Nigeria’s military says some officers are selling arms and ammunition to Boko Haram, indicating the corruption bedeviling the country’s fight against the Islamic extremists continues despite government efforts to halt graft.
The admission comes three weeks after the Nigerian army said a military tribunal is trying 16 officers and troops accused of offenses related to the fight against Boko Haram, including the theft and sale of ammunition.

Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor, the theater commander in northeastern Nigeria, told a news conference on Thursday that military authorities have confirmed that some soldiers were selling arms and ammunition to Boko Haram. He called it a betrayal of the Nigerian people. He gave no more details.

President Muhammadu Buhari has blamed corruption for the deaths of thousands in the seven-year Islamic uprising that has killed more than 20,000. Children who escaped Boko Haram are dying of starvation in refugee camps in the northeast, where the government is investigating the alleged theft of food aid.

A soldier on the frontline of the fight told The Associated Press that his brigade commander is among officers standing trial at the court-martial in this northeastern city, which is being held in secret. He said the army is investigating what happened to 21 anti-aircraft guns assigned this year to his artillery brigade. He said they only received one gun. The soldier spoke on condition of anonymity because he feared he would lose his job.

In addition, a slew of retired and current military officers are being investigated for diverting hundreds of millions of dollars budgeted to help curb the Islamic uprising. Among them is Alex Badeh, a four-star general whom Buhari fired from his post as chief of defense staff. Witnesses have told a Federal High Court that Badeh stole the equivalent of $24 million budgeted for salaries in 2013 and built a shopping mall in Abuja, the capital.

Civil society groups are demanding the investigation of the current chief of army staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, for allegedly buying with cash two properties worth $1.5 million in Dubai. Buratai has said he bought the property on installment with savings.

Before Buhari took power, soldiers told the AP they were forced into battle with just 30 bullets each and no food rations. They said Boko Haram was better armed and that their officers were stealing parts of their salaries and allowances. Many ran away when the extremists attacked, allowing Boko Haram to take control of a large swath of northeastern Nigeria in 2014.

Under Buhari, a former military dictator, a multinational force has retaken most towns but Boko Haram remains active outside urban areas, carrying out hit-and-run attacks, suicide bombings and abductions of women and girls.

A member of the Senate representing Kogi-West Senatorial District, Senator Dino Melaye, on Sunday called on President Muhammadu Buhari to take drastic measures on the ailing economic, including the immediate removal of the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun; Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udo Udoma; and the Governor of the Central bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele.

In a statement in Abuja, Melaye said the President must shake up his cabinet, and accused some members of cabinet as lacking the capacity to deliver on the mandates of their ministries and agencies.

He said Adeosun, Udoma and Emefiele should be axed for the economy to be effectively rebooted to deliver on the change agenda of the present administration.

Melaye said, “At the moment, it must be crystal clear to all discerning minds that the President’s widely-acclaimed magical body language has lost its presumed aura and efficacy. His no-nonsense demeanor is equally neither instilling fear nor commanding respect and loyalty from among his cabinet members.

“It is therefore obvious that the time for barking is over; now is the time to bite and boot out all those who have demonstrated, in the past several months, a crass lack of capacity to effectively carry out the functions of their office.”

The All Progressives Congress senator, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on the Federal Capital Territory, also condemned Buhari’s economic team led by Vice President Yemi Osibanjo, saying that “their decisions will not be and has never been respected by the economic managers and the bureaucracy in Nigeria.”

Melaye urged the President to, instead, constitute an ‘Emergency Ad Hoc Economic Team’ made up of all former ministers of finance, ex-ministers of budget and national planning, ex-CBN governors as well as members drawn from the academia with “deep knowledge of developmental economics to drive the economic revival programme.”

He said, “The President must immediately transit from mere rhetoric to drastic but positive action to save the economy and Nigeria from total collapse. The hunger in the land is real, pervasive, widespread and debilitating for the poor masses.

“As I walk the streets of my constituency these days, I constantly harbour a foreboding that I could be stoned by my angry constituents for the failure of Mr. President to fulfill his campaign promises and expectations to Nigerians.

“Nigeria is tottering on a dangerous precipice, sliding perilously to a certain catastrophe if the current economic malaise is not halted immediately.”

IBRAHIM KADIRI

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently take concrete measures to mitigate the negative effects of the economic recession and crisis on the poorest and most marginalized across the country.

This was contained in a letter dated September 2, 2016 and signed by SERAP senior staff counsel, Timothy Adewale, who expressed concern that “the economic crisis is having disproportionate impacts on the rights of the poorest and most marginalized, who are the most vulnerable because they already suffer from years of corruption, under-development and abuse of power.”

