BIG STORIES IN THE NEWS: Trial of oil thieves will begin soon —Buhari

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has said the prosecution of those who misappropriated the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) revenues under past administrations will soon commence.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, in a statement in Abuja, said Buhari gave this indication in New York, United States, on Sunday, while restating his determination to fully sanitise Nigeria’s oil industry and make it totally free of corruption and shady deals.
Speaking at a meeting with President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the 70th General Assembly of the United Nations, President Buhari said a necessary first step in this direction had already been taken with the appointment of a new management for the NNPC and its subsequent reorganisation.
President Buhari thanked President Xi Jinping for China’s ongoing help in curbing crude oil theft from Nigeria.
The president applauded China’s interception of shiploads of crude oil stolen from Nigeria, which were to be sold and proceeds paid into private accounts.
“We know your stand on corruption and we are grateful. Your continued cooperation in curbing oil theft from Nigeria will be appreciated,” President Buhari told the Chinese leader.
He also assured President Xi Jinping that under its new leadership, the Nigerian  military had been re-trained and re-equipped and was now making steady gains against Boko Haram.
President Jinping told Buhari that China would increase its investment in the country’s agricultural sector to support the achievement of domestic food security.

Source: Tribune Newspaper

BIG STORIES IN THE NEWS: 5 die in Ikorodu boat accident

•  17 rescued. LASG goes tough on guidelines for operators

THE Lagos State Govern­ment yesterday said it has concluded plans to embark on an aggressive campaign and enforcement of guide­lines for commercial boat operators, in a bid to prevent boat mishaps in the state.
The Managing Director of Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), Mrs Abisola Kamson, in a state­ment said the new drive was in line with the commit­ment of the state governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode to ensure that water trans­portation by all standard, remained the most efficient and cost effective mode of transportation.
“The Lagos State Govern­ment in its drive to promote a multi-modal transport sys­tem, especially the move­ment of passengers, goods and services on its water­ways, will under no circum­stances compromise safety standards and the protection of lives and property. As such we restate our commit­ment to the promotion of all safety measures and ensure that all operators comply with all safety standards in line with global best prac­tices”, she said.
Kamson who spoke on the backdrop of a boat mishap which occurred at the week­end along Oke Ira Nla, Ajah- Bayeku, Ikorodu axis of the state, said LASWA was noti­fied of the incident involving a Bayeku Ferry Association commercial boat carrying 20 passenger and two crew members from Oke Ira Nla, Ajah to Bayeku in Ikorodu.
She said upon receiving the notification, the author­ity’s Water Guards were im­mediately deployed to the scene of the incident to as­sist in rescue efforts.
Kamson said, she later led a delegation of state of­ficials including the Per­manent Secretary, Local Government and Commu­nity Affairs, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Security, and the Baale of Baiyeku, Chief Saheed Aleje Ajibode to the site of the incident.
The LASWA boss con­firmed that all passengers onboard were wearing life jackets, revealing that 17 of them were rescued alive while five who were earlier rushed to the nearest Gener­al Hospital, died afterwards.
She said preliminary in­vestigation by the authority revealed that aside the me­chanical fault that developed when the steering cable con­nected to the engine propel­ler cut, the captain of the boat was possibly also over-speeding, adding that he is presently being questioned by the Marine Police.

Source: Sun Newspaper

BIG STORIES IN THE NEWS: Trial: Saraki, loyalists lobby emirs

Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki and some members of the Like Minds in the Senate have reached out to some emirs.
They are trying to explore ways of resolving the crisis of confidence between the Senate President and the Presidency, The Nation has learnt.
Some of them were said to be urging the emirs to prevail on the Federal Government to drop charges against Saraki, who is facing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) for alleged false declaration of assets.
But President Muhammadu Buhari may not accept under-the-table deal in matters relating to corruption, a source said.
The Senate President’s supporters have been attributing the arraignment to “political vendetta”.
Saraki had audience with some traditional rulers from the North on Saturday.
A highly-placed source said: “Some loyalists of Saraki are really pushing for political option. This is why they have been reaching out to prominent emirs and chiefs in the North.
“I think Saraki is buying into the rapprochement by meeting with some emirs where he explained his own side and how things could be straightened.
“For instance on Saturday, Saraki had audience with some emirs and chiefs from the North in connection with his travails and how to resolve the matter amicably.”
A member of The Like Minds said: “No one is happy the way things are – at a standstill. The Presidency and the Senate leadership are working at cross-purpose.
“If we continue like this, the hostility between the Presidency and the Senate will deepen and it will affect many things.
“We are reaching out to some emirs and Northern leaders to address this problem. We believe we can manage the situation before it gets out of hand.”
A source in the Presidency said: “As far as I know, President Muhammadu Buhari will not accept under-the-table deal on allegations having to do with corruption.
“The Presidency has explained that it has nothing to do with Saraki’s trial. There is no basis for any lobbying.”
As at last night, Saraki’s supporters were still divided on whether or not to confront the Presidency over his arraignment before the tribunal.
Some Senators are seeking outright condemnation of the trial; others are pushing for a subtle management of the situation.
“We are weighing options ahead of our resumption on tomorrow on how to manage the situation, “a senator said.

