ALSCON: Appeals Court Rebukes FG And UC RUSAL For Deceit And Not Obeying The Supreme Court Judgment In Favor Of BFIGroup

On Wednesday, 24^th January, 2018, the Court of Appeal in Abuja scolded the FG and UC Rusal for attempting to deceive the Court on BFIGroup's efforts to enforce the Nigerian Supreme Court's judgment over ALSCON.  In a hearing on UC Rusal's injunction to preclude the Bureau of Public Enterprises handover of ALSCON to BFIGroup, the Court chastised UC Rusal for initially requesting the injunction in 2015, and the BPE's support of the application, and for not seeking to have this extraordinary issue speedily heard on its merits.

In a further act of humiliation, after being informed about the FG's effort to renew a Share Purchase Agreement with UC Rusal, the Court removed the injunction that precluded the enforcement of the Supreme Court's ruling, in its totality.  In its' ruling, the Court directly noted

"The behavior exhibited so far is tantamount to a calculated attempt to waste the time of the Court and to continue to frustrate a specific and clear Order of the Supreme Court to execute its judgment.  We cannot allow that."

Commenting on this latest development, BFIGroup's CEO, Dr. Reuben Jaja, applauded the Court's actions and emphasized that the legal status of BFIGroup as the Preferred Bidder/Core Investor of ALSCON following the extant and subsisting Judgment of the Supreme Court as the highest Court in Nigeria cannot be wished away by the BPE or any other person, including the Honourable Minister for Mines and Steel Development nor UC Rusal.  He then asked, how can a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria supervise the signing or renewal of an SPA voided by the Supreme Court of Nigeria? This blatant disregard of the rule of law for whatever consideration by the Minister, and his foreign conspirators, must be investigated.

Certainly, the Minister acted in bad faith, particularly as these actions were taken a day before the above appellate court hearing.  Regrettably, such an act is consistent with the Minister's disregard for the truth. 

In his past statements, the Minister noted that BFIGroup was provided with an SPA in August 2017, but refused to sign.  However, the Minister fails to recall that BFIGroup asked, among other things, that the SPA require the dismissal of all appeals and the removal of all injunctions, specifically the injunction obtained by UC Rusal that prevented ALSCON's handover, and that this request was refused.  Accordingly, with this refusal, until the Court of Appeals removal of the injunction yesterday, BFIGroup was prevented by law from signing a binding SPA. 

These acts of the Minister that amount to a desperate and fraudulent conspiracy to undermine, frustrate and ridicule the judgement of the Apex court are mind bogging.

We further believe the Minister, and his collaborators, dangerously misled the Presidency, particularly the Vice President as Chairman of the NCP, starting from his first visit to ALSCON and the contemptuous comments of assuring UC RUSAL of the FG commitment to free ALSCON of any encumbrances regardless of the ever present Supreme Court ruling.

BACKGROUND

On July 6, 2012, the Supreme Court of Nigeria clearly, concisely and definitively issued a judgment in the case entitled BFI Group Corporation v. Bureau of Public Enterprises, Case No. SC. 12/2008, wherein the Court granted all of BFIGroups' claims, stated that the case was "meritorious in the extreme," and held that BFIGroup had a binding contract with the Nigerian government for the purchase of ALSCON.  Moreover, the Supreme Court issued "an order of perpetual injunction . . . restraining [the BPE], its servants, agent privies, management or howsoever called from inviting any further bidding for the sale and acquisition of ALSCON in violation of the contract between the Plaintiff (BFIGroup) and the Defendant (BPE) and from negotiating to sell, selling, transferring or otherwise handing over ALSCON to any person or persons in violation of the contract between the Plaintiff and the Defendant."

This Supreme Court judgment effectively, nullified any agreement UC Rusal had with the Federal Government of Nigeria regarding ALSCON.

Following this decision, the BPE first presented BFIGroup with a proposed SPA on October 8, 2012.  On October 24, 2012, BFIGroup promptly returned to the BPE a revised version of the Sale Share Purchase Agreement and requested the scheduling of an immediate meeting to discuss this agreement, in an effort to demonstrate its good faith in expediently concluding the transaction.  On February 13, 2013, BFIGroup presented the BPE with its fully signed SPA. 

