Robbi's Blog

The Federal Government through the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, has filed two separate sets of charges against the Senator Isah Misau who is representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District. One of the two sets of charges, marked FCT/HC/CR/345/2017, filed before an Abuja High Court is predicated on the running battle between Senator Misau and the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris. The prosecution in the first charge accuses Senator Misau, a retired Deputy Superintendent of Police, of making “injurious falsehood” against Idris and the Nigeria Police Force based on various allegations of corruption made by the Senator against the IGP in the media. Part of the allegations by Misau considered injurious to the IGP and the Nigeria Police Force was that the police officers allegedly paid N2.5 million to get special promotion and posting through the Police Service Commission. Misau also accused the IGP of allegedly diverting money meant

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Bayelsa Command, on Wednesday, said it arrested 38 drug suspects and seized 29.751 kilogrammes of illicit drugs in the state in September, 2017. The command’s Principal Staff Officer and Superintendent of Narcotics, Osakwe Ikenna, gave the figure in a statement obtain by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yenagoa. Ikenna stated that the suspects included 26, male adults and 12, female offenders. He said that the illicit drugs seized from the suspects comprised cannabis sativa, psychotropic substances, heroin and cocaine. Ikenna said that statistics of arrest and seizure investigations showed high rate of abuse of psychotropic substances especially tramadol by both old and young people in communities across Bayelsa. The NDLEA official expressed concern over the high rate of abuse of tramadol in the state by women and youths. He said the command successfully counseled more than 25 substance dependent persons in Bayelsa from J

The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of assets linked to Diezani Alison Madueke and five others. The assets comprise of 18 companies  and several properties located in the United Kingdom, Nigeria, and the United States. The properties are listed as 21 mixed housing units of 8 terrace units of 4 bedrooms each all ensuite, six three bedroom apartments all ensuite and some other property located at Thoburn Street in the Yaba area of Lagos. Others are 16 four bedroom terrace houses located at Heritage Court Estate, GRA Extension, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, 13 three bedroom terrace houses located at Mabushi Gardens Estate, Abuja and 6 flats of three bedrooms, a lawn tennis court, gym, garden and other appurtenances located at Plot 808, Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos. Four companies, Chapel Properties Ltd, Blue Nile Estate Ltd, Azinge Meadows Ltd and Vistapoint Property Development were allegedly used to acquire the properties.

President  Muhammadu Buhari  has said that part of the funds stolen from the treasury, which was recovered, is being used to finance the 2017 budget. The President, who was represented by the Accountant General of the Federation, Alhaji  Idris Ahmed , disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday, October 10, at the 22nd Annual Conference of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN). Many Nigerians have been asking questions regarding the whereabouts of the stolen funds recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Some believe the funds may be 'relooted' while others demanded that the government be transparent with how the money is being spent. Buhari,  "My administration has practically done much in delivering on its core focus of diversifying the economy. Part of the stolen funds recovered is being used by the government to finance the 2017 budget. "Power generation peaked at an all-time high of 7,001 megawatts in the third quarter

Senator Dino Melaye has revealed his plans to propose a bill that will mandate federal appointees to undergo mental health tests before they are cleared for public office. The lawmaker representing  Kogi  West senatorial district disclosed this while speaking at the third annual World Mental Health Day symposium in  Abuja  on Monday, October 9, 2017. Speaking on the day's theme, "Mental health in the workplace", the lawmaker said that the rate of corruption in the country demands closer scrutiny especially on the mental health of the perpetrators. Senator Melaye said,   "Indeed health experts need to collaborate with those of us at the National Assembly so that we can enact a new bill or work on the existing ones to make it mandatory for political appointees to go through mental health stability before being appointed." To drive home his point, he made an obvious reference to the corruption allegations against suspended Secretary to the Government of th

