HOT NEWS BY PMB

1. Buhari embarks on peace mission to Mali Thursday.

President Muhammadu Buhari will Today leave for Bamako, the Republic of Mali on a one-day visit, following the briefing through the ECOWAS Special Envoy to the country, former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Mr. Femi Adesina, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, established this in a assertion in Abuja.

”The Nigerian President and some ECOWAS leaders led through the Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the sub-regional organisation, President Issoufou Mahamadou of Niger Republic, agreed to meet in Mali to interact in in addition consultations closer to discovering a political answer to the disaster in the country.

”Host President, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Presidents Machy Sall of Senegal, Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana and Alassane Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire are anticipated to take part in the Bamako meeting,” Adesina stated.

Former President Jonathan used to be at the State House in the enterprise of President of ECOWAS Commission, Mr. Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, on Tuesday to quick President Buhari on the unfolding scenario in Mali.

The briefing, in accordance to Adesina, has necessitated the go to of ECOWAS leaders to consolidate on the agreements reached through a number parties.

“We will ask the President of Niger, who is the Chairman of ECOWAS to quick us as a group, and we will then comprehend the way forward,” President Buhari had stated for the duration of Jonathan’s briefing.

President Buhari thanked Jonathan for his complete quick on the state of affairs in Mali, “which you had been abreast with when you consider that when you had been the sitting Nigerian President.”

The former President had briefed President Buhari on his things to do as Special Envoy to repair amity to Mali, rocked via protests in opposition to President Keita, who has spent two out of the 5 years the 2nd time period in office.

A resistance group, M5, is insisting that the Constitutional Court should be dissolved, and the President resign earlier than peace can return to the country.

The disaster erupted after the courtroom nullified consequences of 31 parliamentary seats in the polls held recently, awarding victory to some different contenders, which the resistance crew stated was once at the instigation of President Keita.

Riots on July 10 led to the killing of some protesters by using safety agents, inflicting the disaster to spiral out of control, therefore the intervention through ECOWAS.

2. Students fault ASUU on 2021 resumption date

Many college students have expressed disappointment over the assertion by way of the President of the Academic Staff Union of the Universities (ASUU), Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, that the Federal Government need to no longer reopen faculties till it is secure for students.

They additionally faulted Ogunyemi’s declare that college college students would now not resume even after the COVID-19 pandemic till the Federal Government met sure conditions. They claimed ASUU used to be simply war for its personal egocentric interest.

Shehu Shamsudeen Ahmad, a 200-Level scholar of Law at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), entreated the Federal Government no longer to pay interest to the recommendation given by means of the ASUU.

“Nigerians must take delivery of the reality that this pandemic has come to remain with us for the time being, let us no longer use the pandemic as a cowl to avoid the growth of our academic system.

Our schooling is vital and, as they say, ‘we are the future of Nigeria’ let our faculties be reopened,” he pleaded.

Jubril Ahmad, a 200-Level pupil of Economics (UDUS), stated it used to be apparent that ASUU used to be the use of COVID-19 as a route to get the Federal Government to fulfill its agreements earlier than reopening schools.

He, however, implored the authorities to use the lockdown to fund colleges and enhance their facilities.

”The recommendations stipulated by using the Federal Government are so paramount which can be effected by way of the authorities itself via the provision of dollars to faculties for profitable operation.

This will additionally go a long way in assembly standards. I am in help of colleges reopening any second from now and than reopening next year,” he said.

Adeniyi Yusuff Olamilekan, a 100-Level pupil of Mass Communication, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, referred to that the 2021 date given by way of the ASUU was once now not welcome due to the fact it would have an effect on college students academically.

He entreated the authorities to grant all the vital fitness substances that would stop college students from getting contaminated and to additionally exchange the way colleges operated in phrases of category measurement reduction.

Adoyi Peter, a 200-Level scholar of Medicine and Surgery (Udus), said: “I assume the role of ASUU is based totally on the implementation of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), and Memorandum of Agreement (MoA). However, if it’s otherwise, then they have no motives to aid faculty closure.

If they say faculties have to be closed then they are enemies of the students, now not the government. If different sectors and establishments are on the run then definitely Federal Government have to equally reopen colleges primarily based on the COVID-19 hints and protocols.”.

Ajala Nafiu, a 200-Level scholar of Veterinary Medicine, Udus, stated ASUU chairman used to be biased in his statement, no matter the reality that the college students are fantastically annoyed and fed up with being locked at home.

“I urge President Muhammadu Buhari to please reflect on consideration reopening faculties soon; we are worn-out of being in our relief zone.

We favor to try for our future and I consider COVID-19 is simply one of our trials on the avenue to success. If we quit now, I suppose the profitable future will then appear apparently impossible,” he said.

3. Payment of N30m month-to-month to energy corporations worrisome, says Senate.

THE Senate expressed difficulty over the month-to-month charge of $30 million with the aid of the Federal Government for power.

It stated the charge had grow to be statutory due to the fact of the Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) signed via the Federal Government with AZURA and ACU fuel plants.

The Red Chamber stated it plans to have interaction the offerings of nearby and worldwide legal professionals to suggest it on how to both overview or renegotiate the settlement (SPA) that compels the authorities to pay strength no longer always ate up through Nigerians.

According to the Senate, the prison recommendation grew to be fundamental due to the fact the phrases of settlement stipulates that about $1 billion will robotically be deducted from the nation’s overseas reserves if there is any breach is towards the country’s interest.

