Probe: Kaduna Assembly Seeks All Documents On El-Rufai’s Tenure Spending, Requests Details From Finance Ministry
AFOLABIThe Kaduna State House of Assembly has written to the state’s Ministry of Finance, requesting details of financial transactions under former governor of the state, Nasir El-rufai.
El-Rufai was governor between 2015 and 2023.
The request is to enable the State Assembly to obtain relevant documents to probe all finances, loans and contract projects awarded under the El-Rufai administration.
The State Assembly instituted a probe panel a week ago following Governor Uba Sani’s revelation that the state inherited far too much debt that it could handle.
Sani, who spoke during a town hall meeting in Kaduna, has said, “Despite the huge debt burden of N587m, N85bn, and N115bn contractual liabilities sadly inherited from the previous administration, we remain resolute in steering Kaduna State towards progress and sustainable development.
“We have conducted a thorough assessment of our situation and are sharpening our focus accordingly.”
After weeks of accusation and counter accusation, the State House of Assembly resolved to probe the administration, which led to the establishment of a fact-finding committee.
The letter with reference number LEG/S. 382/VOL. II/615, from the office of the Clerk of the Assembly, to the Finance Commissioner, requested the submission of memorandum and documents related to financial transactions between the years 2015 and May 2023.
In the letter signed by the Clerk of the Assembly, Sakinatu Idris on Wednesday, the House directed the ministry to forward all the transaction details to the fact-finding committee set to probe all finances, loans and contract projects awarded under El-Rufai’s administration.
It read, “I am directed to request you to forward to the Ad-Hoc Committee Memorandum to be accompanied with the underlisted documents and all other documents you consider relevant to the assignment of the Committee: –”total Loans from May, 2015 to May, 2023 with the approvals of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, the Accounts into which the loans were lodged and drawn as recorded by Project Finance Management Unit (PFMU) & Debt Management Office (DMO).
“Relevant State Executive Council Minutes of meetings, Council’s Extracts and Resolutions with regards to the LOANS. (c) Payments and Outstanding Liabilities to Contractors from May, 2015-May, 2023.
“Reports of Salaries paid to Staff from 2016-2022. (e) Dloyd Reports on KADRIS from 2015 to 2023. (ii) Terms, Purpose and Conditions on those LOANS. (iii) Appropriation items related to the LOANS. (iv) All Records of payments made to all Contractors engaged by the State Government and relevant documents from May, 2015 to May, 2023 including Bank Statements.
“(v)Modalities for payments of contracts. (vi) Documents of all payments made to the contractors. (vii) Sales of Government Houses/Properties and Accounts the proceeds were lodged and how the money was expended.
“Thirty (30) copies of the Memo/documents should reach the office of the Clerk to the Legislature on or before Thursday, 25th April, 2024 by 10:00 am, please. 4. Accept the highest regards of my office, please.*
— As FG plans to make skill acquisition compulsory for primary, secondary schools
AS the Tripartite Committee of the National Minimum Wage prepares to release the harmonised recommendation for the new minimum wage expected to take effect from May, the National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT, on Wednesday, proposed N350,000 as the new living wage.
NAAT based its recommendation on the present economic situation in the country occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy, high inflationary rate and the attendant hardship.
This is as the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, has hinted that the federal government will soon introduce the policy that will make skill acquisition compulsory for primary and secondary schools.
The Minister said that NAAT is very important the present education curriculum, pointing out that the present world is driven by technology which is used to solve problems.
The Minister dropped the hint while declaring open the NAAT’s National Delegate Conference in Abuja.
Prof. Mamman, who described NAAT as being pivotal and at the centre of the nation’s development, disclosed that, “The Federal Government is planning to bring skills education in primary and secondary schools.”
In his welcome address at the 5th National Delegate Conference, NDC, in University of Abuja, the President of NAAT, Comrade Ibeji Nwokoma, said what workers need should be a living wage that should take care of the immediate needs.
The theme of the conference is, “Technology, a recipe for national development and socioeconomic growth in the 21st century: the Nigeria quest for a better tomorrow.”
While differentiating between minimum wage and living wage, Comrade Nwokoma said, “Nigeria must transcend the concept of a mere minimum wage to embrace the notion of a living wage, commensurate with the rising cost of living.
“Comparatively, other African countries have made strides in this regard, recognizing the fundamental right of workers to earn wages that afford them dignity and a standard of living.
“According to the Wisevoter report, Seychelles boasts the highest estimated gross monthly wage in Africa, standing at $465.4, while the South Africa’s monthly wage stands at $240. The naira equivalent of the wages of these countries would clearly depict the sorry state of the Nigerian worker.
“On this note, I proposed a minimum of Three Hundred of Fifty Thousand Naira (N350, 000) for the Nigeria worker as monthly wage.”
Nwokoma, who chronicled the achievements of leadership in the past four years, said that he encountered persistent challenges despite notable achievements.
He mentioned the issue of CONTISS 14 and 15 circular delays as one of the challenges his leadership had encountered.
He said, “Despite concerted efforts, the release of circulars for CONTISS 14 and 15 remained elusive, hampering the career progression of our members. To address this, we will intensify advocacy efforts, engaging relevant stakeholders and leveraging all available channels to expedite the release of these crucial circulars in the next dispensation of our leadership. It is a task that must be achieved.”
On the lingering FGN/NAAT 2009 Agreement, Comrade Nwokoma said, “The lingering non-completion of the FGN/NAAT 2009 Agreement posed a significant hurdle. Despite collaborative efforts with sister unions, unresolved issues persisted, hindering the full realization of the agreement’s provisions. current leadership pledges to redouble efforts, fostering stronger alliances with sister unions and employing strategic negotiation tactics to drive progress towards a satisfactory resolution.”
