News
A former lawmaker, Senator Olurunnimbe Mamora, has rejected his appointment as the Chairman of the Abuja Investment and Infrastructure Centre.
Mamora, who was the Deputy Director-General of the Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation during the 2015 presidential election, was nominated for the job by the President.
However, it was learnt that during the inauguration of the board of the AIIC a few weeks ago, a governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress in the 2016 Ondo State governorship election, Mrs. Jumoke Ajasin-Anifowoshe, was named the chairman.
Ajasin-Anifowose, who is the daughter of the first Governor of the old Ondo State, Adekunle Ajasin, was sworn in by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Alhaji Muhammad Bello.
Investigations by our correspondent showed that the ex-lawmaker rejected the appointment.
A reliable source told our correspondent that Mamora had met with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, and expressed his displeasure with the appointment.
The source said Mamora, a former Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker and senator who represented Lagos-East senatorial district from 2003 to 2011, felt the appointment, which is the equivalent of a state parastatal, was not befitting.
He argued that people who never participated in the process that brought Buhari to power were occupying the front seats of government.
The source added that Mamora was listed to be the Chairman of the Board of the Nigerian Ports Authority in 2016 but was edged out by some powerful people in the system.
The source added that Mamora was also nominated as an ambassador in late 2016 but his name was suddenly withdrawn for unknown reasons and was not even contacted before his name was dropped.
Attempts to speak with Mamora proved abortive as repeated calls to his phone were not responded to while a text message sent to his mobile was not replied to as of press time.
Punch
Russians began voting in a presidential election on Sunday set to give Vladimir Putin a commanding victory that could only be blemished if large numbers do not bother taking part because the result is so predictable.
On Russia’s eastern edge, in the Pacific coast city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, polling stations opened at 2000 hrs GMT, and voting across the vast country will run until polls close at the westernmost point, the Kaliningrad region, 22 hours later.
Opinion polls give Putin, the incumbent, support of around 70 percent, or nearly 10 times the backing of his nearest challenger. Another term will take him to nearly a quarter century in power — a longevity among Kremlin leaders second only to Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.
Many voters credit Putin, a 65-year-old former KGB spy, with standing up for Russia’s interests in a hostile world, even though the cost is confrontation with the West.
Vladimir Putin: expected to win the polls in a landslide
A row with Britain over allegations the Kremlin used a nerve toxin to poison a Russian double agent in a sleepy English town — denied by Moscow — has not dented his standing.
The majority of voters see no viable alternative to Putin: he has total dominance of the political scene and the state-run television, where most people get their news, gives lavish coverage of Putin and little airtime to his rivals.
“He (Putin) is our president. We take pride in him,” said Marianna Shanina, a resident of the Crimea region. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine four years ago, earning Putin admiration from many Russians and condemnation from the West.
“We wish him victory at the election. Our whole family will vote for Putin. Putin! Good health to you, beloved president!,” Shanina said at a Putin election rally.
The first politician in years to challenge the Kremlin’s grip on power, Alexei Navalny, is barred from the race because of a corruption conviction he says was fabricated by the Kremlin.
He is calling for a boycott of the election, saying it is an undemocratic farce, and deploying supporters to collect evidence of anyone rigging the ballot to inflate turnout and support for Putin. The Kremlin and election officials say any fraud will be stamped out.
Kremlin officials privately acknowledge a worry that some of Russia’s 110 million eligible voters will not bother casting ballots because they believe Putin is a shoo-in. A low turnout would diminish his authority in his next term, which, under the constitution, has to be his last.
“There is no intrigue. I do not see any point for me in going to the election,” said Alexei Khvorostov, a resident of Krasnodar, in southern Russia.
In an address to the nation broadcast on national television on Friday, Putin said voters held the fate of the country in their hands.
“I therefore ask you to come to the polling stations on Sunday, use your right to choose a future for the great Russia that we love.”
In Khabarovsk region, on Russia’s Pacific coast, local officials delivered supplies of eggs, tinned peas, and frozen pike to polling stations. It will be sold to voters on polling day at a discount of between 10 and 30 percent compared to prices in local shops.
“By doing this we hope to attract voters to the polling stations and we think we can increase turnout,” said Nikolai Kretsu, chairman of the consumer market committee in the regional administration. “The second objective is to strengthen allegiance towards the authorities.”
NAN
Andrew McCabe sacked: Donald Trump celebrates after FBI official is fired two days before retirement
Donald Trump has celebrated the sacking of former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe who was fired two days before his retirement date.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Friday sacked Mr McCabe who described the move as part of the US President’s “war on the FBI”.
The decision was made on the recommendation of FBI disciplinary officials and came just two days before Mr McCabe was set to retire after 20 years of service.
It comes ahead of an inspector general report expected to conclude that Mr McCabe was not forthcoming with the watchdog office as it reviewed the bureau's handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation.
