The Federal Government, on Wednesday, revealed that it has reached out to the British Government over the threat by the UK Parliament, to impose sanctions on Nigerian officials over their roles in the End SARS protests.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, stated this while fielding questions from State House reporters at the end of the weekly virtual Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to him, the Nigerian government has reached out to present its own side of the story.

Onyeama also argued that lawmakers are not responsible for imposing sanctions.

“Yes, we have reached out to the UK government. The meeting that took place were Parliamentarians and they do not speak for the UK government which acts for the United Kingdom and they have also heard the side of the (Nigerian) government regarding everything that has happened.

“So, we have been in touch with them and engaging with them. Of course, as in any democracy, the members of parliament are able to also able to air their view.

“But what is important, is that a balanced picture is made available to them, before they take any decision,” Onyeama said.

Source:dailypost

South African-born billionaire entrepreneur, Elon Musk, has overtaken Bill Gates as the second richest person in the world, according to Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

This is coming few weeks after Musk overtook Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg to become the third-richest.

However, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, remains number one in the rankings.

Musk ranked 35th on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index in January but his wealth soared after his electric car company Tesla was selected to join the S&P 500.

Having failed to make the cut in September, Tesla will enter the S&P 500, a stock market index that measures the performance of 500 large companies listed on the US stock exchange, on December 21.

Musk’s net worth soared from $7.2 billion to $127.9 billion, driven by a surge in Tesla’s share price.

Just in 2020 alone Musk has seen his fortune grow by $100.3 billion.

About three-quarters of Musk’s net worth is comprised of Tesla shares

Here is the standings according to Bloomberg Billionaires Index

1 Jeff Bezos $182B Amazon.com

2 Elon R Musk $128B Tesla / Space X

3 Bill Gates $128B Microsoft

4 Bernard Arnault $105B LVMH Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton

5 Mark Zuckerberg $102B Facebook

6 Warren Buffett $86.8B Berkshire Hathaway

7 Larry Page $81.3B Google co-founder

8 Sergey Brin $78.7B Google co-founder

9 Steve Ballmer $76.1B Microsoft

10 Mukesh Ambani $74.0B India Energy

Source:dailypost

President Muhammadu Buhari has described his Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, as “a remarkable public servant.”

In a statement made available on Wednesday by his Special Adviser on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, to mark the 76th birthday anniversary of Gambari, the President said, “I am proud of his accomplishments as a senior diplomat.”

Buhari said it is impossible to interact with his Chief of Staff without being impressed by his erudition and colossal experience in his chosen career.

The President noted that having worked with Gambari during his time as a military Head of State, his proud to testify that he(Gambari) is one of the most brilliant, dedicated, patient and humble public officials he I has ever met.

“He is down to earth in his approach to issues and he is a team player, which are necessary ingredients for anyone seeking to succeed,” the President added.

Buhari prayed that Allah grants Gambari better health and longer life to enable him serve Nigeria and humanity ever more.

Source:dailypost

The Coalition Alliance Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) says it has so far spent N43,272,562,831 on the acquisition of medical equipment, medical supplies and food palliatives for vulnerable Nigerians.

The coalition made up of Bankers Committee, comprising the Central Bank of Nigeria, Deposit Money Banks and key stakeholders in the private sector was set up in March 2020 to support the federal government in improving the capacity of health institutions in dealing with COVID-19 and providing palliatives for Nigerians.

A statement by the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele at a press briefing on the response of the bank to the pandemic said the coalition received donations worth N39,646,100,039.00 billion from over 200 well-meaning Nigerians and corporate organizations

Emefiele said the sum of N4,194,262,899 billion was spent on building Isolation Centers while N9,017,561,723 went to the procurement of medical supplies.

‘‘Medical equipment such as PCR test kits for suspected cases of COVID-19 were procured along with other required medical items at a cost of N9,017,561,723.

CACOVID provided palliatives food items to 1.7m households or 8 million Nigerians. A total of N28,767,590,517 was spent procuring these food supplies.

Emefiele claimed the palliatives were acknowledged and disbursed by various state governments who received them.

The CBN governor said the coalition has further pledged to support the rehabilitation of the Nigeria Police the wake of the End SARS protest violence.

‘‘To further strengthen the security apparatus in the country, CACOVID has committed to providing over N100bn to procure equipment and gadgets for the Nigerian Police Force over the next 2 years; as our contribution to fully modernize the Nigerian Police.

The governor, however, appealed to the private sector to rally round CACOVID in raising the funds needed for its many interventions.