Speaking on the backlog salary payments, NAAT said, “The non-payment of backlog salaries remained a pressing concern, impacting the financial stability of our members and causing disaffection and low morale.
“To address this challenge, the leadership in the next dispensation will pursue proactive measures, including dialogue with relevant authorities, recourse to necessary action within the ambit of the law, and sustained advocacy to ensure the prompt and fair resolution of outstanding salary arrears, prioriazing welfare of members.
Poor State of Roads:
“The dilapidated state of roads nationwide remains a glaring reflection of our infrastructure deficit. Inadequate road networks not only impede economic activities but also pose significant risks to safety and livelihoods. Urgent interventions are imperative to address this pressing infrastructure challenge.
“In light of these realities, the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) pledges unwavering commitment to advocacy, dialogue, and appropriate action towards addressing these multifaceted challenges.
“Together, let us strive for a Nigeria where education in technology thrives, security prevails, the economy flourishes, and infrastructure serves as a catalyst for development and prosperity.”
He said as the country embarked on the journey towards harnessing technology for national development and socioeconomic growth, the citizens should remain steadfast in their commitment to innovation, collaboration, and progress.
“Together, we possess the power to shape al brighter future for Nigeria, leveraging technology as a catalyst for transformation. I therefore urge each delegate to actively engage in robust discussions, share insights, and forge pathways towards a better tomorrow as reflected in the theme of the conference.”
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, has revealed that endemic corruption in the Nigerian public sector is systemic.
He also noted that saints would be contaminated if brought into the Nigerian public sector.
Olukoyede made the development known on Tuesday while fielding questions from journalists at the EFCC headquarters, Jabi, Abuja.
He commented on the alleged money laundering cases involving former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, and suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, among others.
Olukoyede said, “There are things that we cannot give out to the public. Some of the things were given yesterday, you must have discovered that, and you are still going to find out. You will also agree with me that as media people, there is what we call informatics; some of us do not even read.
“Some of us just pick what these people write about us on social media and run with it. It is not about Hadi Sirika, like I told you, there is nothing personal. It is about the system, the process, it’s about national interest.
“So don’t make it look like EFCC is running after Hadi Sirika, no it’s a system. If you ask me that are we investigating issues that have to do with the issue of aviation, l will tell you yes we are investigating it. When the time comes for you to know the details of our report, I’ll tell you. But for now, it is premature for me to tell you.
On Edu, the EFCC chairman said the commission had released a comprehensive statement.
He continued, “I don’t know why you people have singled out only Betta Edu. As I am talking to you now, we have established so much in that place, not only Betta Edu. What I am doing is not about Betta Edu, it’s not about any man, I have told you before that it’s about the system that will allow someone to access the agency’s account and roll out 7 billion under one hour without assigning it to any specific project.
“I told you before that the people we suspended, if we replace them by now, even if we brought saints, within 24 hours, the saints will be contaminated. It is not about any man. It is about the system. It is the system I am investigating.
“So let us understand how these things work and have that mindset. If we had gone after Betta Edu and hundreds of people were stealing money, do you think it started during Betta Edu?”
He added “Every single money that was allocated in that ministry is what we are investigating. I told you before that we are investigating over 50 accounts. You must understand some of these processes.
“For each account, we write letters to banks and these banks take two to three weeks to respond, we interview, it takes time. There are agencies you write letters to and they won’t respond until you go there and threaten to arrest. Do you know what it means to sit down and investigate 50 accounts one after the other and diligently?
“There are still people who are innocent victims. I will now begin to mention their names not because I want to impress Nigerians. You must also respect the lives of these people. I didn’t come out to say I have indicted persons but what I’ve come out to say is that I’ve recovered amount.
“So give us time. We are just five months into this investigation. There are some correspondences we are expecting from abroad. Some money was traced to some accounts that if we did not do diligent work, by the time they rushed you to court, they would say ‘EFCC your head is not correct’.
“If this investigation on Nigeria is going to take me one or two years to do, I will do it. My sister spoke about one lawyer, who went to court and said EFCC is an illegal body. This thing that corruption does to our conscience in this country,” he added.
The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje has described his suspension as a flick from popular entertainment channel, Africa Magic.
Ganduje stated this when he received official reports of Saturday’s governorship primary election in Ondo State from the Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo-led committee on Tuesday.
Speaking on his purported suspension from his ward in Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of Kano State, he again accused the New Nigeria Peoples Party and Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, of masterminding his purported suspension to embarrass him.
Ganduje stated that irrespective of the mechanisms of their opponents, the party would remain focused and their attention undivided.
He said, “We were so astonished when we heard the news but we were not surprised when we discovered that the great threat that APC overwhelmingly poses to other parties is real and Kano State is not an exception.
“The government in Kano State is behind this drama. Even the drama is one kind of drama that is called Africa Magic. This is Africa Magic and it is not leading democracy anywhere.
“It is a negative innovation where members who belong to a different political party, not even our members, let alone being elected executive members of either the ward or to the highest level at the state, meet themselves and take resolutions that affect the nation as far as our party is concerned, that is not acceptable.
“Our party cannot be distracted, we assure you. Our attention cannot be diverted. We are focused. We know where we are heading. We know our objectives and we know how to achieve our objectives.”
[NaijaNews]
First City Monument Bank (FCMB), a tier 2 lender, recorded its highest profit in 10 years.
The company’s profit grew by 206 percent to N95.52 billion from N31.13 billion in 2022.
FCMB saw a growth in its profit before tax of N101.46 billion in the full year 2023, representing a 177.4 percent growth from 2022.
In its unaudited annual report and financial statements for 2023, the group recorded gross earnings of N516.8 billion during the year, representing an 82.6 percent growth from in 2022.
