…says he is not afraid of investigations
The outgoing Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has said he is ready to face the investigation team of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
According to a media report, the EFCC had already set up a special team to grill the governor for allegedly receiving over N1.2bn from a former National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki (retd.) through a former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro.
Fayose, who said he had a clear conscience, told the commission to expect him in its office on October 16, a day after the expiration of his tenure.
“He who has clear conscience fears no foe. The EFCC should still expect me at 1pm next Tuesday,” he said.
Fayose spoke on Wednesday during the inauguration of a new school he built in his Afao-Ekiti home country as part of his legacy projects in the state.
At the event, he asked workers to collect their outstanding four months’ salaries from the incoming governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi.
He said the funds he could have used to pay them as expected had been withheld by the Federal Government ahead of Fayemi’s resumption.
“They paid other states Paris Refund, they didn’t pay Ekiti; Fayemi should help me pay the money.
“They didn’t pay Ekiti N2.2bn Budget Support Fund; my promise is fulfilled but the money is in the hands of the government, they should help me to pay.”
The governor told the gathering that he did not borrow money from anywhere to fund any of the projects.
“With all these legacy projects, I didn’t borrow any dime. I do not owe any debt, if they say I owe, they should show evidence of the transaction.
“Besides, no governor can borrow without the knowledge of the Ministry of Finance and the Debt Management Office.”
Fayose urged the incoming administration not to neglect the school or abandon any legacy project.
He said the school named Gifted Academy International would receive students from Ekiti and outside on 50:50 ratio.
“The school is equipped with modern equipment, laboratories, furniture and Closed-Circuit Television for surveillance,” he said.
Tag: Visit
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Alleged corruption: Fayose reveals when he will visit EFCC office
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Naira depreciates by N3 against Pound Sterling 24 hours after May’s visit
The Nigerian Naira lost N3 against the Pound Sterling a day after the British Prime Minister, Mrs Theresa May, visited Nigeria, closing at N467 at the black market.
Recall that May was in Nigeria on Wednesday as part of her three-nation tour of Africa comprising South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya.
The British PM is looking to re-ignite trade ties with Africa as Britain plans to exit the European Union.
Apart from the loss recorded against the Sterling yesterday, the local also lost N1 to the Euro at the black market, closing at N415.
However, it remained unchanged at N361 to a Dollar.
At the interbank segment of the forex market yesterday, the Naira was flat, closing at the rate it was previously traded, N306.15 per Dollar.
However, it was a good day for the Nigerian Naira on Thursday at the Investors and Exporters (I&E) segment of the foreign exchange (forex) market.
The local currency appreciated by 0.20 percent against the Dollar at the market segment.
The Naira, which was traded at N363.06 to a Dollar at the I&E FX window on Wednesday, closed on Thursday at N362.32 after adding 74 kobo.
At the close of trading on Thursday, a total of $252.66 million were traded at the I&E segment in 25 deals.
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Forex: Emefiele pays unscheduled visits to First Bank, UBA, Zenith, insists on $1/N360 benchmark
Mr Godwin Emefiele, Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), on Monday paid an unannounced visit to First Bank, UBA and Zenith banks offices in Abuja to inspect sales of foreign currencies to customers.
He said that the visit was to ascertain banks compliance with the new directive by the CBN to sell foreign currencies to all customers over-the-counter whether the customer had an account or not.
“The essence of us being here is to make sure that the banks are able to service not just their customers, but also those who are not their customers, particularly those who want to travel outside the country.
“I want to seize this opportunity to let everybody know that there is dollar availability. If you want to travel, go to a bank. It doesn’t have to be your bank.
“Whether you have an account or not, you should be attended to.
“Just work into any bank with your travel document, show your Visa and air ticket. They will ask for your BVN and once they verify it, they should attend to you on the spot.
“Nobody should go home and come back because he or she wants to buy foreign exchange. You should be attended to immediately and that’s what over-the-counter means,’’ he said.
Emefiele said that all the banks were well stocked and whoever want to make foreign exchange transaction should look for the “BTA/PTA counter’’ or “Bureau de Change counter’’ located in all banks’ branches.
He also said that all banks were expected to display daily foreign exchange rates for major currencies, so that the customer would be aware of how much he or she is paying.
“The essence of this inspection is to say that there is ample liquidity for any eligible traveler and nobody should fall into the temptation of buying BTA or PTA from a bank at more than N360 to a dollar.
“The banks are entitled to their margin, and their margin has already been built into the price so you don’t have to pay any additional charge,’’ he said.
According to Emefiele, the CBN Examiners will continue to do on-the-spot assessments at banks to find out and be sure that people who are traveling get attended to Over-the-Counter.
Emefiele visited the First Bank branch in Central Area, UBA branch in Area 3 and Zenith Bank in Maitama, Abuja.
He asked customers of the three banks their experiences in accessing foreign exchange, if they were being attended to promptly or not.
He also spoke with the Head Branch Service, First Bank, Abuja, Ms Zainab Darlington, Zenith Bank’s Executive Director, North, Mr Umar Ahmed and the Assistant General Manager, UBA, Mrs Jennifer Illoabache.
They all confirmed ample supply of foreign exchange from the CBN to meet all eligible demand for foreign exchange.
According to the Apex bank, Nigerians traveling out of the country for personal reasons, are entitled to access a maximum of 4,000 dollars every quarter, while those going for business, 5,000 dollars.
Meanwhile, the Naira on Monday exchanged for N366 to a dollar at the Bureau de Change segment, showing slight improvement from the N367 it closed on Friday.
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Osinbajo arrives Ondo on two-day visit
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday arrived Akure, the capital of Ondo State, for a two-day official visit.
Osinbajo’s aircraft touched down at the Akure airport at about 2.30 p.m, although locals had been waiting for him since 10 a.m.
During the visit, Osinbajo will launch the Ondo State Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, (MSMEs) clinic, which is expected to serve as tonic to economic and developmental activities in the state.
His visit will feature interactive sessions with MSMEs and their products.
He is expected to inspect the home grown school feeding programme at Alagbaka Primary School and the Federal Government’s Light Up project at Isinkan Neighbourhood Market in the state capital.
Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, members of the state executive council, lawmakers and security chiefs in the state were at the airport to receive the vice president.
He immediately headed for the palace of the Deji of Akure, Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi, for a courtesy visit before proceeding to the International Event Centre for a meeting.
At the time of filing this report, Osinbajo was still meeting with and addressing people at the centre.
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Buhari’s minister hints on Donald Trump’s visit to Nigeria
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama on Tuesday hinted that Nigeria may consider inviting the President of the United States, Donald Trump after the conclusion of the 2019 general elections.
Recall that Trump had during a joint press briefing with President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday at the White House said he would love to visit Nigeria considering the beautiful stories he had heard about the country.
“I would very much like to visit Nigeria. It is an amazing country and in certain ways, I hear from the standpoint of the beauty of a country.
“There is no country more beautiful,” Trump said.
The Minister, however, noted that the visit may not happen any moment soon as it will take up to a year to prepare.
Onyeama said in Washington DC that Trump also has a very busy schedule while Nigeria’s general election was also coming up.
“Regarding the invitation, well if the programmers of the two presidents are very very intensive, it usually takes anything up to a year to prepare for invitation at that kind of level before they actually take place.
“Of course in Nigeria you know we have elections coming up and a very very busy schedule as that of President Trump. Maybe sometime next year we could envisage something like that,” he said.
Onyeama explained that Buhari’s outing at the U.S. was a win-win for Nigeria and the U.S. saying each president has 10 members of his delegation during the bilateral meeting between Messrs Buhari and Trump.
He added that Buhari met with six Chief Executive Officers of U.S. agriculture companies and with a group of 10 U.S. business leaders from different sectors, including petroleum.
“Areas covered were security, trade, governance issues. On trade, the objective was to increase the level of trade between Nigeria and the United States.
“The two presidents agreed that concerted efforts will be made. The issues of market access in the context were discussed.
“On security, the U.S. has been helping Nigeria, supplying military equipment in the fight against terrorism and there is agreement to continue the cooperation between the two countries in this context.
“In the area of governance, the return to Nigeria in the area of large sums of money that has been siphoned out of Nigeria and lodged in banks in various jurisdictions around the world and the cooperative with the United States helping to repatriate these funds to Nigeria were also discussed. A commitment was made to me his cooperation in this regard.
“So there were good wins, on the security side, continued cooperation and of course reparations of these funds and increase in trade,” he said.
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Buhari’s visit: U.S. to commence repatriation of over $500m looted funds to Nigeria
The visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to U.S. President Donald Trump has yielded the finalisation of negotiations to repatriate more than 500 million dollars (about 190 billion Naira) of Nigeria’s looted money traced to the U.S.
Nigeria’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malamin said he and the Attorney-General of the U.S. would be meeting on Tuesday to finalise the agreement.
Malami explained that the technicalities involved were being taken care of by both officials of the Nigerian Governments and also from the U.S. side.
