... ... 04/20/20 | IYANDA'SBLOG

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04/20/20

Some residents affected by oil spillage in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State have cried out for help following the damage done to their environment.

SaharaReporters gathered on Monday that the spillage, which was noticed on April 2 at a location known as ‘Single Pole Ikorigho’, was caused by the ongoing work at Ororo field. 

No fewer than 20 communities including Awoye, Mese, Gbakura, Akintola, Jero, Odofado, Oroto, Aiyetoro, Ilowo, Obe-nla, Okupi and Ogundeje, Ogbaro, Ilowo, Odonla, Megba, Enikanselu mainly in Ugbo kingdom have been badly affected by the oil pollution. 

It was learnt that ruptured pipelines have continued to discharge a mixture of gas and crude oil under high pressure, thereby exposing the people to danger.

Several residents of the oil-rich community, who are mostly farmers and fishermen, told our correspondent that the leakage had destroyed their farmlands and fishing business. 

Narrating his ordeal to SaharaReporters, a local fisherman in the community, Mr Nejo Oriade, said the spillage was caused by exploration activities by an oil firm.

He said, "The oil spillage had been on for some time now. Our air is polluted and the water is now contaminated but no one is talking about this, not even the state government.

"The said company is spraying the crude oil on the air and when it settles on the water, it changes the water.

"I fell victim because my fishing net got hooked to the spillage and the impact have destroyed our source of livelihoods.” 

A farmer, Joshua Ikuoye, said that the oil that spills into the environment has affected his yam and cassava farmland.

Ikuoye added that several bags of cassava placed in his farm had been soaked and contaminated as a result of the spilled oil.

He said, “So, we are seriously begging the government to come and rescue us.

“We are sending this message to them because this is the only source of our livelihood and it has been destroyed.” 

When contacted, Ondo State Commissioner for Environment, Funso Esan, said the government was aware of the spillage and a fact finding committee had been sent to access the real cause of the pollution.

Esan however, advised residents of the affected communities to exercise patience with government pending when it will find a solution to the pollution.

 

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The price of United States oil has turned negative for the first time in history.

That means oil producers are paying buyers to take the commodity off their hands over fears that storage capacity could run out in May, the BBC reports. 

Demand for oil has all but dried up as lockdowns across the world have kept people inside.

As a result, oil firms have resorted to renting tankers to store the surplus supply and that has forced the price of US oil into negative territory.

The price of a barrel of West Texas Intermediate, the benchmark for US oil, fell as low as minus $37.63 a barrel.

The severe drop on Monday was driven in part by a technicality of the global oil market. 

 

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The price of United States oil has turned negative for the first time in history.

That means oil producers are paying buyers to take the commodity off their hands over fears that storage capacity could run out in May, the BBC reports. 

Demand for oil has all but dried up as lockdowns across the world have kept people inside.

As a result, oil firms have resorted to renting tankers to store the surplus supply and that has forced the price of US oil into negative territory.

The price of a barrel of West Texas Intermediate, the benchmark for US oil, fell as low as minus $37.63 a barrel.

The severe drop on Monday was driven in part by a technicality of the global oil market. 

 

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Earlier today, I was not surprised reading once again another bashing of Ndị Igbo on Femi Fani-Kayode's Facebook page. I am not surprised because I have seen and lamented this earlier, but got the bashing of my life from people who after reading insults against their tribe, would rather choose to praise the insulter.

Femi Fani-Kayode is an intelligent man, I give it to him, but what he is not is an activist. He is a typical Nigerian politician. Fani-Kayode has not only proven my thoughts about him right, he has also exposed himself, all in an attempt to whitewash and force a bad, wicked, evil and conscienceless beast down our throat.

I wouldn't have cared replying FFK had it been he didn't make his "HOW ARE THE MIGHTY FALLEN" articles an attack on Ndị Igbo.

How is it an attack on Ndị Igbo? We shall find out.

FFK in his attempt to bring to the public the achievements of Abba Kyari wrote the following.

..."He (Abba Kyari) promised the Governors of the East that he would get adequate funding for Enugu Airport and he did."

"He also promised to ensure that good progress would be made on the second Niger bridge and it was."

"I can also tell you that when the police, with elements of the military, attacked and killed IPOB youths and literally burnt down half of Oraifite in Anambra state, the hometown of my friend and IPOB lawyer, Mr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, Abba, in collaboration with Umahi and Ugwanyi, was instrumental in putting a stop to it."

