YellowStone Media International

The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, has revealed that the federal government stopped the payment of salary to the former Chairman of the Pension Task Force Team, Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina, in March 2013. Maina, who is currently in the eye of the storm was sacked and declared wanted by the previous administration for alleged corruption but reinstated and promoted by the president government. Appearing before the House of Representatives’ Ad-Hoc Committee Investigating the Disappearance, Re-appearance, Re-instatement and Promotion of Maina in Abuja on Thursday, the minister said Maina was last paid by the federal government in February 2013. In a statement, the Special Adviser, Media & Communications to the minister, Mr. Oluyinka Akintunde quoted Adeosun to have said, “We used two platforms in the payment of salaries - the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS)

By Emma Ella The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, has stated that the sum of N421.33million is ready to be paid to whistle-blower. Adeosun disclosed this while answering questions from State House correspondents, after the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. She said the amount included the amount payable to the whistle-blower for the cash recovered from a building in Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos. Adeosun said the money would be paid to the whistle-blower who signed the agreement and not any firm adding that the Federal Government would pay applicable taxes on the sum directly to the state government where the whistle-blower is domiciled. “The total amount, which also include Osborne Road, Ikoyi is N421, 330, 595. This is for the November batch and it is ready for payment,” she revealed. “The only condition necessary is that the money will be paid to the whistle-blow

  EnergyNet will host the second Regional Energy Co-operation Summit in Côte d’Ivoire from 24-25 January 2018 - a strategic platform for project evolution and partnership development. The conference will discuss opportunities for cross-border power projects and potential gas investments across West Africa. The conference will discuss opportunities for cross-border power projects and potential gas investments across West Africa. At the first  Regional Energy Co-operation Summit  in January 2017,  His Excellency Thierry Tanoh, Minister of Petroleum, Energy and Renewable Energies summed up the relevance of the summit with his statement; " [t]he importance of the theme (Regional Energy Cooperation Summit) is well established in the light of the needs of African countries in terms of access to different energy sources, including renewable energies". The 2018 Summit will review outcomes from last year’s meeting, identifying next steps and bringing together ECOWAS decision-m

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) on Thursday called for the crippling economically of human traffickers by destination countries and International Law Enforcement Agencies in order to win the fight against the menace. According to a statement from an official of the Press and Public Relations Department,  Vincent Adekoye, the DG made the call while playing host to the new Ambassador and Head of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria, Mr. Ketil Karslsen. ‘’We must cripple traffickers economically by tracing and freezing their accounts for the benefit of victims of human trafficking. We must take their money and render them impotent’’, she said. Okah-Donli however, stressed the need for destination countries to work closely with the Nigerian Embassies in the areas of victims’ identification; language barriers and assistance to victims. She urged the European Union and her members to consciously deal with issues of pornogra

  Former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, on Thursday challenged the Governor of Borno State, Mr. Kashim Shettima, to publish his WAEC results so that Nigerians would know the real simpleton between him and the former president.   In a statement issued on his behalf by his aide, Mr. Reno Omokri, the ex-president described Shettima as a typical sycophant, who was saying what he could not say before 2015, adding that when the current set of actors quit the scene, Shettima would likewise direct his lying tongue at them.   The former president was reacting to the comments made by the governor at the launch of a book in Abuja, where he said: “Jonathan’s fairy tale rise to power, his sheer display of bad governance, lack of political sagacity and willpower, he squandered the array of goodwill he commanded and subsequently got humiliated out of office”.   The ex-President said it was unfortunate that Shettima allowed hatred to blind his objectivity.    “President Jona

The overall prevalence rate of HIV in Akwa Ibom State has dropped to 2.8 percent, according to the state AIDS Indicator Survey (AKAIS) released recently. This is against the previously circulated figure of 10.8 percent from a sentinel study. The study, which was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), was a collaborative effort between the state government and USAID flagship HIV/AIDS and TB project-Strengthening Integrated Delivery of HIV/AIDS Services (SIDHAS), which is implemented by FHI 360. In a report of the study, a population based cross-sectional survey was carried out across the 31 local government areas of the state, in a field work of the study, which took place between April and June 2017. Speaking during the unveiling of the findings of AKAIS during a dissemination meeting of HIV/AIDS stakeholders, in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Dominic Ukpong, acknowledged the funding

