The Senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, has stated that the South-East region will appeal to the Federal Government for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra.

In a Thursday interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Ubah expressed confidence that through consultations and concerted efforts, there will be a plea for Kanu’s release.

While acknowledging the legal complexities of the matter, Senator Ubah emphasised the need for unity in addressing issues affecting the region.

“I am of the firm belief that if we can consult – with the consultation we have had, the government will start looking in that direction.

“Even though it is something that the government cannot say – based on the issues in court, the government cannot say that they can take a unilateral position. But I believe by the time we join the forces coming into the centre spread, we will make an appeal,” he said.

He emphasised the importance of stability and tranquillity in the region.

“Everybody that wants peace in the South-East should help join or help pray for me and see that my move will bring value to the South-East and bring tranquillity and peace so that people will start going back to the southeast.

“People are no more going: Mondays are being observed as sit-at-home, so many things are involved,” Ubah added.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission says it has completed all arrangements to commence its sixth phase of tracking some fraudulent constituency projects across the country.

The commission specifically disclosed that it would deploy its officers across all six geo-political zones of the country, starting from Monday, October 16 to track 1,932 projects valued at ₦500 billion.

The spokesperson for the commission, Azuka Ogugua, who revealed this in Abuja on Thursday, explained that the objective of the exercise was to ensure improved service delivery to the people across nooks and crannies of the country.

She listed focal states for the exercise as Nasarawa, Benue, Kogi, Niger, Kwara, Plateau, Adamawa, Borno, Bauchi.

Other focal states, according to Ogugua include Taraba, Gombe, Yobe, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Anambra, Ebonyi, Imo, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Lagos, Ondo States and the Federal Capital Territory.

The anti-graft agency also announced that it would put special intervention agencies or captive funds projects handling and execution of the North-East Development Commission and Presidential Amnesty Programme under its radar.

She added that Niger Delta Development Commission, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, Ecological Fund Office, National Health Insurance Authority, and Hydro-Electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission among others would be focused on.

“The objectives of the exercise include improved service delivery to the people by investigating fraudulent procurement practices in the award of public contracts; full execution of all publicly funded projects; execution to the specification of all projects funded by the government; ensuring compliance with all regulatory requirements and ensuring that government gets value for monies spent on projects.

“The commission will also be focusing on special intervention agencies/captive funds projects handling and execution of North-East Development Commission, Presidential Amnesty Program, Niger Delta Development Commission, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, Ecological Fund Office, National Health Insurance Authority, and Hydro-Electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission amongst others.

“As usual, the exercise will be carried out by ICPC in collaboration with relevant stakeholders such as Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, the media and civil society organizations,” the ICPC spokesperson revealed on Thursday.

The White House on Thursday said it was working to organise charter flights to help United States citizens leave Israel as the country reels from the massive attack by Hamas.

Fears of a regional conflagration have surged amid expectations of a looming Israeli ground incursion into Gaza, the crowded enclave from where Hamas launched its land, air and sea attack on Saturday.

The US State Department had noted that the known death toll of US citizens in the violence had risen to “at least 22.”

“Beginning tomorrow, (the) United States government will arrange charter flights to provide transportation from Israel to sites in Europe,” said White House national security spokesman John Kirby.

According to France 24, Kirby added that officials were “still working through some of the details”.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will step back from direct development finance interventions and refocus on its core mandate of monetary policy and advisory roles, according to CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso.

In a statement on Thursday, Cardoso said the apex bank under previous leadership had blurred lines by engaging in fiscal interventions outside its purview. He noted that the CBN will now play an advisory role by promoting specialized institutions and financial products that catalyze emerging economic sectors.

The CBN chief outlined new regulatory frameworks to unlock dormant capital in real estate, expand consumer credit access and financial inclusion. He identified housing, textiles, food supply chains, healthcare and education as sectors with high local input potential for rapid industrialization.

Cardoso stressed that the CBN will leverage its convening power to foster public-private partnerships between stakeholders on development initiatives. However, he cautioned that the apex bank does not have a magic wand to immediately solve the large, complex economic problems it inherited.

