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The feud between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his deputy, Atiku Abubakar, during their second term in office re-echoed  Saturday at the sitting of the senate ad-hoc committee probing the privatisation of public enterprises.

Two witnesses—former Director General, Bureau of Public Enterprises, Irene Chigbue and the incumbent, Ms. Bola Onagoruwa— recalled how the BPE had to bypass Atiku, who is the statutory chairman of the National Council on Privatisation, to get approval for some transactions.

The federal government has openly accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of breaching due process in the sale of some public assets especially the multi- billion dollars Ajaokuta Steel complex. This is coming barely 24 hours after the former Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, Nasir El-Rufai accused Obasanjo of the same offense.

Obasanjo ordered us to ignore Atiku –ex BPE DG

THE NATION

Why ex-president should be summoned –Falana World Bank report indicted el-Rufai

More dirty details emerged yesterday as the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee investigating the privatization process heard that the rift between the former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his deputy, Vice President Atiku Abubakar adversely affected the process.

(Channels TV) Minister of mines and steel development, Architect Mohammed Musa Sada told the senate committee investigating the privatization of government owned companies that former President Olusegun Obasanjo approved the concession of the Ajaokuta Steel Complex to Global Infrastructure Limited against due process.

Architect Sada also told the senate committee that the federal government spends N300 million per month to the workers in Ajaokuta, resulting to N3.6 billion annually on the wages of workers of the moribund Ajaokuta Steel Complex.

(VANGUARD) FORMER Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, yesterday told the Senate Adhoc Committee investigating activities of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, that the overbearing interference of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his Vice then, Atiku Abubakar, crippled the privatization programme.

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has accused former Plateau State Governor, Chief Michael Botmang of stealing N1.5billion of the state money within five months, while in office.

Botmang who was the Deputy Governor to the former Governor Joshua Dariye became the acting governor following the impeachment of Dariye in December 2006.

The commission subsequently arraigned him on Friday before a Federal High Court in Abuja, with Justice Anuri Chikere, putting him on house restriction because of his failing health.

Political corruption is not a recent phenomenon that pervades the Nigerian tate. Since the creation of modern public administration in the country, there have been cases of official misuse of resources for personal enrichment.

Jimoh Ibrahim

HOW was risks giant NICON acquired by businessman Jimoh Ibrahim? The public hearing investigating the privatisation and commercialisation of public firms by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) heard yesterday that Ibrahim acquired the Nigeria Insurance Corporation illegally at over N18 billion.

(THE ASSOCIATED PRESS) A former deputy chairman of state-owned China Mobile Ltd., the world’s biggest phone company by subscribers, was convicted Friday of taking bribes and sentenced to prison.

Zhang Chunjiang, who also was a Communist Party official, was given a suspended death sentence with a two-year reprieve by a court in the central city of Shijiazhuang, the Xinhua News Agency said. Such sentences usually are commuted to life in prison with good behavior.

(UK Press Release) Prime Minister David Cameron has announced final details of the independent inquiry into phone hacking which will be led by Lord Justice Leveson.

In a statement to Parliament, the PM announced the six panel members who will assist with the inquiry into the culture practices and ethics of the press, and the extent of unlawful or improper conduct within News International and other newspapers.

The panel members assisting Lord Justice Leveson with his inquiry are: