EFCC charges Bellview and First Nation airlines with N1.7bn fraud, arraigns them in court

The EFCC, according to our source report joined the managing director of First Nation Airlines, Kayode Odukoya, as the defendant in the four-count charge bordering on forgery, use of forged documents, perjury and stealing.

According to the anti-graft agency accused the defendants of forging the memorandum of loss of Lagos certificate of occupancy registered as number 33, at page 33, volume 1011 at the state’s land registry, Alausa.

The EFCC said the alleged forged document was in respect of a property located at 29 Oduduwa Street, GRA, Ikeja.

It was learnt that Odukoya was accused of dishonestly converting to his own a sum of N1.7 billion belonging to Skye Bank Plc.

According to the report, the prosecutor, MS Usman, told the court that the defendants acted contrary to sections 85, 86(1), 278(1)(b), 285, 361(1)(a)(b), 363 and 364(1) of the criminal law of Lagos state 2011, but they pleaded not guilty and the judge ordered the remand of Odukoya in the custody of the EFCC.

The case has been adjourned till March 26, 2018 for Odukoya’s bail application.

Buhari gave directive to MDA’s, discussed budget issues with NASS leadership - SGF

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday, March 15, directed Ministries, Agencies and Departments (MDAs) yet to defend their 2018 budget proposal before the National Assembly (NASS) to do so without delay.

According to NAN, the directive is to fast-track the passage of the 2018 budget and be able to spend the money on key national needs including security and development infrastructure.

The secretary to the government of the federation, Boss Mustapha, said this while briefing State House correspondents on the outcome of the meeting held between the president and NASS principal officers at the State House.

Senate president Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the House of Representatives, along with their principal officers attended the meeting. Saraki described the outcome as ‘a good development’.

Boss Mustapha said: “Mr President has given instructions that all ministries and parastatals should ensure that they appear before the National Assembly to defend their submissions so that we can get this out of the way.

“This is a very dynamic year, there are preparations for elections and we are having quite a number of security challenges. And so if we do not appropriate, where will the money come from to be able to prosecute some of the assignments the federal government has in the appropriation of 2018.

“So this is a very good meeting; we intend to build on it. It is a confidence building mechanism and it is an interface that would definitely get a new dimension of the governance of this country for the betterment of the people of Nigeria."

Senate president Saraki described the meeting as a good one, being an interaction between the executive and the NASS leadership. Photo Credit: Femi Adesina Facebook

On the bills rejected by President Buhari, the SGF said it was part of the legislative process as it was not everything that the NASS passed that would go as passed.

“The President has overall picture of how to approach matters in this country when it involves issues of legislation. When he holds back his assent, he normally advances reasons why he did not do it and it should be looked at from the context of the reasons that he has adduced," he said.

He said that the process of the interface would lead to amicable resolution of all the matters. The SGF said it was a harmonious meeting between the executive and the legislature aimed at building a very harmonious working relationship.

According to him, Buhari gave an update on what he was doing about the economy, security and job creation. He explained that in the past few weeks, the president had visited about three locations in the country all in an attempt to build confidence into the hearts of the people of the country.

He noted that the meeting also discussed the processes in the NASS with regard to the budget and the need to speedily conclude on the budget.

Saraki described the meeting as a good one, being an interaction between the executive and the National Assembly leadership. According to him, the meeting discussed broad issues on security, budget, while the NASS executives also asked some questions about some issues and pressed the observations they had on such issues.

“It was a very good meeting and it gave us the opportunity to share our own views about the areas we needed to so that we will be well informed on them. It was a good development," Saraki added.

He explained that logistic challenges made it difficult for the meeting to hold earlier than now. He said NASS was working to pass the budget, but noted that some agencies have not appeared to defend their appropriation.

“We are hoping that things would speed up now and that they will come and submit the details," he said.

He said that the meeting did not discuss the bills passed by the NASS which the president declined assent to.

Peviously.President Muhammadu Buhari met with principal officers of the National Assembly on Thursday night, March 15, at the First Lady Conference Hall, Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The meeting came following four previous failed attempts for the legislators to meet with the presidency. However, only one of the eight principal officers from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) attended the meeting.

The Gambia will collapse if... - Fatoumata Tambajang

The vice-president of The Gambia, Fatoumata Tambajang, has said that The Gambia would ‘collapse’ if Nigerian professionals in the country withdraw their services or leave the country.

Tambajang made the remark at a dinner organised for the Nigerian delegation to the 62nd Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the Nigeria House, New York, on Thursday night, March 15, The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

The vice-president, who was represented by Mamadou Tangara, the ambassador/permanent representative of The Gambia to the UN, commended Nigeria for its numerous support to her country.

