Festus Keyamo, the former Minister of State for Labour and Employment, has dismissed reports that he collected bribes from job seekers during his tenure in office.
Keyamo made the denial on Monday while speaking during the ministerial screening on the floor of the Senate, chaired by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
The ministerial nominee from Delta State said he didn’t benefit from the Public Works Programme during his tenure at the Ministry of Labour and Employment in the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
Keyamo emphatically stated that the record of the beneficiaries of the N52bn Public Works scheme which was requested by the 9th Senate is domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and can be downloaded to ease accessibility to verify the information as provided.
The former minister, therefore, apologized to the Senate for any misunderstanding surrounding the obscurity of information around the fund disbursement.
Earlier, some lawmakers during the screening challenged Keyamo for refusing to honour invites by various committees in the 9th Senate and 9th House of Representatives led by Ahmed Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila respectively.
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe in his petition charged the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, to suspend Keyamo’s screening until he acknowledged that the Senate can summon and question any Minister and his/her Ministry.
The development eventually saw lawmakers in the Senate proceed into closed-door plenary after a rowdy session.
Upon resumption of the screening, Keyamo apologised to lawmakers for his actions and was later screened and confirmed.
Approximately two weeks following the military assumption of power in Niger, the individuals behind the coup have designated Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, a former economy minister, to serve as the nation’s new prime minister.
A spokesperson for the military junta conveyed this announcement via television during the late hours of Monday.
Previously, Mr. Lamine Zeine held the position of economy and finance minister for several years within the cabinet of the ousted then-President Mamadou Tandja in 2010. More recently, he has been employed as an economist at the African Development Bank in Chad, as reported by a Nigerien media source.
In late July, the military overthrew democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum and suspended the country’s constitution, impacting its populace of 26 million.
During Mr. Bazoum’s tenure, Niger stood as a vital ally of the Western nations in combating the advancement of Islamist extremist groups in the Sahel region.
An ultimatum extended by ECOWAS to the coup orchestrators, urging the reinstatement of Mr. Bazoum, lapsed on Sunday.
In a subsequent development, the prime ministers representing the ECOWAS member states will convene in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, on Thursday. The purpose of this meeting is to deliberate on the future course of action.
There was a mild drama on the floor of the Senate on Monday over the ministerial nominations of President Bola Tinubu.
Naija News reports that Senators from South East had protested against Tinubu’s non-adherence to the principle of federal character and provision of the law in his ministerial appointments.
Senator Tony Nwoye, representing Anambra North Senatorial District, who moved the motion which was stepped down by Akpabio, explained that Tinubu’s ministerial appointments violate the provisions of the Federal Character Commission Act which provides that in sharing any position, the President must take cognizance of zones, states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
He said despite the provisions of the law, the South East lawmakers are worried that apart from the appointment of a minister from each of the five states in the region, no other minister was appointed from the zone on the basis of representation from geopolitical zones, whereas the other five geopolitical zones got an additional minimum of two ministers each from their zones.
The five ministers appointed from the Southeast zone are Uju Ken Ohaneye (Anambra state), Uche Nnaji (Enugu state), David Umahi (Ebonyi state), Dr Doris Uzoka (Imo state) and Nkeiruka Onyejeocha (Abia state).
The Senator said while other regions got additional ministers apart from the one appointed from each state in the regions, the Southeast did not get any additional ministerial appointments.
Nwoye said, “I am not happy about it at all. That is why senators from the Southeast – 15 of us in number – wanted to move the point of order since Friday on Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, of the flagrant violation of that section.
“That section points out the fact that in sharing any position, you must take cognizance of zones, you must take cognizance of Federal Character in anything you are doing.
“Then, Federal Character Commission Act, 2004, laws of the federation states very clear in Section 5(a) (b) Part 3, Section 4(b) Part 1 of the Federal Character Commission Act, that in doing any appointment, be it ministers, you must take cognizance of states, FCT or Zones.
“Zones in this subject matter is geopolitical zones. So, the Southeast zone was not given one person in terms of geopolitical zones, while other zones, Northwest has three additional from the zone, making it 10.
“Northeast has two, making it eight because they have six states. North Central has extra two added to the six states they have, making it eight. Southwest has extra three added to six states they have making it nine. South South has extra two added to six states they have, making it eight. Southeast has none.
“They only gave us based on states. It is not fair. It offends the principle of Federal Character. It violates that section of the Federal Character – FA 5(b) Part 3, 4(b).
“That is why we have been angling for a motion but from point of order to motion, but the Senate President in his wisdom, for reasons best known to him decided that he wants to go and take it up with President Asiwaju Bola Tinubu privately instead of moving the motion.
“We prefer to move the motion, if it fails, it fails because other senators, we spoke to them individually and they saw the reason that it is not fair. Maybe it was an oversight. So, we are appealing to him by the sense of the motion that was stepped down, for him to see reasons to reflect Federal Character Act and respect that provision and appoint two extra ministers from the Southeast to represent the zone because it is very clear in the laws of the federation.
