The Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, has assured civil servants in the state that he will not witch-hunt anyone for his or her political convictions.
He gave the assurance on Thursday in Ilorin, the state capital, during his maiden meeting with civil servants in the state.
“We would not label anyone. We will carry everybody along and promote a culture of transparency and independence.
“We want Kwara to regain its rightful place, particularly in the North where it used to be the number one in terms of education and so on,” Abdulrazaq said.
The Governor promised to ensure prompt payment of salaries, and also to pay the minimum wage after due consultations with the civil servants and proper assessment of the financial situation of the state.
“We will pay May salary almost immediately. We want to get to a place where there are no backlog of salary and pensions.
“We’ll discuss the minimum wage. The intention is to pay, but we need to sit down and resolve a few issues.
“There has been so much plundering of the state resources, but we will rise above all that.
“We’ll ride on your back to get things done while your welfare is taken care of,” he said.
The governor declared that his government would strive to plug loopholes and reduce overhead costs through prudent management of resources.
He also promised to address the infrastructural deficit in the state and create wealth through private enterprise.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was attended by top party leaders led by APC chairman, Mr Bashir Bolarinwa; Head of the Civil Service, Mrs Susan Oluwole; permanent secretaries, directors, and other senior civil servants in the state.
Governor Mala Buni of Yobe State has taken a third wife barely 24hours after his swearing in.
The Governor tied the knot on Thursday with the daughter of his immediate past predecessor, Ibrahim Gaidam.
Buni’s new wife is Ummi Adama Gaidam.
Ummi Adama, who takes the position of Governor’s third wife is currently studying in Saudi Arabia.
Ummi’s marriage to Buni could be to strengthen their political relationship.
Aljazirah reports that there are strong rumours indicating that the new bride will be made the first lady of the State governor.
The low key marriage was solemnized at Mr Gaidam’s residence at Sabon Fegi area Damaturu, the state capital, in the early hours of Thursday.
Aljazira quoted an ally of the Governor, who preferred not to be mentioned, as saying that the marriage was performed secretly to avoid public criticism.
An Islamic scholar, Sheik Abubakar Adam who is also close to the two governors (Gaidam and Mai mala), gave the hand of Fatima Ibrahim Gaidam to Mala Buni.
Shiek Adam, who conducted the wedding called on the couple to fear God in all their dealings in order to have a good family and live a fulfilling life.
Buni was the immediate-past National Secretary of the ruling party, All Progressives Congress, APC, and was anointed by Gaidam to succeeded him as governor.
The new Governor was sworn-in on Wednesday by the state Chief Judge, Justice Garba Na Baruma.
Want to lose money in one of Africa’s biggest markets? Put it to work in Nigeria.
Despite sitting on nearly 40 billion barrels of proven oil reserves and over $48 billion worth of investment opportunities in the oil and gas sector, Africa’s largest economy is mired in problems with big corporate investors as president Muhammadu Buhari readies his second-term after a swearing-in ceremony scheduled for May 29.
Nigeria’s stock index is down 0.4% year-to-date while emerging markets are up 2.3% and the MSCI Frontier Markets 100 is up 10.2%.
As one of the better known, investable African equity markets, anyone who tried their luck with the Global X Nigeria (NGE) exchange-traded fund is down 27.7% over the last 12 months. In five years, the Nigeria ETF has blown up, now down over 74.5%. Frontier and emerging indexes are better than Nigeria. It’s also worse than South Africa, Africa’s largest stock market, and Egypt, Africa’s second largest.
In terms of foreign direct investment, back in 2013 inflows totaled $5.6 billion, most of it in the telecom and energy sectors. Last year, Nigeria’s FDI flattened to $2 billion. Equity investment between 2013 and 2018 has fallen from around $2.9 billion in 2013 to just $139 million in 2018. In the last quarter of 2018, there was the first net pullout of equity capital since records began under the current accounting methodology in 2008, according to data compiled by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy in terms of nominal GDP. South Africa comes in second, even though its GDP per capita is roughly five times that of Nigeria.
