Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, has slammed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accusing him of doing very little or nothing to solve the hunger issues Nigerians are going through.

In a statement by its National Secretary, Chief Peter Ameh, the Coalition said the President had deployed what it described as incompetent government policies which have all failed, wondering why Nigerians would now offer themselves as burnt offerings while government officials lived in luxury.

The Coalition further noted that the inability of the government to secure farms and farmers in the country was also a major contributor to the hunger being faced by the people.

“The luxurious lifestyle of our leaders is the reason we are in this mess, because those in government have misplaced priorities and have vehemently refused to do right by our people.

“Rather they prefer to spend money on white elephant projects that require high expenditure but never deliver returns or serve no useful purpose, like the proposal for a new private jet for the President.

“Such money should have been channeled towards the development of projects that will have lasting positive impact on the lives of citizens,” Ameh said in the statement.

He added that, “The President and his Vice have spent over N8.64bn on travel expenses within the last three months while he continues to give speeches and false promises about plans to cut public spending; still, the cost associated with the running of government in Nigeria is far higher than most countries in the same economy bracket.

“The wasteful spending of those elected to oversee the affairs of running our government is a major contributor to the endemic poverty in Nigeria and the president should be concerned about the situation of the suffering masses and work hard to ensure that this situation improves for those affected (which is everyone by the way).

“Nigeria has a poverty rate of 38.9%, and approximately 87 million Nigerians live below poverty line and the reason can easily be attributed to incompetent and clueless leaders who have done nothing to improve the lives of the masses.

“Nigeria’s economic growth has been slow, and the country’s GDP per capita has been flat because successive government policies have failed to address the problems due to lack of foresight and corrupt public officials.

“Corruption is a pervasive issue in Nigeria, and it discourages foreign investment and hinders economic development. I am referring to corruption in public office by government officials who have been involved in stealing public funds meant to benefit the people.

“What has Tinubu done to tackle that since his assumption of office and he is talking about ordinary citizens whose take home pay is not enough to help them meet a good standard of living.”

Gov Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has called for the audit of local government accounts in the state.

The directive was issued by Governor Fubara on Wednesday, after swearing in new caretaker chairmen for the 23 local government areas of the state.

The governor inaugurated the new caretaker chairmen hours after the House of Assembly, led by factional Speaker, Victor Jumbo, screened and approved the nominees sent on Tuesday.

While swearing in the Caretaker Committee Chairmen of the Local Government Areas, the governor said the measure is intended to serve as a check for the incoming officials.

He urged the caretaker chairmen not to see themselves as superheroes, but to protect the interests of their people, and demonstrate that the government made the right choice in appointing them.

He emphasised that the current events are a product of democracy.

Fubara explained that the fight against tenure extension is not just about the state, but the entire country, as allowing it in one state could lead to it being replicated nationwide.

He pointed out that Rivers State was not doing anything unusual, as most states in the country are also run by caretaker committees.

He, however, cautioned that their tenure would not be excessively long, because the process for local government area elections would commence soon.

He warned against violence, stating that it is not his approach, urging the officials to sort out the salaries and entitlements of the outgone chairmen.
 

The Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has formally distanced itself from the views expressed by the Labour Party’s (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, over the purchase of new jets for President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.

The group insisted that the safety and security of the nation’s leaders must be treated as a paramount issue.

Speaking via a statement released on Tuesday amid the ongoing controversy, Secretary-General Okechukwu Isiguzoro asserted that Obi’s opinion does reflect the collective stance of the Igbo Nation as embodied by Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

Isiguzoro highlighted that the current Presidential fleet, acquired over two decades ago during the Obasanjo administration, poses significant security risks and could hinder the President and Vice President in performing essential duties.

The statement said, “While we acknowledge Mr. Obi’s concerns about Nigeria’s economic challenges and the necessity to tackle pressing issues like insecurity, poverty, and hunger, Ohanaeze Ndigbo firmly believes that the safety and security of our nation’s leaders must take precedence.

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo wholeheartedly supports the Federal Government’s decision to procure new Presidential jets to ensure the safety of President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima.

