‘What I told EFCC about Diezani’ – Dauda Lawal

The Executive Director in charge of Public Sector at First Bank, MallamDaudaLawal, has revealed what he told the Economic and Financial Crime Commission when he was detained sometimes ago.
Lawal, in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday, said that he was actually questioned about his relationship with a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs.Diezani Alison-Madueke.
He said it was true that his “name has featured prominently in the EFCC investigations of Mrs.Deziani Allison-Madueke, the former Minister of Petroleum Resources under the government of President Goodluck Jonathan”.
Lawal also said he was “questioned by the EFCC over his alleged role or complicity in the alleged $25m acquisition of the Le Meridien Hotel in Port Harcourt.”
He, however, denied the allegation that the former minister channelled the funds for the purchase of the property through him.

Lawal said,
“This allegation is malicious and without substance in any material particular. It must be stated clearly that Lawal is completely oblivious of the ownership status of the said hotel neither is he directly or remotely aware of any transaction involving the former Minister on this hotel.”
He said the allegation must have been fuelled by his close association with Allison-Madueke, which “is based purely on professional pursuits”.
He added,
“As the Executive Director in charge of Public sector of the bank, it is incumbent on him to build the necessary bridges to attract all the benefits the bank can muster from the financial operations of the public sector.
“For the purpose of emphasis, MallamLawalDauda has never been a conduit for movement of illicit funds neither has he been involved in the purchase of any hotel either here or elsewhere. This much was told to the EFCC during his interrogation.”
He added that,
“The former minister, given the influence she wielded within the government and operations in the oil sector was certainly an asset to any corporate Organisation, especially the banks.
All the banks in Nigeria and abroad actively sought to have banking relationships with her because she sat atop a sector which is the prime revenue spinner for the country. It is to Mr.Lawal’s credit that the First Bank group participated actively in offering financial services to the oil industry under Madueke.

Soludo Proffers Solution To Nigeria’s Economic Challenges

A former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, has called for a coalition of economic policies that can deal with desperate socio-economic issues in a systematic and sustainable manner for the country to overcome its present challenges.
The former CBN Governor stated this in his lecture at the Progressive Governors Forum’s 4th‎ progressive governance lecture series in Kaduna State on Thursday.

According to him, the crash in the oil prices is a blessing for Nigeria to start a new beginning and a clarion call to press the restart button and begin afresh.
Delivering a lecture titled; “Building the Economy of States: Challenges of Developing Inclusively Sustainable Growth”, Mr. Soludo said, Nigeria at the moment, is dealing with political, economic and social shocks.
He stressed that growth in Nigeria and states will not be inclusive if we don’t break the dynasties of poverty and maximize the comparative and competitive ‎advantages.
He noted that no state can develop sustainably if the overall governance and economy are in crisis, adding that the Nigerian economy in terms of dollar, has collapsed by about 50 percent.
“Nigeria is facing unprecedented and tremendous political and economical challenges with global and local dynamics. Regardless of these challenges, opportunities and possibilities abound if we address some fundamental issues. The key to achieving this is to have a development plan that is anchored on realizing inclusive and sustainable growth.
“Inclusive and Sustainable growth cannot be achieved without conscious efforts to deconstruct the dynasties of poverty and maximize states and Nigeria’s comparative and competitive advantage.
“Nigeria is not secured and made politically sustainable especially through the de-strangulation of the hold of the federal government over states”.
Prof. Soludo, therefore, recommended the restructuring of the economy from consumption driven to production based and consistency in micro economic policies.
“‎Encouraging fiscal federalism in ways that allow states to have greater control of their resources, evolution of a master plan for mass export oriented industrialization that answers the economic questions and realities of today.
“APC developing over-arching vision of Nigeria without Oil and‎ there should be a coalition of economic policies that can deals with disparate socio-economic issues in a systematic and sustainable manner;
“APC States must develop a peer review mechanism to track, measure and share knowledge and experience in order to achieve shared values that will distinguish APC states from non APC states.
“There is need for communication strategy that effectively communicates change in a forward looking and inspiring manner for the citizenry. This is important for building consensus for development, and‎ there should be a coordinating mechanism for developing the 2017 budget”, Soludo said.

