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You Don’t Have To Give Bribes To Collect Drivers Licence Or Other Things, Osinbajo Tells Nigerians

By
concoursemedia
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Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says there is no reason why any Nigerian should give bribe to law enforcement agents whether for obtaining drivers licenses, passports or to clear goods at the ports.

Mr Osinbajo spoke on Tuesday in Abuja while declaring open the anti-corruption conference tagged “Collaborative Approach to Eradicating the Evils of Corruption in Nigeria.’’

The conference was organised by the Office of the Vice President and the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC).

Quoting PricewaterhouseCoopers, Mr Osinbajo said Nigeria’s 2030 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) could be up to 534 billion dollars higher if it reduced corruption.

He said it did not matter how much revenue a country made or how transformative its plans were; corruption would ensure that the majority of the people did not benefit from it or simply truncate the plan.

According to him, in spite the highest oil revenues in Nigeria’s history, debt doubled and poverty figures rose as a result of corruption.

He said that the administration was not slightly deluded into thinking that it had won the battle against corruption as it was tackling grand corruption first.

“By that we mean the stealing of huge public resources directly from the treasury; usually at the highest levels of executive authority; and the stealing of budgeted funds through various schemes,” he said.

He said the enforcement of Treasury Single Account (TSA), the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit, and even ensuring that most civil servants were on the IPPIS electronic platform had helped greatly to control official theft of public funds.

The vice president said that the judiciary also moved the needle in recent times.

“The Supreme Court in a lead judgment of Akaahs JSC, recently held that forfeiture under Section 17 of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act is a civil process which neither requires the criminal conviction of the property owner nor his innocence .

“This opens the door for forfeiture of assets that the purported owner cannot explain, whether or not an allegation of corruption is made.

“We are now poised to deal with the wider problem of systemic corruption; especially where the average person interacts with government.

“Corruption in the issuance of contracts, licenses and other government approvals; there is no reason why any Nigerian should have to give bribe to law enforcement agents for obtaining drivers licenses or passports, or to clear goods at our ports.

“All the relevant government agencies have shown a serious commitment to eradicating these forms of corruption; our next level is to create the environment for collaboration between our agencies, civil society and other stake holders.’’

The vice president said that it was in recognition of the enormity of corruption that President Muhammadu Buhari set up PACAC in 2015.

Mr Osinbajo said that PACAC deserved commendation not just for its sterling, innovative contributions to the fight against corruption, but for regularly setting the agenda for important conversations on the subject.

On his part, PACAC’s Chairman, Itse Sagay, said information and intelligence sharing among anti-corruption and security agencies was critical in the fight against corruption.

He said that the Sept. 11 attack in New York and the recent attack in Sri Lanka were all blamed on security agencies who failed to act on or share intelligence.

On June 1, 2016, PACAC organised a roundtable on corruption information and intelligence sharing protocol.

He said that the justification for that roundtable was contained in the summary of the outcome of the roundtable.

Mr Sagay said that it was observed that information at the disposal of various intelligence units in the country was not shared in a systematic and pragmatic manner to assist the fight against corruption and other related national security threats.

He said the gaps were identified as setback in the fight against corruption.

“Against the above background, PACAC developed a protocol on information and intelligence sharing for anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies and intelligence community.

“The recommendations of that roundtable were not only apt, but were imperative for the successful collaboration and information sharing among the anti-corruption and security agencies.

“Let us use the opportunity this morning to reaffirm the determination of the ant-corruption and security agencies to work together in the interest of Nigeria in order to clear the cobweb of corruption that has almost covered the face of Nigeria,” he said.

Heads of various anti-corruption agencies whose operations are affected by corruption attended the event.

(NAN)

FG to inaugurate implementation committee for N30,000 minimum wage

By
concoursemedia
-

The federal government will on Tuesday in Abuja inaugurate the N30,000 new national minimum wage implementation committee, almost one month after President Muhammadu Buhari signed the bill into law.

Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment, said this while fielding questions on television concerning the time for payment of the new wage.

Mr Ngige did not state when the government would start payment but said that arrears would be paid anytime implementation of the new wage begins.

He said there were still processes and procedures the new wage would undergo before the commencement of its implementation, even though it had been passed and signed into law.

“It is a whole process and the salary and wages commission will do its job before implementation,” the minister said.

He said that the committee was made of seven ministers with the Head of Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita as chairperson.

The minister said those at the lowest cadre of employment whether in the public or private sector would earn N30,000 as the law provides.

