Gaidam signs N89.9bn 2016 budget into law

By Ndahi Marama

MAIDUGUri—Governor Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe State yesterday signed the 2016 budget of N89,932,740,000.00, into law, even as he swore in newly appointed Caretaker Committee Chairmen of all the 17 councils of the state.

Yobe State Governor, Gaidam The assent on budget followed the passage of proposal he submitted to the House of Assembly on 31st December 2015. The twin events of the signing budget into law and swearing-in of the caretaker chairmen took place at the WAWA Hall, Government House, Damaturu, Speaking at the signing ceremony, Gaidam said, even though the country was facing economic challenges, with improvement in the security situation in the state, he was optimistic that the appropriation Bill would be sourced/financed through adequate utilization of the Internally Generated Revenue, apparatus in the state. He noted that the 2016 appropriation and finance bills provided for a total

Police deploys 5,000 officers for Benue senatorial re-run

By Peter Duru

MAKURDI—Benue State Police Command, yesterday said it had mobilized and deployed no fewer than 5,000 police men to the Benue South zone, ahead of tomorrow ‘s senatorial rerun election between Senator David Mark of the Peoples Democratic Party and Daniel Onjeh, of the All Progressives Congress, APC.Policemen

Relocate your headquarters to Delta, Ndokwa youths tell oil firm

By Ochuko Akuopha

OLEH—PROTESTERS, yesterday, barricaded the entrance to the office of Sterling Energy Exploration Company, SEEPCO, at Kwale, Ndokwa West Local Government Area, Delta State, demanding the relocation of the company’s operational headquarters from Lagos to Delta State.

They also kicked against the company’s use of vessels to haul crude oil from Ndokwa and its alleged unwillingness to comply with the provisions of the Local Content Act.

Gathered under the aegis of Pages Group International, PGI, the placard carrying protesters, comprising mainly of youths of Ndokwa nation, condemned the alleged refusal of the company to comply with the directive of the Federal Government to multinational oil companies to relocate their headquarters to their states of operations.

I’ll support you till death, Ogbemudia tells Oshiomhole

By Simon Ebegbulem

BENIN—FOR transforming the face of governance in Edo State and for the developmental projects across the state, a former governor of the defunct Mid-West region and Bendel State, Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia, has pledged to support Governor Adams Oshiomhole for the rest of his life, saying, “I will continue to work with you until my grave.”

Dr. Ogbemudia, during a visit by Governor Oshiomhole in his residence, in Benin City, said: “I have withdrawn my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, so, I am at home as a non-partisan politician. But every human being is a political animal, and I cannot say I have left politics.”

Alleged laundering of $600,000: EFCC picks up Diezani’s hubby, Alison-Madueke

By Soni Daniel, Regional Editor, North

 ABUJA — The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday, invited Alison Amaechina Madueke, husband of embattled former Petroleum Minister, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke. Madueke, a retired Admiral of the Nigerian Navy and former Chief of Naval Staff, was picked up in Abuja yesterday morning by EFCC operatives over alleged money laundering to the tune of $600,000 through his personal accounts. 

Admiral Alison Madueke (Rtd) Admiral Alison Madueke (Rtd) An EFCC source close to the interrogation confirmed to Vanguard last night that Madueke was summoned in connection with some funds, which were traced from some suspicious transactions into his account but did not give details of the transactions. 

The source did not also say whether the transactions had anything to do with his wife, Diezani