The Department of State Services has confiscated the passport of the suspended Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, The PUNCH reports.

The service, it was also learnt, may search Emefiele’s home and office this week.

Following his suspension on Friday as a result of the ongoing investigation of his office and the planned reforms in the financial sector, the service arrested Emefiele in Lagos and flew him to Abuja in a private jet on Saturday.

The spokesperson for the service, Peter Afunanya, in a statement said Emefiele had been taken into custody and was under investigation.

However, a source in the DSS on Sunday said it was standard procedure for his travel document to be seized pending the conclusion of the ongoing investigation.

The source added that the office and residence of the suspended apex bank governor would be searched.

The source said, “Of course, Emefiele’s travel document would be confiscated as part of the standard process pending the conclusion of our investigation. Also, as part of the investigation, his house and office would be searched for documents that can aid the ongoing investigation on his management of the CBN.”

Our correspondent had reported that other top directors of the CBN might also be invited or arrested for questioning over their roles in the administration of the apex bank.

It was learnt that the DSS might revisit the criminal charges it earlier filed against Emefiele which borders on terrorism financing and fraud.

The secret police similarly accused the suspended CBN box of mismanaging the CBN subsidiary, Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending and the Anchor Borrowers Programme.

The DSS spokesman, Afunanya, could not be reached for comment on Sunday as calls to his line indicated that he was unreachable.

He had yet to respond to a text message on the detention of Emefiele as of the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has said the DSS lacked constitutional power to investigate and prosecute Emefiele.

Falana in a message sent to one of our correspondents said Emefiele should be transferred to the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission who according to him, posses the legal right to prosecute Emefiele.

“A few months ago, the State Security Service levelled grave allegations of terrorism financing, money laundering, and other economic crimes against Godwin Emefiele, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. At the material time, the attempt by the SSS to arrest, investigate, and prosecute Mr. Emefiele was frustrated by the erstwhile Buhari administration.

“However, following the suspension of Mr. Emefiele as the Governor of the CBN by President Bola Tinubu, the SSS quizzed him in Lagos and flew him to Abuja yesterday. According to media reports, the investigation of the suspect by the SSS has commenced. Even though the SSS which initially denied the arrest has since turned around to admit that Mr. Emefiele is in its custody.

“In the case of Dr. Bukola SarakI v. Federal Republic of Nigeria (2018) 16 NWLR (pt. 1646) 433-434, the Supreme Court ruled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission lacks the vires to investigate and prosecute the appellant for the breach of the provisions of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act. It was for that principal reason that Senator Saraki was freed by the apex court.

“In line with the principle of law enunciated by the apex court in Saraki’s case the SSS lacks the power to investigate and prosecute Mr. Emefiele in respect of allegations of money laundering and other economic crimes. Therefore, after investigating the alleged involvement of Emefiele in terrorism financing the SSS should transfer him to the EFCC for the purpose of investigating

Vice President Kashim Shettima has appealed to senators-elect to vote a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, as president of the incoming 10th Senate.

Shettima who spoke at a dinner organised Saturday night to rally support for Senators Akpabio and Jibrin Barau joint ticket said he was ready to kneel down for the senators-elect.

He said Akpabio’s Senate presidency would engender unity and stability in the country.

“I’m ready to kneel down and beg my colleagues for them to come on board for the sake of the nation’s stability,” Shettima said.

The event had in attendance over 50 senators-elect and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume.

Shettima said, “Apart from the religious angle, Senator Akpabio is very competent and he has the capacity to lead the 10th National Assembly. At the same time, he is from a very important zone and also a man of Christian faith.

“So, in line with the constitution of our country and in conformity with the plurality of our union, the party and, indeed, the president, deemed it fit to support him.”

The vice president assured the senators-elect of his readiness to continue to work for the emergence of Akpabio as Senate president by talking to those who were yet to join their camp.

“I have been campaigning privately for Senators Akpabio and Barau and I will continue to do that till we deliver them on Tuesday. I will be leaving this dinner for another meeting with some senators who are yet to register their support,” he disclosed.

Akume said even before his appointment as the SGF, he was already drumming support for the Akpabio-Barau ticket, because the Tinubu-led administration needed all forms of support to kick-off on a very sound footing.

Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, Honourable Nnolim Nnaji has denied asking for five percent equity in Nigeria Air.

This came even as he stated that the former minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, ‘is a drowning man struggling to grab anything on his way to survive the barrage of attacks he has been receiving since his controversial unveiling ceremony of the so called Nigeria Air.’

