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Government Begins payment Of Batch A and B of N-Power Beneficiaries

With the removal of technical hurdles, the Federal Government has resumed payment of allowances to remaining Batch A and B of N-Power volunteers.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Bashir Nura Alkali, in a statement, confirmed that payment has resumed after solving problems of system setbacks.

Alkali explained that the accounts of the affected 14,021 volunteers were flagged in March 2020 by the Federal Government payment system, the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), for various reasons.

He blamed the delay on beneficiaries having multiple accounts or accounts receiving salaries and allowances from multiple channels and the government on permanent employment, or for participating in other schemes.

“These acts violate the regulations guiding the N-Power volunteer programme and could amount to gross misconduct and corruption,” he warned.

He noted that the Ministry carried out detailed investigation with relevant MDAs, and so far 9,066 volunteers beneficiaries have been cleared for final payment.

“Based on this reality, the five months allowance arrears of N150,000 each, is currently being paid,” he further explained.

He also clarified that the allowances of the remaining 4,955 volunteers is still withheld for further investigation.

Alkali promised sanctions for volunteers who violated agreement guiding the scheme and the law.

“Where clear violations of the agreements are established, such violators will be subjected to appropriate sanctions as stipulated by the law,” he said.

The Permanent Secretary reiterated that the exercise clearly demonstrated the Ministry’s resolve to address outstanding issues in a transparent manner for accountability and to forestall future occurrences

“Stop Accumulating Debt For Next Generation to Come, It Is foolishness to keep borrowing” – Obasanjo Begs Buhari Govt

Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has fired the Muhammadu Buhari administration over its continuous borrowing to fund recurrent expenditure.

Obasanjo, in a recent interview with Channels TV, said that it was ‘foolishness’ to keep borrowing and creating debt for the future generation.

“If you want to build a commercial house and you go and borrow money, and you have 50 per cent of your own money and you borrow 50 per cent and in five years, you pay the 50 per cent that you borrowed. That is a wise thing to do. But if you have to go and borrow money for you to be able to feed yourself and your family, that is a stupid thing to do.”

“So, if we are borrowing for recurrent expenditure, it is the height of foolery. If we are borrowing for development that can pay itself, that is understandable; then how long will it pay itself? But we are borrowing and accumulating debt for the next generation and the next generation after them, it is criminal, to put it mildly. What are we borrowing for?”

“When I came into government and was elected President, we were spending $3.5bn to service debt, and even with that, our quantum of debt was not going down.”

The Buhari administration has borrowed a total of N21tn within six years.

According to the Debt Management Office, a at the end of March 2021, Nigeria’s public debt hit a total of N33.12tn, which means in the last six years under the President, the country’s debt rose by N21tn.

As of the end of June 2015, one month after the present regime came into power, the country’s debt profile stood at N12.12tn. The country’s debt profile has risen by 173.27 per cent within the six-year period.

Shocking! Woman Exposes Popular Pastors Who Visits Her Husband’s Shrine For Power

The wife of the chief priest of Idemili Cultural Centre, Ralph Ndidi Obi, Lolo Ebelechukwu Obi, has alleged that some pastors get power from her husband.
Lolo disclosed this during an interview with BBC pidgin.

The wife of the chief priest who had married him for eight years revealed that some popular pastors visit her centre in Agulu in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State, for spiritual power to enable them to perform miracles in their churches.

She further stated that before she tied the knot with the chief priest, she was a prayer warrior in the church.

Lolo said, “After getting married to my husband, some pastors that I cannot even mention, I started seeing them here and my husband, the chief priest, usually works for them.

“They used to come to him for power but when they return to their church, they will begin to cast the water spirit. We deliver people from spiritual husbands and wives. When you come to us, we just settle the spirit and you will go and marry your spouse.”

According to her, being a traditional worshipper is not bad, adding that the perception of Nigerians of the religion is wrong.

She added, “When I was a prayer warrior in church, I used to see traditional worshippers as bad people but after marrying my husband, I found out that it is not even a bad thing.”

Hoodlums set another INEC office in Enugu ablaze

Arsonists set the INEC office at Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State ablaze on Sunday.

