Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, and the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr James Entwistle, have again failed to appear before the House of Representatives

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, and the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr James Entwistle, have again failed to appear before the House of Representatives Committee investigating allegations of sexual misconduct brought against three members of the House.
The two were supposed to face the committee on Wednesday, July 20, but did not show up, making it the second summon they would fail to honour.
In his defense, the Minister explained in a letter written to the Committee that the time for the investigative hearing coincided with the Federal Executive Council meeting in the Presidential Villa.
Onyeama had also excused last week in another letter, saying he was travelling to Kigali, Rwanda, for the extra ordinary meeting of the African Union and asked for another date, which forced the Committee to fix Wednesday (yesterday) for the hearing.
However, the Committee heard from the three accused lawmakers, who denied the allegations of sexual misconduct against them.
Onyeama is said to be expected to appear before the Committee on Thursday (today) as the hearing resumes.
The House Committee Chairman on Capital Market, Rep. Yusuf Tajudeen, had challenged the U.S Embassy to come forward with proof that the accused lawmakers were indeed engaged in solicitation for sex while in the US on official assignment.
But the US ambassador, who claims to have video evidence to back the allegations against the lawmakers, has failed to show up before the Committee.
Two All Progressive Congress (APC) lawmakers, Mohammed Gololo and Mark Gbillah, and one Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker, Samuel Okon, were alleged to have solicited for sex and sexually harassed a hotel housekeeper in Cleveland, Ohio.

Rivers state police command has successfully foiled a planned attack on the Liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility

Rivers state police command has successfully foiled a planned attack on the Liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility. An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) filled with dynamite had been recovered on Thursday last week and defused by the Explosive Ordinance Department (EOD).
The information was made public by DSP Omoni Nnamdi, Public Relations Officer of the command on Monday, July 11. In a separate development the police officers arrested a man on suspicion of kidnapping and being a member of the gang, which ambushed and killed the assistant superintendent and two policemen.
The officers were also engaged in a gun battle in Etche local government area with the yet to be identified robbers. However, two of the criminals managed to escape with gunshot injuries. The police spokeperson called on the general public to timely report any suspicious person in the area to ensure safety.

Special Adviser to Nigerian President on Niger Delta has expressed worries over the Federal government

The special adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Niger Delta, Brigadier General Paul Boroh (rtd) has expressed worries over the federal government’s late payment of stipends to ex-militants in the region. In a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and signed by Piriye Kiyaramo, the Bayelsa Liaison officer, presidential Amnesty programme, Boroh, the Coordinator of the programme, was quoted to have described the delay in payment as unfortunate. While assuring that the payment would be made soon since the three-day public holidays are over, the statement quoted Buhari’s man as saying” “I must say that the hiccups which were brought to my attention during the long public holiday by the Central Bank of Nigeria have been sorted out.”
Some of the ex-militants had on July 4, blocked the popular East-West road at Mbiama after they had been owed a backlog of unpaid stipends. He added: “I want your cooperation as the present administration under President Muhammadu Buhari proffers lasting solution to the problems in the region.” In a rather unfortunate development, reports credited to Vanguard have it that the Niger Delta Avengers will prevent President Buhari from exporting crude oil out of their region. The militants who have been unrepentant with their vandalisation of oil installations and pipelines in the Niger Delta region are roaring that since the president has refused to have a real dialogue with stakeholders in the region, they’ll keep stopping the president’s plans. In fact, they have threatened that their struggle has entered an advanced phase since the president has showed that he prefers to win the battle and lose the war.

The war continues between Ikpeazu and Ogah

The Nigerian Governors Forum has expressed worry about the power tussle in Abia State between the Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and Uche Ogah, urging the warring parties to respect the rule of law.
The Federal High Court siting in Abuja had annulled the election of Ikpeazu as governor for allegedly presenting a fake tax clearance to the People's Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2015 governorship primaries in the state.
Ogah, who came second in the PDP primaries, was declared the rightful occupant of the Abia governorship seat - but Ikpeazu maintained that he remains the state Governor.However, the Federal High Court in Owerri had on July 9 declared that Ikpeazu's tax clearance papers were genuine.
Speaking on Sunday, July 10, while addressing traditional rulers from Abia State, the Chairman of the forum and Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, the 36 state governors in the country are worried about the political crisis in Abia State, adding that they are working to ensure there is no breakdown of law and order in the state.The monarchs paid a condolence visit to the State over the death of top politician, Umaru Shinkafi.

