“Mention the pastors that pester you for sex” – PFN dares gospel singer, Tope Alabi

A few days ago, gospel singer Tope Alabi, claimed in an interview that several rich men and pastors, were pestering her for sex. Well, in a new development, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), has demanded that the artiste to mention the names of those (especially pastors), so they can differentiate the bad eggs from good ones.
“It is not impossible that a pastor pestered her for sex as she claimed, but she needs to come out and name such an individual in order to teach others a lesson and cleanse the body of bad eggs,” an official statement from the christian body read.
“Making such unsubstantiated claims on the pages of newspapers will not make any impact but rather bring shame to the body of Christ. She knows the proper channel to follow to report something like that.”
DailyPost

Controversy trails President Jonathan’s $200m facility for entertainment industry

Zik Zulu

Stakeholders in the Nigerian movie industry, on Friday, refuted claims by the Nigerian Export-Import (NEXIM) Bank that the organisation had disbursed N700 million in loans to the entertainment industry.
Zik Okafor, the President of the Association of Movie Producers (AMP), said in Lagos on Friday that none of its 1005 members obtained any loan from NEXIM bank.
“As far as I know, no AMP member was given any loan because the bank was not forthcoming,” he said.
The Managing Director of NEXIM Bank, Roberts Orya, had on September 21, said that the bank had disbursed N700 million, out of the $200 million (about N32 billion) facility earmarked for the entertainment industry by President Goodluck Jonathan.
Isioma Williams, the Lagos State Chairman of Guild of Nigerian Dancers, said that the association did not get anything; adding that there might have been foul play involved.
“I don’t think that the fund was really to support the industry; I think it was made for some individuals,” he said. “We have been tossed around too often through the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), asking for one thing or the other by the bank.
The government registered a lot of associations and guilds in the entertainment industry which were not known to us who are practitioners. The government seems not serious about helping the industry. If the government is really serious about what they claim, they know how to reach us in the entertainment industry.”
An actor, Tony Ogom, challenged NEXIM Bank to name the beneficiaries of the alleged disbursed loans.
“They should also tell us how much each person got and what the person is using the money for and what job that was lined up,” he said.
 DailyPost

Don’t expect patriotism from misgoverned citizenry – David-West

A FORMER Minister of Petroleum, Professor Tam David-West, in this interview  professes his love for Nigeria, but regrets that the failure of  the past and present crop of leaders, to give the citizenry a glorious future,  is taking the country to the brink of destruction.
BY CHARLES KUMOLU
The verdict across the nation on every October 1, is that there is nothing on ground to justify the half a century as a sovereign country. Does that imply that Nigeria is not really on track in its journey to nationhood?

Nigeria is not yet a nation and the facts are there for all to see. A nation does not have to be homogeneous for it to be a nation. A nation must have a common destiny as a people.  But Nigeria has so many destinies.
The basic truth is that there are vital aspects of nationhood that the nation has failed to achieve. They are just too concerned about ethnic autonomy and that does not speak well of journey to nationhood. So far the nation has done very badly.
I once used Daily Times as a mirror in the survey we did.  And I use Daily Times of October 1, 1960 as an example of my position that the nation has not done well. After that independence edition, every other edition on Nigeria talked about the nation’s aimless journey to nationhood.
We are a great people, it is sad that leadership has messed us up since independence. We have not achieved anything, security has collapsed, educational system is bad, our Naira is like toilet paper and corruption has become part of our culture.
Dose that speak well of a journey of 52 years? After October 1 of every year, it has always been melancholy and melancholy. No! We deserve a better deal
Are you saying that even with Nigeria’s thirteen years of uninterrupted democracy, that the journey to nationhood is still bereft of vision?
We have no democracy in Nigeria. Democracy brings freedom and good life for the citizens. But today insecurity reigns supreme, corruption has become part of the nation’s life and the educational sector has collapsed.
Do we call that the dividends of democratic rule? Democracy does not make the people to weep the way Nigerians are groaning.