Regrettably, the BPE refused to countersign the agreement.  Thus, BFIGroup filed an enforcement action in the Federal High Court of Abuja.  On September 30, 2014, then Judge Abdukadir Abdu-Kafarati (now Justice Abdu-Kafarati of the Nigerian Supreme Court) Ordered the BPE to "fully enforce and give effect to the meaning and intendment of the Judgment of the Supreme Court dated 6th July 2012 by signing and executing forthwith the [February 13, 2013] mutually agreed Share Purchase Agreement."  The Court further compelled and mandated that the BPE "forthwith take full control and possession of ALSCON from anybody including UC Rusal et al. and prepare same for handover/transfer to [BFIGroup]."

On October 20, 2014, UC Rusal proceeded to file a separate action in the Federal High Court of Uyo asking the Court to intervene and restrain the BPE from carrying out the Orders of the Supreme Court and the Federal High Court of Abuja.  On November 10, 2016, Justice Ijeoma L. Ojukwu of this High Court dismissed the claim and held that "From where I sit/stand, the above judgment of the Supreme Court is clear and unequivocal and leaves no room for speculation."  The Court further noted that UC Rusal's questioning of the Supreme Court decision was "unimaginable" and that its' efforts to continue to upend the decision made it nothing more than a "busy body".

Now, rather than complying with the judgments of three (3) separate courts, including one from the highest Court of the land, the Minister continues to try and circumvent the rule of law, pervert justice, and trample on the backs of the people of Nigeria by dishonestly proclaiming to have resolved BFIGroup's dispute with the FG and by collaborating with a company that has done nothing but let ALSCON twist in the wind.   

BFIGroup HAS NOT approved of nor accepted any out of court settlement with the FG or BPE over ALSCON, and the Minister of Mines and Steel Development has not mediated any resolution.  Any statement to the contrary is folly, and subjects its' maker to legal process.  BFIGroup further calls for the immediate compliance of the valid and subsisting decisions of the Court and the discontinuance of untruthful statements about our company.  If such actions continue, we will be left with no alternatives but to seek the full benefit and protection of the law and due process.

BFIGroup Corporation is the Core Investor of ALSCON that consists of a multidisciplinary group of companies whose primary mission is to provide capital resource, investments and infrastructure development services, particularly in the areas of energy, hydrocarbons, steel and aluminum products.

The Senate Wouldn't Confirm Any New Nominees Until Magu Is Gone – So Can The Executive Act Now And Send A Replacement Name

By Adenike Lucas, @denilucs

On March 15, 2017, the nomination of Ibrahim Mustafa Magu was rejected by the Senate.

Despite an indicting intelligence report and failure to absolve himself of the allegations made against him during his screening, Mr Magu, a "perennial offender," remains in office.

The issue of Mr Magu's confirmation has lingered for too long. The support he gains from the Vice President is rather confusing.

It's now an open secret that Professor Yemi Osinbajo is the one propping Mr Magu in office. Professor Osinbajo made his support for Mr Magu known at a press conference.

He even went as far as saying that, the "corrupt"  Borno Deputy Commissioner of Police did not need the confirmation of the Senate.

However, the EFCC Act 2004 requires getting the confirmation of the Senate for the appointee to the office of the chairman of the EFCC.

Therefore, the "stay put" decision by the Executive has peeved lawmakers who argued that the principle of separation of powers is under threat.

In retaliation, lawmakers from the upper chamber, who have received several petitions from EFCC workers against their boss, passed a resolution in 2017 not to screen or confirm any more nominees from the Executive until Mr Magu is removed.

Today, the Senate President reaffirmed that vow.

WATCH - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03rvhNtAVrQ

While responding to a colleague's request, Senator Bukola Saraki said "I know this resolution we took it in March... we will look into it, but if it started after, unless that resolution is rescinded, we are all bound by that resolution."

So, the Senate would not confirm new Presidential nominees including replacements for vacant positions in the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

Consequently, the Monetary Policy Committee, MPC could not meet as planned on January 23.

As the MPC was unable to meet, the central bank could not announce its new interest rate, leading to a fall in the stock market.

We can see that the hold off between the lawmakers and the Executive is inevitably affecting the economy of the country.

Thanks to Mr Magu, the EFCC has no board members. Mr Magu takes all the decision on his own. Operatives can attest to many bad decisions he has made.

One of such is his views on the suspension of the Nigeria's Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU which I exclusively reported on in May.