The Independent Petroleum Markers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Lagos State chapter, has threatened to shut down their filling stations in Lagos State and parts of Ogun State by December 11. The association accused the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) of undersupplying its members with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and was also frustrating them by reneging on the bulk purchase agreement it signed with its members to supply the product to them at N133.28k per litre. In a statement on Thursday signed its Chairman, Alhaji Alanamu Balogun; Vice-Chairman, Pastor Gbenga Ilupeju, and Secretary, Prince Kunle Oyenuga, IPMAN noted that no fewer than 900 filling stations will be shut down in Lagos if the situation persists. The association particularly complained of a shortage of product supply to Ejigbo satellite depot, which, it said, serves more than 900 filling stations in Lagos revealing that with the undersupply from the NNPC, its members were being forced to approa

Sunday Okobi Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Brig Gen Mansur Dan-Ali, on Thursday expressed the commitment of Nigeria to join efforts with other countries to defeat terrorism globally. Ali stated this at the international meeting held recently in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which signaled the launch of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCT), a coalition of 41 countries, united in the global fight against terrorism and violent extremism. While speaking on the importance of the coalition held under the theme: ‘Allied Against Terrorism’ Ali said some of the terror attacks across the world prompted the meeting and that Nigeria is ready to collaborate with nations with similar experiences to defeat the menace. Minister of Defence, who said Nigeria has made remarkable progress in the area of counter-terrorism since the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, also added that the efforts of neighbouring countries with similar issues like Chad, Niger an

  The Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, on Thursday, said the former Chairman, Pension Reform Task Force, Alhaji Abdulrasheed Maina, has not received a salary from the government after his disengagement. Adeosun said this in Abuja when she appeared before members of House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee investigating the disappearance, re-appearance, reinstatement and promotion of Maina. She said that from the records of the Ministry, there was no trace of any payment of salary to Maina after he was disengaged from service in 2013. “We have looked very well and we have no biometrics of Maina, so there is no way he could have received salaries,” Adeosun said. In his submission, the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr Ahmed Idris, said that Maina was last paid salary in February 2013. According to Idris, from March, he was removed from the payroll so I don’t know where he was receiving the salary. “If there was any payment of salary to Maina, there should be

President Muhammadu Buhari has written to the Senate seeking to confirm Muhammed Isa and nine others as Chairman and members of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB). Isa, who is expected to head the Bureau, hails from Jigawa, North West. A letter read by the Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, disclosed that the President requested the lawmakers to expedite action on the confirmation of the nominees. “In compliance with section 541 of the 1999 constitution as amended and in pursuant to sections 1(2) and 1(3) of the code of conduct bureau act LFN 2004, I write to request for the confirmation of the following nominees for appointment as chairman and members of the bureau,” the letter read. “The curriculum vitae of the nominees are attached herewith. It is my hope that this Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria will in their usual expeditious manner consider and confirm the nominees. Please accept Mr. Senate President, the assurances of my highest consideration.” Other

Sunday Okobi Concerned Professionals Congress (CPC) has lauded the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin, over the just-released 2017 Global Terrorism Index of the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) which revealed that the Nigerian military’s ongoing counter-terrorism strategy has recorded the largest global decrease in terrorism-related deaths. Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed had, in a statement last week in Abuja expressed federal government delight at the report which he described as another proof of the Nigerian military’s successfully-sustained prosecution of the anti-terror war under what he called the visionary and dogged leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari. The group in a statement made available to Yellowstone in Lagos on Wednesday by its Chief Media Strategist, Mr. Emeka Nwankpa and the North East Regional Rapporteur, Malam Baba Al-Kasim, said the report was a fitting reward for the renowned resolve and resilie

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State on Wednesday presented the 2018 Appropriation Bill and budget estimates of N146billion to the state House of Assembly for consideration. The budget christened ‘The Budget of Growth’ is made up of N66,797,615,689 for recurrent and N79,862,214,754 as capital expenditure. Making the presentation, Obaseki assured the assembly of his administration readiness to consolidate on the infrastructural and socio-economic gains of the outgoing year 2017. He commended the assembly Speaker and members for their unprecedented support through their timely responses to request for legislations and other forms of support to the executive arm of government. According to the governor, “We have a budget size of N146, 659,830,444 billion, which is a 15 percent nominal increase over the 2017 budget. He explained that the “revenue estimates for the budget are based on a $45 benchmark for crude oil and average daily production of 2.3 million bar

The Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mr. Mounir Gwarzo, and two others have been suspended from office by the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, as the federal government launches investigation into several allegations of financial impropriety leveled against the top official. A statement signed by Deputy Director, Press, Federal Ministry of Finance, Patricia Deworitshe, on Wednesday announced the development. According to the statement, the suspension is in line with the Public Service Rules (PSRs) 03405 and 03406. The statement said: “The Minister has set up an Administrative Panel of Inquiry (API) to investigate and determine the culpability of the Director-General. “She has directed the suspended SEC Director-General to immediately hand over to the most senior officer at the Commission, pending the conclusion of the investigation by the API. “Also suspended are two management staff of the Commission – Mr. Abdulsalam Naif Habu, H

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics    (ASUP) has suspended the nationwide strike embarked upon by its members over failure of government to meet their demands. National President of the union, Usman Yusuf  Dutse, who disclosed this at press conference held at the Abubakar Tatari Polytechnic (ATAP) in Bauchi on Wednesday while giving an update on engagement between the union and the federal government, said  the union decided to suspend the strike after reaching an agreement and signing a Memorandum of Settlement and Action (MoS). The union is currently holding its 14 National Delegates Conference in Bauchi, co-hosted by the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi and the Tatari Ali Polytechnic, Bauchi. According to him, the union has engaged the government in series of meetings with the minister of education, federal ministry of education and officials of ministry of labour. Other stakeholders involved in the negotiations, he said, were the National Salaries and W

Nigerian troops have captured a Boko Haram commander named Amman Judee but popularly known as ‘Ameer of Chawa,’ and rescued another 212 persons held hostage by the terrorists. The capture and rescue took place in an operation to clear remnants of insurgents from some villages in the northern fringes of the Sambisa forest. This was revealed by Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman, the Director of Army Public Relations, who added that four terrorists were also neutralised. Usman said the captured Boko Haram leader was undergoing interrogation, while the rescued persons were being documented and the under-aged children among them administered oral polio vaccines.  Earlier in the week, troops rescued 30 persons held hostage by the terrorists during clearance operations in eight villages at Bama Local Government Area of Borno.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in collaboration with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), is developing a legal framework that will enable banks and telecommunications companies to ban owners of any bank account or the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) line traced to fraud. Officials of the apex bank and the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) made this known in Kano during a workshop organised by the NDIC for financial journalists saying regulators in the banking and telecommunications sectors were set to finalise work on the plan. According to them, the development followed the spate of electronic fraud involving (USSD banking) telephone lines and Internet banking transfers saying owners of any bank account or GSM line traced to any fraud case, especially electronic fraud, would be banned for life from operating any bank account or GSM in Nigeria. Speaking on the topic, ‘Cybercrime: Nature and Trends’, the Chief Compliance Officer, Access B

  The Kaduna State Government has confirmed the sacking of 4,042 local government workers. The sacked workers cut across the 23 council areas of the state. This is coming just as the controversy over the sacking of about 22,000 teachers who were said to have failed a competency test is yet to settle. At a news conference on Tuesday in Kaduna, the state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Jafaru Sani, said the sacking of the council workers  was part of the ongoing restructuring of the local government system for effective service delivery. The state government had in June, sacked 4,766 district and village heads who were under the payroll of local councils to reduce their financial burdens. Sani said the restructuring was designed to strengthen the local government system to carry out developmental projects and programmes. He disclosed that 3,159 of those had put in 10 years and were retired while the remaining 893 wer

Sunday Okobi Former acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and an aspirant for the national chairmanship position, Prince Uche Secondus, on Tuesday stated that at no time did former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, endorse the micro zoning of national chairmanship seat. Secondus's position came just as a woman aspirant for the post of the PDP National Women Leader, Baraka Umar, cautioned the party against over-playing the zoning card to the detriment of its electoral interest. President Jonathan was reported to have asked chairmanship aspirants to respect agreement on micro zoning  so as to avert crisis in the party. However, Secondus said the former president as a loyal and dedicated leader of the party couldn't have said that since he is fully aware that it is the decision of the party convention to zone the chairmanship position to the three zones in the South. In a statement by the Director, Media and Public