₦airaland Forum

FIGC prosecutors have handed Juventus a 15-point deduction for capital gain violations, including so-called "salary manoeuvres".

Fabio Paratici has been disqualified for 2.5 years and Andrea Agnelli for two years.

The club's CEO Maurizio Arrivabene has also been handed a two-year-ban, while former vice-chairman Pavel Nedved has been given an eight month suspension.

There's an appeals process available against all punishments.

Paratici is only suspended from FIGC-related activity for now. The ban does not yet apply to England, although there is a request to extend it to all UEFA and FIFA remits.

Juventus deny any wrongdoing and say their accounting is in line with industry standards, but they do admit the salary manoeuvres "may be subject to different interpretations."

Although a series of appeals can now take place, the other issue Juventus has is the reaction from the Club Financial Control Body First Chamber. In August last year, they agreed a settlement with Juventus over potential breaches of the Club Licensing and FFP rules...

This settlement can be voided "in the event that, after conclusion of this investigation, the club’s financial situation was significantly different from that assessed by the CFCB First Chamber at the time the settlement."

Juventus have been deducted 15 points by an Italian court investigating their transfer dealings, it was said on Friday.

As it stands, Juventus will drop from 3rd to 11th in Serie A, level with Bologna and Empoli

GOVERNOR Nyesom Wike has approved use of the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Omagwa, Ikwerre Local Government Area (LGA) for Rivers state presidential campaign rally of party candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, with a waiver on the N5 Million venue fee stipulated by Wike’s Executive Order 21.

The development confirmed speculations making the rounds for days that the Atiku campaign rally, earlier fixed for the Port Harcourt Polo Club for fear of breaching Wike’s Executive Order 21 may have shifted to the expansive Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in the orders of the Rivers governor.

The governor, however, gave the favour with a caveat to the Presidential Campaign Council that the Stadium will be accessible to the council 48 hours to the February 11th, 2023 presidential campaign.

Wike disclosing this at the campaign rally by the Rivers State PDP Campaign Council for Oyigbo LGA Friday warned the Director-General of the PCC in Rivers State, Dr. Abiye Sekibo, not to provoke the State government by desperation to grab access to the stadium earlier than expected, else the approval will be withdrawn.

The Governor in his warning told Abiye Sekibo, “We have approval for your presidential candidate to use Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, February 11th. You have no right to begin to go to the stadium now. We can only give you access two days to the occasion for you to prepare.

“Nobody gave you one month. So, if you dare it again, to go and force yourself into the stadium, I will cancel the approval with immediate effect. Dare it again, I cancel it. Heaven will not fall. Even if heaven falls now, we will be happy that it was in our time heaven came down.

“I know you are not ready to do that rally. You are only looking for excuse. But you must do it. I know you are going to import people, no problems, go and import. We have given you the stadium.”

On Rivers All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State blaming the crisis at Thursday’s campaign by its governorship candidate, Tonye Cole in Port Harcourt, he said, “APC simply turned a victim to the brewing crisis between two factions in Rumuwoji community because they did not address their demands adequately.”

Every Nigerian will be owing N384,864 each when President Muhammadu Buhari leaves office in May 2023, with the country’s debt profile expected to spiral to N77 trillion by then.

The Debt Management Office (DMO) has projected that government’s persistent borrowings would see President Muhammadu Buhari leave a humongous debt of N77 trillion behind for the incoming administration.

Patience Oniha, who heads the agency, said at a public presentation on January 4, 2023 on the 2023 budget at the National Assembly that new borrowings of ₦10.57 trillion was captured in the 2023 budget.

If divided by an official exchange rate put at N422 to an American dollar, 200 million Nigerians would have inherited N384,864 debt per person when the current administration winds down.

Available data showed that 73 per cent of internal debt, which is about 60 per cent of the total debt stock, is government bond, saving bonds, treasury bills, Sukuk and Green bonds.

Of internal debts, 2.3 per cent is government’s promissory notes to companies issued export expansion grant.

With the rising deficit in the budget, industry analysts posit that whoever takes over from President Buhari has tough choices to make on the economy, with the 2023 budget designed as a deficit document to be funded by borrowing.

“There is a strong link between ballooning debt, weak exchange rate and Nigeria’s rising hyper inflation. This is already taking its toll on Nigeria’s assesment by global rating agencies like Fitch and Moody. The worst of it all is that indigenous companies quoted on the Nigeria Exchange Limited are also donwgraded,” a development economist, Kelvin Emmanuel, told The ICIR.

Emmanuel pointed out a further concern of high monetary policy rate (MPR), which he said chokes businesses in the real sector as a result of high cost of funds, occasioned by ballooning debt stock.

“There’s a problem of double digit inflation. We are going to make our choice next month on who governs Nigeria and we must elect leaders who understand the economy,” he said.

Already, some economists have warned the Federal government that rising budget deficit and debt servicing would starve the private sector of funds needed to drive the real sector of the economy.

