How is it that material things or wealth seems to outweigh the love for your own child?- Tonto Dikeh takes on Mohbad's dad
AdminActress Tonto Dikeh has taken to IG to tackle Mr. Joseph Aloba, the father of deceased singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba aka Mohbad. In an open letter shared on her IG page, Tonto asked the bereaved dad how is it that material things or wealth seems to outweigh the love for his own own child. She took him up over the ‘’hurried and undignified burial'' Mohbad had 24 hours after his passing. She wondered why Mohbad's dad has consistently demanded for a DNA during all his interviews when he is yet to ask for one from Wunmi, Mohbad's wife.
Her post reads
‘’MESSAGE TO MOHBAD’S DAD
Mohbad, from the depth of my heart, I extend a profound apology. You deserve so much more, and it pains me to witness your struggles, with steadfast support coming from compassionate souls like “THE CONCERNED CITIZENS.”
It’s a promise we will keep fighting regardless of names called & heart broken.
Papa Mohbad, I can empathize with the harsh realities of poor condition, but when it involves your own flesh and blood, your son, it’s truly heartbreaking. How is it that material things or wealth seems to outweigh the love for your own child?
The hurried and undignified burial of our dear Mohbad within a mere 24 hours of his supposed passing, compounded by insufficient arrangements due to financial constraints after getting a whooping sum of 2million Naria,is deeply distressing considering his status.
Need I remind you of the shameless, senseless and inhumane way mob’s neck was broken?
The decision to exhume your son’s remains stemmed from a collective outcry of Nigerian youth– which is a testament to our shared concern, While we acknowledged that Mohbad is indeed your son, please note, he was a married man, and the responsibility should extend to his wife regardless of any circumstances.
In your quest for global assistance and DNA verification, it’s crucial to address the right of that woman personally, the one who holds the answers.
By the way I totally agree with a DNA, but why are you asking Nigerians for a DNA and not Wunmi?
Your immersion in social media, driven by trivialities and fleeting fame, is disheartening. I find solace in the knowledge that you are not a part of my family, sparing us the pain of witnessing your disregard for your son’s memory.
It’s bewildering that your discontent only surfaced upon witnessing contributions to your grandson in custody of his mother “Your late son’s wife”, BUT YOU NOW CHARGE 10k/15K to be interviewed
Papa Mohbad, how does one fail their own flesh and blood not once, but twice?
My heart aches for the pain you are causing and the deep wounds left unhealed.
But I’ll leave you with this words, DO RIGHT BY YOUR SON.''
A 70-year-old Ugandan woman has given birth to twins after becoming pregnant through IVF treatment.
Safina Namukwaya became the oldest woman to give birth in Africa after she delivered a baby girl and boy on Wednesday afternoon, November 29, the Women's Hospital International and Fertility Centre in the Ugandan capital of Kampala said.
Medics at the hospital said the mother and her two babies are doing well after they were delivered via a caesarean.
Ugandan woman becomes the oldest person to give birth in Africa after welcoming twins at 70
'This story isn't just about medical success; it's about the strength and resilience of the human spirit,' the hospital said.
Ms Namukwaya told the NTV channel that this was her second delivery in three years, after she gave birth to a girl called Sarah in 2020.
The mother said she had suffered some complications and difficulties during her pregnancy, including the father of her children leaving her.
'Men don't like to hear that you are going to have more than one child,' Ms Namukwaya says. 'Even after I was admitted, my man never showed up.'
Ms Namukwaya said in the past she had suffered miscarriages, lost her husband in the 1990s, and faced stigma within her community for not having any children.
'One time, a very young boy heckled at me saying I had been cursed by my mother to die without a child,' she said.
Ms Namukwaya had revealed after the birth of her first child that she had been judged for not giving birth after 40 years of trying.
'Many people judged and abused me for being barren but, I decided to leave everything to the Almighty God who has finally answered my prayers,' she said shortly after the birth of her first daughter in 2020.
In 2019, Erramatti Mangayamma, from India, gave birth to twins through IVF at the age of 74, becoming the world's oldest mother.
Mangayamma, of Andhra Pradesh state, gave birth to two healthy baby girls with her husband of 57 years, Sitarama Rajarao at her side.
Anayo Makata, from Igboeze North Local Government Area of Enugu State, Thursday, revealed his ordeal in the hands of kidnappers at Ogwugwu, a border community between Enugu and Kogi states.