The governor said focused leadership and sustained reforms will over time attract investments, create jobs and improve prosperity. He highlighted reforms around corporate governance, institutional autonomy, unorthodox policies, forex management and financing of fiscal deficits.

According to Cardoso, the CBN is weighing options to clear forex backlogs, ensure price stability and enforce statutory limits in deficit financing. He expressed confidence that the bank will fulfill its mandate through the ongoing reforms.

The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee will confer the title of Senior Advocate of Nigeria on 58 legal practitioners out of the 69 shortlisted applicants.

Our correspondent learnt that most of the disqualified applicants were those in academia.

12 professors were shortlisted in the category but only Prof. Babatunde Oni would be conferred with the SAN title.

The Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court and Secretary of the LPPC, Hajo Sarki-Bello, said in a statement on Thursday that the LPPC took the decision on the applicants at its 159th session held on October 12 presided over by the Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola.

“The rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria is awarded to members of the legal profession who have distinguished themselves as advocates and academics.

“The swearing-in ceremony of the 58 successful applicants is to take place on Monday, November 27, 2023,” Sarki-Bello said.

The successful applicants, according to the statement were a human rights activist, Olukayode Ajulo, Felix Offia, Lawrence Falade, Kingsley Obamogie, Folasade Alli, Abiola Isiaq Oyebanji, Bomo Agbebi, Daniel Uruakpa, and Oseloka Osuigwe.

Others include the wife of foremost human rights lawyer, Funmi Falana, Babatunde Adeoye, Babaseyi Joseph, Emmanuel Enoidem, Kehinde Aina, Nghozi Oleh, Aaron Okoroma, Ibrahim Angulu, and Olayiwola Afolabi.

Athletics Integrity Unit on Thursday slammed one of the country’s fastest sprinters ever, Divine Oduduru with a six-year ban for doping-related offences.

As contained in a press statement issued Thursday by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), Oduduru has been handed a six-year ban by a three-member Disciplinary Tribunal for committing two Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs).

The violations include the Possession of Prohibited Substances and the Attempted Use of a Prohibited Substance or Method. Additionally, Oduduru has been ordered to pay World Athletics a fine of US$3000 )over N3m) to cover expenses related to the case.

The ban is retroactive, starting from 9 February 2023, the date of Oduduru’s provisional suspension – and extends until February 8, 2029.

Furthermore, all of Oduduru’s results from 12 July 2021, to the date of his provisional suspension have been disqualified.

According to the AIU statement on Thursday, the case unfolded as part of a criminal investigation into Eric Lira, the first person to plead guilty under the US Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act for providing performance-enhancing drugs to Olympic athletes ahead of the Tokyo Olympic Games.

The US Department of Justice’s initial complaint, issued in January 2022, referred to two athletes, “Athlete-1” and “Athlete-2.” The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) identified “Athlete-1” as Blessing Okagbare, who faced an 11-year ban last year, and, following an interview with Oduduru, concluded that he was “Athlete-2.”

Brett Clothier, Head of the AIU, expressed satisfaction with the outcome, stating, “We are very pleased with the outcome of this matter, given its particularly grievous nature, exposing the sinister collusion between athletes and other persons in deliberate plans to corrupt athletics at the highest level.”

Clothier emphasised the AIU’s commitment to uncovering cheats and acknowledged the cooperation with investigative organizations such as the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and the United States Department of Justice, whose legal reach provided crucial evidence in both Oduduru’s and Okagbare’s cases.

The panel found Oduduru guilty of Possession of a Prohibited Substance and Attempted Use of a Prohibited Substance, treating them as a single first violation.

The mandatory four-year ban for the combined violation was extended by an additional two years for Aggravating Circumstances.

The panel justified the longer ban by citing Oduduru’s involvement in a scheme with a teammate to procure multiple non-specified Prohibited Substances to influence athletic competitions.

Oduduru, who turned 27 on 7 October, maintained his innocence despite overwhelming evidence against him.

The AIU’s case relied on WhatsApp messages between Okagbare and Lira, revealing Oduduru’s solicitation of Prohibited Substances and photographic evidence of these substances in his Florida apartment.

