Okonjo-Iweala confesses: Jonathan asked me to withdraw $2bn

Madam Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Nigeria’s former minister of finance has finally confirmed that the $2 billion she was alleged to have withdrawn from the Excess Crude Account without authorisation was used to pay for fuel subsidy on the instruction of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

She claimed the issue was discussed at the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC), a statutory body which is chaired by the Minister of State for Finance in which all the states are represented.

But the truth is that FAAC did not approve the $2billion withdrawal.

It will be recalled that Nigerian state governors had after the inauguration of the National Economic Council about two weeks ago accused Okonjo-Iweala of spending $2 billion from the ECA, a pool of funds which belonged to the three tiers of government.

Adams Oshiomole, the governor of Edo state told journalists that there has been a depletion in the funds from $4.1 billion as at November 2014 to $2.1 billion, even when there was no authorisation for any withdrawal from the funds known to state chief executives.

The governors had subsequently set up a committee made up of four of their members to investigate the withdrawals.

“Payments made were used for paying for petroleum subsidies for the Nigerian people and were approved by Mr President,” Iweala said in a statement through her media aide, Paul Nwaibuikwu.

“Therefore there is no question of mismanaging any resources here,” she added

FAAC members from all the states have insisted that they were not party to such illegal withdrawals.

WOW! A Complete Human Robot Has Been Created

With the one Oyinbo is going, one day we will wake up and here that man wont die of old age again. Do you know the photo above is not real human? They've made a "complete" human robot. Check it out...

We Warned Tinubu that ‘Northern Allies’ will Betray Him —FFK

Controversial Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has claimed that APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu was warned that ‘northern allies in APC’ will betray him but he didn't listen.

“Another is the destruction and demystification of Bola Tinubu and his Yoruba loyalists by his erstwhile northern allies in the APC. Only a fool did not see that one coming and I am rather surprised that Tinubu’s followers are now crying foul and alleging that there is a northern conspiracy. 

Didnt they know that before? Were they not warned over and over again?” 

Fani-Kayode posted on his Facebook account.

There are rumours that efforts are on top gear by some forces in the party to demystify the perceived growing influence of Tinubu, who was instrumental to the formation of APC and also led the campaign of the first president to be produced by the party, Muhammadu Buhari.

Fani-Kayode also warned that "there are many other grave consequences which the Nigerian people will witness, in a most harrowing and frightful manner, in the next few months and years. May God deliver our people and our nation and may we learn to make the right choices."

Boko Haram Now Ready To Swap Chibok Girls For Their Men

The dreaded Boko Haram insurgents have offered to free the more than 200 young girls kidnapped from their boarding school in the town of Chibok, Borno State, in exchange for the release of its fighters held by the Nigerian military, a human rights activist has told The Associated Press (AP).

The activist said Boko Haram’s current offer is limited to the girls from the school in northeastern Nigeria whose mass abduction in April 2014 ignited worldwide outrage and a campaign to “Bring Back Our Girls” that stretched to the White House, US, and other capitals across the world.

The new initiative reopens an offer made last year to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan to release the students in exchange for 16 Boko Haram detainees, the activist said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters on this sensitive issue.

Fred Eno, an apolitical Nigerian who has been negotiating with Boko Haram for some time, told the AP that “another window of opportunity opened” in the last few days, though he could not discuss details.

He said the recent slew of Boko Haram bloodletting – with many killed in the past nine days – is consistent with past intensifying of violence as the militants seek a stronger negotiating position.

Presidential adviser Femi Adesina said on Saturday that Nigeria’s government “will not be averse” to talks with Boko Haram. “Most wars often end around the negotiation table,” he had said.

NDLEA Arrests Man With $2.1million in Lagos Airport

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA has intercepted a man carrying US$2,198,900 at the domestic wing of the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos on his way to Abuja. The agency said the man, John Ibiteye, 46, is being investigated in connection with the money laundering case.

The man however defended himself saying he is a Bureau De Change operator. Why not use a bank?

Caitlyn Jenner rumoured to be 'interested' in another transgender

In her coming out interview, Caitlyn Jenner said she's straight and will have no interest in men when she becomes a man. But what do you call being 'interested' in a transgender - who used to be a man? There are reports that Caitlyn likes Candis Cayne, 44, a well-known transgender entertainer and actress based in New York! The two have been spending a lot of time together and there are claims Caitlyn 'opened up her heart' to Candis and has fallen for her!

"Caitlyn and Candis had amazing chemistry. After her monumental life change, Caitlyn’s ready to open up her heart again and really, how could you ask for a more perfect fit as a romantic partner than Candis? She’s been basically through the same struggles and confusion, so she’d be the perfect person for Caitlyn to lean on as she continues her journey of transition. Candis is smart, funny, talented and drop-dead sexy. I wouldn’t blame Caitlyn one bit if she fell for her.” an insider tells Star

Candis pictured right

Khloe K tries to go incognito as she leaves dinner date with James Harden

Khloe Kardashian tried to go incognito in a baseball cap and sunglasses as she left an intimate dinner date with new 25-year-old beau'/Houston Rockets basketbal playler, James Harden at a restaurant in Beverly Hills last night. Khloe definitely has a thing for basketball players. More photos after the cut.

