EFCC , FSC, SGF, back enforcement of NASS recommendations on audit reports
The Senate has indicted the National Examination Council (NECO) for the illegal award of N6.5 billion in contracts for the printing of security materials.
Meanwhile, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Federal Civil Service Commission, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation backed a bill seeking strict implementation and enforcement of the National Assembly recommendations on the annual reports of the Auditor-General for the Federation.
The decision to endorse the enforcement of National Assembly recommendations on the audit report was taken at a public hearing organized for the stakeholders on the bill by Senate Public Accounts Committee (SPAC) chaired by Senator Mathew Uhroghide.
The representative of the EFCC, Director of Finance, Mohammed Hammas, the representative of the Office of Secretary to Government of the Federation, E.O Ayoola and Dr Mary Ogbe, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Civil Service Commission agreed with the provisions of the bill but pleaded with the committee to give till next week to make written submissions.
On the indictment of NECO, the Senate upheld the recommendation of the Senate Public Accounts Committee after the NECO failed to defend the allegations.
The NECO stated that the contract was awarded through selective tendering which was done to avoid leakage of examination questions.
But, the committee observed that the council did not follow due process in the award of the contracts.
The Committee, therefore, recommended that the tender board that awarded the contract should be held liable in line with financial regulation 3117(1)&11 which states, ” where the award is by a tender board, all members of the board shall be sanctioned individually or collectively.”
The query reads, “Examination of records and documents revealed that the Commission’s Tenders Board approved the award of contract for the printing of security materials in the sum of ₦451 million to a company in March 2017 in contravention of provisions of Federal Government Circular No.SGF/OP/I/S.3/XI/849 of 16th January 2016 which reiterated the approved revised thresholds for service-wide application, for which the Parastatal Tender Board can only exercise authority on works whose value is less than ₦250 million while any sum above this, is to be referred to the Ministerial Tenders Board for approval.
“We sought the authority for the above approval including the Ministerial approval but none was provided.
“The above unilateral award of contracts without following due process may lead to awarding contracts to unqualified contractors. Recommendation The Registrar/CEO should be sanctioned in line with provisions of Financial Regulation.
Also, the second query reads, “Examination of contracts awarded for the printing of Security and Non- Security Documents valued at ₦6,166,405,407.42 revealed that the contracts were awarded without compliance with the provisions of PART VI, Section 24 (I) of the Public Procurement Act (PPA) 2017 as amended, which states that except as provided by this Act, all procurements of goods and works by all procuring entities shall be conducted by open competitive bidding.
“The following irregularities were also noted, Quotations were not collected from three bidders as required by PPA 2007, and taxes were not deducted from some of the contract payments. iii. There was no technical and financial evaluation, evidence of placement of advertisement was not attached to either payment vouchers or contract files. The amount expended was above the threshold of the council, The contracts were split as some contracts were awarded to the same contractor with LPO and work order issued on the same date.”
Five TikTok users are calling on a federal court to overturn Montana's overall ban on the video sharing app, arguing that it violates their free speech rights.
The lawsuit was filed just hours after Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed the unprecedented prohibition into law on Wednesday.
Gianforte said on Twitter that he endorsed the ban in order to "protect Montanans' personal and private data from the Chinese Communist Party."
The state is trying to exercise national security power that only the federal government can wield and is violating free speech rights in the process, the suit argued.
"Montana can no more ban its residents from viewing or posting to TikTok than it could ban the Wall Street Journal because of who owns it or the ideas it publishes," the lawsuit argued.
The app is owned by Chinese firm ByteDance and is accused by a wide swath of US politicians of being under the tutelage of the Chinese government and a tool of espionage by Beijing, something the company furiously denies.
Plaintiffs named in the suit included a former US Marine Corps sergeant, a mother living with her family on a ranch, a businesswoman who sells swimwear, and a student who posts video snippets about her outdoor adventures.
