Ivanovic Set To Renew His Contract With Chelsea

Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic is already in talks with the club on his contract renewal.
According to The Times (UK), the Serbian is set to pen-down new terms with the London club.

Branislav Ivanovic

It would be noted that the Serbian defender is yet to settle into the new season, although has shown potentials of getting back to his old self.
Possibly, Ivanovic may extend his contract for another one year as Chelsea continue the transformation process under new interim coach Guus Hiddink.
Meanwhile, there are reports that Jose Mourinho could be moving to Manchester United sooner than expected, as popular football agent Jorge Mendes is said to be in negotiations with the former English champions as they look to appoint the Portuguese.  

Rivers APC Apologises To Professor Wole Soyinka

The Rivers state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has tendered an apology to Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka on the recent accusation by the Rivers state government against him.
Recall that the Rivers government recently expressed shock when it found that the ex-governor of the state, Rotimi Amaechi had spent N82 million to host Soyinka to a three-hour dinner.

Austin-Tam George, the state commissioner for information and communication, made the disclosure while addressing journalists on Tuesday, January 5, at the Government House in Port Harcourt.
The Rivers APC chairman, in the state, Davies Ikanya, tendered the apology through his Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on media and public affairs, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze.
Eze said: ”On behalf of the good people of Rivers State, we hereby tender an unreserved apology to Prof. Wole Soyinka and assure him that Wike’s vile attempt to link him to an imaginary corruption has failed.
”The accusation is nothing but the ranting of a drowning man looking for whom to pull into the stinking pool. But Wike has over-reached himself this time, because Prof. Soyinka is globally renowned as a man of unimpeachable integrity, who has never been associated with corruption in his over 80 years on earth.
”The fact remains that Wike is currently in a pit full of faeces, looking for whom he will splatter the faeces on; sadly, he remembered our revered Nobel laureate. As rightly observed by Prof. Soyinka, Wike is ready to splatter sewage in all possible and improbable directions.
”The Rivers APC noted that Wike, in his desperation to demonise Amaechi and whoever that is associated with him, must have forgotten that his panel of enquiry, which investigated the former governor’s tenure, exonerated him of any financial misdeeds.”
”For Wike to try to disparage a respected personality like Prof. Soyinka in this manner only exposes him as a drowning man looking for any tool to stay afloat. If Wike is sure of his records, why doesn’t he go to court to retrieve the N82 million? ”

The party stated that the achievements of the Amaechi administration could not be wished away or cancelled through cheap blackmail.
Meanwhile, Soyinka has described the statement by the Rivers state government as ‘abominable distractions.”
In a statement issued on Wednesday, January 6, the Ogun-born professor said it was never his business to look into the catering logistics of the numerous luncheons, dinners, institutions, etc. that he attends all over the world.
Reacting to the allegation, Amaechi urged Wike to go to court if he has any cases of fraud or misappropriation of state funds against him instead of what he called ”silly distractions. ”

#ThankAbacha - Nigerians React To $300Million Refund

Report surfaced yesterday, January 11, that the government of Switzerland had concluded plans to transfer the sum of $300 million recovered from the family of former military dictator, General Sani Abacha to the Nigerian government.

Late Sani Abacha

The fund to be transferred is said to be part of an estimated $5 billion stolen and kept in foreign accounts by late Abacha.
The country has in the past 10 years reportedly received over $1 billion from the Swiss and American governments and these recovered funds have been trailed with controversy as past administrations have been accused of misappropriating the fund.
Following report of the loot that would be returned, Abacha is now trending on Twitter, with some Nigerians thanking him for saving the money for the country. Some said the former military dictator did not still the money but only saved it for the future.

Ex-PDP Chairman Toyo Accuses Akpabio Of Squandering N4T

Otu Ita Toyo, the former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Akwa Ibom state chapter, has accused former governor of the state Godswill Akpabio of squandering N4trillion during his administration.

