₦airaland Forum

As Nigeria approaches May 29, 2023, when Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress will be sworn in as President, the Presidential Inaugural Committee has invited Peter Obi to the event.

SaharaReporters on Tuesday sighted the invitation letter for Obi of the Labour Party, who came third in the presidential election of February 25 behind Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party.

According to the Independent National Electoral Commission, Tinubu secured 8,794,726 votes, Atiku had 6,984,520, and Obi polled 6,101,533 votes.

It was observed that Obi was assigned Seat No. 101 at the May 29 event as stated on the invite which also reads ‘Handle with care’.

“The Presidential Inaugural Committee is honoured to announce the inauguration of Bola A, Tinubu as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Kashim Shettima M. as Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on Monday, the twenty-ninth May two thousand and twenty-three,” the invite reads.

Meanwhile, in March, Obi and the Labour Party filed a petition at the presidential election tribunal challenging Tinubu’s victory in the poll.

In the petition, Obi asks the tribunal to direct INEC to present him with a certificate of return as the duly elected President of Nigeria instead of Tinubu.

Listed as Respondents are INEC, Tinubu, Shettima, and the APC.

Obi through his counsel, Livy Ozoukwu told the tribunal that Tinubu was not qualified to contest the election and “was not duly elected by majority of the lawful votes cast at the time of the election”.

Part of the petition reads, “That it be determined that the 2nd respondent (Tinubu) having failed to score one-quarter of the votes cast at the presidential election in the federal capital territory, Abuja was not entitled to be declared and returned as the winner of the presidential election held on 25 February 2023.

“That it be determined that on the basis of the remaining votes (after discountenancing the votes credited to the 2nd respondent) the 1st petitioner scored a majority of the lawful votes cast at the election and had not less than 25% of the votes cast in each of at least 2/3 of the states of the federation, and the federal capital territory, Abuja and satisfied the constitutional requirements to be declared the winner of the 25th February 2023 Presidential election.”

The petitioners (Obi and LP) asked the tribunal to cancel the election and compel the “1st respondent (INEC) to conduct a fresh election at which the 2nd respondent (Tinubu), 3rd respondent (Shettima) and 4th respondent (APC) shall not participate”.

Last Thursday, SaharaReporters exclusively reported that Tinubu had announced the addition of 13 members to the Presidential Inaugural Committee.

Tinubu, in a letter to the Secretary to the Government of Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, obtained by SaharaReporters, announced a former Senator representing Borno North and current National Deputy Chairman (North) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Abubakar Kyari as the Coordinator and Director of Finance and Budget of the Committee.

The Executive Director (Business Development) at the Nigeria Export-Import (NEXIM) Bank, Hon. Stella Okotete will serve as the head of Secretariat, Planning and Monitoring while Mr. Makinde Araoye, an ex-APC governorship aspirant from Ekiti State will serve as the Director of venue, parades and swearing-in for the week-long event.

The APC Presidential Campaign Spokesperson, Mr. Bayo Onanuga will serve as Head of Media and Publicity, while the Cross Rivers State Commissioner for Health and current National Women Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Betta Edu will coordinate the medical team for the inauguration committee.

A retired military chief and younger brother of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Col. Abdulazeez Yar’Adua will act as the head of the Security and Ceremonial Parade for the inauguration with Barr. Zainab Buba Marwa, the wife of former Lagos State Military Governor and current Director General of Nigeria’s Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Gen. Buba Marwa coordinating the pre-inauguration dinner and gala night for the committee.

Other members of the committee include Samira Saddik (Children’s Day), Abuh Andrew Abuh (Accommodation), Dr. Danladi Bako (Inaugural Lecture), Hajiya Hadiza Mohammed Kabir (Transportation and Logistics), Donald Wokoma (Protocol and Invitation), Bishop Adegbite (Church Service) and Imam Faud (Jumat Service).

The President-elect Tinubu initially forwarded the names of Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State and former Lagos State Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Wale Edun to Boss Mustapha to be included as his representatives in the Transition Committee.

The camp of the Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has reacted to the return of the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and his wife, Sen. Oluremi to the country.

New Telegraph had earlier reported that Tinubu arrived in Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria, on Monday evening after spending over one month in France.

The former Lagos State Governor arrived at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport in Abuja on a private jet accompanied by his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, and son, Seyi at exactly 4.30 pm.

Tinubu was welcomed at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport by the Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima, and other chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as well as many other supporters.

Reacting to the development via his Twitter handle, the Spokesman for the Atiku Campaign Organization, Daniel Bwala, thanked God for journey mercies, for healing and recovery.

He prayed that God keeps and strengthens Tinubu as he prepares to take the oath of office temporarily, pending the invalidation of the election by the tribunal and/or the Supreme Court.

He wrote: “The president-select is back. We thank God for journey mercies and for healing and recovery.

“We pray God to keep you and strengthen you as you prepare to take the oath of office temporarily, pending the invalidation of the election by the tribunal and/or the Supreme Court.”

By Abdullateef Aliyu


Nigeria’s largest airline, Air Peace, has indicated interest to evacuate Nigerians who are stranded in Sudan free of charge amidst the escalating fight in the country.

The Chairman and CEO of Air Peace, Allen Onyema while expressing his willingness, stated that Nigerian students and others stranded in the war torn nation have urgent “needs for help.”

The Air Peace chairman said if the Nigerians could be moved to a neigbouring country, the airline would fly there and evacuate them, as Sudan’s airspace is closed for civil aviation flights.

Daily Trust however reports that the federal government through the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama had promised to commence evacuation of the stranded Nigerians tomorrow, Tuesday.

Over 5000 Nigerians, mostly students, were said to have indicated interest to be evacuated while some of them are planning to relocate to Ethiopia.

The Air Peace Chairman who also carried out similar evacuation of stranded Nigerians in South Africa in 2019 during the Xenophobic attacks, said he is compelled to help because Nigeria cannot afford to lose her citizens in that country.

In a statement, he added that he is committed to ensuring that the stranded Nigerians in the war-torn country are safe.

He said that everything must not be left for government alone, especially as the situation calls for immediate action.

“Again, Air Peace is willing to evacuate Nigerians stranded in Sudan free of charge if government can get them to a safe and secure airport in any of the neighbouring countries bordering Sudan. Everything must not be left for government and government alone. It will be a privilege and honour of tremendous pride that we will be out there to give every Nigerian stranded in Sudan a sense of pride and oneness in their country.

“We are very ready to do it immediately. No time wasting. Any action that would promote national pride, national cohesion, peace and unity, we are for it. Again, we have no apologies for believing in our nation and loving the nation despite certain national challenges.

“If they are moved to Kenya or Uganda or any other country, we will move in to get them out. Some parents have started calling on us to help. We are ready to do this again and again,” he said.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State and former political ally to President Muhammadu Buhari, Danbilki Kwamanda, yesterday advised the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to jettison plans of wooing the national leader and presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, back to the APC, saying such move was capable of destroying the party.

Kwamanda who spoke to journalists in Kano said secret meetings between Tinubu and Kwankwaso had been uncovered, adding that such a deal was unhealthy to the survival of the APC in Kano and at the national level.

The chieftain who assiduously campaigned for Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election, described Kwakwaso’s return to APC as a “bad omen” which would not only collapse the party’s structure, but also throw it into unrecoverable crises.

