EFCC, others lied against me –Diezani

Embattled former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has denied allegations levelled against her by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, daring the anti-graft agency to provide incontrovertible any evidence against her.
She also faulted President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption fight, saying it was aimed at demonising and destroying a few Nigerians.

The former minister said this in a viral statement on a popular blog, www.stelladimokokorkus.com, while reacting to several media reports about her on Saturday.

A Federal High Court in Lagos had recently ordered that the $153m which was illegally lodged by the ex-minister through cronies in three banks be temporarily forfeited to the Federal Government.

However, Diezani denied ownership of the money, insisting that she had no access to funds from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

She said, “I wish to state that I cannot forfeit what was never mine. I do not know the basis on which the EFCC has chosen to say that I am the owner of these funds as no evidence was provided against me before the order was obtained and they have not in fact served me with the order or any evidence since they obtained it. As of the time of my writing this rebuttal (January 19, 2017), the EFCC has still not furnished me or my lawyers with a copy of the order.”

In a terse text message on Saturday night, the spokesman for the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, however, challenged the former minister to come back to Nigeria if she believed she had done nothing wrong.

“She (Diezani) should return to the country and clear her name,” Uwujaren said without making further comments.

In her statement, Diezani also denied ownership of an $18m (N5.7bn) mansion located on Margaret Thatcher Close, Asokoro, Abuja, which was seized by the EFCC in June.

In a report by a television network, Al Jazeera, the anti-graft agency noted that the items in the house included jewellery, furniture and a bulletproof gymnasium worth about $2m.

The ex-minister slammed the acting EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, for taking the Al Jazeera reporter to the mansion and misleading the public.

Diezani said the house did not belong to her but to an oil magnate, Mr. Kola Aluko. Aluko is Diezani’s alleged front who is on the EFCC watch list.

The ex-minister said, “On June 13, 2016, the EFCC once again took their well-trodden path to the media; this time claiming that they had ‘discovered’ a mansion in Asokoro, Abuja, worth $18m (about N9bn) which they purported to belong to me.

“The EFCC went to the extent of bringing in Al Jazeera, an international TV station, to air a damaging documentary against me in this regard, showing a particular residential building in Asokoro, Abuja, which they told Al Jazeera belonged to me.

“The EFCC Chairman Ibrahim Magu, personally took the Al Jazeera reporter to the building, alleging that it belonged to me. It has since become apparent that the house belongs to a company owned by Mr. Kola Aluko.

“If this is not a witch-hunt or a personal vendetta against me, how is it that one of our country’s premier investigative agencies was unable to avail itself of facts that are freely available in the public domain?

“Since the EFCC claimed that the alleged $18m Asokoro property belongs to me, then it should kindly produce the ‘authentic’ Certificate of Occupancy and land registry information and any other relevant information as proof of my ownership of the property.”

The former petroleum minister, who served from 2010 to 2015, also denied involvement in the $1.3bn Malabu oil scandal. The scandal involves the controversial sale of OPL 245, one of the most lucrative oil blocs in Nigeria.

Diezani said the matter was a legal issue which was handled by the then Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke (SAN).

She said, “I wish to categorically state that I have never held any discussion on this matter with any individual or entities outside of official channels. As the minister of petroleum resources, I did not participate in any activity relating to financial payments on the Malabu matter, other than those statutorily mandated to the Minister of Petroleum Resources by the Petroleum Act. My role in this matter was a purely statutory one as required by law in the Petroleum Act.”

The ex-minister further slammed the EFCC for misleading the media regarding her estate in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

She said the estate was not worth billions of naira but only N394m and that she declared it in her Asset Declaration form which was submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau.

Diezani said, “On November 9, 2016, the EFCC officials visited our family home in Yenagoa as pre-agreed and they were escorted around the premises. I was therefore completely shocked to once again see my name sensationally splashed across the front pages of newspapers and widely circulated on the Internet, with blaring headlines such as ‘EFCC uncovers Diezani’s multibillion-naira estate’.