Mr Magu claims the agency, where the NFIU is domiciled is letting the FIU go. Yet, the basis for its suspension, such as decision over staffings are unresolved. The EFCC Chairman is known to appoint the Director of the NFIU.

We can report that without the passage of the NFIA bill, the suspension can't  be lifted and Nigeria remains excluded from all Egmont activities (Read the minutes of the 24th plenary at Macao)

Since the Senate is sticking to its guns about Mr Magu, can the Executive do the needful and send a replacement name.

The agency is bleeding and it needs to be given a new life.

Adenike Lucas is the Press Secretary of the All Progressives Congress in the U.K. She is also editor of DENISAURUS News 

How Will A Breakthrough Come?

By Edwin Madunagu

About five years ago, in late January and early February 2013, The Guardian carried my three – part column titled “Struggling for seats in a sinking boat.” When, recently, I examined the first part of that series (the one that appeared on January 31, 2013), I was struck by the freshness of what I wrote. For a moment I thought I was commenting on the current situation. Let me reproduce just a paragraph from that article: “Nigeria is currently like a sinking boat: Boko Haram; corruption and political economy of class and state robbery; state delinquency (that is rapidly acquiring features of failed state); mass poverty and dispossession; armed robbery and kidnapping; gross social inequality; unpatriotic ruling classes; marginalization and anomie; violence, mass insecurity and kindred social maladies – are, in their combined effect, literally sinking the country. In the midst of all this, the rulers are fighting for the next presidency. That is what I have likened to ‘fighting for seats in a sinking boat’”.

At the time I wrote the January 2013 article, the fight for Nigeria’s presidency was raging at two levels: At one level was the struggle within the former ruling party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the party of President Goodluck Jonathan. The primary struggle in the party was between those who wanted the president to be presented by the party in the 2015 presidential election and those who did not want him as their candidate. The secondary questions included where the PDP’s presidential candidate, other than President Jonathan, should come from: the North or the South?

At another level is the struggle between PDP on the one hand and the other ruling-class parties – which were then in the opposition – on the other hand. In the vanguard of this opposition were two parties: the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) led by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and the Congress of Progressive Change (CPC) led by General Muhammadu Buhari. These two opposition parties, together with fractions of two other smaller parties – the All Nigerian Peoples Parties (ANPP) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) – were soon to merge and become a “mega” party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The struggle between the PDP and the APC in the period between the emergence of the latter in 2013 and the 2015 presidential election was – to put the matter mildly – a struggle of hate. I can say that in my own conscious political experience the bitterness was comparable only to that which, towards the end of the First Republic (1960-1966), characterized the struggle between the Nigerian National Alliance (NNA) and the United Progressive Grand Alliance (UPGA). The debate between the ruling PDP and its ruling class opponents was as violent as debates in words could become.

Beyond that would be what Mao Zedung called “politics by other means.” To both the PDP presidency and its APC opponents the 2015 presidential election could only be deemed free and fair if their candidates won! In other words, if either party won, then the election would be considered unfree and unfair by its opponent. And violence would erupt! That was what the two sides literally threatened. No nation, no people could be more threatened and blackmailed by its rulers!

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), like the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) of the Second Republic (1979-1983), was deliberately created to be the largest, the most powerful and the most national of the parties of Nigeria’s ruling classes. The party came into being after the deaths of General Abacha and Chief Abiola in mid-1998. Its status as the largest party of the ruling class was formally confirmed in the February 1999 presidential election. From 1999 to 2013, that is, until the emergence of the All Progressives Congress (APC), PDP maintained and renewed that position. Then, through a thunderous political wave which started in Nigeria’s ruling class almost immediately after Jonathan’s victory in the 2011 presidential election, PDP’s hegemony in the ruling class, and hence in the country, began to be seriously challenged.

For the first time since independence, political hegemony passed from one ruling class party to another – without a military coup d’etat or war! But that was not all. The displacement of the PDP by APC happened before the March 2015 presidential election! The election - whether it was free and fair, or not – only confirmed this displacement. I still wonder how a serious student of society and politics, let alone a Marxist, could have given the PDP the slightest chance of defeating the APC in the 2015 presidential election. How could the PDP win when, before the contest, this ruling party had lost dominance and hegemony in the political class as well as among the masses? And beyond this, how could a ruling party in 2015 Nigeria retain power through an election taking place at a time it had lost actual control of the strategic institutions of state including those that would conduct the elections?

