CC™ VideoSpective
Tuesday
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The Elections Are Over, We Must Move Forward – Former President Jonathan Says After Visiting President Tinubu
By Osimhen Egharevba
Former President Goodluck Jonathan says following the Supreme Court’s validation of President Bola Tinubu’s electoral victory, Nigeria must move forward.
The ex-president stated this while briefing journalists at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa after meeting with Tinubu.
“There are certain things we discussed so that the country must move forward. Elections are over, we must move forward,” Jonathan said.
“Yes, we have challenges economically now, we still have all it takes to lead. These are some of the issues I will continue to have a conversation with Mr. President, including briefing him on all my foreign programs because they are not personal issues.”
He said the visit which came hours after the Supreme Court verdict, afforded him the opportunity to congratulate the President over Thursday’s judgment.
According to him, there is a need to end the tension and move forward together as Africa’s most populous nation.
Jonathan called on all political leaders, including former President to eschew bitterness and work together in harmony for the country’s overall good.
The former president also said his visit was to inform Tinubu of some of his recent foreign engagements as well as some sundry issues affecting the country.
“Traditionally, if a former president goes outside the country for this continental, regional or international, they come home and tell the President. That is the tradition. Most of the time, when you see me here, it is because of the things we must do to move Nigeria, ECOWAS, and the African continent forward,” he added.
Friday
Nigerian naira hits record black market low - abokiFx
CC™ VideoSpective
Reuters
ABUJA, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Nigeria's naira hit a record low of 1,300 per dollar on the black market on Thursday, online platform abokiFX showed, driven by thin trading volumes on the parallel market and dollar shortages on the official market.
The naira has been in free fall on the unofficial market, where it trades freely, after currency restrictions were lifted on the official market.
Last month, the currency slid past 1,000 naira per dollar on the black market and has continued to weaken.
On Monday, central bank governor Yemi Cardoso said the naira will adjust once rules for market participants are made clear.
Finance Minister Wale Edun also said on Monday that Nigeria was expecting $10 billion in foreign currency inflows in the next few weeks to improve foreign exchange market liquidity.
He said, without elaborating, that the inflows would come from the issuance of instruments in dollars, oil sales and foreign investments.
On the official market, the naira recovered to 775 to the dollar from a record low of 999 it touched last week.
The prospect of foreign exchange inflows has slowed naira's depreciation on the official market, one trader said. It kept losing ground, however, on the black market due to thin trading.
Reporting by Chijioke Ohuocha Editing by Tomasz Janowski
Thursday
Wednesday
Nigeria wins bid to overturn $11 bln damages for collapsed gas deal
By Sam Tobin
Nigeria on Monday hailed a landmark victory after it won its bid to overturn an $11 billion damages bill for a collapsed gas project, in a case a judge at London's High Court said exemplified the ravages of greed and corruption.
Africa's most populous country had previously been ordered to pay the sum – representing around a third of its foreign exchange reserves – to Process & Industrial Developments (P&ID), a company based in the British Virgin Islands.
But Judge Robin Knowles found that P&ID had paid bribes to a Nigerian oil ministry official in connection with the gas contract signed in 2010, and had failed to disclose this when it later took Nigeria to arbitration over the collapse of the deal.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu described the judgment as a blow against economic malpractice and the exploitation of Africa.
"Nation states will no longer be held hostage by economic conspiracies between private firms and solitarily corrupt officials," he said in a statement.
The ruling is a major boost for Africa's biggest economy, which is saddled with mounting debt, high inflation and unemployment.
"The economic prospects of an entire country have been held hostage by a tainted arbitral award that was built on bribes and lies," said campaign group Spotlight on Corruption.
In 2017, an arbitration tribunal had awarded P&ID $6.6 billion for lost profit after its 20-year contract to construct and operate a gas processing plant in southern Nigeria had fallen apart.
The sum had since swelled with interest to over $11 billion, representing 10 times the country's 2019 health budget.
"DRIVEN BY GREED"
However, Nigeria's lawyers went to court to overturn the award, saying P&ID had bribed senior officials to obtain the contract and corrupted the country's lawyers to obtain confidential documents during the arbitration. P&ID denied this and accused Nigeria of institutional incompetence.