He said: “On the part of assets recovery, we have made considerable progress through this visit.
“There’s goodwill by the two presidents to have a road map for the repatriation of illicit funds and assets traced to the U.S. as proceeds of illicit transactions.
“This illicit funds and assets are to the tune of 500 million dollars and above for immediate repatriation.
“We are looking at the shortest practicable time for it to be repatriated.
“There is political commitment demonstrated by the two presidents.
“The over 500 million dollars is not all the recovery, it is only for the immediate repatriation while we continue with our efforts to recover more”.
Malami defended Nigeria’s human rights record, saying the Buhari’s administration is the first in the history of Nigeria to pay compensation for human rights violations.
He said in April, the Federal Government paid N135 million for the eight Apo traders who were found to have been victims of extra judicial killings by the Nigeria Police.
“Of the police officers indicted, two were sentenced to death. The payment of compensation was also as a result of the recommendation by the National Human Rights Commission and government did not appeal against it,” he said.
He noted that Trump approved of what Buhari’s administration is doing.
“Trump said Buhari is a great leader; he said he has a great respect for him; and he said Buhari has cut down on corruption,” Malami said.
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Bauchi declares public holiday for Buhari’s visit
The Bauchi State Government has declared Thursday, April 26, 2018, a public holiday in honour of President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to the state.
The Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to the state governor, Mohammed Abubakar, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen.
He said the work-free day was part of the effort to give all Bauchi residents a chance to welcome the president.
The statement reads, “Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar of Bauchi state has declared tomorrow Thursday April 26th, 2018 public holiday ahead of President Muhammadu Buhari two day Presidential visit.
“The holiday is declared to enable all and sundry to give the August visitor a rousing reception tomorrow.
“Earlier in a broadcast to the state, the Governor had enjoined the people of the state to come out enmass to receive the president expected to arrive tomorrow Thursday morning.”
During President Buhari’s two-day visit, he’s expected to commission some projects especially roads and flag off the distribution of 500 tractors to farmers in the state.
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2019: PDP reacts to Arewa pastors’ visit to Buhari
The Peoples Democratic Party has said the recent visit by some northern pastors to President Muhammadu Buhari won’t stop his imminent defeat in the 2019 presidential elections.
The party described the visit as an “exercise in futility.”
It said that desperation was making the Presidency to procure the support of individuals who “masquerade as religious leaders.”
It said the Buhari Presidency’s hiring of supposed ‘Arewa Pastors’ was a second attempt to orchestrate fake endorsements ahead of the 2019 election.
It listed the controversial Martin Luther King Jr Award as another “procured endorsement.”
PDP said both endorsements, which it said had turned out to be fake, were, to say the least, “despicable and betrayed the nervousness of a sinking leadership, desperately trying to save its face, having been rejected by the people.”
A statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the party in Abuja on Sunday, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, said it was heart-rending that because of the desperation of one man, the integrity of Nigeria’s seat of power had again been ridiculed.
He said that it was sad that religious world had noticed how groups and the Christian Association of Nigeria disowned the “northern pastors.”
He said, “Having failed to gain any endorsement from reputable international figures, such as Bill Gates and the Martin Luther Kings Jr group, the Presidency has now … resorted to cheaper ways and means, particularly, along the unregulated and porous religious and sectional lines.
“It is now overtly manifest that the Buhari administration is ready to even stage anything, no matter how ignoble, including fake rescue missions, to deceive Nigerians.”
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Buhari’s visit: Massive security measures sign of president’s ‘sinking image’ — PDP
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said resulting to use heavy security presence during President Muhammadu Buhari two days working visit to Lagos State on Thursday showed the level of the president and the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC) ‘sinking image.’
The party in a statement by its national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbodiyan, on Friday also criticised President Buhari for his failure to initiate or execute any project in Lagos State since assumption of office.
The president during the visit commissioned a number of projects including a deep seaport project and a bus terminal located behind the rail line of the Nigeria Railway Corporation which is about 1km from the airport in Lagos State.
According to the state government, the new bus terminal will connect 22 routes with over 70,000 people expected to transit through it daily.
However an unimpressed PDP described the visit as a “ridiculous face-saving stunt”.
The party compared Mr. Buhari to the president of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, “who commissioned factories in all districts of his country to mark one year in office”.
Major routes in Lagos were blocked due to the heavy security deployment during the visit. This, in addition to a work-free day declared by the state government, was criticised by many Lagosians.
The PDP said the security measures put in place by the APC, was “to restrain the people, having realised the citizens’ overwhelming indignation against the President”.
