

Troops of 3 Battalion, of 22 Task Force Brigade have arrested 4 Boko Haram terrorists Ameers (kingpins) at Rann, headquarters of Kala Balge Local Government Area today, April 22nd. The arrested kingpins specialized on various aspects of criminality to sustain the Boko Haram terrorists group in their areas. The arrested kingpins include Umara Mai Gyaran Rediyo (Radio Technician), Umaru Mai Nama, (who specialize in cattle rustling and sales), Alifa Makinta (a specialist on stealing foodstuffs) and Balu Jugudum (in charge of stolen jewelleries).

The four terrorists were arrested following a tip off by well meaning members of the public. Subsequently, the troops conducted a cordon and search operation in the general area that led to the apprehension of the terrorist leaders, who contribute to the sustenance of the insurgency through their illegal trade specialization.

The suspects are undergoing interrogation.

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CBN INTRODUCES NEW CHARGES ON ATM CARDS and CHEQUES

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has proposed a N100 monthly chargeon every debit card (ATM card) in the country.
The new charge is separate from the existing N65 charge after the third withdrawal within the same month.

A monthly maintenance fee of N100 was also proposed every month for anaira dominated debit card when used, and a N50 charge for other months when the card is used or not.
In its draft on the“guide to charges for banks and other financial institutions in Nigeria”, CBN has alsoproposed a N4,200-per-annum charge on foreign currency denominated cards as maintenance fee.

The apex bank has also proposed a N50 charge on every cheque leaflet obtained and used at the deposit money bank’s counter, The Cable reports.This is not the same as the collectioncharge on cheques, which is also proposed to be“one percent of cheque value or Naira equivalent of US $10 whichever is lower”.

The circular, signed by Kevin Amugo, director financial policy and regulation department, stated:

“The Central Bank of Nigeria is currently reviewing the extant Guide to Bank Charges, which came into effect on April 1, 2013,”

The review, which is in line with the philosophy of periodically ensuring that the provisions of the guide accord with current realities, also seek to address complaints from customers of financial services, requests for clarification on provisionof the guide and absence of a tariff regime for other financial institutionsin Nigeria.

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‘I’M NOT ABOUT TO DIE’ MALAWI PRESIDENT REJECTS TB JOSHUA’S PROPHECY

Malawian President Peter Mutharika on Sunday attacked Prophet TB Joshua over an alleged prophecy that he would die before April 1, state television reported. Mutharika“I’m told there is a man in Nigeria called Joshua and he is saying that Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe and Peter Mutharika will die before April 1,” he said, referring to TB Joshua.

“Let me tell you, Joshua… you will fail. What you did in 2012 will not happen again this year,” the president told a rally in the capital Lilongwe. In 2012, Joshua reportedly predicted the death of a president of an unnamed southern African country.

Mutharika’s brother, Bingu, who was president at the time, did die within the predicted timeframe, giving the prophesy strong currency in Malawi. Mutharika did not say when or where Joshua made the latest prophesy.

In January, Joshua reportedly gave a televised prophecy, telling his congregation to pray for the leaders in southern Africa, saying: “End of February to April this year, peculiar months for Southern Africa.”

But Mutharika questioned Joshua’s credentials as a prophet, pointing to the collapse of a guesthouse in his sprawling Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) in Lagos in September 2014, which left 116 people dead, mostly South Africans.

“Why did he not foretell this tragedy? “This all shows that he is a liar. He just wants to raise money,” said Mutharika, who is in his mid 70s, pledging to be around in 2019 for the next presidential elections, and in also 2024, when — if reelected — he will wrap up his last term.

Mutharika came to power in 2014 after defeating Joyce Banda. Banda, who succeeded Bingu Mutharika, made several visits to the Nigerian headquarters of Joshua’s church and once described the evangelist as her “spiritual father”.

