Payment of N5000 Stipend, Sign of Buhari's Commitment to People's Welfare - Tinubu

All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the commencement of the payment of N5000 each to the poor and most vulnerable under the Conditional Cash Transfer programme of the present administration.

The payment is part of the cardinal promises of the president during the 2015 electioneering.

Asiwaju Tinubu said the stipend for the poor was a sign of the Buhari-led APC government's commitment to people's welfare.

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"I commend President Buhari for keeping faith with his campaign promise. I commend him for empathizing with the poor and the most vulnerable among us.

"The payment could n't have come at a better time than now. The stipend is a sign of the government's commitment to people's welfare. We must all unite to beat poverty and bring prosperity to the land," he said in a statement issued on Friday by his Media Office.

Tinubu again called for support for the present administration, saying with such, the government would soon turn things around for the benefit of the people.

President Buhari had started the payment of N5,000 each to one million poor Nigerians under its Conditional Cash Transfer programme, which is one of his cardinal campaign promises.

Under the programme, the president had promised to empower one million poor and most vulnerable with the N5000 monthly stipend each.

The programme is under the government’s s Social Investment Programmes, in which N30,000 monthly stipends were earlier paid to 200,000 youths under the N-Power programme, which began in December 2016 and the School Feeding programme.

The commencement of the N5000 payment was announced on Monday in a statement from the Office of the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

The statement, signed by the Vice-President’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, said the first batch of payment would cover nine states.

He said some of the beneficiaries had started receiving their payments since December 30, 2016.

Akande had said funds for the payments to beneficiaries in Borno, Kwara and Bauchi states were released last week to the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System, the platform that hosts and validates payments for all government’s SIP.

He said the funds for another set, which included Cross Rivers, Niger, Kogi, Oyo, Ogun and Ekiti states, would follow soon to complete the first batch of beneficiaries.

According to him, the nine pilot states were chosen because they had an existing Social Register that successfully identified the most vulnerable and poorest Nigerians.

He said the registers emerged through a tried and tested community-based targeting method working with the World Bank while other states were developing their social registers and would be included in subsequent phases.

Akande said the Federal Government would commence community mobilisation for the creation of the social registers in more states to expand the scope and reach of the Conditional Cash Transfer across the country.

Tinubu Media Office,

January 6, 2016.

Thousands Of Market Women, NGOs Celebrate Buhari, Army's Victory Over Boko Haram In Style; See Photos

Thousands of market women as well as non governmental organizations on Friday took to the streets of Abuja to celebrate the defeat of Boko Haram by the Nigerian Army.

The procession started at the Wuse market to Garki before moving to Farmers market and making a final stop at the 3 arms zone where the leader of the group finally delivered a powerful appreciation speech to the President and the Chief of Army, Lt. General Buratai, the other service chiefs and all the officers and men of the Nigerian military for their relentless and selfless efforts.

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In her address, the FCT Cordinator of the Africa Arise for Change Network, Lilian Cosmas who led the procession said Nigerians had never thought the day would come when "the blood sucking demons called terrorists" will take flight before the Army.

She said the street march is to show appreciation to the President Muhammadu Buhari and the entire military for the defeat of the terrorists.

According to Cosmas, the coalition will embark on a nationwide sensitization exercise to enlighten members of the public on how to remain vigilant and ensure that Nigerians assist the Nigerian Army to track every fleeing terrorist in the country.  

She said the promises the President made while assuming office are already being fulfilled.

She said, "Beyond the anti-corruption crusade, the war on terrorism attained a crescendo on December 24 of last year when the Nigerian Army, under your able direction defeated Boko Haram by clearing out its "Camp Zero" in Sambisa Forest.

"Nigerians had never thought the day would come when the blood sucking demons called terrorists will take flight before the Army.  It took your leadership for us to acknowledge the truism that action speaks louder than voice.

"Mr President, we salute your directive that the fleeing terrorists should be tracked down and brought to justice. The implementation of this directive would send a clear message to insurgents in other parts of the country that there is always a price to pay for breaching the security of Nigeria. It is this reckoning that brought Boko Haram to its deserved end."