“And it is not fair that out of six geopolitical zones we have in Nigeria, five zones have their own from two, three but only Southeast doesn’t have any. It is not fair.”
In his response, Senate President Godswill Akpabio stepped down the point of order raised by Nwoye and promised to meet with the President over the grievances of the South East lawmakers.
The National Chairman of All Progressives Congress, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, has expressed his readiness to receive the Presidential Candidate of the New Nigerian People Party, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso if he agrees to defect to the ruling party.
Ganduje made the statement at a media briefing with some selected media organisations in Kano.
This was shortly before the former Kano governor received a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party and former Secretary to Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, at his residence in Abuja on Sunday.
He said, “Nobody will say Kwankwaso is not a good politician, at least he was a two-term Kano Governor, although, in disrupted tenures, he was Minister of Defence, even though he doesn’t know what is defense, and was once a Senator, even though he never said anything throughout his stay there.
“But, if he is willing to decamp to APC, our door is open, especially now that someone from his state is the party chairman, it will be easier for him to lobby.”
When quizzed on why Kwankwaso was shut out from President Bola Tinubu’s list of ministerial nominees, Ganduje disclosed that the NNPP candidate was never given such promise in the first place.
According to him, he first heard the news from Kwankwaso himself when he returned from his meeting with the President in Paris, France.
“It is true that President Tinubu has promised to run a unity government, and he stood by his words. Nyesom Wike, from PDP, is now a Ministerial nominee. But he [Kwankwaso] is the one who said he will be given appointment initially, and not the President himself,” he added.
The APC chairman’s first official media parley is coming four days after his appointment as national chairman of the party at Thursday’s meeting of the National Executive Committee held at Transcorp Hilton in Abuja.
In the same vein, Ganduje hosted Anyim at his residence in Abuja on Sunday.
Although details of their chat have not been made public, Anyim’s presence at the residence of the APC national chairman has fuelled the growing speculation that he may be planning to decamp to the ruling party.
The former SGF had paid the President an unusual ‘courtesy visit’ at the Presidential Villa in early July.
There was mild drama on Monday when a former Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System desk officer at the Federal Character Commission, Haruna Kolo, accused of collecting bribes from job seekers in exchange for employment, owned up to the allegation.
This was just as he admitted to having received over N75m from desperate jobseekers on the instructions of the Chairman of the FCC.
Not done, Kolo claimed that the FCC boss instructed him to transfer the money to his (Kolo) personal account and pay her in cash which he did a couple of times in her house.
Kolo made the revelation at the ongoing investigative hearing by the House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating federal ministries, departments and agencies, parastatals and tertiary institutions on mismanagement of the IPPIS.
The ex-IPPIS desk officer told the lawmakers that he resigned from FCC on November 2, 2022 to join the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria but ended up getting salaries twice from FCC.
He added that the anomaly was reported to the Human Resource Officer who told him that the issue would be addressed.
He said, “When she came to FCC as the Executive Chairman, she appointed me as a protocol officer and I carried out my duty diligently.
“On the allegations of job racketeering, the FCC Chairman instructed me to liaise with one Mr Shehu, who is a personal driver and Personal Assistant to the Taraba State Commissioner. As a desk officer, I was responsible to take whoever was employed to IPPIS for capturing. No one could go there without a letter from the Chairman or Human Resource Officer of the FCC.
“When she came, she wrote a letter to the Accountant General of the Federation, instructing that no letter from the FCC should be honoured except she signs the letter. So, whenever there was new employment, she signs, gives to me and I take it to the Accountant General’s office for capturing.
“Shehu is the one that brought those who paid money to my account for job, some paid N1m, others N1.5m, all to my personal account, my Ecobank account. She asked me to give cash to her, which I did through POS. So, there is no evidence of transfer or anything.
“On the allegation of working at seven places, I was never at any time involved in seven jobs. They are making the allegation based on assumption.”
He continued, “The second allegation on my subsequent employment at AMCON was a result of her personal favour to me. We were four in number, and she gave the appointment letter to me, Kadijah, and Olushola. We all proceeded for an interview at AMCON headquarters in Abuja after which we were called upon for training on the 16th January 2023,
“After the training, Olushola and I were called to Lagos. Unfortunately, Kadijah, who is the chairman’s biological sister, was rejected. The Chairman accused me of being responsible for her rejection.
“I see no reason why (sic) the chairperson would make allegations of such magnitude against me. I have been threatened even at gunpoint and had to leave Abuja.
“Sir, I want this committee to know that after this sitting if anything happens to me, the FCC chairperson should be held responsible, ” Kolo added.
Responding, the chairman of the committee, Yusuf Gagdi, promised to do every possible to unravel the truth and make the same available to Nigerians.
“This committee will not sit down and watch taxpayers’ money being embezzled.
“I know why we were asking Kolo to give us evidence and we know why we were deferring this sitting for other witnesses alleged to have had financial dealings with the FCC.