Though Mr McCabe had spent more than 20 years as a career FBI official, Mr Trump repeatedly condemned him over the last year as emblematic of an FBI leadership he contends is biased against his administration.
Mr Trump, who had long called for his sacking but said it was up to Mr Sessions, tweeted: “Andrew McCabe FIRED, a great day for the hard working men and women of the FBI - A great day for Democracy. Sanctimonious James Comey was his boss and made McCabe look like a choirboy. He knew all about the lies and corruption going on at the highest levels of the FBI!”
"The FBI expects every employee to adhere to the highest standards of honesty, integrity, and accountability," Mr Sessions said in a Friday night statement.
In an extraordinary rebuttal released immediately after the attorney general's announcement, Mr McCabe said his credibility had been attacked as "part of a larger effort not just to slander me personally" but also the FBI and law enforcement.
"It is part of this administration's ongoing war on the FBI and the efforts of the special counsel investigation, which continue to this day," he added, referring to Robert Mueller's ongoing probe into potential coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign.
"Their persistence in this campaign only highlights the importance of the special counsel's work."
Mr McCabe also asserted that he was being singled out because of the "role I played, the actions I took, and the events I witnessed in the aftermath of the firing of James Comey."
Mr McCabe said the release of the findings against him was accelerated after he told congressional officials that he could corroborate Mr Comey's accounts of his conversations with the president.
Mr McCabe came under particular scrutiny over an October 2016 news report that revealed differing approaches within the FBI and Justice Department over how aggressively the Clinton Foundation should be investigated. The watchdog office has concluded that Mr McCabe authorized FBI officials to speak to a Wall Street Journal reporter for that story and that he had not been forthcoming with investigators, which Mr McCabe denies.
Evening Standard
President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the Chinese President Xi Jinping on his re-election as the President of the Peoples Republic of China.
In a letter personally signed by him, the Nigerian leader praised his Chinese counterpart for his wisdom and vision.
“On behalf of the Government and people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I congratulate you most sincerely on your re-election as the President of the Peoples Republic of China.
“Your re-election is an indication of the trust and confidence reposed in you by the people of China on your ability to bring your vision and wisdom to bear in the conduct of national and global affairs,” he said.
President Buhari also looked forward to increased cooperation between China and Nigeria on one hand and China and Africa on the other hand.
“It is my firm belief that your re-election will also bolster the existing mutually benefiting partnership between the Peoples Republic of China and Nigeria.
“I look forward to meeting Your Excellency at the forthcoming Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Beijing Summit in September 2018. I am confident that it will be a great success and good opportunity to draw up new levels of partnership between Africa and China,” President Buhari said.
Vanguard
President Muhammadu Buhari will not attend the extraordinary meeting of African Union Heads of State and Government billed to hold in Kigali, Rwanda, Wednesday.
Reliable sources at the Presidency disclosed Saturday that Buhari’s trip had been canceled.
The president, it was learnt, had been scheduled to depart Nigeria for Kigali on Monday for the signing of the framework agreement for establishing the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA).
The reason for the cancelation of the President Buhari's trip is not yet known.
The first set of his advance team is already in Kigali; while the second one, comprising protocol staff, security officers and journalists were today asked to return from Murtala International Airport, Lagos, where they were to take off.
When contacted, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu directed our correspondent to the Presidential spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, for enquiry.
Mr Adesina's phone was switched off as of the time of filing this report.
The Federal Executive Council had Wednesday approved that Nigeria sign the framework agreement for the AfCFTA.
The council had also approved that Nigeria express her interest in hosting the secretariat of the AfCFTA.
The decision to establish the AfCFTA was taken in 2012 by all Heads of State and Government of the African Union at their 18th Ordinary Session.
AfCFTA is the first step in the implementation of AU Agenda 2063: the “Vision” for an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa.
Daily Trust
Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, Africa's only female head of state, offered her resignation in the "national interest," according to her lawyer Yousouf Mohamed. He added that her resignation would take effect on March 23.
Mohamed told local Radio Plus that she had decided to resign "to prevent a constitutional crisis."
"She doesn't want the country ... to suffer. In the country's best interests she has decided to leave," the lawyer said.
Gurib-Fakim is accused of using a bank card provided by a non-governmental organization for personal use, including the purchasing of jewelry and luxury items worth at least 25,000 euros ($30,000). She has vowed to fight the allegations.
Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth said earlier this month that Gurib-Fakim, 58, had agreed to step down, with a date for her departure to be determined following last Monday's ceremony marking the Indian Ocean archipelago nation's 50 years of independence.
But on Wednesday the president issued a statement lashing out at "weeks of attacks and false allegations" and said she planned to clear her name and had vowed not to resign.
The president's role is primarily ceremonial but Gurib-Fakim, who is a renowned scientist, joined the London-based Planet Earth Institute (PEI) in a supposed-attempt to try and develop scientific capacity in Africa.
