₦airaland Forum

Some senators say they have uncovered 20 proposed electricity projects in Lau local government area, the LGA of Mamman Saleh, minister of power.

The senate committee on power condemned the proposed projects during the 2021 budget proposal of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).

The lawmakers also accused the minister of uneven distribution of projects under the ministry and asked Ahmad Salijo, REA managing director, to draw the his attention to the inadequacies.

Yusuf Yusuf, a member of the committee from Taraba, first pointed out the “lopsided” distribution of electrification projects in the ministry’s proposed budget.

He said most of the mini-grid power projects, ranging from N20 million to N52 million, are “all concentrated in one local government area”.

“That is the minister’s LGA. Twenty projects are in Lau local government area. I am not challenging him but I am sure,” he said.

Bala Ibn Na’Allah, another member of committee from Kebbi state, said the minister’s alleged action amounts to abuse of office.

“The president wants to be the president of every citizen of the Federal Republic if Nigeria. Therefore, he would want loyalty and cooperation from every citizen of the country,” he said.

“If we sit down here and agree that a budget that pleases a minister, can come, the minister is not doing himself good because he has sworn to do justice to all manner of the people and not to allow his personal interest to affect his official conduct and decision.

“He has by this clearly shown that he has allowed his personal interest to affect his official conduct and decision, and that is a very serious matter.”

By Emmanuel Addeh



The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) yesterday attributed the prolonged neglect of overhauling the refineries in the country to the delay in making them functional.


It declared the refineries as damaged beyond the usual Turnaround Maintenance (TAM).

However, to revamp them, the national oil is embarking upon total rehabilitation of the plants, which despite currently being non-functional, gulp about N10 billion monthly in payment of salaries and other in-built costs.

Speaking yesterday on the third day of the virtual Oil Trading and Logistics (OTL) Africa Downstream Expo 2020, on the theme “ Petroleum Refining Trends and Outlook for Tomorrow’s Energy Supply,” the Managing Director of the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC), Mr. Ezekiel Osarolube, stated that the corporation had begun the rehabilitation of all the facilities.


He explained that there is now a private/public arrangement in the revamping of the refineries, adding that getting them back on stream remains a priority for the NNPC.

“The first phase of this project is to raise capacity and second phase is to upgrade and modernise to meet current trends; so, we need time to get there.

“There’s a difference between turnaround maintenance and what we are doing now. The traditional TAM, which the whole world knows is usually statutory, which is done two to three years, is to open and clean the system.

“But because of the long neglect, we have gone beyond that level of turnaround. What we are talking about now is comprehensive rehabilitation, which will involve replacing very obsolete equipment that can bring the plants back to optimum performance,” he stated.

According to him, the journey to make the plants resume production is ongoing, adding that the corporation has a roadmap, which it is following religiously to ensure all the slippages are rectified.

“These steps are going on in Warri, Kaduna and Port Harcourt and we have a roadmap we follow religiously.

“Every month, we have a stakeholders’ meeting to review where we are and if there is any slippages and how to recover because top management is focused on this project as the number one project of NNPC.

“We are dealing with people who are good in the business and they also want to recoup their money. All the fears will be taken care of and everyone will be proud of the NNPC,” he stated.

On his part, the Executive Secretary of the African Refiners and Distributors Association (ARA), a pan-African organisation for the African downstream oil sector, Mr. Anibor Kragha, noted that while the NNPC was on the right path, it should, however, focus on combining rehabilitation and upgrade to cleaner fuel specs to sell across Africa since there’s a huge market for it.

“We are going to have a population explosion in the next two decades and we are going to need an increased amount of energy to meet their demands.

“Renewables are going to grow during that period. Notwithstanding what happens, we are going to need a lot of crude oil but we need to focus on cleaner fuels. That’s why we are calling for Africa specific fuels by 2030,” he said.

He called for less emphasis on brown fuels and more on the green, noting that technologies for this should be made a priority, while the pursuit of gas as an alternative fuel should be encouraged.

Also in his intervention, Chairman, PEJAD, Nigeria, Mr. Anthony Ogbuigwe, said to make progress towards the attainment of cleaner fuel supplies, Sub-Saharan Africa must reduce the sulphur content of the fuels it consumes.

“The biggest refineries are in Egypt, but none of them meet the clean fuels specifications, but a number of them are carrying out revamping projects to improve the specification,” he said.

The Nigeria Police Force has withdrawn the charges preferred against a student of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, who was detained for 82 days for operating a parody account of former President Goodluck Jonathan on Twitter.

Olusola Babatunde was arraigned before Justice Anwuli Chikere of the Federal High Court in Abuja for impersonating the former President even though he had stated on his Twitter profile that the account was a parody one.

After several appeals and protests, Babatunde was released. Jonathan subsequently informed the police that he was no longer interested in pursuing the case.

Babatunde’s lawyer, Tope Akinyode, announced the development on Twitter, saying, “The criminal charges against Babatunde Olusola over the parody account of former President Goodluck Jonathan have been withdrawn. The Federal High Court has struck out the case today in which I represented him.”

Babatunde had told The PUNCH how he was detained by the police for 82 days and nearly contracted COVID-19 at the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Garki, Abuja for creating the parody account.

The student said although he was never tortured, he wore the same clothes for 82 days and was only allowed to wash his clothes every four days.

“It wasn’t easy. I spent 82 days in detention and I was transferred to three different cells. I wore the same clothes for 82 days,” Babatunde said.

The student said he felt betrayed that former President Jonathan could order his arrest because he was one of his biggest supporters.

He said a few days before his arrest, he tweeted that Jonathan’s administration was better than that of his successor, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).

Narrating how he was arrested, the student said his uncle called him and asked him to see him urgently and that policemen wanted to see him.

The student said on getting to his uncle’s house, the police arrested him and did not reveal to him the reason for his arrest.

“It was when I got to the station that I was asked what I did to offend Goodluck Jonathan”, Babatude said.

“I spent over a month in police custody before I was arraigned,” he added.

The student said he created the parody account with the best of intentions and never defrauded anyone or impersonated the former President.

He said he abided by the Twitter rules guiding the creating parody accounts and wondered why he was subjected to such wickedness.

“I set it up just to make the timeline fun. I have my own personal Twitter account but I just wanted to ‘catch cruise’. It was my personal Twitter account that I converted. It was the same handle @jayythedope but I changed my picture and profile name to that of Jonathan,” he said.

Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, says family members of those affected by the shooting at Lekki toll gate have refused to speak about the incident “because of the environment under which we operate”.

The senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), who said the military is “known for lies and deception”, said there must be justice for the victims of Lekki shooting.

He spoke at a virtual #EndSARS meeting organised by Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters, on Wednesday.

Narrating how the Nigerian Army “covered up” the reported killing of 347 Shi’ites in Zaria, Kaduna state, in 2015, Falana said the Lekki incident must not be swept under the carpet.

Soldiers had reportedly opened fire on the Shi’ites during a procession at a time the convoy of Tukur Buratai, chief of army staff, was passing.

Although the army claimed few Shi’ites were killed in the incident, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) and a panel set up by the Kaduna state government said the casualties were more than 300.

Speaking at the meeting monitored by TheCable, Falana accused the army of lying about the incident in Lekki, saying nothing should have warranted soldiers’ presence at the protest venue.

“Nobody should believe the military, it has a history of lies, fraud and deception,” he said.

“Just in December 2015, the same chief of army staff claimed there was a traffic jam in Zaria and the big man wanted to move.