The organization asked the President to “Urgently propose legislation and constitutional amendment that would end the practice of budgeting billions of Naira as ‘security votes’ for the Federal Government and the 36 state governments, as the diversion of the funds has continued to undermine the ability of the government to provide essential goods and services across the country.”

The organization also asked President Buhari to “Urgently provide the socially and economically vulnerable with social protection programs and safety-nets to protect them from severe poverty and deprivation”, and “immediately drop the proposed 10 per cent tax on phone calls, text messages, data and more, as this would disproportionately affect the socially and economically vulnerable and push them deeper into poverty and deprivation.”

The letter reads in part: “Increased poverty and the hunger that it brings will threaten the right to life and health of many socially and economically vulnerable, including women and children. These groups of people are bearing the brunt and feeling the impacts of the economic crisis on their standards of living, their jobs and their homes.

“Your government has a binding obligation to ensure that all its policies to address the economic crisis are consistent with standards of human rights law. At the same time, the role of your government is to act as the guarantor of human rights of millions of impoverished Nigerians, including economic and social rights. Economic recession cannot be used as excuse for failing to fulfil these rights.

“We urge President Buhari to immediately provide economic stimulus packages that are focused on limiting the worst human consequences of the crisis, and give priority attention to the most vulnerable and marginalized in the distribution of resources.

“Buhari should put pressure on the National Assembly to cut its budget and spending, which in 2016 alone is N115 billion. The sum of N150 billion each was allocated to the National Assembly in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 while N115 billion was allocated in 2015. These huge budget allocations cannot be justified and must stop.

“Buhari should immediately cut the sum of N103.47m budgeted for foodstuff and catering materials in the Presidential Villa, and put pressure on the 36 state governments (including the Ondo State government which budgeted N103.2million for feeding and entertainment of the state governor in 2016 and the Cross River state government which budgeted the sum of N1.4billion for entertainment and hospitality for the governor), to cut these outrageous budget allocations and use the funds for social services and to pay workers’ salaries.

“The economic recession is devastating lives and livelihoods across the country, and quickly translating into rising unemployment among Nigerian youths, hunger and powerlessness. Exacerbated by the failure of many state governments to pay workers’ salaries timely, this situation has pushed millions of Nigerians deeper into poverty. Yet, there are no social protection and human rights-based responses to the economic crisis.

“SERAP is also concerned that the economic recession threatens the full range of human rights, particularly economic and social rights such as the right to an adequate standard of living and the rights to health, housing, food and education.”

“SERAP believes that the economic crisis is a human rights concern not only because of the serious consequences on human rights, but also because of the underlying structural causes of the crisis which relate directly to unfettered pursuit of self-interest and failures of successive governments to respect, protect and fulfill economic and social rights,” SERAP said.

Governor of Ekiti state, Ayodele Fayose has reacted to visit of factional chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ali Modu Sheriff,  to former President Olusegun Obasanjo saying no genuine lover of PDP will visit obasanjo

Fayose described the visit as the “coming together of PDP enemies”, alleging that both men collaborated to destroy the All Nigerians Peoples Party (ANPP).

“The meeting was a coming together of collaborators in the total annihilation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),” Fayose said in a statement issued on his behalf by Lere Olayinka, his media aide.

“No genuine lover of the PDP will go to the house of a man who openly destroyed his membership card and worked assiduously to ensure the party’s failure in the 2015 presidential election, to seek advice on how the way forward for the PDP.

“Sheriff can as well begin to sleep in Obasanjo’s house, it is good riddance to bad rubbish.

“Since Obasanjo is no longer a member of the PDP and he has consistently maintained that he can never return to the PDP, only those in the same league with him can go about visiting him.”

He alleged that despite the fact that “no one benefited from the party more than Obasanjo”, the elder statesman still worked against his former party.

Fayose asked Nigerians to beware of Obasanjo, saying; “The result of Obasanjo’s imposition of President Muhammadu Buhari on the country is the hunger and sufferings that Nigerians are facing now.”

Meanwhile, Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has advocated a strong party in power and a strong opposition party, if Nigeria’s democracy must be strong, dynamic and cherished.

He made the call after the closed door meeting with a factional chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff on Saturday.

The former President described the PDP as “a party whose soul has been taken away and a party in comatose”.

He spoke on the recent crisis in the PDP, under which he was once the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Speaking to journalists at his hilltop residence in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital in southwest Nigeria, Obasanjo also reiterated his renouncement of partisan politics.

