Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Sunday 6th September 2020

Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Sunday 6th September 2020

Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 06/09/20

Time To Move On – A Brief Note To Jonathan Supporters By Inibehe Effiong

Dear supporters of Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, if you truly want to fight for a better Nigeria, fight for a better Nigeria on principle, not based on interest; do so dispassionately, not selectively.
If you hate corruption, injustice and bad governance, it should not matter who is in power. It should not matter which region or religion a leader or politician comes from. It should not matter the political party that is in power.

You are an accomplice if you only speak out when it is convenient for you, but remain silent when your favourite politician is in government.
Some of us have been consistent in our criticisms. Some of us have been consistent in resisting tyranny irrespective of who is in power.
People from my home State, Akwa Ibom, who hated me for constantly deprecating the evils of the Godswill Akpabio regime are now pretending to be his adversaries.
Some of them wished me death in the past because of my opposition to Akpabio, but they started singing a different tune the moment Akpabio left the PDP for the APC. The people who defended Akpabio’s tyranny are now defending governor Udom Emmanuel’s tyranny.
There is nothing that I criticized Akpabio for while he was a governor that Udom Emmanuel has replicated and I have not spoken out against. I do not care who the governor is. What I care about is what a governor does.
There is nothing that Jonathan did while in office that I criticized him for, that has taken place under General Buhari and I kept mute. The same way that I opposed Jonathan’s misrule is the same way that I am opposing Buhari’s misrule.
Those of you that are debating whose misrule is better or worse are just dissipating energy on frivolity. There is nothing like ‘a better bad president’. If we are ever going to change this country, we have to stop expressing preferences for certain categories of bad leaders.
Mr. Jonathan, whose defeat you are still bitter about, is closer to Buhari today than most Buhari supporters. They have a common interest. Jonathan has moved on with his life but you are still bitter about 2015. You are taking sides against your fellow citizens in the name of partisanship.
Those of you who are still obsessed with Jonathan’s defeat should remember that history is a judge. Most of you that are attacking people over their political views in 2015 were the most vociferous defenders of impunity, corruption and injustice under Jonathan.
Many of you are still fervently rooting for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. How can you hate your regular citizens over their political decisions and views in 2015 and at the same time be defending the same Atiku whose money, influence and support along with Saraki, Amaechi, Kwankwaso, Tinubu and others propelled Buhari to power?
People like Reno Omokri should not insult our intelligence by pretending to be activists or advocates for good governance. We know that if your favourite politicians were in control today of the federal government today, you will be doing exactly what Buhari supporters are doing, just like you did under Jonathan.
The very fact that you are unwilling to admit the flaws of Jonathan’s government which largely caused his defeat says a lot about your sense of patriotism, character and false outrage.
In any event, how many of you are willing to support a fresh presidential candidate who is not part of the rotten political establishment in 2023?
You cannot be recycling thieves and expect some of us to take you seriously simply because your preferred thief steals less than another thief. If we truly want to change Nigeria, we must stop supporting people who have been part of the destruction of this country in the past.
2023 is far away, but many of you are already projecting the same corrupt and recycled politicians for the next round of presidential election. That is not how to change a country.
For some of us, PDP is APC and APC is PDP. If we are going to move Nigeria forward, we must look beyond these evil twin.
We have a collective responsibility to confront the forces of darkness that have overwhelmed our country.
The Buhari regime has declared war on the suffering masses. Buhari has imposed economic sanctions on Nigerians by implementing unconscionable austerity measures and policies at a time that responsible nation’s are introducing palliatives and social intervention programmes to cushion the harsh effects of COVID-19 pandemic.
We cannot effectively hold this oppressive, corrupt and incompetent regime accountable if citizens do not unite. Jonathan has since moved on, Atiku has ostensibly moved on after 2019 elections. It is time for you to move on.
It is time to fight for a better Nigeria.
inibehe.effiong@gmail.comTwitter: @InibeheEffiong

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EXCLUSIVE: Event Planners, Others Flown In From Dubai For Lavish Wedding Of President Buhari’s Daughter, Hanan

The wedding ceremony between President Muhammadu Buhari’s daughter, Hanan, and her groom, Mohammed Turad, on Friday had all the trappings of a fairytale nuptials.
Apart from the opulence on display, SaharaRepoters reliably gathered that event planners for the wedding were flown in from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to add colour and spice to the ceremony.
Recall that in August, SaharaRepoters had revealed how First Lady and mother of the bride, Mrs Aisha Buhari, flew to Dubai in a private jet owned by billionaire Mohammed Indimi under the guise of a medical emergency to shop for luxury items ahead of Friday’s wedding.