She said: “Gambia is very grateful to Nigeria for its support. If Nigeria withdraws its support, Gambia will collapse.

“In particular, if the Nigerian professionals in the judiciary withdraw, Gambia’s judiciary will collapse”.

Nigeria led regional efforts to force out former president, Yahya Jammeh, in 2017 after he reneged on his earlier pledge to handover to President Adama Barrow.

At about 30,000 strong, Nigeria also has by far the largest population of foreign nationals living in The Gambia.

Similarly, six of Gambia’s 12 banks are owned by Nigerians.

Nigeria’s Emmanuel Ayoola was the Chief Justice of The Gambia from 1983 to 1992 while Emmanuel Fagbenle was the Chief Justice of the country from 2015 to 2017.

Before then, both had earlier served as Justices of the Court of Appeal of the Gambi

The majority of the senior professional staff in the Ministry of Justice on the other hand are Nigerian lawyers provided through technical assistance programme.

In 2017, The Gambia Bar Association had to protest against the newly appointed Nigerian High Court judges – Justices Edward Ogar, Mathias Agboola, Simeon Abi and Matins Okoi.

Nigerian professionals, including teachers and doctors, are in the Gambia under the technical aids corps scheme, launched by the Nigerian government to assist other African countries, as a practical demonstration of south-south cooperation.

The dinner was attended by Amina Mohammed, UN deputy secretary-general, minister of women affairs and social development, Aisha Al-Hassan and Nigeria’s permanent representative to the UN, Tijjani Bande.

Others were Hajo Sani, senior special assistant to the wife of the president, the deputy permanent representative to the UN, Samson Itegboje, permanent representatives of Angola and Uganda to the UN, wives of governors, commissioners and the civil society organisations.

Meanwhile, the 57 board members of three federal government agencies, including the National Boundary Commission, under the control of Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Nigeria’s vice president, are to be inaugurated on Tuesday, March 20.

The two other agencies under Osinbajo are the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) and Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA).

While Osinbajo would chair the National Boundaries Commission and BCDA, Ignatius Longjan eill chair NIPSS.

The boards of the three agencies were among those recently appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

NBA rejects Anbode's reduction of Land Use Charge

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja Branch, has rejected the 50 per cent reduction of the Land Use Charge recently reviewed by the Lagos State Government.

The chairman, Mr Adeshina Ogunlana, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday, March 15 said that the reduction by the Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode led-administration is “unacceptable”.

“I am yet to hear officially from the government about that reduction or see a document about it, I have only seen news flash which I will treat only as a rumour.

“The rumoured reduction is not acceptable, I don’t trust this government; this is democracy and if there is going to be a reduction you have to consult with the people.

“The reduction is arbitrary and lacks legal basis. Due process must be followed, the law must be repealed and amended.

“You cannot repeal a law by proclamation, we are not in the military era where laws are made by decrees and proclamation,” he said.

On the association’s next line of action, Ogunlana said: “The NBA Ikeja branch will hold a press briefing to address this issue.”

NAN reports that the LASG had increased the Land Use Charge by 400 per cent, motor rate taxes by 1, 600 per cent, court Fees by 2,000 per cent and bore hole taxes by 68,000 per cent.

Following the raise, the NBA Ikeja Branch had on March 13 in a solidarity with various human rights groups staged a peaceful protest from its Secretariat at Ikeja to the seat of power — the Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa.

The protesters had at the State Secretariat presented a letter from the NBA to Gov. Ambode, who was represented by Mr Kehinde Bamigbetan, the State Commissioner for Information and Strategy.

The letter dated March 12 was entitled, “Call For A Re-think and Review of The Land Use Charge Tax, All Other Excessive Taxes, Levies and Charges in Lagos State”.

In reaction to the protest of the lawyers and activists, the Lagos State Government on Thursday announced a 50 percent reduction of the Land Use Charge.

The reduction was part of the conclusions reached at the weekly meeting of the State Executive Council chaired by Ambode.

Meanwhile, following criticisms that have trailed the 2018 Lagos state land use charge, the state as finally gave in by reducing it.

The disclosure was made by the state government on Thursday, March 15, on its official Twitter page, @followlasg.

Electricity: NERC to enforce new metering rule from April

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) will on April 3, 2018, commence the enforcement of its recently unveiled Meter Asset Provider Regulations (MAPR), 2018, a policy that seeks to bridge the widening metering gap in the electricity supply industry.