Makata, 27, said he was abducted alongside six other passengers from an Abuja-bound Siena bus, which took off from Enugu.
He said they were held for four days and were given no food. According to him, “They were giving us dirty water from some shallow streams that cow dungs were often found in. At a time, we thought we would all die. They charged us N1m each. When nobody could pay, except one woman whose people came and settled hers two days after our capture, no other person could pay.
“We became afraid when they relocated us to the inner bushes, and told us that on the fifth day, we would be killed, and our organs sold. I understand Fulani to some extent. One of them called someone to come on the fifth day. I knew it was to kill us. They told us that they would show us the corpses of those whose organs were harvested. One of us cried, and they almost killed him.
“At a time, my brother, who I contacted, begged them to collect N500, 000. They agreed, and all of us reached out to our relatives. We regained our freedom on Wednesday night. I believe many missing people have been killed in such circumstances. I saw some abandoned shoes and shirts in the bush. The owners might have been killed.”
On the identities of their kidnappers, Makata said, “They are Fulani, but they never allowed us to look at their faces. They are slim generally. In the day time, we laid face down all through. If anyone wanted to ease oneself, the person was escorted by one of them. The way they handle their guns makes me believe that they are well trained gunmen.”
He expressed disapppointment that they could not be rescued by the Nigeria Police.
He said, “My brother told me that while they were borrowing money to settle the ransom, one of my relatives reported the matter to the police. But they could not rescue us. Police told my relative to be careful in negotiating the ransom so that we could regain our freedom without much delay.”
Anambra State Aids Control Agency (ANSACA) has disclosed that no fewer than 98,960 people are living with HIV/AIDS in the state.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Ben Obidike, gave the statistics on Thursday in Awka during a media briefing ahead of 2023 World AIDS Day observed every December 1 since 1988.
Tribune Online gathered that World AIDS Day is commemorated globally to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS, and honor the lives affected by the epidemic.
This year’s commemoration had the global theme ‘Let Communities Lead” and was domesticated in Nigeria as ‘Communities’ Leadership to end AIDS by 2030′.
Obidike said: “With the national prevalence of 1.4 per cent, our state’s HIV prevalence is ranked 5th highest in the country and the highest in the South East.
“It is estimated that 98,960 residents are living with HIV out of which 58 per cent know their status and 44,808 are currently on treatment.
“The state is making the needed progress towards attainment of the Global 95-95-95 targets of which we are at 65:81:93.
“And worthy of note is the gradual decline in new infections which is at 46 per cent between 2021 and 2023 and AIDS related death which is at 32 per cent between 2021 and 2023.
“We are scaling up Prevention of Mother-to-child Transmission services to ensure no woman transmits this infection to her baby. The good news is that with the advent of Anti Retro-viral Therapy (ART), HIV is no longer a death sentence,” he said.
The Commissioner said the state was also scaling up access to HIV self-testing to tackle stigma and discrimination.
Also speaking, Dr Afam Anaeme, Director Public Health, described HIV/AIDS as one of the diseases of public health importance.
Anaeme said the disease is transmitted from person to person through body fluids during sexual activities, mother to child during pregnancy, labour and delivery, breast feeding, blood transfusion and risky sexual behaviours.
He said there was a need for community involvement in planning, implementation and monitoring of HIV programmes as well as access to relevant prevention, treatment and care services.
“Communities are people living with, at risk of, or affected by HIV and they need to lead the frontline of progress in the HIV response.
“With the participation of everyone, we can reduce the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Anambra, ” he said.
In his remarks, Executive Director of ANSACA, Mr Johnbosco Ementa, urged residents to take advantage of the free testing centres across the state to know their status.
He said that the state government increased the number of HIV treatment sites from 104 to 1,182, with the collaboration of implementing partners.
“We also deployed mobile testing units, home-based testing, and community outreaches, to significantly improve HIV testing coverage and accessibility.
“We appreciate our partners – Achieving Health Nigeria Initiative, AIDS Health-care Foundation, UNAIDS, CHAI and Global Fund for their support,” he noted.
Nigerian hip-hop, R&B, and afrobeat music artist, Eedris Abdulkareem, has released a music album purposely to encourage Kano State governor, Kabir Abba Yusuf, in his quest to reclaim his mandate after being sacked by the election petition tribunal and the Court of Appeal.
