Blame my boss for low performance of Police – Outgoing CP

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Outgoing Commissioner of Police in Plateau State, Mr. Emmanuel Ayeni, has blamed the Federal Government and the Inspector-General of Police for  the poor performance of the force.

He described the current police reforms as cosmetic, saying they would not achieve the intended results.
Ayeni, who  spoke in Jos on Monday at his pulling out ceremony, also called for the establishment of state police and the payment of N150,000 as minimum wage in the police.
The police chief, who served the force for 32 years, likened the period as an adventure in “the valley of dried bones”.
Ayeni said, “On July 15, 1980, I started my career in the Nigeria Police. I was very young and focused. However looking back to that day, I can say that, though I give glory to God for what He has done  for me, my career was an adventure in the valley of the dried bones.”
Ayeni, who will be succeeded by the former Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Chris Olakpe, said the current reforms and promotion were arbitrary and subject to  loyalty to the Inspector General of Police and the Police Service Commission
The former commissioner blamed the Federal Government and the IG for the general apathy and low morale among officers and the rank and file of the police.
He particularly frowned on the retirement of 13 deputy and assistant inspectors general of police and their replacement with junior officers.
He said, “The ongoing reform in the police is extremely cosmetic and it cannot take the Nigeria Police to the next level. Frankly speaking, the White papers on various committees’ reports are not being properly implemented. We should embark on wholesome reforms that are properly implemented.
“There are rules governing promotion in the police. However in the name of police reforms, promotion is done with the colouration of heavy contract. The known criteria for promotion in Nigeria, particularly seniority and merit have been consigned to the dustbin of history.
“Promotion now is a reward for parochial loyalty to IGP and Chairman of PSC.”
YNaija.com

Oil Benchmark Face-Off: World Bank Intervenes, Begs Senate To Shift Grounds

Top officials of the World Bank have met with the Senate leadership in a bid to resolve the lingering logjam over the inability of the National Assembly to agree on a benchmark for the 2013 budget. President Goodluck Jonathan had on October 9 presented a N4.92 trillion 2013 budget to a joint sitting of the National Assembly predicated on $75 oil benchmark.

Sources present at the meetings said the World Bank wanted the National Assembly to maintain the status quo ante and pleaded with the lawmakers to retain the budget benchmark at the $75 presented by the Presidency.
The Senate disagreed and stuck to its guns that the budget benchmark cannot “be left as it was presented to us.” Senate President David Mark was unable to attend the meeting but the Finance Committee Chairman, Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, reportedly took control of the meeting with the World Bank officials where he presented the Senate’s position.
“He told the World Bank officials how there are so many sources of revenue accruing to the Presidency, but which were not captured in the annual budgets appropriated by the National Assembly. For instance, some revenues from the NNPC, Gas, Excess Crude Account (ECA) and other sources are not reflected in the budget.”
The source added that by the time Makarfi was through with his explanations, the World Bank officials could no longer canvass their argument that the National Assembly should let the oil benchmark be left at $75. “Even with the calculation given, Makarfi said there are still sources of revenue not captured in this year’s budget,” the source noted.
Another source at the meeting said the oil benchmark controversy was a proxy battle between the presidency and state governors towards 2015 which some how found its way to the National Assembly. According to the source, “the main reason the Presidency is insisting on retaining the $75 oil benchmark is because it doesn’t want the governors to have too much money.
“The Presidency doesn’t want the National Assembly to raise the oil benchmark to either $78 or $80 because by so doing, more money would accrue to the CRF which by law is to be shared by the three tiers of government. Sharing of any extra money from that legitimate account will not work in the favour of the Presidency because it automatically means that the governors will have money in preparation for 2015. Don’t also forget that more than half of the state governors now are in their second terms and do not need the Presidency to do them any favours unlike what happened in the 2011 polls,” the source concluded.
InformationNigeria.org

I’m Happy To Have Played Alongside Messi – Ronaldinho

Former Barcelona playmaker, Ronaldinho, has said he expects Messi to win the Ballon d’Or for a record fourth consecutive time in January ahead of Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, reports Xinhua.

Ronaldinho gave this indication while paying tribute to Messi, who Sunday, became the highest goalscorer in a calendar year after surpassing German great, Gerd Muller’s record of 85 goals set forty years ago.
“For me Messi is the best in the world,” he added. “For the last few years he has played at a level of football we have never seen before.
“I’m very proud to speak of him, because I was there when he started off and now he is the best in the world, it makes me so happy.
“The game I remember the most is when he scored his first goal, because it came from my pass and I remember this game most vividly because he was just getting started.
“I had the chance to be there and live that moment. I’m very happy that his first professional goal came from a pass from me. Messi knows that there will always be a place in my heart for him.”
InformationNigeria.org

Corruption: Nigerians are not fools and cannot be fooled for too long – Presidency replies ACN

Following the claim by leading opposition party, the Action Congress of Nigeria, (ACN), which blamed the rating of Nigeria as the 35th most corrupt nation in the word on President Goodluck Jonathan’s government, the Presidency has said yesterday that the current rating of the Transparency International has nothing to do with the present administration.
According to the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe, such claim “is preposterous and lacking in credibility, and can only be best described as pure political mischief.
He said, “Lai Mohammed knows they, in the Action Congress, live in glass houses and should not throw stones because his party is home to some of the most notoriously corrupt Nigerians ever. He should not throw stones just to score cheap political points. His party has no moral leg it can stand to pontificate about corruption.
Okupe said: “Nigerians are not fools and cannot be fooled for too long that there is endemic corruption within the rank and file of his party. It is an undeniable fact that corruption is a major challenge to the nation and its people, and everyone agrees it is endemic and has been with us for over three decades.
“Few days ago we spelt out details of commendable efforts of this administration in fighting corruption and also confirming the demonstrable political will of this administration to take up this onerous challenge.
“Critics of this administration appear to be deliberately undiscerning, confusing incidences of corrupt practices unravelled by this administration and legal steps being taken by the administration as being corrupt practice of the same administration.
Part of this mischief and attempt to bring opprobrium on this administration was the assertion by President of the Campaign for Democracy, CD, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin. She said N5 trillion was stolen under Jonathan, and that “the non-implementation of the Farouk Lawan report as well as the Nuhu Ribadu Presidential Task Force findings has completely killed the fight against corruption in Nigeria.”
The above calls to question her respect for facts because it is a fact that the Lawan report has been handed over to the EFCC, and there are ongoing prosecution deriving from this, while the President just set up a White Paper committee on the Ribadu report. How do you implement a report without a white Paper?.
We reiterate that the conclusion that N5 trillion was stolen under President’s Jonathan’s watch is gross misinformation and absolute falsehood. Nowhere in the Ribadu was that conclusion reached. It never happened, and it is wholesomely untrue.
“We want to state categorically, for the umpteenth time that it was this administration that exposed the oil subsidy scam, pension scam, and also set up the Nuhu Ribadu committee to look into the rot in the oil sector.
“We must state that the fight against corruption is not a short boxing bout, but a long fight that will be systemic, strategic and institutional. The role of the judiciary in bringing culprits to justice cannot be underestimated in the war against corruption.
“No matter the Federal Government’s commitment , the President has no power to jail any suspect by presidential fiat. Therefore he should not be made a scape goat for the failure of other arms of government who fail to judiciously discharge their responsibilities.
“It is also not true that lack of funding is stalling the fight as concluded by Chairman, Coalition Against Corruption, Debo Adeniran. We must not forget what the EFCC chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde said recently about how judges and lawyers stall trials of high profile suspects. The two trials of James Ibori in Nigeria and the United Kingdom fully underscore this point.
“The Federal Government, mindful of this judicial stumbling block, has put together a bill to reform the criminal justice system, so that justice will no longer be evaded through sundry abuses of court processes.
“We assure Nigerians that in spite of the persistent and perplexing mischief of deceitful politicians, and some unpatriotic Nigerians who never sees good in whatever government does, the administration will continue its unrelenting fight to rid our society of this menace.
This is a war the President has set for himself and he has demonstrated the will and capability to prosecute same,” he added.
DailyPost

Upcoming female singer, Tiwa Banks stabbed by landlord’s son [PHOTOS]

Tiwa Banks, an upcoming artiste who sang ‘Olenle’, has been severally stabbed by her landlord’s son.
Her landlord’s son, Tobi Obadina, who people claim have done this to others in the area, went into Tiwa’s apartment at night to settle a little misunderstanding they had during the day, and after a little while, broke a bottle on her head and stabbed her severally.
Her brother and neighbour later rushed to the scene and took her to the hospital.  Tiwa is in the hospital receiving treatment while Tobi Obadina has been boasting around that he can not be arrested because he is the son of an ex-officer.


DailyPost

Workers’ strike paralyses activities in University of Ibadan

Members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities SSANU, Non Academic Staff Union of Universities NASU and National Association of Academic Technologists NAAT barricaded entrances of the University of Ibadan during the commencement of a seven-day warning strike on Monday, thereby paralysing the administrative activities of the school.
The Chairman of SSANU, UI branch, Wale Akinremi, said the Federal Government’s failure to meet the agreement it reached with the workers’ unions of the universities in 2009 was responsible for the protest. Emphasising that the non-implementation of the ‘end
allowance’ in the agreement was the main grievance.
He said the strike was unavoidable since the only language the Federal Government understands was that of force.
He noted other reasons for the strike, which include its non-inclusion in the next year’s budget and the proposed plan by the Federal Government to reduce the non-teaching staff in the universities across the country.
Commenting further, the Chairman of NASU, Mr. Cole Fatoki, said, “The union leaders are men and women of integrity who cannot be bought over by anybody but have restrained themselves all along not to localise the issue.”
DailyPost

Meni Jonathan: President thanks Nigerians for their support

President Goodluck Jonathan has extended his gratitude to every Nigerian and other world leaders who showed sympathy and support over the demise of his younger brother, Chief Meni Jonathan.
His Excellency in a statement issued by Dr. Reuben Abati, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, disclosed that President Jonathan returned to Abuja, Monday after the interment of his younger brother at Otuoke, Bayelsa State, his country home at the weekend.
According to the statement: “On behalf of the entire Jonathan family, President Jonathan wishes to convey his immense thanks and appreciation to all Nigerians and friends of the country, who showed sympathy and solidarity with him and members of his family as they mourned and buried the late Chief Meni Jonathan.
“The President wishes to particularly thank former Heads of State, state governors, the entire leadership of the National Assembly, foreign Heads of State and government, diplomatic representatives, members of professional and non-governmental organisations and ordinary Nigerians who either travelled to Otuoke for the burial ceremonies or commiserated with the family in other ways.”
The late Meni who was Jonathan’s half brother died on November 20, 2012,
at the Aso Rock clinic Abuja after a prolonged ailment. He was said to have been flown in from Bayelsa for medical treatment at the Villa.
DailyPost