22052019 - F U L A N I S AT I O N A G E N D A : Obasanjo seeks to divide Nigeria in his old age —FG

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2019—9
Alleged professional misconduct:
EFCC reports Justice Taiwo to
NJC over Saraki, Okorocha
•Writes CJ to transfer all corruption cases
from him
By Soni Daniel,
Editor, Northern
Region
AFTER granting similar
injunctions stopping the
probe of Senate President,
Bukola Saraki, and Governor
Rochas Okorocha of Imo
State, Economic and
Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, has
dragged a Federal High
Court judge before the
National Judicial Council,
NJC.
The commission,
apparently angered by what
it considered a brazen
attempt by Justice Taiwo
Taiwo to stop its constitutional
duties, will today formally
present a strongly-worded
petition before the NJC
against the judge.
At the same time, the
petition, which was
personally signed by the
chairman of EFCC, Mr.
Ibrahim Magu, is to be
made available to the Chief
Judge of the Federal High
Court, Justice Abdul Kafarati,
asking him to retrieve all
corruption cases filed by
EFCC from Justice Taiwo’s
court.
A top EFCC source told
Vanguard that the
commission came to the
decision to move against
HEALTH TIPS
By Sola Ogundipe
How to have a smooth shave
SHAVING is considered
a daily chore for many
men, however, the
frequency and technique
play a major role in the
outcome.
A perfect shave is a
combination of art and trial
and error, but there are steps
you can take to help ensure
a clean and comfortable
shave.
You do not have to shave
everyday. Shaving daily
removes natural oil from
skin and leaves it dry. It is
preferable to shave five days
in a week, say Monday to
Friday, and give rest to your
skin on Saturday and
Sunday.
For the best shave, wet
your skin and hair. The best
time to shave is right after a
shower.
If you have dry or sensitive
skin, use an appropriate
shaving cream. Apply it in
a circular motion, using your
fingers or a shave brush.
Let the cream sit for two to
Justice Taiwo after he gave
similar restraining orders to
two top politicians facing
probe by the anti-graft
agency within a week.
Incidentally, the two
injunctions issued in favour
of Saraki and Okorocha
against their investigation by
EFCC were argued by the
same lawyer, Sunday
Onubi, and and granted by
the same judge on May 15
and May 8, 2019
respectively.
In the two injunctions
sighted by Vanguard last
night, the same set of
government agencies and
officials were listed as the
respondents, while
Okorocha and Saraki were
the applicants.
The judge effectively
restrained the Attorney-
General of the Federation,
Inspector-General of Police,
DSS, EFCC and ICPC from
going ahead with the probe
of the applicants, despite
decided cases that the
agencies had the right to do
so.
In a 10-paragraphed
petition addressed to the
NJC, dated May 21, 2019,
EFCC accused Justice Taiwo
of professional misconduct
and impropriety and asked
that he be appropriately
sanctioned to serve as a
deterrent to others.
three minutes to penetrate
and soften the hairs. Shave
in the direction that your
hair grows to help prevent
razor bumps and burns. Do
not stretch your skin taut
while shaving.
After shaving, rinse your
face with cold water to
reduce inflammation. Apply
a good moisturiser to help
close the pores of the skin
and keep the skin moist.
If you are experiencing
razor bumps, razor burns or
ingrown hairs, consider
switching razors. For some
men, single or two-blade
razor is okay. For others,
multi-blade razors work
well.
Use a good quality razor
and rinse the razor after each
swipe. Change disposable
razors after five to seven
shaves to minimise irritation.
Store your razor in a dry
area, do not leave it in the
shower or on a wet sink to
prevent bacteria from
growing on it.
MEETING: President of Republic of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, flanked by his wife,
Cilia Flores and former Abia State governor/senator-elect, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, after a
meeting in Venezuela, yesterday.
CBN to limit banks’ appetite for govt
securities
By Emma Ujah,
Abuja Bureau Chief
THE Central Bank of
Nigeria, CBN,
yesterday, said it would soon
announce measures to limit
the excessive appetite of
banks for government
securities.