Nnaji’s reaction is coming against the backdrop of Sirika’s allegations, stating that he had asked him for a 5 percent equity in the project.

In a statement, Nnaji noted that the former Minister was not happy that he had demanded transparency and due process in all matters relating to aviation sector, especially Nigeria Air project.

He added that the House suspended further questions when the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) sued the Ministry and Nigeria Air to court and got injunction to stop it.

“Ordinarily l would not have bothered to reply to his allegations of my demand for 5 percent equity in Nigeria Air as he claimed during his interview on Arise Television but l believe l owe my constituents and indeed Nigerians a duty to put the records straight.

“It is on record that last year when the Minister announced Ethiopian Airlines as core investor in Nigeria Air, my committee which was also inundated with petitions from various stakeholders regarding that announcement invited the Minister and his team to furnish the committee with the details of the project.

“The committee requested for the evidence of the bid process that gave Ethiopian Airlines the award and, the full business case as prepared by the Nigerian Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, (ICRC) which was supposed to spell out the details of all the investors and their equity contributions.

“Sirika at that meeting said Full Business Case was still being worked out by the ICRC and promised to make it available to the committee as soon it was ready which he failed to do before Airline Operators of Nigeria, (AON) took the Ministry to court and got injunction restraining it from going ahead with the project.”, Nnaji said.

The lawmaker, who said all enquires were suspended to avoid court contempt, added that he crossed Sirika’s path again, when issued a statement against threats of mass resignations by key personnel of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, (NCAA) due to pressures from the Ministry to give waivers to Nigeria Air to enable it secure Air Operator’s Certificate, (AOC).

“Of course, we suspended our discussions and enquiries on the project the moment court got involved. Normally when a matter is before the court the parliament does not discuss it.

“However, on May 20th 2023, l received reports of threats of mass resignations by key personnel of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, (NCAA) due to pressures from the Ministry to give waivers to Nigeria Air to enable it secure Air Operator’s Certificate, (AOC) so that it could take Off before the exit of the last administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“I quickly issued a statement warning the former Minister against subverting the authority of NCAA because of its severe consequences on the Nigeria’s air transport sector. It is also a common knowledge that the Nigerian institutional investors he mentioned as participants have all denied him.

“It is not strange that Sirika came up with these spurious allegations against my person because l remained consistent in demanding that he followed due process.

“He should not deviate from the subject matter. Let him tell Nigerians the truth about the contraption he sold to us as Nigeria Air. Nnolim Nnaji is not his problem.”, Nnaji added.

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said it will be improper for a Northern Muslim to be elected Senate President.

During an interactive session with senators in Abuja, Shettima said he is ready to kneel down to beg the incoming senators to elect Godswill Akpabio (APC-Akwa-Ibom) and Sen. Barau Jibrin (APC-Kano) to lead the 10th Senate.

The Vice President said: “I’m ready to kneel down and beg my colleagues for the sake of the nation. This is for the survival of this nation.

“Here we are with a Muslim President and a Muslim Vice President in a multi-ethnic, multi-religious polity like ours.

“Number 1, 2; all of the same faith for God sake! Under the current dispensation, the worst, the most incompetent Southern Christian is better than the most puritanical Northern Muslim for the Presidency of the Senate.

“Equity, justice, and fairness demand that the number three citizen of this country should be Christian.

“What binds us together supersedes whatever divides us. But most importantly, we should make deliberate efforts to take inclusivity in governance.

“This is a young nation where every community will like to have fair representation on the dinner table of their kinsmen.

“Politics is about perception, politics is about optics. I want to appeal to you; I want to appeal to your conscience. “The stability and inclusivity and togetherness of this nation supersede the depth of our pockets, stability of our pockets.

“We are talking about the sustainability of the nation. The nation is at a crossroad,” Shettima stated.

Also speaking, Sen. Ali Ndume (APC-Borno) said the stability group has 73 persons who had signed for the Akpabio/Barau ticket.

Ndume said: “We are working very hard to support you in your course for the stability of this country.

“We have committed ourselves to your administration alongside President Bola Tinubu to ensure the stability of Nigeria.

“The last time we had a meeting with the lawmakers-elect across party lines, the president shook hands with each one of us and called us by our native names.

“This is one administration that will not only be people-oriented but close to the grassroots.

“So far, the decisions that are coming out are those that will strengthen Nigeria.

“We’ll see Nigeria change before our very eyes and we’re committed to being a part of that change. We assure you not just of our loyalty but the stability of the parliament.”