It was only two years ago that Iceland qualified for a major finals for the first time. Less than 18 months after sensationally knocking England out of Euro 2016, Iceland qualified for the World Cup for the first time on Monday following a 2-0 win over Kosovo. Needing victory to guarantee top spot in European qualifying Group I, goals from Everton star  Gylfi Sigurdsson  and  Johann Gudmundsson  ensured Iceland would be on the plane to Russia 2018. "I thought after Euro 2016 that the hardest thing would be to motivate ourselves again,"  admitted Iceland coach   Heimir Hallgrimsson . "The first beer after a party is not the best. The hardest thing was to get going again after our massive party in France." "And what's more in a group contested between Croatia, Turkey, Ukraine and Finland, who are much better than their position in the group would have you believe." "The success is not an end in itself but a long journey towards a final

The wife of the President,  Mrs  Aisha Buhari, has called for a probe into how the budget for the State House Medical Centre is being utilised . The call comes barely one week after the management of the hospital said it would seek the commercialisation of the centre to boost its revenue. “I said I must be treated in Nigeria because there is a budget for an assigned clinic to take care of us. If the budget is N100 million, we need to know how the budget is spent. “Along the line, I insisted they call Aso Clinic to find out if the X-ray machine is working; they said it is not working. They didn’t know I am the one that was supposed to be in that hospital at that very time,” she added. Mrs Buhari, who addressed a gathering today (Monday) in Abuja, decried the “lack of facilities”, including syringes, at the hospital despite the huge budgetary allocation and ongoing construction there. “Few weeks ago I was sick as well, they advised me to take the first flight out to London (but) I

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has broken its silence on the recent letter written by the Minister of State for Petroleum  Dr  Ibe Kachikwu to President Muhammadu Buhari The NNPC in a letter titled ‘Re: Allegations of Lack of Adherence to Due Process in NNPC Contract Awards’ and signed by the General Manager Public Affairs,  Ndu Ughamadu, states that the law and rules of NNPC do not require discussion with the Minister of state before awarding contracts. ”It is important to note from the outset that the law and the rules do not require a review or discussion with the Minister of State or the NNPC board on contractual matters but  the President’s approval in his executive capacity as Minister of Petroleum, or the Federal Executive Council  as the case may be.” The statement adds that contrary to Kachikwu’s claims, he was involved in the contracting process for the crude oil term contracts. “Furthermore, contrary to the assertion of Dr Kachikwu that he was never inv

President Yoweri Museveni has urged the people to spend more time working, not praying. The president said the people’s fundamental mission on earth was to work and invent ideas and solutions that would help them have dominion over all creatures. He expressed the sentiments during Uganda’s 19th National Prayer Breakfast at Hotel Africana in Kampala that was organised by the Parliament. The Ugandan leader pointed out that man’s fundamental mission, as stipulated by God in the book of Genesis in the Holy Bible, is dominion over nature. He said he hates the helpless approach of people, spending days and nights “praying…praying and shouting as if God is deaf,” while ignoring the fundamental role of dominion over nature. For the last 500 years, President Museveni noted, Africans had absented themselves from the fundamental mission of dominion over other creatures.

Human rights lawyer, Mr.  Femi Falana (SAN), has called on President  Muhammadu Buhari  to let the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) investigate the $25 billion contract scam in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. The Minister of State, Petroleum Resources,  Ibe Kachikwu  had, in a letter written to Buhari, accused the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mr.  Maikanti Baru  of corruption. Falana in a statement issued on Sunday, October 8, said the President should suspend Baru indefinitely while the EFCC carries out its investigation. He described the allegations as a   "reckless contravention of the provisions of the Public Procurement Act." The senior lawyer also advised Buhari to step down as the Minister of Petroleum Resources due to his  "busy schedule"  as President, urging him to appoint another competent Nigerian to take the position. He said relinquishing the ministerial position would  &

At least six persons were killed and 35 injured, mostly suffering burns, after an explosion at a natural gas depot in Accra,  Ghana’s capital, fire service spokesman Billy Anaglate said on Sunday. The explosion on Saturday evening at the state-owned GOIL liquefied natural gas station sent a giant fireball into the sky above the eastern part of Accra, causing frightened residents to flee their homes in large numbers. Others were forcibly evacuated. Ghana, a relatively new oil and gas producer, has suffered several recent accidents including an explosion in 2015 that killed around 100 people. Several onlookers at the scene of the explosion expressed anger on Sunday that the government had not done more to prevent another fatal accident.

