Many feared killed in Maiduguri explosion

A bomb explosion Friday has rocked a crowded motor park in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.
HotNiajaNews gathered from PREMIUM TIMES, that a resident and security operatives have tol‎d them of the development.
The incident occurred at a busy location where tricycles pick passengers, and may have killed dozens and injured even many more.
The thunderous blast, which sounded at about 6:30am, resonated all over Maiduguri, residents say.
Witnesses later said the explosion occurred near the entrance of Gamboru Market where operatives of commercial tricycles park to pick passengers.
“We heard the blast at about 6:30am this morning and shortly afterwards, we saw people running from the direction of the market screaming that it was a bomb,’ said Maryam Abu, a civil servant whose residence is close to the area.
No one has so far claimed responsibility for the bombing. But security operatives believe it has the imprint of the extremist Boko Haram sect.

Oliseh: Don't expect miracles

THE famous name of Sunday Oliseh has long been mentioned in connection with the Nigeria national team coaching position, and the former Super Eagles star is now in the hot seat just as the Super Eagles are about to begin their quest to not only reach - but make their mark - on the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™. “For some years now, there have been offers and discussions about me taking over. It has been on the table, but it has not yet happened because the timing was off,” Oliseh told FIFA.com.
The 40-year-old admitted that even though he finally felt ready for the job, he hesitated to accept the challenging offer. “To coach Nigeria is not the easiest job in the world and one is only as good as the players. Nigeria at the moment has a lot of potential, but we don't have a lot of confirmed players in the top clubs in the top leagues, so taking over the national team now means we have to remake the whole team and introduce a new philosophy of playing style, of culture and mentality. That is very difficult to do when you are the national team coach because you have very limited time with the players unlike when you coach a club. So that is why I was very hesitant.”
Oliseh, who played for a number of well-known clubs in Europe including UEFA Champions League winners Ajax Amsterdam, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund, said that from the moment he started negotiating with Nigerian officials he felt wanted by football fans. “When I came into Nigeria to have talks, I came out of the airport and I knew there was no going back because all the way from the airport, my countrymen where saying: 'You have to take the job, you have to take the job.' So I did.”
Famous World Cup name
Whenever the World Cup is discussed in Nigeria, Oliseh's name is one of the first to be mentioned. The midfielder scored what is arguably the side's best goal at the Mundial. His long-range wonder-goal gave the Super Eagles a 3-2 victory over Spain and saw them qualify for the knock-out stages as group winners at France 98. Oliseh will now go into his third World Cup campaign, but his first as a coach. The Super Eagles will face the winners of the first round match between Djibouti and Swaziland for a place in the group phase and Oliseh says he is confident they will take the first hurdle but that the road to Russia will be tough. “It is going to be very, very difficult, but I believe we can qualify. All we have to do is look at ourselves, try to improve our game and hopefully we will qualify.”
Oliseh has had little previous coaching experience, being in charge of a Belgian third division club. “I don't think that is a drawback though," he states. "Time will tell, but I took the job to be successful.” And he says that he is confident his players can benefit from his World Cup experience, adding: “But first we have to qualify.”
To do that, Oliseh will be looking at combining local with overseas-based players. Surprisingly the coach has publicly stated that he will consider only players who are playing in the first division for the national team – youth players being the only exception. “Our ambition is to get the best to play for Nigeria, and football is getting faster these days and it keeps getting faster and faster. The tempo is different now, and we can see in the first division of most nations that is where the tempo is.”
The coach, who has signed a three-year contract and will continue to live in Belgium but travel to Nigeria as often as is necessary, reiterated that he was embarking on a difficult path. “We are practically starting from scratch, so that is why I am saying that people should not expect miracles from us.”
Whether come 2018 Nigerian fans speak as glowingly of Sunday Oliseh the coach as the goalscorer against Spain in 1998 – only history can say. These are his expectations: “We all have dreams, and I am hoping I will be as successful as I can be. But one has to be realistic also. We have just started, and our first step is to hopefully just win the [AFCON qualifier] against Tanzania. That is what I am praying for. Game by game.”

