Latest News
The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba land, Iba Gani Adams, has indicated that he was quoted out of context and that he did not accuse the Chief of Staff to the Lagos State Government, Mr Tayo Ayinde of financing Sunday Igboho’s agitation for Yoruba nation.
Adams who made this known in a recent interview added that all that he said about Ayinde in a voice note that went viral recently were mere hearsay and not verified. He said it was part of a private discussion with one of his contacts in the United States and was not meant for public consumption.
The Aare Ona Kakanfo said: “The voice note issue was shocking. It was a conversation with one of my friend’s brothers in the United States. He asked me how to resolve the issue with Sunday Igboho and how I would reconcile with him. I also mentioned a former Chief Security Officer (CSO), whom I call Sadam, Rasak Arogundade. We talked for about an hour and a half, and I mentioned the CSO.
“I said that someone told me, though it wasn’t confirmed, that Tayo Ayinde was financing Sunday Igboho’s activities through Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I was clear that it was unverified, but I relayed it during our private conversation. I mentioned this in confidence, emphasizing that it might not be true.
“However, the voice note was edited; cutting out the part where I clarified that the information wasn’t confirmed, leading to misunderstandings. This selective editing created confusion and spread misinformation. A conversation that lasted one and a half hours was cut down to 17 minutes, distorting our two-hour discussion. They took a portion of my statement, brought the audio out and published it.
“I saw it on their page, and then they started sending me messages, claiming that I defamed them. I believe the case is in court because I saw it on the pages of the newspaper; though I haven’t been served yet. I suppose we will meet in court. The most unfortunate aspect is that Tayo Ayinde, who has never publicly attacked me, has become entangled in this mess.”
Iba Gani Adams added: “Tayo Ayinde is a quiet person who doesn’t talk much. Yet, the other side has bullied me more than anyone else in the world, either by proxy or directly. They’ve called me every name in the book. Some of their bloggers recently claimed that I have a spirit that drinks blood in my house. There has been a lot of nonsense said about me. But, as a public figure, I can’t challenge everything said about me in court.”
“The most unfortunate aspect is the issue with Tayo Ayinde, which I mentioned as something someone told me, but was not confirmed. It became public. I was merely conversing with my friend on WhatsApp; I don’t know how the voice note got out.”
[TheNation]
The Labour Party, LP, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP caucus in the House of Representatives, and the Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, have joined the criticisms against Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as Works Minister, Engr. David Umahi, took on former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, over his opposition to the project.
While the LP urged President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to make full disclosures on why they are carrying out the project, Afenifere said it should be halted and reviewed for due process to be followed.
A member of the PDP Caucus of the House of Representatives, and Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts, Rep Bamidele Salam (PDP, Osun), on his part, said due process must be followed in the execution of the project.
Atiku had among others alleged that the fact that President Tinubu’s son, Seyi, and his surrogates are on the board of companies owned by Gilbert Chagoury clearly constitutes a conflict of interest.
Atiku promoting politically motivated false analogies – Umahi
Umahi said Atiku’s criticisms of the project are not only hypocritical but also motivated by ambition and cheap political calculations.
Umahi, who spoke through his Special Adviser (Media), Mr. Orji Uchenna Orji, in Abuja, yesterday, accused Atiku of promoting false analogies to discredit the procurement process which led to the award of Section 1 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.
Orji said: “I wish to categorically state that such viewpoints are false analogies, conceived by the fertile imaginations of the former Vice President and which are superficial, hypocritical, diversionary, and undoubtedly motivated by ambitious political calculations.”
According to him, the former Vice President‘s criticism of the project award, cost and the firm chosen to execute the contract were based on ignorance.
Specifically, Orji spoke to claims by Atiku that the contract was awarded to Hitech Construction Company Nigeria Limited because of the personal relationship between President Bola Tinubu and the Chairman of Hitech, Chagoury, and that the demolition exercise was done in a hurry and thus was a threat to foreign investment.
He said: “These accusations or rather viewpoints are, to say the least, intrinsically superficial, baseless, self-serving and politically motivated to imprint malice in the minds of unsuspecting members of the public, especially the gullible.