But Knowles allowed Nigeria's challenge, writing that the case showed what some people would do for money, "driven by greed and prepared to use corruption; giving no thought to what their enrichment would mean in terms of harm for others".
The judge said a further hearing would take place to decide whether to send the case back to arbitration or ditch the $11 billion award without further delay.
Lawyers representing P&ID said the firm was disappointed and considering steps available to it.
In a rare rebuke, the judge said two British lawyers who stood to receive astronomical sums had Nigeria been forced to pay the $11 billion-plus bill had misconducted themselves out of greed.
Trevor Burke, an eminent criminal barrister and a nephew of P&ID's co-founder, would have received $850 million while Seamus Andrew, who represented P&ID during the arbitration, would have received up to $3 billion.
Both received confidential Nigerian documents during the arbitration that they knew they were not entitled to see, the judge found. Their decision to say nothing and not to return the documents was "indefensible", he wrote.
They did so "because of the money they hoped to make" and gave untruthful evidence about it, Knowles added, referring his ruling to legal standards regulators.
Burke and Andrew said in separate statements they did not accept the judge's criticisms and believed they would be exonerated by the regulators.
Tuesday
Ancient Egyptians, not Greeks, were true fathers of medicine
CC™ IntroSpective
Scientists examining documents dating back 3,500 years say they have found proof that the origins of modern medicine lie in ancient Egypt and not with Hippocrates and the Greeks.
The research team from the KNH Centre for Biomedical Egyptology at The University of Manchester discovered the evidence in medical papyri written in 1,500BC - 1,000 years before Hippocrates was born.
"Classical scholars have always considered the ancient Greeks, particularly Hippocrates, as being the fathers of medicine but our findings suggest that the ancient Egyptians were practising a credible form of pharmacy and medicine much earlier," said Dr Jackie Campbell.
"When we compared the ancient remedies against modern pharmaceutical protocols and standards, we found the prescriptions in the ancient documents not only compared with pharmaceutical preparations of today but that many of the remedies had therapeutic merit."
The medical documents, which were first discovered in the mid-19th century, showed that ancient Egyptian physicians treated wounds with honey, resins and metals known to be antimicrobial.
The team also discovered prescriptions for laxatives of castor oil and colocynth and bulk laxatives of figs and bran. Other references show that colic was treated with hyoscyamus, which is still used today, and that cumin and coriander were used as intestinal carminatives.
Further evidence showed that musculo-skeletal disorders were treated with rubefacients to stimulate blood flow and poultices to warm and soothe. They used celery and saffron for rheumatism, which are currently topics of pharmaceutical research, and pomegranate was used to eradicate tapeworms, a remedy that remained in clinical use until 50 years ago.
"Many of the ancient remedies we discovered survived into the 20th century and, indeed, some remain in use today, albeit that the active component is now produced synthetically," said Dr Campbell.
"Other ingredients endure and acacia is still used in cough remedies while aloes forms a basis to soothe and heal skin conditions."
Fellow researcher Dr Ryan Metcalfe is now developing genetic techniques to investigate the medicinal plants of ancient Egypt. He has designed his research to determine which modern species the ancient botanical samples are most related to.
"This may allow us to determine a likely point of origin for the plant while providing additional evidence for the trade routes, purposeful cultivation, trade centres or places of treatment," said Dr Metcalfe.
"The work is inextricably linked to state-of-the-art chemical analyses used by my colleague Judith Seath, who specialises in the essential oils and resins used by the ancient Egyptians."
Professor Rosalie David, Director of the KNH Centre, said: "These results are very significant and show that the ancient Egyptians were practising a credible form of pharmacy long before the Greeks.
"Our research is continuing on a genetic, chemical and comparative basis to compare the medicinal plants of ancient Egypt with modern species and to investigate similarities between the traditional remedies of North Africa with the remedies used by their ancestors of 1,500 BC."
The research is being funded by the Leverhulme Trust.
