Buhari Arrives Osogbo, Osun State

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The President, Muhammadu Buhari has arrived Osogbo, the Osun State capital, where he is expected to commission some projects completed by the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

President Buhari had been scheduled to participate in the activities marking the 25th anniversary of the creation of Osun state, which took place last week but was unable to make it there.

Accompanying the President on the visit include the Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, as well as his Oyo and Borno States counterparts, Governors Abiola Ajimobi and Kashim Shettima.

Security has been beefed up at the Osogbo Government High School, site of one of the projects to be commissioned, as policemen from the Bomb Squadron Unit as well as men of the National Security and Civil Defence Corps were seen with sniffer dogs combing the area

Abacha loot: U.S-based lawyer says Attorney General Malami ‘lying’, threatens lawsuit

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A United States-based lawyer has threatened to sue Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, for defamation if he fails to apologise within 48 hours for his comment on the controversy surrounding the return of N218 billion ($550 million) recovered Abacha loot.

Godson Nnaka, who was recruited in 2004 by the Nigerian government to recover funds stolen by late dictator Sani Abacha, had instituted a case in a U.S. district court seeking 40 percent of the recovered loot. He also asked to be made the funds’ exclusive attorney.

According to Mr. Nnaka, he was kicked out of the fund recovery case after he had spent money and time to find and recover the funds.

He also alleged that Mr. Malami jilted him after he turned down his demand to part with a kickback of as much as 70 percent of his fee, to access documentations needed for him to act on behalf of the country.

While responding to the allegation that he demanded bribe, the minister told PREMIUM TIMES that he decided to end the partnership after Mr. Nnaka threatened to embarrass President Muhammadu Buhari during one of his trips to the U.S., if he was not given the necessary documentations.

“So when I was appointed into office he approached me for such instruction. But then what annoyed me most was that he now used threat. He threatened me that if I do not give him the letter of instruction, when Mr President’s flight arrives in New York, he would embarrass the federal government. I then became annoyed because I do not naturally stand to threat. Nobody can intimidate me like a baby for procuring a letter of instruction. And on that basis I said he should do his worst. That was the genesis of the problem,” he said in a telephone interview.

However, a statement by Mr. Nnaka’s U.S.-based counsel, Bennett Amadi, claimed his client had never met with Mr. Malami personally nor had any conversation with him on the phone.

Mr Amadi had also told PREMIUM TIMES that all correspondences between his client and the AGF had been done through attorneys.

“I wish to state categorically that Dr. Nnaka did not make any of the alleged statements. As a matter of fact, Dr. Nnaka has never held any meeting/discussion, personal, telephone or otherwise with Mr. Malami on any subject at all or on the subject of the Abacha Loots, whether in Nigeria or anywhere in the world.

“It is therefore very pathetic to think of how low Mr. Malami could descend to peddle deliberate lies and conscious misrepresentations against Dr. Nnaka.

“While it is common knowledge that anyone fighting corruption, like Mr. Nnaka, is often threatened, abused and vilified, I consider the alleged statements Mr. Malami has attributed to Dr. Nnaka as mere reckless fabrications designed by Mr. Malami to further injure and damage Dr. Nnaka.”

He therefore said that Mr. Malami has 48 hours from Wednesday to retract the statements and allegations as well as publish an apology in PREMIUM TIMES and five other Nigerian newspapers or be ready to be slammed with a defamation charge.

“Accordingly, I hereby demand of Mr. Malami to retract those statements and senseless allegations, and immediately issue a public apology to Dr. Nnaka, within the next forty-eight (48) hours, in the PREMIUM TIMES newspaper and in five other Nigerian National newspapers and two online Magazines, in the absence of which, I will initiate a libel and defamation suit on behalf of Dr. Nnaka and seek justice against Mr. Abubakar Malami, personally, in the Court of appropriate jurisdiction.”

Buhari appoints head of Niger Delta Power Holding Company

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President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Joseph Chiedu Ugbo as the managing director/chief executive officer of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited.

A statement by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, the president also appointed two other Executive Directors. They are Babayo Shehu (Finance andAdministration) and Ife Oyedele (Engineering and Technical Services).

Mr. Ugbo had held the position in an interim capacity.

He is a legal practitioner and infrastructure regulations specialist with extensive experience in electricity industry reform and privatization.

