Maina: Senate seeks sack of Malami, Danbazau, others

SENATORS resolved yesterday to probe the controversial return of Abdulrasheed Maina to the civil service.
The Public Service, Anti-Corruption, Interior and Judiciary  committee is to investigate the recall  of the former Chairman, Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, who is on the wanted list of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged N2 billion pension fraud, among others.
The committee is to determine how Maina was reinstated and promoted to director.
The upper chamber said the development became even curious, especially when Maina is wanted for alleged fraud.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance raised by Senator Isa Hamma Misau (Bauchi South).
Misau said the circumstances of Misau’s return and reinstatement service had become a huge embarrassment to the country.
Many of the senators who contributed to the debate asked the Senate to resolve to ask President Muhammadu Buhari to sack those linked to the development.
The lawmakers singled out Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami and Interior Minister Abdulrahman Danbazzau as two public officials that should be hammered by President Buhari for their alleged roles in the Maina matter.
Misau said: “Right from day before, you will see the story of somebody who has been declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).  We read how the man who was declared wanted and was said to be abroad came back to Nigeria miraculously.
“Going by the newspaper publications, somebody wanted by the EFCC left the country for so many years. He was dismissed from the service. He was out for a long time, but smuggled into the service. He left the country as an assistant director. Today, he is a director.

“We even heard that he goes about with police escort. I wonder how a government that claims to be fighting corruption will be involved in a matter like this. This is a big embarrassment for this country. The people around the President are not helping matters. It appears that the President is the only one talking about corruption. Other people around him are protecting corrupt people.
“The AGF was mentioned and other people were mentioned. We investigated this case in the 7th Assembly. I am calling on the Senate to investigate this case again.”
Chief Whip Olusola Adeyeye said: “I remember what happened then. It got to a point when the former President of the Senate, David Mark, told the former President Goodluck Jonathan to choose between Abdulrasheed Maina and loyalty to the country. It got so bad that Maina had over 30 police officers attached to him.
“It got so bad that he was always on the front row whenever the former President travelled. At some point, we thought that he was being protected. I remember one of us was blackmailed and called names. He was accused of taking billions as bribes. Today, that lawmaker was cleared and he is here.
“Some principalities in power then ferried Maina to neighbouring countries. There is a procedure when it comes to promotion in the civil service. This is an insult on the part of civil servants who have worked so hard.
“As a member of APC, it is a sad moment. We cannot say that we want to fight corruption and have this approach. Jesus Christ said it is difficult for a rich man to pass through the eye of a needle.
“This saddens me and I am sure it saddens all of us. I am glad that following the outrage from the public, the President acted swiftly. We read in the papers that the rules of the civil service were bypassed.
“It appears there are people in this government who want the President to fail. Every patriot and member of APC in this house must stand out and ensure that the President does not fail.
“Papers have reported that two Ministers were involved. Those Ministers must be brought to justice. The President must ensure that those Ministers are sacked. Corruption is not only about stealing money. Incompetence too is another form of corruption.
“I hope that this Senate will not forget its past resolutions on Maina. On it, we still stand. He must be made to stand and face the law. He is not above the law. Steven Oronsaye was accused. He did not leave the country. He stayed back and cleared his name. Maina must do same.
Senator Kabiru Marafa said:
“I want to appreciate the person who brought this motion by exposing some dubious people in government. No family can boast of having 100 per cent good people. APC is not an exception. We cannot attribute everything to the President. He should be commended for rising to the occasion.
“Reinstating Maina is a crime against Nigerians. We should approve a full blown investigation into what happened. We must not allow this thing to go unnoticed.
Senator Atai Idoko said: “We are looking at the symptoms; we are not looking at the cause. Maina is too small to go back to office. Somebody brought him back to the office. Maina is too small. He is not the issue. We should look at those who returned Maina.
“As we were told, the person who approved this thing is the AGF. The simplest thing the President could do was to terminate the appointment of Maina. That is not the issue. The AGF brought him back. The AGF has a history of doing things like this. The President should tell us what he will do to the AGF.
Senator Albert Bassey Akpan would like the Senate to “investigate and bring to book any person who wants to bring this country to disrepute”. “We will stand with the Senate to ensure that the right thing is done,” he said.
Senator Tayo Alasoadura cautioned his colleagues not to call names of people who have not been indicted. “We should not duplicate. If the executive has set up a committee, we should not do the same thing. We must not set up committees every time”, he said.
Senator Dino Melaye, “the whole unfolding affair is pathetic”. He said: “Should we continue in sin and ask grace to abound? The AGF time after time has abused his office. Maina did not get himself back. We should talk about the integrity of the AGF and his office. If the number one law officer is breaking the law, where is the hope?
“The AGF started with the forgery case against Saraki and Ekweremadu. Something happened we have not noticed. Two public officers had issues and the AGF chose to support the Inspector-General of Police against Senator Isah Hamman Misau. Today, it is Senator Isah versus the Federal Government.
“Tomorrow, if I commit any offence against the friend to the AGF, I will be arraigned. We should not encourage the setting up of investigative committees. The President is surrounded by worms who are bent on destroying the country.
“There are so many committees that have been set up by the President and the resolutions of those reports may not be implemented until after rapture. Enough is enough. We cannot have this forever. This is wrong. The Senate needs to do something.
“We must recommend to the President that the AGF has erred in discharging the affairs of his office. If we do not check it, the AGF will plunge us into trouble.
Senate President Bukola Saraki asked the joint committee to do a thorough job.

Metuh: Court summons Jonathan, Dasuki

A FEDERAL High Court in Abuja has insisted that former President Goodluck Jonathan and ex-National Security Adviser (NSA) Mohammed Dasuki must appear today to testify for the defence in the ongoing trial of ex-spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh.
Justice Okon Abang gave the directive yesterday despite the pending motion by Dasuki, challenging the witness summons issued on him and the uncertainty over whether or not Jonathan has been served with the subpoena issued by the court on Monday.
At the resumption of proceedings in the trial of Metuh and his company, Destra Investment yesterday, Justice Abang took argument from lawyer to Dasuki, Ahmed Raji (SAN) and other lawyers in the case on the motion by ex-NSA.
Arguing his client’s motion, Raji contended that there was no way Dasuki would testify in Metuh’s trial without implicating himself because the issues in the case and the three pending charges against him (Dasuki) were interlinked.

Raji prayed the court to set aside the subpoena issued on Dasuki or suspend the execution of the court summon until he (Dasuki) was released from prison.
He argued that his client’s long detention by the Department of State Service (DSS) since December 2015 has deprived Dasuki of ability to meaningful participate in Metuh’s trial
Raji said the DSS continued to detain Dasuki despite being granted bail by three separate municipal courts and also an order to be released by ECOWAS Court.
He said with his client’s continued detention, the ex-NSA had no access records that could enable him to give meaningful  evidence.
Raji argued that from the nature of the charges instituted against Metuh, Dasuki could be said to be an alleged co-accomplice.
He said the ex-NSA would “not be able to give evidence in the case without incriminating himself.”

Raji contended that Dasuki, as an alleged accomplice, was a competent witness, but not a compellable witness.
He stated that compelling Dasuki to give evidence would violate Section 36(2) of the Constitution, which guaranteed the right of a suspect to remain silent when arrested or detained.
Raji said Dasuki was not served personally with the subpoena, as such, the service of the subpoena through the Director-General of DSS was invalid.
Prosecuting lawyer, Sylvanus Tahir and lawyers representing Metuh and Destra, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) and Tochukwu Onwugbufor (SAN) opposed Dasuki’s motion.
They argued that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the application.
Tahir, Ikpeazu and Onwugbufor argued that granting the application by the court would amount to a violation of Section 287(2) of the Constitution, which they said prohibited a lower court from reviewing or varying the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which on September 29, ordered Justice Abang to sign the subpoena.
On Raji’s argument that his client, being an alleged accomplice could implicate himself, Tahir argued that such contention was without basis.
He said, “The applicant said he is an accomplice and his evidence will be self-incriminating
“That argument is contrary to section 198 (1) of the Evidence Act.”
On points of law, Raji said by virtue of the provisions of section 36 (11) of the Constitution “nobody standing trial shall be compelled to give evidence”.
He added none of the respondents had challenged “the fact that we have no access to records and we are not in right mental state to give evidence in this case”.
Justice Abang has reserved ruling on Dasuki’s motion till today.
He  said: “The outcome of the ruling will determine which step to take about the first subpoena(issued on Dasuki), but the orders compelling His Excellency, former President Goodluck Jonathan, and Col. Sambo Dasuki, to appear in court on Wednesday, October 25, 2017 at the instance of the first defendant (Metuh) still stand.”
Justice Abang had issued separate subpoenas on Jonathan and Dasuki upon applications by Metuh, who had requested the two men to testify in his defence in his ongoing trial.
The judge confirmed that the subpoena on Jonathan was issue upon the receipt of Metuh’s application for the summon to be served on the ex-President at about 3.59p.m. on Monday.
Justice Abang said: “In line with section 241(1) of Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, and having regard to the subsisting judgment of the Court of Appeal in the appeal, CA/A/159C/2017, between Olisa Metuh and Federal Republic of Nigeria  dated September 29, 2017 to the effect that it will be tantamount to violating the right of the first defendant (Metuh) to fair hearing not to sign the subpoena, I have no option  other than to sign a subpoena to compel former President Goodluck Jonathan to appear in court on September 25, 2017 (Wednesday)to give evidence at the instance of the first defendant,” he said.
When asked if Jonathan has been served with the subpoena, a registrar of the court said the bailiff of the court was yet to serve the subpoena on Jonathan as at yesterday morning.
Metuh and Destra are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on a seven-count charge of money laundering involving alleged cash transaction of $2 million and fraudulent receipt of  million meant for procurement of arms from the Office of the NSA.
The EFCC alleged in the charges that Metuh and his firm used the N400 million for PDP’s campaign activities during the 2015 presidential election.

