LAMORDE ILL? Flown abroad - Keyamo

The Nigerian Senate resumed the hearing of a petition of diversion of over 1triliion Naira against the former EFCC chairman, CP Ibrahim Lamorde. Expectedly, Lamorde was absent at the hearing. His Lawyer Festus Keyamo who represented him argued that the Senate does not have powers to invite Mr Lamorde in his personal capacity as a Nigerian citizen haven vacated his office as EFCC Chairman two weeks ago. 

Lamorde is a serving commissioner of Police who spent over 10 years at the EFCC inviting people to clear their names over allegations of fraud. Those who failed to appear were declared wanted. Abdulrasheed Maina of the Defunct Pension Reform Task Force was declared wanted three weeks ago by Lamorde's EFCC over his non appearance at the Commission. Today, that a serving Senior Law officer chooses to dishonor an invitation by another independent tier of Government is disturbing. Is the law really  above?

Read the Presidency's Press Release Over Dasuki

PRESIDENT BUHARI RECEIVES INTERIM REPORT OF INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE ON ARMS PROCUREMENT, ORDERS ARREST OF INDICTED PERSONS

On the authority of Mr President, a 13 man committee was set up by the Office of  the National Security Adviser to audit the procurement of arms and equipment in the Armed Forces and Defence sector from 2007 to date.

While the committee which was inaugurated on 31 August 2015 is yet to complete its work, its interim report has unearthed several illicit and fraudulent financial transactions. 

As part of the findings, the committee has analyzed interventions from some organizations that provided funds to the Office of the National Security Adviser, Defence Headquarters, Army Headquarters Naval Headquarters and Nigerian Air Force  Headquarters,  both in local and foreign currencies.

So far the total extra budgetary interventions articulated by the committee is Six Hundred and Forty Three Billion, Eight Hundred and Seventeen Million, Nine Hundred and Fifty Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty Five Hundred Naira and Eighteen Kobo (N643,817,955,885.18).

The foreign currency component is to the tune of Two Billion, One Hundred and Ninety Three Million, Eight Hundred and Fifteen Thousand US Dollars and Eighty Three Cents ($2,193,815,000.83).

These amounts exclude grants from the State Governments and funds collected by the DSS and Police. It was observed that in spite of this huge financial intervention, very little was expended to support defense procurement. 

The committee also observed that of 513 contracts awarded at $8,356,525,184.32; N2,189,265,724,404.55 and €54,000.00; Fifty Three (53) were failed contracts amounting to $2,378,939,066.27 and N13,729,342,329.87 respectively.

Interestingly, it was noted that the amount of foreign currency spent on failed contracts was more than double the $1bn loan that the National Assembly approved for borrowing to fight the insurgency in the North East. 

The committee also discovered that payments to the tune of Three Billion, Eight Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (N3,850,000,000.00) were made to a single company by the former NSA without documented evidence of contractual agreements or fulfilment of tax obligations to the FGN.

Further findings revealed that between March 2012 and March 2015, the erstwhile NSA, Lt Col MS Dasuki (rtd) awarded fictitious and phantom contracts to the tune of N2,219,188,609.50,  $1,671,742,613.58 and €9,905,477.00. The contracts which were said to be for the purchase of 4 Alpha Jets, 12 helicopters, bombs and ammunition were not executed and the equipment were never supplied to the Nigerian Air Force, neither are they in its inventory.

Even more disturbing was the discovery that out of these figures, 2 companies, were awarded contracts to the tune of N350,000,000.00, $1,661,670,469.71 and €9,905,477.00 alone. This was without prejudice to the consistent non-performance of the companies in the previous contracts awarded.

Additionally, it was discovered that the former NSA directed the Central Bank of Nigeria to transfer the sum of $132,050,486.97 and €9,905,473.55 to the accounts of Societe D’equipmente Internationaux in West Africa, United Kingdom and United States of America for un-ascertained purposes, without any contract documents to explain the transactions.

The findings made so far are extremely worrying considering that the interventions were granted within the same period that our troops fighting the insurgency in the North East were in desperate need of platforms, military equipment and ammunition. Had the funds siphoned to these non performing companies been properly used for the purpose they were meant for, thousands of needless Nigerian deaths would have been avoided.

Furthermore, the ridicule Nigeria has faced in the international community would have been avoided. It is worrisome and disappointing that those entrusted with the security of this great nation were busy using proxies to siphon the national treasury, while innocent lives were wasted daily.

In light of these findings, President Muhammadu Buhari has directed that the relevant organizations arrest and bring to book, all individuals who have been found complicit in these illegal and fraudulent acts.

