Federal Government Borrows N6.16trn From N8.499trn Pension Fund

Mrs. Aisha Dahir-Umar (Acting Director-General, PenCom)

The total pension assets under the Contributory Pension Scheme rose to N8.49trn as of the end of November 2018 financial period, latest figures obtained from the National Pension Commission on Tuesday revealed.

The pension commission said 72.5 percent of the fund had been borrowed by the Federal Government and invested in the FGN securities totaling N6.16trn during the period under review.
The Pension Fund Administrators also invested 6.87 percent of N584.321bn of the fund in domestic ordinary shares, while 0.71 or N60.529bn of the fund was invested in foreign ordinary shares.

According to the Pension Reform Act, the PFAs manage the funds which are in the custody of the Pension Fund Custodians. The commission stated that it continued its consultative philosophy in the regulation and supervision of the industry.

According to PenCom, the risk-based examination approach was implemented as a way of promoting transparency and providing early warning signals as well as encouraging pension operators to regularly self-evaluate their positions.

The Acting Director-General, PenCom, Mrs. Aisha Dahir-Umar, said in an effort to promote a stable and sustainable pension industry, the commission adopted zero tolerance for non-compliance and consultative supervisory philosophy in the issuance of guidelines and the review of existing ones to further promote sound corporate governance in the industry and ensure the security of the pension assets.

In addition, she said, the commission in 2018, moved to more risk-based approach to supervising pension operators by aligning its supervisory framework with that of the Financial Services Regulation Coordinating Committee.

"We believe this will promote better risk management in licensed pension operators," she said.

She said the commission, last year, released the framework and guidelines for the implementation of the micro pension scheme, which was targeted at increased participation of employees in the informal sector, multi-fund structure and revised guideline for fund accounting as well as revised circular for branch opening and service center by the PFAs.

BREAKING NEWS - IGP Ibrahim Idris To Quit As Buhari Picks Adamu As New IGP

The mood at the Force Headquarters was calm when the news of the replacement filtered in. It was also gathered that the outgoing IGP had been quietly removing his personal effects from the office since last Friday.

There are indications at the Force Headquarters in Abuja that a new Inspector General of Police (IGP), AIG Abubakar Adamu Mohammed from Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, has been appointed to replace Ibrahim Idris, who is scheduled to retire from office.

Adamu was AIG in charge of Zone 5 Benin before he was sent to the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru in Plateau State.

He was said to have been sent on the compulsory course on the suspicion that he was penciled down by the presidency to succeed the outgoing IGP.

L-R: Adamu, President Buhari & Idris

Many Nigerians have kicked against the alleged move by President Muhammadu Buhari to extend the tenure of the outgoing IGP, basing their allegations on the notion that there are plans to use Idris's influence to manipulate the presidential election scheduled for February 2019.

News Elites gathered that Idris had made frantic efforts to get his tenure extended but was unsuccessful. Also, pressure mounted by the opposition parties contributed to the President's eventual decision to rescind the original extension plan.

The mood at the Force Headquarters was calm when the news of the replacement filtered in. It was also gathered that the outgoing IGP had been quietly removing his personal effects from the office since last Friday, after his various moves to extend his tenure failed.

Nairobi Kenya - Police Regain Control After Hotel Complex Terror Attack, Death Toll Rises

There has being report of a terror attack in the Kenya capital Nairobi, US citizen confirmed among those killed in assault claimed by militant Islamist organization al-Shabaab.

Police and anti-terrorist forces have regained control of a Nairobi hotel and office complex, hours after Islamist extremist gunmen launched an attack that is thought to have killed at least 15 people, including a US citizen.

The assault on the dusitD2 compound in the Kenya capital, which includes a luxury hotel, restaurants, a spa and several office buildings housing international companies, was the most outrageous by terrorists in the country for many years.

On Tuesday night, the US state department confirmed a US citizen was killed in the attack but gave no further details. A police officer in Kenya said at least 15 people had died, but an official death toll has not yet been released. There were reports one suspects had been detained.

Sustained automatic gunfire and grenade explosions were heard as the gunmen rushed in and scores of people fled the scene. On Tuesday evening, the interior minister, Fred Matiang'i, said security forces had secured all of the buildings affected.