The general elections took place and APC won overwhelmingly at all levels. It assumed formal office on May 29, 2015 having assumed real power immediately it was declared the winner of the contest two months earlier. At the time the 2015 elections took place APC appeared – in membership, leadership, antecedents and rhetorics – to be more progressive than the PDP.

Now, just before the elections I was gripped by two real fears. The first fear arose from the possibility of emergence of armed support (state and non-state) – for either the PDP or the APC or both – before, during or after the elections. The other fear arose from the real possibility, not just of ruling class-induced crisis in the Left, but of massive co-optation of segments of the country’s poplar-democratic movement by these two parties or forces within them. The first fear did not materialize – at least not overtly. But my second fear partially materialized: large segments of the Left and popular-democratic forces were actually coopted into the APC where they became political militants.

Putting aside the Civil War tragedies in both wings of the Nigerian Left, it may be proposed that this type of massive ideological – political cooptation in the Left had, before the 2015 general elections, taken place only on three occasions. The first time was in (1963-1965) when fractions of the Left, including those that were described as “extreme tendencies”, teamed up with the opposition United Progressive Grand Alliance (UPGA) to confront the ruling Nigerian National Alliance (NNA). The second occasion was in 1983 when fractions of the Left teamed up with either the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) or the radical wing of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) in opposition to the ruling National Party of Nigeria (NPN). And the third time was in 1993 when large segments of the Left went into the campaign of Chief Moshood Abiola, the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

The difference between these earlier political alliances/cooptations (1964, 1983 and 1993) and the last one (2015) was that in the former the ruling class formations so enlarged and enriched by the Left did not gain power; but in the latter the “lucky” ruling class formation – in this case, the APC – came to power. Taking a long view of history, three connected questions then stand before the Nigerian Left. One: Did the country make a progressive breakthrough in 2015? Two: Is the Nigerian Left, together with its popular-democratic affiliates, now weaker or stronger as the real opposition to the exploiting and oppressive social order we are committed to abolishing? Three: Is the time not appropriate for the Nigerian Left to start reviewing (not abandoning!) its inherited and resilient theory and strategy of “electoral collaboration?”

Madunagu, mathematician and journalist, writes from Calabar, Cross River State. 

Rivers APC Blasts Wike For Hiring Indigenes Of Abia, Imo And Akwa Ibom States For 2019 Endorsement

· Queries The Release Of N5b For Mobilisation Of Obas And Emirs For Further Endorsements 

Rivers State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) in a press statement circulated on Thursday in Port Harcourt by Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, the Media Consultant to Dr Davies Ibiamu Ikanya the State Chairman of Rivers APC to Media Organisations, opinion leaders and the public blasted Governor Nyesom Ezebunwo Wike of Rivers State for spending a whopping sum of one billion Naira (N1b) of Rivers State money to hire two different groups (non indigenes and women groups) last weekend to endorse him for his unmerited second term bid.

The opposition party in Rivers State said that Gov. Wike spent five hundred million Naira (N500M) to hire non indigenes who are not resident in Rivers State from Abia, Imo and Akwa Ibom States to march to the Rivers State Government House in order to endorse him for an unmerited second term in office while he has refused to pay the six months salaries owed to the Rivers State Civil servants and arrears of pension owed to our Pensioners. 

The APC in the same vein queries the rationale behind the Governor wasting another whopping sum of Five Hundred million Naira (N500M) to hire women from Bayelsa and Delta States and presented them as Rivers State women to endorse him to continue to exhibit his mediocrity in governance. 

The party supporting the above stand quoted the press statement issued by the Hausa community in Rivers State through their leader, Alh. Saidu Musa. The community in the press statement scolded Governor Wike for claiming that the Hausa community were among the hired non indigenes from outside the State that endorsed him. According to the Hausa Community resident in Rivers State in their press statement titled, "2019... Hausa community disassociate itself from Wike's endorsement" stated, "that the Hausa community in Rivers State has political and administrative structures headed by both traditional institutions and other leaders of thought and that none of the bodies were consulted to mobilise their community to endorse Wike. The statement further explained, "So we have not endorsed Governor Wike for 2019. If there is any need for that the entire leadership of Hausa community will meet and take decision accordingly. We therefore called on the public to disregard such endorsement saying that Hausa community in Rivers State is yet to take decision on who to support in 2019"

In agreement with the Hausa community, the Igbos, the Akwa Ibomites and Cross Riverians, the Igalas,  the Tivs,  the Ibibios, the Yoruba's and other ethnic nationalities residing in Rivers State have jointly and separately denounced Wike for linking them with his desperate attempt to fool the outside world that his misrule and draconian policies of promoting insecurity in Rivers State is popular and acceptable to the people of Rivers State.