Speaking in an interview with Premium Times, Toyo said Akwa Ibom state is broke.
He said: “Today we are broke. Is that possible, after N4 trillion?
“If you have N4 trillion and you become broke, it means you’ve not been doing something right.
“There is so much want in Akwa Ibom. There are real men who have lived a life of contentment in the past, but today they can’t feed their family.
On his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Akpabio said what he was witnessing now wasn’t the kind of Akwa Ibom he envisaged when he conducted the governorship primary that produced Akpabio.
“I was looking for an Akwa Ibom where the state chairman of our party will call the government and say ‘listen, our party wants to achieve this, we are not here to build big houses and undergrounds and swimming pools, and local government chairmen buying 20 cars and building houses all over the country.
“If the Supreme Court says we should go for a re-run of the governorship election in Akwa Ibom state, I have no doubt that the APC will win the election.
“The people voting for APC will be largely PDP people who are unhappy with the way they were treated in the PDP.
“And that puts the blame squarely on the head of those who ran the party in the state in the past eight years, and those who ran the government in the last eight years.”
Toyo added that he would not support Udom Emmanuel who won the 2015 governorship as a candidate of the PDP.

Otu Ita Toyo, ex-pdp chairman alleges Godswill Akpabio squandered N4trillion

According to him, his problem with Emmanuel was that he was the cause of the political dispute that brought division and tension in the state.
“It is not his making. I wish they had not dragged him into this. They have probably abandoned him and gone up to the senate.
“He’s got to manage it and he doesn’t even have the capacity in terms of experience to manage it.”
The ex-chairman also criticised the attempt by the PDP to resurrect the argument on the zoning of the governorship seat in Akwa Ibom state.
He said it was fraudulent in the first place for the PDP to have used senatorial district basis, instead of linguistics groupings, to zone the governorship of the state in the 2015 election.
“They are not true to the PDP zoning system which we all subscribed to many years ago. And they did not inform anybody when they changed the format, and therefore that cannot by any stretch of imagination be the subsisting PDP zoning system.
“This business of zoning on senatorial district is an afterthought by a fraudulent cabal who wants to hoodwink the people of the state and come in (to government) through the back door.
“Even if we come to Eket Senatorial District and we want to choose a governor from there, will you go to Awa which has had a governor before? Is that zoning? Chief Clement Isong was from Awa, in Onna local government area.
“Okay, let’s continue to push the senatorial district argument. If you were to choose on senatorial district basis, a deputy to a governor from Eket Senatorial district, where would that deputy come from? Is it not Uyo Senatorial District, given that the immediate past governor was from Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District?
“How come the deputy governor is from Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District?
“Their argument is that ‘Oh, we don’t want two Ibibio persons to occupy the offices of the governor and that of the deputy governor’. How come you are talking about linguistic grouping in the deputy governorship position, but you use senatorial district when talking about the governorship?”

Chief Otu Ita Otoyo had defected to the APC yesterday, January 10, alongside a former senator, Aloysius Etok, and a former member of the House of Representatives, Eseme Eyiboh.
The decampees including the ex-chairman of Ibesikpo Asutan local government area and many others were received into the party at a prayer summit and reception held in honour of Obong Umana Umana, the APC candidate, in the last governorship election.

SwitzerlandTo Return $300m Abacha's Loot To Nigeria

Switzerland’s government has concluded plans to transfer to the Nigerian government, the sum of $300 million recovered from the family of former military dictator, General Sani Abacha.

Switzerland’s government has concluded plans to return Abacha’s loot

This disclosure was made known by the minister of foreign affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama on Monday, January, 11.
The fund to be transferred is said to be part of an estimated $5 billion stolen and kept in foreign accounts by the late military ruler.
So far, the country had reportedly received over $1 billion in the past 10-year from the Swiss and American governments and the recovered funds had been a subject of controversy as past administrations were reportedly said to have misappropriated the fund.

According to Premium Times report in December 2015, the former minister of finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, with the approval of ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, allegedly authorized the diversion of N61.4 billion($300 million and £5.5 million) from the funds recovered from Abacha, to the office of the national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki, about three weeks before the 2015 presidential elections.
Okonjo-Iweala had said that the fund which was not approved by the National Assembly was meant for the purchase of arm to prosecute the war against insurgency.
Meanwhile, a fresh report showed that Jonathan reportedly left N13.6 billion loot recovered from f Abacha in the Nigerian treasury.
This new fact was disclosed by Benue state governor, Samuel Ortom in a chat journalists at the end of the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the state house, Abuja.