Kwamanda also advised the APC national leadership to zone the senate presidency to the North-West, tipping the senator representing Kano North, Senator Barau Jibrin as the best candidate going by his wealth of experience in legislative duties.

“Tinubu is secretly romancing Kwankwaso. May be because he sees Kwankwaso as popular, that is why he wants to align himself with him.

“We in the North will not condone alliance with Kwankwaso. We will resist it with all our strength. Kwankwaso did not help Tinubu win the election. We will not allow Tinubu align with Kwankwaso in a bid for Kwankwaso to defect to APC.

“If this becomes a reality, we will fight Tinubu and APC in the North. We are not impressed with Kwankwaso’s politics and we warn Tinubu not to dare woo him into APC.

“Tinubu sees Kwankwaso as a hero, we know he is not. Tinubu should not be carried away by Kwankwaso’s success in Kano and winning Kano in the presidential election. He cannot offer anything in Tinubu’s movement,” he said.

Kwamanda further stated that the position of senate president is non-negotiable for the North, particularly Kano, having played a major role in the survival of the APC since its formation.

Jolted by the crowd of aspirants jostling for the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives, All Progressives Congress (APC) governors recently, according to a report, unveiled a zoning formula for the party. Contained in a memo to be submitted to president-elect Bola Tinubu, the governors, under their Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), the report said, recommended that the Senate President be zoned to the South-East, South-South or North-Central.

The Forum also asked that the position of Deputy Senate President be zoned to the North-Central or North-West.

For the Speaker of the House, the PGF said it should go to the North-Central or North-West just as it also recommended that the office of the Deputy Speaker of the House should go to South-East or South-South.

For other principal offices, the governors said they should be shared amongst aspirants who may step down or lose their bids for the positions mentioned above.

To be sure, those jostling for the Senate President are Senators Barau Jubrin from the North-West state of Kano; Orji Uzor Kalu from the South-East state of Abia; Sani Musa from the North-Central state of Niger; Godswill Akpabio from the South-South state of Akwa Ibom and Ali Ndume from the North-East state of Borno.

Others are Abdulaziz Yari from the North-West state of Zamfara; David Umahi from Ebonyi State in the South-East, Adams Oshiomhole from the South-South state of Edo and the incumbent President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, from the North East state of Yobe.
For speakership, those in the race are Rep. Ahmed Idris Wase from Plateau State, Rep. Makki Yalleman from Jigawa State, Rep. Adamu Yusuf Gagdi from Plateau State, Rep. Benjamin Kalu from Abia State, Rep. Peter Akpatason from Edo State, Rep. Muktar Aliyu Betara from Borno State, Rep. Miriam Onuoha, Rep. Sada Soli Jibia from Katsina State, Rep. Tunji Olawuyi from Kwara State, Rep. Abbas Tajudeen from Kaduna State and Rep. Aminu Sani Jaji from Zamfara State. The majority leader from Kano State, Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa, after the supplementary polls which he won, has thrown his hat into the ring

The governors’ memo, allegedly signed by the PGF Chairman and Kebbi State governor, Atiku Bagudu, and addressed to Tinubu, read: “The president-elect, vice president-elect, and the National Working Committee of the APC need to meet urgently with the PGF and APC Caucuses in the National Assembly under the auspices of National Caucus and NEC to debate and adopt a zoning formula for the leadership of the two Houses.

“The PGF met in plenary and proposes the following as basis for consideration of the president-elect and the party:

a. Senate President – South-East or South-South or North-Central
b. Deputy Senate President – North-Central or North-West
c. Speaker of the House – North-Central or North-West
d. Deputy Speaker of the House – South-East or South-South
“Other principal officer positions may be offered by the Party to compensate those that may be required to withdraw from the races or step down include:
a. Majority Leader
b. Deputy Majority Leader
c. Chief Whip, and
d. Deputy Chief Whip”

How the parties stand

Here is how the parties stand in both chambers at the conclusion of the supplementary polls penultimate Saturday.
For the Senate, APC has 59 senators; PDP 36; LP 8; NNPP 2; YPP 1; APGA 1 and SDP 2. Total 109.

In the House, it is APC 179; PDP 115; LP 35; NNPP 19; ADC 2; YPP 1; APGA 5 and SDP 2. Total 358.

The remaining two federal constituencies namely Ikono/Ini in Akwa Ibom State and Nsu/Njaba/Nkwere/Nwangele in Imo State are yet to be declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as of the time of this report.

Zoning enforceable only in the Senate

All eyes are on the leadership of the APC, the party in power, and Tinubu, to hammer out a zoning arrangement for the National Assembly principal officers even as analysts believe that any zoning, whether by the governors, president-elect or party, may be welcomed only in the Senate where the odds appear to favour the South-East.

Reps’ Speaker

It’s going to be rough and tough in the House, according to analysts who spoke to Sunday Vanguard. The signs, they say, are already visible. Yes, there will a zoning formula but the emergence of a new Speaker, many believe, may take another route. “If certain aspirants are not placated and be made to step down before the inauguration day, they will run against the zoning arrangement and win”, one of the analysts said.

“And APC will have no choice but to swallow hard and accept the situation as the verdict of the House. Such persons with a winning streak include Betara, the current Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations. Obviously, Betara might not be favoured by the APC leadership zoning given the political equation in that he hails from the same state of Borno in the North-East with the vice president-elect but the lawmaker appears to be the popular choice at the moment”.

Reactions to governors’ Recommendations

Sunday Vanguard sampled the views of some lawmakers and lawmakers-elect on the issue of zoning. While some incumbent senators and senators-elect said they will speak once the zoning formula is officially decided by the APC, some House members and members-elect bared their minds.

We need a pan-Nigerian Speaker – Hon. Ben Igbakpa, outgoing member representing Ethiope federal constituency of Delta State

“This scenario has played out before in 1999. Then, the President was from the South-West. Today, we have a president-elect from the South-West and vice president-elect from the North-East. Because of the clear dichotomy between the North and the South, it will be fair to have a Senate President come from either the South-East or the South-South for balance; and Speaker going to any of the northern states. I am not particular about where it should go to. You know we have this issue of regional balance. While we are talking of the fact that we should have a Senate President or a Speaker that should be a pan-Nigerian just like the outgoing Speaker, we should also have somebody who can even improve on that.

That’s one. But again, we must talk about issues that bring about our unity as a nation. We look at the geopolitical settings. We must also look at the religious setting because, somehow, we have a president-elect and vice president-elect that are Muslims. That should also be considered so that it doesn’t seem as if one religion is becoming prominent. Those are the areas that we should look at but, above all, we should have presiding officers of the National Assembly that should be Nigerian presiding officers, the ones that will not look at anybody’s face where the gavel is supposed to go; the ones that will give Nigerians what they expect. We need to forget our individual interests and look at the bigger picture to see how we can make our country better.

The legislature is an independent arm of government and, because of that, they are supposed to be allowed to pick whosoever they choose as their leaders. While I quite agree with my colleagues on that position, you must agree that as it is today, the opposition members have turned a good chunk of the members of the 10th Assembly when inaugurated and they have the strength. If they are united, they can actually decide who becomes the Speaker. And in doing this, I am sure these regions have capable hands.

