Tuesday, December 25, 2018

Solomon and His Careful Choice



Solomon was wise indeed. Do you remember that his wisdom was spotted by David his father before his death. I am sure he was not sharing same level of conviction  with his father.

Do you realize that David was a very wealthy king that had connections with those that mattered? As the heir of the throne of David, Solomon had enough wealth to enjoy.

I have always suspected this. When the opportunity to make request from God arose, Solomon concentrated on what he felt he was either lacking or had the most urgent need of. He was systematically silent on those things he had full conviction he had.

He neglected wealth and requested for wisdom.

As we step into a new year, make proper analysis of the things you urgently need and hit the target.

I am sure He will hear.

© Percy Omenazụ
Written on December 25, 2017

Saturday, September 15, 2018

Kemi Adeosun's Concoction called Letter


Full Text of Kemi Adeosun's Resignation Letter

14th September, 2018

His Excellency
Muhammadu Buhari
President, Federal Republic of Nigeria
State House
Aso Villa
Abuja

Dear Excellency,

Let me commence by thanking you profusely for the honour and privilege of serving under your inspirational leadership. It has been a truly rewarding experience to learn from you and to observe at close quarters your integrity and sense of duty.

I have, today, become privy to the findings of the investigation into the allegation made in an online medium that the Certificate of Exemption from National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) that I had presented was not genuine. This has come as a shock to me and I believe that in line with this administration’s focus on integrity, I must do the honourable thing and resign.

Your Excellency, kindly permit me to outline some of the background to this matter. I was born and raised in the United Kingdom, indeed my parental family home remains in London. My visits to Nigeria up until the age of thirty-four (34) were holidays, with visas obtained in my UK passport. I obtained my first Nigerian passport at the age of thirty-four (34) and when I relocated there was debate as to whether NYSC Law applied to me. Upon enquiry as to my status relating to NYSC, I was informed that due to my residency history and having exceeded the age of thirty (30), I was exempted from the requirement to serve. Until recent events, that remained my understanding.

On the basis of that advice and with the guidance and assistance of those, I thought were trusted associates, NYSC were approached for documentary proof of status. I then received the certificate in question. Having never worked in NYSC, visited the premises, been privy to nor familiar with their operations, I had no reason to suspect that the certificate was anything but genuine. Indeed, I presented that certificate at the 2011 Ogun State House of Assembly and in 2015 for Directorate of State Services (DSS) Clearance as well as to the National Assembly for screening. Be that as it may, as someone totally committed to a culture of probity and accountability I have decided to resign with effect from Friday, 14th September, 2018.

Your Excellency, It has been an exceptional privilege to have served our nation under your leadership and to have played a role in steering our economy at a very challenging time. I am proud that Nigeria has brought discipline into it's finances, has identified and is pursuing a path to long term sustainable growth that will unlock the potential in this great economy. Under your leadership, Nigeria was able to exit recession and has now started to lay the foundations for lasting growth and wealth creation. Repositioning this huge economy is not a short term task and there are no short cuts, indeed there are tough decisions still to be made but I have no doubt that your focus on infrastructural investment, revenue mobilisation and value for money in public expenditure will deliver growth, wealth and opportunity for all Nigerians.

I thank His Excellency, the Vice President and my colleagues in the Federal Executive Council for the huge pleasure and honour of working with them. I also thank most specially, the team in the ‘Finance Family’ of advisers and heads of agencies under the Ministry of Finance. Your Excellency, this group of committed Nigerians represent a range of backgrounds, ethnicities and ages. They have worked well above and beyond the call of duty to support me in the tasks assigned. The diversity in my team and their ability to work cohesively to deliver reforms, convinces me that Nigeria has the human capital required to succeed.

Your Excellency, let me conclude by commending your patience and support, during the long search for the truth in this matter. I thank you again for giving me the honour of serving under your leadership, it is a rare privilege, which I do not take for granted. As a Nigerian and committed progressive, I appreciate you for your dogged commitment to improving this nation.

Please be assured, as always, of my highest regards and best wishes

Kemi Adeosun (Mrs)