“The organization recognized Obi’s genuine concerns for the Nigerian populace and his aspirations for economic improvement, urging him to collaborate with President Tinubu to provide constructive input and support for policies aimed at alleviating the hardships faced by citizens.

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo remains committed to fostering unity, progress, and the well-being of all Nigerians. We firmly believe that through cooperation, we can work towards a brighter future for our nation.” 

A veteran Yoruba film actor, Lere Paimo, has appealed to governors from the South-West region of the country to control the activities of herders in the region, as farmers could no longer access their ancestral farms due to insecurity.

Paimo, who is widely recognized as Eda Onile Ola, said the people are suffering, and there is much hunger in the land because peasant farmers are unable to carry out their usual farming due to fear of destruction by herders.

The renowned actor expressed his belief that with proper security, infrastructure, and encouragement for agriculturalists, the South-West region could provide for its population and the whole country.

In an interview held on Tuesday in Lagos, Lere Paimo shared his insights on how to address the current socio-economic challenges, inflation, and food shortage issues facing the nation.

He suggested that the governors of South-West states need to work together and implement strategies to curb the activities of violent herders to guarantee food availability in the area.

Furthermore, he emphasized that by ensuring security, improving infrastructure, and offering support to farmers, the South-West could sustainably feed its citizens and the entire nation.

The veteran said: “Let every South-West governor control the activities of herders, who always clash with farmers. This has sent many away from their ancestral farms, and the attendant hunger is staring us in the face.

“The herders have brought a lot of losses to many farmers by making their cattle to feed on farms while some farmers have also lost their lives in the process. Many have left their farms over this.

“This is very bad. Each governor has the authority and power in their various states to ensure that herders are tamed for people to have the confidence to go back to farm without fear of any loss.

“People are suffering and hungry because many people have deserted farms because of security. If we want food security like before, we need to do something in that direction.

“Let each governor in the region take it as a personal responsibility to ensure stiff penalties for any herder who leads his flock to feed on people’s farms.”

Lere Paimo advocated ranches for herders as part of efforts to turnaround the current food crisis in the country.

He added: “We must take actions now to ensure security in the region, especially for farmers to enhance food security.

“South-West has enough arable land to growth its food and also feed the entire nation.

“The herder-farmer clashes is creating a lot of fears for the farmers in the region and our leaders must take urgent action before it will be too late.”

He mentioned that because raising cattle is a personal venture for individuals or collectives, it’s important for the government to step in and protect farmers from any negative impacts.

He argued that it’s the responsibility of the government to allocate a designated area for herders to graze their livestock within every state or municipality.

The Minister of Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa-Musawa, has announced the establishment of a $100 billion economic expansion fund to support and preserve the cultural heritage of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Representing Musa-Musawa at the 2024 Ojude Oba Festival held at the Ojude Oba Pavilion in Ijebu-Ode on Tuesday, Director of Cultural Industry and Heritage, Rev. Ben Ugo, emphasized Nigeria’s cultural diversity, highlighting the government’s aspirations to position the nation as a cultural epicenter by 2030.

Ugo also mentioned plans to nominate the annual Ojude Oba festival for inclusion in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s World Cultural Heritage list.

Echoing these sentiments, Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, expressed his administration’s commitment to elevating the Ojude Oba festival to a global phenomenon.

He underscored the festival’s evolution from a local gathering of Ijebu people to honor the Awujale, to an internationally recognized event drawing visitors from across the nation and around the world.

“The Ojude Oba festival not only embodies the cultural heritage of Ijebuland but has evolved into a significant occasion attracting tourists to Ogun State, showcasing our hospitality and the rich traditions of Ijebuland to a global audience,” Governor Abiodun remarked.

He emphasized the festival’s role as a unifying force and a platform for celebrating tradition, culture, and the revered monarch, while also serving as a catalyst for the development of Ijebuland and beyond.

Governor Abiodun expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his interest in expanding the festival and integrating it into UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage list.

He reaffirmed his administration’s dedication to fostering an enabling environment for business growth.

