Foreign Policy Diary – Dutch EU-Ukraine Association Agreement Referendum

TUC Threatens Mass Action Over Fuel Scarcity

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) yesterday threatened to embark on mass protests if the lingering fuel scarcity is not checked by the federal government.
President of the Congress, Comrade Bala Kaigama and the Acting Secretary-General, Simeso Amachree, said in a statement that the TUC may be compelled to take the action in view of the ongoing dislocation of fuel supplies in the country.

Nigeria’s Reserves Rise For 4 Days In A Row.

Read more at: https://www.thecable.ng/nigerias-reserves-rise-4-days-row

It is good news again from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) with the rise of foreign reserves for four days consecutively – the first of such since President Muhammadu Buhari took office.
The reserves, which rose by $13 million on Tuesday February 22, have continued to blossom its way out of the 11-year low positions.
The consecutive rise started on Thursday February 24, from $27.804 billion to $27.823 billion as at February 29, surging gradually through the days in-between.

N2bn Fraud: Twist As Judge Returns Oronsaye’s Case File

The N2bn fraud case involving a former Head of Service, HoS, to the Federation, Stephen Oronsaye, would have to start de novo as the presiding judge, Justice J. T. Tsoho, has said he has been “instructed” to return the case file to Justice Gabriel Kolawole, who was initially assigned the case in July 2015.

Oronsaye is being prosecuted at the Federal High Court, Abuja, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on offences bordering on stealing and obtaining money by false pretence. He is alleged to have been complicit in several contract awards during his tenure as HoS, and is being charged along with Osarenkhoe Afe on an amended 35-count charge.

Abduction Of 14- Year- Old Ese: Emir Sanusi Must Be Held Accountable, Fani- Kayode

ABUJA- FORMER Spokesperson to ex- President Goodluck Jonathan’s Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani- Kayode said yesterday that if what Mrs Rose Oruru, the mother of the kidnapped 14- year- old girl, Ese Oruru about the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi 11 that he ordered for her kidnap was true, the emir must be held accountable.

In a statement yesterday by Fani- Kayode, he said, “I just watched an AIT video on You tube in which 14 year old Ese Oruru’s mother claimed that her daughters abductors said that it was the Emir of Kano himself that ordered her daughters abduction and that she was kept in his palace for over one year for his pleasure. If this is true it confirms the suspicion that the Emir is culpable.

Investment In Immunisation Can Boost Nations’ Economy, Says Okonjo Iweala

The Chairman of GAVI board, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has revealed that for every dollar spent on childhood immunisation, nations will save $16 in healthcare costs, lost wages and lost productivity due to illness.

She said if governments take into account the full value people place on living longer, there would be a further increased return on investment to as much as $44.
Okonjo-Iweala who is Nigeria’s former Coordinating Minister for Economy and Minister of Finance in Nigeria, stated this during an interview with a Japanese radio station, NHK, saying with more than 30 vaccine doses administered worldwide every second, immunisation was already recognised as one of the most cost-effective health interventions.

Buhari, APC Duped On Nigerians —Fayose

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has claimed that President Muhammadu Buhari and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) duped Nigerians “by obtaining their votes by trick.”
Governor Fayose said in a statement in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday, that “everything Buhari and his party promised Nigerians when they were looking for votes, they have denied and it won’t be a surprise if one day, Buhari comes out to even deny that he was elected on the platform of APC.”

Reps To FG: Replace 23,000 Ghost Workers With Unemployed Youths

THE House of Representatives, on Tuesday, asked the Federal Government to replace the 23,000 ghost workers recently discovered in the civil service payroll with unemployed youths.
The House’s resolution was sequel to a motion moved by Honourable Dickson Tarkighir, where he said that government should be able to engage 23,000 unemployed youths to mitigate the challenge of unemployment facing the country.

According to him, “I am not in doubt of the many curriculum vitae my colleagues have continue to collect from schooled, but jobless constituents, stressing that we will therefore, be living the essence of our stewardship if we once again show them that we care about their welfare and progress.”
Speaking further, he said “there is no task more honouring than when ghost workers were discovered, we spoke out vehemently asking that Nigerian youths, eager and willing to work are made to replace ghost workers.