In the music released by Abdulkareem, through Bullion Records, a subsidiary of Bullion Go-Neat Global Limited owned by Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, he called on Yusuf to seek the intervention of God in the matter pending before the court.
The lyrics in the music include:
“Kanawan Dabo, stand up and seek Allah’s intervention. Kanawan Dabo, don’t allow them to cheat you.
“Kano is not Lagos. Whatever your intention, we are above you.”
Abdulkareem urged the people of Kano to support Yusuf to build their children’s future.
He assured them that only Abba could uplift their lives and that they should rally around him.
“In the year 2019, they stole your mandate. This year, 2023, there is no going back. Don’t allow them; they are deceivers,” Abdulkareem charged Abba Yusuf.
Also, chieftains of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo and South-West Public Relations of the party, Kilamuwaye Badmus, have thrown their weight behind the Kano State Governor.
Recall that the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja last week upheld the judgement of the Tribunal, which nullified Yusuf’s governorship mandate.
Yusuf and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) have approached the Supreme Court for a review of the certified true copy of the Appeal Court judgement, which in actual fact upheld Yusuf’s election while calling on the apex court to nullify what they described as a verbal judgement by the appellate court.
Ajadi, who recently paid a solidarity visit to Abba Yusuf in Kano, said the wish of millions of people in Kano will stand at the end of the day, maintaining that his claim of four plus four (4 + 4) is certain for Abba Yusuf of the NNPP in Kano state.
Ajadi, who contested the governorship of Ogun State on the platform of the NNPP in the 2023 election, said Yusuf will be affirmed as the Kano State Governor by the Supreme Court.
He called on the good people of Kano State to remain calm and avoid provocation from the opposition, who are enjoying a temporary victory.
“I see it as a temporary setback, as the judgement cannot stand the test of time.
“The Supreme Court will give us judgement. It will rubbish the judgement of the Court of Appeal.
Badmus also assured the people of Kano State that Yusuf is going to complete his tenure, as he said the Supreme Court will upturn the judgement of the Court of Appeal.
He warned the All Progressives Congress (APC) not to destroy democracy by putting the judiciary under pressure.
Badmus warned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to turn Nigeria to Lagos State, where he dominated all aspects of governance.
PASSPORT ISSUE
In the month of September 2023, the new Federal Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon Minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, declared that all passport backlogs would be cleared in two weeks. Passport Backlogs To Be Cleared In Two Weeks, Says Minister. Did that apply to the diaspora also? It didn't happen out here!
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The purpose of this article is to identify a serious problem with consular services, particularly passport intervention services to some twenty-five thousand (25,000) underserviced Nigerian citizens residing in the West Coast of the United States. The community has been ignored by the Nigerian government for a long time. The only service offered to Nigerians in this region is occasional Passport Intervention conducted by the Nigerian Embassy in Washington DC. As has been reported by many sources, these interventions have been fraught with problems: failures to return collected passports, overcharges, double charges, lack of process transparency, the list goes on.
For the Nigerians who live in the West Coast of the United States this issue is compounded by the total absence of consular services in this region. The Nigerian Embassy (marked 1 in the map below) and the two consulates (marked 2 and 3) are all located at the edge of the US East Coast. Thus, for Nigerians in the Central and Eastern US, with relative ease, they can go to the Embassy or Consulate try to resolve their issues.
This is the reason why the Passport Intervention that the Embassy conducts from time to time is very much appreciated here. It is also the reason why it is very painful and costly when the process gets screwed up and the services promised and paid for are not delivered – with absolutely no reason or explanation given to the Nigerian citizens as to why the passports they had paid for are not being returned to them.
Current Issue:
In 2022, the Nigerian Embassy in DC reached out to some members of the Nigerian community seeking collaboration to review the entire passport intervention process to root out corruption, violence, extortion, and other complaints that the then new Ambassador to the US had received. It was reported that the ambassador wanted to make sure the process was cleaned up, transparent and affordable to all Nigerians. This was a noble vision and welcomed by the Nigerian community. It was the first intervention at the end of the COVID. The community members worked with the Embassy to create this process. For the first time the intervention was well-planned, announced to the communities with specific details: list of cities, fixed cost for processing, points of contact for each city and posted at the Embassy website.
This was hailed as a ground-breaking step by the Nigerian government to do things the right way. The But it didn’t last.
