FG removes 23,846 ghost workers from payroll

The Federal Government says it has removed 23,846 non-existent workers from its payroll.

Consequently, the salary bill for February 2016 has reduced by N2.293 billion when compared to December 2015 at which time the BVN audit process commenced.

A statement from the Federal Ministry of Finance on Sunday said “this figure represents a percentage of the number of non-existent workers who had hitherto been receiving salary from various ministries, departments and agencies.”

The statement added that further investigation of other suspected cases will continue in conjunction with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

” The removal of non existent workers from federal payroll and the savings on salaries was made possible because of the ongoing BVN-based staff audit and enrolment to the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS)”, the statement said.

The Federal Government is also making efforts to recover “salary balances in bank accounts as well as any pension contributions in respect of the deleted workers. This involves active collaboration with the concerned banks and the National Pension Commission (Pencom).”

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Buhari appoints Sunday Aghaeze‎ as personal assistant

President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed, Mr Sunday Aghaeze, as Personal Assistant to the President, State Photographer. Sunday Aghaeze The appointment according to a letter signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Babachir Lawal, took effect from June 1, 2015. 

Aghaeze, an award-winning photo-journalist, prior to his appointment, was a photo editor with THISDAY Newspapers in Abuja. He holds post-graduate diploma in Business Administration of University of Abuja, Higher National Diploma and National Diploma in Mass Communications, Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra and Auchi in Edo, respectively.

A widely travelled photo-journalist, Aghaeze had covered the UN, World Bank, IMF, African First Ladies’ activities in several countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa. He was 2007 Best Photo Journalist of the year, and 2010 second runner up photo journalist at Prof. Wole Soyinka Award 2010, among others. 

He is a member of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), ‎Photo-journalists Association of Nigeria (PJAN), among others.

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I will rather die in jail than for Ohaneze Ndigbo - Nnamdi Kanu

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB has warned those who are claiming to be representing them, including members of Ohaneze Ndigbo and its youth wing Ohaneze Youths Wing, negotiating for the release of its leader and Director of Radio Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu to stop such move, that nobody speaks or represent them, unless such person or persons are designated officers of its organisation.

The group also said that its leader Mr. Kanu has said that he will rather die in jail that the Ohaneze Ndigbo to claim the glory of his release, saying he has no business with the Igbo Socio cultural Organization.“I will rather die in jail than for Ohaneze Ndigbo to claim the glory of my release, he said IPOB in a statement by its United kingdom spokesmen, Dr Clifford Iroanya and Emma Mmezu, a lawyer said “we are in court and our wish is to expose the fraudulent charge of treasonable felony before the whole world.

At the end of this case the corrupt and compromised segment of the Nigerian judiciary will be publicly disgraced. “Our march to freedom is unstoppable; this is something Buhari ought to know. We have come to die for Biafra if that is what it will take to be free.

 Our resolve should not be underestimated. As our leader will always say, “Nigeria will kill us, we will kill them but in the end we will win” IPOB reaction follows an alarm raised from Enugu yesterday by some of their members that some people suspected to be Ohaneze Ndigbo and their youth wing Ohaneze Ndigbo Youths Wing were impersonating their leaders in Enugu, claiming to be representing them in meeting with some American Officials who were in Nigeria to have a meeting with IPOB on the release of their leader and what they want be done to them for peace to reign, which they said needs their designated officers presence and contribution, but they were not informed, but the people went ahead to speak for IPOB when they do not have the powers and authorization of the group to speak for them.

Some people alleged to be members of the Ohaneze Ndigbo and Ohaneze Youth wing were said to had met with some Americans, at Nike Lake Resort Hotel between 6pm and 7pm Saturday evening.

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Rev. King’s death sentence caused by witches, wizards - Church

Last Friday’s confirmation of the death sentenced passed on General overseer of the Christian Praying Assembly (CPA) Chukwuemeka Ezeugo (aka Rev. King), has been attributed to the handiwork of witches and wizards by his church members.

The members also reaffirmed their belief that Rev. King will be spared the hangman’s noose and “return to join us.”

The self-styled cleric was sentenced to death in 2007 for the burning to death of a member of his church in 2006. He appealed the judgment and lost before the apex court sealed his fate last Friday.

But yesterday during the first church service after the Supreme Court decision at the Lagos headquarters at Ajao Estate, off the Murtala Muhammad Airport Road, Pastor Ifeanyi King, who preached said: “Our G.O. (General Overseer) the most holiness, Rev King, is coming back. He said he would come back and we believe the words of his mouth. We believe his report that he is coming back. Everything happening now we know is the handiwork of witches and wizard. Soon a new story will emerge.”