Highlighting the festival’s socio-economic contributions, the governor called for unity and collaboration among the people of the state to ensure progress and prosperity.

“The state government remains committed to fostering community development and seeks the support of all citizens, especially during the upcoming 20th National Sports Festival, Gateway Games, 2024, part of which will be hosted here in Ijebu-Ode,” Governor Abiodun concluded.

Chairman of the 2024 Ojude Oba festival, Chief Olu Okuboyejo, expressed gratitude to the governor for his unwavering support for the festival, while also thanking the attendees for their overwhelming participation in the event.

The Abuja Federal High Court has denied granting bail to the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari.

In his ruling, Justice Emeka Nwite held that Kyari’s bail is at the discretion of the court in line with section 161 (2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

The judge ruled that Kyari had not shown any evidence to warrant the court granting him bail. 

On May 22, the judge had granted the former boss of the Intelligence Response Team, IRT, temporary two-week bail to bury his mother.

However, the two weeks were extended by a week upon an application filed by Mr. Kyari for an extension of the bail.

On June 1, Kyari perfected the bail conditions and was released the same day.

At today’s proceedings, Justice Emeka Nwite refused to extend his earlier order but granted accelerated hearing in the case.

Kyari was detained following his arrest on February 14, 2022, by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for alleged involvement with an international drug cartel.

He, along with four members of the Police Intelligence Response Team—Sunday Ubia, Bawa James, Simon Agirigba, and John Nuhu—was arraigned on March 7, 2022.

Two suspected drug traffickers, Chibunna Umeibe and Emeka Ezenwanne, who were arrested at Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, were also charged.

While Kyari and the IRT members pleaded not guilty, Umeibe and Ezenwanne pleaded guilty and were convicted.

Documentation has exposed how the $6,230,000 in cash, allegedly taken from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on February 8, 2023, was divided.

A special presidential investigative team, headed by Jim Obaze, which examined the tenure of former CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele, claimed that the $6.2 million was taken from the central bank’s vault under the pretense of paying election observers.

In court documents obtained by The Nation, investigators described the theft as an insider job, allegedly orchestrated primarily by CBN officials in collusion with two outsiders, identified as Adamu Abubakar and Imam Abubakar.

According to the documents, investigators alleged that Odoh Eric Ocheme, a personal assistant to Emefiele during his tenure as CBN Governor, received $3,730,000 from the funds, while the remaining $2,500,000 was divided among three other individuals.

Ocheme allegedly claimed that he needed to settle other interests within the central bank, which is why he received the majority share.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has charged Emefiele with complicity in the theft in a 20-count amended indictment filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), charges to which he has pleaded not guilty.

However, during a hearing in the case, a Deputy Director and Head of the Service Delivery Division of the CBN, Michael Onyeka Ogbu, confirmed the cash withdrawal from the apex bank’s Abuja branch, where he was in charge.

Testifying in the case on February 12, Ogbu stated that he authorized the payment after being convinced that it was approved by the relevant authorities.

Ogbu recalled that on February 8, 2023, there was a payment request addressed to the Abuja Branch Controller, a position he held at the time.

He said: “On that day the request for the payment of $6,230,000 was received in my office by my Office Assistant, who brought it to my attention.

“When I received the document, I found that it is from Banking Services Department.

“The Director, Banking Services signed the memo, and the content of the memo contained an instruction for the Branch Controller to pay the sum of $6,230,000 to a staff of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation , with the identity and the name of the person mentioned.

“The memo said the payment was for international election observers and that we should debit an account – Naira Forex Account – with the naira equivalent of $6,230,000.

“The memo also said that the money will be refunded in the second quarter of 2023 by the Federal Ministry of Finance. It went on to say ‘find attached the approval of the governor of the CBN for the payment.’

“The attachment had the approval of the governor of the CBN. It also had the approval of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the request letter from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.”

Ogbu stated that after reviewing the documents and finding them satisfactory, he forwarded them to the Head of Business Services Unit for processing and payment.