No Plan To Probe Adesina’s Tenure As Agric Minister —Ogbeh

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, on Tuesday, said that the ministry has no plan to probe the administration of the former Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwumi Adesina.
This is just as the minister said that the only thing the ministry will do is to carry out a verification exercise for the payment of contractors, who supplied various farm inputs during Adesina-led administration.
Ogbeh made this known while reacting to recent publications in the national dailies which probing of Adesina-led administration was credited to him.

Nigeria Uses 80% Of Revenues To Service Debts —IDB

•Total debts stand at $60bn —Senator Sani
THE Islamic Development Bank (IDB), on Tuesday, said Nigeria ranked among the countries using the largest percentage of its revenue to service foreign debts.
Country Representative of the IDB in Nigeria, Mumammed Kiliaki, who stated this during an interaction with the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, headed by Senator Shehu Sani, said the development was responsible for the attendant bleeding of the economy.
Also on Tuesday, Senator Sani said Nigeria’s total debts stood at $60 billion.

#‎JusticeForEse‬: Emir Of Kano Deserves No Credit, Says Ese’s Father

The father of Ese, Mr. Charles Oruru, has indicted the Emir of Kano, Mallam Muhammadu Sanusi II, in his daughter’s travail.
Oruru, in an interview with Raypower FM, which was monitored by our correspondent on Tuesday, said Sanusi deserved no credit in the eventual release of Ese “as he only bowed to pressure from Nigerians”.
Ese was taken from Opolo, in the Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, to Kano State by Yunusa, aka Yellow, in August, 2015.

FG To Connect Major Seaports With Railway – Amaechi

The federal government is committed to developing the seaport economy and determined to link all the country’s major seaports to railway to ease the movement of goods from the seaports.
The minister of transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, who stated this at a shipping and oil and gas investors’ forum in Lagos recently said that his ministry was working to re-connect the country’s railway with the seaports in a bid to boost economic activities.

Agatu Community Protest At National Assembly Over Killings [PHOTOS]

Aggrieved youths from Agatu local government area of Benue State on Wednesday embarked on a peaceful protest to the National Assembly to express their displeasure over the continued killing of their people by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
Speaking with DAILYPOST, one of the aggrieved community members identified as Aliyu Okpani said, “The essence of the protest is to draw the attention of the federal government to our plight in Agatu.”
“The Fulani people have continued to kill our people even up till this morning. They have rendered over 400 people homeless and the government is silent.”

Military Arrest Christian Man In Bauchi And Three Others Working As Boko Haram Spies

MILITARY authorities in Bauchi State have arrested a Christian man known as Victor Moses working for Boko Haram after he tried to enter a mosque under the pretext that he wanted to convert to Islam.
In the first such high profile arrest of a non-Muslim as part of the crackdown no Boko Haram, Mr Moses was arrested after locals suspected he was a Boko Haram spy. He was arrested by the men of the 33 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Bauchi and three other suspects were subsequently picked up too.

Declare State Of Emergency On Human Rights Now – HURIWA Tells Buhari

The Human Rights Writers Association, HURIWA, has called on the media to prevail on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately take measures that would restore normalcy in many parts of the country where violent armed hoodlums of different dimensions are unleashing blood-cuddling violence on innocent Nigerians.

While reminding those in positions of authority that their failure to provide enough security to safeguard lives and property of Nigerians is an impeachable offence, the group asserted that the deliberate inability of government to effect section 14 (1) of the Nigerian Constitution has clearly stated as follows: “The Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be a State base on the principles of democracy and social justice” smacks off promotion of impunity.

Immigration Recruitment Scam: Court Sends Morro Back To Kuje Prison

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday sent former Minister of Interior, Abba Moro back to Kuje prison, having adjourned the consideration of his application for bail till tomorrow, Thursday.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had on Monday arraigned Moro alongside a former Director in the Ministry, F.O. Alayebami and former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Anastasia Daniel Nwobia on an 11 count charge bordering on complicity in a N676m immigration recruitment scam.

Tarfa: I Paid N225,000 To Justice Yunusa’s Namesake.

Rickey Tarfa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has told a federal high court in Lagos that the controversial N225,000 was paid into the account of Muhammed Yunusa, his former employee, and not that of Justice Mahmud Yunusa.
In February, operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested Tarfa for allegedly shielding two of his clients from justice.
The anti-graft agency, which had access to his phones after the arrest, alleged that it obtained information which showed that Tarfa paid the money into an account in Access Bank belonging to the judge.