He said however for the cadre of workers already earning above the minimum wage, there would be consequential adjustment from the top.

Mr Ngige added that the relevant agency of government would soon issue a circular on the expected adjustments.

Meanwhile, Ayuba Wabba, the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has expressed worry over the delay in the commencement of the implementation of the new wage.

NAN

iPhone, Android users face security risk as Israeli spyware hits WhatsApp

By
concoursemedia
-

A spyware traced to an Israeli intelligence firm has injected vulnerabilities into WhatsApp’s phone call function on iPhone and Android devices.

Attackers used the malicious agent to transmit private user data by calling the user and infecting the call whether or not the call was picked-up, according to the Financial Times which broke the news on Monday night.

Oftentimes, the spyware would erase incoming calls register, making it more difficult for users to detect.

WhatsApp, owned by Facebook and used by more than 1.5 billion people, has advised users to immediately upgrade to its latest version which contains a new patch that fixed the vulnerability. An additional update was published on Monday.

The company first detected the problem last week and quickly addressed it with its internal infrastructure. It also notified the United States Department of Justice of the breach, Financial Times reported.

As part of urgent measures to contain the breach and prevent further theft of user data, a ‘CVE’ advisory was also released for cybersecurity experts on Monday, informing them about the devices that were worse hit.

WhatsApp did not immediately disclose the extent of damage already caused by the spyware.

“The attack has all the hallmarks of a private company reportedly that works with governments to deliver spyware that takes over the functions of mobile phone operating systems,” WhatsApp said in a statement. “We have briefed a number of human rights organisations to share the information we can and to work with them to notify civil society.”

The Israeli-based NSO, which Financial Times identified as responsible for the attach, denied the allegations in a statement on Monday, saying it was investigating the matter.

“NSO would not, or could not, use its technology in its own right to target any person or organisation, including this individual,” it said to the Financial Times. The organisation often limits sales of its spyware, Pegasus, to state intelligence agencies.

The spyware’s capabilities are widely deemed virulent by experts. It could extract all of the data already on any targeted device, including text messages, contacts, GPS location, email, browser history.

WhatsApp has been widely popular across the world for its easy-to-use interface and and end-to-end encryption. Journalists, activists and dissidents have become comfortable with the application’s communication guarantees, and WhatsApp said the Israeli spyware did not affect the encryption functionality.

Magu Opens Up, Reveals Real Reason For EFCC’s “Witch-hunt” Against Saraki

By
concoursemedia
-

Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, on Tuesday declared that the fresh investigation of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, was not a witch-hunt.

Magu said the commission does not witch-hunt any government official irrespective of their political background.

Addressing journalists at the EFCC’s headquarters in Abuja, Magu disclosed that the Commission only investigates people it suspects of being involved in corrupt practices.

Magu also stated that the investigation of Saraki was not based on personal motive.

When asked why the EFCC was reopening investigations into old cases against Saraki, Magu said: ”No it is not personal, we are not after anybody. His case is not different from other individuals that are being investigated.

“The EFCC does not pursue people who do not have corruption cases. If you are not corrupt, we do not invite you. If you are not a 419 or internet fraudster, we would never invite you.

”We do our homework very well. Sometimes we conduct our investigations for up to six months, we have been investigating people for more than five years.

”Corruption is a national disaster, every Nigerian should fight corruption, whether you are in Nigeria or outside the country. You remove corruption, you eradicate disaster. All these banditries and Boko Haram, the root is corruption.”

Source: PUNCH

US Embassy Announces New Method For Visa Interviews In Nigeria

By
concoursemedia
-

The US Embassy on Tuesday announced the indefinite suspension of interview waivers for renewals, otherwise known as the “Dropbox” process.

A statement on its website noted that visa applications will no longer be accepted by DHL in Nigeria.

“Those who have already submitted their passports via “Dropbox” to DHL for processing either at the U.S. Embassy in Abuja or the Consulate General in Lagos, will not be impacted by this change”, it read.

“All applicants in Nigeria seeking a nonimmigrant visa to the United States must apply online and will be required to appear in person at the U.S. Embassy in Abuja or U.S. Consulate General in Lagos to submit their application for review. Applicants must appear at the location they specified when applying for the visa renewal.

“Processing of diplomatic and official (A, G, and NATO class) visa applications will continue unchanged.”

The statement added that Nigeria’s processing procedures are regularly reviewed in order to assess our ability to quickly, efficiently, and securely process visa applications.