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Mad man healed after he was led to Living Faith Church in Delta State by a photo of Bishop Oyedepo

That is according to Ajise Efeturu who shared the photos and testimony on Facebook. Above are before and after pics of the man in question. Below is what Ajise wrote;

"For seven years, Mr Isaiah has been mad but the picture of Bishop David Oyedepo dragged him to Living Faith Church Okpokunou in Delta state after the covenant hour of prayer this morning. God of Oyedepo healed him of madness. To God alone be all the Glory. We are truly in revival". See more photos after the cut...

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With A Pass Degree, He Could’t Make It In Nigeria (See How He Made It In US)

I graduated with the least of grades “PASS” from one of the federal universities, not because i was a numskull but because i did not join the band wagon of the “sorters”. More so i was financially inept which resulted in missing some exams, but after 4 years the war was over. With my kind of grade the future was deem for me with no hope. I took some computer programming courses to add to my CV i thought it would be of help. Alas four years on no single interview, i was roaming the streets without hope

God finally answered my call and i travel to the united states for greener pastures, i enrolled for a six months IT course and after completion i received my first phone interview from one of the telecom company and later on skype interview. after three days i was called for a one on one interview at their corporate office. It was straight forward with three interviewers, they asked about my skills and what i could do , which i told them with great confidence. A system was brought in and i was asked to configure bla bla bla which i did. To my amazement none asked a question pertaining my degree what they where hammering on was on the job.

After completion i was given the job instantly to resume the following Monday with a well furnished office and a very good pay. Right Now i am the manager of my team of which i developed a standard software for the company that remains number one.

My point is why is Nigeria hell bent on class of degree rather what the individual has to offer.There are lots of talented 3rd class and pass job seekers out there if given a chance will perform far better. I think this is also one of the bane that is making the Nigerian economy a far cry, it hurts seeing the lower class graduates not given a chance. I weep for Nigeria. I recently sent my resume to one of the Nigerian job boards just to test if i will be contacted but no call as usual maybe because of my lower degree . Nigeria has a very long way to go, even the oyibos that taught us the system isn’t even using it its just so annoying.

For all those with a lower degree believe in yourself, a paper should not define your worth but rather look inward and surely you will conquer.

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CHURCH MEMBERS ARRESTED DURING SERVICE FOR NOISE POLLUTION IN LAGOS

The police in Lagos have arrested six persons for allegedly disturbing the peace of residents of Olaomibiyi Street, Ogba, during a church service.

The members – Ngozichukwu Onyebuchi (44), Clement Eromosele (26), Chukwudi Akwegbu (26), Chibuzor Chukwu (18), Godspower Enudi (21) and Okorie Livonus (36) – were arraigned in a Lagos Magistrate’s Court sitting in Ogba.

They were said to have cautioned the worshippers to lower their voices, but the members reportedly declined.
Our correspondent gathered that the church was reported to the police at the Pen Cinema division, who arrested the six members on January 14 during Sunday service, while the others were said to be at large.

They were brought before a Chief Magistrate, Mrs. T. Akanni, on two counts of engaging in a conduct capable of causing a breach of the peace.
The offence, according to a police prosecutor, Inspector Clifford Ogu, is punishable under sections 410 and 166 (1) (d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.
The charges read, “That you, Ngozichukwu Onyebuchi, Clement Eromosele, Chukwudi Akwegbu, Chibuzor Chukwu, Godspower Enudi and Okorie Livonus, and others still at large on Olaomibiyi Street, Ogba, Lagos, on January 14, 2016, at about 8am in the Lagos Magisterial District, did conspire to commit felony to wit: conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace.
“That you and others still at large on the same date, time and place, in the aforementioned magisterial district, did unlawfully convert the residential apartment of the aforementioned house to a church and disturb peace of the landlord and other tenants as you were praying on top of your voice, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 166 (1) (d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.”
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and elected summary trial.
The presiding magistrate, Akanni, admitted them to bail in the sum of N50,000 each with two sureties each in like sum. The magistrate added that the sureties must provide evidence of tax payments and their residential addresses to the court for the perfection of the defendants’ bail.
The case was adjourned till February 15, 2016, for mention.