The preacher added: “Whether people realise it or not, everybody now knows his holiness, our G.O. Rev King. The front pages of newspapers are flooded with his name. People are yearning to read about him in the social media. I can confirm to you that by all these, a lot of people have become endeared to him. Our Daddy G.O. shall live forever for us in Jesus name.”

To every word he uttered, there was a chorus of Amen by the congregation. They sang hymns and danced to mark “the birthday of the G.O.” His death sentence was confirmed on his birthday last Friday.

Pastor Ifeanyi, sported a shaved head and beards like Pastor king. A number of male in the congregation also appeared in the same way. Most of the pastors also use the name King as substitute for their surname.

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IS THIS A U-TURN?: I would rather do infrastructure, empower agriculture than pay N5,000 stipend - Buhari says

What you see above was The All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign billboard in 2015 revealing one of the many campaign promises promised by the APC/Buhari-led administration.

Since last year, Nigerian youths have been demanding a fulfillment of President Buhari’s election campaign promise of N5,000 monthly stipend for the unemployed.

In what appears to be a major U-turn from what his campaign promises before the 2015 presidential election, president Mohammadu Buhari has said he would not pay the N5000 stipend he promised to unemployed youth in the country.


The president made the remarks at the weekend while on the visit in Middle East.

 He said it was wise to use a collation of the funds to put up infrastructures and empower them through agriculture for than to give out monies.

 He said: “This largesse N5,000 for the unemployed, I have got a slightly different priority. I would rather do the infrastructure, the school and correct them and empower agriculture, mining so that every able bodied person can go and get work instead of giving 5,000, N5,000 to those who don’t work.”

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Adeosun, Emefiele should have resigned over forex crisis - Ifeanyi Ubah

The Managing Director of Capital Oil and Gas, Ifeanyi Ubah, on Thursday, said that government officials saddled with fiscal responsibilities should have resigned their appointments amid the current foreign exchange crisis facing the nation.

Ubah, who by implication was referring to the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, also accused the Ministry and the apex bank of applying only academic fiscal policies rather than practical ones.


Ubah, had earlier in the week, threatened to unmask those behind Nigeria’s current foreign exchange crisis.

The businessman, while speaking on a programme on Raypower FM, which was monitored by our correspondent, also alleged that some people have been exploiting the situation to their benefits.

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EFCC set to invite Mu’azu, Obanikoro

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is set to invite the immediate past Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu; and a former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, over the car gifts they allegedly received from oil baron, Jide Omokore.

Already, the EFCC has detained the Deputy Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, since Tuesday for allegedly receiving 23 exotic cars (worth N302m) from Omokore.

However, a source within the PDP told newsmen that the vehicles distributed by Omokore to several party leaders were far more than 23 as the vehicles were meant to be distributed across the country.

Omokore, who is an ally of former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has been in detention for over a week.


His firm was one of the companies that allegedly received multi-billion dollar public assets without due process by the Goodluck Jonathan administration in 2011.

His company, Atlantic Energy Limited, is accused of lifting crude oil, but only remitting a fraction of its worth to the government.

According to detectives at the EFCC, the funds used for the purchase of the vehicles were sourced from crude oil receipts, which Omokore failed to remit.

The vehicles were said to have been given to key PDP chiefs who played key roles in mobilisation in their respective states.

The commission, it was learnt, has been unable to arrest Mu’azu as he has been out of the country for some months.

He is believed to be in either Dubai or Singapore.

The source said, “Mu’azu’s name has also been mentioned in the car issue but he has been out of the country for some months and we cannot get him now.”

Mu’azu is also to have been invited by the commission to explain the N10bn given to PDP delegates to the National Convention that picked Jonathan as the party candidate in 2014.

The N10bn was said to have been received through the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation.

Similarly, Obanikoro has been in the United States – since the defeat of Jonathan. He is said to be undergoing an academic programme in the US.

The former minister, who is an American citizen was said to have received five vehicles from Secondus.

The source said, “Some of the vehicles were given to Secondus but other PDP leaders received the vehicles, which were mostly Sport Utility Vehicles. We were told that Obanikoro received five of such vehicles.

“Obanikoro and members of his family have been out of the country since last year but we hear he goes to Ghana and returns to the US. The two of them, Muazu and Obanikoro, are needed to make clarifications on the cars.”

