Nigeria's ex-national security adviser has appeared in court, charged over an alleged $68m fraud.
Sambo Dasuki was charged on 19 counts of fraud, money laundering and criminal breach of trust at the high court in the capital Abuja.
He pleaded not guilty on all counts.
Mr Dasuki is accused of illegally transferring $50m from the national security budget to fund election campaigns for members of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan's party.
President Muhammadu Buhari ordered his arrest two weeks ago, after a government investigation alleged that $2bn (£1.3bn) meant to buy arms to fight Boko Haram had gone missing.
He is the most senior official to be arrested as a result of an investigation into arms procurement during the administration of Mr Jonathan, defeated by Mr Buhari in the March 2015 elections.
A government investigation found that Sambo Dasuki had awarded "ghost contracts" to buy 12 helicopters and four fighter jets which never materialised. He also denies those allegations.
BBC
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Monday, December 14, 2015
Video - Nigerian government to give $25 a month to jobless Nigerians in 2016
Unemployed youth in Nigeria are due to start receiving 5000 Naira, just about 25 dollars a month, if the government's compensation plan for 2016 is approved. An estimated 40 million youth can't find work in Nigeria and the government says it will start paying the monthly stipend besides its attempts at creating employment opportunities.
Leader of the Islamic movement in Nigeria Sheikh Zakzaky wife and son killed
Nigeria's main Shia Muslim sect says the wife and son of its leader have been killed in clashes with the military in the northern Kaduna state.
The clashes came after allegations that members of the sect had attempted to assassinate Nigeria's army chief.
The leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, was also arrested in his home.
The IMN denies the allegation, and says soldiers killed at least 20 of its members.
The army says members of the sect attempted to assassinate its chief of staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai, on Saturday when his motorcade was passing through a Shia procession.
But the IMN says the Nigerian army opened fire on their members.
The Islamic Human Rights Commission said on Sunday that before Sheikh Zakzaky's arrest, the military had parked two tanks outside his home.
The sect alleges that Sheikh Zakzaky's wife, Zeenat Ibraheem, was killed, along with the couple's son Sayyid Ibraheem Zakzak.
Last year, three of Sheikh Zakzaky's sons were killed in clashes between the army and pilgrims in a procession.
The group wants to set up an Islamic republic and has frequently clashed with the army.
It is also opposed to the Sunni Muslim jihadist group, Boko Haram, which recently attacked its members.
Boko Haram condemns Shias as heretics who should be killed.
In November, a suicide bomber killed at least 21 people in an attack on a Shia Muslim procession in Kano state.
Most of Nigeria's Muslims are Sunnis, and there are underlying tensions between them and Shia Muslims, correspondents say.
BBC
The clashes came after allegations that members of the sect had attempted to assassinate Nigeria's army chief.
The leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, was also arrested in his home.
The IMN denies the allegation, and says soldiers killed at least 20 of its members.
The army says members of the sect attempted to assassinate its chief of staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai, on Saturday when his motorcade was passing through a Shia procession.
But the IMN says the Nigerian army opened fire on their members.
The Islamic Human Rights Commission said on Sunday that before Sheikh Zakzaky's arrest, the military had parked two tanks outside his home.
The sect alleges that Sheikh Zakzaky's wife, Zeenat Ibraheem, was killed, along with the couple's son Sayyid Ibraheem Zakzak.
Last year, three of Sheikh Zakzaky's sons were killed in clashes between the army and pilgrims in a procession.
The group wants to set up an Islamic republic and has frequently clashed with the army.
It is also opposed to the Sunni Muslim jihadist group, Boko Haram, which recently attacked its members.
Boko Haram condemns Shias as heretics who should be killed.
In November, a suicide bomber killed at least 21 people in an attack on a Shia Muslim procession in Kano state.
Most of Nigeria's Muslims are Sunnis, and there are underlying tensions between them and Shia Muslims, correspondents say.
BBC
Friday, December 11, 2015
Former Nigerian minister Okonjo-Iweala dragged into $2 billion scandal
Okonjo-Iweala, a former World Bank vice president, who was once in the running for the insititution’s presidency, had been at the heart of the, now tainted, Goodluck Jonathan presidency in the powerful dual role of minister of finance and coordinating minister of economy. She is one of the few ex-members of Jonathan’s government with much credibility on the global stage.
One of Nigeria’s highest profile and best-regarded former government ministers Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is caught up in a widening $2 billion arms procurement scandal which has already led to the arrest of the former national security adviser with former state governors, businessmen and the governor of the central bank also roped in.
Okonjo-Iweala, a former World Bank vice president, who was once in the running for the insititution’s presidency, had been at the heart of the, now tainted, Goodluck Jonathan presidency in the powerful dual role of minister of finance and coordinating minister of economy. She is one of the few ex-members of Jonathan’s government with much credibility on the global stage.
Having come under fire for her involvement in the transfer of funds to the national security adviser with little oversight and accountability, the former minister has sought to beat off a specific allegation that she was involved in the illegal diversion of repatriated funds of up to $322 million.
In a statement, Okonjo-Iweala revealed that even though the recovered funds from Abacha’s loot were originally earmarked for development projects, a decision was made by a committee headed by president Jonathan to spend $322 million on security as Nigeria dealt with the rising of the deadly Boko Haram insurgency in the country’s north east. According to Okonjo-Iweala’s statement, the transfer was made with conditions to ensure accountability and repayment. The former minister took to social media to share a copy of the letter she claimed was sent to president Jonathan advising on the need for accountability.
