LABARI

PIB : Please Invite Buhari Nigeria has now become a Buhari that is very enigmatic when we discuss how and what Nigeria should be, and in which direction she should be headed. In all spheres of Nigeria’s bureaucracy today the mention of that name Buhari  conjures  the image of a spirit that is everywhereand watching everybody. People now go to work early;though some on their desks actually pretend to be busy doing nothing. The common parlance in Nigeria today is that a new sheriff is in town. President Buhari says that leadership is a call to patriotism, and to him patriotism is the ability of a man to sacrifice all that is dear, dearer or dearest to him for the benefit of his country. Some have said that he is a true friend of Nigeria that should be held with both hands. So as I thought about this piece on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB)which for years could not scale throughthe National Assembly for inexplicable reasons, I felt that invoking the name of mysterio...

The Federal Government, yesterday, docked the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, sitting in Abuja, on a 13-count criminal charge that bordered on corruption, false declaration of assets, and illegal operation of a foreign bank account while in office as a public servant. Saraki, who was docked before the tribunal at  11:24am, yesterday, pleaded not guilty to the charge marked ABT/01/15, which the Federal Ministry of Justice preferred against him following a recommendation by the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB. Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki Docked by Code of Conduct Tribunal in Abuja. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan In the charge sheet which was signed by a deputy director in the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. M. S. Hassan, he was alleged to have manipulated the assets declaration forms he submitted before the CCB in 2003, 2007 and 2011, by making anticipatory declaration of assets. The Federal Government mainta...

Extra-Judicial Killings in Abuja, Benin: ASP kills senator's son.                         The Force Criminal  Investigations Department (FCID) of the Nigerian Police force has arrested and detained an Assistant Superintendent of Police, ASP, and six other Police officers over allegations of extra-judicial killings in separate incidents that occurred in Abuja and Benin, the Edo State capital. The first case resulting in the arrest of the ASP (Mohammed Yusuf) and two officers (Corporal Agada Lawrence and Corporal Agada Kenneth, involved the extra judicial killing of the son of the former Chairman, Senate Committee on Defence, Senator Fidelis Okoro, in Abuja last year. According to Police sources, Mr. John Chukwuemeka Okoro (son of Senator Okoro) and a friend of his (Sunday Markus alias Sunday Black) were at the Durumi district of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, ...

FG seeks warrant for Senate President Bukola Saraki’s arrest Breaking News: FG seeks warrant to arrest Saraki The Federal Ministry of Justice has asked the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, sitting in Abuja to issue bench warrant for the arrest of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki. Bukola Saraki A deputy director in the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. M.S. Hassan, applied for the arrest order following Saraki’s refusal to appear before the tribunal to enter his plea to the13- count corruption charge against him. ‎Saraki who was billed for arraignment this morning, sent his team of lawyers to serve the tribunal with a copy of the ruling of Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, yesterday, which summoned the Ministry of Justice to appear on Monday to show cause why the trial should be allowed to proceed. Equally summoned by the court were the Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Danladi Umar and that of the C...

Article by Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Buhari, Femi Adesina Some call it the Buhari bounce. Others describe it as the Buhari effect. Yet some others say it is the Buhari aura. One thing is however crystal clear. Things have not been the same in the past 100 days in Nigeria, since Muhammadu Buhari assumed the presidency. A new sheriff has truly come to town. Exactly 100 days ago, he climbed the podium at Eagle Square in Abuja and got inaugurated as president, 30 years after he had been toppled from power as military head of state. He promised to belong to nobody, and to belong to everybody. It is a pledge that still resonates loudly today, and will surely echo for a long time to come. On a day like this, you would expect a presidential spokesman to chronicle the achievements of his principal in office. He has turned stone to bread, slain the dragon, and climbed Mount Olympus in ten seconds. But that is not what I want to do. There are some intangible, almost im...

The assets of President Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo have finally been disclosed. Below is a press statement from the presidency. “Documents submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), show that the retired General has indeed been living an austere and Spartan lifestyle, contrary to what many might expect of a former Head of State of Nigeria and one who has held a number of top government positions, such as governor, Minister of petroleum and the head of the Petroleum Development Trust Fund (PTDF). “The documents submitted to the CCB, which officials say are still being vetted and will soon be made public, show that prior to being sworn in on May 29, President Buhari had less than N30 million to his name. He also had only one bank account, with the Union Bank. President Buhari had no foreign account, no factory and no enterprises. He also had no registered company and no oil wells. “The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) who had...

ICPC begins probe on Amaechi, Kwankwaso, Chima and Shema's government The independent Corrupt Practices and other offences Commission (ICPC) have commenced investigations into the administrations of four past governors namely Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, Sullivan Chime of Enugu, Ibrahim Shema of Katsina and Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano. According to a source who spoke with Vanguard, a team of investigators departed the commission's headquarters in Abuja on Monday August 31st to the various states to investigate petitions over alleged misappropriation of funds and contract scam during the past governors administrations. “We will ensure that we thoroughly investigate all allegations brought before us so that no body would be left in doubt about our commitment to fighting corruption. The chairman has dispatched a team to the affected states and they are expected to report back in the next two weeks. No body would be spared if found

Choi! Sen. Shehu Sani comes for Fayose, says he's a glorified tout deficient in morals. Senator Shehu Sani who represents Kaduna central senatorial district at the Senate has described Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti state as a glorified tout deficient in morals, character & courteousness. Senator Sani said this while responding to the statement released by Fayose yesterday August 31st in which he, Fayose, described President Buhari as the President of Northern Nigeria. In his response, Senator Sani said “I recognise the fundamental rights of Ekiti state governor to freedom of expression. I unreservedly condemn his divisive, inciting, provocative and mischievous tantrums and invective against President Muhammadu Buhari. The Ekiti governor is a relic of the old order; he represents the old Nigeria of waste, of hollow ritual of noise and nuisance. Fayose is a man suffering from political depression in the aftermath of the defeat of his patriarc...