“The U.S. Mission is taking this step to provide more efficient customer service and promote legitimate travel, and will continue to facilitate applications of established travelers to the best of its ability”, it concluded.

I Have The Numbers To Win Speaker Seat, Gbajabiamila Boasts

By
concoursemedia
-

The Majority Leader and candidate of the All Progressives Congress for Speaker in the Ninth National Assembly, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, has said he now has the numbers to win the seat at the House of Representatives leadership election.

Chairman of the Gbajabiamila Speakership Campaign Council, Mr Abdulmumin Jibrin, who addressed journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, said the Majority Leader was reaching out to the current Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogara; former Speakers, opposition members and other speakership aspirants.

“For now, we have a comfortable margin,” Jibrin said.

Details later…

Lagos Court Sentences UNIABUJA Student To Death…See His Crime

By
concoursemedia
-

An undergraduate student of the University of Abuja, Abiodun Allen, has been sentenced to death by a Lagos State High Court for stabbing his younger brother, Wale, to death over their father’s property.

Abiodun was convicted of one count of murder contrary to Section 221 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

It was gathered that 33-year-old Abiodun had killed Wale with a broken bottle at their family house on Oritse Street, Imude, in the Oto-Awori Local Council Development Area of Lagos State during an argument over the property.

Our correspondent learnt that Wale, a serving naval officer in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, had visited the family home to settle a dispute over their late father’s property which was allegedly taken over by Abiodun.

PUNCH Metro learnt that Abiodun, who stabbed Wale several times in the neck, dragged his body to a bush and covered it with leaves.

During the trial, the prosecutor, O. R. Ahmed-Muil, called four witnesses, including the suspect’s landlord, Mr Sunday Abogunrin.

Abogunrin told the court that the convict was a troublesome fellow who fought his siblings at every slight provocation.

He added that he caught the convict dragging the deceased’s body into the bush after killing him.

The landlord said, “I have known the defendant since he was a child; I know his entire family.

“On February 20, 2013, around 2am, I heard dogs barking and people around were afraid to come out to see what was making the dogs bark for fear of robbers. Later, people came out and I came out as well.

“I later went to investigate the cause of the noise. I noticed someone dragging something into a nearby bush. I initially wanted to raise the alarm, but instead, I turned on my torch and the person ran towards the defendant’s house.

“I immediately followed to see who it was, only to see the defendant washing his hands, which were covered in blood, near a well. I quickly alerted the baale of the community, who then ordered youths to apprehend him.”

He noted that the convict broke his sister’s hand and smacked his elder brother’s head while attempting to escape, adding that he was later apprehended by some Oodua People’s Congress members who took him to the baale’s palace.

The Investigating Police Officer, ASP Uthman Lamidi, told the court that he saw the deceased’s body at the scene, adding that upon interrogation, the defendant admitted to killing his younger brother with a broken bottle and that he was about to bury the corpse when he was intercepted.

He said, “I handcuffed the defendant and took him away. The defendant followed me willingly and confessed to killing his younger brother. His confession was read to him and he signed it, while I countersigned. In the course of investigation, we also discovered that the defendant had threatened to kill his late brother several times before actually carrying out the act.”

Delivering her judgement on Monday, Justice Raliat Adebiyi held that the prosecution had proved a case of murder beyond reasonable doubt against the defendant and consequently sentenced him to death.

She said, “The defendant is hereby found guilty and convicted of the murder of his brother, Allen Wale.

“You, Allen Abiodun, is hereby sentenced to death. May God, the giver of life, have mercy on you.”

Sally Rooney beats Michelle Obama to win book of the year title

By
concoursemedia
-

Sally Rooney’s Normal People has taken the top prize at the British book awards, beating Michelle Obama’s widely-tipped autobiography Becoming and last year’s Man Booker winner Anna Burns’s Milkman, to win the title of book of the year.

The 28-year-old Irish novelist’s second book, which charts the protracted on-off love affair between two young people over several years, landed the top prize at the awards, also known as the Nibbies or “Bafta’s of the book trade” on Monday night. While Rooney’s novel has been nominated for a number of awards, including the Man Booker, Folio and Dylan Thomas prizes, it has only picked up a couple of titles, including the Costa novel award and Waterstone’s book of the year.

Receiving the award, Rooney called it “an enormous privilege and an honour”, thanking librarians and booksellers in particular for their help finding her audience. “I do feel astonishingly lucky,” she said.