Economy: Giving Buhari Emergency Powers Will Lead To Tyranny – DPC

The Democratic Peoples Congress (DPC) has warned against giving President Muhammadu Buhari emergency powers ‎to tackle economic issues, saying it would lead to tyranny and autocracy.
This is just as it called for the immediate sack of the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun and the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, claiming that “they are clueless” on effective strategies to revamp the economy.

The party made the call in a statement issued yesterday by ‎its national chairman, Reverend Olusegun Peters.
According to Peters, since ‎Buhari did not seek for extra powers to crush the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-east, he does not need such powers to revamp the economy.
“These are exactly the economic issues Nigerians voted President Buhari to effectively tackle with the executive powers conferred on him in the 1999 constitution as amended”, he said.

North Korea Celebrates Missile Launch With Dance Party

North Korea celebrated its “Military First” holiday and the recent success of its ballistic missile testing with mass dances and a series of outdoor concerts in Pyongyang.
The “Military First” holiday celebrates the anniversary of the Songun policy introduced by Kim Jong-un’s father, Kim Jong-il, in 1960, which gave primacy to the North Korean army in state politics and funding.

State television broadcasts and newspaper front pages hailed the submarine-launched missile, which represented a giant leap in North Korean military technology.
In response, traditional mass dancing demonstrations were held across the country, the biggest taking place in the capital’s Kim Il-sung Square.

Nigerians Support Senator Ben Bruce’s Call For Made In Nigeria Goods

From ₦402 to $1 yesterday, the Naira is now ₦410 to a dollar. Solution? #BuyNaijaToGrowTheNaira. We must consume what we produce & export it

— Ben Murray-Bruce (@benmurraybruce) August 25, 2016

@benmurraybruce Sir to produce isn’t the problem,but to produce and monitor if its authentic.. Our people are wicked. E.g Fake coca cola dey

— bamgbose (@dudu1881) August 26, 2016

@benmurraybruce we will watch only Nollywood movies at silverbird? agreed?

— Mohammed Aliko (@mma19999) August 25, 2016

@benmurraybruce with al due respect Senator our economic problems is not because of imported goods, it’s leadership problem.d re charlatans

— Duke (@dukecharles2003) August 26, 2016

@benmurraybruce in the bid to promote made in NIG goods, I think SON & co needs a feasible restructuring to improve & sustain good quality

— Fred Ubong (@ubong_fred1) August 26, 2016

@benmurraybruce until we improve, the quality standard of our products, our people will continue to pay premiums for imported goods. #fact

— Vivian Maduekeh (@VivianMaduekeh) August 26, 2016

@benmurraybruce A good majority of d raw materials for the assembled in Naija goods are also imported with the $.
Do u see the problem sir?

— Seth Agbarah (@Agbarah1) August 26, 2016

@benmurraybruce If only PMB will step down for you…

— Adeboye .O. Adeoye (@officialadeboye) August 25, 2016

@benmurraybruce Nigeria don’t need 2 much talk or theories,we need actions and results.It starts with you Mr Bruce,practice what you preach.

— Otunba T.Whales (@Adewalewali) August 26, 2016

He wanted to deliver his son from wandering spirit: claims second wife of Lagos ‘pastor’ who chained 28 people in his house

Police over the weekend, arrested 70-year-old pastor  Emmanuel Adeyemi for allegedly chaining his son and 27 others.

Adeyemi was arrested alongside his first wife, at his Oyinbo Unity Estate, Olamidun Close, Yakoyo, Oke-Ira, Ojodu residence, following a tip-off that his 17-year-old son, Toba Adedoyin Adeyemi was chained and starved of food.

13 children and 15 adults were also rescued from the premise. Most of the victims looked malnourished with some of them severely ill. Lagos State Police Command’s spokesperson, Dolapo Badmos, who confirmed the incident said:

“Further search of the premises led to the discovery of other people chained by the suspect. Total number of 28 persons, comprising, six adult males, nine adult females, seven female children and six male children were rescued and taken to protective custody.”

 When The Nation visited the church, some of the pastor’s clients was seen weeping over his arrest. Two men and an aged woman claimed that the suspect has been healing people of various ailments including mental disorder, diabetes, stroke and spiritual attacks. The woman, Mosili Nosiru said that her son, Mohammadu Tijani, was among those taken away by the police. She explained that the boy, who was a university undergraduate, has been battling with mental disorder for eight years.