Former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the last election, Atiku Abubakar, said democracy in Nigeria remains in bondage and it will need the energy of all or everyone to rescue it.

The former Vice President, who stated this in his Democracy Day message to Nigerians, said the desire to make Nigeria’s democracy self-sustaining and independent of anti-democratic elements is the new frontier of participation by all democrats.

He further stated that what is celebrated today is a return to civil rule in Nigeria, adding that this year’s Democracy Day celebration was a “time for us to reflect as a people and a country on our journey to becoming a democratic society.”

He, however, added that it was important to appreciate the successes achieved in making democracy the norm of politics in Nigeria, considering the experience of Nigerians, who were around during the dark days of military dictatorships.

“But democracy without a corresponding commitment to the principles of fairness and fidelity to the rule of play by stakeholders in the processes of conducting elections still leaves the people prostrate to tendencies of dictatorship.

“For our democracy to be fully fledged, it must constantly evolve away from the current practice where the governing elite determines the outcome of elections.

“Many times, when I take stock of the activism that birthed the current democratic dispensation, I am even more convinced that a lot of work still lies ahead.

“Democracy and the process of democratization is a constant work in progress. While what we celebrate today is a return to civil rule in Nigeria, the desire to make our democracy self-sustaining and independent of anti-democratic elements is the new frontier of participation by all democrats,” he stated.

He added that as it requires collective energy and commitment to attain civil rule, it will require a concomitant commitment to advance the cause of democracy and our democratization process.

Atiku said the challenge ahead of the country and the future of its democracy will rely heavily on what Nigerians do or fail to do today.

“To achieve this noble goal, our commitment to the cause of democracy must be eternal. Folks on the other side, enemies of democracy, whom we are up against, are not resting. To defeat them, we must do more!

“As I congratulate Nigerians on this day, in celebration of return to civil rule, I also call our consciousness to the reality that democracy in Nigeria remains in bondage and it will need the energy of all of us to rescue it,” Atiku stated in the message.

The lifeless body of a female Nigerian Air Force personnel identified simply as George was found dangling from the roof of her apartment at the Sam Ethan Air Force Base, Nigerian Air Force Logistics Command in Lagos.

However, details of the circumstances surrounding the incident were still sketchy as at 9.25 pm, today, May 11, 2022.

The incident which occurred on Saturday, May 10, 2023, was said to have thrown other Air Force personnel into confusion after an attempt to resuscitate her failed.

Sources said after her body was brought down from the rope in her apartment at Block 75, flat 8, it was taken to the 661 Nigerian Air Force Hospital, Ikeja, where she was certified dead.

Efforts to reach the Public Relations Officer, Logistics Command failed as he did not pick up his call when Vanguard called.

But the Director, of Nigerian Air Force, Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ayodele Famiyiwa, confirmed the incident.

He said “It is true. The body has been moved to our hospital morgue.

“The Base Commander has set up an enquiry to investigate the circumstances that led to it”.

The race for the speaker of the 10th House of Representatives is taking shape as two key frontrunners have stepped down for the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Tajudeen Abbas.

Abbas was announced the preferred candidate of the APC weeks ago.

But his announcement was met with protest from some interested members of the APC, including Muktar Betara and Yusuf Gagdi.

But after a lot of horse trading and negotiation, both Betara and Gagdi have agreed to step down on Sunday for Abbas.

This would be seen as a key victory for Abbas as the combined numbers of members-elect the duo controlled during their campaign for the seat are said to be over 130 in the APC alone.

They also enjoy some support from the opposition parties who came together under the ‘Greater Majority’.

Announcing the decision on Sunday, Vice President Kashim Shettima said they stepped down “because what binds us together is superior to whatever that divides us.”

Also former Member of the House of Representatives and member-elect for the 10th House, Abdulmumin Jibrin said, “After weeks of discussions, persuasions, political dexterity of the new chief of staff, wise counsel of the vice president and most importantly intervention of Mr President, Hon Muktar Betara and Yusuf Gagdi stepped down from the speakership race and support Hon Tajudeen Abbas.”

Th Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) and the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) have mapped out strategies to reduce delays and fast track the time for passport collection. 

The Postmaster General of the Federation/CEO of NIPOST, Rt. Hon. Adeyemi Sunday Adepoju made this known recently when he led his Management team on a working visit to the Acting Comptroller General of Immigration, Caroline Wura- Ola Adepoju, at the Service Command Headquarters, Sauka, Abuja.

