I Am Being Tried Because I am Senate President - Saraki

Senator Bukola Saraki says he is being tried at the Code of Conduct Tribunal because he is the Senate President. In a personal statement he signed yesterday September 22nd, Saraki said

"I reiterate my belief that the only reason while I am going through this trial is because I am senate president. If I were to be just a senator, I doubt if anybody will be interested in the asset declaration form I filled over twelve years ago".

Buhari Finally Writes Saraki On $75m Edo Loan

‎President Muhammadu Buhari has written to the senate seeking approval for a $75 million loan from the World Bank for the Edo state government.

 “I am writing to seek the consideration of the national assembly of Nigeria on approval of a request by the Edo state government‎ to obtain a $75 million credit facility from the World Bank,” the president wrote in a letter read on the floor of the upper chamber by Bukola Saraki, senate president, on Tuesday. 

“You may wish to know that the World Bank had approved a Development Policy Programme (DPO) loan budget support for the total sum of $225 million to the Edo state government in 2012 to be implemented in three tranches of $75 million per annum. “The first tranche was approved by the national assembly in the 2012-2014 federal government external borrowing plan. 

“The programme has since been successfully implemented by the state in 2014. Following this success, the bank’s board of executive directors approved the‎ second tranche. “‎DPO 2, on April 29, 2015. The DPO 2 was captured in the federal government external ruling borrowing plan of 2014-2017, which is pending with the national assembly. “It is for the above reason that I seek your favour to facilitate the consideration and approval of the Development Policy Operation 2 (DPO2) loan of $75 million to enable the state to consolidate on the first tranche of the operation.” 

On Saturday, it was reported that the World Bank loan was being stalled by the unending row between Buhari and Saraki. For World Bank to grant the development loan, the president was required to write the senate. However, the letter was written by Danladi Kifasi, the head of service, and addressed to the senate president. The senate refused to act on it, instead writing back to Kifasi to point out the procedural error.

Saraki donates N10m to IDPS in Maiduguri

The senate delegation to Maiduguri, Borno State on Monday donated the sum of N10m to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state.

The senate delegation led by Senate President, Bukola Saraki was in Maiduguri to see first hand, the plight of the displaced people told governor Shettima that their coming to Maiduguri is to commiserate with the people of the state and a show of solidarity for the people of the state.

PDP Asks Kwara Chapter to Disclaim Statement on Saraki’s Wife

Following the statement by the Kwara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that its petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) led to the invitation of wife of the Senate President, Mrs. Toyin Saraki, the national headquarters has directed the state chapter to disclaim the statement.

A highly ranked member of the party, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, revealed that the national headquarters the party called immediately the story was published by major newspapers on their websites.


In a statement early today, the party’s state publicity secretary, Rex Olawoye, was quoted as revealing how the petition the party submitted in early this year to the EFCC detailing how certain individuals in higher places during the tenure of Saraki as Kwara State governor milked the state dry was instrumental to the invitation of the former first lady of the state.


According to the petition, Mrs Saraki was fingered alongside one Mr. Ope Saraki, former special adviser to former governor Bukola Saraki on MDGs, Saraki’s personal assistant, one Mr. Abdul Adama from Kogi State and a former commissioner for information, Mr. Tunji Morounfoye, in an alleged cesspool of corruption which he described as unprecedented in the history of Kwara state or any other state.


The All Progressives Congress (APC) has been enmeshed in supremacy battle following the refusal of some of his federal lawmakers to abide by party’s directives in choosing leaders of the national assembly.


The PDP sees the crisis as a way of making an in-road in national limelight following his ouster from the federal government in the March 2015 presidential election.


Following the election of Senator Bukola Saraki, a former governor under the party, as president of the Senate through the support of the PDP senators, the party has not hidden its joy, as members of the party see that as a payback for what members of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN (now APC) did during the election of the House of Representatives election that produced Hon. Aminu Tambuwal as speaker.


The source said: “The party wants the crisis in the party to continue so that it can reclaim some of its members back into its fold. They are leaving no stone unturned in this bid and that was why the party ordered its federal lawmakers to team up with Sen Saraki and House speaker, Yakubu Dogara during the leadership election.


“Their projection is that sooner or later, Saraki and others would be forced to dump the APC or divide it and so that will give them the opportunity to redeem its structure. The party is not satisfied with the ongoing invitations of those that worked with its government. And they were shocked to see the statement by the PDP. To cut the story short, the Kwara PDP is not satisfied with the state of the nation.

Kwara State is no longer viable and they are doing everything possible to make sure that the man who underdeveloped the state is brought to book.


“Our national publicity secretary, Chief Olisah Metuh just called, expressing his displeasure over the statement. Why should he be controlling us. He ordered us to disregard the statement but we are not ready but we know they may go behind to react on our behalf and put our names to make it look like we backtracked,” the source said.

Thisday

EFCC Investigating Saraki's Wife And Yar'adua's Daughter Over Allerged Fraud

Report has it that the daughter of former President Umaru Yar’ Adua and wife of former Kebbi State Governor, Saidu Dakingari, Zainab Dakingari, have been invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged fraud to the tune of N2 billion perpetrated during her husband’s tenure as governor of the Northwest State. Also invited for questioning for alleged money laundering is Toyin Saraki, wife of the Senate President and former governor of Kwara State, Bukola Saraki. Mrs Saraki, a source at the anti-graft agency disclosed, is wanted in relation to questionable inflow of funds into companies where she has interest. She is expected to report at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja on July 28, 2015 where a crack team of investigators have already been assembled to grill her. Mrs. Dakingari on the other hand was initially expected to report for questioning at the EFCC headquarters today. However, reporters have gathered that the former Kebbi first lady sent words that she was away to Saudi for Umrah, and pleaded to be allowed to report on ‎ July 27, 2015. Dankingari is expected to explain to operatives of the anti-graft agency the source of the steady stream of huge cash into her companies, while she was the "first lady" of Kebbi State. When contacted for comments, EFCC spokesp‎erson, Wilson Uwujaren, said,

 “I’m aware that a new set of suspects w‎ere recently invited,” Mr. Uwujaren said. “It’s not impossible the two women are among them.”