The party recalled that Wike on assumption of office deluded the non indigenes in Rivers State and stopped the Scholarship Scheme initiated by Amaechi for the well-being and greatness of Rivers State because of the non indigenes and wonder how Wike now sought the endorsement of non indigenes for his second term bid after he told the world that he stopped the scholarship scheme because it contains the names of some non indigenes. Wike in demonstration of his deep hatred for the non indigenes in Rivers State terminated the appointment of 13,200 Teachers employed during the Amaechi's administration stating that it some non indigenes were employed during the exercise. This may have occasioned the mass rejection of his second term bid by the indigenes and non indigenes in Rivers State. 

The party describes as most unfortunate the claim by Wike that he spent one billion Naira in hiring less than two thousand non indigenes and few hundreds of Women for this unfortunate excerise. This to APC is another tool for Wike to divert and  embezzle public funds with impunity.

The party noted with sadness not minding the above that Wike is not relenting in this inglorious act as a whopping sum of five Billion Naira (N5B)  have been earmarked to woo some PDP Governors,  notable Emirs and Obas to visit Rivers State from February to endorse Wike for his elusive second term bid and we wish to appeal to some of these people already contacted for this evil act that their actions are not for the good of Rivers State and her people as Wike has only succeeded to ruin our economy and plunge Rivers State into ceaseless insecurity and laughing stock among other States of our country and doesn’t merit any other four years as the Governor of Rivers State. 

The party sympathised with Wike over his rejection and desperation and explained that Wike may have resorted to hiring non Rivers State people from outside the State after his rejection by the Rivers State people and total acceptance of APC instead as demonstrated during the recent reception in honour of the Lion of Niger Delta Politics, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi the erstwhile Governor of Rivers State and the incumbent Minister of Transportation by the Ikwerre Youths Movement Worldwide (IYM)  when millions of Rivers State people trooped to accord honour to their illustrious son.

The party reassured Wike that no matter the amount of Rivers State money that he intends to waste for his elusive second term tenure project that he will not succeed for the following reasons:

1. For aborting the Scholarship Scheme and free education initiated by Amaechi

2. For aborting the free medicals for infants and the aged initiated and executed by Amaechi 

3. For turning Ambassador Ine Korubo Model Secondary School described by many as an University to forest 

4. For aborting the Greater Port Harcourt City project aimed to decongest Port Harcourt and positioned Rivers State as one of best States in Nigeria 

5. For running Rivers State for the past two years plus as a chiefdom without budgetary provisions 

6. For turning Rivers State to Rivers of dustbin and blood where security of lives and properties no longer make any meaning. 

7. For aborting the Monthly Town Hall meetings where communities make inputs in Governance initiated by the administration of Amaechi 

8. For destroying the Agricultural sector of Rivers State through ruining the Songhai farm, the Buguma fish farm etc 

9. For killing Local Government system in Rivers State 

10. For ensuring that developmental deliberations in the Rivers State House of Assembly no longer exist. 

11. For stopping and destroying the future of our youths on scholarship in foreign countries and refusal to pay the Civil servants their salaries when due and numerous other sins Wike has committed against Rivers State and her people.

LG Poll: Election Observers Laud Osun Government For Declaring Public Holiday

Chairman of the coalition of election observer groups, comrade Richards Adebayo (middle) the secretary of the coalition, comrade Ndubuisi Izuchukwu (right) and one of the observers, comrade Obu Deborah in Osogbo.

Olawale Adewale, Osogbo

The election observers for the local government election in Osun State have lauded the state government for declaring today, Thursday and tomorrow, Friday as public holiday in the state to enable the people of the state to prepare adequate for the exercise.

The election observer groups including the Awareness for Democracy and Diplomacy, Better Community Life Initiative and Africa Initiative for Sustainable and Positive Development said the decision of the state government concerning the public holiday was most appropriate.