According to him, the Minister of Works had “in different media fora decapitated the insinuations of the former Vice President and other desperate persons when he gave insights into the award process, the unit cost comparisons, the project review dimensions, the demolition notices and compensation plans as well as those affected by the demolition.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project complied 100 per cent with the provisions of the Procurement Act and was awarded based on the EPC+F procurement process, that is to say, the project is an unsolicited bid done on EPC+F.
“Under this model of procurement, the investor provides all the designs, part of the financing and construction, while the FGN pays counterpart funds.
“The bid of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project came through this process. The Ministry received the bid, worked on it, and sent the same to the Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP.
“The BPP worked on it by the stipulations of the Procurement Act and came up with a competitive price slightly lower than the Ministry’s price and even lower than the cost of similar projects awarded five years ago, including the Bodo-Bonny project awarded to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc.”
LP asks Tinubu, APC to come clean
Reacting, the Labour Party, asked the President Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress, APC, administration to come clean on allegations of impropriety over the award and execution of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
National Publicity Secretary of the party, Obiora Ifoh, said this in a telephone chat with Vanguard, yesterday.
He noted that with the controversy trailing the award of the contract at a time when the economy was struggling, the administration owes citizens some explanations, adding at a time like this silence is not golden neither is a resort to name-calling and propaganda to distract citizens.
He said: “It behoves the government to tell Nigerians the truth about this project. Nigerians need to know whether indeed the contract was awarded without regard to our extant laws and due processes.
“The administration needs to tell us whether indeed it was awarded to a business partner of the president because his doing so would be a breach of his oath of office.
“These explanations are equally required to clear the air because there was nowhere in the 2024 Appropriation Act passed by the National Assembly and assented to by the same president where the money for this project was laid bare, except if the budget being operated by the Tinubu-led APC administration is different from the one in the public domain.”
We’ll ensure adequate funding – NASS
On March 29, the National Assembly assured the Ministry of Works of adequate budgetary provision for the completion of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the first phase, which has a contract sum of N1.067 trillion
The Chairman, joint National Assembly Committee on Works, Senator Barinada Mpigi, gave the assurance when he led members of the Joint National Assembly Committee on Works on an oversight visit to some selected federal highway projects in Lagos.
The Coastal Highway is proposed to traverse about nine states along the coastal shoreline of the country.
Mpigi expressed the National Assembly’s support for the speedy completion of the work and commended the level of work done so far.
“The coastal road is real and I can testify that the ministry is doing the right thing. And within the expectant period, it is achievable,” he said.
On his part, the Chairman House Committee on Works, Akin Alabi, said the House of Representatives would work with the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives and the the two committees on appropriation for adequate funding of the project.
Alabi said: “We are going to work with both the Senate President, the Speaker and the committees on appropriation to make sure funding is not what will delay the project.
“We have seen it over and over again in this country, where you have great intention when you want to begin a project, but along the line, you will run into trouble.
“But this is a project everyone is committed, both the Executive and the Legislature and it must be delivered. We must make sure that every fund released is accounted for. This is the kind of project, a legacy project that will put a smile on people’s faces and we are all committed to achieving it,” he added.
PDP alleges lies around project
On its part, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, condemned what it called the cacophony of lies packaged by the All Progressives Congress, APC, to market the Lagos-Calabar Highway project.
Deputy National Chairman of the party, Ibrahim Abdullahi, in a chat with Vanguard said: “PDP condemns the cacophony of lies(from the pit of hell)desperately told by the inept and clueless APC-led Federal Government on virtually everything, with particular emphasis on the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway.
“PDP views the project with suspicion on account of its design, high cost, desperate attention, and non-inclusion in the 2024 fiscal allocation.”
Project must follow due diligence, due process—PDP Reps Caucus
When contacted, the Chairman Public Accounts Committee, Bamidele Salam, (PDP, Osun) said: “I think that is a very good project but it must conform to all laws on public procurement, public finance and appropriation. The Federal Government must ensure that it confirms all laws of the Public Procurement and Finance Act by the National Assembly. If a good project does not conform to those standards, then it loses its value.
