SYLVA THREATENED MY LIFE, HIJACKED GOV PRIMARY WITH THUGS – OSHIOMHOLE

 Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, on Wednesday, explained how he escaped from the Samson Siasia Stadium, Yenagoa, venue of the 2015 governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress.
 The governor was reportedly held hostage for several hours during the exercise, which was marred by violence.
Oshiomhole, who made the allegation during a press briefing on Wednesday in Benin however, accused a former governor of Bayelsa State and chieftain of the APC, Mr. Timipriye Sylva, of hijacking the primary.
 He also dismissed media reports that the party’s primary was held, wherein Sylva, who is also an aspirant, emerged as the party’s candidate.
Oshiomhole, who said Sylva threatened his life and that of other members of the committee, challenged the Bayelsa ex-governor to produce his Certificate of Return presented to him by the party if he truly won in a free and fair primary.

Military Warns Public Against Fake National ID Cards

The Defence Headquarters on Wednesday warned Nigerians against approaching unauthorized agencies and individuals for national identification registration.

It said the National Identity Management Commission remained the only agency responsible for registration and issuance of the national identity card.

EXCLUSIVE: 2015 Polls: How Jonathan govt. used bullion vans to cart away N67.2bn cash from CBN

Former President Goodluck Jonathan authorised the withdrawal of a whopping N67.2 billion in cash money from the Central Bank of Nigeria between November 2014 and February 2015 for “special services,” PREMIUM TIMES can authoritatively report today.

The two cash withdrawals were made in the build up to the 2015 general elections.

Our sources said even more ‘curious’ large withdrawals were made from the bank during the period but we were unable to obtain documents to authenticate the claims.

JONATHAN CAN NOT BE SAID TO BE RICH — ALAMIEYESEIGHA

In his days as the governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha, otherwise known as DSP, was fondly referred to as the Governor-General of Izon Nation, because he presided over the only state with entirely Ijaw extraction and was seen as the leader of the struggle for the proverbial Resource Control in the Niger Delta. But his popularity and political career was cut short when he was impeached towards the end of December 2005 and replaced by his then Deputy Governor, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, who later became Nigeria’s President following the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2010.
DSP landed in prison and he was in a sordid state until his godson, Jonathan granted him state pardon, lifting him out of the political doldrums.

FRSC Identifies Overloading & Drinking-While-Driving As Basis For Major Road Crashes

 The Corps Marshal of the Road Safety Corps, Boboye Oyeyemi has identified overloading and drinking while driving as the basis for most road crashes in the Nigeria highways but expressed hope that the corps would leave up its expectation to stem the tide.

He made this known at the 2015 end of the year road safety sensitization workshop tagged: Ember Month Operation Sanity: Driving safely into Year 2016, in Onitsha, Anambra state, stressed the need for motorists to abstain from drinking of alcohol while driving.

Anambra’s Fiscal Engineering Example

By Ifeanyi Afuba

Nigeria’s 36 states find themselves in a predicament today as centres of development without the requisite empowerment for driving economic growth. In theory, Nigeria is a federal state composed of coordinate central and provincial governments but in reality, the states are inferior entities to the federal government. By fiat of military decrees, the states became divested of ownership of the mineral resources in their territories, thus making the country an oddity of a federal state. Hangover from military rule has not afforded the political class recognition of the urgency for fiscal federalism. It is a measure of our unitary mindset that in 16 years of democracy since 1999, the country still operates a feudal revenue formula that allocates 52 percent of national revenue to the federal government at the expense of 36 states. The marginalisation of states in revenue allocation is however compounded by the volatility of other contending socio - economic forces.   

Ex-Minister, Nebo Backs Buhari on Anti-Corruption War

Abuchi Onwumelu, Awka

Former Nigerian Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo has thrown his weight behind President Mohammadu Buhari’s anti corruption war, economic reforms and development in the country, especially on the public sector financial management and the single treasury account policy for government revenue generating units.

FINANCE, POWER AND ECONOMIC INSTABILITY, TOP CHALLENGES FACING SMES IN NIGERIA

Online shopping community, Kaymu, has narrowed the top three challenges facing small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria down to insufficient access to finance, unstable power supply and economic instability.

Kaymu obtained this data from a survey carried out at on entrepreneurs at the recently concluded Entrepreneurs Club which had over 200 entrepreneurs in attendance.

Assets declaration: Tribunal orders Saraki’s arrest over non-appearance

 Justice Danladi Umar of the Code of Conduct Tribunal on Friday in Abuja ordered a bench warrant against the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, for failing to appear and answer charges over alleged false declaration of assets.

The judge specifically ordered the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase or other security agencies to arrest Saraki and produce him in court on Monday to take plea in the 13-count charge slammed on him by the Federal Government.

Assembly Urges Obiano to Provide Emergency Ambulances in Strategic Locations

 

Anambra State House of Assembly has passed a motion urging the State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano to direct the State Ministry of Health and other Agencies to provide emergency ambulances at strategic junctions and locations throughout the state.
Www.abuchionwumelu.com reports that the motion, which was moved by the member representing Aguata 1 constituency, Hon. Ikechukwu Umeh received overwhelming support from members who argued that there was need for the ambulances as it will help to provide on the spot first aid and assistance to victims and reduce number of deaths, especially in the ember months.
The motion also urged the governor to direct the state ministry of health and transport to provide adequate professional manpower for effective utilisation of the ambulances.