“And because of that traffic, he got soldiers from the first division in Kaduna to mow down hundreds of Shi’ites. And what was the explanation? That the Shi’ites wanted to assassinate the chief of army staff, and so his boys had to save him and in the process, they repelled these Shi’ites who had guns and about six or seven people died.

“But in a commission of enquiry set up by the Kaduna state government, we were told that indeed, 347 Nigerians were killed by the military; no autopsy, no postmortem, nothing whatsoever.

“Their bodies were taken away in the dead of the night and given a mass burial. And people will ask you, ‘if anybody lost his child in Lekki, why can’t they come up?’ Who has come up in the case of Zaria? Because you must understand the environment under which we operate.”

The senior lawyer also said some of those injured in the Lekki shooting “had to forcefully discharge themselves.”

According to him, the injured protesters were told in a hospital that they were going to be held liable for the riots in town, “and so, everybody had to move.”

More than N1.4 billion scandal is currently rocking the officials of Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tel-Aviv, Israel.

This is even as the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, has been indicted by the report of the Auditor General of federation, Anthony Ayine.

Specifically, the officials have been fingered in alleged financial scandal of N848 million and $1.5 million respectively.

The alleged financial fraud was uncovered by the Senate Committee on Public Account, chaired by Senator Mathew Urhoghide.

Angered by financial recklessness of the embassy in Tel-Aviv, the Chairman of Senate Committee on Public Account, directed that the former permanent secretary in the Ministry must be compelled to account for the mismanaged funds in the Ministry.

He added that the person that committed all the infractions should be made known for further action.

The representative of Secretary of Ministry of Affairs, Salawu Zubair was unable to give convincing account to the Senate Committee on Public Account on the series of queries raised by the Auditor-General of Federation.

The Auditor General’s report reads: “The sum of $858,704,50 was generated as revenue in respect of visa and administrative charges for the period 2013- 2015. The following irregularities were observed.

“Treasury boon 6A and Treasury Book 6 revenue booklets were not kept, and consequently not made available .

“Revenue collector’s registers with details of TR6A and relevant amount were not maintained

“Revenue cash books were not updated with relevant entries throughout 2014.”

The permanent secretary has been requested to explain these irregularities in revenue collection, account for the sum of $858,704.50 collected as well as carry out the surcharge of officers involved, otherwise , the full weight of financial regulations 3112 (1) should be applied, forwarding evidence of action taken for audit verification.

“The sum of $187,554.49 was transferred from revenue to overhead accounts as revealed in the revenue cash books of 2013 and 2015.

“The amount was claimed to have been borrowed from the Internally Generated Revenue Account for the period but was never paid back. This action contravenes financial regulations 236.

“The Permanent Secretary has been requested to recover the entire amount and forward evidence of recovery and remittance to government chest for audit verification

“Audit examination revealed that out of the sum $305,577 was unaccounted for.

“It was also observed that between 2013 and 2015 the sum of N517,247,500.8 was remitted to the embassy.

“The sum for capital, personnel and overhead cost. These remittances were all paid into one account.

“This is a violation of financial regulations 701 which requires separate bank accounts to be maintained for capital and overhead to enable transparent rendition of expenditure return in accordance with budgetary provisions.

“The expenditure return rendered by the embassy cannot be admissible as a true reflection of transaction of the lumping of expenditure remittances (personnel, overhead and capital) into bank account.

“The Permanent Secretary has been requested to explain these banking irregularities and revert to the separation of bank accounts in accordance with statutory regulations, forwarding evidence of action taken for audit verification.

“During the audit examination of payment voucher, the total sum of $158, 000 was paid as estacode allowance to home-based staff to accompany Christians pilgrims from Nigeria to various religious sites.

“However, it was revealed while going through the supporting documents attached to the payment voucher that these pilgrims were usually accompanies by the Nigerian Pilgrims Commission, hence there is no need for embassy staff to escort them, the Permanent Secretary has been requested to stop further wastage of statutory allocations on meaningless pilgrimage tours that will aid the embassy on accomplishing its mandate and in informing me accordingly on action taken.

“During the verification of the AIEs extracted from the ministry into the AIEs files maintained at the Nigerian embassy in Tel-Aviv. It was observed that AIEs totalling N331m extracted from the ministry of foreign affairs did not reflect at the embassy.

“The Permanent Secretary ha been requested to explain why these AIEs totalling N331m were not recorded and accounted for n the embassy files or recover the total amount and forward the recovery particulars to me for verification,” the report stated.

A middle-aged woman, on Sunday, reportedly cut off her husband’s manhood in Taraba State for allegedly impregnating another woman.

This is coming about four months after the police arrested a 32-year-old housewife, Halima Umar, who cut off her husband’s dick with a knife in the same state for marrying another wife.

It was gathered at the weekend that the man, simply identified as Babangida but popularly known as Bangis, who is in his early 30s, suffered severe injuries on his genitals after his wife attempted to cut off his dick.

The incident happened at Appawa community, a suburb of Lau Local Government area, about 12:15a.m. when Bangis was asleep. Bangis was immediately rushed to a private hospital for treatment.

According to a source, who is also a neighbour to the victim, Bangis went to the market and after a hectic day, he was tired and slept off. He said Bangis was yet to have a child with his wife.

“In the morning, the wife cut the manhood because he impregnated another woman. He fought back and collected the knife from her, but she also injured herself in the process. Neighbours heard screaming and shouting in the house and they rushed to their apartment to meet the sad incident,” he said.

When asked why she made attempts to cut off her husband’s manhood, the woman replied: “The Bible says we should cut off anything that can make one to sin.”

As of press time yesterday, the spokesperson for the police command, DSP David Misal, was yet to confirm the incident.

Zzor:
You are not a saint,we didn't see any of your children protesting at lekki.I can't be deceived by your son's way of chasing clout,we know how it's done mtcheww. Hypocrite

A legal practitioner, Inibehe Effiong, has formally asked the Lagos State Government to release the CCTV footage of the Lekki shooting.

On October 20, soldiers fired live bullets at unarmed protestors at the toll gate.

The action, heavily criticized across the world, caused an unspecified number of deaths and several injuries.

The Defence Headquarters claimed that videos about the incident on social media were photoshopped.

On Monday, Effiong announced that he had made requests to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

The fiery lawyer wants: “Authenticated Copies of Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) records showing the attack on #EndSARS Protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos on October 20, 2020;

“Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Instrument setting up the Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses & Lekki Toll Gate Incident with its Terms of Reference;

“Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Instrument, Order or Directive under which a revised Curfew was declared and imposed in Lagos State which took effect by 9:00PM on October 20, 2020.”

His application, made pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act 2011, has been delivered to the Sanwo-Olu’s office.

Effiong wrote: “Sir, I urgently require the CTC of the said Instruments and the CCTV records to enable me participate, and properly represent victims at the Panel.

“It will also be in the overall public interest for these documents to be released to me timeously as that will enhance public confidence in the Panel’s investigation.

“It is my considered view that refusal of this innocuous FOI request will undermine your commitment to a credible, honest and transparent investigation into abuses by SARS in Lagos State and the remote and immediate cause(s) of the infamous attack on #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate, Lagos on October 20, 2020.

“Kindly see this request as a good opportunity to honour your oath of office and advance your pledge to ensure that truth and justice prevail.”

The rights activist reminded Sanwo-Olu that the world is watching to see his action on the vicious attack by the Nigerian Army.

The National Broadcasting Station (NBC) has sanctioned three major broadcast stations over their alleged roles in escalation of violence across the nation .