It’s Nigeria’s abundant commodity resources that make it so big. But it’s Nigeria’s government that keeps it from getting bigger, and richer.
“Nigeria has never been a particularly business-friendly place,” says David Bruckmeier, a sub-Saharan business intelligence analyst at London-based political risk firm AKE Group. “Outright hostile action against major foreign investors is rare, but bureaucracy, pervasive corruption, an unfavorable tax system and disputes with investors hurt investment,” he says.
Prosecutors charged R&B singer R. Kelly on Thursday with 11 new sex-related counts, including some that carry a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, making them the most serious against him.
Cook County prosecutors charged the Grammy award-winning singer with four counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault, two counts of criminal sexual assault by force, two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse against a victim who was at least age 13 and under 17 at the time, The Chicago Sun-Times reported.
The four aggravated criminal sexual assault counts carry maximum terms of 30 years in prison.
Kelly was already facing 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse involving four women years ago, three of whom were minors when the alleged abuse occurred.
The new charges apparently pertain to a single victim, identified in the court filing by the initials “J.P.” It isn’t clear if she is the same person as one of the initial four accusers who also was identified by the same initials in court documents.
Kelly pleaded not guilty to the original charges and denied any wrongdoing after his February arrest. The AP couldn’t immediately reach him for comment about the new charges.
Kelly’s defense attorney, Steve Greenberg, didn’t immediately respond to an email from the AP seeking comment. He told the Sun-Times that he had received word of new charges from prosecutors but hadn’t seen any filings in the case. He did say he understood that the allegations are “from years ago.”
The Imo State House of Assembly Speaker, Lawman Duruji, has resigned.
Duruji resigned on Thursday just 48 hours after he assumed office following the resignation of the former Speaker, Acho Ihim.
Duruji had, on Tuesday, emerged the new Speaker after garnering 14 votes to beat his only rival, Chinedu Ofor (Onuimo), who got 11 votes.
Duruji confirmed the development to our Correspondent in Owerri on Thursday.
He said, “It is true. I have just reigned as the Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly.
“I have tendered my resignation letter to the Clerk of the House, Chris Duru.
“I resigned on Thursday.”
When asked what prompted his sudden resignation, Duruji said, “I did that on personal reason. I was not forced. I have my reason and it is personal.”
It may be recalled that Duruji has been re-elected to the Imo State House of Assembly, and he is believed to want to run for the post of Speaker when the Assembly is sworn in.
The Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi has granted Nigerian Musician Azeez Fashola bail.
At the resumed bail application, his lead defense counsel Olalekan Ojo for the singer apologized for his absence at the initial arraignment on May 20 due to heavy down poor.
Ojo urged the court to accept the bail application Prima Facie based on the presumption of his innocence in accordance with Section 162 (1)
The defense also pleaded that a liberal approach is taken in hearing the bail application.
The prosecution counsel, led by Rotimi Oyedepo, however, argued that it is not the temporary release of the singer that mattered but the final judgment.
He, therefore, urged the court to grant accelerated hearing rather than bail.
He added that since the lawyer of the defendant said the defendant is a celebrity, then his actions and inactions have a multiplier effect on youths in the entire federation.
Justice Nicholas Oweibo who presided over the bail hearing after listening to the defense and prosecution arguments granted the singer bail to the sum of two million naira, two sureties.
The trial has been adjourned to 22, 23 and 24 of October for accelerated hearing.
Popular Ghanaian actor, Chris Attoh, has been named as a suspect in his wife’s murder a few days after a sketch of the suspect who shot Bettie Jennifer was released.
George Matthews, a spokesman for the US police agency in Washington D.C. on Wednesday confirmed that Chris Attoh is now a suspect in his wife’s murder, GhanaWeb reports.
“Investigators are casting a wide net to try to find the suspect. The man is described as a black male, thin build, wearing a black, sleeveless top. He got into a blue vehicle and took off after killing Jenifer.
“Nowadays, you always want to look at social media.
“We are examining the actor’s tweet which came up a few minutes before the murder of his wife.