He holds a Bachelor and Master of Law Degrees from the University of Lagos and was admitted to practice Law in Nigeria in 1991.

For over 15 years, Mr. Ugbo provided legal advisory services to public sector power entities including legal support to erstwhile National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) and to the Bureau of Public Enterprises during the privatization of the twenty successor companies of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

Mr. Shehu holds a First Class Honours Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria. He began his working career with Bauchi State Development Board in 1981.

He had a career in banking from 1987 to 2003 and thereafter joined the federal public service in 2003 and was in the service from 2003 to 2014. Mr. Oyedele graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree, Electrical Engineering from the University of Lagos in 1982. He is a member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers and Institute of Directors.

Between 1982 and 1992, he worked in both the public and private sectors. He established his own company, Messrs Matcom Limited in 1992. He was the Managing Director of the company until his new appointment.

Aero Contractors suspends flight operations indefinitely, sends staff on leave

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Aero Contractors Airlines on Wednesday said that it would suspend all its scheduled services indefinitely from Thursday Sept. 1.

The airline’s Chief Executive Officer, Fola Akinkuotu, said in a statement in Lagos that the management decision was part of the strategic business realignment to reposition the airline and return it to the path of profitability.

He said all staff directly and indirectly involved in providing the services, would also proceed on indefinite leave of absence.

“This business decision is as a result of the current economic situation in the country, which has forced some other airlines to suspend operation or outrightly pull out of Nigeria.

“In the case of Aero, the airline has faced grave challenges in the past six months, which impacted its business and by extension the scheduled services operations,’’ he said.

Mr. Akinkuotu said the impact of the external environment had been very harsh on the airline’s operational performance, hence the management’s decision to suspend scheduled services operations indefinitely effective Sept.1, 2016.

“This suspension is pending when the external opportunities and a robust sustainable and viable plan is in place for Aero Contractors to recommence its scheduled services.

“The implication of the suspension of scheduled services operations extends to all staff directly and indirectly involved in providing services, as they are effectively to proceed on indefinite leave of absence during the period of non-services.

“We are aware of the impact this will have on our staff and our highly esteemed customers, hence we have initiated moves to ensure that we are able to return back to operations within the shortest possible time, offering reliable, safe and secure operations,’’ he said.

Mr. Akinkuotu said that both internal and external environmental factors had made it difficult for the airline to continue its scheduled services, leading to the management’s decision.

He recalled that, as part of its resolve to ensure the airline survived, unlike most other carriers that experienced short life span in the country, Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) had appointed Adeniyi Adegbomire as Receiver Manager in Feb. 6, 2016.

Mr. Akinkuotu also noted that since AMCON’s intervention in Aero Contractors in 2011, it had provided support for the airline to meet working capital requirements and fleet expansion.

When NAN correspondent visited the airline’s counter on Wednesday, the ticket counters at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal (MMA2) were empty

Nigerian govt renames Solid Minerals Ministry, approves new mining roadmap

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The Federal Executive Council has approved a new roadmap for the growth and development of the nation’s mining sector and the renaming of the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals.

The ministry will now be known as Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development.

The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Kayode Fayemi, disclosed this when he addressed State House correspondents on the outcome of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, which was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to him, the new roadmap, which is built on the old roadmap, seeks to grow the contribution of mining to the Gross Domestic Products (GDP) in line with the Federal Government’s determination to further diversify the nation’s economy.

He said that under the new roadmap, there would be an independent regulatory agency for the mining industry as being advocated for by the operators in the mining sector.

“What it seeks to do is to grow the contribution of mining to the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) in line with the president’s vision to diversify our revenue base in the country, stressing the place of agriculture and mining in that.

“What distinguishes this roadmap, which builds on the old roadmap that was approved by the council in 2012, is its determination to set up an independent regulatory agency, which investors have been insisting on that the ministry which has been serving as facilitator should also not be the one that regulate them,’’ he said.

The Minister announced that the Inspectorate, Environmental Compliance and the Artisans and Small Scale units of the ministry would form part of the regulatory agency. He said that in the new roadmap, there would be partnership between the federal and state governments.

He said that the partnership would address the persistent misunderstanding and conflicts between the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development and states’ Ministries for Mines.