Monday
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Thursday
“He’s disconnected from reality’ — APC tackles Babachir Lawal for claiming Obi won presidential poll
CC™ Nigeria News
By Dyepkazah Shibayan
The All Progressives Congress (APC) says Babachir Lawal, a former secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), needs “counselling” because he is “disconnected from reality”.
The ruling party was reacting to a statement by Lawal where he claimed that Peter Obi, candidate of the Labour Party (LP), won the presidential poll.
He said President Bola Tinubu, who was declared as the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), came “a distant third”.
In a statement on Tuesday, Felix Morka, APC spokesperson, said the former SGF is peddling “gibberish” because Obi lost the election.
“Clearly, the defeat of his principal, Peter Obi, at the poll has done incalculable damage to Mr. Lawal’s psyche and his capacity for rational thought as evident in his analysis based entirely on the figment of his warped imagination rather than on hard facts and figures,” he said.
“A clear sign of his disconnect from reality was his reference to the election held in May 2023, rather than February.
“We challenge Babachir Lawal to give a detailed breakdown of his so-called ‘aggregated facts sourced from independent sources,’ which he claimed proved that Obi won the election or forever remain mute.
“That he did not provide these facts to help Obi prove his case before the Presidential Elections Petitions Court is a massive disservice if not betrayal of his political principal.
“Babachir Lawal ought to have known that running a jaundiced commentary on a matter before the Supreme Court is the height of irresponsibility.
“But he is still nursing bitterness and vindictiveness over his failed dream of running on a joint ticket with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
Morka described Lawal as a “lightweight” individual who has failed as a politician in Adamawa.
“Despite his legendary failure as a politician, former President Muhammadu Buhari in deference to diversity appointed him to the high office of SGF where he was unceremoniously sacked on account of very poor performance and dishonorable conduct,” he said.
“A man like Babachir Lawal is in no position to offer an opinion on the competence of President Tinubu’s appointees.”
The APC spokesperson said Lawal should mind his farm “and stop constituting himself into a needless distraction”.
Wednesday
Peter Obi won 2023 presidential election – Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal
By Deji Komolafe
The former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal on Tuesday claimed that the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, won the February 25 presidential election.
According to Lawal, the election was not won by the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu who was declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He further stated that available factual data as aggregated from several independent sources indicated that Obi got the majority votes while the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar came second in the election.
Lawal noted that President Tinubu came a distant third in the number of votes scored.
The former SGF in a statement released on Tuesday said, “I have resisted the temptation to engage in the contemporary political discourse since the May 2023 election faux pas.
“I did this for two reasons; the first being that as an active player in the drama, I needed time to analyze and digest the data that led to the outcome(s) so I could arrive at an informed decision; the second, being that the rainy season had just set in and it was necessary that I focused my attention on my farms which are the mainstay of my livelihood.
“The current topical issues for political discourse and inquiry are whether or not Bola Tinubu won the presidential election and/or that he was apriori, qualified to participate in the election given his murky biodata as is now being publicly unveiled daily in an avalanche.
“My answer to the first inquiry is that regardless of whatever INEC or Appeal Court said or did, Bola did not win the election.
“Right from the start of the campaigns, Bola knew he was not going to win the election in a free and fair contest so he decided to go by all means.
“Available factual data as aggregated from several independent sources indicate that Obi got the majority votes while Atiku came second. Bola came a distant third in the number of votes scored.
“My answer to the second inquiry is that given the now unfolding deluge of uncomplimentary information about who or what he actually is, ordinarily, sound ethics and morality should have convinced him to voluntarily excuse himself from participation in the election.
“ But this, notwithstanding, I believe he still has time and opportunity to save himself this public humiliation and embarrassment to his person, both locally and internationally by resigning so that he can give more attention to his health.
“After all, no one knows about the truism of these severely embarrassing and humiliating exposures about his person than the man himself.
“Leadership is all about integrity; sound pedigree, trustworthiness and the ability to unite and instil hope and confidence in the people one seeks to lead. In these qualities, most Nigerians are in total agreement that Bola has them in very very short supply indeed.
“But now, six months down the line, the chicken has come home to roost as Nigerians have come to the realization that we have not got what we deserve politically.