'Army poorly equipped to fight Boko Haram'

NIGERIA’S military is underfunded and poorly equipped in its battle to check Boko Haram’s rampaging insurgency, the country’s outgoing chief of defence staff said on Thursday.
Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh made the remarks in a valedictory speech to mark his retirement, after President Muhammadu Buhari this month sacked Badeh and the entire military top brass who served under his predecessor, ex-president Goodluck Jonathan.
I was head of a military that lacked the relevant equipment and motivation to fight an enemy that was invisible and embedded with the local populace,” Badeh said.
“Over the years, the military was neglected and underequipped to ensure the survival of certain regimes, while other regimes, based on advice from some foreign nations, deliberately reduced the size of the military and underfunded it,” he lamented.
Badeh did not specifically say which regimes allegedly neglected or underequipped the military, or the foreign countries that apparently advised them to do so.
The activities of “of fifth columnists in the military and other security agencies who leaked operational plans and other sensitive military information to the terrorists” also made the fight against Boko Haram insurgents “particularly difficult“, he said.
The leakage of vital information “led to the needless deaths of numerous officers and men who unwittingly fell into ambushes prepared by terrorists who had advance warnings of the approach of such troops“, he stated.
Badeh, a former air force chief before he was appointed chief of defence staff in February last year, had served in the military for more than 38 years.
The decision by certain countries to deny Nigeria the needed weapons to prosecute the war against the jihadists was a major challenge the military faced, he added.

Army frees 71 children, women from Boko Haram

NIGERIAN army has rescued 71 people, almost all girls and women, in firefights that killed many Boko Haram militants in villages near the northeastern city of Maiduguri, the military said Thursday.
Some captives, Hotniajanews culled from The Associated Press they were in the clutches of the Islamic extremists for as long as a year.
"I was waiting for death ... they often threatened to kill us," said Yagana Kyari, a woman in her 20s who said she had been kidnapped from her village of Kawuri and taken to a militant camp in Walimberi, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) southeast of Maiduguri, the biggest city in the northeast and the birthplace of Boko Haram.
Kyari said they often went hungry because the extremists never provided enough food.
"Our gallants troops have rescued a total number of 59 civilians in two camps of the terrorist group," army spokesman Col. I.T. Gusau said. "Many of the terrorists were killed in the course of the operations, but mop up is still going on."
The 59, all women and children except for five elderly men, were freed on Thursday, he said. Another 12 women and girls were rescued Wednesday from Kilakisa, 90 kilometres (55 miles) southwest of Maiduguri, he said.
The military has said hundreds of captives were freed in March when they declared they had seized back all towns held by Boko Haram, which last year had declared an Islamic caliphate in a large swath of the northeast.
But attacks have increased in recent weeks, with hundreds killing in suicide bombings and village assaults.
At least two women and girl suicide bombers this month were said to have come from the area where those freed this week were held. It is feared Boko Haram is turning its captives into weapons.
Nigeria's home-grown Islamic group drew international outrage with the April 2014 kidnapping of nearly 300 schoolgirls from the remote northeastern town of Chibok. Many of them escaped on their own, but 219 still are missing.