Also addressing the correspondents on the outcome of the FEC meeting, the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, disclosed that the Council approved a 3-year borrowing plan of “low cost loans’’ for the country.

She said the external borrowing plan, which would be forwarded to the National Assembly, would enable government to access low interest loans from multi-lateral agencies such as World Bank, Africa Development Bank and China Exim.

The minister dismissed the insinuation that those managing the nation’s economy were running out of ideas and confused.

According to her, even though the country is in difficult time, the government is extremely focused and the country is going to bounce back as Nigeria is in the right hands.

“No, we are not confused, the time is confusing but we are not confused. We are extremely focused.

“We know that if we can just bear and get through this difficult period, Nigeria is going to be better for it.

“If we rely on oil and the price of oil remains low and the quantity of oil remains low, we can’t grow.

“We have to grow our non oil economy.

“I think we have a long way to go.

“We’re not confused and we are not deceiving ourselves that everything is rosy. It’s not.

“It is a difficult time for Nigeria but I think Nigeria is in the right hands and if we can stick with our strategy, we still have some adjustments to make. I think we need to make some adjustments in monetary policy.

“It’s quite clear we do and we will do that.

“We’re working on that. We need to try and find a way to support the manufacturing sector better and we will do that,’’ she added.

In his contribution, the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, announced that the council approved the renewal of the E-Wallet system of fertiliser allocation and distribution to ensure policy continuity.

He, however, stated that the process would be modified to address some identified challenges in the system.

The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, disclosed that the council approved the construction of International House in University of Ibadan to serve as hostel accommodation for foreign students in the institution.

He said the council also approved a new Library Complex for University of Lagos, at the cost of N1.9 billion.

Economic Crisis: PDP demands Buhari’s resignation

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The Peoples Democratic Party on Wednesday railed against President Muhammadu Buhari, accusing his administration of incompetence, and saying he should step down after the nation slipped into economic recession.

“We join all well meaning Nigerians to call on Mr. Buhari to resign if he is unable to reverse the disastrous economic decline he has brought on Nigerians,” the party said hours after figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics confirmed that Nigeria had slipped into recession.

The NBS said Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product contracted by 2.06 per cent, marking the first major recession in 29 years for Africa’s largest economy.

Analysts have long predicted that Nigeria’s economy was heading for a recession amid a shrinking naira and diminishing revenues occasioned by low crude prices.

The downward spiral has led to an increase in the number of Nigerians struggling to eke out a living, fueling fears of an outbreak of social unrest.

Behavioural economic experts and religious leaders recently raised concernsabout the dangers of leaving the country’s expanding youth population without means of livelihood for too long.

The PDP in its statement Wednesday saw the crisis as a direct consequence of Mr. Buhari’s “ineptitude and incompetent” approach to economic management which were a rehash of the “archaic and incoherent economic policies” he similarly pursued as the head of a military junta between 1983 and 1985.

“Nothing better showcases the absolute ineptitude and incompetence of the Muhammadu Buhari administration than the GDP, Inflation and unemployment figures released by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics today,” the PDP said in a statement signed by Deji Adeyanju, its director of new media.

“The result of these indices is that Nigeria is in its worst economic state for 29 years —dating back to 1987 when the nation had to take harsh steps to recover from President Buhari’s policies of 1984-85.”

“As with 1984-85, companies are fleeing our shores in droves. Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) recently stated that 272 companies have shut down in the past one year,” Mr. Adeyanju said.

Mr. Adeyanju also quoted key aspects of the detailed data as released by the NBS on Wednesday and compared them with what they were before his party was voted out in 2015 after a 16-year streak.

“Portfolio investment declined to an estimated $245.3m in Q2 2016. This represents a 9.5% from $271.0m in Q1 2016 & is a far cry from $2.81bn in Q2 2015,” Mr. Adeyanju said. “A total of 4,580,602 people have lost their jobs since May 29, 2015.”

The Buhari administration, in a statement Wednesday afternoon, acknowledged the gloomy economic data, but assured of improvements in an apparent bid to assuage the fears of Nigerians.

“The just released GDP figures for the 2016 second quarter by the National Bureau of Statistics while confirming a temporary decline, has (sic) also indicated an (sic) hopeful expectation in the country’s economic trajectory,” the State House said in a statement signed by Laolu Akande.

