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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has dropped its charges of fraud, bribery and conspiracy against a former attorney-general of the federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke.
This is in response to the no-case submission filed by Adoke, who was listed as the first defendant in the charges all related to the OPL 245 transaction of 2011.
The anti-graft agency said it does not have evidence to support its charges of fraud, bribery and conspiracy against Adoke.
The EFCC also informed the FCT high court that it would not oppose Adoke’s application, alongside that of the other defendants in the case which include Aliyu Abubakar, Rasky Gbinigie (Malabu Oil & Gas Ltd company secretary), Malabu Oil & Gas Ltd, Nigeria Agip Exploration Ltd, Shell Ultra Deep Nigeria Ltd, and Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Company Ltd (SNEPCo), over some of the charges.
However, the EFCC said that Gbinigie has a case to answer over the alleged forgery of company documents to remove the name of Mohammed Abacha as a director of Malabu Oil & Gas.
Recall that that the EFCC had charged Adoke before the FCT high court, Abuja, alleging that he received a bribe of N300 million from Abubakar over the OPL 245 resolution.
[ThisNigeria]
There is mounting pressure on Peter Obi to dump his presidential ambition and run as vice presidential candidate to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in 2027.
Obi was the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections; where he was placed third in the result announced by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
Obi is being lured to contest in a joint-ticket with Atiku on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2027 presidential election.
According to a notable member of the PDP, Uche Rochas, who is in the vanguard of mobilising for Atiku towards 2027, “There is time and process for everything. He should know that and should stop running faster than himself.”
Rochas had declared:
Arc Uche Rochas
@U_Rochas
“This is the only way that I can forgive Peter Obi my brother. I hope this message gets to him.
“There is time and process for everything. He should know that and should stop running faster than himself.”
Some stakeholders in the polity perceive Atiku/Obi joint ticket as a coming tsunami.
Meanwhile, some others are raising the question of what will become the place of former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, who was vice presidential candidate to Atiku in 2023.
Uche Rochas had steered the the political storm when he declared his support for Atiku to contest for the 2027 presidential election, arguing that the former vice president has the right to do so.
[NationalDaily]
Protesting women on Friday afternoon burned down the house of the District Head of Bokkos town in Bokkos Local Government Area of the state, Michal Monday Adanchi.
According to a source from the area, the incident occurred around 12:30am.
The source said the women burned the house following the arrest of some members of the community for their alleged involvement in the recent killings in the area, adding that the traditional ruler’s residence and his administrative office were burned down.
“The incident began at the police station where they expressed their anger over the arrest of some members of the community. After leaving the police station, they proceeded to the house of the traditional ruler, protesting that he was a sellout. A few minutes after reaching the house, they set it ablaze,” the source said.
Our correspondent learnt that soldiers had arrived the area and dispersed the protesting women.
The spokesperson of the state police command, DSP Alabo Alfred, said he would call the DPO of the area and got back to our correspondent.
The state police command on Thursday confirmed the arrest of eight persons in connection with the recent attacks in Bokkos and Barikin Ladi LGAs.
Daily Trust reports that about 23 villages were attacked on the Eve of Christmas, where more than 150 people were killed and hundreds of houses razed.
Editor’s note: The picture is used for illustration, and not the traditional ruler’s burnt house.
[DailyPost]
President Bola Tinubu has celebrated the creativity and sheer artistic talents driving Nigeria’s entertainment industry, following the success just recorded by ace Nigerian artist, Funke Akindele, with her movie, ‘A Tribe Called Judah’.
The movie, produced and co-directed by Akindele, was released in cinemas in Nigeria in mid-December last year, and after two weeks, it was reported to have grossed over N1 billion, becoming the highest-earning Nigerian movie ever.
In a statement issued by his special adviser on media and publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, President Tinubu celebrated the ingenuity, creativity, and immense artistic talents of Nigeria’s thriving entertainment industry.
According to the statement, the President congratulated Akindele on her record-setting film and commended the ace thespian for her contributions to the growth of the industry.
