Grass-cutting contract: Osinbajo panel grills Babachir Lawal overnight ON MAY 2, 2017.
BY ALAO JAMES UMAKAFE
ABUJA— For the second time within a week, the Presidential Investigative Panel, headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, last night grilled the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, David Babachir Lawal, over the controversial N220 million grass-cutting contract awarded last year. Munguno, Osinbajo and Malami A competent source confirmed to Vanguard that the embattled SGF appeared in the night shortly after the Vice President returned from an official engagement in Lagos to Abuja. Lawal, who had earlier been questioned by the three-man panel, last week, was summoned last night to answer crucial questions on whether the contract was captured in the 2016 federal budget and if, indeed, the award was scrutinised and approved by the Presidential Initiative for the North-East, PINE, and whether it was advertised in accordance with extant procurement laws. The embattled SGF, according to a source, was also asked to justify why the clearing of wild grass in Yobe State became a priority programme of the PINE, when the resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, had not been adequately addressed. Besides that, Lawal was given another chance last night to clear the air on why the company he claimed he had resigned from, Rholavision Technologies Limited, was awarded the N220 million grass-cutting job. “He was also given the ample opportunity to defend why the cash from the contract sum was immediately transferred to his ‘former’ company, when in reality records from the Corporate Affairs Commission proved otherwise,” the source said. It was learned that the committee was keen on establishing from the CAC whether, indeed, the suspended SGF resigned from the company on August 18, 2015, shortly after assuming office as the government scribe. Documents obtained from the CAC are said to have punctured his claim. According to the CAC document, the SGF only resigned from the firm on September 16, 2016, when he relinquished his shares from the firm via a letter to the Registrar General of the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC. In the letter signed by himself, Babachir Lawal said: “Having resigned my appointment as a director of Rholavision Engineering Limited, I hereby relinquish my shares totalling N1,500,000.00 Ordinary Shares back to the company. “Based on his resignation, Rholavision Technologies Limited, met on October 5, 2016, and reappointed two directors for the company: Hamidu D. Lawal and Patience Midala Ephraim via resolutions reached at the meeting.” The Presidential panel is likely to wind up its operations this week and submit its report to President Muhammadu Buhari. Feelers indicate that based on the facts emerging from the panel so far, it would be difficult for the Presidency to continue to harbour Babachir Lawal and the NIA boss, Ayo Oke. But the two officials have insisted they did no wrong.
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Tuesday, 2 May 2017
Photos: Man nabbed in Ghana for attempting to smuggle Indian hemp to Nigeria
Briefing journalists in Accra, the Public Relations Officer of the Accra Regional Police Command, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mrs Effia Tenge, said the police had a tip-off about some people trying to smuggle Indian hemp to Nigeria and proceeded to the scene at Darkuman junction in Accra.
According to Mrs Tenge, the police counted 154 parcels of compressed dried leaves concealed in second-hand clothing which was packed in "Ghana must go" bags.
Upon interrogation, Ogbananya allegedly admitted the offence and told the police that the parcels belonged to a man he named only as Goodman, who is currently on the run.
Source: Ghana News Online
Tuesday, 2 May 2017
It will be an honor to meet Kim Jong-un - Donald Trump says
The U.S has deployed it's Navy warships to the Korean peninsula while Trump also last week said he'll be sending another warship armed with Tomahawk missiles following North Korea's failure last week in a nuclear missile test, but Trump aware that a war could break out any moment between both countries says he's still open to a diplomatic solution.
"Under the right circumstances," Trump saidMonday, in a Bloomberg interview.
"If it would be appropriate for me to meet with him, I would absolutely, I would be honored to do it,"
"If it's under the, again, under the right circumstances. But I would do that."
The White House, responding to Trump's statements said even though Trump said he'll like to meet Kim under the 'right circumstances', those circumstances/conditions do not exist at the moment and Kim must end all his nuclear ambitions if he wants diplomacy with the U.S.
White House spokesman Sean Spicer said "those circumstances do not exist now." 'There would have to be significant change for a meeting between President Trump and Kim to be a possibility.
