BANK SUES ALISON-MADUEKE, NNPC, OTHERS FOR N1.7 BILLION

A BUSINESS dispute between Zenith Bank Plc and Nigdel United Oil Company Limited over a N1.7 billion loan facility the bank granted the oil firm to acquire an oil bloc in 2006 has taken a legal dimension.

The bank has dragged the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, and three others before a Federal High Court in Lagos claiming ownership of the oil bloc. 

Zenith Bank, in the case before Justice Okechuckwu Okeke, is praying the court for a perpetual injunction restraining the minister, her agents, servants, privies, or whosoever is acting on her behalf from recognising Nigdel oil, owned by popular businessman and Delta State politician, Prince Joseph Panawou, as the rightful owner of the OPL 233 oil bloc since same was paid for by the bank on behalf of the oil company which it has allegedly refused to pay back.

EXCLUSIVE: PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE TARGETS TINUBU, APC

There are strong indications that the Presidency is dead set to frustrate the merger of opposition parties under the auspices of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

A presidential directive (PD95), dated March 26, 2013, and obtained exclusively by LEADERSHIP, showed that the Presidency had given the marching orders for “everything to be done to frustrate the merged opposition parties.”

According to Presidential Villa insiders, a presidential directive is similar to an executive order. It is instigated, prepared and executed with the full knowledge and approval of the president.

“I can tell you that this order bears the full imprint of President Goodluck Jonathan. It’s now gloves off in the battle for 2015,” our source said.

IG ORDERS ARREST OF POLICEMEN IN CAMOUFLAGE

Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Abubakar has allegedly ordered the arrest of policemen caught wearing their new camouflage all over the country.

The directive is said to be in response to a petition written against Abubakar to the Presidency concerning the sale of the camouflage.

Police source said on the condition of anonymity that violators were being arrested by the IG’s monitoring team and taken to Abuja.

The source said, “This incident began sometime last month when some concerned policemen wrote a petition to the Presidency concerning the sale of these camouflage uniforms. The camouflage, which is available at all police stores nationwide, were being sold at either N10,000 or N15,000 and then sewn for N5,000.

NOBODY CAN STAY IN OFFICE FOR LIFE, SAYS JONATHAN

FROM President Goodluck Jonathan came, yesterday, an advice to the political class to subject themselves to the provision of the Constitution which has clearly stipulated the maximum term for political office holders.

Jonathan spoke in an obvious reference to the criticisms that are already trailing his rumoured 2015 ambition even when he has not formally declared. 

The President pointed out that even where the Constitution does not state the maximum term, no individual could stay in office for life. 

Jonathan stated this during the dedication of the All Saints' Anglican Church built by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, for his community, Mpu in Aninnri Local Government Area of Enugu State.

NSCDC REPLACES SHEM AS LAGOS COMMANDANT

Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, has finally replaced Mr. Obafaiye Shem, the man who postulated the “my oga at the top” mantra, as commandant of Lagos State Command. He was replaced by Mr. Adesuyi Clement from Oyo State Command.

The Commandant General of NSCDC, Dr. Olu Abolurin, who was in Lagos at the weekend over the alleged killing of two of his officers by some policemen, introduced the new Commandant to journalists.

But Abolurin did not give reasons for Obafaye’s removal .  Sources however hinted that the development might not be unconnected with his recent interview on Channels Television live programme.

WE’LL GO TO WAR WITH NORTH IF..., MASSOB WARNS BOKO HARAM

THE leader of Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, has expressed utter discomfort over the continuous killing of the Igbo in the northern parts of the country as he said the Igbo nation would consider an option of declaring war against the North if pushed to the wall.

The MASSOB leader, who made this known said the Igbo nation had borne the pains of sustained killing of their kinsmen in the northern parts of the country by terrorist groups for too long, contending that the issue, to members of his group, has assumed a more dangerous dimension which he said demanded an urgent attention.

BUHARI BLAMES FG

Former Head of State, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) has said that terrorism in Nigeria is not confined to the North alone and blamed the Federal Government for the state of insecurity in the country.

He spoke on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Hausa Service programme monitored in Kaduna on Monday.

 According to him, it is the responsibility of the government to dig into the genesis of the Boko Haram crisis and know how best to bring the situation to an end.

INSECURITY: OBJ, NSA IN CRUCIAL MEETING

THE National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Dasuki [retd], on Sunday, met with former President Olusegun Obasanjo at his Hill Top residence in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, over sundry national issues, particularly security matters.

His meeting with the NSA coincided with the hosting of a peace parley convened at the same venue by PDP leaders to resolve the protracted feud in the Ogun State chapter of PDP, which had pitched the former leader with some forces.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the NSA arrived at the residence of Obasanjo at about 12.35 p.m.

According to the source, two very close associates of the former leader had indicated their willingness to be part of the meeting but the former leader reportedly objected on the ground that it was planned to be a closed –door session.

NOBODY CAN STOP JONATHAN IN 2015, SAYS CLARK

Former Federal Commissioner for Information under the administration of General Yakubu Gowon, Edwin Clark, has reiterated that President Goodluck Jonathan deserves to seek re-election come 2015.

He noted that minority people in the country have never been given their pride of place until providence brought Jonathan to power, adding that any unity that was not on equal basis cannot augur well for the development of the country.

Clark, a prominent Ijaw leader, spoke when the Ijaw communities represented by Izon-Ebe Oil Producing Communities Forum led by Moses Edougha visited him in Kiagbodo, Burutu Local Council area of Delta State.

25 SOLDIERS WED IN ONITSHA ON EASTER MONDAY

Twenty-five soldiers of the 302 Artillery Regiment of the Nigerian Army, Onitsha, on Monday said ‘I do’ to their heartthrobs in a special marriage ceremony at the cantonment as part of activities marking the Easter celebration.

The 25 soldiers and their brides filed up at the St Peter’s Military Church, Anglican Communion, as early as 10 am to take their nuptial vows with the Commander, Col T. A.  Gagariga, advising them to live up to their responsibilities to their spouses.

Vicar and officiating Minister, Capt. (Rev) B.G. Newton, in his advice to the newly wedded couples, called on them to always put God first in whatever they do in order to attract God’s blessings to their marriage.

Newton reminded the 25 couples of their responsibilities to society, adding that since family is the first society, the need to train their children in the fear of God and in accordance to the rules and norms governing society is apt.