“Kolo will appear here tomorrow (Tuesday). We are calling the other witnesses. We will allow you to do your work. Whoever is found wanting will answer his father’s name, including Kolo Haruna,” he said.
The committee adjourned sitting till Tuesday (today).
The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, on Monday, stated that there was no plan to impeach his deputy, Philip Shaibu.
The governor, however, noted that the move by Shaibu seeking a court order to stop his purported impeachment was preemptive ahead of his alleged plan to defect to the All Progressives Congress.
The governor, while briefing journalists in Benin City during a visit by the Edo North leaders, alleged that the deputy governor had been actively engaging with senior actors both at the national and state level of the APC, negotiating his way into their party, adding that he was on the verge of finalising moves to defect to the APC.
Obaseki said, “Let me put it on record that I am not aware of any plot or any scheme to impeach the Deputy Governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu. I have also checked and there was no such plan.
“So, the court action taken, for me, is a thing of shock and disappointment. I am trying to reflect on the move made by somebody that I have given a broad latitude to do his work as deputy governor. So, for him to take this kind of action is shocking.”
Obaseki said Shaibu never discussed his governorship ambition with him.
“The last time we spoke of my successor after the House of Assembly election, I did say that we should be patient and that our task is to try and finish well and conclude all our projects we started. It’s only when we do this right that we will have the support of the people for my successor.
“I believe that this action by him is a preemptive move to get a court order, keep his ticket and move to another party. I think it’s unfair for our party. We don’t need this sort of crisis. I have been getting calls all over the world and it’s rather sad that somebody who is part of an administration will do this to the administration because of his personal ambition.”
Obaseki said he was not angry “but naturally I should be disappointed.”
Meanwhile, at the state Assenbly on Monday no mention was made of the alleged impeachment move against Shaibu.
But an Edo North group, led by a former Speaker of the House of Assembly, Kabiru Adjoto, addressed journalists on Monday, accusing Shaibu of embarrassing the people of the zone.
Adjoto said the group could not keep quiet on the current political happenings in the state expressing disbelief over the imbroglio.
He said, “We have watched in utter disbelief the self-contrived rift between our governor, Godwin Obaseki, and our son, the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Rt Hon Comrade Philip Shaibu. Afemai people are a very hard-working, patriotic and loyal race.
“We recall that our two distinguished sons, who are former deputy governors, Reverend Peter Obadan and Mike Oghiadomhe, cooperated with their bosses and demonstrated the loyalty that the Afemai race is known for.
“We are surprised and embarrassed by the behaviour of Deputy Governor Shaibu in his ill-advised mission to govern the state by all means.
“Mr Godwin Obaseki has been magnanimous more than any governor in Nigeria, and has saddled our son, the Deputy Governor with the highest number of responsibilities, ranging from sports, internal revenue, boundary committee, immunisation, to mention but a few, which has earned him a name ‘the busiest Deputy Governor in Nigeria’.
“The court action is not only speculative but baseless and highly embarrassing. We are coming out today to disassociate the Afemai people from this ill-conceived action, and to also apologise to the governor of the state for this unfortunate incident.”
When contacted for reaction, the Chief Press Secretary to the deputy governor, Musa Ebomhiana, said he was on medical leave and could not comment on the matter.
The reason three ministerial nominees were not confirmed by the Nigerian Senate on Monday has been revealed.
Recall that the Red Chamber concluded the screening of all the 48 ministerial nominees forwarded to it by President Bola Tinubu.
Naija News reports however that 45 out of the 48 nominees were confirmed by the lawmakers while three were not confirmed.
Those not confirmed were the immediate past Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai; Stella Okotete (Delta), and Abubakar Sani Danladi (Taraba).
According to SaharaReporters, the three nominees were not confirmed because of letters sent by the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to the Senate.
Sources at the Senate told the news platform that the Director-General of the DSS and the NSA urged the lawmakers not to confirm three ministerial nominees because they have not received security clearance.
Top sources at the Senate told SaharaReporters on Monday that the Director-General of the DSS and the NSA wrote to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, advising the upper chamber not to confirm the nomination of the trio.
One of the sources said: “The NSA, Ribadu and the DG of DSS have just sent us letters not to clear El-Rufai, Senator Abubakar Danladi from Taraba and Stella Okotete from Delta. The Senate President just read it to us now at the closed-door session. He didn’t give it to us anyway.”
Another source said: “The letter from the NSA and DG DSS cited security reasons, saying the Senate should defer the confirmation of the trio for now, for national security. The senate president is holding the document sent to him tight and has not released it to anyone.”
Recall that a group of protesters under the aegis of Secure Nation Group (SNG) in Abuja had staged a protest on the premises of the National Assembly to call on the lawmakers not to confirm El-Rufai as minister.
The protesters expressed surprise that El-Rufai’s name was listed as a ministerial nominee despite his alleged religious fanaticism, saying that the former governor should be investigated and prosecuted over alleged genocidal attacks on predominantly Shia Muslim communities in Kaduna State.
Also, some top Nigerian lawyers wrote to the 10th Senate demanding the immediate disqualification of Okotete, who is a former Executive Director of the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) over alleged fraud and abuse of public office.
