In line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has commenced the payment of dividend into the federation account.
The NNPC Limited on Thursday begun the payment of interim dividend and PSC profit oil as part of the N907bn shared by the Federation Account Allocation Committee to the three tiers of government.
The remittance is coming barely two months after the NNPC exited the fuel subsidy shackle following the removal by President Bola Tinubu.
During the FAAC distribution,which was chaired by the Accountant General of the Federation, Dr. Oluwatoyin Madein, the NNPCL remitted N123bn into the coffers of government.
A breakdown of the N123bn showed that the National Oil Company paid N81bn as monthly interim dividend and N42bn as 40 per cent PSC profit oil.
This is in addition to compliance on payment of royalties and taxes.
The payment of dividend by the NNPC Limited clearly shows that the company under the leadership of the Group Chief Executive Officer, Mallam Mele Kyari is moving in a positive trajectory as enshrined in the PIA.
Since he assumed office, Kyari has pursued his Transparency, Accountability and Performance Excellence (TAPE) agenda, a five-step strategic roadmap for NNPC’s attainment of efficiency and global excellence.
Kyari, during the inauguration, had said pursuing TAPE was the only way to turn around the corporation and make it competitive.
Under the roadmap, the Transparency component of the agenda was aimed at maintaining positive image, share values of integrity and transparency to all stakeholders, while the Accountability segment of the campaign is to assure compliance with business ethics, policies, regulations and accountability to all stakeholders.
In terms of the two-prong item of Performance Excellence, Kyari had said the idea was to entrench a high level of efficiency anchored on efficient implementation of business processes which would also emplace an appropriate reward system for exceptional performance among the workforce.
During the FAAC meeting held in Abuja on Thursday, N907.054bn total distributable revenue was shared to the three tiers of government
This comprised distributable statutory revenue of N301.501bn, distributable Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue of N273.225bn, Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) revenue of N11.436bn and Exchange Difference revenue of N320.892bn.
In June 2023, the total deductions for cost of collection was N73.235bn and total deductions for savings, transfers and refunds was N979.078bn.
The balance in the Excess Crude Account (ECA) was $473,754.57
The communiqué stated that from the total distributable revenue of N907.054bn; the Federal Government received N345.564bn, the State Governments received N295.948bn and the Local Government Councils received N218.064bn. A total sum of N47.478bn was shared to the relevant States as 13% derivation revenue.
It stated that gross statutory revenue of N1.152trn was received for the month of June 2023. This was higher than the sum of N701.787bn received in the previous month by N451.134bn.
From the N301.501bn distributable statutory revenue, the Federal Government received N146.710bn, the State Governments received N74.413bn and the Local Government Councils received N57.370bn. The sum of N23.008bn was shared to the relevant States as 13 per cent derivation revenue.
For the month of June 2023, the gross revenue available from the Value Added Tax (VAT) was N293.411bn. This was higher than the N270.197bn available in the month of May 2023 by N23.214 billion.
The Federal Government received N40.984bn, the State Governments received N136.613bn and the Local Government Councils received N95.629bn from the N273.225bn distributable Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue.
The N11.436bn Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) was shared as follows: the Federal Government received N1.715bn, the State Governments received N5.718bn and the Local Government Councils received N4.003bn.
From the N320.892 billion Exchange Difference revenue, the Federal Government received N156.155bn, the State Governments received N79.204bn, the Local Government Councils received N61.063bn and the sum of N24.470bn was shared to the relevant States as 13 percent mineral revenue.
According to the communiqué, in the month of June 2023, Companies Income Tax (CIT) recorded tremendous increase.
Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, wife of the governor of Ondo, has shared the photograph of her husband in a medical facility amid death rumours.
Betty posted the picture on Friday across her social media handles.
The picture shows the ailing governor sitting on a motorable chair while his wife posed beside him. The background of the picture shows the picture may have been taken in a medical facility.
“Aketi dey kampe!. Victory for us!” Betty captioned the picture.
Coincidentally, today is the 67th birthday of the Ondo governor, who was born on July 21, 1956.
Earlier, Akeredolu posted a picture on his Twitter handle to celebrate his 67th birthday.
“Which of the Favour of the Lord can I deny? Chapter 67. To God be the Laud, Honour and Glory!!!” the Ondo governor tweeted.