She said Nigerians are convinced beyond every reasonable doubt that Boko Haram no longer exists. She therefore commended the President and the Nigerian military for achieving such feat

She said further, "Our appreciations go to the entire Nigerian Army, family members of troops and other partners in progress that contributed to liberating Nigeria from the grip of evil .

"The presentation of Boko Haram's black flag to your Excellency by General Buratai was symbolic for us as it marked the a new beginning for the country to focus on development issues even as the military continues to fish out the fleeing fighters and their collaborators.

"It is the start of when anyone caught committing acts of terror should be swiftly treated as a common criminal and dealt with accordingly."

She expressed as sad the existence of "the people who wanted the anti-terror war to fail simply for them to be able to exonerate the historic failure of the past administration.

She however described them as "a few saddistic parts of the population, who while not being Boko Haram sympathizers or sponsors nonetheless derive a perverted pleasure from seeing the group unleash terror on the populace simply to denigrate Mr President's efforts at ending the insurgency."

She assured that the coalition will back the 'thank you' march with action by partnering and assisting the Federal Government to make sure that the country gets relief from  the menace of Boko Haram with 2016 and it does not rear its ugly head in our nation again.

She said the coalition will embark on sensitization exercise will involve its members going into major markets, transport hubs and public places in Kaduna, Kano, Yola, Jos, Minna, Sokoto, Birni-Kebbi, Ilorin, Lokoja, Okene, Ibadan, Enugu, Port Harcourt and other major cities  during the week with fliers to share to everyone to educate them on how they can contribute towards  preventing a resurgence of terrorism.

CORRUPTION: Secret Documents Expose Massive FRAUD At Nigeria's UK High Commission, Kyari, Aisha Buhari Dirtily Enmeshed

SAHARA REPORTERS - Abba Kyari, the increasingly controversial Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, is at the center of another unwholesome saga that is likely to reinforce further the view that the Buhari administration’s anti-corruption stance is a ruse. 

This time, an investigation by SaharaReporters found that Mr. Kyari has been fiddling with the finances of the Nigeria High Commission, London, where the country’s resources are being dubiously deployed for questionable or illicit purposes. 

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Also involved in the costly financial mess are Adah Simon Ogah, Nigeria’s acting High Commissioner, and Omolayo Akinfala, a special assistant to Aisha Buhari, the president’s wife.

Our investigators found that the High Commission, under Mr. Ogah, frequently authorized payments from revenue generated by the High Commission for medical treatment of senior political officials visiting the United Kingdom. 

The funds disbursed for such medical payments come from revenues the High Commission generates through fees for passports, visas and other consular services. The use of such funds for medical payments is an anomaly as medical bills for government officials are already provided for in the Presidency budget.

Nigerians resident in the UK are unaware that they paid Mr. Kyari’s medical bill when the president’s chief aide was treated at Wellington Hospital, St. John’s Wood, London, in December 2016. This happened at a time the government blamed its failure to issue passports to UK-resident Nigerians on a lack of funds.

A letter signed by Mr. Ogah and addressed to Professor Paul of Wellington Hospital provides a confirmation of the role of the High Commission in Mr. Kyari’s treatment. Dated December 1, 2016 and titled “Letter of Guarantee In Respect Of Alhaji Abba Kyari,” 

Mr. Ogah’s letter stated: “I write to confirm that the Nigeria High Commission, London, United Kingdom, will guarantee the payment of all medical bills of Alhaji Abba Kyari, Chief of Staff to the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Mr. Kyari’s case, however, is just a tip of a massive iceberg of seedy financial and administrative practices at the Nigerian High Commission in the UK. Our investigators discovered the equally improper case of Mr. Akinfala, a special assistant to Mrs. Buhari, whose employment contract with the Mission was recently renewed by the Acting High Commissioner. 

Curiously, Mr. Akinfala remains on the High Commission’s payroll despite being based in Nigeria and paid by the State House. He also receives financial perks whenever he visits the UK with Mrs. Buhari.

On August 3, 2016, Ibrahim Sule Dan’Agundi, the Head of Chancery (HOC), signed a letter approving Mr. Akinfala’s application for contract renewal with the High Commission. A day earlier, on August 2, an originating letter had recommended that Mr. Akinfala be considered for a one-year contract extension.

