Buhari Didn’t Call Me For Seven Months, Says Leah’s Mum [THE NATION]
MOTHER of Leah Sharibu, the Dapchi schoolgirl in Boko Haram captivity has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of failing in his promise to secure her release.
Leah was abducted two years ago along with 109 of her school mates. All but her have been released.
Mrs. Rebecca Sharibu, who spoke in London in an interview on the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), claimed that President Muhammadu Buhari did not contact her family until seven months after the pupils were taken away by the insurgents.
Mrs. Sharibu said: “I have come to Britain to lay my complaints, I need their help. They should help me; I will like my daughter to be freed from captivity.
“My daughter was abducted among others by Boko Haram terrorists, it was seven months later that President Muhammadu Buhari called me.
“When he called me, he told me that my daughter would returned; that she would not stay long.
“Two weeks later, he sent three ministers to our house and they corroborated what Mr. President had told me. The ministers reiterated that Leah would be returned to me, shortly.
“The ministers said they were in my house to reassure me that my daughter would soon return. But since that day, I never heard anything again from the government.
Ower Crisis: Govt Launches Forensic Enquiry Into Discos [THE NATION]
HOW Nigeria will get out of the crippling energy crisis which appears intractable has been put on the front burner in the last 72 hours by the government.
Accounts of the Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) are to be subjected to forensic audit by the Federal Government.
Besides, governors have invited Minister of Power Sale Mamman to provide details of the ongoing work at the $5.8 billion Mambilla Hydro Electrical Power Project which will supply 3,050 megawatts on completion.
The National Economic Council (NEC) after yesterday’s meeting, said the recommendation by the Nasir El-Rufai committee on the review of the ownership status of the DisCos on forensic audit was adopted.
Edo State Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu told reporters after the meeting, that the forensic audit of all DisCos’ accounts would ascertain the level of investment into the assets they acquired.
According to him, the El-Rufai committee requested for another two months so, it could tidy up issues surrounding the task given it, one of which is getting state governments to come up with their expenditure on the power companies.
“NEC received an update on the review of the status of ownership structure of the electricity power distribution companies. The Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, briefed NEC on the progress so far made and responses so far received from the general public.
BREAKING: Nigeria Records First Case Of Coronavirus [THE NATION]
Nigeria has recorded the first case of the deadly coronavirus, which broke out in China in January, 2020.
It was confirmed by the Ministry of Health in Lagos State, which reported it to the Federal Ministry of Health.
The case was confirmed on the 27th of February 2020.
A statement by the Commissioner of Health, Prof Akin Abayomi informed the case involved
“an Italian citizen who entered Nigeria on the 25th of Feburary from Milan, Italy for a brief business visit.”
He was said to have fallen ill on February 26 and transfered to Lagos State Biosecurity Facilities for isolation and testing.
The case, he added, was confirmed as COVID-19 infection by the Virology Laboratory of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, part of the Laboratory Network of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
According to him: ‘The patient is clinically stable, with no serious symptoms, and is being managed at the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba, Lagos.
“The Government of Lagos State under the Governor as the COVID-19 Incident Commander, through the Lagos State Ministry of Health, has been strengthening measures to ensure that any outbreak in Lagos is controlled and contained quickly in collaboration with the multi-sectoral Coronavirus Preparedness Group, led by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
” We have immediately activated the State Emergency Operations Centre to respond to this case and implement firm control measures.
“I wish to assure all Lagosians and Nigerians that we have been strengthening our preparedness since the first confirmation of cases in China.
“We will use all the resources made available by the State and the Federal Government to respond to this case.”
We are working to identify all the contacts of the patient, since he arrived in Nigeria.
NEC Orders Forensic Audit Of Discos [LEADERSHIP]
Drastic measures have been taken by the National Economic Council (NEC) to avert the drift in the power sector and the exploitation of Nigerians by the 11 electricity distribution companies (DisCos) in Nigeria.
After an extensive review of the activities of the power firms and the growing complaints of the citizens on the companies’ epileptic services, NEC directed an immediate forensic audit on them.
NEC, which is chaired by the vice president, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, comprises state governors and top officials of the federal government.
After the council’s meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, yesterday, the deputy governor of Edo State, Phillip Shuaibu, told State House correspondents that state governors were asked to provide details of their investments in the DisCos.
The NEC action came two days after the Nigeria Electricity Distribution Company (NERC) put on hold the hike in electricity tariff slated for April 1, 2020. The commission gave the DisCos two years to complete the metering of their customers before considering any increase in electricity charges.
