I remains the INEC REC in Rivers State - Khan

THE Rivers State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Gesila Khan, has said that she remains the state REC and that she has not been transferred.

Khan was reacting to claims in some quarters that she had been transferred by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The state REC, who was alleged to have been arrested and detained by the operatives of the Department of State Service, spoke with journalists on Monday at the state INEC office, Port Harcourt, during the ongoing inspection and certification of materials used for the 2015 polls.

Khan maintained that she would not have been part of the ongoing exercise at the state INEC office if she had been transferred as speculated.

“I am here and I am still here. I have not been transferred. If I had been transferred, I would not be sitting here; I would be packing my things. Even if I am transferred, there is nothing wrong with that because it is government work and anytime you are called to move, you move. But for now, I have not been called to move,” she stressed.

On whether she had any regret as a result of her experience so far in Rivers State, the REC said, “I have no regret whatsoever. I am an HR (Human Resources) manager; so, anything you see in life, you move along with it. You cannot predict man. They are free to think and say what they want.”

She, however, pointed out that the photocopying of election materials and certification of documents were going on without any hitches.

Explaining that the INEC headquarters drafted three administrative secretaries to assist in the exercise, Khan noted that this was necessary in order not to delay the submission of required materials to the election tribunal.

“During the presidential election, three national commissioners came; during the governorship election, three national commissioners came and now again, we have three administrative secretaries. That is just to make the job fast and you know the tribunals are time-bound and the work (sorting our election materials) is voluminous.

“We have been working since. Today, it is either this document or another. Some (of the materials), they want in longhand while some (others), they want it in shorthand. So, the law says when they request, you give them and since the time is very short, we have to,” she said.

Meanwhile, the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress has disagreed with the State Electoral Commissioner that she was detained by the DSS for two weeks.

The state APC said the DSS invited Khan for questioning, alleging that her actions and inactions constituted a security threat to the state and the country at large.

Describing Khan as a victim of her own devices, the state APC, in a statement signed by its Secretary, Media and Publicity Committee, Mr. Godstime Orlukwu, said her alleged refusal to release materials used during the last election was capable of affecting the peace of the state.

He said, “The attention of the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has been drawn to claims in the media credited to the Rivers State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dame Gesila Khan, that she was detained by the DSS for two weeks.”

“The APC believes that Khan was never detained. Rather, the DSS invited her for questioning, having been convinced that her actions and deliberate inactions constituted serious threat to the security of Rivers State and, by extension, that of the country,” the statement read.

The party, however, challenged Khan to show evidence that she was detained for two weeks, adding that INEC would not have sent a taskforce to Rivers for the election materials if the REC had complied with the directive that the elections materials should be released.

“The APC is convinced that Dame Khan’s latest assertions are only aimed currying public sympathy and drawing attention away from her malfeasance before, during and after the last general elections.

“We believe that such antics would be unable to exonerate her and her cohorts from their electoral sins in Rivers State,” the statement read.

Tribunal dismisses Wike’s N100 default complaint against Peterside

The Rivers State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja on Monday rejected another application by the state governor, Nyesom Wike, asking for the dismissal of the petition filed by the All Progressives Congress’ Candidate in the April 11, 2015 poll, Dr. Dakuku Peterside.

Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission had filed separate ‎applications praying for the dismissal of the petition challenging Wike’s victory at the poll on the grounds that the petitioners failed to pay the N100 said to be prescribed as fee for the issuance of the pre-hearing notice.

The Justice Mu’azu Pindiga-led tribunal’s two separate rulings dismissing the applications on Monday were part of the string of recent decisions ‎of the tribunal rejecting applications by the respondents to stop the hearing of the case.

Various interlocutory applications by the respondents had prevented the tribunal from proceeding to the hearing of the main petition three months after it was filed, despite the statutory 180 days period within which the petition must be heard and determined.

In separate rulings on the applications by Wike and INEC, the tribunal, on Monday, held that ‎application for issuance of pre-hearing notice was not part of documents for which a filing fee must be paid as prescribed in paragraph 37(4) of the 1st Schedule to the Electoral Act.

The tribunal also held that contrary to the applicants’ contention, the petitioners validly applied for the issuance of the pre-hearing notice (Forms TF 007 and TF 008) within seven days of exchanging the necessary replies between the petitioners and the respondents as stipulated by law.

“There is no defect in the pre-hearing notice. The tribunal therefore holds that the application filed by the 1st respondent (INEC) is hereby discountenanced and accordingly dismissed,” Justice Pindiga ruled.