“Confusion and despondency are now all over the nation as no one trusts the government to do what it says it will do. No one trusts the leader, and no one trusts appointees who are appointed as rewards for their roles in the election or who had in the past helped him in his life.
“ Bola the President and his group are now in government and are in full control of Nigeria’s vast resources and opportunities. They are enjoying their offices while Nigerians languish in insecurity, poverty and hopelessness.
“During the campaign, Bola mouthed some platitudes about competence; but we are so far yet to see it reflected in his political appointments. It seems more like he is rewarding people who supported him to get the Presidency at all costs.
“This band of appointees that Bola is assembling into his government don’t care about Nigeria at all.
“Fuel prices will continue to gallop upwards until only they can afford it; the Naira will continue to race downhill in a free-fall until only they can afford anything in the market; insecurity will continue its escalation until every community in the nation is consumed by it.
“Just to mention a few of these appointees: take insecurity for example, what do you expect an accountant to do as Minister of Defense?
“ Was he not that one who was governor while Bello Turji et al freely terrorized Zamfara State? What about his CBN Governor with a CV; a one-time Chairman of a little-known bank employing 300 people in less than 12 branches clustered in the South-South and South East regions?
“Is there any doubt left as to his lack of qualification and experience for the job than that his first policy statement was to remove foreign exchange restrictions for the importation of 43 agricultural and related products?
“Certainly, Nigerians are in for a short thrift. The people running the government do not care a hoot about the Nigerian people; their cronies are the petroleum industry players while some are the banking system players so a free fall of the Naira and an unregulated upward movement of oil prices both work for more profits for them.
“By the way, has anyone noticed the intolerance for free speech and dictatorship that is creeping upon us? Has anyone noticed the actions of the National Broadcasting Commission of late?”
Tuesday
Monday
Sunday
Experts say Hamas and Israel are committing war crimes in their fight
By Mike Corder and Julia Frankel
The deadly attacks by Hamas on Israeli civilians and the devastating Israeli airstrikes and blockade of Gaza have raised accusations among international legal experts that both sides were violating international law.
A United Nations Commission of Inquiry said it has been “collecting and preserving evidence of war crimes committed by all sides” since the violence started last week. That evidence could be added to an investigation by the International Criminal Court into possible war crimes committed by Israel and Hamas in past conflicts.
“Intentional targeting of civilians and civilian objects without a military necessary reason to do so is a war crime, period,” said David Crane, an American international law expert and the founding chief prosecutor of the United Nations’ Special Court for Sierra Leone. “And that’s a standard that both sides are held to under international law.”
Even Israel’s staunchest ally has sounded a note of caution.
U.S. President Joe Biden, at a meeting with Jewish leaders Wednesday, said he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “that it is really important that Israel, with all the anger and frustration and just — I don’t know how to explain it — that exists is that they operate by the rules of war — the rules of war. And there are rules of war.”
DID HAMAS COMMIT WAR CRIMES?
After breaking through Israel’s security barrier early Saturday morning, Hamas militants gunned down entire families, including women and young children, in border communities around the Gaza Strip. Israel’s health service said it extricated the bodies of over a hundred community members from Kibbutz Be’eri. Militants attacked the Tribe of Nova music festival, gunning down people as they desperately sought refuge.
The attacks killed more than 1,300 people in Israel, including 247 soldiers — a toll unseen in Israel for decades.
Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine Director of Human Rights Watch, pointed to Hamas “shooting civilians en masse, taking hostages, including women and children — undeniably grave abuses of international law, for which there’s no justification.”
In an analysis published on the international law website Opinio Juris, Cornell Law School professor Jens David Ohlin wrote that the Hamas attacks amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity under the International Criminal Court’s founding Rome Statute.
Rights group Amnesty International called for accountability.
“Massacring civilians is a war crime and there can be no justification for these reprehensible attacks,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s secretary-general.
“These crimes must be investigated as part of the International Criminal Court’s ongoing investigation into crimes committed by all parties in the current conflict,” Callamard said.
IS ISRAEL’S MILITARY RESPONSE LEGAL?