NERC accused the DisCos of frustrating its efforts at ensuring that electricity consumers were metered to end the current regime of estimated billing.
According to Shuaibu, “NEC also receives an update on the review of the status of ownership structure of electricity power distributing companies. The Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai briefed NEC on the progress made and the responses so far received from the general public.
Police In Katsina Kill 17 Suspected Bandits, Recover 80 Cows [LEADERSHIP]
The Katsina State Police Command has again engaged suspected bandits terrorising the state in another shootout and succeeded in killing 17 of them. The command also recovered 80 cows and 180 sheep with a donkey from the attackers.
SP Gambo Isah, the command’s spoke man revealed this yesterday while parading suspected syndicate of kidnappers at the command’s headquarters.
According to him, the police reacted to a distress call received about some suspected bandits in their numbers armed with AK 47 rifles in Gurbi village, Kankara local government area of the state who killed four persons and rustled large number of domestic animals even after receiving fierce resistance from the local vigilante groups.
He added that upon receiving the information, the commissioner of Police, CP Sanusi Buba, directed DPO in Kankara Division to lead Operation Puff Adder in collaboration with vigilante groups to the scene, where the bandits were engaged in a shootout.
“The team succeeded and killed 17 suspected bandits and recovered 80 cows, 180 sheep and a donkey from the hoodlums which were earlier carted away from the village and other neighbouring villages.
The command further expressed readiness to deal decisively with any criminal elements unprepared to embrace the amnesty issued by Governor Aminu Bello Masari of the state.
Amotekun: South West States To Present Unified Legal Backing [LEADERSHIP]
The six Houses of Assembly in the South West have agreed to jointly adopt a single legal document, which will make the practice and operation of Amotekun security outfit uniform across the zone.
The chairman, Conference of Speakers of South West States, Hon Bamidele Oleyelogun, gave the indication at a meeting of the conference in Ibadan on Wednesday.
The Attorneys-General of the states was also present at the meeting.
Oleyelogun, who is the Speaker, Ondo State House of Assembly, said the uniformity of the bill would ensure a synergy of operation in terms of working relationship, intelligence sharing, training and others amongst the Amotekun corps in the six states for effective security operation and management.
He explained that the conference would not rest until an acceptable law, which will give full legal backing to the security outfit, is passed.
At the meeting, the speakers and AGs were able to make observations, suggestions and clear conflicting areas identified during the public hearings conducted by each state.
They did a clause-by-clause deliberation of the issues raised at public hearings.
The idea was to harmonise the different suggestions, observations and criticisms into the proposed law.
Lagos Records First Case Of Coronavirus In Nigeria [PUNCH]
The Ministry of Health in Lagos State has confirmed its first case of the novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), incidentally the first in Nigeria and in West Africa since the outbreak in China in January 2020.
This was contained in a statement released Friday morning by the state Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi.
It is the second confirmed case in Africa following one recently recorded in Algeria in North Africa.
The novel virus is fast spreading, having been reported in over 20 countries across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and lately in Africa.
Like the case confirmed in Algeria, the victim, an Italian traveller, arrived in Nigeria on Tuesday from Milan on a business trip.
The victim used the Murtala Muhammad International Airport in Lagos.
The victim whose name was not identified is being managed at the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba, Lagos.
FG Makes A U-Turn, Admits Boko Haram Targeting Christians [PUNCH]
The Federal Government on Thursday admitted that members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect and ISWAP have changed tactics.
It said they had decided to be targeting Christians and Christian communities.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said this at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday.
It said the insurgents’ latest strategy was meant to trigger a religious war and throw the nation into chaos.
The minister’s position contradicted the President Major General Muhammadu Buhari’s (retd.) assertion in an op-ed article published three weeks ago in a United States-based magazine, Christianity Today.
In the op-ed which was a tribute to the Michika Local Government Area Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Adamawa State, Pastor Lawan Andimi, who was abducted and killed by insurgents, Buhari had said that it was not true that Christians were the primary targets of Boko Haram insurgents.
Repentant Terrorists To Enjoy Foreign Education – Senate Bill [PUNCH]
The proposed National Agency for the Education, Rehabilitation, De-radicalisation and Integration of Repentant Insurgents in Nigeria’ will get its funding from the Universal Basic Education Commission and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, The PUNCH reports.