Protocol documents dated December 19, 2016, and obtained by SaharaReporters showed arrangements for the arrival of Mr. Akinfala and one other person from Lagos to London. The document revealed that the High Commission spent its financial resources on foreign travel allowances for which there are budget allocations for the Presidency covering the President, his household, and staff. 

Our inside sources in the UK, and Abuja revealed that the High Commission spends a minimum of £7,000 for hospitality on each of Mrs. Buhari’s trips to the United Kingdom. Last year alone, Mrs. Buhari visited the UK at least seven times. The finding was confirmed by a High Commission document dated July 28, 2016, and signed by Ibrahim Sule, Minister Counselor/Head of Chancery. 

“The Mission was also informed that Her Excellency and members of her entourage would be staying at the vacant house/official residence of High Commissioner. In this regard, given the above scenario, there is the need for the Mission to provide hospitality to the First Lady and members of her entourage. To this end, I wish to kindly recommend to His Excellency to consider and approve the sum of £7,000 to carry out the hospitality expenditure for the wife of the President, members of her family and entourage,” stated the latter. The request was approved the same day.

Apart from feting Mrs. Buhari and aides as well as treating officials like Mr. Kyari like royalty, the High Commission also engaged in a variety of contract scams, notably through payments to contractors for jobs not executed or those executed at grotesquely inflated costs. Documents exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters show that the sum of £14,100.80 was paid to a company, Savanna Construction Limited, for what was described as “call out report on 31 air-conditioning units in the High Commission building”. 

The curious transaction was captured in a letter dated July 19, 2016, and signed by S.U. Kpohraro, Chief Security Officer (Admin). The Head of Chancery (HOC) signed the approval, which was granted the same day.

Despite the substantial payment, our investigators discovered that there was no work executed at the building that matched the quoted job. Nigerians who work in or visit, the building, told our investigators that the high numbers of air-conditioning units do not exist and that none of the existing units were ever serviced. They spoke about the unbearable heat in the High Commission building during summer periods.

Savanna Construction Company also got the contract for the supply and erection of new scaffolding as well as the dismantling of an older one. The contract, which cost £9,600, was detailed on July 15, 2016, document signed by Mr. Kpohraror. Savanna also got paid £7,440 for another bogus job, taking care of the High Commission’s blocked toilets. Our sources revealed that similar scams were used to pay for the provision of cleaning, security and other services by dubious suppliers hired by the High Commission and top officials of the Nigerian Mission hire. 

Our sources disclosed that Mr. Dan’Agundi, Head of Chancery, has been the beneficiary of regular and unlawful cash payments from locally recruited High Commission staff, who are either due to retire or should have been retired long ago. 

Our investigators found that some of the employees in this category were employed in the 1980s. Many of them are stuck in the old, inefficient and corrupt ways of providing services, a development that is blamed for the frustration of Nigerians who require consular services.

One source pointed to the case of one Mr. Salihi, a local staff in the Education and Welfare section. The Mission fired Mr. Salihi on account of his poor communication ability and general inefficiency. Strangely, Mr. Ogah reversed the decision, re-hiring Mr. Salihi without explanation. 

“It is a depressing and horrifying experience for Nigerians who have cause to interact with the Nigerian High Commission in the UK, either when approaching the High Commission for consular services such as immigration queries (visa passport issuance/renewal, travel certificates) or other services such as trade and investments enquiries as well as tourism and general business information for Nigeria,” a Nigerian entrepreneur in London said. He added, 

“The inept staff are never interested in offering services without monetary inducement. As a matter of fact, they purposely make the official process cumbersome and frustrating so as to increase the possibility of financial and other types of inducement.”  

Some disaffected staff told SaharaReporters that the rogue employees operate with the full knowledge and approval of the acting High Commissioner Mr. Ogah, who reportedly runs his own individual racket. They accused Mr. Ogah of running the High Commission’s cash and petty cash payments like his personal Automated Teller Machine (ATM). They said Mr. Ogah uses the guise of “contingency allowance” to embezzle funds. 