The Chief Fire Officer in Enugu State, Chief Okwudili Ohaa, confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu.

Ohaa said that a distress call was received by the Enugu State Fire Service at about 1.30 a.m.

“As usual, when we received the distress call our trucks and men at Ozalla Station quickly moved to the scene.

“We equally mobilised fire engines and fire fighters from Enugu metropolis.

“Our prompt intervention saved the entire complex as only one office room was affected in the raging fire before it was extinguished,’’ he said.

Ohaa said that the quick response of fire fighters gave credence to the establishment of fire stations in local government areas by Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

“With the development, it is important to note that the state’s residents and infrastructure are now benefiting from massive investment of Gov. Ugwuanyi in building and equipping new fire stations throughout the state,’’ he said.

There are feelers that the arsonists climbed through the perimeter fence to gain access to the INEC complex.

Efforts made by NAN to get the police and INEC officials to speak on the incident proved unsuccessful as they did not pick their calls.

Arsonists had earlier in the year attacked the INEC Headquarters in Enugu State and the INEC office in Udenu Local Government Area of the state as well.

Obadiah Malafia Told Me He Had Malaria And Cattarh Two Days Ago, Says Cousin

One of the cousins of Obadiah Mailafia, a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has said he spoke with the deceased two days before he died.

Mailafia died at Gwagwalada Specialist Hospital, Abuja, on Sunday morning.

The cousin, who pleaded anonymity because the family did not authorise him to speak on their behalf, said when they spoke, the former CBN deputy governor explained that he was having malaria and cattarh.

He said Mailafia told him he had to switch off his main number because people were disturbing him on that line.

According to the cousin, after they finished talking, he (the cousin) wished him quick recovery and thanked him for an assistance he rendered him last week.

“Only for me to get a call today’s church service that he has passed on,” he said.

The cousin, who resides in Jos, Plateau State capital, said though Mailafia had a house in Jos, he did not reside there.

He said last year when he was offered an appointment at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Kuru near Jos, he lived in the ancient city during the period.

It was in Jos that he granted a radio station an interview that a serving Governor was a commander of Boko Haram.

Mailafia had also alleged that during the COVID-19 lockdown, insurgents were moving and distributing arms and ammunition across the country, and that they were moving up and down as if there was no lockdown.

This made the Department of State Services (DSS) invite him to its Jos office where he was interrogated thrice.

He was 64.

Source: Daily Trust

IGP Alkali queries Abba Kyari after panel report

Indicted super cop and former commander of the IGP Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Abba Kyari, has been queried by the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba.

The query follows the submission of the report by the police panel set up by the IGP to look into the alleged indictment of Abba Kyari by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Abba Kyari was queried over infractions noticed in his communication with Ramon Abbas aka Hushuppi, a suspected internet fraudster, the Daily Trust reported.

“The IGP has issued a query to Abba Kyari based on the findings of the panel.

“The panel discovered that there was communication between Kyari and Hushpuppi, as well as infractions on the part of the cop, which is against the procedure of engagement of the police.”

The panel did not recommend the extradition of Kyari because it could not establish that the police officer committed any crime in the US.

“There is no proof that he committed any crime on the soil of the US to warrant his extradition.

“He will be sanctioned by the appropriate authorities here. However, it is for the AGF to advise if there is a ground to extradite him to the US, which is very unlikely, the source said further.

Spokesperson of the Nigerian Police Force, Frank Mba, however, said that the IGP has forwarded the recommendations of the panel to the Police Service Commission (PSC) for appropriate action.

Reportedly, the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation is also looking into the request of extraditing the indicted Cop to the United States of America.

Blackout In Maiduguri As ISWAP Destroys Electricity Power Lines

Members of the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) have destroyed four high tension towers that supply electricity from Damaturu to Maiduguri in Borno State.
It was gathered that the terrorists blew up the electricity facility on Friday night.

According to Daily Post, the incident which occurred in Garin Kuturu village, about two kilometers away from Auno, started precisely around 7 pm and lasted up to 10 pm.

An eyewitness stated that four towers were completely destroy, while the fifth is about to collapse.