He extolled the excellence of the Nigerian creative industry, acknowledging its pivotal place as a medium, not only for artistic expression but also a source of enormous soft power and viable export.
Tinubu said: “The creative industry is one of the high-employment sectors, providing jobs for our able and talented youths. It is an industry that is crucial to my administration. I salute Nigerians for their enduring support and patronage of home-grown creative efforts. We will provide the conducive environment for the industry to thrive further.”
[TheNation]
Suspected arsonists have invaded the residence of a 75-year-old elder sister of the Attah Igala, Mathew Opaluwa, and set her ablaze, killing her in the process.
The woman identified as Meimunat Opaluwa Sani was set ablaze alongside her granddaughter, Hajarat, in the early hours of Thursday, at her Oketekwe residence in Idah Local Government Area of Kogi State.
A family source said, “A group of people came to the house with petrol while our grandmother was sleeping alongside her daughter and granddaughter. They poured the petrol on the house and set it on fire.
“The five-year-old granddaughter, Mama, died immediately after suffering severe burns, while Mallama Meimunat Opaluwa Sani, along with her own daughter, was rushed to an undisclosed hospital. Mallama later succumbed to her injuries in the hospital, while her daughter was still battling for her life.”
Meanwhile, the Minister of Steel Development, Shuaib Audu, in a condolence message issued on his behalf by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Lizzy Okonji, said “The Minister of Steel Development, Shuaibu Audu, has extended his heartfelt condolences to the paramount ruler of Igala kingdom, Mathew Opaluwa, over the death of his sister, Mallama Meimunat Opaluwa-Sani and her granddaughter.”
He described the deaths of the late Opaluwa-Sani and her five-year-old granddaughter as tragic and sacrilegious.
The minister called on security agencies to investigate the alleged arson and bring to book the perpetrators of the crime.
“It is with a heavy heart that I condole with our father, HRM, Mathew Opaluwa, and the royal family over the deaths of his sister and her granddaughter, whose lives were taken in the most painful manner.
“I also commiserate with the entire people of Igala Kingdom at this time because this is a loss to every one of us.
“I call on security agencies to investigate the alleged arson and bring the perpetuators of this act to book so that it would serve as a deterrent to others. Such acts of sacrilege must be discouraged in our land.
“I pray that Almighty Allah grant the souls of the late Mallama Meimunat Opaluwa, and her granddaughter, Onechojo Aljanah Firdaus. I also pray Almighty Allah grants the family the heart to bear the loss,” Audu stated.
However, the Kogi State Police Command is yet to react to the incident as the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP William Aya, has not responded to a message sent to him and has not picked up repeated calls to his mobile phone.
Our correspondent also called the state Security Adviser, Jerry Omadara, who promised to get back but has not done so as of the time of filing this report.
[Punch]
President Bola Tinubu has approved the extension of the Yuletide free train service till January 7.
The extension, the Federal Government said, would enable more Nigerians to return to their stations and enjoy the benefit.
A statement yesterday in Abuja by Transportation Minister Said Ahmed Alkali announced the extension.
The Federal Government had announced a free train service on all serviced routes and 50 per cent rebate on road transportation from December 21, 2023 till yesterday on specific routes to reduce the burden of high cost of public transportation during the just-concluded Christmas and New Year holidays.
The statement said: “While over 163,000 Nigerians benefited from successful first leg of the Yuletide initiative, President Tinubu, in further demonstration of his care for the welfare of Nigerians, directed that the free train service should be made available for extra three days to allow more Nigerians to take the advantage.
“The public is advised to note that this extension applies to all three routes currently being serviced by the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) as follows: 1. Lagos – Ibadan; 2. Warri – Itakpe; and 3. Abuja – Kaduna
“It is hoped that Nigerians who are interested in travelling by rail will take full advantage of this unique opportunity aimed at enhancing people’s welfare.”