1. Halfway through the intervention, the Nigeran Immigration to the US to change the passport processing system. The Embassy, which was directly involved in the intervention for the first time assured the community that they would hold of the changing of system until the intervention was over in order not to seriously disrupt the on-going events. They didn’t or couldn’t. The system was changed, and for the first time, NIN was made mandatory for all passport activities. Hundreds of Nigerians who had already made appointments and applied online were instantly and unceremoniously disqualified! Why? No one could explain.
2. The resulting disruptions were significant, the new process was abandoned, leading in some cases to so much conflicts between the Embassy and the communities that the local police had to be called in. Such chaos was one of the negative complaints that the new Ambassador aimed to address with the new process.
3. Worst of all, for over nine months many of the passports that were picked up not been returned. Hopes by Nigerians to get their passports back and go home for Christmas were dashed. Let alone people planning to go home to bury their dead. The matter was so bad that it had to be escalated to the former Comptroller General of Immigrations (CGI) and even to the office of the President of Nigeria. Some of the passports got released as a result of that but not all. It has now been over a year and as at the writing of this article, some 300 passports still have been returned to their owners.
4. Many citizens have given up on waiting for their passports. Some have decided to spend more money to apply all over, some have flown to Washington DC where they were able to pick up their passports, but a good majority can’t afford it and continues to wait and hope. Why?
Some of the reasons that have been given are nothing short of embarrassing for our country, the largest economy in Africa, one of the largest producers of oil in the world. Reasons such as:
· The passports are being processed in Nigeria and the Embassy is waiting for approval to print and mail out.
· The Embassy ran out of ink to print passports, and is waiting for ink to be shipped from Nigeria – for month?
· The Embassy has held the passports for so long that the cost of postage in the US has gone up and they don’t have enough money to mail out the passports.
· There will not be new passport intervention yet because the Nigerian Immigration has not given the Embassy the new system to the Embassy to go around with.
We are aware that these are not issues created by the current government or the current Embassy Immigration leadership. We, however, expect the new government and the new Embassy Immigration crew to address and resolve the issue as soon as possible without compounding it.
It came as a shock when a flyer suddenly came out stating that the new Nigerian Immigration has decided to come out here to conduct a passport intervention themselves from Abuja. Really? While passport intervention is always appreciated under normal circumstances, the question from most Nigerians here is what happened to our passports from last year? They are very upset and asking the question why?
1. Is the Nigerian government aware that they are holding on to hundreds of passports that belong to the people? Why would they want to come and collect more passports and payments for processing just before Christmas? Without any formal announcements?
2. What is the plan to ensure that all the passports that were collected in 2022 from this region will be returned to the owners before they come to collect more? This amounts to services paid for but not delivered. That’s an offense in the United States, it is not an image that our new government wants to portray so early.
3. What is the plan that the passports, if collected, will be returned to the applicants on time – to the Nigerian citizens in the United States who love their country and just want to go home to visit in peace? If the Nigerian government did not provide the Embassy with ink to print all of the 2022 passports, over 15 months, where will they find the ink to print the ones they are about to collect now?
4. Most importantly, why is not one honestly talking to the citizens and explaining what's going on?
We strongly call for Nigerian Immigration Services to:
1. Provide the Embassy everything they need to return all the passports that were collected from Nigerians in 2022 as soon as possible before the Nigerian government should go around and collect more passports, especially from Nigerians in the West Coast of the United States so far away from any consular services.
2. Follow through with the well-designed and well-intended, but never executed process that was developed last year, or come up with their own process, that is transparent, responsible, predictable, and affordable for all Nigerians, with commitment to timely processing of all passports.
3. Protect the image of Nigeria and Nigerian government as an entity worthy of doing serious business with. Nigerians are constantly having to defend the image of their country out here. What is happening with the last passport event, is a serious setback to this effort. Many Nigerians are stranded without their passports, and others are asking, why is your government doing this to you?
4. Provide frequent communication and update to the people about their passports and other consular services so they are not kept in the dark, helpless and assume the worst.
We commended the decision to bring NIMC and NIS under the same leadership. We also noticed how the current leadership of NIMC responded to the pushback from the Diaspora and reversed its ill-advised shut down of the NIN process without adequate warning, which caused serious problems for Nigerians in the diaspora. Such responsiveness is deeply appreciated. We hope the current government will continue listen to the people and do the same here.
