Tag Archives: Ordered

Jonathan Ordered Dasuki To Give Me N100m– Okupe

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A former Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Doyin Okupe, says the embattled former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), gave him N100m on the instruction of Jonathan.

Okupe, who served as Jonathan’s spokesman from 2012 to 2015, added that he received N10m monthly from Dasuki to pay salaries and run a weekly programme on NTA.

The former presidential aide said this in a Facebook post on Sunday while reacting to his arrest and interrogation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The EFCC had alleged that Okupe received N85m from Dasuki at different times.

In his reaction, Okupe said, “The initial N50m was approved by the President (Goodluck Jonathan) to be paid to me from his security vote. N10m was to furnish my rented living apartment and another N10m for my office. The balance N30m was approved as take-off grant.

“The N10m I received from the ONSA monthly was to run my office, pay salaries of  members of staff, including overheads, pay expenses for our numerous press conferences, pay for publications in newspapers, magazines, local and foreign, television programmes, bulletins, and media consultants who assist and facilitate our work. I had about 23 (members of ) staff, 11 were graduates out of which five were Master’s degree holders.

“The second N50m was approved again by Mr. President when I reported to him that the monthly allowance had been cut from N10m to N5m and that I was no longer in  a position to keep running a one-hour NTA network programme called INSIGHT which was aired 9am to 10am every Friday.

“We paid NTA about N1.2m monthly for airtime. Two presenters were paid N600,000 monthly. The lead presenter on INSIGHT earned N400,000 and the second presenter earned N200,000. Total N600,000.

“We paid for tapes and editing per programme. Besides, we also paid honorarium for guests either directly or in form of hotel bills for those outside Abuja, or transportation.

“This cost averagely N500,000 weekly or about N2m monthly. All in all, we spent  about N4m monthly on the programme. Mr. President promised to help with the expenses. About a few months later when we had incurred some debts the NSA sent me this N50m which was to cover the cost of the programme for 12 months.”

Okupe further clarified that his monthly allowance was not his salary but meant for the running of his office. He said out of the N10m given to him by Dasuki monthly, 40 per cent went on salaries.

“Salary sheets with names and offices of employees were submitted to the EFCC. I was paid my salary of N853,000 per month through the office of the Secretary of the Government of the Federation,” he said.

Okupe, who was also quizzed for allegedly receiving some dubious contracts from a local council in Niger State to the tune of N76.5m, said his company, Romix Soilfix, was one of the over 20 construction companies who were duly awarded contracts for rural roads some five years ago by the Niger State Government.

He explained that due to lack of funds, contractors were paid irregularly making the job to drag.

“The job is still ongoing. The relationship of this to my service as senior special assistant to President is still not clear,” Okupe said.

The former presidential aide criticised the EFCC for allegedly releasing details about his health.

Okupe confirmed that he suffered a heart problem and he only explained this to investigators to prevent him from being detained.

Credit: Punch

Why Buhari Ordered Arrest Of Close Ally & Arms Panel Member

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President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the arrest of a key member of the panel investigating the mismanagement of public funds meant for the war against Boko Haram after receiving damning reports that he was involved in alleged money laundering and illegal possession of firearms, reliable security and presidency sources have said.

Despite being his close ally and loyalist, Mr. Buhari okayed the arrest of Mohammed Umar, after perusing reports alleging that the retired Air Force officer ran a blackmailing and extortion cartel, officials said.

Mr. Umar was arrested last week as operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) raided his Abuja home.

Those familiar with the matter said before moving against the retired officer, the Director General of the SSS, Lawal Daura, met with Mr. Buhari where he tabled reports suggesting that the panel member had been busy using the name of the president and other top officials of the administration to intimidate, extort and blackmail individuals and businesses.

“The president became worried and jittery when he was confronted with the way a man he trusted had been behaving,” a presidency source said. “So he ordered that he should be picked up while the allegations against him are thoroughly investigated.”

Security sources told this newspaper that documents seized from Mr. Umar’s residence during a raid on June 19 included classified documents from the president’s office, details of government transactions from the Central Bank of Nigeria, and details of bank transactions belonging to the Office of the National Security Adviser.

