Today's National Newspaper Headlines/News - 13/5/2015

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***APC Govt Will Ask Looters To Return Money – El-Rufai

Kaduna State Governor-elect and former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasir el-Rufai, said on Tuesday that the incoming government of Muhammadu Buhari would ask corrupt politicians   to return every kobo stolen by them.

He also said that the Buhari administration would inherit a huge debt from the Goodluck Jonathan government.

The governor-elect told executive members of the National Union of Textile Garments and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, who visited   him in Kaduna, that such politicians must be ready to return all   ill-gotten funds after May 29.

He however said those (politicians) who were not corrupt had no cause to fear.

According to him, the measure was imperative because the All Progressives Congress-led government would be in a dire financial strait on assumption of office.

El-Rufai said, “We will politely ask those who stole government money to return the funds. This is because the people, who are in government now, are there to work for themselves. But the APC government is made up of people who are ready to work for the masses and the betterment of the country.

***Nigerian Immigrant’s Son, Umunna, To Contest UK Labour Leadership

Barely a week after his re-election as a member of the British parliament, Nigerian-born Chuka Umunna has decided to take his political clout to the highest level in the United Kingdom.

Umunna   formally declared his intention on Tuesday to become the next Labour Party leader, a position that could land him on 10 Downing Street as Britain’s Prime Minister, if he defeats four   other aspirants for the post and Labour wins the general election in 2020.

The other aspirants   are Liz Kendall, Yvette Cooper, Andy Burnham and Tristram Hunt.

Labour is expected to set out the timetable for the leadership election on Wednesday (today).

The 36-year-old Umunna, who is currently Labour’s shadow business secretary, is popularly referred to in the UK as Chuka Chucks and Britain’s Barack Obama.

The Nigerian-born Briton, in a video released   on   Facebook, said he could lead the party, which suffered a crunching defeat by the Conservative Party, back to power within five years.

He said, ‘‘I’m pleased today(Tuesday) to be announcing that I will be standing for the leadership of the party.

‘‘I think we can be winning in seats like Swindon. North, South, East and West. We can absolutely do it as a party.

***Summit: Patience Jonathan Denies Blocking Buhari’s Wife

Wife of the President, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, on Tuesday denied media reports that her plan to host the 8th summit of the African First Ladies Peace Mission on Friday is designed to deny the wife of the President-elect, Hajia Aisha Buhari, the opportunity of becoming the President of the mission.

Mrs. Jonathan, who is the current President, had summoned a meeting of the mission during which new executive members are expected to emerge.

Media reports had it that the election would have been held in July but the President’s wife brought it back to May to allow her successor to emerge before her husband will cease to be President from May 29.

But a statement by Mr. Ayo Adewuyi, on Tuesday said there was no truth in the reports.

Adewuyi explained that Mrs. Jonathan was elected President in July 2012 and was meant to serve for two years, according to the group’s internal regulation.

He further said that while her tenure ought to have ended in 2014, when a fresh election should have held, the President’s wife drew the attention of her colleagues to the then forthcoming election in Nigeria, which preparation would not enable her host the summit.

According to him, Mrs. Jonathan therefore proposed that the summit should hold after the general elections, and it was accordingly agreed that it should be held in July 2015.

“It would therefore be out of place for anyone to insinuate that it is intended to shut out the incoming First Lady. This cannot be farther from the truth.

***NDIC Moves To Recover N34m Debt From Okupe

SHEGEJAGWA!

The Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation has asked a Federal High Court in Lagos to place on the “undefended list” a suit it filed to recover an alleged debt of N34m from the Senior Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Doyin Okupe, and two others.

A plaintiff usually applies to put a matter on undefended list when he believes the respondents have no valid defence.

Okupe’s co-respondents in the suit filed by the NDIC before Justice Saliu Saidu are Value Trust Investment Limited and its Director, Mr. Ray Ahazie.

The corporation had instituted the action in 2007 to recover the alleged debt being the outstanding of a loan facility obtained by the respondents from Gulf Bank Plc in October 2000.

The corporation, in a statement of claims by its lawyer, Dr. Abiodun Layonu (SAN), said the respondents obtained the loan from the bank to facilitate a contract to supply the Bayelsa State Government with 10,000 metric tons of imported rice.

It, however, stated that though the said rice was successfully imported on December 28, 2000, the ship was unable to berth at the Apapa Port in Lagos until January 3, 2001 because the port was then congested.

The corporation stated further that when the ship arrived at Port Harcourt on July 26, 2001, an unpaid agency fee in the sum of $155,000 prevented it from berthing.

According to the NDIC, the said delay in the delivery of the bags of rice led to some becoming caked and some becoming stained.

Bayelsa State Government was said to have refused to take delivery of the rice, following which Gulf Bank was forced to commence an open market sale of the goods and in the process discovering that a good number of the bags of rice were spoilt.

The bank said that at the end of the sale it was able to recoup only N454, 574,150 of the loan advanced to the defendants leaving an outstanding sum of N70,425,850.

The outstanding sum was said to have been attracting interest since 2001.

The matter was said to have been referred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in September 2005 where the sum of N196,642, 996 of the debt with interest was waived, leaving only an outstanding of N44m.