It was gathered that the country’s metering gap had increased to about 4.74 million, as power consumers welcomed the new policy, describing it as a panacea for meter unavailability.

The NERC said in its MAPR 2018, with Regulation No. NERC-R-112: “These regulations shall come into effect on the 8th day of March 2018.

“The provisions of these regulations shall be enforced by the commission from the 3rd day of April 2018.”

The NERC had earlier declared that power distribution companies no longer had the sole responsibility of providing meters to electricity consumers.

The commission also announced the introduction of a new regulation that brought another class of operators in the power sector called Meter Asset Providers.

The commissioner, Legal, Licensing and Compliance, NERC, Dafe Akpeneye, had explained that the MAPs would now take up the duty of providing meters to customers, among other functions.

Buttressing the objectives of the MAPR 2018, the commission stated that the main objective of the regulations was to provide standard rules to encourage the development of independent and competitive meter services in the electricity supply industry and eliminate estimated billing.

Other objectives are to attract private investments to the provision of metering services, close the metering gap through accelerated meter rollout, and enhance revenue assurance in the power sector.

On metering gap and obligations to power distribution companies, the MAPR 2018 stated that Discos were responsible for meeting their metering targets as specified by the commission from time to time.

It stated: “The metering gap for all distribution licensees was reported at 4,740,275 meters as of December 31, 2017. This is projected to significantly increase upon the conclusion of the ongoing customer enumeration exercise.”

In a related story home owners in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti state, on Wednesday, March 14, stormed the streets to protest for several hours against what they referred to as exorbitant bills from the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC).

The protesters under the aegis of Ado Ekiti Landlords and Ladies Electricity Consumers Association of Nigeria (ALLECA) claimed that the BEDC officials were allegedly demanding N40,000 before giving them prepaid meters.

The protesters carrying placards to register their complaints were escorted by the police to prevent touts from hijacking the protest.

Wole Soyinka Slams Buhari, Senate over lnsecurity, Hate Speech Bill

Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has berated President Muhammadu Buhari over his “inability to get justice” for victims of the crises between farmers and herdsmen and Boko Haram insurgency.

The renowned playwright made the statement while delivering the keynote paper at a dialogue organised by Ripples Centre for Data and Investigative Journalism in Lagos on Thursday, March 15., The Cable reports.

Prof.Soyinka said that what we need now is justice and not sympathy, adding that rather than visiting the affected areas, Buhari should speak to people’s security needs, and bring perpetrators to book.

He said: “I get impatient when I hear things like Buhari has failed to go and sympathise with the people of Benue, with the people of Nassarawa, with the people of Dapchi or wherever.

“Who needs sympathy? Is it sympathy that will reorder their broken lives? Is sympathy the issue? We are speaking here of one commodity that is fundamentally human deserving: justice.

“There should be an internal measure to avoid repeat. We are speaking here of a president that will respond with massive action and not showing up at the arena of human desecration to shed any unjust tears, but give orders that the bloodthirsty terrorists are brought to book.”

He said that failure on the part of government has been the reason the country is yet to get over the security challenges.

Soyinka also stated that the move by the Senate to pass Hate Speech bill is to silence criticism, calling on Nigerians to kick against it, Vanguard reports.

He added: “Nigerians should not be afraid to kick against it, there is no way they will cut off any body’s head.”

The laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, assessed the government of Muhammadu Buhari and concluded that the president was under a trance.

Wole Soyinka reportedly expressed his frustration about the government at a press briefing where he spoke on the increasing agitation across the country following attacks by suspected armed herdsmen on farming communities.

Asked what he would tell Buhari if he met him, Soyinka said: “I would say: Mr President, I think you are under a trance."

Heavy rain in Nairobi causes flooding.

Thousands of people have reportedly been left stranded in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi after heavy rain in the city.

Civilians were seen trying to shield themselves in bus shelters and make shift sanctums.

According to local reports, residents have criticised the government for failing to adequately prepare for the weather.

"Year in year out, we complain of flooding whenever there is down pour and this time it’s not any different," a woman told Kenya's Standard newspaper.

"The rains were forecasted weeks ago but it seems not enough has been done to avoid flooding,”

Despite all the havoc caused by the weather, some social media users have been wondering why the rainfall has not been harvested for later use.

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How platypus milk could solve the antibiotics crisis

Image:Platypus milk could save lives. Pic: Laura Romin and Larry Dalton.Platypus milk might be the antidote humanity needs to deal with antibiotic-resistant germs and diseases, according to new research.

A breakthrough by Australian scientists has found that the platypus - which is already a unique creature - is also in possession of fairly unique biochemistry.