Some of them are people that I know, and have worked with closely. They have a lot of people with passion, capacity, competence and charisma to carry everybody along. If that is properly harnessed, the opposition members can pull a surprise because nobody is going to come to the parliament to say you must vote for this person, especially on the day of inauguration. If they can hold themselves together, I read about the new front, the Greater Majority, led by Agbedi.

I am sure they can actually have their way. Even if the governors are saying zone it to this area, unless the character they are looking for is there, it can go wherever. So, they must consider the interest of the nation and the regional balance. Then, there is the issue of religion. They must put that into consideration in whatever they are doing. But I believe they will look at all of them. Whether you like it or not, they have one or two persons and may have taken a position by now.”

Party is supreme – Hon. Benjamin Kalu, speakership aspirant, spokesman for the outgoing 9th House and member, representing Bende federal constituency of Abia State

“In any constitutional democracy, the ruling party has a major role to play in setting up the architecture of government in any democratic clime. So, Nigeria will not be an exception.

And when it gets to the ruling party, there are strategic individuals who occupy the prominent positions regarding the decision processing in their political party. The president-elect is one of those stakeholders that will have a say on how the architecture will be drawn to reflect easy access to the achievement of the national objectives which the party as a whole has projected to Nigerians as manifesto for which we were voted. And since those things were not mere letters, as a party, we need to live it out for Nigerians to benefit.

It was high time the structure of government was conducted in a way to achieve this. So, it’s not a wrong call for the governors who are also major stakeholders to take a step to sit together with the party and the president-elect for zoning to be achieved if it’s going to increase national cohesion, inspire peace, activate and stimulate its progress.

There is nothing wrong about that. It’s actually a good call. And if they don’t do it, who will do it? So, they have to make their position known just like other stakeholders. So, all this lobbying, consultation is the beauty of democracy and should be encouraged in negotiations, interests being put on the table, it’s allowed.

Now, talking about the South-East and the South-South, if it falls into the equation of what the party needs to achieve for the nation, in consideration of what I have mentioned before, cohesion, loyalty and peace and all the rest, why not? But it’s entirely up to them. But for us who are running for position, we are also flexible. We could be anything the party wants us to be. If it’s not zoned to our favour and goes outside our zone, we are party loyalists and the party is supreme. We are not going to say if the speakership doesn’t come to us, we cannot accept deputy speakership or because, it’s been zoned to another place, we are going to be at loggerheads with the party.

Remember, there is a system we have put in place, a tripartite leadership forum, where you have the party, you have the legislature and also the executive sitting periodically to harmonize things to have a focus for the nation. If you fight your party at this level, how would you be able to sit with them when you go to that tripartite meeting? Having said that, it is important to note that by the provision of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I think Section 60, the House regulates its activities. So, it shouldn’t be like an imposition that does not have consultation and buy-in of the members of the parliament. If it is done in a coercive manner, like a compulsion on the House, it’s not going to release the right energy on the day of this election.

It’s an election, you need to lobby and have the buy-in of the minorities. And the minorities at the moment have a mindset that it is for us to reach out to the minorities and negotiate with them on the table. There are so many experienced legislators amongst the minorities who will have one or two roles to play in the growth of the legislature. So, you can’t because they are the minorities put their desires and wish into the trashcan which means, if there is any value they are bringing on board, access should be given for that to be showcased.

So, let the consultation continue, the stakeholders keep working and let’s also keep talking to the membership of the House and, hopefully, all these will synchronize at a particular point to give Nigerians the quality of leadership they deserve. We should not sacrifice merit, quality, capacity and competence on the altar of the region, now zoning. While we zone, we must put our eyes on the fact that this is a knowledge-based institution that thrives not just on politics but also on knowledge, competence and capacity that will help us make good laws.

It will start showing immediately after you have had the people on board. You can’t hide lack of capacity, competence, or experience. It will start showing from the first day of handling the gavel that this one was a wrong decision and that it a good one”.

We will respect zoning as long as it will foster peace and unity – Hon. Kingsley Chinda, member representing Obior/Akpor federal constituency of Rivers State

“I don’t have any issue with where the offices are zoned. Like we have said, we will respect the zoning of the majority party, which we expect will foster unity, peace and inclusiveness in the polity. This will eventually help for speedy development in an atmosphere of peace. We are certain that the zoning will be in tandem with the letter and spirit of Section 14 (3) of the Constitution. We shall all comply with the zoning and support candidates from agreed zones”.

Are APC govs members of the National Assembly to decide for members-elect? – Hon. Victor Afam Ogene, member-elect for Ogbaru federal constituency of Anambra State

“APC or any political party for that matter reserves the right to regale itself with talks about micro-zoning leadership positions in the National Assembly. But the overriding question remains, are such fanciful engagements binding of the generality of senators and members-elect?

The answer today, tomorrow, and until our current Constitution is altered to reflect that desire, is a big no. Issues surrounding this all-important question is easily resolved in the case of the House of Representatives by Section 50 (1) (b), to wit:” There shall be a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall be elected by the members of that House from among themselves.” Now, the APC Governors Forum, which you say has proposed sharing of these positions to geo-political zones, are they members of the House of Representatives?

By going the route of zoning, are they not affronting Section 50 of the Nigerian Constitution? Besides, political parties must not always use the National Assembly as guinea pigs for their zoning fancies.

Why didn’t these same governors summon the same courage, which they currently seek to flaunt, during the presidential primaries, by micro-zoning the presidency to a particular zone? If it was okay to say that the presidential ticket should go to the South, then I think they ought to follow through with that same template and propose, for instance, that the speakership should go to the North”.

Zoning is old fashioned – Hon. Ali JC Isa, member-elect for Biliri/ Ballanga federal constituency of Gombe State

“I can tell you for free that we are too experienced not to know what to do. We cannot be dragged backwards by zoning. We are here as colleagues, duly elected legislators to work for our country and not for any party. Yes, we belong to different parties but the nature of our work demands internal collaboration, cooperation and mutual understanding and respect to succeed. It’s when we agree among ourselves that the input is felt outside. So, therefore, we must do what can bring about this in-house cooperation before we relate with the other two arms of government.

We must put our house in order before anything succeeds. So, zoning cannot be a consideration for such an assemblage. If it’s an assembly of a party, we can sit in our various party secretariats to take such decisions based on zoning but we belong to different political parties. Whoever is bringing that to the table must be ready for shock and surprises. We have learned a lot from previous experiences and would not want to repeat such.

All of those who are contesting for speakership has gone far as mobilizing support using their resources to seek the votes of their colleagues and it will be very unfair and immoral for either the APC or PDP to seek to undermine this by showing selective favouritism in the name of zoning.

Why didn’t they announce zoning before the general elections? From history, we all know that the most stable and most productive legislatures all over the world are those built on mutual understanding where members vote among themselves and their leaders and not imposed by the executive. Such practices are no longer fashionable because ill-wind will blow on democracy”.

Last line

As the zoning controversy fuels tensions among the 10th National Assembly principal officers, no one is cocksure of where the pendulum will eventually swing. June 13 is tentatively the inauguration day after a presidential proclamation. But like in the past assemblies, one thing is sure: A new Senate President and a new Speaker for the House will emerge as long as the current political system is sustained.

by Segun Adebayo


There are indications that Davido’s marriage to his wife, Chioma, could be heading for the rocks following the allegation that the musician has welcomed another baby from his US-based lover.

