Thursday, 30 July 2015
Buhari Praises Rev. Father Mbaka for His Frankness to Power
In a glowing tribute he issued in recognition of Mbaka’s 20th anniversary of priesthood, Buhari extolled what he described as the “extraordinary intrepidity” and “remarkable patriotism” of the priest.
Senior special assistant on Media and Publicity to the president, Malam Garba Shehu noted in a statement that the president said Father Mbaka did nothing wrong in contributing to the country’s politics.
According to Buhari, the desire to add “one’s voice to make one’s country better has nothing to do with politics”, and that as the “conscience of the nation”, religious leaders cannot afford to be aloof or indifferent to the miseries of the people.
Buhari described Mbaka as a remarkable example that religious leaders are the conscience of society.
It would be recalled that Mbaka was the cleric who predicted former President Goodluck Jonathan’s defeat in the months leading to the 2015 presidential election.
EFCC arrests Sacked NIMASA DG over Billions of Naira Fraud
The EFCC has arrested the immediate past Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency [NIMASA], Patrick Ziakede Akpobolokemi, two weeks after he was fired from his post.
A source in NIMASA told PT that Mr. Akpobolokemi was arrested in Lagos on Thursday morning and was detained at the Lagos office of the EFCC in the Ikoyi area of the city.
“He was taken in this morning around 10am. Some of our other officials have also been summoned while EFCC operatives have been conducting discreet investigation here. There is tension everywhere.
“One of our people just returned from EFCC and he told me the former DG is still there, sweating profusely as he was being questioned by investigators.”
The source said while at NIMASA headquarters, EFCC operatives asked questions about curious multi-billion naira transactions approved by Mr. Akpobolokemi, especially in the last days of the last government.
“For instance, they wanted to know how a whopping N13billion was spent on the acquisition of land for the permanent site of the Nigerian Maritime University in Delta,” our source said.
“They also asked about other transactions they believed were fraudulent, including transfers of millions of dollars from NIMASA accounts to other accounts.”
President Muhammadu Buhari had on July 16 sacked Mr. Akpobolokemi and directed him to immediately hand over all government property in his possession and vacate office.
There have been allegations of financial impropriety against NIMASA during Mr. Akpobolokemi’s tenure, including those which suggested the agency funded the lavish lifestyles of some Niger Delta militants and bankrolled most of the wicked campaigns against President Buhari before the elections.
A source in NIMASA told PT that Mr. Akpobolokemi was arrested in Lagos on Thursday morning and was detained at the Lagos office of the EFCC in the Ikoyi area of the city.
“He was taken in this morning around 10am. Some of our other officials have also been summoned while EFCC operatives have been conducting discreet investigation here. There is tension everywhere.
“One of our people just returned from EFCC and he told me the former DG is still there, sweating profusely as he was being questioned by investigators.”
The source said while at NIMASA headquarters, EFCC operatives asked questions about curious multi-billion naira transactions approved by Mr. Akpobolokemi, especially in the last days of the last government.
“For instance, they wanted to know how a whopping N13billion was spent on the acquisition of land for the permanent site of the Nigerian Maritime University in Delta,” our source said.
“They also asked about other transactions they believed were fraudulent, including transfers of millions of dollars from NIMASA accounts to other accounts.”
President Muhammadu Buhari had on July 16 sacked Mr. Akpobolokemi and directed him to immediately hand over all government property in his possession and vacate office.
There have been allegations of financial impropriety against NIMASA during Mr. Akpobolokemi’s tenure, including those which suggested the agency funded the lavish lifestyles of some Niger Delta militants and bankrolled most of the wicked campaigns against President Buhari before the elections.
Shell Is Cutting Spending; To Sack 6,500 Workers
Shell petroleum development company, SPDC, says it will axe 6,500 workers this year and begin a process of cutting spendings, to deal with an extended period of lower oil prices in the global market.
Shell wants to sack 6,500 staff and direct contract workers from a total of nearly 100,000 employees.
“We have to be resilient in a world where oil prices remain low for some time, whilst keeping an eye on recovery,” said Ben van Beurden, Shell's Chief Executive Officer.
Besides, the company announced on Thursday in London the sale of a 33 percent stake in the Showa Shell refinery in Japan to Idemitsu, for about $1.4 billion.
The Anglo-Dutch company also said it was planning more asset disposals, bringing total asset sales between 2014 and 2018 to $50 billion.
Lower oil prices have contributed to a 37 percent drop in the oil and gas group’s second-quarter profits. And the group said it would reduce 2015 capital investment for the second time this year to $30 billion by 20 percent from a year ago.
Big oil companies have cut 2015 spending by 10 to 15 percent from 2014, to cope with fall in oil prices over the past year to below $55 a barrel from over a $100.