In May 2016, she received a credit card to pay for travel and logistical expenses tied to her role but claims she inadvertently used it for unrelated expenses.
Gurib-Fakim maintains that she immediately realized her mistake, informed PEI of the transactions, reimbursed them for the purchases, as well as for all of her expenses related to her PEI mission.
The PEI confirmed this account, issuing a statement earlier this week saying that Gurib-Fakim "thus never received gifts, favors, wages or expenses from the PEI, nor undue benefits or advantage."
But an investigation by a local newspaper L'Express chronicled Gurib-Faksim's purchase of a notebook computer in September 2016, clothes and jewelry in October more jewels in November and luxury clothes in December.
But more than the purchases themselves public ire in Mauritius has been stoked by Gurib-Faksim's association with an Angolan billionaire named Alvaro Sobrinho, who is a founding member of the PEI, and is himself under investigation in Switzerland and Portugal on fraud charges.
Sobrinho won permission to open an investment bank in Mauritius in 2017, prompting allegations of favoritism on his behalf.
Facing pressure from the opposition, Gurib-Fakim resigned shortly afterward from her role at the PEI.
DW
Presidential spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, in this interview by LEON USIGBE speaks on the speculated second term ambition of President Muhammadu Buhari, declaring that the president will determine the direction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the 2019 elections. He also speaks on the recent visits of the president to some states affected by killings in the North.
Let us put the visits in proper perspective. Nasarawa was a working visit. It was not a condolence visit. Plateau was also a working visit, not a condolence visit. So, the places where we have had condolence visits so far are Taraba, in Benue and Yobe states. Three states have been visited; five are slated for such kind of visit. So, you have Zamfara and Rivers states still outstanding in that category. So, we need to understand it properly that not all the visits so far were condolence visits. Some are working visits-Nasarawa and Plateau states. But what lesson can we learn from the condolence visits? It is that Nigerians must learn to live together. No ethnic group should wish away other ethnic groups in this country. We have to learn to live together.
We have a federation and anybody must be at home anywhere in the country, as long as they are bonafide Nigerians. That is what the president has told them in the places he visited. He will tell the governor, ‘you can stay here for a maximum of eight years. I can stay here a maximum of eight years as president, but the locals and the herdsmen will live together forever’. He said God did not make a mistake when he created 250 ethnic groups and got them to live together in a geographical entity called Nigeria. So, the lesson is we must learn to live together. But then government, according to the constitution, must guarantee the protection of lives and property and government will do its level best in that respect.
Why were some newspapers prevented from covering the president’s visit to Benue State?
The presidency had nothing to do with it. The accreditation for newspaper coverage during that visit was done locally, that is, by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor of the affected states. They were the host. So, they were the ones that can do that kind of thing. We had nothing to do with it. I saw a headline “Presidency bars…”, No no. You see, some people are already paranoid about the presidency and if they want to continue in that paranoia, we say good luck to them.
Even medical people do say “we care but God cures or God heals.” So, it is God. No matter your determination as a person, they say determination plays a part in healing but if you are determined to get healed and God says ‘no, time up’, that determination will not work. So, the first source we must credit the president’s bounce back to is God. God heard the prayers of Nigerians and even people beyond this country. You remember that in Guinea, they declared a day of fasting and praying for the president’s health. So, God heard all those prayers: He spared our president and he is fully back in terms of his health. So, we give God the glory.
Politicians are said to be ganging up against the reelection of President Buhari. That should give the president a lot of concerns. What should Nigerians expect as his reaction to all these political moves against him?
Democracy thrives on multiplicity. You cannot have a democracy of one man. If it is one man, it is already autocracy; it is not democracy again. So, if you have multiple interests like that, it makes democracy to thrive. There is also what is called the right of first refusal. In a party that is cohesive, that is together, they want to hear whether the incumbent is interested before they throw the game open. So, when the president speaks, it will then determine what the party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), does.
The government has executed or is executing some landmark projects such as the railway lines and major roads. Which of these would you say gives the president the greatest joy and why?
Anything that touches the lives of the poor is what gladdens the president. Anywhere we go and he sees them [the people] come out en masse to welcome him like that, he just tells himself, “I hope I am able to touch the lives of these people.” So, anything the government now does, for instance in the agriculture sector, when we came, rice farmers were about five million. But today, they are 12 million. So, over six million rice farmers, successful ones, were made millionaires. So, those kinds of things gladden the president’s heart. Anything that touches the lives of the ordinary people and turns their situation around, that is what gladdens his heart.
Poor power supply has remained a major issue. Should Nigerians still be hopeful that the Buhari presidency will deliver on this?