This news is said to have thrown his marriage into confusion with his family reportedly making efforts to calm Chioma’s nerves amid claims that she threatened to move out of the house.

Recall that Davido announced weeks back that he and Chioma got married in the midst of their grief after the loss of their son, Ifeanyi.

But a new twist that is currently rocking the family of the music star is the allegation of his new child from a US-based woman, whose name is yet to be revealed.

A source within the camp of the singer who didn’t want his name mentioned told R exclusively that all is not well with the couple at the moment.

He added that Chioma, at a point, moved out of their Banana Island apartment. She has, however, been urged to come back home.

While Davido has tried to wave the news with the back of his palm, dust being raised by the alleged infidelity could cost him his new home unless something is done urgently to address the matter.

The singer had reportedly reacted to the mounting trouble in his marriage as he posted on his Instagram page, saying “God pass them all.”

The reaction has further fuelled speculations that the singer, whose new album, Timeless, is raking in huge numbers on streaming platforms, may indeed be going through a rough time.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said the commission is zeroing on those hiding under real estate to perpetrate money laundering and other financial crimes.

Speaking during a training session for journalists on effective reporting of the economic and financial crimes in Benin, Edo State, EFCC lawyer, Chris Mishela, said many estates springing up in Abuja, Lagos and other parts of the country were believed to be proceed of fraud and money laundering.

He said, “In Abuja, you see so many estates coming all over and we believe the source of this fund are unlawful funds. The funds are illegally gotten either from government or from international crime that is used to launder through estate business.

“Real estate is one of the designated and non-designated professions that is also under our obligation under the establishment to do a full disclosure.

“So EFCC is actually working to look into that dimension and the new money laundering Act has provided an opening for the government to look into the aspect of real estate as we saw under the Act.

“It is not an investigation that is going on, rather we have identified specifically that these are proceeds of crime.”

He explained that the training was to keep journalists abreast of the framework of new anti-money laundering Act 2022 and the role they were expected to play.

He added that the need to make the public aware of the expanded scope of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 as against the repealed Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 necessitated the workshop.

The Head, Cyber Crimes Unit in EFCC, Benin, Mrs Oluwakemi Olawoyin, in her presentation on risks and benefits associated with digital payment system, charged the public not to open any link which they didn’t initiate while on the Internet.

While highlighting tactics for safe transactions on the various e-business platforms, she advised the public to beware of unsecured sites.

On his part, Assistant Commander, Public Affairs Unit of EFCC, Mr Dele Oyewale, charged journalists on investigative reporting to provide the commission a lead for fraud investigation.

TOSIN AJUWON


Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, the wife of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, says she is still struggling to prevent her husband from eating more concoctions from his mistress.

“… I have to be at (the) gate not to allow any concoction to get in,” Mrs Akeredolu wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday.

With the picture of herself and her husband sitting on a couch, the Ondo first lady added, “Cough! I have carried my love away to a place he loves. Odoyewu,” using R&B singer Kizz Daniel’s song to slam her critics.

The governor had recently confirmed that he was sick but said there was “no cause for alarm” over his frail health, adding that he was recuperating speedily.

The latest post came barely a few weeks that her husband (Mr Akeredolu, the Ondo governor) travelled abroad for his official “annual” leave.

A spokesman for the governor, Richard Olatunde, had in a statement said the leave would last 15 working days, adding that Mr Akeredolu had already written to the House of Assembly and Deputy Governor Lucky Orimisan would act on his behalf pending his return on April 26.

While on leave, critics of Mr Akeredolu’s family suggested that the governor travelled outside the country to treat himself for an undisclosed ailment. The ailment had prompted him to take local herbs from one of his female aides, alleged to be the governor’s mistress.

In January, the governor’s wife cried out that her husband was on a “sick bed” after eating a concoction from one of his female aides, Bunmi Ademosun.

In a leaked audio file obtained by Peoples Gazette, Mrs Anyanwu-Akeredolu accused Ms Ademosun, the special adviser to the governor on multilateral and inter-governmental affairs, of “sneaking” to give her husband local herbs to drink, warning the female aide to “stay away from her husband.”

Banks and their customers have raised concerns over the Central Bank of Nigeria’s proposed plan to mop up funds from dormant accounts. While the proposal is not new, stakeholders argue that it could potentially have unintended consequences on the banking sector, reports Oluwakemi Abimbola

The bank account of a deceased man, Oluwanisola Yekini, has been dormant since he died in 2020. The quarrels among his polygamous family have prevented them from concluding the process that would give them access to the money in the account. They fight over who should get the money.

While Yekini’s eldest son feels that the funds in the account should automatically belong to him and has held onto his father’s death certificate (one of the required documents to access the account), his step-siblings know the account number and were seeking an equal share of the funds. Neither of the parties knew who their late father’s next of kin is or the amount of money in the said bank account, as he died intestate, which means Yekini had no will before the died.

Informed about the proposal of the Central Bank of Nigeria for money in funds in dormant accounts, Taiwo Yekini, one of the sons of the deceased, felt that it was not a bad idea if their father’s money ends up with the government.

“I don’t mind if the CBN takes over the funds but who knows we may have resolved our problems before then,” he said.

The CBN had released an exposure draft guideline proposing that banks and other financial institutions should transfer funds in accounts that have been dormant for up to 10 years into a trust fund account.

A circular, signed by the Director of the Financial Policy and Regulation Department of the apex bank, Chibuzor Efobi, which accompanied the exposure draft, stated that the proposed guidelines were in response to requests from banks and other stakeholders for the CBN to clarify the procedures for the management of dormant and inactive accounts by banks in the country. The circular, which was dated April 6, 2023, also called for inputs, which should be sent within three weeks.

The draft states that banks and other financial institutions are expected to transfer all unclaimed funds into an Unclaimed Balances Trust Fund pool account, which will be domiciled at the CBN.

The apex bank said the balances would be invested in government securities like Treasury Bills and would be returned to the beneficiaries not later than ten days of notice.

The draft guidelines said, “The Central Bank of Nigeria shall open and maintain an account earmarked for the purpose of warehousing unclaimed balances in eligible accounts. The account shall be called the ‘Unclaimed Balances Trust Fund Pool Account.”

The eligible accounts and financial assets are current, savings and term deposits in local currency; domiciliary accounts; deposits towards the purchase of shares and mutual investments; prepaid card accounts and wallets; proceeds of uncleared and unpresented financial instruments belonging to customers or non-customers of FIs; unclaimed salaries and wages, commissions, and bonuses.

Others include proceeds of stale local and/or foreign currency drafts not presented for payment by beneficiaries; funds received from a correspondent bank without sufficient details as to the rightful beneficiary and/or a recall of funds made to the remitting bank to which the Nigerian bank’s account has not been debited and a judgment debt for which the judgment creditor has not claimed the amount of judgment award.

However, exempted from the proposed unclaimed fund trust fund are government-owned accounts; accounts that are subject to litigation; accounts under investigation by a regulatory authority or law enforcement agency; and encumbered accounts including, but not limited to collaterals and liens.