In response, Okonjo-Iweala has been heavily criticized by civil society groups who suggest that regardless of the conditions under which the money was transferred there was little or no accountability. There is no evidence to suggest Okonjo-Iweala herself was responsible for misappropriation of funds but most of the criticism raises questions on whether she could have done more to prevent others doing so.
President Buhari, who hinged his campaign on a strong anti-corruption stance, has already directed that those involved in the scandal be prosecuted and the allegations around the spending of the repatriated funds could damage Okonjo-Iweala’s reputation.
The arms fraud scandal is particularly sensitive for most Nigerians who have been affected by the Boko Haram insurgency. In the last few years, the terror inflicted by the militant sect has led to the death of thousands with millions more displaced and forced to leave under dire conditions in refugee camps. The lack of arms sabotaged the fight for most of the last few years as several reports suggested that troops could not match the firepower of Boko Haram. Despite Nigeria’s long and sad history with high level corruption, the arms fraud scandal is one that is most directly linked to significant and obvious human casualties.
Okonjo-Iweala’s stint with Jonathan’s administration was her second time round serving in government. Former president Obasanjo convinced her to leave the World Bank in 2003 to become minister of finance. When Jonathan asked her to join his cabinet she agreed to do so only on the condition she was given more control of the economy than under Obasanjo.
Quartz
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Okonjo-Iweala is Africa's finance minister of the year
Fortune magazine lists Okonjo-Iweala in top 50 greatest world leaders
Nigeria signs deal with Chinese firm to train 2000 Nigerians
The federal government on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with leading Chinese technology firm, Huawei, to train 2000 young Nigerians on Information and Communication Technology, ICT.
The MOU provides 2,000 Information and Communication Technology, ICT trainee jobs to young Nigerians next year under the “Huawei’s Seeds for the Future programme.”
“ICT is one of the quickest ways people can get decent jobs, so we think this is absolutely important.
“In the change agenda, how to grow the economy is important, and we want to create ICT hubs and support existing ones. We thank Huawei for this initiative of advancing technology in Nigeria, apart from the job creation itself,” said Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Observing the current poor rating of Nigeria in the global rankings of business environments, the Mr. Osinbajo said that the president had already given the task of addressing the challenges of doing business in the country to the minister of Trade, Industry & Investment Minister.
The Vice President said the relationship between Nigeria and China was a strategic one, urging Chinese investors and business leaders to consider Nigeria for manufacturing plants.
He said the Chinese investors “should encourage not just the selling, but also the manufacturing of products in Nigeria.”
According to the Chinese envoy, China is in partnership with the Buhari administration in the “change” agenda, listing the nation’s plans to be involved in such areas like agricultural modernization, industrialization, infrastructure, trade and investment, poverty alleviation, and peace, security, among others.
He added that Huawei hoped to become a strategic partner to the Nigerian government in the future ICT planning and development, and would continue to expand its contributions and training programmes in Nigeria.
The ICT training initiative strives to create a platform to nurture work-ready ICT experts by providing ICT industry-relevant education.
Mr. Osinbajo was joined by the Minister for Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, and his Communications counterpart, Adebayo Shittu, at the ceremony attended by theChinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Gu Xiaojie.
Nigeria’s ministers for Labour and Communications, whose ministries would select the 2000 trainees, signed the MOU on behalf of the federal government, while Mr. Richard Cao, the Vice President of Huawei West Africa, signed for the Chinese Information Communication and Technology firm.
Premium Times
The MOU provides 2,000 Information and Communication Technology, ICT trainee jobs to young Nigerians next year under the “Huawei’s Seeds for the Future programme.”
“ICT is one of the quickest ways people can get decent jobs, so we think this is absolutely important.
“In the change agenda, how to grow the economy is important, and we want to create ICT hubs and support existing ones. We thank Huawei for this initiative of advancing technology in Nigeria, apart from the job creation itself,” said Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Observing the current poor rating of Nigeria in the global rankings of business environments, the Mr. Osinbajo said that the president had already given the task of addressing the challenges of doing business in the country to the minister of Trade, Industry & Investment Minister.
The Vice President said the relationship between Nigeria and China was a strategic one, urging Chinese investors and business leaders to consider Nigeria for manufacturing plants.
He said the Chinese investors “should encourage not just the selling, but also the manufacturing of products in Nigeria.”
According to the Chinese envoy, China is in partnership with the Buhari administration in the “change” agenda, listing the nation’s plans to be involved in such areas like agricultural modernization, industrialization, infrastructure, trade and investment, poverty alleviation, and peace, security, among others.
He added that Huawei hoped to become a strategic partner to the Nigerian government in the future ICT planning and development, and would continue to expand its contributions and training programmes in Nigeria.
The ICT training initiative strives to create a platform to nurture work-ready ICT experts by providing ICT industry-relevant education.
Mr. Osinbajo was joined by the Minister for Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, and his Communications counterpart, Adebayo Shittu, at the ceremony attended by theChinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Gu Xiaojie.
Nigeria’s ministers for Labour and Communications, whose ministries would select the 2000 trainees, signed the MOU on behalf of the federal government, while Mr. Richard Cao, the Vice President of Huawei West Africa, signed for the Chinese Information Communication and Technology firm.
Premium Times
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