The 2023 budget of N21.83 trillion places the recurrent expenditure at approximately N8.27 trillion, while capital expenditure increased from N5.35 trillion to N5.9 trillion and debt servicing also increased from N6.31 trillion to N6.6 trillion.

The Chief Executive Officer of Cowry Assets Management Limited, Johnson Chukwu, who spoke with The ICIR, said if the government failed to exercise caution on how it funds budget deficits, the private sector would be seriously weakened in its capacity to drive the economy.

Chukwu said, “When we talk of the budget deficit of N12 trillion, we are also talking of a national debt of more than N22 trillion. If the Federal government continues to borrow, the implication is that you are going to crowd out private sector funding for the real sector.

“The increase in projected revenue only gives incentives to spend more even when we haven’t met up with it in the last five years. Now, this has made us to increase the budget deficit, which is putting lots of pressure on our funding the private sector.”

The economist also forewarned that Nigeria may head the way of Ghana if it fails to address its appetite on “unregulated borrowing.”

Nigeria’s budget deficit rises by 370 per cent to N47trn

The Budget Office of the Federation’s recent data analysis indicated that total budget deficit is set to hit N47.43 trillion under President Buhari.

The analysis covers the actual budget deficits and projections for the 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 fiscal years.

According to the figures, deficit financing has risen by 370.54 per cent from N2.41 trillion in 2016 to N11.34 trillion in 2023.

In the third and fourth quarters of 2015, total deficit financing amounted to N841.48 billion. It rose to N2.41 trillion in 2016, N3.81 trillion in 2017, N3.65 trillion in 2018, N4.18 trillion in 2019, N6.59 trillion in 2020, and N6.44 trillion in 2021.

While the total deficit for 2022 has not been released, the Budget Office expects the figure to hit N8.17 trillion (of which N6.37 trillion had been spent by November 30, 2022). The office also anticipates a high deficit financing of N8.17 trillion for the 2023 fiscal year.

Between the third and fourth quarters of 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020; the first three quarters of 2021, and the first four months of 2022, the Federal government spent N23.66 trillion on personnel costs, pensions, overhead costs, presidential amnesty programme, other service-wide votes, and special interventions.

It also spent N14.13 trillion on servicing domestic and foreign debts, as well as N10.47 trillion on capital expenditure.

Explaining the government budget deficit, an economic professor, Akpan Ekpo, said, “This shows that expenditure has eclipsed the revenue, because they have to borrow, which is why there is a deficit.

“They can’t raise enough domestic resources to finance spending. That gap is a deficit. By the rules, it should not be more than a certain percentage of the gross domestic product (GDP), but it has exceeded that.”

Former Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, saw a need to keep the budget deficit under three per cent of the GDP because of the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007, and in accordance with the international norm.

The country’s budget deficit to the GDP ratio had risen from 1.69 per cent in 2015 to 2.37 per cent in 2016. It increased to 2.85 per cent in 2018, and to 2.92 per cent in 2019. The Federal government expects the deficit to GDP ratio to be 5.03 per cent of the 2023 budget.

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, had admitted that the government was struggling to raise revenue for its expenditure.

In a document titled ‘Public Consultation on the Draft 2023 – 2025 MTFF/FSP,’ Ahmed said, “Revenue generation remains the major fiscal constraint of the federation. The systemic resource mobilisation problem has been compounded by recent economic recessions.”

While defending the 2022 budget, she stated, “If we just depend on the revenues that we get, even though our revenues have increased, the operational expenditure of the government, including salaries and other overheads, is barely covered or swallowed up by the revenue.

“So, we need to borrow to be able to build these projects that will ensure that we’re able to develop on a sustainable basis. Nigeria’s borrowing has been of great concern and has elicited a lot of discussions. But if you look at the total size of the borrowing, it is still within healthy and sustainable limits.”

#Atikugate. A leopard cannot change its skin. He is already promising contracts to political allies, forgetting that there is a law called the Public Procurement Act. Mr. SPV!

#Chatham House: Kwankwaso's response when asked if he will step down or co-operate with Labour Party to dislodge the ruling APC.

Rabiu Kwankwaso, the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), has taken a swipe at Peter Obi, the standard-bearer of the Labour Party (LP).

Speaking at Chatham House in the United Kingdom on Wednesday, Kwankwaso said he is more qualified than Obi to become the next president of Nigeria.

The NNPP candidate also said he withdrew from the discussion of alliance with the LP because the party was “carried away by media hype” and built on “ethnicity and religion”.

Citing his qualifications, the former governor of Kano said he is ready for a discussion with any presidential candidate who has better qualifications than him.

“I’m a PhD holder in civil engineering. I check your candidate for what he has. I have been in the system for over 30 years now. I was a civil servant for 17 years. I wasn’t a trader,” he said.