Brothers and sisters, can you sit down and tell me why Femi Fani-Kayode concentrated on things he thinks his bossom friend Abba Kyari did for Ndị Igbo, without dishing out what he thinks he(Abba) did to Northerners or his Yoruba people?
The truth is that Ndị Igbo owe nothing to anyone, not Abba Kyari or late Buhari. If you say Ndị Igbo are Nigerians, you shouldn't be writing a useless article telling Ndị Igbo that it was Abba Kyari that made Enugu Airport upgrade and the construction of Second Niger Bridge possible. At least not from a man that thinks we should blame the president and not those working for him. We didn't see anyone play politics with Yoruba people when all those massive bridges crisscrossing Lagos state were constructed. Therefore, Ndị-Igbo will resist any attempt to use ordinary upgrade of Airport and Second Niger Bridge to force the beast called Abba Kyari down their throats.

By the way, if Abba Kyari was indeed this powerful to have done these things for Ndị Igbo, why then did FFK exonerate him from the atrocities of the government? Is he not contradicting himself here?

When FFK boasted that if we don't like your views about Kyari, we can go to hell, I quickly remembered Oba Akiolu of Lagos threatening to drown Ndị Igbo in the lagoon. It can't be a coincidence.

Suddenly, you want us to accept "that the buck for the things of the Federal Government does not stop at the desk of the President's Chief of Staff but at the desk of the President." Yet you forgot that it is this same man that advices the president, and should anything go wrong, they all should take the blame. You also forgot you told us it is Abba Kyari and not the president that made second Niger funding possible.

You relayed to us how Abba Kyari was giving scholarships, forgetting that many devils in Nigeria government have also given same scholarships. Those of them you have been criticising, are you telling us they don't have friends they have been good to? Haven't they done some good?

According to Kayode, Abba was better than others in Buhari's government and am forced to ask: Is he better in doing 'good' or 'evil'? Late Abba Kyari might be good to Femi Kayode, but not good for the people. That is where FFK failed it. Abba Kyari is simply his protector and benefactor right inside the terrible and wicked APC government. Kyari might be the reason he not in jail after all.
Everything FFK gained from this evil government under Abba Kyari have so beclouded him that he forgot that thousands have been killed and millions rendered jobless because of the evil tendencies of Abba Kyari and his fellow cabals.

But incase you have forgotten, let me quickly remind you.

It was under Abba Kyari that Nigeria Chief Justice was removed, replaced with an Aeroplane tuner sharia judge.

It was under Abba Kyari that Gov Emeka Ihedioha, the people's elected governor of Imo State was removed and Hope Uzodimma imposed on the people from a distant fourth position.

Under Abba Kyari, Asha Buhari was religated to the background and locked out of Aso Rock.

It was he and his fellow cabals that brought an impostor to replace a dead president.

It was under him that Fulani Herdsmen were aided, paid billions to keep killing Nigerians. They saw to the recruitment of Boko-Haram members into the Nigeria military. Under him soldiers have been sabotaged and killed. Those soldiers were also people's husbands, fathers, brothers and friends.

Under him entire service chiefs are still in office when their tenures have already elapsed.

Under this unrepentant beast more than 300 Shiite Muslims were killed in One Night.

As a powerful chief of staff, he and his cronies brought Python Dance 1,2 and 3 that killed hundreds of IPOB youths and imprisoned many till today.

It is under him that all appointments went to HausaFulani and Muslims leaving out South East.

Under this looter, Nigeria borrowed extensively for infrastructure, excluding South East.

Under him, the Vice President from your region was relegated to nothingness.

Under him, businesses were destroyed and our goods seized, only for it to be shared to Northerners.

What evil did this man Femi Kayode is eulogising as "A GOOD Man" not do?  Why insult our sensibility?

FFK must know that Judas Is Cariot who betrayed Jesus have friends too. There are lots of people that received some goodness from Adulf Hitler. So what actually is he talking about.

It's pathetic that Femi Kayode has finally exposed himself as not different from other Nigeria politicians. I continue to say it that no Nigeria politician want Nigeria to end. It doesn't matter if the person is in APC or PDP. All of them want Nigeria to remain this way. It pays the politicians and no senator will walk into that chambers and still remember restructuring. Do you know the type of damage a Restructured Nigeria will do to Nigeria politicians?