Meanwhile, in the letter to Nigeria’s upper legislative house, the petitioners requested the Senate to properly investigate Okotete over alleged round-tripping and recycling of different loans and use of various front companies as proxies to defraud NEXIM Bank of billions of Naira and Dollars.
Also, Danladi was reportedly barred in 2019 by the Supreme Court from contesting or holding political offices for 10 years over certificate forgery and age falsification.
The federal government says it will no longer pursue the contempt suit filed against the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
On July 26, NLC issued a seven-day ultimatum to the federal government to reverse all “anti-poor” and “insensitive” policies.
The policies, the union said, include the recent hike in the price of petrol, and the sudden increase in public school fees, among others.
The labour movements warned that they would go on strike and mass protests if the government failed to hearken to their demands.
However, the federal government said the unions were restrained by an order of the national industrial court from embarking on any industrial action regarding the removal of the petrol subsidy.
The government also said the order prohibited the NLC and affiliates from holding protests across the country.
Despite the government’s stance, organised labour led its members to nationwide protests on Wednesday.
Consequently, the federal government initiated contempt proceeding against the unions for allegedly defying the order restraining them from embarking on industrial action.
The “notice of consequences of disobedience to order of the court” also called “form 48” was filed before the national industrial court in Abuja.
The protest was later suspended on Thursday after leaders of the unions met with President Bola Tinubu at the presidential villa, Abuja.
In a letter addressed to Femi Falana, NLC counsel, on Monday, Beatrice Jedy-Agba, solicitor-general of the federation, said the protests “led to disruption of work and the eventual pulling down of the gate of the national assembly”.
“The foregoing prompted the ministry to initiate contempt proceedings by filing Form 48 on the same 2nd August 2023 in accordance with section 72 of the Sheriffs and civil process act and order 9 rule 13 of the judgment (enforcement) rules.
“It is trite that issuance of Form 48 is just the starting point in contempt proceedings which will only crystalise upon the issuance of Form 49 and the consequential committal order.
“Upon the intervention of his excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the decision of the labour unions to call off their industrial action after meetings with the president and leadership of the national assembly, this ministry did not proceed further with the contempt proceedings, which would have required the issuance of Form 49 within two days of the issuance of Form 48.
“It is self-evident that the non-issuance of Form 49 as of 4th August 2023, renders the contempt proceedings inchoate.”
The Department of State Services (DSS) has stated that the detention of the suspended embattled governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, is backed by a court order.
The DSS also stated that the continued detention of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu; and suspended Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa are legal.
Naija News reports that the DSS Public Relations Officer, Peter Afunanya, made this known in an opinion piece on Monday titled ‘DSS And Accusations Of Disobedience To Court Orders – Setting The Records Right.’
Afunanya said the secret police has always obeyed court orders in the handling of Emefiele’s case, adding that the findings from the preliminary investigation of the face-off between DSS operatives and prison officials are “quite shocking”.
Read the full opinion piece below:
Recently, the media is awash with various commentaries about DSS disobedience to Court Orders. These accusations, as wrong as they are, have peaked in the Emefiele saga. It may interest the public and indeed the avowed critics of the Service to note the following incidents and timelines to show that it has religiously obeyed Court orders in respect of the case and even others.
In 2022, the Service commenced the investigation of Mr Godwin Emefiele on suspicion of Terrorism Financing, Money Laundering among others and subsequently applied to the Federal High Court, Abuja for his arrest and detention. But the Chief Judge objected to the order and clearly stated that the Service did not need an order to investigate or arrest him. Emefiele was to later obtain a restraining order issued by Justice MA Hassan of the FCT High Court against the Service. Instructively, the DSS obeyed this Order and did not arrest or detain Emefiele.
However, on 9th June, 2023, Emefiele was suspended as CBN Governor by the President. Based on new information and suspected criminal infractions, the Service, as expected by law, arrested and detained him using a Magisterial Order. On 10th July, 2023, Justice Hamza Mu’azu of the FCT High Court, while recognising that the DSS had every legal right to arrest, detain and investigate Emefiele, ordered for his release or prosecution within seven days. The Service expeditiously and expressly complied with the order and charged him for illegal possession of firearms and ammunitions being one of the criminal suspicions. The Muazu Order had, by implication, extended Emefiele’s detention by seven days with effect from 10th July, 2023 when the initial detention order had expired.
Within the same period, Justice Bello Kawu of the same FCT High Court, while dismissing reliefs sought by Peter Abang, Counsel to Emefiele on 14th July, 2023 ordered for the release or prosecution of Emefiele within 48 hours. However, the Service had complied with the seven days ultimatum issued by Justice Muazu. In obedience to rule of law, Emefiele was arraigned before Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, on 25th July, 2023 for illegal possession of arms and ammunition. The Service had long issued a press statement over the incident that happened at the Court between its staff and those of Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) and pledged to investigate it. Though the investigation is ongoing, the preliminary findings are quite shocking considering the ignoble roles played by some public officials.