 

Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

November 17, 2015

See why Buhari ordered the arrest of former NSA Dasuki

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday received the interim report of the investigative committee on arms procurement with an order for the arrest of all indicted persons in the arms scam.

This information is contained in a statement issued in Abuja by the president’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.

According to the statement, the committee which was inaugurated on Aug. 31, is yet to complete its work. But its interim report has unearthed several illicit and fraudulent financial transactions.

“As part of the findings, the committee has analysed interventions from some organisations that provided funds to the Office of the National Security Adviser, Defence Headquarters, Army Headquarters, Naval Headquarters and Nigerian Air Force Headquarters, both in local and foreign currencies,’’ it said.

It stated that so far the total extra budgetary interventions collated by the committee was N643.8 billion while the foreign currency component was $2.2 billion.

The report indicated that the amounts excluded grants from the state governments and funds collected by the Directorate of State Services and the Police.

The statement said the committee observed that in spite of this huge financial intervention, very little was expended to support defence procurement.

“The committee also observed that of 513 contracts awarded at 8,356,525,184.32 dollars; N2,189,265,724,404.55 and 54,000.00 euros; Fifty Three were failed contracts amounting to 2,378,939,066.27 dollars and N13,729,342,329.87 respectively.’’

According to the statement, the committee also noted that the amount of foreign currency spent on failed contracts was more than double the one billion dollars loan that the National Assembly approved for borrowing to fight the insurgency in the North East.

It stated that the committee also discovered that payments to the tune of N3.850 billion were made to a single company by the former NSA without documented evidence of contractual agreements or fulfillment of tax obligations to the Federal Government.

“Further findings revealed that between March 2012 and March 2015, the erstwhile NSA, Lt. Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) awarded fictitious and phantom contracts to the tune of N2,219,188,609.50; 1,671,742,613.58 dollars and 9,905,477.00 euros.

“The contracts, which were said to be for the purchase of four Alpha Jets, 12 helicopters, bombs and ammunition were not executed and the equipment were never supplied to the Nigerian Air Force, neither are they in its inventory.

“Even more disturbing was the discovery that out of these figures, two companies, were awarded contracts to the tune of N350,000,000.00; 1,661,670,469.71 dollars and 9,905,477.00 euros alone.

“This was without prejudice to the consistent non-performance of the companies in the previous contracts awarded.

“Additionally, it was discovered that the former NSA directed the Central Bank of Nigeria to transfer the sum of 132,050,486.97 dollars and 9,905,473.55 euros to the accounts of Societe D’equipmente Internationaux in West Africa, United Kingdom and United States of America for un-ascertained purposes, without any contract documents to explain the transactions,’’ the statement said.

The statement noted that the findings made so far “are extremely worrying’’ considering that the interventions were granted within the same period that the nation’s troops fighting the insurgency in the North East were in desperate need of platforms, military equipment and ammunition.

“Had the funds siphoned to these non-performing companies been properly used for the purpose they were meant for, thousands of needless Nigerian deaths would have been avoided.

“Furthermore, the ridicule Nigeria has faced in the international community would have been avoided,” the statement said.

The committee noted with disappointment that those entrusted with the security of this great nation were busy using proxies to siphon the national treasury, while innocent lives were being wasted daily.

“In the light of these findings, President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the relevant organisations to arrest and bring to book, all individuals who have been found complicit in these illegal and fraudulent acts,’’ the statement concluded. 

BREAKING! BOMB BLAST - BOKO HARAM STRIKES AGAIN

Suspected Boko Haram terrorists, on Tuesday night, hit Kasuwan Gwari along Jimeta bye-pass close to Tipper park, Jambutu, Yola, the Adamawa State capital with an explosion suspected to be from an improvised Explosive Device, IED.An witness, said the explosion occurred close to the main vegetable market in the town, as traders were closing for the day and rushing home. According to him, scores were feared killed. The casualty figure, could however, not be determined immediately but officials of the Nigeria Police Force are said to have barricaded the area.

We must Go Back to The Land - President Buhari

The president who is currently Launching the Anchor Borrowers Programme in Kebbi has said that diversifying Nigeria's Economy is not a choice but a necessity following the sharp drop in oil prices from $120 per barrel in 2014 to $46 per barrel in 2015. We must therefore return back to the Land, the president said.

Era of short changing Farmers with Sand as Fertilizer Over - Audu Ogbe

The Minister of Agriculture Chief Audu Ogbe has sent a word of warning to desperate business Men who indulge in sharp practices to make quick profit that those times are over. He said this while delivering a speech at the Launch of Anchor Borrowers Programme Tuesday in Kebbi. He lamented that these Business Men uses sharp sand in well packaged bags and sell to ignorant farmers thereby resulting to their low yields and making it difficult for them to service their loans. 

