Police arrest housewife for allegedly killing domestic staff in Kano

 

The Kano State Police Command has arrested a 24-year-old housewife, Hafsat Surajo, for allegedly stabbing her domestic staff, Nafi’u Hafiz, to death.

The Commissioner of Police, Hussaini Gumel, confirmed the incident while addressing newsmen at the Command’s Headquarters in Bompai on Friday.

He said the incident occurred at Unguwa Uku quarters in Taurani Local Government Area of the state.

He said, “On December 21, at about 0700 hours, a report was received from one Hafizu Salisu of Bauchi LGA, that he received a phone call from one Daiyanu Abdullahi of Unguwa Uku, Kano, that his brother, Nafi’u Hafiz, is dead”.

He explained that when the brother arrived at the residence of Unguwa Uku, they discovered several injuries on different parts of the deceased suspected to be knife stabs.

The commissioner of police said the investigation led to the arrest of the key suspect, Hafsat Surajo, a housewife in the residence where the deceased lived.

Gumel explained that the suspect confessed to singlehandedly committing the act by stabbing the deceased on several parts of his body.

“Her husband, Dayyabu Abdullahi of the same address, and their gateman, Malam Adamu, were arrested for aiding, packaging, and concealing the dead body to give cover up for the culpable homicide,” he said.

Gumel said a discreet investigation led to the recovery of the knife with blood stain used in committing the crime.

He said as soon as the investigation was concluded, the suspect would be charged in court for appropriate prosecution.

Source: Punch Newspaper

France grounds plane carrying 300 Indians over suspected ‘human trafficking’

 

A Nicaragua-bound plane carrying more than 300 Indian passengers has been grounded in France over suspected “human trafficking”, authorities said Friday.

The plane had taken off from the United Arab Emirates and was detained after an anonymous tipoff.

The aircraft carrying passengers “likely to be victims of human trafficking” was detained Thursday, the Paris public prosecutor’s office told AFP.

The national anti-organised crime unit JUNALCO has taken over the investigation, prosecutors said.

The prefecture in the north-eastern department of Marne said the A340, operated by Romanian company Legend Airlines, “remained grounded on the tarmac at Vatry airport following its landing” on Thursday.

Legend Air has a small fleet of four aircraft, according to the Flightradar website.

The plane had been due to refuel and was carrying 303 Indian nationals who had probably been working in the UAE, it said.

According to a source familiar with the case, the passengers might have planned to travel to Central America in order to attempt illegal entry into the United States or Canada.

After landing in France, they were first kept on the aircraft, but then let out and given individual beds in the terminal building.

The entire airport was cordoned off by police.

The Vatry airport, located 150 kilometres (90 miles) east of Paris, serves mostly budget airlines.

Human trafficking carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in France.

AFP

France joins UK, Canada to tighten immigration rules on Nigerians

 

France has joined a list of countries that have imposed immigration restrictions on international students (including Nigerians) with new legislation that will stop them from bringing their families to the country.

The law passed by the parliament on Friday provides a new toughening immigration policy that makes it more difficult for migrants to bring family members to France and delays their access to welfare benefits.

It also banned detaining minors in detention centres while leaders of a third of French regions said they would not comply with certain measures in the law.

A controversial provision discriminates between citizens and migrants, even those living in the country legally, in determining eligibility for benefits.

United Kingdom

This new immigration policy means that just like the United Kingdom which imposed a no-dependant restriction on international students in May, Nigerian students are expected to look elsewhere for their Japa plans.

The UK government’s decision came in response to the alarming surge in net migration, which has reached a staggering one million individuals.  A situation that meant Conservative MPs had to call on the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, to address urgently and regain control over immigration figures.

Already, Nigerian students, who have been among the largest contributors to the UK’s international student community, have started to look at other alternatives in the Europe zone with France considered. But with this new development, their options are shrinking.

The other route – skilled worker visa,  seen as a better option to the UK, has experienced some reshuffling as well.

Earlier in December, new Home Secretary, James Cleverly, unveiled a set of new rules that raised the minimum salary requirement for obtaining a skilled worker visa from £26,000 to £38,700.

The figure itself is more than the existing median average salary of a full-time worker in Britain.

He exempted health and social care workers but said they would be prevented from bringing family dependents.

Also, overseas care workers will no longer be allowed to bring dependents (partners and children), while migrants have to pay a 66 percent NHS surcharge increase.

According to Cleverly, all of these were done to ensure immigrants “bring dependents whom they can support financially”

Apart from France and the UK, the government of Canada in December announced that starting from January 2024, international students must show a new proof of funds,  ₦16,050,000.0000 ($20,000).

The new cost is more than double the current requirement of $10,000, an amount brought in during the early 2000s that has not been adjusted since.