Brett Wolstencroft, judge and manager of Daunt books, said that Rooney’s novel achieves “that rare thing, a sublime work of literary fiction that exquisitely renders a universal experience: being young, finding love, friendship and, ultimately, a sense of self”.

Because Obama’s biography sold 253% more copies than Rooney’s novel – 654,000 in all formats, compared to 185,000 – while breaking all-time audiobook sales records in the UK, it was anticipated that Becoming would be a shoe-in for an award usually hooked to sales. But Alice O’Keeffe, chair of the judges and books editor of the Bookseller said that despite Obama’s impressive sales, Normal People was the most deserving winner.

“It was a really difficult decision and we went back and forth for a good while, but after much discussion we felt that Sally Rooney is such a major talent and that her ‘difficult second novel’ was just as impressive as her debut was astonishing. She has been described as a millennial writer with millennial concerns, but I know readers in their seventies who loved Normal People. The passion that came through on the grassroots for this book is really something,” she said.

Taking factors like sales into account in the judging process meant that the Nibbies have been “accused of following everything else”, O’Keeffe said, but she felt Rooney’s status as a bestseller in literary fiction, a genre that has struggled with sales in recent years, had yet to be acknowledged.

“She has transcended literary fiction. It is not something I can say about many young writers,” she said.

Obama’s memoirs, which trace her trajectory from growing up in south side Chicago to the White House, still picked up two British book awards, for best non-fiction and audiobook of the year. Obama’s performance of her own memoir beat Ben Whishaw’s telling of the late Stephen Hawking’s final book, Brief Answers to the Big Questions, and Robert Galbraith’s Lethal White, narrated by Robert Glenister.

In other categories, three-time winner David Walliams has picked up the award for children’s book of the year again, this time for The Ice Monster, the story of a 10-year old Victorian orphan and a 10,000 year old woolly mammoth. Sam Taylor’s translation of Leïla Slimani’s Lullaby picked up the gong for best debut novel, while Bosh!, a cookbook written by “vegan Jamie Olivers” Henry Firth and Ian Theasby received the award in the lifestyle category, seeing off household names Tom Kerridge and Yotam Ottolenghi.

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American Rapper Acquires Customized Private Jet “Air Drake”

By
concoursemedia
-

Apart from being a renowned rapper and personality, Drake is now a proud owner of a private jet.

Not just any jet either – a customized Boeing 767-300F, which costs $220 million as reported by CNN.

His very own ‘Air Drake’, is a 30-seat airplane that the artist purchased all for himself.

Drake, whose real name is Aubrey Graham, has created this personalised jet with Cargojet, a Canadian airline. Twitter was abuzz with videos of his new plane’s unveiling. Check it out below.

Famous friends like NBA player Tristan Thompson, rapper Lil Yachty, and businessman Dan Bilzerian all left comments on the post.

Speaking about his new purchase, Drake thanked CargoJet’s President Ajay Virmani, saying,

That guy made it happen right there, that’s the man.

Virmani on his part, had this to say,

We have had a lengthy relationship with Drake, and this partnership has grown organically between both parties. Cargojet and Drake are both great Canadian successes; we are thrilled to be partnering together.

God’s plan in drake’s plane – looks like he’s sorted for another vacay!

Governor Ortom Breaks Silence On Dumping PDP For APC After Meeting With Buhari

By
concoursemedia
-

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has refuted reports that he was set to dump the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP for the All Progressives Congress, APC.

In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, Governor Ortom maintained that he enjoys a robust relationship with other PDP leaders and members at the state and national levels.

The governor, however, stressed that his visit to the President on Monday was to discuss State matters, particularly to give him an update on the security situation in his state and the efforts the Government is making to guarantee peace in all parts of the state as well as its borders with other states such as Taraba and Ebonyi.

The statement added that ”We wish to advise those spreading the rumour and misleading people to know that President Buhari is not an APC President. He is the President of the whole Nigeria across party divides. He is the Commander-in-Chief of the country’s armed forces and receives periodic briefings from State Governors and other stakeholders.

”The Benue electorate has also indicated clearly from the results of the last general election that the PDP remains their preferred political party. Governor Ortom always stands with his people and this, he will continue to do.

”Politics is over. Now is time for governance to ensure that development gets to the people. We advise those making unfounded speculations and fanning embers of discord to allow Governor Ortom and President Buhari to synergise where possible and concentrate on strategizing to ensure the security of lives and property as well as general welfare of the people.”

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