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#BudgetOfCorruption Trends On Twitter - see Nigerians reactions

Nigerians have had enough of the deceit of the last administration and will not be hoodwinked by the current APC budget which seeks to put more Nigerians in penury. It’s so obvious that the Minister of health came out to denounce the budget done buy its own ministry.
For all intents and purposes, this is not meant to discredit the current administration but to let our politicians know that the youth are now educated with open eyes and will no longer be taken for a ride.

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'When I was in prison, I had joy' - Obasanjo

While speaking at the 50th anniversary of the Bible Society of Nigeria held at the Muson Centre, Onikan, La‎gos, former President Obasanjo said that he had joy and maintained a bubbly ‎ disposition while he served his prison term during the Abacha era. Obasanjo was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1995 after he was convicted for his involvement in the plot to overthrow the late Head of State, Gen. Abacha. He was released after Abacha's sudden death in 1998 and became president in 1999.

"When I was in prison, I had joy. I was always bubbly, teaching and preaching to other prisoners. ‎It was because of the joy I had found in God, although it can be said to be abnormal that one is in prison and is happy. I was put in jail, even though I didn’t deserve it.” ‎he said

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5 Reasons Why Nigerian Girls Love Valentines Day

A lot of Nigerian men will simply groan at the mention of Valentine’s Day and may never figure out why women make so much fuss off the day.

The fact that they have to buy most of the presents, pay for the dinners and be on their best behaviours makes it even worse for them to understand why Valentines Day exists at all.

1. The Attention They Get

African couple hugging

Whether women admit it or not, Valentines Day is the day women rate how much their men really appreciate and care for them. It is also a day women know their position in their man’s life. So if your boo has his own boo, that is the day to find out.

2. Gifts

Most Nigerian women are probably somewhere carefully counting down to the amazing presents they will get from their man (or men as the case may be), because in Nigeria, everybody knows men are traditionally expected to buy the presents why the women are meant to simply look beautiful and accept the presents.

3. Proposals

If the man in her life does not pop the question on her last birthday, at Christmas, then the best bet is he might just ask her to marry him on Valentines day. So which single girl doesn’t want that?

4. Reinvent The Crush

People nowadays are just too busy earning a living to have time for romance. Valentines day is the perfect day for these ones to revamp their love life. Men are extra romantic on this day, and this is something every woman loves.

5.Showoff

Showing off things like presents, a visit to a special place etc. on social media is common practice nowadays. So, one reason a Nigerian girl loves val day is because it gives her the opportunity to display what you got her or where you took her on social media either to intimidate her friends, make them jealous or give them the impression that she has a perfect man.

You agree???

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We’ll implement campaign promises immediately 2016 budget is passed – Buhari

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo said the current administration would begin to implement its campaign promises immediately the national assembly passes the 2016 budget into law.

He gave the indication while representing President Muhammadu Buhari at the inauguration of the newly constructed Ota township road in Ado-Odo/Ota council area of Ogun state.

The inauguration of the road was part of the activities lined up to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the state.

He said the federal government had mapped out plans to support artisans in the country with funds to help improve their businesses.

”I want to assure the people that immediately the budget is passed into law, we will zoom into action and all our promises will be fulfilled,” he said.

”We have plans for artisans and market women; they are already in our plans in the budget and we will give them soft loans to boost their businesses.

“We must not lose sight of the fact that it is the masses that voted for us and we must not let them down.”

He also said the cornerstone of the present government was to provide employment for youths across the country, insisting that all of government’s promises, particularly to the youth, would be fulfilled.

 While commending Ibikunle Amosun, governor of the state, for the massive infrastructure development, he called for the continued support of the people.

In his address, Amosun thanked the VP and appealed for continued understanding from the citizens, saying government could not finish everything at once. He said his administration would not relent in its mission to rebuild the state, by ensuring an all-round development.

 The president also inaugurated the Aiyetoro township road in the Yewa north local government area.

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Jonathan Speaks In Geneva on Security, Education and Development in Africa

Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan on Wednesday at a world press conference at the Geneva Press Club gave account of his stewardship as the leader of the world’s most populous black nation.