‘’I am in support of the project but I advise the Federal Government to ensure that there is due diligence, due process and compliance with all laws and regulations of public procurement.’’
Afenifere wants project halted
Meanwhile, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has advised the Federal Government to halt and review the project after several calls by some Nigerians to re-examine the socio-economic and environmental impact of the road.
In a statement by its Publicity Department, Prince Justice Faloye, the Afenifere said it is sad that “despite numerous complaints and objections, the federal government has refused to listen and review the 700 km Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway, but instead is rushing headlong into the project. The $13 billion Lagos-Calar project is not only environmentally and economically destructive, but also irrationally replaces the 1,400km $12 billion Lagos-Calabar railway project along East-West Road, adjudged to be the single most important economically empowering infrastructural development project in Southern Nigeria in over 100 years, commissioned by both the Jonathan (2014) and Buhari (2021) governments.
“The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project must be re-examined, for not only breaching competitive tendering stipulations but for also contravening the Environmental Impact Assessment Act, as stipulated in EIA Decree No. 86 of 1992, which places the project type in Category 1 and affecting the natural environment, making an ESIA report mandatory before commencement.”
Afenifere continued: “The 2021 Environmental Assessment Procedures and Charges would have taken six months from May 29 when this administration came to power to secure a genuine approval report, involving a series of stakeholders’ meetings, multiple visits and studies of the environment to be impacted by the highway. The project, in essence, will affect the natural fauna, the coastal mangrove swamps that serve as natural barriers against tidal waves.”
Afenifere asked if the contract awarded in September 2023 had an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment and a separate RAP (Resettlement Action Plan) done, as stipulated by law, to know the effects on existing businesses and the beaches of the area.”
‘It’ll affect resources for capital projects’ — Oshiomhole cautions senators on creating more institutions
AdminAdams Oshiomhole, the senator representing Edo north, says the creation of new institutions can affect the federal government’s resources available for capital projects.
Oshiomhole spoke on Tuesday when he contributed to a debate on a bill seeking to establish the National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration.
The bill is sponsored by Suleiman Sadiq, the senator representing Kwara north.
The former governor of Edo said by creating new institutions, the recurrent expenditures of the federal government would keep increasing.
The senator said the reason for the bill could be taken care of by a relevant department in the federal ministry of education or its agencies.
“I think we have time to be careful in creating more and more institutions because the federal government’s recurrent expenditure is so huge that very little is available for capital projects,” he said.
“We are witnesses to the much-talked-about Orosanye report. The federal government is trying to shrink and merge institutions.
“I am not able to understand why the ministry of education cannot create a department to deal with all of those issues that this bill seeks to achieve.
“Senator Sadiq is my very good friend and brother. I hope he will understand that this is not about him. I accept the spirit of the motion, but it can be taken care of within a relevant department created if it doesn’t exist.
“There are so many institutions that have to do with education, so many of them.
“The universities are in dire need of fresh investments in their infrastructure. I think these are things that should engage our attention. How do we make our universities better equipped?”
However, the bill scaled the second reading when it was put to a voice vote by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.`
[TheCable]
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has restrained Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from appointing or nominating any person to replace Umar Damagum as its acting national chairman, pending the determination of a suit brought before it by two chieftains of the party.
The court in a ruling delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, made the order on the strength of “an affidavit of extreme urgency” that was filed by the plaintiffs.
The suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/579/2024, was brought before the court by Senator Umar Maina and Alhaji Zanna Gaddama.
Cited as 1st to 5th defendants in the matter, are the PDP, its National Working Committee, NWC, National Executive Committee, NEC, Board of Trustees, BOT, as well as the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Aside from the Originating Summons, the plaintiffs, in a motion ex-parte filed before the court, sought an interim order to retain Damagum in his position as the acting national chairman of the party until their substantive suit is heard and determined.
After he had listened to the plaintiffs’ team of lawyers led by Mr. M. O. Onyilokwu, Justice Lifu, granted the prayers.