Researchers from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and Deakin University have discovered a special protein contained in platypus milk.

CSIRO scientist and lead author Dr Janet Newman said: "Platypus are such weird animals that it would make sense for them to have weird biochemistry.

"The platypus belongs to the monotreme family, a small group of mammals that lay eggs and produce milk to feed their young.

"By taking a closer look at their milk, we've characterised a new protein that has unique antibacterial properties with the potential to save lives."

Video:Platypus milk investigated

The study, published in Structural Biology Communications, finds that the way platypus mothers feed their young - which unusually for mammals hatch from eggs - has led to the antibacterial properties developing.

Platypus do not have teats, but instead express milk on to their belly where the young suckle it - meaning the milk becomes exposed to an environment where it could be contaminated by local bacteria.

Evolutionary processes have meant that the milk contains a special protein which protects the platypus babies against this bacteria.Dr Julie Sharp of Deakin University said: "We were interested to examine the protein's structure and characteristics to find out exactly what part of the protein was doing what."

They found that the protein contained a unique 3D fold which had never been seen before in the structure of the molecule.

Because of the ringlet style of the gold, they named it the "Shirley Temple" in tribute to the child star's distinctive hair.

Dr Newman added: "Although we've identified this highly unusual protein as only existing in monotremes, this discovery increases our knowledge of protein structures in general, and will go on to inform other drug discovery work done at the Centre," Dr Newman said.

The work of the team follows a report in 2014 in which the World Health Organisaiton warned about the threat posed by antibiotic resistance.

The WHO said urgent action was needed to avoid a "post-antibiotic era" where common medicines were unable to tackle common infections, and currently curable ailments would again become deadly.

The team at CSIRO are seeing collaborators to investigate the potential life-saving benefits of their platypus research, and develop more knowledge about the protein structure.

 

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NJC recommends dismissal of two judges in Abia, issues stern warning to two others

The National Judicial Council (NJC), under the chairmanship of Honourable Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen, at its 85th meeting held on Wednesday, March 14, has recommended the compulsory retirement of two judges.

The two judges recommended for dismissal are Theresa Uzokwe, chief judge of Abia state and Obisike Orji of Abia state high court. The council said that the development was in compliance to the report of two panels that investigated allegations against Uzokwe.

The spokesperson for the NJC, Soji Oye, said that the council also issued serious warnings to Justices Aladetoyinbo and Olusola Ajibike Williams of Federal Capital Territory and Lagos high courts respectively.

Meanwhile the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had petitioned the National Judicial Council (NJC)over the alleged misconduct of three judges.

The judges were: Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, Justice Hyeladzira Nganjiwa and Justice Agbadu Fishim.

The council also set up a committee to investigate a Supreme Court justice and two state chief judges.

The US backs Britain over Russia spy poisoning

Image:Jonathan Allen told the UN Security Council that Britain would stand firmThe United States has said it"stands in solidarity" with the UK over Russia's alleged use of a nerve agent in Salisbury to attack a former spy.

The intervention by the White House follows angry exchanges between British and Russian representatives at an emergency meeting of the UN security Council and the UK's decision to expel 23 Russian diplomats.

It remains to be seen what, if any, retaliatory action the Kremlin will take.

The statement from the White House said: "The United States stands in solidarity with its closest ally, the United Kingdom.

"The United States shares the United Kingdom's assessment that Russia is responsible for the reckless nerve agent attack on a British citizen and his daughter, and we support the United Kingdom's decision to expel Russian diplomats as a just response."

Former Russian-MI6 double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia are still in a critical condition after being exposed to the nerve agent novichok on 4 March in the Wiltshire cathedral city.

Dozens of civilians and emergency services personnel were also exposed.

Russia's representative at the UN Vassily Nebenzia has accused Britain of "propaganda war tools" and having "other motives" than establishing the truth behind the poisoning.

He tweeted that the UK was "dragging" the case to the UN's Security Council, ignoring its international commitments because the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons "will not be convinced by its arguments".

"The authorities of #UK are not interested in finding the truth about the Skripal case, they have other motives. They are using #propaganda war tools to influence an uninformed and impressionable public.

There are no facts, only allegations about the "Russian trace"."

Yesterday Mr Nebenzia crossed swords with the UK's deputy UN ambassador Jonathan Allen during an emeergency Security Council meeting.

Mr Allen asked the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to verify Britain's findings that Moscow was behind the poisonings, a charge that the Russians have denied.

"This was no common crime," he told the Security Council. "It was an unlawful use of force."

