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The President of the Nigerian Senate, Bukola Saraki, on Sunday said burglars stormed his country home in Ilorin, Kwara State, and carted away N12 million.
Mr. Saraki said the incident occurred 2 weeks ago at an administrative quarters in the house. He said the incident had been reported to the police.

In a statement signed by his media aide, Yusuph Olaniyonu, the lawmaker said a report that his domestic aides were responsible for the theft is not true; saying the perpetrators were yet to be identified. He also said the money stolen was N12 million and not N300 million.

Mr. Olaniyonu did not disclose why the Senate President, who is being prosecuted for false asset declaration, needed that much cash in his house. He, however, said the money was not public funds.
The latest heist of Mr. Saraki’s funds is coming 6 months after two State Security Services agents in his security detail allegedly participated in an armed robbery of a bureau de change operator.

The two officials, Ahmadu Maigari and George Ibbi, colluded with other colleagues in the service and military personnel to carry out the heist, the SSS said
“Preliminary investigations have revealed that Abdulrasheed Ahmadu Maigari of the DSS, conspired with four other colleagues of his namely: Solomon Inusa, Peter Okoye, Patrick Ishaya and George IBBI, to carry out this reprehensible act.

“While three of the DSS staff are now at large, the Military Authorities have commenced a detailed investigation of five of its personnel involved in the crime,” the security service said in a December 6, 2015 statement.

The report yesterday by SaharaReporters about a burglary in the Ilorin home of Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki contained series of falsehood and at best an exaggeration of an incident which happened two weeks ago in which N12 million was stolen by some unknown persons inside the Administrative Office located next door to the house.
In a statement, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Special Adviser to the Senate President on Media and Publicity stated that the unknown persons broke into the safe in the Administrative Office and stole the N12 million. The incident had since been reported to the police and the Kwara State Police command are investigating the matter with a view to nail the culprits.

“There is therefore no truth in the claim by SaharaReporters that the money ran into hundreds of millions, that it was in foreign currency or that the incident happened in Dr. Saraki’s room. The amount was simply in Naira. Also, the money has nothing to do with Kwara State Government.

“For the umpteenth time, we need to reiterate the fact that SaharaReporters’ fixation that any money spent by Saraki or that is in his possession is from Kwara State Government is unfounded, unwarranted, lacks any basis and irresponsible.

We wonder whether Saraki was such a poor man before 2003 when he was elected Governor that he could no longer own any money without SaharaReporters attributing the source to the State Government.

“In its usual unethical and disgraceful haste to assassinate the Character of the Senate President, SaharaReporters ignored the simple professional practice for it to contact the Police to find out the facts of the incident. It merely created its own usually fictional story and published it. This is an online publication that cares not about its credibility or the journalism credo that facts are sacred and opinion is free.

“We call on all members of the public to ignore all the claims in the story. Dr. Saraki will allow the police to do their work and unravel the person or persons behind this theft in the Administrative Office,” he stated.

