Abubakar Momoh, the former minister of Niger Delta development, says the ministry’s scrapping is to enhance regional development coordination.

On Wednesday, the federal executive council (FEC) scrapped the ministry of Niger Delta and the ministry of sports development.

Bayo Onanuga, special adviser on information and strategy, said the council took the decision during its meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu in Abuja.

A newly established regional development ministry will oversee all the regional development commissions.

The commissions include the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), North West Development Commission (NWDC), South West Development Commission (SWDC), and North East Development Commission (NEDC).

Tinubu retained Momoh as the minister in charge of the ministry for regional development.

Speaking with State House correspondents after the meeting, Momoh assured that the adjustment was “purely administrative,” which did not diminish the focus on Niger Delta development.

He said the restructuring was done to establish a centralised oversight system for the increasing regional development commissions nationwide.

“For our people in the Niger Delta region, I would like them to know that this has not removed anything from them,” Momoh said.

“The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is still very much in place under the ministry of regional Development, and all other such agencies remain intact.

“All the structures and everything about the Niger Delta remain. It’s just a change of nomenclature and, of course, expansion of activities of the ministry.”

Momoh lauded Tinubu’s vision behind the restructuring, describing it as a “forward-thinking move” to enhance regional development coordination across the country.

…As OBJ asks LND to look beyond Northern Nigeria

ABUJA—Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and ex-Chief of Army Staff, Gen. T. Y. Danjuma (retd), have decried the dwindling quality and standard of leadership in Nigeria.

The two statesmen spoke when members of the League of Northern Democrats, LND, paid them courtesy visits in Abeokuta and Lagos respectively.

While Obasanjo promised to be the patron of the group, asking it to expand its operations to include the rest of Nigeria, Danjuma challenged those currently in public office to look beyond themselves and take immediate steps to stem the tide of poor leadership to leave behind a nation for future generations to inherit.

Leader of the group and former governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau, had informed Obasanjo that the group was with him to tap from his wealth of experience in governance and leadership.

Obasanjo said: “Anytime you people metamorphose into a League of Nigerian Democrats, come back to me and I will be your patron.

“I share your concern of the situation in Nigeria, but if you’re a national league, I will join you and even be your patron, if I cannot be active because I’m getting old.”

The former president noted that with the calibre of membership of the delegation, he was confident something good would come out of it.

He expressed gratitude to Shekarau for his commitment, while commending the group for taking the trouble to come to Abeokuta, in spite of the hash economic situation in the country. He also commended Dr. Umar Ardo for the foresight in convening the group.

On his part, General Danjuma lamented that the quality of political leadership in Nigeria was “going down and down and down.”

Danjuma, who noted that the situation was “worse in the north,’, urged leaders to sit up and stem the worrisome tide.

The LND, which disclosed these in a statement in Abuja, yesterday, quoted Danjuma as advising members of the league to pursue their vision with measured doggedness because they were up against a section of “a corrupt political class with plenty of power and money” that would be ready to fight back to continue being in power.

Leader of the LND delegation and former Kano State governor, Sen Ibrahim Shekarau, while speaking during the visit, explained that the visit was to brief Danjuma on the vision and mission of the league, which was principally to influence the emergence of credible leadership, especially in the north.

This, the LND said, could be achieved by forging unity among the various northern interest groups, facilitate a credible leadership recruitment process across all offices and make the north a bloc of first influence in Nigeria.

Shekarau had lamented that, right now, the north was immersed in insecurity and backwardness in education, economy and development in generally.

He said the LND was intensifying contacts and consultations with eminent statesmen to tap into their vast knowledge on politics and leadership which were crucial to society.

Responding to this, Danjuma said while age was no longer on his side, members of the league should be commended for their initiative and commitment, promising to offer his support in anyway he could.

The general, became emotional when Muktari, the son of late Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, recounted some events of January 1966, and described the late Sir Balewa as a truly great man.

In his vote of thanks, the Secretary of the group, Emmanuel Jime, thank God for the life of President Obasanjo, whom he described as the most “nationalistic and detribalized Nigerian alive.”

Recall that the LND was convened in July and since then, had been engaged in several activities, making consultations and trying to define itself.

It gained good grounds with the former Vice President Namadi Sambo, General Martin Luther Agwai, General AbdulRahman Dambazau, General Alwali Kazir, and a host of other critical northern leaders. And its membership has been on the increase.

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a loan of approximately $618 million from a consortium of financiers to procure six M-346 attack jets manufactured in Italy and ammunition for the Nigerian Air Force.

Naija News reports that the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, announced this on Wednesday, October 23.

The Air Force has indicated that the initial three jets are anticipated to arrive by early 2025, with subsequent deliveries expected to continue until mid-2026.

In a recent development, Nigeria’s Air Force revealed the acquisition of 24 Italian-made M-346 attack jets and ten AW-109 Trekker helicopters as part of its fleet modernization initiative.

Air Force spokesperson, Olusola Akinboyewa, noted that a delegation led by Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, held discussions in Rome with executives from Leonardo S.P.A., the manufacturer.

Leonardo confirmed that the first three M-346 jets are projected to arrive by early 2025, with the remaining units scheduled for delivery through mid-2026.

This acquisition is expected to enhance the firepower and aerial capabilities of troops engaged in the ongoing battle against insurgents within the country.

Negotiations with the Italian firm commenced in early 2024, following a meeting between Claudio Sabatino, Vice President of Leonardo, and Nigeria’s air force chief, Hasan Abubakar, in Abuja.

In recent years, the Federal Government has significantly increased its defence and security budget to tackle various security challenges across the nation.

For the 2024 fiscal year, approximately ₦3.3 trillion has been allocated to the defence sector.

Despite some successes, recent events indicate that Boko Haram and other armed groups continue to pose a threat in the Northeast and other regions of the country.

Gives Directive On Merged Ministries

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, has announced that his office is actively collaborating with the Head of Civil Service of the Federation to carry out the presidential directive on the merger and winding down of several ministries.

In a statement released Wednesday night in Abuja, Akume confirmed that directives have been issued to facilitate the implementation of the President’s approval.

He stressed that all handover and takeover processes must be completed by Wednesday, October 30, 2024.

Outgoing ministers without successors should transfer their duties to the respective Permanent Secretaries.

Akume further explained that the merger of the Ministry of Tourism with the Ministry of Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy, along with the winding down of the former Ministry of Sports Development, is being overseen by both the SGF’s office and the Head of Civil Service.

He also highlighted that the renaming and expanded mandate of the former Ministry of Niger Delta Development has taken effect immediately. Relevant supervising authorities and commissions under the new ministry have been notified.

Permanent Secretaries have also been instructed to ensure a smooth transition and to submit one copy of the handover notes to the SGF for record-keeping.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had on Wednesday sacked five Minister and appointed seven others.

Tinubu reassigned 10 Ministers to new portfolio while also merging restructuring some Ministries and scrapping the Ministry of Sports Development.

Prominent South-South leader, Edwin Clark, has countered the decision of President Bola Tinubu to scrap the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.

The former federal commissioner for information argued that there is no basis for the President to scrap the Ministry, alleging that the plan of the Nigerian leader is to use the money from the region to develop other regions of the country.

Naija News recalls President Tinubu, on Wednesday, scrapped the Niger Delta Ministry and the Ministry of Sports Development.

Tinubu said a Ministry of Regional Development would oversee all the regional development commissions, such as the Niger Delta Development Commission, North West Development Commission, South West Development Commission, and North East Development Commission.

The National Sports Commission will take over the role of the Ministry of Sports.

However, Clark, who is the leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), saidPresident Tinubu has no good plans for the people of Niger Delta.

He argued that President Umaru Yar’Adua created the Ministry for the development of the region and to curb insecurity in the region; therefore, President Tinubu has no basis for scrapping the Ministry.

He said, “The news came to me as a surprise. There’s no basis for scrapping it now, Yar’Adua had a poised for creating it, to develop the Niger Delta Region and Nigeria, to bring peace to the region.

“What I have noted so far is that there is no basis for scrapping it. Yar’Adua had a clear purpose to address the security situation in the Niger Delta, which led to the creation of the Ministry to focus on the development of that area. We have been working for some time now, managing our commissions.

“It is not about that; it is the administrative structure created by the President. Unfortunately, it was misunderstood by Nigerians due to its complexity.