On his part, Senator Sheriff eulogised the leadership of the former President.

He said his visit was part of the ongoing consultation aimed at finding lasting solutions to the leadership crisis in the PDP.

At a time Nigerians are groaning under the yoke of recession, members of the National Assembly (NASS) have received a total sum of N6.78 billion as their official salaries and allowances in one year, investigation by Economic Confidential has revealed.

The report obtained by Economic intelligence magazine showed the ‘legitimate’ remuneration of the federal legislators in compliance to the statutory approval of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC). The remuneration packages include: annual salaries, accommodation, vehicle maintenance and fuel, Personal Assistants, House maintenance, domestic staff, entertainment and utilities allowances. Others allowances are; Constituency allowance, Annual Leave, Hardship allowance, wardrobe, newspapers and responsibility allowances.

A careful scrutiny of the report shows that each Senator has annual salary of N2.02m while a member of House of Representative receives N1.98mn as annual basic salary.

The basic salary of the Senate President is N2.48million while that of the Speaker of House of Rep is N2.47million. The Deputy Senate President has N2.30million as annual basic salary while his counterpart, Deputy Speaker, earns N2.28million annually.

In addition to the annual basic salary, each member of the National Assembly receives 200 percent of the annual salary for accommodation, 75 per cent for vehicle maintenance, 25 per cent for Personal Assistants, five per cent for house maintenance, 75 per cent for domestic staff, and 30 per cent for both entertainment and utilities.

Others are, 25 per cent for wardrobe, 15 per cent for newspapers and responsibility allowance of between 10, 7, and five per cent respectively as the case may be on the position of the legislator.

While each senator receives a whopping 250 per cent for constituency allowance, member of House of Representative gets 100% for the same annually.

In all the senate alone numbering 109 senators gulped the sum of N1.85billion in the last one year, while the 360 members of the House of Representatives got N4.93 billion!

According to estimates from the report, there are Non-Regular allowances federal legislators are entitled to. They include furniture and severance gratuity which are due only once in four years. Other non-regular allowances include Estacode allowances which is paid in US Dollars for foreign trips and Duty Tour allowance which is paid in Naira for local trips within Nigeria.

Further analysis by Economic Confidential reveals that an average Nigerian worker with a minimum wage of N18,000 a month will have to work for four years before earning the utility allowance for one legislator.

Unless the remuneration package is reviewed downward or upward by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, the legislators will continue to enjoy the current official salaries and allowances.

PAULETTE ORJIME- Abuja

DIRECTOR-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC),  Brigadier General Sulaiman Kazaure, has urged Corps members to ensure credible conduct during Saturday’s governorship  election in Edo state.

In a statement delivered to Daily Champion yesterday in  Abuja, he made the call while addressing the Corps members at Uyi Grand Event Centre in Benin.

Kazaure enjoined the Corps members to abide by the rules  guiding the conduct of the poll, adding that all hands must  be on deck to ensure a hitch-free exercise.

The Director-General told them that their predecessors contributed to the successful conduct of previous polls, including the 2011 and 2015 general elections, which earnedthe NYSC commendations from international electionmonitors.

“I urge you to try and surpass the performance of your predecessors by demonstrating high sense of discipline, honesty and transparency in the conduct of the coming

election.

“As graduates who have been found worthy in character and learning, I expect you to uphold the trust and discharge  your assignment in line with provisions of the electoral laws,” he said.

He warned them to shun financial and other forms of inducement from politicians, and went on to remind them of the need to safeguard their image as well as those of their families and the NYSC.

Kazaure told them that the NYSC Management was liaising with security agencies, who had given assurance about their safety before, during and after the election.

Earlier, the NYSC Edo State Coordinator, Mrs. Akyam Altine, said INEC had trained the Corps members on their expected roles in the election while the NYSC Secretariat had been  sensitizing them on the need to be neutral umpires.

LEO ALIGWO, Business Editor

The result of the aptitude test conducted for the recruitment of 10,000 personnel into the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) will soon be released, checks by Daily Champion have revealed.

In all, a total of 1.300 million Nigerians are jostling for the 10,000 positions as made public early this year by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Indeed, the Police Service Commission (PSC) has pegged the age limit of the successful applicant at between 25 years and 32 years. The PSC had apparently stated that the age limit for the post of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) is 28 years, Inspector of Police (IP)—32 years while any applicant for the post of Police Constable (PC) must be 25 years old.