The club was filled with diplomats, policy makers and journalists to whom he gave details of his post presidential focus and touched on some of the roles his administration played in key areas of the Nigerian and West Africa polity, with particular emphasis on Security and Education.

Read speech below

Press conference on Security, Education and Development in Africa Geneva Press Club – Wednesday the 27th of January, 2016

Protocols

Ladies and Gentlemen of the press, I thank you for coming to hear me speak on the twin issues of education and security.

Though this event is billed as a press conference on a Better Security and Education for West Africa, for the sake of time, I will focus on my experience in government which gave me a practical demonstration of how education impacts on security.

I will thereafter touch on my post-presidential focus which is on advancing democracy and good governance in Africa and increasing access to opportunity for wealth generation in Africa.

If you peruse the official UNESCO literacy rates by country, what you will find is that all of the top ten most literate nations in the world are at peace, while almost all of the top 10 least literate nations in the world are in a state of either outright war or general insecurity.

Lower education levels are linked to poverty and poverty is one of the chief causative factors of crime whether it is terrorism or militancy or felonies.

With this at the back of my mind, I began the practice of giving education the highest sectoral allocation beginning with my very first budget as President in 2011.

My policy was to fight insecurity in the immediate term using counter insurgency strategies and the military and for the long term I fought it using education as a tool.

As I have always believed, if we do not spend billions educating our youths today, we will spend it fighting insecurity tomorrow. And you do not have to spend on education just because of insecurity. It is also the prudent thing to do.

Nigeria, or any African nation for that matter, can never become wealthy by selling more minerals or raw materials such as oil. Our wealth as a nation is between the ears of our people.

It is no coincidence that the Northeast epicenter of terrorism in Nigeria is also the region with the highest rate of illiteracy and the least developed part of Nigeria.

In Nigeria, the Federal Government actually does not have a responsibility for primary and secondary education, but I  could not in good conscience stomach a situation where 52.4% of males in the Northeastern region of Nigeria have no formal Western education.

The figure is even worse when you take into account the states most affected by the insurgency.

83.3% of male population in Yobe state have no formal Western education. In Borno state it is 63.6%.

Bearing this in mind is it a coincidence that the Boko Haram insurgency is strongest in these two states?

So even though we did not have a responsibility for primary and secondary education going by the way the Nigerian federation works, I felt that where I had ability, I also had responsibility even if the constitution said it was not my responsibility.

Knowing that terrorism thrives under such conditions my immediate goal was to increase the penetration of Western education in the region while at the same time making sure that the people of the region did not see it as a threat to their age old practices of itinerant Islamic education known as Almajiri.

For the first time in Nigeria’s history, the Federal Government which I led, set out to build 400 Almajiri schools with specialized curricula that combined Western and Islamic education. 160 of them had been completed before I left office.

I am also glad to state that when I emerged as President of Nigeria on May 6th 2010, there were nine states in the Northern part of the country that did not have universities. By the time I left office on the 29th of May 2015, there was no Nigerian state without at least one Federal  University.

Now the dearth of access to formal education over years created the ideal breeding ground for terror to thrive in parts of Nigeria but there are obviously other dimensions to the issue of insecurity in Nigeria and particularly terrorism.

You may recall that the fall of the Gaddafi regime in August 2011 led to a situation where sophisticated weapons fell into the hands of a number of non state actors with attendant increase in terrorism and instability in North and West Africa.

The administration I headed initiated partnership across West Africa to contain such instability in nations such as Mali, which I personally visited in furtherance of peace.

And with those countries contiguous to Nigeria, especially nations around the Lake Chad Basin, we formed a coalition for the purpose of having a common front against terrorists through the revived Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF).

Those efforts continue till today and have in large part helped decimate the capacity of Boko Haram.

Another aspect of the anti terror war we waged in Nigeria that has not received enough attention is our effort to improve on our intelligence gathering capacity.

Prior to my administration, Nigeria’s intelligence architecture was designed largely around regime protection, but through much sustained effort we were able to build capacity such that our intelligence agencies were able to trace and apprehend the masterminds behind such notorious terror incidences as the Christmas Day bombing of the St. Theresa Catholic Church in Madalla, Niger State.