The TikTok creators have significant followings and make money from the platform, according to the suit.
The suit calls for the court to stop Montana from enforcing the ban and to pay the legal costs of the plaintiffs.
Montana became the first US state to ban TikTok, with the law set to take effect next year as debate escalates over the impact and security of the popular video app.
The prohibition will serve as a legal test for a national ban of the Chinese-owned platform, something that lawmakers in Washington are increasingly calling for.
The ban makes it a violation each time "a user accesses TikTok, is offered the ability to access TikTok, or is offered the ability to download TikTok."
Each violation is punishable by a $10,000 fine every day it takes place.
Under the law, Apple and Google will have to remove TikTok from their app stores and companies will face possible daily fines.
The ban will take effect in 2024, but be voided if TikTok is acquired by a company incorporated in a country not designated by the United States as a foreign adversary, the law reads.
The law is the latest skirmish in duels between TikTok and many western governments, with the app already banned on government devices in the United States, Canada and several countries in Europe.
[ibtimes]
President Muhammadu Buhari would on May 24 dissolve the Federal Executive Council with a valedictory session as part of the 8-day programme to inaugurate Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima as president and vice president respectively.
Both were declared president-elect and vice-president elect of the presidential election held on February 25.
The election is a subject of litigation at the tribunal.
The programme of activities was disclosed on Thursday by the secretary to the government of the federation and the presidential transition council chairman, Boss Mustapha in Abuja.
Mustapha was speaking at the press conference where he kick-started the 8-day programme.
The transition program tagged ‘NIGERIA: Better together’, will feature 13 events spread across 8 days.
Mustapha said, “I am delighted to inform you that May 29, 2023, will mark the 7th consecutive democratic transition of power in Nigeria and on that day, we shall all be ushering in the 16th President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Mustapha said.
“Gentlemen of the press, let me once again assure Nigerians and indeed the global community of President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to the seamless transfer of power to President-Elect, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the 16th President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“In a demonstration of this commitment, the president has directed all relevant government institutions to cooperate with and support the transition process through engagement with the president-elect’s team.”
While noting that the event would be broadcast live, he revealed that all the invited guests which include heads of states have indicated their interest to attend.
On the 25, there would be investiture of the president-elect and vice-president-elect with the national honours of grand commander of the order of the federal republic (GCFR) and grand commander of order of the Niger (GCON) respectively and handover of transition documents according to the programme sighted by our correspondent.
While there would be a public lecture and Jumaat prayer on the 26, inauguration lecture on the topic: Deepening democracy for integration and development by his excellency, Uhuru M. Kenyatta, former president of Kenya, would be held on the 27.
The day would also witness Children’s day activities which include a children’s party after the parade.
Then, May 28 would witness Inter-denominational church service and inauguration Dinner/Gala Night.
The event would end with the inauguration parade/swearing-in of the new president and vice president and post inauguration luncheon by 1:30pm.
The Zamfara State Police Command said it is determined to rescue all kidnapped victims and reunite them with their families without paying a dime as ransom in its ongoing efforts to restore normalcy in the state.
This was revealed in a press statement signed and issued to newsmen in Gusau, the state capital, on behalf of Commissioner of Police Mohammed Bunu by the newly appointed Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Yazid Abubakar.
According to the statement, on May 18, 2023, at about 11 pm, 10 people kidnapped from Gidan Gobirawa village in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area were rescued by police tactical operatives on search-and-rescue operations along a forest under Birnin Magaji Local Government Area.
The victims said they had been in captivity since May 7, 2023, when bandits abducted them to an unknown destination.
The statement affirmed, The rescued victims were checked by police medical doctors, debriefed, and handed over to their respective families.
Leaders of the world's advanced democracies were set to unleash new sanctions against Russia as they gathered for a Group of Seven (G7) summit in Japan's Hiroshima, a deeply symbolic backdrop for their effort to make Moscow end the Ukraine war.
SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE
* Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will travel to Japan to join the G7 summit in Hiroshima in person, Bloomberg reported on Friday.
* The United States and the rest of the "Group of Seven" major economies will unveil new sanctions and export controls targeting Russia over its war against Ukraine, a U.S. official said ahead of the summit.
* German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said his government wanted pragmatic measures to prevent the circumvention of sanctions imposed on Russia, appearing to temper U.S. calls for a more wide-ranging ban on exports.
* G7 leaders will discuss the idea of an international peace summit over Ukraine at their meeting in Japan, a European Union official said on Thursday.
* G7 leaders will discuss how to trace the trade in Russian diamonds with the aim of imposing restrictions at a later stage, an EU official said.
* Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak plans to announce a ban on Russian diamonds and imports of metals from Russia including copper, aluminium and nickel in support for Ukraine, his government said in a statement.
DEALING WITH CHINA
* U.S. President Joe Biden met Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday after arriving in Japan and the two discussed ways to strengthen defence cooperation and counter coercive behaviour by China, the White House said in a statement.
* China is gravely concerned about recent signs of "negative" China-related moves at the G7 Summit and urges Japan not to turn it into a "political show" against or to curb China, the country's embassy in Japan said on Thursday.
* European Council President Charles Michel said it was in the EU's interest to maintain "stable and constructive" cooperation with China. Speaking on the sidelines of the summit, Michel added that the EU would call on China to step up pressure on Russia to stop its military aggression in Ukraine.
* Divisions within the G7 appear to be the most notable over China, multiple officials told Reuters, with countries grappling on how to warn against what they see as China's threat to global supply chains and economic security without completely alienating a powerful and important trade partner.
* The G7 summit will show leaders unified behind a common approach to dealing with China based on shared values, even while recognising each country will manage its own relationship with Beijing, a senior U.S. administration official said on Monday.
JAPAN'S BILATERALS
* Japan and France said they wanted to deepen bilateral cooperation after agreeing earlier this month to accelerate discussions for a joint military exercise framework with Paris hoping to push for reciprocal access agreements.
* Japanese businesses have committed to invest almost 18 billion pounds ($23 billion) in Britain ahead of a meeting with Sunak on Thursday, including funding for offshore wind power and other clean energy projects.
* South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will hold a summit with Kishida on May 21, Yoon's office said. The announcement comes as the two countries seek to mend diplomatic ties marred by Japan's colonial past.
* Kishida said he expected additional investment from global chipmakers into Japan after meeting with top executives ahead of the G7 summit.
* Rich nations should boost financial and technical support to poorer countries to help them tackle climate change and achieve similar decarbonisation goals, a senior Japanese environment ministry official said ahead of a G7 summit in Hiroshima.
[Reuters]
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Idowu Owohunwa, on Thursday, visited the motorcycle rider assaulted by some officers.
A viral video showed the security personnel beating the okada man near the bridge at the Abule Egba area of Lagos.
One repeatedly hit the victim with his baton while another pushed him away as he tried to prevent them from seizing his bike.
The citizen sustained an injury to his forehead where blood gushed out from but the officers ignored him.
The third policeman eventually rode away on the motorcycle while the two others left the scene in a tricycle (keke).
During his visit, CP Owohunwa condemned the incident and informed the public that disciplinary actions had been taken.
The police in Ogun State have reacted to a viral video in which officers were accused of causing a road crash while chasing some suspected internet fraudsters in Igbeba area of Ijebu-Ode.
In a statement on Thursday, the Ogun State police spokesman, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said a Toyota Camry car driven by a mechanic, with registration number LSR 59 HS, had on May 17 knocked down a commercial motorcyclist, Ganiyu Musiliu, while on high speed.
Instead of the driver to stop and take care of the seriously injured okada rider, Oyeyemi said he ran away.
According to him, the vehicle was being pursued by some eyewitnesses, adding that the police patrol team from Igbeba division, stationed along Molipa road was alerted about the car coming towards their end.