It’s still an issue, but compare it to where we are coming from particularly in 2015. When this government came, there was less than 3,000 megawatts. Today, you have 7,001 megawatts, which is more than double of what we had before. And of that, we can distribute well over 5,000 megawatts. So, there is a huge difference between where we are coming from and where we are now. And the target of this administration is that, by 2019, there will be 10,000 megawatts. So, if there is over 7,000 megawatts, it shows that the 10,000 megawatts target is achievable.
What are you pinning this hope on? Are there new power projects to be implemented?
The strategy is a mix. Everything is not a single type of power; it is not just all about hydro or gas or all that. There is a mix of power sources. Very soon, I think one power project is going to be commissioned in Katsina State. I think it is wind. Then, you have solar everywhere. You have all sources. It is going to be an agglomeration of different types of power sources. And so, between now and 2019, the target of 10,000 megawatts will be achieved, by the grace of God.
Opponents of your government, especially the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have reinvented their media machines. You must be feeling the heat now or you are simply not bothered by what they do or say?
It wouldn’t bother me a hoot. But then, this question should go to the spokesman of the APC because he is the parallel of the PDP spokesman. There is no other government or presidency that I can say is parallel to this one [my office] that I must respond to. No. But party to party, the APC spokesman should respond.
Every problem confronting every government is a media issue and, given challenges that spring on all fronts, are you not feeling overwhelmed? How do you manage the attacks directed at you? Any regrets taking this tough job?
I take them in my strides. For instance, I see a lot of what you will call attacks directed at me which are unfounded because they are not part of my brief. People don’t often understand the difference between a spokesman for the president and a spokesman for the government. I see them shouting and wailing about certain things and they say Femi Adesina, but I know that that is outside my brief. So, I just ignore it. The one that is within my remit, the one that is within my purview, I try to do it to the best of my ability and the president who is my principal, who appointed me, has not complained about my work. So, I want to believe that he is satisfied and as long as he is satisfied, it’s okay by me.
Have you ever wondered why you have remained on the job because of what people do to you?
No. No. I came to do the job voluntarily. Yeah. For me, I don’t even call it a job. I call it an assignment which I took on voluntarily. And because I took it on voluntarily, there is nothing anybody says that will discourage me because I know why I came and as long as my principal is doing the work, I’m glad to assist him in any little way that I can.
Tribune
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has effected a minor adjustment in its timetable for the 2018 May/June Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
In the timetable for the 2018 May/June examination, the Chemistry paper was scheduled for 2pm to 5pm on Friday, April 20. Muslim Friday prayers usually hold between 1:30 pm to 3pm.
But Muslim stakeholders, notably the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), accused WAEC of insensitivity and described the timetable as an “injustice” against Muslims.
The president of the organization, Professor Ishaq Akintola, was quoted in a statement as saying that the development further showed that Muslims had become “endangered species.”
“When there is no justice, there can never be peace and everyone is clamouring for peace,” he said said.
According to him, WAEC had fixed examinations during Jummat sessions for some years and Muslim leaders discussed with the council in 2016 and 2017.
“Until something starts happening, until the Muslims start disrupting WAEC examination, until Muslims start tearing WAEC examination materials, that is when government will start paying attention.
He accused WAEC of deliberately provoking Muslims “it has continued to show itself as a consistent anti-Muslim institution.”
But WAEC’s Director of Public Affairs, Mr Demianus Ojijeogu, reacting to the development told the Saturday Tribune that the board had adjusted the timetable to accommodate the Muslims’ interests.
“The Council, being a responsible and responsive organisation, has made a slight adjustment on the timetable.
“The papers originally slated for Friday, April 20, 2018 will now be taken on Tuesday, April 10, 2018 at the same times as stated on the timetable; while those slated for Tuesday, April 10, 2018 will now be taken on Friday, April 20, 2018 at the same time as stated on the timetable.”
Tribune
More victims of child grooming in Telford have been coming forward within the wake of stories concerning the scandal, an MP has stated.
Conservative Lucy Allan stated she had been “inundated” with studies since talking concerning the challenge in Parliament.
Police stated they have been at present working with about 46 people who have been in danger.
One local venture working with younger abuse victims stated it had acquired 2,000 requires assistance prior to now two years.
The Sunday Mirror reported that up to 1,000 women in the Shropshire city might have been victims of child sexual exploitation (CSE) because the 1980s.
West Mercia’s Police and Crime Commissioner stated he had “sought clarification” on studies that a memo by the pressure in 2013 stated some youngster sexual abuse victims had “consented”.
The wording has been criticised in the Mirrorfor showing in charge victims, and PCC John Campion has stated he thinks it was a “poor selection of words”.
Since her speech in Parliament, Ms Allan advised the BBC she had been “inundated with e-mails saying, ‘This has occurred to me'”.
She stated: “I have additionally spoken to a marketing consultant psychiatrist who has had many patients who've skilled this concern and are coping with the psychological health penalties of this horrible crime.
“It's clear this has been happening for a few years and a big variety of women have been affected.”