The regulators fined Arise TV, African Independent Television (AIT) and Channels Television between N2million and N3million.

The stations were accused of airing unverified images of the alleged shooting.

The protest, which began on a peaceful note has since gone violence, with many states experience wanton destructions and looting of public and private properties.

Nigerians now pay N1.23 extra on every litre of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol as administrative charge.

The admin charge was N0.10 per litre before the hike. Producers of petroleum products, particularly lubricants, who gave this hint in petition to the Vice Presi-dent, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, exclusively sighted by New Telegraph at the weekend, accused the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) of causing indirect hike in prices of petrol and other products across the country.

The PPPRA, checks showed, has begun implementation of this over 1,100 per cent hike in administrative charges on products, a move that made it rake in

about N1.845 billion from buyers of petrol in just one month. The downstream subsector has been deregulated, but Lubricant Producers Association of Nigeria (LUPAN) declared that on every litre of petrol consumed in Nigeria, consumers are still charged N1.23 as administrative charge for PPPRA.

This, which amounts to double taxation, according to LUPAN, also affects base oil. Nigeria, latest data from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) shows, consumes about 50 million litres daily, a payment of N1.23 as administrative charge per litre translates to N61.50 million daily and N1.8 billion in 30 days.

“It is with profound consternation, that we, the LUPAN, are constrained to express our distress and consequent disapproval of the propensity of PPPRA to arbitrarily inflate its unwarranted charges from 10 kobo to N1.23 per litre of base oil imported, and insist on the registration of operators already licensed by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to import base oil, despite being shown a genuine DPR license,” the producers said in the petition.

It continued: “Over time, the association had been besieged by complaints from operators of being tasked with the payment of dues, charges, levies and/or compelled to register with agencies irrelevant to their operations or the sector as a whole; operators, on pain of having their consignments confiscated, find themselves acceding to their demands, and further find themselves inundated by a deluge of paperwork, draconian directives, bureaucratic protocols, all culminating in the delayed release of consignments, accrual of unwarranted demurrage, other ancillary expenses and the eventual hike in price of blended lubricants.

“…That the administrative and bureaucratic bottlenecks through which importers of base oils/manufacturers of lubricants are made to manoeuvre as well as the series of certifications, authorisations and clearances with their attendant levies and charges are potently detrimental to the business as they are, in most cases, time consuming, increase the expenses and other ancillary costs connected to receiving the product and significantly inflates the market cost of indigenously produced lubricants, making it less attractive than its imported substandard counterpart,” the petition signed by Executive Secretary, LUPAN, Emeka Obidike, read further.

Spokesperson for the PPPRA, Kimchi Apollo, could not be reached for comments as at the time of this report. He neither picked calls to his phone nor responded to a text message seeking clarifications on the allegation.

Obidike, however, said that the situation created by the administrative charge had caused “legalized businesses to be constantly picketed, threatened with the shutting down/sealing of their plants, confiscation, seizure and destruction of products purchased with bank loans.”

“That the PPPRA, in demanding the said charges, is acting ultra vires as a regulatory agency and has, to all intent and purpose, unilaterally conferred upon themselves the functions of a revenue collection agency, charging N1.23 on all petroleum products used in the country, to wit, PMS, AGO, DPK, Base Oil, Bitumen, LPG, etc., at the expense of the sector,” he said.

Abdullahi, who is a member of the Buhari Support Group, and Buhari Media Centre, in an Instagram post described Yesufu as a Jew, who must be attacked by all means.

A Kannywood star, Zainab Abdullahi, has called on Northerners to kill popular human rights activist, Aisha Yesufu.

Abdullahi, who is a member of the Buhari Support Group, and Buhari Media Centre, in an Instagram post described Yesufu as a Jew, who must be attacked by all means.

Since the start of #EndSARS protest, Kannywood stars have been taking to social media to discredit the movement, calling those, who joined the agitation as bad muslims that must be dealt with.

A picture taken of Yesufu during the protest in Abuja where she raised a clenched fist, became a morale booster and symbol for Nigerians calling for the scrapping of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, a notorious police unit known for brutality against citizens.

Calling for the head of the activist, Abdullahi said, “Aisha is a Jew in Islamic shirt. it is not crime Luwadi and Madigo and same sex marriage, gay people have the chance to be given freedom between good. Good Muslims should be found with sense and wise thoughts.

“Muslims should know that she’s getting a chance to give the right to gay and Madigo together with sex marriage, this is one of the reasons why the Jewish are better than trying to uplift your honour and look at the kind of humiliation she did to the Northerner and religious teachers in a video message that came out yesterday to seek for the Northerners. Hear what she said about President Buhari who was born to be a grandson, she is not ashamed, she is a Jew in Islamic shirt. She is talking no shame. Stop seeing her as a hero, she is with a hidden purpose for Muslim religion and our peace.”
https://saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/styles/normal_medium/public/zainaabdoulai_120302460_3354005564693871_7512456461887526495_n.jpg?itok=zlEMwj8b
Buhari’s Fanatic, Zainab Abdullahi.

Yesufu, who was a prominent member of the Bring Back Our Girls movement, a group clamouring for the return of abducted school girls from Chibok community in Borno State in 2014, is not new to threats of all kinds as a result of her activism.

In February this year, Ohanaeze Ndigbo called for her arrest for revealing that Nigeria's Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, was attacked by bandits during a train ride in the North.

In a post on Twitter, she said, “I have read and heard the petition and report seeking my arrest and questioning over the train incident I reported which had Amaechi as a victim.

“Maybe an arrest will make my cheeks come down.

“The security circle knew about that attack, and they did not do anything about it.

“I’m repeating my earlier statement that I had two siblings on that train and a sister-in-law."

A Second Republic lawmaker, Junaid Muhammad, yesterday took a swipe on President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the lingering security situation in the country, insisting that the President’s penchant to pretence that all was well and there are no problems in the country aggravated the backlash of the #EndSARS protests across the country.

Junaid, who said even though the problem did not start with President Buhari’s administration, the Buhari’s administration’s failure to act as and when due was what led the country to where it is today.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Saturday Telegraph, Junaid said he only hopes the government would be serious about the reforms it has promised, as it is only when Nigerians begin to see the changes that they can take the promise serious.

He said: “The #ENDSARS protest did not begin today, there might have been some mild agitation about the high handedness, cruelty and lawlessness which sometimes gravitate to even extra judicial killings of this particular unit in the police force. “It was not President Buhari who created this SARS. But those who head the police under different units, managed them in accordance with the police act, which has now been reversed a few times.

All I see is that SARS is not the problem, it is the management of the SARS by those heading the units that is the problem. “Like it is not only in the SARS but even the regular command, many of those outside are supposed to bring returns to those in charge and this is common knowledge.

“Like I said this government did not bring about SARS, but what President Buhari did, which is typical of him, is to pretend that these problems did not exist, unfortunately for him and his party and his government because of their lousy decision making, we are where we are today.

“I sincerely hope that the reforms they are talking about is going to be real. People will see the difference in their attitude and comportment and the general way they behave towards the Nigerian people.”

On the broadcast by the president following the protest, Junaid said he refused to listen to the presidential broadcast because he could guess what the president would say. He also disclosed that President Buhari on his own would not have addressed the nation but was forced to do so, adding that those who want him to address them are the same people that will abuse him because he would not say what they want.

He said: “I did not listen to it, because this has happened a few times before, I have always believed that a leader should be allowed to use his own instinct, his common sense to arrive at a decision whether to address the nation or not.