The Senate additionally entreated the Federal Government to purchase meters for unmetered Nigerians. The procurement will value the authorities between N227 billion to N354 billion.

These had been some of the resolutions taken with the aid of the Senate following its consideration of the file of its Roundtable on “Addressing Nigeria’s Power Problems”.

The file was once introduced by way of the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, Gabriel Suswam.

Suswam advised his colleagues that Nigeria stands to lose about $1 billion from its overseas reserves if there is any breach of the settlement it signed between 2016 and 2017 on the fuel provide issue.

He advised newshounds after the plenary session: “Now the 2d one, which is the one that grew to become very controversial used to be that positive agreements have been signed. It is no longer the fault of the plants, that is AZURA and ACU gas.

“Pay or take agreements are some thing that is common in the electricity area when you are going into such ventures and so it is now not something that is fraudulent, however simply that the authorities typically shouldn’t have signed these agreements.

“Because what it ability is this; for instance, Azura is a energy plant that is supposed to produce or generate 450 megawatts and so what we signed is that even if we are unable to take that 450 megawatts, we will stull pay full fee for that 450 megawatts. And that is what has been happening. We name these agreements take or pay.

“The equal aspect for ACU gas. This is a gasoline settlement that has been signed with the Calabar strength plant. It is the identical mode of settlement and they come with RPG which is assured through the World Bank.

“For occasion in Azura, they have about three generators, now if solely one is producing, it is now not their fault. It is due to the fact TCN (Transmission Company of Nigeria) can't evacuate the power. It is now not their fault, they are producing they are prepared to supply strength alas we signed that settlement barring being organized and so if they can solely provide a hundred megawatts we will pay for the full 450 megawatts.

“The equal issue goes for ACU gas. There was once an settlement for them to provide gasoline to the Calabar plant and if the gasoline to provide to three generators, if they are solely capable to take solely one we will nevertheless preserve paying full quantity as if the three have been working.

4. Magu to open defence earlier than Salami panel today

AFTER ready for a replica of the allegations towards him, the Presidential Investigation Committee on the things to do of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), agreed to provide the suspended Acting Chairman of the corporation Mr. Ibrahim Magu a record to enter his Defence.

The record is that of the Presidential Committee on Audit of Recovered Assets( PCARA), which carries all allegations in opposition to Magu.

But the Chairman of the panel, Justice Isa Ayo Salami extracted a dedication from the tips to Magu, Barrister Wahab Shittu that PCARA’s record will now not be leaked to the press.

Magu, who stated all the allegations in opposition to him have been false, is predicted to open his defence today.

The suspended EFCC chairman was once at the panel’s venue for about eight hours however he had a quick come across with the team

Wearing a white Kaftan with a white cap to match, the suspended EFCC chairman took a 78-page response to the committee, bordering on a question by using the AGF, PCARA’s file and different allegations in public domain.

The committee on the other hand stated it may also be given Magu’s response solely after serving him the problems in PCARA’s report.

A pinnacle supply said: “After ready for hours, the panel met with Magu for a few minutes. The committee later determined to make a replica of the PCARA document handy to Magu to allow him to tackle all the allegations in opposition to him.

“It on the other hand gave a situation that PCARA record have to now not be leaked in any manner to the press to keep away from distraction of its activities.

“With the concession by way of the panel, Magu will now open his Defence from Thursday or thereabout. He will be capable to soft his defence which has now not been general via the panel due to the fact the allegations have been but to be served on him. This is a suitable dimension.”

A letter written to Salami’s panel by means of Magu’s counsel, Wahab Shittu on the other hand pledged that the suspended appearing EFCC chairman will cooperate with the panel.

In the letter, Shittu stated Magu had no longer at any time challenged the mandate of the panel or engaged in any boast or queried the panel.

The letter, which used to be submitted yesterday, reads in part:”We nation for the information that we are now not in a role to question the Honourable panel and in reality will by no means set out doing so.

“Rather, our intention was once to draw the interest of the Honourable panel to chronic falsehood publications regarding our patron being orchestrated persistently in the public house in a manner that ought to prejudice the lawsuits of this Honourable panel.

“We make an apology if any opposite interpretation of our intention is conveyed with the aid of the context in which the questions have been raised in the referred letter. We preserve the panel in the very best esteem.

“Our patron needs to vicinity on file his understanding to the chairman individuals of the panel for ordering his launch from custody on the fifteenth day of July 2020 except any conditionalities.

“Our customer appreciates this gesture given the truth that the panel has persistently cited that it did now not order the detention of our patron in the first place. Our consumer is grateful for the gesture.

“Our patron whilst appreciating the panel provides full cooperation to the panel in the discharge of its assignment.

“Our patron believes in the work of the committee due to the fact of his dedication to ridding the u . s . a . of corruption.”

5. APC slams Makinde over design to borrow N100b

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has slammed Governor Seyi Makinde’s choice to supply N100 billion mortgage thru bond to finance projects.

The Executive Council had authorized the issuance of a N100billion non-public bond to facilitate what it known as the execution of precedence tasks that would force monetary development.

It stated the fund would be raised in two tranches of N50billion every for the development of Iseyin-Ogbomoso road, Ibadan round street and Ibadan Airport improve amongst others.

But the APC in a declaration stated in search of to finance initiatives in the magnitude of the Ibadan round avenue by means of without delay looking for mortgage is laughable, deceptive and most likely indicates signs and symptoms of no foresight.