Fayose Fears For Safety Of Arrested Finance Commissioner, Accountant General

Channels Television  

The Ekiti State governor Mr Ayodele Fayose says he is afraid that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will not treat his detained officials with civility and decorum.

The governor is reacting to the arrest of his Commissioner of Finance and the State Accountant General who were arrested by the anti-graft agency over allegations of misuse of bail-out funds.

The agency had told Channels Television that the officials were arrested because they had failed to honour previous invitations to answer questions on the matter.

READ ALSO: Fayose Condemns Arrest Of Ekiti Finance Commissioner, Accountant General

Fayose in his reaction says the latest action by the EFCC is “premeditated, malicious, ill- and politically-motivated, contemptuous of the court, and is unconstitutional in all its ramifications.

The governor in a statement on Friday said that the EFCC has failed and or neglected to appeal or vacate this order; neither is there any report of indictment from the Ekiti State House of Assembly to warrant the EFCC’s action

The governor has earlier on Channels TV programme, Politics Today condemned the anti-graft agency’s action and wondered why they were arrested the same day he declared his ambition to contest the 2019 presidential election.

APC Criticises Fayose’s Presidential Ambition, Asks Him To Pay Worker’s Salaries

Channels Television  

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has criticised Governor Ayodele Fayose for declaring ambition to contest the 2019 presidential election.

The party in a statement on Friday said instead of aspiring to be Nigeria’s president, the governor should pay his state workers’ salaries and allowances ranging from six to eight months which is being owed.

APC said the governor’s action is not sensitive to the plight of the people of his state as he is “being blind to the sufferings of workers while pursuing presidential ambition”.

Fayose had on Thursday declared his presidential ambition at a ceremony held in Abuja.

The Publicity Secretary of party in Ekiti, Taiwo Olatunbosun, said, “It is the height of wickedness for Fayose to always call teachers to meetings like he did this week to brainwash them on the state’s poor finances.”

READ ALSO: Nigerians Will Determine My Presidency, Not PDP; Fayose

Olatunbosun claimed that the money in the coffers of the state since the governor’s assumption of office is enough to make the people happy if efficiently utilized.

He called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate Governor Fayose for misappropriating the state’s funds.

“We urge the EFCC to be meticulous in their investigations into how the governor misapplied bailout of N20billion, CBN’s N2billion loan for small-scale enterprises, N10billion loan for projects, N2.8 billion UBEC/Subeb counterpart fund, monthly allocation from the Federation Account to Local Govt council and  Paris Club cash that he has diverted.”

Judge Orders DSS To Produce Dasuki In Court

Channels Television  

The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Friday ordered the Department of State Service to produce the detained former National Security Adviser, Retired Col. Sambo Dasuki before a Federal High Court in Abuja.

The court ruling will allow Dasuki testify in defence of the former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh who is standing trial for allegedly diverting 400 million naira belonging to the government.

Metuh had applied to the Federal High Court to invite Dasuki as a witness in his trial but his request was denied by Justice Okon Abang.

Mr. Metuh, however, appealed the ruling and won at the Court of Appeal where the trial judge directed Justice Abang to fix a date which the DSS must produce Dasuki in court and other subsequent dates.

Dasuki had earlier been arraigned before Justice Adeniyi Ademolaof the same court on a five-count criminal charge bothering on possession of firearms alone.

In the two new counts, the Federal Government alleged that between July 16 and 17 2015 at the Abuja residence, Colonel Dasuki was found to be in possession of the sum of a total sum of 210,000 US Dollars.

The Federal Government claimed that the monies were part of proceeds of unlawful deals, contrary to section 15(2) of the money laundering prohibition act 2011; charges which Colonel Dasuki denied in his plea.

He was again re-arraigned on April 6, 2017, before Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on seven counts of criminal charges, bordering on illegal and unlawful possession of firearms, ammunition, as well as for money laundering offenses.

Nigeria@57: IGP Orders Massive Deployment Of Police Personnel

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File photo

The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris has ordered a massive deployment of Police personnel across Nigeria to ensure a hitch-free and peaceful celebration of Nigeria’s 57th independence celebration.

