Obiano Inaugurates ASBA, Disburses N1bn MSMEs Loans to Small Business

In a bid to ensure that Anambra State achieves sustainable development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and becomes the hub for MSME empowerment in the country, the governor of the State, Chief Willie Obiano has inaugurate the Anambra State Small Business Agency (ASBA) to serve as the catalyst for growth in the MSME sector in the state.
Inaugurating the Agency at the Governor’s Lodge, Amawbia on Wednesday, Governor Obiano announced that the state had secured the sum of N2 billion for on-lending through ASBA to eligible beneficiaries in partnership with participating financing institutions that meet specific selection criteria in the State.
Of the N2 billion made accessible to Anambra State after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) with an Irrevocable Standing Payment Order (ISPO) for the principal and accrued interest,  the sum of N1 Billion has  already been drawn-down out of which the sum of N205m was disbursed to beneficiaries in the first phase of the scheme.
The handing over of symbolic cheques to some of the beneficiaries took place at the flag-off of the First Phase of the ASBA/CBN MSMEs Development Fund in Anambra State, Wednesday at the Governor’s Lodge, Amawbia.
The first set of ten beneficiaries were shortlisted after due diligence for the Revolving Working Capital Facility. Among the beneficiaries are Austraco industries Limited for bakery and beverages production; Bold Ventures Limited, for PVC Pipe manufacturing and Zara Industries Limited, for poultry and fish feed production.
Others are I.I.C. Construction Co. Limited, for fabricated steel production; Omus Oil Limited, for production of steel and associated materials and Restructure Nigeria Limited, for production of aluminium cooking pots.

BUHARI FIRES ACCOUNTANT GENERAL OVER N2.5BN SECURITY FUND

The Accountant General of the Federation Mr. Jonah Otunla was yesterday removed from office.
The source, according to an online publication, The Will said Otunla was removed from office because he allegedly misappropriated N2.5 billion of security agencies’ funds.
The source said Mohammed Dikwa, from Borno State, has been appointed as his replacement, but in acting capacity.
Dikwa until his appointment was a Director in Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) confirmed the removal of Otunla as Accountant and the appointment of Dikwa as Acting Accountant General.
In a statement late Friday, the Office of the AGF said President Muhammadu Buhari approved the change, which takes effect immediately.
The statement said Dikwa would hold the position until a substantive replacement was announced.
Until his appointment as the Acting Accountant-General, Mr. Dikwa was the Director, Funds Department in the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, the statement said.
Mr. Dikwa has Bachelor of Science Degree in Accountancy and Master in Business Administration and Finance.

We’ll follow due process to punish Saraki, others –APC

The All Progressives Congress has said that whatever disciplinary action it will take against the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, the Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, and   its members for defying its directive on the election of the National Assembly leadership will follow due process.

It said this just as The PUNCH learnt that the Presidency had intervened in the crisis the election of Saraki and Dogara on Tuesday had generated.

The party had conducted mock elections in which Ahmed Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila emerged as its consensus candidates for the Senate Presidency and House speakership.

After the mock polls, the APC directed its other lawmakers not to contest the positions but ensure that Lawan and Gbajabiamila became the National Assembly leaders.

But this was not to be as Saraki and Dogara did not only contest but won with the support of opposition Peoples Democratic Party lawmakers.

In the Senate, an opposition member, Ike Ekweremadu, surprisingly retained his post as Deputy Senate President.

Ekweremadu defeated an APC Senator, Ali Ndume, who also defied the party’s directive by contesting. The APC anointed candidate for the post   is Mohammed Mungono.

The APC spokesman, Lai Mohammed, who spoke with journalists after an emergency National Working Committee meeting of the APC in Abuja, insisted that the party had not made a U-turn on its earlier position   that the errant lawmakers   would be sanctioned.

Governor Obianoa Inaugurates 6th Anambra State House of Assembly

 

Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, on Friday, June 12, 2015,  inaugurated the sixth Anambra State House of Assembly. 

He appealed to the legislators to see themselves as representing their entire constituency rather than the political party which brought them to power. 

While congratulating the 30-member-house for their individual victory at the polls, Obiano reminded them that electioneering was over, stressing, “What is before the state now is the task of development.”

 This is a most auspicious time when everybody will join hands to ensure that the state progresses, he said.

 Obiano restated his four pillars of government and urged the electorate to also serve as watchdog on the legislature and the executive to ensure that they fulfill their  expectations.