“I was deputy speaker of the house in 1992; I was in the constitutional conference elected delegates. I was governor of Kano state for eight years. I was in the senate. If anyone wants Kwankwaso to withdraw, let’s bring criteria and select the best

“Anytime I have a better candidate, I’m ready to talk to him. If you have a party which is based on ethnicity and religion — that is the difference between the Labour Party and our party, which is a national party.”

CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, Resumes Duty After Annual Leave.

CBN, NOT INVADED BY DSS

The attention of the Department of State Services (DSS) has been drawn to the false news making the round that its operatives invaded the Central Bank of Nigeria and arrested its Governor, today 16/1/23. This is fake news and quite misleading.

Peter Afunanya PhD, fsi
Public Relations Officer
Department of State Services
National Headquarters
Abuja
16th January, 2023

The Supreme Court has dethroned Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu V, the Obong of Calabar.

In a judgement delivered by Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba, the Supreme Court ordered the kingmakers and Traditional Rulers’ Council to immediately convoke a fresh selection process to produce another Obong of Calabar.

The court held that the fresh selection should be held in accordance with the 2002 constitution of the Palace.

Former minister of finance under late Gen Sani Abacha regime, Etubom Anthony Ani, and others in Suit No. HC/102/2008, filed by his lead counsel, Mr. Joe Agi, SAN, had sued Otu and others in their capacities as members of the Etuboms’ Traditional Council for jettisoning the screening process of the Western Calabar.

The court ordered that “the 1st Respondent (Etubom Ani) who admittedly was not capped/inducted into the Etuboms’ Council of the Palace of the Obong by the Obong at the time of the selection process was not traditionally qualified and eligible to vote and be voted for as the Obong of Calabar under Exhibit 1/20.

“That the 1st Appellant (Abasi Otu) was traditionally qualified and eligible to vote and be voted for as the Obong of Calabar under Exhibit 1/20 at the time of the selection process”, hence the Appeal court set aside the selection process that produced Etubom Ani as candidate and also set aside the March 31 proclamation of Etubom Abasi Otu as Obong Ordered by the Etuboms’ Conclave of the Palace of the Obong of Calabar, whose mandate it is under Article 5(a) (ii) (iv) of Exhibit 1/20, to do so and it “to conduct another process of selecting a new Obong of Calabar, in accordance with the provisions of Exhibit 1/20 and in strict compliance with the rules of natural justice”.

However, the deposed Obong is still qualified to participate in the selection processes and may still be voted for, according to the judgment written by Justice Amina Augie and read by Justice Akomoye Agim.

This is the fourth time the Obong, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu V, would step down for another selection exercise.

Some of the kingmakers who were at the private residence of the Obong near Tinapa Resort were heard saying “till tomorrow Edidem Ekpo Okon will still win the fresh selection processes, till tomorrow”.

Governor Godwin Emefiele is currently meeting with top government officials at the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Attorney-General Abubakar Malami and federal cabinet secretary Boss Mustapha are amongst those attending the meeting at the bank’s headquarters in Abuja, Peoples Gazette heard from sources familiar.

Details of the meeting were not immediately disclosed, but a senior official said it was connected with an attempt to force Mr Emefiele to resign from office and negotiate his way out of being arrested by the State Security Service.

The SSS has recently attempted to arrest Mr Emefiele, but the plan was foiled by two court orders that frowned upon such drastic measures against a man in charge of the nation’s monetary policy and regulations.

Mr Emefiele had stayed back for weeks between the UK and the United States, with The Gazette establishing that he was attempting to seek asylum in either country.

It was not immediately clear why Mr Emefiele returned to Nigeria, given that he has previously vowed to stay away until he received a clear guarantee from President Muhammadu Buhari of his safety from the SSS, which has continued to threaten him over allegations of economic sabotage and terrorism financing.

Argentina striker Yamila Rodriguez awkwardly has a picture of Cristiano Ronaldo on her leg.

The Argentina women's and Boca Juniors star, 24, is a huge fan of the former Real Madrid and Manchester United legend. So much so that her shin bears a tattoo of Ronaldo's face as well as the forward doing his famous 'siu' celebration.

But Rodriguez's ink has unsurprisingly raised a few eyebrows, given the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s greatest rival is Argentina legend Lionel Messi.

Many would assume her idol to be her compatriot, who carried his country to a third World Cup triumph in Qatar last month. The revered No.10 returned to Argentina to a hero's welcome after the tournament as millions filled the streets of Buenos Aires.

Nigeria will be free from bad leadership if we get it right this time by collecting our PVC and Vote the right candidates! Lets prove to them that power belongs to the people! IT IS THE NIGERIA CITIZENS TURN! Lets not miss this opportunity! Vote @PeterObi & @NgLabour

Former Belgium Manager, Roberto Martinez has been announced as the new Head Coach of the Portuguese National Team.

Former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, has reacted to the recent endorsement of the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, describing it as “a mistake by his boss, who is being haunted by the strong character and personality of Tinubu or Atiku.”