Frank McMaye
African Foundation for Education Technology & Arts Research (AFETAR)
The Super Eagles of Nigeria have dropped by two spots in the latest FIFA ranking to place 42nd in the world.
In the ranking table on the website of the world football governing body, on Thursday, the Eagles dropped 16.04 points to rank 1474.44 points as against 1490.48 in October.
However, the drop did not affect the team’s placement on the continent, as it still remained the 6th team on the continent, behind Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia, Algeria, and Egypt, respectively.
The drop in ranking comes after the Super Eagles were held to a 1-1 draw in their two 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Lesotho on Nov. 16 and Zimbabwe on Nov. 19.
Late Sylvester Oromoni’s Father Insists On Justice As Son’s Corpse Remains In Morgue After Two Years
AdminIt is officially two years since the passing of Sylvester Oromoni, the late student of Dowen College, and his family has continued the quest for justice as his corpse remains in the morgue.
Naija News recalls that Oromoni Junior died on November 30, 2021, after he was alleged to have been bullied and beaten by five of his senior colleagues.
Amidst the controversy that trailed the incident, Dowen College dismissed the claim, stating that the boy sustained injuries while playing football with his friends.
In January 2022, an initial autopsy declared that Oromoni died of acute lung injury due to chemical intoxication, but the result was later discredited.
The Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) in Lagos released a second result ruling that Oromoni died naturally, and the case has been in court since 2022 as the bereaved family is vowing to pursue the matter up to the apex court.
However, Sylvester’s father, in an interview with journalists on Wednesday, November 29, vowed to pursue the case of his late son to a logical conclusion, even if it would take 30 years.
He said, “I am compelled to take this step as a means to seeking justice, two years since my son has been in the morgue.
“As the father of the deceased, I cannot be tired or discouraged from pursuing justice, as I have promised my son to get him justice, even if it will take 30 years to achieve it.
“Thursday, November 30, 2023, makes it two years since the demise of my son and the body is still in the morgue, yet to be buried.
“May the soul of Sylvester Oromoni (Jnr.) and all departed souls rest in perfect peace. Amen.”
Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has slammed Oba of Benin, Omo N’ Oba N’ Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo Ewuare II, over claims that Benins founded Lagos.
Naija News reported that the Oba of Benin, on Sunday evening during a courtesy visit to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the Lagos House, Marina, claimed that the Benin Kingdom founded Lagos State.
During the visit, the revered monarch stated that according to history, the modern-day Lagos was founded by Prince Ado, the son of the first Oba of Benin.
Reacting to the monarch’s comment, the Balogun of Eko, Abisoye Oshodi, in a video shared online, said the comment was invalid, stating that the Bini ancestors settled on a small Island called Eko before the creation of Lagos.
In a post via X on Thursday, Fani-Kayode asserted that the claim is false as Yorubas founded Lagos and cautioned those saying that ‘Lagos is no man’s land.’
The All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain also lauded Oshodi for setting the record straight on the issue.
He said, “Those that claim that the Bini founded Lagos are indulging in historical revisionism and pure falsehood.
“The Bini did NOT found Lagos, the Yoruba did.
“Again those that claim that Lagos is a “no man’s land” are intellectually challenged and hopelessly misinformed. Lagos is NOT a “no-man’s land”, she is Yoruba.
“All the self-serving and revisionist poppycock, Gobellian propaganda, historical abracadabra, nonsensical gobbledegook and disingenuous disinformation being peddled around by aliens, outsiders and non-indgenees about the origins of Lagos, her people and her history must cease forthwith lest the younger generation are misinformed and misled and the people of Lagos are robbed of their true history and identity.
“I am glad to see that the Balogun of Eko, Abisoye Oshodi, has risen to the occassion and sought to set the record straight. Kudos to him!
“I say it again, Lagos was FOUNDED by the Yoruba and she IS Yoruba!
“Facts are sacred and opinion is cheap!”
Rave of the moment, Jude Bellingham was on target again for Real Madrid in the 4-2 win over Napoli in a Champions League encounter at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.
The 20-year-old has enjoyed a bright start to life at Real Madrid since joining from Dortmund in the summer.
Giovanni Simeone gave Napoli the lead in the ninth minute.
Rodrygo quickly restored parity for Real Madrid two minutes later with a curling effort.
Bellingham turned the game around with a well-placed header from David Alaba’s cross to make it 2-1 in Real Madrid’s favour.
The 20-year-old has now become the first Real Madrid player to score in his first four matches for the club in the Champions League.
