Buhari: I will pick Muslim as running mate if...

One of the strong APC presidential aspirants,General Muhammadu Buhari expressed possibility of picking a Muslim running mate if his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) concurs.

Speaking on a Channels Television interview on Sunday night, Buhari, one of the notable aspirants for the presidential ticket on the platform of APC, mentioned that the country had produced same religion leaders in the past.

He recalled that former head of state, General Yakubu Gowon and his service chiefs were Christians and the late MKO Abiola and Babagana Kingibe ticket in 1993 and even his team with Idiagbon, he said nobody complained.

“Gowon filled his government with Christians, Buhari/Idiagbon were Muslims, Nigerians voted Muslims with Abiola, maybe time has changed now,” he stressed.

On the forthcoming presidential primary election of APC, Buhari said “if the processes are done freely and fairly, I will accept the result if I don’t win.”

He further described the Federal Government’s fight against terror as “unsatisfactory,” he added that the insecurity gripping the nation was intolerable.

According to reports, not fewer that 8000 delegates from the four walls of the country will gather at the Teslim Balogun stadium, Surulere, on Wednesday, 10th of Dec., to pick the Presidential candidate of the party.

Ambode release his resume amidst allegation of perjury

After allegation perjury charged against the Lagos APC gubernatorial candidate, Akinwunmi Ambode, has unveiled his resume for public criticisms.

Ambode who was accused of lying on oath, claimed on his JAMB (Joint Admission and Matriculation Board) examination form of 1981 that he is from Ilaje, Ondo and during the governorship primary election, in his APC nomination form, he claimed that he is from Epe, Lagos.

Read the Resume below:

• I was born on the 14th of June,1963 at Epe General Hospital, Epe, Lagos State.

• I had my Primary School at St. Jude’s Primary School, Ebute Meta, and Lagos. Passed the National Common Entrance in Primary 5 and gained admission into Federal Government College, Warri.

• Recorded the second best result in the entire West Africa in the Higher School Certificate Examinations in the Social Sciences in 1981.

• Graduated with honours in Accounting from the University of Lagos at 21.

• I started my public service career at Lagos State Waste Disposal Board (now LAWMA) as Accountant Grade II in November 1985.

• At 24, I qualified as a Chartered Accountant and completed my Masters Degree programme in Accounting from University of Lagos, specializing in Financial Management.

• Worked in the Local Government Service for 10 years and was at various times council Treasurer in Alimosho, Shomolu, Mushin and Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Councils.

• In 1998, my commitment to public service earned me the award of the US Fullbright Scholarship for the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship program, in Boston University, Massachusetts, USA on Public Leadership with emphasis on Finance and Accounting.

• I was appointed acting Auditor-General for Local Government in 2000 and became the youngest ever Auditor-General for Local Government in Lagos State.

• I was appointed Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance in January 2005 and in February, 2006, was given the additional responsibility of Accountant-General of Lagos State.

• I was the youngest Permanent Secretary in service and only the second person to hold both positions of Permanent Secretary and Accountant-General at the same time.

• Under my watch, the State Treasury Office revolutionized the way Lagos State finances were raised, budgeted, managed and planned resulting in the state’s budget performing at an average of 85% annually.

• I ensured payment of civil service staff salaries before the end of the month, payment of running cost by 1st week of each month and introduced end of the year package and special/specific welfare for staff.

• I launched the e-payment platform for the monthly staff salaries

• I renovated the State Treasury Office, created a conducive working environment, introduced a corporate dress code and provided laptops for all Directors

• I Introduced prompt payment of gratuity and pension arrears of the

State Universal Basic Education Board and Local Government old pensioners.

• I introduced regular technical meetings with the Directors of Accounts in all MDAs, facilitated the sponsorship, by the State Governor, of over 1000 accountants to the Annual accountants'

Conference in Abuja and initiated the annual retreat for Heads of Accountants as well as Local and International training for staff.

• I co-organised the first ever National Tax Retreat in association with the Joint Tax Board/Federal Inland Revenue Service in 2005.

• I chaired the Technical Committee that produced the Lagos State Economic Empowerment Development Strategy (SEEDS) document.

• I led the audit teams as the Auditor-General in the office of Auditor-General for Local Government to clear and publish the arrears of statutory audits of 1995 to 2004 within 12 months.

• I am a scholar, accountant, administrator, an astute leader with strong emotional intelligence, i am an alumnus of Wharton Business School and also attended courses at Cranfield School of Management, Cranfield, England; the Institute of Management Development, Lausanne, Switzerland; INSEAD, Singapore and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

• I retired voluntarily from public service in August, 2012; the first ever recorded voluntary retirement by a Permanent Secretary in the Lagos State Public Service.

