The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has just inaugurated new members of the National Assembly Service Commission.
Those inaugurated by Buhari were Ahmed Kadi-Amshi, Chairman, (Yobe, North East); Babagana Modu; (Borno, North East); Abubakar Tutare (Taraba, North East); Hakeem Akamo (Lagos, South West); Tunrayo Akintomide (Ondo, South West); Atanomeyorwi Francis (Delta, South-South).
Others were Bassey Etuk (Akwa-Ibom); Bailyaminu Yusuf Shinkafi (Zamfara, North West); Sani Saidu Kazaure (Jigawa, North West); Julius Ucha (Ebonyi, South East); Nnamdi Anyaechie (Imo, South East); Auwalu Aliyu Ohindase (Kogi, North Central); and Muazu Is’haq (Nasarawa, North Central).
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and cabinet ministers witnessed the ceremonies which took place shortly before the opening of the Federal Executive Council meeting.
The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, also witnessed the inauguration.
The National Assembly Service Commission is the organ responsible for the recruitment and promotion of the National Assembly workers.
Court Finds Olisa Metuh Guilty Of Money Laundering
BREAKING: Ex-PDP spokesman Olisa Metuh bags 7-year imprisonment – A federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced the former spokesman of the People’s Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh, to seven years imprisonment with effect from today.
The Presiding Judge, Okon Abang, had earlier found Metuh and his company guilty of all the seven-count charge preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
According to judgment, the convict, Mr Metuh, is to pay the sum of N376 Million to the Federal government while his company, Destra Investment Limited will forfeit to the federal government.
While delivering his ruling, Justice Okon said: ” the convict and his team of lawyers had humiliated me, and tried to use different means to intimidate me by writing different petitions against me.
“This country cannot go like this there must be a change in the way we do things.
“The first convict used various media platforms to review my rulings in this matter, ” Justice Abang recounted.
Earlier, while addressing the issue raised by the defendant during the trial that no court has yet convicted Sambo Dasuki, on any money laundering charges to assert that the money paid to the defendant ( Olisa Metuh) is proceeds of any unlawful Act.
The Judge held that Sambo Dasuki need not to be convicted to show that the money paid to the defendant was proceeds from an unlawful Act.
The court ruled that defendant and the office of the NSA had no contract but yet he received the payment of N400 Million.
The trial judge, Justice Okon Abang, found the former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) guilty on Tuesday while delivering judgement in the suit instituted against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The anti-graft agency charged Metuh, who is standing trial alongside his company, Destra investment, with seven counts bordering on criminal diversion of the money received from the office of the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd).
Delivering judgement in the case, Justice Abang convicted the former PDP spokesman of count one of the charges.
Court Finds Olisa Metuh Guilty Of Money Laundering
“It is my view that Metuh took possession of the N400 million from the office of the NSA without contractual agreement; he is guilty of money laundering and is hereby convicted on count one.”
Shortly after he was convicted, the trial judged suspended reading the judgment to allow the former PDP spokesman use the gents.
Upon his return to the courtroom, Justice Abang proceeded with his judgement on the second count of the charges which bordered on the criminal conversion of N400 million.
According to him, the evidence before him shows that the money was used to fund activities of the PDP.
The judge added that Metuh also used the money to acquire a property at Banana Island in Lagos.
He explained that this was contrary to the e-payment mandate which stated that the money was meant for security services, whereas Dextra Investment was not a registered security outfit.
Court Finds Olisa Metuh Guilty Of Money Laundering
Justice Abang insisted that the evidence pointed to the fact that the money was deliberately laundered to brighten the chances of the PDP during the general elections in 2015.
He added that Metuh failed to explain the transfer of N50 million from the N400 million to the joint account of himself and his wife
“It is, therefore, manifestly clear that the defendant converted the money for PDP campaign activities and I find him guilty and is hereby convicted accordingly,” the judge declared.
On count three which bordered on concealment of funds, Justice Abang says the e-payment mandate showed that the money was released for security services but was concealed and used for PDP campaign activities and personal use.
“I hereby find him guilty and convicted on count 3,” he ruled.
The trial judge also delivered judgment on count 4 which was the allegation of illegal disbursement of funds.