“With this development, I don’t think Maiduguri will have light again soon. While the government is talking about restoring the lines I think it is time they started talking about solar since we have it in abundance and forget about trying to reconnect the state with the national grid,” Dauda Habu, a resident of Polo GRA disclosed.

This is coming barely two days after ISWAP reportedly attacked and killed many Nigerian soldiers in an ambush in Borno State.

It was gathered that the terrorists attacked the troops on Thursday in Monguno, which is over 100km north of Maiduguri, the state capital.

Military sources revealed that Boko Haram/ISWAP killed many soldiers during the attack that lasted for many hours.

The source revealed that military vehicle, several weapons and ammunition were stolen during the attack.

Gbenga Adeyinka Commiserates with Oyo Former First Lady over Mother’s Demise

Veteran comedian, Gbenga Adeyinka De 1st, has commiserated with the former First Lady of Oyo State, Mrs Florence Ajimobi, over the death of her mother, Mrs Victoria Amudoaghan.

Mrs Amudoaghan who died last Thursday at 78 years, was a Catholic and member of Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, Aguda, Surulere, Lagos.

The late Victoria Amudoaghan was a very hardworking and enterprising woman, who was bornGbenga Adey at Kwale in Ndokwa West Local Government Area of Delta State.

In his condolence message, Gbenga Adeyinka, who is one of Nigeria’s most sought-after Standup comedians and Master Comperes (MC), prayed for God to give the deceased family the fortitude to bear the big loss.

“It was in total subjection to the will of God that I received the saddening news of the passing of the mother to our dear former Oyo State first lady, Her Excellency, Dr. Mrs Florence Ajimobi, knowing that we have been created by God and that someday, we all will appear before our creator to give account.

“Mrs Victoria Amudoaghan was a good mother, she was an amazon in whom her beloved daughter saw virtues that she picked. She lived an accomplished life and she survived in health to see her children, grand-children and great grand-children.

“Although we do not mourn as those without hope, I must commiserate with the entire Amudoaghan’s family of Delta state, and most especially, Her Excellency, Chief Florence Ajimobi for the loss. It is my sincere prayers that the soul of the deceased be granted a good repose in the hereafter and that the family find the fortitude to bear the loss,” Adeyinka states.

Fuji star, KWAM 1 visits Tinubu in London

Fuji music icon, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal better known as KWAM 1 on Friday paid a visit to Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State who is currently in the United Kingdom for medical attention.

It is believed that the visit is to wish the former governor a quick recovery.

KWAM 1’s visit will be one of the numerous visits received by Tinubu since he left the shores of this country in July.

President Muhammadu Buhari in mid August visited him among other politicians including Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, former Ogun state governor, Ibikunle Amosun, Members of the Lagos state house of Assembly, Lagos state governors, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

According to speculations, Mr Tinubu who is the national leader of the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC) has interest in the country’s number job in the next general elections in 2023.

‘Rivers VAT Controversy’: CJN speaks on supreme court Panel, Says ‘There won’t be External influence’

Ibrahim Muhammad, chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), says the panel which will hear an appeal by the Rivers state government on the value-added tax (VAT) controversy will be free from external influence.

Rivers is seeking a supreme court ruling setting aside an order of the appeal court which directed the state to maintain status quo on the collection of VAT pending the determination of an appeal filed by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

Supreme court insiders had told TheCable on Thursday that there are plans to arrange a UK trip for the CJN before a panel is constituted to determine the appeal.

In his absence, Mary Odili, the No 2 in the supreme court hierarchy and former first lady of Rivers state, will appoint the members of the panel.

Reacting to the report, the CJN, in a statement signed by his senior special assistant on media, Isah Ahuraka, said all the justices of the apex court are independent and have integrity.

“It must be borne in mind that the supreme court justices are not only independent minded but also has the pedigree of integrity devoid of influences from within and outside. Times without number, the apex court panel came up with split decisions,” the statement read.

Ahuraka also said the CJN is healthy and thus, has no plan to travel to the UK for medical attention.

“We unequivocally state that the CJN is hale and hearty. Last week, he interrogated the seven chief judges involved in the granting of conflicting court injunctions, spanning over seven hours. This is just as he presided over the National Judicial Council (NJC) meeting on Wednesday and Thursday this week,” he said.