Maina probe widens as EFCC seals more houses

Senators seek sack of Malami, Dambazau, others
How did wanted civil servant Abdulrasheed Maina sneak into Nigeria? Who gave him the police and other security personnel he had?
These are some of the questions in government and security circles, following the scandal sparked by Maina’s reinstatement and promotion.
The dismissed chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms Task Team has been in the country in the last six months after sneaking in. He is wanted for alleged N2b pension funds fraud.

His police and other security personnel have been withdrawn.
More queries were said to have been issued yesterday to all those implicated in Maina’s reinstatement.
According to a source, who spoke in confidence with our correspondent, Maina was “smuggled into the country from Dubai (UAE) by some powerful forces”.
The source said a review of the suspect’s itinerary indicated that he had been under “Special Protection” in the last six months.
The source said: “It is still a puzzle to the government on how a suspect, who was watch-listed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and placed on Red Alert by the INTERPOL, beat security system to return to the country from Dubai.
“Relevant agencies are probing clues on how Maina had stayed in the country unnoticed in the last six months with police details and some security attaches.

“What happened was a breach of the nation’s security, a slap on inter-agency cooperation, and a pointer to some compromise.”
The source, who pleaded not to be named, listed the puzzles:

• From which point of entry did Maina enter Nigeria?
• Who authorised police details for Maina?
• When and how did he apply for police details?
• Which agency provided security personnel for the dismissed deputy director?
• Who put Maina in a safe house before his resumption?

Responding to a question, the source added: “President Muhammadu Buhari is really angry by the turn of things; he is not taking the issue lightly. He was so furious that he wanted to clean up the system on Monday but he decided to give all those implicated the benefit of the doubt.
“This is why you can see everyone in a panic mood. No one knows the mindset of the President. We are all in suspense.”
As at press time, there were indications that Maina had been stripped of his police and security details. Besides, his whereabouts remain unknown. It was not immediately clear who ordered the withdrawal of the police and other security personnel.
But fresh facts emerged yesterday that more queries had been issued to all public officers and institutions connected with the reinstatement of Maina.
A government official, who pleaded for anonymity spoke of how more officials and agencies had been directed to explain their roles in the “deal” which led to Maina’s recall.
“The Presidency is digging deeper on this issue. I am sure all those complicit will pay for it,” the source said.
A letter from the Ministry of Interior indicated that Maina resumed duty on September 28 but his resumption was not communicated to the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation till October 16.
The letter, which was signed by Deputy Director(Permanent Secretary’s Office),  Salihu A. Bala for the Permanent Secretary, said:  “I am directed to acknowledged(sic) the receipt of your letter Ref. No. 4029.82/Vol. III/ 179 of 18th September, 2017 on the above subject and inform you that the reinstated officer, Abdulrasheed Abdullahi Maina, Deputy Director(Administration) has resumed duty at the Ministry of Interior on Thursday, 28th September 2017. Please, accept the assurances of the Permanent Secretary’s warm regards.”
The presidency has directed all the key actors and agencies implicated in Maina’s recall to stop passing the buck.
The directive affects all the ministers “implicated”, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, government officials and agencies.
“No one is allowed to either issue a statement or talk officially to the press until the investigation is concluded,” a source said.

Maina family rises in defence of son

Barely 24 hours after his properties were sealed by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Kaduna, family members of the embattled former chairman of Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina have cried out that their son is being persecuted by corrupt elements in President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.
They said, the ongoing ‘persecutions’ of Abdulrasheed Maina, was the handiwork of a cabal in government, which is witch-hunting him because he did not allow them steal pension fund.
The Maina family however threatened that, Abdulrasheed will soon open the can of worm, as regard facts in his possession which they said are capable of nailing the cabals in his pursuit.
The Abdullahi Maina family said that their son is not a fraudster but someone who worked diligently to save pensioners from thieves, adding that his recent sack by President Muhammadu Buhari was because Mr President was misinformed. The family lamented that the ongoing persecution by a government that preaches the rule of law is bad, but noted that Abdulrasheed is in possession of documents and facts that would vindicate him and show the true intention of his persecutors.