It was reliably scooped on Saturday that most of the items including souvenirs used for the occasion were brought in from the Arabian country.
The wedding, which had security personnel prohibiting guests from taking photographs, saw the event planners and other vendors flown in from Dubai pocketing huge amounts in United States dollars for their services apart from the cost of bringing them into the country.
Apart from being against the President Buhari administration’s drive to promote local content, the importation of the vendors from Dubai also flouted the ban in non-essential travels in and out of Nigeria at this time.
Government banned international flights from coming into and leaving the country in March in order to curb the spread of Coronavirus in Nigeria.
The elaborate ceremony comes a few days after the administration of President Buhari increased the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit widely known as petrol from N145 to N161, causing many households untold crisis following the attendant effect on the prices of basic commodities including food items.
In a video of the lavish ceremony dubbed ‘The First Wedding’ for being the first of its kind to hold inside Aso Villa, Nigeria’s seat of power, and seen by SaharaReporters, guests numbering about 10 sat close to each other on a table, breaching the Coronavirus safety protocols of government in the process.
Earlier on Wednesday, SaharaRepoters revealed how some guests for the wedding were declining the invitation over fear of contracting Coronavirus especially after it emerged that President Buhari’s closest aide and Senior Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs, Sarki Abba, had recently recovered from the virus.
Abba, who has since resumed duties after recovering from the virus, was considered still unsafe to mingle with others inside the Presidential Villa by some persons including the First Lady.
In order not to expose her family and guests at the wedding, Mrs Buhari vowed not to allow Abba attend the wedding as a result of this situation.
She also opposed the idea of Mamman Daura, a nephew and close confidant of Buhari, attending the event despite the President’s insistence that he be a part of the occasion.
This situation sent panic among some guests, who chose not to attend the ceremony and risk their health.

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Congratulations to turad and @hanan_buhari Groom’s father’s wedding reception at his residence Thank you for choosing blue velvet #presidentialwedding #day2 #hananbuhariswedding #hananbuhari #buhariturad #buharimarwa #hananbuharislovestory #hananMuhammad #hananslovestory #presido #bedgepictures #hudayyabride #bbnaija #bbnaija2020 #bigbrothernaija #shesaidado #adamaindimiwedding #throwbackthursday #adamaindimi #inconversationwithzahra #presidowedding #adamaindimi #presido #indimiwedding #arewawedding #adamaindimislovestory
A post shared by #Hamadforever (@theweddingjournalng) on Sep 4, 2020 at 7:26am PDT

But despite the absence of some prominent Nigerians at the occasion, Friday’s wedding between Hanan and Turad had all the glitz and spark synonymous with such calibre of events.
Turad is the son of an ex-lawmaker from Kaduna State, while Hanan, one of Buhari’s daughter’s, is a graduate of Photography from Ravensbourne University in England, who in July 2019 ordered the Department of State Services to arrest a young businessman based in Delta State, Athony Okolie, after he was issued a mobile number by telecommunications company MTN previously used and abandoned by her.
Okolie spent 10 weeks in unlawful detention before he was finally released by the secret police.

E2%80%99t-betray-nigeria-pid-case-says-ex-lagos-attorney-general-shasore I Didn’t Betray Nigeria In P&ID Case, Says Ex-Lagos Attorney-General, Shasore

Olasupo Shasore

A former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos State, Mr Olasupo Shasore (SAN), who represented Nigeria at the inception of the case against Process and Industrial Developments, a British Virgin Island engineering firm, has said he defended the country to the best of his ability in the matter.
SaharaReporters had exposed how Shasore was allegedly paid a bribe to compromise the case in favour of P&ID.
According to documents at the disposal of SaharaReporters, Shasore, during the course of the EFCC’s investigations, was earlier paid $2m by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation for his involvement in the first and second stages of the arbitration.

