News
Unfreeze my $15m account, Dame Patience begs EFCC
The wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Dame Patience Jonathan, has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to lift the restriction on her $15m accounts, which was frozen in four companies’ accounts by the anti-graft agency.
She claimed that she uses the account to settle medical bills outside the country.
Patience disclosed this in a letter (reference number GA/Abibo/00226/2016) written by her lawyers, Granville Abibo (SAN) and Co, which was addressed to the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu.
The letter read in part, “It is noteworthy to emphasize that the said accounts, which were in US dollar denomination, were card-based accounts and our client is the sole signatory to these accounts. DailyTrust
Nigeria’s unity is not negotiable, Tambuwal says; rejects restructuring
The Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, has urged aggrieved groups across Nigeria to adopt dialogue to resolve their differences.
Mr. Tambuwal said he believes “in the unity of the country and the unity of Nigeria is non-negotiable.”
“Dialogue is also the most potent tool to resolve all problems, anywhere and at any time,” he said PremiumTimes
Edo election: We’ve no link with militants, says Rivers PDP
THE People Democratic Party in Rivers State declared on Wednesday it had no link with militants and had never planned to disrupt the election in Edo State with any militant group.
The party also said at no time did Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers and Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta States raise N2bn for the PDP in Edo State to prosecute the election.
Rivers State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Samuel Nwanosike, made this remarks while speaking with newsmen in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital. Punch
Patience Jonathan not under EFCC investigation, says Lai
Lai Mohammed, minister of information, on Tuesday said that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was not probing Patience Jonathan, former first lady, for claiming ownership of $34.1m in a case where the anti-corruption agency had given a freezing order.
The former first lady recently approached the Lagos federal high court claiming ownership of the sum seized by the EFCC.
Speaking with journalists in Kwara state while reacting to insinuation that the former first lady was being persecuted by the Mohammed explained that it was only after she took ownership of the aforementioned sum that another $5 million was discovered. The Cable
Illegal arms deal: Dasuki’s trial adjourned to Oct 19
Former National Security Adviser (NSA), retired Colonel Sambo Dasuki, Wednesday, appeared in court for the continuation of his trial over alleged possession of illegal arms and money laundering.
Dasuki walked into the Federal High Court, Abuja premises about 10.45 am, accompanied by his lawyer, Ahmed Raji (SAN) while three security operatives followed at a distance. He and his lawyer wore kaftan with cap to match.
They headed straight to the court room where his trial was due to continue. But the court was not in session as the presiding judge, Justice Adeniyi Ademola was yet to resume from his annual vacation. DailyTrust
Business News
NSE Adjusts UBA Share Price
Management of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), on Wednesday, adjusted the share price of UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC for the N0.20 interim dividend declared by the board for the half year ended June 30, 2016.
The price was scheduled for adjustment on September 12, 2016, as declared by the directors, but for the public holidays on Monday and Tuesday, following which “the adjustment took effect today 14th of September 2016 which is the next trading date.”
The last close price was N4.51, hence the ex-div price N4.31. Independent
No Evasion of Duty at Tincan Port – Customs
Officials of the Tin Can Island Port Command of Nigeria Customs Service have debunked the allegation of exiting containers without duty payment levelled against the command as untrue.
Yusuf Bashar, Controller of the Command, also challenged anyone with a proof of such practice under his watch to come up with it.
Uche Ejesieme, the command’s Public Relations Officer, in a recent press statement said the controller reiterated his readiness to address and deal with issues militating against collection of government revenues at the port. Independent
News
$15m in my accounts for medical bills, others, says Patience
Dame Patience Jonathan, the wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, said she was using her $15m, which was frozen in four companies’ accounts, to settle medical bills while she was out of the country.
She, therefore, urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and Skye Bank to lift the restriction on the accounts.
Patience said this in a letter with reference number GA/Abibo/00226/2016, written by her lawyers, Granville Abibo (SAN) and Co, which was addressed to the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu. Punch
NSCDC operatives, Benue fuel attendants clash over alleged extortion
OWNERS of petrol stations in Otukpo, Benue State, on Tuesday, shut down their facilities and refused to sell to the public thereby causing artificial fuel scarcity in the area.
This was as a result of a brawl between some men and officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and fuel pump attendants in the town.
The petrol stations’ owners alleged that the NSCDC personnel were interfering with their trade by demanding for bribe. Punch
Kwara raises Internally Generated Revenue to N1.5b
Kwara State now has generated N1.5 billion Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) monthly as against the former N500 million, it was learnt yesterday.
Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, who spoke at a function organized by members of the Third Estate, Ilorin, noted that states must look beyond earnings from the federation account to survive funding challenges from the Federal Government, which hinder the discharge of their constitutional responsibilities.
According to Ahmed, his administration had changed the process of revenue generation to meet challenges of infrastructural development without introducing taxes. The Nation
Tell your friends to forget Biafra, Buhari to Igbo corpers
President Muhammadu Buhari has urged the National Youth Service Corps members of Igbo extraction to tell their colleagues that there is no hope of having a sovereign ‘Biafran State’.
Buhari said this when over 100 corps members serving in Katsina State came to visit him at his Daura residence on Tuesday.
A statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr. Garba Shehu, said the President urged the corps members to do everything to ensure the unity of Nigeria. Punch
Business News
Arik Airline Resumes Operations after Temporary Suspension
Arik, the airline with the largest fleet in the country, will resume full operation Wednesday after Tuesday’s suspension of operations due to its inability to renew its aircraft insurance.
“We have resolved the issues relating to the insurance. Our flights have resumed but our full operations will start tomorrow. Two flights are already leaving to Port Harcourt and Abuja this evening. We sincerely apologize to our clients,” Adebanji Ola, its spokesman said in a statement.
In another statement, the Group CEO, Dr. Michael Arumemi-Ikhide, apologised to its passengers and said the airline was fully committed to normal operations and minimize any unfortunate inconvenience to them. Thisday
Three Months after Force Majeure, ExxonMobil Resumes Export
Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, a unit of ExxonMobil, will resume shipment of Qua Iboe crude, Nigeria’s largest grade of crude oil in October, three months after the company had declared force majeure on the exports of the grade.
This is coming as oil prices slumped three per cent Tuesday following another gloomy prediction by the International Energy Agency (IEA) on demand growth that suggested that oversupply in the oil market might persist for longer than anticipated.
ExxonMobil had declared the force majeure after it observed a leak caused by what it described as a “system anomaly” during a routine check of its loading facility on July 14, this year. Thisday
Foreign flights to Nigeria forced to refuel elsewhere
Foreign airlines flying to Nigeria have started to refuel abroad to bypass pricey, and increasingly scarce, jet fuel as the oil producer battles a hard currency shortage that has made fuel available only at a very high price.
It is the second blow for airlines operating in Africa’s recession-hit biggest economy in a year that first saw the central bank make it almost impossible to repatriate profits from ticket sales as it tried to prevent a currency collapse.
The crash in the naira since a devaluation in June has led firms who market jet fuel locally, such as Total, Sahara and ConocoPhillips, to double the price to 220 naira a litre in August, and to as much as 400 naira this month, an airline executive said. DailyTrust
Brent Mortgage Bank targets $21b Diaspora cash with new product
Brent Mortgage Bank Limited is targeting a large chunk of the estimated $21 billion annual remittances by Nigerians in the Diaspora with its newly developed product, Brent Home Ownership Diaspora Account (BHODA), its Managing Director/CEO, Kola Abdul, has said.
Speaking during the product launch at the weekend in Lagos, Abdul said the product was created for Nigerians in the Diaspora who desire to own home, or invest in property in their homeland.
“We realized that although Nigerians in Diaspora are working hard and living in decent accommodations outside the country also deserve a decent place of abode in Nigeria. We also realize that many of them have not been able to achieve this dream of owning a home of their choice because of funds diversion, suppression, and conversion by friends and relations,” he said. The Nation
FG moves against monopoly at seaports
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Haduza Bala Usman has said the federal government is synergizing efforts to drive healthy competition and erase monopoly at the transport sector.
Hadiza said this last Friday when she made a tour of offshore logistic companies, LADOL, Nigerdock and the environmental firm, African Circle within the Apapa and Tin Can Island axis of Western Ports of the NPA.
She assured said fostering a healthy competition would allow for more meaningful competition which would eventually bring out the best for the nation in the area of improved revenue generation. DailyTrust
NCC discovers 41 illegal ISPs
Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) has discovered 41 fake and unlicensed service providers.
The regulatory body made this known in its “2016 Q1 Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Reports”, made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Lagos.
It said there was compliance monitoring regarding engagement of unlicensed service providers providing Internet/data access in Nigeria. The Nation