APC remains best option for Nigerians—- Spokesperson

The Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi has disclosed that in spite of the difficulties Nigerians are presently going through, the government of APC under President Muhammadu Buhari still remains the best option for the nation.

Mallam Abdullahi stated this in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital while speaking with journalists on Sunday.

According to him, “Nigerians would be unfair to lay blame of the current happenings in the country to the party in government explaining that the Muhammadu Buhari administration came into office less than two years ago.

“The three major campaign promises made by President Buhari which he has gradually started implementing and tackling are war against corruption , to fight insurgency particularly Boko Haram and to create
employment opportunities for the unemployed Nigerian youths which he described as a global problem but said its being looked into by the APC government.

Mallam Abdullahi explained that the unemployment rate among Nigerian youth is between 40 to 41percent but what makes that of the country more complex is that eighty percent of the unemployed youths do not poses more than secondary school education which makes the impact of the government in proving employment not to be well felt.



The Publicity Secretary however assured Nigerians that the present administration has already started putting in place various social initiatives and palliative measures to reduce the hardship faced by the people and assured that as leaders of APC, they have the responsibility to hold the party accountable and proffer suggestions on how to do certain things differently.

Mallam Abdullahi ,a former Minister of Youth Development and Sports vehemently kicked against the scrapping of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and described the scheme as a good institution of National unity but calls for its repositioning and rebranding adding that youth should not go and just mark time for one year,rather the scheme should be expanded for challenges after service.

He said: “The most frustrating, confusing and traumatic period in the life of a student is when he or she completes the one year service scheme where he transits from the world of studentship and the world
of responsibility and ends up unemployed.”

The APC Spokesperson also passed a Vote of Confidence on the leadership of National Assembly stressing that the party is absolutely satisfied on the activities of the lawmakers.

Mallam Abdullahi said if it were not Senator Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara at the helm of affairs at both chambers now particularly when President Muhammadu Buhari traveled abroad on medical vacation, the
situation in the country would not have been too comfortable as lawmakers would have raised different motions and thereby overheat the polity.

He said: “If these two gentlemen were not the heads of affairs at the National Assembly at this moment, we may be facing or most likely face a different kind of challenge as they have both with the support of other lawmakers stabilize the situation.”

Drama as mother unknowingly eats ‘love portion’ from food prepared by her son

Drama ensued in Kakuri area of Kaduna State last week after a woman simply identified as Igo, allegedly ate ‘love portion’ from food prepared by her own son.

It was gathered that the son, Kingsley had prepared noodles waiting for his old classmate 'crush' but his mother unknowingly ate of the food.

It was gathered that the mother had left for the market, leaving the son, who is a student of Kaduna State Polytechnic at home.

The woman, a widow, who sells roasted yam at a popular garage in the area returned home to meet the already prepared noodles by his son.

A source hinted this reporter that Kingsley was expecting a lady, who lives around Romi area of the state and had gone to buy juice when the mum returned incognito to meet the ‘love meal’ and unknowingly ate of it.

“He (Kingsley) was not expecting the mum that time because she sells roasted yam at the garage and was not supposed to return until about 6 to 7pm. But that day, she didn’t have enough yam so she came back very early to meet the ‘dangerous’ meal,” the source said.

The eyewitness said, on returning from where he had gone to buy juice, Kingsley was shocked to see the mother back home and had already eaten from the noodles he had prepared.

“On sighting her, Kingsley started asking her some funny questions on why she came that early. The mother was inquisitive to know what was happening but he refused to open up,” the source said.

The girl, eventually could not show up.

It was gathered that the charm did not manifest until after three days later when the mother started acting strange towards the son. She was constantly screaming 'Kingsley come and massage me'.

"She keeps professing her love for the son and all that was unusual of her," he added

When this strange behaviour of the woman became noticeable, some youths in the area summoned the son and demanded to know what he had to the mum but he would not open up.

After much pressure and threats to beat him up, he admitted that the mother accidentally ate love portion from food meant for his crush.

He directed them to the house of the man who prepared the charm for him in Kawo area of the state but the man said the charm would only fade with time and cannot be reversed.

In the meantime, some family members had taken both the woman and her son to a popular Lagos pastor for prayer

Saraki, Dogara other principal officers steal N40 billion from budget, SERAP claims

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP has accused the National Assembly leadership of stealing about N40 billion out of the N100 billion allocated for constituency project.