Other suspects were also traced and arrested including those behind the Nyanya and Kuje bombings.

Not only did we apprehend suspects, but we tried and convicted some of them including the ring leader of the Madalla bombing cell, Kabir Sokoto, who is right now serving a prison sentence.

But leadership is about the future. I am sure you have not come here to hear me talk about the way backward. You, like everyone else, want to hear about the way forward.

I am no longer in office, and I no longer have executive powers on a national level. However, I am more convinced now than ever about the nexus between education and security.

My foundation, The Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, was formed to further democracy, good governance and wealth generation in Africa.

Of course, Charity begins at home and for the future, what Nigeria needs is to focus on making education a priority.

Thankfully, the administration that succeeded mine in its first budget, appears to have seen wisdom in continuing the practice of giving education the highest sectoral allocation. This is commendable.

I feel that what people in my position, statesmen and former leaders, ought to be doing is to help build consensus all over Africa, to ensure that certain issues should not be politicized.

Education is one of those issues. If former African leaders can form themselves into an advisory group to gently impress on incumbent leaders the necessity of meeting the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recommended allocation of 26% of a nations annual budget on education, I am certain that Africa will make geometric progress in meeting her Millennium Development Goals and improving on every index of the Human Development Index.

Data has shown that as spending on education increases, health and well being increases and incidences of maternal and infant mortality reduce.

In Nigeria for instance, Average Life Expectancy had plateaued in the mid 40s for decades, but after 2011, when we began giving education the highest sectoral allocation, according to the United Nations, Nigeria enjoyed her highest increase in Average Life Expectancy since records were kept. We moved from an Average Life Expectancy of 47 years before 2011 to 54 years by 2015.

I had earlier told you about the connection between education and insecurity.

I believe that it is the job of former leaders and elder statesmen to convince Executive and Legislative branches across Africa to work together to achieve the UNESCO recommended percentage as a barest minimum.

I intend to offer my services, through The Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, for this purpose and I invite interested organizations to help us make this happen.

Ladies and gentlemen of the press, this, in a nutshell are some of my thoughts for a Better Security and Education for Africa and I will now entertain your questions.

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The kind of Rat That Transmits Lassa Fever and how they Spread the disease

The name of the rat that Possess and spread the virus that causes lassa fever is called multimammate rat( because it has many Tips like all these local street dogs after delivery). While the botanical name is mastomys natalensis.

There is also an upsurge of the disease everywhere. So we should all practice hand washing hygiene.

Also all apple lovers should wash them with salt and warm water before refrigerating them to eat.

Our wives should avoid testing of dry garri by chewing them for starch in the market.

All garri soakers should let go for now.

The problem is that most of our garri sellers in the market buy their garri from bush markets.

These garri are often fried half dry and are subsequently dried on polythene sheets on the tarred roads or compounds in the villages.

These rat dive in at will, to feed their hungry bellies and in the process defecate and urinate on the garri, which dry up with it. If used for Eba, the virus may die because of the hot water used. But if soaked, the virus is directly ushered in.

Please no one should joke with this precaution, except you process your cassava yourself.

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Fayose Gives Buhari A Very Strong Warning against army chiefs being probed by EFCC

Governor Fayose has warned President Buhari against army chiefs being probed by the EFCC.

Fayose said on Saturday, January 16, that if the army chiefs are to be probed for their involvement in the $2.1 billion armsgate, then it must be done in accordance with the armed forces rules of engagement.

The governor who spoke through Lere Olayinka, his aide, said: “the $2.1 billion arms deal is a scam because all that they are just doing is to brandish figures to deceive Nigerians and demonise the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and those opposed to his (Buhari’s) dictatorship in the All Progressive Congress (APC).

“Till today, the amount they have charged people for stealing is not up to N10 billion and $2.1 billion they claimed was stolen is about N600 billion.

“The President must let Nigerians see where the arms deal is in the 2015 budget and publish details of the imaginary $2.1 billion scam.