El-Rufa’i cancels pilgrims sponsorship

KADUNA State, Governor Nasiru El-Rufa’i says his administration has cut down overhead costs by 60 per cent as part of measures to rescue the state from its precarious financial situation.
El-Rufa’i, in a broadcast to the people of the state on Wednesday night, said the state was broke and had a debt burden of more than N74.297 bn, comprising N28.840 bn domestic and N45.44 bn foreign debts.
He said the administration had also taken radical steps to reduce costs of governance, shore up its internal revenue and block all revenue leakages.
El-Rufa’i said, “It was obvious that running Kaduna the old way is a recipe for disaster.
“One of the steps we took was to cut overheads spending by 60 per cent. I therefore directed the state accountant general to release only 40 per cent of budgeted overheads as we strive to improve liquidity and prioritise spending for public goods.
“However, our efforts in this regard are not on the expenditure side alone. As we cut costs, plug leakages and reduce wastes, we need to grow our revenues and have more realistic budgeting in the state.
“We are therefore focusing on strategies to rapidly increase our internally generated revenue.”
The governor said the reduction of ministries from 19 to 13 and the 50 per cent salary cut for himself and the deputy governor were also targeted at reducing the cost of governance.
He emphasised that the administration would no longer spend money on gifts, feeding and pilgrimages.
“In 2014, over 2,000 pilgrims were sponsored to the Hajj by the Kaduna State Government and the 23 local government areas. Out of the 810 Christian pilgrims, 800 were sponsored by the same governments.
“All these cost the governments nearly N1.5 bn in just one year. Our state simply cannot afford these expenses any longer.”
El-Rufa’i said N120m was saved from salaries paid to ghost workers after the biometric verification of civil servants conducted by the administration, adding that those involved in the fraud would be prosecuted.
The governor said, henceforth, the administration would adopt the zero-based budgeting system.
“This means that every expenditure item will have to be justified both in terms of its necessity, cost and availability of funds vis-à-vis other competing needs before it can be included in the state budget.
“There is no reason to legislate N200bn as annual budget when the realistic revenue and expenditure capacity is less than N100bn.”
On tax reforms, El-Rufa’i said the government was studying all options to improve its internally generated revenue and reduce dependence on federal allocations.
He said their target was to generate IGR exceeding what the government would receive monthly from the Federation Account.

PINNICK TO FALCONS, DREAM TEAM IV:Nigerians expect you to deliver

Pinnick addressing the Falcons in Lagos before their departure to Bata on Thursday Pix NFF

 NFF President Amaju Pinnick has charged the Super Falcons and the U-23 boys to do the nation proud as both teams negotiate tough bends in the race to next year’s Olympics.
Pinnick was at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport early on Thursday to receive the Falcons as as they arrived Lagos, on their way to Bata, where they clash with their Equatorial Guinean counterparts on Sunday.
“The whole country is proud of what you have done in the past, winning seven African Women Championship titles out of nine so far, and qualifying for the Olympics in 2000, 2004 and 2008.
“Your superiority on the African continent has never been in doubt. What is left is for us to take that capability to the global stage. The entire nation has faith in you to overcome in Equatorial Guinea and eventually qualify for the Olympics,” he told the players.
The Falcons have a battle on their hands, having only drawn the first leg at home 1-1 against the only other substantial rival they have on the African continent.
“On Sunday, Nigerians expect you to deliver as you have always done. A place in the final round of the qualifying race to the Olympics is certainly within your grasp.”
In his response, Coach Chris Danjuma assured that the Falcons will take Sunday’s match as a battle that must be won. “The way it is, we have no choice but to fight and fight, because we must score goals. I want to assure Nigerians that my team is up to the task.”
Pinnick also sent a message to the U-23 boys, who were led out of the country on Thursday afternoon by NFF 1st Vice President Seyi Akinwunmi. They play their Congo-Brazzaville counterparts in the final match of the qualifying race for the African U-23 Championship, where Africa's representatives to next year's Olympics will emerge.
“We are fully aware of the fact that we are fighting two battles in one day. But they say that when the going gets tough, the tough gets going.
“Samson Siasia has been in this kind of situation several times and he has come out victorious. We believe in him and the team that he is taking to Pointe Noire.”
Siasia’s boys hold a thin 2-1 advantage from the first leg in Port Harcourt, and know they have to prepare to battle against not only the host team, but several other forces as well.

Nestle Nigeria's H1 profit falls 24 pct

NESTLE Nigeria half-year pretax profit fell 23.8 percent to 10.60 billion naira ($53.3 million), the food and beverage maker said on Thursday.
Revenue fell to 65.92 billion naira for the six months to June 30 from 67.20 billion, the unit of Nestle SA said in a filing to the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

