The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha has warned fraudsters to henceforth desist from using his Office to fleece unsuspecting members of the public or face the wrath of the law.
He gave this warning while raising alert over false information making the rounds urging members of the public to submit their Curriculum Vitae at a fee to secure various federal appointments.
Mustapha who is also the Chairman, Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 equally said fraudsters have resorted to sending fake advertisements for supply of some medical diagnostic equipment to his Office.
The warning and alerts were conveyed by Willie Bassey, Director (Information), Office of the SGF in a statement on Tuesday.
According to the statement, “The attention of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation has been drawn to false information circulating on the social media through emails, text messages and other outlets urging members of the public to submit their Curriculum Vitae at a fee, to a non-existing desk at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, to facilitate their selection for various federal government appointments.
The statement further stated that; “The SGF has also observed, with dismay, that such fraudsters have become so desperate to such an extent that they resort to sending fake advertisements for supply of some medical diagnostic equipment to his Office.
“The Public is, by this notice, advised to disregard such information as the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation has no such mandate and has never requested for such information nor does it advertise for the procurement of medical diagnostic equipment of any sort.
“In view of the above, the SGF warns originators of such fraudulent requests to desist forthwith from using his Office to fleece unsuspecting members of the public or face the wrath of the law.”
The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Hajia Zainab Ahmed, has revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the salaries committee to review payroll and also review the number of agencies.
While adding that government will also remove some unnecessary items from the budget as a move to cut the cost of governance in the country.
Zainab gave this revelation at the ongoing ‘National Policy Dialogue on Corruption and Cost of Governance in Nigeria’ organized by the Independent Corrupt Practice Commission.
The government had approved a N13.88trn budget with a deficit of over N5.6trn.
The government projected a revenue of N7.98trn to fund part of the 2021 budget.
“We still see government expenditure increase to a terrain twice higher than our revenue,” Ahmed said.
The Finance minister said all agencies must come together to trim its cost amid the country’s dwindling revenue.
According to her , “We need to work together, all agencies of the government to cut down our cost. We need to cut down unnecessary expenditures. Expenditures that we can do without.
“Our budgets are filled year in year out with projects that we see over and over again and also projects that are not necessary.
“Mr President has directed that the salaries committee that I chair, work together with the head of service and other members of the committee to review the government pay rolls in terms of stepping down on cost.”
She, however, revealed that the FG will also review the number of government agencies in terms of their mandates.
Ahmed disclosed that for agencies with the same mandate the government will look at “how to merge the two.”
Earlier, the Chairman of the ICPC, Bolaji Owasanoye, noted during the stakeholders meeting that the cost of governance is the “driver of corruption in Nigeria.”
He said the government has committed to improving the country’s revenue from new and existing sources.
Owasanoye said the government’s commitment to streamline payroll, removal of subsidies and reduction of the cost of contracts and procurement are all for the benefits of the “poor and vulnerable.”
He said a critical area of concern was “payroll padding” and the “phenomenon of ghost workers.”
He also lamented the duplication of projects such as the constituency projects of lawmakers.
The ICPC boss said funding for such projects are usually released without any mechanism for monitoring and evaluation and reconciliation of the funding.
He cited a project executed by the Redeemed Christian Church of God which was inadvertently diverted as an executive project.
Abductors of the students and a staff of Greenfield University, Kasarami, Kaduna have released one out of the remaining 17 students in their custody.
Recall that the bandits leader, Sani Idris Jalingo, had on Monday in an interview with Voice of America (VOA) Hausa confirmed that 17 students, including 15 females and a two males, were remaining in their custody after killing five penultimate week.
Jalingo threatened the 17 students would be killed if N100 million and 10 Honda brand motorcycles, popularly known as Boko Haram, were not delivered to his gang as ransom by the end of Tuesday 4th May.
Mother of the freed student, Mrs. Lauritta Attahiru confirmed her son’s release to Channels Television.
Mrs. Attahiru, who refused to give details of how her son was released or whether ransom was paid, simply said her son had been released.
Although police and government authorities were yet to confirm the development, our correspondent gathered from sources that a ransom of N20 million was paid for the student’s release.
Some of the parents also confirmed the student was released after his mother, who is the wife of a retired Army officer, negotiated and paid ransom to the bandits privately.
The parents further confirmed the bandits had earlier negotiated with them individually, asking each of them to pay as high as N20 million before they eventually demanded a bulk of N100 million and ten motorcycles on Monday, May 3.
Unknown gunmen have on Tuesday abducted the Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Kogi state, Wakili Damina.
The state Secretary of MACBAN, Adamu Abubakar, said Damina was abducted on April 30 by some armed men dressed in army camouflage.
He , however, noted that witnesses said the abductors, numbering about eight, came in a white bus around 12 noon to forcefully take away the chairman from his house at Chikara village, Kogi Local Government Area.
Abubakar said he was informed of the incident about an hour later by the younger brother of Damina, who claimed he witnessed the incident.
The secretary said he immediately called the phone number of the missing chairman, but it rang out.
He said Damina’s mobile telephone was switched off when he celled about an hour later.
He said the “Since then, his lines have not been reachable and all efforts to know his whereabouts have proved abortive.”
He said he and some members of the association visited the Nigeria Police Force headquarters, Abuja, to know if Damina was in their custody but they said no.
He said a search party set up by MACBAN had visited other places, including abattoirs in and around Abuja but there no success.
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Ede Ayuba, confirmed the incident.
He said the police had yet to locate the whereabouts of the chairman.
The parents of the kidnapped Afaka Forestry Mechanization Institute in Kaduna State protested at the National Assembly building in Abuja on Tuesday, demanding their children return home safely and ending the country’s insecurity.
On March 11, bandits in Military uniforms kidnapped 39 students from the school. Later, the bandits released 10 students in two batches, but still held captive 29 of them.
What is coming is that if the government fails to meet their demands by May 4 (Tuesday), the kidnappers of Greenfield University students in the state threatened to kill the remaining 17 students.
The aggrieved parents and the institution’s Students Union members were joined by some activists including Omoyele Sowore and Deji Adeyanju, who earlier gathered at the Unity Fountain from where the protesters marched to the National Assembly complex.
However, the security men manning the main entrance of the National Assembly denied them entrance and they receded to the Unity Fountain.
The protesters chanted songs of solidarity and displayed placards demanding the prompt rescue of the students and accused the state and federal governments of negligence in securing the release of the students.
Some inscription on the placards read ”Education is our right! Safety is our right! Freedom is our right!, Free Afaka 29!”
Speaking at the resumption of plenary, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, directed the Chairmen of House Committees on Defence, Army, Navy and Air Force to step out and address the aggrieved parents.
Returning an hour later, the Chairman, House Committee on Defence, Hon. Babajimi Benson, was asked by the Speaker to brief the House on what happened.
Responding, Benson said upon getting to the gate of the National Assembly, the protesters had left and they proceeded to Unity Fountain to meet them.
Getting there, he said the aggrieved parents looked oppressed, suppressed and dejected.
According to Benson ; ”They feel they’ve been abandoned and have not eaten since two days. They don’t have any hope, the only hope they have is on the parliament. They sent us back to you to plead with you that their plight on their missing kids be addressed. They also requested that we speak on behalf of the kids that were kidnapped at the Greenfield University.”
He appealed to the House to look into the matter urgently.
The Speaker, Gbajabiamila, while expressing sadness, said their grievances will be referred to the newly set up ad hoc committee on security to proffer solutions.
Parents of Abducted Kaduna Students Protest at N’ Assembly
The parents of the kidnapped Afaka Forestry Mechanization Institute in Kaduna State protested at the National Assembly building in Abuja on Tuesday, demanding their children return home safely and ending the country’s insecurity.
On March 11, bandits in Military uniforms kidnapped 39 students from the school. Later, the bandits released 10 students in two batches, but still held captive 29 of them.
What is coming is that if the government fails to meet their demands by May 4 (Tuesday), the kidnappers of Greenfield University students in the state threatened to kill the remaining 17 students.
The aggrieved parents and the institution’s Students Union members were joined by some activists including Omoyele Sowore and Deji Adeyanju, who earlier gathered at the Unity Fountain from where the protesters marched to the National Assembly complex.
However, the security men manning the main entrance of the National Assembly denied them entrance and they receded to the Unity Fountain.
The protesters chanted songs of solidarity and displayed placards demanding the prompt rescue of the students and accused the state and federal governments of negligence in securing the release of the students.
