I’m going to suffer in my new parish - Fr. Mbaka

Enugu Catholic priest, and founder, Adoration Ministry, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, has said he is going to suffer in his new parish.

Mbaka made the statement after he was moved from the Christ the King Parish, G.R.A, in Enugu metropolis, where he served as parish priest for over 20 years, to Our Lady Parish, in Emene, a suburb of the Coal City.

While handing over to his successor on Saturday, Mbaka said, “I know we are going to suffer, between now and few months to come, I am going to suffer.

“I am going to suffer because I have no place to lay my head; I am going to suffer because I have no place to keep the (Adoration) Ministry’s assets.

“The Adoration Ministry is passing through suffering right now.

“Even though I have accepted it as the will of God – it is the will of God through suffering – it is a mega suffering.

“But however, the grace of God will carry us all – even though some of you may pray that God should remove this thorn from us, the scripture says ‘His grace is sufficient for us, for it it even in your weakness that the power of God is demonstrated.”

It was gathered that Mbaka would move from a duplex, which served as his residence in the old parish, to just a room in the new posting.

The said room is only equipped with a small toilet and a bathroom, as well as a small table and a bed, it was learnt.

Mbaka, who was the parish priest-in-charge at the CKC Parish, G.R.A, will serve as an assistant parish priest in the new parish.

It was also learnt that Mbaka’s transfer was part of a general redeployment of priests by Enugu Catholic Diocese, headed by His Lordship, Bishop Calistus Onaga.

Buhari and Mbaka

It was equally gathered that the diocese routinely redeploys priests every six years.

But Mbaka, and his massive followers, have linked the development to the anger reportedly expressed by the hierarchy of the Catholic Church over his role in the build-up to the 2015 presidential election, when he condemned former President Goodluck Jonathan in a message entitled ‘From Good Luck to Bad Luck’.

In the message, Mbaka prophesied that Muhammadu Buhari would win the election, and urged his followers and other Nigerians to vote for him.

Buhari eventually won the poll.

Following the election, Mbaka has been accused of engaging in partisan politics after he visited Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, and went ahead to allege, in a New Year message, that the President’s opponents were plotting to kill him.

It is widely believed that the leadership of the Catholic Church in Enugu was not comfortable with Mbaka’s activities.

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Obasanjo’s regime introduced corruption into the national assembly – Dino Melaye

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Otunba Dino Melaye, on Thursday reacted to the letter written by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, describing it as “a misplacement of anger.”

Melaye noted that Obasanjo’s regime exposed the national assembly to corruption and easy money, Melaye (APC Kogi West), in a statement he specially signed said he expected the former resident to have forgiven all those who “defrauded him in 2007, those who collected his money and refused to implement the 3rd term agenda.”

“I have tremendous respect for president Olusegun Aremu Okikiola Obasanjo. Elder statesman, respected pan Africanist and committed patriot. I went through the letter written to all senators and members of the House of Representatives. The letter I can see is a misplacement of anger.

“Our leader is mistaking the 8th National Assembly as the same Senate Assembly that defrauded him in 2007: Those who collected his money and refused to implement the third term agenda. I appeal to Baba that we are not the ones please. After nine years of that bribery saga, the first of its kind, I expect forgiveness to have taken place.

“There was the case of bribery introduced by the Obasanjo’s regime in the desperate attempt to remove Speaker Ghali Umar Na’abba from office then. In fact, there was open display of that bribery money on the floor of the house. That government exposed the national assembly to corruption and easy money. I hope this is not in an attempt to cover up and distract attention from the Halliburton and Siemens corruption allegations.

“While I am against corruption anywhere in Nigeria, I will not support accusations based on anger and vindictiveness. The 8th Senate should also look inwardly and purge herself of all the deliberate misgivings of the past. Nigeria must work and we must support the anti corruption stand of the Muhammadu Buhari’s Administration. God bless Nigeria.”

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My victory, a new dawn in Rivers – Wike

The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has described the affirmation of his election by the Supreme Court as the manifestation of a new dawn in the state.