*Prof. David-West

Our democracy is fraudulent. Nigeria is a very fraudulent state, our system is fraudulent, our fraudulent is also fraudulent. You can imagine what is happening now about state coat of arms in the name of federalism. I want to state categorically, that states do not have coat of arms.
Coat of arms is for the nation, while emblems are for the states. But the reverse is what has been going on across the country. The symbols and logos are for individual states, while the coat of arm is solely for the nation.
There is a huge distinction. For instance, universities have their logos for identification. When you go to the United Nations,UN, it is the flag of Nigeria that is  there and not state flag. Same also applies to national anthem.
So we should stop embarrassing ourselves with the talk about state coat of arms. The component states should be educated on this. Now they are talking about ethnic autonomy, how can a former Vice President of this nation be talking about ethnic autonomy? That is rubbish.
Do you mean the wave of ethnic realignment and agitations for ethnic autonomy is a minus for Nigeria at 52?
Nigeria has 374 ethnic groups. I will refer you  at Prof Otite’s book on Nigeria’s ethnic groups. He did a scholarly research and came up that Nigeria has  374 ethnic groups. This autonomy means self government.
And does it mean that if the nation would succumb to the calls for ethnic autonomy, Nigeria would now have over 374 self governing groups? That is rubbish. So, you can see that a lot of people does not know how  Nigeria can become a nation, because calls for ethnic autonomy does not in any meaningful way help in the journey to nationhood.
In America that is a nation, when the US national anthem is being played, people standstill in respect to their country.
But you dont get that in Nigeria, where people  have no regard for  anything Nigerian. Nigeria can be a very powerful nation, through responsible leadership. But in the absence of that, the country would remain like a shepherdess sheep.
Nigeria is two years short of the centenary (100 years) of its existence as a nation, and every October 1, statesmen like you express disgust about the unhealthy direction which the country is heading to, can we know the things you would want to be put in place, in order to avoid this yearly anger over the nation’s journey to nationhood?
Centenary is supposed to be a milestone in the life of any nation. Centenary is not just a date, it calls for celebration but we can not have hundred years of sorrow and be celebrating it.
But it should not be so for Nigeria because the country has failed itself and its citizens. There is a great quote which says: ‘’Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country’’.
But I am saying that we should ask what our country can do for us. If my country can not give me free education, would you want me to be patriotic to my country?
If my country can give me the needed platform to realize my God-given potentials, then you can be talking about patriotism and nationhood. But when the people are not safe and secure how do you talk about patriotism.
And patriotism is a contract and not by obligation. When you can not perform your own side of the contract, by guaranteeing my security, you should not expect patriotism.
Do you see Nigeria celebrating its centenary in view of the current insecurity  threatening its corporate existence and do also see the country surviving the next hundred years?
America predicted that the country might break up in 2015. In that year there will be elections and if that election is not conducted to reflect the wishes of Nigeria, that might question the the entity called Nigeria.
I  believe in Nigeria and I am committed to Nigeria but the way we are going, I don’t see the country surviving as one entity in the next fifty years. The future is very bleak and the sooner the leaders know that, the better. The present crop of leaders should create a glorious future for Nigeria.
Vanguard

Alison-Madueke: Why FG Seeks Increased Take in Offshore Oil Blocks

Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke

By Chika Amanze-Nwachuku

The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, late Wednesday threw more light on why the Federal Government is proposing a review of the fiscal terms covering the Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) for deep water fields in the draft Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) currently before the National Assembly for consideration.

Speaking at the third Nigeria Investment Summit held in New York under the auspices of the African Business Roundtable, Alison-Madueke noted that the increase in government take in the deep offshore blocks from the current 61 per cent to 73 per cent was necessitated by prevailing realities in the global oil and gas industry.