Lamido spoke, on Friday, in his hometown, Bamaina in Birninkudu Local Council of the State, when some returnees to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) visited him.

His former deputy governor, Ahmed Mamoud, also dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and returned to the PDP, along with others, whom he said went on a sojourn to the APC.

Lamido said the fear of having people like Atiku Abubakar, his former vice, and Bola Tinubu, the former Lagos State Governor, with strong personalities pushed Obasanjo to make the mistake of endorsing Obi.

“Obasanjo is my boss. I believe in him. He made a mistake to endorse another candidate outside the party that made him what he is, a party, which gave him the importance, the relevance and the image to be able to do that.

“He is doing it because he is angry with Tinubu and Atiku. What is their crime? Tinubu has a strong character and personality, so also Atiku. The fear of having people, who are very strong in character, is what is haunting him. With Atiku or Tinubu, he will not have the monopoly he is having over Nigeria.”

“The problem is people fail to realise that when a party honours you, and dignifies you, and makes you what you are, you need to be more circumspect. For me, Obasanjo is talking because he was a president.”

If he was not, will he talk like this? Whatever he is saying now is because he was a president under which party? PDP.

“PDP honoured him and dignified him. This is a leader, who should be more inspiring, who should set agenda for Nigeria so that his disciples can follow, which is what we call legacy in life.”

“I have a very clear political history. I have my own belief and conviction, and those who share this belief and aspiration came together to form the PDP. PDP formed a government in Nigeria. Today, if you remove PDP from the Nigerian history of 25 years, what will you have?

On the return of his deputy, he said he did not receive him. It is about the history of Jigawa.

“APC was a house for rent, and it was rented for those from PDP, CPC and so the tenure is over. The rent is over. So, they are coming back home. They had the right to do what they wanted to do.”

Chief Press Secretary to Governor of Delta, Mr Olisa Ifeajika, on Monday said the Vice-Presidential Candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, did not betray anyone in the party’s presidential primary.

Speaking at a news conference in Asaba, Ifeajika said that as a loyal partyman, the governor heeded PDP’s directives and decisions in all matters concerning the presidential convention.

He recalled that the Southern Governors’ Forum in a meeting in Asaba resolved, and later reiterated in subsequent meetings in Lagos meeting and Enugu to work towards the realisation of Southern Presidency.

Ifeajika pointed out that Southern Governors’ Forum comprised members from various political parties, and that the resolution of the Forum was only a wish which was not intended to be compulsory on all political parties.

According to him, when members of the forum returned to their various parties, decisions varied as each political party had different plans to approach the process of electing a presidential candidate.

“For us in PDP, the party told the Governors that it may not go with their position because we are in opposition and in order to get it right, the party set up a committee headed by Benue Governor, Samuel Ortom, to advise it appropriately on zoning of the ticket.

“The Ortom committee, in its wisdom, recommended that zoning be jettisoned to allow all aspirants to participate in the primary to enable the best to emerge.

“The committee presented its report to the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) where it was agreed to open the presidential ticket to enable for the best hands to emerge as recommended.

“As far as we are aware, no member, including the governors or group protested the party’s decision. They all acquiesced and accepted the party’s decision on zoning.

“There was no treachery anywhere because no agreement was reached. The party’s position prevailed and delegates at the Presidential Primary voted as they wished,” he said.

Ifeajika said that long after the primaries some persons were still talking about betrayal, and wondered where the G-5 governors were when the Ortom Committee presented its report.

“Why didn’t they raise their voices against the party’s decision not to zone the ticket to any part and rise against it?

“They agreed to it, participated, only to start an agitation without foundation after a candidate had emerged.

“I see the G-5 Governors agitation as a distraction and I appeal to them to sheath their sword and beat a retreat as quickly as possible to join the party’s rescue mission.

“They remain very senior members of PDP and they remain an important factor because the next election is a low hanging fruit for the PDP to pick if we close ranks. We believe that Nigerians would vote for the party,” he added.

On the G-5 governors agitation for the sack of Ayu, Okowa’s spokesman said it was a constitutional matter which ought to be addressed at the appropriate time.

“In Rivers state where Wike holds sway as Governor, the Governorship candidate is from Rivers South and the Chairman of the party in the state is also from Rivers South.

“We didn’t see Wike tell the party Chairman to step aside because a governorship candidate emerged from same senatorial district with him.

“It becomes germane if Atiku emerges President and the party Chairman remains in office. There is no law that compels Ayu to resign because the North has produced the Presidential candidate, unless he decides to step aside on his own volition.

“One would have thought that having pursued the agitation without yielding results that they will beat a retreat but if they go ahead to endorse another candidate aside the PDP Presidential candidate, appropriate steps will be taken,” he stressed.

On Obasanjo’s endorsement of Peter Obi, he said Obasanjo merely exercised his constitutional right adding that Nigerians may not listen to him.

