The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed a preliminary objection seeking a declaration that the Inspector General of Police or the police lack competence to institute and prosecute criminal offences contained in the Advance Fee Fraud Act and other related offences.
The IGP had in suit no: FHC/ABJ/CR/121/2018, arraigned Messrs Barr. Everestus Chinedum Ugwuowo, Umar Sanda Adamu, Usman Audu and Adole Christopher Oche (first to fourth defendants) on criminal charges bordering on obtaining by false pretence, among others.
But way into the matter, the second defendants’ counsels, Kenechukwu C. Onaga and Ebuka Aneke-Agu filed a notice of preliminary objection, contending that the complainant (IGP) filed an amended charge of eleven counts against the second defendant and three others on 29/4/2019 but on a second look at the offences contained therein, the defendants claimed that the Federal High Court court has no jurisdiction to hear and determine the charge while also claiming that the complainant (IGP) is incompetent to institute and prosecute the charge.
“In any case, jurisdiction to hear and determine the offences in the information has not been conferred upon the Federal High court.
“Neither the Inspector- General of Police nor the Prosecutor on his behalf is competent to institute and prosecute the offences contained in the information,” the second defendant’s lawyer maintained.
But counsel for the IGP, Simon Lough SAN, urged the Federal High Court to discountenance the submissions of the defendants and preside over the case till conclusion.
Delivering his ruling on the preliminary objection Thursday, Justice Obiora Egwuatu held that the police is empowered by law to investigate criminal matters while its power of prosecution is subject to the powers of the office of Attorney-General of the federation.
The judge added that police being an agency that works with the AGF, is not prohibited from prosecuting criminal matters.
The judge also explained that a police officer who is a lawyer or prosecutor can prosecute any case even without express approval from the AGF.
Egwuatu held that criminal matters, be it under the Advance Fee Fraud Act, are not beyond the scope of the police to prosecute or outside the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, adding that obtaining by false pretence is a criminal allegation.
“This (preliminary objection) application is bereft of merit and is accordingly dismissed,” the judge ruled.
The case was then adjourned to February 26 for continuation of trial.
IGP Wins As Court Dismisses Application To Stop Police From Prosecuting Suspected Fraudsters, Others is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
El huracán Otis azotó a Acapulco, México, a finales de octubre, dejando al menos 45 muertos.
Ahora un video en Facebook dice mostrar imágenes de este huracán.
El subtítulo de la publicación del 26 de octubre dice: “Momento cuando el huracán Otis llegó a Acapulco”.
La publicación fue marcada como parte del esfuerzo de Meta para combatir las noticias falsas y la desinformación en su plataforma. (Lea más sobre nuestra colaboración con Meta, propietaria de Facebook e Instagram).
El video muestra a personas resguardándose de fuertes lluvias y escombros cayendo de edificios. Pero las imágenes que aparecen en el video no corresponden al huracán Otis, sino que son de dos tormentas en China.
En las primeras imágenes en el video se nota un letrero con letras Chinas y un bus verde pasando por la calle. PolitiFact hizo una búsqueda de imagen inversa y encontró un reporte de un medio local chino que traducimos al inglés. El video dice: el 24 de julio, “la montaña Taihang Gran Cañón en Shanxi, China fue golpeada por una tormenta”.
También hicimos una búsqueda de la imagen del bus verde, el cual nos llevó a una página web de transporte China que muestra imágenes iguales a las del bus en el video.
La publicación también muestra el techo de un centro deportivo levantándose, pero esto pasó en julio en Quanzhou, China, no en México. Un medio de comunicación local reportó que “Doksuri”, uno de los tifones más fuertes, afectó a la región.
Calificamos la declaración de que un video en Facebook muestra al huracán Otis en Acapulco como Falsa.
Lea más reportes de PolitiFact en Español aquí.
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Debido a limitaciones técnicas, partes de nuestra página web aparecen en inglés. Estamos trabajando en mejorar la presentación.
Financial shocks come in many different forms: An unexpected medical bill, house repair or job loss are among the typical ones. The reasons for financial shocks may be common, but recovering from them can be unexpectedly challenging.
“These things happen once or twice over a financial lifetime,” says Spencer Betts, a certified financial planner and financial consultant with Bickling Financial Services in Lexington, Massachusetts. “They can be pretty big, even for a relatively well-off person.”
