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Crisis is currently rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State as the council boss in the area, Alhaji Taofiq Isa, on Saturday allegedly conducted parallel Ward Congress.

Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello.

According to Daily Post, some party stakeholders comprising the state Commissioner of Environment, Chief Victor Omofaiye, member representing Ijumu Constituency, Hon. Kilani Olumo, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Sunday Faleke, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Women and Children Development, Princess Omotayo Adeleye Ishaya, APC Caretaker Chairman, Chief Samuel Abejide among others were present at Iyara, the headquarters of Ijumu Local Government to elect new Ward officials through affirmation but it was allegedly hijacked by the Ijumu council boss to another venue.

Speaking to newsmen, the Kogi State Commissioner for Environment, Chief Victor Omofaiye, who confirmed this on Saturday evening, noted that, the Ijumu Local Government Chairman, Alhaji Taofiq Isa hijacked the forms for the Congress and failed to show up at the agreed venue for the exercise.

Omofaiye described the conduct of Taofiq as an act of disloyalty and gross disrespect to the directive of the State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello that all existing caretaker Executive at the Ward level to be returned as new Executive of the party.

The member representing Ijumu Constituency in the State House of Assembly, Hon. Kilani Olumo, on his part described the incident as unfortunate and an act of insubordination to the the Executive Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.

“It is very unfortunate, the meeting was scheduled by the Chairman to commence at 12noon and he is nowhere to be found. I think it is uneducated and an act of insubordination for the Executive Governor of Kogi State to give you a directive and flaunt it,” he started.

Speaking further, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Sunday Faleke, described the congress in Ijumu LGA as concluded, adding that all the party officials, State Government appointees and elected officials amidst party held a peaceful Congress, saying the Council Chairman absconded with electoral materials.

Reacting to the allegation, the Council boss, Alhaji Taofiq Isa denied the conduct of parallel Ward congress in the Local Government, describing his faction of the congress as authentic.

Politics News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
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Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, on Saturday attended a wedding function in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, after which he was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Saraki attended the wedding ceremony of the daughter of a former Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Shaaba Lafiagi, in Abuja.

Bukola Saraki

According to Daily Post, the event was disclosed in a tweet by one of Saraki’s close aides, Banks Omisore.

“Dr. @bukolasaraki at the wedding celebration of Alhaji Shaaba Lafiagi’s daughter. Today in Abuja Saturday, 31st July 2021,” Omisore tweeted.

SaharaReporters had earlier reported that the EFCC held Saraki in its custody over allegations of theft and money laundering. See Also Corruption Nigeria’s Anti-graft Agency, EFCC Arrests Bukola Saraki Over Fraud Allegations 0 Comments 2 Hours Ago

SaharaReporters had learnt that Saraki was arrested on Saturday and was being interrogated at the Abuja office of the EFCC.

“Yes, Saraki has been arrested. He is going to be released later tonight and ordered to return again tomorrow. He is being interrogated at the Abuja office,” an authoritative source had told SaharaReporters.

As Senate president between 2015 and 2019, Saraki spent a considerable time facing allegations of corruption and false declaration of assets. He was acquitted by the Supreme Court in June 2018.

However, in his new case with the EFCC, Saraki is to answer questions over alleged theft and laundering of public funds using a network of cronies and proxy companies.

The suspected proxies, who executed purported contracts for Kwara State under Saraki, allegedly made returns, for many years, to the former governor, forming an organised network of dirty money flow.

The funds involved were huge, running into hundreds of millions in naira and hundreds of thousands in foreign currencies at various times, sources said.

Anti-graft investigators have obtained a list of the proxy companies involved and analysed a pattern of suspicious transactions between them and Saraki.

One of them has been reportedly responsible for funding Saraki’s lifestyle, including paying over N100million to settle the bills for rent and renovation of Saraki’s Maitama residence.

Corruption News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
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Members of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, have unanimously agreed to embark on an indefinite strike from Monday.

According to Daily Post, the doctors reached the decision following their National Executive Council (NEC) meeting by over 50 members across the country.

File photo Google

NARD noted the Federal Government has failed to honour and implement the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) it signed with them after over 100 days.