"The security teams have evacuated scores of Kenyans and people of other nationalities from the buildings," he said in a brief televised statement. "We are now in the final stages of mopping up the area and securing evidence and documenting the consequences of this unfortunate event."

The attack was claimed by al-Shabaab, the militant Islamist organization based in neighboring Somalia, on it in-house radio network and online. Al-Shabaab was responsible for an attack on Nairobi's Westgate Mall in 2013 that at least 67 people dead.

The alarm was raised at about 3pm on Tuesday when gunfire and explosions were heard at the hotel, in the upscale Westlands neighborhood of the city. Dozens of ambulances, police vehicles and fire engines arrived at the scene as fleeing office workers filled the surrounding streets.

Witnesses said two cars had been driven at speed towards the hotel complex at about 3pm. One appeared to have been used to blast open its gates. Security personnel came under fire before gunmen entered the complex, initially targeting a bank and diners at a Thai restaurant.

Survivors reported hearing a shattering blast and saw people mown down by gunmen as they sat at a cafe. Victims were left lying on tables, bleeding.

"We were changing our shifts, and that is when I heard a loud blast and people were screaming," said Enoch Kibet, who works as a cleaner at the cafe and managed to crawl out a basement gate. "I couldn't believe I was alive. The blast was so loud and shook the whole complex."

Tuesday's attack came exactly three years after a deadly al-Shabaab attack on a Kenyan military base in El-Adde in Somalia, in which about 140 Kenya soldiers were killed.

"Al-Shabaab mujahideen snipers are in operation in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. Our reports confirm that mujahideen fighters stormed the target building," the al-Shabaab statement said.

Witnesses reported that the attackers were wearing military fatigues and wrapped in ammunition when they ran into the hotel. Hours after the attack, the gunmen and security forces were engaged in a fierce firefight. Plumes of smoke rose into the air from several burning cars. "There was a bomb, there is a lot of gunfire," said one man working at the complex, asking not to be named.

Others described office workers in the complex hiding under the desks or sheltering behind makeshift barricades. Hundreds were evacuated from nearby buildings. Rashid Abdi, an expert in Islamic militancy in east Africa with the International Crisis Group in Nairobi, said al-Shabaab was a versatile and patient organization.

"It was always a matter of when not it. There has been some successes against al-Shabaab in northen Kenya but if we have learned anything it is that al-Shabaab lulls security services into complacency. Months and years can go between attacks and then they strike."

Though the Kenyan deployment in Somalia is one motive for al-Shabaab's attacks in Nairobi and elsewhere, the organization is also committed to the broader causes of global jihadi ideology and sees the Kenyan capital as a key target.

Medics removed four bodies from buildings near the hotel, witnesses said. A medic said two more body bags were removed from another location nearby. One person died earlier at a hospital. Kenya faced a spate of attacks after it sent its army into Somalia in October 2011 to fight al-Shabaab, which is affiliated to al-Qaida.

On April 2nd 2015, al-Shabaab killed 148 people at a university in Garissa, eastern Kenya. Islamic State has a small presence in the Horn of Africa. Nairobi is the economic hub of the east Africa region with a big presence of western companies, diplomats and tourists. Kenya has long been a significant security partner of the US and other western countries.

Authorities said they had been vigilant over the Christmas and New Year holiday season. "Hotels and other public buildings remain under close watch. Reports from throughout the country indicate that everything remains calm and normal," Kenya's inspector general of police, Joseph Boinnet, told reporters.

Oba Of Benin Warns Politicians - Spilling Human Blood For Political Powers, Against God's Wish

Ahead of the 2019 general election, the Great Benin King, Oba Ewuare II has again sounded a note of warning to Nigerian politicians that "it will be against God's wish if anyone tries to achieve political powers through spilling of human blood or killing innocent citizens."

Oba Of Benin

The Benin Monarch delivered the message last week at a meeting in his place between Edo State Council of Traditional Rulers and chairmen and leaders of various political parties in Edo State. He warned against the use of Nigerian youths to disrupt the electoral process, perpetrate violence or killings.

The Edo State Council of Traditional Rulers and Chief, the Oba said, condemns such act in its entirely, and called for a peaceful and violence-free election. "The council is against the use of our youths or anybody else to cause violence or disrupt the electoral process."