Speaking in an interview with our correspondent, a top member of the PSC, Dame Comfort Obi, made it clear that successful applicants for the post of ASP must be holders of First Degree or Higher National Diploma (HND) while candidates for the post of Inspector of Police are required to possess Ordinary National Diploma (ND) or National Diploma (ND) respectively.

In addition, applicants for the post of Police Constables must be holders of West African Examination School Certificates (WAESC) with five credits including English Language and Mathematics.

It is understood that the NPF does not recruit applicants who obtained First Class honours or Ordinary Pass in their final year university degree examination or polytechnic.

Dame Obi reiterated that 500 ASP were being recruited nationwide, stressing that each of the 36 state of the federation is entitled to 12 ASP. Similarly, 500 Inspectors of Police are also being recruited nationwide. A total of 7,500 Police Constables would be recruited nationwide.

Continuing, she further revealed that no fewer than 1,500 specialists Doctors and Nurses would be recruited into the NPF nationwide.

EBOJELE AKHERE PATRICK, Benin City

Edo State Internal Revenue Service (EIRS) has disclosed that it has concluded plans to explore new sources of revenue to shore up its internally generated revenue to 80 per cent.

The acting chairman of the agency, Emmanuel Usoh, a lawyer, who made the disclosure during a stakeholders’ meeting/proud tax payers awards ceremony in Benin-City, the state capital, said: “the aim is to avoid over dependence on monthly federal allocation to the state”.

Usoh listed the sources to include a shift from direct to indirect tax, consumption tax. Land use charge, e-lottery and gaming, entertainment tax among others.

While noting that 171,000 people pay tax out of the over four million population in the state, he said the agency has begun a process to identify who pays what, how, where and when with a view to building a strong database for revenue optimization.

“The whole essence of IGR reforms is to generate enough revenue to be self-reliant. Therefore, in Edo State, we want to be in a position where we would be able to generate at least 80 percent of the total revenue of the state so that the state would be independent of the Federation Account.

” At the inception of this administration, the IGR was N280 million monthly, with various reform programmes aimed at eliminating inefficiency in revenue collection process and blocking all avenue of leakages, the monthly  IGR rose to over  N2 billion monthly,’’ he said.

He, however, lamented that the IGR has dropped from the initial N2billion to N1.5 billion on the average monthly, saying that they have been able to increase it to  N1.7 billion monthly now.

The EIRS boss attributed the decline to the implementation of the amendment to the personal income Tax Act, 2011 which, he said, granted huge tax reliefs to majority of taxpayers with a view to increasing their disposable income following the removal of subsidy on petroleum products.

He said this resulted in a drop of revenue by about 48 per cent under the PAYE, which accounts for about 60 per cent of IGR accruable to the state government, thereby leading to a significant drop in the monthly revenue.

Usoh, who further said the administration was not oblivious of the extortion being perpetrated by some staff of MDAs and local governments, assured that it would collaborate with the councils to ensure that members of the public are not harassed under the guise of collecting revenue.

He said the reforms so far implemented had led to a progressive increase in the annual IGR of the state which saw the state being placed at fourth position in 2014 by the Joint Tax Board (JTB) rating of states IGR.

The Management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria wishes to notify air travelers and the general public that the Nigerian Air Force will be conducting a mock exercise on counter- terrorism simulation at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja.

The Managing Director of FAAN, Engr Saleh Dunoma said the exercise is part of strategies to reinforce the safety and security of air transport and the nation’s airports, in addition to sustaining international best practice, regulatory policies and world class service delivery.

He further explained that the exercise may consist of aerial and land maneuvers which may create some dramatic spectacles and affect vehicular and human movements.

He therefore enjoined air travelers and members of the public to be aware and go about their normal businesses as operations in the airport will not be affected.

While apologizing for any inconvenience the exercise may cause, he advises air travelers and other airport users to always adhere to laid down rules and procedures for the safety and security of all.

President Mohammadu Buhari, his Vice, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, All Progressives Congress Governors and the National leadership of the party will on Tuesday relocate to Edo state capital, Benin city for the grand rally for the Governorship Election of September 10.

Speaking with journalists in Benin on Monday, the state Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Barrister Anselm Ojezua said anytime the APC is holding rally, there is always mass mobilization, saying “once the people know that the president is coming our people will be so excited to receive him, celebrate and crown our efforts of moving round the entire state for the past few weeks.

Ojezua said the National campaign Council for the APC Governorship candidate, Godwin Obaseki, Governor Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos state and his team are already in Benin to ensure smooth rally.

He said all logistics to ensure free movement of the visitors and party supporters across the state are also be perfected.

The APC Chairman therefore called on all Edo people in respective of party affiliation to come out emass to welcome Mr. President to the state.