When a reporter questioned Spicer on why Trump would consider it an honor to meet with the North Korean leader, the press secretary said
'Kim is still a head of state."
'Trump is doing everything diplomatically, economically and militarily to stave off the nuclear threat that North Korea poses to the United States.''
In an interview with CBS on Sunday, Trump said he had "no idea" whether Mr Kim was sane.
President Trump, asked what he made of the North Korean leader, told CBS: "People are saying: 'Is he sane?' I have no idea... but he was a young man of 26 or 27... when his father died. He's dealing with obviously very tough people, in particular the generals and others.
"And at a very young age, he was able to assume power. A lot of people, I'm sure, tried to take that power away, whether it was his uncle or anybody else. And he was able to do it. So obviously, he's a pretty smart cookie."
Tuesday, 2 May 2017
Photos: Klitschko makes first public appearance with his fiance after losing heavyweight bout to Joshua
Tuesday, 2 May 2017
Serena Williams, her baby bump and fiance, Alexis Ohanian step out at the 2017 MET Gala
The Olympic athlete was accompanied by her fiance, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, to the fashion gathering. See more photos after the cut.
Tuesday, 2 May 2017
Photos: Rainstorm destroys over 40 buildings, renders 200 people homeless in Kebbi state
Many people including primary and secondary schools pupils, whose schools were destroyed have been forced to seek refuge elsewhere.
"While no life was lost, residents of the affected households lost property, food stuff and other valuables to the storm" said Mr Mohammed.
Tuesday, 2 May 2017
Photo: India Narcotics Control Bureau arrest Nigerian man trying to smuggle 200grams of cocaine
Based on a tip-off, a team of officials boarded the train after it reached Secunderabad and caught Larry 'Frank' Onyedikachi.
The cost of the seized drugs in the international market is estimated to be around 1 crore, a senior official said.
Inquiries revealed that Larry was working as a courier in the drug racket and collected the contraband from his contact in Delhi and travelling to Bengaluru to hand it over to his associate.
The officials are further investigating to ascertain the details of his inter-State contacts.
Larry had come to India on a business visa in 2012 but overstayed even after his visa expired. He continued to live in Chander Vihar in New Delhi and had been carrying forged travel documents, the official added.
Tuesday, 2 May 2017
Tiwa Savage, Jay Z, J Cole to headline Made In America Festival this summer
Tuesday, 2 May 2017
Prophet arrested for scamming business woman of N70m, three houses and cars to cure her fibroid
The businesswoman had been diagnosed with Fibroid for 14 years, and had been running from pillar to post, to find a cure for her ailment. After she was introduced to Pastor Femi, he promised to cure her.
“A notable Nigerian, who was living in peace with his family before the prophet came into their lives, had reported a case of swindling of his wife, consequent upon which we began investigation.
“Facts of the matter is that wife of the prominent Nigerian was having medical challenges as she was suffering from fibroid. The woman met a female trader, who introduced her to Prophet Femi of a Celestial Church in Oke-Ira, Ogba, Lagos.
“The prophet assured her that he would be able to handle the situation.” Lamorde, who was represented by SP Ngozi Braide, said.
“They charged the woman N98,000 fee, which she paid and Prophet Femi gave her some herbs, which stopped the bleeding for a while.”.
“When the bleeding started again in 2014, she went back to the prophet, who brought in a new twist to the matter.
“He hypnotised the woman and convinced her that her husband was responsible for her problems. Prophet Femi went further to convince the woman that her husband was also after her children’s lives, accusing him of being a cultist.
“He went further to tell her that the bleeding was the source of her husband’s money. That the more it flowed the richer the man would get
“The woman was asked to bring money for sacrifices and rituals, which she paid into the prophet’s account. She also built a five bedroom duplex at Ojokoro area of Lagos and another in Ado-Ekiti for the prophet, upon his request.
“The prophet also warned the woman to stop sleeping with her husband and instructed her and her children to bring 70 percent of the money her husband gave to them monthly to him.