He has now scored 15 goals in 16 appearances for Real Madrid in all competitions this season.
Zambo Anguissa brought Napoli back into the game with a powerful effort just after the restart.
Nico Paz restored Real Madrid’s lead in the 84th minute to make it 3-2.
Bellingham assisted Joselu with a stunning outside of the foot cross for the striker to tap in.
The former Dortmund has now recorded four assists in the Champions League this season.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has hailed Bellingham for his impressive form.
“No one could imagine his adaptation here to this club and this football. It is surprising to fans, teammates, and even rivals.
“He is spectacular when he arrives in the area. He is a gift for football. He has great talent.
“He is a modern player, ideal for today’s football, with intensity and the ability.
“He is a serious, professional young man who has adapted very well to the locker room.
“What I see differently is an arrival inside the area that Zidane did not have and an individual quality from Zidane that Bellingham does not have.
“There is the difference, but this is modern football, which wants physically strong players like Bellingham, capable of covering the entire field very quickly.”
Real Madrid are on top of Group C with 15 points from five games, Napoli sits in the second place with 8 points from the same number of games with a game to go.
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Arsenal recorded a 6-0 win over RC Lens to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages in style.
The Gunners made a return to the competition for the first time in seven years and have advanced to second round with a game to spare after breezing past Lens at the Emirates Stadium.
Kai Havertz gave Arsenal the lead with a close range finish from Jesus’ pass in the 13th minute.
Saka set up Jesus for the second goal after a powerful run to leave Lens defenders at his wake.
Saka went from provider to score two minutes later to make it 3-0.
Martinelli added the fourth goal bottom corner finish from the left to continue the scoring spree.
Odegaard scored the fifth goal with a volley from a Tomiyasu’s pass to end the first half 5-0.
The Gunners became the first team to have five different scorers in the first half of a Champions League match.
Jorginho put the icing on the cake from the spot after Abduqodir Khusanov handled the ball in the 18-yard box to make it 6-0.
In the other Group B match, PSV defeated Sevilla 3-2.
Arsenal are on top of Group B with 12 points from five games, PSV are guaranteed a second-place finish with 8 points from four games with a game to spare.
Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, has said the sit-at-home order declared by the proscribed members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is no longer in force in the South-East.
The governor stated this on Tuesday after visiting President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
“We no longer have a sit-at-home in Enugu State, and I dare say in the South-East. We have workers go to work on Monday and the schools are open on Monday,” the governor said.
“Business and economic activities are back. So, what we are dealing with now is to erase that sad memory from our history.”
Mbah also commended the financial reforms implemented by President Bola Tinubu’s administration resulting in the easy flow of capital in and out of the country, saying it is rubbing off on the state.
He argued that although some of the FG’s economic policies such as the removal of fuel subsidy are tough on Nigerians in the interim, they are therapeutic to the nation.
“It is essentially to commend the president because a lot of things that he is doing at the national level are also rubbing off well on us at the state level – policies like the unification of the foreign exchange rate. What that simply means is that you are going to have a lot of FDI coming in, and we are also going to benefit from that.
“As you may have also noticed, we are doing a lot, trying to attract investors to Enugu State. And the fact that we now have the ease of investors bringing in their money and also being able to repatriate it as a result of the unification of the foreign exchange rates would largely rub off positively on Enugu State,” Mbah added.
Vows To Cancel Some PPP Deals, Says They Only Enrich Developers
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, yesterday, disclosed that he plans to engage Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) to help handle cases involving the FCT administration.
He lamented that lack of diligent prosecution of cases in the past by FCT officials led to the loss of a number of cases.
Wike, who further disclosed that there were over 800 litigations involving the FCT, alleged complicity on the part of some officials who connived with plaintiffs to get judgments against the FCT administration.
He said: “I have never seen a territory with over 800 litigations. Some of these litigations were in connivance with staff of the FCT. So, I said I will engage SANs because I don’t want a situation whereby someone will go to court and then agree with the plaintiffs and judgment is entered against the FCT.”
The minister stated this when he appeared before the House of Representatives and Senate Committees on the FCT to defend the administration’s N61 billion supplementary budget.
Wike, who said the budget components were projects-specific, added that President Bola Tinubu would commission most of them, including the Abuja Metro Line by May, as part of activities marking the president’s one year in office.