Over the past few weeks, the health status of Akeredolu has been making the headlines.
Akeredolu had embarked on a 21-day leave on June 7 and was expected to return on July 6.
The governor had directed Lucky Aiyedatiwa, his deputy, to act in his stead. However, Akeredolu wrote to the state house of assembly, extending his medical leave when he did not resume work at the initial date of resumption.
Meanwhile, Abdullahi Adamu, the former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), stirred another controversy when he said Akeredolu was hospitalised and in a state of “extreme incapacity”.
The Ondo government had countered Adamu and assured residents of the state that the governor will resume duties soon.
[NationalDaily]
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State disagrees with those who argue that the proposed N8,000 palliative by the Federal Government will not effectively alleviate the impact of fuel subsidy removal on poor Nigerians.
During his appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, he emphasized that the N8,000 assistance is a significant amount for many impoverished families in the country, who typically do not receive such financial support within a month.
Governor Sule recalled that in the past, they were distributing only N5,000 as palliatives, and even that amount had a considerable impact on the lives of numerous people who relied on it each month. In some communities, residents pooled their contributions, leading to substantial improvements within their localities.
He said, “We were sharing only N5,000 and believe me there were so many people that were waiting for that N5,000 every month. Indeed, there were some communities that were able to do some kind of contributions and they were able to do a lot in their various communities.
“So, N8,000 may not be so much money to some people, but it is a lot to so many other people who are from very poor families that don’t see N8,000 every month. So, the only thing is that let us identify those families.”
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has expressed concern about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration policies that are “inflicting hardship” on Nigerians, calling for immediate relief measures.
Archbishop Daniel Okoh, President of CAN, issued a statement on Friday praising the President for some of his policies, including national appointments meant to foster national unity.
Against the backdrop of the recent unprecedented hikes in fuel prices and alarming inflation, the national leadership of the CAN wishes to express its deepest concerns over the prevailing hardships faced by Nigerians, and calls for immediate steps to mitigate the situation.
While Nigerians were trying to adjust to the initial increase in fuel price to N540 and its consequential effect on cost of transportation, food, goods and services, and general cost of living, another hike alluded to market forces took the price to N617. The situation is just unbearable for millions of Nigerians who were already suffering poverty.
It is therefore imperative that economic policies are formulated and implemented with utmost care and consideration for the prevailing hardships experienced by Nigerians, Okoh said.
On appointments, the CAN leader noted that the trajectory which the present administration had set from the onset to provide all-inclusive governance is worthy of commendation.
He said;
The national balance seen in the recent appointment of Service Chiefs is heart-warming and re-assuring that every segment of the Nigerian society is critical and important in the Nigerian project. The CAN therefore commends the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for showing commitment towards building a united, peaceful and progressive Nigeria.
He also urged the government to engage in meaningful dialogue with key stakeholders to explore long-term solutions to the current situation, such as developing comprehensive economic policies that promote inclusive growth, job creation, and social well-being.
Government should take measures to reduce the price of fuel. Such measures should include removal of unnecessary levies and taxes on imported petroleum products, the stabilization of the foreign exchange market and putting back our local refineries to functional and effective use.
We appeal to Nigerians for more patience while urging government to take urgent steps to ameliorate their sufferings. Let us work together to build an economy that is inclusive, resilient, and offers opportunities for every Nigerian to thrive, Okoh said.
The Central Bank of Nigeria has responded to the increase in service charges by Point of Sale (PoS) agents.
According to The Guardian, the CBN stated that it is currently in discussions with the POS operators and is actively working to find a resolution to the matter.
The CBN Director, Corporate Communications, Dr. Isah AbdulMumin, who spoke via telephone, said: “Yes, the apex bank is aware of the move by PoS agents to increase transaction charges. We at the CBN understand their plight. We know their challenges but we are engaging with them to find a common ground.”
CBN maintains that it has not approved any service charge increases by Point of Sale (PoS) agents, but the operators argue that the unfavorable business environment has forced them to raise their fees.
The Association of Mobile Money and Bank Agents in Nigeria (AMMBAN) recently announced a new fee structure, effective from July 17, 2023. Withdrawals ranging from N1,000 to N2,400 will incur a charge of N100, while withdrawals from N3,500 to N4,000 will have a N200 charge. The charges continue to increase in increments based on the amount withdrawn, up to N18,000-N20,000, which will attract an N800 charge.