Ekweremadu To APC: National Assembly Not Your Secretariat

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has warned the ruling party, All Progressives Congress, APC, not to misconstrue the National Assembly as its party secretariat.

Senator Ekweremadu, who spoke through his Special Adviser on Media, Uche Anichukwu, was called up on a RayPower Radio morning programme, tagged: “Political Platform”, where he responded to questions on the alleged forgery/amendment of the Senate Standing Rule, 2011.

When told that some, especially from the APC felt that his principal took a seat that rightly belonged to the APC, Mr Anichukwu said the seat did not belong to any political party.

He said: “Going by Section 50 (1) of the 1999 Constitution, that Office doesn’t belong to anybody or party. It belongs to Nigerians. That is why APC lawmakers became Speakers in Plateau and Benue State Assemblies last June even when the APC was in minoity. By the way, are some people trying to tell Nigerians that if the PDP had won majority in the National Assembly, which is an independent arm of government, and head both chambers, then the President Buhari Administration would cease to function?

“Just as I said in a statement a few days ago, we will not be intimidated and will do everything democratically possible to protect the independence of the National Assembly.

He washed his hands off the allegation, saying at the time the said Senate Standing Rule/Order 2015 was made, he had ceased being the Deputy Senate President and so was no longer a principal officer to have contributed to the making of the document in question.

He said the making of a new Rule/Order for a new Senate or House was entirely the business of the National Assembly bureucracy, asking those striving to frame him up to look elsewhere.

He said: “Let me just explain here that every National Assembly, that is every Senate or House has its Standing Rule/Order as every Standing Rule/Order normally has a life span of four years. So, if you go to the Office of the Clerk to the National Assembly now, you are likely to find Standing Rules/Orders of 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011 and the current 2015.

“From the point of the valedictory session of the 7th Senate on 4th June, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Distinguished Senator David Mark and the rest of other members of the 7th Senate ceased to be senators until the 9th of June, when the 8th Senate was inaugurated; and as usually done, the new senators received new Standing Rule/Order 2015.

“The making of that 2015 edition of the Senate Rule/Order is the business of the bureaucracy of the National Assembly. What the 8th Senate can do, which its predecessors have sometimes done is to amend as suitable. And the process of the amendment is spelt out in the that document.

Collapsed building: T.B Joshua launches attack on coroners verdict

Article written by freelance Synagogue Church reporter, Ihechukwu Njoku. Read below...

Nigerian Prophet T.B. Joshua has launched a scathing attack against the verdict of the coroner’s court in Lagos yesterday which ruled the tragic collapse of a building within his church last year was due to structural failure.

"The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations rejects the verdict of the coroner on the grounds that it is unreasonable, one-sided and biased,” a statement released via their official Facebook page read, attributed to Barr. Olalekan Ojo, lead counsel to The SCOAN.

“The church maintains its stand that the incident was as a result of sabotage,” the statement continued, further adding that the public should not be misled by media reports casting sensational headlines suggesting the church was liable for prosecution over ‘criminal negligence’.

The statement highlighted that no evidence was found that The SCOAN hired incompetent professionals or used substandard materials in the construction of the building.

“There was no finding that connected the incident with the lack of a building permit,” the statement proceeded, adding that the process of procuring the necessary approval was well underway and had been assessed and accepted by relevant government agencies before the incident.

“The church disagrees most vehemently with the finding that the incident was due to structural failure,” continued the strongly worded statement, insisting the verdict failed to consider substantial evidence which pointed to sabotage and ruled out structural failure.

“It was a one-sided verdict which left many issues unaddressed and questions unanswered.” The SCOAN highlighted that the verdict failed to even recognise the CCTV footage released by the church which showed “the 6-storey building falling in less than 4 seconds – a manner consistent with controlled or externally induced demolition”.

It concluded by stating that Chief Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe’s admission “that the conduct of the investigation of the incident was compromised... calls into question the integrity and reliability of the entire investigation.” Joshua’s supporters were vocal in their support of the ‘prophet’ in the thousands of comments posted beneath the statement, many insisting the verdict was the work of ‘the devil’.

“If you bury a lie, it will rot. If you bury the truth, it will rise,” wrote Opeyemi Oduwole. “We South Africans know what happened to the building; we know the truth. No matter how they lie, the truth will prevail,” added Bridget Mkhonto.

Joshua followed up on the statement by posting a video on Facebook highlighting the differences between controlled demolition and structural failure with the caption, “No matter how fast a lie runs, the truth will someday overtake it.”

Kim K poses in nude bodysuit in photo shoot styled by Kanye West

Pregnant Kim Kardashian poses in champagne bra, nude body stockings and black stiletto boots in new shoot styled by husband Kanye West and shot by famed photographer Juergen Teller forSystem Magazine...