“For three years the prophet would come and sleep in the man’s house, without his knowledge. There was a time he allegedly gave the woman’s only son a concoction to drink and he started behaving like a mad person.
“He took him (son) to Ekiti, gave him something to drink and he became normal again.”The sham was discovered when one of the victim’s children, who came visiting from London, reportedly paid N20 million into the prophet’s account. She felt something was not right, so she reported the matter to her father, who confronted his wife. His wife broke down and confessed that she had been giving money, cars etc. to the prophet.
Braide displayed the monetary transactions between the business woman and the prophet and said:
“After his arrest, we discovered that one of his accounts read over N70 million, which was paid in by the victim. “We learned that the prophet has two other accounts. Preliminary investigation showed that the suspect had collected a chieftaincy title in Ekiti with the money.
“Also recovered were a Toyota Highlander 2014 Model and a Lexus GX 470 2014 model, which were bought for him by his victim. The suspect did not deny all the allegations against him.
“He proudly told us that he is a prophet and a native doctor. He told us that he helped the woman and uses brain to collect money from her, since the family is wealthy. “We have decided to bring this to the public domain to warn people about fraudsters, who hide under churches as prophets or pastors.
We have saved this man (husband of victim) from death as that would have been the next plan.”
Source: Vanguard
Monday, 1 May 2017
'I did not do any deal with PDP for Ekweremadu to become Deputy Senate President' - Saraki says
Some Nigerians believed that Saraki had a deal with PDP that if the PDP members voted him into power, one of their members would emerge as deputy. For political arrangement, this is incorrect as this is an APC government that is expected to have all their party members in all positions of power.
While answering questions from one of his followers this morning, Saraki denied claims of having a deal with PDP to ensure Ike Ekweremadu emerged Deputy Senate President. According to him, some of the APC members who were supposed to vote during the senate election, decided to be somewhere else when the election was taken place. Ekweremadu defeated Ali Ndume of the APC to emerge the 8th Deputy Senate President. See his tweet replies below...
Monday, 1 May 2017
Turkey bans Wikipedia from operating in the country
The popular online encyclopedia contained comments, articles and statements linking the country to terrorist activities with some articles saying Turkey worked "in coordination and alignment" with terrorist groups.
Announcing the ban on Sunday, Turkish Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications said the site has been banned in the country after their numerous pleas to the site to take off 'malicious' articles fell on deaf ears.
Announcing the ban on Sunday, Turkish Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications said the site has been banned in the country after their numerous pleas to the site to take off 'malicious' articles fell on deaf ears.
Responding to the ban, Wikipedia founder, Jimmy Wales, said in a tweet,
"Access to information is a fundamental right. Turkish people, I will always stand with you and fight for this right."
The online site, responding to the ban, said ;
''The encyclopedia is written collaboratively by largely anonymous volunteers who write without pay"
"Anyone with Internet access can write and make changes to Wikipedia articles, except in limited cases where editing is restricted to prevent disruption or vandalism. Users can contribute anonymously, under a pseudonym, or, if they choose to, with their real identity,"
According to the Turkish government, Wikipedia's ban will be reversed when they take off all negative and malicious contents from their site.
Sunday, 30 April 2017
US and N. Korea tension could lead to conflict that wipes out "large part of humanity" - Pope Francis
Pope Francis who is currently on a visit to Egypt has said he worries that the rising tensions between the United States and North Korea could lead to a wide military conflict that would wipe out a "large part of humanity."
He called for renewed diplomacy using third-party intermediaries and for the United Nations to take a lead role in de-escalating tensions.
'the situation has heated up too much. I always appeal for a solution through diplomatic means. It's piecemeal but the pieces are getting larger, and are concentrated in places which were already hot. Today a wider war would destroy, I won't say half of humanity, but a large part of humanity and culture. It would be terrible. I don't think humanity today could bear it.Diplomacy is the best response in these times'.
Sunday, 30 April 2017
Photos: Osinbajo, Dogara attend Pres Buhari's PA's wedding in Kaduna
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