No plan to impeach Buhari – SENATE

The Senate, yesterday, rebuffed
insinuations of a plot to initiate
impeachment proceedings against President
Muhammadu Buhari, saying such
suggestions were speculative.
The Senate's disavowal came as Senator
Dino Melaye also denied the claim but
confirmed the altercation between himself
and Senator Remi Tinubu, which he claimed
was sparked by her use of provocative
words against him.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party,
PDP, yesterday, said it would not speak on
the alleged impeachment threats against
President Buhari. National chairman of the
party, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, said the
issue remained entirely within the ambit of
the legislature.
The Chief Chekwas Okorie-led United
Peoples Party, UPP, was, however, not
restrained in its reaction, describing any
impeachment plot as satanic and
subversive.
The Senate in a statement by its
spokesperson, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi,
said the comments credited to the National
Secretary of the APC, Mai Bala Buni, could
give credibility to a news item which
members of the public had disregarded.
He said: ”We expected the party to, at least,
explore all the options open to it to verify
that piece of fabrication which is only the
figment of the imagination of the writers
and their sponsors.
"It should be clear to the APC leadership
that if there is any truth to that story, it
should have been credited to a particular
senator who was at the executive session.
“It is evident from our proceedings of
yesterday (Wednesday) that the Senate
itself was shocked that such a fabrication,
which constitutes a breach of the privileges
of the senators, was published and that was
why we mandated our Committee on Ethics,
Privileges, and Public Petitions to investigate
the source and circumstances leading to
the emergence of such a fabrication.
“We will like to assure the party that the
Senate, as an institution, values the present
democracy in our country and will not do
anything that will undermine or weaken the
system.”
Okorie, Olujimi, Abaribe react
Deputy Minority Whip, Senator Biodun
Olujimi, also, yesterday, took a swipe at the
APC on the alleged impeachment threat,
saying the ruling party itself was confused.
“I do not understand what they are saying,”
he said.
Also speaking to Vanguard, Chairman,
Senate Committee on Information and
National Orientation, Senator Enyinnaya
Abaribe (PDP, Abia South), who noted that
there was nothing to discuss on
impeachment as there was nothing of such,
said the APC was becoming “very
apprehensive.”
Chief Okorie, on his part, cautioned the
Senate against wielding the impeachment
weapon.
Okorie, in a statement made available to
newsmen in Enugu yesterday, said: ”The
threats emanating from some persons in the
National Assembly to commence
impeachment proceedings against President
Muhammadu Buhari for unspecified
impeachable offences at this point in time
are satanic, subversive and dangerous.
“It should be erased completely from the
minds of those contemplating such move.
Any such act of vengeance will be most
unpopular, unpatriotic and condemnable. All
hands must be on deck to salvage our
country from its present state of economic
downturn, excruciating poverty and security
challenges.
“In the spirit of separation of powers, as
clearly defined in the 1999 Constitution of
Nigeria as amended, it behoves on the
National Assembly and its leadership to
submit themselves to the judicial process
with regard to the on-going trial of some top
officers of the Senate on forgery
accusation.”

2016 Hajj: Don’t bring kolanuts into our country, S/Arabia warns pilgrims

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria
(NAHCON) on recently said it was in
receipt of a circular from the Government of
Saudi Arabia prohibiting the importation of
kola nuts, popularly called “goro”, “obi” in
hausa and yoruba parlance into the Kingdom
during the 2016 Hajj.
The commission said the Saudi government
threatened in the circular to punish any
pilgrim who smuggles in Kola nut, in
accordance with the laws of the
Kingdom. “By this, all Nigerian intending
pilgrims are advised to adhere strictly to the
Saudi rules and regulations on prohibited
items,” NAHCON said.
The agency urged States’ Muslim Pilgrims
Welfare Boards/Agencies/Commissions as
well as all the licensed tour operators to
properly enlighten their pilgrims on the
matter. On its own part, the Commission
said it would sanction any pilgrim boards/
agencies/commissions or tour operators
which flout the instruction.
Meanwhile, NAHCON has commenced the
capturing of data of intending pilgrims for
the issuance of 2016 Hajj visa. The
Commission said a total number of 15,531
pilgrims had so far been captured.

Power minister controls nothing – Emir of Kano

The Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, on Tuesday queried the role of the Power minister with respect to delivering electricity to households and businesses across the country.

Sanusi stated that while he was governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, he often asked people to tell him what the responsibility of the Power minister was.

This, he said, was due to the fact that virtually all arms of the electricity value chain had been taken away from the control of the minister.

The Emir stated these in a keynote address during a stakeholders’ workshop on Road Transport Management and Mass Transit Operations in Nigeria organised by the Federal Ministry of Transportation in Abuja.

He said, “Very often in this country, we do not give as much focus as we should to the organic link between the objectives, our strategies, processes, procedures and our results. And one example I’ve always given is the power sector in Nigeria. I used to ask this question that, ‘please what really is the Power minister responsible for?’ And it sounds like a silly question.

“But the truth is, I don’t know about now, but as of the time I was in government, could anyone legitimately hold the Power minister responsible for delivering power? The PHCN (Power Holding Company of Nigeria) was privatised by the Bureau of Public Enterprises; the Ministry of Petroleum Resources is responsible for gas; regulation and pricing is done by the NERC (Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission), which is an independent body.”

Sanusi added, “By the time you took out everything you need in power, the minister has nothing. He controls nothing. The Power minister cannot boast that I will deliver 1,000 megawatts because he can actually build a gas powered turbine and not have the gas. This is because the gas is under the control of a different ministry.