Some inscription on the placards read ”Education is our right! Safety is our right! Freedom is our right!, Free Afaka 29!”
Speaking at the resumption of plenary, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, directed the Chairmen of House Committees on Defence, Army, Navy and Air Force to step out and address the aggrieved parents.
Returning an hour later, the Chairman, House Committee on Defence, Hon. Babajimi Benson, was asked by the Speaker to brief the House on what happened.
Responding, Benson said upon getting to the gate of the National Assembly, the protesters had left and they proceeded to Unity Fountain to meet them.
Getting there, he said the aggrieved parents looked oppressed, suppressed and dejected.
According to Benson ; ”They feel they’ve been abandoned and have not eaten since two days. They don’t have any hope, the only hope they have is on the parliament. They sent us back to you to plead with you that their plight on their missing kids be addressed. They also requested that we speak on behalf of the kids that were kidnapped at the Greenfield University.”
He appealed to the House to look into the matter urgently.
The Speaker, Gbajabiamila, while expressing sadness, said their grievances will be referred to the newly set up ad hoc committee on security to proffer solutions.
The Former Tottenham Hotspur Manager, Jose Mourinho has been appointed as the new manager of Italian Seria A giants, AS Roma.
The Former Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid manager, who has only been out of work for less than a month will replace Paulo Fonseca whose departure was announced by Roma earlier on Tuesday.
Recall that, Mourinho spent two successful seasons in Italy from 2008-2010 when he won the league twice with Inter Milan along with the Champions League and Coppa Italia.
Roma are in a battle to qualify for Europe next season as they are seventh in Serie A, nine points behind city rivals Lazio in sixth and two points ahead of eighth-placed Sassuolo, with four games of the season remaining.
As Nigeria daily grapples with insecurity, the Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has urged federal government to recall ex-service men and women who are willing to return to service to help in the fight against insurgents.
He added that they should be mobilise to the field. Saying, the time has come for us to put in all our effort and stamp out this menace from our nation.”
Atiku gave the urged on Tuesday in a statement titled “The Time For A Total War On Terror Is Now.”
The statement stated that, “The security situation in Nigeria is deteriorating rapidly and ordinary Nigerians are living in fear for their lives and the lives of their loved ones. Nowhere seems to be safe. Farms, markets, schools, homes, mosques, churches, and urban areas are all affected.
Terrorists are spreading their areas of operation beyond the Northeast, into far flung areas as far as Niger State in the North-Central. That is merely hours from our Federal Capital.”
He stressed that, “Now is the time for decisive leadership and I call on the Federal Government to consider recalling all ex-servicemen and women, who are willing to return to service, and take the fight to the insurgents, until they are rolled back and defeated.”
Atiku honted that ,as a former vice chairman of the National Security Council, I am aware that Nigeria has a sizeable population of military veterans, who are alive, and were trained locally and internationally, and it serves no purpose to allow these valuable national assets lie fallow when there is an existential threat to our nation. “
He continued, he said ” Call them up. Immediately. Mobilise them to the field. The time has come for us to put in all our effort and stamp out this menace from our nation.
“The men and women of Nigeria’s armed forces, whether serving or retired, who restored peace to Lebanon, Liberia, Sierra Leone and São Tomé and Príncipe can, and should be used to do the same in the motherland.”
“But they need arms and ammunition. It is incumbent on the federal government to develop a more efficient means of sourcing for weapons and delivering them to the troops at the battlefront.
“A situation where terrorists and criminals are better armed than our troops on the battlefront is intolerable.
We need to urgently improve the conditions of service of the men and women of our armed forces. And not just the government.
‘The Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, working in concert with primary mortgage institutions, ought to offer the men and women of our armed forces special concessionary mortgage loans so they can own homes.
“The private sector should also be encouraged to offer discounted services to them in appreciation of their services.
There is no sacrifice greater than to lay down your life for the motherland.
“When our military is properly rewarded, they will fight more valiantly and gallantly.
“A nation that rewards courage is one that avoids outrage.”
Bill Gates has hired his 97-Year-old Billionaire Lawyer Munger to represent him in his divorce from his wife Melinda.
Recall that the Microsoft founder and his wife announced on Monday that they are divorcing after 27 years of marriage. In papers filed in Washington state, Melinda, 56, described their relationship as ‘irretrievably broken’ and the couple’s eldest daughter, 25-year-old Jennifer Gates, has spoken publicly on social media about the ‘challenging stretch’ the family recently endured.