“You will recall that sometime ago he tore his party card and said he wants to remain a statesman. What he has done is the exercise of his constitutional rights.

“He was against Buhari in 2019 but he later won and that means that many Nigerians didn’t listen to him and that may also play out this time around,” he stated.

A Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Yaba has ordered that ASP Drambi Vandi, be remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre until January 30, 2023, pending advice from the State Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

The spokesperson of the Lagos State Police Command, Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed this in a tweet on Friday.

“Drambi Vandi was, this morning, arraigned in court and has been remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre till January 30, 2023, to give room for DPP advice,” the tweet read.

The State Government had on Friday, arraigned ASP Vandi at the Yaba Magistrate Court over the alleged murder of a Lagos-based lawyer, Bolanle Raheem.

Raheem was allegedly shot dead by ASP Vandi on Christmas Day, in the Ajah area of the State.

The king of football has left us but his legacy will never be forgotten.
RIP KING

A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High court on Thursday, restrained the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), from arresting and detaining the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, over alleged terrorism financing.

The court also restrained the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the CBN, who are listed as 1st, 2nd and 5th defendants, from further harassment and prosecution of Emiefiele.

The restraining order followed a ruling by Justice MA Hassan, in a suit marked FCT/HC/CV/GAR/41/2022, filed by the Incorporated Trustees of Forum for Accountability and Good Leadership.

Justice Hassan, on December 19, granted an exparte application restraining the defendants from arresting and detaining the CBN governor.

Granting the exparte application moved by Emeka Ozoani (SAN), counsel to the applicant, Justice Hassan specifically ordered that: “The 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants/respondents are hereby restrained in the interim whether by themselves, their officers, agents, servants, privies or acting through any person or persons howsoever from inviting, arresting and/or detaining the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emefiele, with particular allegations of acts of terrorism financing, fraudulent activities, or any other manner howsoever that may interfere with his rights to freedom of movement, personal liberty, human dignity or in any way interfere with the performance and discharge of his official functions and duties as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”

The court equally granted an order of substituted service on the 5th defendant/respondent (the CBN) by delivering the originating summons and other processes to the legal department of the bank, at its Headquarters in Abuja.

In his ruling on Thursday, the judge held that the continued harassment of Emefiele on the basis of the allegations by the DSS is illegal and constitutes a breach of his fundamental rights as provided for in the 1999 Constitution and African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

THEWILL reports that the DSS, in an exparte application marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/2255/2022, had sought an order to arrest the CBN Governor over alleged acts of “financing terrorism, fraudulent activities and economic crimes of national security dimension.”

But the Chief judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, in a ruling delivered on December 9, rejected the application on the grounds that the DSS failed to provide sufficient evidence to warrant the issuance of an arrest warrant against Emefiele.

Justice Tsoho said the depositions in the affidavit filed by the DSS in support of its application “purport that preliminary investigation has revealed various acts of terrorism financing, fraudulent activities perpetrated by the respondent and his involvement in economic crimes of national security dimension.

Also on Thursday, Justice Hassan said the DSS cannot continue to harass or arrest Governor Emefiele over any trumped-up allegations unless an order of a superior court is first obtained.

The court held that Exhibit A, submitted by the 4th respondent (DSS), which was the Affidavit also submitted to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Tsoho, did not substantiate or provide any material fact of terrorism and that the 4th respondent’s acts are obvious attempts to interfere with the rights of Godwin Emefiele.

Justice Hassan agreed with the EFCC (5th Respondent) position that there is a process for the removal of the Governor, thus the continued harassment and interference by the 4th Respondent particularly is embarrassing in the light of statutory provisions.

In its counter affidavit, the EFCC stated that it has no case against Emefiele as he is not under investigation by the Commission.

Consequently, the anti-graft agency asked the court to discharge it from the matter on the ground that it is not a necessary party.

The Court held that all other respondents except the 4th DSS are nominal parties as no case was really made against them

Justice Hassan ruled that Applicant had shown sufficient locus standi to initiate this Suit in line with Fundamental Human Rights Rules.

The Court however held that it will not award damages as the suit was not taken out by Godwin Emefiele himself.

The US will require airline passengers coming from China to show negative Covid-19 tests as global concerns ratchet higher over the virus’s spread since the country lifted its restrictions.

My darling mother, Eunice O. Adesina passed away today at the age of 92. I am blessed you were my mother. You gave birth to me, nursed me, cared for and brought me up. I am forever grateful Mum. So long sweet Mum, greet Dad and sleep well. I love you. Your loving baby, Akins

The leader of the apex body of the Yoruba self-determination struggle, Ilana Omo Oodua Worldwide, Prof. Banji Akintoye, has stepped down from his position.

It was gathered that Akintoye’s resignation followed alleged infighting among members of the self-determination group.

But in a statement on Thursday announcing the decision of Akintoye, the group’s General Secretary, Tunde Amusat, said the former Yoruba Nation leader handed the baton of leadership to his former Deputy, Prof. Wale Adeniran.