“It has been on and off since eight years. He has finished Quaranic School. When it stopped, he gained admission but the problem started again. So, we brought him to this place and he was healed. But he relapsed and we brought him back. He has been here for over one year and he was getting better before government officials came and took them. They told us they have taken our children to Ikorodu. Now, I can’t see my son,” she cried

 Another man claimed that the ‘pastor’ has been healing him from ‘spiritual arrows’.

“I have been coming here for about two months. I knew him after someone introduced me to his place. The man is a ‘doctor’. He heals people with herbs and sacrifices. He does not do anything bad. He is also very generous. Arrows were sent into my body but he helped me and removed them. If not for him, I would have been dead. So many people, including big men come here for spiritual work,”  he claimed.

The suspect’s second wife, Tope Adeyemi, appealed to the government to release his husband, insisting that he only tied up his son because he wanted to deliver him from a wandering spirit.

“His father chained him on Thursday so that he can do three-day deliverance on him. The deliverance would have been completed on Saturday but on Friday morning, policemen from Area G came here and arrested my husband. He chained Toba because he is always running away from home. The other time he ran to Shagamu and after sometime, he was brought home. One week later, he ran to Ibadan and he was found after one month. The last one was to Powerline. He ran from home and went to Powerline. He stayed there for two weeks and was brought home. His father became worried because he used to be a very gentle boy. So, he chained him because he believed that it was a spiritual attack and wanted to do three-day deliverance on his son. My husband is not a criminal. He does not do anything bad. He only heals people and helps people. He has licence for the business. They should please release him”, Mrs. Adeyemi said.

Source: The Nation

Football legend Ronaldo snubs Cristiano Ronaldo in his all time Top 11. See full list

Brazil football legend Ronaldo da Lima has snubbed Real Madrid/Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo from his list of all time XI best players preferring to include Lionel Messi instead.

Ronaldo included a couple of his iconic Brazil team-mates with full-backs Cafu and Roberto Carlos getting the nod. There are just two players who Ronaldo never got the chance to play against who made his line-up – and it is no surprise that they are Diego Maradona and Pele. See the list below.

Goalkeeper: Buffon

Defenders: Cafu, Paolo Maldini, Fabio Cannavaro, Roberto Carlos

Midfielders:  Diego Maradona, Zinedine Zidane, Andrea Pirlo, Lionel Messi

Strikers :  Pele, Ronaldo Da Lima

Source: Goal.com

Usain Bolt surrounded by crowds of scantily-clad women in London nightclub as he continues Birthday celebration (photos/video)

It’s been a whirlwind of a birthday for Olympic champion Usain Bolt, who was pictured kissing a mystery brunette in Rio, cuddling up to a Brazilian student in bed, and partying until the early hours of the morning. He has continued his celebrations in another continent as he was pictured surrounded by lots of scantily dressed girls at west London nightclub Cirque le Soir on Monday.

After the party, a stream of sexy girls queued outside waiting for a taxi Bolt had organised to take them all to another venue. More photos below.

Source: Dailymail

Good night to PDP – Obasanjo

… ‘I trust Buhari, he won’t fail’
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Friday bade the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) good night, saying he will not return to the party.
Obasanjo spoke to journalists in Jalingo, Taraba, while assessing some projects initiated by his administration in the state.
The ex- President terminated his membership of PDP in February last year.
Speaking on the lingering crisis in the party which now has two  national chairmen, Obasanjo  said he had already bade PDP good night and cannot return to say good evening.

“In the part of the country where I come from, there is a saying that you cannot say ‘good night’ and come back to say ‘good evening’ in the same place.
“So for me, it is good night for the Peoples Democratic Party and that’s all,” he said.
He expressed confidence that President Muhammadu Buhari will surmount the present challenges confronting the country.
“So far Buhari has not disappointed us. I trust him (Buhari), he will not fail Nigerians. I know he will overcome the challenges the country is currently facing,” the ex-President added.
He also urged the President to complete the hydroelectric project on the Mambilla Plateau in Taraba

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Friday expressed confidence that President Muhammadu Buhari will surmount the present challenges confronting the country.
He gave the vote of confidence while speaking to journalists in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital.