Friday, May 11, 2018

Alleged N3.2bn fraud: Prosecution closes case against Kalu, others



Alleged N3.2bn fraud: Prosecution closes case against Kalu, others

By NAN |   11 May 2018   |   2:31 pm 

The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) on Friday closed its case against a former Governor of Abia, Orji Kalu and two others charged with N3.2 billion fraud.
The EFCC Prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), announced closure of the prosecution’s case at the Federal High Court, Lagos.
He, however, informed the court that the prosecution intended to amend the charge against the accused to reflect more evidence.
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The EFCC had on Oct. 31, 2016, slammed a 34-count charge bordering on N3.2 billion fraud against Kalu, his former Commissioner for Finance,
Ude Udeogo, and Slok Nigeria Ltd.
The accused had pleaded not guilty to the charge and were granted bails.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Jacobs had led the 17th prosecution witness, Chidi Chukwuka, in evidence at the last adjournment.
At the resumed trial of the case on Friday, Kalu’s counsel, Mr Awa Kalu (SAN), continued the cross-examination of the witness.
Chukwuka had earlier told the court that he was a Deputy Director in the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) and an investigator with
the EFCC as at the time of the alleged fraud.
He said during his investigations, he had obtained statements from Mr Samuel Iheke, a former Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Local
Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
He said he also obtained statements from Mr Chinedum Elechi, the then Secretary, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON)
in Abia.
Awa applied to tender the statements the witness had identified and same were admitted and marked as Exhibits Z to Z9 respectively.
When the witness was asked what the state officials had told him was the reason for the N26 million monthly withdrawals from the Joint Account
Allocation Committee (JAAC) account of the state, the witness replied: “The officials had claimed that the withdrawals were used for sanitation
in Abia State.”
He testified that over N2.5 billion was transferred from the Abia Government House main account to Abia State University and Secondary Education
Management Board accounts.
Counsel to the second accused, Mr Solo Akuma (SAN), asked if the witness was fully involved in the investigation to which he responded in the
affirmative.
Akuma : By count 24 of the charge preferred by the EFCC against the accused, is it correct to say that the N554 million came in various cheques?
Witness : I don’t know.
He said the EFCC did not investigate the accused before the petition from Eyinnaya Abaribe.
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Mr Kingsley Nwofo (SAN), counsel to Slok Nigerai Ltd., asked the witness if any of the statements had shown funds move from the Government
House accounts to the third accused (Slok), he responded in the negative.
There was no re-examination and the witness was discharged.
Justice Mohammed Idris adjourned the case until May 30 and May 31 for defence to open their case.
The EFCC alleged that Kalu and the others committed the offences between August 2001 and October 2005.
The commission accused Kalu of utilising his company, Slok Nigerai Ltd., to retain N200 million in the account of First Inland Bank ( acquired by
First City Monument Bank, FCMB).
It said the sum formed part of funds illegally derived from the coffers of the state government.
The commission also said that the accused had in different bank accounts about N2.5 billion belonging to Abia and diverted about N3.2 billion
from the coffers of the government.
The offences contravened sections 15(6), 16, and 21 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2005 and the Money Laundering Act of 1995
(as amended by Act No.9 of 2002 and Section 477 of the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation, 1990.

Thursday, December 28, 2017

Chiwenga the Coupist, Made the Vice President of Zimbabwe

Harare - Zimbabwe's former army commander who led a military takeover that helped end Robert Mugabe's 37-year rule was Thursday sworn in as one of the country's two vice presidents.
General Constantino Chiwenga, 61, took the oath of office in Harare, pledging to be "faithful" to Zimbabwe and to "obey, uphold and defend the constitution", said an AFP journalist who witnessed the ceremony.
"I will discharge my duties with all my strength and to the best of my knowledge and ability," said Chiwenga dressed in a black suit.
Chiwenga retired from the military last week, slightly over a month after the military temporarily to OK control of the country on November 15, culminating in Mugabe's resignation six days later.

Emmerson Mnangagwa, who had a few weeks earlier been sacked from his job as vice president by Mugabe, then took over as the head of state.
Kembo Mohadi, a veteran politician and long-serving state security minister, was also sworn-in Thursday as the second vice president to Mnangagwa.
Mugabe, 93, was ousted from power after the military stepped in following internal feuding and factionalism that had escalated in the ruling Zanu-PF party over who would succeed him. News24

Thursday, December 14, 2017

EAST/WEST ROAD: FG DRAGS CONTRACTORS TO EFCC


The Federal Government Wednesday said it is dragging 30 contractors to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission( EFCC) over the poor state of jobs on the East West road.
This is just as it announced that Federal Executive Council approved a whopping N16b for the completion of the head office building of the Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The project, according to the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Uguru Usanni, will be completed in 52 weeks.
But responding to question on the necessity of the project, despite the poor state of the East/ west road and huge debt of N30b hanging over government as part of its liability to the contractors, the Minister blamed the state of the road project on poor planing as according to him ” the road had been messed up from inception, and was naturally designed to fail by all the agreements and designed concepts that we met on ground”
“Right now I have gotten some of these contracts and I’m sending them to the EFCC, not just for the east west road. I have got a minimum of 30 to 30 contractors that I am sending to EFCC.”
He stated that private consultants have been engaged to review the whole cost
According to him ” So that some contractors will obviously refund money for which the present cost will be discounted”
“So when you see contractors ganging up and publishing things against me, you should know the foundation. But as far as I am here I will do something that I feel is right.”
He however assured that the current administration was making sure that things are in order so that the project can be delivered on time
“The project started more than a decade ago and in 24 months we have made the progress we have made on that project, correcting even the construction deficits in the area, then I think you should be able to appreciate what we are doing”
” You talk of N16 billion as if it is so relevant in completing the east west road, I wish to tell you that the outstanding certificate on the east west road amount to N30 billion”
The Minister noted that when put side by side, the road is not a substitute.
“Two of them are essential infrastructure projects that must go on, so it doesn’t mean that if we put that money on the east west road then it satisfies the needs of housing the NDDC.”
“The Niger Delta region has a prime position in our preference to develop the area and so there are no substitutes. So even if we are not going to do the NDDC headquarters it doesn’t mean we will complete the east west road. They are all important and I want you to get that into your mind” he said.
The project which is as awarded in 2006 by former President Obasanjo had remain in the limbo with as low as N6b allocated to it in the current ( 2017 ) budget.
Uguru announced that the government has spent about N300 billion on the east west road, adding that ” yet the project has not made much progress”
“I am doing a review of the entire contract of the east west road because, without that nothing will ever happen on that road talkless of completion”
“If you have spent N300 billion and you are where you are then… the design, negotiations, contract everything is wrong”
“You designed a project of that nature and give it a lifespan or seven years and then no designs in some sectors and yet you are attributing cost to it”
“So by what means did you have the elements of costing. These are verifiable facts at any time.

Tony Ailemen, Abuja