To recover from a financial shock and to protect yourself from the impact of one before it happens, consider these guideposts from financial experts:
Turn to your emergency fund or start one
Betts recommends using an emergency fund as a first line of defense against financial shocks. “The general guideline is to have three to six months of your expenses set aside,” he says, adding that the money can be kept in an interest-bearing account so it continues to grow.
If you don’t yet have an emergency fund, then experiencing a financial shock can provide the motivation to start one as soon as you’re able to do so. Barbara O’Neill, author of “Flipping a Switch: Your Guide to Happiness and Financial Security Later in Life,” recommends participating in a savings challenge such as a 30-day, $100 savings goal or trying to save $1,000 by the end of a year to get started.
“You can get a taste of success now that so much has beat you down. You want to turn things around. Starting by saving small amounts at a time can help,” O’Neill says.
Tailor your savings to type of emergency
Mary Carlson, president of the Financial Behavior Keynote Group, a speaking, consulting and teaching firm, says she encourages clients to separate emergency savings accounts into two categories: A “catastrophic emergency” fund for major events such as job loss and death, and a “life happens” fund for things like house repairs and a larger-than-expected tax bill.
“When we start to label things what they really are, then we know what to use the money for,” Carlson says. Otherwise, she adds, it would be easy to empty out your emergency fund for predictable expenses like car maintenance.
Cut back on unnecessary expenses
Immediately scaling back spending on variable expenses such as restaurant meals and retail purchases can help direct funds to recovering from the financial shock. “You can’t change rent easily, but you can adjust how much you spend on going out to eat, travel, entertainment and clothes,” Betts says.
“If you can’t pay for everything, you’ve got to cover the basic needs first — food, shelter, utilities — then the things that will bring consequences, like your car being repossessed,” O’Neill says.
If you are struggling with those basics and looking for local resources to help, such as food banks, the website 211.org can help you find them.
Ask about hardship options
If it’s still tough to pay your bills, Betts recommends calling your lender or service provider. “You aren’t going to be the first person to say, ‘Oh no, I overextended myself, can you do anything to help me with these payment options?’” he says. Companies can sometimes offer payment plans or later due dates for bills.
Carlson says that in some cases, banks and credit unions will work with customers on short-term loans with a 0% or low interest rate to help them get through a challenging period or unexpected expense. “Be proactive and say, ‘Look, I can’t make this work.’ They may have options for you to work out a plan,” she says.
Create a timeline and find support
Giving yourself a deadline to get through your financial shock, whether it’s paying off a specific expense or finding a new job, can also make it easier to power through a difficult period, Betts says. “If you have a precise timeline, whether it’s 70 weeks or 13 months, then you can say, ‘OK, I’m counting down the months, the weeks, the days. This isn’t something I have to do forever, but for a short period of time, and then I’ll be done with it,’” he says.
Sharing that goal with friends and family members can open new avenues of support as you try to reduce spending during that period, he adds. “If you’re talking to someone you are comfortable with or who might also be going through a crisis, you can go through it together, and it’s easier,” Betts says.
Don’t forget mental recovery
Research shows that financial recovery takes time and support, both emotionally and financially. In his collaborative research on the psychological effects of life shocks on financial well-being, Jesse B. Jurgenson, assistant professor in the School of Financial Planning at Texas Tech University, has found that stress can influence how we feel about our financial well-being as much as objective measures like the size of our savings account.
“It may be helpful to focus on the mental health side and remind people going through a financial shock that things are going to get better,” he says. “This is just a temporary hiccup.”
This article was written by NerdWallet and was originally published by The Associated Press.
Kimberly Palmer writes for NerdWallet. Email: kpalmer@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @kimberlypalmer.
The article Ways to Recover From a Financial Shock and Be Prepared Next Time originally appeared on NerdWallet.
…Sends Sales & Purchase Agreement To Dangote For Signing
…Crude Oil To Be Sold To Refinery At International Price
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited will, from December this year, release six million barrels of crude oil to Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited for the take-off of the multi-million dollars facility, THE WHISTLER can authoritatively report.
The $19.5bn Refinery reputed to be the world’s largest single-train Refinery was commissioned by former President Muhammadu Buhari on May 22 this year.
But five months after its inauguration, the plant has finally reached full technical completion and secured necessary platforms for feedstock supply.