“Also, the President must tell Nigerians how his friend, Jafaru Isa was able to return N100 million to the EFCC within three days because there are insinuations that the N100 million refunded came from the Presidency.”

PM News reports that while reiterating his support for the war against anti-corruption, Fayose said it was strange for serving military generals to be interrogated by junior police officers, adding that “the President should not act in a way that he will be perceived as ridiculing the armed forces.

“Even though I am not a military officer, I know that there is what is called orderly room trial or court martial, which military men who erred in the performance of their duties are made to go through.

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Buhari’s anti-corruption war suffers serious setback

President Muhammadu Buhari’s war on corruption is set to encounter stumbling blocks as the Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, Nta Ekpo, on Friday January 15th, affirmed that the anti-graft agency had been unable to successfully carry out its statutory responsibility of fighting corruption due to insufficient funds.

Nta stated this when he hosted members of the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, headed by Senator Chukwuka Utazi in his office.

He further stated that the budget for the ICPC was insufficient in carrying out its responsibility of fighting corruption.

“In 2015, the commission proposed N9.5 billion, but N4.9 billion was appropriated, while N4.2 billion was released.

“The difference between what was appropriated and released is N697, 470,164 million. The budget performance for 2015 on recurrent and capital is 100 per cent based on releases.

“In the 2016 budget, so far, information from Budget Office (ceiling) for recurrent is N680, 984, 456 as against N764, 182, 724, while it was N300 million in 2015 and N132 million in the 2014 appropriations.”

On assumption into office on May 29th, 2015 legal experts had advised Buhari to immediately sanitize and financially empower some of the law enforcement and anti-graft agencies in order to achieve an all inclusive fight against corruption.

Reacting on behalf of the senate, Utazi said the legislatures would work out modalities on how to strengthen anti-corruption institutions.

He said during the consideration of the 2016 budget at the committee levels, issues raised by the ICPC would be addressed.

“This administration has to fight corruption and we are here as a committee to strengthen this commission.

“We are also asking you to look at the ICPC Act and then bring suggestions as amendments that will help us do our job.

“We are going to help the President succeed in his fight against corruption. We must also focus on prevention, rather than prosecution.

“It bothers us that the only thing we hear about ICPC and other anti-graft agencies is prosecution.”

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Anti-corruption war: A plot to silence opposition?

The plan is clearly working. As at the last count, over ten chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have been arrested and detained. Some of them have since been released on conditional bail with their travelling documents seized by security agencies.

Others have remained in custody despite court orders to the contrary. Among them is immediate former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki and the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, who was only recently charged to court after ten days in detention. The court fixed hearing for his bail application at a later date.

It is believed many more are about to be picked up by security forces. In theory, the plot seems to be have been crafted around the alleged $2.1billion arms procurement deal to get as many opposition figures as possible into government’s nets. The final plan? To contain the opposition and whip the recalcitrants into shape. The PDP has been crying out on this for a long time but has been generally ignored by the public.

Investigations revealed that forces in the Presidency have perfected strategies to use the anti-corruption war to fight the PDP and opposition community to a standstill. Nigerians, the strategists are aware, are disposed to believing a corruption tag placed on anyone. Using the anti-corruption weapon will sweep in virtually all members of the PDP knowing many of them have put their hands into the government’s till.

By tagging opposition figures as corrupt, Nigerians will never believe whatever else they say but dismiss them as collective thieves unworthy of getting their attention. It will also damage them politically and destroy the party’s chances of seizing power again at the federal level. The plot is working, at the moment, to perfection with the anti-corruption tool as the ultimate weapon.

But discerning Nigerians are beginning to raise dust over the matter. One of them is constitutional lawyer and human rights activist, Femi Falana, who expressed serious disgust over government’s failure to obey court rulings to release Dasuki. The former NSA has been granted bail twice by the courts. He met the bail conditions and was on his way out of detention when he was picked up again at the prison gate.