The Cate Venture, which a council report said was overworked and under-resourced, stated that since April 2016, it had acquired 2,000 inquiries for help over CSE points. The challenge workforce works immediately with youngsters abused via exploitation in Telford.
Nationwide youngsters’s charity the NSPCC stated it had delivered three,122 counselling periods about CSE by way of its Childline service in 2016/17, compared with 2,340 in 2015/16 – a 33% improve.
Barnardo’s stated it had been working in Shropshire since last October to offer counselling periods to younger people who are “at excessive danger of sexual exploitation”.
Chief government Javed Khan stated: “The size of the abuse in Telford is deeply surprising and those responsible have to be held accountable for any failings uncovered.
“Our specialist providers see every single day the injury brought on by these horrific crimes.”
A spokesman for Telford and Wrekin Council stated it had not acquired any new reviews of CSE but added the council was not the one route for victims who may need to contact the authorities.
Ms Allan has raised an Early Day Movement in Parliament to call on the council to fee a Rotherham-style unbiased inquiry into the state of affairs.
The council says it needs the government to commission the report slightly than itself as a result of its “independence and scope might be referred to as into question”.
A few of the instances also pre-date the local authority, which was shaped in 1998.
The House Workplace has stated the Unbiased Inquiry into Youngster Sexual Abuse can be taking a look at Telford in its investigation into child sexual exploitation, but it's right down to local authorities to determine whether an extra evaluate is important.
West Mercia Police Supt Tom Harding, who's in general charge of policing in Telford, has stated police and authorities within the city have been working with “approximately 46 younger individuals” who have been victims of CSE or thought-about “in danger”.
He added: “Subsequently, I considerably dispute the 1,000-plus figure, and do really feel it's sensationalised.
“Read the headlines, learn the stories. What are they really discussing? They’re discussing instances from 20 or 30 years in the past, offending again in the 1990s.”
UKY247
A suicide attacker blew up a bomb-laden vehicle in Kabul on Saturday, killing at least two civilians and wounding several others, an Afghan official said.
“Around 9:10 am this morning a suicide car bomb exploded in Police District Nine of Kabul,” interior ministry spokesperson Najib Danish told AFP.
Two civilians were killed and three others were wounded in the attack, Danish said. The blast happened at a time when many people would have been driving to work.
Health ministry spokesperson Wahid Majrooh told AFP at least four people had been wounded.
Deputy interior ministry spokesperson Nasrat Rahimi said the bomber was heading towards global security company G4S but “detonated himself before reaching the target”.
The deadly attack – the latest in a series in the war-weary Afghan capital – comes days after the top US general in Afghanistan said protecting the city was a priority for foreign forces.
“Kabul is our main effort right now, to harden Kabul, to protect the people of Kabul and the international community that are here because of the strategic impact that has and the importance to the campaign,” General John Nicholson, told reporters on Wednesday.
The Taliban and its smaller rival Islamic State group have been dialing up the pressure on Kabul, launching a series of devastating attacks in recent months.
The most recent was on March 9 when a suicide bomber blew himself up in a Shia area of the city, killing at least nine people.
Saturday’s assault comes amid growing pressure on the Taliban to accept the Afghan government’s offer of peace talks to end the 16-year conflict.
So far the Taliban has given only a muted response to President Ashraf Ghani’s proposal last month, which also called for a ceasefire after which the group could become a political party.
Analysts said the Taliban leadership has been debating the merits of engaging with a government that the group has long viewed as illegitimate. But it appears to have few reasons to negotiate.
Nine martyred, over a dozen injured in Raiwind suicide attack
The Taliban has been resurgent since the withdrawal of US-led NATO combat troops at the end of 2014, taking back territory and devastating Afghanistan’s beleaguered security forces.
In October, insurgents controlled or influenced nearly half of Afghanistan’s districts – double the percentage in 2015, the US government’s office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction said in January.
Over the same period, the watchdog said, the number of districts under Afghan government control or influence fell to its lowest level since December 2015.
AFP
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The General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, revealed his emotional side yesterday during a condolence visit to Benue State on the recent killing of innocent people by herdsmen.
Adeboye told Governor Samuel Ortom how he wept in January during the mass burial of 78 victims of the mayhem.
“No man of God will see a mass burial anywhere and not feel the pains of the people affected,” he said.
He added: ”Benue State is very, very close to my heart; I had felt every pain you people felt and I wept when I saw you weeping.”
Pastor Adeboye, who was accompanied by his wife, Folu, said he was in Makurdi to console and pray for the government and people of the state over the killings by suspected herdsmen.
He said he did not visit the state before the President to avoid unnecessary speculations about his intention.
He said:”We want these killings to stop. Happily, we know someone who can stop it. He is the Almighty God; He does not fail or compromise.He is the God of all.
“We will continue to call on Him to fight this battle and you can be assured that victory will be certain.”
