NIGERIAN NOTCH

......Denies saying ‘stealing isn’t corruption’  …says his statement twisted out of context by critics for political reasons    Former President Goodluck Jonathan as formally responded to the infamous claim that he tended to downplay raging corruption in his administration by boldly claiming that ‘stealing is not corruption’. Jonathan Jonathan But in dispelling the claim, Jonathan claimed that corruption was more prevalent under the President Muhammadu Buhari administration than under him and dismissed the current anti-corruption fight as mere media show. The former president boasted: “It is important to note that despite the many sensational stories, dramatic arrests, seizures and accusations, many of them false, since I left office, the fact remains that Nigeria has not made any improvement on TI Corruption Perception Index since 2014. “In fact, the 2017 CPI released in 2018 by TI places Nigeria as number 148, a retrogression in which the nation went 12 place b

Contrary to analysts’ projections of a third consecutive month rise in inflation rate, Nigeria’s headline inflation rate fell to 11.26 per cent, year-on-year, YoY in October 2018, down from 11.28 percent YoY in September. National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, disclosed this in its October 2018 inflation report released yesterday. After 18 months of steady decline, the inflation rate rose steadily for two months from 11.14 percent in July to 11.23 percent in August and to 11.28 percent in September. Most analysts projected that the rising trend will persist in October. While analysts at FSDH Merchant Bank projected that the inflation rate will rise further to 11.34 percent in October, analysts at Financial Derivatives Company Limited project 11.35 percent inflation rate for October. These projections were however nullified by the October inflation rate of 11.26 percent reported by NBS yesterday. NBS October Inflation report The NBS stated: “The Consumer Price Index, (CPI) which

Lawmakers of the Anambra State House of Assembly have called on the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to caution the State Command over the sealing of the State Assembly. The call is coming  based on the recent closure of the complex, following the crisis that enveloped the assembly last week Thursday, after the failed impeachment of the Speaker, Hon Rita Maduagwu. The lawmakers insisted that the command’s action amounted to attacking the symbol of democracy in the state. The factional Speaker of the Assembly, Ikem Uzoezie, who spoke on behalf of the anti Maduagwu group in a statement made available to journalists on Monday in Awka, said that the leadership of the House never asked the police to take over the complex. He urged the public to condemn the development, dismissing the police action as unnecessary. The statement read in part: “The leadership of Anambra State House of Assembly led by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Ikem Uzoezie, followed by the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. H

With great disappointment and distaste, I read the above-titled piece supposedly written by one Abdullahi Haruna. It was indeed like a tour of a lunatic asylum. What are his contentions? It was clearly sponsored by those who are dismayed that the Vice-Presidential candidate of the PDP, Mr. Peter Obi has no common fault that are observed among many Nigerian politicians and in desperation concoct tales, which defy all logic. The unidentifiable Haruna submitted falsely that as Governor of Anambra State, Obi “bundled some northerners” back to their home-States. He is intensely annoyed that Obi uses his life-style to explain certain actions he took as Governor; making reference to the controversy over Buhari’s age; and attempting to resurrect the N250 million issue. Those of us from Anambra State are wondering when the bundling of Hausas from the area or any other group for that matter, took place during Obi’s tenure. There was absolutely nothing like that. On the contrary, Obi championed

In what appeared a subtle threat to some of its aggrieved governors and their proxies, the ruling All Progressives Congress APC has threatened to activate constitutional provisions regarding the several court actions instituted against it as a result of the outcome of its recent nationwide congresses. According to Vanguard, the decision was taken at Monday’s meeting of the National Working Committee NWC of the party. Confirming the development in a statement, Monday night, National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu said the NWC “frowned at the actions of some Party members who have resorted to litigation as a way of addressing their perceived grievances and disputation without exhausting the party’s dispute resolution mechanism”. Article 21(D)(v) states; “Any member who files an action in court of law against the party or any of its officers on any matter or matters relating to the discharge of the duties of the party without first exhausting the avenues for

Before we look at the NEXT LEVEL plans by the APC, can we take a look at their 2014 APC Manifesto and see what has been achieved. Below are promises contained in the APC Manifesto as published by the party prior to the 2015 Presidential election. The promises below are extracted from the two official documents released by APC as their Manifesto titled ‘Securing Nigeria’s Future’ and ‘Roadmap to a New Nigeria’, all published by the APC and signed by the then Presidential aspirant, now President Muhammadu Buhari. Please note that some of the promises that do not require funds to be implemented are even yet to even be initiated. Securing Nigeria’s Future’ 1. Initiate action to amend the Nigerian Constitution with a view to devolving powers, duties, and responsibilities to states in order to entrench true Federalism and the Federal spirit. (This simply means that the APC actually promised to restructure Nigeria and entrench true federalism if voted into power). 2. Amend the Constitutio