Dearest Biafrans, please stop suspending your sense of reasoning when you see someone speak ill about Nigeria. Most of them are all hypocrites.

Who would have known that FFK has been enjoying APC government through Abba Kyari?

We must be careful of the people we follow in this journey to freedom.

Elochukwu Ohagi, Philosopher, Teacher and Activist.

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Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasiru el-Rufai, has denied reports that his health condition had deteriorated and that he had been transferred to Intensive Care Unit in a private hospital in Ikoyi, Lagos.

El-Rufai disclosed this in a statement on his Facebook page on Monday while reacting to the report.

He said he took two hours out of isolation to attend daily meeting of State Standing Committee on COVID-19 headed by the deputy governor, Dr Hadiza Balarabe. 

The statement reads, “Earlier today, I took two hours to attend the daily virtual meeting of State Standing Committee on COVID-19 chaired by Deputy Governor @DrHadiza Balarabe. 

“Since there are some fake news circulating that I am in an ICU in a Lagos hospital, a nice ICU picture will help debunk the evil news.” 

The governor said he has been isolated for the past 24 days in a wing of the Government House, Kaduna, undergoing treatment for Coronavirus from doctors. 

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Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasiru el-Rufai, has denied reports that his health condition had deteriorated and that he had been transferred to Intensive Care Unit in a private hospital in Ikoyi, Lagos.

El-Rufai disclosed this in a statement on his Facebook page on Monday while reacting to the report.

He said he took two hours out of isolation to attend daily meeting of State Standing Committee on COVID-19 headed by the deputy governor, Dr Hadiza Balarabe. 

The statement reads, “Earlier today, I took two hours to attend the daily virtual meeting of State Standing Committee on COVID-19 chaired by Deputy Governor @DrHadiza Balarabe. 

“Since there are some fake news circulating that I am in an ICU in a Lagos hospital, a nice ICU picture will help debunk the evil news.” 

The governor said he has been isolated for the past 24 days in a wing of the Government House, Kaduna, undergoing treatment for Coronavirus from doctors. 

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Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasiru el-Rufai, has denied reports that his health condition had deteriorated and that he had been transferred to Intensive Care Unit in a private hospital in Ikoyi, Lagos.

El-Rufai disclosed this in a statement on his Facebook page on Monday while reacting to the report.

He said he took two hours out of isolation to attend daily meeting of State Standing Committee on COVID-19 headed by the deputy governor, Dr Hadiza Balarabe. 

The statement reads, “Earlier today, I took two hours to attend the daily virtual meeting of State Standing Committee on COVID-19 chaired by Deputy Governor @DrHadiza Balarabe. 

“Since there are some fake news circulating that I am in an ICU in a Lagos hospital, a nice ICU picture will help debunk the evil news.” 

The governor said he has been isolated for the past 24 days in a wing of the Government House, Kaduna, undergoing treatment for Coronavirus from doctors. 

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Tope Akinyode, a human rights lawyer and National President of Revolutionary Lawyers' Forum, has vowed to institute criminal proceedings against some presidency aides for violating social distancing order during the burial of Abba Kyari, late Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to Akinyode, poor Nigerians, who violated the restriction of movement order of government over the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak, were arrested, arraigned, prosecuted and convicted accordingly.

He said the law must be equal to all as the poor cannot receive maximum punishment for an offence the rich are pardoned for.

He said, “However, on April 19, 2020, a burial ceremony was organised for Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari. During the process, participants violated the lockdown and movement restriction order of government and other sundry regulations. Since then, those who attended the gathering are yet to be brought to book.

“Law must be equal to all. The poor cannot receive maximum punishment for an offence which the rich are pardoned for, otherwise, we will orchestrate a system of injustice and wickedness.

“To that extent, I shall institute a criminal proceeding against every known person who violated extant regulations by attending Abba Kyari's burial.

“By virtue of Sections 77 (a) and 81 (1) of the Criminal Procedure Act, C42, LFN, 2004, I am empowered by law as a private citizen to institute criminal proceedings against any offender of law before the Magistrates Court without a fiat of the Attorney General. 

“Against the foregoing, I shall institute criminal proceedings against the following persons:

1. Garba Shehu (Presidential spokesperson)

2 Babagana Monguno (National Security Adviser)

3. Ambassador Lawal Kazaure (Chief Protocol Officer)

4 Yusuf Sabiu (a.k.a Tunde) Special Assistant to the President

5 Musa Haro Daura, a nephew to the President 

6 Mr Ahmad Rufai (Director-General of National Intelligence Agency)

7 Bashir Ahmed (Personal Assistant on New Media to President Buhari), and others whose names I'm able to obtain.

“The complaint against the foregoing persons shall be filed before the Magistrate Court of the FCT in the course of this week.”