Another S’African Company Pulls Out Of Nigeria.

Clover, a South African beverage line responsible for the production of Tropika fruit juice, says it is withdrawing future investments in the Nigerian market.
Clover becomes the second South African country in two weeks to toe this line.
In its fiscal year end profit/loss posting, the company said the financial crisis in Nigeria is to blame for its withdrawal from the Nigerian market.
“The weakened global economy and the impact of low economic growth forecasts and commodity prices has had a significant impact on the risks facing Clover in the rest of Africa,” the financial statement read.

Nigeria Has At Least 770 Billionaires.

Despite the fall of the naira and plunge in crude oil prices, Nigeria still boasts least 770 naira-billionaires whose wealth is valued above $10 million (N1.98 billion) each.
The economy of the nation, though, has taken a toll on the number of billionaires, with about 50 billionaires dropping off the list in 2015.
According to the revered Knight Frank wealth report 2015 obtained by TheCable on Wednesday – with contributions from Nigerian billionaire, Tony Elumelu – Nigeria’s billionaires are expected to rise to 1,080 by 2025.
The report says over 15,400 dollar-millionaires were from Africa’s largest economy in 2015, falling by 16,400 people in 2014 and 5,500 in 2005.

Melaye: Apologies To Oshiomhole, But Nigerian Men Should Patronise Made-In-Nigeria Women.

Dino Melaye, a senator representing Kogi west, has urged the menfolk to “patronise” Nigerian women and to stop paying dowry in pounds and dollars.

The lawmaker, who was making his contribution to the debate on a motion regarding the need for the patronisation of made-in-Nigeria goods presented by Eyinnaya Abaribe, a senator from Abia south, asked the senate to work at making legislations to encourage the consumption of local goods.
“I want to celebrate the made-in-Nigeria senator for bringing this motion. In considering the made-in-Nigeria goods, we must look at enabling factors that will necessitate the made in Nigeria goods,” he said.

Jonathan Applauded For ‘Classy Role’ In 2015 Poll.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has been praised for his “classy role” in Nigeria’s 2015 president election which is now expected to serve as a benchmark for other incumbents seeking re-election in Africa.

Jonathan became the first president to lose an election in Nigeria, and he congratulated his opponent, Muhammadu Buhari, and conducted a smooth transition of power.
In its maiden Africa Year Review 2015, produced by the Wilson Centre in the US, two scholars wrote on Nigeria’s election as Africa’s “most important story of 2015″.

Oil Swap Deals: Reps To Take Action Against Diezani, Momoh

The House of Representatives has reinstated its readiness to take “appropriate action” against the immediate past Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison Maduekwe and a former Managing Director (MD) of the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC) Haruna Momoh.
The appropriate action was not however stated by the Zakari Mohammed-led ad hoc Committee investigating crude oil for refined products exchange arrangement (oil swap) between 2010 and 2014.
The decision of the Committee followed the failure of the two former public officers to appear before it Wednesday despite official notice to that effect.

Nigeria’s Electricity Output In Sharp Fall To 2,800MW — Regulator

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has said that power supply through the national grid which peaked to 5000mw in past two weeks had dropped below 2,800mw due to vandalism.

Anthony Akah, the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the commission disclosed this while signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Consumer Protection Council (CPC).
In a statement issued on the ceremony by Usman Abba-Arabi, Head, Public Affairs Department of NERC, on Wednesday, Mr. Akah expressed dissatisfaction and worries over the spate of vandalism in the power sector.

’No path forward’: Carson quits presidential race

Ben Carson, the retired neurosurgeon who at one point polled ahead of other GOP presidential contenders, is quitting the race.

Announcing he will not be attending Thursday’s Republican debate in Detroit, Michigan, Carson said his political activism will continue, but that he would be suspending his presidential campaign.

“I do not see a political path forward in light of last evening’s Super Tuesday primary results,” Carson said in a statement, adding that he intends to say more about his future ambitions at the Conservative Political Action Conference outside of Washington, DC on Friday.

Britain has helped us to ‘touch the untouchables’, says Magu

Ibrahim Magu, acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), says the British government has helped the agency in “touching the untouchables” in its drive to purge Nigeria of corruption. Magu made the statement on Wednesday while receiving a delegation from the United Kingdom under the aegis of Parliamentary Committee on International Development, who were on a visit to the commission’s head office in Abuja.