“There was absolutely nothing ‘hidden’ or ‘concealed’ about the home. I had declared it openly as required by law, in my Asset Declaration forms (Annex-4B). Yet the EFCC announced that it ‘just discovered’ my ‘hidden estate’ and labelled it a ‘multibillion-naira estate’ even though it had been given the Bill of Quantities, showing actual amount spent.

“The EFCC (officials) were taken on a tour of the compound which consisted of a main house, and two outhouses – an obi (meeting bungalow) and a staff quarters (BQ) building – above which we built three guest rooms and a parlour.

“The other two structures are the gate and generator houses. Construction began in late 2011 and was handled in phases. During the visit, the EFCC was given the bill of quantities, which up  to the time construction stopped in early 2015, due to my illness, was at approximately N394m which was declared in the Code of Conduct documentation attached (the costs were partially funded by a loan – see code of conduct – Annex4B, the work is still uncompleted and the contractor is still being owed). Building costs escalated as a result of delays in construction and external factors such as the extreme flooding of late 2012 that covered most of our areas in the Niger Delta.”

The former minister, while listing her achievements, maintained that she left over $5.6bn in LNG Dividend Funds.

She said under her watch, there was virtually no case of fuel scarcity in the country.

In a parting shot to the EFCC, Diezani said, “The fight against corruption in Nigeria will be far better served if the EFCC focused on incontrovertible facts, as opposed to media sensationalism and completely distorted stories, in its bid to demonise and destroy a few specially chosen Nigerians.”

Reacting to Diezani’s statement,  the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), advised that the former minister save her energy for her trial which may come up soon.

Sagay, who spoke in his personal capacity and not as the chairman of the PCAC, explained that corrupt people in power usually use fronts like the mafia.

He said, “She should reserve her energy for her trial. If a $153m was found in accounts linked to her and she was the minister selling oil on behalf of the government, one does not need to put two and two together.

“Her statement is premature; let her prepare it for her defence.

“I am sure you have watched the movie, ‘The Godfather’. The real godfather never shoots anyone by himself. All he needs to do is press a button and someone else will do it but that doesn’t mean that the murder cannot be traced to him. So, when Diezani’s trial begins, the truth will be made known.”

The Director General of the Voice of Nigeria, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, also asked the former minster to come home and face the law instead of staying in the comfort of another country to throw verbal missiles.

“She was right when she said the money confiscated from her by the EFCC is not her money. Of course, it is not her money, it is the money which belong to the long-suffering Nigerian taxpayers which she took and converted to personal use.

“While in office as super minister, she never thought a day would come when she would be called to give account, but today, there are questions she does not have answers to. The EFCC is a legal entity set up by law. If tomorrow I leave office as DG VON and there is reason for the EFCC to investigate me, they will and I will not be hiding under any guise to escape justice.

“In 2013,  money was voted and a ceremony was held by the (ex-President Goodluck) Jonathan administration that they were going to build three refineries, one in Bayelsa, one in Kogi and another place. Where are those refineries? Where is the money? Nigerians are wiser than before. All these sentiments won’t sit well with Nigerians any longer. She should return and help the EFCC recover what was stolen. ”

This is how Aba will look as Ikpazu has set plans for a new Aba.

History will be made in Abia with the new Osisioma interchange, the proposed flyover at the major Osisioma junction within Aba environ will be flagged off for construction by Governor

Motorists and other road users are hereby informed of future inconveniences that might be caused by the activities of the China Zhonghao Nigeria, the contractor handling this project.

This 3D image is to let the public know what to expect at the end of the project.
To God be the Glory!

Watch how this Ebonyi state university Guy beats up his girl friend..

What kind of relationship or love affair is this? is he married to her?...