For 2024, a single applicant will need to show they have $20,635, representing 75% of LICO, in addition to their first year of tuition and travel costs.

The government however announced the extension of the waiver on the 20-hour per week work cap for international students until April 30, 2024.

This extension applies only to students already present in Canada and those who submitted a study permit application as of December 7th, 2023.

The measure was first introduced on November 15, 2022, and was set to last until December 31, 2023. It allows students to work more than the usual 20 hours per week while class is in session.

Rivers Crisis: President intimidated Fubara to sign peace pact — Briggs

 

FOUR days after a peace agreement was brokered between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and FCT Minister, Chief Nyesom Wike, by President Bola Tinubu to end the political imbroglio in Rivers State, a fresh revelation has emerged over what transpired at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Monday meeting.

A former Commissioner for Water Resources in Rivers State, Chief David Briggs, who attended the peace meeting alleged that President Tinubu intimidated Governor Fubara into signing the eight-point peace resolution with Wike, his immediate predecessor and political mentor.

Chief Briggs said Governor Fubara signed the resolution under duress, following alleged indirect threats issued by President Tinubu before handing him the document to sign.

Briggs’ revelation came as most of the agreements were yet to be implemented. 

G27 vs G4

The dichotomy between the G27 and G4 factions of the Rivers House of Assembly remains as both factions were yet to begin joint sittings, and Governor Fubara is yet to re-present his 2024 N800.3 billion budget to the House. 

The G27, a group of 27 Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, legislators, who defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC, sat on Wednesday and withdrew their impeachment notice against Governor Fubara but efforts to withdraw the court order obtained by the governor stopping the lawmakers from impeaching could not be withdrawn and the court and rescheduled hearing for January 31, 2024.

How Fubara was ambushed

Briggs said he was at the villa with other Rivers elders, who were equally invited, hence he witnessed first-hand what transpired on Monday.

He said President Tinubu threatened that there would be consequences, should Governor Fubara refuse to endorse and abide by the tenets of the document, which he described as “presidential proclamation.

“I was there, so I’m a witness and what I say is primary, not secondary. We were invited for a meeting but that was not a meeting. What happened was that Mr. President walked in with a written resolution, addressed us and declared that what he has in his hand is a presidential proclamation and emphasised the fact that he is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and anybody who dares to say no to what he is saying would face the consequences.

“That, in a simple layman’s word, is called a threat. Let’s get it very clear, if you are in the position of the governor, what will you do, will you get up and say no to Mr President with that kind of subtle but energetic threat?”

He disclosed that most Rivers people, who were present at the meeting, including Adokiye Amaesimaka, were shocked at the President’s attitude and decided to ask questions.

He continued: “That being the case, one of us asked him (President Tinubu) a simple question. To be specific, Adokiye Amaesimaka asked him, you said Sim should do this, governor should do that, you have not said what the 25 or 27 Assembly members that defected from PDP to APC without consulting their constituencies and constituents, should do.

  “And of course you can see the situation, the President’s reaction was very clear and simple but very dangerous.”

Recall that Governor Fubara and Wike have been at loggerheads with each other over who  controls the state’s political structure since October, a development that has since put the state in serious tension.

Some of the resolutions issued by the President had directed that all impeachment proceedings against the governor be dropped, matters instituted in courts consequent upon the crisis by Fubara and his team be dropped, among others which clearly favour the Wike camp.

Nevertheless, the state Commissioner for Information, Joe Johnson, said on Wednesday that Governor Fubara signed the peace agreement and would implement it. Earlier, the governor at a function on Tuesday said no price was too big to ensure peace in the state.

PDP warns members against unguarded comments

Meanwhile, the National Working Committee, NWC, of the PDP, has warned leaders and members of the party against making unguarded statements capable of bringing the party to disrepute.

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Debo Ologunagba, in a statement, in Abuja, yesterday, said the decision to issue the warning was taken at an emergency meeting held on Wednesday.According to him, the warning became imperative in the light of disturbing comments being made by some party leaders about developments in Rivers State.

Ologunagba said at the end of its emergency meeting on Wednesday, the PDP “re-assures all members, critical stakeholders and supporters of our Party that its interventions particularly with regard to the political development in Rivers State are yielding desired results.

“The NWC, however, expresses serious displeasure over incautious conduct, activities and unguarded utterances by certain leaders, who were out to disparage critical organs of the party, inflame passions, cause division among members and bring our dear party to public disrepute for their selfish reasons.

“Of particular reference is the deleterious public statement credited to the former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, which was made apparently with the intent to inject bad blood and drag down our party for self-seeking motives.

“The NWC has received very disturbing reports that such unscrupulous individuals are recruited by the one-party-state seeking APC administration to undermine the cohesion that exists within the PDP, which will enable it to effectively perform its opposition role for the sustenance of democracy and the well-being of Nigerians.