The Israeli military has pulverized large parts of the Hamas -ruled Gaza Strip with airstrikes and blocked deliveries of food, water, fuel and electricity ahead of a possible ground invasion. The bombardment already has killed about 1,800 people in Gaza, including U.N. workers, paramedics and journalists.
Experts say the blockade, which is hitting the territory’s more than 2 million residents, violates international law. “Collective punishment is a war crime. Israel is doing that by cutting electricity, water, food, blocking aid from entering the Gaza Strip,” Shakir said.
Early Friday, Israel’s military directed the evacuation of some 1 million civilians living in the northern Gaza Strip ahead of a feared Israel ground offensive. Hamas called on residents to remain in their homes.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said the order to leave along with the siege “are not compatible with international humanitarian law.”
Jan Egeland, secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, also called the order illegal. It is “not an evacuation opportunity, it’s an order to relocate. Under humanitarian law, it’s called forcible transfer of populations, and it’s a war crime,” he said.
Israel has also faced criticism for its widespread airstrikes razing large areas of Gaza since the Hamas attacks.
But Crane said that Hamas’ base in the densely populated area makes any Israeli military action extremely difficult.
“They’re almost in an impossible situation. Every time they fire an artillery piece, an aircraft fires missiles and stuff at a legitimate target, they’re going to collaterally kill civilians,” he said.
The Israeli military has “this challenge where you have one of the most densely populated places on Earth where you have a combatant hiding behind and firing from those positions, using the civilians as human shields,” Crane said.
Many in Israel’s defense establishment have pledged to fight until every trace of militancy is gone from the territory — even if it means wreaking mass havoc on the besieged strip’s civilian population.
But Israel’s relentless airstrikes could come under scrutiny, both because of the heavy civilian death toll and heavy damage to civilian infrastructure.
“We’re seeing reports of entire neighborhoods, blocks that are reduced to rubble. Certainly that would appear to be, you know, war crimes as well,” Shakir said. “We’ve seen attacks that have affected hospitals and other areas that are entitled to protection.”
The Israeli army says it follows international legal norms and strikes only legitimate military targets.
“The most pleasant way not to cause any harm to anyone is not to do anything,” said retired Israeli general Giora Eiland. “But Israel has to fight. And how do you fight? You have to bomb them. Or you do nothing. If civilians decide to stay on the streets of Gaza, there will be much more civilian casualties.”
CAN THE ICC GET INVOLVED?
While Israel is not one of the court’s 123 member states, ICC judges have ruled that the Palestinians are and that the court has jurisdiction over territories occupied by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war.
The ICC prosecution office’s ongoing investigation — spurred by the last major conflict in Gaza — can analyze war crimes allegations from the latest war.
But Israel does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction and the ICC does not have a police force to execute arrest warrants.
Saturday
Stephen A. Smith says Jada Pinkett Smith has “exceeded cruelty” with public remarks about marriage to Will Smith
ByAngelina Velasquez
Jada Pinkett Smith sent the media and fans into a dizzying tailspin when she revealed that she and Will Smith have been separated since 2016 despite appearing as husband and wife in public.
The actress, who is promoting her upcoming memoir, “Worthy,” has also dished on the infamous Oscars slap, her “soulmate” connection to the late Tupac Shakur, and more in revealing interviews with NBC News and People. Responses to her revelations have reignited vitriol for Pinkett Smith, especially among those who believe her tell-alls have further damaged the box office star’s reputation and his public perception. One of the critics is Stephen A. Smith.
On the Friday (Oct. 13) episode of his eponymous YouTube show, he unleashed on the 52-year-old. The “First Take” host began, “Let me tell y’all what Will Smith does not deserve: He does not deserve what Jada Pinkett Smith has done to him.”
He continued, “Now I know people very, very close to Jada Pinkett Smith, and I am not going to utter a disrespectful word about her. That’s not where I’m going. It’s deeper than that. There are a few questions that Jada Pinkett Smith deserves to be asked to her. Where’s your compassion? Where’s your decency? Where is your respect for a man you still acknowledge as your husband? Where is the respect for a man you walked down the aisle with and pledged your life to in 1997 for better or worse, for rich or [for] poorer, in sickness and in health, ’til death do you part?”
