EFCC, London Police Part Ways – Sunday Independent

There were indications on Friday that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) may have severed its relations with the London Metropolitan Police.

In fact, the latter has said it no longer has a working relationship with Nigeria’s EFCC. It now deals directly with the office of the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice.

This is coming on the heels of scathing criticism of the EFCC by the visiting United States Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, who urged the anti-graft body to wake up to its responsibilities of fighting corruption.

The two agencies had enjoyed a robust working relationship during the days of Nuhu Ribadu, the sacked chairman of the EFCC.

Gunman Nabbed Inside Enugu Governor’s Lodge – Sunday Independent

A gunman was arrested on Saturday morning inside the old Government Lodge, G.R.A. Enugu, where the state governor, Sullivan Chime resides. The arrest of the gunman is coming at a time when factions of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are bickering over the nomination of candidates for the local council poll slated for December this year.

The gunman, whose identity could not be ascertained, beat the tight security checks at the gate of the lodge, where Chime was slated to host stakeholders of the PDP to seek peaceful ways of nominating candidates for the forthcoming council elections.

Fashola Wants Another Look At UBE Funds – Sunday Independent

Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), on Friday called for a re-visitation of the implementation and disbursement of the funds of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) system across the country.

According to the governor, who spoke when he played host to the chairman and members of the Governing Board of the UBE Board at the Lagos House, Ikeja, there should be flexibility in terms of how the funds is applied.

Fashola added that high population figure for a state like Lagos “is not an accident”, but one which has come about because while people and teachers are migrating every minute into the state, some states are losing those who have migrated to Lagos.

Journalists Escape Police Bullet In Oyo – Sunday Independent

But for providence, calamity would have visited the Oyo State chapter of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), as four correspondents would have been shot dead on Saturday by men of the Iyaganku Division of the state police command right at the Simeon Adebo Secretariat of the union.

The embattled chairman of the council, Wale Ojo-Lanre, had reportedly described the four journalists as “armed robbers”.

The four, mainly members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the union, include Sola Adeyemo, the Bureau Chief of the Nigerian Compass; and his Senior Reporter, Ademola Babalola; Oladele Ogunsola, State Correspondent of the Independent Newspapers Limited, and Adeloye Aderogba of the Herald newspaper were assaulted and beaten while one of the men, Sunday Afolayan with tag number 388662 pulled the triggers of his gun to shoot the ‘robbers’ before his other colleagues rushed and retrieve the gun from him.

Amnesty: You Must Accept Deal, Northern Leaders Tell Militants – Sunday Independent

Northern leaders have told the Niger Delta militants that they have no choice but to accept the amnesty deal of the Federal Government as a step towards ending the hostilities in the oil rich region.

They also disagreed with the position of some leaders of the troubled region and the militants that the armed youths do not need amnesty because, “amnesty is meant for criminals.”

According to them, the “activities of the Niger Delta militants is nothing short of armed banditry.”

Yar’Adua For Imo July 25 As Ohakim Joins PDP – Sunday Independent

President Umaru Yar’Adua is expected in Owerri, the Imo State capital on July 25, the day governor Ikedi Ohakim will finally ditch the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

President Yar’Adua would be re-enacting in Imo State, a similar and recent experience in Bauchi where he went to witness the defection of his son-in-law, governor Isa Yuguda, to the PDP.

Yuguda who won the state’s governorship poll in April 2007 on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), dumped the party for the PDP in an elaborate reception organised for him for that purpose a fortnight ago.

N5b Constituency Project: EFCC Quizzes Rivers Speaker, 27 Members – The Independent

Speaker Tonye Harry and his Majority Leader, Chidi Lloyd are among 28 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who had been interrogated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in connection with the mismanagement of about N5billion constituency project fund.

A reliable source within the anti-corruption commission disclosed at the weekend that the money was released to the lawmakers as constituency project fund by the executive, but they allegedly misappropriated it.

Although there were insinuations that governor Rotimi Amaechi may have reported the matter to the EFCC, his media adviser, David Iyofor told Sunday Independent on Saturday that it was not true. “You know that that cannot be true and you also know that the Legislature is an independent entity,” he said.

More Northern Politicians Queue For 2011 Presidency – Sunday Independent

Feelers emerged at the weekend about underground plots by some ranking politicians from the north who want to join the race for the presidency come 2011.

President Umaru Yar’adua is believed to be seriously warming up for re-election in 2011despite growing opposition against his continued stay in office due to the state of his health.

The politicians believed to be consulting widely are some governors (serving and former), most of them currently in the senate.

Former Kaduna State governor, senator Mohammed Markafi, former Kebbi State governor who is now the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, senator Adamu Aliero, former Zamfara State governor, Ahmed Sani and Kano State governor, Ibrahim Shakarau are among those said to be nursing presidential ambition.

Renovation Of Bankole, Deputy’s Quarters Stalled – The Independent

Discordant tones have been heard regarding the renovation of the official quarters of the House of Representatives Speaker, Dimeji Bankole and his deputy, Usman Nafada.

While the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Adamu Aliero believes work is going on and that the Speaker and his deputy would be accommodated in three months time, staff of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) said lack of fund to mobilise contractors to site had long stalled renovation efforts.