NIGERIA: KWANKWASO ACTED RIGHT LEAVING KANO IN N300 BILLION DEBT - GOVERNOR GANDUJE

The new Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, on Sunday said it was normal for his predecessor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, to leave the state in debt of over 300 billion naira.
Mr. Ganduje, who spoke to the journalists, said Mr. Kwankwaso should be praised rather than criticised as he transformed the state.
The governor said his predecessor committed no crime and went ahead to rationalise the huge debt as arising from the sudden drop in in oil revenue.
"I don't think Kwankwaso has committed any crime for living behind these huge liabilities because whatever happened was planned, coordinated and executed with me.
I knew everything, the anticipations were high and we thought that things, according to oil money, will continue to be smooth. Suddenly, there was that disgracing drop," Mr. Ganduje, who was deputy to Mr. Kwankwaso, said.

Full Pictures Of CBN Staff Arraign By EFCC For N8 Billion Fraud

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has dismissed six of its staff that were involved in the N8 billion currency fraud in some of its branches, the apex bank said today.
“The Central Bank of Nigeria will like to inform the general public of the chronology of events that led the Management of the CBN to hand over some unscrupulous staff to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for prosecution,” a statement by the CBN Director, Corporate Communications Department, Ibrahim Mu’azu said.
“During a routine internal audit of the Bank’s Cash Destruction activities in September 2014, the CBN Briquetting Panel, comprising senior bank staff from different branches, noticed some anomalies at the Ibadan Branch, and immediately reported this to the bank’s management.
“On further investigation ordered by the Governor, it was discovered that a systematic scheme, which has been on for several years, was being run in which mutilated higher denomination notes, originally meant for destruction, were swapped with lower denomination currencies.

ORTOM WARNS AGAINST DRINKING, WOMANIZING IN GOVERNMENT HOUSE

Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom has warned that his administration will not tolerate womanizing, drinking or wild parties in the government house.
Ortom gave this warning at a thanksgiving service held at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Mega Parish, in Makurdi to conclude weeklong activities organized for his inauguration as Governor and his Deputy, Engr Benson Abounu.
The governor said he would scrutinize the handover notes of his predecessor, Dr Gabriel Suswam, and make full disclosure about the financial status of the state in no distant time.
According to him, the disclosure became imperative because the figure of N9.3 billion, which former Governor Suswam gave as the debt profile of the state was not a complete reflection of the state of affairs as it did not include arrears of salaries, allowances, retirement benefits, as well as commitments to contractors and other obligations.
The Governor promised to fight corruption and block all conduit pipes so that he could conserve funds to develop the state and meet its financial obligations.
He expressed happiness that his rejection and that of Senator Barnabas Gemade from the PDP drove them into the bosom of Senator Dr George Akume, who he said paved the way for what they had become today.

WHY BUHARI DIDN’T MAKE ASSETS PUBLIC – AIDES

Aides of President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, explained why the president did not declare his assets publicly. They said he will make his assets known to Nigerians within the first 100 days of his stay in power in line with his assertions before the election.

Meanwhile, there were mixed reactions, yesterday, on the report that the president and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo had submitted their assets declaration to the Code of Conduct Bureau without immediately making them public.
A civil rights group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, argued that it was imperative for the duo to make public their assets. It said the action will indicate “their desire and commitment to ending corruption in the country.”

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on its part, said it would allow Buhari to settle down for governance before taking him to task on his campaign promises.
However, some notable Nigerians disagreed over call for the public declaration of assets by the president and his vice president.

APC SENATOR-ELECT, SHEHU SANI, CAUTIONS BUHARI ON ‘FIRST LADY’

The senator-elect for Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Shehu Sani, on Monday cautioned President Muhammadu Buhari against making First Lady office flamboyant, saying that it is wrong and unconstitutional.
Mr. Sani, a member of the All Progressive Congress, APC, spoke in Kaduna when the executives of the Federecion Internationale De Agbogadas (FIDA) Kaduna Branch paid him a courtesy visit.
He also cautioned President Buhari against business tycoons who led former President Goodluck Jonathan to economic misfortune.
“I want to advice our own party members who are in government at the executive level to be very much cautious about making the office of the First Lady flamboyant,” he said.
“This is because I am not aware whether the constitution of Nigeria recognized that the First Lady has an office and that she must be called Her Excellency. And it should therefore by very unconstitutional to allocate money to the office of the First Lady.
“It is very much wrong also for the office of the First Lady to be turned into a platform for celebrities and for all sorts of jamborees as it has always been. So, I think President Muhammadu Buhari should be very careful about that,” Mr. Sani said.