He assured farmers that with the President, Minister of Agric as farmers respectively, they have never being in safer hands.

President Buhari in Kebbi to Launch Anchor Borrowers Programme

The President, federal Republic of Nigeria Mohammadu Buhari GCFR, is in Kebbi, Kebbi state to Launch the Anchor Borrowers Program (ABP) initiated by the central Bank of Nigeria. Details follows.

Russia Confirms Cause of Plane Crash over Sinai in Egypt

The Russian government has confirmed that it was a bomb that downed a Russian passenger plane that crashed over the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt on Oct. 31, killing all 224 people on board.

According to a statement posted on the Kremlin’s web site on Tuesday, Alexander Bortnikov, the head of Russia’s FSB security services told a meeting chaired by President Vladimir Putin, that “One can unequivocally say that it was a terrorist act”.

Mr. Bortnikov, said “an improvised explosive device” had detonated soon after the plane took off.

“The plane disintegrated in midair, which explains the widely scattered fuselage pieces,” Mr. Bortnikov said.

The Airbus A-321 took off from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, on its way to the Russian city of St. Petersburg.

The plane owned by Russian airline Kogalmavia, was carrying mostly Russian tourists.

Initially, the plane was thought to have disappeared over Cyprus.

An Islamist militant group affiliated to ISIS said its shot down the plane but this was quickly dismissed by the Egyptian government which said it was not possible as the plane was flying at an altitude beyond the reach of shoulder-mounted missiles normally carried by the militants.

Gunmen Kidnap Samson Siasia's Mother

Gunmen has Kidnapped Madam Ogere Siasia, the Mother of Nigeria's Under 23 Side, the Dream Team at Odoni community of  Sagama Local Council Area of Bayelsa State.  Reports say armed bandits stormed the Siasia family house in the community in the wee hours of today and forcefully whisked away Mrs. Siasia on a get way motorcycle.

Confirming the latest kidnap incident, Bayelsa State Police Command spokesperson ASP Ansinim Butswat, said the matter has been reported, but details are still sketchy.

The kidnappers are yet to demand ransom from the family.

Lamorde's Hearing Resumes Today At The Senate.

Former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC Ibrahim Lamorde's Hearing at the Senate committee on Ethics and Petisions resumes today Tuesday in Abuja. Lamorde is accused of diverting over 1trillion Naira of money recovered from corrupt cases that the EFCC handled while he was at the commission in a petion to the Senate. Details follow shortly ........

Why Donald Duke Apologized to Aide

Former Governor of Cross River State attributed misconduct of Public Office Holders to bad Marriages and Wives. 

Excerpts:

Donald Duke: When I See Public Office Holders Misbehaving, Probably, They Do Not Have a Good Wife or a Good Marriage

As governor, I was on call 24/7 sometimes. I got very angry and could take my anger on anyone. So, my chief of protocol bore the brunt one day. I had a reception for guests, and he placed them in rooms not the way I would have done it, but he didn’t do anything wrong. He used his own judgment. I would have done it the other way, but I over reacted, I spoke very harsh to him. While I was doing this, my wife walked in, and didn’t say a word. She goes in, does some other things in my office and leaves. When I got back home in the evening, I’ve forgotten about it. It’s just a normal event in the day. And she said to me the way I spoke to this guy was wrong and that I have to go and apologise to him. She said I had no reason to speak to anyone like that. I said what! He did this and she said ‘yes, I heard everything. The way you would have done it was different, but he didn’t do a bad thing. He used his discretion. So, what are you going to do? You have destroyed that. Tomorrow he is not going to do anything discretionally.

He would wait for others and then you will get irritated at that. You have made him lose his self-confidence and that is wrong. You need to go and apologise to him. Why should you speak to someone like that? Because you are governor?’ I ignored her. I was in my room still fuming and she came back, and said I had to do it that night and not tomorrow because I kept saying I would do it tomorrow. She said no, tonight. That he was not going to sleep well and so I did not have the right to sleep well when he was not sleeping well.

I said ok. We got into the car and we drove to his house. I knocked on the door. His wife turned in. They were about to go to bed. She was in her night gown. She saw me and was scared with the expression of ‘Okay you have come to fire my husband finally’. The guy came down stairs petrified. My wife and I walked in. The wife wanted to get up and leave. I told the guy I was sorry. They all got emotional but I got relief. It was like a load had been taken off me. I still get upset with things going up wrong, but I don’t get to a point I don’t feel I am too big to say sorry.