The Federal Government has denied the report that the outbreak of Monkey Pox in some parts of the country resulted from the alleged free medical care by the government in the affected areas. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in a statement on Sunday, said Nigerians should disregard the report which, apparently, is being spread by some unscrupulous persons to fit into a sinister agenda. Lai Mohammed said, ”The Federal Government has not conducted any free medical service or care in either Bayelsa or Rivers state, as alleged in the fake report being circulated. So that could not have been the cause of the outbreak of Monkey Pox in both states. “Monkey Pox is a virus found only in monkeys and it is rare in human beings. It belongs to the same family as Chicken Pox and Smallpox. ”It is suspected that someone may have contacted it by eating monkey meat, thus triggering the current outbreak.” Monkeypox epidemic was first recorded in  Bayelsa  with three

The Monkey Pox epidemic, first detected in Bayelsa state, appears to have spread to  neighbouring south-south states as there a confirmed case of the epidemic in Akwa Ibom state. One confirmed case has been recorded in the state, while two other suspected cases are under investigation. This latest outbreak was confirmed in a statement by the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Charles Udoh. the disease which has no known treatment or vaccine exhibits similar symptoms to smallpox, but it is milder, and larger rashes appear on the skin . Udoh said the disease which has no known treatment or vaccine exhibits similar symptoms to smallpox, but it is milder, and larger rashes appear on the skin. He warned residents to avoid excessive handshakes and abstain from eating bush meat. Regular handwashing is also advised. The first reported cases of the Monkey Pox outbreak were recorded in the Fangbe area of Bayelsa state on October 5, where 13 people were hospitali

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe recently revealed that those who signed the bail bond of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), are now in trouble. He said  “I am a Nigerian Senator and not that of Biafra. We had advised Kanu, reminding him that his rights end where those of others begin. We are now in trouble, because we do not know where he is and how to contact him. Those that support Kanu’s agitation should think twice.” Abaribe said this while speaking at the Made-In-Aba Products Fashion Show in New York, USA. The Senator also said that Biafra agenda can truly be achieved through the creativity and ingenuity of the Igbos. Abaribe said  “We think we need Biafra, but this Biafra should be that of the mind that represents our ingenuity and our innate quality for hard work and enterprise, especially as oil proceeds keep dwindling “Igbo are largest and highest investors in the country, contributing to the development of wherever they reside and operate. I

A former United States Ambassador to Nigeria, John Campbell, has described former President Goodluck Jonathan’s wife, Patience, as being arrogant and flamboyant when she was Nigeria’s first lady. In a piece he wrote on Friday, ‘Nigerian President Buhari’s Sisyphean Efforts’, and posted on Council on Foreign Relations’ website, Campbell also wondered how Jonathan’s wife became wealthy having spent most of her life as a civil servant The ex-US envoy stated, “Patience Jonathan as the first lady was flamboyant, arrogant, and widely disliked. She has yet to be convicted of a crime. However, it is curious how a person who spent most of her career in public service could accumulate an acknowledged $35 million in a poor country.” The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is currently investigating Jonathan’s wife and has frozen four bank accounts belonging to her, while some property belonging to her have been seized. Among other actions taken by the EFCC was the freezing of Jonat

Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel fell like a pack of card four laps into the race as Mercedes Lewis Hamilton took a giant stride towards his fourth world title with victory in the Japanese Grand Prix. Vettel slipped down the field from the start with an engine problem to give the day to Hamilton who now leads the German by 59 points with 100 available in the remaining four races. Hamilton is expected to clinch the title at the next Grand Prix scheduled for Austin, Texas, United States, if he wins and Vettel finishes lower than fourth. The season’s race had continued to favour the Briton, while Vettel struggled to catch up. Vettel was leading the championship after the Belgian Grand Prix at the end of August, and just three points behind following Hamilton’s victory in Italy a week later, but has haemorrhaged points over Formula 1’s three late-season races in Asia. A start-line crash in Singapore has been followed by engine problems at consecutive races in Malaysia and Japan. In Ma

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Osun command, on Saturday disclosed that it destroyed a 60.8 hectares of India hemp (Cannabis Sativa) farm at Ikeji Arakeji, in the state. Mr Samuel Egbeola, the state commandant of the NDLEA disclosed this during an interview with journalists at the agency’s office in Osogbo. According to Egbeola, the hemp farm was discovered and destroyed on Thursday, following a tip-off from an informant. He said the agency also seized 10 bags of already harvested cannabis which weighed 107.4kilograms. He said two suspects found on the farm during the operation were equally arrested and that the arrested suspects were helping the agency in their investigation. The NDLEA boss assured the people of the state that the agency would always stick to its responsibilities of ensuring a drug free state. “We are appealing to the people of the state to always relate information on illicit drug operations, especially cannabis farms to the NDLEA. “

Mr Solomon Dalung, the Minister of  Sports and Youth Development,  has cautioned sportsmen against doping and age falsification. Dalung gave the advice  on Saturday at the maiden edition of  the  Lagelu FM  Inter-Secondary School Relay Race held at the University of Ibadan stadium. The  News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Lagelu FM is the sister station of Splash FM owned  by  West Midland Communications. NAN reports that the two-day relay race organised by Lagelu FM was sponsored by  Mr Seyi Makinde,  a former governorship candidate of  the Social Democratic Party  in Oyo State. The maiden edition,  which recorded participation by  45 secondary schools in the state, featured 4×100, 4×200, 4×400 and medley relay races in both the female and male categories. The minister, who was represented by  Dr  Ademola Are,  Director of  Grassroots Sports Development in the ministry,  also warned sports administrators in the country not to promote  acts inimical to sports development

Maj.-Gen. Enobong Udoh, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt. The Nigerian Army says it has deployed troops for the commencement of “Operation Crocodile Smile”  in the six Niger Delta states. Maj.-Gen. Enobong Udoh, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, said this on Saturday while addressing troops to signal commencement of the exercise. Udoh said the operation was confidence building patrol rather than a show of force as widely reported. “Operation Crocodile Smile is not a show of force but a confidence-building patrol that seeks to reassure the people of Rivers state and the Niger Delta that the army is ready to work. “We are ready to work in close synergy and collaboration with other security services and agencies of government to ensure that there is peace and security for the people. “Our operation aims to reassure the public that we are ready to fight crimes like cultism, militancy, and

A Nigerian, Jelili Omoyele, 35-year-old cellular phone technician, was allegedly shot dead in Johannesburg on Saturday, the Nigeria Union, South Africa, has said. Its President,  Mr Adetola Olubajo,  told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone from Johannesburg that Omoyele, a.k.a  Ja Rule  and native of Ibadan, Oyo State, was killed at a parking lot at Doornfontein,  Gauteng Province. He said a fact-finding team to the scene led by him and National Welfare Officer,  Mr Trust Owoyele,  met an eyewitness,  Mr Sipususo Mkalipi,  a South African taxi driver, who confirmed the killing. “The deceased and the son of the caretaker of a parking lot had an argument over an unpaid R300 (N11,400) rent. “The witness said that the deceased decided to leave his car in the parking lot till Monday because he had no money to pay, but the caretaker’s son shot him on his way out of the building. “ Omoyele gave up the ghost a few minutes later,”  he said. Olubajo said Mkalipi was the dr