Stephen, who has never wed, implied that Pinkett Smith has fallen short of honoring her wedding vows with some of her remarks — e.g., speaking on her entanglement with August Alsina and stating that she was shocked that Will referred to her as his wifeafter slapping Chris Rock for joking about her shaved head. For the latter, the Emancipationactor has taken a public pummeling.
“Somebody gotta say it to Jada plain and simple: Go to the Torah, go to the Bible, go to the holy Quran, pick whatever you want. Let’s talk about the role of a wife, at least from the perspective of just sparing him,” added Stephen. “I’m not getting in the right or wrong; it’s none of my business… I know it is uncomfortable and grotesquely unfair to emasculate your husband publicly! Publicly. He’s Will Smith. How much smaller do you want to make him? How could you do this? It’s exceeded cruelty.”
Watch Stephen’s Full Comments Below…..
Friday
Thursday
Flashback: David Cameron describes blockaded Gaza as a 'prison
UK Prime Minister David Cameron has condemned the blockade of the Gaza Strip, describing the territory as a "prison camp".
He also criticised Israel for launching an attack on a convoy transporting Turkish activists and aid to Gaza. Nine Turkish citizens died in the raid.
He was speaking to an audience of businessmen during a visit to Ankara.
The Israeli embassy in London said Gazans were prisoners of Palestinian militant Islamist group Hamas.
Israel and Egypt enforce a blockade on Gaza which restricts goods and people from coming in or out freely.
"Gaza cannot and must not be allowed to remain a prison camp," Mr Cameron said.
"People in Gaza are living under constant attacks and pressure in an open-air prison," he said.
In May, Israeli commandoes stormed the Mavi Marmara and in fighting that followed, nine Turkish activists were killed and four soldiers wounded.
During a press conference held with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Mr Erdogan called the Israeli raid an act of "piracy".
"Israel must apologise as soon as possible, pay compensation and lift the blockade," he said.
The British government's policy has been to call for an end to the blockade, but never before has a British prime minister been so blunt, says the BBC's Jonny Dymond in Ankara.
A spokesman for the Israeli embassy in London said Hamas, which won Palestinian parliamentary elections in 2006, was responsible for the situation in Gaza.
"The people of Gaza are the prisoners of the terrorist organisation Hamas. The situation in Gaza is the direct result of Hamas' rule and priorities," the spokesman said.
Wednesday
Tuesday
Israeli Offensive UN says nearly 200,000 displaced in Gaza, water shortages expected
The United Nations humanitarian office said on Tuesday that nearly 200,000 people or nearly a tenth of the population, have fled their homes in Gaza since the start of hostilities and is poised for shortages of water and electricity due to a blockade.
"Displacement has escalated dramatically across the Gaza strip, reaching more than 187,500 people since Saturday. Most are taking shelter in schools," Jens Laerke, OCHA spokesperson, told a Geneva briefing, saying further displacement was expected as clashes continue.
A World Health Organization spokesperson said it had reported 13 attacks on health facilities in the Gaza strip since the weekend and said that its medical supplies stored there had already been used up.
Monday
Sunday
Liverpool and Brighton share the spoils on the South Coast
By Sports Desk
Liverpool FC dropped more points in their penultimate match against Brighton & Hove Albion, as both teams battled to a pulsating 2-2 draw on the South Coast.
Brighton took the lead before Mo Salah shot the Reds in front with two goals in the first half. A moment of indecision by Andy Robertson allowed Lewis Dunk to equalize for Brighton in the 78th minute, setting up a nail biting finish to an exciting affair.
The Reds sit fourth on the league table with 17 points, three behind Arsenal and Tottenham (both tied for the lead), and one point behind the defending champions, Manchester City, who sit in third after losing 1-0 to Arsenal in a rather dull affair at the Emirates.
It was finally great to have this weekend’s ties devoid of the usual VAR and refereeing issues that have plagued the Premier League this year. The fans pay to watch the players, not the referees and VAR, something Howard Webb and the top brass at the English FA need to clearly understand.