This is not the first time that the state is attempting to take over unclaimed funds. In the signed Finance Act 2020, the Federal Government revealed plans to borrow unclaimed dividends and funds in dormant account balances banks. This was disclosed under Part XII of the Companies and Allied Matters Act in the Finance Act. This led to an outcry against the move.

A non-governmental organisation, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project filed a lawsuit against the Federal Government in this regard.

The Finance Act of 2020, which also set up the Unclaimed Dividends Trust Fund, got reactions from capital market stakeholders, who felt that the government was aiming to reap where it had not sown and insisted that unclaimed dividends should be returned to the companies that generated the dividends in the first place.

Reacting to the development in 2020, the Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria, in a statement said, “It is nothing short of expropriation, which the constitution forbids. Dividends, including unclaimed dividends, are funds generated by private companies and made available to its shareholders in line with the provisions of Companies and Allied Matters Act Companies and Allied Matters Act.”

The shareholders argued that it was overreaching and unacceptable for the government to seek to expropriate the unclaimed dividends under the subterfuge of any revenue.

They noted that companies and individuals had a right to private property and assets; which unclaimed dividends funds fell into.

Reacting to the latest move by the CBN, the Chairman of the Bank Customers Association of Nigeria, Dr Uju Ogubunka, said that it was not okay for the central banker to take over individual funds under any guise.

He said, “CBN cannot appropriate people’s money just like that. I don’t think it is the right thing to do. Maybe, what is right is for CBN to seek individual approval from those people that have those accounts.

“Some of these accounts that you may regard as dormant are not necessarily dormant. They may be just accounts opened for the education of a growing child. Someone deposits money into an account and leaves it there until the child gets to a certain age, where there is a need to use that money. That doesn’t make the account dormant. It is an account set aside for a purpose.”

Ogubunka also expressed concern about the effect of pulling out the funds in dormant accounts from the deposit portfolio of banks and other financial institutions, arguing that some banks may become distressed if the move is approved.

“I can bet that in some banks, with this kind of definition of a dormant account, (there may be) huge amounts involved. If you take such amounts out of a bank, that bank may likely go distressed because you are going to create holes in the deposit portfolio of the bank and this bank has given credits that people have not yet paid back,” he noted.

Ogubunka’s stance was corroborated by a banker, who spoke anonymously with The PUNCH.

He also slammed the CBN for creating unnecessary panic in the banking system, which had not yet recovered from the naira redesign crisis.

He claimed had created anxiety in banks, making them deal with fears of their customers’ funds in dormant accounts being taken over by the regulator.

The banker said, “A lot of monies that are in those old banks; the owners are late. You know those days when marriages are concerned, people don’t disclose what they have in banks to their spouses, not like now. A lot of those old banks are strong today because of the money of those dead people. We have the issue of dividends from the stock market too.

“At my bank yesterday (Tuesday), I know the billions of naira they told us are in dormant accounts. It will cause a lot of trouble if you pull out such funds. It will cause a lot of trouble, and distress in the banks.”

Bashing the CBN, the banker said the regulator was dabbling into customer relations and by extension, the business of the customers instead of coming up with policies that will be of benefit to Nigerians.

“I have been in this banking sector for 22 years and I see that CBN as our regulator has tried to get involved in the business of customer relations. I have my money in the bank. I can decide not to come to the bank for one year. There are a lot of people who do that. You know, if you don’t come to the bank for one year, the account goes dormant. Some people in the villages just decide to keep their monies in the bank, some people are abroad.

“They are just creating unnecessary panic in the system. Some people intentionally kept their accounts dormant in Nigeria. There are a lot of policies that the CBN needs to do for the benefit of Nigerians. It is not this kind of policy, where the CBN wants to poke its nose into what the banks are doing, and what the customers are doing,” he averred.

The banker also blamed the demand for Bank Verification Numbers as one of the reasons for the increase in dormant accounts as well as family disputes following the death of a relative.

He explained, “What led to the high number of dormant accounts recently is the issue of Bank Verification Numbers. A lot of Nigerians abroad, don’t have means of doing BVN. Even the few centres aboard, for you to go and do BVN there, you have to spend a lot of money. So, a lot of them over there have refused to do BVN. They are sending money home and their accounts are dormant and they are okay with it. They know that anytime they come home, they will do BVN and start running the account.

“This is a policy that is counterproductive. I don’t see it working.”

Twitter has removed verification badges of prominent Nigerians including President Muhammadu Buhari, Bola Tinubu, Peter Obi, among others.

Checks by TRIBUNE ONLINE on Thursday showed that the verification badges on their account have been removed.

This comes on the heels of rebranding by Twitter Chief Executive Officer, Elon Musk, who had announced the final date for the free Blue badge removal via his verified account badges to be on April 20, 2023.

Further checks revealed many celebrities are also affected by the development.

Screenshots below:

Fiery lawyer and activist, Femi Falana (SAN), has said that the Adamawa State gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru’s acceptance speech confirmed that she was in on the illegal declaration.

Falana stated this in an interview on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday.

The SAN described Binani’s declaration and her acceptance speech as a ”charade”.

He said: ”With respect to the acceptance speech, it already confirmed that she was party to the charade. She has to be brought in by the police and investigated.

“How did you prepare a speech if you did not know that you were going to be declared the winner because, at that stage, the collation had not been concluded?

“The last point is the role of NTA. The NTA televised the acceptance speech. I expect the NBC to move in speedily and sanction the NTA because, at that time, collation was still ongoing.”

Recall that the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Hudu Yunusa, had declared Binani winner of the state guber election.

However, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, reversed the purported declaration of Binani as the winner of the Adamawa election by the REC.

The Commission said the action of the REC was a move to usurp the power of the Returning Officer. It further declared it null, void and of no effect.

Meanwhile, Falana has demanded that Binani be investigated by the police.

The House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the sale of 48 million barrels of crude oil, amounting to over $2.4 billion and crude oil export to China from 2014 to date, said yesterday it has uncovered payment of $200 million allegedly made as consultancy fees in whistleblower recoveries by the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, Abubakar Malami. within statutory approvals.

Chairman of the committee, Mark Gbillah, who disclosed this at the resumed public hearing on the issue, also said Malami and the Minister of Finance, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, had not been cooperating with the committee, failing to answer to issues arising from the crude sales, despite letters of invitation sent to them.

He said: “We have not been getting any form of cooperation from the Ministry of Finance and Attorney General’s office regarding this investigation, despite a series of correspondents sent to them on this matter we are investigating.

”We’ve seen documentation from the Accountant General’s office, where the minister of finance approved the payment of the substantial amount of money to so-called whistle-blowers where details of monies recovered were not provided.

“’We’ve heard media reports by the Federal Government indicating that millions of dollars were recovered through whistle-blower revelations on behalf of the country, but we as a parliament have not seen that those monies were routed through the constitutional appropriation process before they were expended. The constitution is very clear about the receipt and expenditure of Nigeria’s money.

Gbillah, who expressed displeasure at the actions of the two public officers, however, appealed to them to cause an appearance before the committee or risk arrest.

“We’ve looked at the functions of the Attorney General’s office and we’ve not seen any statutory powers provided for the Attorney General by the constitution to determine how Nigeria’s money should be spent.

