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.

TOUBLE!! See What Dino Melaye Did To dodges INEC recall notice

Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission were at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja, on Tuesday, to serve the embattled lawmaker representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Senator Dino Melaye, the petition by his constituents to recall him.
The officials, however, met Melaye’s office (Room 2.13, New Building, Senate Wing) locked.

A Punch correspondent sighted his aides, who could have received the notice on his behalf, around the Senate chamber.
Four ‘Ghana-Must-Go’ bags, believed to be containing the recall documents and court papers, were sighted at the door to the office.
While some of the INEC officials waited at Melaye’s door, others took positions at various entrances between the office and the Senate chamber.
While the officials waited, Melaye was in the chamber for the day’s plenary.
The senator, however, hurriedly left the chamber at about 1.45pm, while the session was ongoing, rushed into a waiting car at the main entrance of the complex – the closest to the chamber – and drove off.
Some of the officials around the chamber failed in their bid to meet up with Melaye.

FINALLY!!! Biafra National Guard Declares War Against Nigerian Army

The polity in the South-eastern part of Nigeria is heating up gradually with a militia loyal to the Biafra cause threatening to attack the army.

Biafra National Guard (BNG) says the Operation Python Dance II, to be carried out by the Nigerian Army in the South-east was targeted at Nnamdi Kanu and other agitators.

A s

A statement on Wednesday morning by self-styled ‘Major Nkuma’, said BNG knew that the operation “is a show of force and genocide intention which has already started”.

It, however, said the Army should be prepared for BNG warning that its the leadership of General Innocent Orji was ready for war.

The statement reads “We fear not; we dine, sleep and live hostility and will defend our lives. BNG continues to make it loud and clear that Biafra needs activation of self defense as enshrined in UN 2007 charter to restore Biafra and that is what BNG represents.

“Our commander; General Innocent Orji does not subscribe to defenseless agitation which is suicidal in Nigeria, but to continue on the path of non-violence, Nigeria must withdraw lethal force which might be impossible because we are considered slaves that deserve death. Our commander knows the terrain of self defense as enshrined in 2007 UN Charter on the rights of indigenous people.

“As we continue to make it clear; self defense is due because our people have continued to face death, threatened with suicide, promised to be crushed by Buhari and the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra whom BNG is saddled with responsibility of defending has come under severe threat as well.

“The people of Biafra and her leadership fully support the decision of Biafra National Guard because we are not violent agitators but out to stop the unlawful killing of our people. Biafra National Guard is not a violent group rather Nigerian military is violent to our people; killing and maiming us and BNG is an outfit designed to curb the wanton killing of Biafrans. We have never been violent in any shape or form; but would resist unlawful killing of our people.

“Operation Python Dance I- was formerly launched in Oct 27 through Nov 27 2017 which purportedly targeted kidnappers but the recent launch according to Major General David Ahmadu targets violent agitators and the question is, what violence is there in Southeast? The Nigerian military must understand that Biafra National Guard values life and respect human rights.

“Unlike Nigerian military that find strength against unarmed and peaceful civilians; we the Biafra National Guard find strength against unlawful hostile, undisciplined, happy-trigger soldiers that violate human rights, crush peaceful and law-abiding citizens. Operation Python Dance II in Southeast is a show of cowardice; BNG is not Southeast movement but Biafra military wing.

“The blood of the people of Biafra makes the python dance and merry; our molestation makes the python happy and laugh. Road blocks in Biafra make the python dance and party round, throw money like politicians. Raping our women makes the python dance but very soon Biafra National Guard shall make the python shade tears by denying the python the evil deeds that makes it dance.

“Northern Nigeria under the leadership of Arewa consultative forum obviously declared genocide against us; made genocide song, threatened us with quit notice and no single operation was launched in Northern Nigeria to defend our people. Nobody demanded account or investigated the act; nobody launched road blocks, nobody raided and not a single army was seen loitering in the North.

“Everything was okay because people that deserved death were to get it; even if Python Dance X (10) will be declared because Biafra National Guard vowed self defense, let them go on. If Nigerian military is fit; they should crush Boko Haram and not civilian populace. This python dance should be well informed that the days BNG was away are over.

