I am under investigation for corruption – Ex-President Jonathan
In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Jonathan said that he could not make comments about the investigations.
“Of course, obviously, I would be investigated. in fact I am being investigated. Investigations are going on. I would not want to make certain comments because government is working.
It would not be proper for immediate past president to make certain statements. I will allow the government do the work. I wouldn’t want to make serious comments on that.
After all the investigations, the stories will be properly documented. I have just left office and I should allow the president and his team do what they think is best for the economy.”
– Former President Goodluck Jonathan
The former Nigerian president disagreed with claims that his successor, President Muhammadu Buhari inherited an empty federal treasury.
“It is not true; there is no way that he would have inherited an empty treasury and at the same time give bailout to the states. It’s not possible.
Nigeria is a fairly robust economy but sometimes, we over politicize some issues and make it look so bad. It was not that bad. Some people ask questions like I was the president of Nigeria since independence; I was the president for 5 years.
It is routine in Nigeria from the collapse of the first republic, people blamed corruption. When the second republic collapsed, the military blamed corruption. If there is a major change in government, one political party taking over from another one, there must be issues.”
– Former President Goodluck Jonathan
He said that his government could not tackle the corruption in the oil industry because of certain people – people he did not name in the Bloomberg TV interview.
However, he said about another industry: “In the area of fertilizer subsidy, we cleaned up and the corruption was removed. I wanted to do the same thing in the oil industry but the same people who are accusing us of corruption are the very people that were frustrating it.”
President Buhari jets to London for medical treatment
The president’s Twitter handle, @NGRPresident, tweeted on Sunday, “During the holiday, the President will see an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist for a persistent ear infection.”
View the president’s twitter handle statement, below:
@NGRPresident
President Buhari proceeds on 10-day
vacation, from Monday June 6, 2016
NE | Report
President BuhariReasons Nigerian Banks Are Sacking Workers
Reasons Nigerian Banks Are Sacking Workers; Raymond Dokpesi Escapes Assassination, Police Detail Shot Dead . . .
Nigerian banks started trimming of staff to suit the economic situation. Last week, two banks, Ecobank and Diamond Bank sacked over 1060 staff citing economic downturn as reason for the cut. Reports say the recent sack has increased the number sacked bank workers in the banking industry in the past one year to about 8,500.
The federal government through the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, intervened and requested the banks to stop the sacking for now. Whether the banks have stopped sacking according to government’s request is open to conjecture.
Reports indicate that there are 7 major reasons why the banks’ are sacking, below:
1. The fall in global oil prices by nearly 60% from $115per barrel to about $44 per barrel in nearly 2 years, thus resulting in lower government revenues, thereby decreasing bank deposits.
2. The introduction of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) triggered the withdrawal of about N2.9 trillion of government funds from the banks and moved same into the Central Banks of Nigeria (CBN) vaults.
3. Nigerian banks are also faced with significant pressure from the abolition of commissions on turnover (COT), which came into force on January 1, 2016.
4. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has beamed its searchlight on the banks, leading to the arrest of some bank CEOs.
5. The banks are under allegations that they helped the Jonathan administration to launder public funds of over $115m into private pockets. As a result, some banks were forced to return some undisclosed amounts of money to the federal government.
6. The worsening foreign exchange crisis in the CBN, banks and the parallel market.
7. The current galloping inflation in Nigeria.
Raymond Dokpesi Escapes Assassination, Police Detail Shot Dead
Chief Raymond Dokpesi, the Chairman of Daar Communications – owners of Africa Independent Television (AIT) escaped death on Saturday in what appeared to be an assassination attempt in Abuja.
According to Signal NG, Sergeant Den Gaius of the FCT Police Command, a police detail attached to Dokpesi was shot dead during the operation by the heavily armed assailants.