“Why would you take over a Ministry without any development plans, funding, or concrete actions? Even the East-West Road, which was meant to be under the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, is not being addressed; it has been handed back to the Ministry of Works.

“What I am saying is that the federal government lacks special arrangements for this region. When I saw that every region was establishing its development centres or Commissions, I anticipated these issues would arise.

“Are there going to be multiple ministries within one region? One would expect that 30 or 40 people would have walked out to share the details.

“I remember during the national conference in 2014, it was decided to increase the revenue allocation to the regions from 13% to 25%. Ultimately, it was settled at 18%, but we disagreed, which led to further discussions about a separate fund to support development post-Boko Haram.

“There was also an agreement that 5% of the federation account would be allocated annually to support regions affected by the conflict. Unfortunately, this has not been implemented.

“We also agreed that 5% of the revenue account should be dedicated to developing mineral resources and other industries to enhance local capacity. I was pleased with these discussions, but they haven’t translated into action, which is disturbing.

“The government needs to consult with the leaders of the Niger Delta and the South-South region. What we ate saying is that these unresolved issues cannot be overlooked by the government.”

Clark further said the decision to scrap the Ministry should not be a unilateral decision and the government must explain the reason for its action to the people.

“The government must explain why they decided to halt critical legislation. This raises concerns about how the benefits of regional developments are being managed. Many people feel disconnected from the process, and it seems resources are being diverted from local needs.

“We need to ensure that regional development isn’t scrapped without a clear plan for its replacement. We will not allow it to be scrapped, the government wants to use South South money to develop other Development Commissions.

“In a democratic system, the government should be created for the people, by the people, and for their benefit. It shouldn’t operate as a one-man show,” Clark added.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says a bank verification number (BVN) platform will be launched by December for Nigerians in the diaspora.

Cardoso spoke on Wednesday during a parley with members of the Nigerian community on the sidelines of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) meeting in Washington D.C, United States.

He said the BVN platform will be launched by the Nigerian Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), a subsidiary of the CBN.

The BVN is an 11-digit number that is unique to each individual, but the same across all bank institutions for the same individual.

BVN is required to own and operate a bank account in Nigeria.

According to Cardoso, the platform would enable Nigerians in the diaspora to operate their local bank accounts, run their businesses and sort out know-your-customer (KYC) issues with financial institutions from anywhere in the world.

The CBN governor added that the initiative is part of efforts to ensure that Nigerians irrespective of their location anywhere in the world can participate in the Nigerian economy.

“As far as we are concerned it is totally unacceptable that you should be out here and be having hassles in operating your accounts or doing your business in your original country,” he said.

“I want to tell you that starting in December 2024 Nigerians in the diaspora will no longer face the hurdle of travelling long distances for physical biometric verifications to access financial services.

“The launch of the non-resident BVN platform by NIBBS will enable enhanced KYC processes remotely making it more convenient and cost-effective for the diaspora to engage with the Nigerian banking system.

“This initiative in collaboration with our banks marks a significant step toward greater financial inclusion and accessibility as we continue to roll out innovative solutions.”

On February 14, 2014, BVN was introduced by the CBN to strengthen the banking system, safeguard bank customers, and mitigate fraud.

As of April 2, 2024, over 61.47 million have enrolled for BVN, according to NIBSS.

Apostle Johnson Suleman, Senior Pastor and General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministries International, has responded to Nollywood actress Halima Abubakar’s public apology for her defamatory comments, asserting that forgiveness does not equate to memory loss.

In a terse statement on X.com on Wednesday, Suleman said, “You all stop calling my phone. Forgiveness is not memory loss! Status quo maintained!”

The statement comes after Abubakar issued a public apology to Suleman for her defamatory remarks against him.

In a statement shared on her Instagram account, Abubakar admitted that her past statements were “false and hurtful.”

The actress expressed regret for the pain she inflicted with the allegations while pleading for forgiveness from Apostle Suleman and his family.

She stated that her actions were due to poor judgment at the time, adding that the apology was motivated by “deep reflection and conscience.”

Abubakar had alleged on social media in 2022 that she had a romantic relationship with Suleman, prompting threats of legal action from the cleric over “defamatory statements.”

The controversy intensified in 2023 when the actress claimed she had been pregnant three times with Suleman’s child.

A Federal Capital Territory High Court had in April ordered Abubakar to pay N10 million in damages for publishing derogatory comments against Suleman.