Receiving Adeboye and his entourage, Ortom said the herdsmen’s rampage,apart from causing the deaths of many people, has created a huge humanitarian crisis in the state.
The Nation
President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday named the governors of Kebbi, Taraba, Plateau, Lagos, Ebonyi and Delta States as members of the National Food Security Council.
The council’s broad objectives include developing sustainable solutions to the farmers-herdsmen clashes, climate change and desertification and their impact on farmland, grazing areas and lakes, rivers and other water bodies, oil spillage and its impact on Niger Delta fishing communities, piracy and banditry, agricultural research institutions and extension services and the problem of smuggling.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, who disclosed this in a statement, said the council, to be chaired by the president, would be inaugurated on Monday.
He said Buhari approved the constitution of the council’s membership days after he announced the intention of the federal government to establish the council.
Other members are the Secretary to the Government of the Federation Boss Mustapha, the Chief of Staff to the President Abba Kyari, the National Security Adviser Babagana Monguno and seven ministers.
The ministers are those of Agriculture and Rural Development, Finance, Interior, Industry, Trade and Investment, Water Resources, Environment, Budget and National Planning.
Other members include the Chief of Defence Staff, the governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, the Directors-General of the Department of State Services and National Intelligence Agency as well as the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service.
Shehu said the council would also take interest in regional and global policies and trends that bear implications for food security in Nigeria.
DailyTrust
The new headquarters for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will be built by China, the group confirmed in a press statement on Wednesday March 14, 2018.
The political bloc and China have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the project that is expected to cost $31.6 million.
“The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Mr. Jean-Claude Brou and the Ambassador of China to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Zhou Pingjian signed for both parties in a bilateral meeting held at the ECOWAS Commission headquarters, Abuja,” the statement read.
The idea of a new headquarters was initiated in 2012 but action on the said project takes immediate effect from the date of the signing of the deal.
The project is expected to cater for a facility comprising offices and conference complex building, as well as road facilities, electrical equipment, parking lots and security posts within the proposed site of the project.
ECOWAS currently operates from three different building in Nigeria’s administrative capital, Abuja. According to the President of the ECOWAS Commission that situation was necessitated by the increasing numbers of staff.
“An ECOWAS designated authority and the China Development Bank Corporation will work together to verify records of account payments at regular intervals,” the statement further clarified.
The development emphasizes China’s political and diplomatic investment in Africa. They built the African Union (A.U.) headquarters in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. They are also building a new parliament for Congo Republic and rebuilding the burnt premises in Gabon.
China was accused in a French newspaper report of spying on the A.U. building. The report by Le Monde said China had installed hidden microphones in the building and were transferring sensitive information at odd times of the day.
The A.U. and China jointly rubbished the report with China describing it as preposterous and meant to damage relations between the two partners.
Africanews
A luxury mansion co-owned by former Vice Presiden Atiku Abubakar, and his fourth wife, Jennifer Douglas, in the posh neighbourhood of Potomac, Maryland, United States, has been auctioned.
The property gained international notoriety in 2005 after it was searched by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) in connection with a bribery scandal involving disgraced former U.S. Congressman, William Jefferson.
The seven-bedroom cream-coloured single family brick house on 9731 Sorrel Ave, Potomac, Maryland, was originally listed for $3.25 million on Zillow and other online real estate websites on January 25, 2018. It was eventually sold for a pending offer of $2.95 million on February 26, 2018 after an online auction.
A pending offer means a buyer and seller of the property have reached a deal. However, a buyer can still pull out from the deal (which is very unlikely) if they cannot resolve issues like cost of repairs or they cannot get a bank to approve a loan for the purchase of the property.
Atiku and his wife bought the 7,131 square feet house in December 1999 for $1.75 million. Built in 1988, the house was described on Zillow as one of the finest in the tony neighbourhood of Falconhurst, Potomac, where houses are valued between $2 million and $10 million.
The Atikus’ mansion is a colonial-style building that sits in the middle of a 2.3 acres premises of lush green trees. The mansion has a total of 21 rooms, multiple terraces which are said to be ideal for outdoor parties, a pool sauna, a gazebo, a gourmet kitchen and an outdoor swimming pool.
Sources with knowledge of the state of the mansion but who requested not to be named because they did not want to be publicly associated with this story, said the Atikus had not lived in the mansion since the politician left office as vice president in 2007.
One source told PREMIUM TIMES that after 2007, house service staff lived in the mansion for some years, but the place was later locked up, and had remained unoccupied.
Tax records from the Montgomery County, Washington DC, show that Ms. Douglas consistently paid property taxes on the mansion from 1999 to 2016. She, however, is in default of $27,913.77 being that for 2017.
The house was not in foreclosure as it was paid for completely by the Atikus and available records showed that no bank loan was involved in its purchase.