On whether the money was eventually released, Ogbu said: “Payment was eventually made. The $6,230,000 was paid on the 8th of February 2023. The payment was in cash.”

According to court documents, it was revealed that certain beneficiaries invested their portion of the loot, valued at around ₦1.4 billion, in real estate, of which a portion has been reclaimed.

An affidavit filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja by a Deputy Superintendent of Police provided details of the investigators’ findings and the progress made so far in connection with an extradition charge against Adamu Abubakar, Imam Abubakar, and Odoh Eric Ocheme.

Adamu Abubakar, Imam Abubakar, and Ocheme are reportedly at large and believed to have fled the country, prompting extradition proceedings against them before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The Deputy Superintendent of Police said: “We commenced investigation into the case and obtained copies of the withdrawal slip as well as the accompanying documents, Central Bank of Nigeria memos, dated 07/02/2023 and 31/01/2023 respectively, staff identity card of one Jibril Abubakar, letter dated 2/01/2023 purportedly written by Muhammadu Buhari to Boss Mustapha and letter dated 20/01/2023 purportedly written by Boss Mustapha to Mr Godwin Emafiele, which the Central Bank of Nigeria, Abuja Branch relied on in making the payment.

“Investigation at the office of the President as well as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation in the Stale House revealed that the letters purportedly written by Muhammadu Buhari and for Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha did not emanate from the offices respectively, while Jibril Abubakar, whose identity card was used to cash the money in question is not a staff of the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

“We watched the Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) footages of the 08/02/2023 being the day the money in question was cashed, and the payee (Jibril Abubakar) could not be identified by the staff of either the CBN or that of the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, where he falsely represented himself to be working.

“A further study of the Closed-circuit Television (CCTV) footage revealed that a staff of the Abuja Branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria, identified as Abdulmajeed Muhammad received the impostor (Jibril Abubakar) at the gate of the bank when he arrived on the fateful date: 08/02/2023.

“Abdulmajeed Muhammad was consequently arrested and in his statement made on 15/12/2023, he admitted helping the impostor into the Abuja Branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria, but claimed that he did that innocently, the impostor having been referred to him by Bashirudeen Maishanu; a Senior Staff of the CBN.

“Abdulmajeed Muhammad further revealed that prior to 08/02/2023 when the impostor came to cash the money in question, he (Abdulmajeed Muhammad) had been invited by Bashirudeen Maishanu to explain the procedure of public officials making cash withdrawal from the CBN as those persons claimed to be officials from the office of the SGF and that the then president had approved certain fund for official assignment.

“We visited Kuje Correctional Centre, where we interviewed Godwin Emefiele, who purportedly approved the memos authorising the payment, as then CBN and he denied seeing, talk less of approving such memos.

“We also arrested some concerned staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria, who denied any involvement in the crime, before we finally arrested Bashirudeen Maishanu, who corroborated the account of Abdulmajeed Muhammad and further confessed to have been involved in the crime which, according to him was perpetrated by himself and the first to third defendants/respondents – Adamu Abubakar, Imam Abubakar and Odoh Eric Ocheme.

“Bashiru Maishanu further confessed that himself, the first and second defendants/respondents (Adamu Abubakar and Imam Abubakar) shared the sum of $2,500,000.00 from the stolen money, while the third defendant/respondent (Odoh Eric Ocheme), being a fellow staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria, kept the balance of $3,730,000.00 claiming that he had other interests to settle in the CBN.

“Bashirudeen Maishanu further confessed that both himself, and the first and second defendants/respondents jointly invested the United States dollars equivalent of the sum of ₦1, 440,000,000.00 into real estate business of Afrolyk Global Ltd.

“The Managing Director of the said Afrolyk Ltd, Aminu Lawal has been arrested and he confirmed the investment by Bashirudeen Maishanu, Adamu Abubakar and Imam Abubakar, and already refunded the sum of $200 000 00 to the Special Investigator’s team as part of the money he (Aminu Lawal) received as part of the purported investment.

“Cash of about $400,000 00 has also been voluntarily returned by Bashiru Maishanu from part of his remaining share of the money in question.

