NIGERIAN SENATE ADVOCATES FOR LIFE IMPRISONMENT FOR RAPISTS

The Senate is about to pass a Bill that will make sexual offences punishable by life imprisonment.

The federal lawmakers, who overwhelmingly supported the Bill, which would see that anyone who rapes children and minors risk life imprisonment.
The Bill for an Act to make provision about sexual offences, their definition, Prevention, and the protection of all persons from harm and unlawful sexual acts was sponsored by Senator Chris Anyanwu.
Senator Anyanwu lamented that sexual violence and related offences against children, teenagers, women and sometimes men have become pervasive in Nigeria.
She explained that punishment provided in both the criminal and penal codes have been enhanced in the new bill.
Supporting the Bill, Senator Olusola Adeyeye asked lawmakers to step up effort and ensure that the Bill is passed.

SSS PARADES ASSISTANT LECTURER, FOUR OTHERS FOR TERRORISM

The Department of State Security service Wednesday in Abuja the Federal Capital, paraded an assistant lecturer in Arabic and Islamic studies at the Kogi State University, Muhammad Yunus, for recruiting and coordinating a Boko Haram terror cell in Kogi state.

The spokesperson for the SSS, Marilyn Ogar while speaking to newsmen confirmed that Yunus runs a terror group group, which comprised of Umar Musa, head of operations/instructor, Mustapha Yusuf; armourer/chief courier, Ismaila Abdulazeez and Ibrahim Isah are foot soldiers.

Ogar also said that  four of the suspects were arrested in Zuba, on the outskirts of Abuja, the nation’s capital while the alleged Spiritual leader was traced to Jos, the Plateau state capital.
Ogar said the suspects were plotting to attack Igala land in Kogi state.

GOV. SULE LAMIDO'S SONS REGAIN FREEDOM

The detained two sons of Jigawa State governor Sule Lamido, Aminu and Mustapha have been released on administrative bail by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The arrest of some bank officials has been reportedly linked to money laundering case against the Jigawa State governor a key member of the G-7 governors who is also one of the arrowheads of the “new PDP” . The group is believed to be opposed to President Goodluck Jonathan’s rumoured second term ambition.
The SSS is said to be investigating questionable transactions involving the governor and two of his sons, Aminu and Mustapha, who is the district head of Bamaina, their hometown. While Lamido enjoys constitutional immunity and cannot be arrested, his two sons were arrested last week by the EFCC.

UNLAWFUL INCARCERATION OF 20 BANK MANAGERS; CBN, ASSBIFI WADE IN

Twenty bank managers from 13 banks are being detained by the State Security Service (SSS) for alleged involvement in money laundering.
A source close to the bankers also confided in LEADERSHIP last night that the detained bankers who are mostly managers comprise five managers from Fidelity Bank Plc, four from Unity Bank Plc, while the remaining are from other banks.
The source, who sought anonymity because of the nature of the matter said, “I can tell you authoritatively that 20 bankers are being detained by the SSS. Most of the detained bankers are managers and have been detained for about two weeks.
“I can also inform you that they are being detained without trial. Some of the detained managers include five from Fidelity Bank Plc, four from Unity Bank Plc and an average of two from each of the other banks.”
CBN, ASSBIFI wade in
As banks across the nation brace up to down tools in protest against the arrest and continued detention of 13 banks officials, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI) have begun efforts at salvaging the situation before it worsens.
Speaking with LEADERSHIP yesterday, the director, corporate communications, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Ugo Okoroafor, said the apex bank was aware of the contentious issues and was already making necessary investigations.
The Monetary Policy Committee of the CBN is currently meeting in Abuja and the CBN governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, is expected to address the press today after the meeting.
Also reacting to the issue, the president of ASSBIFI, Comrade Sunday Salako, said: “The matter is very technical now but we have commenced our investigation on it. We don’t want to say anything for now.”
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) president, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama, who was not in the country, said he was not aware of the issue for now.
Meanwhile, an executive of one of the affected banks told LEADERSHIP during a telephone interview that the banks were yet to conclude under which umbrella they would make the strike move, adding that there is the likelihood of the Bankers’ Committee, which is a body of all CEOs of banks in the country, intervening.
The 13 banks directly affected by the arrests are Zenith Bank, Access Bank, Fidelity, Unity, First City Monument, First Bank, Skye, Sterling, Diamond, Ecobank, Wema, Guaranty Trust Bank and CitiBank.
The SSS had subsequently swooped on the 13 banks in which the companies have accounts and even obtained a court order to freeze the accounts. Also, it had begun a systematic arrest and detention of senior officials of the bank in the last two weeks.
“One of those arrested is a director. Some others are risk managers, fraud control and detection officers, zonal and regional coordinators and key IT experts. There are compliance managers among those arrested. There are also account officers, branch managers, chief inspectors and heads of treasury among those arrested. To continue to operate without these key personnel could expose depositors’ funds to serious danger. So, the bank CEOs are thinking it might be safer to close shop to secure depositors’ funds and reduce exposure to a possible collapse of the nation’s banking system,” the senior bank source said.
Apart from the risk of possible compromise of the system, the bank chiefs are also frowning at the propriety of the SSS’ action. They fear that, unlike the EFCC and the CBN, which have the wherewithal to investigate bank transactions and fraud, the SSS may not be treading on a familiar turf.
The source said: “The banks daily, and statutorily, report transactions and fraud alerts to both the EFCC and the CBN. If there is any suspicion over such transactions, the SSS can crosscheck and verify with both the EFCC and the CBN. It is rather shocking that the investigation of transactions by companies of the sons of the Jigawa State governor would warrant such mindless and elaborate disruption of banking operations in 13 banks, which is what this arrest and continued detention of these critical bank officials amount to.”
Leadership