“I like to state once again that the proposed increase of government’s take to about 73 per cent is not only competitive but considerate when we look at the scale of other entities around the world like Norway, Indonesia and even Angola with even higher government take,” the minister said.
Alison-Madueke added that based on the prevailing realities in the global oil industry, it was only natural to review the terms of the PSC to reflect the current trend.
The 1993 PSCs were based on $20 per barrel as the price of crude oil but since the start of production from the PSC fields, crude prices have risen multiple-fold, thus the need to review the terms.

The minister also stated that the new PIB provides for a refreshing fiscal regime, which has strong incentives for enhanced exploration of new frontiers, especially in the inland sedimentary basins as well as providing a strong support base for the complete activation of the Gas Master Plan.

Under the new arrangement, the fiscal regime is anchored on royalties and taxes, which will now be predicated on production as opposed to terrain and investment, as had obtained in the past.

Alison-Madueke called on investors across the world to embrace the various business opportunities that the oil reform law would offer.

The high level investment round table was declared open by President Goodluck Jonathan with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and ex-US Secretary of State, Dr. Condoleezza Rice, as special guests.

Despite the minister’s explanation, international oil companies (IOCs) operating in the country continue to express reservations about the fiscal terms in the revised PIB.

Anglo-Dutch oil giant, Shell, which spoke out against some sections of the PIB on Wednesday, was joined by ExxonMobil Thursday.

ExxonMobil’s chief executive in Nigeria, Mark Ward, who also leads a grouping of oil majors operating in Nigeria, said industry players shared the view that the current bill jeopardises Nigeria’s bid to boost new investment and output.

“Quite frankly, the extremely large investments that are needed are seriously at risk under the proposed PIB terms,” he told a forum on the bill in Lagos.

If the bill passes without significant changes, “the government’s aspirations to grow the business and the industry will not be met,” he said.

Ward argued that the new bill could push the government’s take from oil revenue to above 90 per cent of all revenue.

“Nigeria is already one of the most onerous fiscal regimes and now the government wants to make it tougher? That is something we don’t understand,” Ward said.

Any hopes of expanding lucrative offshore production would be quashed if the bill passes unchanged, Ward said.
“For deep water, we’re done. There are no investments that can be supported under the current terms of the PIB,” he said.

Meanwhile, both chambers of the National Assembly have finished a first reading of the bill, paving the way for lawmakers to debate the long awaited legislation, Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, said.

According to Reuters, the lower house read the bill yesterday, Tambuwal said, while the Senate read it last week.

A previous draft never got through parliament, although this time the bill has the explicit backing from the president, who approved the latest draft in July.

This Day

“I am a courier for 20 people”: 24-year-old man headed for Dubai with $7m cash arrested at Lagos airport

inShare

by Stanley Azuakola

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Friday confirmed that it had arrested a 24-year old suspect, Abubakar Tijani Sheriff, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos for trying to smuggle out $7 million (N1.12 billion).
Sheriff is a bulk currency smuggler. He was arrested on Thursday for attempting to take the $7million of suspected laundered cash to Dubai on behalf of 20 Nigerians whom he has not fully named.
However some reports say that he has named at least one of those who sent him on errand after undergoing interrogation on Friday.
A statement by the head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, said the suspect was caught at the point of boarding.
The statement said: “The 24-year-old was arrested at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos en route Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He was apprehended at the point of boarding the plane by operatives of the Commission.
“When he was arrested, he declared that he had a total sum of $4.5million on him but thorough screening and search showed that he was actually carrying $7,049,444 (Seven million, Forty Nine Thousand, Four Hundred and Forty Four United States Dollars).
“He confessed that he was a courier for 20 individuals who hired him to courier the money for them to Dubai.
“Investigations by the EFCC showed that Sheriff is a regular traveller and one of several couriers of illegal cash suspected to be proceeds of crime. His claims in respect of his accomplices are still being investigated by the Commission.
“Travellers leaving the country are statutorily required to declare cash in excess of $10,000. However, it is not sufficient to declare excess cash, under the provisions of the Money Laundering Act, the onus is on the person making the declaration to explain the source of the excess cash and the reason for the export.
“Experience has shown that bulk cash smuggling, the world over, is usually associated with proceeds of crime as legitimately earned funds are usually processed through the banking system.
“Our experience in the last few years indicates an emerging trend of bulk cash smuggling to Europe, Middle East and North America with the attendant consequence for capital flight.
“Some Nigerian citizens are routinely arrested at airports in Europe and North American for currency smuggling though no such arrests have been recorded in the Middle East. But in all cases, the money is lost as they are never repatriated back to the country.”
YNaija.com