“As a forum, we are concerned about what is going on in Abia and we are working to ensure all sides respect the courts, and uphold peace. Abia is known for peace, as such we should not do things that would disturb the peace of the state,” Mr. Yari said''

Shinkafi the former director of General of the Nigerian security organization is dead

Alhaji Shinkafi died on Wednesday in London at about 4:07 pm Nigerian time. A top source who spoke in confidence said the late Marafan Sokoto had initially received treatment at both St. Nicholas Hospital and Reddington Hospital, Ikeja in Lagos before he was flown abroad in January after a health relapse,The Nation reports:

    “We lost Shinkafi in London at about 4pm where he was flown to in January with some members of his immediate family and three medical doctors. In the last six months, he had been battling with his health. But it has pleased Allah to call him home. From Allah we came and unto Him we shall return. Arrangements are being made to bring his corpse to Nigeria for burial on or before Friday because of flight logistics.”

Shinkafi was a former Director-General of the Nigerian Security Organization (NSO), now Department of State Security Service ( DSS) from October 1979 to November 1983.xxxHe is survived by three wives and five children including, Zainab, wife of Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu and Hadiza, wife of Zamfara State Governor, Abdul Azeez Yari.may his soul rest on with Allah

A militant group has vowed to attack Governor Dickson for not paying salaries of workers in Bayelsa state

A militant group, Joint Revolutionary Council has issued a chilling warning that it will attack Governor Seriake Dickson if he refuses to pay salaries of workers. The oil-rich Bayelsa state reportedly owes civil servants about seven months, local government workers for over 13 months, pensioners for about nine months and workers in the only state university, Niger Delta University for about seven months.

The Nation reports that the group in a statement in Yenagoa said it will continue to attack more oil flows as a way of showing its displeasure towards the state of things in the Niger Delta region. The statement read: “We are warning Governor Henry Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa state, without further delay commence the final payment of all workers including the old pensioners been owed their several months of salary. Dickson is to pay these workers/pensioners in full and not 50% or half of half of their legitimate salaries.
“He will not claim of no funds to pay them. The funds are with him based on the allocations he received from the federation account which is known to the people. No fund but the government is busy doing projects and building personal buildings within and outside the state, while these workers are dying in abject poverty in the state. “This is unacceptable and it must stop forthwith in the region because our parents, brothers and sisters are not to suffer as a result of their effort in government. “Enough is enough, he should go and bring the money wherever he is keeping it and fully pay these workers and pensioners before the end of this month or otherwise, what he is looking for in the state he shall see it from us”.
“If the government said there is no money, it should without delay auction those properties it and its relatives amass with the state funds within and outside Bayelsa now to pay the workers immediately. “We’ll go after any of Dickson’s relation and political appointees who have given wrong advise to the Pharaoh (Gov. Dickson) of Bayelsa state to cripple the state. “Since the governor cannot pay workers in the state, by avoiding the oath he took and his constitutional responsibilities, he should leave the seat of power in the state by avoiding bloodshed. Whoever that attacks us in words will also go for it. “If Dickson undermines us what he saw while serving as Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of the state on that fateful day of April, 27th 2007 were we came and sacked President Goodluck Jonathan then governor of the state at government house, will experience same but this time around it will be disastrous and head will roll, whoever that confronts us”. The group said it would attack oil installations in the region as they were the hindrance to the development in the region. “The Nigerian securities who are claiming they are securing the oil facilities in the region should stay as their dwelling places and see whether their safety will be guarantee by the music on those days. “We thanked the Minister of state, Petroleum Resources for the bold steps he personally took to resolve the injustice created and sponsored by the wicked companies and government in Nigeria.
Our struggle is beyond monetary gains and we cannot be bribe by the Nigerian government to the detriment of our suffering people and the struggle is unstoppable until justice is done to the region. “Our Field Commanders have been instructed what to do and those who are on standby in Rivers, Akwa-Ibom, Edo, Delta Cross River await after Bayelsa state operations. “We further warned that, henceforth, any attack on Ijaw communities or person(s) by the military or para-military body in the region, we will not hesitate to order our shoot-at-sight squad of any uniform personnel in the region.

EFCC has released the full detail of its fraud case against Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has released the full detail of its fraud case against Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state. Details of the fraud case is contained in an affidavit filed by the anti-graft commission. It shows how N1.21 billion out of N2.26 billion paid to the account of Slyvan Mcnamara Limited, a company linked to the sons of the immediate past Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, by the Office of the National Security Adviser during the last administration, was traced to Fayose’s accounts with a new generation bank The affidavit, which detailed how the governor received kickbacks from Ekiti contractors, was filed in response to a suit instituted by the governor at a Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti, seeking an order directing the EFCC to unblock his accounts with Zenith Bank.
The EFCC had frozen the governor’s account after it claimed the N1.21 billion was paid into the governor’s account for the prosecution of his election in 2014. An operative of the EFCC, Tosin Owobo, who deposed the written affidavit, told the court that Babajide, one of Obanikoro’s son was the principal signatory of Sylvan Mcnamara. He said on June 17, 2014, Mr. Oluseye, accompanied by Biodun Agbele, who he said was fronting for Mr. Fayose, arrived the Akure airport and took delivery of N724,500,000.00 from Obanikoro who was with his ADC, Lieutenant Colonel A.O Adewale.