Meanwhile, the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in central city of Benin City is wearing a new look ahead of the President Mohammadu Buhari visit to Edo state.

When our reporter visited the stadium, Soldiers, Department of State Security Services, Anti-Riot Policemen and other Security agencies has taken over the stadium and all the major roads leading in and out of Stadium Area.

The Airport, Golf course road, and the Edaiken N’uselu palace where the President and his entourage visit had also been taken over by Soldiers and other Security agencies.

IBRAHIM KADIRI

Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly yesterday resolved, calling on the police and other relevant agencies to ensure the enforcement of the existing criminal laws in order to proffer immediate solutions to sexual abuse cases in the State.

Mojisola Meiranda representing Apapa constituency I under Matters of Urgent Public Importance, decried that the rate at which sexual abuse and criminal cases occur in the State was very alarming and disheartening.

She stated “I came across a story of a 13-year-old girl in a national newspaper who was gang raped and got pregnant by three men including a 60-year-old in Owode Ibeshe area of Ikorodu.”

She, therefore, advised parents and guardians to be watchful of the kind of people they leave their children and ward with, saying “either male and female, children and wards should also be educated on how to raise alarm when they sense danger.”

Contributing, Nurudeen Solaja-Saka said the culprits usually carried out the drastic act in an uncompleted building in Ibeshe.

The lawmaker disclosed that the policemen, in conjunction with Kabiyesi and Chiefs, are already investigating the matter.

On his part, Moshood Oshun said there were so many stigmatizations attached to rape victims in our society and effort should be made to build confidence to the families of the victims so that they will not be stigmatized.

He also suggested that there was the need to make use of sex register and publicize rape offenders so that people who are residing with them would know the kind of person they are living with.

Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa stated that there should be regular campaign against violence, rape and abuses and that the police should put more efforts in their pursuit against violence.

He advised that rape cases go beyond calling attention of parents but to call relevant agencies to enforce existing laws to prosecute rape offenders in order to serve as deterrent to others.

To this end, the House resolved to call on Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice and his counterparts in Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Commissioner of Police and Youths, Sports and Social Development to look into cases of rape in the State particularly the recent gang raping of a 13-yr-old girl in Ikorodu area of the state.

FLORENCE UDOH

United Nations International Emergency Children Fund (UNICEF) has expressed fresh concern over the level of malnutrition in the Southwest geo-political and attributed the situation to poor adherence to Exclusive Breast Feeding (EBF) of babies.

The UNICEF Communication Specialist, Mr. Geoffrey Njoku, expressed the concern in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, during opening of a two-day media dialogue on child malnutrition.

According to Njoku, the assumption that malnutrition is found only in the northern part of Nigeria is not true and misleading.

The communication expert, quoting a 2013 survey, said the Southwest had 22 per cent stunted children under the age of five.

He  emphasized that malnutrition was a national problem and  stated  that a very excellent  way  of   stopping  malnutrition was the adherence of all  mothers to  breast feeding  their  babies  exclusively  for  the  first  six months  of  life.

The Communication Officer of UNICEF, Mrs. Blessing Ejiofor, said Media Coalition Against Malnutrition was aimed at creating opportunities for media advocacy on child nutrition through sensitisation.

“It also provides media partners with the knowledge and materials to support advocacy for child nutrition and acquaint the media with malnutrition situation in Nigeria with particular reference to child malnutrition,” she said.

Mrs. Ogunbumi Omotayo from the Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja said: “Nigeria has the highest number of stunted children under age five in sub-Saharan Africa”, adding that globally, Nigeria had 37 per cent of all stunted children, 18 per cent wasting and 29 per cent underweight.

She said Nigeria’s infant mortality rate was 69 in 100 live births, and under-five mortality of 128 in 1000 live births, while only 17 per cent were exclusively breast fed.

Mrs. Ada Ezeogu, the UNICEF Nutrition Specialist, said Nigeria’s Nutrition Indices (2013) showed that only 17 per cent of Nigerian mothers engaged in EBF.

Ezeogu said this was far below the 50 per cent international standard requirement.  She said malnutrition was not all about food but inadequate care, knowledge, food insecurity, unsanitary environment and other factors, which were evident in the six states of the region.

She identified under-nutrition and micronutrient deficiency as burdens of malnutrition in Nigeria.

Ezeogu called for more emphasis on the 1,000 days from the period of conception to when the child attained the age of two.

She said the Southwest was noted for good compliance with the six months on EBF but failed in the complementary feeding that followed immediately the child stopped EBF.