Dr Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, President of the NARD, who made this known in a statement at the weekend, demanded immediate withdrawal of the circular removing House Officers from the scheme of service, which was not implemented.

The statement read in part, “We are embarking on a total and indefinite strike on August 2, 2021 [Monday]. You can recall we had a memorandum of action on March 31, 2021, and had an addendum to it on April 9, and since then, we still have had irregularities in the payment of salaries to the house officers.

“We had issues with them being non-regular payment and as part of the memorandum of action, it was said that they should be captured back into the IPPS platform.”

The strike is coming at a very critical period when the nation is currently experiencing a rise in COVID-19 infections amid the third wave of the pandemic.

 

PUBLIC HEALTH News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
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Ngozi Ojeh, the wife of Ebenezer Ojeh, the police officer arrested for alleged possession of illegal weapons in Borno State, has dismissed claims that her husband is a fake policeman.

It had been reported last week that troops of the Nigerian Army’s operation Hadin Kai arrested a supposedly fake policeman who was in possession of illegal ammunition.

A military source had alleged that Ojeh was intercepted at a checkpoint by troops from the 154 Task Force battalion, Ngamdu, along Maiduguri-Damaturu Highway on Sunday.

An army officer, DY Chiwar, who is the commander of the battalion, was said to have ordered Ojeh's arrest, after noticing suspicious movements.

When interrogated by the troops, the suspect was said to have claimed to be a member of the police special weapons tactical team (SWAT) from the mobile police force, 19 unit, Rivers State. See Also Military Nigerian Soldiers Arrest ‘Policeman’ With Ammunition, Grenade In Terror-ravaged Borno 0 Comments 6 Days Ago

Speaking with SaharaReporters, the wife, Ngozi, corroborated Ebenezer's account stating that her husband was truly an officer in Rivers State but had been deployed on special duties to Borno State since January 2021.

According to her, the officer was returning to his family in Edo after several months when he was 'nabbed' by the soldiers who suspected him to be a fake officer.

She said, “Though I'm in no position to give a verdict on the authenticity of the ammunition and grenade allegedly seen in his bag, I can confidently debunk the claim made by the army squad at the checkpoint along Maiduguri/Damaturu Expressway, that he's not a genuine policeman.

“I would want to correct the impression that he's a suspected fake policeman. Prior to his arrest, he had been complaining to me that some of his colleagues had animosity towards him, for no just reason. This makes me feel that he could have been set up with these items (ammunition and the grenade) placed in his bag unknowingly to him.

“Since his arrest, neither I nor his parents have been able to reach him. And since it's already in the media that he's a fake policeman, without any effort to set the records straight, I fear he would be treated as such.

“I have not set my eyes on my husband since January which was when he left Port-Harcourt to Maiduguri in Borno State on special duty. He was returning home to me and his children when he was arrested. He was coming to us in Edo State. 

“He should be handed over to the police and granted access to communicate with his family and stop being treated like a common criminal. He has suffered a lot already just for him to come home and rest.

“I don't know what they have done to him, I don't know if my husband is still alive or not. He has not killed anyone, he is a suspect. He should be granted access to his family at least. To even feed is a problem for us.”

Police News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
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Ngozi Ojeh, the wife of Ebenezer Ojeh, the police officer arrested for alleged possession of illegal weapons in Borno State, has dismissed claims that her husband is a fake policeman.

It had been reported last week that troops of the Nigerian Army’s operation Hadin Kai arrested a supposedly fake policeman who was in possession of illegal ammunition.

A military source had alleged that Ojeh was intercepted at a checkpoint by troops from the 154 Task Force battalion, Ngamdu, along Maiduguri-Damaturu Highway on Sunday.

An army officer, DY Chiwar, who is the commander of the battalion, was said to have ordered Ojeh's arrest, after noticing suspicious movements.

When interrogated by the troops, the suspect was said to have claimed to be a member of the police special weapons tactical team (SWAT) from the mobile police force, 19 unit, Rivers State. See Also Military Nigerian Soldiers Arrest ‘Policeman’ With Ammunition, Grenade In Terror-ravaged Borno 0 Comments 6 Days Ago

Speaking with SaharaReporters, the wife, Ngozi, corroborated Ebenezer's account stating that her husband was truly an officer in Rivers State but had been deployed on special duties to Borno State since January 2021.