Source: The Nation Newspaper

BIG STORIES IN THE NEWS: Nigeria to witness lunar eclipse today

NIGERIA is to witness very pronounced reddish darkness in the early hours of today.
This is as a result of a lunar eclipse, which had earlier been announced. The eclipse is expected to occur on schedule, the National; Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) said yesterday.
The scenario is expected to commence around 1.am and continue intermittently till about 6.22am, the agency said.
In a statement, Head Media and Corporate Commissions of the Agency, Dr. Felix Ale said, the lunar eclipse will be visible in all the various locations in the country from 1.11am, with total eclipse at 3:47am and end by 6.22am.
Ale said NARSAD has no special arrangement for the public to view the astronomical event at the Space Centre in line with its tradition due to the time of the occurrence this time around.
The NASRDA spokesman also dismissed the on-going speculation in some quarters that the lunar eclipse will last for two weeks, saying it will only be observed within five hours and eleven minutes in the early hours of Monday, September 28, 2015.



Source: Guardian Newspaper

BIG STORIES IN THE NEWS: Buhari stops special allowance for Villa guards

President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the stoppage of special allowance for security personnel in the Presidential Villa, investigations by The Punch have revealed.

Before now, all security personnel posted to the Villa were being paid what is known as Risk and Hazard Allowance.

However, since his assumption of office, President Buhari was said to have refused to pay the money to them.

During the last regime, our correspondents gathered that senior security officers covering the Villa were said to have been collecting between N75,000 and N50,000 while their junior ones received between N30,000 and N25,000 on a monthly basis.

One of the officers manning the Villa told one of our correspondents that the ADC to the President, Lt. Col. Muhammed Abubakar, summoned sectional heads of all the security agencies manning different positions within the Villa to inform them about the stoppage of the allowance.

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It was gathered that the ADC decided to call the sectional heads following rumours making the rounds among the operatives that the money meant for the affected officers was being embezzled.

One of the affected officers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “About two weeks ago, an assistant superintendent of one of the agencies called us and told us that the ADC met all the heads of the security agencies in the Villa where the news was broken to them.

“Our own head also met us and warned us to desist from carrying rumours about the money. He said that the ADC told them that no money was being released to the guards, as being speculated.”

It was further gathered that the leaders of the affected security organs were told that the officers manning the Villa should be contented with their monthly salaries.

Besides, it was also gathered that the Chief Security Officer, Bashir Abubarkar, had written two letters to the National Security Adviser, Gen. Babagana Monguno(retd.) on the issue of the RCA, but was said to have been told that such allowance was illegal and that the President had asked that it be stopped.

Efforts made to get the reaction of the Presidency failed as calls made to the telephone number of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media, Mallam Garba Shehu, were not answered.

He also didn’t respond to a text message sent to him as well.

However, a source at the Presidency said the issue was being looked into.

He said the office of the NSA had been mandated to look into the matter and report to the Presidency on the matter.

“The report is true, but I can tell you that the matter is being looked into and I can tell you that we are going to do something about it,” the source added.

But speaking on the development, a former Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, endorsed the President’s decision, saying that the security personnel at the Presidential Villa were given “a lot of allowances and giving them extra money is like buying their conscience.”

The retired CP observed that many security operatives on the streets get no extra money apart from their salaries, stressing that the allowances given to Presidential guards was the reason many security officials were struggling to serve at the Aso Villa.

He said, “The security officers on the road get nothing and giving the security personnel at the Villa extra allowance is like buying their conscience. They won’t tell the truth. they would only tell the President what he wants to hear.”

But a former DSS Director, Mike Ejiofor, disagreed, saying the Presidential Villa “is a special beat” which should attract extra stipends for the security men serving there.

Source: Punch Newspaper