Addressing the media Wednesday in Kaduna, spokesman of the Maina family, Malam Aliyu Maina, who was flanked by Salihu Maina and Ladan Abdullahi, said that the marking of the houses they inherited from their father in Kaduna by the Economics and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is wrong, but they are ready to take legal recourse to protect their fundamental rights.
They said that Abdulrasheed left Nigeria following threats to his life, only for President Muhammadu Buhari to invite him to come and help his administration. “You must have noticed the recent attempt by some cabal to ridicule and tarnish the image of the Maina family in the media. Were our brother, Abdulrasheed Maina has been blackmailed as a fraudster.
“The cabals have gone to the extent of marking our house in red paints with an inscription of E.F.C.C under investigation. The EFCC is wrong in their action because Abdulrasheed inherited so many properties from his late father in Kaduna and Abuja, some of them were built before he was born so how could he have acquired them fraudulently.
“The entire family of Abdullahi Maina is categorically stating that our son is not in any way a fraudster, rather he is a messiah who brought reforms into Nigerian Pension Scheme, whose effort saw the disappearance of pensioners roaming the streets of Abuja and other state capital in Nigeria.
“It is on record that Abdulrasheed Maina’s reform put to a stop the fraudulent withdrawals of huge sums from both the Nigerian Pension Board, the Nigerian Police Pension Board etc. Perhaps it is this noble effort that made him enviable to the present administration when they came into power to convince him to come back and assist in its “Change” agenda.”
According to the family, the recent actions may have been targeted at not Maina but high above, “we are aware that all this act of calumny is not targeted against Abdulrasheed Maina alone but against the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria and the office of the Attorney General. We have contacted our lawyers Messr Mamma Nasir & Co and instructed them to act appropriately.

“We equally know that Abdulrasheed Maina is in possession of many facts that is against the cabal and interesting to the Nigerian populace, which he will disclose very soon,” the family noted.

BREAKING: Retire quietly or we open the Pandora box – VON DG to Jonathan

Director General of the Voice of Nigeria and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ostia Okechukwu has asked former President Goodluck Jonathan to quietly retire to any part of the country of his choice and stop challenging the APC and the Buhari government to a public debate, threatening to open the pandora box on the former president.
Okechukwu told The Nation in a telephone interview that the former President cannot challenge the current government to any public debate because his government failed the nation, leaving major infrastructure to decay, while public funds were freely diverted.
He challenges the former President to show the nation any project that he was able to complete during his six-year in office as President, adding that even the development he did at the nation’s airport was not commensurate with the money voted for such projects.
Okechukwu who was reacting to a statement by the former President that the APC won the 2015 election using lies and propaganda and challenging the party to a public debate in its achievement in office said “Mr President was very clear that the man left almost an empty treasury, consequent unpinned which we have a huge infrastructure deficit.

Jonathan accuses APC of lying, non-performance

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration of running a government of lies and propaganda.
Jonathan spoke in Abuja yesterday while receiving one of the chairmanship aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prof Tunde Adeniran, at his residence.
The former President insisted that the PDP, which controlled the federal government from 1999 to 2015 did well for the country but that the APC had failed the country and its people.
He said the APC administration has nothing to show as achievement.

?Challenging the APC leadership to public debate on its performance, Jonathan said, “The PDP administration for 16 did well and will continue to do well. But this administration has done nothing, the administration is full lies and propaganda
“In the power sector, we did well to revive it, a certain state governor criticised our government, saying that any serious government should be able to fix the power sector within six months. But today, the APC has been in power for how many years? Fortunately, the then governor is in the APC Government as a Minister”.
The former President said that all hope was not lost, adding that the PDP would go all out and put its house in order for it to return to power in 2019.
Jonathan said that Nigerians have been able to see the difference between the PDP and the APC in terms of performance.
“With the rate at which people are coming around to associate with a party that lost elections, it shows that the people still believe in the PDP. With the number and calibre of the people coming out to vie for the seat of the national chairman and other offices of our party, it shows that our party still has another chance”, the ex- President added.
But APC Deputy National Chairman (North) Senator Lawal Shuaibu, rejected the ex-president’s comment.

Shuaibu said: “In the history of governance in this country, there is no government that deceived Nigerians like that of Goodluck Jonathan.
“I have never seen where a government was being run on the basis of speculation rather than realities like that of Goodluck Jonathan.
“I am not even talking about the PDP government. I am talking particularly about Goodluck Jonathan’s government. They were so deceptive that Nigerians actually realised their act of deception and decided not to trust them again and that was why they lost the (2015) election.”
Speaking on his expectations, Jonathan said the PDP needed “a national chairman who will rule the party democratically and carry others along. In fact, the national chairman is the leader of the party. It is not the other way round”.
He said judging by his long interaction with Prof Adeniran, coupled with testimonies of other party leaders, Adeniran possessed what it takes to lead the party at this critical point in time.
The ex-President warned the party leaders and the aspirants against turning the convention into a battle field.

We don’t owe Union Bank – Ontario

The management of Ontario Oil and Gas Limited has denied any fraudulent sale of refined petroleum products, as alleged by Union Bank Plc in what the company described as a “hurriedly” procured ex parte application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC ).

The company spoke on Monday in the matter of a commercial transaction between her and the bank which dates back to 2014.