He said the Prosecution placed credible evidence before the court which showed some of the unlawful acts of Colonel Sambo Dasuki as the NSA while in office.
Justice Abang Okon held, “The first defendant was desirous of repositioning the PDP and he deployed the funds for that purpose and personal use.”
Court Finds Olisa Metuh Guilty Of Money Laundering
He noted that the meeting wherein former President Jonathan allegedly authorised the payment was tagged a ‘security meeting’.
But the judge wondered why only the former NSA and top officials of the PDP attended the meeting, yet Metuh claimed the money was disbursed for special national assignment.
But the judge wondered why only the former NSA and top officials of the PDP attended the meeting, yet Metuh claimed the money was disbursed for special national assignment, stressing that the first defendant was not a witness of truth.
He said, “I agree with the prosecution that Metuh’s claims are tissues of lies hurriedly put in place to divert the attention of the court from prying into the disbursement of the N400 million received from the office of the NSA through an under the table agreement.
“It is a case of public funds filtering into private hands for selfish reasons.”
Justice Abang, therefore, held that the N400 million was never released for a special national assignment based on the evidence before him.
“Therefore, I find the first and second defendants guilty on count 4,” he ruled.
Justice Abang, therefore, held that the N400 million was never released for a special national assignment based on the evidence before him.
He then proceeded to give judgement on count 7 – transfer of funds to a PDP chieftain, saying he would come back to counts 5 and 6.
On the seventh count of the charges, the trial judge held that the transfer of N27.7 million to Mr Anthony Anenih for a special national assignment directly represented the illicit nature of the fund.
“I have again considered the position of the prosecution and found that the prosecution proved the transfer of N27.7 million to Chief Anthony Anenih, and I hereby find the first and second defendants guilty on count 7 and are hereby convicted,” he ruled.
Canada visa requirements for Nigeria and how to apply
All you need to know about Canada visa requirements for Nigeria and how to apply for a Canadian visa. Canada is one of the best places in the world for immigrants to study, live or work and we have lot of Nigerians there already.
Different Types of Canadian Visa
There are different types of visas depending on the purpose of your visit or travel to the country.
Examples are:
Business Visa
Student Visa
Tourist Visa
Transit Visa and many more
Canada Visa Requirements for Nigeria – All Visa Types
When you have decided why you want to visit or travel to Canada, the requirements for any of the Visas above can be found here.
Canada Visa Application in Nigeria – How to Apply
For the steps that would be listed below, you are required to submit your application in person at the local Canada Visa Application Centre (CVAC) in Lagos or Abuja.
Like we said earlier, see the above link for requirements of the visa relating to the purpose of your visit and download the appropriate application forms. For more information on how to prepare your application, click here. When applying for visitor visa, study or work permit; Nigerian citizens aged 14 – 79 must provide their biometrics.
Fill all forms with important documents carefully, print when done. If you are unable to provide all necessary documents, download waiver form here, fill and attach with your application form.
Download VFS consent form, fill and attach with application form.
Pay all visa fees, biometric fees and charges as described here according to your purpose of visit. Biometrics will be done at the local CVAC when you want to submit your application.
Visit the local CVAC. Take along with you your passport, photographs, all filled forms and necessary documents with photocopies you have filled earlier with payment confirmation based on IRCC instructions.
Pay all services charges at CVAC, handover your complete application and a receipt will be given to you. The receipt contains a tracking number for you to track your application progress online.
After submission you can now start tracking your application.
Canada Visa Application Office Address in Lagos
Manor Hall, Plot 110, Admiral Ayinla Way, Opposite Treasure Garden Estate, Third Roundabout, Lekki Phase I, Lagos.
Canada Visa Application Office Address in Abuja
Silverbird Entertainment Centre. Plot 1161, Memorial Drive,2nd Floor, Central Business District, Abuja.
These are Canada visa requirements for Nigeria, visa application is always tedious most times in Nigeria but it will be wort it eventually when you scale through.
Canada is one of the biggest countries in the world geographically. Don’t think you’ll be able to quickly or cheaply visit most Canadian cities from wherever you live.