The financial institution enjoyed increased interest income, as it recorded a net interest income of N177.42 billion in 2023, representing a 45.4 percent growth from 2022.
Regarding net income, FCMB Group reported a 206.9 percent growth as it posted a net income of N95.52 billion in 2023, from N31.13 billion recorded in 2022.
Its total comprehensive income also grew by 306 percent to N145.69 billion in 2023, based on a N26.52 billion gain accrued from foreign currency translation differences.
The Group recorded a trading income of N11.09 billion on FGN bonds in 2023, representing a 98.3 percent increase from 2022.
In the fiscal year 2023, FCMB Group significantly augmented its portfolio in securities assets, reaching a total of N478.23 billion. This figure marks a surge of 86.9 percent compared to the N255.87 billion recorded in the previous year, 2022.
Notably, the lion’s share of this investment was directed towards Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) bonds, amounting to N380.27 billion. This represents a substantial increase of 94.6 percent when compared to the N195.37 billion allocated to FGN bonds by the group in the fiscal year 2022.
Over the years, the bank has developed a comprehensive range of financial solutions tailored to support Nigerians in their journey towards wealth creation and preservation.
These exclusive offerings encompass every stage of the wealth-building process, from accumulation to safeguarding. They include target and premium savings, wealth and investment management, pension schemes, and estate planning services such as wills and trusts.
The target and premium savings plans cater specifically to upwardly mobile professionals and entrepreneurs, laying a solid groundwork for financial growth. Meanwhile, the wealth and investment management services cater to high-net-worth individuals, assisting them in building and safeguarding their assets for the future.
FCMB recently received recognition for its leading role in supporting small and medium-sized enterprises as well as green projects.
Yemisi Edun, Chief Executive Officer FCMB, said its partnership with the Development Bank of Nigeria empowers SMEs to scale up and contribute significantly to Nigeria’s economic development earning it the award of Deposit Money Bank with the highest impact in the DBN focus states.
“We are honoured to be recognised as the Deposit Money Bank with the Highest Impact in the DBN Focus States and the Participating Financial Institution with the Highest Disbursement to Green Projects. These awards affirm our commitment to meeting the expectations of our customers and the broader business community,” Edun said.
According to Edun, FCMB’s target is to train over 1 million SMEs through Technical Assistance worth €325,000 granted by Proparco (the private-sector arm of the French Development Agency) and another $275,000 from the African Development Bank (AfDB).
The bank’s leveraging of digital channels and artificial intelligence has streamlined its lending processes, resulting in substantial loan disbursements and enhanced customer experiences.
Ladi Balogun, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the holding company said: “We continue to leverage our unique Group structure to build a technology-driven ecosystem that fosters inclusive and sustainable growth in the communities we serve.
“This strategy enables us to deliver robust performance despite the challenging domestic and global environment. Barring unforeseen circumstances, we believe this trend will be sustained and accompanied by improving efficiencies arising from greater scale and ongoing digitization,” Balogun said.
The bank has invested significantly in various areas such as agriculture, renewable energy, and female entrepreneurship. Its intervention in food security has contributed to a 34 percent increase in lending to the agricultural sector amounting to N177 billion.
Over N16 billion in loans have been provided at a single-digit interest rate through the Babban Gona Franchise model, Psaltry, Tomato Jos, NOMA, Plantation Industries, and Mastercard Foundation covering over 10,000 hectares.
Last year alone, over N20 billion worth of loans were disbursed to women-owned SMEs through its SheVentures platform – a zero-interest loan facility option that provides short-term loans to women entrepreneurs. Another 4,200 women entrepreneurs were provided much-needed seed funds and 4-week interactive training sessions and mentorship sessions.
Its investment in education has seen scholarships for 5,000 children through its partnership with the Bethesda Child Support Agency (BCSA) by giving scholarships to less privileged children.
[Businessday]
Stakeholders and groups have called for tougher measures to contain the massive oil theft in Nigeria, not only to eradicate the scourge but to bring perpetrators to justice.
Nigeria has consistently blamed massive oil theft, declining investment, and outright sabotage for its inability to meet 1.5 million barrels a day bpd OPEC quota.
This is as Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the country have explained why oil bunkering and oil theft persist in Nigeria, attributing it to corruption and the activities of state actors.
According to the CSOs, no country in the world is unserious about protecting its assets, but that Nigeria’s situation is different because powerful people in the government are involved.
It is well known that oil theft is shrinking Nigeria’s revenues terribly and the government has been urged to do something urgent about it.
Oil theft continues to thrive in Nigeria’s Niger Delta with allegations of community involvement, ranging from state actors, traditional rulers, youths and community leaders.
A survey of oil production for March carried out by S&P Global Commodity Insights found that Nigeria’s crude oil production declined marginally to 1.45 million barrels per day from the 1.47 million bpd the previous month.
Although output has generally increased this year, Nigeria’s Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) production figures have been largely inconsistent.
Nigeria blames massive oil theft, declining investment in the oil and gas sector, and outright sabotage, among others, as reasons for its inability to meet its current revised 1.5 million bpd output, from 1.8 million bpd in 2023.
According to the S&P survey, the fall from 1.47 million bpd to 1.45 million bpd represented about a 0.02 percent decline.
But in all, OPEC+ crude output in March was up slightly month on month, as several producers continued to exceed their quotas, the Platts OPEC+ survey by S&P Global Commodity Insights hinted.
Overall, the group produced 41.25 million bpd of crude in March, up 40,000 bpd on February levels despite efforts made by Saudi Arabia to enforce compliance.
This included an 80,000-bpd increase in OPEC production to 26.66 million bpd, offset by a drop in output by its allies of 40,000 bpd. March was the third month of the group’s latest voluntary production cuts, which were supposed to take approximately 700,000 bpd off the market in the first quarter of 2024.