Nigeria shopping for $140bn
loan to tackle infrastructure
decay —Osinbajo
By Juliet Umeh
THE Vice President,
Prof. Yemi Osinbajo,
yesterday, revealed that
Nigeria was looking up to
America and other
countries for a loan of about
$140 billion to tackle the
infrastructure decay in the
country.
He said the current
government had spent up
to N3.5 trillion in the last
four years to fix
infrastructure and still had
not scratched the surface.
Osinbajo, who was
represented by Minister of
Trade and Investments, Dr
Okechukwu Enelamah,
spoke at the opening
ceremony of the trade and
investment expo
exclusively for Nigeria and
America, tagged USA Fair
2019, in Lagos.
He said government was
making infrastructure
revamp a priority in the
next four years, adding that
it would also try to deploy
modern infrastructure
within the same time frame,
for job creation and ease of
doing business in the
country.
He said:“We are
interested in building
•Laments impact of insecurity on economic activities
•Retains MPR at 13.5%
Meanwhile, the Monetary
Policy Committee, MPC, of
the apex bank concluded its
bi-monthly meeting,
yesterday, with a decision to
retain the Monetary Policy
Rate, MPR, at 13.5 percent.
The committee also retained
the Cash Reserve Ratio at
modern infrastructure.
Our president has pointed
out that if we build
infrastructure, Nigerians
will do well. It is the
singular most important
thing we can do to create
jobs.
“We spent over N3.5
trillion in the last three
years. We are trying to
figure out how to raise $140
billion that Nigeria needs
to catch up with
infrastructure deficit over
the next four years.
"This is what the
government is taking a
hard look at and thinking
of how to partner great
countries like America and
other nations around the
world.”
Osinbajo also stated that
partnership with the USA
was strategic, considering
that the US has remained
the largest economy, which
no forward looking
economy in the world could
ignore.
“Nigeria also remains the
largest economy in Africa
and one that the USA
cannot also ignore. So, we
both have responsibility to
work together for the
greater good of not just our
two countries but the world
at large," he said.
22.5 per cent and the
Liquidity Ratio at 30 percent.
The governor of CBN, Mr.
Godwin Emefiele,
announced this at a press
briefing on the decisions of
the MPC meeting in Abuja,
yesterday.
According to him, the step
became necessary to curtail
banks’ focus on investing in
government debt
instruments, while
neglecting their role of
lending to the private sector,
in order to bring about the
much-needed growth in the
economy.
Emefiele said: “According
to our regulation, there is a
particular minimum
percentage of a treasury bill
or government securities that
the banks must invest in in
order to remain liquid.
“But unfortunately and
increasingly so, that the
banks, rather than focusing
credit to the private sector,
they tend to direct their focus
mainly on buying
government securities.
The MPC has frowned at
that and has directed the
management of CBN to put
in place policies or
regulations that will restrict
the banks from unlimited
access to government
securities.
“It is important and
expedient that the committee
gave this directive to the
bank’s management
because this country badly
needs growth."
Mitigating credit
risks
In addition, the CBN boss
said his team would come up
with strategies to mitigate the
credit risks of private sector
lending which lead to a very
high non-performing loans
in the past, with a view to
making it more attractive for
the banks to lend to the
private sector.
He said although the
NPLs had improved to
between 9-10 per cent,
down from between 15-17
percent in the recent past, it
remained higher than the
minimum regulatory 5 per
cent threshold.
To boost consumer
credit
As part of the strategies
towards boosting the
economy, the governor said
consumer and mortgage
credit markets would be
brought into focus in the
industry.
His words: “The MPC also
felt that the consumer and
mortgage credit market must
be catalyzed in Nigeria. That
one of the inhibiting factors
to growth is the fact that we
have not been able to jumpstart
consumer credit and
mortgage credit and
business in Nigeria and the
management of the bank
will think of how to put in
place regulations that will
assist banks to ensure that
consumer credit is improved
again in Nigeria."
Laments impact of
insecurity on
economic activities
Meanwhile, the CBN
governor lamented the
impact of insecurity on
economic activities,
especially farming appealing
that that farmers be allowed
to return to their farms.
He said: “There will be
need for us to be thinking
about how do we improve
employment and reduce
unemployment in the
country.
"I must confess that there
is a relationship between an
improved employment,
improved economy and the
level of security in a country.
So we all have to work
together."