The tribunal also adopted the same ruling on Wike’s application.

Through their respective lawyers, Wike and INEC had argued that the failure of the petitioners to pay the fee constituted an infringement on provisions of Paragraphs 18(1), (3) and 47 of the 1st Schedule to the Electoral Act as amended.

Wike’s lawyer, Mr. Emmanuel Ukala (SAN), had while arguing the application on August 15, urged the tribunal to be persuaded by a ruling delivered by the Imo State Governorship Elections Petition Tribunal in Owerri on July 22, 2015 and which ‎dismissed a governorship petition based on the petiitioner’s failure to pay the N100 fee.

INEC’s lawyer, Chief‎ K. C Njamanze (SAN), who also canvassed the same argument, said the payment of the fee was a condition precedent for the tribunal to assume jurisdiction on the petition. ‎ But counsel for Peterside and the APC, Chief Akin Olujinmi (SAN), had asked tribunal to dismiss the respondents’ application for lacking in merit.

Olujinmi insisted that since the application for the pre-hearing notice was by a letter to the Secretary to the tribunal, his clients were not liable to pay for filing fee as such was not specifically provided for in any law.

He added that even if his clients were required to pay the fee, failure to do so could only amount to a mere irregularity which the tribunal could direct them to pay at any time.

He urged the tribunal not to allow the justice of the petition to be defeated by mere technicality which the respondents’ applications were predicated. ‎

Meanwhile, the tribunal also on Monday heard and adjourned till Wednesday ruling on five separate applications filed by parties to the petition.

One of the petitions was filed by INEC, two of them were fil‎ed by ‎Wike while the two others were filed by the petitioners. The PDP did not file any application.

Arguing INEC’s application filed by INEC on June 30, ‎the commission’s counsel, Wale Ballogun, asked the tribunal to dismiss the petitioners’ reply to the response of the commission to the petition.

In Wike’s application filed on July 11, his counsel, Mr. Emmanuel Ukala (SAN), sought an order of the tribunal for stay of execution of the tribunal’s ruling granting leave to the petitioners to inspect documents used for the conduct of the April 11 poll, pending his appeal against the ruling.

In a separate application dated August 1, Wike also sought another order striking out all the witness statements on oath filed by the petitioners for not disclosing the full names and identities of the deponets.

On their part, the petitioners, through their counsel, Chief Akin Olujinmi (SAN), filed an ‎application on July 16, in which they asked the tribunal to direct that all notices of preliminary objection already filed and yet to be filed by the respondents, should be raised in their final written addresses after the hearing of the petition.

In another application, filed on July 17, the petitioners want the tribunal to order INEC to move the electoral materials used for the conduct of the April 11 poll to Abuja for them to inspect the necessary documents.

At the hearing of the applications on Monday, all the three respondents – INEC, Wike and PDP – did not oppose one another’s applications but opposed the ones filed by the petitioners.

However, the petitioner’s counsel, Olujinmi, opposed all the applications filed by the respondents.

Ruling on the applications was adjourned till Wednesday.

Custom Boss - ​I’m resigning so Buhari won’t fire me

The Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service, Dikko Abdullahi, who is leaving his post on Tuesday, August 18, says he is leaving behind a transparent system and that he has nothing to fear.
Mr. Abdullahi said he was voluntarily leaving office, partly to avoid being fired by President Muhammadu Buhari, and also to allow the younger generation take over.
“The time I’m leaving is the time I feel those young ones that have developed the software can come up and manage the software,” he told journalists Monday after meeting the president.
“So that is basically the reason and I’m sending out this signal to all those who have stayed put.
“Don’t stay until you are asked you to go. When you feel you have done so much and you believe in the system you have built, then why do you stay? Why don’t you be an umpire? Leave, be by the side and watch and advise,” he said.
Mr. Abdullahi left after putting in six years as the head of Customs, one of Nigeria’s main revenue sources besides oil and gas.

The Buhari administration has replaced the leadership of critical government offices, and last week, as part of wider reforms, announced an extensive audit of all revenue generating agencies of government.
Mr. Abdullahi wrote to the president on August 3 seeking permission to stand down. Mr. Buhari approved his resignation request 11 days later.
Fielding questions from journalists after meeting the president on Monday, the former Customs boss said under his watch revenue appreciated by 20 percent.
“Revenue appreciated by 20 percent from when I took over and the officers that did the work are still around and I think that the NCS – I stand to be corrected- is the only service that is fully automated in the system of operation,” he said, saying it is time for the younger generation who built the automated systems to take over.
“We have no fear,” he added.
He said the only way the Customs service can move forward is to give chance to the younger generation.