“It is rather unfortunate that such inexcusable conducts, comments, utterances and betrayals are coming from individuals, who have benefited immensely from the PDP but who have the record and notoriety of brazenly betraying the party in various elections and at slightest opportunity for their selfish interests.

“It is instructive to state that some of the challenges that plagued our party in the recent past and those confronting it at the moment are traceable to the comments, utterances and actions of these individuals which are inconsistent with the opportunity that the party gave them in the past.”

Source: Vanguard Newspaper

Demolition of houses for presidential fleet is inconsiderate project – Peter Obi

 

                                             Peter Obi

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has described the planned demolition of about “200 houses” in the Nuwalege community of Abuja to make way for the expansion of the presidential fleet as an inconsiderate project.

Obi made this assertion in a statement via his official X handle on Friday.

The Labour Party flagbearer said he was shocked and at the same time pained by the development.

He described it as “an inconsiderate project at this critical time when the country is going through untold hardship.”

Obi stated, “I am shocked by the recent report of the planned demolition of about 200 houses in the Nuwalege community in Abuja, to make way for the Presidential Fleet.

“I am again pained that we are embarking on such an inconsiderate project at this critical time when the country is going through untold hardship,” he said.

The former governor of Anambra State also stated that the focus should be on how to do away with the Presidential Fleet, or reduce it to the minimum, “to cut costs and save up for more critical projects to help the people, instead of demolishing people’s homes.”

Obi said instead of increasing the presidential fleet, the government should rather look for ways to reduce or eliminate costs.

He said, “We cannot continue to encourage those who have kept us suffering to enjoy a luxurious lifestyle far beyond our legitimate means. A democratically elected people-oriented government must always care for the people, above itself.

“I, therefore, advise that we have a rethink, and most importantly, ensure that our fellow Nigerians are not rendered homeless for the sake of an unproductive presidential fleet.

88% of workers self employed, says NBS report

 

Only 12 per cent of workers in Nigeria were in wage employment as of the end of the second quarter of 2023, the National Bureau of Statistics has disclosed.

This is because 88 per cent of workers in the country are self-employed. This was contained in a report titled, ‘Nigeria Labour Force Statistics Report Q2 2023 which was released on Thursday by the NBS.

Total unemployment in the period stood at 4.2 per cent as of Q2, 2023. The statistics body defined unemployment rate as the share of the labour force (the combination of unemployed and employed people) who are not employed but who are actively searching and are available for work.

It said, “The unemployment rate for Q2 2023 was 4.2 per cent, this is a marginal increase from 4.1 per cent recorded in Q1 2023. Unemployment rate by sex among men was 3.5 per cent and among women was 5.9 per cent in Q2 2023. Disaggregation by location, the unemployment rate was 5.9 per cent in urban areas and 2.5 per cent in rural areas."

Focusing on young people, the unemployment rate for 15-24-year-olds was 7.2 per cent in Q2 2023, the NBS highlighted. The NBS said it enhanced its methodology of collecting labour market data through the Nigeria Labour Force Survey in line with International Labour Organisation guidelines and unemployment rate revealed that most Nigerians operate their own businesses or engage in farming activities.

The national statistics body noted that employment comprises two broad categories; employees and the self-employed. It explained that people working for pay in the form of salaries and wages in cash or in-kind, including paid apprentices, are referred to as employees while own-account workers, contributing family workers, and employers are referred to as self-employed.

Commenting on this category, it said, “In Q2 2023, 88.0 per cent of employed Nigerians were primarily self-employed with the remaining 12.0 per cent being primarily engaged as employees.

“Disaggregation by sex, 85.2 per cent of employed men were self-employed compared to 91.0 per cent of employed women. Disaggregation by location, 80.5 per cent of employed people in urban areas were self-employed compared with 95.3 per cent of employed people in rural areas.”

It added, “The proportion of workers in Wage Employment in Q2 2023 was 12 per cent.” Informal employment in Nigeria is currently pegged at 92.7 per cent.

The NBS has come under criticism since it changed its employment calculation methodology. When it released its ‘4.1 per cent’ unemployment figure for Q1, 2023, the Nigerian Labour Congress, through its National Secretary-General, stated that the figures were not reflective of the current realities in the country.

The national secretary, Chris Onyeka, told The PUNCH, “The statistic is not reliable. It is as simple as that. It is not in sync with what is on the ground. We all know that the rate of unemployment in Nigeria is increasing.”

Source: Punch Newspaper

PDP, Lamido trades words over Rivers crisis

 

                                             Sule Lamido

The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party has reassured all members and supporters that its interventions in Rivers State are yielding the desired results.