Source:dailypost

As the Rivers state Commission of Inquiry begins to entertain cases of brutality by the Nigerian Police Force in the state, a 50-year-old man has opened up on how the defunct special anti-robbery squad, SARS, killed his three-year-old daughter.

The petitioner, Norde Sylvester, a civil servant with the Universal Basic Education (UBE) in Rivers State spoke at the hearing of the Rivers State Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Police brutality in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.

Sylvester recalled that the incident occurred on October 15, 2015 while he was outside with his family at his residence in Rumuohalu, near Port Harcourt, after they were forced to go inside as a result of sporadic shootings by SARS operatives.

“Two of them (operatives) got up and ordered me to go back and that if I don’t leave, I will go and join that my so called daughter. I came back in tears and went and buried the child,” he explained in tears.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Mercy Nweke, counsel to the State Commissioner of Police during cross-examination faulted the petitioner’s claims, wondering why he did not report the matter to the police. She noted that the bullet was not enough evidence that his daughter was killed.

“This is ammunition (referring to the bullet). It has not been used. Something that has not been used cannot kill anybody.”

But counsel to the Commission, S.O Inko-Tariah objected, saying his colleague was not an expert and was not in a place to determine if the bullet was used or not.

Sylvester reiterated that he reported at the SARS office but was chased by the operatives and produced the bullet that allegedly killed his daughter, adding that he was broke and could not hire the services of a lawyer and therefore decided to leave everything to God before the panel came up.

But the Commission’s Chairman, Justice Chukwunenye Uriri (rtd) said the evidence provided by the petitioner was of public interest and admitted it as an exhibit, even as he asked Sylvester what he wanted from the commission.

 “All I need is justice for my baby that they killed and also my house that was damaged,” he pleaded.

In a separate development, a 40-year old man, Tamunodiepreye Akalugogbo also told the panel that SARS operatives allegedly shot and killed his 14-year old son during the EndSARS protest at Oyigbo local government area of the State in October, this year.

Akalugogbo explained that following the deployment of soldiers to Oyigbi in the wake of the ENDSARS protest, people were running for their lives, but when he got home his son was nowhere to be found.

“My wife wanted me to buy something for her. So we started looking for him, only to see him on the roads with blood all over him and a bullet wound,” the petitioner stated.

Source:independent.ng

 ABUJA – The House of Representatives on Wednesday lamented the rising wave of banditry and kidnapping of students around the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria and other tertiary institutions in the country.

Consequently, the lawmakers called on the Federal Government to urgently and without further delay, erect a secure wall around the campuses of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria as has been done for the University of Maiduguri in Maiduguri and the Gwagwalada campuses of the University of Abuja in order to forestall incursions from the bandits and other miscreants.

The resolutions also called on the Inspector-General of Police to urgently and without further delay establish units of its mobile police personnel at the institution particularly at the Phase 2 segment of its Samaru campus to ensure the security of lives and property at all times.

They also called on the Chief of Army Staff to urgently and without further delay establish a battalion of the Nigerian Army at the southern border of the University to help forestall incursions into the campus from that end, which has attained a certain notoriety in this regard.

The House, therefore, mandated its Committees on Tertiary Education and National Security and Intelligence to liaise with the Federal Ministry of Education, the Chief of Army Staff and the Inspector General of Police and other relevant agencies of Government to implement the above resolutions and report to the House within three (3) weeks.

These followed the adoption of a motion under matter of urgent public importance brought by Hon. Garba Ahmed Daytime (APC, Kaduna), and four others on the ‘Need to Address the Security Threats Posed by the Phenomenon of Banditry (Particularly Kidnapping and Abduction) to the Campuses of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and Other Tertiary Institutions Across the Nation.’

They said: “The state of insecurity in Nigeria has been a matter of grave concern to all well-meaning patriots for several years now”.

“Recently, the state of insecurity in Kaduna State has degenerated to alarming levels in spite of the well-meaning efforts of Government to put an end to it and that this insecurity has come in the form of armed banditry.

“The activities of these armed bandits, who have now embarked on a spate of kidnappings and abductions of the Ahmadu Bello University staff and students and other members of the University’s community, particularly at its Samaru Campus but also outside their campuses and the fact that these dangerous activities have reached perilous levels.

“On the 17” day of November 2020, nine (9) students of the university were kidnapped along Kaduna-Abuja Road while the bandits sent a ransom demand of N270million for the release of the students.

“Only on Monday 23rd November 2020 at about 12.50 am, armed bandits invaded the house of another staff, Professor Bakari Girei and abducted him, his wife and daughter and, only after an exchange of fire with the Police Intelligence Response Team did the bandits release the wife and daughter while they escaped with the Professor.