At the moment, some civil society groups will be launching a global campaign towards addressing sabotage in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
Speaking to our Correspondent, Mr Taiwo Adeleye, Mallam Lateef Abdulazeez and Fredrick Ojauka, in different conversations highlighted the need to deploy new technology to monitor oil fields and pipelines.
“We commend the Nigerian Navy for remarkable efforts to deal with oil theft and the determination to root out illegal refineries which have serious implications on domestic and corporation utility of petroleum products. Military troops deactivated 68 illegal refining sites in Niger Delta,” the coalition said.
The groups said they were impressed by the Navy that recovered 234,000 litres of stolen crude oil. Nigeria remains largely dependent on oil but exploration must take into consideration humanity in the context of environmental and livelihood security.
Adeleye on his part said, “We are however concerned about the future of oil, livelihood, and human security in Nigeria. What will Nigeria look like in the next 15 or 20 years? What immediate, short-term and long-term strategy do we have for oil security and national security? Will Nigerian oil installations continued to be protected by non-state actors? What is the mission of the state actors currently charged with the responsibility of protecting oil assets?”
Speaking on the immediate and remote causes of oil theft and pipeline vandalisation, the group chief executive officer (GCEO), Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, posited that most stakeholders were of the view that oil theft was essentially a social problem whose underlying causes include poverty in the communities, community-industry expectation mismatch and corruption.
Others, he noted, include: ineffective law enforcement, poor governance, poor prosecution of offenders, high unemployment in the communities, thriving illegal oil market involving both Nigerians and foreigners, and inadequate funding of resources to combat oil theft.
He lamented that NNPCL, as an operator, had suffered severe attacks on its facilities and assets, noting that between 2001 and half year 2019, NNPCL recorded a total of 45,347 pipeline breaks on its downstream pipeline network across the country.
Kyari said that for the Nigerian economy to prosper, NNPCL and other oil companies must be able to operate efficiently and profitably.
“Unfortunately, the combination of crude oil theft, illegal refining, and pipeline vandalism has become a major threat to Nigeria in meeting its revenue projections in recent times,” he said.
In his presentation, Edo State governor and chairman of the National Economic Council (NEC) Ad Hoc Committee on Crude Oil Theft, Prevention and Control, Godwin Obaseki, stressed the need to institute a proper governance structure for pipeline security in the industry.
Obaseki called on the Nigeria Intelligence Agency (NIA) to work with the NNPCL in identifying possible international markets and destinations of stolen Nigerian crude oil.
He said that the industry must end the prevailing incentives that make it possible for crude oil theft and pipeline vandalisation to flourish.
The governor disclosed that NEC had upgraded the Ad Hoc Committee on Crude Theft to a standing committee with the mandate to provide regular updates to NEC as may be required.
In March this year, Kyari said in one year it recorded 9000 infractions on its pipelines.
Kyari said this when the House of Representatives Special Committee on Oil Theft went on an oversight function at the headquarters of NNPC Ltd in Abuja.
“From 2022 to date, we have deactivated 6,465 illegal refineries. We have also removed 4,876 illegal connections to a pipeline out of 5,570 that we have discovered,” he said, adding that the NNPC was not sure if that was the actual number, and that it still had about a thousand that the corporation knew had not yet been removed.
“Some of the scale of the infraction that we see is unbelievable; we are not able to deal with it. When you remove one connection, the next day in the same location, someone will replace it.
“It is obvious that crude oil theft is almost an end-to-end issue in Nigeria; it is very obvious that everyone is involved.
“In most of these locations, they are less than a hundred metres from human settlements; some are even less than a hundred metres from the local government headquarters,” he said.
He said that notwithstanding the distance, these evils are being perpetrated unabated, adding that this makes it impossible to guarantee the production that would happen the next day.
Kyari stated that the NNPC moved to curtail the menace posed by pipeline vandals by incorporating all security agencies into a single platform, including private security outfits.
LEADERSHIP recalls that the NNPCL had appealed to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to help tackle the menace of crude oil theft in the country.
Kyari made the appeal at an interactive session with the EFCC’s helmsman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, which held at the NNPCL towers, Abuja.
Speaking passionately about the efforts by NNPC Ltd to eradicate corruption from its system and stem crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism, Kyari contended that going by the volume of oil stolen daily and the brazenness with which the perpetrators operate, crude oil theft was the most humongous and virulent economic crime in Nigeria that must attract the attention of the EFCC.
EFCC executive chairman Ola Olukoyede expressed satisfaction with NNPC Ltd’s commitment to issues of ethics and code of conduct.
However, security operatives, lawyers, activists, environmentalists, and other stakeholders of the Niger Delta have revealed that the actual stealing of the nation’s crude oil occurs at the various export terminals and flow stations in the country and not in the refining camps in the creeks.
Analysts have said that Nigeria knows it still has much work to do in terms of tackling crude oil theft.
Speaking in the same vein, Olarenwaju Suraju, executive director of the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), said Nigeria can save over $200 billion yearly just by plugging all holes through which crude oil is stolen in the country.
Olarenwaju said the government needs to work with all stakeholders, from the media to security agencies, community-based organisations, and anti-graft groups, adding that funds recovered through stringent anti-corruption measures in the oil and gas sector would help pull the country back from economic doldrums.
“Nigeria is at a critical moment. People are passing through very difficult times. With a debt profile of over N77 trillion and an extremely poor debt service ratio, the country is in a quagmire,” he said.
“The surest way to recovery is to decisively fight corruption. Recovery of stolen funds and an end to graft in the oil sector will see Nigeria witness an upsurge in revenue to meet the needs of Nigerians who are at the end of the stick,” he said.