[TheNation]
•How EFCC ordered 52 firms to submit forex allocation forms from 2014 to 2023
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday stormed the headquarters of Dangote Industries Limited in Ikoyi, Lagos, in furtherance of the ongoing investigation into the alleged abuse of the foreign exchange allocations by the immediate past Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.
The anti-graft commission is probing the alleged preferential allocations of forex to the Dangote Group owned by billionaire Aliko Dangote and 51 other companies under the Emefiele-led CBN.
Two senior officials of the EFCC confirmed the presence of the anti-graft operatives at the Dangote but declined to speak on the reason for their presence.
One of the officials said, “I can confirm that our men are there, but I can’t comment on the reason for their presence there.”
Sources said the anti-graft commission had earlier written to the 52 companies directing them to provide documents supporting the allocation and utilisation of foreign exchange sold to them at official rates in the last 10 years.
The EFCC had asked the firms to submit Form A and Form M which detailed the forex allocations to them between 2014 and June 2023.
But while some companies complied with the directive, several others were said to have asked for time to get the proper documents.
Until June 2023, Nigeria operated multiple exchange rates which economists said contributed to the distortions in forex allocation, market volatility, and fluctuations.
The policy was blamed for the inflationary pressures on the naira and the thriving black market activities which were said to have undermined the effectiveness of the CBN monetary policies.
The surprise operation at the Dangote headquarters which was carried out by the EFCC detectives during working hours shocked the staff and jolted the visitors to the building.
The PUNCH reports that the search commenced at about 3pm and lasted for several hours.
During the raid, the operatives ransacked offices and carted away several financial documents related to forex allocations to the group from 2014 to June 2023, when Emefiele was suspended from office by President Bola Tinubu.
The PUNCH could not immediately confirm if any of the company officials were arrested by the commission.
This newspaper had reported that the Special Investigator on the CBN and Related Entities, Jim Obazee, uncovered how Emefiele allegedly lodged public funds in foreign currencies in no fewer than 593 bank accounts in the United States, United Kingdom, and China without the approval of the apex bank’s board of directors and the CBN Investment Committee.
CBN probe
Obazee found that the ex-CBN governor allegedly lodged £543, 482,213 in fixed deposits in UK banks without authorisation, adding that he allegedly manipulated the naira exchange rate and committed fraud in the e-Naira project.
The investigator in a report submitted to the President on December 20, 2023, recommended that Emefiele, who is being prosecuted for alleged N1.2bn procurement fraud, should face fresh charges over the handling of the CBN naira redesign policy and alleged illegal issuance of currency under section 19 of the CBN Act.
He also recommended that the ex-CBN governor should be prosecuted alongside Tunde Sabiu, a former aide and nephew to former President Muhammadu Buhari, and 12 top directors of the CBN.
Emefiele denied the indictments, describing the content of Obazee’s investigation report as “false, misleading, and calculated to disparage my person, injure my character, and serve the selfish interest of the private investigator.”
A top EFCC official revealed that the EFCC was probing the preferential foreign exchange allocations allegedly made by Emefiele in defiance of extant financial rules and regulations and the CBN Act.
The official claimed, “The EFCC is investigating the Dangote Group over the preferential foreign exchange allocations made by the former CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele in defiance of extant financial rules and regulations and in disregard to the CBN Act.
“There are about 51 other big companies under probe over the development too, and the commission discovered that the allocations were not approved by the former President Muhammadu Buhari, so it was more of a means for the former CBN governor and his cronies to launder money through forex and Bureau De Change operators.”
When contacted the spokesman for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, declined comment on the raid on the Dangote headquarters.
Dangote Industries’ spokesperson, Sunday Esan, did not respond to phone calls or WhatsApp messages sent to him.
Two other officials in the communications department of the company, Anthony Chiejina and Francis Browne, have yet to respond to calls and messages sent to them as of the time of filing this report.
Firm honours invitation
But a Dangote official claimed the firm had honoured the EFCC’s request and wondered why the commission chose to embarrass them.