“Also, for hydro, the dams belong to the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and the sites around the dams belong to the state governments. The water turbines belong to the Ministry of Power, but if you want to use hydro, the Ministry of Power does not have the dams. The point I’m making is that one of the reasons why we’ve not made much improvement on power is due to a lack of coordinating mechanisms.”

The emir also stated that a similar situation could be seen in the transport sector, but urged stakeholders in the industry to form a forum from where activities in the sector would be coordinated in order to achieve meaningful results.

He said, “Now, I kind of think that we can have a similar problem with transport. We need to have some framework for coordination and harmonisation for a clear division of roles and responsibilities, and also for ensuring that everything is mainstreamed into one strategic objective. So, whoever is responsible for any part of the transportation chain should have a forum where you come and coordinate activities.”

Sanusi decried poor funding for road infrastructure in Nigeria, adding that reports had it that the country would need about N500bn annually to be able to develop its road sector considerably.

ALADJA/OGBE-IJOH CRISIS: Panel visits area in dispute, vows to end rift

ASABA—CHAIRMAN of Panel of Inquiry set
up by the Delta State Government to resolve
the land dispute between Aladja in Udu
Local Government and Ogbe-Ijoh in Warri
South-West Local Government Areas of
Delta State, Prof. Abednego Ekoko has said
that the committee will proffer lasting
solution to the lingering inter- communal
crisis.
Ekoko who spoke to journalists after the
panel was taken to the areas in dispute on
land and water by Aladja elders and
community leaders to show their claims and
boundary, described the exercise which was
peaceful and smooth as a voyage of
discovery.
Noting that their assignment was sensitive
and serious, he heaved a sigh of relief that
the panel was making considerable
progress.
He assured that the panel would be fair to
both communities in its final report and
recommendations to the state government.
“Aladja has shown the committee the extent
of land, then extent by water. We now have
a mental picture of their claim and when we
return to the office, we shall transfer what
we have seen on paper. Ogbe-Ijoh will show
us their claim in like manner and when we
have seen these two, we shall now consider
the two and produce a report, which shall be
the solution to the crisis we are looking for,”
Ekoko said.
A member of the Aladja Elder’s Council,
Alhaji Godon Djehwo, who took the eight-
man panel on the two day visit to show
them their claims, boundary and extent of
land belonging to them as contained in their
memoranda, said that their fore fathers only
gave a small portion of land close to the
Okpavwa creek to Ogbe-Ijoh.
Djehwo told the panel which flagged off its
visit to the disputed land amidst tight
security provided by the Nigerian Army,
police and Anti-Bomb Squad, that other
places currently occupied by Ogbe-Ijoh
community outside the original area given to
them was an encroachment on their land.
The panel members who went by boat
through the creeks and river to Ikperhi, new
camp, Ovwarhanven camp, Ayama
community and Ubame/Abama in a journey
that lasted close to four hours to identify
Aladja claims and its boundary, were also
told to look into their claims and determine
the true and bonafide owner of the land in
dispute.
At the various points claimed to be their
land, including settlement camps, farm
lands, ancestral shrines, river and creeks,
professional Surveyors from the Delta State
Surveyor-General’s Office led by the
Surveyor-General, F.Osawa deployed Global
Positioning System, GPS, instruments to
record and establish the various points.

‘We want to create more employments with digital farms’

LAGOS—A frontline real estate investor and
the Chief Executive Officer of Beyond
Building Investment, Mr. Lanre Howells, has
said the reason behind their digital farm
estate is to bridge the gap between large
scale farmers and small scale farmers and
also to create more employment
opportunities for Nigeria’s teaming youths.
He made this known to press men,
yesterday, at the unveiling of commercial
farming in Lagos.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Howells, also
said that the main essence of the program
is to enable the government know that for
them to achieve the best in agriculture,the
basic necessities should be provided to
farmers.
He said, “This event will help to close the
gap that exists between small scale farming
and large scale farming and also to create
more job opportunities for our teaming
youths.
"It offers you the opportunity to monitor
your farms at the comfort of your houses
and there are also relaxation spots at the
farm lands.
"This platform will also help to let the
government know that for them to acquire
the desired result in farming in Nigeria, they
have to give farmers full support by
providing the basic necessities needed for
the progress of the sector."