The police boss in a statement of Saturday directs all Commissioners of Police in all states of the Federation and their supervising assistant Inspectors General of Police in charge of zonal commands to carry out the order.

The officers and men are to be drafted from the police mobile force, counter-terrorism unit, special police forces and force intelligence and investigation department, among others.

READ ALSO: Buhari Observes Special Jumat Prayers For Independence Celebrations

They are also to forestall any disturbances in connection with the quit notices issued by various groups in the country.

Also, the IGP has placed all the personnel of the Force on red alert to nip in the bud any attempt by any group under whatsoever guise to cause disturbance of the peace on 1st of October, 2017 or at any other time.

The IGP also congratulates Nigeria and Nigerians on the occasion of the 57^th Independence Anniversary, he implores Nigerians to be their brother’s keeper and demonstrate love, as well as promote harmonious co-existence with our fellow Nigerians.

Benitez calm over Toon contract talk

Livescores.com

Benitez has been left frustrated by the Toon's limited transfer activity this season.

The Spaniard secured the club's return to the Premier League after a season in the Championship and has worked hard to make his side competitive.

But after six games, the club has just nine points, and face Liverpool on Sunday after suffering a 1-0 defeat at the hands of fellow promoted side Brighton and Hove Albion.

Ahead of this weekend's tie, Benitez said he was relaxed about his situation.

He said: "We have had some conversations internally. We'll see what we do with them.

"But it's not a big issue, I don't have a problem with Mike.

"The question is where we are, where we want to be and what we have to do to be there.

"It [the contract] is not an issue.

He added: "It's not something that will change my approach, or that I will be more comfortable if I sign a 20-year-old contract.

"It doesn't change my approach for the next game.

"Are we working for the January transfer window? Yes, we are already working on that. Like the majority of the teams, we are monitoring players and that is the main thing.

"There will be a time, maybe next month, maybe next week, maybe in two months, when we will have another conversation and we will talk about that."

Guardiola: Mendy injury a huge blow to City

Livescores.com

The 23-year-old French international left-back picked up the injury during Saturday's 5-0 Premier League win against Crystal Palace.

He is now expected to be out of action until at least April.

Mendy will undergo an operation to fix the problem, leaving Guardiola to consider altering his tactics, without the former Monaco man.

The City boss explained: "In the way he plays, the amount of times he goes up and down the sides, there is no replacement, we have to play in a different way," he said.

"Every player has his own qualities but there is no replacement in the world for the energy Benjamin has on the pitch.

"We have qualities in the other ones so we have to find the right balance."

With Sergio Aguero also ruled out of action with broken ribs following a car crash, Guardiola said his side will have to adapt.

"If we start complaining we'll never reach the step we want to get to. We are a strong team when we have those players but there are no complaints," he added.

"We have to overcome these situations if we want to become the team that people know it doesn't matter what happens to them.

"For big clubs it is all about how you react to these situations."

Mourinho: No rest for Lukaku

Livescores.com

The 24-year-old has scored 10 goals in nine appearances for the Premier League title-challengers.

He has missed just one game this season, when he sat out the 4-1 Carabao Cup victory over Burton Albion.

With the Red Devils short of attacking options, until Zlatan Ibrahimovic returns to fitness, Mourinho says he will continue to reply on Lukaku to be their primary goalgetter, although the likes of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Henrikh Mkhitaryan have all been weighing in with goals of their own recently.

Ahead of facing Crystal Palace on Saturday, Mourinho said: "Without Zlatan, we cannot rotate the striker, especially because Marcus Rashford is playing also in other positions.

"So until the moment we have Zlatan, we cannot think about giving rest to our number nine the same way we give in other positions."

On the rise and rise of Lukaku, who Mourinho feels has improved steadily over the years, he added: "Every step in his career, he grabbed it with both hands, since his first loan to West Bromwich Albion.

"He grabbed that opportunity with both hands, fighting for his evolution.

"He was very strong in his desire to be playing in a team with other objectives now and with Champions League football. It was always his dream to come to this level.

"Of course now, Manchester United is a different level of expectation and he is coping well."