“But anytime there is a small or big crisis in the country, people will now go to the Senate and say, Buhari should come and address the people, come and address the nation, what if the issue cannot be addressed or cannot be properly distilled by Buhari and clearly Buhari is not the best of speakers. He is so unpersuasive.” He said that “The idea that anytime there is a problem, the president should come and address the nation is a deceptive way of ridiculing the leader, because the few times he was misadvised to come and address Nigerians on some other issues, it is the same people that asked him to come and address them that will also come and abuse him.

“If you want to abuse someone go ahead and abuse him don’t ask him to come and address you. Already you have a template, when he finishes you start saying he did not say this he did not say that. “If you know what he wanted to say, may not be to your own satisfaction, why ask him to address you. I did not listen to the address because I can guess what he would say and what will be the reaction from those who are forcing him to speak”.


President’s speech lacks empathy –Ozekhome, Falana


Two Senior Advocate Nigeria (SAN), Chief Mike Ozekhome and Mr. Femi Falana, yesterday expressed disappointment over the speech delivered by President Muhammadu Buhari over the #EndSARS protest, which led to the attack on protesters at the Lekki Tollgate on Tuesday night. The two legal luminaries in separate reactions noted that the speech lacked substance and empathy, especially, for not touching on the Lekki killings.

In his own submissions, Mr. Monday Ubani, said it was mind-boggling that the president made no mention of the killings carried out by soldiers at Lekki Toll-Gate. Commenting, Ozekhome described the speech as the reading of a military riot act, saying it was devoid of sympathy, empathy, fatherly feelings or even the mere milk of human kindness for a nation on the dangerous precipice and cliff.

He said: “I just had, most humbly, the misfortune, of reading the 27-paragraph national broadcast by President Muhammadu Buhari. “I told them not to expect any calming or balming speech of reconciliation and empathy. Buhari did not disappoint me.

His national address was devoid of sympathy, empathy, fatherly feelings, or even the mere milk of human kindness for a nation on the dangerous precipice and cliff. “His speech was unfortunately insensate and insensitive. It epitomised a sorry and pathetic disconnect between the government and the people Mr president governs , or pretends to govern.”

In his reaction, Falana said the speech contained avoidable gaps like where President Buhari accused the international community of jumping into hasty conclusions over the shooting of unarmed peaceful protesters by soldiers at the Lekki Tollgate on Tuesday. Falana said: “The presidential speech contained some avoidable lacunae. For instance, the President accused the international community of jumping into hasty conclusions with respect to the Lekki shootings.

“My worry is that the President would be embarrassed at the end of legal inquiry into the military invasion of the Lekki toll gate as the number of the unarmed protesters that were mowed down and the circumstances of the barbaric attack by the soldiers from a particular military barrack on Victoria Island would be exposed.”

Reacting, Ubani said: “One would have expected a pronouncement from the president on the killing of protesters at Lekki, but unfortunately it was completely left out.”

Dennis Amachree, a former assistant director in the Department of State Services (DSS), says aide’s of an unnamed senator conveyed thugs to attack citizens protesting against police brutality in Abuja.

In a video that has since gone viral, men in black suits were seen in a sports utility vehicle (SUV) picking up hoodlums and taking them towards the protesters.

The video was shot along Adetokunbo Ademola crescent in Wuse 2 in the federal capital territory (FCT).

Many had believed that men were DSS officials.

But speaking on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme, Amachree said the DSS headquarters confirmed to him that the men aiding the thugs were working for a senator.

“I don’t want to follow the style of the army where they said people can buy uniforms and wear them and come out. If you wear a dark suit and tie and drive a black SUV, many people would say that is the DSS but I actually inquired about that,” he said.

“I called the headquarters to find out. Those people were working for a particular senator. And if that is the case, I think they should (arrest them). If anybody tries to impersonate security personnel, he should be arrested immediately.

“Don’t allow it to happen and then you go ahead and then do inquiries or panels or whatever.

“I know a lot of people impersonating SSS, taking letters to different places have been arrested and they have been dealt with immediately. Those people you are referring to were not SSS officials.”

The DSS has since debunked the rumour that its operatives were the once seen in the viral video.

“Fact is that no staff of the DSS will engage in acts as the ones being peddled by these rumour mongers and hate speakers,” Peter Afunaya, spokesman of the secret police said.

Folarin ‘Falz’ Falana, singer, actor and activist, has said Buhari’s promise to reform the police was infuriating and frustrating as his administration had been making the same promise of reform since 2017.

He said this in an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, when a short clip of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Thursday’s speech was played.

In the clip, Buhari said SARS was scrapped in response to the #EndSARS campaigners’ demands and extensive police reforms were underway.

When Amanpour then asked him how much stock he puts in Buhari’s pledges, Falz, who had been shaking his head cynically as the clip played, said: “It’s infuriating, annoying and frustrating. And I think that’s how everyone is feeling right now.

“They have been reforming the police for a long time and we have never seen actual action. They announced that SARS had been disbanded in 2017, 2018, 2019 and now 2020.

“They just think we are stupid. It is insensitive.”

‘I am not afraid of dying’

When Amanpour asked him if he wasn’t scared, as many young people refused to appear on camera, Falz said he was not afraid for his life, as the Nigerian situation has made death a commonplace occurrence.

Falz told Amanpour: “I am not afraid for my life because where we are right now, I feel like I can easily die by anything else anyway.

“We have a non-existent healthcare system, for example. We have a seriously high level of poverty; there is unemployment.

“We are in a critical state because of the level of corruption and mismanagement of funds that we continue to see on a daily basis.

“I can have an accident on my way to work and die because the state of healthcare is nothing to write home about. People have to travel abroad to have proper healthcare.

“We keep on saying that every single Nigerian is one sickness away from passing away.

“So what kind of life am I living any way? Why should I be afraid of dying? I am going to die anyway, so what is the point?” Falz asked Amanpour.

helinues:
Victims of shooting no confirmation of anyone death as at that time.

.

Those who lost their lives in the past few days, still not Lekki..

Wait, why are you feeling intimidated with my innocent questions?

helinues:
[s]Like really?

Who are the people behind the Photoshop photos?

What was their motives?[/s]

helinues:
That's what the mischievous people have been terming massacre.

It's glaring they had pre thought/planned of all those Photoshop photos of the acclaimed Lekki protesters victims hoping they are going to use it to blackmail government.

Yoruba's, rat wey dey bite you still dey blow breeze...

Yoruba Ronu, Yoruba Soji

RIP to the deaths

As the #EndSARS protest continues, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of sponsoring the protest directly or indirectly.

According to the APC, it would rather place on record how PDP and it’s leaders are directly and indirectly sponsoring the protest and playing politics with the development.

In a statement issued Wednesday by the party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena asking APC and the Presidency to take responsibility in the killings, said: “Since the protest started, the PDP elements have taken over the social media making various unguarded assertions thereby fuelling the protest.

“It is on record that one of the leaders of #EndSARS protest in Akwa Ibom State three days ago publicly admitted that the state governor, Udom Emmanuel, gave N4 million for onward sharing to the protesting youth in Uyo, the state capital.

“Kufre Carter, one of the organisers of the protest reportedly said he got a call from the governor’s aide on youth matters whom he said told him that the governor gave N4 million to be shared to the protesters.”

Further, Nabena said: “The APC caretaker Committee Chairman, Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State has righly noted the hidden agenda in the #EndSARS protests.

“Like our Chairman said all leaders (including PDP leaders) should know that it is only when the country exists in peace that one can achieve their goals, you cannot be a leader through chaos, it will not be well.
“We, however, repeat our appeal to the protesting youths to give dialogue and peace a chance while ignoring insensitive fuelling by the PDP.”