PDP in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba on Thursday declared that the party remains united and firmly on the ground in Rivers State and other parts of the country despite the challenges.

The PUNCH reports that the crisis rocking the Rivers State House of Assembly took a new turn on December 11, 2023, with 27 members defecting from the ruling PDP in the state to the All Progressives Congress.

A few days after their defection, two of the lawmakers quietly returned to the PDP.

On Monday, at the instance of President Bola Tinubu, Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, signed an eight-point peace agreement with his predecessor and Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, to end the political crisis in the state.

Reacting to this, former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido in a statement on Wednesday berated the PDP NWC’s inability to broker peace in Rivers State.

Lamido stated, “Pray, do we still have the National Working Committee of the PDP? Or better still, do we have a party called PDP?

“If we have one of the two, how come their total absence in the saga playing out in the PDP Family in Rivers? Is the docility of the leadership of the PDP so comatose to the extent that President Tinubu of APC, our sworn rival and opponent is now the grand patriarch of the PDP?

“It is inconceivable that a political party will simply sit back and allow its fortunes taken over by a rapacious scavenger, the APC. What President Tinubu did in the so-called peace meeting is not brokering peace in Rivers State, but using his office to enhance the fortunes of his political party.”

Reacting, Ologunagba insisted that the NWC under the leadership of the Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum remains unwavering in providing steady and effective leadership that ensures the stability, growth, and effective management of interests despite the APC move to allegedly decimate opposition parties.

The statement read in part: “The NWC, however, expresses serious displeasure over incautious conduct, activities and unguarded utterances by certain leaders who are out to disparage critical Organs of the Party, inflame passions, cause division among members and bring our dear Party to public disrepute for their selfish reasons.

“Of particular reference is the deleterious public statement credited to the former Governor of Jigawa State, His Excellency Sule Lamido, which was made apparently with the intent to inject bad blood and drag down our party for self-seeking motives.

“The NWC has received very disturbing reports that such unscrupulous individuals are recruited by the One-Party-State seeking APC administration to undermine the cohesion that exists within the PDP which will enable it to effectively perform its opposition role for the sustenance of Democracy and the wellbeing of Nigerians.

”It is rather unfortunate that such inexcusable conducts, comments, utterances, and betrayals are coming from individuals who have benefitted immensely from the PDP but who have the record and notoriety of brazenly betraying the Party in various elections and at the slightest opportunity for their selfisPDP national publicity scribe noted that some of the challenges that plagued the party in the recent past and those confronting it at the moment are traceable to the comments, utterances, and actions of these unpatriotic individuals.

Ologunagba, who described the comment as inconsistent, said the minimum the PDP expected from Lamido and others was to show appreciation and commitment to the party and the nation by engaging in constructive suggestions that will be in the interest of the Party and Nigerians.

He urged party stakeholders not to engage in actions that undermine the genuine efforts being made by the leadership of the Party which may not be in line with their selfish political venture and expectations.

It continued “These leaders must understand and recognise that their actions and utterances are not only inimical to the wellbeing of Nigerians but also in gross violation of the provisions of the Constitution of the PDP, especially Sections 57, 58 and 59 of the Constitution of the PDP.

“The NWC therefore in very strong terms cautions such leaders to be mindful of their actions, utterances, and conducts which are contrary to the provisions of the Constitution of the PDP.

“The NWC, in its responsibility to protect the integrity of our party from such further unwarranted aggressions, will henceforth not hesitate to take appropriate disciplinary or punitive action against such individuals in line with the provisions of the Constitution of the PDP.

“The NWC charges all members to remain united, alert, and focused in resisting the antics of the APC and its agents to destabilise our Party and impose a One-Party system on the nation.”

Source: Punch Newspaper

h interests.”

‘Fuel Price Fall Predicted As Port Harcourt Refinery Begins Operation’

 

Stakeholders in the downstream petroleum sub-sector drawn from the Natural Oil and Gas Suppliers Association of Nigeria (NOGASA) and the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) have assured that the prevailing crisis in the energy sector would soon end with the envisaged return of operations at the Port Harcourt Refinery, Rivers State in January.

The national president and chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of NOGASA, Mr Kenneth Korie and his PETROAN counterpart, Dr. Billy Harry, who spoke after the inauguration of Akwa Ibom State chapters of the two industry regulatory bodies at Ibom Icon Hotel, Uyo, the state capital yesterday, said they were 100 percent sure that the prices of petroleum products would crash when the refineries begin to function again from January.
Korie, who blamed the current hike in prices of the products on importation, said rehabilitation and upgrade of the refineries in Port Harcourt, Kaduna and Warri, which he said works have reached advanced stages, remain the sure way of collapsing the prices of the products.