Image:Sergei Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia

Without an alternative explanation from Russian authorities about the nerve agent, Mr Allen said, Britain had "no choice but to conclude this was a state-sponsored act against the prohibition and use of chemical weapons and in defiance of international law".

:: Analysis - Should the UK risk 'losing an eye' in spy row?

He said the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has been informed about the use of the nerve agent and the UN "are inviting them to independently verify our analysis".

He added: "We are making every effort to expedite this process."

Image:US ambassador Nikki Haley talking to Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzia before the meeting began

Poland, France, the US and Sweden were among the nations whose representatives backed Britain in the discussion.

Mr Nebenzia fought back, saying: "We demand that material proof be provided of the allegedly found Russian trace in this high-resonance event.

"Without this, stating that there is incontrovertible truth is not something that we can take into account."

Image:Vassily Nebenzia said Russia needed to see a sample of the nerve agent

He said there would have been no benefit for Russia in the attack before its hosting of football's World Cup and its own presidential election.

Britain was trying to tarnish Russia and would stoop to any level, he said.

Then he referred to Sherlock Holmes and the hapless Inspector Lestrade, who he described as latching onto the first motive before being overshadowed by Holmes.

The Met Police are not unprofessional, he added, but we could "all benefit from having a Sherlock Holmes with us today".

Image:Officers remove a van from a village six miles away from Salisbury

The meeting came after Britain announced it would expel 23 Russian diplomats, suspend bilateral relations with Moscow, toughen sanctions powers and lead a boycott of dignitaries at this summer's World Cup.

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• SALISBURY SPY
 
• SERGEI SKRIPAL

 

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Stop comparing yourself with GEJ - Aisha Yesufu tells Buhari

The co-convener of the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) group, Aisha Yesufu, has told President Muhammadu Buhari to stop comparing himself with immediate past President Goodluck Jonathan.

According to the convener, she made the comment via her Twitter handle, @AishaYesufu, on Thursday, March 14.

The comment was in response to the president’s statement in Dapchi, Yobe state; that his administration had responded better to the Dapchi situation than the Jonathan government did, after the Chibok schoolgirls were abducted.

The president had visited the state to commiserate with the parents of the schoolgirls who were kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists.

She reportedly tweeted: “President Muhammadu Buhari’s tour was supposed to be of empathy and condolence, instead it has turned into show of incompetence.

“Can someone tell PMB he was not voted to drag title of incompetence with former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan? He should leave GEJ alone!”

Previously President Muhammadu Buhari said his administration had shown more commitment to the rescue of the schoolgirls recently kidnapped in Dapchi, Yobe state, unlike what the previous administration of President Goodluck Jonathan did during the abduction of Chibok schoolgirls in 2014.

The president accused the Jonathan administration of looking away as the Chibok abductions took place.

He said his administration is resolute in the fight against Boko Haram insurgents and assured the parents of the abducted schoolgirls that his regime will do all necessary to reunite them with their families.

700MW Zungeru Hydro Power Plant is 45 percent complete - FG.

The federal government on Wednesday, March 14, said that the Zungeru Hydro Power Plant currently under construction by the Chinese company EEC/SinoHydro, was 45 per cent complete.

The 700MW project, which is located in Zungeru, Niger state, is expected to be completed at the end of 2019. Speaking to journalists during a site visit to the project, deputy director, energy resources, ministry of power, works and housing, Engineer Olatubosun Owoeye, said six turbines would be installed, Leadership reports.

Owoeye stated that when the project is completed, it would not only increase power generation but equally improve the economic activities of host communities.

According to him, agricultural activities of the region would be enhanced as the dam would provide irrigation for all year farming. The Zungeru Hydro Power Plant is a joint project of the federal government and the Chinese government at a financial contribution ratio of 25/75 per cent respectively.

The project's local content representative, Mustapha Yerima, said that the relationship with the community has improved as 36 settlements had been planned for the inhabitants of the affected community. He stated that the settlements would have schools, healthcare centers, markets, and water facility

Previously.Nigeria restarted construction works at the Zungeru power plant in Niger state, that was first conceived in 1982, but was abandoned due to lack of funds and dispute among the parties involved.

Babatunde Fashola, the minister of power, works and housing, announced the resumption,while delivering a speech titled "Nigeria’s Electricity Challenge: A roadmap for change" at a lecture in Lagos on Thursday, May 6, 2016.

Fashola stated that the dispute was eventually resolved, adding that the parties were out of court and more than 800 workers were back on site. He said that the plant was expected to bring additional 700MW electricity to Nigeria’s current 4600MW.