"We wish to advise the youths to be weary of politicians who might come to recruit them as thugs for whatever amount." The youths, he advised ought to be wiser now and should not allow politicians use and dump them like rags, while their children and siblings are enjoying the best of life in comfort zones.

Below is full text of Oba's address:

Address By His Royal Majesty, Omo N'Oba N' Edo Uku Akpolopkpolo, Ewuare II, Oba Of Benin At A Meeting Held With Chairmen And Members Of The Various Political Parties In Edo State On Monday 7th January, 2019 At The Oba Palace

I am delighted to welcome you all to this very important meeting between the various political parties and Edo State Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs.

I know you are still basking in the New Year euphoria, so I use this opportunity to wish you all a happy and prosperous new year.

As we all know this is another election year in Nigeria. In fact the 2019 general elections is less than two months from now and the Edo State Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs of which I am the Chairman is concerned about the exercise.

Therefore at the last meeting of the council held on 30th November, 2018, it was resolved that I should convene this meeting to express our concern and seek ways of ensuring violence-free successful elections.

Indeed, it was for the same reason that I invited all Odionweres, Ohens, Enigie and Chiefs to the Palace last year, around about 3-4 months ago when I intimated them on the need to pray fervently for a violence-free election.

We understand that some politicians are procuring weapons and are already recruiting gullible youths as thugs to be used before and during elections. It is our prayer that God and our ancestors help avert violence and mayhem from our land before, during and after the elections.

However, the enduring peace we seek will not be achieved without the support and cooperation of politicians themselves, especially the leaders and candidates of the various political parties.

It must be realized at this point that no one has power of his own. Besides, it is God Almighty the great geometrician of the universe that gives power to anyone, be it political power or spiritual power.
So, it will be against God's wish if anyone tries to achieve political powers through spilling of human blood or killing innocent citizens.

The Edo State Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs condemn such act in its entirety, The council is against the use of our youths or anybody else to cause violence or disrupt the electoral process.

We wish to advise the youths to be weary of politicians who might come to recruit them as thugs for whatever amount. The youths ought to be wiser now and should not allow politicians use and dump them like rags, while their children and siblings are enjoying the best of life and comfort zones.

What is good for the goose is good for the gander. The youth should support any candidate of their choice through free, fair and credible elections, and must be ready to demand good governance, transparency and accountability from their elected leaders.

This is the way democracy should be practiced in our society. Nigeria being the most populous country and an economic giant in the Sub-Sahara Africa, it will augur well for our fear country to be the leader in democratic practice.

Consequently, we urge you all to support good governance, transparency and accountability. Having said that, let me once again admonish politicians to play the game according to the rules and should not regard election as a do or die affair.

Electioneering is a game where winner and losers must emerge. What is important is that if you do not win in a particular election, you can win in another. The winner must learn to be magnanimous in victory, while the looser must be gallant in accepting defeat. This is one of the ways to show that you are a true patriot.

Politicians should caution their supporters on the need to conduct themselves peacefully and avoid hate speech and hostilities before, during and after elections.

Finally, we advise the electorate to shun vote buying. If you sell your vote, then you will not have any moral justification to demand for good governance, transparency and accountability from elected leaders. So on Election Day, come out in large numbers and peacefully vote for a candidate of your choice.

Thank you very much for your kind attention.

Long live Edo State!
Long live Nigeria!!

God bless you all.

Amaechi Tells Nigerians At Campaign Rally, Am Also Hungry

Rotimi Amaechi (APC Campaign Director General)

The Director General of the Buhari Campaign Organization, Rotimi Amaechi, has told Nigerians complaining about hunger in the land that he himself is hungry.

He said the opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) caused the hunger in the land by stealing money from the nation's purse while in power. Amaechi said this at the APC presidential campaign rally which was held in Bauchi on Saturday.
He urged Nigerians to demand that the PDP return the nation's stolen money. The former River State governor also claimed that the opposition was broke and hungry. He said that was why the party wanted to return to power by all means.

Amaechi said, "I was speaking to my friend from the other divide and he said you are hungry, I said 'yes, if they did not steal the money they stole, you would have had enough food.'

"The money they stole is what is making me hungry. Tell them, to bring the money. "The PDP stole $2bn to prosecute 2015 elections but we still defeat them. They are broke, they are hungry and they want to come back to steal. "The PDP members know that they are broke and because of that, they are looking for cheap source of funds.