Specifically, the court held that: “The Defendants/Respondents are hereby restrained in the interim, from appointing, selecting, nominating any person to replace Amb. Umar llliya Damagum as National Chairman or Acting National Chairman of the the 1st Defendant/Respondent, pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice already filed which is herein fixed against the 14th of May, 2024.”
The Federal Government is set to commence a fresh audit of the N2.8tn fuel subsidy claim by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
An audit firm, KPMG had conducted an initial audit reducing the claims from N6tn to N2.7tn.
The Federal Government is also considering either engaging an external audit firm or directing the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation to verify the claims made by the corporation regarding the amount the government owes the oil firm.
The latest plan was revealed in the minutes of the Federal Account Allocation Committee meeting held in March 2024, a copy of which was obtained by our correspondent.
On May 30, 2023, a few hours after the “subsidy is gone” declaration by President Bola Tinubu, the NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, told State House correspondents that the federal government still owes the firm the sum of N2.8tn spent on petrol subsidy.
While saying the NNPCL footed petrol subsidy bills from its cash flow, Kyari said the government had so far been unable to pay back the N2.8tn.
He said “Since the provision of the N6tn in 2022, and N3.7tn in 2023, we have not have not received any payment whatsoever from the Federation.
“That means they (the Federal Government) are unable to pay and we’ve continued to support this subsidy from the cash flow of the NNPC. We are waiting for them to settle up to N2.8tn of NNPC’s cash flow from the subsidy regime and we can’t continue to build this.”
But giving an update on the issue during the FAAC meeting, the Minister of Finance and Chairman of the committee, Wale Edun, said Tinubu was committed to ensuring that the forensic audit of NNPC Limited was conducted and the results analysed.
NNPC’s claim
He stated that the audit would span from 2015 to 2021, aiming to verify the authenticity of NNPC/Federation Account claims on the N2.7tn.
Edun further proposed that the OAuGF be considered for the fresh audit over any other external audit, considering their expertise in auditing.
The minutes read in part, “The Chairman informed the members of Mr President’s commitment to ensuring that the forensic audit of NNPC Limited was conducted. He, however, proposed that since the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation had expertise in the areas of auditing, the Office would be considered first before any other external audit firm. He added that where external support would be required, an independent firm could be engaged, accordingly.”
However, the suggestion was dismissed by the Ogun State Commissioner for Finance, Dapo Okubadejo, who argued that engaging an independent auditor would mitigate potential conflicts of interest during the exercise.
Other commissioners, such as Isaac Kamalu of Rivers State and Lawal A. Maikano of Niger State, contributed additional perspectives to the discussion.
Ultimately, consensus was reached to prioritise the OAuGF, with the proviso to engage an external audit firm when deemed necessary for additional support.
The minute later read in part, “The HCF, Ogun State observed that given the diverse nature and objectives of the proposed audit exercise and to prevent conflict of interest, it would be better to engage an independent auditor to conduct the exercise so that other tiers of government will benefit from that level of independence. The HCF, Niger State supported the position and stressed the need to ensure inclusiveness and objectivity in conducting the exercise. On his part, the HCF, Rivers State observed that the engagement of an independent auditor would not necessarily guarantee the success of the exercise. He, therefore, suggested the need to combine both OAuGF and external firms to ensure the success of the exercise.
Federation account
“Contributing, the Federal Commissioner, Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission/Chairman, Indices and Disbursement observed that the proposed audit was in respect of some outstanding claims which include the N6tn against NNPC Limited that was subsequently reduced to N2.7tn after initial reconciliation. He informed members that KPMG which carried out the earlier audit exercise of NNPC had looked at some of the claims and recommended further audit to resolve them.
“Concluding, the meeting agreed that OAuGF would be considered first and an external audit firm would be engaged when necessary to provide additional support.”
Efforts to reach the Chief Corporate Communications Officer, NNPC Ltd., Olufemi Soneye, for comments, proved abortive as of press time on Wednesday. He neither picked up calls made to his telephone line nor replied his WhatsApp messages.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Finance, Delta State, Okenmor Tilije, at the meeting, raised concerns over the alleged utilisation of multiple exchange rates by agencies of the Federal Government in the conversion of revenue inflow.