Source: http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/188534-%e2%80%8bim-resigning-so-buhari-wont-fire-me-customs-boss.html

Seduction not reason behind my sexy bikini photos– Etiko Destiny

By Ayo Onikoyi
Blossoming Nollywood actress, Etiko Destiny, who shot into limelight in the flick ‘Idemili nearly started a riot of thoughts and emotions on Wednesday when she released some bikini photos to mark her birthday, which came up on same day.
The reactions on the internet were mixture of admiration, outrage and sheer disbelief. While many greeted her courage and loved her for it, some were in bewilderment and slammed her for going over the edge in showing her sexy bum.
For those who could not stomach actress’ show of her cute bum, perky tummy and creamy skin, they dubbed her a seductress, claiming the only reason behind shooting those pictures must be to seduce men and have them jump in her bed.
In a chat with Potpourri, the sexy bombshell dispelled the notion and said her intention was never to seduce anyone or have any man eying her bed.

Source: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/08/seduction-not-reason-behind-my-sexy-bikini-photos-etiko-destiny/

Jonathan contributed to Agbaje’s defeat

The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos State, Tunji Shelle, says former President Goodluck Jonathan contributed to the defeat of the party’s governorship candidate, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, by his inaction.

Shelle said this on Saturday while addressing party supporters at the inauguration of the constituency office of Mr. Dipo Olorunrinu, who represents Amuwo Odofin constituency in the Lagos State House of Assembly.

He said Jonathan allowed the All Progressives Congress get away with a lot of illegalities during the last election which ultimately led to his own defeat.

He said when Jonathan lost the election, the effect spilled over to Lagos, thereby causing Agbaje’s defeat.

Shelle said, “Without fear of contradiction, I am sure we won the governorship election. If Mr. President had not declined or had not allowed illegalities to take place and if he had not allowed the APC to win at the national level, the PDP would have won Lagos fair and square because our governorship candidate had the merit and capacity to win the election in Lagos State.

“He was the man that every Lagosian wanted and I am sure that they voted for him. You will see that even the difference between his own (votes) and that of the governor’s (Akinwunmi Ambode), is very small. And it is small because we did our best to control the excesses of the APC in Lagos.

“We have never had it this tough or this good but in an election somebody would have to count his blessings at the end of the day.”

Shelle noted that the party won eight assembly seats and six House of Representatives seats. He said the PDP’s victory would have been far greater than that but for the rigging by the APC.

He said he was confident of Agbaje becoming governor of Lagos State as Agbaje’s case had been taken to the Appeal Court after it was struck out by the Election Petitions Tribunal.

He said, “We have not lost out and we believe we are going to regain some of the seats that the APC are occupying for the time being. We are still at the tribunal for the governorship election and we have even moved to the appeal stage. We may be asked to go back to the tribunal but whichever way it goes, we stand a high chance of winning at the tribunal at the Appeal Court. So, Jimi Agbaje is still very OK and we believe at the end of the day, victory will be our lot.”

Shelle, who had been suspended by the PDP State Executive Committee, insisted that he remained the chairman.

He said those calling for his removal should wait till November or December when a new congress would take place.

He said, “I don’t want to remain at the chairman forever. But, whoever, is interested in becoming the chairman should wait till November or December when another executive committee will be set up. Why can’t they exercise patience? I never did this to the people that are older than me in Lagos. People should learn to respect the party and the rules of the game.”

Source: http://www.punchng.com/politics/jonathan-contributed-to-agbajes-defeat-pdp-chair/

Man City beating leaves Chelsea sick

Manchester City earned first blood in the title race after beating Chelsea 3-0 in a heavyweight Super Sunday clash Sky Sports reports.

With just two games on the board, City are already five points clear of the current champions.

Sergio Aguero opened the scoring on 31 minutes – finally converting one of five presentable chances in a one-sided opening to the match.

John Terry was substituted at half-time by Jose Mourinho in attempt to tighten things up but City kept the pressure on and Vincent Kompany doubled the lead on 79 minutes.

Fernandinho, who could have been sent off for an elbow on Diego Costa in the first half, struck a late third.