Mr. Ogah is officially entitled to £3,000 monthly for domestic servants in his personal residence, £1,000 monthly for the upkeep and maintenance of his office, £200 per trip for contingency, while all his utility and medical bills, as well as living costs, are borne by the Federal Government. He also pays no rent. 

In spite of the generous perks, Mr. Ogah regularly inflates entitlements and, in many cases, fails to provide receipts or to retire most of his supposed expenditures in violation of rules. On September 2, 2016, acting Finance Attaché, R.E. Otiode, wrote a memo regarding Mr. Ogah’s regular failure to retire expenses. 

“I am directed to inform you that available records show that you are yet to retire the following advances granted you in the course of official assignments,” stated the memo, which added that retirement of expenses should not take longer than three months. In each of the said cases, Mr. Ogah took the sum of £500 as contingency allowance for trips to Manchester and Northampton on June 28 and July 15, 2016. The sums he took were more than the £200 of local contingency allowance he was entitled to.

Other top officials of the Mission were accused of practicing another strain of financial stunt by overstating invoice payments. For example, the High Commission manually generated an invoice of £10,000 for the use of a VIP suite at London’s Heathrow Airport. The amount represented six times the actual cost of £1,750 per use. 

A confirmation of the actual cost could be gleaned from a letter signed by E.A. Agom and dated July 11, 2016. The letter stated that the cancellation of the booking of a VIP suite for Mrs. Buhari’s proposed visit to London on July 10, 2016, meant that the High Commission lost £1,750 for the slot, while an additional £200 was charged as penalty for an undeclared passenger on her entourage.

Several sources also disclosed to SaharaReporters that the current leadership of the High Commission only approves the use of High Commission facilities like the Banking Hall, an event venue, for use by Nigerian organizations it deems less critical of the poor service and poor representation of the interest and welfare of Nigerians in the United Kingdom. 

This development has led to the mushrooming of dubious organizations, operating as rackets, which claim to represent Nigerians in the UK. Nigerian government officials routinely invite these dubious organizations to the High Commission during visits. The groups are silent about the poor representation and services provided by the High Commission.

A clear instance of the administrative decrepitude afflicting the High Commission could be seen in the leadership vacuum created by the acting High Commissioner, Mr. Ogah. Mr. Ogah left London for Abuja between December 12 and 22, 2016, leaving Mr. Hassan M. Hassan to run the Commission as Acting High Commissioner. 

Mr. Hassan was already scheduled to leave the Mission on December 14, 2016, to undergo ambassadorial screening and subsequent ambassadorial posting. In the end, for the duration of Mr. Ogah’s absence and with the departure of Mr. Hassan, there was no officer duly authorized to run the Mission. More bizarrely, there was no circular to the effect that Mr. Hassan had been appointed acting High Commissioner, a clear contravention of Foreign Affairs rules and regulations, which state that a mission must not be left without a properly designated head at any time.

Culled From Sahara Reporters

The Yoruba Media War Against President Buhari and His Aides, By Okanga Agila

Nigerians frequently abuse the liberties democracy confers on the citizenry, especially the freedom of expression. Hardly do people realize that their inalienable right to freedom of expression as guaranteed by the Constitution of Nigeria, places on them the responsibility of truthful engagements of other Nigerians, which excludes and frowns at the brazen infringement of the rights of other citizens.

The media trial of public officials in the present dispensation over alleged corruption has gained currency in Nigeria. Very often, equally senseless and baseless civil societies blow empty trumpets, without facts to justify the sweeping allegations on personalities they desperately seek to defame.  

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And the group, the Civil Society Network Against Corruption, (CSNAC) strikes like an organization in blind search for prominence in overtly  ethnic activism. It days back, submitted a petition to the  Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami which contained trumped-up allegations of corruption against some top officials of President Muhammadu Buhari’s (PMB) administration.

The President had earlier directed the AGF to investigate allegations of corruption leveled against top officials of his government, promising to prosecute any official implicated in corrupt acts. It became the grounds for CSNAC to raise a fresh petition, listing names of certain Buhari’s appointees allegedly engaged in corrupt acts, claiming it was its contribution to the AGF’s assignment and the fight against corruption.