He said, “Yes, of course there is hope. The GMD NNPC has given assurance concerning that before the National Assembly. In all my talks, I have been hammering on the Port Harcourt Refinery to come on steam.
“I’m 100 percent sure that there will be a serious reduction in the price of petroleum products as soon as our four refineries, including the Dangote Refinery, come up. But we should not expect the price to come down like it was before, because of the high exchange rate, but it will be a bit lower than what it is now.”
In the same vein, the national president of PETROAN, Dr Billy Harry, described the inauguration of the two associations as unique, adding that it is the first time in the annals of the history of the downstream sector for such to happen.

He said it is only when the two groups work together and act together that they would be able to overcome the challenges in the sector and ensure that Nigeria returns to the time when petroleum products is sold at a price that a common man can afford.

He expressed that “what we are doing today is unique, it’s epic and it’s the first in the annals of the history of the downstream sector. We are going to make it unique throughout the country because together we can make sure that the importation of petroleum products is reduced to the barest minimum.”

“Together we can make sure that our refineries are working again, together we can get back to the time when petroleum products are sold at what the common man could afford. They say in Nigeria, anything that goes up will not come down again, but I can tell you with the synergy that is coming from retail outlet owners and the suppliers’ association of Nigeria, this is going to be something that is going to change the landscape of the economy and the economic activities of the downstream, so take this meeting as history,” he assured.

Nigeria Wins Again as UK Court Throws Out P&ID’s $11bn Damages Bill

 

An $11 billion damages bill against Nigeria for a collapsed gas processing project which was procured by bribery has been thrown out by London’s High Court, Reuters reported yesterday.
The West African country was on the hook for the sum – representing around a third of its foreign exchange reserves – after a little-known British Virgin Islands-based company took Nigeria to arbitration over the deal.
But the High Court ruled in October that the contract was procured by Process & Industrial Developments (P&ID) paying bribes to a Nigerian oil ministry official.
Judge Robin Knowles also found that P&ID failed to disclose the bribery when it later took Nigeria to arbitration.
He said in a further ruling yesterday that the damages award should be thrown out immediately, rejecting P&ID’s argument that the case should be sent back to arbitration.

P&ID was also refused permission to appeal against the ruling, though the company can apply directly to the Court of Appeal, Reuters said.
Earlier this month, Knowles ordered P&ID to pay the Nigerian government £20 million in damages and compensation.
The company had filed for fresh arbitration to revive their claims against Nigeria for alleged breach of a 2010 gas supply agreement.
However, the High Court in London ruled that the arbitration could not proceed as long as the 2023 judgment remained in place.
The judge found that P&ID had paid bribes to Nigerian officials involved in the drafting of the gas supply and processing agreement (GSPA) in 2010.
On January 31, 2017, a tribunal had issued a ruling requiring Nigeria to compensate P&ID with $6.6 billion in damages, in addition to both pre-and post-judgment interest at a rate of 7 per cent. The sum later hit over $11 billion after bearing interests.

Ross Cranston, a judge within the Business and Property Courts of England and Wales, granted the application in September 2020, but lawyers representing the federal government alleged that P&ID executives had resorted to bribery to obtain the contract.
P&ID refuted the accusation and levelled claims against the Nigerian government, stating that they were making “unfounded allegations and unsubstantiated conspiracy theories.” Recently, Knowles sitting in a court in the UK court, ruled in favour of Nigeria.
The judge held that: “ The arbitration awards were obtained by fraud and the awards were, and the way in which they were procured was, contrary to public policy”.
Meanwhile, Angola yesterday said that it was leaving the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) because membership was not serving its interests, according to its Oil Minister, Diamantino Azevedo.
Angola, which joined OPEC in 2007, produces about 1.1 million barrels of oil per day, compared with 28 million bpd for the whole group.
Confirming an earlier report by local news agency ANGOP, Azevedo told public television the decision to leave was because OPEC membership was not serving Angola’s interests, but did not give further details.

Oil prices extended losses on the news, with Brent prices down over $1 to $78.50 a barrel yesterday, Reuters said.
Angola’s exit is a setback for OPEC and its allies, just as the group tries to get members to cut output to support prices.
Last month, Azevedo’s office protested a decision by OPEC to cut its production quota for 2024. Bloomberg also quoted Angola’s OPEC Governor, Estevao Pedro, as saying the country was unhappy with its 2024 target and did not plan to stick to it.
Although Nigeria earlier disagreed with OPEC on the 2024 quota handed down to it, it however made a U-turn, agreeing to abide by the 1.5 million bpd production allocation for next year even though its proposed budget has over 1.7 million bpd for 2024.

Abia govt uncovers ‘Japa’ doctors still collecting salaries

 

Governor Alex Otti of Abia state has said that his government had uncovered on its payroll some doctors who left the state employment and migrated abroad to seek greener pastures, in what is commonly known as ‘Japa.’