City started fast at the Etihad Stadium and could have been ahead within 30 seconds but stand-in Chelsea goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, who replaced the suspended Thibaut Courtois, denied the striker from close range.

The battle between the striker and the ‘keeper continued with Begovic denying Aguero three more times in the opening 30 minutes, the pick of which was a one-handed save from a fierce drive from City’s top goalscorer from last season.

Chelsea were being outplayed in every department and City finally got their noses in front just after the half-hour mark.

Aguero and Yaya Toure linked up to bamboozle a flat-footed John Terry and Gary Cahill on the edge of the area before the striker steadied himself to skilfully roll the ball into the corner of the net.

Chelsea’s service towards Eden Hazard and Diego Costa was non-existent in the first half and the striker cut a frustrated figure. His mood was angered further on 42 minutes when he was cracked in the head by a Fernandinho elbow that drew blood on Costa’s brow and just a yellow card from referee Martin Atkinson.

Terry was the fall guy for Chelsea’s dismal opening 45 minutes, being replaced by Kurt Zouma at the break – the first time Mourinho has substituted Terry in the Premier League.

The visitors did improve after the break with Hazard seeing more of the ball and City being forced deeper into their own half. However, when Chelsea’s chance came on 70 minutes, they didn’t take it.

Hazard was found inside the box by Costa and although he beat Kompany with a clever shimmy, his shot from 12 yards was too close to Joe Hart, who pushed the ball to safety.

Kompany showed Hazard how it should be done with 11 minutes remaining.

He showed a greater desire than Branislav Ivanovic to meet a David Silva corner at the near post and flicked a well-judged header into the far corner.

The Etihad, with its new third tier added to the south stand, was now rocking and Fernandinho answered the crowd’s demands for more goals with five minutes remaining.

Ivanovic’s sloppy clearance was seized upon by the rampaging City attack and the ball was worked to the midfielder, who spanked a first-time effort into the far corner.

Costa hit the post for Chelsea in stoppage time but this was to be City’s day. The champions have work to do.

Okonjo-Iweala denies diverting $600m Chinese loan

The immediate past Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Sunday described as untrue the allegation that a substantial part of the $1bn Chinese loan obtained for a railway project was diverted.

Okonjo-Iweala, in a statement issued by her media adviser, Mr. Paul Nwabuikwu, also said that contrary to the allegation, the Kano-Lagos rail project was not part of the projects listed for funding for the Chinese loan.

President Muhammadu Buhari had last Monday queried the Ministry of Finance over alleged diversion of the foreign loan obtained for the rail project by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Specifically, the President was seeking clarification on the alleged diversion of $600m, which was part of a $1.005bn loan obtained from the China-Exim Bank for the construction of a standard gauge rail line linking Lagos to Kano.

The funds were said to have been moved elsewhere.

But while reacting to the allegation, Okonjo-Iweala, who spearheaded the negotiation of the loan during her time as finance minister, said the China-EximBank kept and disbursed funds for approved projects to contractors based on milestones.

The funds, she added, were not domiciled with the Finance ministry.

Giving a breakdown of the loan and how it was utilised, the former minister said that $500m was used for the expansion of four international airport terminals in Lagos, Kano, Abuja and Port Harcourt, $500m for the Abuja light rail project, $984m for the Zungeru hydro-electric power project and $100m for the Galaxy backbone project

Okonjo-Iweala, in the statement, noted that even if the alleged project was on the list of China-EximBank funded projects, diversion of any Chinese funds would have been extremely difficult because the terms of the contract and the processes would simply not have permitted such action.

The statement reads in part, “We have continued to receive media inquiries regarding an allegation reportedly made by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport, Alhaji Mohammed Bashar, that a substantial part of a $1bn loan obtained from the China-EximBank by the Jonathan administration for a Kano-Lagos rail project was diverted to other projects.

“I want to state categorically that there is no truth in the reported allegation. Anyone who is interested can cross-check with the China-EximBank or the Chinese Embassy.

“It is noteworthy that even though President Buhari, in his reported comments on the allegation, made no reference to Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, rightly stressed the need for due process and transparency in the execution of public projects, a sponsored media campaign has once again been launched by political elements to make the former minister the culprit in a non-existent scandal.

“The alleged diversion has no substance for the simple reason that the Kano-Lagos project was not even among the projects presented for funding by the China EximBank for several strategic infrastructural projects across the country. In fact, it was the Lagos–Ibadan rail project, not Lagos-Kano rail project that was proposed in the original application to the China-EximBank. But in the end, no funds were assigned for the Lagos-Ibadan rail project by the China-EximBank.”