 Also, Obiano advised the legislators: “Rise to your full height and fulfill the expectation of the people. Think of what you will do to keep the ideals of the state.”

 He explained the appointment of a former Hon. Pauly Onyeka as his liaison to the House.

 Before the inauguration, the House elected its Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively. In a unanimous decision, the House elected a second timer and member representing Nnewi South II, Hon. Rita Maduagwu, as Speaker.

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Falana drags Burundi to African Commission over killing of protesters

  

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has dragged the government of Burundi to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights over the killing of protesters in the country.
The petition, dated May 5, and sent to the Secretary, Mary Maboreke, reads in part:
“I am sending this petition for the urgent attention of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights regarding the continuing human rights violations by the government of Burundi, in particular the attacks against peaceful protesters, journalists and human rights activists, following protests over President Pierre Nkurunziza’s decision to run for a third term.”
“I urge the African Commission to ensure effective remedies for a multiple violations of the rights of the people of Burundi to life, personal liberty, freedom of expression, association and assembly, guaranteed under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to which Burundi is a state party.”
“Despite its obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other international treaties to which Burundi is a state party, the authorities continue to violate the right to life, personal liberty, freedom of expression, association and assembly in the context of the on-going human rights crisis in the country.”

REVEALED: How Northern Leaders Plot Against Senator Lawan's Senate Presidentship

A ranking senator yesterday revealed how his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) colleagues and those of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who supported the emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki as the Senate President were threatened the week preceding the inauguration of the National Assembly.
He also revealed how senators-elect in APC from the North backed out of the Ahmed Lawan-for-Senate President project when they learnt that the intention was to cage President Muhammadu Buhari as plotted by some Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) elements in APC, who nominated the vice president.
The senator from the South-East, who doesn’t want to be named, told Daily Sun that elements who wanted Senator Lawan to emerge as Senate President, essentially from the ACN bloc of the APC did everything possible to ensure they arm-twisted the senators sympathetic to Saraki.
He stated: “Sometime last week, it got so bad that their men stormed the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, where most of us stayed and had our meeting to attack members. The attack came as the last effort after we resisted their inducement.
“Yes, we were all approached to vote the people they wanted in the two chambers of the National Assembly, but we said no. We resisted them because we were on a mission to salvage our party, and we were bent on voting the person that would serve our interest. Now PDP is in the opposition and we have to teach APC a lesson in positive opposition.”

INVESTIGATION: Men, Woman facing criminal allegations, who will make laws for Nigeria

Nigeria’s eighth National Assembly was inaugurated on Tuesday, June 9. At the chambers of the Senate and the House of Representatives, 109 Senators and 360 Representatives were sworn in to office for a four-year term.

Section 66(1a-i) the 1999 Constitution bars certain categories of Nigerians from being members of the National Assembly.

The Constitution says a person shall be unworthy to make laws for the country if he has been indicted for embezzlement or fraud by a judicial commission of inquiry or an administrative panel of inquiry or a tribunal set up under the Tribunals of Inquiry Act, Tribunals of Inquiry Law or any other law by the federal or state government which indictment has been accepted by the federal or state governments respectively.

Again Boko Haram kills 37 in Borno villages

At least 37 villagers were killed and scores of houses razed down when Boko Haram terrorists, Wednesday, staged yet another deadly attack on hapless communities in Damboa local government area of Borno state, witnesses and security sources have said.
The heavily armed terrorists who drove on trucks attacked six farming communities by shooting sporadically and throwing improvised petrol bombs on houses.
An operative of the Civilian-JTF, Ajim Ahmed, who said he witnessed it all, narrated that six villages comprising Koshifa, Matangale, Buraltuma, Darmanti, Almeri and Burmari villages all within Damboa local government were attacked that Wednesday night.
Mr. Ahmed said he had to join others to flee during the deadly attack, but returned the next day to find the smoking villages littered with human corpses.

Governor Obiano Appoints Honourable Pauly Onyeka As SA On Assembly Liaison

The executive governor of Anambra state, Chief Willie Obiano has approved the appointment of Honourable Barrister Pauly Onyeka as the Special Adviser to the governor on House of Assembly Liaison Officer.
The governor  disclosed this at the swearing In ceremony for the 6th Anambra state house of assembly members in Awka, urged the honourable members to work assiduously to match up even surpass the achievements of the 5th Anambra state house of assembly members.