According to the governor, such doctors are still collecting salaries from the state despite that they have left the state employment and are now working abroad.

Otti made the revelation while speaking at the first Abia State Council on Health at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia with the theme, “Providing an Accessible, Affordable and Quality Healthcare System for the New Abia”.

The governor, while observing that doctors’ emigration had impacted negatively on the state’s health sector, promised to tackle the trend by giving doctors a special welfare package from next year.

He said: “The ‘japa’ syndrome has indeed taken its toll on the health sector; however, this administration is not leaving any stone unturned in addressing this challenge. To this end, the government has resolved to motivate our health care workers through prompt payment of their wages and improvement of welfare packages that we will introduce from 2024.”

The governor added that his administration would recruit more health workers to strengthen the health sector.

He said: “We are in the process of recruiting new skilled birth attendants to improve healthcare service delivery in the state. Furthermore, our ongoing digitalisation of the Abia State civil service has uncovered some staff that have left their duty post for greener pastures, yet still receive remuneration from the government. While the criminality involved in this is going to be addressed by the relevant agencies of government, the important thing here is that we do not have the number of hands that were hitherto reported. We are working hard to fill these gaps.”

Otti said his government was strengthening primary health care and ensuring that health facilities were manned by personnel across the state.

The Minister of Health, represented by the Permanent Secretary of Abia State Ministry of Health, Dr Ifenyinwa Uma-Kalu, stressed the need for state governments to support the federal government by providing the necessary infrastructure in the health care system.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Ngozi Okoronkwo, described the first State Council on Health as a demonstration of the commitment of Otti’s administration to prioritising developmental initiatives that are capable of unlocking the potential of Abia’s strategic human capital.

Source: The Nation

Nigeria Army gets 112 new generals

 

                                             Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja

The Nigerian Army Council has promoted a total of 47 Brigadier Generals to Major Generals.

Also, 75 Colonels were elevated to the rank of Brigadier General.

Their promotion is coming after the retirement of 113 generals on Wednesday.

However, a statement on Friday by the Director, Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, said the council approved the promotions of the senior officers on Thursday.

He noted that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, urged them to redouble their efforts to justify their elevation and the confidence reposed in them.

According to him, those promoted to the rank of Major General include, Brig Gen WB Etuk, Commandant Nigerian Army College of Logistics and Management; Brig Gen JE Osifo, Commandant Nigerian Army School of Finance and Administration; Brigadier General WM Dangana Commander Sector 3 Joint Task Force North East Operation HADIN KAI; Brig Gen TB Ugiagbe Acting Chief of Military Intelligence, Brig Gen ASM Wase Deputy Director General Land Forces Stimulation Centre Nigeria Operations; Brig Gen MA Abdullahi Commandant Depot Nigerian Army; Brig Gen BI Alaya Commander Command Engineering Depot, Brig Gen AO Oyelade Director Personnel Planning Army Headquarters Department of personnel Management; Brig Gen OO Arogundade Commandant Nigerian Army School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Brig Gen EI Okoro Commander 13 Brigade; Brig Gen CR Nnebeife Executive Director Nigerian Army Farms and Ranches Limited and Brig Gen FU Mijinyawa Director Plans Army Headquarters Department of Policy and Plans

Others are Brig Gen MT Abdullahi Commander 50 Space Command; Brig Gen M Adamu Commander 32 Brigade; Brig Gen ND Shagaya Commandant Nigerian Army School of Supply and Transport; Brig Gen ME Onoja Office of the CDS and Brig Gen MO Erebulu Acting Director Psychological Warfare Defence Headquarters.

Also elevated to the rank of Major General are Brig Gen BA Ilori Commander of Army Headquarters Garrison Ordnance Services, Brig Gen MO Ihanuwaze Director Budget Army Headquarters, Brig Gen O Nwachukwu Director Army Public Relations, Brig Gen EE Ekpenyong of the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Brig Gen SI Musa Director Legal Service (Army), Brig Gen M Galadima Commander Command Finance Office and Brig Gen AP Ahmadu Commander 1 Division Ordnance Service.

Officers promoted from the rank of Colonel to Brigadier General are Col Nwakonobi Chief of Staff Headquarters 3 Brigade, Col MC Akin Ojo Commander of 41 Engineer Brigade, Col BM Madaki Deputy Director Army Headquarters Operations Monitoring Team, Col MO Edide Directing Staff Army War College Nigeria, Col KE Inyang Commander 76 ST Brigade, Col OO Nafiu Chief of Staff Office of the Chief of Army Staff, Col PA Zipele Commander Signal Operations Command, Col OA Onasanya Acting Command Guards Brigade, Col MI Amatso Deputy Director Department of Civil Military Affairs, Col CM Akaliro Deputy Director Army Headquarters Department of Army Transformation and Innovation, Col NE Okoloagu Directing Staff Army War College Nigeria, Col AS Bugaje Acting Director Special Forces Infantry Corps Centre, Col AM Kitchner Commander 6 Division Finance and Account, Col SJ Dogo Deputy Chief of Staff Operations Headquarters 82 Division and Col JN Garba Commander 32 Brigade Garrison.