Wike said on Thursday that the court’s verdict marked an end to financial recklessness and impunity, adding that his victory will revive the trust that the voters had in him during the April 11, 2015 governorship election.

The governor, who spoke in Port Harcourt through the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Dr. Austin Tam-George, maintained that the time for electioneering was over and noted that the time to work and move Rivers forward had come.

“This victory, which is a victory for Rivers people and the rule of law, will imbue the governor with the determination to move the state forward through the implementation of his social contract with Rivers people.

“The time for campaigns is over; the elections are over; litigation over electoral matters is also over. Politics is over. This is the time to attend to the needs of the people that have entrusted us with their mandate. We must not disappoint them,” Wike said.

He expressed regret that the immediate-past administration wasted N60bn on the monorail project, which was later abandoned.

Wike reiterated his administration’s commitment to managing the financial resources of the state prudently.

He said, “We can tolerate incompetence, but we will not condone people ferreting away our collective patrimonies out of the state. I can assure you that we will prudently manage the financial resources of the state.”

On the state of security in the state, the governor recalled that his administration purchased 64 operational vehicles for the police and other security agencies.

“Insecurity is not peculiar to any state. It is on record that we are the only state government that has given 64 operational vehicles fitted with modern communication gadgets to the police and other security agencies to fight crime and criminality,” he said.

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PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh freed

The embattled National Publicity Secretary of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, has regained his freedom. Metuh is facing trial over alleged N400 million fraud.

Metuh, was arrested by four operatives of the anti-graft agency from his Abuja home on January 5.

Metuh and his firm, Destra Investment Limited, were charged before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court over alleged N400 million fraud.

The charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/05/2016, was signed by the Assistant Director, Legal & Prosecution Department of the EFCC, Mr. Sylvanus Tahir.

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Falling Naira: Buhari is repeating an economic error he made 30 years ago - The Economist

According to a new article by International News magazine, The Economist, they believe that President Buhari is making the same mistake now he made with the falling Naira when he was Military leader 30 years ago.

Read the article below ...

Give me lucky generals,” Napoleon is supposed to have said, preferring them to talented ones. Muhammadu Buhari, a former general, has not had much luck when it comes to the oil price. Between 1983 and 1985 he was Nigeria’s military ruler. Just before he took over, oil prices began a lengthy collapse; the country’s export earnings fell by more than half. 

The economy went into a deep recession and Mr Buhari, unable to cope, was overthrown in a coup. Now he is president again. (He won a fair election last year against a woeful opponent; The Economist endorsed him.) And once again, oil prices have slumped, from $64 a barrel on the day he was sworn in to $32 eight months later. Growth probably fell by half in 2015, from 6.3% to little more than 3%

Oil accounts for 70% of the government’s revenues and 95% of export earnings. The government deficit will widen this year to about 3.5% of GDP. The currency, the naira, is under pressure. The central bank insists on an exchange rate of 197-199 naira to the dollar. On the black market, dollars sell for 300 naira or more. Instead of letting the naira depreciate to reflect the country’s loss of purchasing power, Mr Buhari’s government is trying to keep it aloft.

The central bank has restricted the supply of dollars and banned the import of a long list of goods, from shovels and rice to toothpicks. It hopes that this will maintain reserves and stimulate domestic production. When the currency is devalued, all imports become more expensive.

But under Mr Buhari’s system the restrictions on imports are by government fiat. Factory bosses complain they cannot import raw materials such as chemicals and fret that, if this continues, they may have to shut down. Many have turned to the black market to obtain dollars, and are doubtless smuggling in some of the goods that have been banned. Nigerians have heard this tune before. Indeed, Mr Buhari tried something similar the last time he was president. Then, as now, he resisted what he called the “bitter pill” of devaluation.

When, as a result, foreign currency ran short, he rationed it and slashed imports by more than half. When Nigerians turned to the black market he sealed the country’s borders. When unemployment surged he expelled 700,000 migrants. Barking orders at markets did not work then, and it will not work now. Mr Buhari is right that devaluation will lead to inflation—as it has in other commodity exporters. But Nigeria’s policy of limiting imports and creating scarcity will be even more inflationary. A weaker currency would spur domestic production more than import bans can and, in the long run, hurt consumers less.