The substances found included human growth hormone (Somatropin), synthetic Insulin Growth Factor (IGF LR3), and recombinant erythropoietin (EPO).

The panel considered it an extraordinary coincidence that these substances precisely matched those requested by Okagbare from Lira for both herself and Oduduru.

The panel concluded that Oduduru was in constructive possession of the Prohibited Substances based on the circumstances surrounding their discovery in his exclusive control.

Despite the ban and the damning evidence, Oduduru maintained his innocence, and the fallout from this scandal is set to have lasting repercussions on his athletic career and the broader integrity of track and field competitions.

The House of Representatives has called upon the Tinubu administration to contemplate reinstating a price control board in the nation, aiming to enforce government-approved prices for goods and stabilize overall commodity prices.

This request stems from the adoption of a motion concerning urgent public matters presented by Hussaini Jallo (PDP-Kaduna) during Thursday’s plenary in Abuja.

The motion, titled: ‘’Need to enforce the price control act to regulate and monitor price of essential goods and services in the country,’’ was aimed at preventing the hoarding of goods and protecting customers from exorbitant prices.

He stated that the overall increase in prices across Nigeria has had a ripple effect on both goods and services. He emphasized the necessity of implementing a Price Control Act to stabilize the nation’s economy, mitigate excessive inflation, and ensure affordability of essential commodities for all.

According to him, implementing such an act would help maintain economic balance in the nation. He highlighted the lack of proper regulation on commodity prices, resulting in unpredictable hikes in petroleum product costs, particularly Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS), automotive gas oil (AGO), and kerosene.

The fluctuating prices adversely affected the transportation sector, subsequently impacting the cost of living for the ordinary citizens. He warned that if the ongoing economic challenges were left unaddressed, it could lead to economic disparity and contribute to social unrest, fostering discontent among the citizenry who may perceive the government as insensitive to their needs.

Consequently, the House urged the federal government to impose zero duty on agricultural products for a five-year period to incentivize agricultural production and ease the burden on farmers. They proposed the establishment of a price control board responsible for setting, regulating, and monitoring the prices of essential commodities, extending beyond cement, sugar, and food items.

To ensure compliance, the House mandated its Committee on Commerce to oversee and report back within four days for further legislative action.

After eight years, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has officially lifted the foreign exchange restrictions on 43 previously banned items.

This decision marks a significant development in Nigeria’s economic policy and has garnered considerable attention. Here is a breakdown of the 43 items that are no longer subject to foreign exchange restrictions:

1. Rice
2. Cement
3. Margarine
4. Palm kernel
5. Palm oil products
6. Vegetable oils
7. Meat and processed meat products
8. Vegetables and processed vegetable products
9. Poultry and processed poultry products
10. Tinned fish in sauce (Geisha)/sardine
11. Cold rolled steel sheets
12. Galvanized steel sheets
13. Roofing sheets
14. Wheelbarrows
15. Head pans
16. Metal boxes and containers
17. Enamelware
18. Steel drums
19. Steel pipes
20. Wire rods (deformed and not deformed)
21. Iron rods
22. Reinforcing bars
23. Wire mesh
24. Steel nails
25. Security and razor fencing and poles
26. Wood particle boards and panels
27. Wood fiberboards and panels
28. Plywood boards and panels
29. Wooden doors
30. Toothpicks
31. Glass and glassware
32. Kitchen utensils
33. Tableware
34. Tiles-vitrified and ceramic
35. Gas cylinders
36. Woven fabrics
37. Clothes
38. Plastic and rubber products
39. Polypropylene granules
40. Cellophane wrappers and bags
41. Soap and cosmetics
42. Tomatoes/tomato pastes
43. Eurobond/foreign currency bond/share purchases

This development is expected to have far-reaching implications for Nigeria’s economy and international trade. The decision to lift the foreign exchange restrictions is seen as a major step towards opening up Nigeria’s trade policies and facilitating a more liberalized economic environment. It will be interesting to observe how this decision impacts various sectors and industries in the coming months. Stay tuned for more updates and analysis on this significant policy change.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the appointment of Ola Olukoyede as the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, made this known in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja, Naija News reports.