Olasupo Shasore

To achieve this target, he concealed his involvement in the case from his own firm, Ajumogobia & Okeke, but conducted the proceedings covertly through a separate firm, Twenty Marina, which had no background in litigation and was used to provide secretarial services.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria, it was discovered, made payments of $100,000 each to Mrs Adelore and Mr Oguine, who were senior lawyers for the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and NNPC at the time.
The Nigerian Government also presented evidence that he did not give his best to defend the country’s interest but rather kept pushing for settlement, suggesting that he was compromised.
Reacting on Saturday, Shashore said he was not involved when the huge sum of damages was awarded against Nigeria.
He said, “I was instructed in this matter and accepted the instructions on behalf of my firm and to the knowledge of my partners in late 2012 and I made every effort to defend and vindicate my client at every stage with very few tools and with minimal support from within the government itself. I represented Nigeria up until the liability stage in the arbitration. I did not represent Nigeria in the damages stage of the arbitration. Which means I was not involved when the huge sum of damages was awarded against Nigeria. The complete records will show the series of steps that I took to defend Nigeria and the several results, which I secured in that effort at various stages.
“None of these is consistent with the unfounded allegations that I failed to present the best available defense. With very little or no cooperation from relevant government officials at the time, I filed a jurisdiction objection that potentially could and should indeed have terminated the case in favour of Nigeria because it was clear to us from the beginning that the contract was a scheme against Nigeria. When the then Nigerian officials failed to supply documents or any witness to defend their case, I fought liability by enlisting the support of the legal adviser of NNPC who gave evidence to the best of his knowledge when everyone else with knowledge, refused to do so.
“I instructed the UK firm of Stephenson Harwood, a respected international arbitration team, and a leading barrister to attempt to set aside the award on liability in England. It is on record that I fought hard for the tribunal to dispense with that evidence. I am happy that the falsity of that testimony has now been recorded in the High Court in England.
“Much issue has been made about the legal fees paid. This was payment to two law firms and not exceptional or unusual in the context of such a dispute. In fact, in order to extract the best possible case for Nigeria, it was from these fees that expenses were paid to ensure attendance at hearings and meetings in the UK by witnesses for Nigeria.”

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Boko Haram Terrorists Planning To Attack Abuja, Kogi, Nasarawa –Nigerian Government

Boko Haram

The Nigerian Government has revealed that Boko Haram terrorists were already in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and neighbouring states.
The government said the terrorists were planning to attack some selected targets within the nation’s capital and had already set up five camps in the area.

According to an internal memo dated August 20, 2020 and signed by the Comptroller, Enforcement of Customs headquarters, H.A Sabo, all officers must be vigilant and security conscious.
The document reads, “Information reaching the Comptroller-General of Customs reveals the existence of Boko Haram terrorists camps in and around the Federal Capital Territory. Further reports have it that they are planning to attacks some selected targets within the territory.
“They are reported to have set up their camps in the following identified enclaves; Kunyam bush along airport road off DIA staff quarters – Abuja, Robochi/Gwagwalada forest, Kwaku Forest Kuje – Abuja, Unaisha Forest in Toto Local Government of Nasarawa State, Gegu Close To Idu Town in Kogi.
“Consequently, you are to be at alert and security conscious of your environment at all times. Ensure wide circulation please.”
The first major terror attack in the FCT was on October 1, 2010, months after ex-Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan, assumed office following the death of Umar Musa Yar’adua.

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We Need Money From Petroleum Ministry To Finance Ondo Election And You Must Deliver, Akeredolu Tells Sylva

Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, has said that the All Progressives Congress needs fund from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources to fund the upcoming governorship election in the state.
Akeredolu made this known in Akure on Saturday during a rally for his re-election campaign at the Akure Township Stadium.

He said, “I welcome all ministers, my friend Sylva is here, we need money. He is the Minister of Petroleum Resources and he must deliver.”
Meanwhile, a national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, earlier inaugurated Ondo Revenue House located along Igbatoro Road, Akure.
While inaugurating the project, Tinubu said he deliberately avoided some APC leaders prior to the July 20 governorship primary in the state.
He said, “It is against this context that my actions regarding Ondo must be weighed. The governor had shown that he wanted genuine reconciliation among party members in the state.
“As part of this trust-building process, the governor was asked to extend a hand of fellowship to those who felt aggrieved and to embrace all the leaders within the state chapter of the party so that our progressive front would again be solid and strong.”

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CAMA (Companies Allied Matters Act) 2020, A Fulani Agenda By Bishop Steven Ogedengbe

As controversy continues to rage over the amended Company and Allied Matters Act (CAMA 2020), some notable Nigerians, mainly Christian clerics, have implied that the new law is surreptitious agenda, which is meant to foist a Northern ethnic dominance on the populace.
Prominent among those who hold the view that CAMA may have been clandestinely promoted by the Fulani hegemony is the General Overseer/ President of Evangelical Ministries (Wisdom Chapel) Bishop Steven Ogedengbe.