The league takes an international break with the teams returning to action the weekend of 10/21/23. Liverpool will take on Everton then, while Arsenal travel to West London to take on Chelsea.
Saturday
Friday
In leaked audio, Atiku allegedly admits to setting up channels for corruption
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar, has been accused of complicity regarding bribery and misappropriation of public funds.
This came to light in a viral audio shared by Atiku’s former aide, Michael Achimugu, where the former vice-president allegedly admitted to having collected N100 million bribe from Mr Joshua Dariye, a former Plateau State governor, which was paid directly to Marine Float, one of the three firms he registered.Play audio
In the audio recording which Achimugu claimed was with Atiku, the former Vice President is heard explaining how he set up an ‘SPV -Special Purpose Vehicle’ to receive monies from corruption-related dealings.
During his tenure as governor from 1999 to 2007, Dariye was found to have stolen N2 billion in public funds. He was found guilty of criminal misappropriation and criminal breach of trust.
“When the governor sent donations, he sent it to Marine Float. It stayed in Marine Float. One of the subscribers of Marine Float was Otunba Fasawe. That was where the N100 million went to. It did not go to Atiku Abubakar. It went to Marine Float. Marine Float was a special-purpose vehicle,” Atiku revealed in the YouTube phone recording.
Atiku said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had afterwards “very thoroughly” investigated Marine Float accounts but had still not “discovered anything” connecting him to the company’s fraudulent practices.
The former vice president also described how he was in charge of establishing onshore shell companies to operate as a conduit for taking large sums of money from public works contracts for himself and former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
He said, “What happened was when we came into office and I advised the president against open corruption.
“I told him to give me three people you trust and I will prepare three companies in which they will be subscribers or rather the directors.
“So that if there is any contract that we give they will act like consultants and they are given a fee. That fee is what we use to fund the party.”
Atiku was accused by Nigerian senators in 2007 of misusing more than $100 million (£51 million) in taxpayer money for personal gain.
A Senate investigation suggested that Atiku be prosecuted for diverting funds to businesses he was associated with.
After the then-president, Obasanjo, transmitted accusations made against Atiku by Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, the Senate opened the investigation.
The investigative panel acknowledged in a report given to the Senate that it concurred with the conclusion that Atiku had abetted in the transfer of $145 million from Nigerian government accounts to banks.
The panel’s research and conclusions, though, had no effect.
Thursday
Flashback - Atiku Abubakar: Corruption Incorporated
Nigerian opposition presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar said he is willing to disclose his assets if compelled by law and denied a new corruption allegation against him ahead of the Feb. 25 election, the BBC reported on Tuesday.
Atiku, who was vice president from 1999 to 2007, is the main opposition People's Democratic Party's candidate and among the top three contenders to take over from President Muhammadu Buhari, whose final term ends in May.
The candidate, a 76-year-old businessman, has previously faced allegations of corruption, which he denies.
Atiku told the BBC he would disclose his assets if a law was enacted requiring it and that he would "take it in good faith" if he lost the election.
"The law doesn't provide that we should make it (assets) public. But if the law says we should make it public, I will make it public. I don't mind it," he said.
A ruling party official last week filed a motion with the High Court in Abuja asking it to order the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and other agencies to arrest and prosecute Atiku over a leaked audio.
On the audio, which Reuters has not verified, someone who sounds like Atiku describes a plan to divert funds from government projects and cover up that the person received the money.
When asked to comment on the audio, Atiku told the BBC: "That voice has disclosed nothing new."
When pressed if it was his voice in the audio he said, "Nothing new."
"All what I know, all corrupt practices or corrupt allegations against me have been investigated in this country more than anybody else and nothing was found against me."
Atiku figured prominently in the corruption trial of former U.S. Representative William Jefferson, who was accused of trying to bribe Atiku in an effort to expand a technology business in Nigeria. Jefferson was convicted in 2009 and sentenced to 13 years in prison. His sentence was subsequently reduced.
Separately, U.S. Senate investigators in 2010 alleged that one of Atiku's four wives helped him transfer more than $40 million in "suspect funds" into the United States from offshore shell companies.
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