Similarly, deposits are subject to charges based on the amount, starting from N1,000 to N4,900 incurring a N100 charge, and increasing gradually up to N41,000-N50,000, which will be charged N600.
The announcement of these increased charges has caused concern among Nigerians, especially those in rural areas who heavily rely on PoS agents for quick withdrawals and deposits.
Chairman of the Concerned POS Operators in Nigeria, Mr. Kayode Salako, criticized the fee hike as being exorbitant and harmful to many Nigerians already facing financial difficulties.
He said: “While we agree that the new cashless and fuel subsidy removal policies have greatly affected businesses, we think the best thing, for now, is for the association to fight for how to make business easy for agents and the masses by fighting for some preference from the government to at least let the PoS operators have access to cash if it would take the bank to increase their daily withdrawal limit.”
Although the new charges were not yet operational in Abuja, the nation’s capital, and Lagos State, the commercial capital, findings showed that operators in other parts of the country had effected them.
A PoS attendant in Abule-Egba area of Lagos State, Favour Asagwara, confirmed that old service charges were still obtainable in the area.
“It’s still N100 for N5, 000; N200 for N10, 000; N300 for N15, 000 and N400 for N20, 000 and so on. It was only during the new naira policy that the increase was last effected,” she said.
The Kano Public Complaint and Anti-Corruption Commission has engaged the services of human rights lawyer, Chief Femi Falana (SAN) as its lead counsel in the alleged dollar video, involving the immediate-past Governor of the state, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
However, a reliable source hinted that Chief Falana flew into Kano on Thursday and collected a comprehensive brief on the case.
The case is ready before a Federal High Court sitting in Kano.
While disclosing this to newsmen on Friday, the Counsel to the Kano anti-graft Commission, Bar. Usman Umar Fari said that the case was adjourned by the presiding judge, Justice A.M Liman.
He said that “Mr Femi Falana SAN has been engaged by the Anti-Graft agency to lead its counsel.
“The case was adjourned because the counsel to the Applicant informed the court that he was not ready. He wanted to respond to the processes served to him, hence it was adjourned to the 25 of July 2023 for hearing.”
It will be recalled that Dr. Ganduje, through his Counsel, Bar. B. Hemba had filed an Ex Parte Motion before the court, seeking the court to restrain the Commission from arresting, investigating and inviting him over the alleged dollar video.
Sadiya Ado is a beggar in Ibadan, Oyo State, she is from Wudil Local Government Area of Kano State. to her, with just about two months into the Bola Tinubu government, “the Buhari administration was better than the present one”.
She told Saturday Tribune during the week that those who commonly gave them alms in the past do not give them again because they are barely getting by themselves.
Ado said: “We can’t compare the past administration to the present one. The past was far better than the present because then when we came out to beg, people gave us alms and we were able to feed but now we are just managing because those who used to give to us do not have again. And if they do not have, what can we do?”
The widow and mother of four explained that she came begging for alms in Ibadan, from Kano because she did not get support from her in-laws after the demise of her husband.
“I came here because of lack. My husband died and left me with the children and I don’t have anything to feed them with. So, I came here to beg for alms. He was sick for a short period and then he passed on five years ago, leaving me with our four children.
“Since my husband died, his family has never brought even a grain of rice for me and the children. I was left alone with the children without any form of support. It was just my siblings that supported me from time to time,” she said.
Sadiya, who is begging alongside her children, said she allowed the young ones beg around, something she said she wouldnt do in the North.
“We are worried about the safety of our children as they go to beg alone but we do not have a choice. However, it is safer here than it is in the North. If we were in the North, we would not have allowed them to roam the streets alone.
“If I had what to feed my children with, I wouldn’t have come here to beg but if I had stayed there, we would just starve. I had to come here with them because I could not leave them at home because they were quite very young when my husband died.” She added that her oldest daughter is ripe for marriage and she is planning on marrying her off.
“Three of them are here with me but the eldest one is back in Kano because I want to marry her off. Why she has not married is because the man she is in love with is different from the person we chose for her; so we are still discussing how we can come to an agreement.
“I don’t know how old she is because I don’t keep the records in my head. I just know that she is ripe for marriage,” she added.