“There was an incident about a whistleblower, who made a formal report to Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU, about $200million paid into two companies accounts, Biz Plus and GSCL, allegedly for consultancy services, which allegedly were approved by the Attorney General’s office on the approval of Mr. President.

“We need the Minister of Finance, and the Attorney General of the Federation to appear before this House to provide clarity on the inflows that have come in from whistle-blowers’ recoveries, and how these monies were recovered.

”The CBN is required to provide information that has been provided by these whistleblowers about substantial amounts of monies paid allegedly for consultancy services when there’s no record of any agreement entered into by those companies regarding any services.

“These are very weighty allegations and as a responsible House, we owe everybody a fair hearing and benefit of the doubt, and this is what we’ve been seeking to accord those who have been mentioned in these allegations.

”But we find it unfashionable that the minister of finance and Attorney General of Federation have not bothered to respond to any of the correspondence from the committee and this in our opinion shows a lack of regard not only to the institution of House but also that of the National Assembly as a whole.

“We will make this further appeal to the minister of finance and Attorney General of the Federation and all others who have not responded or who have not honoured the committee’s invitations to do so in the national interest.

”In the event that they fail to do so, we will be constrained to invoke the instrument of the summons and all other necessary powers the National Assembly can exercise in this regard. “”But we want to make this a formal and final notice to those concerned, the minister of finance and Attorney General of the Federation, to cause appearance before the committee to give evidence with regards to the allegations that have been laid before the committee,” Gbillah said.

Factional Chairman of the Labour Party, Bashir Apapa, has declared the Asaba National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party as illegal, stating that its presidential candidate, Peter Obi not qualified to rule the country.

It further said the presence of the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has exposed him as disobedient to the Federal High Court Order in Abuja, which sustained the restraining order on the National Chairman of the Labour Party and three others from parading themselves as officials of the Party.

The Apapa faction of the Party leadership said it had access to a letter of invitation to the Asaba NEC meeting of the Labour Party signed by the embattled Chairman of the Party, Comrade Julius Abure and said he has no such powers given the restraining order of the court.

The statement reads: “that following the anti-party activities and disobedience to court order of the FCT High Court through the illegal suspension and expulsion of national working committee members under the leadership of Alh. Bashiru Lamidi Apapa, the NWC members meet this afternoon, after receiving information and letter by the restrained former national chairman Julius Abure and Former National Secretary inviting elected members of national assembly to observed their illegal NEC meeting of our party.

“By this rascality exhibited by this miscreants, the national working committee of our party led by Alhaji Lamidi Apapa hereby, suspend the following officers with immediate effects;

Ladi Iliya Deputy National Chairman NLC, Ayo Olorunfemi, Deputy National Chairman TUC, Kennedy Chigozie Ahanotu, Deputy National Secretary, Dudu Manuga, National Women Leader and Innocent Okeke. National Vice Chairman South East.

The statement signed by Arabambi stated that “the party also frown at the gross misconduct of Mr Peter Obi who is vigorously pursuing ethnic cleansing.

“Peter Obi’s mission was to amputate the Labour party structure so that he and his gang of ethnic bigots would take over the party and fix his wife as the new national women leader of the party to continue his trade.

“We want the world to know that Peter Obi was not properly nominated as our party flag bearer which we pointed out to him and the reason he wanted all of us oppose to his illegal candidacy out by all means.

“Peter Obi is not fit to govern nigeria for his involvement in the gross disobedience to the FCT high court order as this is an evidence that he will cause civil unrest , turn nigeria to banana republic and lawlessness where rule of law will be a things of the past.

“Finally the national working committee of our party hereby dissolved the presidential campaign council with immediate effects,” Arabambi stated.

https://cdn.vanguardngr.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/las2.jpg
The back of one of the LASTMA officer.

Soldiers, last weekend, reportedly went on rampage, beating Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, officials along Costain-Apapa area of the state for daring to impound a senior officer’s vehicle because he drove against traffic — “One way.”

The senior military personnel was stopped and his official vehicle impounded over traffic contravention around Costain.

It was learned that the military officer, who felt slighted by the manner the LASTMA officers accosted him, left the scene and, few minutes after, some soldiers appeared and went after every LASTMA officer on sight.

The soldiers reportedly pounced on the officials, took them to their barracks, beat them before letting them go.

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Another battered LASTMA officer.

It was gathered that the battered LASTMA officials were subsequently taken to hospital for the injury sustained during the ordeal.

Calm was later restored between both parties after apologies were tendered.

The State Coordinator, Special Traffic Management Committee on Apapa gridlock, Hassan Adekoya, who confirmed the incident, said the issue had been amicably resolved following intervention by relevant authorities.

“Everything is fine now and our men are undergoing treatment at a hospital. Both parties have apologised to each other and there is no cause for alarm. The situation is under control,” he said.

Adekoya recounted; “Yes, our men were assaulted and beaten. Some military men arrested 12 LASTMA officers at the weekend while on duty and beat them.

“Last Friday, around 5p.m., they started raiding our officers on duty at Costain Roundabout to Sifax down to Total Bridge, Apapa. They picked up the most senior officer, called Bravo at Areas “B” Oriyomi.

“The invading soldiers claimed that one of their bosses was arrested in the morning for taking one way.

“So they went after any LASTMA officer in sight, all the way from Costain to Apapa. At the end of the rampage, 12 officers were picked at the different locations.

“The officers include Balogun Sadiq, Ayoade Abideen, Adebayo Tunde, Kazeem Abensin, Rafiu Rasaki, Oloyede and Logunleko Oriyomi.

Lagos govt kicks

State Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde, while reacting to incessant assaults of LASTMA personnel, objected to the rate at which military personnel, police officers and others contravene the state traffic laws with impunity.

He noted that “the law is no respecter of anybody and must be obeyed at all time.”

Oladeinde, in a statement, added that the state government wondered why officers, who should be custodian of the traffic laws, work against it, stating that the government had resolved not to allow the menace continue unchecked.

While urging all security agencies to show exemplary conduct by leading the way in obeying the traffic laws of the state, Oladeinde warned that “any form of physical assault of the state traffic law enforcement officers by the erring security personnel will no longer be tolerated.”

A 45-year-old woman, Karima Nuhu, on Tuesday dragged her husband, Musa Falalu, to a Shari’a Court sitting in Rigasa, Kaduna, for allegedly failing to take her to Saudi Arabia.

The complainant who resides at Rigasa area of Kaduna told the court that she had been married to Falalu for four years during which he provided her with food for only two months.

“He told me that he lost his job as a driver but had secured another one in Saudi Arabia, urging me to be patient while promising to take me along.

“So far, I have been feeding myself. I even borrowed money for him so that he would be able to pay for the trip, but after getting what he wanted, he divorced me,” she said.

Nuhu told the court that she had no witness except God who will judge them on the last day.

The defendant, however, denied the allegations saying they were untrue.

He told the court that he had divorced the complainant.

The Judge, Malam Anass Khalifa, who confirmed the divorce between the couple, said the court would only listen to the complainant’s claims if she had witnesses.

The camp of the ‘President-elect’, Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has welcomed defeat in the Adamawa State governorship election after the incumbent governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, emerged the winner of the poll.