Only 16 Of Nigeria’s 36 Oil Terminals Metered
HEDA lamented that only 16 out of some 36 oil terminals in Nigeria are metered, making it difficult to monitor oil and gas production and distribution at local and international markets.
Also, human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has drawn the attention of the Nigerian authorities to the fact that billions of dollars are lost to various rogue cartels in the oil and gas industry.
In countries like China the penalty for any form of economic sabotage against the state is death, but Nigerian CSOs said serious measures will not be taken against oil bunkering and oil theft because some state actors are involved.
The CSOs that spoke to LEADERSHIP are: The Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), Transparency International (TI) and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC).
Speaking through their leader, Awwal Musa Rafsanjani, they said it is a shame that oil bunkering appears to be negligence or compromise by state enforcement officers and that’s why it continues to happen.
“There is no country where you can see this level of unseriousness in tackling oil theft or oil bunkering. It’s all corruption and lack of responsible leaders.
“Some people in government appear to be benefitting; that’s why there is no decisive action despite the fact that Nigeria relies on oil revenue for survival.
“If you see other countries not up to the size of Nigeria, even in capacity or might, they don’t allow such to happen.
“It is a compromise to national security. The security forces have been given all the powers to stop oil bunkering, but it seems the responsibilities have not been carried out and we keep seeing occurrences on a daily basis without punishment. If they have been given responsibility to stop the act of looting in the name of oil bunkering, and nothing is done, their leaders should be sacked,” the CSOs said.
They, however, said the act seems to be state sponsored.
“So, oil bunkering, oil theft, or poor security in these areas are deliberate because they (state officials) are heavily benefiting from the oil bunkering to the detriment of the majority of Nigerians,” Rafsanjani added.
[Leadership]
A former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, was yesterday arrested and taken into custody by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over its ongoing probe on the botched Nigeria Air project, Daily Trust reports.
Apart from the project, Sirika was still being grilled at the time of filing this report last night over alleged conspiracy, abuse of office, diversion of public funds to the tune of N80.06bn, and contract inflation when he held sway at the aviation ministry, credible sources said.
Specifically, one of the sources said the former minister, who was being quizzed at the Federal Capital Territory Command of the anti-graft agency, was taken to the commission’s office at about 12:55 pm on Tuesday by some operatives of the agency.
“He was picked up at his Abuja residence by our operatives,” the official of the anti-graft agency said.
The official who spoke in confidence because he wasn’t authorised to speak, said they quietly went to the residence of Sirika when they were least expected.
Another source said, “Yes, he has been taken into custody and is meeting with our detectives to explain how some funds to the tune of N8, 069,176,864.00 were expended in his ministry when he was the minister.
“All necessary checks have been done before the invitation and he will be asked to explain the role he played in the (alleged) infractions.
“It is an ongoing thing, we will not relent,” the source said.
Our correspondent tried Sirika’s telephone but it was not going through as of the time of filing this report.
Sirika, who served under former President Muhammadu Buhari, had also served as a member of the House of Representatives, and thereafter, as a senator representing Katsina North Senatorial District under the platform of Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in 2011.
EFCC to invite sacked directors
In a related development, Daily Trust learnt that the EFCC is also planning to invite all the sacked directors who worked directly under the embattled minister in the aviation ministry.
Sources said trouble started with the directors following several petitions submitted by stakeholders, especially some aviation unions and civil society organisations, calling for the probe of the sector after the failed national carrier imbroglio.
President Bola Tinubu had in December 2023 sacked the heads of Nigeria’s aviation agencies including the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) and Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT).
Those sacked included Kabir Mohammed of FAAN; Tayib Odunowo of NAMA; Akinola Olateru of NSIB; Prof. Mansur Matazu of NiMet; and Alkali Modibbo, the Rector of NCAT while also suspending the Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Captain Musa Nuhu.
An official of the anti-graft agency confirmed that letters of invitation to the sacked and suspended officials were already prepared to come over to explain their roles in the alleged different fraudulent activities that took place in the ministry under Sirika.
Sirika’s younger brother’s account remains frozen
Findings by this newspaper last night revealed that the EFCC was yet to lift restrictions placed on an account linked to the former minister’s younger brother, Abubakar Ahmad Sirika, which was allegedly used to launder money.
In February, the anti-graft agency froze an account belonging to Abubakar after he was arrested when about N3.2 billion was traced to his private company, Engirios Nigeria Limited.
According to EFCC’s detectives, Abubakar, who is also, a Level-16 officer and a deputy director in the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, was listed as the company’s MD/CEO and the sole signatory to the two accounts linked to the firm with two banks.
The detectives had said the four contracts the ex-minister awarded to his brother which were not executed are the construction of the Terminal Building in Katsina Airport (N1.3 billion) and the Fire Truck Maintenance and Refurbishment Centre in Katsina Airport (N3.8 billion).
Other contracts were the procurement and installation of elevators, air conditioners, and power generator houses in Aviation House, Abuja (N615 million) and the procurement of Magnus Aircraft and simulator for Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria (N2.3 billion).
Investigators revealed a payment of N3.2 billion out of the total contract sum to Engirios Nigeria Limited. Upon receipt of the payment, he allegedly transferred it to different companies and individuals.
The investigators also alleged that no trace of work had been done on any of the contract items to date.
Even though Abubakar could not also be reached last night for comment, an insider said the Sirika family had resolved not to discuss the matter in the media.
[DailyTrust]
Two more aspirants in last Saturday’s governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State have filed petitions at the party’s Primary Appeal Committee, headed by former Bauchi State Governor Abdullahi Abubakar.
Senator Jimoh Ibrahim and Folakemi Omogoroye filed their petitions against the announcement of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as the winner of the primary.
Previous aspirants who had filed appeals are Wale Akinterinwa, Jimi Odimayo, and Olugbenga Edema.