No fewer than 20 policemen guarding the Lagos State House of Assembly in the Alausa area of the state brutalised two PUNCH journalists, Femi Dawodu and Segun Odunayo, while covering the #EndSARS activities in the area on Wednesday.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Tuesday declared a 24-hour curfew to stem the tide of the growing violence in the state but allowed those on essential services such as health workers, security operatives, and pressmen to carry out their legitimate duties.

Dawodu and Odunayo had gone to cover events around the Alausa area, a major demonstration ground of the #EndSARS protesters calling for a total overhaul of the Nigeria Police Force.

The PUNCH gathered that the duo was recording a live video of the activities in the area when the policemen accosted them and ordered them to stop the recording.

After showing the policemen their identity cards, indicating that they are journalists covering #EndSARS protests and monitoring compliance with the government-imposed curfew, the policemen became annoyed and pounced on them.

Odunayo said the policemen tortured them for four hours, adding that they stripped them of their clothes, laid them on the floor, beat them with a stick and guns, and took a video recording of them while torturing them at the Lagos State House of Assembly.

Odunayo said, “Femi and I were at the Secretariat in Alausa around 7 am and were doing a live video of the activities going on in the area. We were heading back to the Expressway when a group of armed policemen accosted us at the Lagos State House of Assembly roundabout and immediately collected our phones. We showed them our ID cards but they refused to let us go.

“What got the policemen annoyed was that we saw them using a stick and a rubber to beat a young man and during the live video, they heard me saying that they were beating someone. So, after they arrested us, they tortured us and demanded that we should do another live video denying the statement but we refused.

“Each time we refused, they slapped us, used a stick to beat us, used the butt of their guns to hit our heads and bodies after stripping us of our clothes. All they want was for us to do another live broadcast to claim that we lied and we didn’t because we said the truth.”

Dawodu said it took the intervention of the state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, before they were released at the Alausa Police Station, adding that prior to their release, the policemen took their details, including their addresses, took a video record of them and threatened to go after them if any negative report was published about what happened.

He said, “The policemen were transferring the aggression of what is happening regarding the #EndSARS protest on us. They later took us to the Divisional Police Station in Alausa and if not for the DPO, the policemen guarding the LSHA that arrested us would have done more grievous things to us.

“The PPRO and the DPO later spoke with them and we were released.

“But despite his intervention, we were told to write statements. They collected our details, address, took video recordings of us making false statements during the torture, and threatened to use it to blackmail and go after us if we end up doing any bad report against them.”

Thugs on Wednesday stormed the Palace of the Oba of Lagos located at Iga Idugaran, Lagos Island, vandalising vehicles and carting away several artefacts.

In a video which has gone viral on the Internet, the thugs are seen making away with the staff of office commonly referred to as ‘Opa Ase’.

A resident of Lagos Island told The PUNCH that the thugs who invaded the palace were the same ones who set the family home of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu ablaze.

“When the thugs went to attack Sanwo-Olu’s father’s home, some of them were shot by the police. This infuriated them and they were able to engage the police in a gun duel and overpower them. The policemen, who are attached to the Adeniji Adele Police Station, quickly made a retreat.

“The angry youths made their way to the Palace of the Oba of Lagos. They claim the king is part of the government. The thugs have only been attacking government institutions,” he said.

The aircraft first terminated its journey in Dakar, Senegal, before making its return to the JFK Airport in New York with the entire crew and passengers on board.


A Delta Airlines Flight DL 54 from Atlanta, United States, heading to Lagos has been forced to return to America following the ongoing #EndSARS protests in Nigeria.

The aircraft first terminated its journey in Dakar, Senegal, before making its return to the JFK Airport in New York with the entire crew and passengers on board.

The peaceful protests across Nigeria calling for an end to police brutality have been hijacked by armed thugs, who have used the occasion to attack demonstators and also destroy properties including burning police stations.

The situation has created tension in the country with many state governments forced to impose indefinite round the clock curfew in a bid to curb the violence.

By Ifeoluwa Adediran

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The Commissioner of Police in Lagos, Hakeem Odumosu, was forced to alight from his car on Monday and trek a distance as he visited the home of a 68-year-old woman that was assaulted by a police officer.

Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Lagos police spokesperson, said the aggressive #EndSARS protesters at Okota compelled Mr Odumosu to trek in the company of his senior officers for more than 10 kilometres.

“The Commissioner of Police, who had earlier been denied access at the Murtala Mohammed Airport toll gate in Ikeja by Endsars protesters, ran into a similar barricade at NNPC junction, Okota, where the hyper-aggressive protesters insisted that CP Hakeem Odumosu and team alight from their official cars and trek that long distance despite series of explanation and appeal on the command’s mission in the area.

“The Commissioner of Police, like every other officer in Lagos State, who has been professional in tolerating and managing several harassments, intimidations and provocations from the protesters, obliged and trekked for peace to reign.”

Mr Adejobi said the visit to the assaulted woman was to sympathise and apologise to her and her family members and assure them that the arrested police officer will face the Force Disciplinary Committee (FDC) for appropriate punishment.

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Hakeem Odumoso, Lagos Commissioner of Police and other officers take a walk to their destination

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how Durojaiye Olaleye, a 68-year-old woman, was slapped several times by a police officer at Hogan Bassey police station, Iyun road.

The aged woman who was shocked by the incident said it should not be swept under the carpet as her life was threatened by the same officer despite doing no wrong.

The police identified the erring officer as Tunji Ajakaiye, a Superintendent of Police, who was also the second-in-command at the disbanded Anti Kidnapping Unit, Surulere.

“The Lagos police command condemned the unprofessional conduct of the senior officer which is unbecoming of his status and contrary to the modern policing principles of the police force.

“The commissioner also encouraged members of the public to report all unprofessional conducts of police officers and men to the command for appropriate disciplinary actions,” Mr Adejobi said..

The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council, has urged governors of the South-East to join the ruling All Progressives Congress.

The group said it was apparent that the Peoples Democratic Party did not have the region’s best interests at heart, and as such, there was no need for leaders of the zone to continue to work with the main opposition party.

The zonal Secretary General of the group, Mr. Nnabuike Okwu, said this after a virtual meeting with leaders and other critical stakeholders of the region, on Monday.

This call came barely 48 hours after speculations that the Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, had concluded plans to dump the PDP and take up membership of the APC.

Okwu said “Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, after their consultative virtual meeting, with Igbo leaders and elders, on Monday, has been mandated to start mounting pressure on the South-East governors to abandon their political parties, especially those in the People’s Democratic Party, to join the mainstream ruling party, the All Progressive Congress, without further delay.

“OYC urges the governors to defect, because there are no political benefits for the South-East to continue to remain in a political party that has no respect and value for Igbos, except milking their votes during elections through deceitful mediums and fake promises, and manipulative politicians.”

Amzat Ibrahim, a musician, has talked about how he caught his wife in bed with another man.

The man, on Thursday told an Ile-Tuntun Customary Court in Ibadan that his wife Zainab, is an adulterer who slept with his best friend.

Amzat made the allegations in a counter statement after Zainab prayed for divorce on grounds that her life was being threatened.

“My lord, the truth is that Zainab and I fight because of her infidelity. Zainab and my close friend are romantically involved.

”She disappeared from my house for three months. She took my children away. I later found out that she took them to a friend’s house.

“I caught the two of them in bed,” Amzat said.