2. Canada is mostly empty
Canada only has about 36.5 million people inhabiting one of the biggest countries in the world, and they are mostly in a handful of cities. Get outside of the cities or southern Ontario and you’ll be going a long way without seeing much except road and empty. There are huge swaths of the country where there are no roads, so all you get is empty. Beautiful empty in lots of places, but empty
3. Most of Canada is really cold in the winter
Really cold. You can die from exposure easily, but that is extremely rare. The yearly tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, mudslides, and other natural disasters that occur in the USA are far more dangerous than cold weather. Buy the right clothes. Learn what layering means. You can stay inside if it’s cold, but that won’t help you in a tornado or a flood.
4. Canada has over-focused on resource extraction for the past decade
Canada has enormous natural resources. For the past decade, the just defeated government bet heavily on oil from the oil sands as the dominant portion of the economy. Which was kind of stupid and has led to several structural problems in the Canadian economy. Oil is in the dumper, the Canadian manufacturing heartland has been ignored and innovation in modern economies has been paid mostly lip service. Financial services companies have been heavily focused on oil extraction and shipping too. So there’s a lot of pain in the economy right now, which should be alleviated over the next four years as diversification strategies with the new Alberta and Canadian governments bear fruit and as oil rebounds a bit.
visa application
5.Canada has two official languages: English and French
Mostly you can get by with just English in the entirety of Canada, but French is useful in Quebec and parts of the Maritimes you might visit. If your French is a lot better than your English, consider Montreal.
6. The major cities of Canada support every ethnicity in the world, especially Toronto
If you get homesick, you’ll be able to hear the language of your homeland, get the food and listen to the music. Most of the worst stuff will have been left behind and mostly the innocuous cultural stuff will be available. And if you don’t like the culture, language or foods of your homeland, they will be easy to avoid or ignore.
7. Canada is really boring politically
And that’s a good thing. They have federal elections every four years in which all of the parties and all of their supporters accept the results. No one tries to overthrow the government. They have provincial and municipal elections on a different schedule. And they are peaceful. Canadians get rowdy after hockey games occasionally, but that’s contained and over quickly.
8. Canada has very strong rights and freedoms for individuals
The Charter of Rights and Freedoms pretty much guarantees that you are free to practice your religion, your innate sexuality and to have close to equal opportunity with people of other ethnicities. It’s not perfect. There’s still discrimination and outright bigotry in Canada, but it’s really subdued compared to most places and if it happens, there are strong legal frameworks enabling you to get justice. And Canadians just voted out a government that was trying to change that because Canadians like it that way.
9. Canada is pretty polite
Not in the British etiquette-is-a-weapon way, but in the basic niceness way. Among other things, that means that vigorously inciting people to violence against people who aren’t like them is frowned on. By the law. Your right to swing your fist stops at the point where someone else’s nose starts, and your right to utter offensive speech stops when you are inflaming people to swing fists at other people’s noses. This isn’t censorship, just sensible.
10. You can drink the water and breathe the air
Most of the time in most of the places. Tap water in Canada is almost guaranteed to be as good as bottled water in many or even most countries around the world. And the air quality — outside of forest fire season in a couple of cities — is better than most cities in the world most of the time.
Pastor Bunmi Salami of the Transformers International Christian Centre, a church in Gbagada with worship centres in Lekki, Opebi, Gbagada, VI, UNILAG, Ikorodu, has revealed what she passed through at the start of her Ministry along with her husband.
She revealed that she got pregnant but unfortunately, she had Ectopic Pregnancy, meaning, she had her pregnancy outside the Uterus (outside her womb).
She carried the pregnancy for 18 months, instead of the normal 9 months duration.
Read excepts from Pastor Bunmi interview with Seye Kehinde:
My first assignment actually began in the Ministry the year I had my girl. My girl is now 19 years. That was when I actually had my 1st assignment. That was the 1st church we floated and I had to go on assignment. That was in Bariga area before we came to Gbagada here. And that was when I had my 1st assignment, though I have had other assignments before like you have people given to you to grow them in 6 months. So, I was growing people. My G.O. will give you like 60 people and you are to turn it into 100. So, we would train them and work on them. After growing them, they will give me another group, until one day when he said he wants me to go and work outside. And funnily enough, I was sent on assignment for the 1st time in my life as a Pastor with a complicated issue of pregnancy.