But multiple sources from the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission and Dangote Refinery confided to THE WHISTLER that crude oil allocation has been made by the NNPC Limited to Dangote Refinery.
Specifically, one of the sources said that the allocation was made today with the conclusion of the Sales and Purchase Agreements for crude oil supply with NNPC.
The move, it was further gathered, is in line with the Petroleum Industry Act which requires supply of crude oil to all producers of crude.
Section 109 of PIA introduces the domestic crude oil supply obligation in the oil industry in a bid to ensure crude oil supply to local refineries.
The PIA stipulates that the supplier of crude oil to the domestic market shall be on a willing buyer and willing supplier basis.
Another source told THE WHISTLER that the NNPC Limited will also buy petroleum products from Dangote Refinery and this will be priced at the internal price mechanism as any other buyer.
The President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, had described the NNPC Limited as a responsive partner that will provide the needed support for the commencement of operations at the 650,000 barrels per day Refinery.
Dangote had in September this year said the Mele Kyari-led NNPC was ready and willing to supply the Refinery with crude oil to enable the commencement of refining operations at the facility.
He noted that the NNPC had been very encouraging and supportive in their business trajectory in the areas of oil and gas.
Through the Refinery located at the Lekki Free Trade Zone, Lagos Dangote intends to make Nigeria self-sufficient in fuels and free a huge volume for export.
Located in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, it covers a land area of approximately 2,635 hectares, which is seven times the size of Victoria Island.
The Refinery is the biggest refinery in Africa and also the biggest single-train refinery in the world. A single-train refinery uses an integrated distillation unit or one Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) to refine crude oil into various petroleum products, as against the use of multiple distillation units by big refineries.
Due to the large capacity of the refinery, its pipeline infrastructure is the largest anywhere in the world, with 1,100 kilometres to handle three billion Standard Cubic Feet per day (Scf/d) of gas.
The Refinery has a 435MW-capacity power plant that is able to meet the total power requirement of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC).
The Refinery has the capacity to meet 100 per cent of the Nigerian requirement of all refined petroleum products, such as petrol – 53 million litres per day; diesel – 34 million litres per day; kerosene – 10 million litres per day; and Aviation Jet, two million litres per day. There is also surplus of each of these pro
The NNPC has already taken 20 per cent equity stake in the Refinery and will from this week start supplying 300,000 Barrels of Crude oil per day to the facility.
EXCLUSIVE: NNPC Limited To Supply Six Million Barrels Of Crude Oil To Dangote Refinery In December is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
Un video en TikTok dice que el expresidente de Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández, falleció en un incendio en una cárcel de Nueva York, pero él sigue vivo.
“Nos estrechamos con el canal para dar la lamentable noticia del fallecimiento del exmandatario de la presidencia de Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández quien lamentablemente pierde la vida esto en Nueva York en la cárcel de máxima seguridad”, dice el narrador del video publicado el 26 de octubre.
Texto en el video dice “incendio en cárcel de Nueva York” y muestra una imagen de un edificio con humo.
La publicación fue marcada como parte del esfuerzo de Meta para combatir las noticias falsas y la desinformación en su plataforma. (Lea más sobre nuestra colaboración con Meta, propietaria de Facebook e Instagram).
Hernández fue presidente desde enero del 2014 hasta enero del 2022, y fue arrestado y extraditado a Estados Unidos el 21 de abril de 2022 por cargos de tráfico de drogas y armas. Él se declaró no culpable y está detenido en el Metropolitan Detention Center en Brooklyn, Nueva York. Él espera su juicio, el cual fue pospuesto a febrero de 2024 a petición de su equipo legal.
PolitiFact revisó el sistema de presos del Federal Bureau of Prisons y encontró un recluso en el Metropolitan Detention Center con el mismo nombre, edad y raza que Hernández.
Esa base de datos dice que el número de registro de Hernández es 91441-054. Medios de noticias hondureños también han reportado que 91441-054 es el número de registro del expresidente.
El video en TikTok también muestra la imagen de una cárcel con humo, pero esta no es el Metropolitan Detention Center.
PolitiFact hizo una búsqueda de imagen inversa y encontró que la imagen en el video es de un incendio en 2020 en una cárcel en San Miguel, Chile.
No encontramos reportes de medios de comunicación en Honduras o Estados Unidos sobre la muerte de Hernández.