The Postmaster General noted that the collaboration has become imperative following an integrated service delivery model by NIPOST that incorporated various government services and information which will be provided to citizens in a one-stop shop environment using several channels to meet different needs of the citizens at selected Post office locations Nationwide.

Under this arrangement, the NIS will utilise NIPOST infrastructure for Passport collection and adopting the postal network as an e- Fulfillment centre for enhancing the digital economy.

Adepoju added that the roles and responsibilities of the development are for a sustainable and integrated framework for the process of e- Passport, provide courier services and Address verification validation that will harmonize the various e- government initiatives in the agency, as well as consolidate NIPOST efforts to reaffirm productivity synergy with NIS.

In her response, The Ag. CG commended the NIPOST for the remarkable development of an Address Verification System as a major breakthrough for identity management, indicating that NIPOST AVS is a major initiative for forensic crime management.

She commended NIPOST also for developing a standardized Digital Postcode System which will aid the agency in issuing Nigerian Passports, adding that the service will strengthen the partnership and cultivate strategic methods to help fulfil the mandate to Nigerians.

According to her, the “collaboration will address the issues facing Nigerians while seeking to register for Passports, reduce the waiting period before biometric data capture, and make Passport processing seamless and faster thereby assuaging the pains Nigerians go through to obtain their passport”.

The Postmaster General and the Ag. CG also agreed to develop a framework for the working relationship going forward.

Says We Won’t Relent To Bring Leadership That Nigerians Deserve

As Nigerians celebrate June 12, (Democracy day) today, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Mr Peter Obi, on Sunday said that the country’s current politics tell a different story.

Unlike June 12, Nigeria’s democracy is deeply troubled and the nation’s destiny remains uncertain and precarious, Peter Obi said in a statement he sent to Vanguard.

He compared the democracy Nigerians enjoyed twenty-one years ago and what they practice today.

In his words: “Today is June 12, June 12 marked in our dear country as Democracy Day . It is a historic day that deserves to be celebrated.

“On that day in 1993, we the people of Nigeria stated our unreserved preference for true democracy. Though under military rule, we freely chose a transparent voting method. Our votes reflected our true choice as a people. Our choice on that day defied divisions of ethnicity, religion and region.

It is these qualities that added up to make June 12 special in our search for true democracy.

Our collective choice of late Chief M. K.O AbIola as a worthy leader for nation was saluted by Nigerians and governments and peoples across the world.

“Therefore, June 12 underpins our long collective journey to nationhood as a true democracy.

“However, the current state of our politics tells a different story . Our democracy is deeply troubled while our nation’s destiny remains uncertain and precarious .

“We remain a nation in search of solutions to too many basic problems. One of these is the search for a credible electoral system that would command the trust, confidence and belief of ALL Nigerians just like June 12 did.

“We should, therefore, use the commemoration of June 12 as an occasion to return to the true virtues of a truly democratic nation. We achieved that feat on June 12, 1993.

“In the spirit of June 12, therefore, we need to emplace an electoral system that commands the trust of the people. This is in recognition of the tenets and core values of democracy, which rests on respect for the wishes of the people as expressed in their ballots.

“Above all, government must respect and protect the institutions of the democratic state by respecting the social contract with the people by meeting their needs, obeying their wishes and fulfilling the responsibilities of responsible governance as contained in the constitution. A cardinal responsibility of government in this regard is respect for the rule off law.

“Regrettably, we are now in an era where these foundational pillars of democracy are undermind by prevalent impunity and pervasive violence and bloodletting.

“The trust deficit between the leaders and Nigerians continues to expand. The deficits of trust and efficiency in our last elections demonstrate this malady quite boldly.

“The challenge of June 12 and a dedicated Democracy Day is to inspire us to correct the errors of our recent elections. This is the surest way to restore the confidence of our people in the future of our nation and the promise of true democracy.

“I however urge us all not to lose faith in the inbuilt design of our democratic system to self-correct.

“Personally, I remain committed and convinced that a New Nigeria is POssible. Our aspiration for a nation of equity, justice, security and peace can hardly be utopia. We are a nation blessed richly with human and natural resources.

“What we lack, are selfless leaders who are committed to national interest, sustainable development and innovative thinking that offers every Nigerian irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social strata, the freedom of choice of abode, and protection lives, property and ordered liberties.

“These aspirations are real and achievable; and I hereby reiterate my promise to Nigerians that we will not relent in our fight to bring about a leadership that will accord them the priority they deserve.

“Let me, therefore, on behalf of Labour Party and the Obidient Movement across the globe wish all Nigerians a happy democracy day. -Peter Obi.”