Shell said its operating costs were expected to fall by $4 billion, or around 10 percent, in 2015 as part of a broad efficiency drive to boost its balance sheet.
The Anglo-Dutch company also said it was planning more asset disposals, bringing total asset sales between 2014 and 2018 to $50 billion.
Lower oil prices have contributed to a 37 percent drop in the oil and gas group’s second-quarter profits. And the group said it would reduce 2015 capital investment for the second time this year to $30 billion by 20 percent from a year ago.
Big oil companies have cut 2015 spending by 10 to 15 percent from 2014, to cope with fall in oil prices over the past year to below $55 a barrel from over a $100.
Shell said its operating costs were expected to fall by $4 billion, or around 10 percent, in 2015 as part of a broad efficiency drive to boost its balance sheet.
Buhari's Government Goes After ‘Super Rich’ Civil Servants
Federal Government’s anti-corruption operatives have been sent after ‘super rich’ public officers who have multiple properties and other assets suspected to have been the rewards of corrupt activities.
"Those civil servants living a life beyond their means, their lifestyles are under watch. People are monitoring them, whistle-blowers are writing petitions and the Assets Recovery Unit is following up on them."
According to Punch, the searchlight of the anti-corruption agents was on civil servants that possess many properties in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Operatives in the Assets Tracing, Recovery and Management Unit of the ICPC had been asked to haul in suspects for interrogation and recovery of ill-gotten assets in their possession.
An operative at the ICPC, confirmed the development.
Although the source did not mention the number of civil servants that had been quizzed in relation to the new move to check fraud in the civil service, it was learnt that several personnel of the civil service had been placed under watch by the ICPC.
Any civil servant found to have compromised his office to acquire wealth would be charged to court after the proceeds of the corrupt acts would have been confiscated by the Federal Government.
PHOTOS: Boko Haram's Secret Supply Routes Busted
The items, suspected to be supplies meant for Boko Haram Terrorists, were confiscated from the smugglers in Pepe, Dashin-Hausa, Belel Bilachi, and Konkul villages located along the Nigeria-Cameroon Borders on Tuesday, 28 July 2015.
The NAF was able to achieve the recent feat through its air patrol activities, covering both land and water, along the Nigeria-Cameroon boarders.
Air Commodore Dele Alonge
Director Public Relations and Information
Nigerian Air Force
Lagos Wife Files for Divorce: My Husband Is Denying Me Sex
The troubled wife cried out: ”For eight years now, my husband, Jide, has refused to make love to me. My husband has been denying me s*x since eight years now, I am neither a stone nor a stick.”
The petitioner also accused her husband of abandonment, saying that he deserted her and her 12-year-old child to an unknown destination since 2013.
“Jide parked out of the house without telling me, he refused to tell me where he lives and where he works. He only sends his son’s school fees and house rent through my bank account,” she said.
Adeolu said that her husband told her to stop calling him as he had married another woman. She said that her husband told her to find another husband.
“My husband told me that he is married to another woman, when I called him to know why he abandoned us without any prior notice or reason.” Adeolu, a mother of one, said that she was always sad anytime her neighbours made jest of her, by calling her rejected and abandoned property.
She begged the court to dissolve the marriage as she was no longer interested in her husband.
However, Mr Jide Adelani, 45, a businessman, accepted the allegation of starving his wife of s*x. He said that he refused to make love to her because he did not want her to have another child as their last child almost took her life.
“She gave birth to our son through cesarean; I don’t want to risk her life, that was why I distanced myself from her so that she should be taking care of the child,” he said.
The respondent said that he did not abandon his wife, but decided to move closer to his working place due to distance. I did not abandon her, I always squat with my friends and I come home once in a while.”
He said that he processed documents to travel abroad and he was duped. Jide claimed his wife was happy that the journey was not successful.
The husband conceded to the dissolution of the marriage, saying he was also fed up with the union.
After listening to the troubled couple, the president of the court, Mr Hakeen Oyekan, adjourned the case till Aug. 12 for judgment.
Wednesday, 29 July 2015
Broke? Tyga facing eviction after falling behind 2 months rent on his house
"Tyga's being sued by his landlord for failing to pay two months rent on his house in posh Calabasas. The pad rents for $25k/month ... and the landlord says he's behind that amount times 2. If Tyga doesn't fork over the loot by Saturday, the landlord will go for eviction and charge him $833.33 a day in rent."
Fun fact: this is the house where Tyga lived with Blac Chyna ... so she's named as a defendant too.
Just last month, Tyga was ordered to pay $80,000 in back rent to another Calabasas landlord. We have reached out to Tyga's lawyer for comment ... so far no word back.
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