The funds, according to her, were released directly to the Chinese firm executing the contract only after the presentation of a duly certified proof of work by the Federal Ministry of Transport, based on the agreed milestones.

Source: http://www.punchng.com/business/money/okonjo-iweala-denies-diverting-600m-chinese-loan/

APC says Jonathan’s govt looted N11tn

THE All Progressives Congress on Sunday alleged that about $56bn (N11.02tn) was looted during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan and that the Buhari government needed to recover the funds to fulfill the change promised by the APC.

In the breakdown by the ruling party, it said $6bn (1.2tn, at the rate of N197 to dollar) was stolen by some of Jonathan’s ministers and that 160 million barrels of crude worth $13.9bn (N2.74tn) were lost between 2009 and 2012 while $13bn (N2.56tn) in NLNG dividends was mostly unaccounted for.

The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said this in a statement on Sunday.

Mohammed’s statement read in part, “Some instances of the looting are as follows: N3.8tn out of the N8.1tn earned from crude oil (2012-2015) withheld by NNPC; $2.1bn (N413.7bn) from Excess Crude Account unaccounted for; Department of Petroleum Resources’ unremitted N109.7bn royalty from oil firms.

“Others are: $6bn (1.2tn) allegedly looted by some ministers of the last administration; 160 million barrels of crude worth $13.9bn (N2.74tn) lost between 2009 and 2012; $15m (N2.96bn) from the botched arms deal yet to be returned to Nigeria; $13bn (N2.56tn) in NLNG dividends mostly unaccounted for; N30bn rice waiver; and N183bn unaccounted for at the NDDC.”

The APC consequently lashed out at those telling President Muhammadu Buhari not to waste time probing the Jonathan administration.

The statement seems to be in reaction to a statement by the National Peace Committee, which reportedly told Buhari that probing the past administration was not a substitute for governance.

The APC, however, said there was no way the Buhari government could effectively take off if it did not recover some of the trillions stolen under Jonathan and that the party’s promise of change was based on the assumption that it would recover some stolen funds.

The statement added, “It is absolutely gratifying that Nigerians are vehemently opposed to the few who would rather have the government of the day turn a blind eye to the looted funds and, in their words, carry on with the process of governance.

“Truly, what sort of governance can go on if the billions of naira in a few hands are not recovered? In the first instance, the government needs every kobo of the funds it can muster to bring about the change it has promised Nigerians.

“Secondly, leaving such hair-raising funds in the hands of the few looters is dangerous, because they can use the funds to destabilise any government. In fact, no one will be surprised if the looters use their dirty funds to sponsor public demonstrations against the government’s determination to recover the funds.

‘’Thirdly, allowing those who privatised the commonwealth to get away is offering a thumbs-up for looting. No responsible government will do that.”

The party said that those who stole had embarked on an increasingly-bold campaign to discredit the government of the day and sabotage the funds’ recovery process, using newspaper columnists, ‘talking heads’ and otherwise respectable opinion leaders.

The APC submitted that it was necessary to remind Nigerians of the “massive looting of the treasury” that took place in the past few years, so the citizens could better appreciate the seriousness of the issue at stake.

The party said the listed “missing” funds constituted just a tip of the iceberg, adding, ‘’The level of looting that went on in other sectors is better imagined, hence the need for all Nigerians to rally around the Buhari administration to recover the loots, bring the looters to justice and to put in place measures to prevent such looting in the future.”

But the Peoples Democratic Party, in its reaction on Sunday, said the figures released by the APC were imaginary.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, in a statement, described Mohammed’s statement as “reckless, irresponsible and highly provocative.”

Metuh said, “In trying to escalate their stock-in-trade of lies, wild allegations and falsehood, the APC failed to understand that their baseless fabrications are capable of throwing an unsuspecting nation into chaos.

“The spate of fabrications by Lai Mohammed has become a sickening source of worry for well-meaning Nigerians, including those in his party.”

The PDP spokesperson called on Buhari and the APC, as a party, to call their spokesman to order before he plunges the country into crisis with wild and unsubstantiated claims.

He said the APC-led government should get serious with the fight against corruption by investigating and prosecuting corrupt persons, rather than unnecessarily playing to the gallery.