Among the high profile personalities the report mentioned, included, the President’s  Chief of Staff , Abba Kyari; the minister of interior, Abdulrahman Dambazzau; the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Engr. Babachir David Lawal  and Minister of Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah among others.

The group noted: “Since President Muhammadu Buhari had already given a directive for your office to investigate all top government officials accused of corruption, as a mark of our contribution to this process, in addition to allegations against the Acting EFCC Chairman and Secretary to Government of the Federation, listed below are some of the reported allegations of corruption and some of our reported petitions against officials of this government bordering on corruption, for your appropriate investigation and necessary action.”

It is dumfounding that the CSNAC’s petition signed by its Executive Director, Mr.  Olanrewaju Suraju, which labeled top public servants as corrupt is very amusing. It also smacks of the most debasing form of media trial, which first casts’ doubts on the integrity of the group and whoever licensed them to operate as such.

In some instances quite irritatingly, CSNAC only quoted media reports as evidence of their reason for alleging something as serious as corruption against the listed officials of government. There is nothing as disgraceful like this sort of outing by a group which is supposed to be the conscience of the society.  So, an unsubstantiated media report has become the basis for singing to high heavens about the alleged corruption of senior government officials, without one single extra step to verify the veracity of the issues contained in the report before proclaiming them guilty.

That President Buhari has ordered the  AGF to  investigate public officials alleged to have engaged in corrupt acts is not any reason to give anyone  sleepless nights because there appears to be an orchestrated campaign by the Yoruba  elements in the southwest of Nigeria to discredit and discolour the administration of President Buhari using the media. No doubt, it is a covert war the Southwest has wedged against the North and it is their sworn determination to ensure, every personality from the North  around Buhari is defamed and rubbished.

Abba Kyari for instance has been accused of abusing his office for personal gains. But the reasons advanced are as puerile and as shallow as the thoughts of the authors.

It stated, “He was alleged to have abused his membership of NNPC Board to influence the award of contract to a highly-indebted company, Valiant Offshore Contractors Limited, against the recommendation of AMCON and at the expense of the country. He was also accused of interfering in EFCC investigation of a fraud involving Sahara Energy…”

Antagonists of Buhari know that the office of the Chief of Staff is a very powerful one.  Expressed differently, the occupant of the office wears the President’s shadows like perfume. He has the capacity to influence appointments’ or recommend sack of government appointees deemed to have fallen by the wayside.

Therefore, the occupant of such a powerful office by a Northerner appears to be the Southwest’s greatest dilemma and they have engaged in pranks to ensure he is sacked by Buhari . Or alternatively, his personality rubbished by nailing him on the cross of corruption to denigrate President Buhari’s unrelenting anti-corruption campaigns.

So, in the past few months, Abba Kyari has had to contend with a barrage of criticisms and mindboggling allegations of corruption against his person. They initially accused him of collecting N500 million bribe from MTN to help negotiate the over N1 trillion fine imposed on them by the federal government. Southwest politicians’ through the southern press celebrated this allegation like a feast in a manner one would easily be tempted to conclude a court of law has convicted him.

Betraying their motive, they also sponsored announcement of his sack by Buhari for corruption, when Abba Kyari had merely gone on leave. And Buhari injured their feelings the more, when he added another responsibility on the shoulders of Kyari  by appointing him member of the NNPC Board.

Having lost the battle on all fronts, the opponents have resorted to new tricks. They are claiming Kyari used his position on the NNPC board to influence the award of contract to Valiant Offshore Contractors Limited,  in violation  of the  recommendation of AMCON. But if Kyari could influence an NNPC contract to an incompetent company, it means the deal was done in collaboration with others in the NNPC management. But why is everybody silent about the complicity of others in the scam, but Kyari’s name keeps reverberating?   It exposes this plot.