Culled from Reuters

FG overrules JAMB on new admission policy

THE Federal Government has overruled the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on its new admission policy that recently sparked off protests in parts of the country.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, MacJohn Nwaobiala, disclosed this to State House correspondents on Tuesday, after briefing President Muhammadu Buhari of his ministry’s activities and challenges at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
JAMB had, at its 2015 Combined Policy Meeting, adopted a policy whereby candidates of universities with surplus applicants for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations are reassigned to other universities with lower number of applicants than their capacities.
Protest started at the University of Lagos when the institution’s authorities announced that only candidates whose names were officially forwarded by JAMB are eligible to participate in this year’s UNILAG Post-UTME.
Nwaobiala told reporters that the decision was jointly taken at a stakeholders’ meeting that had parents and others in attendance.
He said because of the dust raised by the development, the Federal Government had commenced consultation with the aim of identifying where adjustments could be made.
He however said students that made the cut-off marks have been directed to go and sit for post-UME examinations in their schools of first choice since that was the bone of contention.
Nwaobiala said, “This JAMB thing has been there. As the policy making body, when these issues were raised, they were raised in a stakeholders meeting. We normally have what we call the policy meeting. Everything about admission is discussed with parents and other stakeholders at the meeting.
“These are decisions that we collectively took. However, we have a listening hear. We have taken a lot of the issues raised into consideration and we are consulting to see the adjustments we can make here and there.
“The directive has been given. All the students that made the cut-off marks have been told to go and write post-UME examinations in their schools of first choice. After, they can go to their schools of second choice. That has been the bone of contention.”
On the threat by the West African Examinations Council to withhold the results of candidates in 19 states, who wrote the May/June 2015 WASSCE following unpaid examination fees by the state governments, Nwaobiala appealed to states to fulfill their promises.

95 Generals moved in fresh Army shake-up

NIGERIA'S Chief of Army Staff, Major General Tukur Yusufu Buratai on Thursday approved the postings and appointments of 334 officers of the Nigerian Army officers with various effective dates. These include some Principal Staff Officers at Defence and Army Headquarters, Corps Commanders and General Officers Commanding as well as other commanders.
They include 37 Major Generals, 57 Brigadier Generals, 128 Colonels, several Lieutenants Colonels and others. Some of those affected were the General Officers Commanding 1, 2, 3, 81 and 82 Divisions, Operations Pulo Shield and Safe Haven of Niger Delta and Plateau States.
Some of those affected includes Major General S Yusuf, General Officer Commanding 82 Division who is now Chief of Training and Operations at Defence Headquarters, Major General MA Koleoso who is now Commander TRADOC, Major General SN Muazu who moved from 2 Division to the Headquarters Infantry Corps and appointed Commander, Major General MT Ibrahim, from Department of Army Standard and Evaluation to Nigerian Defence Academy and appointed Commandant. Major General LKJ Ogunewe is now the Chief of Policy and Plans, Major General FO Alli, is now Chief of Training and Operations and Major General AA Salihu, Chief of Logistics. Others includes Major General AG Okunola, who now Commander of Operation PULO SHIELD (JTF) and Major General TC Ude, Commander,OPERATIONS SAFE HAVEN (STF Jos).
Others are Major General LW Wiwa now Deputy Commandant of Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre. Major General A Oyebade is now the General Officer Commanding 1 Division, Major General LC Ilo, General Officer Commanding 2 Division, Major General H Umaru, General Officer Commanding 3 Division, Major General IH Edet, General Officer Commanding 81 Division and Brigadier General I Attahiru is now the Acting General Officer Commanding 82 Division.
While Brigadier General AH Saad is the Acting Director of Military Intelligence, Brigadier General AT Hamman is now the Acting Provost Marshal, Brigadier General MO Uzoh, Acting Commqnder, Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Brigadier General AA Jidda, Acting Commander Corps of Supply and Transport, Brigadier General LF Abdullahi, Acting Commander, Nigerian Army Education Corps, Brigadier General SO Olabanji, Commander 2 Brigade, Brigadier General F Yahaya, Commander, 4 Brigade, Brigadier General MSA Aliyu, Commander 21 Brigade and Colonel R Abubakar, Acting Director Defence Information, as well as Colonel SB Kumapayi, as Commander 7 Division Garrison, amongst others.