In their petitions, Ibrahim and Omogoroye claimed that the governorship primary was marred with irregularities and fell short of appreciable standard.
They called for the cancellation of the primary and conduct of a fresh primary.
Omogoroye said: “I am urging you to cancel the election and order a fresh election in which all the laid down guidelines for a credible election will be followed and a level-playing field will be assured and ensured for all players in the election.
“Anything short of this is an open endorsement of the robbery of Saturday by the leadership of our party.”
Jimoh Ibrahim said: “This is an appeal to your committee to cancel the primary election held in Ondo State on April 20, 2024 on the ground that there was no election in the 203 wards and this is evidenced from the many petitions before your committee, as captured on the ground below.
“Ground One: non-compliance with your rules. I paid N100 million for the validation of over 40,000 party members and those members were not allowed to be revalidated across Ondo State. This was because no voters’ register was made available in the wards to which members could be validated.
“On Ground Two on provision of electoral materials: No electoral materials were provided for the conduct of the election, the local government electoral officials were kept in the hotel during the period of the election for several hours and only result sheets were given to them. The ward electoral officers were provided by one of the aspirants – Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
“My agents were not accredited in all the wards, and they did not sign election the result sheet since none was made available to them.
“I received in my house in the village, Igbotako, at 7 p.m on the day of election, the local government’s Returning Officer and members of his committee. They informed me that they were in my house to capture my vote, but I sent them away since my house is not a polling venue. The returning officer said he was instructed from above.
“Based on the four grounds stated above, the election should be cancelled and re-conducted immediately.”
None of the other 15 aspirants that participated in the primary has congratulated Governor Aiyedatiwa.
Also, Governor Aiyedatiwa yesterday paid a “thank you” visit to the APC secretariat in Akure, the state capital.
He was received by the party’s State Chairman Ade Adetimehin, who promised that the party would support and mobilise for him to win the November election.
Accompanied by some party leaders and supporters, the governor received cheers from residents as his motorcade made way into the party’s office.
He was received by members of the State Working Committee (SWC), led by Adetimehin, who said the governor’s visit was a sign of unity within the party.
In a statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan, the state chairman said: “A primary election in APC is a family affair. We have elected our governorship candidate. Now that the primary is over, we must remain the same progressive family and we must all come together for the election in November.
“The last time the governor was here, he came as an aspirant, but today he has come as the candidate of our party. Now that our candidate has emerged, all other aspirants and party leaders must join hands to support him for the success of the party in the November election.”
[TheNation]
The Indian High Commission in Nigeria has vowed to sanction the workers at the Indian Language School, Ilupeju, Lagos who refused The PUNCH correspondent access to the school facility for inquiries.
Following online reports that the school was not admitting or welcoming Nigerians on its premises, our correspondent on Monday proceeded to the school to investigate the claims.
While reacting to a post by @DejiAdesogan on Sunday, bordering on discrimination against Nigerians at an Abuja-based Chinese store, an X user @decommonroom, shared his experience about the Lagos Indian school.
He wrote, “The Indian school in Ilupeju only admits Indians. You need an Indian passport for enrollment.”
In a further chat with our correspondent, the user said, “My experience with the Indian international school in Ilupeju dates back to when my school had a debate competition with them in 2009. I discovered there were only Indian students. I was curious as to why because my school was also an international school and run by a foreign embassy with primarily expatriate kids and few Nigerians. Then I was informed their passport was a prerequisite for admission.”
When our correspondent visited the school on Monday, he was denied entry by security officials who claimed to be acting on instructions of a receptionist.
When our correspondent asked to make inquiries for his uncle who had two kids and would like to enroll them in the school, one of the security men asked, “But that your uncle is an Indian man?”
“They said as a Nigerian, they (the management) cannot attend to you. So the person should come, the Indian person,” another security man added, saying that was the response of an unidentified administrative worker, said to be an Indian.
Responding to inquiries from our correspondent on Tuesday, the press officer of the Indian High Commission in Abuja, Vipul Mesariya, said the commission was shocked by the experience of our reporter.
Vipul said, “We are shocked to hear that you were not allowed inside the school. We are disciplining the security guard and the receptionist as they did not have the authority to make such a decision.”
On Tuesday, the owner of the Abuja-based Chinese supermarket criticised for barring Nigerians refuted claims that her store was only meant for a specific group of people.
She clarified that her establishment was not a supermarket but rather a retail shop aimed at meeting the essential needs of her local community.
The store owner, Liu Bei, in a statement, said, “My shop is in the Royal Choice Estate, Airport Road, Abuja. It’s a small retail shop, not a supermarket like SHOPRITE. I mainly sell things to community residents and people who work here. Sometimes some visitors will come to my store to buy something after visiting the company In the office building, regardless of nationality.
“I don’t discriminate against any Nigerians, I even have several local employees in my store and we have a good relationship. However, for safety reasons, the community has requirements for visitors, so not everyone can enter the community directly.
“I feel sorry for the altercation between the security guard and the visitor in the video. Two Nigerians did come to my store that day to buy something, and I sold to them.”
Her reaction followed a summons notice and threat of sanctions by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission on Monday after it sealed her store.
[Punch]
Professor of Human Rights and Gender Law, Yinka Olomojobi was shot dead last week Friday by suspected kidnappers at Iperu Remo, Ogun state. Unaware that he would lose his life in the hands of kidnappers, the Babcock University lecturer in this interview, raised concerns on the dire security situation in the country and adviced that government must be firm and resolute in punishing kidnappers and terrorists to serve as deterrent to others. He also spoke on other issues.
Excerpt:
Your new book, “Armed Conflict, The convergence between International human rights law and international humanitarian law,” was launched in January. What was the inspiration behind the book?