Falana said: “The decision of the SSS to ignore the order admitting Col. Dasuki to bail coupled with the failure to re-arraign him on fresh charges is tantamount to impunity in every material respect,” Mr. Falana said.

“If the federal government were aggrieved by the order admitting Col. Dasuki to bail it should have challenged it in the Court of Appeal.

“Much as the Nigerian people are fully behind the Buhari administration in the patriotic move to recover the looted wealth of the nation, the federal government should be advised to ensure that the procedure for the loot recovery meets the tenets of the rule of law.”

He said the anti-corruption war has to be fought using the appropriate instruments of the law and not crude methods. This tally with the views of many who are worried the government appears to be fighting a selective war against corruption. They point out that chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are as corrupt as PDP members, if not more. Yet, none of them, they say, has been picked up.

Perhaps in response to this one-sided approach, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) picked up an ally of President Muhammadu Buhari, Isa Jafar, a former Military Administrator of Kaduna State. He was arrested for allegedly collecting N160 million from Dasuki from the arms fund.

He was released two days after because EFCC said he already admitted guilt and refunded N100m with a commitment to return the outstanding N60million soonest. While he was let off the hook, Metuh is still in detention for the same offence. He was said to have collected N400million from Dasuki through a company he has substantial interest in.

Metuh admitted he received undisclosed amount of money from former President Goodluck Jonathan to carry out some assignments as a national chieftain of the PDP. The opposition spokesperson is still in government detention since he was picked up. The EFCC also obtained an order from an Abuja Magistrate Court to keep the Anambra-born politician in its custody until investigations are concluded into the alleged case.

This method of arresting and detaining suspects while gathering evidence has also been criticized as being contrary to civilized modes of crime fighting, and an abuse of individuals’ fundamental right to freedom, or being presumed innocent, until proven otherwise by a competent court.

In a recent statement, Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, who stated his support for the anti-corruption war, bemoaned a situation where the EFCC would first arrest and detain a person before shopping for evidence against him. “The EFCC appears to be operating a system in which an accused person is first arrested, detained endlessly while the anti-corruption agency goes about looking for evidence”, he said.

On the surface, Metuh’s arrest appears justifiable given he has not denied accepting the said fund. But he is no small fry in the nation’s political space. He is the leading voice of the opposition and had alleged government was after him to gag opposition. It is impossible not to interpret his arrest and continued detention as an attempt in that direction.

In his absence, the PDP is certainly depleted without a clear leader, or a voice to criticize any action or policy of the Buhari-led government. This has further decimated the arsenals of the main opposition party. The surest winner is the APC, which is left to carry on with governance without any inhibition. The development is a further dent on the nation’s multiparty system with Nigeria at the brink of becoming a one party state.

It is also a big stain on the ruling party’s political tolerance. Many have expressed serious reservations with President Muhammadu Buhari’s dictatorial tendencies as a former Military Head of State when he was gunning for the big post. They appear to have been vindicated given the desperate response of the APC to every criticism and opposition to its policy thrusts and decisions.

Yet, this is a party that benefitted so much from opposition politics in the immediate government. The APC gave the PDP no breathing space, constantly knocking down its every move and activity. Jonathan once complained he was the most abused President based on the scathing, critical assessment of his day to-day activities.

The current Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made a name for himself tearing apart the PDP while it was in power. He was unsparing in his criticisms, most times going over the board to make his case. Yet, he was never molested or harassed, let alone arrested. He lived as a king and was untouchable.

But the APC has shown it is not ready to tow the same path. It is proving to be intolerant of opposition views and figures. It has balked at every critical view, even warning that the office of the President should not be disrespected. But this was its stock in trade throughout its stint in the opposition. It is ironic that the party that rode to power on the strength of abuses and insults is asking to be treated differently.

Even if he is released today, Metuh will clearly not be the same biting, hard tackling opposition mouthpiece he used to be. His experience in detention would have softened and emaciated him. APC’s National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, last Monday said the party was unapologetic over its approach to the anti-corruption war.

He told reporters: “The APC is not in any way apologetic. We promised change and there is a lot of rot in the system. This must be cleansed and whoever and whatever ox is being gored, where ever the tree is going to fall, so, let it be.