"When they say there is no food, they want to steal money and they cannot do that because the President has said that public money is not for any individual."

The minister of transportation wondered what the PDP did with the money it got for 16 years when oil was $114 per barrel. He claimed that when the PDP was in power, he could not sleep with his two eyes closed even in the Rivers State Government House allegedly because of security challenges. He said the situation had changed under Buhari.

The National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomole, said President Muhammadu Buhari knew how to catch thieves "and that is why the thieves have all gone to the PDP but even if they go to the PDP, they must be arrested."

U.S And Europe May Stop Giving Visa To Nigerian Elite, Politicians From Tomorrow - Igini

The United States of America and European countries may with effect from tomorrow, stop issuance of visas to prominent Nigerian elite and politicians.

Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Akwa Ibom State, Dr. Mike Igini, who disclosed this yesterday, said the ban would remain in place until after the elections.

In an exclusive interview with The Guardian in Uyo, Igini said: "I have been calling on various countries. First, I have been advising Nigerians that they should not make election a violent thing. "We should not destroy our country because you think that you have U.S, UK visa and visas of other European countries where you can run to with your family."

Igini had made similar call during an exclusive interaction with party chairmen and secretaries in the state last Friday.

"My call is that, having called on Nigerians to reject violence and those who are planning it, I also think the international community should be involved. Nigeria cannot be in autarchy of best practices, you have the capacity to identify those who are planning violence across the federation.

According to the REC, the real threat of 2019 are the elite of Nigeria, and the political class who are recruiting thugs, and pilling up money to buy votes.

"They are even more sophisticated now, they have hired some houses, collecting people Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs), VIN numbers, telephone numbers and are also now collecting their account numbers," he said.

He disclosed that INEC has been receiving the report about these elite and politicians, including their importation of military camouflage and fake police uniforms.

Igini lamented that politicians are the greatest enemies of Nigerians, adding that if Nigeria will ever rise to achieve greatness, it cannot do so outside the value and orientation of its elite.

He stated: "A periodic election is what distinguishes democracy from other forms of government, because it is what enables the electorate the power to exercise their residual sovereignty." The REC stressed that in other climes, security agencies have no role to play in an election, but are supposed to do their normal jobs.

But, because of the level of criminality among the political elite, who are very reprobate set of people, ready to kill and read signature blind, security has become an issue today.

"The point is that INEC and security are now the focus of either the success, or failure of the 2019 election. For us as a commission, we will stand tall and mighty in the defense of democracy and the rule of law."

Yoruba Traditional Rulers Visit Buhari In Abuja, Led By Ooni Of Ife

Yoruba Traditional Rulers & President Buhari

Buhari tasked the kings to ensure peace in the coming elections, stating that some candidates will rely on perpetuating electoral violence to influence the outcome of the election.

Prominent Yoruba traditional rulers have met with President Muhammadu Buhari to pledge their support ahead of the 2019 general election. The kings met with the president on Friday at the State House in Abuja.

They were led by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, who is also the co-chair of traditional rulers of Nigeria. The ruler is also the king whom a presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) respectedly pay a courtesy visit to at his palace in Ife, but the story that came out about the end results was tagged with the candidate and his followers being teargassed right inside the Oba palace, reasons came out stating that it was as a result of the candidate not prostrating to the ruler.

Other monarchs present at the meeting includes: Deji of Akure - Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi, Olukare of Ikare Akoko - Oba Akadri Momoh, Oba Michael Ademolaju - Alake of Egbaland, Oba Oludotun Gbadebo - Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Shotobi and a few others.

Buhari tasked the kings to ensure peace in the coming elections, stating that some candidates will rely on perpetuating electoral violence to influence the outcome of the election. He urged the kings to ensure youth are not used as political thugs during the election exercise.

"Our young people must not be left to those who will instigate violence and cause others to lose their lives and property. We are determined to keep order and I hope Your Highness are on the same page with us," he said.

The President also spoke of the infrastructural projects embarked on by his administration across the nation. He promised to complete the Lagos-Ibadan railway project before the end of January 2019.

The traditional rulers commended the president for his efforts and urged the president to embark on more projects in the South Western part of the country.