Calificamos la declaración de que Hernández falleció en un incendio en una cárcel en Nueva York como Falsa.
Lea más reportes de PolitiFact en Español aquí.
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Debido a limitaciones técnicas, partes de nuestra página web aparecen en inglés. Estamos trabajando en mejorar la presentación.
Let me introduce to you a noteworthy slice of California’s job market – the dissatisfied worker.
It’s this good-sized group of unhappy Californians that helps explain consumer jitters, despite a largely healthy economy. You’ll find them, statistically speaking, in a gap between two job-market benchmarks.
Here’s the math: California’s official unemployment rate averaged 4.2% in the 12 months ended in June. In the same period, a very broad measure of statewide joblessness was 8.7%.
Remember, joblessness is measured by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, which polls workers. The key difference between these two workplace yardsticks is two groups: “discouraged” workers – the people who are not in the official workforce but who would work if offered a job – and the “underemployed” workers – those folks with part-time gigs who want full-time work.
CALIFORNIA JOBS: More firings, fewer hirings and quits. READ HERE!
My trusty spreadsheet found California’s 4.5-percentage point gap between these two rates to be the largest among the states.
Next in the dissatisfaction rankings comes Alaska with a 4.3-point gap, then New York at 4.2, New Jersey at 4.1 and Connecticut at 3.9. The smallest spread was found in Vermont and North Dakota, both at 1.6. California’s big rivals Texas and Florida had 3.3-point gaps.
High worker dissatisfaction is nothing new to California.
This gap has averaged 6.3 points over 20 years – again, the largest among the states – ahead of Oregon at 6.2, Nevada at 5.9, Washington at 5.8 and Michigan at 5.7. The lows were found in Vermont and North Dakota at 1.6. Texas was 4.5, Florida had 5.6.
Improved, nonetheless
The good news is that dissatisfaction is down statewide and across most of the nation, by this measurement.
California’s gap shrank by 0.3 points in the past year, one of 33 states with drops. The biggest dip was in Hawaii, off 1.5 points, then Pennsylvania and Mississippi, off 1.3. The largest increase was in New Jersey, up 0.9, then Maine, up 0.8. Texas was off 0.1 points, Florida was up 0.1.
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Looking longer-term – comparing June to 20-year averages – California dissatisfaction was down 1.8 points, the No. 25 decline among the states. Dissatisfaction in all states is running below historical norms.
Michigan had the biggest drop, down 3.2 points from its average. Next were Mississippi, Washington, and Oregon at 2.9. The smallest improvement was the District of Columbia and New Jersey, off 0.5 points. Texas improved by 1.2 points, Florida, 2.3.
Bottom line
Despite all the talk about worker shortages and employees’ willingness to quit due to plentiful job opportunities, a significant slice of the workforce remains dissatisfied.
This numerical chasm helps explain the queasy financial feelings that don’t align with other business numbers suggesting a robust economy.
Yes, there’s high inflation, domestic political tensions and two wars overseas. A wobbly job market doesn’t help.
MORTGAGE NEWS: What’s up with rates? Who’s lending? CLICK HERE!
For example, look at the anxieties found in consumer confidence as measured by the Conference Board.
California shoppers’ optimism fell 4% during the year ended in October. It was flat nationwide. Texans were 1% more confident while Floridian optimism fell 3%.
Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at jlansner@scng.com
The Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Anambra State, Prof Charles Okechukwu Esimone, has approved the immediate suspension of a staff member, Nwafor Ogbonnaya Nwesuzor, for six months for allegedly presenting a forged degree result to the university.
A statement signed by Special Adviser to the Vice Chancellor on Public Relations and Special Duties, Dr. Emmanuel C. Ojukwu, on Thursday, stated that the staff presented two degree certificates bearing Nwafor Osborne Ogbonnaya and Nwafor Ogbonnaya Nwesuzor respectively.
The statement explained that Nwesuzor reportedly abandoned his undergraduate programme and forged the university’s statement of result and a letter of exclusion from the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC), all bearing the name, Nwafor Osborne Ogbonnaya and presented the documents for the school for employment.
The statement said that the suspect later went ahead to complete his degree programme, adding that the alleged forgery was discovered when he wrote to the university requesting to change his degree result.
It added that the new result he submitted bears the name, Nwafor Ogbonnaya Nwesuzor, including a different class of degree which raised suspicion.