Maybe that was why I came up with the Basket. I carried my baby for 18 months and then when my G.O said I should go for an assignment I just said you know about my case, sir. He said the Lord knows about it. So, I entered the Ministry with a very big problem but I told the Lord. I will not stay in my house for one day. I will be preaching the Gospel until I have this child. I remember I preached every day for 18 months and then I had the child. They called the kind of pregnancy I had Ectopic Pregnancy. When it got to the time, we didn’t go to the clinic. We didn’t go and see anybody about it. We just prayed and Doctor said you don’t survive Ectopic, you will bleed to death. I said I will survive it. And I survived.
How did that experience of carrying 18-month pregnancy make you feel?
It shaped me a lot. In the 1st place, it made me stronger in the Lord, because of that experience I fast every day of my life. No 2, I came away with the feeling that God is mighty. When I went to do the scan, the lady doing the scan was crying. She said you can’t survive. You have a big mass outside your uterus, you are going to bleed to death. She said, two, even if there is a Surgery or Caesarian Section you are not going to survive. I said, me, I will survive it. And I did survive. Then, I became a Pastor. I was pastoring in church. I was active. I never missed any programme. I had no car. I will move from Abule Egba to Gbagada every day, 4 times a week and I will get home around 11 pm or midnight and I became stronger in the Lord. I was preaching all along and I told the Lord, I have a Covenant with you. As far as you can let me have my baby alive, I will tell the whole world how powerful you are. If made me stronger. And I remember that when I was praying for the child, there was a day I was praying and I had a revelation I saw that the baby girl I was going to have will be tall, dark-skinned girl. And that was what happened. The girl today is a tall girl. Wow. That is my 4th born. Then we had a boy as the 5th. The birth of that one was a Miracle. We didn’t see the pregnancy at all. And we had him. That encounter made me know that God is mighty, powerful.
During that time was when I went to Reinhard Bonkee Crusade. I remember, on the last day of Reinhard Bonkee Crusade, I was lying on the couch in the church. I lived in the church then. My G.O was like Olubunmi, why are you here? I said sir, I can’t even stand up. He said go and finish your job, jare. Go and do your work. I said I am bleeding. He said does God know you are bleeding? Go. My team led 5,000 people to that crusade. I went. Nobody in my team knew I was bleeding. I went and came back and I continued my job. Suddenly I felt movement inside me and I went back to the clinic and they told me that there is a baby there. The doctor said the baby that was outside the Uterus is no longer outside, it is now inside the womb. I said wow! And I had the baby.
One afternoon, when the doctor was not even around, it was a nurse that was on duty. And the baby came out with a chord all around her neck. And myself and husband said, give us a scissor, we would help you to cut it. And we did. When the doctor came, he said it in Yoruba, omo ti on dodge. The baby that was dodging. We didn’t see you for months but we knew the baby was there. I had her in a miraculously simple way. I had her, stood up & left. There was no surgery done. No CS done. No bleeding. And there is no baby I have had that I did not go to church the next day. So, that baby came. She came on a Friday, and I went back to church on Sunday. The other one, Miracle, came on Sunday and I preached that Sunday. I feel that encounter of 18 months pregnancy gave me the Grace to serve God the more.
Nigerian Filmmaker, Moses Inwang has shared a rather unsual experience he had in Lagos.
The Record Label executive took to his Instagram page to share a video of his Range Rover car that was converted to a shop at computer village after he had parked it to repair his computer.
Sharing the video, he wrote:
“Earlier today at computer village to fix my iMac this happened… #preposterous”
An investigator with the EFCC- Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Shehu Shuaibu, said on Tuesday that alleged donations towards the 2015 presidential campaign of former President Goodluck Jonathan were still being probed.
Shuaibu pointed out to Justice Rilwan Aikawa that some monetary inflows into the bank account of a firm, Joint Trust Dimensions Limited, which is being tried for money laundering in connection with Jonathan’s campaign funds.
The firm is the fourth defendant in the N4.9bn fraud charges filed by the EFCC against a former Minister of State for Finance, Nenadi Usman, a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, and Yusuf Danjuma.
Fani-Kayode was the Director of Publicity of Jonathan’s presidential campaign organisation for the 2015 elections.