Military air strike kills dozens in IDPs camp

Dozens of people were killed on Tuesday when an air force jet accidentally bombarded a camp in northeast Nigeria for those made homeless by Boko Haram Islamists.
The incident happened at about 9:00 am (0800 GMT) in Rann, in the far north of Borno state, the epicentre of the jihadists’ insurgency, as aid workers distributed food to civilians who were forced to flee the violence.
A local resident, Abba Abiso, told AFP by telephone: “This morning a military jet mistakenly bombarded Rann, instead of (nearby) Kala.
“In recent weeks Boko Haram has moved base to Kala from Sambisa Forest and obviously a military jet mistook Rann for Kala and bombarded, killing many civilians.
“At least 25 were killed and many more injured.”
The medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said in a statement: “MSF teams have seen 120 wounded and 50 dead following the bombing.”
A senior military source in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, said the casualties were “huge”, adding: “A fighter jet hit the wrong target.”
MSF said its teams were trying to provide emergency first aid at its facility in the camp and were stabilising patients to evacuate the wounded from the scene.
“Our medical and surgical teams in Cameroon and Chad are ready to treat wounded patients. We are in close contact with our teams, who are in shock following the event,” it added.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which also had teams in the area, said only there were “a number of people wounded and some killed”, without specifying figures.
“We are currently in contact with the relevant authorities to organise medical assistance and evacuations,” an ICRC spokeswoman in Abuja said.

– ‘Fog of war’ –

Major General Lucky Irabor, who heads the military operation against the militants, said the air force had been given coordinates of “Boko Haram terrorists” in the Kala-Balge area.
“Unfortunately the strike was conducted but it turned out that the locals somewhere in Rann were affected,” he told reporters at a briefing in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri.
Irabor did not give casualty figures but said local staff from MSF and the ICRC were among those wounded.
“These are the result of fog of war,” he added. “It is unfortunate. That is the reason why this war must come to an end.”
The bombing comes as Nigeria’s military claims further gains against the Islamic State group affiliate, pushing them out of captured territory and their remote bases in Borno state.
Last month, the army said the conflict was in its final stages after nearly eight years of violence that has killed at least 20,000 and left more than 2.6 million others homeless.
There have been “friendly fire” incidents in the conflict.
In March 2014 a military jet killed five civilians and wounded several others when it mistakenly bombarded Kayamla village in Konduga district of Borno.
The jet mistook the village for a Boko Haram camp during a night raid.
In January that year, the convoy of a Nigerian senator was fired on by an air force jet which mistook the six-vehicle convoy under police and military escort for Boko Haram fighters.
No one was hurt and the military described the incident as an “operational blunder”.

Nigerians won’t accept fresh fuel price hike –NLC

The Nigeria Labour Congress has said Nigerians will not be able to take another fuel price increase in view of the harsh economic situation in the country.

The General Secretary of the NLC, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson, told one of our correspondents on the telephone on Sunday that the government should review its policy on subsidy that led to the increase in the fuel pump price from N97 to N145 per litre last year.

 It was reported that the Federal Government had started paying subsidy on fuel as a result of the increase in the landing cost and total cost of fuel from N122.03 and N140.40 per litre respectively to N145.

Ozo-Eson was reacting to reports that the landing cost of petroleum had increased from N140.40 to N145, the same amount with the current fuel pump price in the country.

He stated, “I do not think that at this time, and given all that we have seen, that Nigerians can be subjected to another round of price increase now. That is why government needs to revisit and rethink its policy. Nigerians cannot take another round of price increase.”

He recalled that the NLC had said during the last fuel increase that the policy was bad and not ripe in an import-dependent regime as it was bound to further weaken the naira.

He said, “The policy that is being pursued is not one that can grant you stability in price. When they raised the price to N145, we said so; that with time, given an import-dependent regime, for such a policy, the value of the Naira will be severely weakened.