“The handlers had to lockdown the city, regardless of the huge economic loss and inconvenience to citizens and holed their principal into the safety of the colloquium hall where he was surrounded by praise singers, away from the people. Lagosians are aware that Mr President suddenly remembered the state just because elections are around the corner.
“It is most tragic that while the President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, who hosted President Buhari early this month, was commissioning factories in all districts of his country to mark his one year in office, our President could only offer Lagos, with its over 22 million population, the commissioning of a bus stop, which unfortunately, he did not even build?
“Today, his administration is again stifling the growth of the state. Instead of bringing blessing to Lagos, President Buhari’s visit brought more suffering, economic loss and pains, as the lockdown cost the state a major part of its $250 million daily GDP,” it said.
The party said it was ironical that the projects commissioned by Mr Buhari were not initiated by him.
Aside the bus terminal, the president also commissioned the Lekki free zone deep sea project and Eko Atlantic City Project.
“It is also instructive to inform that contrary to impression of achievements, the Buhari-led Federal Government has no input whatsoever in both the Eko Atlantic City and the $1.5 billion Lagos Deep Water Port, which were respectively toured and flagged off by the President during his visit.
“These projects are running on public, private partnership initiated by the Lagos state government, which leveraged on the enabling business environment created by the PDP administration. We urge President Buhari not to, in anyway, under any guise whatsoever, attempt to appropriate these projects as his achievements.
“Our advice to President Buhari and his APC is that the 2019 election would not be conducted in a colloquium hall but on the streets, among the many communities of our nation, and the verdict of the people against them is already clear.”
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What a historic visit! Lagos in chains for Buhari, By Adekoya Adebola
By Adekoya Adebola
Lagos and its residents would live to tell the story of their pains and sufferings as their lives is abruptly disrupted and put on hold with grave economic and social loss because the person they voted, campaigned and some of them even starved to put in power through the ballot came visiting them. Can any visit be more historic than that?
In a world where Presidents commute in public transports and even have coffee right in the midst of the city square, Nigeria is still gauged with so much of nothingness and ravaged with so much of charades paraded across the length and breadth of our dear country. It is obviously like Emir Sanusi described recently, a country where the few decides the cause of the life of the majority, when the few are visiting, the majority should suffer. What a country! There is no doubt that Lagos woke up this morning to untold hardship.
Lagos is the economic base of Nigeria and to imagine that the most viable economy base of Nigeria is under lock and key for 48 hours simply because the President is visiting at a time they claimed Nigeria is coming out of recession. Yet they call it historic…how more historic can it be to lose about N8billion in revenue when a nation is just trying to recover?
The question is which competent manager or leader have done this? To make it more historic a visit is to put that average boy and girl on the street of Lagos who earns and survives on the daily earnings to hungry and fasting for today, and to get every nook and cranny taken over by traffic gridlock, and then the major highways of Ikorodu Road and Victoria Island cleared for Mr President just to commission a bus terminal, and yet the people who voted him are trekking miles to reach their destinations, simply to get them to come out and welcome their historic visitor according to the Governor of Lagos State.
What a price Nigerians have to pay to get the change that really has no change to offer. A change from bad to worse. A change where the average Nigerian amounts to nothing and the interests of the very few is considered well and above that of the hundreds of millions that elected them to represent them in government with a view that they would offer them a future without pain, but this is a far cry from expectation.
And Lagos is in chains for President Muhammad Buhari to visit Lagos. Nigeria must come forth anew. A New Nigeria is imminent, Alliance for New Nigeria is the difference. For the truth is that we cannot be having the same people and expect them to bring forth a New Nigeria where this kind of visits happens, and life goes on without anyone and everyone experiencing this type of pain.
Today, we relate the voice of millions of Nigerians. He may be poor because they have made him so. She may be sick because they have offered no quality health care or social security. But this Nigerian will rise again and make his or her voice count come 2019 when the Nigerian shall form an Alliance to birth a New Nigeria that when the President is visiting any part of Nigeria, the Nigerian would have no reason to be in pain or his or her city in chains.
As a party, we want to register our condemnation of this act and do not think it reflect and show any change from the old. Therefore we are registering our voice in alliance with the people of Lagos State who have gone on social media and have registered their pains for the chains Governor Ambode put on Lagos today because of his cohorts who are visiting.
We are calling on all Nigerian youth and those young adults across our nation that we cannot continue to allow this type of leadership and governance anymore, and we are going to be trusting that through the instrumentality of the ballot we shall change this, because a NEW NIGERIA must emerge where life is valued and catered for.
Thank you.
Signed
Com. Adekoya Adebola