The observers groups under the aegis of Coalition of Independent Civil Society Groups said the pre-election activities and the preparation of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) so far was satisfactory and acceptable.

The Chairman of the coalition, Comrade Richards Adebayo in a press statement made available to our correspondent in Osogbo, the state capital charged the people of the state to troop out on Saturday and vote for candidates of their choice in all the wards where election will take place.

According to him, "We will like to commend Osun State Governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola for being a leaders with listening hear. We recommended the public holiday in our earlier press statement and we are happy that the governor did the needful."

Oby Ezekwesili Invitation; Keyamo Is Turning To Opportunist – Youth Alliance

 Festus Keyamo, SAN

The Integrity Youth Alliance has called on Festus Keyamo to stop displaying his ignorance as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

In a press release on Thursday in Abuja, the National Coordinator of Integrity Youth Alliance, Kelvin Adegbenga said it is unfortunate that a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, like Festus Keyamo didn’t know the difference between invitation, Arrest and detention.

“We wish to enlighten Festus Keyamo that the leadership of Bring Back Our Girls were invited and not arrested and detained by the Nigeria Police Force, FCT Command. By invitation, it means; a written or verbal request inviting someone to go somewhere or to do something while arrest mean to seize (a person) by legal authority or warrant; take into custody while detention mean the act or fact of detaining or holding back; especially: a holding in custody. From the above definition, we wish to enlighten Festus Keyamo that the leadership of the Bring Back Our Girls were invited to the FCT Police Command for a brief by the Commissioner of Police in respect of the security report that some hoodlums want to hijack their daily rally; thereby take caution, Adegbenga said.

Adegbenga further implore Festus Keyamo to continue “struggling to come to terms with the explanation given by the Police for the ‘arrest” while we know that the leadership of the Bring Back Our Girls is acting her political map towards the 2019 general election by claiming that she was “arrested and detained” to gain more popularity.

“Calling for the removal of the Inspector-General of Police from office by Festus Keyamo is the most implausible statement to have come from a supposed learned SAN. The Nigeria Police owes nobody any apology for doing her rightful duties of protection of life and properties of Nigerians, the statement concluded.

Sokoto's Finance, Debt Profile Healthy, Says Tambuwal

Gov Aminu Tambuwal

Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, Wednesday said he did not collect loan worth over N100 billion last year, contrary to insinuation by detractors in the state.

He also lambasted some elites in the state, who are sponsoring some misguided individuals in order to tarnish his image.

Tambuwal made the assertion at a Stakeholders Summit on Sokoto's 2018 budget held at Shukura Hotel in Sokoto.

He disclosed that the state got a total inflow of N73 billion comprising internally generated funds, Paris Club funds and federal allocation.

He also said the total funds in the state's education levy accounts so far is N530 million.

"We have a total of N530m in the education levy account. Not a single kobo has been expended from the account because it is not my duty to spend the money. That responsibility has been to the state education development committee under the leadership of Sultan Muhammad Sa'ad," he stated.

He wondered why any one would accuse him of collecting a N100 billion loan in 2017 when there are agencies of government open to be contacted for any information.

"I never Collected N100 billion loan. I wonder how these misguided persons are ridiculing themselves in the social media in order to tarnish government's image when they do not have facts.

"What we have done is to seek for soft loans and we followed due process after approval from the State House of Assembly. In fact, some of these loans are deadlocked because we haven't accessed them.

"I have to tell you truth that we received an inflow of N73 billion in 2017 which included internally generated revenue, federal allocation and Paris Club funds, despite the fact that we budgeted N204 billion for that year. So, how can we perform optimally? This is the setback we had last year and we were not able to complete some of these physical projects like roads and bridges for people to see and judge us.

"So, I wonder how someone will go on social media and visit Radio stations, accusing us of wasting public funds. We know those playing politics and their paymasters. They should seek for information from appropriate quarters rather than dissipating energy criticising government," he added.

He maintained that his administration was open to criticism and would not waiver in its efforts to improve the lives of the people.

"We are open to criticism and not running a cult. We are open and transparent. People should cross check their facts before making unguarded utterances.

"We are all leaders in our respective fields and homes and it is indeed unfortunate for a man to lie in public in order to score cheap political points,"he added.

Tambuwal assured the residents of the state of his determination to complete all ongoing projects.

He therefore reaffirmed the commitment of the state government towards improving education and human capital.