BOKO HARAM:Major-General Abbah named multinational force new head

MAJOR-General Iliya Abbah has been named to lead the new multinational task force to fight Boko Haram insurgents, the military said on Thursday.
General Abbah, who previously commanded military operations in the oil-rich Niger Delta, will head the new force, Nigerian military spokesman Major-General Chris Olukolade said.
The 8,700-strong Multi-National Joint Task Force, drawing in Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Benin, is expected to be more effective than the current alliance in the battle to end Boko Haram’s six-year insurgency that has claimed some 15,000 lives.
Abbah was until his new appointment the military secretary in the army, Olukolade added.
The spokesman had said on Tuesday that the new regional force is expected to go into action very soon, but did not specify when for tactical reasons.
Boko Haram has stepped up its attacks since President Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in May, unleashing a wave of violence that has claimed 800 lives in just two months.
The new regional force will be headquartered in Chadian capital N’Djamena, but few other details have emerged on its specific nature, raising concerns its deployment may face delays.

Man Dies After Drinking 20 Sachets Of Gin In N500 Bet

A middle-aged man, identified as Chucks from Imo State, has died after consuming 20 sachets of gin in a N500 bet with a woman. The deceased, said to be a barber, is married with a child and lived along Ngwa Road area of Aba, Abia State.
An eyewitness said the deceased had on the fateful day, gone to a nearby local shop situated within the area to take a sachet of his usual brand of gin and boosted to the shop owner that he could finish 20 sachets of the drink.
This was said to have led to an argument between the deceased and the shop owner and other customers in the shop that morning.
The argument, it was learned, reached a stage where the deceased deposited N500 and the shop owner also placed her own N500 in a bet.
The deceased was then provided with the sachet drinks for consumption.
It was gathered that he successfully consumed the 20 sachets of dry gin and went away with the bet money.
The deceased was said to have left his barbing salon earlier that day to his house when he started feeling some pains in his stomach and asked his wife to put on their sitting room ceiling fan and sat directly beneath it.
When his condition got worse, his wife asked him what the problem was.
A source said the deceased told his wife he was okay, but just needed rest.

Source: Vanguard

Platini announces intention to run for FIFA presidency

UEFA president Michel Platini has today (Wednesday) confirmed his intention to run for the FIFA presidency at the extraordinary FIFA Congress on 26th February 2016.
In a letter to the presidents and general secretaries of the 209 FIFA members, the 60-year-old declared: “This was a very personal and well thought out decision where I have weighted up the future of football alongside my own future. I was convinced by the appreciation, support and the encouragement that has been shown to me by many of you.” He says that he wants to work tirelessly in the interest of football.

Buhari in Cameroon to discuss Boko Haram fight

Pix AFP

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari arrived in neighboring Cameroon Wednesday for talks on how to combat the escalating regional threat from Boko Haram terror group.
Security was tight for the 24-hour visit, after a surge of Boko Haram violence in Cameroon including an unprecedented series of five suicide bombings in the far north.
Presidential guard soldiers were posted on rooftops of houses and along the route from the airport to the presidential palace in Yaounde, while vehicles armed with machine-guns patrolled the streets and access to the hotel where Buhari will stay was blocked.
The trip comes a day after Nigeria vowed that a new regional force tasked with fighting the jihadis would go into action soon.
Nigeria's presidency said Buhari's talks with Cameroonian President Paul Biya were part of his "ongoing effort to build a more effective regional coalition against Boko Haram."
Boko Haram has stepped up its attacks since Buhari took office in May, unleashing a wave of violence that has claimed 800 lives in just two months.
The Nigerian president has already visited neighboring Chad and Niger, which have also suffered from attacks by the Islamist fighters.
Nigerian military spokesman Major General Chris Olukolade told AFP on Tuesday that the new regional force would be operational "any moment from now", without giving a specific date.
The 8,700-strong Multi-National Joint Task Force, drawing in Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Benin, is expected to be more effective than the current alliance in the battle to end Boko Haram's six-year insurgency that has claimed some 15,000 lives.
Cameroon itself also announced Tuesday it would be sending 2,000 more troops to the north to take on Boko Haram.