According to her, the officer was returning to his family in Edo after several months when he was 'nabbed' by the soldiers who suspected him to be a fake officer.

She said, “Though I'm in no position to give a verdict on the authenticity of the ammunition and grenade allegedly seen in his bag, I can confidently debunk the claim made by the army squad at the checkpoint along Maiduguri/Damaturu Expressway, that he's not a genuine policeman.

“I would want to correct the impression that he's a suspected fake policeman. Prior to his arrest, he had been complaining to me that some of his colleagues had animosity towards him, for no just reason. This makes me feel that he could have been set up with these items (ammunition and the grenade) placed in his bag unknowingly to him.

“Since his arrest, neither I nor his parents have been able to reach him. And since it's already in the media that he's a fake policeman, without any effort to set the records straight, I fear he would be treated as such.

“I have not set my eyes on my husband since January which was when he left Port-Harcourt to Maiduguri in Borno State on special duty. He was returning home to me and his children when he was arrested. He was coming to us in Edo State. 

“He should be handed over to the police and granted access to communicate with his family and stop being treated like a common criminal. He has suffered a lot already just for him to come home and rest.

“I don't know what they have done to him, I don't know if my husband is still alive or not. He has not killed anyone, he is a suspect. He should be granted access to his family at least. To even feed is a problem for us.”

Police News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has held a former President of the Nigerian Senate, Bukola Saraki, in its custody over allegations of theft and money laundering.

SaharaReporters learnt that Saraki was arrested on Saturday and was being interrogated at the Abuja office of the EFCC.

“Yes, Saraki has been arrested. He is going to be released later tonight and ordered to return again tomorrow. He is being interrogated at the Abuja office,” an authoritative source told SaharaReporters.

As Senate president between 2015 and 2019, Mr Saraki spent a considerable time facing allegations of corruption and false declaration of assets. He was acquitted by the Supreme Court in June 2018.

However, in his new case with the EFCC, Saraki is to answer questions over alleged theft and laundering of public funds using a network of cronies and proxy companies.

The suspected proxies, who executed purported contracts for Kwara State under Saraki, allegedly made returns, for many years, to the former governor, forming an organised network of dirty money flow.

The funds involved were huge, running into hundreds of millions in naira and hundreds of thousands in foreign currencies at various times, sources said.

Anti-graft investigators have obtained a list of the proxy companies involved and analysed a pattern of suspicious transactions between them and Saraki.

One of them has been reportedly responsible for funding Saraki’s lifestyle, including paying over N100million to settle the bills for rent and renovation of Saraki’s Maitama residence.

Corruption Scandal News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
https://ift.tt/3msMq7L

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has held a former President of the Nigerian Senate, Bukola Saraki, in its custody over allegations of theft and money laundering.

SaharaReporters learnt that Saraki was arrested on Saturday and was being interrogated at the Abuja office of the EFCC.

“Yes, Saraki has been arrested. He is going to be released later tonight and ordered to return again tomorrow. He is being interrogated at the Abuja office,” an authoritative source told SaharaReporters.

As Senate president between 2015 and 2019, Mr Saraki spent a considerable time facing allegations of corruption and false declaration of assets. He was acquitted by the Supreme Court in June 2018.

However, in his new case with the EFCC, Saraki is to answer questions over alleged theft and laundering of public funds using a network of cronies and proxy companies.

The suspected proxies, who executed purported contracts for Kwara State under Saraki, allegedly made returns, for many years, to the former governor, forming an organised network of dirty money flow.

The funds involved were huge, running into hundreds of millions in naira and hundreds of thousands in foreign currencies at various times, sources said.

Anti-graft investigators have obtained a list of the proxy companies involved and analysed a pattern of suspicious transactions between them and Saraki.

One of them has been reportedly responsible for funding Saraki’s lifestyle, including paying over N100million to settle the bills for rent and renovation of Saraki’s Maitama residence.

Corruption Scandal News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
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Artists from across East Africa have converged on Kenya's capital, creating a vibrant scene.

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Three Nigerian women confront the prejudice they have faced on their fertility journeys.