NIGERIA’S TRANSITION CAUSES CRACK IN OPEC

A leadership vacuum has emerged at the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) following the dissolution of Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) last week, which led to the exit of former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, the OPEC’s first female president.
The oil cartel may meet for its extraordinary meeting in Vienna, Austria on Friday without a substantive president, as Alison-Madueke will no longer be eligible to preside over the meeting. A source told New Telegraph that OPEC had earlier sent a correspondence to Nigeria requesting notification of a replacement for Alison- Madueke, who ceased to be Nigeria’s oil minister from last Thursday, when former President Goodluck Jonathan dissolved his cabinet. OPEC had, last November, elected Alison-Madueke as its first female president at the oil body’s 166th ordinary meeting in Vienna.
She was also appointed President of the Gas Exporting Countries’ Forum last December. “When the cartel meets on June 5, 2015, for its 167th (Ordinary) Meeting in Vienna, Austria, Alison-Madueke would have ended her reign as the Minister of Petroleum Resources. Her chance of retaining the ministerial seat under the government of General Muhammadu Buhari is zero and what this means is that whoever becomes the minister then would replace her in OPEC. “The tradition is that the position is ceded to Nigeria and whoever is representing the country at the organisation automatically occupies the office. The tenure of President Goodluck Jonathan expired on May 29, one week before the 167th ordinary meeting of OPEC.

CBN Fires Indicted Staff Of N8 Billion Fraud Charge By EFCC

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Mondy acted swiftly to dismissed six of its staff that were involved in the N8 billion currency fraud in some of its branches..
“The Central Bank of Nigeria will like to inform the general public of the chronology of events that led the Management of the CBN to hand over some unscrupulous staff to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for prosecution,” a statement by the CBN Director, Corporate Communications Department, Ibrahim Mu’azu said.
“During a routine internal audit of the Bank’s Cash Destruction activities in September 2014, the CBN Briquetting Panel, comprising senior bank staff from different branches, noticed some anomalies at the Ibadan Branch, and immediately reported this to the bank’s management.
“On further investigation ordered by the Governor, it was discovered that a systematic scheme, which has been on for several years, was being run in which mutilated higher denomination notes, originally meant for destruction, were swapped with lower denomination currencies.

President Muhammadu Buhari Appoints 3 Kitchen Cabinet Members

The Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari Monday appoints Mr Femi Adesina  of the Sun Newspaper and Mallam Garba Shehu as his media aides respectively.
The appoinment read that Mr. Femi Adesina will serve as Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) while Garba Shehu will be the new Senior Special Assistant (Media and Publicity).
He has in the same vain aproved the appointment of Malam. Lawal Abdullahi Kazaure as the State House  Chief of Protocol (SCOP).
Ashiwaju.org reports that Mr Femi Adesina was recently reappointed as the President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and doubled as the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of The Sun newspapers, while Mallam Shehu Garba served as the Director, Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Council and a one time President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors.

Over 50 Persons Burnt In Onitsha Fuel Tanker Fire Accident

Tragedy struck Onitsha yesterday as no fewer than 50 persons were  feared burnt when a 40-foot trailer laden with fuel had a break failure and rammed into fleet of vehicles at Asaba park, Upper Iweka in Onitsha, Anambra state.

The trailer driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle due to break failure as it was descending the Enugu/Onitsha Expressway on heading towards  Upper Iweka.

Aside the dead,  30 vehicles were burnt while five motorcycles, 10 make-shift structures and goods worth millions of naira also burnt as the trailer caught fire.          

AfDB: OKONJO-IWEALA BEHIND MY SUCCESS, SAYS ADESINA

Dr Akinwumi Adesina, president-elect, Africa Development Bank (AfDB) has credited his success at the poll to the tireless work of Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria’s Finance Minister.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Adesina thanked outgoing president, Goodluck Jonathan and the newly sworn in president, Muhammadu Buhari but showered special encomium on Okonjo-Iweala.
“I would like to specially thank Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for her vital role and tremendous effort in delivering this successful outcome. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, as Nigeria’s Finance Minister, worked passionately for our campaign, and our success would have been impossible without her tireless work shepherding support among many of the esteemed Finance Ministers and Governors at the AfDB.
He then thanked all those involved in the process for electing him. “I am deeply humbled and honoured to have been entrusted with the great responsibility of leading the African Development Bank (AfDB) at a time that presents such great opportunities and also profound challenges for our continent.
“The AfDB campaign and election has been an incredible experience, and I am grateful to all those who supported me along the way and to each and every person with whom I’ve met and exchanged ideas and hopes for inclusive economic growth on our continent throughout this process.
“I am thankful to have been given the chance to travel to so many parts of the continent – small states, fragile states, and large states across Africa – to feel the pulse of African leaders and peoples. I met with young people and women – Africa’s greatest assets, with small- and medium-sized enterprises, and with Africa’s business leaders. From rural areas to burgeoning cities, I saw vast opportunities for a greater and more inclusive Africa. I am hopeful and excited about the prospect of building on the great work of President Donald Kaberuka at the AfDB,” he said.