Speaking through its counsel, Ben Udoh, Ontario acknowledged that it did approached Union Bank Plc for a facility to import and market petroleum products in 2014.

“Indeed, we approached Union Bank in 2014 for an $11 million facility. A letter of Credit (LC ) was issued same year but was amended to $9.9 million in May 2015. The said sum ($9.9)was paid to the supplier, Petrocam Trading Limited.

“Contrary to impressions created by Union Bank, there was no case of fraudulent diversion and conversion of proceeds as alleged. We would like to confirm on good authority that the products were duly imported and sold in the open market,” Mr Udoh said.

He added, “Total proceeds from the transaction was N1.9billion, and in line with our offer letter and best practice, same amount was provided for. The management of Union Bank was subsequently advised to bid for appropriate foreign exchange to discharge the LC.

“Unfortunately, Union Bank, for reasons best known to them, failed to heed several exchanges for the liquidation of the debt which Ontario diligently dealt with within the 60-day expiration of the facility.”

Speaking further, he regretted that “Union Bank had unwittingly shot itself on the foot by its failure to register the Form M with Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN ), nearly 8 months after, which made it difficult for them to successfully bid for forex to tidy up the transaction.”

“Finally, we are surprised that the ex parte order which targeted Ontario Oil and Gas Limited was used to seize the assets of The Renoire Logistics which is an independent entity with no similar directors or ownership. Union Bank failed to transparently manage this transaction and should blame itself for allowing the devaluation of the Naira to hurt its interests.

“We do not owe Union Bank. All proceeds arising from the transaction has been fully redeemed. Any differential is as a result of devaluation of the Naira. Ontario would do everything legal to vacate the ex parte application,” Mr Udoh noted.

Agbakoba to court: Disqualify Buhari as Petroleum Minister

A former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Mr Olisa Agbakoba has asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to disqualify President Muhammadu Buhari from holding office as Petroleum Minister.
Agbakoba prayed the court to declare that by Section 138 of the 1999 Constitution, the holder of the office of President of Nigeria cannot simultaneously, legally hold another executive office, such as that of a petroleum minister.
The court is yet to fix a date for hearing of the.

Buhari receives three young admirers in Aso Rock

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday received three young admirers in the State House, who have shown high interest in his administration, and prayed for his recovery during ill-health.
They included three-year old Maya Jammal, who became an internet sensation when her videoed prayer for the President’s recovery went viral, and 10 year-old Aisha Aliyu Gebbi, who penned a personal letter to President Buhari describing herself as his “biggest fan’’.
The third person is Nicole Benson, 12 years old, who contributed N5,785 to the President’s campaign in 2015, which was all saved up from her lunch and pocket allowance.
In a statement issued by the Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Femi Adesina, the President said: “I am very impressed by what the children have been able to do,’’

“I can see Maya is shy. I watched her video where she was praying for my recovery when I was ill.’’ he added

The President attributed his victory at the polls to the contributions of good hearted Nigerians, like young Nicole, who is from Lagos State, and showed her support by sending her personal savings.
“Nicole, I congratulate you, and myself for being here today. Your contribution made a great impact. As you can see, I am here in the Presidential Villa. Thank you,’’ he said.
President Buhari told Aisha that her letter was heart-warming, noting that he felt re-assured knowing he had fans amongst the children.
“Thank you very much for the letter,’’ he said.
The President said he looked forward to more visits from the children.

“I am hoping that it will not be the first and last time we will be meeting while I am here. We will continue to meet even after I have left here.’’ he said

Speaking on behalf of the parents, Hon. Aliyu Ibrahim Gebbi, said the President’s gesture of inviting the children to the Presidential Villa was a dream come true.
Gebbi said the invitation also added to the President’s long standing record of good heartedness and fairness.
“In a nation with few legends and accuracy of truth, we look up to you, Mr. President, and our children are looking up to you,’’ he added.
Maya lives in the FCT, while Aisha came in from Bauchi State.

Buhari mourns tragic loss of students in Kaduna

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed sadness over the news of the tragic death of some students of Victory College, Ungwan Yelwa, Kaduna, who drowned in River Kaduna while on an excursion.
According to a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Femi Adesina, President Buhari’s thoughts and prayers are with the distraught families of the deceased and the management of the College, and he expresses heartfelt condolences to the Government and people of Kaduna State, during this difficult time.

The President prayed that God will comfort families and friends affected by the profound loss of these young minds, and he wishes speedy recovery to other staff and students, who are in shock over the unfortunate incident.

Army launches Exercise Crocodile Smile II in Lagos

Nigerian Army said on Friday the increase in crimes in coastal areas of the country prompted it to step up training and operations in the amphibious environment.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, stated this at Takwa Bay Island in Lagos State when he launched “Exercise Crocodile Smile II.”
According to him, the “Order of Battle” 2016 provides for amphibious battalion in the island to keep the coastal area of Lagos State safe.
He said: “A detachment of Nigerian Army has since been stationed on the island; more army presence would also be felt soon on the island and other parts of the country in line with the 2016 Order of Battle as fund becomes available.”