Spokesman for the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, said he was not aware of the moves to invite Obanikoro and Muazu.

However, Obanikoro said in a statement that he never received any vehicles from anybody during the last beneral elections.

In a statement by his media aide, Mr. Jonathan Eze, the former minister said he was busy preparing for his final exams and did not have time to be responding to frivolous accusations.

He said, “This is another malicious lie from the pit of hell. My principal never collected any car or cars from Jide Omokore. In fact, we doubt that he can utter such a statement because Senator Musiliu Obanikoro has never had any transaction with him. Those behind the desecration of his name should get busy with worthwhile things just the way my principal is busy studying.

“It is another lie that he was seen in Ghana a few weeks ago, I make bold to say that Senator Musiliu Obanikoro never travelled to Ghana but he is intellectually engaged in the US preparing for his examinations.

“Nigerians should please note that all these lies are figments of the imagination of a few who are bent on pulling him down after his clear records of public service. Senator Obanikoro is a full time student and as such he does not have the luxury of time to travel or hold meetings with anyone while academic activities are ongoing.”

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Reps ask FRSC to stop the compulsory use of speed limiters by motorists in Nigeria

The House of Representatives on Thursday asked the Federal Road Safety Corps to stop the compulsory use of speed limiters by motorists in the country.

Lawmakers said besides the technology being “outdated”, its unit price of N36,000 would pile more misery on Nigerians.

In its resolution in Abuja, the House summoned the Corps Marshall and Chief Executive Officer of the FRSC, Mr. Boboye Oyeyemi, to explain why his agency planned to place another “needless burden” on Nigerians.



Members passed the resolution after an All Progressives Congress lawmaker from Edo State, Mr. Philip Shaibu, moved a motion on “introduction of speed limiter outdated technology by FRSC.”

Leading the debate on the floor, Shaibu said the technology had inherent disadvantages, including the fact that it could only work with electronic injector vehicles and not vehicles fitted with carburettors.

Part of Shaibu’s motion read, “The House is concerned that the speed limit device has been experimented and abandoned in some African countries due to innate disadvantages.

“Indeed, it is an outdated technology.

“(We are) further concerned that its introduction will expose motorists to evil-minded persons such as armed robbers, car snatchers and assassins who ply the same roads.

“This is more apt given the security challenges Nigeria is currently grappling with.”

Mr. Tajudeen Yusuf (Kogi State) and Mr. Johnson Agbonayinma (Edo State), both of the Peoples Democratic Party, argued that manufacturers of the technology opted for Nigeria as a “dumping ground,” knowing that it was outdated.

“The idea of speed limit is a way for the manufacturers of speed limit devices to find a market in Nigeria for their outdated devices,” Yusuf said.

Agbonayinma stated, “Why do you want to impose speed limit devices on people who cannot afford three square meals a day?

“This policy is unacceptable; it will not be fair to Nigerians to accept substandard equipment.”

Members advised the FRSC to go for newer technologies that could be installed along the highways to limit speed.

They observed that in advanced societies, such technologies were not necessarily installed in vehicles, neither did they place any direct financial burden on motorists.

Mr. Abubakar Jika, for instance, recalled that the FRSC had introduced unpopular policies in the past.

He cited the case of the replacement of the old number plate.

Jika added, “We were told that the new (number) plates would be fitted with security chips to promote safety on our roads.

“We haven’t seen how the new plate is different from the old one. Yet, we all know that Nigerians paid so much money on the new one.”

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Economic Challenges: Buhari takes Wole Soyinka’s advice, convenes national economic conference

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the convocation of a national economic conference aimed at rallying the country together to offer solutions to the current economic challenges facing Nigeria.

A top government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed this to a group of journalists in Abuja on Thursday.

The approval came barely a week after Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, called on the President to summon an emergency economic meeting to recommend specific solutions to the nation’s prevailing economic challenges to save the country’s economy from further drift.

The nation’s currency has slumped drastically against the dollar in recent months due largely to the scarcity of the foreign currency and the tough regulations of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

This appeared to have led to spiralling inflation in the country as most products are produced abroad, putting the nation’s foreign reserves and currency under intense pressure.

The price of crude oil in the international market has continued to fall since November 2014, threatening to frustrate the provisions of the nation’s N6.07tn 2016 budget.

Soyinka, who made the call when he visited the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in Abuja last Thursday, had said experts and consumers should be invited to the meeting.