Others elevated to the rank of Brigadier General are Col PT Gbor Commander 81 Military Intelligence Brigade. Col SO Okoigi Acting Corps Commander Nigerian Army Medical Corps, Col AF Maimagani Acting Director Chaplaincy (Roman Catholic), Col PO Alimekhena Headquarters 81 Division, Col BI George Acting Director Directorate of Dental Services Headquarters Nigerian Army Medical Corps, Col IB Gambari Headquarters 63 Brigade and Col AY Emekoma Participant Senior Executive Course 45 National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies.

Emefiele operated 593 illegal US, UK, China accounts – CBN investigator

 

A presidential panel investigating the activities of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under the tenure of former Governor Godwin Emefiele has uncovered unauthorised investments of Nigeria’s funds in 593 foreign bank accounts across the United States, China and the United Kingdom. 

This was part of the final report that the special investigator appointed by President Bola Tinubu in July, Jim Obazee, submitted on Wednesday,  Dec. 20. 

In the report tagged, ‘Report of the Special Investigation on CBN and Related Entities (Chargeable offences)' Obaze found that Emefiele lodged £543, 482,213 in fixed deposits in UK banks alone without authorisation. 

The report  partly read, “The former governor of CBN, Godwin Emefiele invested Nigeria’s money without authorization in 593 foreign bank accounts in United States, China and United Kingdom,  while he was in charge. 

“All the accounts where the billions were lodged have all been traced by the investigator.” 

In the report, Obaze also recommended that Emefiele, along with some top management team members, should face trial for the alleged illegal transactions and the purported misappropriation of funds for unauthorised purposes. 

Emefiele could be prosecuted for illegal issuance of currency under section 19 of the CBN Act alongside Tunde Sabiu, a former aide to former President Muhammadu Buhari, and 12 top directors of the CBN. 

It was gathered that the naira redesign policy was sold to Buhari at the instance of Sabiu and that the initiative was done without the approval of the board of the CBN. 

The investigator found that Buhari didn’t approve of the naira redesign. It was Tunde Sabiu who first told Emefiele in September 2022 to consider the redesign of the naira. On October 6, 2022, Emefiele wrote to Buhari that he wanted to redesign and reconfigure N1000, N500 and N200 notes. 

“The former President tagged along but did not approve the redesign as required by law. Buhari merely approved that the currency be printed in Nigeria. The redesign was only mentioned to the board of the CBN on December 15, 2022, after Emefiele had awarded the contract to the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Plc on October 31, 2022,’’ the documents noted. 

Emefiele was said to have contracted the redesign of the naira to De La Rue of the UK for £205, 000 pounds under the vote head of the Currency Operations Department after the NSPM said it could not deliver the contract within a short timeframe. 

The special investigator found that N61.5bn was earmarked for the printing of the new notes out of which N31.79bn had been paid. 

As of August 9, 2023, findings revealed that N769bn of the new notes were in circulation. 

The probe of the CBN also revealed the fraudulent use of N26.627tn  Ways and Means of the Apex Bank as well as the misuse of the COVID-19 intervention fund. 

According to the report, the CBN under Emefiele at its 661st meeting held on October 27, 2020, approved that the Consolidated Revenue Fund Account should be debited with the sum of N124.860bn, and the decision was implemented on October 9. 

Also, the Committee of Governors at its 670th meeting held on December 9, 2020, granted anticipatory approval ‘’pending receipt of a formal request by Mr President and ratification by the board of directors the payment of the sum of N250bn only to the Federal Government of Nigeria to address challenges as a result of low revenue inflow and the payment of salaries. 

The CBN investigator discovered that the CBN Ways and Means was abused under the Buhari administration. 

The document further said, “In an instance, they (senior CBN and government officials) padded what the former President Muhammadu Buhari approved with N198,963,162, 187. There are instances where no approvals are received from the former president and yet, N500bn is taken and debited to Ways and Means. 

“There are more shocking instances where the erstwhile CBN governor and his four deputy governors connived to steal outright in order to balance the books of the CBN. 

“This was by violently taking money from the Consolidated Revenue account and then charging it to Ways and Means. It was a total of N124.860bn. They even created the narration as a presidential subsidy and expanded the ways and Means portfolio to accommodate crime. 