In a letter sent to Buhari, the organization asked the President to investigate Lawmakers involved in budget padding.

SERAP, in an open letter sent to President Muhammadu Buhari requested

him to use his good offices and leadership position “to urgently instruct security and anti-corruption agencies to forward to you reports of their completed investigations into allegations of padding and stealing of some N481 billion from the 2016 budget by some principal officers of the National Assembly.”

The organisation also asked Mr. Buhari to “direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, SAN, and/or appropriate anti-corruption agencies to without delay commence prosecution of indicted officers; and to urgently halt alleged ongoing attempt by some principal officers of the National Assembly to divert N40 billion of the N100 billion allocated by your government as ‘zonal intervention’ in the 2017 budget.”

In the letter dated March 24 and signed by SERAP deputy director, Timothy Adewale, the organisation requested the government to “take the above recommended steps within 14 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter, failing which SERAP will institute appropriate legal and public-interest proceedings to compel the government to discharge its national and international anti-corruption obligations and commitments in this matter.”

According to the organisation, “Unless the principal officers indicted in the alleged padding of the 2016 budget are promptly prosecuted and any stolen public funds recovered, your government will not be able to stop the alleged ongoing attempts to steal from the 2017 budget. Alleged corruption in the budget process will not just melt away or simply evaporate without addressing the fundamental issue of impunity of perpetrators.”

The organisation said that, “Addressing alleged corruption in the budget process by pursuing prosecution of indicted principal officers of the National Assembly will provide an important opportunity for your government to reignite the fight against corruption and fulfil a cardinal campaign promise, to show that your government works on behalf of the many, and not the few, as well as jumpstart economic activities and break the back of the current recession.”

The letter read in part: “Publishing the report of the investigation of the alleged padding of the 2016 budget, and prosecuting suspected perpetrators are absolutely important to avoid another padding in the 2017 budget, which your government can ill afford.

“Corruption in the budget process takes away and erodes much needed resources for public and developmental purposes. SERAP is seriously concerned about the level of secrecy surrounding the budget process in the National Assembly, which has invariably created a breeding place for alleged corruption.

“Secrecy in the National Assembly has clearly gone beyond the level permitted by law, and apparently served as the incubator for corruption, while depriving the Nigerian people of a much-needed opportunity to cleanse the National Assembly of persistent allegations of corruption.

“SERAP has received very credible information from multiple sources that the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have now completed investigations into the allegations of padding of the 2016 budget, completed their reports, and indicted some principal officers of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Also, the accounts of some of the principal officers containing allegedly illicit funds have been frozen, and that the case files for the prosecution of those indicted are ready.”

“SERAP has also received credible information from whistle-blowers about ongoing attempt by some principal officers of the National Assembly to allegedly steal N40 billion of the N100 billion allocated by your government as ‘zonal intervention’ (also known as constituency projects) in the 2017 budget.”

“SERAP is also aware of the alleged risk of corruption involving the $2.5 budget oil bench mark increment which comes up to about N131 billion. The N131 billion will be appropriated to either reduce deficit or increase expenditure or both but unless the spending of the funds is closely monitored and scrutinised, the funds may be diverted, mismanaged or stolen.”

“SERAP is also concerned that deception in the budget process will continue unless Nigerians are granted access to inspect the budget process and other activities by the National Assembly. SERAP strongly believes that Nigerians have the right to know what their lawmakers are doing so that they are able to appraise their work and hold them to account.”

SERAP therefore asked Mr. Buhari to:

1. Urgently instruct security and anti-corruption agencies to forward to him reports of their investigations into allegations of padding and stealing of some N481 billion from the 2016 budget by some principal officers of the National Assembly, and to direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and/or appropriate anti-corruption agencies to without delay commence prosecution of indicted officers;

2. Direct the publication of the report of investigations by security and anti-corruption bodies into the alleged padding of the 2016 budget.

3. Urgently halt alleged ongoing attempt by some principal officers of the National Assembly to steal N40 billion of the N100 billion allocated by your government as ‘zonal intervention’ in the 2017 budget;

4. Closely monitor and scrutinise the spending of N131 billion (accrued from increased oil bench mark) allocated for additional non-constituency projects expenditure, to remove the possibility of corruption.