The country needs foreign capital to finance its deficits but, under today’s policies, it will struggle to get any. Foreign investors assume that any Nigerian asset they buy in naira now will cost less later, after the currency has devalued. So they wait. Those who fail to learn from history... Mr Buhari’s tenure has in some ways been impressive. He has restored a semblance of security to swathes of northern Nigeria that were overrun by schoolgirl-abducting jihadists. He has won some early battles against corruption. Some of his economic policies are sound, too. He has indicated that he will stop subsidising fuel and selling it at below-market prices.

This is brave, since the subsidies are popular, even though they have been a disaster (the cheap fuel was often sold abroad and petrol stations frequently ran dry). If Mr Buhari can find the courage to let fuel cost what the market says it should, why not the currency, too? You can forgive the general for being unlucky; but not for failing to learn from past mistakes.

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WATCH VIDEO: Buhari is fighting Boko Haram with the arms I bought – Jonathan

Former President Goodluck Jonathan, said President Muhhamadu Buhari administration’s is prosecuting the war against the Boko Haram insurgency with the arms his administration procured. The ex-president made this revelation in an interview with International news channel, France24.

Jonathan dogged every question thrown at him about Buhari's administration, insisting that it was 'not proper to comment'

Watch video below...

“The new government is working hard and I believe they are still using the equipment we procured. The budget is still being debated, no new equipment has been bought, so even those equipment the president is using to prosecute the war against Boko Haram are those equipment we procured and I believe that with what we left behind and the new ones they will acquire, this issue of Boko Haram will be taken to a logical conclusion.

When Boko Haram started in Nigeria, we had no terror experience. Yes we had armed robbery and other common crimes, but terrorism was different because the people involved were not afraid to die. So, you need a different mechanism to confront terrorism, you need superior technology, so that you will be able to stop them even before the attack. We never had the equipment, but when we were confronted, we started acquiring and before I left office we built reasonable capacity and I believe with what we left behind and also with what the new government will acquire, they will be able to prosecute this terror war to a reasonable conclusion” he said

When asked to speak on the ongoing $2.1 billion arms deal scandal, Jonathan said

"This issue always comes up but I always insist that the matters are being investigated and they are in our own courts and in Nigeria where our issues are before the courts, you don't make comments on it. It is considered prejudice. But one thing you will also realize is that for us to have conducted elections across the country, all parts of the country, that means that we prosecuted the war against Boko Haram to a reasonable level. Otherwise, we couldn't have been in position to conduct elections across the country and we couldn't have fought Boko Haram with bare hands.

This issues of corruption, issues of misuse of funds, being investigated before the courts and I wouldn't want to compromise the position of our laws because while I served as the President of Nigeria, I made sure that the judiciary had their own independence. I made sure that there is maximum separation of powers between all arms of government. So haven left office, I don't think I will be the person that will say things that will be detrimental to the judicial processes" he said

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Supreme Court overturns Appeal Court ruling, affirms election of Nyesom Wike as Rivers governor

The Supreme Court has affirmed the election of Nyesom Wike as governor of Rivers State. The court will give reasons for its decision of February 12.

The Court of Appeal had on December 16 affirmed the judgment of the Rivers Governorship Election Tribunal.

The appeal court had ruled that Mr. Wike was not validly elected.

The Rivers Tribunal had earlier on October 24 nullified Mr. Wike’s election.

The tribunal, which delivered its ruling in Abuja, also ordered that a fresh governorship election be conducted in the state.

After the tribunal’s ruling, the governor headed to the Court of Appeal, saying the judgment was untenable.

The petition challenging the election of Mr. Wike as Rivers State Governor was filed by Dakuku Peterside, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the election.

The Rivers governorship election, which was criticised by local and international observers, witnessed the largest amount of violence both in its build-up and after the election.

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Nigerians protest alleged extra-judicial killing by South African police

Nigerians living in Gauteng Province of South Africa have protested the alleged extra-judicial killing of a 34- year-old man, Timothy Chinedu, by the police.