She revealed that she and others like her do not like their condition and would have loved to remain in their home states if they had other sources of income.
She pleaded with the Federal Government to lift the poor out of poverty as they “went through stress to vote them into power.”
“Most of us don’t like it here but we have no other choice. If I had a small business to do in Kano, I would have gladly stayed at home. Why we came here in the first place is to find something to feed on and if I have a business that brings in some income enough to take care of myself and my children, I would have no reason being here.
“I am pleading with the government at all levels to please help us. It was we the poor that went through the stress to vote them into power so they should lift us out of this poverty,” she told Saturday Tribune.
She decried the impact of insecurity on food production and the amount of hunger it has brought to the North.
“The insecurity in the north is overwhelming; people are no longer able to go to their farms because of the insecurity while hunger is killing a lot of people. A measure of maize now goes for as high as N1,300 and guinea corn is now N1,000 and we have not talked about other ingredients.
“A lot of people die in the North because of high blood pressure (hawan jinni). You can imagine someone being responsible for feeding over 20 people and he wakes everyday up without anything to provide for them. Such person will definitely have high BP and that is how a lot of people die in the North,” she said.
Nigerian skit maker, Abdullahi Maruff Adisa, popularly called Trinity Guy, has regained freedom from prison.
TRIBUNE ONLINE reports Trinity was on June 22, was summoned to appear before the Oyo State Police Command following his skit involving a female minor in a sexualised prank.
Subsequently, a Magistrate Court at Iyaganku, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, ruled that Trinity Guy be remanded in prison till August.
Alongside the entertainer, the court also remanded the parents of the minor, Isiaka Ahmed, 40, and his wife, Rofiat Ahmed, 29.
In latest development, Nigerian skit maker, Abdugalfar Abiola, better known as Cute Abiola, in a post on Friday night, announced that his colleague has been released on bail.
“@iamtrinityguy is finally free on Bail. I am wishing you all the best brother. May Almighty Allah keep guiding you to the right path. Amen Welcome back ! Welcome back ! My guy don pray tire ? see him forehead,” Cute Abiola wrote on Instagram.
Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna state, has described the proposed cash transfer policy of the Federal Government as a scam.
Sani stated this while speaking in an interview with Arise Television’s News Night on Friday.
The governor said, “My position has always been that, at this critical time, cash transfer should not be something that we should bring up, completely. I think that cash transfer for me, in my opinion, is a scam. Completely is a scam. I can be very certain about that, because who are you transferring the money to?
“Let me give an example, go and check the current statistics. Like I said, as the Chairman, Committee of Banking for four years in Nigeria, I oversight Central Bank, I oversight all the commercial sector of our economy for the last four years and I look at the statistics, I will be very firm on this issue and you can go and check it.
“About 70 to 75 percent of the rural population in North West are financially excluded completely. You will have to go and check, these people we are talking about are important people in the society. They do not even have a bank account so who are you transferring the money to?
“Let’s try and work very hard to make sure that they are financially included, that is the most important thing and I will like to call on our development partners, the World Bank, to put more money towards bringing more people into the financial services and the vulnerable in particular.
“Let’s put more money to ensure that we open accounts for them, get them involved, if we don’t do that, no matter what we do however you do it, money will go to the wrong people, that’s the fact.”
President Bola Tinubu had earlier unveiled his administration’s plan for a monthly N8,000 transfer to 12 million of the poorest households in the country for six months, in a bid to cushion the effects of the removal of fuel subsidy.
The plan was contained in a letter read last Thursday on the floor of the House of Representatives regarding the $800 million loan request of the previous Muhammadu Buhari administration for a social safety net programme.
But days after the announcement, the Federal Government said it will review the move following the public outcry it generated among Nigerians.
Recall that following the removal of the petrol subsidy and the recent hike in petrol prices to up to N617/litre, the National Executive Council (NEC) agreed on palliative measures for Nigerians.
NEC also considered integrity tests on state social registers, cash transfers would be done via state social registers subject to state peculiarities.
The Federal Government also initiated a six-month cash award policy for public servants.
According to the Federal Government, food items grains and fertilizers are to be distributed by state governments at the rate acquired from National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), while states were asked to double down on energy transition plans in the transport sector.