The army chief recalled that the first phase of the exercise which took place between August and September 2016 in Abia, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Imo and Rivers states recorded tremendous success.
He said it degraded activities of militants and illegal oil bunkerers, destruction of kidnappers’ den and rescue of kidnapped victims and destruction of cultists’ camps, among others.
Buratai, however, said the success of Exercise Crocodile Smile I in those states pushed some criminal elements to other parts of the country, thus necessitating “readjustment” of area of operation of the second phase in 2017.
He added that it was in that regard that the exercise was being conducted in the South South and South West regions.

MonkeyPox: Panic as parents withdraw children from public schools in Edo

There was confusion in some public and private schools in Benin City, the Edo State capital as parents stormed various schools to forcefully take their children and wards home.
It was gathered that the panic started at Army Day Secondary in Oregbeni quarters when some parents heard that the Nigeria Army was carrying out vaccination exercise.
The parents said they were told that the MonkeyPox virus was being injected into the students.
Sources at the school said denial by the school authorities did not stop parents from taking their children away.

At Idia College, rumours that three students die of Monkeypox infection made parents  rushed to the school to take their children home.
In some primary schools like Olua and Emokpae, the school authorities locked parents out and refused to open the gate.
The school authorities simply told the parents to return during closing hours to pick up their children.
There was also attempts by parents to take their children away from Oghosa High School, Edokpolor Grammar School, Crystal Fountain Group of School and Olua  Primary School.
One of the parents who identified herself simply as Mrs. Chiazor said: “I came to school because I heard that the killer vaccines are already at the Oredo local government secretariat for onward transmission to schools.”
When asked where she got the information, Mrs. Chiazor replied: it’s on radio. Children also died in Anambra after they were vaccinated.”

Edo Police spokesman, DSP Moses Nkombe, who confirmed the rush by parents to take away their children said there was no vaccination exercise in schools in the state.
Nkombe warned parents to stop acting on fake information from the social media.
Special Adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki on Communication and Strategy, Crusoe Osagie, said there was no reported case of Monkeypox infection in the state.
Crusoe said steps have been taken to tackle the disease if there was any occurrence.
He said there was no vaccination exercise currently going on in the state.

Liberia election: Weah retains lead as more results announced

George Weah of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) retained his lead as the second batch of provisional results of Tuesday’s presidential elections in Liberia were released on Friday.
According to figures read out by Mr Jerome Korkoya, Chairman of the National Elections Commission (NEC) Weah remained ahead with 39 per cent of the polling places so far processed.
Vice President Joseph Boakai of the ruling Unity Party retained his second position with 31.1 per cent of the votes.
Jerome Korkothe CDC, of the total number of places we have processed, he has obtained 240,750 votes; that would represent 39.6 per

“He would be followed by Mr Joseph Boakai of the Unity Party. He has obtained 160,975 votes, and that would represent 31.1 per cent.
“Mr Charles Brumskine of the Liberty Party has obtained 48,219 votes, and that represents 9.3 per cent.
“Mr Alexander Cummings of the ANC (Alternative National Congress) has received 34,550 votes, and that represents 6.7 per cent.
“Mr Prince Johnson of the MDR (Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction) has received 24,948 votes, and that represents 4.8 per cent.’’
Korkoya said as at the time of Friday’s briefing, results from 1,817 polling places had been processed out of the 5,390 polling places in the country.

This represents additional 585 polling places compared to results of 1,232 polling places announced by him on Thursday.“We have 5,390 polling places in the entire country. Of that number, we have processed 1,817 polling places, and that would represent 33.71 per cent of polling places processed.

“A total of 547,965 votes have been processed from the polling places we just mentioned, and that would represent 74.58 per cent of the total number of voters registered in those poll places, that is the 1,817.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that there are 20 candidates in the presidential race.
A winner needs 50 per cent plus one of the total votes cast to avoid a run-off election.

ObamaCare a broken mess – Trump

President of the United States of America (USA), Donald Trump on Friday said that the ObamaCare system is a broken mess.
President Trump tweeted this, referring to his September 2012 tweet in which he condemned the system
In the latest tweet, he said: “ObamaCare is a broken mess. Piece by piece we will now begin the process of giving America the great HealthCare it deserves!”
 The Post

Buhari’s discussion with World Bank chief twisted – Presidency

The Presidency on Friday dismissed reports that President Muhammadu Buhari asked the World Bank to concentrate its Nigeria intervention efforts in the north.
Reacting to the reports, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said the World Bank President, Jim Yong Kim’s statement, was deliberately twisted by “those who specialize in such acts.”
Media reports had quoted Mr. Kim as saying in Washington DC, on Thursday that Buhari requested a concentration of the bank’s intervention efforts in the north.
Adesina labeled such people “ignorant and mischievous” who are out to make it seem that Buhari’s position was a calculated attempt to give the north an unfair advantage over other parts of Nigeria.