Other sources of funding include- donations, grants, annual subventions from the government and counterpart funding from the six North-East states of Borno, Bauchi, Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba and Gombe.
The details are included in the bill which was obtained by The PUNCH on Thursday.
The controversial bill, which is officially known as ‘A Bill for the Establishment of the National Agency for the Education, Rehabilitation, De-radicalisation and Integration of Repentant Insurgents in Nigeria and for Other Connected Purposes’, passed the first reading in the Senate on Thursday last week.
But few hours after the bill, which was sponsored by Senator representing Yobe East, Ibrahim Geideam, passed the first reading, it attracted angry reactions from the Chibok Community, which was attacked by the insurgents in 2014, and the Christian Association of Nigeria.
Lending Rate: Senate Begins Probe Of CBN [SUN]
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and commercial banks in the country came under fire yesterday over disparities in deposit and lending rates obtainable in their offices. The upper legislative chamber lamented that interest rate on loans operated by commercial banks and approved by the CBN remained one of the highest in the world.
Angered by the development, the Senate mandated its Committee on Financial Institutions to investigate and report back its findings to enable it take a definite position on the matter.
These revelations were made during the consideration and adoption of a motion titled: “Urgent need to bridge the gap between lending interest rate and deposit interest rate among commercial banks and other financial institutions” sponsored by Solomon Adeola Olamilekan.
According to data from the Central Bank of Nigeria, savings deposit rate as at December 2019 was 3.89 per cent, while prime and maximum lending rates were 14.99 per cent and 30.72 per cent in the same period.
Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia Suspends Visa For Umrah Hajj [SUN]
Saudi Arabia yesterday suspended visas for visits to Islam’s holiest sites for the “umrah” pilgrimage due to start in late July, an unprecedented move triggered by coronavirus fears that raises questions over the annual hajj.
The kingdom, which hosts millions of pilgrims every year in the cities of Mecca and Medina, also suspended visas for tourists from countries affected by the virus as fears of a pandemic deepen. Saudi Arabia, which so far has reported no cases of the virus but has expressed alarm over its spread in neighbouring countries, said the suspensions were temporary.
But it provided no timeframe for when they will be lifted, and the decision left tens of thousands of pilgrims preparing to visit the kingdom from around the world in limbo. “The kingdom’s government has decided to take the following precautions: suspending entry to the kingdom for the purpose of umrah and visit to the Prophet’s mosque temporarily,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
“Suspending entry into the kingdom with tourist visas for those coming from countries where the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) is a danger,” it added without naming them. The measures came amid a spike in coronavirus infections across the Middle East even as the number of new cases has declined in China, where the disease originated.
EFCC Arrests 3 For Duping Olubadan’s 2nd-In-Command Of N300m [SUN]
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibadan zonal office, has arrested three persons for allegedly duping the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Lekan Balogun, who is the second in command to Oba Saliu Adetunji, Aje Ogungunniso I.
The name of the suspects were given as Babatunde Ologunja, Olusola Olaoye Babatunde and Olufemi Lawal by the anti-graft agency.
According to EFCC, the suspects, and others still at large, were accused of conspiring to dispossess the Ibadan high chief of sums running to about N300 million.
Balogun represented Oyo South Senatorial District in the National Assembly on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) from 1999 to 2003.
His younger brother, Kola Balogun, currently representing the same Oyo South in the Senate, was said to have written a petition to the EFCC as a concerned member of the Aliwo family, seeking the commission’s intervention in smashing the syndicate and ensuring that members are made to pay for their alleged crime.
Group Urges Buhari To Save APC, Preserve His Legacy [THE GUARDIAN]
Council for New Nigeria initiative (CNNi), formerly known as National Committee for Buhari Support Groups (NCBSG), has admonished President Muhammadu Buhari to do everything within his power as leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and save the party from disintegration.
The group, which also urged the President to initiate policies and programmes that would enable the public appreciate the party a lot more, intimated him on issues relating to economic prosperity for the citizens, national unity and preservation of his achievements after 2023.
The leader of the group, Senator Abu Ibrahim from Katsina South, who spoke during the group’s courtesy visit to the President.said: “The teeming masses who supported APC and the President in the last general elections are expecting the campaign promises of the party and goal to lift 100 million citizens out of poverty.”
The group said that its main purpose was to give support to the government of Buhari to succeed and leave a good legacy behind to serve as a platform for promoting the philosophical ideals of nationhood and responsible citizenship and to stimulate and re-orientate the citizens to become active participants in the nation-building process.