The former president was in Jalingo to assess some projects initiated by his administration in the state.
“So far Buhari has not disappointed us. I trust him (Buhari), he will not fail Nigerians. I know he will overcome the challenges the country is currently facing”, Chief Obasanjo said.
He also urged President Buhari to complete the hydroelectric project on the Mambilla Plateau in Taraba.
Speaking on the lingering crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which it was rumoured he had returned to over a week ago after terminating his membership of the party in February 2015, the ex-president said he had already bade PDP good night and cannot return to say good evening.
“In the part of the country where I come from, there is a saying that you cannot say ‘good night’ and come back to say ‘good evening’ in the same place.
“So for me, it is good night for the Peoples Democratic Party and that’s all”, he said.

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“God told me to whip them openly” says Pastor who beat 2 church members for fornication and attempted abortion

Bishop Daniel Obinim has broken his silence over a video which shows him beating two members of his church for fornicating and attempting abortion.
The founder and leader of the International Godsway Church said that he was forced to discipline the two after God revealed to him in a vision during prophecy time in his church that the two had not only been engaging in amorous acts but also tried without success to abort a pregnancy which resulted from that.
In the video that has gone viral on social media, Angel Obinim as he calls himself is seen beating 16-year-old Illiasu and a young girl, Gyasiwaa,14, for having sex. Calls have been made from persons and groups for the arrest of the man of God for abusing the right of the two teenagers.
According to Bishop Obinim, the two who are his adopted children have been staying with him for up to eight years and he had been in charge of their upkeep all these years. He told Adom FM’s Kofi Adomah in an exclusive interview that the male, Illiasu has been staying with him since he was eight after his father died while Gyasiwaa has also been staying with him for the past four years. He was forced to take the lady out of school to learn a vocation (makeup) after she told him that he cannot continue with school.

The male on the hand, is still in school and “last week, I even paid his fees of up to GHC76million so he could still be in school.” He said he wasn’t aware of the amorous relationship between the two due to the nature of his work. He found out for the first time during church service last Wednesday.
“Due to the nature of my work and that of my wife who has also been producing a TV show, we have not been staying at home and hence are unaware of the relationship between them, all I do as a man is to just provide the necessary money for their upkeep…,” he said.
“It was during church service that God opened my eyes and I saw that something like that had occurred, so I asked the lady and she said it was true. I was perplexed and queried further to know that if it is true that she is pregnant, and she said that it was true. So I called the boy and asked him, he also confirmed…if God had not revealed this to me I wouldn’t have known that something of that sort was happening…,” he added.
Bishop Obinim said he was forced to whip the two because the lady had attempted unsuccessfully to abort the pregnancy.
“The fact that the lady had attempted to abort the pregnancy caused me to discipline them…that is what caused me to quote Proverbs 3:24 which states that: ‘Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them,’ before whipping them…,” he said.
Angel Obinim added that he is shocked at the reaction of Ghanaians who are calling for his arrest especially as the “same people would accuse me of killing her for ritual purposes if she dies through the attempt at aborting a pregnancy”
“I disciplined them as I would do to my own child…,” he said, adding that he would not allow the pregnant lady to commit abortion.
“As I speak the two children are still staying with me but I don’t know what to do, I don’t know whether I should sack them or not, their parents are here begging me but I still don’t know what to do because as a Pastor I won’t permit the lady to abort the pregnancy…,” he said.
Bishop Obinim also described persons and groups who are calling for his arrest and punishment as ones who are not ‘more sensible than God’. God would not have showed the vision of their amorous act in public if he did not want him to punish them openly, he insisted.

Rio Olympics: Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare qualifies for 4 x 100m relay final

Team Nigeria has one more chance to win a Gold medal at the Rio Olympics before it ends this weekend after Blessing Okagbare alongside Gloria Asumnu, Jennifer Madu and Agnes Osazuwa qualified for the finals of women’s 4x100m relay.
The Nigerian quartet who finished in 42.55 seconds came second in heat two behind Germany who clocked 42.18seconds. Nigerians will hope the team can do well on the finals slated for 2.15am Saturday in Nigeria to win the country’s first medal at the sporting event.

In the other heat, Veronica Campbell-Brown and former 100m champion, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce led Jamaica to the final in 41.93secs.

New sprint queen, Elaine Thompson did not take part in the heat but is expected to lead the Jamaican push for the 4x100m gold in the final race.