According to him, the practice affects the revenue remitted into the Federation Account.
The commissioner claimed that NNPC Limited applied three different rates to convert the revenue earnings from oil, saying this cumulated in an exchange rate differential of about N2.83tn between August 2023 and February 2024.
He highlighted the different rates including the CBN Mandated Exchange Rate of N1,185, the rate of N853 applied to Domestic Oil Payables, and the Weighted Average Rate of N714.50 on NNPC Limited Royalty and Taxes.
The minute read, “The HCF, Delta State raised concerns over the multiple exchange rate being applied by the agencies to convert the revenue inflow due to the Federation. He pointed out that NNPC Limited applied three different rates to convert the revenue earnings from oil. He observed that the sum of N2.83tn was the Exchange Rate Differentials from August 2023 to February 2024 and stressed the need to put in place a single exchange rate that would be applicable across the board.
….tells investors to take advantage of President Tinubu’s economic reforms
Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji yesterday in Dallas , USA told foreign investors to take advantage of the current economic reforms in Nigeria to invest in the country.
“This is the right time for any investor to invest in Nigeria”, Oyebanji declared at a panel session, one of the major events at the 2024 US- Africa Business Summit organised the Corporate Council on Africa ( CCA), citing the current reforms of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration and the synergy between the Federal Government and the state governments.
In attendance at the session were heads of national government and sub- national governments; investors; policy makers and development agencies drawn from different parts of the world, including the Chairman of the Board of Corporate Council on Africa, Mr John Olajide.
Governor Oyebanji, in his presentation also cited a few successful collaboration between Ekiti State Government and some international investors, including Cavista Holdings and Promasidor to make a case for more direct investment in the state, stressing that the right time to invest in the state is now.
According to Oyebanji “Now we have a reform-minded government that is visionary and we have 36 state governors (I am one of them) and these are people that have keyed in to the vision of the President Tinubu’s administration.
“And like I have said, the economies of sub-nationals are so critical to the Nigerian economy itself. So, for any investor that wants credible return on their investment, this is the time to invest in Nigeria because the market is readily available, the people are ready, we have a government that is reform-minded, transparent, and trusted by the people.
“Nigerians believe in this government because we have a President that has done it right and all the governors have keyed into his vision as well. So, the time to invest in Nigeria is now.” He added.
Wooing Investors to Ekiti, Governor Oyebanji said the State Government is strong on regulatory framework which are designed to protect investors and investments in the state.
“What we are doing is to ensure that we have a stable and predictable regulatory framework and there must be trust because I believe that for any business to thrive, trust is key. You must have a leader that is visionary, trust-worthy, and transparent. All these, we have in Ekiti State and that is why I am here today so that we can have more investors like Cavista who are relevant to what we are doing in the State.
“So, the sub-nationals are critical to developing the Nigerian economy, but for them to attract credible investors there must be clear regulatory framework. The ease of doing business has to be top notch, security must be guaranteed, put in place the building blocks that will allow businesses to grow and thrive. Things must also be done in the way and manner that will give them confidence to bring their capital to invest.
“The Cavista story is one of our success stories and I am proud of it. Cavista Holdings came to Ekiti State as a company we were not aware of but they showed interest in one of our moribund assets that has been there for many years and nobody wants to touch it. Cavista came to discuss with us but through the help of NIPC, they told us to set up an Investment Promotion Agency so we have an IPA that shields investors away from government bureaucracies.
“So, they do things the private sector way and we also set up a very strong regulatory system. We have a predictable policy because we realized that when you look for development, investors look for returns on their investments. So we have all our businesses plan being driven by the Ekiti State Development and Investment Promotion Agency (EKDIPA) and the Director-General has access to me directly so that when there are issues, I can give the executive backing.
“So we started with the facility at Ikogosi Warm Spring and Resort that we are so proud of, and they told us what is expected of us as a government and because of the recent reforms of the Federal Government, which ceded resources to sub-nationals who are able to build critical infrastructure to support investments. Now the Resort is a success story, and because of that, we have now migrated from Tourism to the Agriculture.