The suspected assassins, numbering four were sighted in a Honda Accord car. According to an eyewitness account, they accosted the deceased in front of Child Care and Awareness Clinic at No 7, Fez Street, Off Kumasi Crescent Wuse 2 Abuja at 2.30am on Saturday, June 4, 2016.
The FCT Police Command was yet to officially react at the time of filing this report.
NND
Tompolo is in Libya, we’ll get him dead or alive – Militant group
Tompolo flees to Libya . . .
Tompolo is in Libya, we’ll get him dead or alive – Militant group; Osinbajo to act as President for 10 days; Militant group threaten to bomb Aso Rock . . .
Tompolo, has fled to Libya, the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force (JNDLF) alleged on Monday. The group which threatened last week to test six missiles in the Niger Delta states, beginning from tomorrow, said in a statement, below:
“The Military can’t locate Tompolo but we have identified where he is now.” Gen. Akotebe Darikoro, Commander, General Duties; Gen. Torunanaowei Latei, Creeks Network Coordinator; Gen. Agbakakuro Owei-Tauro, Pipelines Bleeding Expert and Gen. Pulokiri Ebiladei, Intelligence Bureau of JNDLF.
Presently, Tompolo is in Libya and we’ll get him dead or alive for betraying us in supporting the federal government against us.”
– JNDLF
Osinbajo to act as President for 10 days
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday said he has transmitted a letter to the National Assembly intimating the federal lawmakers of his 10-day vacation starting today.
Buhari disclosed this while speaking to journalists at the Nnamdi Azikwe International, Abuja shortly before leaving for London where he is expected to attend to his ill-health.
With the letter to the National Assembly, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo is expected to act as President for the period Buhari will be away.
Militant group threaten to bomb Aso Rock
A militant group in the Niger Delta, The Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force, has threatened to attack the presidential villa in Abuja.
In a statement on Monday, the group said it has listed key areas in the country to carry out its attacks and that occupants of the listed areas to “vacate urgently”.
Some of the buildings the group threatened to attack are the police headquarters, defence headquarters, NNPC towers, CBN headquarters, national assembly, military formations across the country, among others.
The group vowed to lay the foundation for the breakup of the country, adding that former President Goodluck Jonathan should not be brought into the rebirth of militancy in the Niger Delta.
The statement reads: “The followings occupants of these buildings should as a matter of urgency vacate in them immediately IN THEIR OWN INTEREST to save their lives because our fight is not for ANY HUMAN BLOOD but to destroy all those infrastructures that were built with our oil and gas monies in this country. We will make federal government and oil companies to suffer as they have made the people of Niger Delta region suffer over the years.
“We shall fire these Missiles’ simultaneously at the night, as this will enable every Nigerians to see the movement of the MISSILES and equally to believe us of our seriousness attached to the final breakup as predicted by the United States of America (USA).
“We equally advise the diplomatic community to be neutral on this issue as wrong comments against us will be seen as saboteurs. Where they are staying presently will not be affected which is not part of our targeted areas of destruction in the country.”
The militants boasted that the deployment of war arsenal in the region cannot stop them from operating, vowing to embarrass the air force.
They also warned oil companies from repairing destroyed pipelines.
“We shall embarrass the self acclaimed Nigerian Air Force with their recent deployment of fighter aircraft, helicopter gunship and surveillance aircraft when at this digital age, countries are talking about missile development, and they still condescend so low of their present obsolete equipment,” they said.
“Note, we are going to destroy the ones they have deployed to Escravos, Forcados in Delta State; Bonga oil field, Agbami offshore and Brass in Bayelsa; Bony in Rivers; Qua Iboe Terminal in Akwa Ibom State, and Opuekeba in Ondo State if they fails to remove them before time. Our crack team has taken inventory of their equipments. Even the present suffering from a rare ear disease known as Meniere’s disease by President Muhammadu Buhari will not win any sympathy to save our action against the federal government. The name Nigeria as a country will come to an end this week.”
The Sun
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NND
Nigerian News Desk 