Wednesday, March 2, 2016

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.

National Assembly Set To Pass 2016 Budget

The National Assembly in Nigeria is set to pass the nation’s 2016 budget on Thursday, March 17, a lawmaker said on Wednesday.
http://www.channelstv.com/2016/03/02/national-assembly-set-to-pass-2016-budget/
While giving an update on the budget, the Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Honourable Abdulmumin Jibrin, said the lawmakers had put in much effort to ensure that the budget would be ready before the new date.

Russian Scientists Create 'Sea Vitamins' Chocolate Which Slows Down Aging

Forrest Gump once said that life is like a box of chocolates and, as it turns out, it might be just that. Researchers in the Russian Far East recently created ‘Sea Masterpiece’ chocolate, which can increse life expectancy.

 – Scientists in the Russian Far East Primorsky Territory created a chocolate with sea urchin and starfish extracts facilitating longevity, the G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry (PIBOC), Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said Tuesday.

For the NY Times, Islam Is Worse Than Cancer - Study

According to recent research conducted by 416 Labs, the New York Times (NYT) tends to portray Islam and Muslims in a predominantly negative way.

The researchers studied over 2.6 million print and digital headlines from articles published by the newspaper between 1990 and 2014. Headlines were sorted into positive, negative and neutral groups, based on word usage from a list of 7,200 words compiled in 2012, alongside a list of words typically associated with violence.

76 Hungry Boko Haram Members Surrender To Nigerian Military

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) -- Dozens of emaciated-looking Boko Haram members begging for food have surrendered in northeast Nigeria, the military and a civilian self-defense fighter said Wednesday.

Seventy-six people including children and women gave themselves up to soldiers last Saturday in Gwoza, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) southeast of Maiduguri, according to a senior officer.

All are being detained at military headquarters in Maiduguri, the birthplace of Boko Haram and currently the command center of the war against the Islamic extremists, according to the officer. He insisted on anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to journalists.

The detainees said many more fighters want to surrender, a self-defense civilian fighter who helped escort them to Maiduguri told The Associated Press.

Ambode Reacts To The Kidnap Of Babington Macaulay Students, Ikorodu

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode has said his administration will spare no effort to ensure the safe release of the three female students of Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary School in Ikorodu area of the state, who were kidnapped by a group of armed gang on Monday evening. Ambode, in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, condemned the unfortunate incident, just as he assured that the Police and other security operatives have swung into action, with useful leads and with an unwavering determination to track down the perpetrators of the act and ensure the safe return of the girls.

David Mark Sworn In As Senator For The 6th Time


Senator David Mark has been sworn in as a Senate member by the senate president, Bukola Saraki on Wednesday March 2nd. The former senate president was declared winner of the Benue South Senatorial in a re-run election on February 20th. This makes it a record of 6th time he will be sworn in as a senator. See photos above;

Nigeria Army Council Orders Release Of Brigadier General Ransome-kuti

The Nigeria Army Council has recommended the release of Brigadier General Enitan Ransome-Kuti from custody. The Nigeria Army Council has recommended the release of Brigadier General Enitan Ransome-Kuti from custody. A confidential memo obtained by SaharaReporters also shows that the council ordered a reduction in his rank from Brigadier General to Colonel and subsequently recommended that he be reabsorbed into the army and posted back into service. Brigadier General Kuti was arrested in January 2015 and tried for cowardice, accused of abandoning his duty post in Baga where he was commander of a joint multinational task force. In 2014 Boko Haram militants attacked his base and took over the armory, the army court martial which tried Brigadier General Kuti also accused him of not accounting for weapons seized by Boko Haram militants at the base. Since his conviction, the Brigadier General, who is the son of one Nigeria’s most prominent human rights defenders, Beko Ransome-Kuti had remained under house arrest at an army barrack in Abuja.

Buhari, APC Duped Nigerians – Fayose

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has said that President Muhammadu Buhari and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) duped Nigerians by obtaining their votes by trick, declaring 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.”


11 Business Opportunities In Africa That Will Make More Millionaires In 2016

The latest Africa Wealth Report by New World Wealth reveals there are now just over 160,000 millionaires in Africa.

Interestingly, from 2000 to 2013, the number of millionaires on the continent grew by more than 145 percent, compared to the worldwide growth rate of 73 percent.

In recent years, most of the ‘new millionaires’ have been young entrepreneurs and investors who have created promising businesses and invested in lucrative sectors of Africa’s fast-growing economies.

VIDEO: Ese Oruru Resisting Policemen, In Kano -Premium Times

The abducted Bayelsa teenager, Ese Oruru, appeared in this exclusive video arguing with the police and officials of the Kano Shari’ah Commission that she would not enter police vehicle without her alleged abductor, Yunusa Yellow. The video, which is a fusion of three pieces of short clips, was exclusively obtained by PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday. Sources told PREMIUM TIMES that it took the officials a great deal of effort to convince Miss Oruru to enter the vehicle for transportation from the office of Kano State Shariah Commission to the Zonal Police Headquarters in Kano. Miss Oruru and Mr. Yunusa are currently at the Police Force Headquarters, following the transfer of the case to Abuja on Tuesday.

Fresh Dust Raised Over Supreme Court Decision On Rivers Guber Election

Fresh Dust Raised Over Supreme Court Decision On Rivers Guber Election -Role Of Ex-Governor Peter Odili & Wife Questioned

A fresh hail of dust has been kicked up over the recent judgment of the Supreme Court to return the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Nyesom Wike, as the elected governor of Rivers State. The favourable judgment was given despite overwhelming evidence that appears to show that it lacked fidelity.

Buhari Names Gbemisola Saraki As Otuoke University Council Chairman

President Muhammadu Buhari has named the younger sister of the Senate President, Gbemishola Saraki, as the Chairman Governing Council of Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa State, among other appointees.

Adamu, said the inauguration of the Councils marked another milestone in President Muhammadu Buhari administration's effort to turn around the fortunes of Nigeria's tertiary education institutions by appointing credible men and women into their councils.

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Enemy free fall

Russian victory at the UN: a two-part analysis by Alexander Mercouris

by Alexander Mercouris for Russia Insider
Russia obtain a further UN Security Council Resolution conforming with the “cessation of hostilities” agreement Russia negotiated with the US – this time with American support
A week ago, amidst Turkish shelling of Kurdish positions in Syria and talk of a Turkish invasion, the Russians proposed a Resolution to the UN Security Council reaffirming Syria’s sovereignty.
The Resolution was blocked by the US and its allies.

Capitalism Requires World War


by Cathal Haughian
250,000 capitalists read the Financial Times, and it has been our undertaking, since 2010, to chronicle our understanding of capitalism via our book The Philosophy of Capitalism. We were curious as to the underlying nature of the system which endows us, the owners of capital, with so many favours. The Saker has asked me to explain our somewhat crude statement ‘Capitalism Requires World War’.
The present showdown between West, Russia and China is the culmination of a long running saga that began with World War One. Prior to which, Capitalism was governed by the gold standard system which was international, very solid, with clear rules and had brought great prosperity: for banking Capital was scarce and so allocated carefully. World War One required debt-capitalism of the FIAT kind, a bankrupt Britain began to pass the Imperial baton to the US, which had profited by financing the war and selling munitions.