He noted, “We don’t know why they (EFCC officials) came to our office again; we had earlier been invited to the office of the EFCC. As such, the Dangote officials took along all the documents and submitted them. We don’t know why they eventually decided to visit out office again.
“The question we are asking is what did they come to take from our office when we had honoured their invitation? They left with empty hands because all the documents they wanted from us had been taken to them. The same EFCC that came to our office is the one giving information to the media that they are investigating us.’’
Before the latest development, Dangote Industries had in November 2023 refuted allegations that it was involved in forex malpractices and money laundering involving a staggering $3.4bn allegedly facilitated by Emefiele.
The conglomerate, a mainstay in Nigeria’s industrial landscape and a significant player in the African economy, denied the claims that the money was funnelled to its non-Nigerian subsidiaries, prompting illicit financial flows and round-tripping.
It said a rival business group sponsored the allegation
In its rebuttal, Dangote Industries referred to past approvals granted by the CBN between 2010 to 2018, allowing it to purchase forex totalling $3.755bn for funding of its projects across Africa, of which only 47.70 per cent was utilised.
The company underscored that forex for its investment undertakings was sourced from the interbank market, with all transactions supported by Letters of Credit in line with international standards.
Commenting on the probe, the Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative and Advocacy Centre, Musa Rafsanjani, said the search of the anti-graft agency at the headquarters of Dangote could be part of an assessment on the previous administration, adding that the EFCC should be allowed to do its job.
“I think for me, let the EFCC do its work. We all know that there are several problems that have to do with our financial institutions. Some people used their connections to probably circumvent the process
“I do not think there should be any problem. This might be a routine check to see how the former regime has conducted itself, whether it has followed the due process or it has not followed the due process.’’
The EFCC operation was happening as South African billionaire Johann Rupert surpassed Aliko Dangote to become Africa’s wealthiest person, as reported by Forbes Real-Time Billionaires.
Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, a platform tracking daily changes in net worth among high-net-worth individuals globally, revealed that Dangote slid to the second position after experiencing a reduction in wealth from $13.5bn in 2023 to $9.7bn as of January 4, 2024, marking a $3.8bn loss.
[Punch]
The National Association of Nigerian Students President for Benin Republic, Ugochukwu Favour, has called for the arrest of the reporter, Umar Audu, who went undercover to expose corruption in the issuance of certificates in the country.
Speaking in an interview on Thursday on the Channels TV programme Sunrise Daily, Favour slammed the reporter for having his passport stamped and obtaining certificates without being physically present.
“Your passport was stamped while you were not available there. Now, and that aside, this guy served in 2019. And he still served again in 2023,” he said.
Favour claimed the reporter was implicating the government and questioning the credibility of agencies like the Immigration and National Youth Service Corps by going undercover.
“He has to be arrested. This guy needs to be arrested because, I know, he’s a reporter who is trying to clear out some things but on that note, you are trying to implicate some persons now because, in a sense, you’re trying to implicate the government, the NYSC and the immigration,” he said.
When asked by the interviewer if the reporter’s efforts exposed loopholes that should be addressed, the NANS president said, “I’m not doubting that but then since this is out already, I want to urge the government to look into it and take the necessary steps as fast as possible,” he responded.
•15,000 Nigerian students in Benin Republic in limbo —NANS
The National Youth Service Corps Scheme, NYSC, has explained how the undercover reporter who had earlier been mobilised for the compulsory one-year programme in 2019 was able to be mobilised for the same programme in 2023.
Speaking on a Channels Television programme yesterday, the Director of Public Affairs, NYSC, Mr Eddy Megwa, said the reporter changed his email address and phone number to be drafted again into the scheme.
“It is not that we don’t have checks and balances in place to detect possible breaches of the system. When the undercover reporter first put in his data, the system rejected him because he had served in the scheme before.
”He later changed his email address and his phone number which made the system to accept him. And he was initially posted to Osun State
“He did that because he was out for a particular purpose. We are looking at the situation and ensure that it does not happen again.
