Okonjo-Iweala to Reps: we can’t run budget 100% by Sept

The Executive fired back at the House of Representatives yesterday over its insistence on full implementation of the budget by September.
The lawmakers warned before proceeding on recess last week that failure to implement the budget 100 per cent will lead to impeachment proceedings against President Goodluck Jonathan.
Yesterday, the Executive ruled out the possibility of full implementation of the budget. But Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala explained that 56 per cent of the budget had been implemented with about N404billion cash released.
The budget Bill signed into law on March 15 was N4.69trillion.
The third quarter fund will be released within the next two weeks, according to the minister.
She spoke to State House correspondents in Abuja. With her were Minister of Information Labaran Maku; Director General of Bureau for Public Procurement Emeka Eze and Director General of Budget Dr. Bridgt Okongu. She said there had been a lot of improvement in the implementation of the budget, saying the 39 per cent recorded for the month of May had increased to 56 per cent by mid-July.
“First, in my experience worldwide, there is hardly any country where you would implement 100 per cent even by the end of the year and this is based on very broad experience.
“But people try to get at least to 80 per cent to 90 per cent of the budget by September, you know September is the ninth month of the year, we will definitely be moving towards the figure.
“I think the point is that Mr President is determined to implement this budget as fully as possible and, therefore, we will be moving towards 90 per cent by the end of the year because the budget was made for the whole year.
“So you can see that there is no lack of effort, no lack of goodwill. If we could go from 39 per cent in May to 56 per cent by mid July, that shows a considerable leap and I’m quite confident that as we go month by month, we will be able to look at it and say yes a good effort has been made for the country.”
Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala also noted that the review of the implementation level of the budget by the Executive which has seen three ministers, Police Affairs, Interior and Agriculture appearing before the President to state key indicator performance of their ministries, was to be able to keep a tap on what have been achieved.
She went on: “As you know, we have released about N404billion so far, cashed back N324billion and the utilisation of that is 56 per cent. We will soon be considering the release of the third quarter funds, we hope to do that within the next two weeks or so.
Source

Army officers accosted by Gov Fashola on BRT lane to pay N25k fine

 

The army officers ACCOSTED by Governor on July 17th for taking the designated BRT lane will pay a mandatory fine, the Nigerian army said yesterday. The two officers will pay N25, 000 each for the traffic offense and other army personnel have been warned by the Nigerian Army to obey the laws of the state.

SSS accuses communities of shielding Boko Haram members

The Director of the State Security Service in charge of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Mr. Little Okojie, has alleged that some communities are shielding members of Boko Haram from security operatives.
Okojie said the security threat posed by the sect had become seemingly intractable because of the cover provided for the members by communities.
The SSS director also said the sect’s asymmetric mode of operation also contributed to the difficulty in going into meaningful dialogue with them.
Okojie spoke in Abuja while playing host to the newly elected executive members of the Abuja chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists on Wednesday.
He said the situation was further complicated by the fact that intermediaries of the group refuse to disclose the identities of the members of the sect.

Source

Boy, 11, flies Manchester to Rome without passport or ticket

British Security is being questioned, on the eve of the Olympics, after an 11-year old boy flew from Manchester to Rome without a passport, ticket or boarding pass.

 

Reuters quotes Manchester Airport Spokesman John Greenway saying the initial investigation shows the boy had passed through border controls and ticket checks without any documentation just by staying close to families. Apparently some passengers got suspicious and raised concerns mid-way through the flight. Sky News reports Liam Corcoran got away from his mother while they were out shopping in nearby Wythenshawe. He apparently then took a bus to the airport, about 3 miles away.

 

The airport insists the boy was not a security risk. Manchester Airport’s Director of Communications says, “He did go through full security screening. So he didn’t present a threat to himself, to other passengers, to the aircraft.”

FG Didn’t Buy 200 Cars For First Ladies’ Summit – Presidency

The Presidency yesterday refuted report in the media that the Federal Government has purchased 200 new “exotic” cars for the African First Ladies Summit which formally opens in Abuja tomorrow.
It said it was Coscharis Motors Ltd who offered to provide some cars for the event at no cost to the organisers or the Federal Government.
Presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati who noted in a statement that the presidency received the said report in a national newspaper (not LEADERSHIP) with dismay, described the story as utterly false and misleading.
Explaining what he described as the true facts of the matter, Abati said “The African First Ladies Peace Mission (AFLPM) which is holding its summit in Abuja is a Non-Governmental Organisation. Its activities are funded by stakeholders and members of the private sector who support and identify with its objectives.

P-Square Buries Mum August 2

Mrs Okoye, 62, who died on Wednesday, July 11, 2012, would be buried in her husband's house at Ifite-Dunu, Akwa Village, Anambra State on Thursday, 2 August, 2012.

Shortly before the burial, there will be a lying-in-state at her Umunachi, Umudioka Village, Anambra State and a church service at St. Gabriel Catholic Church, before the proper burial at Ifite-Dunu, which will also be the reception venue.

The one-day funeral will be anchored by M.I.C, leading undertakers in Nigeria and is expected to be attended by colleagues of P-Square in the entertainment industry and some state governors amid tight security.

Student sues IG N100m

A student of Osun State College of Education, Mr. Adebayo Olaide, has filed a N100 million suit against Inspector-General of Police, a policeman, Mr. Mukailu Gujuba, with number 768142 and three others for loss of his eyes and violation of his rights.
In the suit filed at an Oyo State High Court, the applicant wants the court to determine whether the alleged conduct of the third respondent, Gujuba, who used a stick and the butt of his rifle to hit his eyes was lawful or not.
According to the charge sheet, the alleged crime was committed at Alagbayun Village in the Ogo-Oluwa Local Government Area of the state.
Justice Mashud Abass, has fixed October 17 for hearing.
Counsel to the applicant, Mr. Peter Idowu, in the suit marked M/554/11, stated that the money demanded was the general, exemplary and aggravated damages for the violation of his client’s fundamental human rights which resulted in loss of the left eye of the applicant and also a severe damage to his right eye.