He said the President, since his inauguration, had been seeking international support for the rebuilding of the North East which was ravaged by years of insurgency.
He said what Buhari did in calling attention to the plight of the people of the region was what a leader should do.
He said: “Those who specialize in a deliberate twisting of information have wailed and raged endlessly on the news item credited to the World Bank Group President, Jim Yong Kim, who disclosed in Washington DC, United States of America, that President Muhammadu Buhari had requested a concentration of the bank’s intervention efforts in the northern part of Nigeria, particularly in the North East.
“The ignorant and mischievous people, who twist everything for their vile purposes, are making it seem that it was a calculated attempt to give the North an unfair advantage over other parts of Nigeria.
“The truth of the matter is that President Buhari, right from his first week in office in June, 2015, had reached out to the G-7 in Germany that Nigeria needed help to rebuild the North East, which had been terribly devastated by insurgency. He said the country would prefer help in terms of rebuilding of infrastructure, rather than cash donation, which may end up being misappropriated. In concert with governors of the region, a comprehensive list of needed repairs was sent to the G-7 leaders.
“Also, during a trip to Washington in 2015, and many other engagements that followed, President Buhari sought the help of the World Bank in rebuilding the beleaguered North East, which was then being wrested from the stranglehold of a pernicious insurgency. It was something always done in the open, and which reflected the President’s concern for the region.

“Those ululating over the disclosure by the President of the World Bank should be a bit reflective, and consider the ravages that the North East has suffered since 2009, when the Boko Haram insurgency started. Schools, hospitals, homes, entire villages, towns, cities, bridges, and other public utilities have been blown up, laid waste, and lives terminated in excess of 20,000, while widows and orphans littered the landscape. The humanitarian crisis was in monumental proportions.
“President Buhari simply did what a caring leader should do. He took the battle to the insurgents, broke their backs, and then sought for help to rebuild, so that the people could have their lives back. Should that then elicit the negative commentary that has trailed the disclosure from the World Bank? Not at all, except from insidious minds.
“President Buhari has a pan-Nigerian mandate, and he will discharge his duties and responsibilities in like manner. Any part of the country that requires special attention would receive it, irrespective of primordial affinities, which narrow-minded people have not been able to live above. This President will always work in the best interest of all parts of the country at all times. Let ethnic warriors sheathe their swords.”

41 billion Naira Hospital shuts down.

The Ibom Specialist Hospital in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has been shut down, just two years after it was built and commissioned by the administration of former governor Godswill Akpabio.

Almost all the health workers in the hospital were foreigners, mostly from India.

Mr. Akpabio had boasted that the hospital, which he described as ‘world class’, was better equipped and higher in status than university teaching hospitals in Nigeria, and that it was going to promote medical tourism in the country.

The multi-million dollar hospital was shut down in September after its private managers terminated their contract with the state government and withdrew from the facility.

When PREMIUM TIMES visited the hospital on Monday evening, the facility was locked down; apart from the security officials, not a single person was inside its massive buildings.

Visitors were not allowed entry.

Some persons who had worked in the hospital told PREMIUM TIMES that the private managers – Cardiocare Medical Services Ltd – left because of unresolved issues bordering on funding by the state government.

The Commissioner for Health in the state, Dominic Ukpong, confirmed on Wednesday to this newspaper that the hospital has been closed down.

Mr. Ukpong, a medical doctor, admitted that there was a disagreement between the state government and Cardiocare Ltd over the funding of the Ibom Specialist Hospital. But he also accused Cardiocare of poor management of the facility.

“The administration of the hospital, in my opinion, has not been satisfactory,” Mr. Ukpong told PREMIUM TIMES.

“Their excuses have been that government didn’t meet its own part of the obligation. But I am a witness to the huge amount of money the government has given to the service provider to run the hospital. And we haven’t had much to show for it,” the health commissioner said.

He said money was released at various times for the running of the hospital, besides the $5 million start-off fund the state government gave to Cardiocare Ltd.

The hospital could not get its electric power from the power company since it was not connected to the national grid.

Mr. Ukpong said: “Apart from the fact that the state government was giving diesel free to their quarters, I remember that at some point the state government gave N250 million to them (Cardiocare), at their request, which they said they wanted to use to pay salaries.

“As soon as they were given the money they came and said that that was for arrears. They came back for more money.

“The state government has given them N50 million, also on request.

“They asked that the government should be paying them N30 million monthly for them to pay salaries to some consultants, especially the neurosurgeon. We gave them the money.”

Mr. Ukpong said that the former governor, Mr. Akpabio, who is the Senate Minority Leader, intervened around June and mediated in a meeting between the state government and Cardiocare.