”We don’t have a database of graduates to serve in the scheme. We only rely on the lists sent to us by the senator of the various universities, stating the number of graduates to expect from them,” he said.
Though Megwa said the use of the National Identification Number, NIN, was incorporated into the scheme three years ago, he was unable to explain why the differences in the reporter’s biodata in NIN and what he put in for his second mobilisation were not enough to raise a flag for the scheme to detect him.
Asked what step the scheme takes to ascertain whether people with foreign certificates are qualified to take part in the scheme, Megwa said: “It is not our duty to assess their certificates, but we have resorted to inviting foreign students and giving them test to know their abilities.
” In the course of doing that, we have made startling discoveries. Ask some of them to write a simple essay, you will be surprised at what you get. I have some of such materials that I can show you.
”NYSC is an elite scheme, not for illiterates and the means of communication is English Language. In 2006, the then DG of NYSC, Brig-Gen. Yusuf Momoh went to an orientation camp and asked a supposed corps member the title of his final project, the answer he gave was incredulous and further investigation revealed that his name was smuggled into the list of graduates from a particular university.”
Megwa added that the scheme was collaborating with the federal Ministry of education, Foreign Affairs Ministry and other agencies to track people going for foreign studies and when they come back with their certificates.
Meanwhile, President of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, in the Republic of Benin, Okechukwu Favour, has appealed to the federal government to rethink the blanket ban on certificates and degrees from higher institutions in that country.
Favour, who also appeared on the television show, said the fate of over 15,000 Nigerian students in Benin Republic was hanging in the balance.
“We have over 15,000 Nigerians studying in that country alone. The ban will affect legitimate students who are at various levels of their studies.
”We are not saying the government should not punish anybody who has engaged in criminal acts, but it is not in all the universities that such a thing is happening.
“Also, it is not all the students that are involved in such terrible acts. While one agrees that the undercover reporter has helped to expose some misdeeds, he also breached certain conventions in the process. Our appeal is that let the guilty ones be punished, spare the innocent, ” he stated.
It will be recalled that the Federal Government has slammed a ban on graduates from some foreign universities, following the revelation by a reporter that he was able to get a degree from a university in Benin Republic within six weeks and was even mobilised for the NYSC one-year programme.
The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, SAN, said a committee had been set up to appraise the whole system of accrediting foreign universities and assessing their certificates.
[Vanguard]
The Nigeria Police Force has dismissed two of its personnel, Sunday Adetoye and Ogunleye Stephen, over alleged corruption and robbery.
Naija News understands that the two Inspectors who were assigned to Zone 2 Command Headquarters in Onikan, Lagos, were labelled with offences including armed robbery, official corruption, and illegal duty.
The Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2, Mohammed Ali, made the decision to dismiss them after a thorough Orderly Room trial.
Inspector Adetoye, with Force number 279495, and Inspector Stephen, with Force number 223521, along with two members of a Vigilante Group named Semiu Afisu and Abidoye Femi, as well as a driver named Charles John, allegedly carried out a raid on a residence in the Obada-Oko community in Ogun State.
The said incident occurred at approximately 10 pm on November 23, 2023.
According to reports, they were armed with two Submachine SMG rifles and live ammunition during the raid. Without a warrant, they proceeded to search the apartment belonging to individuals named Taiwo Monsuru and Akintola Sunday.
Shockingly, they made off with five iPhones, one Samsung smartphone, one Tecno smartphone, and two laptop computers.
The Zonal Public Relations Officer, SP Umma Ayuba, elucidated the circumstances surrounding their arrest.
According to her, the police officers stationed at Ifo Division established a roadblock upon receiving information from other residents of the apartment regarding the incident.
Armed with the description of the vehicle involved, the officers successfully apprehended its occupants, with the exception of ASP Ajayi Victor, who was the ringleader of the illicit operation. It is important to note that ASP Ajayi Victor is currently evading arrest and remains at large.
“The AIG has directed that the dismissed officers be charged to court alongside the civilians involved, while he urges all officers and men of the force to remain professional in the discharge of their duties by the law, as anyone found wanting will be accountable for his or her action or inaction,” the police statement reads.