Amusat claimed Akintoye handed over the mantle of leadership to Adeniran, citing old age and a weakened body system as his reasons.

According to Amusat, the worldwide congress of Ilana Omo Oodua held on December 17th, 2022 accepted Akintoye’s resignation and affirmed Adeniran as the new leader of the group.

He added that the proposed amendment to the constitution affirming Adeniran’s position as Chairman will be tabled at the next worldwide congress before the end of this year for ratification by registered members.

“Akintoye extolled the principled virtues of Adeniran, commending him for his consistent patience against all forms of blackmail, slanders and defamatory affirmations which had been unleashed against him in the past by those he (Akintoye) described as “disgruntled elements”.

“Adeniran is a retired Assistant Professor of African Studies and the pioneer Commissioner for Education in Osun State. He hails from Ile-Ife,” the statement read.

OMO-AGEGE, DELTA APC GRIEVE VICTIMS OF OKERENKOKO BOAT ACCIDENT, SUSPEND CAMPAIGN INDEFINITELY

Deputy Senate President, and Delta All Progressives Congress, APC, gubernatorial candidate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, and the Delta APC Campaign Council, have received with shock and grief, news of the boat accident involving loyal party members and supporters, as they returned from our rally in Okerenkoko, Warri South West Local Government Area, yesterday, 20th December, 2022.

Information at our disposal indicates that a commercial boat traveling in the opposite direction rammed into the boat carrying our supporters, and that two persons lost their lives, three are missing, and seven others are in hospital receiving treatment from injuries sustained in the accident.

We are shocked by this tragedy, and our hearts are heavy. Our prayers and thoughts are with the victims and their families. This is one tragedy too many, and our party is officially in mourning.

We are currently working with the relevant authorities and communities to search for the missing. We are also in the process of reaching out to the families and loved ones of those that lost their lives, while ensuring that the injured receive the best care possible.

In honour of the dead, missing and injured, we have decided to indefinitely suspend all further campaigns. The Campaign Council will advise on next steps in the coming days and weeks.

Once again, we express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims, and pray that the Almighty comforts and gives them fortitude in these trying times.

Ima Niboro,
Director, Communications and Media Strategy,
Delta APC Campaign Council

21st December, 2022

Wife and son of Doyin Okupe, former Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Media to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, on Monday, begged a Federal High Court in Abuja to tamper justice with mercy on Okupe’s sentencing.

Omolola and Adesunkanmi Okupe spoke as witnesses shortly after the court reconvened following the defendant’s conviction.

The court presided over by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, had convicted Okupe of breaching the Money Laundering Act.

Justice Ojukwu, in a judgment, held that Okupe was found guilty of contravening Sections 16(1)&(2) of the Money Laundering Act, for accepting cash payments without going through a financial institution, in excess of the threshold allowed under the Act.

Okupe is the Director General of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) of the Labour Party (LP).

Okupe was said to have received N240 million in cash from the office of the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (retired).

Besides the wife and the son that testified to Okupe’s good character and honesty before the court, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife and former Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr. Idi Farouk, also gave their evidence and appealed for leniency.

The judge had, earlier, stood down proceedings for Okupe to exercise his right under Section 310 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) to call witnesses to testify about his character, before the court could proceed to pronounce sentence on the convict.

A STUDENT nurse who was a victim of rape has told the Ndola High Court that she did not sustain bruises on her private parts because her rapists manhood was small and that he wore a condom in the act.

Daniel Mulaya, 28 who faces three counts of Rape and seven of Aggravated Robbery is believed to have gone on a crime spree to avenge the death of his sister who died after sexual abuse.

Mulaya is alleged to have broken into his victims houses and threatened them with a knife, taser gun and chisel to lure them into doing as he said.

When the matter came up before Ndola High Court Judge Daniel Musonda, one of the victims told court that Mulaya took turns in raping her and a roommate until the condom burst.

The victim who was narrating the happenings of December last year said Mulaya told her roommate to lie face down as he had sex with her.

The victim narrated that she was raped twice by Mulaya and that the ordeal affected her performance at school as she remained traumatized.

She told court that there was no bruising on her private parts, but indications showed that she was raped because the sperm was present.

“I was raped twice and I was not bruised because he was putting on a condom which had lubricant and his manhood was small,” she said.

The victim further narrated that Mulaya held a knife in his hand while he raped her and threatened to kill her is she screamed for help.

In cross examination, lawyer representing Mulaya, Erick Silwamba asked the victim to state how possible it was for a man with a small manhood to penetrate the privates.

The victim responded to say that he forced himself to penetrate.

The matter was then adjourned to January next year.

The Department of State Security Service (DSS) has summoned the Director of Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), Professor Ishaq Akintola.

Akintola was summoned a few days after he accused Governor Seyi Makinde, of “aiding and abetting Oyo State school authorities, who are in the habit of forcing Muslim students and Muslim teachers to sing Christmas carol.”