“In Nigeria, there is a central government and there are 36 state governments with governors as heads of states; The Nigerian economy is the aggregate economy of sub-nationals and so if the sub-nationals do well, the country will do well as whole. The Federal Government realizing this put in place structures to assist subnational in areas of business development and attracting private investors into their space.
“As a governor of a state you have responsibilities within the state but there are some critical areas that are better left in the hands of private investors. So through the Nigerian Investment and Promotion Council ( NIPC), the Federal Government collaborates with states and tell us what we need to do to make the state investment-friendly because capitals (finances) will move to a place where they are welcome.
“So, there are healthy competitions amongst the 36 states to get very responsible and credible private sector players into our states.”
The Nigerian military has pulled out of Okuama community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.
According to sources in neighbouring Akugbene and Okoloba communities in Bomadi local government area, the soldiers pulled out of the embattled community, Tuesday, 7th May, 2023, suddenly without any prior information to do so.
Confirming the development, Governor Oborevwori expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu and the military high command for the withdrawal.
“My dear good people of Delta state, I have the pleasure to announce to you that, upon many deliberations and collaborations between the state government and the military leadership, the Nigerian Army has agreed to withdraw its officers and men from Okuama.
“I spoke with the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja on Monday, 6th of May, and as at today, 8th of May, 2024, the military have withdrawn from Okuama.
“With this development, the people of Okuama can now safely return to their homes and begin the process of reintegration and rebuilding their homes.
“I want to express my deep and profound gratitude to Mr. President, the Chief of Army Staff, and the hierarchy of the Nigerian Army for their understanding and cooperation.
“In my engagements with them, they demonstrated the highest level of concern and care for the plight of the displaced persons. To God be the glory that we have achieved an amicable resolution,” Oborevwori said.
He also commended members of the National Assembly, other distinguished Nigerians, traditional rulers and other leaders of thought who stood with the state throughout the Okuama saga.
He added, “Let me assure all Deltans and residents in the state that this administration is irrevocably committed to enhanced peace and security in the state as contained in our MORE agenda.
“It is also pertinent to point out that matters of security are better handled with tact, wisdom and patience; it is not meant to be a subject of daily media discourse as some would have wanted.
“As the people of Okuama start the process of returning to their homes, I pledge the commitment of the Delta State Government to make that process smooth and seamless.
“We shall render all the necessary assistance they need to enable them settle down quickly and joyfully in Okuama,” the governor said.
He prayed that Delta State would never “experience the kind of tragedy that happened in Okuama.”
“Security, as we all know, is a shared responsibility. So, we will continue to count on the support and cooperation of every citizen to ensure that our state remains safe and peaceful.
“Once again, I commiserate with the families of victims of the Okuama incident,” the governor stated.
The House of Representatives has opted against proceeding with the proposal to suspend the cybersecurity levy.
Naija News reported that CBN had issued a new directive to all financial institutions, including commercial, merchant, non-interest banks, payment service banks, and mobile money operators, mandating the implementation of a 0.5% cybersecurity levy on all electronic transactions.
This move is in line with the provisions of the recently amended Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2024.
The directive, detailed in a circular, instructs that the levy be applied at the point of electronic transfer origination, with the deducted amount to be reflected in the customer’s account as a “Cybersecurity Levy.”
The cybersecurity levy has received criticism from Nigerians.
During Wednesday’s session, lawmaker Manu Soro expressed concern over the proposed levy, citing its inappropriate timing given the ongoing challenges facing many Nigerians.
The lawmakers argued that the National Security Adviser (NSA) should not be responsible for handling funds as it is a political role.
However, the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, encouraged the lawmaker to withdraw the motion.
He said that the House leadership will discuss the situation and determine the best course of action.
The naira further depreciated against the US dollar despite the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s clampdown on foreign currency speculators in the FX market.
FMDQ data showed that the naira dipped to N1,421 per dollar on Wednesday from N1416.57 on Tuesday.
The figure represents a N4.46 depreciation against the dollar on a day-to-day basis.
