Nigerian Newspapers on Tuesday, August 2, have focused on former president Jonathan’s reaction to policemen theft of his properties in Abuja among top stories.
The Nation reports that vice-chancellors of some Federal universities collected over N480, 000 as furniture allowance monthly, National Universities Commission (NUC) chief Abubakar Rasheed has said.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is probing financial irregularities levelled against some of the Vice Chancellors and Bursars of federal universities.
Prof. Rasheed broke the news at a workshop on economic recovery and growth for bursars of Federal universities yesterday in Abuja.
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He accused some of the VCs of financial irregularities, flouting financial regulations and non-compliance with university regulations, especially extant federal circulars emanating from government agencies.
Rasheed spoke of a large disparity in the university system’s salary scale. He alleged that some VCs were living big in terms of salary and allowances, adding that some receive above a million while others receive less.
The Nation newspaper for Wednesday, August 2. Photo credit: snapshot from ZENITHBLOG.com
Thisday reports that Senate President Bukola Saraki has advised the President Muhammadu Buhari administration and the anti-graft agencies to focus more on stopping corruption in public offices than dedicate time on recoveries alone.
He also said that he had stopped collecting the pension due to him as the former governor of Kwara State, following complaints by some civil society organisations that some former governors in the Senate were collecting both their pension and allowances from the National Assembly.
Saraki gave the advice while featuring on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja Tuesday.
Saraki said the anti-corruption fight being prosecuted was only directed at the recovery of stolen funds and promised that the National Assembly would help to re-focus the campaign.
According to him, “Although recovery is good, it will make no sense to allow more money to be looted only to begin another phase of recoveries. Recovery alone cannot amount to anti-corruption fight.
“You see, let us separate recovery from the fight against corruption.
“We still believe that yes, recoveries are being done, but are we doing anything to actively stop corruption going on now?
“This recovery has gone out there; they are two separate issues – the focus I am seeing is recovery but corruption is still there; that is the area that we are focusing on as a Senate.
“Anybody that brings a case about what is happening now, we will go in, look at those agencies and expose them.
“We want to continue to represent the people in that way,” the Senate President said.
He said the Senate would support and ensure that more funds were not stolen in the country.
Saraki said that the Senate already had a roadmap for the remaining two years of the 8th Assembly.
He said that apart from fighting corruption, building the economy and creating jobs were top on the list of areas that the upper chamber would give attention.
The Senate president said: “Over the next two years, we will continue to focus on the economy to see how we can get the economy moving; how we can create jobs for the teeming youths that are unemployed.
“We will also give attention to improvement on health and education. Education is going to take a lot of attention in the next two years.
“We are going to be looking at the social sides, the issue of education and universal health coverage. That is something that we want to push.
“We will continue to support agriculture. We are looking at some bills that we can pass that will give some kind of stability; it is one of the concerns when people invest in agriculture.
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“You know agriculture takes years; people are wondering that the federal government can reverse policies, so we are trying to see what laws can give some measure of security in the areas of investment.
ThisDay newspaper for Wednesday, August 2. Photo credit: snapshot from ZENITHBLOG.com
Vanguard reports that former President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, said, yesterday, that his house in Gwarimpa, Abuja, was stripped bare by thieves who carted away all movable items in the house.
Jonathan, who spoke through a statement issued by his spokesman, Ikechukwu Eze, last night, said the theft was discovered last month, after which it was reported to relevant police authorities.
He said six of those arrested by the police were actually policemen guarding the house, contrary to confirmation by FCT Police Command on Monday that only four policemen were arrested in respect of the burglary.
The statement read: “Following series of enquiries from journalists and other concerned Nigerians on the extent of the reported vandalisation and theft in the house of former President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan located in Gwarimpa, Abuja, we, therefore, would like to make the following clarifications: The theft was discovered last month upon which a report was duly lodged with the relevant police authorities.
“The police immediately commenced investigations which led to the arrest and detention of some suspects, six of whom were policemen, even as investigations continue.
“The house, which the former President bought from CITEC estate developers in 2004, was totally stripped bare by the thieves who stole every movable item in the house, including furniture sets, beds, electronics, toilet and electrical fittings, as well as all internal doors and frames.
“However, contrary to exaggerated reports in some media, only six television sets, three refrigerators and one gas cooker were stolen. Being that the house is a modest, a 4-bedroom duplex, it couldn’t have been fitted with “36 Plasma television sets and about 25 refrigerators” as falsely reported by some media outfits.
“We thank all Nigerians for their show of concern and wish to convey the former President’s goodwill to all Nigerians.”
Vanguard newspaper for Wednesday, August 2. Photo credit: snapshot from ZENITHBLOG.com
Punch reports that former President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday gave more insights into the theft in his Gwarimpa residence in Abuja, saying the suspects stole all movable objects in the house.
Jonathan, in a statement by his Media Aide, Ikechukwu Eze, in Abuja, noted that Nigerians were concerned about the vandalism and theft in the residence.
The aide said the enquiries by journalists and other concerned Nigerians made it necessary for the former President to make some clarifications.
He stated, “The theft was discovered last month upon which a report was duly lodged with the relevant police authorities.
“The police immediately commenced investigations which led to the arrest and detention of some suspects, six of whom were policemen, even as investigations continue.
“The house, which the former President bought from CITEC estate developers in 2004, was totally stripped bare by the thieves who stole every movable item in the house including furniture sets, beds, electronics, toilet and electrical fittings, as well as all internal doors and frames.”
He stated that contrary to exaggerated reports in some media (The PUNCH not included), only six televisions, three refrigerators and one gas cooker were stolen.
“Being that the house is a modest four-bedroom duplex, it couldn’t have been fitted with “36 plasma televisions and about 25 refrigerators” as falsely reported by some media outfits,” he stated.
The Punch newspaper for Wednesday, August 2. Photo credit: snapshot from ZENITHBLOG.com
The Guardian reports that former vice president and a leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar, yesterday decried the absence of internal democracy among the country’s registered political parties.
Making a veiled reference to the way and manner the Chief John Odigie-Oyegun led APC is being administered, he called for a nexus between internal democracy and the quality of leadership required to address the multifaceted problems bedeviling the nation.
Atiku who was apparently referring to APC’s inability to convene its Board of Trustees (BOT) National Executive Committee (NEC) meetings in line with the party’s constitution spoke during the second Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) of Nigeria annual conference 2017 on Internal party democracy: A recipe to a sustainable democracy in Nigeria, in Abuja.
The Guardian newspaper for Wednesday, August 2. Photo credit: snapshot from ZENITHBLOG.com
In the video below, ZENITHBLOG.com TV asked some Nigerians what they have to say about President Buhari’s absence away from the country for so long.
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