Ezeogu said if the 50 per cent EBF international standard was achieved, the child killer diseases would be reduced by 50 per cent.

She called for policy, coordination and partnership to promote EBF in the region and the country at large.

PAULETTE ORJIME- Abuja

NATIONAL Orientation Agency (NOA) has once again urged citizens to desist from activities that may lead to blockage of drainages and water ways to avoid worsening the situation.

Director General of NOA, Garba Abari who made this known  recently in Abuja,in the wake of recurrent flooding  affecting several communities across Nigeria,  also

said the State Directorate and Local Government formations of the Agency had been directed to commence massive  sensitization to mobilize Nigerians away from flood prone  areas, thereby minimising casualties.

He added that advocacy visits to opinion leaders, faith based and civil society organizations will be initiated along with other measures toward encouraging Nigerians to

depart from harm’s way.

Recalling a recent update report issued by Nigeria  Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), Abari noted that the high rainfall intensity and run-off has led to an increasing

trend in the flow level of rivers across the country.

“All citizens living along the waterways and lowlands should relocate to upland areas. Farmers who planted near the rivers should also harvest their products to avert the  rampaging effects of flooding,” said the NOA boss.

It will be recalled that NOA had in June 2016 alerted  Nigerians of imminent flooding, calling on residents of  river banks and flood paths to relocate as a precautionary

measure.

SUNDAY ODE, Abuja

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, and the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Maikanti Baru, on Monday dismissed speculation of an imminent hike in the pump price of petrol.

They both met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja following reports that a meeting of former GMDs of NNPC had recommended an increase in the price as according to them, the current price was no longer sustainable.

Emerging from the meeting, Baru, who was pressed by correspondents for comments declined, and referred journalists to the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) for any clarification.

Asked if there would be a review of the price, he however, said: “There is nothing like that.”

Kachikwu also toed the same line when he was asked for his position but this time, he directed reporters back to the GMD NNPC for answers.

But when told that the GMD had declined comments, the Minister then disclosed that there was no memo before the Federal Government asking for a review of the price.

Reports had emerged over the weekend that the former GMDs had called for an upward review of the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), arguing that the present price cap of N145 per litre was not realistic in the face of the current economic realities.

BEIRUT (AP) — Expelling the Islamic State group from the last territory it controlled along the Syrian-Turkish border has effectively cut the militants’ supply lines from the outside world. That could affect their ability to protect their last bastions — the cities of Raqqa in Syria and Mosul in Iraq.

The area under IS control has been shrinking for months, under assault from forces determined to wipe out the self-declared “caliphate.” The fight for Mosul appears to be imminent, with U.S.-backed Iraqi forces closing in, and Raqqa will probably be in the crosshairs for an attack possibly led by Kurdish militias in the near future.

If removed from power in the territory it controls, many fear it will turn even more decisively toward terrorist attacks against civilians in the region and in the West, operating from the shadows. It that way, it will be more like the group it developed from: al-Qaida.

A look at the current battle against Islamic State:

HOW DID THE SUPPLY LINES FROM TURKEY WORK?

After the Syrian conflict began in March 2011, people could evade Turkish troops on the border and sneak into or out of Syria. Many of those crossing into Syria were jihadis from around the world joining al-Qaida’s branch. Others, mostly Syrians, could use border checkpoints. Smugglers also were active, helping people cross over.

WHY DID TURKEY ALLOW THIS, AND WHAT CHANGED?

For years, Turkey turned a blind eye to the crossings. Neighboring countries also had been buying oil from IS at rates cheaper than those on international markets. But Europe put pressure on Turkey after the Charlie Hebdo attack in France in 2015, and Ankara began to tighten its border security. Turkey’s gradual shift was followed by attacks blamed on the group inside Turkey itself, including one at Istanbul’s airport. Once relations improved between Turkey and Russia, and following a July coup attempt failed to remove President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from power, he sent his forces into Syria to battle the extremists, as well as Kurdish fighters who had crossed to the west bank of the Euphrates River against Turkey’s will. The Turkish acquiescence to IS finally seemed to be over. On Sunday, Turkish troops and Turkish-backed Syrian rebels captured all Syrian areas along the border that had been held by IS.

HOW DO MOSUL AND RAQQA STILL GET SUPPLIES?

Since Turkey tightened its border, IS has been relying on products brought from Turkey into the rebel-held Syrian border town of Azaz. Syrian merchants go to Azaz, buy what they need, and ship it by truck to Raqqa. Once inside IS-controlled areas, products would be sent to other IS-held territory.

