Makes U-Turn from supporting Tinubu

Joe Igbokwe, a staunch supporter of President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC), has alleged that those who will rescue Nigeria have not been born.

Igbokwe, one of those who campaigned actively for Tinubu in the buildup to the election, said this while commenting on the cost of living crisis.

In a Facebook post on Friday, Igbokwe lamented that a bag of rice now costs N100,000

“With all the rice mills we have in Nigeria, my wife just told me that a bag of rice is now ₦100k plus. Without sounding immodest, I am constrained to say that the men and women that will rescue this country from self-inflicted pains and tears are not born yet,” he wrote.

Recently, Igbokwe, who served under virtually every Lagos governor since 1999, has been critical of some policies of the Tinubu administration, marking a departure of what he stood for.

Two weeks ago, he lamented over the hike in electricity tarrif, asking Tinubu to look into it.

In a post on his Facebook page three weeks ago, Igbokwe lamented that N20,000 worth of units only lasted him for just a day.

He said: “PBAT, please look into the new electricity tariff in Nigeria. It will kill businesses if the government does not act as quickly as possible. I have a small office in Surulere with about 7 units of AC.

“We used to buy 300 plus units for N20,0000. Yesterday we bought N20,000 worth of units and it lasted for just one day. They call it band A group. I pray that we review this.”

David Umahi, minister of works, says the first phase of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project will be completed on May 29, 2025.

Speaking on Thursday in Abuja during an inter-ministerial press briefing as part of activities to mark Nigeria’s 64th independence anniversary, the minister said after the project is completed, it will be tolled for five to 10 years to recover construction costs.

The construction of the highway began in March. The first phase of the project, made up of 47.47 kilometres of dual carriageway, was awarded to Hitech Construction Company Ltd.

“We started the coastal highway, 700 kilometers that is traversing Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states, ” Umahi said.

“People did not understand the merits of this project. People did not see this project as an investment. And so today, the first section is going to be completed by May 29 and we’re going to toll it, and we’re going to get back our money within five to 10 years.”

According to the minister, the federal government is planning to implement additional initiatives, including developing land along the corridor for tourism, factories, and housing, as part of efforts to further enhance returns on the project.

“We also acquired a number of land within the corridor, because we’ve seen that tolling of roads alone is not just going to give you return on investment immediately,” Umahi said.

“So, along these corridors, we are acquiring land where we use for tourism, where we use for factories, where we use for housing and so on and so forth.”

Umahi also said the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway is designed to relieve the strain on Apapa Wharf.

“This has long faced challenges due to its shallow berths that limit cargo handling capacity. These constraints have necessitated the costly process of transloading, where goods are shifted between vessels, resulting in significant daily financial losses for Nigeria,” he said.

The minister further said the importance of the seven axle road under construction is to facilitate the seamless transportation of goods from the Dangote refinery, fertilizer plant, and other major industries within the Lekki free trade zone.

“This critical infrastructure will connect to the Sagamu-Benin Expressway, ensuring smoother logistics and supply chains across key regions, including the North, south-west, south-south, and south-east,” the minister said.

Umahi added that the project is set to tap into the renewable energy potential along the coastal corridor, with plans to harness wind energy for future development.

Buba Galadima, a chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), says President Bola Tinubu‘s planned cabinet reshuffle would not make any difference.

On September 25, Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, said Tinubu “has expressed his desire to reshuffle his cabinet and he will do it”.

Speaking on Politics Today, a programme on Channels TV on Friday, Galadima said reshuffling the cabinet would not curb food inflation.

Galadima claimed that the president intends to reward his cronies with the reshuffle.

“That (planned cabinet reshuffle) has nothing to do with me or any Nigerian. What is of importance to all of us is bringing down the harsh conditions of living and the buck stops only on the table of one man. That is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Galadima said.

“No amount of reshuffling can make a difference. As far as that team is only ‘job for the boys,’ nothing will come out of it.

“Anybody that calls himself president or governor is responsible for their cabinet’s performance. He should be told that some of his appointees are more interested in their pockets than service delivery.

“I expected him to do better than this; and to hit the ground running.”

The NNPP chieftain asked Tinubu to find a solution to the country’s foreign exchange crisis “which has seen the naira performing abysmally”.

There have been growing calls from Nigerians and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Tinubu to reshuffle his cabinet and remove underperforming ministers.

Tinubu’s policies have driven petrol prices to record highs and depreciated the naira to record lows since he assumed the reins on May 29, 2023

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara has said that President Bola Tinubu is not responsible for the fuel subsidy removal.

According to him, Tinubu simply made the announcement.

Dogara said there was no provision for fuel subsidy in the budget before Tinubu made the announcement.

He stated this on Friday during an appearance on Channels TV.

The former speaker opined that fuel subsidy removal was a good move for Nigeria despite the effect.

He said, “In this case, there was no provision for it, and anybody who told you Tinubu suspended it was just joking because how did he suspend payment that was not budgeted for in the first instance?