Mathew Okafor, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union in Gauteng Province, told the News Agency of Nigeria on phone from Johannesburg that Mr. Chinedu was allegedly suffocated to death by the police after his arrest at 9.00 a.m. on Saturday.

Mr. Chinedu is a native of Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of Imo.

Mr. Okafor claimed that another Nigerian, who witnessed the incident at Kempton Park in Ekulurheni Municipality, Gauteng Province, saw the South African police arrest the deceased, tie his hands and cover his face with a cellophane bag.

“We suspect that Chinedu died of suffocation. That is why Nigerians in the province mobilised and staged a protest against this extra-judicial killing .

“The South African police is alleging that he died after ingesting drugs but a Nigerian witnessed the entire incident and reported it to us

“The case has been handed over to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) that investigates police misconduct in South Africa.
“We have been given the contacts of key persons that we need to be talking to as this investigation proceeds so that we can monitor the development.

“An autopsy is being carried out and we are waiting for the coroner’s report.
“We have also reported this incident to the national body of Nigeria Union and Nigerian Mission in South Africa.

“We have also gotten the contacts of the relatives of the deceased and we have duly informed them of the tragedy,” Mr. Okafor said.
The President of Nigeria Union in South Africa, Ikechukwu Anyene, said the body had received the report of the incident.

“We take exception to the continued torture of Nigerians by the South African police.
“The union believes that there is the due process to follow after a suspect is arrested instead of resorting to torture,” he said.

Mr. Anyene urged the Federal Government to intervene by persuading the South African government to look into the continued killings of Nigerians by the police.

“We also want to state that the Nigerian did not die of drug ingestion as being alleged by the South African police,” he said.
Nigeria`s Consul General to South Africa, Uche Ajulu-Okeke, said that the mission had received the report of the killing of the Nigerian.

She said the mission would investigate the incident and present a report to the Federal Government.
Ms. Ajulu-Okeke, however, appealed to Nigerians to remain law abiding and report any incident to the union and the mission.

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Sh'iite leader, El-Zakzaky flown to France for treatment, back to Abuja

Embattled leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky was flown out of Nigeria for treatment of gun shot injuries he suffered during the encounter between his supporters and members of the Nigerian Army last year.

It would be recalled that during the bloody encounter between members of the Shiites and the Nigerian Army, several members of the sect were killed while many others sustained various degrees of injuries with some still on admission at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Shika near Zaria.


The fracas occurred when members of the sect allegedly blocked the Zaria-sokoto road and prevented the convoy of the chief of Army staff from passing through despite several entreaties.

Sheikh El-Zakzaky allegedly sustained several gun shot wounds with some reports claiming that one of his eyes was affected during the encounter.

Since the clash between the sect and the Military, his whereabouts has been shrouded in secrecy until it was learnt that he was moved from Kaduna to a safe house in Abuja belonging to one of the security services.

Several security sources who are knowledgeable in the matter however told newsmen yesterday that due to the seriousness of the injuries the Shiite leader sustained, he was secretly flown to France by the Nigerian government some weeks ago for treatment before being returned to the country two weeks ago.

One of the sources said: “it is true that the federal government flew him out of the country for treatment. He was stabilized before he was brought back to Nigeria. The government did not want to take chances by keeping him in the country. We did not want a repeat of the incidence with the late leader of the Boko Haram movement whose death in custody exacerbated the crisis in the north east”.

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Goodluck Jonathan holds world press conference in Geneva, Switzerland

Former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, will on Wednesday, hold a world press conference in Geneva, Switzerland.

The press conference, which holds at 3pm local time, is part of activities lined up by the Circle of Diplomats (Circle Diplomatique), Geneva in honour of Jonathan, which would be concluded with a dinner same day.

According to a statement by Guy Mettan, Executive Director, the Geneva Press Club, Jonathan will address two most crucial topics in Nigeria and West Africa at the press briefing.

Mettan said the former Nigerian president will talk about security and civil peace in Nigeria and West Africa, on one hand, as well as improvement of health and education of children, on the other.

He said accredited United Nations correspondents and Swiss journalists are expected at the press conference, which will most likely see Jonathan talking about Boko Haram activities in Nigeria and the fight against insurgency.