WHO IS FIGHTING THE ISLAMIC STATE GROUP?

Many forces are fighting IS in Syria and Iraq, some backed by the U.S., and others by powers including Russia, Iran, and Turkey. The most effective group has been the Kurdish-led Syria Democratic Forces, which captured wide areas in northern Syria from the extremists in the past year under the cover of intense airstrikes by a U.S.-led coalition. Also fighting the extremists are members of Lebanon’s Hezbollah group and Syrian government troops, mostly in central Syria. Turkey-backed rebel factions such as the Sultan Murad, Mountain Hawks, Shamiya Front and Liberation Army have been part of Ankara’s offensive that began Aug. 24 and captured all IS-held border area from the Syrian side.

In Iraq, the IS militants are under attack from government troops, regional police forces, Sunni tribesmen, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and Shiite militiamen. Iranians have been active as well, and there have been reports that Gen. Qassem Soleimani, head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, led some operations of the Popular Mobilization Forces — Iraq’s government-sanctioned, mainly Shiite militias.

HOW IS THE BATTLE GOING?

In Syria, IS has lost the border town of Jarablus, a major crossing point, to Turkish-backed Syrian rebels. In March, IS was driven out of the historic town of Palmyra by Syrian troops backed by Russian airstrikes. The U.S.-led coalition has killed some of the group’s founding members, including spokesman and chief strategist Abu Mohammed al-Adnani, and its war minister, Omar al-Shishani.

IS has lost major cities and towns in the past year in Iraq, including Fallujah, Ramadi and Tikrit. Iraqi government troops recently captured the town of Qayara, near Mosul.

A naval officer from the detachment of security operatives tagged ‘Operation Skolombo’ attached to Mr. Jude Ngaji, Cross River State Security Adviser, on Tuesday in Calabar manhandled Daily Champion Cross River correspondent, Mr. Obaji Akpet.

The security operatives, comprising two police men and a driver, two naval officers without name tags and two men in mufti, had, about 3pm stormed Audacity ICT, an information and technology resource centre, where customers were surfing their individual businesses on the internet.

Without any sense of politeness, the security operatives kept shouting on top of their voices ordering everyone to stand up while they began to confiscate computer systems in the business centre and pushing Gloria, a service attendant in the cafe of about 18 years of age.

No explanation was offered to anyone as to what was happening and no arrest warrant was shown; everyone was kept in total darkness.

Daily Champion correspondent was not allowed to move as he was also ordered to stay put.

Shortly, Mr. David Jay, the CEO of the ICT resource centre stepped out of his office perplexed of what was going on, asking: “Gloria, what did you do that police are everywhere?”

Just when David introduced himself as the owner of the resource centre, explaining to them that every other person was a customer, they pushed him forward and yelled at him to disconnect his server.

They then dragged him and his girl into a waiting van while ignoring his appeal to let him at least notify his wife currently nursing his one-year old child.

No other computer system was carried along in the resource centre, safe for the main internet server while unduly shutting out clients from their surfing without explanation offered.

Confused about the whole scenario, Daily Champion correspondent stepped out to fully identify the van that the duo were being taken into in order to be clear if the men were truly security operatives.

In the process,  a tall naval officer of about 5.9ft, who was part of the operation on sighting him howled: “shebi  you want come see where we want take am go, oya follow us come see;” and then held him on his waist belt and forced him into the van. Off their siren started blaring as they drove the trio to a yet- to- be identified destination.

Thirty minutes later, the van came to a halt in front of the State Security Adviser’s Office with him standing at the entrance of the office.

Those arrested were forced out of the van while being ordered to carry along with them the server system now in their custody as exhibit for whatever reason the arrest was aimed at.

When DailyChampion correspondent was asked to do same, it was then he brought his Identity Card to identify himself as a journalist, only then, right before the State Security Adviser, did the same naval officer, who had robed him into the arrest began landing him slaps and forcing him to carry part of the server, constituting the exhibits of the arrest.

By the slaps, the journalist was thrown into momentary darkness, he could not see his way through for minutes, all he felt was the same naval officer pushing him to move forward.

He managed to open his left his eyes, he was now before Mr. Ngaji, who looking at him and appearing to have recognised him as a renowned journalist in the state.

“What is this one too doing here?,” Ngaji asked.

Mr. Akpet responded, “You know me S.A, I don’t know why your men brought me here and why they are manhandling me.”

Ngaji snubbed him motioning that he be taken in and walked away.

While in the custody of the state security department when one David Ofem did not get satisfactory response on why Daily Champion correspondent was also arrested, he ordered that the journalist be released; that was later in the night.