I am a scholar and human rights lawyer. In my field, we have a number of books and scholarly articles on human rights but what has been missing are books on international and humanitarian laws. In the context of human rights, the international and humanitarian laws are always left out because it’s still in a growing process. I teach it as a component of human rights but it is limited in its application to fighting wars, and using the elements from distinction proportionality, humanity and those other various elements.
So I decided to put it into a broader picture to let people understand that there is a distinction and convergence between international human rights laws and international humanitarian laws. There is usually a great confusion in the two areas. The confusion is that scholars and lawyers look at them as separate. They believe that International laws can apply in times of war only and international humanitarian rights laws apply only in the absence of war at every other time.
But my argument is that although they are distinct, they are not divergent. So the arguments is that once there is an infringement on the laws of war or how law should be conducted, then there is a violation of human rights.
Do you think Nigeria is adhering to international laws in its fight against insurgency?
When you look at the fight against Boko Haram, it is what we call non International conflict. The reason is that Boko Haram has a command structure and in that regards, the laws of war must be strictly adhered to between Boko Haram fighters and the military. The military must observe the rules and conducts of war as well as Boko Haram terrorist fighters. But usually there is complexity because how does the army identify who Boko Haram fighters are? How do they know those who are combatants? It may be easy to identify soldiers as combatants but the issue is that Boko Haram terrorists are always targeting none combatants. Obviously, they are not obeying the laws of war. In the case of the military, I would also posit that if non-combatant are target in the effort to fight back, then that would clearly be against international laws.
What do think of the FG’s consideration of amnesty for insurgents and terrorists?
On the issue of amnesty, it is very complex because there has been an infringement International humanitarian law and infringement of human rights laws. Once you have infringed on human rights law and the right to life has been taken away, I don’t think they should be allowed to go. There should be some punitive measure, otherwise, this may open the door for other insurgents to carry up arms at the end of the day knowing that there is a gateway to some amnesty.
So what should happen is that everything should be in accordance with the law. They should be tried for breach of international humanitarian laws and for violation of human rights. They should go hand in hand. Same should also apply to other crimes such as kidnapping and corruption which is also becoming a major problem in the country. When people are properly punished for crimes they committed, I believe it will serve as serious deterrent to others.
Do you think Nigeria is winning the war against terrorism and kidnapping?
Once there is a strong division between the privileged and the less-privileged in any country, it’s a pacesetter for terrorism and kidnapping to exist. Go to Somalia and Niger, they are one of the poorest countries in the world. There are Muslims in Ghana, yet they don’t have serious issues of kidnapping and terrorism because what they have is divided. Even in Malawi, the resources are evenly divided. Terrorism and kidnapping is thriving because there is a strong division between ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’. So irrespective of what the government is doing, until there is equal opportunity and level playing ground for everyone, the problem will remain. What happens is that once you give everyone equal economic opportunities, terrorist and kidnapping ideologies will wither away.
The UN humanitarian assembly recently urged the FG to implement #EndSARS report. What are the real implications of not implementing such critical reports?
There are serious implications because if the report comes out and it does indict the leadership of the country, then there will be problem. Recall what happened in Kenya in 2007. It shows that human rights does exist at all times, it does not belong to a state. It is part and parcel of international law. Since 1945, United Nations is there to ensure that all states observe human rights. When human rights are not observed in any state, it is violence against humanity. So my advice is that it is in interest of the country to ensure that recommendations made by the various EndSARS reports are fully implemented.
How can your book help to resolve some of the burning crises in the country?
The major things that make conflict exist is due to poor economy,. I won’t blame it on issues of colonization because we have countries like Malaysia, India and even China that were colonised by the British. The question is, now that we have our own independence, what has African leaders done for Africa? When you have a system of corruption, there will be an endemic system of failure. That is why today in Nigeria, we have the third weakest currency in Africa. The reality is that there is no honest person out there trying to deal with the issues at the federal level. There is no honesty at the top level. In reality, we don’t operate the federal system of government. I will suggest in strong terms that we go back to regionalism. Regionalism is the only way forward. The federal government dishes out allocation and the local government is there doing nothing. With that kind of approach, the system will always failure. It’s not about policies because the system just won’t work.
[Vanguard]
More...
Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers, has redeployed two commissioners in his cabinet in a major shake-up since he took the mantle of leadership of the state.
Tammy Danagogo, secretary to the state government (SSG), announced the development in a statement issued on Tuesday.
Fubara redeployed Zacchaeus Adangor, attorney-general and commissioner for justice, to the ministry of special duties.
The governor also deployed Isaac Kamalu, commissioner for finance, to the ministry of employment generation and economic empowerment.
Danagogo said the commissioners are to hand over to the permanent secretaries in their outgoing ministries, adding that deployment is with immediate effect.
Both commissioners are loyalists of Nyesom Wike, the immediate former governor of Rivers and incumbent minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).
Last year, the commissioners resigned from their positions following the political feud between Wike and Fubara.
They were later reinstated after Wike and Fubara signed a peace accord facilitated by President Bola Tinubu.
Wike and Fubara are locked in a struggle for control of Rivers’ political structure.
The political crisis led to the defection of 27 state house of assembly members, who are loyal to Wike, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The lawmakers have been threatening the govenor with impeachment.
The lawmakers have vetoed the governor in at least three bills after he refused his assent.
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, revealed that Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, once rescued him from media blackmail during his time in the Senate.
The Governor expressed his gratitude to the First Lady during a reception held in her honour, which was attended by other State Governors’ wives at Government House, Oke-Fia, Osogbo.
The reception was held ahead of the Sod Turning of The Alternative High School for Girls.