AGAIN PRESIDENT JONATHAN POSTPONES 2014 APPROPRIATION BILL PRESENTATION

President Goodluck Jonathan has written to both chambers of the National Assembly indicating his decision to postpone the budget presentation earlier scheduled to take place today (Tuesday).
In a letter addressed to the National Assembly and read by the Senate President David Mark, the president said “there is a need for both chambers to harmonise the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Financial Strategy Paper (FSP) before the presentation”.
The letter further said “in the circumstance, it has become necessary to defer the presentation of the 2014 budget to a joint session of the National Assembly until such a time when both respected chambers would have harmonised their positions on the MTEF” hoping that “it will be in the shortest possible time”.
After the announcement, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila told Channels Television in a live broadcast of the 12 noon version of the hourly News Track, that the president “gave a very cogent reason why the budget could not be presented. Under the Fiscal Responsibility Act, as you will be aware, the budget is predicated upon the MTEF and the MTEF has not been passed” noting that the Senate passed a version of it with a benchmark at $76.50 and the House has passed $79 per barrel benchmark”.
He also applauded the president for not sending a proxy to present the budget, as was rumoured, and noted that “it will have been unacceptable to some of us, based on tradition, law and the constitution”.
He noted that the deferment has “put us back in reverse” insisting that “it is rather unfortunate”.
He further added that the Fiscal Responsibility Act envisages a situation where the MTEF is actually submitted to the National Assembly months ahead of the passage of the budget, not a week or two before the budget, so it will give us time to thoroughly and vigorously debate the issues that may be contained therein”.
“Definitely, they will have to, at some point, if it comes to that, go back to the drawing board and re-arrange or re-draft their budget in conformity with what the benchmark is, because it throws it up quite a bit” he said.
Despite the setback, the House Minority Leader maintained that “we cannot sacrifice a proper budget at the altar of timeousness” stressing that “it is unfortunate but the National Assembly will speed up its harmonisation process; we can harmonise in a couple of days if we want to and agree or disagree”.
Last week’s session was shifted because the Medium Term Expenditure Framework , the government’s financial outlay for the next three years, was not adopted by the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Channelstv

HOW FINANCE MINISTER BLOCKED RIVERS STATE WORLD BANK LOAN

 

Governor of Rivers state, Rotimi Amaechi has accused the Finance Minister, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of stifling a loan facility granted to the state for provision of potable water by the World Bank and the African Development Bank (AfDB).Amaechi, who was speaking during the 2^nd Retreat of a faction of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum he chairs, wondered why the minister “who by international standards, is recognised around the world has refused to sign off for us to provide water for Rivers people”.
He further alleged that “she has refused to sign off so that the money can be released so we can give our people water because Governor Amaechi is against the president” noting that “I drink bottled water paid for by Rivers people”.
He likened the situation to “a woman and two women quarrelling. I keep malice with you, I keep malice with you” noting that “they are keeping malice with me and my people should die because I have disagreed with the president”.
Amaechi maintained that his state and other states including Ekiti, met with the banks and provided the required documents and reached the agreement to access the $200 million loan.
The governors present at the retreat include Sokoto State governor, Aliyu Wamakko; deputy chairman of the forum and Zamfara State governor, Abdul’Aziz Yari; Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola; Osun State governor, Ra’uf Aregbesola; Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi, Jigawa State governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, and their Adamawa State counterpart, Murtala Nyako.

RIVERS STATE RECEIVED N56B FROM $5B MISSING IN ECA--OKONJO IWEALA

The Federal
Government on Monday denied the allegation by Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, that$5billion was missing from the Excess Crude Account.

Amaechi, had while speaking at the Nigerian Governors’ Forum retreat held in Sokoto on Saturday, said there was $9billion in the account in January , but that the amount had depleted without any explanation.

He had said, "The Excess Crude Account in January was $9bn. That account belongs to federal, states and local governments. Today, it is $4bn. We don’t know who took the $5bn."

Amaechi also accused the Federal Government of using anti-corruption agencies for political vendetta against opponents.

His words: "Today the EFCC is either in Jigawa or in Kano because they disagree with the President. What about NNPC? What about the Ministry of Niger Delta and the Ministry of Works? he asked.

"The whole governors put together, we receive 26 per cent from the revenue of the Federation. The Federal Government gets 52 per cent. And with that 52 per cent, nobody goes after the Federal Government to say ‘how did you spend it’?

"And then you go after those who got 26 per cent. Even if you recover all the 26 per cent, what have you benefited from it as against those who have stolen 52 per cent?"

But while defending how the account was managed, the Ministry of Finance, in a statement, described the claim by the governor as "absolutely shocking and false."

It stated that Amaechi could not deny knowledge of the management of the fund, adding that the governor’s claim was false.

The Ministry further disclosed that the Rivers state received N56.2bn in the first nine months of 2014 from the Excess Crude Account.