No other details of why the pair are splitting have been given but the court papers reveal the pair did not have a prenuptial agreement in place when they married in 1994 – putting their $130billion fortune at the center of the split.
Bill and Melinda Gates have signed a separation contract – but what is it?
In their divorce filing, Bill and Melinda Gates make it clear that they have no prenuptial agreement – but the papers make repeated reference to a ‘separation contract’ which will divide up their estate.
A separation contract, or separation agreement, is a legally binding document drawn up by divorcing couples in advance of their split in which they agree how to split their lives – including child custody and access, debts and property.
It is governed by contract law, meaning that either party can sue the other for breach of contract if the agreement is broken.
Signing a separation contract allows a couple to divide their assets by mutual agreement, rather than having to go to court.
For the average couple, this means saving money in lawyers’ fees. For Bill and Melinda Gates, it avoids a lengthy, public process during which details about their private lives an assets may have been revealed.
However, a separation agreement is not necessarily final and a judge may overrule it if they feel the contract is unfair to the children involved, unfair to one of the partners, or that one partner has not fully disclosed their assets or earnings to be divvied up.
Lawyers are shocked there was no prenup, given Bill had already made his first billion dollars at the age of 31 in 1987 – the same year he met Melinda.
Now, their myriad assets are up for grabs.
Munger, 97, is not a family lawyer. His expertise is in business, philanthropy and real estate. He and Bill are friends from their time at Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett’s holding company which Bill served on the board of for 16 years and where Munger remains Vice Chairman.
Munger divorced once himself, in the 1950s, and lost all of his money in the process. He remarried and rebuilt his wealth.
Both Gates and Buffett have heaped high praise on him. Gates previously described him as the ‘broadest thinker he has ever met’. Buffett said of him in the same 2017 Farnam Street interview: ‘He comes equipped for rationality… I would say that to try and typecast Charlie in terms of any other human that I can think of, no one would fit. He’s got his own mold.’
The couple met in 1987 – the same year Bill became the world’s youngest billionaire at the age of 31 – married in Hawaii in 1994, and have three children together: Jennifer, 25, Rory, 21, and Phoebe 18.
They also established the world’s largest charitable foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, in 2000 which has contributed more than $50billion to causes including eradicating polio and malaria. The foundation has also been a major investor in coronavirus treatments.
In a joint statement posted to their Twitter accounts on Monday, the pair said their work with the foundation will continue but their marriage will not, adding: ‘We no longer feel we are able to grow as a couple in this next phase of our lives.’
While the couple have no prenup, it appears a lot of the work of dividing up their estate – which includes properties in five states, a private jet, an astonishing art collection and a fleet of luxury cars – has already been done, as their divorce papers repeatedly refer to a ‘separation contract’ which both have signed. The contract itself has not been made public.
The documents, which were obtained by DailyMail.com, came to light after the couple’s eldest daughter revealed their family has been going through a ‘challenging stretch of time’.
Jennifer Gates, 25, spoke out about the divorce announcement on Instagram on Monday afternoon, writing: ‘I’m still learning how to best support my own process and emotions as well as my family members at this time and am grateful for the space to do so.’
Jennifer is the oldest of Bill and Melinda’s three children, followed by 21-year-old son Rory and 18-year-old daughter Phoebe.
Bill and Melinda both posted the same joint statement about their divorce on Twitter, which read: ‘After a great deal of thought and a lot of work, we have made the decision to end our marriage.
‘Over the last 27 years, we have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works all over the world to enable all people to lead healthy, productive lives. We continue to share a belief in that mission and will continue to work together at the foundation, but we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives. We ask for space and privacy for our family as we begin to navigate this new life.’
The announcement comes less than two weeks after they made their last public appearance, virtually, at a COVID event for healthcare workers
Gates co-founded Microsoft in 1975, almost 20 years before he married Melinda. The company made $1million in sales by 1978 and by 1987, he had become the world’s youngest ever billionaire. He met Melinda that year. They are pictured in 1998
Bill was already a billionaire he married Melinda in the early 1990s. He founded Microsoft in 1975 and became the world’s youngest billionaire in 1987 at the age of 31. He also met Melinda that year when she was working at the company where he served as CEO.