Buhari Seeks Fearless Judges To Try Looters

President Muhammadu Buhari has commenced the process of identifying a few fearless and courageous judges who will be saddled with the responsibility of prosecuting persons who have been found to have stolen national resources, THE PUNCH has learnt.

Buhari had while granting audience to members of the National Peace Committee led by Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar in the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Tuesday disclosed that the prosecution of the indicted persons would commence in a matter of weeks.

“Those who have stolen the national wealth will be in court in a matter of weeks and Nigerians will know those who have short-changed them,” the President had told his guests.

Our correspondent however learnt on Sunday that the prosecution would not be open to “just any judge.”

It was learnt that the President was committed to ensuring that only judges who would expedite action on the cases and would be fearless in discharging their duties would be enlisted for the prosecution.

A source confided in our correspondent that that was one of the assignments Buhari gave to the Prof. Itse Sagay-led Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption which he set up on Monday.

The source said it would not be necessary to set up special courts to try corruption cases since efforts were already underway to identify judges that would key into the President’s dream of ensuring that no looter was left unpunished.

He said, “We do not need to entertain any fear that the prosecution of corruption-related cases will not be fast enough because many of our courts are already weighed down by many cases.

“The truth of the matter is that not all judges will be considered to take up the cases of those who have stolen our commonwealth.

“As a matter of fact, one of the assignments the President gave the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption led by Prof. Sagay is to identify fearless and courageous judges that will handle the cases.

“The idea is to ensure that the judges who will handle the cases will not be just any judges. They must be those who will expedite actions on the cases and discharge their duties with courage.

“You can see that with this development, the issue of special courts for corruption cases may not come. It is about special judges.”

Our correspondent also gathered that Buhari was already considering withdrawing national honours from any individual found to have looted the nation’s treasury.

It was learnt that the President’s position was that the nation should not be seen to be honouring any fruadulent person.

“The President will not hesitate to strip any corrupt person of national honour. Can you honour a person for milking the nation dry? It is irrelevant how long such persons have been bestowed with the national honours, they will be stripped of them,” the source said.

When contacted, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said it was reasonable that anybody found to be corrupt should be stripped of national honours.

Adesina however said such withdrawal of national honours would not be done until affected persons had been convicted by competent courts.

“Although it has not been considered, it is reasonable that those found guilty of corruption should be stripped of national honours bestowed on them. However, this will not be done before conviction,” the presidential spokesman said.

While announcing the establishment of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption on Monday, Adesina had said its brief was to advise the present administration on the prosecution of the war against corruption and the implementation of required reforms in Nigeria’s criminal justice system.

He said the committee was also saddled with the responsibility of developing comprehensive interventions for achieving the recommended reforms.

Source: http://www.punchng.com/news/buhari-seeks-fearless-judges-to-try-looters/

Fayose to Buhari: No one can intimidate Me

The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to tread cautiously and be mindful of the body language of those hailing him today.

The governor, who said he was aware of sinister plots to destabilise his government because of his strong and truthful stands on national issues, vowed to “continue to speak the truth no matter whose ox is gored.”

Reminding the President that he is not heading a military regime, Fayose added that he could not be cowed by threats from any quarters.

According to a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Fayose urged Buhari to take the advice of the former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar-led National Peace Committee, which told him to tread cautiously.

The statement said, “Opposition is one of the roots on which democracy stands and any President or governor that does not want opposition will eventually become a dictator.

“I want to state without fear or favour that I will continue to speak the truth no matter whose ox is gored.

“Nigeria belongs to all of us and no one can intimidate me or the good people of Ekiti State who freely and overwhelmingly gave me their mandate.

“Democracy as a form of government thrives on our ability to ask questions and get answers from our leaders.”

The governor urged the President to listen to wise counsel from Abubakar.

“The Peace Committee has reminded the President that he is not heading a military government and with the calibre of Nigerians in the committee, their wise counsel should not be ignored.

“These are Nigerians who don’t need personal favours from the President and he should get the message very clearly that he is being told not to act as a dictator,” Fayose said.

Fayose, who also advised the President to know that Nigerians were not interested in “any honeymoon,” but their well-being, added that Buhari’s achievements in his first 100 days so far were “harassment of Peoples Democratic Party leaders, appointment of his in-law and kinsmen into sensitive positions, selective fight against corruption and arrest and detention of INEC officials who worked in states won by the PDP.”

While declaring support for the fight against corruption, Fayose however noted that “fighting corruption should not be synonymous with convicting Nigerians on the pages of newspapers.”