News extract 25th April 2017

Ø  EFCC charges Babangida with N3billion fraud.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has charged the immediate past Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu and the 2015 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Umar Nasko, with an alleged N3bn fraud.

Nasko also served as Chief of Staff and Commissioner for Environment under Aliyu’s administration between 2007 and 2015.

DAILY POST

Ø  12 states owe salaries despite bailout

No fewer than 12 states are still owing their workers a backlog of salaries and allowances, despite double bailout funds from the Federal Government, with Kogi State owing as many as 15 months, Vanguard investigations have revealed

Also on the list of heavily indebted states are Osun, 12 months; Kwara, 11; Bayelsa, 7; Ondo, 7; Ekiti, 6; and Oyo, 6.
Others are Benue State, 4 months; Nasarawa State, 2; Abia, 2; Imo, 2; as well as several months of unpaid allowances and Ogun State, which owes over six months of unremitted deductions from workers’ salaries for cooperatives, union dues, among others.
VANGUARD

Ø  Super Eagles will qualify for 2018 World Cup, AFCON 2019 – NFF

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has said that everything has been put in place, for the Super Eagles to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

Gernot Rohr’s men will take on South Africa in a 2019 AFCON qualifier next month, as the former African champions seek a return to the tournament, having missed the last two editions.

DAILYPOST

Ø  Saraki has lost legitimacy as Senate President —APC chieftain

A National ex-officio of  ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Yekini Nabena, has described as immoral the continued stay of Sen. Bukola Saraki as President of the Senate, despite  various allegations of graft against him.

Nabena, who spoke against the backdrop of the suspension of Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, over allegations of corruption, called for Saraki’s immediate resignation as Senate President, if the Senate is to regain its deserved status.
VANGUARD

Ø  That money belongs to me!

Seriously, I don’t understand the controversy that trailed the discovery of some of the money being “discovered” by the EFCC as a result of their whistle blowing strategy. There is no need for any controversy. This money belongs to me…and YOU! It’s our money! What we need to know is who stole it and hid it? And this brings me to one fundamental truth about this anti-corruption campaign that many of us do not understand. I get sick when I hear or read about “Buhari”s anti-corruption fight”. What makes it Buhari’s anti-corruption fight? If money has been stolen, is it Buhari’s money? And if looted or questionably acquired money is recovered, is it going into Buhari’s personal current account? So why is it “Buhari’s anti-corruption fight”? I think a weak point in the government’s strategy is the failure to get the buy-in of the majority of Nigerians in this campaign. Many of us simply do not understand that this money being talked about is actually our money.

THE GUARDIAN