In her defence, Zainab told the court that her husband was threatening her life.

She alleged that he humiliates and insults her around town.

“He keeps monitoring my movements,” she added.

Following the development, the president of the court, Chief Henry Agbaje, advised the couple to substantiate their claims before a court.

Agbaje asked them to produce two of their relatives each in court.

He adjourned the case until November 2 for judgment, NAN reports.

I’m a graduate but he’s a welder. I mistakenly got pregnant for him and had no choice but to marry him. My marriage to him is hell because we are not compatible. He once stole my pant and I guess he wanted to use it for ritual.”

Husband reacts: “She treats me with disdain and dictates when we should have sex. I became a common face at canteens because the earliest time she returns home from work is 11:00 p.m.”

A woman, Sadiat Abass has brought a divorce suit against her husband, Lasisi Abass, at Oja Oba/ Mapo Court C Customary Court, Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State.

Sadiat in her suit claimed that her husband failed in his responsibility towards him and their only child.

She added that he once had sex with her by force and at another time stole her pant for evil purpose.

The plaintiff stated that the defendant later threw her belongings out of his house and threatened to pour acid on her.

Lasisi gave his consent to divorce.

The defendant denied all the allegations brought against him by his wife, stating that she cooked them up in order to have a fair hearing.


Lasisi stated that the plaintiff was in the habit of humiliating him and that she loved to have her way.

According to him, the plaintiff burnt him with a hot iron when he insisted on having sex with her and added that she moved out of his house out of her own volition.

Giving his judgment after he heard both parties, the court president, Chief Ademola Odunade, stated it was crucial that that the court ended their marriage since it showed the display of violence.

Ruling, Odunade put an end to their union and granted custody of their child to the plaintiff.

The defendant was asked to be responsible for the child’s welfare, stressing that his education and health care should be given utmost priority.

According to Odunade, Lasisi must give Sadiat N5,000 every month for their child’s feeding.

This he stated must be carried out through the court.

“I don’t regard Lasisi as my husband. As far as I am concerned, we are just cohabiting,” Sadiat stated.

“I never had the plan of getting married to him because we don’t belong to the same class. I’m a graduate but he’s a welder. I got pregnant for him by mistake and had no choice than to marry him.

“I never enjoyed my marriage to Lasisi for a day because he is irresponsible.

“He neglects my welfare and that of our only child. He doesn’t believe that the provision of food and other necessities in the home should be his duty since according to him, I’m working.

“I work hard to cover up his lapses but he always shows he’s an ingrate.

“Any time I cook, he will empty the whole pot not caring if our child and I had eaten,” the plaintiff explained.


“Lasisi once took my pant and I believe he had an evil motive in mind. His plan was to use it for ritual purpose. I searched for the pant for about two weeks and later found it in his possession. He has failed to explain till date what it was doing among his things.

“I reported him to my parents and they advised that I throw the pant away.

“We once had a misunderstanding and we fought. He locked me out of the house and refused that I enter. I notified my parents and they did all they could to placate him but he remained adamant. I moved to my sister’s place and was with her for two weeks before he agreed that I moved back to his house,” Sadiat added.


She went on, “My lord, Lasisi once raped me. We had sex the previous night which was a Saturday and around noontime the following day he again demanded for another round.

“I refused him. He struggled with me and almost strangled me. He later had his way and we fought after this.

“He took to monitoring my movement and ensured that I had no peace in the home.

“He threw my belongings out and I moved to my parents’ house.


“He has since then sent thugs after me while he also threatened to disfigure my face by pouring acid on me.

“I appeal to this honourable court to dissolve our marriage and restrain him from carrying out his threats,” she said.

In his testimony, Lasisi said: “My lord, Sadiat is deceitful in nature. I am therefore not surprised she told the court so many lies in order to curry its favour.”

“Sadiat does whatever pleases her in the home because she knows I’m a gentleman and hate to beat my wife.

“She shouts on top of her voice when addressing me and treats me with disdain even in the presence of others.

“She dictates when we should have sex and would always insist on having her way.

“I once demanded for sex and she denied me. I got annoyed and insisted I was having my way. There was a struggle and she went for a hot pressing iron and burnt my nect with it.


“I felt a sharp pain and the spot got swollen. It developed into a sore which I nursed for weeks.

“That pain spurred my determination to have sex with her that day.

“Sadiat lied that I didn’t care for her. I rented a shop for her and gave her N20,000 to stock it with goods. I also stood as her guarantor twice when she took loans from a microfinance bank to buy more goods for her shop.

“A friend of mine who resides abroad also gave me N50,000 and this we added to the almost N200,000 loan.

“I was the one who paid back all the loans, yet she stated that I was irresponsible.

“Even though she sells foodstuff and provision, I still give or transfer money to her to buy foodstuff for the home.

“Early in our marriage I would join her in her shop in the evening to pack her wares and lock the shop. But I guess she didn’t want to be seen with me because she would always shout on me. I thus decided to stop going there.


“Sadiat thereafter took to coming home late. The earliest time she returned home was 11:00 p.m. Any time I complain, she would shout on me.

“Since she was never around to cook our meals, I resorted to eating at a nearby canteen.

“She never ceased to fight with me. She moved out of my house twice and it took the intervention of my family members and hers before she agreed to move back.


“On the second occasion she told her father she would soon return to their home.

“I asked her what she meant by that statement when we got back home and she told me she had made up her mind not to have more children for me.

“I never stole her pant, neither am I fetish. I’m a decent person and have always lived a clean life.

“My lord, since she’s insisting on divorce, I pray the court to grant her wish, “he concluded.

The liabilities of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation as a group exceeded the assets of the oil firm by N4.4tn in 2019, the just released audited financial statements of the firm for 2019 showed.

It also revealed that the oil firm’s liabilities as a corporation exceeded its assets by N1.1tn.

The auditors expressed significant doubt on the continued existence of NNPC as a going concern considering the level of liability being shouldered by the oil firm.

The auditors include PriceWaterhouseCoopers, SIAO Partners and Muhtari Dangana and Co.

Explaining the material uncertainty relating to going concern at the oil firm, the auditors expressed doubt on the group and corporation’s ability to continue as a going concern.

They said, “We draw attention to note 42 of the consolidated and separate financial statements, which indicate that the group recorded a net loss of N1.8bn (corporation: net loss of N107.8bn) during the year ended 31, December 2019.

“As at that date, the group’s current liabilities exceeded its current assets by N4.4tn (corporation: N1.1tn).”

It added that the events or conditions along with other matters ‘indicate that a material uncertainty exists that may cast significant doubt on the group and corporation’s ability to continue as a going concern’.

The auditors, however, noted that their opinion was not modified.

Mohammed Adamu, on Sunday, revealed the requirements for officers to be trained in the new police tactical team to replace the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

He said the training of selected officers for the Special Weapons and Tactics team would commence on Monday, October 19, 2020.

The IGP noted that no ex-SARS operatives were shortlisted in the SWAT team.

Adamu also explained that “the officers selected for the training are young, smart and energetic officers who have acquired not less than seven (7) years working experience with clean service records – no pending disciplinary matters, no record of violation of rights of citizens or misuse of firearms – and are physically fit to withstand the rigour of SWAT Training and Operations.

“The selected officers shall be subjected to physical fitness test, medical and toxicology screening etc and those found to be unsuitable shall be discharged.”

This was contained in a statement on Sunday by the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba. The statement was titled, ‘NPF New Tactical Team Commences Training Monday Oct 19’.