He, alongside others, is being tried on 17 counts, bordering on conspiracy, unlawful retention of proceeds of theft and money laundering.
Shuaibu is the third prosecution witness to testify in the case before the Federal High Court in Lagos.
While being cross-examined on Tuesday by Usman’s lawyer, Chief Ferdinand Orbih (SAN), Shuaibu, going through the statement of account of Joint Trust Dimensions Limited, pointed out some inflows into the firm’s account.
He identified “N500m from Global Scan System Ltd on February 11, 2015; N300m from Diamond Bank on January 30, 2015; N250m from Castillo Torres BDC Ltd on February 11, 2015; N100m from Afrigate Energy Ltd, and N500m from Chief Emeka Ofor on March 13, 2015.”
However, he said, “I am not sure if they were truly donations, as some of these alleged donated monies are still under investigation.”
Orbih then asked the investigator, “Since 2015, how many of those who made inflows into this account have you charged to court?”
In reply, Shuaibu said, “It is not my duty to charge anyone, I am just an investigator.”
But when Orbih asked him, “Did you say you found that government money was stolen and paid into the account of Joint Trust Dimensions Limited?” Shuaibu said, “Yes.”
“Who then stole this government money?” Orbih asked.
In reply, Shuaibu said, “They (the defendants) conspired to transfer the monies from government account into Joint Trust’s account, without executing any contract.”
“When a car is involved in an accident, do you leave the driver of the car and charge the conductor?” Orbih further asked the investigator, to which he replied, “My Lord, I am not a lawyer.”
Justice Aikawa adjourned till Wednesday for further proceedings.
You are Jehovah by Prospa Ochimana is a great song to check out.
A Dynamic gospel minister and Tornveil Music lead artiste, Minister Prospa Ochimana drops the official video for the widely accepted worship tune, “You Are Jehovah”.
The song “You Are Jehovah” is a spiritual sound to a troubled soul. A victory chant to a wounded world. Our new song of deliverance. An affirmation of His might to mortal spirits. A strong approach to warfare. A song with potency packed in simplicity of melody.
God takes over your battle as you declare His supremacy. The arm of flesh fails but “Ekwueme” has no record of failure. The Mighty Man of War wins all battles. You are sure to share your testimony by the atmosphere of His presence in this anointed song.
Vanessa Bryant, the embittered wife of Kobe Bryant has dragged Island Express to court after the company’s helicopter crashed in Calabasas last month, leading to the death of her husband Kobe, daughter Gianna and seven others on board.
According to TMZ, Vanessa alleges that Island Express was only permitted to fly under visual flight rules, and conditions on the day of the crash meant that the helicopter should not have been flying.
Fog was extremely low when the Sikorsky S-76B took off from John Wayne Airport and the pilot, Ara George Zobayan, is said to have been in blinding conditions moments before the crash.
The lawsuit also reportedly says that the pilot was travelling at 180mph in a steep decline amid the fog.
Additionally, the lawsuit reads that the pilot failed to monitor and assess the weather before take-off, as well as failing to obtain weather data prior to the flight The pilot is also said to have failed to abort the flight upon learning of the cloudy conditions.
Another allegation towards Zobayan states that he did not avoid “natural obstacles” in the flight path. The lawsuit says Island Express embarked on unnecessary and needlessly risky means of transportation given the conditions.
Damages are asked for in the suit for “pre-impact” terror, which regards the emotional distress Kobe and Gianna suffered as the helicopter crashed.
Liverpool has equalled Manchester City’s record of 18 consecutive Premier League wins after beating West Ham 3-2 at Anfield on Monday night . Jurgen Klopp’s side have won every league game since they drew 1-1 with Manchester United at Old Trafford in October, a result which, remarkably, remains the only time they have dropped points all season.
The win also sends the Reds 22 points clear of City at the top of the table and within sight of claiming their first Premier League title.
City’s 18-run winning sequence came during the 2017-18 season, when they won the title with a record-breaking 100 points, but Liverpool are on course to surpass that mark this season.
The Merseysiders can set a new record of 19 straight league wins when they travel to relegation-threatened Watford on Saturday evening.
The run also sees Liverpool’s unbeaten league run extended to 44 matches, closing in on Arsenal’s all-time English top flight record of 49.