“We must get used to the fact that in the process of cleansing this nation, there is going to be a lot of bullets to bite.

“The APC has not been in office at national level in the last 10 to 16 years. So, the issue of whether somebody is PDP or not PDP does not arise. We have a nation to cleanse. The president has committed himself to that and we should support it whatever way it comes. We are not being apologetic about that at all.”

He however denied that the party is out to stifle opposition. According to him, “It has nothing to do with witch-hunting. It just happened that the dramatis personae of the period all happened to be on one side of the political divide. We have absolutely no intention to pressurise any group or any nation towards a one-party state. It is not in our interest so to do because we need a vibrant opposition.”

But asides from Jafar, no one in the APC has been questioned or arrested for being corrupt. This is something many cannot live with considering the fact that many of the party chieftains have corruption cases in court.

For now, the plot to stifling opposition appears on course but the APC will certainly be worse off for it. The nation will be the ultimate loser.

Article By Olumide Olaoluwa

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FG clarifies N5,000 unemployment stipend

The Federal government said yesterday that it has no plan to pay N5000 to Unemployed Nigerians just to be indolent and unproductive, saying such payment will be made as allowances to those undergoing different skill acquisition programmes.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige who disclosed this in an interview with newsmen at the APC secretariat said no country can afford to pay stipend to her citizens to be indolent, adding that Nigeria will not be different.

The Minister however explained that while some people will be paid N5000 under the cash conversion scheme, some will also get N10000 while other may get more than N15,000 while in training.

He maintained that some people that will be given such stipend will go through different training and later get employed by either the state or federal government.

“We also have the programme on the commission cash transfer. Though even you the press has said it,  we won’t pay N5000 for people to be indolent. No country in the world, would pay people to go home and sleep and collect cash, so Nigerian would not be an exception.

“We will pay some people N5000, we will pay some N10,000, and even for people in teacher conversion scheme, we will pay more than N10,000, N15,000 as stipend while in training, and then after the training, they are going to be employed by state government and the federal government in different institution.

“It is not a programme we shall run alone, the state governments are going to buy into it, they are going to synchronize with us, we are going to do it in synergy”

He also disclosed that the present administration has mapped out some poverty alleviating and employment generating programs for Nigerians which will be carried out by the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Labour and Employment.

On the planned Skills Acquisition Scheme, Ngige said “The Ministry has specialists skills acquisition centres; we have seven like that base in the ministry under the commissioner of skills or directorate for skills.

“The NDE have over 120 centres scattered all over the country, we also have those that have been built by state government and we want to capture all of these into that scheme and then get people to the scheme; to be bricklayers, to be POP designers, builders, welders, electronics repairer and the one they called Mecha-tronic, repair of vehicles, automobile carpentry, painting and fabrication of all sorts.

“We are going to do it, teach people, give them certification, because many people do not know that Ministry of Labour is the only place that can certified tradesmen.  This skills acquisition centres are in grades, we have grade A certification, Grade B, Grade C, D and E Certification, they all still exist.

“So we want to get back our youths, capture them, teach them to use their hands, and when they used their hands, they can earn money by employing themselves. If you get a bricklayer, or a painter today, you cannot pay less than N5000 for a daily job.

“If somebody is able to work 20 days in a month for N5000, he already has N100,000. But, today it is a sad story that Togolese, Ghannians, people from Benin Republic, people from Niger Republic that do all these skilled job for us.

“80 percent of workers in that specialize category in construction site all over Nigeria, be it in Abuja, in Lagos or in Onitsha, they come from outside, and we don’t know that little drops of water, form  ocean, the money or the naira they are paid is repatriated to their country and all of them will come at the end of the day to put pressure on naira in the foreign exchange market.

“So we have decided that we have to train our own youths, let them use their hinds to fend for themselves. We will also want to advance some of them into entrepreneurship. If you are very good, we can open a place for you and give you money through the Bank of Industry and SMEDAN and then you move to the next stage where a number of youth will work with you.”

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