“The President should call an emergency economic conference with experts to be invited – consumers, producers, labour unions, university experts, professors, etc. I think we really need an emergency economic conference, a rescue operation, bringing as many heads as possible together to plan the way forward,” Soyinka had said.

But the government source said the idea of the economic conference, which had tentatively been fixed for March 10 and 11, was first discussed at the 65th National Economic Council meeting held on January 28.

The council, presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, had all the state governors and the Central Bank Nigeria Governor, Secretary to the Government of the Federation and some ministers as members.

It has a constitutional role of advising the President on economic matters.

The source said the NEC members had in their deliberations called for a major conference, where the current economic situation of the country could be thoroughly discussed by all the states and the Federal Government.

He added that in approving the idea, the President himself would declare the conference open and participate fully in order to demonstrate his personal commitment to the idea.

He said the views of the private sector and non-state actors would also be sought at the conference.

The source explained that well-respected global experts were expected at the conference to aggregate the views of other governmental, inter-governmental and non-governmental institutions.

The government official stated, “The NEC retreat, as is being called by the Federal Government and the states, becomes imperative amid dwindling oil prices with a direct and significant impact on the money now available for federal allocation and sharing between the FG, states and local government councils.

“For instance, the FG states and local governments shared a sum of N370.4bn a few days ago for the month of January 2016, which is a drop of more than N17bn from the N387.8bn shared the previous month of December last year.

“That could be compared for instance with what was shared in January 2014, which was N629bn and N503.6bn the previous December, both higher significantly than the present situation.

“Another concern of the FG and the states necessitating the economic conference is the drop in foreign reserves of the country, which is now already below $30bn and compelling the CBN to adopt tough forex measures, including the ban on certain items from forex funding and rationing.

“The depreciation of the value of naira has also become an attendant impact of the foreign exchange scarcity.”

He added that it was the President’s expectation that the conference would be solution-centered and also create an opportunity to rally the nation, the FG, states and private sector together for a clear and mutually beneficial economic direction.

“It is interesting that a respectable Nigerian (Soyinka) recently raised the idea of a national economic conference earlier this month, the same idea that had been decided by members of NEC at their January meeting. It shows there is indeed a wide consensus on the idea,” he said.

He explained that although government was not calling the conference an emergency one, it was clear that both federal and state governments agreed on the need to discuss frankly and develop innovative ways to take the country out of the economic challenges of the day.

The source explained that while the FG was clear on what direction it intended to drive the country economically, there was the need to rally the entire nation.

He said there was the need to call on the government and the people to tighten their belts and prepare for sacrifice.

“The President has already set the tone for frugality in spending by cutting off routine security votes among other cost-cutting measures.

“Besides, the idea of a Zero-Based Budgeting and Treasury Single Account are parts of the attempt by the Federal Government to tighten public revenues and finance,” he added.

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IN PICTURES: Fayose rides Okada as he inspects water fetching points in a community in Ekiti

Ekiti state governor, Ayo Fayose pictured riding on a motorcycle (Okada) round Aramoko Ekiti in Ekiti West LGA of Ekiti State today to inspect some of the water fetching points in the community as his government just installed portable water to the locality after 8 years of no water. 

More pictures below...

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PICTURES: Buhari, Sanusi ,Aregbesola, Amosun at Lesser Hajj... praying for Nigeria

President Muhammadu Buhari, who is currently in Saudi Arabia, visited Mecca in Saudi Arabia for Umrah, lesser Hajj (or the lesser pilgrimage).

 Medina is the capital city of Al-Madinah Region of Saudi Arabia. The two basic rules for how two perform Hajj are as follow:


1. If a Muslim intends to perform Umrah, he should take off his clothes, take a bath and then perfume himself.

2. After taking a bath, the Muslim puts on Ihram dress and prays if the time is for prescribed prayer. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter It seems that President Buhari observers all needed procedures.

Buhari reportedly visited Ka’aba in 1984, during his previous visit to the country as the military head of state in 1984, Buhari has reportedly visited the holiest site in Islam – Ka’aba. Also called Ka’aba Muazzama meaning the Grand Ka’aba, it is believed the House of God and duplicates as the most sacred site anywhere in the Earth.

President Buhari’s other engagements in Saudi Arabia include meetings with heads of international financial organisations and multilateral associations.

President Buhari plans another trip, seeks billions in loans to fund budget Buhari is set to leave Saudi Arabia on February 27, Saturday, for Doha, the Qatari capital.

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