More...
Commercial and merchant banks increasingly depended on liquidity from the Central Bank of Nigeria in 2023 as their borrowing from the apex bank grew by 32.07 per cent to N19.81tn in the year.
From January to December 2023, the banks’ borrowings from the CBN outgrew the N15tn they borrowed in 2022, according to the CBN data accessed by The PUNCH.
Commercial and merchant banks borrow from the apex bank using the Standing Lending Facility window and deposit cash with the apex bank using the Standing Deposit Facility window.
The SLF is a short-term lending window for commercial and merchant banks to access liquidity to run their business operations.
The CBN lends money to banks through the SLF at an interest rate of 100 basis points above the Monetary Policy Rate.
According to a document from the CBN website titled, ‘Standing Facilities and Liquidity Management in Nigeria: Progress so Far and Challenges Under an IT Environment,’ standing facilities (deposit and lending) are instruments of liquidity management and serve as avenues to invest surplus funds overnight and to boost the market whenever it is short of supply.
It notes that ideally, operators in the money market (banks and discount houses) are supposed to trade among themselves. However, the standing facilities ensure interbank rates are not volatile.
The increase in borrowing is happening against the backdrop of the CBN’s tightening monetary policy stance. The CBN data showed that banks borrowed N12.64tn from the CBN between January and August. Between September and December, they borrowed N7.17tn from the apex bank.
Unconfirmed reports said the increase in borrowing might be due to the CBN’s mopping up of excess cash circulation to rein in inflation.
While commenting on inflation recently, the CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, said, “Concerning the real issue of inflation, as we know there are different components of inflation, there is money supply which is very critical and imported inflation and structured issues.
“On money supply, we have taken bold steps to control money supply. We have gone to the extent of increasing open market operations activities both in terms of volume and supply, all to rein in the money supply. The central bank clearly focuses on exactly where it expects the money supply to be, and we will do everything possible to defend that.”
Explaining the reason why banks had been dependent on the apex bank for liquidity recently, a former Director-General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dr Muda Yusuf, told The PUNCH, “This is a reflection of liquidity pressure some of the banks are going through.
“The facility is typically short-term. This may not necessarily indicate that the banks are stressed or unstable. Meanwhile, the recapitalisation of banks is long overdue. The minimum capital requirement of N25bn is no longer adequate if discounted for inflation.”
A financial expert at Chapel Hill Denham, Tajudeen Ibrahim, added, “The development points to a lack of liquidity on the part of banks. Monetary policy has been tightening, and this has led to low liquidity. It is cheaper for banks to borrow from CBN. This development is not positive but negative. We cannot continue to tighten because it will reflect economic growth.”
The number of federal-owned universities in Nigeria may hit 99 in the coming months as a bill to establish 47 new ones has scaled through the second reading.
This is just as about 56 bills have passed for the second reading to establish Federal Medical Centres in different parts of the country.
The PUNCH reports that currently, there are 52 federal universities in Nigeria, with some states of the federation hosting more than one.
The House is also considering various bills to establish about 32 Federal Colleges of Education, 11 Federal Colleges of Agriculture and five Federal Polytechnics in addition to the already existing institutions.
In addition to the 52 federal universities, there are 22 federal medical centres, 27 federal colleges of education and 40 polytechnics in Nigeria.
Some of the bills were either passed in the 9th Assembly but did not get the required concurrence at the Senate to scale through or were not signed by the President.
When established, some of the institutions will include Universities of Science and Technology, Agriculture, Aviation, Medicals, and Engineering, among others.
Findings revealed that the House is also considering various bills to establish Colleges of Vocational and Skill Acquisition, Cancer Research and Entrepreneurship.
A study of the House order paper listing the institutions and other bills under consideration revealed that Lagos State, for example, has requested the establishment of three new Federal Medical Centres in addition to the already existing one.