He stated, The patrol team, having sighted the car, tried to block it from escaping and that resulted in the accident.
He explained that some miscreants at the scene, who were ignorant of the reason for blocking the car by the policemen, made an attempt to attack the policemen, saying they were dispersed by the DPO of Obalende and his men, who he said raced to the scene.
The injured Okada man was rushed to State Hospital, Ijebu-Ode and the driver was arrested.
He expressed surprises to read on social media that the policemen were chasing the car because they thought the rider was a Yahoo Boy and that the driver died on the spot
Oyeyemi stated, the command hereby wishes to state that all these narratives are far from the truth as no life was lost and the whole incident has nothing to do with the issue of Yahoo boys.;
While saying the State Commissioner of Police, Olanrewaju Oladimeji, had ordered full scale investigation of the incident, he appealed to the public to always find out the truth before posting information on social media.
He described as the height of insensitivity, efforts by some people to downplay the incident because it happened to an Okada rider.
The Federal Government said litigation won’t stop the inauguration of President-Elect, Bola Tinubu and his vice, Kashim Shettima.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha addressed a news conference in Abuja.
The Chairman of the Presidential Transition Council (PTC) stated that the May 29 ceremony remains sacrosanct.
Mustapha said there was a court case after the election of former President Shehu Shagari but the inauguration was held.
Also, during the election of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, there was litigation but we continued with the swearing-in.
The SGF added, It was only former President Goodluck Jonathan that did not take the route of litigation.
Mustapha said the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act made provisions on how to go about litigations arising from elections.
The PTC chairman, however, disclosed that a number of Heads of Governments had indicated interest in attending the inauguration.
A section of the ICT Unit of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) was gutted by fire on.
The incident was a result of a power surge at about 8pm, according to Muhammad Sule, Director of Information & Communication.
The inferno, which partially affected the server room, was contained by the men of the FCT Fire Service and the Federal Fire Service.
The team of emergency responders, assisted by security men on duty, put the situation under control in about 15 minutes.
The FCTA management assured the residents of Abuja that what happened would not affect daily operations.
Sule said, There is no cause for alarm. The incident will not in any way hinder the smooth operations of the ICT Unit nor any function.
The statement further commended the police and the fire service personnel for successfully suppressing the inferno within a short period.
In the first four months of 2023, central China’s Hunan Province saw its foreign trade with African countries soar by 90.4 percent year on year to hit a record high of over 22 billion yuan (about 3.14 billion U.S. dollars), said local customs authorities on Thursday. The growth was 40.6 percentage points higher than that of the province’s overall foreign trade. During the period, the growth was greatly contributed by the province’s export sector, with the export volume reaching 17.4 billion yuan, up 148.7 percent year on year, according to Changsha Customs. Notably, the agricultural products imported from African countries by Hunan during the period increased by 16.6 times to 150 million yuan. Natural and synthetic rubber and food also posted a robust increase in terms of imports. From January to April, the province’s top three trading partners were South Africa, Nigeria and Egypt. Hunan’s trade with South Africa alone accounted for more than one-fifth of its total foreign trade with African countries during the period.
[DailyTimes]
More...
In spite of ongoing litigations and protests, the inauguration of the President-elect and his deputy, Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima, would hold as scheduled on May 29.
This was disclosed at the World Press Conference by the Chairman of the Presidential Transition Committee and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha. The media outing was organized to brief Nigerians and the entire world on the programmes of activities planned for the 2023 Presidential Inauguration.
Mustapha who described the upcoming event as historically significant to the country and the international community, particularly Africa because of the democratic values and lessons in nationhood, said it was for these reasons, the committee chose ‘Nigeria: Better Together’, as the theme for the 2023 transition.
