The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has recused himself from the committee investigating allegations of financial recklessness in the commission.

t the resumed hearing of the Committee this morning where the Niger Delta Minister, Godswill Akpabio is expected to testify, Tunji-Ojo announced his decision to step down so as to ensure all parties in the case get a fair hearing. He dismissed allegations he is on a revenge mission against the NCDC leadership.



''I am not on any revenge mission and as far as I am concerned, there is no personal fued between us as an institution or me as an individual and the Interim Management Committee.

In line with my belief that people deserve to be heard and heard fairly, I will to clearly appeal to my colleagues to recuse me from presiding over this particular meeting.

I hope this will give all parties the opportunity to present their facts in the interest of the people of the Niger Delta'' he said

The deputy chairman of the committee, Thomas Ereyi-Tobi, has taken over proceedings of the panel.

The Minister of Transport, Chibuike Amaechi has announced a 100% increment in train fare for the Abuja to Kaduna service.

Amaechi, on Saturday, told reporters that the fair will double due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Train services are currently shut down as one of the government’s measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Source: https://oak.tv/newstrack/nigerian-govt-to-double-abuja-kaduna-train-fare/

Lagos based cosmetic surgeon Dr Anuoluwapo Adepoju has been re-arraigned before a Federal High Court, sitting in Ikoyi, over allegations of a botched surgery that led to the death of a patient, one Mrs Nneka Onwuzuligbo.

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) re-arraigned Dr Anu who owns Med Contour, on Friday. She was first arraigned on 3rd of July before Justice Mohammed Liman in Lagos.

Read here: https://oak.tv/newstrack/failed-plastic-surgery-fccpc-re-arraigns-lagos-cosmetics-surgeon-dr-anu-adepoju/

The Nigerian government on Wednesday said it would not yet reverse its decision not to reopen schools to allow SS 3 students to participate in the 2020 West African Senior School Certificate Examinations, WASSCE.

There had been outcry and condemnation since the Nigerian government announced that SS 3 students would not take part in this year’s WASSCE in order to avert the spread of Coronavirus.

Minister of State for Education, Chief Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, after the Virtual Federal Executive Council, FEC meeting on Wednesday said the position remained unchanged.
Read here: https://oak.tv/newstrack/why-we-cant-reopen-schools-yet-nigerian-govt/

Who is afraid of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria’s nominee for the soon-to-be-vacant post of Director-General of the World Trade Organization? I ask this question because over the weekend, her media adviser, my long-time colleague, Paul Nwabuikwu issued a statement in which he alleged that some “powerful and well-connected forces” in Nigeria were working hard, manufacturing controversies, and “peddling outright lies” to sabotage Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s chances for the WTO top job. Paul Nwabuikwu could not have issued that statement without Dr Okonjo-Iweala’s approval.

Well, I am not shocked that some people would take as their own personal priority and task, sabotaging a compatriot whose elevation and success would rub off positively on Nigeria and the continent. We complain about many issues in our country, but we often overlook the fact that there are many sadomasochists in this country, complete sadists who are perpetually seeking the downfall of others. Such persons do so for a variety of reasons: their own Luciferian complex, mischief, ethnic, or religious reasons or plain wickedness to the other. Mental health preservation should become a national priority to mitigate the damage that these victims of the Lucifer Effect do to our national psyche. The sabotage that Nwabuikwu referred to has to do with an attempt to link Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala with the Indigenous Peoples Organization of Biafra (IPOB).

https://oak.tv/newstrack/opinion-whos-afraid-of-ngozi-okonjo-iweala-by-reuben-abati/

President Muhammadu Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, has said the invitation of the suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, by the Justice Ayo Salami-led Presidential panel was in his best interest.

Adesina stated this while speaking on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ programme on Wednesday.

https://oak.tv/newstrack/magus-invitation-in-his-best-interest-says-presidency/

The House of Representatives, yesterday, commenced a probe into alleged N40 billion irregular expenditure by the management of the Niger Delta Development Commission(NDDC).

Chairman, House Committee on NDDC, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said although the mandate of the committee was to probe alleged N40billion expenditure by the IMC in three months, documents at its disposal indicated that about N81billion was allegedly spent by the management of the interventionist agency.

The lawmaker said the House has not condemned anybody, hence the need for an investigation into the alleged expenditure, even as he promised that the committee would be painstaking in its assignment.

However, members of the NDDC Interim Management Committee ( IMC), were absent at the investigative hearing.

https://oak.tv/newstrack/nddc-has-failed-niger-delta-gbajabiamila/

The House of Representatives, on Wednesday, uncovered the numerous spendings by the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) from February to May 2020.

The cumulative sum of N81.5bn was said to have left the account of the NDDC without due process and for no implementation of any known project since the IMC resumed work.

Chairman of the House Committee on NDDC, Rep. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo disclosed this during the opening ceremony of the ongoing investigative hearing into alleged financial recklessness at the Commission.

Full story: https://oak.tv/newstrack/reps-commence-probe-of-nddc-over-expenditure-of-n81-5bn-in-5-months/

Medical doctors in Lagos State have agreed to suspend a three-day warning strike which they began on Monday.

The doctors also agreed to resume work at their respective duty posts in various hospitals in the state with effective Thursday.

This was contained in a statement signed on Wednesday by the Chairman, Medical Guild Representative Council, Dr Oluwajimi Sodipo.

Sodipo said the doctors agreed to call off the strike after it held a virtual meeting with stakeholders including the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Oba of Lagos, HRM Oba Rilwan Akinolu, amongst others.

He said the doctors observed “positive change in attitude” amongst relevant government agencies.

The doctors’ resolutions read, “The 3 days warning strike should be suspended and work resume by 8am on Thursday 16th July, 2020.

As the fight against Boko Haram (BH) rages on in the North-East, the Borno State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development has revealed that one out of over 8,000 repentant former members the terror group is making N250,000 from barbing every month.

Read here: https://oak.tv/newstrack/over-602-repentant-boko-haram-members-denounce-membership-pledge-allegiance-to-fg/

The Peoples Democratic Party says the monstrous sleaze being unearthed in the Niger Delta Development Commission is just a tip of the iceberg of the stinking corruption and criminal racketeering that have pervaded the All Progressives Congress administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The party said this in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, on Monday.
Read: https://oak.tv/newstrack/obe-pdp/

This was as it warned Nigerians against flouting the Covid-19 safety protocols, specifically stating that meetings by government establishments shall continue to be by virtual means where participants are more than four.

Read here https://oak.tv/newstrack/nigeria-releases-guidelines-for-school-reopening/

The Presidency at the weekend explained the reason behind the upward review of the 2020 budget, saying it was premised on the need to tailor funds to address critical infrastructure gap and the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy.

Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari, Friday, signed the Appropriation (Repeal and Amendment) Act, 2020 of N10.8 trillion, which has N216 billion higher than what was initially proposed in the 2020 Appropriation Act. into law.

Speaking to State House correspondents on why the revision was made, Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives) Umar el-Yakub, said the budget was raised to N10.8 trillion after certain realities were considered.

https://oak.tv/newstrack/why-we-increased-2020-budget-presidency/