Adeleke recounted how the First Lady, who was then a Senator in the 8th Senate, came to his aid after the media caught him sleeping during a plenary session. He referred to her as his saving grace.
According to Adeleke, “I want to welcome you to Osun State. You are a detribalised First Lady. I remember that she was my senior colleague at the 8th assembly; there was a time when the media caught me sleeping in the Senate, so they wanted to blackmail me. I told them how tedious our job is in making bills and having several sleepless nights over Nigeria.
“We don’t sleep till 4 a.m. most times. They (the media) were not listening to me, I almost fell for their blackmail. So I ran to Mama (First Lady) when she was going to Lagos, I told her that I wanted to ask her something. I said I was sleeping, and the media came to me that they saw me sleeping, and it seemed they wanted to collect something from me.
“She told me, ‘Ma da won lohun’ (don’t answer them), let them go and write whatever thing they want to write, tell them that you are a human being because they have done that to her before. I made use of what she told me. That helped me out of paying a lot of money. So anytime we have issues, we always go to her because of her wealth of experience.”
[NaijaNews]
Troops of the Nigerian Army have eliminated two terrorists and rescued five kidnap victims in Zamfara and Katsina states.
The Nigerian Army announced this on its official X handle (formerly Twitter), saying troops deployed in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State responded to a distress call on the attack of some farmers by terrorists along Gidan Shaho Road.
The terrorists on sighting troops, fled and abandoned the kidnap victims who were subsequently rescued, the statement said.
Nigerian Army further disclosed that the victims who had been inflicted with gunshot wounds were also promptly evacuated them to the General Hospital for medical attention.
In another development, troops responded to a kidnap incident along Road Fangaltama-Mayanchi in Talata Mafara Local Government Area of Zamfara State, trailing and engaged the fleeing criminals in a firefight where two of the kidnappers were killed.
Five commuters were similarly rescued and two AK-47 rifles, 8 rounds of 7.62 mm (Special) ammunition and two mobile phones were recovered from the terrorists.
In another joint clearance operation with the Kastina State Civilian Joint Task Force, troops successfully cleared suspected terrorists’ hideouts at Shawu, Dugun Fakwu, and Tafki Villages in Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State.
One fabricated gun and other dangerous weapons were recovered by the troops during the operation.
[Leadership]
In a Historic Move, FG Transfers Regulatory Oversight of Enugu Electricity Market to State Govt
AdminFollowing the Enugu State Electricity Law signed by Governor Peter Mbah and the recent constitution of the Enugu State Electricity Regulatory Commission, ESERC, by the Mbah Administration, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has, in a historic move, formerly transferred the regulatory oversight of the Enugu State electricity market to the state agency effective May 1, 2024.
This is a landmark development in the nation’s power sector, being the first time NERC would be ceding such regulatory authority to any state electricity regulatory agency.
The transfer was made known by NERC on Monday in an April 22, 2024 Order No. NERC/2024/039 signed by the Commission’s Chairman, Sanusi Garba, and the Commissioner for Legal, Licensing and Compliance, Dafe Akpeneye.
The transfer is sequel to the amendments of the Paragraph 14 (b) of the Second Schedule to the 1999 Constitution by the 9th National Assembly in 2023 as well as the Electricity Act 2023, both of which effectively devolved power generation, transmission, and distribution from the Exclusive List to the Concurrent List and also empowered the states to manage and regulate their electricity markets within their jurisdictions.
It is recalled that the Mbah Administration initiated the Enugu State Electricity Bill 2023, which the governor signed into Law in September the same year and also set the pace in March 2024 by constituting the Enugu State Electricity Regulatory Commission (ESERC) led by Chijioke Okonkwo as the Chairman/CEO.
The Electricity Act 2023 provides that within 45 days of receiving formal notification of the enactment of the law under subsection (1), the commission (NERC) shall draw and deliver to the state regulator a draft order setting out a plan and timeline for the transition of regulatory responsibilities from the commission to the state regulator, which transition shall be completed not later than 6 months from the date on which the formal notification in subsection (1) was delivered to the commission.
Explaining further, NERC says the ESERC now holds the exclusive power to set and adopt end-user electricity tariffs within Enugu State, tailoring charges to local conditions and requirements.
Also, while ESERC manages local tariff methodologies, any electricity sourced from grid-connected plants and the related tariffs for generation and transmission services must still receive approval from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), ensuring alignment with national energy policies.
Furthermore, the final tariffs approved by ESERC for consumers in Enugu State will be definitive for the state, with the Enugu State Government responsible for supporting and implementing tariff-related policies, ensuring that electricity pricing is both fair and attuned to the specific needs of the state’s residents.
Consequently, NERC ordered that: “Enugu Electricity Distribution Company PLC, EEDC, is hereby directed to incorporate a subsidiary EEDC SubCo under the Companies and Allied Matters Act for the assumption of responsibilities for intrastate supply and distribution of electricity in Enugu State from EEDC.
“EEDC shall complete the incorporation of EEDC SubCo within 60 days from the effective date of this Order and, EEDC SubCo shall apply for and obtain a licence for the intrastate supply and distribution of electricity from EERC.
“EEDC shall identify the actual geographic boundaries of Enugu State and carve out its network in Enugu State as a standalone network with the installation of boundary meters at all border points where the network crosses from Enugu State into another state.
“EEDC shall create an Asset Register of all its power infrastructure located within Enugu State.
“Evaluate and apportion contractual obligations and liabilities attributable to EEDC’s operations of its subsidiary in Enugu State.
“Identify all the applicable trading points for energy offtake for the operations of EEDC SubCo in Enugu State
“Confirm the number of employees that are required to provide service to Enugu State as a standalone public utility; and transfer the identified assets for operations in Enugu State, contractual obligations, liabilities and employees to EEDC Subco.”
[ThisDay]