Encomium
1. BUHARI FINALLY SACKS BABACHIR LAWAL, AYODELE OKE, APPOINTS MUSTAPHA
President Muhammadu Buhari has studied the report of the panel headed by the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, which investigated allegations against the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, and the Director General, National Intelligence Agency, NIA, Ayo Oke.
The president accepted the recommendation of the panel to terminate the appointment of Mr. Lawal.
also sacked is the suspended NIA DG, Ayodele Oke.
President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Boss Mustapha as the new Secretary to the Government of the Federation. The appointment takes immediate effect.
Until his appointment as SGF, Mr. Boss Gida Mustapha was the Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA).
2. AS NIGERIANS DEMAND PROSECUTION OF EX-SGF LAWAL, BUHARI TELLS EFCC TO CONTINUE INVESTIGATING
Nigerians are clamouring for the prosecution of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, as his sacking by President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday indicated that he is guilty of the accusation of diverting funds meant for Internally Displaced Persons in northern Nigeria.
On Monday, the presidency said Buhari will not interfere with the matter.
Mr. Buhari’s spokesperson, Garba Shehu, in a statement said “the position of the President therefore is that investigation agencies which have already commenced the investigation of the two officers removed from office will go on with their work of investigation without any interference or hindrance.”
Mr. Shehu added that the president “who is fully conversant with the provisions of the constitution will not stop the investigation of anyone because he has no such power under our laws. This is a decision of the Supreme Court.”
3. JONATHAN ASKS FOR N1BN AS TRAVEL EXPENSES TO BE METUH’S WITNESS
Nigeria’s former President Goodluck Jonathan has asked the Abuja Federal High Court to ignore the subpoena ordering him to appear in court as a witness to testify in defence of ex-PDP National Publicity Secretary Olisa Metuh. In the alternative, Jonathan sought an order directing Metuh to deposit with the court for and on his behalf the sum of N1billion to cover travelling expenses for himself and his security personnel from his home town, Otuoke, in Bayelsa State, to Abuja and also for logistics, and provision of tight security to cover any period of time that he might spend appearing before this court as President of Nigeria between 2010 and 2015.
4. ARMY CONCLUDES OPERATION ‘CROCODILE SMILE II’ IN NIGER DELTA
The Nigerian Army has concluded its special operation code-named Crocodile Smile 2 in the Niger Delta and parts of South-Western Nigeria. Speaking during the official closing ceremony, which held at the operation’s headquarters in Rivers State, the Minister of Defense, Mansur Dan-Ali said the exercise was very successful in both regions.
The operation was flagged off on October the 7th 2017 at the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, which has its headquarters in Port Harcourt. For 6 Division, crocodile smile 2 was coordinated from this step up headquarters located in Igwurita community in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.
After 21 days of discharging its operations, the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai also expressed feeling of satisfaction with the achievements of operation crocodile smile 2.
5. NO CABAL IN BUHARI’S GOVERNMENT, IT’S ALL MYTH – TINUBU
A national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has dismissed as fake, news that he and President Muhammadu Buhari are on bad terms. Tinubu who described as a myth, the existence of a cabal that has seized the running of government and relegated to the background major contributors to APC getting into power, said he was still solidly in support of the Apc Administration in government
He acknowledged that there had been certain unexpected twists in governance, but expressed confident that the Buhari Administration was still on course to turn the tide and in the long run, bring smiles to the faces of the Nigerian people.
6. AFDB RECALLS $400 LOAN TO NIGERIA OVER FAILURE TO MEET CONDITIONS
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has called off a $400 million loan to Nigeria that would have helped fund the country’s budget. According to reports, the money has been redirected to specific projects.
The AfDB had been in talks with Nigeria for around a year to release the second, $400 million tranche of a $1 billion loan to shore up its budget for 2017, as the government tried to reinvigorate its stagnant economy with heavy spending.
But Nigeria has not met the terms of the international lenders, which also included the World Bank, to enact various reforms, including allowing its currency, the naira, to float freely on the foreign exchange market.
7. LEAKED MEMO REVEALS OYO-ITA WARNED BUHARI ABOUT MAINA BUT HE DIDN’T LISTEN
A leaked memo by Head of Service, Winnifred Oyo-Ita has revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari knew about the re-appointment of ex-pension reform boss Abdulrasheed Maina into the civil service, and was warned about the implications to his anti-corruption war. Her memo was sent to the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr. Abba Kyari. It was dated October 23. Part of it says:
“I wrote to place on record the following facts as it permits to Mr. A. A. Maina who was dismissed from service on February 21, 2013.
The move to recall Mr. A. A. Maina was at the instance of a series of letters from the Attorney General of the Federation to the Federal Civil Service Commission requesting the commission to give consequential effect to the judgement that voided the warrant of arrest issued against Maina, which formed the basis for the query and his eventual dismissal.
8. APC CAUCUS REUNITES WITH PARTY LEADERS, PASSES VOTE OF CONFIDENCE ON OYEGUN’S
Chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), on Monday night, passed a vote of confidence on the leadership of the party. Gov. Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara made this known at the end of a caucus meeting of the party which was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said that the meeting also reinforced the unity, commitment and strength of all members of the party.
Sen. Bukar Abba-Ibrahim, who also spoke on the outcome of the meeting, dismissed the speculation that it was convened to remove the leadership of the APC.
Mr John Odigie-Oyegun, the party’s National Chairman, described the caucus as ‘very fantastic’, adding that the party would be stronger after its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Tuesday in Abuja.
9. MAN, 29, RAPES 85-YEAR-OLD WOMAN TO COMA IN OSUN
A 29 -year- old man, Kehinde Ariyo, has been arrested by the Osun Police Command for allegedly raping an 85- year- old woman to coma at Ilesa town in the state.
The police commissioner in the state , Mr Fimihan Adeoye, disclosed this on Monday in Osogbo .
Adeoye said the incident happened at Ogudu area in Ilesa, where the suspect forcefully had carnal knowledge of the old woman after gaining access to her residence around 11 pm on Oct. 27 .
He added that the woman sustained various degrees of injuries on her body , including her private organ , and eventually passed out in the process before she was restored back at a private hospital.
According to Adeoye , the suspect lives in the same area where the victim resides and had gone on errands for the old woman several times in the past.
The suspect admitted having committed the act, claiming to have been drunk at the time of committing the heinous act.
10. BOSS MUSTAPHA IS BABACHIR LAWAL’S FIRST COUSIN – JUNAID MOHAMMED
Controversial Second Republic lawmaker and a former House of Representatives member, Dr. Junaid Mohammed has revealed that the newly appointment Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Boss Mustapha is in fact sacked Babachir Lawal’s first cousin.
Junaid said, “Before you begin to celebrate the appointment of Boss Mustapha as the new SGF, do you know that he is in fact, Babachir Lawal’s first cousin?
“This is a continuation of the cronyism and nepotism the Buhari-led administration has become infamous for”.