Governor Oshiomole charges FG to make judicious use of Ecological Funds

Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has called on the Federal Government to act fast and make judicious use of the National Ecological Fund in the management of flood disasters in the country.
The governor who made the call when the Director General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Alhaji Sani Sidi paid a courtesy visit to Edo State to ascertain the level of damage done by the flooding incidents in Etsako Central, Etsako East and Esan South East Local Governments said the state government will collaborate with NEMA to provide a solution.
The Governor said the situation in the flooded communities occasioned by the overflow of the River Niger is getting worse because more communities are affected and the water level is rising.
The governor noted that there are long term implications as farm lands have been destroyed, domestic animals have been killed adding that the a federal Government ought to do more than it has done.
The NEMA DG commiserated with the government and people of Edo State on the losses, both in human and material resources incurred as a result of this ongoing catastrophe adding that the flooding incidents which occurred in 23 states of the federation are a pointer to the growing intensity of climate related disasters.
BusinessNews

NCC empower telecom subscribers to report unfair practices by operators

Dr Eugene Juwah, the Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), on Friday urged telecommunications consumers in the country to protect their rights. Speaking at the First National Telecoms Subscribers Summit in Lagos, Juwah said they could do this by reporting to the appropriate authorities any unfair practice by the telecoms operators.
The summit with the theme ”Nigerian Telecoms Revolution: Consumerism as the Last mile Challenge” was organised by the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS).
Represented by Mr Tony Ojobo, the Director of Public Affairs, NCC, Juwah urged the consumers to take advantage of the Consumer Affairs Bureau (CAB), established by the commission to protect their rights.
“In a bid to implement this mandate, the commission established the Consumer Affairs Bureau (CAB) in September, 2001,” he said.
He said that one of the commission’s mandates was to protect and promote the interest of consumers against unfair practices from their service providers.
According to him, there is a paradigm shift from mere service provision to ensuring that consumer satisfaction ranks highest in priority, in the provision of ICT goods and services.
He added that the telecommunications umpire ensured that consumers were compensated when wrongfully billed/loss of service.
“The consumer occupies the central position in our scheme of things and comes top among all our stakeholders,” he said.
Juwah said that NCC had developed a Consumer Web Portal, serving as an interactive avenue to disseminate information on its activities and initiatives toward achieving consumer protection.
He said the portal was also to empower consumers and get feedback from them on the performances of service providers as well as the commission.
The President of NATCOMS, Mr Deolu Ogunbanjo said that the aim of the Advocacy Group was to foster understanding of consumer issues among stakeholders in the industry.
He said that NATCOMS had been monitoring and working with service providers on regular basis to ensure good quality service delivery.
Ogunbanjo added that the association was charged with the responsibility of educating consumers on the protection of their rights and other telecoms issues. (N
US laws, according to him, permit foreigners to own properties in the country and make money from such.
Owomoyela said, “The property market in the US was seriously affected by the global financial crisis. The economic downturn caused a mortgage crisis that made lots of properties lose their value. Lots of homes were foreclosed by the bank because home owners lost their jobs and could not pay their mortgage.
“Others owed more on their property than the worth of the property. This made banks to repossess lots of properties, which they must sell off at huge discount to recover their money.”
 BusinessNews