Recall that upon their return from Kyari’s burial, all the mentioned presidency aides were denied entry into the Presidential Villa and were asked to go self-isolate over the next 14 days to eliminate any chances of being infected with the virus. 

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Human rights lawyer, Mahmud Abdul, has said he would challenge the constitutionality of the mobile courts created by the Federal Capital Territory Administration to punish violators of the lockdown order put in place in the city to curb the spread of Coronavirus.

According to him, the procedure adopted by the mobile court being 'summary procedure', negated the doctrine of fair hearing as stipulated by section 36 (1) of the 1999 constitution.

He vowed to challenge all decisions made by the mobile courts at the high court after the lockdown.

He said, “Whatever punishment or sentence given by the mobile court, just endure and hope that when the lockdown is lifted, we will approach a high court to challenge some of these decisions.”

Director of the FCT Directorate of Road Traffic Services, Wadata Aliyu Bodinga, while assessing the operations of the mobile courts, said compliance level had improved.

He said a total of 50 cases were prosecuted on the first day out of which 40 were convicted while 10 were discharged.

Aliyu said some of the convicts were fined various sums while others had their vehicles impounded and sentenced to community service.

He said the objective of setting up the courts had been largely achieved as fewer people were now seen on the streets.

He said, "The idea of prosecuting violators was not aimed at punishing anyone but to discourage people from leaving their homes against medical advice to curtail the spread of COVID-19.”

The mobile courts in Abuja had prosecuted 156 violators of the order since its inauguration.

Meanwhile, Nigerians have criticised government and the mobile courts for refusing to take action against persons, who violated the order to attend the burial of Chief of Staff to Buhari, Abba Kyari, at Gudu Cemetery, Abuja, on Saturday.

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Police

As the Nigerian Government battles to stem the tide of Coronavirus in the country, security operatives have continued to use the opportunity of the lockdown order put in place by government to extort and harass citizens.

For instance, the police in Ondo State have been accused of bribery and corruption after opening the borders into the city at night for travellers and commuters to move in and out.

Senior Special Assistant to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, Doyin Odebowale, who toured some towns in the state, accused security operatives manning the roads of allowing people to come into the state at night.

Last week, no fewer than 50 Kano State-bound vehicles from Lagos were seized by the State Special Taskforce for breaching the lockdown order put in place by government.

SaharaReporters gathered that owners of the vehicles filled with dozens of passengers had ‘settled’ security operatives manning the road before being allowed to pass through. 

Also, residents of Idanre complained that policemen were opening the border in Ofosu area to allow travellers come into Ondo State from Edo and Kogi.

While this is going on, the police are also carrying out illegal arrests in some of the local towns.

For instance, in Ore area of Ondo State, several sources confirmed that immediately anyone was arrested, they were taken to a corner and asked to pay a certain amount of money or threatened to be taken to the station by the policemen on duty.

In Ekiti, the case is not different but residents have decided to act after noticing that the security agencies were turning a blind eye to the influx of people into the state through border towns. 

Residents of Ikere Ekiti have taken it upon themselves to block major roads to ensure vehicles don’t come in or move out of the state through the town.

One resident, who spoke with our correspondent, alleged that policemen collect a bribe of between N1500 and N3000 from vehicles carrying passengers depending on the number of persons on board.

“They open the road at night because nobody is watching them and everyone would have been in their houses.

“So, if you have N1, 500 they would allow you to pass. One of my cousins came into the town on Saturday night from Edo,” he said.

Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone XI, Osogbo, Osun State, Mr Bashir Makama, had last week warned officers manning border towns to shun unprofessional conducts or face disciplinary action.

Despite the warning, security operatives are using the lockdown window to molest and torture citizens at the slightest opportunity especially persons, who don’t have money to ‘settle’ them.

In Osun State, two policemen enforcing the lockdown order were caught on camera assaulting a woman identified as Tola Azeez, who had gone out to buy drugs for her relative at a pharmacy near her house in Iwo town.

Also, a broadcast journalist in Ondo State, Mr Jide Bello, was assaulted by soldiers while returning home from work.