CBN Lifts Ban Cash Deposit Of Dollars, Others

In order to stem the tide of growing foreign exchange crisis, the Central Bank of Nigeria has finally lifted the ban stopping commercial banks from accepting cash deposits of foreign exchange from customers.

File photo of CBN governor,Godwin Emefiele

This announcement was made by the CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, in Abuja on Monday, January 11, saying that the new directive takes immediate effect.
He added that the CBN discontinue its sales of foreign exchange to Bureau de Change (BDC) operators.
The CBN governor accused the BDCs of excessive greed and rent-seeking practices, Premium Times reports.

He stressed further that  BDC operators will now have to source for their foreign exchange from autonomous sources.
Emefiele disclosed measure will be put in place so that no operator violate the country’s anti-money laundering laws, stating the CBN would deploy more resources to monitor closely the sources of foreign exchange by the BDCs.
He said: “These measures are not intended to be punitive on anyone or any group,” the CBN governor explained.

“Rather it is meant to ensure that the CBN is better able to carry out its mandate in an effective and efficient manner, to guarantee the preservation of our scarce commonwealth, and that our hard-earned financial system stability remain intact to the benefit of all Nigerians.”
Meanwhile,the fiery preacher and general overseer of The Latter Rain Assembly, Lagos, Pastor Tunde Bakare, had released his state of the nation address tagged ”Roadmap to successful change”.
Bakare, who was the running mate to President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2011 presidential elections under the banner of the Congress for Progressive Change , called for the prosecution of the CBN governor, Emiefiele, because of the role of the apex bank in the widely publicised ongoing arms probe deal.

EFCC Boss Explains Why GEJ Hasn't Been Arrested

Ibrahim Magu, the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has finally explained why former president Goodluck Jonathan has not been arrested over $2.1 billion arms deal.

Ibrahim Magu has explained why former president Goodluck Jonathan has not been arrested over $2.1 billion arms deal.

The fund, which was managed by the office of former national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki, has led to the questioning, arrest and detention of many prominent Nigerians. However, some people are still wondering why the ex-president, who is believed to be the principal actor in the unfolding scenario, has not been arrested or summoned for questioning.
The Eagle Online reports that Magu gave the explanation on Monday, January 11, speaking at a gathering of online news publishers under the aegis of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers in Lagos.
The EFCC boss said that no document has been traced to Jonathan giving any approval for the disbursement of the money for any other purpose than arms purchase.
He further noted that all those questioned so far in connection with the money were people who disbursed or collected it for reasons other than the purchase of arms and ammunition.

“All approvals by former president Jonathan did not mention that it was for political purposes.
“All the memos approved by him was for the purchase of arms,” he said.
Magu said that Jafar Isa who was arrested for receiving N170 million from Dasuki has already refunded N100 million and signed an undertaking to refund the balance. However, he added that despite the refund, Isa would still be prosecuted.
Speaking about Olisa Metuh, the EFCC boss revealed that the national publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party said he would rather go on hunger strike than refund the N400 million he allegedly collected from Dasuki.
Maga also said that Patrick Akpobolokemi, a former boss of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, was recently re-arrested after new evidences of alleged embezzlement of N34.5 billion and another N600 million were linked to him.

The EFCC chairman stressed that the war against graft was not selective and assured Nigerians that his agency was not teleguided in the ongoing anti-corruption fight.
He called on the media to join the EFCC to win the anti-corruption war and noted that the victory would be for the benefit of the next generation.
Meanwhile, there are indications that some prominent Nigerians might soon be invited by the anti-graft agency.
According to sources close to the EFCC, the people on the list include ex-Board of Trustees chairman of the PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, Chief Olu Falae, the former Oyo state governor, Rasheed Ladoja, and a few others.

