Curator

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Ben Agande, Kaduna. A coalition of Civil Society organisations at the weekend called on President Muhammad Buhari to immediately replaced the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, saying his stay in office after 90 days without confirmation by the senate is a clear violation of the constitution. Addressing a press conference in Kaduna, the Director-General of the Global Centre for Conscious living against Corruption, Dr. Gabriel Nwambu, said apart from being in office illegally, Mr Magu has demonstrated a lack of capacity to diligently prosecute the war against corruption. According to Dr Nwambu, “the mode of operation of the EFCC, the several cases of gross violation of rights of citizens, the fact that EFCC speaks too soon to the extent of trying suspects on the pages of newspapers is rather alarming and is embarrassing Nigeria in the league of nations. This explains why the EFCC has been losing most of the high profil...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Senate President Bukola Saraki has promised that the Senate will look into the high interest rate charged by banks in the country. “It is likely that we will debate it this week,” Saraki said during an interactive session with journalists on Sunday in Ilorin. According to him, the high interest rate is not good for the economy as the nation eases out of recession and targets growth. “This week we will debate it, have a round table discussion with the Central Bank of Nigeria and other commercial banks and talk frankly to ourselves,” he said. According to Saraki, it is not fair for the banking sector to be making astronomical profit while companies lose money and retrench workers. “Hopefully, with the stability of the foreign exchange, we can now begin to address the issue of interest rate. “There is no business that can make money if you are borrowing at 28 percent, it cannot work,” Saraki added. He said the Senate would engage financial institutions to arri...

http://ift.tt/2p1YoLc LASTMA The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) on Monday said it had dismissed 20 of its personnel over corrupt practices. LASTMA’s Head of Public Affairs, Mr Mahmud Hassan, confirmed the dismissal to newsmen in Lagos. He said that the action was part of efforts by the state government to reposition, improve the agency so that it could continue to offer better services to the state. “The management of the agency has dismissed 20 traffic officials and sanctioned 20 others for offences ranging from extortion, misconduct to indiscipline. “The actions of those dismissed were considered not to be in tandem with the agency`s new philosophy, rules and provisions of the Lagos State Civil Service. “The decision was taken by the Lagos State Civil Service Commission at the end of its Policy Meeting. “The meeting considered the Minutes of the Personal Management Board (Disciplinary) of LASTMA and representations made by the traffic officials invol...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Prof. Ahmed Sanni, Imam of the Lagos State University (LASU) mosque, on Friday advised Muslims to shun indecent and immoral acts during the Ramadan. Sanni, who is also a lecturer in the department of foreign languages at the university, gave the admonition during the Jumaat sermon at the mosque. He advised that fasting was more than abstinence from eating, drinking and other basic necessities, within a certain period of the day. “Fasting is not just about abstaining from eating, drinking and some other basic human needs at a particular time of the day. “The time of fasting is for us Muslims to keep away from all evils; if one fasts and still gets involved in backbiting and other immoralities, there is no reward for such a person,’’ he said. Sanni advised fasting Muslims to be more engaged in special prayers and supplication for increased blessings from Allah. “Fasting is not the period to engage in worldly pastimes; it is the time to engage in special prayer...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J ……..as defendant pleads innocence to amended 13-count charge By Ikechukwu Nnochiri ABUJA – The Department of State Service, DSS, yesterday, narrated before the Federal High Court in Abuja, how its operatives discovered bags of foreign currencies inside a wardrobe in the house of Justice Sylvester Ngwuta of the Supreme Court. The DSS made the disclosure on a day the embattled jurist who is currently on suspension, pleaded not guilty to an amended 13-count criminal charge the Federal Government preferred against him. The charge involves money laundering, age falsification and alleged illegal possession of multiple international passports by the defendant. It will be recalled that though Ngwuta was initially docked before the court on a 16-count charge, FG subsequently amended the charge to 11-counts and further re-amended it again yesterday. At the resumed hearing, an operative of the DSS, Mr. John Utazi, mounted the witness box and gave evidence on how a sear...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J The Police in Lagos on Sunday said they had arrested a member of a syndicate notorious for hiring and hijacking Uber Taxi in the state. The Commander of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command, ACP Olatunji Disu, confirmed the arrest to the Newsmen. Disu said the suspect was arrested by his men posted to Oshodi Oke early Friday morning. According to the commander, the suspect operate with two others, who are now at large. “The suspect, Emmanuel John Ugbomah, 37, from Ndukwa, Delta State, was arrested in Oshodi Oke at 12:30 a.m. on Friday while trying to escape after a botched attempt to hijack an Uber taxi, a black Toyota Corrolla, belonging to one Adebisi. “The suspect, in company of two other accomplices, had boarded Adebisi’s Uber taxi in Lekki. “They reportedly told the victim they were going to Oshodi for which he charged them N4,000. “On getting to Ikoyi, the trio told the driver to head to Dolphin where they said they wer...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Nigeria’s foreign debt stood at 11.41 billion dollars while its domestic debts was N14.02 trillion respectively in 2016. The NBS stated in “Nigerian Domestic and Foreign Debt – 2016’’ data, posted on its website on Wednesday in Abuja, that the sum reflected the states’ and Federal debt stock. The report showed that 7.99 billion dollars of the debt was multilateral; $198.25 million dollars was bilateral (AFD) while 3.22 billion dollars from the Exim Bank of China credited to the Federal Government. “Total Federal Government debt accounted for 68.72 per cent of Nigeria’s total foreign debt while all states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) accounted for the remaining 31.28 per cent. “Similarly, total Federal Government debt accounted for 78.89 per cent of Nigeria’s total domestic debt while all states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) accounted for the 21.11 per cent balance.’’ The report further gave a b...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J  All relevant documents relating to what transpired from the NIA, EFCC, ONSA, SGF office in the custody of Osinbajo led committee  As Committee winds up  Wednesday   By Henry Umoru ABUJA- AS the Presidential Panel investigating the $43 million cash found in a luxury apartment at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos and the N220 million meant for welfare of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs in North East led by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo continues its assignment, fresh facts have emerged that top National Intelligence Agency,  NIA officials have distanced themselves from the suspended Director-General, Ambassador Ayo Oke. According to the source, those who decided to leave the embattled Oke to be on his own against the backdrop that h acted alone, include his two Deputy Directors General and other top management staff. The source told Vanguard that the deputy Directors -General and the top management took the decision because they wer...