Bishop Steven Ogedengbe said “I agree totally with the thinking that CAMA 2020 is a Fulani agenda against Christians. Yes, because Islamic systems are few, in fact, absolutely few in the North, the government superintend most of the Islamic centres; they send them to Mecca, to pilgrimage and most of them do not run what we call missionary institutions”.
Remember that the Missionary institutions are the ones that brought about what we call the religious centres and all Christian schools. And that is exactly what most of the religious centres are still doing today from primary to tertiary.
“Now, they want to come through the backdoor and deviously take over these institutions. It is a robbery that is coming up. How many Islamic systems have a university or high school that operates fully Islamic school? “The church helps to lift the academic standard and development of a nation. And that is exactly what the agenda is against, they are using the government to fight for its achievement, it won’t work by God’s Grace”, he prayed.
CAMA is RUGA in disguise. He further recommended that the Federal government ought to face important issues bordering on the Christian killings in Kaduna state and other parts of the country; and quickly restore Christian Communities that has been totally destroyed, displaced and devastated with the Fulani herdsmen and militia moving about with their Cattles and Illegal firearms unchallenged by the government, he wonders if the government prioritizes its responsibility of securing lives and properties of the citizens of Nigeria.

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Incoming International Flights To Carry Maximum Of 200 Passengers –NCAA

As Nigeria commences partial resumption of international flights, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has said that incoming flights are only permitted to carry a maximum of 200 passengers.
This was disclosed in a memo signed by Musa Nuhu, Director-General/CEO of NCAA, on Friday.

Nuhu, however, confirmed that there was no limit on the number of outgoing passengers.
“Following the announcement by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 on the partial resumption of international flights effective September 5, 2020, kindly note that due to the limited number of approved incoming passengers (1,280) allowed daily per each airport, it is not possible to accommodate the requested schedule of airlines.
“The approved schedule is based on a maximum number of 200 passengers per each incoming flight to Nigeria. There is no limit on the number of outgoing passengers.
“Each operator has only one frequency on an approved day of operation irrespective of the capacity of aircraft utilised,” he said.
According to the memo, the approved airlines for international flight schedule include Turkish Airlines, Air Senegal, Virgin Atlantic, Qatar, Africa World Airlines Ghana for the Lagos and Abuja airports.
Others include Emirates, British Airways, Ethiopian, Asky, Air Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt Air, Delta, Middle East and Kenya Airways.

AOL DG034 on Flight Schedule.pdf

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E2%80%99-bank-accounts-dollar-scarcity-bites-harder CBN Freezes Baba Ijebu, Other Companies’ Bank Accounts As Dollar Scarcity Bites Harder In Nigeria

The Central Bank of Nigeria has frozen the bank accounts of 38 Nigerian companies.
This is as scarcity of dollars at the parallel market during the week forced the naira down to N465 against a United States dollar.

Nigeria is presently facing one of its biggest dollar crunch in recent years with the impact hurting critical sectors of the economy.
In a circular dated September 4, Bello Hassan, CBN’s Director of Banking Supervision, asked banks to place the accounts of the 38 companies on Post-No-Debit (PND) order
“You are hereby required to place the under listed accounts on Post-No-Debit with immediate effect and revert with the account names, numbers, currencies and balances of all accounts placed on PND.
“Note that only the listed entities should be placed on PND, all related accounts are excluded. Your response should be forwarded to the underlisted email addresses Osoladipo@cbn.gov.ng or moabeng@cbn.gov.ng,” part of the circular read.
Among the companies listed by CBN is Premier Lotto owned by Adebutu Kessington, Nigerian billionaire known as Baba Ijebu.
The move by the apex bank comes months after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission launched an investigation into the activities of Adebutu for alleged tax fraud and economic sabotage.
According to PREMIUM TIMES, Segun, one of Adebutu’s children and other management officials of Premier Lotto were in January detained at the EFCC office in Lagos.
According to officials of the commission, the investigation was as a result of a petition submitted by Western Lotto, another betting company run by late Buruji Kashamu.
PREMIUM TIMES quoted EFCC sources as saying that they had identified N5bn revenue that should have been remitted to the Nigerian Government but was allegedly kept aside by the company.
The probe might be expanded to include other betting companies and investigate claims of sharp practices and how some firms allegedly withhold funds from winning customers.