Adamu promised Nigerians that the SWAT team “will operate within very high professional and ethical standards, rule of law and dictates of best international policing practices.”

He also disclosed that to ensure adequate training and screening of SWAT operatives, the Nigeria Police Force has partnered the International Committee of the Red Cross and other development partners for the training which begins tomorrow at the Police Mobile Force Training School, Ila Oragun, Osun State and the PMF Training School, Ende Hills, Nasarawa State.

He said the ICRC “will handle topics touching on humanitarian laws, police conduct in conflict situation, human rights standard especially in the use of force and firearms, arrest and detention amongst others.

“Other areas of the training program will include modern-day police ethics and values, intelligence-led policing, operation planning/tactical decision-making processes, hostage rescue tactics and operation, weapon handling, first aid/basic life-saving skills, stress/fear management, police-citizens relations and emotional intelligence etc.

“The training modules will be handled by other carefully selected development partners, security experts as well as veterans from the civil society and human rights community.”

The IGP sought the cooperation of Nigerians “in the ongoing development drive for a new and reformed Nigeria Police Force” while “he enjoined them to be patient and to believe in the reform processes which are all directed at ensuring the security, safety and rights of all.”

For about two weeks now, the #EndSARS protests have been taking place across major cities in the country with youths calling for the reform of the police force.

Major highways across the country have been blocked thereby grounding economic activities.

The youths have been resolute and firm in their stand that they would not leave the streets until the much-needed reforms were actualised.

ByTaiwo-Hassan Adebayo

A multi-billion-naira contract to rehabilitate a section of Nigeria’s Eastern Railway Line was awarded to an unregistered entity in a process that reeked of corruption, regulatory failure, collusion, and defiance of Nigeria’s public procurement rules, an investigation by PREMIUM TIMES has shown.

That malfeasance was committed during the administration of Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria’s immediate past president, who lost his re-election bid in 2015 in part due to charges that his government did not confront corruption frontally.

But officials under the current Muhammadu Buhari administration have also not proven to be better. They have helped to sustain a web of subterfuge devised to cover the fraud that started under Mr Jonathan.

A setup named Eser Contracting and Industry Company Incorporated, promoted by Turkish firm Eser, was awarded the contract to rehabilitate the 463 KM Port Harcourt-Makurdi section of the Eastern Railway line for N19.2 billion in March 2011. But it has no legal capacity for the work as it has no required certificate of incorporation, a CAC search revealed.

Our investigation showed the setup has possible connections with persons – Adekemi Alokolaro, nee Sijuwade, and her husband, Ola Alokolaro – who share family ties with Adeseyi Sijwuade, then Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation. For several years Mr Sijuwade has been a subject of contract fraud and corruption probes by the National Assembly and security and anti-graft operatives.

The couple, Mr and Mrs Alokolaro, did not respond to an emailed request for comment. So did Mr Sijuwade, who was contacted by phone call, WhatsApp message and SMS.

The railway rehabilitation work was divided into three sections: 463 KM Port Harcourt-Makurdi; 1016 KM Makurdi-Kuru; and 640 KM Kuru to Maiduguri, all at once awarded to three different contractors in March 2011.

This article extends PREMIUM TIMES’ investigative reporting on Nigeria’s Eastern railway fraud, after an earlier story of how a company, Lingo Nigeria Limited, took public money for work not done and had Nigerian taxpayers and two foreign firms, from Czech and China, as victims.

Lingo was awarded the Kuru-Maiduguri section for N23.7 billion. CGGC Global Projects Nigeria Limited was charged with rehabilitating the segment that runs from Makurdi to Kuru for N24.5 billion.

Nine years after the contracts were awarded, the rehabilitation work has failed despite huge funds already sunk, dashing the hopes of people, especially traders, who had in the past several years relied on train service. The government has now decided to wrest the contracts from the companies, who have submitted their exit plans on the government’s request.

Of the three contracts, two – the Port-Harcourt-Makurdi section and Kuru-Maiduguri section – given to Lingo and Eser respectively were associated with procurement fraud, our investigations showed. And while our earlier article described the contract awarded to Lingo as the most problematic, the procurement process involving Eser pushes the limits of impunity.

We did not find the third contract given to CGGC to have been associated with any procurement fraud. However, as our field investigation involving travel across several states showed, CGGC also did jobs, which on-the-ground railway staff complained was perfunctory – a similar complaint as that made by the staff at the section handled by Eser.

The staff said it was the shoddy job that made the Eastern line now virtually unusable and not different from its state before the rehabilitation contract, if not worse.

Against the rules

In the invitation-to-bid advert for the contracts placed in the November-December 2010 edition of Federal Tenders Journal, the railway corporation required prospective contractors to submit a valid certificate of incorporation — a statutory requirement.

However, this requirement was brushed aside in the consideration of the bid submitted by Eser Contracting and Industry Company Incorporated even as the process moved from the railway corporation to the Bureau of Procurement Procurement (BPP), and the ministry of transport and the presidency before the contract was awarded.

The Public Procurement Act charges the BPP with the responsibility of preventing “fraudulent and unfair procurement” and applying administrative sanctions “where necessary”.

But the BPP failed in this responsibility as it issued a “Certificate of No Objection” to clear the way for the railway corporation to award the legally non-existent company the contract. Also, it was the certificate issued by the BPP that the then Transport Minister, Yusuf Suleiman, cited in requesting anticipatory approval for the award of the contract from Mr Jonathan.

The ministerial request was made on March 25, 2011, a day after the BPP’s certificate was issued, and was approved on March 28, 2011, by Mr Jonathan, official records obtained by PREMIUM TIMES show. It was in November of the following year that the Federal Executive Council endorsed the Eser contract alongside the two other sections as the president had in March 2011 hurriedly given anticipatory approval.

BPP did not comment after repeated requests via email and a Freedom of Information Act letter.

Legal expert, Jiti Ogunye, said a foreign firm participating in the procurement process in Nigeria will still have to incorporate an entity in the country to satisfy the “legal capacity” requirement stipulated in the Public Procurement Act.

The Cover: Enters Eser West Africa

After the non-existent Eser Contracting and Industry Company Incorporated was given the contract in March 2011, the promoters devised a way to smoothen the irregularities. The plan was to register a new company, thus birthing Eser West Africa Limited.

Eser West Africa Limited was registered in June 2011, three months after the contract was awarded, and that entity has since carried on with the contract, engaging with officials, including those of Mr Buhari. The name “Eser West Africa” appears on boards at the construction site at the railway station in Port Harcourt.

But Eser West Africa had not been registered at the time the contract was awarded and it was not the entity that was formally awarded the contract, according to records from BPP, NRC, transport ministry, State House, and FEC.

Yet, till date, despite its not being the original contract beneficiary and being without a certificate of incorporation at the time the contract was awarded, officials have continued to engage with Eser West Africa and use that name in official communications relating to the Eastern railway line rehabilitation contract.

While our investigation established that Eser Contracting and Industry Company Incorporated has no certificate of incorporation in Nigeria, it remains uncertain if it satisfied other requirements, such as tax clearance and audited accounts for the preceding three years, in the advert for the contracts.

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) replied an FOI request for the entity’s tax status as well as that of the later-registered Eser West Africa created to smoothen the procurement fraud. The tax agency, however, declined any disclosure.

“The information you have requested concerning the companies cannot be disclosed by virtue of the provision,” the FIRS wrote, referring to Section 14(1) (b) of the Freedom of Information Act 2011, which requires public institutions to deny applications for information regarding taxpayers and the assessment or collection of their tax.