![Atiku's US mansion [Photo Credit: Zillow - www.zillow.com]](https://media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2018/03/Atiku-Mansion-2.jpg "Atiku Mansion 2")
The sale of the mansion was not listed as a public auction, which is an auction done under a court order on behalf of government or its agencies.
There is also no evidence that the sale is connected to the now infamous 2005 case or any other unknown criminal investigations.
Paul Ibe, the spokesperson for the former VP told PREMIUM TIMES the sale of the mansion was voluntary and strictly an investment decision.
“Atiku Abubakar is a successful businessman who has a long history of real estate investments,” Mr. Ibe said in response to an enquiry by this newspaper.
“The U.S. home was simply one of such numerous investments. The home was no longer serving the purpose for which it was bought. Consequently, it has to be put up for sale via open auction, a growing and preferred method of selling high end properties. The proceeds thereof will be deployed to business aimed at creating jobs.”
Atiku has consistently denied any wrongdoing in the Jefferson corruption saga that led to the search of his home.
But the former vice president’s political rivals have always harped on that episode to discredit him.
What is more, the billionaire politician, believed to be nursing a fresh bid to become president of Nigeria in 2019 after several failed attempts, has not travelled to the U.S. for a long time. That has fuelled speculations that he might be avoiding a possible arrest or prosecution.
But in an interview with the BOSS newspaper last December, he explained he had made attempts to visit the U.S. but was turned down for administrative reasons.
“I applied but wasn’t issued a visa. However, they did not decline me categorically either. They’ve only said my application is going through administrative process. It is the sole prerogative of America to determine who they want in their country or not. I’m not running away from America,” he said.
Atiku, William Jefferson and the FBI Search Warrant
The sold property attracted international media attention in 2005 after the FBI videotaped Mr. Jefferson, who was the congressman representing Louisiana, receiving $100,000 worth of $100 bills in a leather briefcase as part payment of a $500,000 bribe allegedly demanded by Atiku, who was vice president at the time, to facilitate the award of contracts to some two American telecommunication firms in Nigeria.
On August 2, 2005, the FBI applied for a search warrant from William Connelly, a US judge in Maryland, to search the Potomac mansion.
A day after the affidavit was filed, the FBI raided the congressional office of Mr. Jefferson and discovered $90,000 “wrapped in aluminum foil and stuffed inside frozen-food containers” and hidden in a freezer. The serial numbers on the bill matched those the FBI had given to an informant.
![Disgraced former U.S. Congressman, William Jefferson [Photo Credit: Pinterest]](https://media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2018/03/disgraced-former-U.S.-Congressman-William-Jefferson.jpg "Disgraced former U.S. Congressman, William Jefferson")
The affidavit filed by FBI special agent, Edward Cooper, in support of the application for a search warrant of the Maryland home further revealed the details of the bribery scandal.
Mr. Cooper told the court that the search of the property was necessary because the FBI has probable cause to believe that the there are evidence of the violations of Title 18 United States Code, Section 201, which relates to the bribery of a public official; Title 18 United States Code, Sections 1343, 1346, and 1349, which deals with wire fraud, deprivation of honest service and scheme defraud.
Mr. Cooper also claimed that the evidence he sought in the Atikus’ mansion were believed to be in violation of Title 15, United States Code, Section 78dd-1, which deals with the bribery of a foreign official, Title 18 United States Code, Section371, which deals with the conspiracy to commit bribery and the bribery of a foreign official.
Mr. Cooper also listed the items to be seized from the mansion as:
1. Cash in $100 denominations or higher.
2. A new, reddish-brown coloured briefcase retailed or manufactured by Bosca.
3. A reddish-brown coloured cloth bag with two drawing strings on top of the bag.
4. All video recording devices, surveillance videotapes, CDs, digital media or any other electronic devices related to the surveillance of the house grounds, driveway and premises.
5. All recording of visitors to the premises recording arrival, departure or length of stay information.
6. All records, logs, schedule of employees or personnel working at the premises from Monday July 18, 2005 at 6 pm to the present.
7. Records, documents from January 2001 to the present relating to IGate incorporated, Rosecom.net, NDTV, Multimedia Broadband Services Inc, and W2 IBBS Limited.
8. All records and documents relating to communication to and from Atiku Abubakar and William Jefferson regarding the proposed business venture in Nigeria.
The bribery investigation started in March 2005 when a “cooperating witness”, who has since been identified as a Virginia-based businessman, Lori Mody, approached the FBI after he suspected that he had been a victim of a fraudulent scheme involving Mr Jefferson, Vernon Jackson, and Brett Pfeffer.
Mr. Mody told the FBI that he suspected that the trio were scheming to defraud him of $3.5 million using Mr. Jackson’s company, iGate Incorporated.
He said he paid the money to Mr Jackson, who had developed a technology that could enable the transmission of data, audio and video through copper called “Triple Play”, for its reacquisition from another company which had acquired it from iGate. However, Mr. Jackson, after collecting the money, could not produce proof that he had reacquired the technology.