As normal with criminal investigations, security agencies re-arrest suspects when there is adequate suspicion of commission of a crime or as may be revealed by an ongoing investigation. Emefiele was re-arrested on the basis of this. Even though the re-arrest was tainted by the overzealousness of personnel of the Service and NCoS, it was nonetheless legally procedural.
Later, the Service applied for an Exparte Order at the FCT High Court presided by Justice Edward Okpe (and not Justice Mu’azu as erroneously and massively reported in the media) to detain Emefiele for 14 days. Against the established rules regarding exparte applications, a lawyer suddenly appeared in the Court for Emefiele. While the Judge did not outrightly reject the DSS request, he struck out the motion upon its withdrawal by the Service counsel. But this is not without his guidance. Earlier, the Judge had drawn the attention of the Counsels to Section 293 of Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) which also recognises the Magistrate Court as a competent Court that can first be approached for an order for custody of a suspect under investigation. In other words, the Service, having taken the hint of the Court, took the right steps. What transpired at the Court was, thereafter, variously misrepresented by some mischief makers. Part of the disinformation is to the effect that the Court “struck out the application and stated that it was an abuse of judicial process”. That was not what the Court said. What Justice Okpe said was “the Applicant having withdrawn the application, same is hereby struck out”. That was all. The Court records are there. But purveyors of fake news distorted the message to suit their intent; just to make the Service look bad – a sort of giving the dog a bad name in order to hang it.
Many had gone to town with stories of DSS fragrant disobedience to Court Orders especially in view of the last episodes at the High Courts in Lagos and Abuja. With what played out at the Court on 27th July 2023 under Justice Okpe, the Service immediately applied and obtained a detention Order from a Magistrate Court. So, Emefiele is legally detained. For reasons that the Emefiele case is subjudice, the Service will restrain from making further comments on the subject matter.
For either lack of knowledge or deliberate act to ignore the truth, there has been sustained bashing of the Service and its leadership in the media and public spaces. It is ironical that the same people who condemn media trial are daily taking the Service through the same. The actual points are however, not lost on the Service. It is aware of the depth of the orchestrations and even deeper plot to incite the judiciary against it.
Targeting DSS DG, YM Bichi, for insidious media attacks is needless. Any DGSS, even if brought from heaven among the angels, will discharge the DSS mandate. There isn’t a time in our national sojourn for greatness that key organs of government will cease to exist or not needed. The DSS, like the CIA, FBI among others, is a major and positive instrument of State administration and management. It is essential for statecraft, governance, stability and public order. Scraping it as being canvassed by the uninformed is unreasonable. It is indeed obvious the DSS is misunderstood. It is obvious there is a mob action against the Service. Allow the DSS be. Allow Bichi, a fine gentleman officer, be. Support DSS. Support Nigeria. As in the national anthem, Arise, O Compatriots.
Some critics have made varied insinuations including abusing the Service, its leadership and completely distorting the significant historical role of the Service in nation building. Others have said it is wobbling and of no relevance.
Laughable. The DSS is not tottering. It is standing and firmly too. Even the worst of its critics knows that the Service has played (and still plays) stabilising roles for the nation. Its loyalty and patriotism are incomparable. The Service is a stabilising force for the country’s democracy. Same for the indivisibility and indissolubility of Nigeria’s sovereignty. Only a collaborative support from stakeholders will strengthen this. The Service does not claim to know it all; a reason it allows for constructive criticism and makes out time to explain itself in line with transparency and democratic accountability.
Whether on Emefiele, Bawa or Kanu, the Service has obeyed judicial orders and handled the cases procedurally and in accordance with the rule of law. Critics are encouraged to be a bit more discerning and up their research capabilities. Doing so will reveal that the Service obeys orders. The Court of Appeal judgement on Kanu is recommended for detailed study. Maybe, we can decipher the difference between Discharged and Acquitted and what the use of either or both mean in the final order of a Judge. The DSS is an ardent respecter of the law. Anyone may argue this but it is true. It is in this regard that it has applied for either a stay or notice of appeal on some of the matters. One who does not obey the laws will not resort to legal procedures like the DSS has done.
Let those seeking justice not intimidate the Judges or derail law enforcement efforts. Judges deliver justice without fear or favour and should be allowed to discharge their duties honourably. For the umpteenth time, the Service reiterates its unequivocal stance on rule of law and respect for the judiciary. This position remains unchanging despite the futile attempts to paint it otherwise.
As Former Federal Character Commission Staff Alleges Job Seekers Paid Millions for Job Racketeering
The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating job racketeering and gross mismanagement of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) in Nigeria has barred the chairman, secretary and commissioners of the Federal Character Commission (FCC) from addressing journalists about the probe.
The chairman of the committee, Yusuf Gagdi, at the resumed investigative hearing of the panel yesterday stated this after grilling Haruna Kolo, a former protocol officer to the FCC chairman, Muheeba Dankaka and taking responses from some commissioners the chairman accused of sharp practices.