“Fulani herdsmen have been killing our people and raping our women; attacking us in our worship centers and destroying our farms and nobody including the Nigerian military launched any operation to checkmate this terrorist organization sponsored by Buhari and Britain but just the moment Biafra National Guard declared that they won’t fold arms while their people are murdered on daily basis, Buhari and Britain launched operation Python Dance II. We refuse to continue to be species of terror; we shall defend ourselves, our women, our farm and our worship places against unconstitutional acts.

“Britain is responsible for the launching of Operation Python Dance II; they want to keep depopulating us and keep us under slavery to have unlimited access to our natural resources. Britain must be held responsible in advent of full blown war because we shall defend ourselves.

“The genocide being orchestrated by Britain in Biafra land; there is the need for other world leaders to beam their searchlight in Biafra as to bring Britain to justice. Since 1967; it has been this way but the end of the road is today.

“The Russian federation, USA under the leadership of just-Trump and Israel must make up for their silence between 1967 and 1970 genocide against the peaceful people of Biafra, they looked on while their precious and natural allies perished in the cold hands of Britain.

“We have moved on and mankind has moved on but never again shall we go back to 1967 monumental sheer wickedness against humanity. Biafra National Guard is ready to restore and defend the sovereign state of Biafra.

“Finally; Biafra National Guard uses this medium to call on Biafra political class to do what is essential because time is ticking and there must be accounting. The people of Biafra and her leadership must urgently support and pray for her military wing because BNG is the pride of the people and the backbone of the leadership of the people of Biafra under Nnamdi Kanu whom the people have chosen.

“If terrorists are caught and locked underground but immediately released by the Nigerian security of Hausa/Fulani and given amnesty by Nigerian government then continued detention of Chidiebere Onwudiwe, Maduka Mmadu, Bright Chimezie, Mrs Onyekachi Orji, Miss Okwudili Bassey, Sebastian Amadi, Uchenna Nicholas respectively in Abuja, Onitsha and Awka prisons is an act of hatred. They must be released because they have committed.

See Photos From Tekno’s ‘GO’ Music Video Shoot

The Triple MG star, took to IG to share behind the scenes photos from his GO music video shoot.

Reps attack El-Rufai as Dogara unveils his pay

House to governor: face your problems

oHw much does a member of the House of Representatives earn?

Nigerians got a rare insight into the package – for long a well kept secret – yesterday, with House Speaker Yakubu Dogara tendering a copy of his November 2016 pay slip.

The net pay is N346,577.87, according to the little document.

The basic salary is N206,425.83. There are constituency allowance (N175,461.96); and recess (N20,642.58).

A monthly deduction of N55,952 is made for the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) tax.

According to the October 2016 payroll, the Speaker is on Grade Leve CO8.

The release of the pay slip is in response to Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s challenge to lawmakers to publish their earnings.

Dogara had told El-Rufai to publish details of his security vote after asking the National Assembly to publish details of its N115 billion 2016 budget.

The governor responded on Monday. He said his monthly pay is N470,521:74. His security votes for the year is N4.556 billion, spent on CCTV cameras, and drones.

Other details of the governor’s pay are Income Basic Salary (N185,308.75); Hardship Allowance (N370,617.50); Gross Pay (N555.926.25); PAYE (N85,401.51 deduction.

The House yesterday advised the governor to face his state’s problems and stop distracting the National Assembly.

Besides, it faulted El-Rufai’s response, saying he published “the security budget of Kaduna State and not his security vote expenditure as such”.

Reading from a prepared speech titled: “Mallam Nasir El-Rufai should concentrate on Kaduna State and stop undermining the National Assembly,” to reporters, House Committee on Media and Publicity Affairs, chairman Abdulrasak Namdas said El-Rufai was ignorant of the finances of the National Assembly and that “we decided to respond only to correct some factual inaccuracies and set the records straight”.

He statement reads as follows: “Nigerians may recall that the Rt. Hon. Speaker on Friday April 7, 2017 in response to calls by Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai disclosed that the leadership of the National Assembly had directed the bureaucracy and all other agencies under the National Assembly to make available details of their annual budgets beginning from 2017 budget which is still under consideration in the parliament.