‘Banditry Is Lucrative To Bandits, Impossible For Them To Leave ’ – Inuwa Warns Tinubu On Negotiation
AdminA former Secretary to the Government of Katsina State, Mustapha Inuwa in response to calls for President Tinubu to negotiate with bandits, stated that such negotiations would be futile.
Dr Inuwa, who also serves as the Chairman of the Amnesty Programme designed to end banditry in the state, argued that the bandits would be unlikely to leave their illicit activities due to the high profits they make from kidnappings.
He said, “The bandits can’t leave banditry and embrace negotiation because of how kidnapping has become lucrative.”
He added that “no legitimate work can fetch them the kind of money they make from the banditry activities.”
Dr Inuwa suggested that force might be the only effective approach to dealing with the bandits. He urged security agencies and governors of affected states to work together to confront the issue.
According to him, “I believe it is very wrong advice for a former governor and senator, especially from a state worst hit by the activities of bandits to even contemplate negotiating with the bandits despite the atrocities committed by them in these states and Nigeria as a whole.
“We tried from 2017 to 2019 but it didn’t work because they are not sincere. We were compelled to go into that because we realized the security agencies were not doing what they ought to do.
“So we were under serious pressure from the people as they looked up to us to bring the menace to an end. And that was why we settled for the non-kinetic approach. It lasted for a brief period before it failed.
“It failed because, one, they were not sincere and second, because they are not organized and don’t have common leaders whom if you negotiate with can serve as their representatives.
“They have a rivalry and different groups. It is unlike when you are fighting a group on ideology, where they have a common leader, where you negotiate with him and he leads them. It is not that way. Bandits have different groups. How many will you deal with? Dealing with some groups and leaving out others will even create problems. And different groups are emerging daily.
“And also these people are thieves and criminals, if you negotiate with them what will you give them? Will you be giving them a salary or what? Then people who are used to getting huge sums of money, especially with these kidnapping activities. So there is nothing legitimate that they can do to get something close to what they are getting through the kidnapping activities.
“So it is impossible for these people to willingly accept to leave what they are doing for anything that you promise them. Because you cannot promise them what is close to what they are getting. In 2017 to 2019, we tried it and realized the money we gave them was used to buy more arms. President Tinubu and his news NSA, Ribadu should not make the mistake of negotiating with them.
“So, honestly I don’t in any way advise the present leadership of President Tinubu to even contemplate on this issue. What is needed is for all the security agencies to organize a sustained onslaught on these people. If they have to organize, the ground and air operations, it is a matter of a few months, they are going to deal with these people. One, they are all locals, 99.9 percent of people involved in these are local Fulani here. Their parents are known.
“Two, they are not that trained as people may think. And moreover, the area is an area that is accessible. It is not a difficult terrain. We have locals who could penetrate, provide x-rays, intelligence required. But it has to be well coordinated in such a way that it is done simultaneously from all the states and neighbouring countries like Niger Republic are ever ready as they have been collaborating with us.
“While these things are done, the Governors of the various states too should meet and take common positions on all the issues that will facilitate and help the military operations especially decisions or measures that will undermine the strength of the bandits. For instance, ban on the use of motorcycles, buying of fuel in jerrican in those areas among others. It should be a unanimous decision by the states.
“People are under siege in these areas, many of these things are not reported because people are tired of reporting them. But on a daily basis, people are been kidnapped, and killed, women are raped, many of them have children from the rape, and you have all sorts of trauma.
“Moreover, you cannot stop these people from this thing because it has become part of them. It has become a culture to these people. Because it has been here for a very long time. If you go into history, it is as far back as 1891, banditry was experienced in the Zamfara area. Also, during the colonial period. The thing is, it is just now that it is only becoming too rampant.
“It is impossible for the people to willingly accept to do, it has to be by force.
“Moreover, you are talking about amnesty, negotiation, let it be a request from the bandits after you have put them on their knees by the strength of security operations. If they call for these, then you can consider granting it, not the government calling them for negotiation. The money they are making now will not make them listen.”
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Fuel Hike: You Laughed At Us While We Marched For Peter Obi, Now It Is Your Turn To Trek – Aisha Yesufu
AdminPopular Nigerian activist, Aisha Yesufu has mocked those who were laughing at supporters of the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi while they were campaigning for him.
Yesufu said those who were laughing at Obidients for doing the one million march are now also doing the same because of the fuel scarcity, a resultant effect of the hike in the price of the commodity.