*Buhari to get handover note, tour Villa May 28

*PDP leaders meet today over crisis

*Jonathan sacked Abba over indiscipline –Okiro

*Police council confirms Arase substantive IG

*Reps begin consideration of PIB report today

*Obasanjo, Buhari, others attend Jonathan’s last C.-of -S. meeting

*EFCC re-arraigns Ahmadu Ali’s son for subsidy fraud

*Babalakin sues AGF, EFCC over fresh trial move

*Buhari, Derby discuss strategies to end Boko Haram

*Constitution amendment: Jonathan, senators’ rift deepens

*Jonathan, Buhari, Atiku, governors mourn Azikiwe

*Job seeker rapes schoolgirl to death in Ogun

*Police arrest pastor for mysterious death in church

*Fuel scarcity pushes up food prices

*‘Sacked’ Lagos PDP chair refuses to vacate secretariat

*Mu’azu wanted Ambode as PDP gov candidate – Akiolu

*Port Harcourt traders blame poor sales on bad road

*Police parade 40 cultists, robbery suspects in Calabar

*Prophet, wife, others die before deliverance prayers

*Police tortured our son to death –Bereaved family

VANGUARD

*Lagos self-styled gospel preacher remanded over theft of Lexus jeep

*Patience Jonathan denies plans to ‘rig out’ Aisha Buhari of AFLPM Presidency

*Girl stabs brother to death in Warri over house chores

*Nyanya bombing: Absence of witnesses stalls trial of Ogwuche, 5 others

*Capt Bob Hayes, Nigeria’s first pilot, turns 80 today

*Jonathan, Buhari condole with Zik family

*Weah:Keshi is not Eagles’ problem

*EKITI KIDNAPPINGS: NMA, ASUU jittery as 7 members receive kidnap notice

*Nigerians’ll value Jonathan in future —Bozimo

*‘Edo govt not owing workers salary arrears’

*Black Miss Japan fights racial prejudice

*OJB denies kidney relapse rumour, says he is healthy

THISDAY

*Jonathan Leads Buhari on Villa Tour May 28

*From His Sick Bed, Mu'azu Sues for Peace

*Elumelu in White House, Joins Obama's Campaign for Entrepreneurs

*Lack of Quorum Foils Senate's Veto on Constitution Amendment

*21-Year-old Girl Stabs Younger Brother to Death in Warri

*With $5bn Investment, NDPHC is Nigeria’s Leading Power Financier

*NAF Acquires Modern Weapons, Sophisticated Crafts for Counter-terrorism

*Akwa Ibom APC Disowns Ex-Governor Victor Attah

*C’River Election Tribunal Warns Lawyers against Delay

*Nigerians Have Nothing to Fear over Buhari, Says Audu

*Bolanle Ogunpolu: Positioning MSC as a Global Brand

*PPPRA: Proliferation of Local Oil Marketers Led to High Subsidy Claims

*NDIC Moves to Recover N34m Debt from Okupe

*N4.5bn Subsidy Fraud: EFCC Re-arraigns Ahmadu Ali’s Son, Others

*FMBN, Okonjo-Iweala Trade Blame over N100bn Monetisation Bond

*Lawmakers Urged to Pass Audit Bill

*Five Banks Fined N312m in 2014

THE NATION

*El-Rufai: We'll retrieve stolen money from PDP govt

Buhari to get Jonathan's handover *notes May 28

*Jonathan: indiscipline rampant under Suleiman Abba

*Senate in final battle with presidency

*Five banks lose N312m to CBN's sanctions

*Sympathisers condole with Azikiwe's family

*IPMAN backs subsidy removal

*Islamic Council to Senate: reject Jonathan’s Hajj Commission list

*PDP panics over election cases in Rivers, Delta, Akwa Ibom

*EFCC re-arraigns Ahmadu Ali’s son, others for N4.5b subsidy fraud

*Speakership: Jibrin lobbies new Reps-elect

*SAN dissociates self from Kashamu’s lawyer’s abduction claim

*Jonathan appoints Sanusi as Supreme Court’s justice

*Ilorin emirate backs Saraki for Senate presidency

*Rivers Assembly threatens govt officials with warrant of arrest

*‘No abortion for Sambisa victims’

*Northcentral leaders seek support for Akume

*APC alleges plot by Akwa Ibom REC to impede inspection

*Govt clamps down on erring filling stations in Abuja, Ogun

*APC to Nigerians: disregard speculations on appointments, zoning

TRIBUNE

*Fraidsters are using our party's name for fraud - APC

*I am sick, receiving treatment abroad - Mu'azu

*Former PDP chairman's son, others re-arrained over 4.5 billion susbsidy fraud

*Why I travel on sea to Europe with Pregnancy - Nigerian woman who gave birth at sea

*Arase confirmed as IGP

*APC plotting against our govenors-elect - PDP

*Council of State Okays May 28 handover to Buhari

*Fighting ourselves in PDP will not lead us anywhere - Mu'azu tells Fayose, others

*Speakership: Jubrin lobbies new members with 75% committee posts

*Kidnapping: NMA, ASUU cry out, say 7 members receive fresh threat in Ekiti

*APC candidate wants results of Gombe governorship poll nullified

*Boko Haram remains major challenge to West Africa - Buhari

*APC leaders to decide on zoning this week

*Speakership: Gbajabiamila/Jibrin alliance breaks down

*We have no problem with Jonathan - Buhari's committee

*How S/African mercenaries helped Nigeria to rout Boko Haram