A document containing details of disbursements made to the Nigerian armed forces and security agencies was also recovered during the raid.

Mr. Umar retired as an air commodore in the Nigerian Air Force in January 2014. While in service, he headed the Air Force’s Holding Company as well as the Air Force Properties Limited.

Credit: PremiumTimes

See Names Of Army Officers, Companies Buhari Ordered EFCC To Probe Over Arms Procurements

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The fight against corruption may have entered a new level as the President has ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to further investigate alleged misconduct established against some retired and serving officers of the Nigerian Air Force and Nigerian Army.

According to a statement by the President’s Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, this directive by President Muhammadu Buhari follows the recommendation of the committee established to audit the procurement of arms and equipment in the armed forces and defence sector from 2007 to 2015.

The officers indicted are former Chief of Defence Staff, Retired Air Chief Marshal Alex Sabundu Badeh; Former Chief of Air Staff, Retired Air Marshal Mohammed Dikko Umar, and former Chief of Air Staff, Retired Air Marshal Adesola Nunayon Amosu.

The others are Major General E.R. Chioba (Rtd), Air Vice Marshal I.A. Balogun (Rtd), Air Vice Marshal A.G. Tsakr (Rtd), Air Vice Marshal A.G. Idowu (Rtd), Air Vice Marshal A.M. Mamu, Air Vice Marshal, O.T. Oguntoyinbo, Air Vice Marshal T. Omenyi, Air Vice Marshal J.B. Adigun, Air Vice Marshal R.A. Ojuawo, and Air Vice Marshal J.A. Kayode-Beckley.

Others are; Air Commodore Sa Yushau (Rtd), Air Commodore A.O. Ogunjobi, Air Commodore G.M.D. Gwani, Air Commodore S.O. Makinde, Air Commodore A.Y. Lassa, Colonel N. Ashinze, and Lt. Colonel Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (Rtd).

Also to be investigated are the roles of the officers and some companies and their directors in what the statement describes as fundamental breaches associated with the procurement by the offices of the National Security Adviser and the Nigerian Air Force.

They include: Himma Aboubakar, Aeronautical Engineering And Technical Services Limited, Messrs Syrius Technologies and Sky Experts Nig Ltd, among others.

According to the statement, the procurement processes were arbitrarily carried out and characterized by irregularities and fraud, while in many cases, the items procured failed to meet their required purposes, especially the counter insurgency operations in the north east.

Credit: ChannelsTv

12 Feared Killed In Rivers As Pirates Ordered Passengers To Jump Into Sea

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At least, 12 persons are feared killed following an attack by bandits suspected to be sea pirates.

The sea pirates reportedly operated along the waterways in Kula Community in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The deceased were in four boats when they were attacked by pirates. They reportedly drowned in the sea.

It was gathered that the pirates ordered the occupants of the four boats to jump into the sea.

The four boats were said to have earlier left Kula jetty and moving towards Abonema in Asari-Toru Local Government Area before they met the pirates, who robbed the occupants of their personal belongings before ordering them to jump into the sea at gunpoint.

It was learnt that the incident occurred at about 6.30am on Monday and the hoodlums escaped with the four boats.

“The pirates stopped the passenger boats in the middle of the high sea and the occupants were forced to jump into the sea after being threatened with the gun. The pirates left with the four passenger boats,” a source within Kula said.

Credit: Punch

Conduct Tribunal Suspends Saraki’s Trial As Ordered By Supreme Court

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The trial of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, has been suspended, following an order of the Supreme Court suspending trial pending the determination of his appeal.

Mr. Saraki was billed to appear at the tribunal today for the continuation of hearing.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Public Relations Officer of the tribunal, Ibraheem Alhassan, made the disclosure in Abuja on Monday.

Mr. Alhassan said the decision to suspend hearing was to show due respect to the apex court’s directive for stay of proceedings.

“The case was slated for hearing on Nov. 23, but as a mark of respect for the apex court, the tribunal decided to tarry a while pending the determination of Saraki’s appeal challenging the jurisdiction of the tribunal to try him,” he said.

Credit: NAN