It was only at about 8am the following morning that the journalist was able to have access to his press devices.

What Daily Champion correspondent suffered on that fateful day underscores the style and manner of arrests being made in Nigeria by security operatives; no warrant of arrest is shown nor any explanation offered to those being arrested; which violates police written arrest tenets; and in most cases culprits are being abused in the course of the arrest.

Meanwhile, while David Jay, Audacity ICT owner was released that night, he said he was yet to get wind on the whereabouts of the 18 year old girl working with him.

He said the explanation he later got about why he was arrested was that one Emem Abasi Cultural Group, was suspected to be using his resource centre to commit scams, an issue, he said,  he is yet to be fully abreast of.

.Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, Chief of Naval Staff

RRR

R

STAN OKENWA

The Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service said it has intercepted various contraband goods with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N186 million between July and August.Customs seizes N250m goods in two months

A statement issued and signed by Mr. Jerry Attah, the image maker of the Unit said it recovered N63.5 million through its interventions from vehicles and other goods due to under-payment, undervalue and false declaration under the review period.

Controller of the unit, Umar Mohammed, said in a statement by the Public Relations Officer, Jerry Attah, that about 225 different seizures comprising 4,474 foreign parboiled 50kg bags of rice, 7,676 frozen poultry products and fairly used vehicles, were recorded.

Others are 11 units of assorted and other general merchandise including vegetable oil, new and used textiles, shoes, bags, used tyres, used fridges, furniture sets, among others.

He said 23 suspects were also apprehended in connection with the seizure and after thorough investigation will be charged to court.

The Controller noted that despite the economic downturn the nation is experiencing, smuggling still persists.

He, however, pledged the commitment of his officers to thwart the smugglers’ antics.

Mohammed called on patriotic Nigerians to help Customs in the fight against smuggling by providing necessary intelligence report that will assist in its operations for a better return on investment for legitimate traders.

He said: “We will continue to reflect and review our operational modalities towards sustaining the statutory mandate of anti-smuggling operations so as to keep the flag flying.”

STAN OKENWA

Stakeholders from public and private sectors at Federal and State levels are set for the third quarter seminar series being organised by the Nigeria Information and Communication Technology Reporters’ Association (NITRA).

The programme, being sponsored by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and one of Nigeria’s telecoms companies, Airtel, will bring together industry stakeholders to brainstorm on the theme: “The Impact of Over-Regulation of Telecoms Industry on Service Quality.”

The event is scheduled to hold at the Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos on Friday, September 16.

The seminar will bring together industry regulators including the NCC, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) as well as representation from the Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS) and ZInox Group, among others.

Already, most industry stakeholders have confirmed attendance at the one-day forum to be chaired by the Chairman of ALTON, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo.

The General Manager of Lagos State Infrastructure Maintenance and Regulatory Authority (LASIMRA), Mr. Jide Odekunle, will be the keynote speaker at the event with Airtel Nigeria making another paper presentation on the theme of the event.

The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof Umar Danbatta, will give an overall review of the telecoms industry, the value that the sector has added to the Nigerian economy, as well and the effect of multiple regulations on service quality.

The Acting Director-General of NITDA, Dr. Vincent Olatunji; President of ATCON, Engr. Olusola Teniola and Chairman, Zinox Group, Mr. Leo Stan Ekeh, among other stakeholders, are expected at the seminar.

Telecoms subscribers are said to be losing a whopping N750 million annually to intermittent poor service quality such as call-drops, unfair billings, charges on Value Added Service (VAS) not subscribed to, among others.

“Nigeria telecoms industry has grown significantly in the past 15 years in such a way that it is now regarded as one of the fastest-growing in the world. Nigerians telecoms has, indeed, witnessed exponential growth in the last 13 years moving from active subscriber base of 400,000 with teledensity of 0.004 per cent to active subscriber base of 149.8 million with teledensity of 107.01 per cent, as of June 2016 statistics,” said NITRA President, Mr. Emma Okonji in a statement.

He noted that despite the growth, more conducive regulatory environment needed to be provided for the network so as to be able to deliver quality service for their growing subscriber base.

“It is our belief that the forum will provide opportunities for industry stakeholders to dialogue on regulatory challenges facing the operators and their effects on the service delivery to the subscribers. It will also help in offering workable solutions for effective industry regulation that will bring about greater growth of the over $38 billion telecoms industry,” Okonji added.

Former President, Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba SAN, on Tuesday, expressed concerns that Nigeria may continue to experience the current recession cycle till 2020, if the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government fail to immediately bounce the economy massively.