While the FCC delegation, consisting of the anti and pro-Dankaka divide, were leaving the hearing room, Gagdi said, “Federal Character we have resolved …wait, please sit down, no commissioner should address the press. Don’t preempt our investigation.
“Federal Character please allow us to do justice, including the chairman, secretary, nobody from Federal Character should address the press on the pending investigation.”
The chairman vowed that the committee will not allow taxpayers money to be embezzled.
“I said in the speech I read I didn’t see the relationship between selling this and selling that. I was very clear. I know why we were asking Kolo to give us evidence and we know why we were deferring this sitting for other witnesses that are alleged to have had financial dealings with Federal Character.
“Kolo appears here tomorrow. We are calling the other witnesses. We will allow you to do your work. Whomever that is found wanting will answer his father’s name, including Kolo Haruna. Kolo, I am not saying anything will happen to you but by law you are not supposed to leave here without being arrested.
“For a civil servant that has thirty something million in his account that admitted publicly that you are serving as a front to aid corruption. So, I am quiet, I think and I don’t want to take you up on that because we don’t want to be seen to be sentimental. We want to protect you as much possible to get evidence against you and against others,” Gagdi said.
Kolo had in his response to queries by the lawmakers said as the protocol officer to the chairman, he had been collecting between N1 million to N1.5 million for his boss from individual applicants before he left the Commission.
“On the allegations of job racketeering, the FCC chairman instructed me to liaise with one Mr Shehu who is a personal driver and PA to the Taraba State commissioner. As a desk officer, I am responsible to take whoever is employed to IPPIS for capturing. No one can go there without a letter from the Chairman or Human Resource officer of FCC.
“When she came, she wrote a letter to the Accountant General instructing that no letter from FCC should be honored except she signed the letter. So, whenever there were new employees, she signs, gives them to me and I take them to the accountant-generals office for capturing.
“Shehu is the one that brought those who paid money to my account for a job, some paid 1million others 1.5 million all to my personal account, my Eco bank account. She asked me to give cash to her which I did through PoS so there is no evidence of transfer or anything,” he said.
Kolo informed the Committee that employment in Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) was the personal favour of the chairman to him and four others, hence it was not fraudulent as alleged.
“I see no reason why the chairperson will make allegations of such magnitude to my humble self. I have been threatened even at gunpoint and had to leave Abuja.
“Sir I want this committee to know that after this sitting if anything happens to me the FCC chairperson should be held responsible, “ Kolo stated.
In her response, Dankaka swears with God and Holy Qu’ran that she never collected money from Kolo, insisting that she has never instructed her former subordinate to collect money on her behalf.
“I swear with Almighty God I am with this Qu’ran. Thank God the secretary brought this Qu’ran. If I ever collect one naira from this Kolo, may almighty destroy what I worked for. If I have ever in my life asked him to go and collect one naira from anybody with Qu’ran let it be destroyed.
“I have not set my eyes on this Kolo since December. I don’t know the driver that they are talking about. I have never set eyes on the driver. He said he comes to my house to give me money, he does not come to my house to give me money,” she said.
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Alleged Corruption Scandal: ICPC Begins Probe Of Former AGF Malami Over Seized Oil Vessels, Abuse Of Office
AdminThe Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission is investigating allegations of corruption and abuse of office against immediate-past Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.
This was revealed in a memo dated July 19, 2023, signed by the Petition Registrar, ICPC, H.S. Folaranmi, on behalf of the ICPC Chairman, Prof Bolaji Owasanoye
The memo was in response to a petition filed by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda, accusing the former AGF of corruption and high-handedness.
“I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your petition on the above subject and to inform you that necessary action is being taken on the matter,” the memo read.
HEDA, writing the ICPC through its Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, in its July 10, 2023 petition sighted by our correspondence, had said, referenced a number of allegations against Malami.
It said, “Below are but a few of several corruption allegations against Mr. Abubakar Malami: On the 2nd day of May 2022, it was widely reported by various news outlets that the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice; Abubakar Malami SAN distributed 30 car gifts worth over N1,000,000,000 to his supporters in Kebbi State.
“The car gifts included 14 Mercedes Benz, eight Prado SUVs, four Toyota Hilux and four Lexus LX. Beneficiaries of the car gifts, as reported by PremiumTimes, were social media influencers, executive members of Mr Malami’s foundation and women support groups.
“Two, illegal auctioning of sea vessels holding crude oil seized by the Federal Government, violating Section 31(2) and (4) of the EFCC Act 2004 and assuming the role conferred on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission as reported by TheCable Newspaper on the 13th July, 2020. The AGF also authorised the sale of these vessels by companies under EFCC prosecution for similar offence of illegal bunkering and this action was admitted by the AGF through his Media Assistant pleading presumption of innocence on the part of the accused, in a case being prosecuted by the Federal Government through the EFCC.”