He had alleged that “Under Seyi Makinde’s watch, Muslim students were herded like sheep to attend the crusade of a German Christian crusader, Evangelist Daniel Kolenda, in November 2021. Oyo State public schools were used for the crusade during school hours.

Again, under Makinde’s watch, Muslim applicants attending a screening exercise for appointment were made to answer questions on the Bible in August 2020. Under Makinde’s watch, Muslim teachers were forced to attend a screening exercise on Salah day in July 2022. Yet these are schools using public funds and Muslims are the majority among tax-payers in the state.

“Makinde has a plethora of anti-Muslim actions for which he has never apologized. We have no doubt that he will continue to condone the persecution of Muslim students and Muslim teachers until he is kicked out of office. We, therefore, remind Oyo State Muslims to take their destiny into their own hands by using their voting power to send away their traducer.”

However, DSS has now told Akintola to report to their office in Oyo within one week.

MUSLIM RIGHTS CONCERN (MURIC), OGUN STATE CHAPTER.
* هيئة حقوق المسلمين
Motto: Dialogue, Not Violence.

Date : Friday 16th of December, 2022

*D.S.S INVITATION TO AKINTOLA: MURIC OGUN CHAPTER DEMANDS WRITTEN INVITATION*

The attention of the Ogun State Chapter of MURIC has been drawn to the recent invitations by the department of State Security Service at Ibadan, Oyo State, which can be described as in terrorem through ex cathedra of the state.

This was contained in a statement issued by the State Chairman of MURIC in Ogun State, Alhaji Tajudeen Jimoh Alao and the State Secretary, Mr Olaleye Rasheed Damilare on Friday,16th of December,2022.

The message reads, "We are particularly disturbed by the insistence of the officers of Oyo State D.S.S Office that Professor Ishaq Akintola, the director of MURIC, must report to their office in Ibadan, Oyo State, for questioning despite Professor Akintola's poor health which he explained to the DSS. Although the caller agreed that our director could report in their office within one week, we still find this disturbing because they refused to tell him his offence."

Our guess is that he is being invited in connection with a press release of Monday, 6th of December, 2022 in which MURIC cautioned Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State against the repression of Muslim students and teachers who were forced to sing Christmas carol in St.Annes School 1 senior, St Annes School 2, and St Annes Junior school, Molete, Ibadan.

In the statement, MURIC asked Muslims in the state to vote out Makinde in the coming election in the State.

MURIC repeated in the statement that it is not averse to having a christain Governor as long as the governor is just to all and as long as he respects the rights of all.

If for this the D.S.S. in Oyo State is now being used as a tool to intimidate, harass, distract and silence MURIC, we alert Nigerians to the emerging tyranny in Oyo State. Professor Ishaq Akintola is a law abiding citizen of this country. We are not aware of any crime that he has ever committed.

MURIC refuses to be distracted and intimidated for speaking in the interest of Nigerian Muslims. After all, we have videos of pastors who have uttered incriminating and provocative statements on the 2023 elections and nothing has happened to them.

Ordinarily, the D.S.S has the right to invite people to their offices for questioning, but the question begging for answer is "How sure are we that the person who called our director is a member of D.S.S.? What if it is a ploy to get him out of his comfort zone in order to assassinate or kidnap him?

This is a man, people have been threatening to kill. Professor Ishaq Akintola has been threatened on many occasions and the telephone call may have been made by any of his prospective assailants.

This is a man, who has been publicly molested for speaking up for the Muslims by people who are against social justice, security and peace.

This is a man that has escaped series of assassination attempts by miscreants and hoodlums. Assassins have been sent to Akintola's home. They shot his wife in the stomach and she spent weeks in the hospital. How can the DSS invite a man who have suffered such fate just by ordinary telephone call.

Going by the above, we advice Oyo State DSS to invite our director professionally in writing for the sake of security. Another alternative is for the DSS to come and pick him in Lagos on condition that Muslim lawyers must be present during the questioning. Any attempt at illegal detention will be resisted with every legal means available. At least that will give Nigerians the guarantee that he is in the hands of the DSS. But we warn that nothing must happen to Akintola.

Although he is based in Lagos, the DSS Oyo State wants him to report in Ibadan, Oyo State. It is therefore a cross-state invitation and we see it as very dangerous in present-day Nigeria where there is insecurity everywhere. We are particularly concerned when the caller rejected Akintola's suggestion that he was ready to report at the DSS Lagos office and they insisted that he must come all the way to Ibadan.

We remind Governor Seyi Makinde that the current president of Nigeria has been criticized and abused by many yet he never ordered the security agents to invite, arrest or detain any of his critics. Many state governors have also experienced criticism and they tolerated it. But Seyi Makinde has set the state security personnel against a Muslim non-governmental organization for daring to interrogate the intolerance of school authorities who forced Muslim students and teachers to sing Christmas carol. It is executive recklessness. We reaffirm that we will not succumb to intimidation.