“The CBN officers and even the then acting CBN governor could not produce the Presidential Approval of most of the expenses described as ‘Ways and Means.’ When confronted, to provide the breakdown of the supposed N22.7trn that was presented to the 9th National Assembly to illegally securitise as ‘Ways and Means’ financing, they were only able to partially explain a total of N9.063 trn or N9.2trn depending on which official you are considering his submission and an unreasonable attribution of non-negotiated interest element of N6.5tn. 

“This shows that this was the point where the officers of the immediate past administration as well as the erstwhile CBN governor and his four deputy governors connived, defrauded, and stole from the commonwealth of our country with the aid of civil servants.’’ 

The report continued, “The true position of the Ways and Means as documented from the reconciliation between the CBN and the Ministry of Finance at the time is N4,449,149,411,584.54. 

“This may have been the main reason the past administration hurriedly sought that the advances of N22.7trn be securitised by the 9th National Assembly on December 19, 2022, which they also hurriedly did despite the fact that it contravenes section 38 of the CBN Act, 2007.” 

The CBN under Emefiele was also said to have spent N1.7bn on questionable legal fees for 19 cases instituted against the naira redesign policy. 

The investigator also discovered how Emefiele allegedly misrepresented the presidential approval for the NESI Stabilisation Strategy Limited approved by former president Goodluck Jonathan. 

The document read, “The Presidential approval granted by then President Goodluck Jonathan was rightly stated by him NESI should be a company limited by guarantee but the Committee of Governors misled the Board of the CBN by relying on non-existent advice by the office of Attorney-General and Minister of Justice to incorporate a company limited by shares for which the allotted share capital exceeded the authorised share capital (See 380th meeting of the Committee of Governors held in January in January 2015) and allotting unauthorised share capital to Mr Godwin Emefiele and Mr Mudashiru Olaitan without lawful approval by the President. 

“N1.325bn was stolen pre-incorporation and the money funnelled to four companies, including a legal firm which got N300mn.’’ 

Between 2015 and 2021, an investment company was said to have unlawfully collected a total of N4.89bn. 

A breakdown indicated that the firm received N262mn in 2015, N464mn in 2016, N550mn in 2017, N726mn in 2018, N762 in 2019, N684 in 2020 and N1.44bn in 2021, totalling N4.89bn. 

Emefiele also allegedly paid N17.2bn to 14 deposit money banks participating in the Nigerian Electricity Market Stabilisation Facility. 

“A total of 14 DMBs engaged in the manipulation by unlawfully arranging and collecting 1.9535 per cent of the total disbursements paid to the DMBs participating in the Nigerian Electricity Market Stabilisation Facility. 

The fees are paid to the banks in the ratio of their contributions to the NEMSF disbursement, according to External Auditor’s Notes to the Financial Statement of NESI Stabilisation Strategy Limited. 

“The CBN also went further by authorising the issuance of debenture for the NESI SPV, starting with N64.8bn in 2015. By 2021, N952bn debenture had been issued. The investigator said the money was diverted from public funds,’’ the document further stated. 

It was further gathered that Emefiele could be tried for alleged manipulation of the naira exchange rate, fraudulent implementation of the e-naira project, and exemption of three foreign firms from paying income tax. 

Meanwhile, the investigation has uncovered the strange illegal withdrawal/theft of $6.23mn from the CBN vault by two persons who used a forged presidential letter. 

The suspects currently in custody were said to have presented a forged letter on February 7 and 8, 2023, purportedly signed by Buhari to withdraw the money allegedly meant for payment for foreign election observation missions. 

Emefiele, who is currently in Kuje Custodial Centre, is being prosecuted for N1.2 billion procurement fraud. 

He has not been able to perfect the N300m bail granted him by a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory on November 22.

Source: Punch Newspaper

Blessing same-sex marriage against God’s law – Nigerian Catholic Bishops

 

The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, says blessing same-sex marriage is against God’s law.

The Nigerian bishops, who were reacting to the controversy arising from Pope Francis’ directive that Catholic priests can bless same-sex couples, also said blessing same-sex marriage is contrary to the teachings of the Church, the laws of the country and the cultural sensibilities of Nigerians.

The bishops said this in a statement made available to newsmen on Thursday in Ibadan.

The statement was signed by CBCN President and Secretary, Most Rev. Lucius Ugorji and Most Rev. Donatus Ogun, respectively, and other executives.

The bishops insisted that the teachings of the Catholic Church on marriage remained the same.

“There is, therefore, no possibility in the Church of blessing same-sex unions and activities; that will go against God’s law, the teachings of the church, the laws of our nation and the cultural sensibilities of our people.

“We thank all the priests for their accompaniment of married couples, asking them to continue in all they do to sustain the sacrament of Holy Matrimony and never to do anything that will detract from the sacredness of this sacrament,” the Nigerian Catholic Bishops said.