Says Rep Who Called Nigeria Air Fraud Demanded Bribe From Me

Says Aircraft From Ethiopia Was Marketing Strategy

The immediate-past Minister of Aviation and Aerospace, Senator Hadi Sirika, on Sunday, disclosed that the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, did not pay for the chartered Ethiopian Airline plane unveiled as ‘Nigeria Air’.

Sirika, who disclosed this while speaking on the controversial project on Arise News Channel, on Sunday, said the aircraft was brought by Ethiopian Airlines to demonstrate commitment to the ‘Nigeria Air’ project.

The former minister, however, clarified that only N3billion was released for the Nigeria Air project, and the funds were spent on consultancy services and office maintenance.

He refuted the allegation of spending N85 billion on the project, emphasising that only N5billion was budgeted and not all of the N3 billion released was expended in the last seven years.

He further stated that the N3 billion had not been fully expended before he left the office on May 29.
According to Sirika, the total money budgeted for the project since 2018 was N5billion, out of which N3billion was disbursed.

“From 2016 to 2023, all of the money voted and budgeted for Nigeria Air is N5billion. But all that was released was in the neighborhood of N3billion, not N85 billion, and not all of the N3 billion has been expended as of the time I left office. What has been done with the money is nothing but to get special advisory services, the AOC processes, salaries, consultative services, and the maintenance of the office in Abuja.

“No contract was awarded by Hadi Sirika, these are the things the money was used for. And there is the Freedom of Information Act, people can apply and get all the information about what the money has been used for. The N85 billion being mentioned is only in the imagination of the people carrying it about.”

The ex-minister, however, admitted that the Ethiopian aircraft that was showcased as the success of the project was chartered.

“The AOC owned by Ethiopian Airline is known to Nigeria and the NCAA. They are permitted to come in either with scheduled passengers, chattered or cargo. They have to come in under one of the 3. So, they came as chartered. Being chartered does not mean that anybody paid for anything. The government did not pay a dime for that aircraft to come in.

“Secondly, there was no revenue passenger in the aircraft because that would have been totally against the law and wouldn’t have been allowed. It was their own marketing strategy as equity partners. They came to do this unveiling on a special allowance called chartered and it does not mean that we paid for it. If anybody was to pay for it, it would have been the Ethiopian Airline, not the Nigerian government. No penny was paid,” the former Minister added.

During a hearing by the House of Representatives, Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation, Nnolim Nnaji, had declared the launch of Nigeria Air a fraud.

He had picked holes in the project, criticising the Federal Government for what he described as poor handling.

Nnaji said after careful evaluation of the matter, his committee was dissatisfied with the actions of Sirika.

“We are equally irked by the role played by Ethiopian Airlines in this whole process. It does not speak well of the excellent brotherly relationship existing between our two nations.”

“A careful review of the process indicates the exercise to be highly opaque, shrouded in secrecy, shoddy and capable of ridiculing and tarnishing the image of Nigeria before the international community,” he had said.

But speaking when he appeared on ARISE TV on Sunday, Sirika said the lawmaker approached him and asked for five percent shares of the airline for “him and his people”.

“On the issue of Hon Nnaji who called Nigeria Air launch a fraud, I will respond now. I will say exactly what I told him in private when we spoke.”

“Hon Nnaji asked me that I should give him 5% of Nigeria to carry him along with his people, and I said to him at that time, Honourable, a bidding process that has taken place, and some people won. So, I think you should go to those people and ask for the 5 percent.”

When Reuben Abati, anchor of the show, asked the former Minister to clarify if the lawmaker indeed asked for bribe for himself and other legislators, Sirika said, “Let’s be fair, Hon Nnaji didn’t say other members. He said he wants it for himself and his people. His people could his be his family, could be members and it could be leadership. I don’t know, but he insisted on 5%. I said that he should relax and approach the owners. That’s exactly what I told him.”

The former Minister also criticised Nnaji and the aviation committee for conducting what translated to a “predetermined hearing”.

‘I was a member of the House of Reps 20 years ago, and 10 years ago, I was a Senator. I know the workings of the National Assembly. He [Nnaji] called for public hearing. And right under the public hearing, he just turned the paper and read the riot act. The practice in the National Assembly is that after hearing people and the complain, you now go and sit down as a committee, discuss the issues, raise them, approach the whole house of reps and take position of the house plus leadership and come back and make your findings known, but not immediately you just read the riot Act out. It means is predetermined.”