Bello revealed that the soldiers from the 32 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Owena Barracks, beat him up despite identifying himself as a journalist.

He said, “They harassed and beat me up and didn’t even allow me to explain myself. 

“It took the intervention of a superior officer for me to be released by the soldiers.”

As if that was not enough, a medical doctor, Adeyemi Osowe, was brutalised by Special Anti-Robbery Squad and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps personnel in Akure while returning from emergency duty at the hospital.

Adeyemi, who spoke about his experience, observed that most of the security operatives enforcing the lockdown and stay-at-home order needed to be properly trained on how to handle civilians at a time like this.

Speaking with SaharaReporters, Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, Undie Adie, said the command had received a lot of complaints including torture of civilians.

He said some of the policemen committing the act had been identified and would soon be sanctioned.

He said, “As security operatives, we should not add more pains to the ones the people are already going through by our brutal, tortious and incivility to citizens.”

 

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Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, Garba Shehu, has confirmed that top Presidency aides were denied access into Aso Villa on Saturday after returning from the burial of late Chief of Staff to Buhari, Abba Kyari, for violating social distancing guidelines by health officials.

The burial held at Gudu Cemetery, Abuja, was attended by a large crowd – most of whom had no nose mask or hand gloves on them for protection against Coronavirus.

This development violated the social distancing rule put in place by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and exposed attendees including the Presidential aides to the risk of contracting the highly contagious and deadly disease, which claimed the life of Kyari.

In post on Twitter on Sunday confirming an earlier story on the issue by SaharaReporters, Shehu said, “There is nothing extraordinary about those of us who attended Abba Kyari’s funeral being advised to distance ourselves from the Villa. 

“This is in line with the standard rules put in place by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control and the Federal Ministry of Health. You do these things to stop the spread of #Coronavirus.”

Those denied access include State House Chief Protocol Officer, Ambassador Lawal Kazaure, Special Assistant to the President, Yusuf Sabiu, a nephew to the President, Musa Haro Daura, and Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the, Garba Shehu. 

Others are National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, Director-General of National Intelligence Agency, Mr Ahmad Rufai, and Personal Assistant on New Media to President Buhari, Bashir Ahmed.

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A contract staff with the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulation Agency, Mr Chinedu Ugwu, who was indiscriminately dismissed alongside 27 others by management of the organisation, has died.

Ugwu died as a result of depression and high blood pressure after losing his only source of livelihood and not being able to cater for his wife and four children anymore.

According to findings by SaharaReporters, he and the 27 other contract staff, who had served the PPPRA for over seven years, were unjustly dismissed on the orders of Executive Secretary of the agency, Mr Abdulkadir Saidu, a nephew to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Saidu used their slots to bring in children and family members of top government functionaries including Hadiza, one of the daughters of President Buhari, in order to secure his position. 

Before the appointment of Saidu as Executive Secretary of PPPRA, the former occupant of that office, Mrs Sotonye Iyoyo, had secured an approval to regularise the employment of 134 contract staff and also employ more qualified Nigerians into the agency.

However, as is the norm in most federal ministries and agencies in Nigeria, management and board of PPPRA decided to share the slots amongst themselves and cronies rather than throwing it open to the general public.

The employment slots were allocated to powerful individuals in the executive, legislature, and judiciary arms of government in the country.

Narrating how Ugwu died of frustration after being kicked out of PPPRA with the others, one of his colleague told SaharaReporters that the management of the agency refused to reinstate or compensate them for their many years of service despite several appeals made to them. 

According to him, those of them still alive are currently battling different ailments and challenges because they had no other means of livelihood to support themselves and their families.

He said, “Ugwu’s death is a very big loss to us and especially his family because he was a nice guy who gave support to everyone around him. 

“He died on March 2 after falling into depression and developing high blood pressure.

“The PPPRA management dismissed them verbally without any sack letter and all efforts they made to be reinstated or compensated never worked out.

“This was despite earlier assurances by leadership of the agency that they will be reabsorbed into the system.

“As a result of this, he grew frustrated especially after not being able to take care of his wife and four children anymore.”

SaharaReporters gathered that Ugwu, who was stationed at the Capital Oil and Gas Depot, Lagos, and also oversaw other depots in addition, worked under unfavourable conditions during his lifetime. He was exposed to a lot of hazards while on duty including inhaling petroleum products. 

He was also said to have worked under a senior colleague and area supervisor, Mr Amir Musa, who subjected him to all sorts of inhuman treatments. Musa was described as an indolent, incompetent, serial absentee, who flouted the civil service rules several times but was always shielded by the management and board of PPPRA. 

But despite these atrocious acts against him, Ugwu carried out his daily tasks at work with diligence and dedication.

Rather than appreciate his years of labour and dedication, all the management of PPPRA could do was to use his slot and those of others to bring in children of powerful Nigerians into the agency. 

His colleague said that the deceased had to relocate to his hometown in Enugu State after he could no longer afford the house rent in Lagos. 

Everything around Ugwu crumbled all of a sudden.

“Ugwu called me up one day and was lamenting his inability to cater for his wife and four kids, worst of all, his inability to purchase drugs needed for his ailment. 

“Despite doing some menial jobs, he was never able to meet up with his obligations again and this bothered him.

“He was forced to relocate to his village in Enugu State after being evicted from his rented apartment by landlord of the house in FESTAC, Lagos, due to his inability to pay rent following the loss of his job.”

SaharaReporters gathered that the young man had since been buried while his wife and four children now face a bleak future. 

Other colleagues of the deceased told our correspondent that their lives was yet to find any sort of balance since they were unjustly dismissed from PPPRA.

A senior staff of the agency confided in SaharaReporters that anyone of them, who tried to raise the issue of the sacked contract staff, were threatened by management of the agency.

According to the official, the various summons served on the agency due to the ill treatment meted to the sacked contract staff had hit the management hard.

He said it was wrong to treat persons, who had given their best years to the agency in such a cruel manner.

He said, “They worked every day of the week without leave or decent pay and the agency’s unappreciative stance didn’t affect their commitment to helping it achieve its targets while they worked.”

The official blamed his colleagues for being too fearful of the Executive Secretary of the agency, who always threatened everyone with sack and early retirement because he was related to President Buhari.

He further disclosed that Saidu, his Chief of Staff, Yusuf Muazu, and the power-drunk General Manager Admin, Mr Victor Shidok, who initiated the ‘contract staff must go movement’, were running a corrupt scheme in the PPPRA.

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Mudashiru Obasa

In an ongoing scandal and money laundering act being perpetrated by the Lagos State House of Assembly, lawmakers in the state have been looting N47.5m per quarter from the state’s treasury for media influencers. 

The money, according to documents sighted by SaharaReporters, was paid to a media company to help publicise the activities of the House.

In the document, it could be seen that there was no procurement process approval attached or mentioned in the request for approval.

The money was released after approval by Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa.

It was gathered that the release of the money for Bloggers Media has been in effect since 2017 and continued till 2018.

It was gathered that lawmakers hide under the guise of the payment to launder funds from the state coffers and divert same for personal usage.

According to the document sighted by SaharaReporters, the media outfit was handpicked without any procurement process with the Speaker directed to approve the release of the money.

“Please be informed of the desire of the Assembly to publicise its activities and achievements through print and electronic media for the second quarter of the year 2018.

“Sequel to the Ministerial Tenders Board Meeting held on Thursday, June 21, 2018, the board recommended Messrs Bloggers Media at the cost of N45,700,000 (Forty-five million, seven hundred thousand naira only) on single source selection based on commendable satisfactory performance in the year 2017.

“In line with the recommendation of the Ministerial Tenders Board Meeting, kindly consider and give approval on the notification of award in favour of Messrs Bloggers Media for N45,700,000 (Forty-five million, seven hundred thousand naira only) for the project to cover second quarter of the year 2018. The payment pattern is to reflect 60% advance payment and 40% balance after acceptable completing of the contract,” the letter to the Lagos Assembly Speaker reads.

During checks by our correspondent, it was discovered that Bloggers Media was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission on January 4, 2016 with registration number RC: 2384816.

However, further checks showed that the address submitted to the CAC, 3B, Alade, Off Alade Avenue, does not exist in Lagos.

The organisation seemed not to be existent as there was no digital traces of it after multiple checks on various search engines.

As at the time of filing this report, the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Tolani Abati, could not be reached for comments.

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Some top aides of President Muhammadu Buhari have been denied access into the Presidential Villa in Abuja after returning from the burial of late Chief of Staff to Buhari, Abba Kyari, on Saturday.

The burial at Gudu Cemetery was attended by a large crowd – most of whom had no nose mask or hand gloves on them for protection against Coronavirus.