UNPAID CUSTOMS DUTIES:Nigeria seals Stallion Group warehouses

NIGERIA’S customs office is shutting down the warehouses and offices of four rice importers, including Singapore-based Olam International Ltd., over unpaid fees.
Customs are demanding 23.6 billion naira ($119 million) in fees owed for more than 750,000 metric tons of rice imported in excess of an allocated quota, Nigerian customs spokesman Wale Adeniyi said by phone on Wednesday from Lagos, the commercial capital. Olam owes 5 billion naira in duties and levies, while Dubai-based Stallion Group owes 17 billion naira, Adeniyi said.
“We have sealed off a total of 21 warehouses and business premises in Lagos,” Adeniyi said. Further closures will probably happen outside of the southwestern state, he said.
“Olam can confirm that we have initiated legal recourse,” the company said in an e-mailed statement, declining to comment further. Stallion didn’t immediately respond to an e-mailed request for comment.
Africa’s largest economy and most populous nation is dependent on imports to satisfy staple rice demand. Nigeria produces less than half of the 6 million tons a year it consumes, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department.
That gap has meant the government grants a concession rate of 30 percent of customs fees for rice brought into the country within a set quota and 70 percent for imports outside of the limit, Adeniyi said.

Gbajabiamila emerges Reps Majority Leader

THE Green Chamber (House of Representatives) leadership tussle appears to have been resolved as the member, representing Surulere Federal Constituency of Lagos, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, has emerged the Majority Leader of the House.
Recall President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday met with the Federal representatives ahead of today's (Tuesday) resumption.
Gbajabiamila, a former minority leader, was pushed for the speakership slot, but narrowly lost to Yakubu Dogara.
Mr. Dogara’s rejection of the party’s demand that Mr. Gbajabiamila be given the majority leader position, split the house into two factions, each insisting on its term for resolving the conflict.
Also, Ado Doguwa was named chief whip and Buba Jibrin, deputy leader. Pally Iraise was named deputy whip.

BURATAI: Army foils Boko Haram's attempt to recapture town

BOKO Haram terrorists have failed in their latest attempt to capture Buratai, Borno State, the home town of Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Maj-Gen. Tukur Buratai and also the location of a military camp.

The Director Army Public Relations (DAPR) Col. Sani Usman, who confirmed this in a short message Tuesday noted that this is about the fourth time since February 2014 the dreaded group has attacked Buratai.

Usman said that the terrorist invaders had in their desperate attempt to capture the town, struck at about 9.30pm Monday night but were repelled by Nigerian soldiers, returned again at about 3.00am yesterday and were equally pushed back.

He said: "Suspected terrorists made a futile attempt to attack Buratai town in Borno State and military camp located in the area. I am glad to inform you that the gallant soldiers rose to the occasion and dealt.

"They however made concerted effort at about 3.00am this morning which was equally repelled by the gallant soldiers. The situation and town is cool and calm."

16yr old kills teen in Lagos, removes his intestines, kidney, penis

A 16-year-old boy named Tajudeen Azeez, lured his 4 year old neighbour to a primary school in the Ijaniki area of Lagos, stabbed him, strangled him and removed his intestines, his kidney and cut off his penis. He did because a man named Osho had approached him and asked him to get him fresh human parts and would pay him N50,000. N50,000 is what a human is worth to some. N50k. Unbelievably sad!

"At first, I did not want to succumb to the temptation but it kept coming. When I woke up this morning (Monday), I saw Ibrahim at the back of the house. I told him to escort me to a primary school not too far from the house. The name of the school is Anglican Primary School, Ijanikin. He followed me to the place and on arrival there, I stabbed him with a knife from behind. He fell down and I strangled him with a rope. I then cut his stomach open with the knife. I am sorry for what I did,”

Tajudeen has been arrested by the Lagos state police command according to a report by Daily Trust and is currently at the homicide section of the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID), Yaba.
 According to the acting police public relations officer for the Lagos Command, Patricia Amadin, the body of the deceased has been deposited at a government mortuary. She said Tajudeen was arrested following intelligence information.

“Based on the strength of the information, the DPO and his men raced to the place. On arrival, they found the lifeless body of a four-year-old boy while the suspect was soaked in the deceased’s blood. From close observation, it was discovered that some vital organs such as the kidney and intestine had been removed from the deceased. All the organs were kept in a black nylon bag. The suspect was promptly arrested and taken to the station,” Amadin said. She said they are now looking for the said Osho.

Note-Disturbing picture please

APC backs Buhari’s probe of Jonathan administration

THE All Progressives Congress, APC, has expressed strong support for President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to probe the immediate past federal government, saying the revelations of mind-boggling corruption that are just beginning to emerge have made such a probe imperative.