They married six years later but he deliberated over it and, according to previous interviews given by Melinda, even made a list of pros and cons for marriage on a whiteboard.
The reason behind their split after over a quarter-century remains a mystery but Melinda has previously suggested her husband had trouble balancing work and family.
In the divorce petition, which was filed in Superior Court of Washington – King County on Monday, Melinda asked the judge to dissolved the marriage ‘on the date stated in our separation contract’. The separation contract was not included in the filing so that date is unclear.
In the absence of the pre-nuptial agreement, the only agreement pertaining to the divorce is the separation contract.
Melinda did not ask for any spousal support but requested a trial date in April 2022. However it is likely the divorce will be settled without a trial.
The petition states that finances pertaining to the couple’s two children are addressed in the separation contract. The document was signed by both Bill and Melinda, as well as their attorneys.
Both Bill and Melinda hired powerhouse law firms to assist in the divorce. While Bill is represented by three lawyers from Munger Tolles & Olson – including Charles – Melinda is represented by a team of four New York based attorneys from two separate firms: Cohen Clair Lane Griefer Thorpe & Rottenstreich LLP and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP.
The Gates’ divorce, though one of the most expensive in history, is not the most expensive.
That title goes to Jeff Bezos, the Amazon founder who split his $150billion fortune with his wife MacKenzie in 2019 after his affair with Lauren Sanchez was revealed.
They, unlike Bezos, are both part of The Giving Pledge – a collection of the world’s richest people who have all vowed to devote at least half of their fortunes to charity.
In 2000 they founded the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation – the most influential private foundation in the worth with an endowment work nearly $50billion.
Over the last year the foundation has focused on the development and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines around the world.
Three cattle breeders who were abducted on Sunday by an unknown gunmen have been released, Newsfocusng learnt.
Our correspondent gathered on Tuesday that the victims were released after the sum of Six Million Naira was paid.
Recall that three people were kidnapped at Idi Ope, near Igangan, in Ibarapa North Local Government Area of the State on Sunday.
The trio were identified as Kabiru Oladimeji, Kazeem and Soka.
They were on their way to visit the person who manages the ranch for them when they were kidnapped.
Public Relations Officer of the State Police command, Mr Adewale Osifeso, when contacted, confirmed the abduction to journalists on Monday.
Osifeso appealed to members of the public to help the police by reporting criminal activities to them without waisting time.
“Three Male victims were indeed abducted around 1820hrs on Sunday 02/05/2021 at Idi Ope village near Igangan. The case was, however, reported 1154hrs on Monday 03/05/2021.
“Efforts are ongoing to rescue the victims and apprehend the abductors. Members of the Public are advised to always report incidences on time to aid prompt and swift action from the Police at all times.
It was however, learnt on Tuesday that the three people have been released.
Convener of Iganga Development Advocate, Oladokun Oladiran confirmed the release of the three people to journalists on Tuesday.
He added that the three people were released on Monday after the sum of Six Million Naira was paid.
According to him, “Yes. They kidnapped three people on Sunday but they have been released.
“They were released on Monday evening after a ransom of six million naira was paid. They collected two million naira from each victim.”
The Senate has ordered the Service Chiefs and Heads of other security agencies to appear before it on Thursday, May 6, 2021.
President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, announced this during plenary on Tuesday after the lawmakers resumed from a break to Mark the World Press Freedom Day.
Speaking on an earlier invitation to the Security Heads, Lawan hinted that the Security Heads were in a National Security Council meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.
The security chiefs were to come Monday at 11am to brief the Senate on the security situation.
According to Lawan , “Today the national security council is continuing its meeting that it started last week. Therefore the invited security head will not be able to come for the briefing.
We are not sure if they will finish their meeting today. We assume it could spill to Wednesday too.
Just like it spilt from Thursday to Tuesday. So to be on the side of caution. We have now fix the date for the briefing to be Thursday, 6,” the Senate President said.
Appealing to colleagues, Lawan reminded the lawmakers that “the briefing will take from the service chiefs and other security agencies will be very crucial for us to be properly informed, properly guided and that if there is any request for supplementary budget, we should be able to understand why we should consider and approve such request.”
The Senate agreed that the expected briefing will be the only item on the order paper.