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RULAAC Condemns Osun Police Boss’ Attack On Activists

The Rule of Law And Accountability Advocacy Centre has condemned what it tagged an unlawful and irresponsible act of brutality and assault meted on two activists by the Osun State Deputy Commissioner of Police, Hamzat Adebola Ayinde, in Osogbo, the state capital.
The activists, Owoeye Olaoluwa, Coordinator of CORE, Osun State, and a female member of the group, Omowunmi Ewatee, were arrested by the police on Friday during a protest on the need for massive resistance of fuel pump price hike and other anti-poor policies of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.

Okechukwu Nwanguma, Executive Director of RULAAC, in a statement said Olaoluwa and Ewatee were “seriously slapped and beaten” by Ayinde at the state CID office.
Nwanguma asked the Police Service Commission to investigate the issue with a view to ensuring disciplinary action.
The statement reads, “RULAAC was informed that the DCP brutalised and assaulted them because a police officer told him that they refused to listen to an officer who instructed them to use face mask whereas the officer was also not wearing a face mask. The DCP, without hearing from us, angrily came outside, dragged us in and landed several slaps and beating on us.
“We told him to hear from our side but he said we can’t come to his office and be harassing his officers. Members of CORE had embarked on a peaceful campaign to sensitise and mobilise members of the public towards the planned mass protest against insensitive government policies including the recent increase in the pump prices of petrol and hike in electricity bill by the Buhari regime.
“We were singing and as we passed in front of Iree Police Division in Boripe Local Government in Osun State, a police officer called us and said we did not take permit and he would have shot us all, that nothing will happen. They were later taken to the state CID Osogbo where the DCP assaulted them, slapped them several times causing the face of the female victim to swell.

Residents Of Ondo, Ekiti Condemn Petrol Price Hike

Residents of Ondo and Ekiti states have continued to condemn the increase in pump price of Premium Motor Spirit otherwise known as petrol.
The Nigerian Government increased petrol price from N143 to N161 earlier in the week, leaving citizens fuming with rage.
SaharaReporters observed that almost all filling stations in both states especially independent marketers had adjusted their pump price to reflect the new price regime.

Some commercial drivers, who spoke with our correspondent, lamented the hike in petrol price, stressing that the situation was affecting their jobs.
One of them, who gave his name as Mr Ibukun, said the increment had led a hike in transportation fare within Akure metropolis in Ondo State, adding that passengers were finding it difficult to pay the increased rate.
In Ado-Ekiti, capital of Ekiti State, the case is not different as many filling stations have adjusted their pump price to the new rate.
At Fajuyi and Bank roads in the state capital, many filling stations are witnessing high customer rate as car owners are desperate to fill their tanks.
A resident of the city, Mr Olusegun Adekunle, said the increment would affect every aspect of the economy in Nigeria.
He said, “There would be a hike in the prices of commodities because the drivers moving produce from would increase the cost of transportation.
“The farmers too would want to add to the price of food items as a result in the increment in petrol price. This portends serious danger.”
An economist, Isaacs Omoleye, said the hike in petrol pump price by the Nigerian Government was ill-timed and unhealthy for the country.
Omoleye, who noted that citizens were still grappling with the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic on their sources of income, said the increment could spark inflation and make citizens rise against the government.
He urged President Muhammadu Buhari to quickly introduce measures to cushion the effects of the price hike on the masses.

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Nigeria News Headlines Today

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Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Sunday 6th September 2020

Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Sunday 6th September 2020

Time To Move On – A Brief Note To Jonathan Supporters By Inibehe Effiong

EXCLUSIVE: Event Planners, Others Flown In From Dubai For Lavish Wedding Of President Buhari’s Daughter, Hanan

E2%80%99t-betray-nigeria-pid-case-says-ex-lagos-attorney-general-shasore I Didn’t Betray Nigeria In P&ID Case, Says Ex-Lagos Attorney-General, Shasore

Boko Haram Terrorists Planning To Attack Abuja, Kogi, Nasarawa –Nigerian Government

We Need Money From Petroleum Ministry To Finance Ondo Election And You Must Deliver, Akeredolu Tells Sylva

CAMA (Companies Allied Matters Act) 2020, A Fulani Agenda By Bishop Steven Ogedengbe

Incoming International Flights To Carry Maximum Of 200 Passengers –NCAA

E2%80%99-bank-accounts-dollar-scarcity-bites-harder CBN Freezes Baba Ijebu, Other Companies’ Bank Accounts As Dollar Scarcity Bites Harder In Nigeria

RULAAC Condemns Osun Police Boss’ Attack On Activists

Residents Of Ondo, Ekiti Condemn Petrol Price Hike