Cardiocare, Mr. Ukpong said, did not honour any of the agreement reached at the meeting, among which was that the company should present to the state government a price-list of the services the hospital was rendering.
“You know people were complaining about the high cost of getting medical services there, and we wanted to make sure that our people had access to the medical care offered in the facility,” he said.

Mr. Ukpong said Cardiocare had insisted that they were scaling down the hospital operation because of lack of funds, but that the company refused to present a proposal for it to the government as agreed in the meeting.
The commissioner said the government released N180 million to Cardiocare after the meeting that was mediated by Mr. Akpabio.

“As soon as they collected the money they left,” Mr. Ukpong said.

A medical doctor who used to work in the hospital told PREMIUM TIMES that it struggled for survival because it did not enjoy much patronage from people within and outside Akwa Ibom.

The doctor, who did not want his name mentioned in this report, said Governor Udom Emmanuel and his administration did not care much about how the hospital was faring, adding that the governor never visited or promoted the hospital in order to encourage local patronage.

The doctor said that what may have eventually brought down the hospital was the “huge” resources it spent on the treatment of the victims of the December 2016 Uyo Church building collapse.

“Our hospital was where they brought almost everybody to; even people that were taken to other hospitals still came back to our hospital for treatment,” he said.

“We had up to 80 surgeries or more. We had over a hundred patients at that time.”

He said the state government did not pay for the treatment of the patients until things became really bad for the hospital.

“The governor released money in July, but by that time things were already bad, the surgeons that were making money for the hospital left,” he said.

The health commissioner, Mr. Ukpong, responded to the allegation, saying that the N180 million the state government gave to Cardiocare Ltd was partly meant for the treatment of the victims of the Reigners’ Bible Church collapse.

“They gave me an outrageous bill which I couldn’t agree with as a doctor,” he said.

“They were asking for N294 million for 300 out-patients and about 70-something in-patients.

“The hospital was complaining about money before the church incident. So, let nobody use that incident as an excuse,” he said.

Media reports put the amount at which the Akpabio administration used in setting up the hospital at N30 billion. But the health commissioner, Mr. Ukpong, said it was about N41 billion.

The hospital, which was one of the signature projects of the Akpabio administration, was hurriedly inaugurated in May 2015, few days to the end of the administration, even when the buildings were yet to be completed.

Governor Emmanuel said in June that the hospital was not well-equipped to produce optimum results, an assertion that has been re-echoed by the health commissioner.

“The whole thing wasn’t totally completed. The dialysis section didn’t come through. Three modular theatres were not yet completed. Some of the areas were not completed because the contractors did not have all their money,” said Mr. Ukpong, who revealed that the hospital was running at only 10 per cent of its total capacity.

The commissioner said the agreement between the state government and Cardiocare Ltd was done clearly in favour of the latter, adding that his office, for instance, didn’t have any supervisory role in the entire arrangement.

Also, he said he was not aware that the hospital managers ever paid any money to the state government, despite the agreement stipulating that they would be paying some revenues to the government.

Some patients who had paid medical fees to the hospital before it was shut down, unfortunately, became stranded when they were later prevented from entering the facility.

Inih Ebong, a former lecturer in the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, was among the patients that were stuck after paying money to the hospital for a check-up.

Mr. Ebong had paid N30,000 for an abdominal scan – Barium enema – recommended by the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, UUTH, which referred him to the hospital.

The health workers at the Ibom Specialist Hospital, on three different days, kept asking Mr. Ebong to come back for a scan even when they must have known that the hospital was about being shut down. They told him at some point that they could not conduct the scan because of equipment breakdown.

Mr. Ebong till date has not been able to do the scan or get a refund from the hospital.

“And this was a scan that required you to stay without eating any food for at least two days before it,” Mr. Ebong said.

“In addition to that, they had prescribed a laxative for me to take, two tablets in the morning and another two in the evening. Then on the third day, the day for the scan proper, I was told to have an enema to clear whatever food particle may have remained in my digestive system,” he said, adding that he took a total of 24 tablets of the laxative and got fed up with it.

Mr. Ebong said he repeated the process of emptying his bowel thrice in less than one month, on the doctor’s advice, while waiting for the hospital to call him in for the scan.

When he telephoned the hospital on September 21, instead of being told to come in for a scan, he was informed that the facility had been shut down, Mr. Ebong told PREMIUM TIMES.

“The radiologist that picked up my call told me that there was no point coming to the hospital as the security guard won’t let me into the hospital premises,” he said.

The health commissioner, Mr. Ukpong, said for now nobody could say when the hospital would re-open.
The state government, he said, was talking with investors from Dubai and Canada.

Apart from this, the commissioner said the government was doing its best to maintain the hi-tech equipment in the hospital.

“I feel upset that it has come to this, but I also feel relieved that a poor administration has left,” Mr. Ukpong said.

PREMIUM TIMES could not reach Cardiocare Medical Services Ltd for its reaction.