“Nigerians may further recall that the Rt. Hon. Speaker requested Kaduna State Governor El-Rufai, who is known for his consistent advocacy for openness in the budget of the National Assembly, to, in the spirit of good governance, transparency and accountability, extend his campaign to other arms and tiers of government, beginning from the Judiciary, to state governments and Local Governments. The Speaker specifically urged Malam El-Rufai who has been championing this cause to impress on his colleagues (governors) to disclose their security votes and also publish what they do with local government funds under their jurisdictions.

“Thus, the call by the Speaker was for Malam El-rufai to extend his advocacy on transparency and accountability to other arms and tiers of government in order to remove the lid of secrecy that has beclouded expenditures at the state level led by his colleagues, especially on their security votes and not the states’ security budget. We note that what Malam El-Rufai published was the security budget of Kaduna State and not his security vote expenditure as such.

“We wish to advise the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, to concentrate his efforts in Governing Kaduna State and stop undermining and distracting the National Assembly in playing its constitutionally assigned role in nation building. He launched an attack on the National Assembly on Friday, 7th April, 2017 and continued on Monday 10th April 2017.

“We are aware that there are serious security issues he should be grappling with in Southern Kaduna and other governmental issues facing him. He should not give the impression that he has no challenging work to do in Kaduna State. These attacks are coming on the heels of his now famous letter to Mr. President, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, where he made strenuous effort to undermine his government by openly lampooning him when he has unhindered access to His Excellency, Mr. President. As a senior citizen, he has a responsibility not to unnecessarily overheat the polity with tendentious and unfounded outbursts.

“The National Assembly Budget is not opaque. Since 2010 when the Constitution was amended and National Assembly was placed on the first line charge, its budget became part of Statutory Transfers, together with the Judiciary, INEC and others. You cannot find details of the Budget of the Judiciary and INEC in the National Budget. It exists elsewhere. Of course from 1999 to 2010, the details of the National Assembly Budget was (sic) contained in the National Budget.

“The leadership of the National Assembly has already directed the Clerk to the National Assembly to publish details of the National Assembly Budget from 2017 and so to continue to repeat the same call made three days earlier smacks of propaganda and cheap blackmail.

“The Kaduna State governor chose to give headings of its budget on security related matters. Maybe he will give further details of actual security expenditures at the appropriate time. He claimed that the state’s accounts have been audited. No grounds have been broken here. The response by the Kaduna State Governor completely missed the point. Mr. Speaker’s call was for El-Rufai to extend the campaign for openness and transparency to other arms of government, including the governors’ expenditures on security votes and local government funds. He merely doubled down on his campaign on National Assembly Budget, leaving out the other aspects of Mr. Speaker’s request.

“The Kaduna State governor claimed that ‘in 2016, the National Assembly budget for its 469 members was larger than the entire budget of several Nigerian states’.

“This statement is patently misleading and a terrible display of ignorance and falsehood or a deliberate attempt to blackmail the parliament. For the avoidance of doubt, the National Assembly budget includes the salaries, allowances, expenditure and running cost of 469 members. It includes the salaries, allowances of about 3,000 legislative aides; it includes the salaries, allowances, equipment and maintenance of about 5000 staff in the bureaucracy of the National Assembly.

“The National Assembly has agencies too. The National Assembly Service Commission has a staff strength of about 500. The National Institute for Legislative Studies is also a parastatal of the National Assembly that serves as a legislative think-tank and a highly rated academic institution, which serves not only the National Assembly but also State Houses of Assembly and the international community. It is currently building its headquarters, which is world class. It has to be funded. El-Rufai’s mischievous publication carefully ignores the fact that the Bureaucracy of National Assembly and its agencies and 469 members need travel and transport support. They require medical attention, offices, equipment and all the support available to others in the public service.

“El-Rufai conveniently forgot that the National Assembly has buildings to build and maintain. He discountenanced the need for training and re-training of staff and even capacity building for members. The narrative is such that he excludes the need for National Assembly members and bureaucracy to attend conferences both local and foreign. Some of the most critical work the National Assembly does is Oversight. It costs a lot of money to conduct proper oversight of executive agencies to save money and ensure governmental efficiency for the Nigerian people. Public Hearings by the National Assembly and its Committees have become a regular feature of our democracy, because citizen engagement and consultation is cardinal for running a democratic government. It costs a lot of money.