The EFCC official also claimed that the next day, N494, 990,000.00 was delivered by Obanikoro in the same manner at the airport. He said in all, Obanikoro, conveyed N1, 219,490,000.00 through a chartered aircraft. According Owobo, after an employee of a new generation bank took delivery of the money from Obanikoro, on June 19, 2014, Biodun Agbele, whom he claimed was a front for Mr. Fayose, was instructed by the governor to deposit N219million in cash to De-privateer Limited’s account. He said there was a balance of N89, 454,765.00 in the account before it was frozen. Owobo revealed that during interrogation, Messrs. Oluseye and Akande made confessional statements about how the transactions were done. The EFCC also told the court that apart from the money he allegedly received from Obanikoro, the Ekiti state governor was in the habit of collecting gratification and kickback from state contractors. The respondent explained that Fayose received the kickback through Still Earth Ltd and Signachorr Nigeria Ltd and in turn instructed the companies to acquire properties for him. Contrary to the claim by Fayose that the EFCC arbitrarily blocked his account without a valid court order, Owobo told the court that the commission got an interim order from Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos to
 “prevent further dissipation of proceed of crimes”.
Having obtained an interim order from a court of law, Mr. Owobi therefore argued that Mr. Fayose could not use the court as a shield against criminal investigation. He further argued that while the governor’s immunity against civil and criminal proceeding, the proceeds of an economic and financial crimes allegedly committed by him do not enjoy such privilege.

Uche Ogah, governor-elect of Abia state have witnessed another heavy blow

Uche Ogah, governor-elect of Abia state, may have witnessed another heavy blow to his recent soaring image with his rejection by prominent Igbo leaders in the country just after the youth wing of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo rejected him.
The leaders including former Senate president, Adolphus Wabara, former governor of Abia state, Theodore Orji and former chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor have said they would rather support embattled Governor Okezie Ikpeazu. Ikpeazu is currently at appeal court against the judgement of a high court that sent him parking from the government house recently.

According to Vanguard, those who attended the meeting which was held at the Asokoro home of Prince Vincent Ogbulafo in Abuja, also include Mao Ohuabunwa, Enyi Abaribe, Chief Empire Kanu, Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, Eze Ngozi Marthias Nwoko, Professor SO Igwe, Uzoma Nkem Abonta, Professor Herbert Orji, Eze JO Akaliro, Eze Eberechi Dick and Eze PM Okponku and others. A communique issued by these leaders in Abuja also condemned the ruling that favoured Ogah as governor calling it perverse and reckless. The communique read out by one of the elders, Onyema Ugochukwu, stated: “We, the concerned elders of Abia state, worried by the developments in the last five days which threatened to plunge our state into anarchy, violence and bloodshed, met today in Abuja to review the situation
“We reviewed the judgement of Justice Okon Abang, which was the beginning of the unfortunate crisis and INEC’s decision to issue a certificate of return to our son Dr. Uchechukwu Ogah, which decision exacerbated the crisis.
“We came to the conclusion, unanimously, that Justice Abang’s order to issue a certificate of return to someone who never contested the governorship election against the electoral act and well known decisions of superior courts was perverse and reckless and we condemn it in its entirety. “We have also noted the unseeming haste of INEC to issue the certificate just a few hours after the Justice Abang order, and in spite of the fact that INEC had been duly served with a notice of appeal of the said order and the motion for a stay of execution. “We are worried by the impression created of a conspiracy involving INEC to throw Abia into confusion and anarchy. “We condemn in very strong terms the attempt to set Abia on fire and create a situation which can only compound the problems which our country is currently having to bring an end to violence in the north-east and Niger Delta.
“We have also noted with appreciation the intervention of the attorney-general of the federation, Malami, who has urged all parties to follow the rule of law and wait the conclusion of proceedings in the appellate courts. “We join in this appeal for peace and urge all parties involved in this matter to calm down and await the conclusion of matters at the courts. “We also commend our people, the people of Abia who have remained peaceful in the face of recent provocations. We urge them to remain calm and maintain the peace as we wait the courts to conclude their processes.”