Ngelale said the president appointed Olukoyede for a renewable term of four years in the first instance, pending his confirmation by the Senate.

He added that the appointment is in line with the powers vested in President Tinubu as established in Section 2 (3) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004.

Ngelale said Olukoyede is a lawyer with over 22 years of experience as a regulatory compliance consultant and specialist in fraud management and corporate intelligence.

He said Olukoyede had previously served as the Chief of Staff to the Executive Chairman between 2016 to 2018, and the Secretary to the Commission between 2018 to 2023.

He said, “By the powers vested in President Bola Tinubu as established in section 2 (3) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004, that “the Chairman and members of the Commission, other than ex-officio members, shall be appointed by the President,” President Tinubu has approved the appointment of Mr. Ola Olukoyede to serve as the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for a renewable term of four years in the first instance, pending Senate confirmation.

“Mr. Ola Olukoyede is a lawyer with over twenty-two (22) years of experience as a regulatory compliance consultant and specialist in fraud management and corporate intelligence. He has extensive experience in the operations of the EFCC, having previously served as the Chief of Staff to the Executive Chairman (2016-2018) and Secretary to the Commission (2018-2023). As such, he fulfils the statutory requirement for appointment as Chairman of the EFCC.

“Mr Olukoyede’s appointment follows the resignation of the suspended Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa.”

Ngelale also stated that President Tinubu had approved the appointment of Muhammad Hassan Hammajoda to serve as the EFCC Secretary, adding that the appointment is for a renewable term of five years in the first instance, pending Senate confirmation.

He said Tinubu tasks the new EFCC leadership to justify the confidence given to them in this important national assignment as a newly invigorated war on corruption.

He added: “Furthermore, President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Mr. Muhammad Hassan Hammajoda to serve as the Secretary of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for a renewable term of five years in the first instance, pending Senate confirmation.

“Mr. Muhammad Hassan Hammajoda is a public administrator with extensive experience in public finance management who holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Maiduguri and a Masters in Business Administration from the same university. He began his career as a lecturer at the Federal Polytechnic, Mubi. From there, he went into banking, including successful stints at the defunct Allied Bank and Standard Trust Bank.

“President Bola Tinubu tasks the new leadership of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to justify the confidence given to them in this important national assignment as a newly invigorated war on corruption undertaken through a reformed institutional architecture in the anti-corruption sector remains a central pillar of the President’s Renewed Hope agenda.”

President Bola Tinubu has asked the Supreme Court to dismiss the appeal filed by the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, and the opposition party.

Tinubu, who was the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 election, said this in a response filed by his lawyers on Saturday to Atiku’s notice of appeal.

Recall that the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, in its judgment on September 6, dismissed the petition filed by Atiku challenging the outcome of the February 25 presidential election.

According to the tribunal, the former Vice President failed to prove all the averments in his petition, stressing that his petitions lacked merit and was dismissed.

However, Atiku filed 35 grounds notice of appeal before the Supreme Court on September 18 and asked the apex court to set aside the entire findings and conclusions of the tribunal.

In the appeal, the PDP candidate submitted that the tribunal’s findings were done with “grave errors and gross misrepresentation”, which resulted in a miscarriage of justice.

In response to the appeal filed by Atiku, President Tinubu stated that the presidential election petition tribunal was correct in arriving at its verdict and affirming his election.

The president insisted that the appellants failed to prove all their allegations and submissions at the tribunal, adding that they have demonstrated any reason why the apex court should disturb any of the findings of the lower court.

Tinubu, however, described the appeal filed by the PDP candidate as “abusive in nature” and prayed for its dismissal.

He said: “Neither the appellants have demonstrated any reason why this honourable court should disturb any of the findings of the lower court, which, with all modesty, are rooted in law and a perfect demonstration of scholarship.

“We accordingly urge this honourable court to affirm the decision of the lower court, while dismissing this appeal in its entirety, as same is lacking in merit and bona fide.

“Everything put together or summarized, this appeal is a further demonstration of the abusive nature to which the appellants have subjected court processes. The supreme court is urged to dismiss it.”