The same interests against the North or a Buhari presidency and personalities close to him also claim, Kyari shielded EFCC’s investigation of alleged fraud perpetrated by Sahara Energy. But when the Senate refused confirmation of EFCC Acting chairman, Ibrahim Magu, no one cited the compromise of his duties so as to confirm the involvement of Kyari in frustrating investigations. The EFCC is not answerable to Kyari and it is puzzling as to the extent of overbearing powers or influence he possesses to exert and blackmail the anti-graft agency for concessions in its assignments.

In effect, the discreet cold war the south has continued to launch on the North by the desperation to upstage Buhari  has assumed a dimension that is very dangerous. They loud corruption allegations against northern appointees of government, as though Southwestern appointees are saints. But this too, like the Holy Scriptures say would 'one day pass away’. It will certainly fade  into oblivion.

But it should be understood that President Buhari cannot be blackmailed or cajoled into acting unjustifiably. And the opponents may thicken the war of attrition, but it doesn’t’ translate into substance.

It now behooves on banana civil societies like CSNAC, which offer themselves as platforms for the promotion of southern ethnic interests against the North to know that their illicit intent can no longer be concealed. With time God shall vindicate the innocent. And that time will come sooner than later.

JUST IN: Cabinet Shake-up: Oshiomhole, Buhari In Closed-door Meeting At Aso Rock

Immediate past governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomole on Tuesday visited president Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential Villa, Abuja. Both men met behin

Both men met behind closed doors in the president’s office and the details of the meeting were not made public. 

This would be the first time the former governor who understandable shares an affinity with the president is visiting the villa since he exited office in November, 2016.

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Asked to speak on his mission to the Villa following an atmosphere of conviviality with State House correspondents, Oshiomole said he was at the nation’s seat of power to formally appreciate the president for coming 3 days to his departure to commission some signature projects executive by his administration. 

Cajoled to speak on the possibility of his appointment as a Minister, the ex-governor who wore his usual khaki Colour Safari, a black shoe to match and his eyeglasses maintained his calmness, saying he was at the villa to wish the president happy birthday and nothing more. 

Oshiomole was later to be seen coming from the vice presidential wing to the office of the Chief of Staff to the president. 

It will be recalled that during the projects commissioning, the president noted highly Oshiomole’s achievements and rapped the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC to engage him at the national level for further service delivery. 

“It will be a pity to waste his energy by him retiring. I hope there will be a higher assignment for him to do more for the nation. I congratulate the governor for his hard work; Oshiomhole is a hard working governor. We will need his services in Abuja.

 “Thank you for inviting me, most especially during this time in the country. You have served two terms and you are about to leave. You deserve a place in history. I hope the APC will look for a place for you because your service for the country is far from over,” Buhari said. 

There are expectation that the president would reshuffle his cabinet soon

Buhari Sacks SGF's Board Chairmanship Appointment, Announces Replacement

President Muhammadu Buhari has removed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachir David Lawal as chairman of the presidential committee on the reconstitution of federal government boards of parastatals, agencies and commissions.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has been appointed to chair the presidential committee, while chairman of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agencies (NDLEA) Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah was appointed head of the secretariat.

“The SGF is no longer in charge of that responsibility, for obvious reasons,” a source confided in Daily Trust.

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It was gathered that Abdallah-led team now meets frequently at Wuse II, Abuja, and “s working vigorously and will soon conclude its work after which it will submit its report to Mr President.

DAILY POST had reported that President Buhari has begun search for a new SGF following the indictment of Lawal by the Nigerian Senate.

The upper chamber of the National Assembly accused Lawal of corruption in the award of contracts at the Presidential Initiative on North East (PINE).

Buhari, in his New Year message, noted that his “government is aware of some mistakes and wrongdoings in handling the affairs of IDPs. We are taking measures to correct those mistakes and punish the culprits”.

Recall that Buhari in October, 2015 constituted an eight-member committee, headed by Babachir, to compile names of prospective appointees into federal government boards, parastatals and agencies.

Members of the committee included Alhaji Mai Mala Buni (northeast), Alhaji Zakari Ede (northcentral), Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir (northwest), Chief Hillard Etagbo Eta (south-south), Chief Pius Akinyelure (southwest), Chief Emmanuel Eneukwe (southeast) and Mr. Gideon Sammani, a senior special assistant to the president as secretary.