“There was no provision for subsidy in that budget and I am not aware of any amendment that took place to accommodate the payment of subsidy.

“The truth is that he (Tinubu) was not the one who removed the subsidy. But he did make that pronouncement.

“There was no provision for it in the budget and you know the budget is backed by the Constitution. If there’s no provision for it in the budget, then how do you pay for it?”

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has outlined at least fifteen charges against the former Governor of Taraba State, Darius Ishaku.

Naija News reports that the anti-graft agency whisked away the former state leader from his residence in Abuja during the early hours of Friday, September 27.

Ishaku was apprehended for involvement in an ₦27 billion fraud.

The former governor is set to stand trial on 15 charges, ranging from criminal breach of trust to misappropriation and embezzlement of public money.

These alleged crimes took place from 2015 to 2021 while Ishaku was in office, involving the state’s and local government’s funds.

In particular, Ishaku is accused of siphoning off ₦1.01 billion from the 2.5% reserve fund of the Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State, between August 2015 and March 2016.

He is also said to have misused ₦3.348 billion from the funds of local government councils for his own benefit and took ₦639 million for personal use.

More accusations point to the theft of ₦1.138 billion from the same reserve fund between July 2015 and May 2019, as well as the theft of ₦193 million from the Donga Local Government Council’s funds.

Other charges include the theft of ₦650 million from the Gassol Local Government Council, ₦170 million from the Gashaka Local Government Council, and ₦201 million from the Ardo Kola Local Government Council.

The ex-governor is also being accused of purchasing a duplex in Abuja with funds from the Taraba State Government and using ₦761 million to settle a loan for his company, Worthy Construction Limited.

The spokesperson for the Commission, Dele Oyewale, has confirmed these allegations.

The charge sheet reads in part: “That you, DARIUS DICKSON ISHAKU, while being the Governor of Taraba State and BELLO YERO, while being the Permanent Secretary, Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State, between 25th August 2015 and 21st March 2016 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, and in such capacity entrusted with dominion over certain property, to wit: an aggregate sum of N1,010,000,000 (One Billion and Ten Million Naira), which sum formed part of the 2.5% contingency funds belonging to the Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State, committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property, when you dishonestly diverted the said sum to your own use and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 315 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria 2007 and punishable under the same Section.

“That you, DARIUS DICKSON ISHAKU, while being the Governor of Taraba State between 3rd September 2015 and 29th January 2018 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, and in such capacity entrusted with dominion over certain property, to wit: an aggregate sum of N761,301,000 (Seven Hundred and Sixty-One Million, Three Hundred and One Thousand Naira), which sum formed part of the funds belonging to Taraba State Government and Local Government Councils in Taraba State, and you hereby committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property, when you dishonestly diverted the said sum to defray the loan of One Billion Naira granted by Zenith Bank Plc. to your company, Worthy Construction Limited, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 315 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria 2007 and punishable under the same section.”

The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has revealed that the Nigerian government spent N15.57 trillion between 2006 and 2023 on the Petrol Motor Spirit(Petrol) subsidy.

NEITI disclosed this recently during the unveiling of its 2022 and 2023 Independent Oil and Gas Industry Reports in Abuja.

The report was unveiled by George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Ola Olukoyede, the chairperson of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other government officials on Thursday.

According to NEITI’s report, the year with the highest amount paid for fuel subsidy termed as under-recovery and price differentials was N4.714 trillion in 2022.

The report also revealed that the federal government was owed $6.071 billion and N66.4 billion in unpaid revenues from the oil and gas sector as of Jun 2024.

DAILY POST reports that fuel subsidy had been a subject of controversy despite President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announcing its removal in May 2023.

However, the World Bank had hinted that with the price per liter, Nigerians buy petrol, the product is still subsidized.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo also stated that Fuel subsidy is back.

However, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company had clarified that the firm only takes care of petrol importation shortfalls between the company and the federation.

In recent times NNPCL has increased fuel prices to N950 and N1,100 per litre indicating removal products’ subsidy.

Aliko Dangote, the President of Dangote Group recently called on the Nigerian government to completely remove fuel subsidies.

His comments come after Dangote Refinery’s petrol commenced distribution into the Nigerian market on September 15, 2024, through NNPCL.

While Dangote push for complete fuel subsidy removal which will see fuel rise above N1,100 per liter, Nigerians have continued over high energy costs.

Meanwhile, a recent report by Major The Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria, MEMAN on Thursday revealed that the landing cost of Petrol import dropped to N981.08 per liter in September 2024 from N1,130 in July.

Isaiah Okere, a 42-year-old Nigerian man, has pleaded guilty to charges of internet fraud that defrauded over 15 Americans and organizations out of more than $1 million.

Okere appeared before U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Liman in New York on Tuesday, admitting his role in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, revealed that Okere collaborated with members of the transnational criminal group, Black Axe, to carry out a series of romance scams, lottery frauds, and business email compromise schemes targeting vulnerable individuals.