The court also restrained her from further publishing defamatory statements against the cleric.

The judge also ordered Abubakar to publish a retraction of her defamatory statements on her Instagram handle #Halimabubakar.

On Tuesday, Ola Olukoyede, the chairperson of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), recounted an encounter with a 17-year-old cybercrime suspect.

Speaking at the launch of the 24/7 Cybercrime Rapid Response Desk in Abuja, Mr Olukoyede said the boy, whose name was not given, demonstrated surprising computer proficiency that left him shocked.

“And I gave him my laptop. ‘How do you do this, young man?’ By the way, he is not even studying science. He is studying history. But you need to see the proficiency.

“He opened my system and without giving him my password, he decoded my system.

“And I was there, shocked. I mean, this is not funny. I mean, that shows the skills that we have in Nigeria.”

He continued, “And before you could say that, he said, ‘Sir, which bank do you use?’ I said, ‘No, I’m not going to tell you that. I don’t want to demonstrate that in my office.’ But he was ready to probably go into my account.”

Mr Olukoyede said he sought to know the motivation driving the boy’s cybercrime activities.

“’Why do you do this?’ And he told me because there is no alternative. He had to pay his school fees – a 100-year-level student,” he said.

He said from his encounter with the boy, he realised that “This job can’t be left to EFCC law. It’s a collective responsibility,” stressing the need to redirect such talents.

“We must change the narrative—from criminality to productivity and from cybercrime to cyberwealth,” he said.

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday, October 23, ordered the release of Tigran Gambaryan, the detained Binance Holdings Limited’s executive, from Kuje Correctional Centre.

It was gathered that the presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite gave the order after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s counsel, R. U. Adagba, informed the court of the decision of the Federal Government to withdraw the charge against Gambaryan.

Adagba, who held the brief of Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, premised the decision on Gambaryan’s deteriorating health and the diplomatic intervention.

Gambaryan was the 2nd defendant in the charge preferred against the cryptocurrency platform (1st defendant) by the EFCC.

The EFCC had, on April 8, arraigned Binance Holdings Ltd and Gambaryan before Justice Emeka Nwite of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

They were arraigned on a 5-count charge bordering on alleged tax evasion, currency speculation and money laundering to the tune of $34,400,000 (Thirty-Four Million, Four Hundred Thousand United States Dollars).

Upon resumed hearing, EFCC’s counsel, Adagba, told Justice Nwite of the Federal Government’s decision to withdraw the charge against the detained employee of Binance because of his deteriorating health.

Adagba recalled that the case could not go on at the last adjourned date as a result of the health condition of the 2nd defendant which, she said, the government had managed effectively.

She, however, said that recently, the report they received from the NCoS, through the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), indicated that Gambaryan’s health had deteriorated to the extent that he hardly walked without the assistance of a wheelchair.

Adagba said besides his ill health, Gambaryan needs to undergo surgery which would take some time and may impact the pace of the trial.

He stated further that the government had reviewed the case and had taken cognizance that Gambaryan, a U. S. citizen, was a mere employer of Binance Holdings Ltd, “whose status in the matter has no impact.”

The lawyer equally told the court that the prosecution had taken into consideration some critical diplomatic and international meetings by the Federal Government, hence, the need to discontinue the charge against the 2nd defendant (Gambaryan).

“I urged the honourable court to discharge the 2nd defendant accordingly in line with Section 108(1), (2)(a) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015,” she prayed.

Lawyer to Binance, Olujoke Aliu, and Gambaryan’s counsel, Mark Mordi, SAN, did not oppose the application.

However, Mordi, who told the court that since one of the reasons for withdrawal of the case was that Gambaryan was just an employee of Binance, urged the court to make an order for his client’s acquittal and not a discharge.

Delivering the ruling, Justice Nwite granted Adagba’s application.

“It is hereby ordered as follows:

“That the application of the prosecution’s counsel is granted as prayed having reviewed the circumstances of the charge.

“That this charge is hereby struck out against the 2nd defendant (Gambaryan).

“That the 2nd defendant is hereby discharged.

“That an order of this honourable court is hereby made for the immediate release of the 2nd defendant from Nigerian Correctional Service, Kuje,” the judge ruled.