• I established Brandsmiths Consulting Limited in 2012 and the company is today consulting for Federal, State and Local Governments on the transition to the new International Public Service

Accounting System and other financial advisory services.

• I am a stickler for high performance and my decisions are never based on race, gender or religion.

Kate Henshaw refute stories of missing nephew

Nollywood actress, Kate Henshaw rebut reports of missing nephews  through a broadcast on her social media page.  - Twitter.

The reports which had gone viral, that the Nollywood actress nephews were missing was regarded by the actress as wrong reports. The actress posted via her twitter account (@HenshawKate) that she was assisting the missing child of a friend.

The post: “2 and half year old Rafael and 15 months old Michael were abducted from their home in Isheri Magodo Estate, Lagos last night by their maid. The children’s parents left the kids in the care of the maid, their sick grand mum and her nurse and went out briefly yesterday. By the time they returned home, the maid and the kids were nowhere to be found. The maid took them away after the grandma and her nurse had gone to bed.

”All efforts to reach the maid by phone has proved abortive. And the agency that brought the maid also can’t reach her. Please anyone with any information that could help with finding these children, please contact Darlington on 08037071370 or the nearest police station”.

Obasanjo's book now on sale, declares Jonathan as incompetent

An attempt by Buruji Kashamu, a close associate of President Goodluck Jonathan, to stop the publication of a three-volume book by former President Obasanjo, appears to have failed as SaharaReporters can confirm that the book has gone into circulation. A source close to Mr. Obasanjo confirmed to SaharaReporters late last night that copies of the former president’s exhaustive autobiography were already available to buyers in print form. The source that the book would soon be available in an electronic version that is beyond the jurisdiction of Nigerian courts.

SaharaReporters has already obtained and read sections of the book scheduled for formal launch in Nigeria in a few days.

The book, whose three volumes chronicle the life of the controversial former president from birth till this year, aroused political interest after SaharaReporters exclusively reported that Mr. Obasanjo devotes significant pages to paint an unflattering portrait of President Jonathan. We reported that the book characterizes Mr. Jonathan as selfish, weak-willed, callous and incapable of rising to the challenges of running a complex country like Nigeria. Mr. Obasanjo also accuses the president of surrounding himself with aides and political associates with corrupt tendencies.

Mr. Obasanjo’s book dedicates several parts in the book to point out some of Mr. Jonathan’s actions and inactions he considers ill-advised or disastrous for Nigeria. He depicts Mr. Jonathan as a man who has not only destroyed the Peoples Democratic Party but also led Nigeria in dire straights.

The book focuses on several instances of policy somersaults by Mr. Jonathan as well as deliberate actions by the incumbent president that have imperiled Nigeria’s progress in the opinion of Mr. Jonathan.

An Abuja-based lawyer and critic of Mr. Obasanjo accused the former president of seeking to use the book to earn cheap popularity, adding that Mr. Obasanjo cannot get away from responsibility for “sponsoring President Jonathan’s rise to political prominence and the Presidency.”

“We have been saying it from day one that President Goodluck Jonathan does not have the qualities to become a true leader, but we cannot forget that Chief Obasanjo singlehandedly put him and the late President Umaru Yar’Adua in office,” the lawyer said.

Mr. Obasanjo’s book also castigates former President Umaru Yar’Adua, former Vice President Abubakar Atiku, and former Governor James Ibori of Delta State, Bukola Saraki, among other political foes.

In the book, the former president also makes an incredible claim that he was never interested in pursuing a third term while in office.

Source: SaharaReporters

Boko Haram cameramen captured by Nigeria troops

According to recent reports, Four Boko Haram camera operators were captured by Nigerian troops in Adamawa.

One of the recent apprehension include the arrest of professional cameramen of the terrorist group who are experts in photo, video recording and filming of their attacks on communities and wrongdoings  against innocent civilians. 

These Boko Haram members were caught during patrols, surveillance and raid operations to track fleeing terrorists in communities around Adamawa State.

Major General Chris Olukolade, the Director Defense Information, confirmed the incident, said four of those nabbed as they tried to escape in an SUV jeep with digital camera and weapons were taken into custody.

Nigerian troops have been sustaining the rebelous acts of the terrorists in North-eastern Nigeri, more rebels were caught recently.

He added that they are helping in ongoing investigation in one of the barracks.