“We actually remember saying then that before the end of the year, the Naira will be close to N500 to a dollar and it has come to happen. If you translate the current value of the Naira through the template, you are going to find that the landing price would be higher.

“The burden is on the government. That is where the issue of policy comes in.  It is government policy that led to the price going to N145. Given the realities on the ground, now the government needs to revisit its own policy.”

He added that the government ought to be sure of domestic refining capacity before embarking on the removal of subsidy, which resulted in the fuel price increase to N145 per litre.

He explained that the actual landing cost would be determined by the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, which, according him, is still working on the price template.

When asked what the NLC would do if the fuel price is increased again, he said, “That is not for me to say. It is not an individual who makes such pronouncements. Whatever develops, we may also engage it and decisions would be taken and communicated to Nigerians.”

Also, the President of Trade Union Congress, Mr. Bala Kaigama, said the labour unions were members of the board of the PPPRA and were not aware of the planned increase.

“TUC, NLC and all the unions in the oil and gas industry are members of the governing board of the PPPRA. So, no increase can be done without our knowledge and we are not aware of such move,” he said.

Buhari’s economic policies lack human face –CAN

Meanwhile, the Christian Association of Nigeria, on Sunday, condemned the economic policies of President Muhammadu Buhari, including the ban on foreign goods and devaluation of the currency, saying the policies lacked human face.

The ban on foreign goods by the Federal Government, CAN said, would lead to smuggling and huge revenue losses, adding that the devaluation of the currency “led to galloping inflation to the extent that the cost of living has risen and makes life unbearable for people.”

The President of CAN, Dr. Samson Ayokunle, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Adebayo Oladeji, said this in Abuja while delivering a sermon entitled, ‘It is not beyond God’s control’, at the ongoing International General Workers Conference and Ordination Interview of the Nigerian Baptist Convention.

He said, “Fowls used to be a common gift to friends during Christmas celebration. During the just-ended celebration, it hardly featured as Christmas gift item. Humanly speaking, things are tough for many. Businesses that are foreign-currency dependent are closing down and people are losing their jobs.

“This economic policy appears to lack human face. What is the essence of banning foreign goods when the government has not been able to make such goods locally available in abundance? Such ban would just encourage smuggling and a lot of revenue would be lost by the government.

“The inability of the government to pay salaries not only in the states, but at federal level as well is a big dent on the government. My Bible says that the worker deserves prompt payment of his or her wages. Of course, the Bible says that the wages must not be delayed till the next day.

“This delay in the payment of salaries has, in turn, affected the operations of many private organisations, including the church. Our economy is public-sector driven. So, to a large extent, whatever is the economic policy of government has excruciating challenge on all other sectors.”

Ayokunle also condemned the inability of the government to give jobs to the youth, warning that the earlier the government did something about it, the better for everybody.

The CAN president stated, “University graduates are roaming the streets without anything to do. Those who are working have too many mouths of the unemployed adults to feed. This has increased the level of poverty in our nation and job creation remains a big challenge the government must pay serious attention to.

“The increasing wave of kidnapping may not be unconnected with the lack of tangible employment for many of our able bodied youths.

“Kidnapping used to be rampant in the East but has almost become a lucrative business now in the (South) West and the North. It is a very bad experience that Nigerians do not deserve to be passing through.

“A special squad, if possible, should be trained with necessary surveillance equipment to fish out these criminals who are in the business of kidnapping for ransom. If the government claims that they are doing something, they must do more.”

He condemned the failure of the Federal Government to stop “the killings and destruction of farms by the Fulani herdsmen” and the “Southern Kaduna massacre of Christians.”

Ayokunle described the response from law enforcement agencies as “so lethargic that CAN had to call for national day of mourning and prayer to seek God’s face so that the destruction might stop.”

He added, “No one who died untimely in that unchecked mayhem deserved to die. The killings of the Agatus and other citizens in Benue State under the watch of both the state and the Federal Government were unfortunate and (such) should be stopped immediately.””