Similarly, the naira dropped to N1438 per dollar on Wednesday from N1430 the previous day in the parallel market section.
A Bureau De Change operator in Zone 4 Abuja, Mistila Dayyabu, told DAILY POST that operators of the anti-graft agency raided and arrested some BDC operators on Wednesday.
“EFCC operators came again today; they arrested selected BDC operators who have cash. On Wednesday, the dollar was sold at N1438 and bought at N1432,” he said.
DAILY POST recalls that EFCC resumed clampdown on illegal BDC operators and cryptocurrency platforms to defeat the FX crisis.
On Tuesday, the Securities and Exchange Commission delisted naira from the cryptocurrency market to tackle naira instability in the FX market.
The lawmaker representing Ondo South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Jimoh Ibrahim, has asked President Bola Tinubu to dissolve his cabinet.
The chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) stated this during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Wednesday.
Ibrahim asked the President to drop some ministers from his cabinet and appoint knowledgeable and competent persons.
He stated that the current ministers don’t fall within the country’s “Grade A” and are not the best for the country, as seen so far since their appointment by the President.
The Ondo South Senator also opined that some of the ministers who have been accused of corruption should be dropped.
He said: “If you fail to do that, you will be carrying their burdens and that will be terrible for our country.
”You have to dissolve the cabinet, you have to come up with knowledgeable people, the cabinet is too cold and some of them accused of corruption should be dropped.”
Speaking further, Senator Ibrahim reiterated his reasons for describing the APC governorship primary election in Ondo state as a mega fraud.
He said: ‘The Governor of Kogi State Ahmed Ododo wrote a letter to INEC requesting a change of collation centre …. he didn’t communicate in that letter the new collation centre.’‘
[NaijaNews]
More...
The lawmaker representing Ondo South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Jimoh Ibrahim, has asked President Bola Tinubu to dissolve his cabinet.
The chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) stated this during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Wednesday.
Ibrahim asked the President to drop some ministers from his cabinet and appoint knowledgeable and competent persons.
He stated that the current ministers don’t fall within the country’s “Grade A” and are not the best for the country, as seen so far since their appointment by the President.
The Ondo South Senator also opined that some of the ministers who have been accused of corruption should be dropped.
He said: “If you fail to do that, you will be carrying their burdens and that will be terrible for our country.
”You have to dissolve the cabinet, you have to come up with knowledgeable people, the cabinet is too cold and some of them accused of corruption should be dropped.”
Speaking further, Senator Ibrahim reiterated his reasons for describing the APC governorship primary election in Ondo state as a mega fraud.
He said: ‘The Governor of Kogi State Ahmed Ododo wrote a letter to INEC requesting a change of collation centre …. he didn’t communicate in that letter the new collation centre.’‘
The Brickhall School, Abuja, has mourned the death of its four-year-old pupil, Miguel Ovoke, who died from choking on a piece of meat in a home-made meal he ate during school hours.
Lamenting the death of the pupil, the school authorities said it was greatly saddened that the life of the pupil could not be saved despite the timely response of its trained nurse and the eventual decision to rush him to a hospital.
While noting the decision to mourn the late pupil by closing the school for one week, the school respectfully urged everyone connected to the tragedy to respect Miguel’s memory with dignity and peace while allowing medical professionals and law enforcement agencies to conclude with the autopsy.
The school manager said, “It is with profound sorrow and deepest sympathy that we at Brickhall School, Management and the Parents Teacher’s Forum express our heartfelt condolences to the family of our dearly beloved pupil, Miguel Ovoke.
“We are devastated to report that Miguel tragically passed away on April 24, 2024, following a sad incident where he choked on a piece of meat offal from his meal brought from home, despite the immediate and expert care provided by our dedicated staff and certified school nurse.
“In response to this heart-wrenching event, we convened an urgent meeting with our school community on the day of the incident.
“Out of respect for Miguel’s memory and to honour his bright spirit, we suspended classes for over a week, allowing our community time to mourn and reflect on this profound loss.