”Some people have insinuated that the Buhari Administration should ignore the massive looting of our patrimony and move on. We say no responsible government can afford to do that, because it will amount to endorsing corruption and impunity,” the party said in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed.

It said in the oil sector alone, billions of dollars have been skimmed off by pathologically-corrupt public officials, wondering how the government of the day can meet its obligations to the citizens if it refuses to recover the huge funds taken away by thieving officials

”It is an irony that those who are suggesting that the Buhari Administration should turn a blind eye to the incomprehensible looting are the same ones accusing the government of not doing anything. It is even a cruel irony that the same party that presided over what is fast emerging as the worst governance in the history of our country is the same one that is daily bad-mouthing an Administration that is cleaning up its mess,” APC said.

The party said even if all the acts of corruption that were perpetrated during the tenure of the last Administration are limited to what is now in the public domain, it is still absolutely exigent for the Buhari Administration to do all it can to bring the perpetrators to book and recover the looted funds.

”Where does one start from? Is it the fact that the NNPC failed to remit 3.8 trillion Naira to the Federation Account or the mind-blowing stealing of 250,000 barrels of crude oil per day? Is it the fact that the NNPC itself does not know how many bank accounts it had or into which ones the payments for Nigerian crude are made? Could anyone have imagined that a government minister would steal the unprecedentedly-huge amount of 6 billion US dollars of public funds as being alleged?

”How does any sane person rationalize the fact that 1 billion dollars was unilaterally and illegally withdrawn from the Excess Crude Account just because, as the immediate past Minister of Finance has disclosed, the President ordered the withdrawal? What about the billions of Naira waivers recklessly approved to dubious importers by the Jonathan administration?

”Is it not clear now that the stealing and the profligacy – more than anything else, including the fall in oil price – helped to drastically reduce the monthly allocation from the Federation Account from about 800 billion Naira to about 400 billion Naira, thus pauperizing the states and the local governments, and by extension the citizenry?

”Against the background of the stunning revelations, what message will any government be sending to its citizens and indeed the global community by looking the other way, when it could still recover some of the looted funds for the benefit of the people? This is why we are supporting the Buhari Administration’s probe decision, and calling on all Nigerians to support ongoing efforts to get to the root of the matter,” it said.

APC said it is now clear that the Jonathan Administration cleverly delayed giving the then incoming Buhari government the handover note so as to avoid being asked critical questions pertaining to the unprecedented looting under its watch.

LOCOMOTIV 1-0 AL AIN:Emenike fails to lift UAE side

SUPER Eagles ace, Emmanuel Emenike failed to find his scoring boots after his United Arab Emirate side, Al Ain lost their first pre-season game in Austria via a lone goal to Russia's Locomotive Moscow.
The Nigeria who was making his first appearance for the UAE champions following his transfer loan move from Fenerbahce, played in the second half.

Pastor offers 'blood' to congregants

SELF-proclaimed controversial Swazi Pastor, Penuel Mnguni has caused another outcry after offering congregants what appears to be blood in a bottle.
The pastor posted a photo of himself holding a green bottle containing what appears to be a red liquid.
Mnguni’s controversies continue to rise every week as he performs ‘miracles’ for his church members.  Some of his miracles include feeding worshippers live snakes, petrol as well as grass.
Over a week ago, South African Police Service (SAPS) arrested him after the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty against Animals (SPCA) laid a complaint at a Pretoria Police Station.
This was after Mnguni had fed worshippers a live snake.
The self-proclaimed prophet was released on bail of E1 500 after appearing before a Pretoria Magistrates Court.
In the latest post on the church’s Facebook fan page, Mnguni is seen holding a green bottle with a dark liquid. The fan page was bombarded with messages by followers after the pastor posted a photo holding a reddish liquid that appeared like blood.
“I can never eat snakes or drink blood,” a follower comments.
Mnguni also posted a message he preached last Thursday where he justifies his miracles by saying ‘Faith without works is nothing’.
Mnguni is a disciple of another popular controversial Pastor, Daniel Lesego, of the Raboni Church.

Culled from Times of Swaziland