The committee, however, had disagreements over certain issues in November.

Buhari, in a response, directed Osinbajo to meet stakeholders including the Senate President Bukola Saraki, House of Representatives Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) Chairman Abdulaziz Yari, APC Governors Forum Chairman Rochas Okorocha and representatives of the governors in each of the six geopolitical zones.

The governors nominated were: Jibrilla Bindow (northeast), Atiku Bagudu (northwest), Simon Lalong (northcentral), Rochas Okorocha (southeast), Adams Oshiomhole (south-south), and Akinwumi Ambode (southwest).

They committee swung into action and reviewed names of the prospective appointees collated by the SGF from the 36 states and FCT which was reportedly done without recourse to governors and other stakeholders of the APC.

The SGF was accused of not treating the issue of board appointments with levity.

He allegedly failed to carry members of the APC Presidential Campaign Council along while refusing to consult governors, a development that set them against Buhari.

President Buhari is expected to make appointments into no fewer than 500 parastatals.

On the lastest development, a government official told Daily Trust that the SGF’s committee on the board appointments had finished its job and has submitted its report.

“I am not denying the protests by some individuals and groups, but the committee of the SGF has completed its assignment and the Vice President’s committee is not a replacement for the SGF’s.

“A committee headed by

LEAKED: Buhari Cabinet Reshuffled List; Oshiomhole To Takeover Works & Housing, Ngige, Onu Jostle SGF, Kingibe, Silva, Others Penciled

New Telegraph - Against the backdrop of expectations that President Muhammadu Buhari would rejig his cabinet any time soon, intense lobbying and high wire intrigues may have put him at the crossroads, New Telegraph gathered over the weekend.

A reliable source at the Presidency confided in our correspondent that reports about an impending cabinet reshuffle was true. Another source, who is a minister, confirmed that the president will drop some of his ministers and aides, especially “those who have been found wanting.”

The source disclosed that the level of power play and lobby amongst serving and potential ministers appear to have created more power cartels within the seat of power.

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Powerful northern traditional rulers are said to have been enlisted in the lobby game.

Apart from filling the vacancy created by the death of Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Barr. James Ocholi, and the impending exit of Minister of Environment, Ms Amina Mohammed, who has been appointed as Deputy General Secretary of the United Nations, some ministers are expected to be dropped from the cabinet.

“Maybe, the story was not well timed. Soon after it broke that the president was considering replacing some ministers, the lobby commenced, but it got intensified between Christmas and the New Year period with a lot of powerful forces putting in a word or two for their preferred choices.

“This has actually created some hurdles for the man (president) because who do you please and reject in the process? You can imagine an influential traditional ruler from the North approaching you on behalf of a loyal All Progressives Congress (APC) man, not an outsider, and there are other contending political forces too.

“The man is bound to be more careful and may delay whatever he wants to do under the prevailing circumstances so that it could come as a surprise and taken away from the current lobby tide,” he said.

New Telegraph gathered that retired diplomat and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Ambassador Babagana Kingibe was being considered to return to the Presidency. Curiously, Kingibe is among those secretly saddled with the responsibility of ‘suggesting possible inputs’ into the cabinet.

In his new discrete role, Kingibe has reportedly suggested that immediate past governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole be drafted in just as he tipped former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Timi Alaibe to come board.

It is yet to be officially confirmed, but while Oshiomhole is being tipped to man an envisioned Works and Housing Ministry, Alaibe’s possible inclusion is coming on the heels of his strong ties with stakeholders in the troubled Niger Delta. Both Kingibe and Alaibe have been close allies since the days of the late president, Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua while the former SGF supervised the NDDC under Alaibe.

Alaibe’s inroad is also being propelled by the Transportation Minister, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi. The former NDDC boss and pioneer head of the Presidential Amnesty Programme is likely to contend with the former governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Timipre Sylva, whose nominee, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri is also being considered to move to the Niger Delta Ministry from Agriculture as minister of state.

The current occupier, Pastor Usani Uguru may be saddled with the Labour and Productivity Ministry if the new arrangement is accepted by the president.