The returning officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mohammed Mele, on Tuesday in Yola, the state capital, declared Governor Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner of the governorship poll after completing the collation of results of the supplementary election held on Saturday, April 15.

According to the returning officer, Fintiri polled a total of 430,861 to defeat the APC candidate, Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani, who came second with a total of 398,788 votes.

Reacting to the outcome of the election, the Deputy Director of New Media for Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Council, Adamu Garba, congratulated Fintiri.

He said the APC fought hard but that they “obey the law and respect the dignity of the constitution”.

“We have fought hard, we didn’t give up on our party. We are civil, we can clearly differentiate between when we win and when we lose. We obey the law and respect the dignity of the constitution.

“I congratulate Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri on his victory in the last supplementary election,” he wrote on his Twitter handle.

Also reacting to the victory of Governor Fintiri, the spokesperson for the Tinubu campaign council, Festus Keyamo (SAN), said, “Anytime the opposition wins, whether on the field or in the courts, it is justice! Anytime the ruling party wins, whether on the field or in the courts, it is injustice! Hypocrites with double standards everywhere!”

Defendants Are New York City Residents Who Allegedly Operated the Police Station in Lower Manhattan and Destroyed Evidence When Confronted by the FBI

A complaint was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, charging two defendants in connection with opening and operating an illegal overseas police station, located in lower Manhattan, New York, for a provincial branch of the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

“Harry” Lu Jianwang, 61, of the Bronx, and Chen Jinping, 59, of Manhattan, were arrested earlier this morning at their homes in New York City. Their initial appearances are scheduled this afternoon in Brooklyn before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ramon E. Reyes Jr.

As alleged in the complaint, Lu and Chen are charged with conspiring to act as agents of the PRC government as well as obstructing justice by destroying evidence of their communications with an MPS official. The defendants worked together to establish the first overseas police station in the United States on behalf of the Fuzhou branch of the MPS. The police station – which closed in the fall of 2022 after those operating it became aware of the FBI’s investigation – occupied a floor in an office building in Manhattan’s Chinatown. While acting under the direction and control of an MPS Official, Lu and Chen helped open and operate the clandestine police station. None of the participants in the scheme informed the U.S. government that they were helping the PRC government surreptitiously open and operate an illegal MPS police station on U.S. soil.

“The PRC, through its repressive security apparatus, established a secret physical presence in New York City to monitor and intimidate dissidents and those critical of its government,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The PRC’s actions go far beyond the bounds of acceptable nation-state conduct. We will resolutely defend the freedoms of all those living in our country from the threat of authoritarian repression.”

“This prosecution reveals the Chinese government’s flagrant violation of our nation’s sovereignty by establishing a secret police station in the middle of New York City,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “As alleged, the defendants and their co-conspirators were tasked with doing the PRC’s bidding, including helping locate a Chinese dissident living in the United States, and obstructed our investigation by deleting their communications. Such a police station has no place here in New York City – or any American community.”

“It is simply outrageous that China’s Ministry of Public Security thinks it can get away with establishing a secret, illegal police station on U.S. soil to aid its efforts to export repression and subvert our rule of law,” said Acting Assistant Director Kurt Ronnow of the FBI Counterintelligence Division. “This case serves as a powerful reminder that the People’s Republic of China will stop at nothing to bend people to their will and silence messages they don’t want anyone to hear. The FBI is dedicated to protecting everyone in the United States against efforts to undermine our democratic freedoms, and we’ll hold any state actors – and those who help them – accountable for breaking our laws.”

Before helping to open the police station in early 2022, Lu had a longstanding relationship of trust with PRC law enforcement, including the MPS. Since 2015, and through the operation of the secret police station, Lu was tasked with carrying out various activities, including to assist the PRC government’s repressive activities on U.S. soil:

In 2015, during PRC President Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States, Lu participated in counterprotests in Washington, D.C,. against members of a religion that is forbidden under PRC law. A deputy director of the MPS awarded Lu a plaque for the work he performed on behalf of the PRC government.
In 2018, Lu was enlisted in efforts to cause a purported PRC fugitive to return to the PRC. The victim reported being repeatedly harassed to return to the PRC, including through threats of violence made to the victim and the victim’s family in the United States and in the PRC.

In 2022, the MPS Official sought Lu’s assistance in locating an individual living in California who is a pro-democracy activist. In turn, Lu enlisted the help of another coconspirator. Later, when confronted by the FBI about these conversations, Lu denied that they occurred.

In October 2022, the FBI conducted a judicially authorized search of the illegal police station. In connection with the search, FBI agents interviewed both Lu and Chen and seized their phones. In reviewing the contents of these phones, FBI agents observed that communications between Lu and Chen, on the one hand, and the MPS Official, on the other, appeared to have been deleted. In subsequent consensual interviews, Lu and Chen admitted to the FBI that they had deleted their communications with the MPS Official after learning about the ongoing FBI investigation, thus preventing the FBI from learning the full extent of the MPS’s directions for the overseas police station.

If convicted of conspiring to act as agents of the PRC, the defendants face a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The obstruction of justice charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The FBI New York Field Office investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander A. Solomon and Antoinette N. Rangel for the Eastern District of New York, and Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

The FBI has created a website for victims to report efforts by foreign governments to stalk, intimidate, or assault people in the United States. If you believe that you are or have been a victim of transnational repression, please visit: www.fbi.gov/investigate/counterintelligence/transnational-repression.

The charges in the complaint are merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

adenigga:
Source: https:///Adamawa-REC-Allegedly-Collected-N2-Billion-To-Rig-Gov-Election-For-Binani-DSS

Another round of crisis may resume in Warri Kingdom, Delta State, over the installation of Chief Oma Eyewuoma as the new Ologbotsere of the Kingdom by His Majesty, Ogiamé Atuwatse III, the Olu of Warri.

Until his new title, Chief Eyewuoma was the Aboludero of Warri Kingdom.

But the embattled Ologbotsere, Chief Ayirimi Emami, in his reaction to the removal, said his insignia of office, beads and sword were intact and still with him as his ancestral heritage.

The Olu of Warri last Saturday had invited the Ologbotsere dynasty to Aghofen (Palace) with speculations that the Olu had resolved to reinstate Emami as Ologbotsere.

The Aghófen Hall was said to be filled to capacity as everyone was curious of the agenda of the meeting until the Ologbotsere was urged to submit his Ologbotsere regalia in exchange for a new title held by his late father, ‘Eyeku’ which he rejected.

Despite that Emami’s objection, the installation of a new Ologbotsere took place on Sunday at the Palace of the Olu with Palace Chiefs, the immediate-past Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan and other notable sons and daughters of Warri Kingdom in attendance.

It was gathered that after the installation of Chief Eyewuoma as the new Ologbotsere, His Majesty, Ogiamé Atuwatse III announced a new title to be conferred on Chief Emami who reportedly declined and walked out of the palace alongside many of Ologbotsere descendants.

Narrating the drama that ensued, Chief Emami said that his original beads and sword, authenticating him as the ‘Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom’ were still intact, despite the presentation of a bead and sword to the Olu of Warri.

He told the gathering in Warri, that the incident at the Olu palace, was nothing, but joy to him for many reasons, including a Biblical reference Papa Ayo Oritsejafor illustrated on Friday April 14, during the peace meeting at the palace, “when he said if the Devil knew that Jesus Christ would be celebrated, they wouldn’t have killed him.”