The group also referenced “alleged duplicity of payment of $16.9m fees to two friends as new lawyers for the recovery of the loot traced to a former Nigerian Head of State, Sani Abacha, after a Swiss lawyer, Enrico Monfrini, hired and fully paid by the previous government, to help in the recovery had completed his brief as reported by PremiumTimes on the 10th of April, 2018.”
Nigerian Senate on Monday delayed the confirmation of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai as minister over security clearance.
The Senate approved the appointment of 45 out of the 48 ministerial nominees submitted by President Bola Tinubu.
The nominees were confirmed on Monday evening after the upper legislative chamber concluded the screening of the candidates.
However, El-Rufai, Delta State’s Stella Okotete, and Taraba State’s Sani A Danladi were not confirmed as the Senate awaits security clearance about them.
Those confirmed include Ekperikpe Ekpo (Akwa Ibom), Heineken Lolokpobri (Bayelsa), Betta Edu (Cross River), John Owan Enoh (Cross River), Festus Keyamo (Delta), Abubakar Momoh (Edo), Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Tahir Mamman (Adamawa), Yusuf Maitama Tuggar (Adamawa), Ali Pate (Bauchi), Abubakar Kyari (Borno), Alkali Ahmed Saidu (Gombe), Uba Maigari Ahmadu (Taraba), Ibrahim Geidam (Yobe), Mohamed Badaru (Jigawa), Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure (Kano) and Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo (Kano).
Others confirmed are Ahmad Dangiwa (Katsina), Hannatu Musawa (Katsina), Yusuf Tanko Sununu (Kebbi), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Bello M Goronyo (Sokoto), Bello Matawwalle (Zamfara), Nkiru Onyejiocha (Abia), Uju Ohaneye (Anambra), David Umahi (Ebonyi), Uche Nnaji (Enugu), Doris Uzoka (Imo), Dele Alake (Ekiti), Tunji Alausa and Lola Ade John from Lagos State.
Amongst ministerial nominees confirmed also is Ishak Salako, Bosun Tijani and Olawale Edun from Ogun State, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo (Ondo), Adegboyega Oyetola (Osun), Adebayo Adelabu (Oyo), Joseph Utsev (Benue), Zaphaniah Bitrus Jisalo (FCT), Shaibu Abubakar Audu (Kogi), Lateef Fagbemi (Kwara), Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim (Nasarawa), Mohammed Idris and Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi from Niger State and Simon Bako Lalong (Plateau).
Prior to their confirmation, there was an uproar in the Senate after the Senate Minority Whip, Senator Darlington Nwokocha (LP, Abia Central), raised an issue against Keyamo, a ministerial nominee from Delta State, when he appeared for screening.
Nwokocha had accused Keyamo of disrespecting the 9th National Assembly and accusing the last Assembly of being corrupt when he was summoned to give explanation on the implementation of the special works programme under his purview as a Minister in the last Buhari administration.
The Senate later moved to a closed-door session afterwhich President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the confirmation of the nominees after they were cleared by a voice vote by the senators at the plenary.
The senators had cleared the nominees by voice vote at the Committee of the Whole when Akpabio read out their names one after the other.
[Guardian]
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), on Monday, announced the release of the results for the 2023 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates.
The examination body said out of a total of 1,613,733 candidates that sat the examination, the results of 262,803 candidates are being withheld “due to reports of cases of examination malpractice.”
The Head of Nigeria’s Office (HNO) of WAEC, Patrick Areghan, who made the announcement in Lagos, also hinted at his exit from the examination body as he is set to retire in a few weeks.
Meanwhile, Mr Areghan announced an improvement in pass rate by candidates as a total of 1,361,608 candidates, representing 84.38 per cent, obtained credit and above in a minimum of five subjects with or without English Language or Mathematics.
Also, 1,287,920 candidates, representing 79.81 per cent of the total candidates, obtained credits and above in a minimum of five subjects including English Language and Mathematics.
In 2022, 76.36 per cent of the 1,601,047 candidates that sat the examination, obtained credits and above in a minimum of five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.
The release of the 2023 results would offer a ray of hope for candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions.
Some of the admission seekers who sat the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) did not provide the required SSCE results in their application forms but declared they were awaiting their results.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) conducted UTME for admission seekers nationwide in May, and many tertiary institutions have since commenced admission processes.
Breakdown
Giving a further breakdown of the 2023 examination, Mr Areghan said out of the candidates that sat the examination in Nigeria, only the results of 1,476,565 candidates, representing 91.5 per cent have been fully processed and released while 137,168 candidates, representing 8.5 per cent have a few of their subjects still being processed.
He explained that the delay is due to some “shortcomings, nonchalant, lethargy, incomplete CASS upload, disobedience of rubrics, etc associated with the schools and candidates concerned.”
Of the 1,613,733 candidates that sat the examination, Mr Areghan noted that 794,280 were males while 819,453 were females, representing 49.22 per cent and 50.78 per cent respectively.
He added that 70,794 of the candidates were with varying degrees of special needs: 109 were visually impaired, 386 had impaired hearing, 33 were spastic cum mentally challenged and 34 were physically challenged.