Governor Seyi Makinde never cautioned Christian school authorities who persecuted Muslim students but he wants to use the DSS to harass the leader of an Islamic human rights organization that has been exposing the excessess of christian principals and teachers in the state.

We insist that peace, justice and tolerance can only be achieved, if only we respect the rights of ordinary citizens.

Signed,
Ustadh Jimoh Tajudeen Alao.
CHAIRMAN, MURIC, OGUN STATE CHAPTER.

Mr. Olaleye Rasheed Damilare .
SECRETARY, MURIC, OGUN STATE CHAPTER.

BREAKING

3 Months Committal on IGP: Federal High Court Vacates Order
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has on Wednesday 14th December, 2022, set aside the contempt proceedings and committal order against the Office of the Inspector-General of Police.

This is following the motion filed before the Federal High Court on Thursday 1st December, 2022, by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, psc(+), NPM, NEAPS, fdc, CFR, highlighting the basis why the order should be vacated,

particularly as the Force had complied with the original ruling of the court for the reinstatement of one Patrick C. Okoli, the plaintiff in the matter.

The Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday passed a total of ₦1,768,014,155,285 as the budget for 2023, jacking it up by N78 billion.

The Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, thanked the lawmakers for their collective sacrifice and the swiftness with which the Appropriation Bill was handled.

A breakdown of the approved budget size shows the sum of N748,096,508,571 as Recurrent expenditure and N1,019,917,646,713 as Capital expenditure for the year ending 31st December, 2023.

A part of the breakdown for the sectoral allocations also shows that N3,228,396,960 was approved as the new Overhead Cost of the Office of Civic Engagement for drug abuse advocacy.

The sum of N802,987,206 was approved as the new Capital Expenditure of the Ministry of Economic Planning & Budget while N1,200,000,000 was approved as the new Overhead Cost (Social Intervention and Humanitarian Programme) in the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget.

-Obasa, who presided over the plenary, said the passion with which the lawmakers processed the bill for passage showed their love for the progress of Lagos State.

He also expressed hope that residents of the State would show their satisfaction with the lawmakers and the All Progressives Congress (APC) by voting for candidates of the party in Lagos and at the centre during the forthcoming election.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had in October presented the sum of N1.69 trillion ‘budget of continuity’ to the House.

While receiving the proposal from the Governor, Speaker Obasa had urged that the 2023 budget “should have more human face, be targeted at reducing poverty and improving the welfare of the residents of the State as part of the THEMES agenda of the administration.”

BREAKING: Reports of multiple attack by unknown gunmen allegedly enforcing the sit-at-home order in Ebonyi state, today December 12,2022. pic.twitter.com/9OmjeS7Lc0

— Eons Intelligence (@eonsintelligenc) December 12, 2022

Palpable fear and pandemonium seem to be rocking the Abakaliki capital of Ebonyi State as residents of the State were seen running from one location to the other, following the enforcement of sit at home order by Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB in the State.

Following the development, Keke riders, commuters, motorcyclists and other road users were seen on top speed racing to any safe location within the State.

Most residents, who had left their homes in the early hours of Monday, made frantic efforts to seek refuge in any nearby compound or residential area, so as not to be victims of any circumstance.

Vanguard gathered that there was confusion in some popular markets, including Ahia-ofu, Kpirikpiri, the International market and the Ebebe market in Abakaliki.

It was learnt that IPOB members were seen around Ebebe market allegedly shooting sporadically, which made passersby to starting running for safety.

It was gathered that a confirmed number of persons were allegedly killed, following the enforcement by IPOB.

The incident led to killings in Ahia ofu as many were seen running around waterworks road, mbukogbe, Ezza Road, Udensi Street as unknown made efforts to ensure that the sit-at-home order was adhered to by the resident of the State.

Vanguard gathered that customers, who went to the United Bank for Africa, UBA, for the financial transaction were trapped in the bank for fear of becoming victims.

A resident of Abakaliki (names withheld) while narrating his ordeal said: “I am taking refuge in a hotel now. I went to buy a recharge card opposite the government house when I saw people running helter-skelter.

“People hurriedly parked their things inside their shops while traffic Policemen on duty opposite government house immediately changed their clothes.

“I drove out of that area following heavy gunshots to Kpirikpiri, where the road is deserted. People have parked their things inside their shops along that old Enugu road.

“If you are still in your houses, remain there untill calm returns.”

Another resident added “‘Am also taking refuge in a colleague ‘s abode. I ran from site, just before Spera-in-Deo junction, I heard gunshots and people were running for safety. I managed to get to Agwu street from convent road.”

An eye witness account revealed that “Security operatives are around Kpirikpiri trying to bring peace and order”.

When Vanguard visited some locations in the State, major streets within the metropolis were deserted as few persons were seen trekking to their locations.