FG Reportedly Orders Security Agencies To Arrest Dikko

The federal government has reportedly ordered security agents at the nation’s airports and borders to arrest Abdullahi Dikko, the former comptroller-general of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), as soon as he returns back to Nigeria.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has reportedly trailed the ex-customs boss to Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.

On Friday, January 8, the EFCC operatives stormed Dikko’s residence at Jabi in Abuja and conducted a thorough search.
According to sources within the anti-graft agency, the search took several hours and ended at about dusk. However, the agents did not meet Dikko at home.
The EFCC was allegedly looking for huge sum of money, believed to be stashed in a residence owned by the former customs chief.
Speaking with The Punch, a senior official of the commission revealed that the EFCC had trailed the ex-customs boss to Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. However, the source but did not give the reason for the trip.

The source alos refused to speak on the specifics of the investigation or the reason for the high-profile raid but noted that the former NCS boss would be arrested on his arrival back to Nigeria.
“The commission has information that the man is in Dubai. I can’t say precisely why he is in the UAE; you know that most of our leaders have one problem or the other, medically, which makes them travel out. But we have informed airport authorities in Lagos and Abuja to pick him up as soon as he arrives,” he said.
It was also gathered that a delegation of top operatives of the EFCC was billed to travel outside the country for a mission connected with the ongoing investigation.
When contacted, Wilson Uwujaren, the spokesman of the EFCC, said that he did not have any information on the issue.
Meanwhile, Mohammed Usman, a relative of the ex-customs boss, has alleged that the commission did not secure a search warrant before raiding the residence.

Arms Deal: Jonathan Receives Open Letter From SERAP

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has written an open letter to former president, Goodluck Jonathan, listing some questions he has to answer over the diversion of $2.1billion meant for purchase of arms to fight Boko Haram.
The letter dated January 8 and signed by Adetokunbo Mumuni, the executive director of SERAP, asked Jonathan to explain to Nigerians what he knows about the arms deal fund which was apparently diverted for personal use, Premium Times reports.
The letter reads in part: “SERAP is sending you this open letter to seek explanations from you, as former President and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, on what you knew, or had reason to know on the apparent diversion and sharing of the over $2 billion meant to purchase arms to empower Nigerian soldiers to fight Boko Haram.”
“SERAP considers that there is enough material in the public domain to suggest that over $2 billion meant for purchase of arms to equip Nigerians soldiers fighting Boko Haram in the North East of the country was diverted and shared among high-ranging government and party officials under your watch as President and Commander-in-Chief of Nigerian Armed Forces.”
“Is it correct to suggest that the budget of over $2 billion to purchase arms for Nigerian soldiers fighting Boko Haram in the North-East of the country was authorised by you or your office? In other words, did your former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) seek your approval to collect from the Central Bank of Nigeria the over $2 billion meant for purchase of arms for Nigerian soldiers?”

“If so, Nigerians would like to hear from you whether the apparent diversion and sharing of our commonwealth by your former NSA was expressly or implicitly authorised by you.”
“Is it then correct to suggest that the former NSA implements presidential decisions and not make them? If so, is it also correct to suggest that the apparent diversion and sharing of the over $2 billion meant for purchase of arms was a presidential-level decision and that you signed off on it?”
“Is it not correct to suggest that your Administration acted on the basis that it was essentially unrestrained by international or Nigerian law in engaging in or encouraging the apparent diversion and sharing of the over $2 billion meant to purchase arms for Nigerian soldiers in order to protect them against attacks from Boko Haram and to enhance their ability to defend the territorial integrity of the country and provide security for its citizens?”
SERAP asked Jonathan what he did as Commander-in-Chief and President to prevent the alleged diversion and sharing of the nation’s commonwealth.