The frauds primarily affected elderly and isolated victims, some of whom lost their entire life savings.

Okere was arrested in South Africa in December 2021 and extradited to the U.S. on August 23, 2024. He now faces a potential five-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to “one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.”

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams stated, “Isaiah Okere and his co-conspirators preyed on elderly and vulnerable victims, some of whom lost their entire life savings. This office’s global reach ensures that he will be held accountable in the United States for his crimes.”

The scam, which began in 2015 and continued until November 2019, resulted in significant emotional and financial damage to its victims.

Some victims were tricked into believing they were in romantic relationships with Okere and his associates, leading them to drain their retirement savings and even borrow from family and friends. One victim reported becoming suicidal after losing her savings to the scam.

In addition to romance schemes, Okere and his accomplices used fraudulent lottery schemes and business email compromise (BEC) fraud to steal from individuals and companies.

“Many victims experienced severe emotional harm, including a woman who reported becoming suicidal after losing her retirement savings to this scheme.

“He used the phony lottery scheme to inform certain victims that they had won a cash prize but first needed to make certain payments to access the funds.

“Similarly, using the BEC fraud scheme to induce a corporate victim located in Manhattan to release company funds under fraudulent pretences by impersonating the founder of the company.

“Okere used accounts under false identities to communicate directly with his US victims. He also controlled multiple foreign bank accounts in South Africa that received funds from victims targeted by these schemes,” the US stated.

Okere’s accomplice, Timy Hakim, was sentenced to two years in prison in 2023 and ordered to pay over $1.4 million in restitution.

Two Nigerians, Shodiya Babatunde (43) and Jamui Ahmed (31), have been indicted by the United States for their alleged involvement in a $13 million fraudulent business email scheme targeting healthcare companies in Minnesota.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota announced the charges on Thursday, revealing that the two suspects, along with co-conspirators, siphoned millions intended for Fairview Health into accounts under their control.

According to U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger, Babatunde and Ahmed manipulated unsuspecting employees of several Minnesota-based healthcare firms, deceiving them into redirecting payments to fraudulent accounts.

The scheme, which spanned from October 2020 to 2024, involved the creation of fake internet domains and email accounts impersonating top Fairview Health executives.

“As part of the scheme, Babatunde and Ahmed created a fake ‘spoofed’ internet domain designed to appear as though it was controlled by Fairview Health,” Luger said.

The duo used these fake accounts to carry out phishing attacks, acquiring sensitive information such as passwords and account details from vendors.

The statement added, “Unbeknownst to the vendor companies, the new accounts were actually controlled by Babatunde and Ahmed and their co-conspirators, not Fairview Health.

“In total, Babatunde and Ahmed fraudulently directed more than $13m in payments intended for Fairview Health from Minnesota-based healthcare companies to accounts controlled by Babatunde, Ahmed, and their co-conspirators.”

Babatunde and Ahmed have since fled and are currently fugitives from justice, residing in Nigeria.

Popular Nigerian singer David Adeleke, aka Davido, has opened up about how he handles the pain of losing loved ones.

The singer is no stranger to grief, having lost his mum, Mrs Victoria Imade Adeleke, at 11, and his 3-year-old son, Ifeanyi Adeleke, as well as associates, Tagbo, DJ Olu, Obama DMW, and personal photographer Fortune, in quick successions.

Speaking in a recent interview with Mystery Fashionist in New York, Davido said his faith has kept him going despite the tragedies.

“I have lost a lot of people. I lost my mum at the age of eleven. I’m just being strong. I did a song called ‘Stand Strong.’

“I feel like strength and obviously, my faith has kept me going,” he said.

Davido also addressed some misconceptions about him.

“I think sometimes, people think I am not approachable. Another misconception is that people also think I am too accessible.

“I grew up in a big family, I’m used to having people around me. My talent and success is God-given,” he explained.

Billionaire Barbadian singer Rihanna has opened up about motherhood.

According to the 36-year-old mother of two, being a “boy mom” is an Olympic sport.

Rihanna stated while sharing a clip of her first son, RZA, struggling to get out of the baby cot, via her X handle.

In the video, RZA eventually got out of the cot after several failed attempts.

She captioned the video; “Being a boy mom is an Olympic sport ‍‍.”

Recalls that Rihanna and her partner, A$AP Rocky, welcomed RZA on May 19, 2022, barely a year after they confirmed their relationship.

In August 2023, the couple welcomed their second son, Riot Ross.

Earlier this year, there were rumours that Rihanna was pregnant with her third child but she debunked the rumours in a chat with ET.

She, however, added that she would “definitely” have more kids.

In April, Rihanna told Interview Magazine that she had been looking for a female child but kept giving birth to boys.

“I don’t know what God wants, but I would go for more than two. I would try for my girl. But of course if it’s another boy, it’s another boy,” she said.