Naija News recalls that earlier on Tuesday, the pump price of fuel increased from N539 to N617 per litre.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) attributed the hike in price to ‘market forces’.
The NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, disclosed this while speaking to journalists after a closed-door meeting with Vice President Kashim Shettima at the State House in Abuja.
Kyari said with the deregulation of the oil sector, market realities will force the price of petrol up sometimes and at other times force it down.
“We have the marketing wing of our company. They adjust prices depending on the market realities.
“This is really what is happening; this is the meaning of making sure that the market regulates itself so that prices will go up and sometimes they will come down also. This is what we have seen, and in reality, this is what (how) the market works,” he said.
Due to the price increment, Nigerians who are unable to afford transportation now trek to save costs.
Weighing in on the situation via her verified Twitter handle, Yesufu wrote, “Those who were laughing at those doing one million march for Peter Obi, are now doing their own one million march because of fuel scarcity.
“If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for nothing!”
A 75-year-old female merchant on Friday rejected four pieces of N1000 new naira notes found inside a wrap of N100,000 she withdrew from the counter of a new generation bank in Ikeja, Lagos State capital.
Identified as Mama Ketchup, the woman argued that the new naira note has lost its value as a legal tender in the country, referring to it as a “product of fabricated deceits of the leaders.”
She insisted that the cashier should remove the new notes and replace them with old pieces before she collects the wrap.
Her words: “I don’t want these notes. It is an insult on Nigerians. The cabals that are embarrassing us and driving Nigerians back to Egypt are evil workers. They have their agenda and they are using us to play ludo, it’s unfair. I have vowed never to touch this note, it’s my personal decision. So, remove them now and replace them with the old notes.”
The scenario, which drew the attention of other bank customers at the rowdy hall turned provocative as each person began to express his/her disappointments at the way the government is toiling with the life of citizens without considering its consequences. They particularly condemned the persistent fuel crisis after the subsidy removal and politics of N8000 palliatives for poor Nigerians proposed by Tinubu-led government.
Some of them said the role played by the suspended governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, to change the naira notes during the election campaign through draconian processes that led to the death of many Nigerians has shown how irresponsible the government has been since independence.
A corps member, Joy Emmanuel, who was the ‘emergency moderator’ of the argument in the banking hall said the Tinubu-led government has confused Nigerians with the way and manner it has been handling sensitive issues that touch lives since its inauguration on May 29, 2023.
“When the president announced the removal of fuel subsidy on inauguration day, we thought he has a magical solution to our problems. This Renewed Hope government has come with a basket of confusion. For real, the hardship is too much. See what you elders have done to this generation. Yet, with a little noise of revolt, you will be blaming the youth. We are all suffering and nobody is ready to confront the Pharaohs. It’s a shame of a country,” he said.
The acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abdulkarim Chukkol, has threatened to decisively deal with any of its staff who leak confidential information.
According to him, the staff members take an oath of secrecy during the process of getting the job, stressing that anyone found culpable would be dismissed.
Chukkol stated this at EFCC Academy, Karu, Abuja on Friday during the passing-out ceremony of the EFCC Detective Superintendent Course 9.
He said no fewer than 318 cadets participated in the course, adding that they would be absorbed into the commission.
Chukkol said the step was taken to boost the manpower of the commission to fight growing graft in the country to a standstill
He said, “Today, we are witnessing the passing-out of a crop of cadets who 12 months ago, were carefully selected out of thousands of applicants.
“You have all been sworn to the oaths of allegiance and secrecy to be loyal to the nation and the EFCC as well as treat in strict confidence any information that comes to your knowledge in the course of carrying out your duty.
“Any act of corruption, disloyalty, disobedience to constituted authority, and insubordination will be decisively dealt with and the defaulters are shown the exit door.”
He lamented the growing spate of corruption in both public and private sectors, insisting that operatives of the commission would put up a fierce battle through enforcement.
Chukkol said, “The EFCC as you know, is championing the fight against these unwholesome acts being perpetrated by unscrupulous persons whose aim is gaining illicit wealth at the expense of the safety and security of the generality of the public and the image of our dear nation.
“Trends in economic and financial crimes keep evolving and the EFCC must continue to put up a fierce battle against them by prevention through sensitisation and enforcement to serve as deterrence.”