This development violated the social distancing rule put in place by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and exposed attendees including the Presidential aides to the risk of contracting the highly contagious and deadly disease, which claimed the life of Kyari.

According to findings by SaharaReporters, some of the Presidency aides refused access into Aso Villa after returning from the burial include State House Chief Protocol Officer, Ambassador Lawal Kazaure, Special Assistant to the President, Yusuf Sabiu, a nephew to the President, Musa Haro Daura, and Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the, Garba Shehu. 

Others are National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, Director-General of National Intelligence Agency, Mr Ahmad Rufai, and Personal Assistant on New Media to President Buhari, Bashir Ahmed, among several more persons.

The burial ceremony was aired on several television stations across Nigeria and the large gathering, against government’s order, was seen by all violating the rule.

“Security personnel at the Villa turned back the aides of President Muhammadu Buhari after attending the burial ceremony of Mallam Kyari and coming in contact with several persons against the rule of the NCDC.

“President Buhari is not happy that the aides decided to violate clear protocols and guidelines of the NCDC and he directed that they should keep off the Presidential Villa to undergo self-isolation,” a Presidency official told SaharaReporters on Saturday.

Kyari’s death was announced on Friday by the Presidency after weeks of battling with Coronavirus.  See Also Exclusive EXCLUSIVE: How Abba Kyari Went Into Coma On Tuesday, Clinically Died On Thursday

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Nigerian musician, David Adeleke widely known as Davido, has disclosed that his fiancé, Chioma, has recovered from Coronavirus after testing negative twice. 

Davido made this known on his Twitter handle on Sunday.

He said, “Glory be to God, Chioma has now tested negative twice for COVID-19. Thank you all for prayers. We love you.” 

Davido in a post on March 27 had announced that Chioma tested positive for Coronavirus. 

He however, added that he, his baby and crew were all negative.
 

PUBLIC HEALTH Breaking News News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
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Nigerian musician, David Adeleke widely known as Davido, has disclosed that his fiancé, Chioma, has recovered from Coronavirus after testing negative twice. 

Davido made this known on his Twitter handle on Sunday.

He said, “Glory be to God, Chioma has now tested negative twice for COVID-19. Thank you all for prayers. We love you.” 

Davido in a post on March 27 had announced that Chioma tested positive for Coronavirus. 

He however, added that he, his baby and crew were all negative.
 

PUBLIC HEALTH Breaking News News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
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The police in Kwara have said it would begin to arrest violators of the lockdown order in the state.

Commissioner of Police in the state, Kayode Egbetokun, warned residents to obey the order and remain indoors or risk being arrested.

Egbetokun said the clampdown and arrest of violators would begin on Monday.

He said, “We have reviewed strategies towards ensuring enforcement of the law. 

"Lockdown is not to punish the people, rather, it was put in place to protect the entire society from the spread of COVID-19.

“People are taking undue advantage of our leniency but with these new strategies, we are ready to ensure that citizens cooperate with the State Technical Committee on COVID-19 and law enforcement agencies.

“The wellbeing of the people is paramount; mobile courts are already in place to ensure prosecution of violators.”

Kwara has so far recorded nine cases in the virus. 
 

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The police in Kwara have said it would begin to arrest violators of the lockdown order in the state.

Commissioner of Police in the state, Kayode Egbetokun, warned residents to obey the order and remain indoors or risk being arrested.

Egbetokun said the clampdown and arrest of violators would begin on Monday.

He said, “We have reviewed strategies towards ensuring enforcement of the law. 

"Lockdown is not to punish the people, rather, it was put in place to protect the entire society from the spread of COVID-19.

“People are taking undue advantage of our leniency but with these new strategies, we are ready to ensure that citizens cooperate with the State Technical Committee on COVID-19 and law enforcement agencies.

“The wellbeing of the people is paramount; mobile courts are already in place to ensure prosecution of violators.”

Kwara has so far recorded nine cases in the virus. 
 

Police PUBLIC HEALTH News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
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Jigawa State has recorded its first confirmed case of Coronavirus.

This was revealed by the state governor, Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, while speaking with journalists on Sunday.

Abubakar also announced a lockdown in Kazaure Local Government Area where the COVID-19 case was recorded.

The governor explained that the victim recently returned from Lagos and was placed under isolated but that his sample returned positive.

Abubakar urged people of the state to be vigilant and alert in the area to avoid a spread of the virus. 
 

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