The school stated that upon further investigation, it was discovered that Nwesuzor forged his degree result and letter of exclusion from the NYSC based on the obvious disparity between the documents he submitted originally and the new documents he was trying to substitute.
“The class of degree in both results presented varies. The forged statement of result with the name Nwafor Osborne Ogbonnaya bears second class lower division while the original result with the name Nwafor Ogbonnaya Nwesuzor bears third class,” the statement said.
According to the statement, the Vice Chancellor had therefore approved his suspension for six months so as to enable the school authorities carry out further investigations into the forgery allegation.
“In following due process, the Vice Chancellor in exercising his powers based on the university rules and regulations approved his immediate suspension from the employment of the university for six months while his case undergoes other processes in the university before final action,” the statement said.
UNIZIK Suspends Official For 6 Months Over Certificate Forgery is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
PHOENIX — Nathan Eovaldi pitched six gutsy innings, Mitch Garver broke a scoreless tie with an RBI single in the seventh and the Texas Rangers are World Series champions for the first time in their 63-season franchise history after beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-0 in Game 5 on Wednesday night.
Former A’s star Marcus Semien homered late and the Rangers, held hitless for six innings by Zac Gallen, finished a record 11-0 on the road this postseason by capping the Fall Classic with three straight wins in the desert.
In his first season with Texas, manager Bruce Bochy won his fourth title 13 years to the day after his first, which came in 2010 when the Giants beat the Rangers. He also won it all with San Francisco in 2012 and 2014.
One night after Texas took a 10-run lead by the third in a Game 4 snoozer, it finished baseball’s third all-wild card Series by outlasting the Diamondbacks in a white-knuckle pitchers’ duel, piling on four runs in the ninth for good measure.
Gallen took a no-hitter into the seventh before giving up an opposite-field single to World Series MVP Corey Seager, whose weak grounder found a hole. Rangers rookie Evan Carter — all of 21 years old — followed with a double into the right-center gap. Garver then delivered the first run, pumping his fist as a hard-hit grounder got through the middle of the infield to score Seager and make it 1-0.
Garver was 1 for 17 at the plate in the World Series before his huge hit.
“Everything I’ve ever worked for is for this moment,” Semien said. “Gallen was unbelievable tonight. But we came through. Once Corey got the first hit, everybody kind of woke up. Pitching was unbelievable.”
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – NOVEMBER 01: Marcus Semien #2 of the Texas Rangers rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the ninth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks during Game Five of the World Series at Chase Field on November 01, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The Rangers tacked on four more runs in the ninth to break open the game. Semien’s two-run homer off Paul Sewald made it 5-0. The outburst was typical of the Texas offense, which scored at least three runs in an inning 13 times this postseason.
Eovaldi pitched out of trouble all night before Aroldis Chapman and Josh Sborz finished it.
“I kind of joked around: I don’t know how many rabbits I have in my hat,” said Eovaldi, who improved to 5-0 this postseason. “I didn’t really do a great job tonight in attacking the zone. But our defense, incredible again.”
It’s the first title for the Rangers, whose history dates back to 1961 when they were the expansion Washington Senators. They moved to Texas for the 1972 season and came agonizingly close to a World Series championship in 2011, needing just one strike on two occasions before eventually falling to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Now, after five stadiums, roughly two dozen managers and 10,033 games, the Rangers are champions.
It wasn’t easy. Texas led the AL West for a big chunk of the season, but coughed up the division title on the final day of the regular season to rival Houston. The Rangers also weathered injuries to key pieces, particularly ace pitcher Jacob deGrom.
That 1-0 loss in the regular-season finale at Seattle left the Rangers with the No. 5 seed in the AL playoffs and it sent them across the country to open the playoffs at Tampa Bay, part of two-week trip that took them to four cities — two on each coast. Then Texas got its revenge against Houston, winning a hard-fought series in seven games that brought them to the World Series.
Finally, the Rangers had to get past the Diamondbacks, who won just 84 games during the regular season but beat the Brewers, Dodgers and Phillies in a remarkable postseason run that finally fizzled.
Gallen was one of the best pitchers in the majors this season, starting for the National League in the All-Star Game. But the 28-year-old hadn’t been as sharp in the playoffs, with a 2-2 record and 5.27 ERA over five starts.