Recall that Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, while addressing members of the House on December 30, 2023, noted that the Green Chamber received and considered 962 bills, 500 motions, and 153 petitions in six months.
According to the member representing Zaria Federal Constituency, Kaduna State, out of the number of bills, 120 have scaled through second reading and are undergoing review for further legislative actions.
The President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, had last year said the establishment of universities without a template for funding was one of the factors responsible for the falling standard of tertiary education in the country.
He stated this while delivering a paper at the 14th Ralph Opara Memorial Lecture, tagged “State of tertiary education in Nigeria: Identifying historical issues and misconceptions, contemplating solutions”, organised by the National Association of Seadogs in Benin.
The ASUU president also noted that the method of appointment and recruitment into state-owned universities by the government has also contributed to the problem.
Osedeke said, “One of the major problems facing the tertiary institution is the establishment of universities without template for funding. The method of appointment and recruitment into state-owned universities by the government has also been a problem.’’
Also, the Port Harcourt Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Stanley Ogoun, last month, called for the urgent amendment of the National Universities’ Commission Act to stop governors from indiscriminately establishing new universities without adequately funding them.
The union said governors were turning the establishment of tertiary institutions into constituency projects at the detriment of existing ones.
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of new Executive Directors for the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
Presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale made this known in a statement in Abuja on Thursday, January 4, 2024.
Naija News reports that both agencies are under the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy headed by the former Governor of Osun State, Adegboyega Oyetola.
The appointees in the NPA are listed below.
(A) Ms. Vivian C. Richard Edet — Executive Director, Finance & Administration (NPA)
(B) Engr. Olalekan Badmus — Executive Director, Marine & Operations (NPA)
(C) Engr. Ibrahim Abba Umar — Executive Director, Engineering & Technical Services (NPA)
The appointees in NIMASA are listed below.
(D) Mr. Jibril Abba — Executive Director, Maritime Labour & Cabotage Services (NIMASA)
(E) Mr. Chudi Offodile — Executive Director, Finance & Administration (NIMASA)
(F) Engr. Fatai Taye Adeyemi — Executive Director, Operations (NIMASA)
Ngelale said the President approved these appointments with the firm belief, after studying their impressive profiles, that the new appointees will expeditiously and efficiently execute on their collective mandate to create the conditions required to significantly raise the contribution of the Marine & Blue Economy sector to the nation’s GDP.
He added that the new appointees will evolve the Nigerian economy into a labour-intensive and inclusive one that creates new opportunities for all Nigerians in accordance with the Renewed Hope Agenda, under the able guidance of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola.
Former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Kingsley Moghalu claims that all Nigerian rulers have failed to deliver a decent level of electricity to the citizens.
Making this assertion in a tweet via his official X account on Thursday, Moghalu who cleared that he is not into partisan politics argued that no Nigerian leader succeeded in diversifying the nation’s economy.
“I am not in partisan politics. That ship has sailed. I can discuss our economy, & even how leadership affects it, but I won’t engage in political party narratives on the economy. All our governments have failed so far to deliver decent levels of electricity. None has “diversified” the economy successfully. And there has always been corruption which, in fact, only got progressively worse. But the facts remain the facts, that, even in the context of a trajectory of decline, the economy fared better in certain periods than under others,” Moghalu wrote.
His comment comes after he was heavily criticized for suggesting that the nation’s economy was last functional under the 16 years of the Peoples Democratic Party led government.
Naija News earlier reported that Moghalu had in a series of posts on X on Wednesday, stated that the country is being run by incompetent leadership.
Reacting to Moghalu’s comment, a presidential aide, Segun Ajayi said the former CBN official had convinced himself that his time in government was the ‘golden era of competence’ in managing Nigeria’s economy.
He said the time the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was in power was a period in which the nation didn’t see any progress in infrastructural development that had a direct bearing on the quality of life.
Ajayi added that when Moghalu was the CBN Deputy Governor, hundreds of millions of dollars were looted under various guises, but he wants Nigerians to believe that that period was the gold standard in economic management in Nigeria.