“Professor Girei remains in captivity with the bandits as of this moment while the invasions are continuing unabated.

Ahead of 2023 general election, President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan has asked Nigerians not to vote for them if they have failed the people.

Lawan has also told Nigerians that the annual budget of the National Assembly is less than one per cent of the nation’s 2021 budget.

According to him, those who are not comfortable with the Senators in the present 9th Senate should not hesitate to vote them out in 2023 if they don’t like their faces.

Speaking on Friday in Abuja at a retreat for top management staff of the National Assembly and National Assembly Service Commission in Abuja.

Speaking further Lawan who warned that there could be anarchy if the Senate is scrapped as being clamoured by some Nigerians,

however, described the Senate as a leveller which ensured that all parts of the country are equally represented unlike the House of Representatives where states with higher populations produce the highest number of lawmakers.

The President of the Senate also faulted the argument of those clamouring for the scrapping of the Senate because of the perceived jumbo pay being earned by the Senators.

A member of the Board of Trustees of the All Progressives Congress and a strong ally of President Buhari, Buba Galadima, has condemned the recent action of the Central Bank of Nigeria, freezing the bank account of #EndSARS promoters.

Speaking on Arise TV this morning, Galadima said the action is unconstitutional as Nigeria is not in a military regime.

“What the government has done is not right.

It has no such right or powers to block bonafide Nigerians from travelling out of the country or from accessing their (bank) accounts. Blocked for what? What have they done?

These young men were peacefully protesting the actions, omissions or commissions of government.

Why do you, after you persuaded them or after agents of government allegedly attacked or killed them, follow this draconian disposition of blocking their accounts? That is not constitutional.

I’m sending this message to Mr President whether he knows or he doesn’t know, let him be shown what I am saying. His people have no right to do what they are doing.

Please, they should desist and unblock the accounts of these young people and allow them to carry on with their normal activities as Nigerians. You cannot harass them, we are in a democracy, we are not in a military regime.”he said

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says that the N4 billion unspent money in its 2020 Budget is meant for recruitment of staff.

Mr Mohammed Umar, The Acting Chairman Of The Commission, Disclosed This On Wednesday In Abuja During Its Budget Defence, Before The House Committee On EFCC.

Umar said that the staff recruitment, which should have taken place in the year, was stalled by the COVID-19 pandemic that ravaged the globe in the course of the year.

According to him, the commission was in the process of conducting the recruitment when COVID-19 took over, and that is why it still has N4 billion left unspent.

He said that the EFCC had also made a submission to the committee detailing assets recovery, convictions secured, cases in court among others by the commission.

Umar listed some of the challenges faced by the EFCC to include lack of special courts to prosecute corruption cases, lack of personnel, poor release of funds for capital projects among others.

He said that the five per cent meant to be retained in the agency as part of money recovered had not been given to the commission as done in other places.

“I don’t think the five per cent to be retained in EFCC for assets recovery has been approved, because we have not gotten any money outside the budget approved,” he said.

The acting chairman, however, proposed a total of N29.861 billion for 2021 operations.

Umar said that EFCC had 15 offices in the country, adding that it could not capture some states because it was better to equip those already established.

“It is better we equip the 15 offices than acquiring more, because some are not adding values to our investigations, so we are thinking of closing them.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Rep. Zakaria Nyampa (PDP-Adamawa) had queried why the EFCC had N4 billion unspent in the 2020 budget approved for the commission.

“Going through your document in 2020, I discovered there are N4 billion unspent money for personnel and N879 million unused under overhead, I don’t know what you are going to do with this,” Nyampa said.

Meanwhile, Rep. Ibrahim Dutse, the Chairman of the House committee, said it was ready to assist the EFCC to do its job, adding that any money voted for the commission must be released.

He said that the committee would intervene in any challenges faced by the commission to enable it to discharge its duty effectively to the country.

On the 8th of November 2020, 300 new confirmed cases were recorded in Nigeria.

Till date, 64090 cases have been confirmed, 59910 cases have been discharged and 1154 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The 300 new cases are reported from 6 states- Lagos (255), FCT (27), Oyo (10), Kaduna (5), Ondo (2), Kano (1).

A multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre (EOC), activated at Level 3, continues to coordinate the national response activities.

300 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria;

Lagos-255
FCT-27
Oyo-10
Kaduna-5
Ondo-2
Kano-1

64,090 confirmed
59,910 discharged
1,154 deaths pic.twitter.com/ILq1YuzG5d

— NCDC (@NCDCgov) November 8, 2020