By implication, Mr. Babatunde Fashola may be left with the Power Ministry. Sources said that Fashola has, of recent, come under heavy scrutiny by some close allies of the president, who believed that the three ministries tucked under his arm were too much for one man.

It was also learnt that some forces within the APC believe that Fashola has not delivered on any of the fronts in any of the ministries. Senator Hadi Sirika, current Minister of State for Aviation, may emerge as substantive minister as it has been proposed that the sector stands distinct from Transportation.

It could, however, not be confirmed if Sirika’s constant rift with Transportation Minister, Amaechi, is responsible for the new thinking. But far more interesting is the reported move by the president’s unofficial handlers to ensure that the position of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) is shifted from the North-East to the South-East.

An unnamed governor from the North-West is the arrowhead of this plot to what a source called ”the need to placate the Igbo ahead of 2019.” It was further learnt that the move to take the SGF to the South-East is also aimed at galvanising some support for the APC in the zone.

An APC chieftain in the South-East said: “You know that the South-West, for obvious reasons, might not be game for the APC in 2019. The party might need  to move into another area to exert influence if it must remain in power.”

Buoyed by this calculation, Science and Technology Minister, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu and his Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige are lobbying to clinch the position.

But also in contention for the same position, although not from the South-East, is Chief Audu Ogbeh, Agriculture and Rural Development Minister. But a serving minister in the Buhari cabinet said that Buhari has a mind of his own and is not usually influenced by sentiments.

According to him, “You will be shocked at what he will do this year. Just watch and see. It might be sooner than you think.”

Inter-faith leader predicts Shekau's capture, calls for national fast

The leader of the Northern InterFaith and Religious Organizations for Peace, Bishop Musa Fomson has predicted that 2017 would be a year of victory and realization for Nigerians even as he urged President Muhammadu Buhari not to allow a few citizens of the country hold the larger population hostage. 

He said Nigerians must declare a week on national fast and prayers. 

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In his personal New Year message made available to journalists, Bishop Fomson revealed that he saw President Buhari surpassing his previous achievements in 2017 with measures that were earlier misinterpreted as mistakes or errors yielding fruits that would compel Nigerians to reconsider their assessment of him. 

The clergyman said, "Nigerians complained about what they thought was the reversal in their economic fortunes but 2017 is the year they would realize that the words of Ecclesiastic 3:3 (A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up.) are true and would not pass away without fulfilment. 

"Mr President had spent the past time killing corruption that had threatened to kill Nigerians and 2017 is the year in which he shall fulfil his divine mandate to heal Nigeria from the ravages of the cancer of corruption. He has disrupted and torn down the reign of impunity and all the faulty  foundations holding this country back; this year is the year in which he would build enduring institutions and systems that would establish a regime of fairness and equity for all Nigerians," he noted. 

Bishop Fomson further declared that the Nigerian Army will capture the elusive leader of the Boko Haram terror group, Abubakar Shekau alive in the year and would bring him to Abuja for all Nigerians to see. 

According to him, "The Nigerian Army will take Shekau captive the same way the terrorists leader had taken Nigerians captive. Shekau's shame will be great as he would be brought to Abuja for Nigerians to come and see for themselves that the last of the bearers of the title of 'Shekau' has met his end because he mocked God and the peace he has ordained for Nigeria. 

"Those who secretly support the terrorists while pretending to be patriotic citizens would finally be exposed except they find ways of cutting support to Boko Haram and turn to the path of repentance. Their gang up against the peace of Nigeria is not pleasing to God and the cries of Nigerians to their maker would not go unanswered in the year. 

"Even as God liberates Nigerians from terrorists on one hand they will also be emancipated economically as the Almighty would restore what the people think they have lost multiple folds like he did to Job in the Bible. 

"The upheaval within dominant political parties would however prove impossible to resolve. Top politicians will abandon the APC to make way for new entrants that will show unparralled eagerness to take over the position of those that would leave.   

                     

"My counsel is that even in the midst of these visions of abundance, Nigerians must declare a week of national fast and prayers seek the face of God so that the good things can come to pass while any untowards possibilities are averted. We must also repent of all our sins," he charged.