He also told the FBI that Mr. Jefferson promised to assist him with his business dealings in Nigeria for a percent share of his business, which he directed to be issued in the names of his children.
At the time, Mr. Jefferson was a member of the congressional African Trade and Investment caucus as well as member of the congressional caucus for Nigeria.
The FBI revealed that Mr. Jefferson had already received a 30 per cent equity in a Nigerian company controlled by Mr. Mody in exchange for promoting communication equipment and services offered by iGate in Nigeria. Mr. Jefferson also requested that the 30 per cent stake be placed in a Nigerian company controlled by his children.
He was expected to use his influence to communicate with the Nigerian president and vice president to secure the business venture for iGate. The FBI said he wrote to Atiku seeking his assistance in overcoming opposition to iGate’s business venture from the defunct Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL).
“With regard to the Nigerian business venture, Jefferson has discussed the making of payments to high-ranking government officials there including the Vice President of Nigeria,” the affidavit stated.
“Congressman Jefferson met with the Vice President of Nigeria on July 18, 2005 in Potomac, Maryland. At the meeting the Vice President agreed to help secure the necessary approvals for the participants in the Nigerian business venture to commence operations in Nigeria in exchange for at least 50% of profit planned to be received by CW’s (Mr Mody, the cooperating witness) Nigerian partner,” he wrote.
The FBI also claimed that Mr. Jefferson discussed the payment of $500,000 to Atiku before the commencement of the Nigerian business operations. Video surveillance taken on July 30, 2005 at the Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City indicated that Mr. Jeffeson collected $100,000 in a leather briefcase (a reddis-brown Bosca briefcase) from Mr. Mody, which he allegedly claimed was to be given to Atiku to secure his support for the Nigerian business venture.
Two days later, Mr. Jefferson told Mr. Mody that he had delivered what he described as the “African art” to Atiku in the early hours of July 31, 2005.
Mr. Jefferson had originally suggested, in one of the two meetings with Mr Mody, where the possibility of bribing Atiku was discussed, that the alleged bribe should be paid into a foundation run by Ms. Douglas.
During the conversation Mr. Jefferson added that the stated aim of the foundation was to help Nigerian women. He however said the foundation was likely a front.
On the evening of July 18, 2005, the FBI stated that Mr. Jefferson visited Atiku and Ms. Douglas at their Potomac mansion and held a private meeting with the former vice president for approximately an hour.
At the end of the meeting Mr. Jefferson met with Mr. Mody at a restaurant and told him that Atiku agreed to help with securing the necessary approval for NITEL to participate in the iGate venture for a share of the profit to be earned by iGate’s Nigerian partner, Rosecom (Rosecom has a 25 per cent stake in the business) expected to earn from the business and a $500,000.00 described as “front end” payment.
Mr Jefferson also suggested that the money could be sent to Atiku through an investment in the stock market.
When eventually searched, no money was found in Atiku’s home, indicating Mr. Jefferson simply kept the bribe money to himself.
Jennifer Douglas
Ms. Douglas, also known as Jennifer Iwenjiora, Jamila Abubakar, and Jennifer Douglas-Abubakar, met Atiku in the 1980s when she was a television reporter with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).
They dated for a while but lost contact when she emigrated to the U.S. While in the U.S, she married and took the name Douglas but was later divorced and became a naturalised American.
They were reunited in the early 1990s and resumed their relationship. Atiku spent a considerable amount of time with Ms. Douglas in Maryland during the regime of late dictator Sani Abacha between 1995 and 1998. Atiku was one of those who was persecuted by Mr. Abacha – his stake in logistics company, Intels, was stripped off him on the orders of Mr. Abacha.
Mr Douglas enrolled in a PhD in International Relations at the American University and received a doctorate in 2007. She and Atiku married officially in 2003. In that year, Ms. Douglas made a $1 million donation to the American University School of International Service Building Fund, an investigative committee of the U.S. Senate revealed in 2010.
The Senate committee, whose mandate was to investigate the flow of suspicious funds into the U.S., revealed that between 2000 and 2008 Ms. Douglas helped her husband bring in over $40 million in suspected illicit funds into the U.S through wire transfer from offshore corporations.
In 2008 a civil inquiry by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission claimed Ms. Douglas received over $2 million in bribe payments in 2001 and 2002, from German technology company, Siemens AG.
Though she denies wrongdoing, Siemens pleaded guilty and settled bribery related civil charges and told the Senate committee that the money was sent to her account.
Ms. Douglas, whose last known place of employment was at the American University of Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirate where she was a professor on International Relations, played an active role in the establishment of Atiku’s American University of Nigeria Yola.
According to the U.S. Senate report, she approached the authorities of the American University, where she was a student in 2002 for assistance in the setting up of the university and served as a liaison between the institution and her husband. She is an unpaid trustee of the university’s board of trustees.
P/T