It wondered if the apparent diversion and sharing of the over $2 billion was due to Jonathan’s failure to ensure that:
1. System was in place to ensure a transparent and accountable spending of budget for military operations in strict accordance with the standards of international law including the UN Convention against Corruption.
2. That any such system was operating in a continuous and effective manner.
3. That violations of the standards were punished when detected by that system.
SERAP asked if the former president took any action after the apparent diversion and sharing of the over $2 billion was brought to his notice
The statement reads further, “Would SERAP be correct to suggest that you, as President and Commander-in-Chief, knew about the authorization, apparent diversion and sharing of the over $2 billion meant to purchase arms for Nigerian soldiers, in the chain of command involving your former NSA and others?”
“Would it therefore be correct to further suggest that your acts and/or omissions concerning the apparent diversion and sharing of the over $ 2 billion were such as to give rise to personal liability through command responsibility for the actions of your former NSA and others who worked under you?”
“Would you now, on the basis of the above, apologise to Nigerians for the apparent diversion and sharing of the over $2 billion and the catastrophic consequences for Nigerian soldiers and their families, including those who have lost their lives; those unfairly tried and convicted; and millions of displaced Nigerians?”

SERAP called on Jonathan clarify the issues raised, adding that Nigerians were waiting for his apology.
It also said the people have a right to pursue justice through appropriate national and international accountability mechanisms to ensure that everyone involved in the arms deal scam is brought to justice in accordance with international standards of fairness.
A number of the Peoples Democratic Party Chieftains have been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over the arms deal scam.
Last Wednesday, a former military governor of Kaduna state and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Jafaru Isa was arrested. He is the first APC chieftain to be arrested by the EFCC since the beginning of the arms deal probe.

Soldiers Forcefully Remove Veil From Muslim Woman In Lagos‎

Unidentified soldiers allegedly harassed a Muslim woman in Lagos by forcefully removing her veil.

“This thing is not allowed in our country. You can use it in your house but not here,” one of the soldiers said.

The Whistle reports that the ugly incident happened on Friday, January 8, at Meran Area of Lagos.‎
According to an eyewitness, identified as Adetutu, the woman was going peacefully when three soldiers stopped her and began to harass.
The witness noted that it took the intervention of passersby and sympathisers for the Muslim woman to get her veil back.
“I arrived at the Meiran Bus Station to board a bus when I saw three armed military men stop a Muslim woman who was putting on ta black attire and a face veil. One of them confronted her asking why she used the face veil.
“The woman was surprised and helpless. Almost immediately he (one of the soldiers) turned up her face veil to reveal her face.
“The woman who felt ashamed only looked and could do nothing because the soldiers were heavily armed.
“After one of the soldiers revealed her face, another soldier forcefully removed the veil from her saying ‘This thing is not allowed in our country. You can use it in your house but not here’.

“He (the soldier) took the veil and was about leaving with it. All the woman could do was to plead with him to at least release the veil to her.
“After harassing her in such a way that called attention of passersby, he (the soldier) returned the veil to her and she quietly left almost shedding tears,” he said.
Apart from the removal of veil in Lagos, two images had been earlier seen in Ibadan. One of the images was allegedly signed at University College Hospital, Ibadan, which read: “Wearing of long hijab is prohibited in government establishment for security reasons”.
These incidents happened few weeks after President Muhammadu Buhari said during his media chat that if bombings continue in Nigeria, the hijab might be banned.
However, on January 1, Buhari through his senior special assistant on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, made a statement denying insinuations that his administration had plans to ban Hijab.
“Everything will be done to balance national security requirements with the rights and obligations of citizens under their religions as protected by the constitution,” he said.

Meanwhile Adam Hamzah, Amir of Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, UCH branch, recated to the pasting of a message to prohibit Hijab at the hospital in Ibadan.
According to him, it is another reflection of “open hatred of Islam”.
“However, I want to urge our sisters to entertain no fear in showcasing the beauty of Islam through their Hijab. After all, they realised the essence of their existence unlike those who walk about in nudity.
“It is therefore imperative not to allow this issue derail us from the golden path. I am glad to inform you that MSSN at the branch,state,zonal and national levels is currently working assiduously to put a stop to this oppression.
“Several notable Muslim personalities have been duly informed about the issue. This is with a view to ensuring that our SON sisters enjoy not only using Hijab in the hostel but also on the wards. I therefore charge us to join hands in making this a reality,” he said.
Luqman Amoo, the president of the Abuja Muslim Forum also stressed that banning the hijab would be counter-productive since there is other loose clothing worn by women and men alike that is used to perpetuate evil and are yet to be banned.