That changed on Wednesday. The bespectacled righty was at his best, mowing down the first 14 hitters he faced before walking Nathaniel Lowe. He got some help from his defense in the fourth — shortstop Geraldo Perdomo made a nice grab on a hard-hit grounder from Semien, and Christian Walker was there to snag the one-hop throw to first.
In the fifth, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. tracked down Josh Jung’s shot into the left-center gap, catching it a few steps in front of the 413-foot sign.
Eovaldi wasn’t quite as sharp, but still matched Gallen’s zeros on the scoreboard despite walking five, which was his most in an outing since 2013.
The D-backs had some juicy opportunities to score in the first five innings, but couldn’t convert, going 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position.
Eovaldi made it through six, giving up four hits and striking out five on 97 pitches.
FOUR FOR BOCHY
Bochy is the sixth manager to win four titles, joining Casey Stengel (seven), Joe McCarthy (seven), Connie Mack (five), Walter Alston (four) and Joe Torre (four). All of them are in the Hall of Fame and when Bochy’s career is over, it seems a given he’ll be enshrined in Cooperstown as well.
The Rangers have been on track for this moment since Dec. 1, 2021, when they committed more than a half-billion dollars to sign Semien, Seager and pitcher Jon Gray, who delivered a crucial three-inning relief performance in Game 3. Big spending doesn’t always lead to titles — just ask the Mets, Yankees and Padres — but for the Rangers, it worked.
THEN THERE WERE FIVE
Now that the Rangers have finally won their World Series title, there are only five franchises remaining without a championship: Colorado, Milwaukee, San Diego, Seattle and Tampa Bay.
In the wake of the public outcry over the N5 billion budget provision for a presidential yacht in the 2023 supplementary budget, the Presidency has issued a statement addressing the controversy.
The Presidency, in a statement by Temitope Ajayi, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, said President Bola Tinubu did not ask for a presidential yacht and that the Nigerian Navy made the request.
Ajayi blamed civil servants who prepared the budget for wrongly describing it as a “presidential yacht” when indeed the request was made by the Nigerian Navy.
“It is important to state clearly that President Bola Tinubu didn’t ask for a presidential yatch and I doubt he needs one to perform the functions of his office. From what I know, the request for a yacht, however it is named or couched in the budget is from the Navy and they must have operational reasons for why it is required.
“The budget office should be in a position to also explain to the public why such expenditure should be accommodated now, considering the economic situation of the country. I must readily admit that the one reason our budgeting system has been a subject of public attack is the very simplistic way some of the line items are described by civil servants, who prepare the budget,” he said.
Regarding the N6 billion budget provision for vehicles to the State House, Ajayi said that the money was not for the President and Vice President alone, but for hundreds of civil servants and political aides working at the State House.
“On matters of vehicles, the N6 billion budget provision is not to buy vehicles for the President and Vice President alone. President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima are not using any new vehicles in their fleet. They are using inherited vehicles. There are hundreds of civil servants and political aides working at the State House who need operational vehicles. I am a senior aide of the President. I am using my personal car and at my own expense since I resumed work more than five months ago. Like me, virtually all the appointees of the President are using personal vehicles at their own expense for official duties. Most of the vehicles in the pool for various departments are run down. Even members of the State House Press Corps do not have functional bus to ease their movement. I know for a fact that a request for a new bus for State House Press Corps is captured in the supplementary budget for vehicles.
“It is necessary to add that none of the political appointees has drawn any benefit and perks from public treasury. I must add that in 5 months, we have not even received a kobo as salary because of procedural issues involved in capturing new appointees on the payroll via IPPIS.
“The Presidency is a huge Bureaucracy with hundreds of staff. Any budget head for the State House is to run the system, not for epicurean fantasy of a sitting President and Vice President. In this pageview-centric and social media age, it is easy to provoke public rage. It is also tempting for bloggers and quack journalists to take the easy road of sensationalism to attract traffic to their blogs and news websites. But good journalism, I believe, should be about substance and nuanced reporting,” he added.
Ajayi added, “It is poor reporting to always reduce State House budgetary provisions to the President and Vice President. When the State House makes provision for vehicles, it is reported as if it is the President that will use all the vehicles or eat all the food when a provision is made for food and catering services. We have had such inaccurate reporting in the past. A President and Vice President cannot, for any reason, spend N20 million naira to eat in a year if it is about the food they will eat as first and second families. How much food can a person really eat? Yet, we will read headlines that Tinubu, Buhari, Jonathan or whoever the President is wants to spend N5billion on food and catering in a year when in actual fact such budgetary provisions are made to accommodate many state events, meetings, hosting of VIPs, foreign dignitaries, and even visits by other Head of States, and o bilateral and multilateral meetings that the State House will deal with in a given year.