The Circle of Diplomats will also host a dinner in honour of Jonathan on Wednesday night at the Intercontinental Hotel, Geneva.

Since leaving office on May 29, 2015, Jonathan has engaged in peace missions and election monitoring on behalf of the United Nations. He has also received global awards and acclaim for peacefully relinquishing power after losing the presidential election last year.

Jonathan had conceded defeated to President Muhammadu Buhari last year even before the final results of the 2015 Nigerian presidential election was announced.

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N22.7 Billion charges: EFCC lines up 25 witnesses against Tompolo, others

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has filed fresh 22 charges against an ex-Niger Delta militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, and 12 others.

The charges, which were filed on Friday at a Federal High Court in Lagos, bordered on stealing, advanced fee fraud and money laundering to the tune of N22,765,900,000.

The fresh charges were filed eight days after Justice Ibrahim Buba ordered the arrest of Tompolo for his failure to appear on January 14, 2016 to take his plea on a separate 40 counts of alleged N34bn fraud earlier filed against him and nine others by the EFCC.


In the fresh charges, which had yet to be assigned to any judge, the EFCC listed 25 witnesses that will testify against Tompolo and his 12 co-suspects when the trial begins.

Among the witnesses are seven EFCC investigators, officials of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, officials of the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, and officials of the Bureau of Public Procurement.

Also to testify against the suspects are officials of four commercial banks including Access Bank, First Bank, Zenith Bank Plc and United Bank for Africa Plc.

Those to be arraigned alongside Tompolo in the fresh 22 counts is a former Director-General of NIMASA, Patrick Akpobolokemi, whose four brothers – Victor, Nobert, Emmanuel and Clement – who are still at large, were alleged to have aided the suspects to commit the fraud.

The other suspects are Kime Engozu, Josephine Otuaga, Rita Uruakpa and Pondi Kestin.

Also joined as defendants in the charges are seven companies – Mieka Dive Training Institute Ltd/GTE, Oyeinteke Global Network Ltd, Wabod Global Resources Ltd, Boloboere Properties Estate Ltd, Gokaid Marine Oil and Gas Ltd, Muhaabix Global Services Ltd and Watershed Associated Resources.

The suspects were said to have fraudulently converted various sums, running into over N22.7bn, stolen from NIMASA, to their personal use between December 12, 2014 and April 10, 2015.

They were also accused of defrauding the Federal Government by making false representations, which they knew to be untrue, in order to obtain money from the government.

The offences are said to be contrary to Section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3)of the same Act.

The charge sheet, signed by Festus Keyamo, also indicated that the suspects violated various sections of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 including its sections 15(3) and 18(a) and were liable to punishment under Section 15(3) of the same Act.

The suspects were also said to be liable to punishment under Section 1 (2) (c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap. M17, Laws of the Federation, 2004.

In count two, the EFCC alleged that the suspects “between the December 2, 2014 and April 10, 2015 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this court, with intent to defraud, induced the Federal Government of Nigeria to deliver to you, the aggregate sum of N11, 900,000,000.00 by falsely pretending to the Federal Government of Nigeria that all that land and its appurtenances lying, being and situate at the Mieka Dive Training Institute, Kurutie, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, to be acquired by NIMASA for the temporary Campus of the Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Warri South-West Local Government Area, is free from any encumbrances, which representation you knew to be false, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section (1) (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3)of the same Act.”

Akpobolokemi is scheduled to appear on Friday before Justice Saliu Saidu of a Federal High Court in Lagos, where he was first arraigned on December 3, 2015 alongside nine others on 30 counts of stealing and money laundering to the tune of N3.4bn.

His trial before Justice Buba, where he was arraigned along with five others on December 4, 2015 on 22 counts of alleged N2.6bn fraud, commenced last week with the EFCC calling three witnesses.

The case was adjourned till February 2, 2016.

Akpobolokemi is also scheduled to appear before Justice Buba on February 8, 2016 alongside nine others, including Tompolo, who was ordered to be arrested and produced in court on the hearing date.

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