He said: “Let me say without any fear of contradiction, there will be an Inauguration on 29th of May. We will proceed with the inauguration of President-elect Tinubu and the litigation will continue. Our Constitution and Electoral Act have dealt with that. Our laws are sacrosanct.”
As part of the build up to the change of baton, President Muhammadu Buhari will on Thursday May 25, confer the National Honours of GCFR and GCON respectively on Tinubu and Shettima.
Mustapha said in demonstration of this commitment, the President has directed all relevant government institutions to cooperate with and support the transition process through engagement with the President-Elect’s team.
In addition, he announced that the PTC has established three main committees namely — Inauguration Committee under Chairmanship of the SGF, Transition Documents Committee under the Chairmanship of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and the Security, Facilities and Intelligence Committee under the Chairmanship of the National Security Adviser.
He used the occasion to unveil the schedule of activities marking the 2023 Presidential inauguration as follows
Mustapha pointed out that the presence of both local and international media houses at the press conference is an indication that Nigerians and the global community are desirous of supporting the process of democratic transition of power from one administration to the other.
“The upcoming event is historically significant to this great nation and the international community, particularly Africa because of the democratic values and lessons in nationhood. For these reasons, we have chosen, ‘NIGERIA: Better Together’, as the theme for the 2023 transition.
“I am delighted to inform you that May 29, 2023 will mark the 7th consecutive democratic transition of power in Nigeria and on that day, we shall all be ushering in the 16th President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The significance of the above is underscored by the desire of this administration to lay a solid foundation for seamless transition of power by institutionalizing the process through legislation. In February, 2023, the President through Executive Order 14, approved the establishment of the Presidential Transition Council (PTC).”
Mustapha said all events would be broadcast live on all major stations and streamed on various social media platforms.
“Detailed information including accreditation arrangements, would be provided by the Media and Publicity sub-Committee. So far invitations have been sent to the Presidents and Heads of Government as well as Heads of International Organisations.”
Meanwhile, the National Security Adviser, Babagana Mungonu (retd), said the committee has concluded all arrangements for the accreditation and issuance of passes and identity documents for all security agents.
He however, advised those that have no business around the vicinity to steer clear.
He said: “My only advice is that if you have no business in security, you need not be near the vicinity of the programme, especially on the Inauguration Day.
“The most important thing I need to convey to you is that we do not envisage anything that will be adverse or negative. So I urge everybody to be calm and the people who use the social media, please understand this to our visitors, especially those who come from other countries as well. It’s time to learn much more.”
[Sun]
The military says it lacks the capacity or technology to know the whereabouts of the Chibok schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram insurgents in 2014.
Director, Defence Media Operation, Maj.-Gen. Musa Danmadami, said this in Abuja on Thursday while fielding questions from journalists shortly after bi-weekly press briefing.
“Precisely on the Chibok girls, the Chibok girls are just like any other human beings like us here; you cannot see anybody walking and just identify that this is a Chibok girl. There’s no way the military can have the capacity or technology know that precisely this is where the Chibok girls are.
“It’s quite some time now that these girls have been missing or abducted. So, now because of the intensity of operations, most of them are escaping from the terrorists and coming out. It’s only when they come out that we can now identify that this is one of the abducted Chibok girls.
“Our troops are conducting operations daily in Sambisa forest and are recovering weapons and ammunition. Majority of the weapons displayed for the Nigerians to see were recovered from Sambisa forest,” he said.
He also said the Sambisa forest “is not impenetrable” as operations were conducted there forcing terrorists to come out and surrender.
He assured that the military and other security agencies were working round the clock to make the May 29 presidential inauguration successful.
[DailyTrust]
The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) on Thursday in Abuja told Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, lead counsel to Bola Ahmed Tinubu that he was citing an old law against the request by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Abubakar Atiku for live coverage of proceedings of the court.
Chairman of the court, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani drew the attention of Olanipekun to a portion of the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers being wrongfully cited to justify Tinubu’s opposition to live coverage of proceedings in Atiku’s petition.
