by Admin | Sep 11, 2016 | Blog |
Follow @NigeriaPI Five top civil servants in Kogi State have been arrested for allegedly diverting N230m pension fund to their private uses. The Accountant-General of the state, Alhaji Yusuf Okala, confirmed the development to our source in Lokoja Okala, who is also the Chairman of the Staff Screening and Verification Committee, said the alleged fraud was discovered in the course of the committee’s work. “Yes, it is true. We have been able to recover N20m from them through the efforts of the police command in the state,” he said. Also, the state Auditor-General, Alhaji Ahmed Ododo, said that the money would be recovered in full from the suspects. The money was part of funds released by the administration of Capt. Idris Wada for the payment of pensioners. Over 9,000 retirees in the state are owed between four and five months’ pension arrears as a result of the alleged diversion and the lack of funds by the government. Ododo explained that the suspects would be made to face the law. He commended the state government for setting up the committee for conducting the verification in the interest of the state. He said that apart from identifying ghost workers and pensioners, the committee was working to plug loopholes through which public funds were being stolen. Ododo promised that all genuine workers and pensioners would soon be cleared for the payment of salaries and pensions. “The screening of workers and pensioners is going to be a continuous exercise. ‘’No authentic staff or pensioner will have any cause to fear. Gov. Yahaya Bello-led administration in the state has high regard for both workers...
by Admin | Sep 11, 2016 | Blog |
Follow @NigeriaPI The Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has said that Nigeria spends about $22bn a year on importation of food. Lokpobiri made this known on Saturday at a town hall meeting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. He said the development had led to the astronomical rise in price of rice and other commodities, stressing that if Nigerians failed to produce some of the items being imported, before December the price of rice would skyrocket to N40,000 a bag. He said there was a projection that by 2050, Nigeria’s population would be 450 million, wondering what would happen then if the people could not feed themselves now. Lokpobiri said, “For your information, we spend about $22bn a year importing food into Nigeria. We know how many more dollars … and that is why you see the price of rice going up. “Price of rice was N12,000 some months ago, but it is now about N26,000 and if we don’t start producing, by December it could be N40,000. “Rice matures in three months. So, this is a wake up call for Bayelsa people to take the four farms we have seriously. The federal government has four farms in the state in our records. The average land you see in Bayelsa can grow rice, so the colonial masters were not wrong in their assessment when they said Niger Delta could feed not only Nigeria but the entire West Africa sub-region. “Unfortunately, agriculture till today, is not a priority of the Niger Delta as far as the state governments are concerned because of oil.” He said the...
by Admin | Sep 11, 2016 | Blog |
Follow @NigeriaPI Former First Lady, Patience Jonathan has filed a N200m fundamental rights enforcement suit against Skye Bank Plc, following the freezing of four bank accounts, which she claims the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has used to inconvenience and embarrass her. The four accounts, lodged with Skye Bank Plc, are in the name of four companies which is said to have a balance of $31.4m The four companies are Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited; Seagate Property Development & Investment Co. Limited; Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Limited and Development Company Limited and Globus Integrated Service Limited. In an affidavit filed before the court and deposed to by one Sammie Somiari, a legal practitioner on behalf of Patience Jonathan, the deponents claims that the EFCC placed a No Debit Order on the four accounts in July in the course of probing one Waripamo Dudafa, a former Special Adviser on Domestic Affairs to former President Goodluck Jonathan. After its investigations, the EFCC went ahead to file an amended 17-count against Dudafa and seven others, including the four companies, with the defendants being accused of conspiring to conceal the monies which the EFCC claimed they ought to have known formed parts of the proceeds of an unlawful act. In the affidavit however, Sammie Somiari claims that it was Dudafa who helped Mrs Patience Jonathan to open the four bank accounts which the EFCC froze. According to him, Dudafa had on March 22, 2010 brought two Skye Bank officers, Demola Bolodeoku and Dipo Oshodi, to meet the former first lady at home to open five accounts. He, however, claimed...
by Admin | Sep 11, 2016 | Blog |
Follow @NigeriaPI A very notorious gang leader who had been terrorizing the residents of Makera, Kakuri in Kaduna state -has been killed. According to reports, the murderer, rapist, kidnapper identified as (Dan Na’Ala) -who was allegedly behind the death of a top civilian JTF member in Kakuri, Kaduna, was arrested at Nyanya area of Abuja… He was brought back to Kaduna after his arrest before meeting his end at the hands of an angry crowd who beat him to...
by Admin | Sep 11, 2016 | Blog |
Follow @NigeriaPI Reports of kidnapping have become common in Nigeria. Though not a new trend, kidnappers have continued to devise new methods to lure victims. Below are some of the new tricks to watch out for: Ploy at parties In this method, a note is dubiously passed to the master of ceremonies requesting the owner of an identified vehicle to come out and move his or her vehicle to allow others parking access. Immediately the individual gets to his car, the kidnappers grab the person and zoom off in the car. This was what happened to Mr. Remi Olakunri who was kidnapped at a party venue in Lagos some months ago. Olakunri, who drove an SUV to the venue, heard his car’s number plate called out by the emcee, requesting him to step outside to move his vehicle. As Olakunri got to his car, three men grabbed him and forced him to drive off in his vehicle. Over N1m ransom was paid before his abductors released him. Road blocks The modus operandi of kidnappers includes mounting road blocks on highways in military uniforms and staging a surprise attack on unsuspecting motorists. An All Progressives Congress governorship aspirant in Ondo State, Victor Olabimtan, was abducted by gunmen after he declared his interest to contest the state’s governorship election. Olabimtan was on his way to Abuja when some persons in military attire, who dubiously manned a road block on the expressway kidnapped him. Disguising as church members There have been several reports of how kidnappers found their way into churches, disguised as church members and waited for the service to end...
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