“All these candidates were adequately provided for the administration of the examination. The results of these candidates have been processed and are also now being released along with those of other candidates,” he added.
Cashless policy, other challenges
During the conduct of the 2023 WASSCE, Mr Areghan said the council was faced with financial constraints “orchestrated by the cashless policy and the hike in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), as a result of fuel subsidy removal.”
He noted that disruptions were experienced in some parts of the South-east due to the enforcement of a sit-at-home order by the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and also some insecurity concerns in parts of the North-west.
Mr Areghan also recounted how the council lost a vehicle and its contents to an armed robbery attack at Okigwe, on the road to Enugu on 4 June 2023.
“The armed robbers took away our vehicle and the contents, but to the glory of God, no one was harmed. The vehicle was found after two days, with all the contents intact,” he said.
“However, we had already reprinted the codes involved at an extra cost that was not budgeted for. This incident disrupted our logistics and scheduled operations.”
Examination malpractice
On examination malpractice, Mr Areghan said the figure of 262,803 withheld results, representing 16.29 per cent of the total number of candidates that sat the examination in 2023, is lower than the 22.83 per cent recorded in 2022.
“The reasons for this are not far-fetched. Candidates are no longer ready to study, they lack self-confidence and preparations for examinations are poor,” he said “There is over-reliance on the so-called ‘expo’, which is non-existent.”
He reiterated that the council will continue to sanction all cases of examination malpractice while noting that all the reported cases of “organised cheating” are being investigated.
Access to digital certificates
Mr Areghan further noted that the results of candidates who sat the 2023 WASSCE are being uploaded on the results website and that the candidates can access their digital certificate simultaneously.
He said: “The digital certificates of candidates who sat the WASSCE for school candidates 2023, and who have no pending issues, by way of unresolved queries or hanging cases of examination malpractice, are ready on the digital certificate platform.
“Printing of the physical (hard copy) certificates will commence 90 days from today. This is an innovation that will make admission processes seamless and with a high level of mobility.”
He added that the result checker PIN and serial number required by candidates to check their results online are on the candidate’s smart identity card used during the examination.
Highlighting the achievements recorded in WAEC under his stewardship as the HNO of WAEC, Mr Areghan said apart from the digital certificate, the council launched Educational Statistics (EDUSTAT) platform that enables stakeholders to access statistics online.
The council also established a functional WAEC Nigeria Digital Printing Press (WNDPP) after 71 years of existence, and other digital platforms.
[Premium Times]
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), on Monday, in Lagos, released the results of this year’s May/June West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
A total of 1,613,733 candidates sat the examination, out of which 1,287,920 (representing 79.81%) obtained credits and above in at least five mandatory subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, which is a marginal increase from that of 76.36% of last year.
Meanwhile, candidates will have the opportunity for the first time in the history of WAEC to from 12 hours from now access their results online and also download the digital copies of their certificates on the council’s website while same will still send to their schools later
Furthermore, no fewer than eight states including Niger out of the 36 states of the federation and the federal capital territory which are yet to pay for their candidates’ exam fees in full would have their candidates’ results withheld until they pay the money in full and likewise, a total of 262,803. candidates (representing 16. 29%) of the total number of candidates, who sat the exam are being withheld in connection with various reported cases of exam malpractice, and their cases are being investigated to determine if to eventually release or cancel.
This is (6.54%) lower than the 22.83% recorded in the same exam last year.
The Head of the National Office of WAEC Nigeria, Mr Patrick Areghan, announced the release of the results and gave the statistics at a news conference held at the headquarters of the organisation in Yaba.
He explained that the cost of conducting its both school-based and exams for private candidates has gone up astronomically particularly due to rising inflation occasioned by fuel subsidy removal and therefore would ensure to get its money paid in full by the indebted state governments before releasing their candidates results.
While he also decried the fluctuation in performance of candidates in the exam, Areghan particularly raised great concern on high cases of malpractice in the exam, blaming the development over many reasons.
According to him, many students no longer prepare well for exams as they rely on the so-called “Expo” which is actually non-existent and also for activities of the “rogue website operators” and some social media platform owners, who post question papers online immediately after the commencement of subject papers and the use of mobile phones in the exam halls in spite of the ban placed on the device.
He, however, promised that WAEC would continue to sanction all cases of exam malpractice and perpetrators including schools, and school administrators, invigilators and supervisors until the system is rid of sharp practices.
Areghan, who also complained that the insecurity situation in the country particularly in the North West and some eastern states where the sit-at-home order is imposed as well as armed robbers’ attack at Okigwe really taken a toll on the organisation during the conduct of the exam, stressed that the council was able to get the support of state government and security agencies to help out.
While disclosing that his tenure as HNO would end in October, Areghan also noted that results of all candidates with special needs including visually (109) and hearing impaired(386), physically challenged (34) and 33 others had been released with that of others.
He, however, said candidates could start checking their results within the next 12 hours on the council’s website, given at www.waecdirect.org and also access their digital certificates on www.waec.org, using their Smart Identity Card which they used during the exam.