“That’s all part of the investigation. As far as I know, [Attoh is] fully cooperating.
“This happened in broad daylight, in front of multiple witnesses, right in front of an office complex. Around 5 p.m. Friday, Jenifer walked out of the office building and headed to her car. She saw a man with a gun and started running.
“She was chased by the suspect who fired multiple shots at the victim striking her twice, once fatally in the head,” George Matthews said.
DAILY POST recalls that Bettie was shot dead while leaving her office in Maryland in the United States of America.
Following her death, revelations emerged that Jenifer was married to two men, Ghanaian actor, Chris Attoh, 39, and Kedrick Jenifer, a drug lord in Baltimore.
A few hours after they were sacked as local government chairmen in Oyo State by Governor Seyi Makinde, the affected council bosses on Thursday vowed to remain in office.
Led by the chairman of Oluyole Local Government Area, Ayodeji Abass-Alesinloye , the chairmen in their address titled: “Public statement on the purported dissolution of democratically elected local government in Oyo Sstate by Governor Seyi Makinde,” the chairmen, through the Association of Local Government of Nigeria, described their sack as undemocratic and illegal.
Abass-Alesinloye, who read the statement on behalf of his colleagues at a press conference held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists Office, Iyaganku Ibadan said, the military-like statement issued by the governor that all councils and the Local Council Development Authorities be dissolved with immediate effect amounted to “a familiar jackboot statement of the military era.”
Describing the statement as a sad throwback to “that better forgotten years of military dictatorship,” the chairmen added, “this is unexpected and quite unfortunate in a democracy. The statement came out less than 12 hours after Governor Makinde was sworn-in.”
They therefore vowed to remain in office.
The governor had, through his Chief of Staff, Bisi Ilaka, directed that “all local government authorities and Local Council Development Authorities be dissolved with immediate effect.”
He asked the chairmen to hand over to their Heads of Local Government Administration or the most senior directors in their local government areas and councils.
While placing embargo on all local and state government accounts until further directives, Makinde also directed that all boards of parastatals and corporations be dissolved with immediate effect.
National Publicity Secretary of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, Bishop (Dr) Gospel Emmah Isong has asked other regions in the country including the South-South, South-East and South-West to demand the establishment of their own radio stations from the Federal Government.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen in Calabar, Bishop Isong, who is General Overseer of Christian Central Chapel International CCCI, a.k.a Faith Mansion, regretted the planned move of the Federal Government to establish Fulani radio.
“Other ethnic groups and the Governors of South-South, South-East and south-West should also ask the Federal Government to grant them licenses to establish ethnic radio stations.
“Nobody can Islamise Nigeria. It is impossible. Nigerians should not be afraid; to me I don’t think this can happen. What former president, Olusegun Obasanjo said about ‘Fulanisation’ of the country is not new.”
The cleric expressed his displeasure over the worsening security situation in Nigeria, stressing that, “What is happening in the country now is not different from the situation that snowballed into the Rwanda genocide.
“The bane of this country is social hypocrisy and political sycophancy. Nobody is honest. Nobody is speaking the truth. Politicians have polluted the pulpit. They have penetrated into the church. The church must retrace its steps by pulling out of the political circle.
“The closeness is such that they cannot be separated. People in government should stop campaigning from the pulpit. If they have any message they should call church leaders and talk to them.”
Isong, who also doubles as the National Patron of the Nigeria Union of Journalists South South Zone, stated that Nigeria still has better days ahead after 20 years of uninterrupted democracy.
He urged the people of Nigeria not to lose faith but rather be optimistic as the best would still come.
“If leaders of the nation can afford to employ dialogue on a round table where issues affecting the people are being discussed a lot of grievances would be resolved,” he said.
On the move for financial autonomy to be granted local governments, the clergyman stated that it won’t amount to anything if the state electoral commissions were not scrapped, “such commissions could be used by the state governors to put their cronies in places of authority as council chairmen whereby the council bosses would be used as conduit pipes to siphon LG funds”.