“We have cooperated fully with the relevant authorities to ensure a thorough and compassionate resolution for everyone affected, especially Miguel’s grieving family.
“The leadership of both the school and the Parents Teacher’s Forum has personally visited Miguel’s family to offer our support and condolences during this indescribably difficult time. We stand with them in their grief and extend our support to all who loved Miguel—his friends, classmates, and our entire community.
“As our school resumes, particularly for students preparing for their Senior and Junior School Certificate examinations, we reaffirm our commitment to the well-being and education of all our students.
“We have continued to work closely with medical professionals, law enforcement, and Miguel’s family to clarify the circumstances surrounding this tragedy.”
The school also reiterated that its duty of care has been efficient, and has never recorded an incident of this magnitude.
It said its staff were trained on emergency procedures and first aid, adding that the licensed school nurse followed laid down procedures for handling such emergencies.
[Dailytrust]
The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has threatened a shut down of the economy over the plan to begin implementation of the 0.5 per cent cyber security levy on electronic transactions.
The body urged the Federal Government to direct the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to withdraw its directive to financial institutions on the issue, to avert the shutdown.
The union’s President, Mr Festus Osifo, gave the warning in a statement on Wednesday.
CBN had recently directed banks to implement the 0.5 per cent cybersecurity levy on electronic transactions from May 20.
The apex bank said the directive followed the enactment of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) (amendment) Act 2024.
It said that the proceeds were to be remitted to the National Cybersecurity Fund which would be administered by the Office of the National Security Adviser.
Osifo described such plan as illogical, coming at a time that Nigerians were grappling with high cost of living.
He said that such high cost of living was imposed by devaluation of Naira, hyper hike in the cost of petrol, supersonic increment in the cost of electricity tariff, among others.
“We are quite disturbed that since the inception of this administration, its policies have brought pain, anguish and sorrow on Nigerians.
“Whereas, a bank account holder in Nigeria today is currently charged stamp duty, transfer fee, VAT on transfer fee, and all forms of account maintenance levies by both government and the banks, this burden seems not to be enough, as government is poised to inflict further pain on the already battered Nigerians.
“So, many policies of this government are not only imposing hardship on the downtrodden Nigerians but also on businesses, as some of them are shutting down because of the unfriendly business environment,“ he said.
The union leader expressed fears that the development would further encourage people to hoard cash at home, reduce financial inclusion, increase poverty and exacerbate misery index.
According to him, all Nigerians are interested in right now is the urgent conclusion of discussions around the minimum wage.
“Not a vexatious policy that is further reducing the already depleted disposable income of the masses and indirectly ridiculing the gain which the minimum wage would have brought to the people when concluded,” he added.
(NAN)
The President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, has alleged threat to his life and an attempt to burn down his residence.
Iwuanyanwu said some Igbos, whom he described as anti-Igbo, have orchestrated plans to either kill him or burn his house over his leadership of Ndigbo.
He spoke while addressing a briefing at the secretariat of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Enugu on Wednesday evening.
The Ohanaeze president linked those threatening his life to the death of his predecessor, Prof. George Obiozor.
He said: “This has become very dangerous. These people have carried this too far. Some time ago, I got some information that some people were coming to burn my house; that people said they were hired to come and burn my house.
“Some people also said they were hired to come and kill me; all sorts of stories like that. And I started asking myself: what is it that I have done that would warrant that my house should be burned, that I should be killed?
“I told those people that they shouldn’t worry. Fortunately, one of them said that the person they hired said that I trained his brother in the university. You know I had a scholarship scheme that trained over 5, 000 young people in the university. So he said his brother was trained by me and so he cannot burn my house.
“I feel sad that I should be confronted by some of these types of threats just because I want to serve my people.”
He said the group traced Obiozor to his village to kill him and when they failed to get him, they set his house on fire.
“Obiozor died as a result of that attack on his country home because as a diplomat, all his books, awards and recognition were totally burnt and these were things he cherished so much.
“In the case of Nnia Nwodo, as President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, they trailed him to his village in Ukehe, Enugu State and threw bomb into his house,” he said.
[DailyPost]