He said: “Mr President will commission the metro line by May. If you look at the national budget, there is a provision for the rail project.”
On security, he said the administration would revive the city’s mass transit system, to eliminate cases of “one chance”, adding that private operators would undergo security vetting before being allowed into the system.
He said he was working with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Department of State Services (DSS), with regards to providing Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras in strategic parts of the city.
Responding to a question on the fate of victims of the administration’s demolition exercises, the minister said Nigerians cannot desire a world-class Federal Capital Territory and then make excuses for unplanned and illegal developments.
Noting that demolitions could not be stopped as long as people continue to build on green areas, water and sewage lines and other unapproved places, he said the administration would, however, pay compensation in areas designated for resettlement.
He said: “We can’t stop demolitions. You cannot go and build in a green area and, then, when we demolish, you want us to compensate you. Illegality is illegality. But if we want to acquire your property for development, we will pay you.”
Wike also vowed to cancel some Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) entered into by the administration with some private developers, saying those arrangements had been used to fleece the administration of billions in the past.
He said: “I will cancel several PPPs. All the PPPs in Abuja is about land and is against the FCT.”
Wike cited a case in Wassa, where the administration gave the developer land for mass housing, gave him another N85 billion for infrastructure, lamenting that the developer would go and build houses, sell to people at market value without anything coming to the administration. “We will cancel it,” he declared.
He also restated his position on the recertification of all Certificates of Occupancy.
“All C of Os will be re-certified and you will put your NIN. In FCT, there is a lot of fake C of Os, but with this new development, we will end that and, security wise, we can know people who own each structure. If you have C of Os and you have not re-certified, it will no longer be valid,” he stated.
The N61 billion FCT Supplementary Budget was drawn from its Paris Club refund, PAYE, the N5 billion special presidential intervention for states, the presidential infrastructure support funds and the territory’s Internally Generated Revenue IGR.
Chairman, House Committee on FCT, Muktar Betara, who lauded the minister for his passion to develop the territory, however, urged him to reconsider the uniform fees for obtaining a Certificate of Occupancy, saying highbrow areas like Asokoro, Maitama, Wuse and others cannot have the same fees with the satellite towns.
Explain N535.8m School Feeding Spending During COVID Lockdown - Court To Humanitarian Affairs Minister
AdminA Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Dr. Betta Edu, to release details of how N535.8 million was expended on feeding of school children during COVID-19 lockdown.
In a judgment, Justice Nkeonye Maha directed the minister and the ministry to furnish a civil society group with parts of the information sought, in line with Section 25(1) of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, 2011.
Justice Maha held that the minister’s failure to respond to the group’s letter, dated August 6, 2020, or even give reason for the refusal to respond to the request, as prescribed under the FOI Act, contravened the provisions of Section 4(a) and (b) of the Act.
“In view of all the matters before me and flowing from the objectives of the FOI Act 2011, the court hereby orders the first and second defendants, in line with Section 25(1) of the FOI Act, to furnish the plaintiff with the information sought in Reliefs 3(a), (b), (c), (d),” she said.
The judge also ordered the minister to comply with the orders of the court within 21 days upon receipt of the orders.
Justice Maha refused to grant “Reliefs 3(e), (f) and (g) of the plaintiff”.
Recall that the Incorporated Trustees of Kingdom Human Rights Foundation International had filed the suit, following alleged refusal of erstwhile Minister Sadiya Umar-Farouq and her ministry to respond to the information sought.
Umar-Farouq was the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development under the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
The group alleged that independent investigation and information available to it “revealed that the so-called modified and implemented school feeding programme during lockdown against coronavirus pandemic was a scam, cover-up and well-articulated fiction to embezzle public funds”.
It said the development was contrary to Umar-Farouq’s statement during the task force’s briefing on COVID-19 on August 3, 2020.
In the originating summons, the group sued the minister, the ministry and the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 as the first, second and third defendants.
Also joined in the suit were the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Independent Corrupt Practice and other related offences Commission (ICPC) as the fourth and fifth defendants.
The group sought an order of mandamus compelling the first defendant (minister) to immediately release and make available to it all the information and documents requested in its application letter to wit:
“a. Details, accompanied with documentary evidence of how the N523,273,800 million was spent on school feeding programme during the COVID-19 Lockdown in three states following presidential directive as disclosed to Nigerians by the 1st defendant during the Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19 briefing of Monday, 3rd August, 2020 in Abuja,” among others.