Family link

An initial procurement process for the Eastern line rehabilitation contract was cancelled by then transport minister, Mr Suleiman, over allegations of fraud and irregularities. Among the companies that benefited in that cancelled initial process was Eser Nigeria Contracting Company Limited, registered in March 2009, just before bidding opened.

That was the first appearance of Eser in railway procurement activities. Eser Nigeria Contracting – different from the legally non-existent Eser Contracting and Industry Company Incorporated and Eser West Africa, registered in June 2011 ostensibly to smoothen irregularities – has among its owners and directors Project Niche Limited, alongside Lihan Adiloglu, a Turkish businessman, according to incorporation filings we obtained.

Project Niche is owned and directed by Mr and Mrs Alokolaro, who represent that company as directors on the board of Eser Nigeria Contracting, according to incorporation filings. Mrs Alokolaro, a daughter of the late Ooni of Ile-Ife, Okunade Sijuwade, shares family ties with Mr Sijuwade, who oversaw the procurement process. This is the possible link our investigation showed may exist between Mr Sijuwade’s family members and promoters of Eser.

Also, an Eser-associated company, Espro Asphalt, has Mrs Alokolaro as one of its directors alongside Eser Contracting and Industry, represented by Cagatay Tezsezen.

Eser could not be reached for comments. Nothing resulted from our visit to the Lagos address the company listed in its incorporations filings. Security staff at the building said the company does not operate from that address. An email to the address listed on the website of its parent company based in Turkey was not replied.

Then minister, Mr Suleiman, said determining the validity of the claims made by Eser was outside his charge as minister.

“I honestly was not aware,” he said. “Everything about tendering, due diligence and all that were by the railway corporation as well as the BPP. As a minister, I was not the accounting officer and was only transmitting letters to the President for approval. But I had power to cancel or review if there was genuine complaint. But I got no complaints. I cancelled the initial process because of complaints about irregularities.”


“Not rehabilitation really”

PREMIUM TIMES investigation included the tracking of the work done by the contractors in Rivers, Abia, Enugu, Benue, Nasarawa and Kaduna States, which the Eastern Railway line transverses before linking Kuru in Plateau State and going through Bauchi and Gombe States before terminating in Borno State. We had earlier conducted fieldwork from Kuru to Gombe for our earlier report.

At the railway station in Port Harcourt, a board bearing “Eser West Africa” as the contractor stands conspicuously at the entrance. This company, though found to have taken the contract in ways that violate Nigeria’s law, worked from Port Harcourt to Makurdi, the endpoint of the section it was assigned, railway staff on the ground and community sources said.

Inside Makurdi station where a staff said balance stones were used by CGGC to make the rails appear new though old rails kept in the stores were used.

However, the staff also said the rehabilitation work was only done by Eser in selected places, especially areas close to stations.

“I can’t say that was true rehabilitation,” one staff said, echoing the concerns of others in Otukpo, Benue State. And what the staff complained was manipulation and abuse of their labour rights. They said Eser “used us to do their contract and did not pay us. They manipulated that we were doing our normal official work but they collected billions to do the work and hire workers.”

At least three persons corroborated this claim. Then, the staff further alleged that Eser used old rails and accessories that were kept in stores for the rehabilitation work.

The staff did not agree to be named because of fear they could be punished by authorities.

In what appears to support the claim of the complaining staff, PREMIUM TIMES observed that old rails of BS-60 model with dates that preceded independence were still on the tracks, which in various places have been covered by trash, sand and bushes.

After Eser’s work, trains started using the track but stopped in 2017. “But trains were just derailing because of the nature of the work they (Eser) did,” one staff said.

However, PREMIUM TIMES confirmed that daily service between Port Harcourt and Aba only stopped due to the COVID-19 restrictions based on interviews with staff and several persons who had used the service.

“It is a safer and cheaper way of travelling,” Tunde Lasisi, a trader in Port Harcourt said, adding that train service was his means of sending goods to Aba, the commercial nerve centre of Abia State.

In Makurdi, where CGGC started its work, one senior staff on the ground, who only agreed to speak without being identified by name, largely corroborated the claims of his colleagues previously interviewed in the section handled by Eser.

Submerged track outside Otukpo station, said to be untouched for rehabilitation by residents and railway staff.

“They only put balance stones to make the track look new,” the staff said. “They replaced the rails but they used the old ones in the store and they used our men.”

Yet that was limited to within the station yard, the staff said, explaining that rehabilitation did not take place in the wider Makurdi area.

Recalling the January 2015 inauguration of “modern trains” for Port Harcourt-Makurdi service by Mr Jonathan’s deputy, former Vice President Namadi Sambo, the staff said, “We only rode the train within the yard, between the level crossings. It was all formality but the VP may not know about the type of work that was done.”

The staff further said that “passenger service started but trains were derailing. So, the loss was too much. We stopped in 2017, two years after the rehabilitation.”

In Lafia, a staff member said CGGC worked outside the station but “if they worked well, why are trains not working? Why is our service not effective. They used old materials already kept in stores.”

In Kafanchan, Kaduna State, connected to the Eastern Railway line through a spur line, a staff said, “they (CGGC) worked here but only skeletal rehabilitation. It was not rehabilitation really. They did some kilometres and left some.

The staff said service that followed the rehabilitation lasted only for a “short period”

The company did not work up to Kuru Junction and it also did not work on the branch line from Kuru to Jos station, PREMIUM TIMES confirmed.

CGGC did not comment for this report. A text message was not replied and an official ended a call abruptly as our reporter introduced himself and explained he wanted to make inquiries on the Eastern rail line project. Repeated calls were ignored.

No part of the section rehabilitated by CGGC is now used for train service. And except between Port Harcourt and Aba before COVID-19, the Eastern Railway line is not functioning despite several billions of naira pumped into the project.

The frontline staff on the ground are only reporting to stations daily without any real work, they said.


Seeking N5.5 billion in exit plan

As the N67.3 billion rehabilitation contract has failed, authorities are planning a fresh procurement process and have asked the failed contractors to submit exit plans.

PREMIUM TIMES had previously reported how Lingo, the contractor awarded the Kuru-Maiduguri section, requested N9.2 billion, after being previously paid at least N9.4 billion, despite underperforming on the contract. Government’s assessors have now rejected Lingo’s claim and concluded the company instead owed the country N1.6 billion for being overpaid, corroborating PREMIUM TIMES’ findings that the company made inaccurate claims about its work. The company is also being investigated by the anti-graft agency, EFCC.

Three children of Abdullahi Ganduje, governor of Kano State, has been positioned to take over from Tijjani Jobe, lawmaker representing Dawakin-Tofa/Tofa/Rimin Gado Federal Constituency.

SaharaReporters had earlier on Friday reported how Jobe was on Sunday attacked by angry youth in his constituency.

The youth alleged that he did not deliver the dividends of democracy to them.

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The incident happened when the lawmaker went to inaugurate a project at Gulu, a village under Rimin Gado Local Government Area.

A source told SaharaReporters on Friday that all was not well with Governor Ganduje and Jobe and his attack might not be unrelated to that.

It was gathered that Umar, Aseeya and Abdulaziz Ganduje have already started jostling to take over from the lawmaker with their father’s support.

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The governor, it was learnt, ordered Jobe to stop the construction of Rimingado-Gulu Road in his constituency.

A source said Ganduje called the lawmaker on phone on Tuesday night and directed him to demobilise the contractors from site or he would order their arrest.

The lawmaker, however, denied being attacked by his constituents, adding that the news of the incident was orchestrated by his detractors.