At Thursday’s proceedings, Tinubu, APC, and INEC had separately kicked against the request by Atiku for live coverage of the proceedings of the court to engender public trust and confidence in the court.
Atiku through his lead counsel, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, had cited the monumental importance of the petition nationally and internationally to back up his demand for a live telecast of the proceedings.
But in his bid to justify his vehement opposition, Olanipekun had cited Paragraph 4.6 of the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers which he claimed prohibited judicial officers from broadcasting, or televising proceedings during a court session
He cited the disputed law following the submissions by Chris Uche, that there was no law or statute barring live telecast of court proceedings at the moment.
As Olanipekun was about to read the portion of the law, Justice Tsammani cut in and told the legal luminary that he was citing the wrong law.
Justice Tsammani told Olanipekun that the portion he was citing to justify his arguments against live coverage had been amended and the portion being cited had been deleted completely.
The chairman of the court maintained that the portion being claimed by Olanipekun was no longer in the new Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers.
While making a case for a live broadcast of Atiku’s petition, Uche had drawn the attention of the court to Justice Oputa Panel of Inquiry which was telecast live and hailed all around in the country.
The senior lawyer said that none of the respondents would be prejudiced if the petition is broadcast live.
Specifically, he said that there was no single law or statute against the live broadcast of court proceedings adding that the fact that it has never been done before should not be misconstrued to mean that it cannot be done this time.
His submission drew thunderous applause from the crowd who clapped for some minutes before the court announced that clapping was not allowed in courtrooms.
Tinubu in his objections raised by his counsel said that Atiku’s request was not only surprising but dangerous as it is capable of prejudicing the court itself.
Olanipekun said that the request for live coverage is capable of turning the court into a football stadium, a crusade ground, a theatre, or film grounds where all manners of telecast could be permitted.
The senior lawyer said that the court should not grant an order that cannot be enforced or supervised, adding that the present moment is not the best time for such a request to be granted.
Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, who opposed on behalf of APC faulted the request, adding that the facility and policy documents are not there for the application to be granted.
Fagbemi insisted that Atiku did not deserve to be granted the request.
The electoral body in its objections by its counsel, Abubakar Balarabe Mahmoud, SAN, said that the courtroom is for serious business and not a marketplace where anything goes, adding that the request for live coverage is unnecessary and uncalled for and should not be granted.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the court, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani has adjourned ruling on the matter to a date that would be communicated to the parties.
[DailyPost]
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Thursday, in Abuja, granted automatic employment in the Federal Civil Service to 65 former members of the National Youth Service Corps.
In addition to the employment, Buhari also awarded them scholarships to pursue their education up to the doctorate degree level in any university of their choice within the country.
Furthermore, he announced a cash prize of N250,000 for each of the top award winners and N200,000 for other award recipients, including a physically-challenged ex-corps members under the NYSC Hope Alive Programme.
Buhari issued a directive to the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, the Federal Civil Service Commission, and the Minister of Education to implement the employment and offer scholarships.
The President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, announced the development in a statement on Thursday titled ‘President Buhari grants 65 ex-corps members automatic employment, lists achievements of NYSC at 50.’
Speaking at the NYSC 50th Anniversary Honours Award held at the State House Conference Centre, the President said out of the 65 recipients, 52 individuals received the Presidential Honours Awards, while the remaining 13 were physically-challenged ex-corps members recognised under the NYSC Hope Alive programme.
He also paid tribute to corps members from the batches being honoured, who lost their lives under various circumstances while serving the nation.
‘‘But for their transitioning, some of them might have been here today as part of the honourees.
“May God grant their souls peaceful repose. They remain our heroes and heroines.
“The nation shall continue to remember their sacrifices towards building a strong, indivisible and egalitarian entity,’’ Buhari said.
Buhari congratulated the founding fathers, past and present managers of the NYSC on the scheme’s golden jubilee.
[Punch]