“It is worth stating that in August this year President Tinubu as the Chairman of the Authority of Heads of States and Governments of ECOWAS hosted two extraordinary summits of the regional body over the political crisis in Niger Republic. The two summits required catering services for the ECOWAS leaders and their delegation. Just this past Sunday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was on a State Visit to Nigeria with a delegation of top business men and women from Germany. The President hosted the visiting Chancellor and his delegation to a state banquet. State House budget for food and catering services is spent on such events. It is not spent essentially to feed the President and Vice President.”
N5bn Yacht: Presidency Blames Civil Servants, Says Navy Not Tinubu Requested Sailing Boat is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Marisol Nichols, 50; David Schwimmer, 57; k.d. lang, 62; Stefanie Powers, 81.
Happy Birthday: Pay it forward. The more you are willing to do, the more you’ll get back. Live in the moment, embrace change and enjoy the ride. It’s time to exercise knowledge, experience and ingenuity to reach your objective. Take the steps necessary to ensure you fulfill your expectations and reach the pinnacle of your aspirations. Explore your options and exercise your rights. Your numbers are 9, 14, 23, 28, 34, 38, 46.
ARIES (March 21- April 19): Handle others with care. You will not get what you want if you aren’t sensitive to their needs. Someone will use manipulative tactics to take advantage of your enthusiasm and to steal your concepts. Pay attention; perceptiveness is necessary. 2 stars
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Align yourself with friends and family. Share your thoughts and feelings, and you’ll get meaningful feedback. An unexpected opportunity will give you something to consider. A physical change will boost your ego and give you the confidence to do your own thing. 4 stars
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Don’t judge others, or you’ll face similar circumstances. Bide your time, do your best to keep the peace and don’t make impossible promises. Say less, do more and eliminate an awkward or vulnerable situation. The truth will determine your destiny. 3 stars
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Let your imagination run wild and your ideas infiltrate your plans today. How you relate to others and your insight will increase your profile and turn you into the go-to person. Your compassion will change how others feel about you. 3 stars
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Collect your thoughts and micromanage your plan. There is no room for error or sloppy presentations. If you don’t have everything in order, you are better off aborting your plan. You can expect to face opposition if you want to change or control situations. 3 stars
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Don’t be shy; call the shots and make things happen. Speak up and share your intentions, and the input you receive will help you strategize your next move. You have everything to gain if you believe in yourself and are willing to act fast. 4 stars
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Refuse to let anyone play with your emotions. Set high standards and make your position clear. If you give someone the upper hand, they will take advantage of you. Protect your home, heart and reputation. Use charm as a means of persuasion. 2 stars
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Talk to experts, get the lowdown and develop a strategy that promotes what you want to explore. The option to work alongside someone who understands your vision will up the ante and encourage you to go above and beyond the call of duty. 5 stars
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Pay attention to cash flow. It’s OK to help others, but don’t leave yourself short. Think outside the box to devise a plan that will lower your overhead. Invest time and money in keeping your skills and knowledge marketable with trends. 3 stars
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A positive change is within reach. Consider what’s important to you and how much you can achieve. Take control, and bring about changes that offer significant opportunities to use your skills and experience to improve your lifestyle, meaningful relationships and emotional well-being. 3 stars
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Focus on learning, self-improvement and opportunities that align with your dreams. Put a plan and timeline in place, and don’t stop until you reach your goal. Refuse to let temptation or what others choose to do stand between you and your objective. 3 stars
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Plan to have fun. Socialize, participate in an event, attend a reunion or invest time and money in yourself. Don’t wait for things to come to you; create opportunities that give you hope for a better future. Turn your attributes into a lucrative lifestyle. 5 stars
Birthday Baby: You are mysterious, engaging and unprecedented. You are disciplined and courageous.
1 star: Avoid conflicts; work behind the scenes. 2 stars: You can accomplish, but don’t rely on others. 3 stars: Focus and you’ll reach your goals. 4 stars: Aim high; start new projects. 5 stars: Nothing can stop you; go for gold.
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