Speaking in the same vein, the Secretary to the Commission, George Ekpungu urged the graduands to uphold the highest levels of integrity and honesty and exhibit appreciable standards of decorum wherever they find themselves.
“We are EFCC, we uphold integrity, honesty, and the highest standards. What you are witnessing today, a lot of people sacrificed so many things. You must above all, operate in integrity. I am saying this today because I am the Chairman of the Appointment, Promotion, and Discipline Committee.
“If you do compromise your office, you will be sent back home to your parents. So parents caution your children on illegalities and avoid putting them under unnecessary pressure,” he said.
Earlier, the Commandant of the EFCC Academy, Ayo Olowoniyi called on the cadets to be guided by the truth wherever they go.
‘Words Fail Me’, Ibori Opens Up On Conviction, Seizure Of Fresh £101.5m - Says To Appeal UK Court Order
AdminJames Onanefe Ibori, former Delta State governor, has expressed sadness over the confiscation of over £100 million from him.
A judge in London on Friday ordered the confiscation of 101.5 million pounds ($130.34 million) from the former governor who was convicted of fraud and money laundering in London in 2012.
Judge David Tomlinson of Southwark Crown Court said Ibori should pay the sum immediately or face an eight-year jail sentence.
Responding, Ibori, who claimed that he and those close to him were being persecuted, vowed to challenge the order.
“Albert Einstein is quoted as saying that the “definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result”.”
“If that is true then I must be going mad because in over a decade since the British Courts have been persecuting myself and those close to me – I kept believing that justice and fairness would eventually triumph.
“In hearing after hearing through the years, despite some of the most logic defying rulings against me- I still believed. Despite clear evidence of police corruption against the main officer in my case (evidence so strong that it caused the lead prosecutor to resign from my case) I still believed. Despite a clear victory in my 2013 Confiscation hearing which left the Judge unable to make an order against me, only to have him rule that the prosecution should start the trial afresh some years later – I still believed.
“However, today’s ruling from Judge Tomlinson is difficult to comprehend and even harder to accept. I have to move past the fact that the British Courts found themselves competent to sit in Judgment over contracts awarded in Delta State for contracts that were legitimately awarded and completed. I have come to accept my fate despite the inability of the British prosecutors to show any evidence whatsoever of monies defrauded or indeed missing from Delta State.
“Since 2005 the British Prosecutors have investigated my assets worldwide, they have had a restraint order in place on most of those assets and they are well aware that the total monetary value of those assets is nowhere close to the sums that were the subject of today’s Order. Not withstanding the fact that many of the assets are not and have never been owned by me – it seems that if you are my friend and you allowed me to spend some holiday time in your house, then by this order I now own your home and must ask you to sell it to satisfy the Order.
“The Order made today was to be paid immediately, this was made in the full knowledge that it could take many months to actually realise the sale of many of these assets. There is an 8 year default sentence, which means that if I do not co-operate and pay nothing at all, then the prosecution can apply for the imposition of the default sentence. However as the prosecution already has a Restraint Order over the assets – the situation of my not co-operating or paying will not arise.
“However, an issue arises if my Restrained Assets are sold, and the total realised from the sale does not equal the amount in the Order, then the Prosecution can still apply for part of the default sentence to be applied, but they could only ask for a sliding scale reduction of the 8 years default sentence based on the amounts
that remain outstanding. If such an application were to be made it would be vigorously contested. In the normal course of events any talk of a default sentence would normally be stayed until any outstanding Appeal has been concluded,” he said in a statement.
Ibori added that the judge appeared to have cast aside any pretence of impartiality, while making the order, which he described as both “wholly unrealistic and unrealisable”.
“He has completely disregarded any arguments, evidence or expert witnesses in my favour. It was apparent during these last 2 days that he has forgotten many of the important elements of the case which is unsurprising as it almost 2 years since the case concluded. It has taken him 2 years to write this Judgment and in the interim he has presided over hundreds of cases, but I refuse to make excuses for him.”
“At this point in time words fail me and so the question for me as I take my case to the Court of Appeal, is, if I continue to believe that I may finally get some Justice is this the definition of madness? I know one thing for sure, that if I do not go to the Court of Appeal to contest this outrageous Order then my people will definitely say that I am a madman!”