“The money (the $6,230,000) was received in cash from the Central Bank at Nigeria and also shared in the same cash by the defendants/respondents and others, making it difficult to trace the monies without arresting the defendants/respondents.

“It was later revealed that the third defendant – Odoh Eric Ocheme – was the Personal Assistant to Godwin Emefiele as the CBN governor while the first and second defendants (Adamu Abubakar and Imam Abubakar) are businessmen and associates of Bashirudeen Maishanu.”

The NFF executive committee has finally accepted the resignation of Finidi George as Super Eagles coach.

The NFF reportedly refused to initially accept the resignation because the letter by Finidi was unsigned.

But the quit notice has since been signed and made available to all members of the executive.

committee to decide so that the coach could have his wish. An official statement to that effect was expected after the Sallah holidays yesterday, according to ScoreNigeria.com.

Finidi quit his post following the decision of the NFF to appoint a foreign technical adviser to boss him.

In his letter addressed to NFF president, Ibrahim Gusau, he said that in the light of the changes to the Super Eagles technical crew he headed and which had several persons handpicked by him, he has opted to step down from his post as head coach of the Super Eagles.

The NFF have announced they will hire a new coach before the 2025 AFCON qualifiers get underway in the first week of September.

Award-winning Nigerian actress, Genevieve Nnaji has spoken about her experience in Hollywood.

She talked about when she decided to seek partnership in Hollywood after the success of her 2018 film, LionHeart that was bought by Netflix.

She stated that she never found the support she expected in Hollywood, adding that the experience made her realise that she was a commodity.

She explained that Hollywood wanted what she had, but simply for their own benefit.

The thespian disclosed this on a panel at the 2024 AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum/Afreximbank Annual Meeting.

She said, “For the first time, I realised I was a commodity. I thought, you know, given what I had done with Lionheart, and all of that, I was going to have an opportunity to do more. Getting there and having the kind of support, that obviously CANEX is bringing on board, but I thought I could find it in Hollywood. That was not quite the case.

“They wanted what I had but for their benefit. It was all about their story. It was all about how, even if it was our story, I could make it more authentic to their own understanding of whatever Africa is because they did have a lot of literature in their archives.”

She also said that she could have gone to Hollywood years ago but decided to stay back to contribute to the development of Nollywood.

Gov Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has sworn in the newly appointed caretaker chairmen for the 23 local government areas of the state.

The event took place at the Government House in Port Harcourt, the capital of the state, on Wednesday morning, with high-level security measures in place.

The first batch of 11 CTC chairmen have taken their oath of office as of the time of filing this report.

The appointment of the CTC chairmen was made a day following the submission of the list to the state House of Assembly, which is currently under the leadership of Speaker Victor Jumbo.

The House of Assembly had earlier sent an invitation for the screening of the candidates, which it scheduled for 8 am on Wednesday (today).

Below are the names of the caretaker chairmen nominated by Fubara;

 Abua/Odua LGA – Madigai Dickson

Ahoada East LGA – Happy Benneth

Ahoada West LGA – Mr. Daddy John Green

Akuku Toru LGa – Otonye Briggs

Andoni LGA – Reginald Ekaan

Asari Toru LGA – Orolosoma Amachree

Bonny LGA – Alabota Anengi Barasua

Degema LGA – Anthony Soberekon

Eleme LGA – Brain Gokpa

Emouha LGA – David Omereji

Etche LGA – John Otamiri

Gokana LGA – Kenneth Kpeden

Ikwerre LGA – Darlington Orji

Khana LGA – Marvin Yobana

Obia/Akpor LGA – Chijioke Ihunwo

Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA – Princewill Ejekwe

Ogu/Bolo LGA – Evans Bipi

Okrika LGA – Princess Ogan

Omuma LGA – Promise Reginald

Opobo/Nkoro LGA – Enyiada Cookey-Gam

Oyigbo LGA – – Gogo Philip

Port Harcourt LGA – Ichemati Ezebunwo

Tai LGA – Matthew Dike