The administration attributed the negative results to the activities of oil vandals and said other aspects of the economy were yielding intended results, indicating that Mr. Buhari might not be ready to accept growing calls for a new policy direction.

“A close look at the data shows that this outcome was mostly due to a sharp contraction in the oil sector due to huge losses of crude oil production as a result of vandalisation and sabotage.

“However, the rest of the Q2 data is beginning to tell a different story. There was growth in the agricultural and solid minerals sectors which are the areas in which the Federal Government has placed particular priority,” Mr. Akande said.

But the PDP, in its statement, said it was unimpressed by the administration’s explanations, saying it had observed a worrisome trend in the polity.

“Our dismay is worsened by the fact that every sphere of the Nigerian socio-political space (ranging from the conduct of elections, human rights, respect for the rule of law, security, technology, health etc) is negatively affected by the Buhari administration,” Mr. Adeyanju said.

2019 elections may not hold — Odinkalu

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With 2019 elections less than two and half years away, a former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Chidi Odinkalu, on Wednesday raised the alarm over the level of preparation for the poll.

Mr. Odinkalu, who was speaking in Abuja at a town hall meeting and presentation of the findings of a post- 2015 elections research conducted by ActionAid Nigeria, said going ahead without proper preparation may result in crisis and deaths.

Although he acknowledged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recorded some gains in 2015 elections, Mr. Odinkalu said 2019 may be different.

“Today, the executive has gone into lax mode; judiciary has become lawless; National Assembly is lacking in credibility; INEC is troubled; politicians have gone unruly. Government says it has no money to run the economy. Every element that made 2015 is currently missing,” he said.

“There is absolutely no reason why the executive should allow the number of vacancies we have in INEC to be. By next month, INEC will have 28 vacancies among RECs (Resident Electoral Commissioners) and seven commissioners. The Executive is carrying on as if this normal. It isn’t.

“Citizens are carrying on like: ‘We will tweet it on social media’. We should do more than that, because our country is at stake. The way we are carrying on, 2015 is history; 2019 may not happen, if we don’t reset. We‘ve got to take our country very seriously. There will be no elections in 2019.

“I’m sorry to sound alarmist. But, continuing the way we are going, we will not be able to have elections in 2019. If it happens, there would be too many broken heads and dead people.”

Lamenting the role of the judiciary, Mr. Odinkalu, a lawyer, frowned at the corruption in the profession, particularly on recent rulings on electoral cases in the country.

“The judiciary has gone rogue and destroyed everything that was supposed to guarantee fairness in the 2015 elections,” he said. “Judges are speaking from too many sides of their mouth. There are no underlying principles.

“Judges come out with decisions they know are manifestly bought, and the profession is saying nothing. Citizens are behaving like it is normal for 20 judges to come out with 20 different orders on the same subject matter from different parts of the country.

“The jurisprudence on the PVC is irresponsible. When a country appropriates for a measure, and has it backed by law and voted for by the citizens, the judiciary cannot outlaw it the way the judiciary dealt with the PVC (permanent voters card). The judiciary reacted to the PVC in a way that effectively licensed electoral violence,” he said.

The executive director, Policy & Legal Advocacy Center, Clement Nwankwo, in his presentation, agreed with Mr. Odinkalu, expressing sadness at the existing vacancies in INEC.

He said the issue should be addressed as a national emergency situation to avoid fears expressed about crisis in 2019 elections becoming a reality.

“It is totally unacceptable that we we do not have a full complement of members of the electoral commission less than two and a half years to a national election. If those who hold the reins of leadership in the country today do not act as urgently as in emergency situation, we will lose this democracy,” he said.

He emphasized the need to re-engineer the electoral process to get citizens to be active participants in electoral process in 2019.

Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria, Ojobo Atuluku, said the organisation’s concern about citizens’ participation in the electoral process informed the decision to undertake the project on “Strengthening Citizens Engagement in Electoral Process, to deepen its work..

Mrs. Atuluku said the project allowed ActionAid to work with 180 communities across 10 states, to mobilise citizens to understand and engage the electoral system.

She said the findings from the research would help document citizens’ experiences across the country on the elections, to help shape the agenda for reforming the electoral process for improved citizens’ participation in future.