“It is most uncharitable to ignore the fact that the National Assembly is an arm of government, not a department in the Executive branch. The Budget of so many agencies in the Executive is higher than that of National Assembly, an arm of government. Such agencies as NCC – N102billion, CBN – N421billion, NPA – N250billion, NIMASA – N100billion, FIRS – N146billion, Customs – N81billion and NNPC whose budget runs into trillions are some examples. Indeed, the National Assembly Budget is about 2% of the National Budget.

“Yes, the National Assembly has voluntarily agreed to publish its Budget from 2017, as a responsible and accountable democratic institution. What happens to 98% of the National Budget should engage our attention too. We are sure that if 10% of the public scrutiny National Assembly receives is also devoted to those spending the other 98%, Nigeria would be better for it.

“I am directed by the Hon. Speaker, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, to also in the spirit of transparency release his pay slip for the past six months from October 2016 to March 2017, for your information.”

N23b Diezani Bribe: INEC suspends 205 employees

•Commission refers National Commissioner, RECs to Presidency

The independent National Electoral Commission( INEC) yesterday said out of N23billion poll bribery cash, about N3,046,829, 000 was traced to some of its staff involved in 2015 general elections.

The commission has also referred a National Commissioner and five Resident Electoral Commissioners( RECs), who were implicated in the bribery scandal, to the presidency for disciplinary action.

It said it has suspended 205 pending the final determination of cases they have with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission( EFCC).

But following insufficient information, 70 other staff have been referred back to EFCC for further investigation.

These disciplinary measures were contained in a statement by the National Commissioner and Member, Information and Voter Education Committee of INEC, Mallam Mohammed Haruna.

For the first time, INEC admitted that

The statement highlighted major decisions taken by INEC management on the report of a panel it set up to look into the poll bribery scam allegedly facilitated by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.

The statement said: “The Commission met today to consider the report of its expanded Appointment, Promotion and Disciplinary Committee on the EFCC Interim Report on Bribery Corruption and Money Laundering Charges During the 2015 General Elections.

” You may recall that late last year, the Commission received an Interim Report from the EFCC detailing allegations against 202 serving and retired INEC officials and staff in 16 States of the Aa

” In furtherance of its zero tolerance for corruption in the electoral process, the Commission ordered a thorough investigation into the allegations to establish the culpability or otherwise of those named in the EFCC Report.

“The committee’s work was thorough and painstaking, involving issuance of queries to the 202 staff mentioned in the Report and interviewing them individually in accordance with the principle of fair hearing and in consonance with INEC Staff Conditions of Service.

“As a result of initial findings of the Committee, an additional 80 serving officials of the Commission, who were not named in the EFCC report but whose names came up in the course of the investigation, were also queried and interviewed.”

The statement gave the details of disciplinary measures which INEC has taken against its staff.

The statement added: “Among other things the Committee found that:

“There was a clear attempt to bribe INEC staff to influence the outcome of the 2015 general elections using an NGO, the West African Network of Election Observers (WANEO), made up mainly of retired senior INEC officials.

“Out of over 23 billion Naira, which the EFCC report said was used to influence the elections, the Committee established that 3,046,829,000 Naira was received by INEC staff in 16 States.

“In reaching its decision on the findings of the Committee, the Commission adhered strictly to the INEC Staff Conditions of Service. The Commission therefore decided as follows:

* The cases of one former National Commissioner, 5 former Resident Electoral Commissioners (one of them deceased) have been referred to the Presidency and EFCC for further necessary action.

* Based on their level of involvement, two hundred and five (205) serving INEC staff will be immediately placed on Interdiction, which entails suspension from duties and being placed on half salary, pending the final determination of the cases they have with the EFCC.

* Seventy staff (70) about whom there was insufficient information regarding their involvement will be referred back to EFCC for further investigation and possible prosecution.

“The Commission hereby reiterates its commitment to defending the integrity of the electoral process. Therefore, it will continue to take stern action against its officials who compromise its core values of integrity, transparency and impartiality in the conduct of elections.”