Chief Emami, who spoke in Itsekiri language, stated that: “Those that asked me to honour invitation of the Ogiame knew they wanted to kill me, but if I had not honoured the invitation, they would have said I do not want the blessings of Itsekiri.

“You guys should not worry yourselves, what wants blood, if you give it palm oil, it will not take it. Today is a day of joy for so many reasons. When they said the king sent for me, many said I should not go, some said I should go. He that is in me is greater.

“People that said I should honour the invitation are more than those that said I shouldn’t honour it. Those that advised me to go to the palace, said if I go, there will be peace in Itsekiri land and I hold issues concerning Itsekiri in high esteem.

“When he (the king) called me, he told me of the dream he had about Ikenwoli (the transited Olu of Warri) and what Ikenwoli did. Any time the President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, meets me, he always advised me to go and see the Olu of Warri.

“He told me to forget about ancestors and go to the King, that was exactly what I did. Even Oba of Benin spoke about the issue.

“The wife of Ologbotsere is the eyes of Ologbotsere. My wife called me and advised that I should not carry my original beads and sword to the Palace today.

“These three beads; bead of Atuwaste II, my late father and that of Ikenwoli, are my inheritance, I did not buy them. Have you seen me with one bead before?”

For his part, spokesman of Ologbotsere descendants, Comrade Alex Eyengho, said: “What happened in the palace today was part of a script that has been written. We got premonition of the event that would play out, hence the bead and sword presented at the Palace were fake.

“It has been an ongoing script. Ologbotsere family is not stupid. The original beads and sword are intact. Once you give a title to someone, it is till death. You don’t take it back. For Ologbotsere title to be given, it must come from the family of Ologbotsere, on request from the king. Chief Ayirimi Emami remains the Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom.”

Earlier, Atuwatse III at the palace in the presense of hundreds of sons and daughters of the Warri kingdom said that he was not interested in what would divide the Iwere nation.

Ogiame noted that he had had several dreams on the issues, hence the move to reconcile with the Ologbotsere family. He urged Emami to take the ‘Eyela’ title and continue to work in the interest of the Itsekiri nation which Emami declined.

Recall that the monarch had on October 5, 2021, announced the derobing of Chief Emami as the Ologbotsere of Warri at a ceremony held in his palace.

Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), celebrated the illegal declaration of its Adamawa State governorship candidate, Aisha Dahiru, as “governor-elect”.

The APC on Sunday used its verified Twitter account to post a congratulatory message to Mrs Dahiru, popularly called Binani, who was “illegally” declared as the winner of the governorship election, even though the collation process was still ongoing.

“Breaking: @inecnigeria has declared Senator Aishatu Dahiru Binani the winner of the Adamawa State governorship election.

Binani is the first elected female Governor in Nigeria,” the tweet reads.

Aside from the party, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, also celebrated the illegality.

“Just woke up in the US to this wonderful news. I am screaming my head off here! This is such a glass-shattering watershed for the women of Nigeria! Huge congratulations to my sister, Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed (Binani). At a point in the struggle we were speaking like a dozen times a day on phone!

“Special thanks to all those who worked so hard for this; special thanks to the good people of Adamawa State for smashing this hoodoo of gender bias; special thanks to the APC for making this possible; special thanks to President Muhammadu Buhari for providing such sterling leadership; special thanks to Nigerians for your support and prayers! Now, for the women of Nigeria, please go ye forth and conquer!” Mr Keyamo, an APC presidential camapaign spokesperson wrote.

However, the electoral body, INEC, has declared the results as “illegal” because the wrong official announced the results and declared the winner.

INEC, in a statement by its National Commissioner, Information & Voter Education, Festus Okoye, described its Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Adamawa, Yunusa Ari, as a “usurper” for declaring the result. The commission also called for the suspension of the process.

“The action of the REC is a usurpation of the power of the Returning Officer. It is null, void and of no effect. Consequently, the collation of results of the supplementary election is hereby suspended,” the commission wrote.

Background

The Adamawa State governorship election of 18 March was declared inconclusive by INEC. The commission, thus, ordered a supplementary election in 69 polling units in the 20 local governments in the state. The eligible voters in the polling unit are less than 40,000.

Incumbent Governor Ahmadu Fintiri was leading Mrs Binani by over 30,000 votes before the election was declared inconclusive.

Mrs Binani thus needed an almost 100 per cent turnout of voters and about 90 per cent votes for her in the 69 units to emerge the winner.

The supplementary election was held on Saturday and collation was ongoing before Mr Ari declared Mrs Binani the winner.

And that was even made possible by the Supreme Court which, in a landmark ruling on March 3, extended the validity of the old N200, N500 and N1000 notes till December 31, 2023.

A seven-member panel of the court led by John Okoro ruled that the old notes should circulate alongside the new notes until the end of the year.

It took the CBN about two weeks to act on the judgment.

Bank customers across the country said much of the money they have been receiving at banking halls and from ATMs are the old notes.

Traders and transporters also say customers hardly pay them with the new notes.

Bank officials told our correspondents that they disburse what they receive from the CBN.

They said the new notes hardly come their way.

A Lagos-based entrepreneur, Mary Okon, said all the cash receipts for goods sold came in old naira notes.

“All the cash I received for goods sold were in old notes. Sometimes, I wonder where the new notes are. This has affected our turnover, worsened cash crunch crisis and made payment for goods very cumbersome,” she said.

Another bank customer, Michael Otu, said the low cash position in many families has made it difficult for them to buy things that are needed like food, clothing and provision, among others.

“We have seen many families cut their expenditure because of low cash positions. We hope that the situation will improve when the CBN releases more new notes into the economy,” he said.

In many of the bank’s branches visited in Victoria Island, Matori, and Ikeja axis of Lagos, there were still queues of customers wanting to make cash withdrawals with the N20,000 weekly limit.

The banks’ Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), which dispensed new notes at the time the new notes were launched, have returned to old notes disbursement across the counter or through other payment channels.

Officials of the CBN who do not wish to be named because they are not authorised to speak to the press on the issue alleged that many Nigerians are hoarding the new naira notes ahead of the December deadline for the phasing out of the old notes.

A source at the CBN said: “About N1 trillion is currently in circulation and more money is being printed and released.”

The source, who is involved in key monetary policy decisions of the apex bank, added: “People, not only politicians but ordinary Nigerians, are hoarding the new notes because of uncertainties.

“You know December will soon come. That is when all the old notes will cease to be legal tender. So people are stocking the new notes to mitigate uncertainties over the old or new naira notes.”

The CBN official advised the “authorities to engage in massive enlightenment and reassurances that the new notes will be available in and after December.”

According to the official, the CBN “releases N70 billion to the banks to distribute to their various branches every day, and they are largely old notes by way of strategy because of the phenomenon I spoke to you about earlier.

“When people see the new notes they just take them out of the system and don’t bring them back.

“That is the reason the CBN is dishing out the old notes so that they become available and citizens can make transactions very easily. That is the current position.

“So, it’s not that the CBN is not releasing money at all.”

When told that Nigerians want the new notes, the CBN official said: “Why are people looking for the new notes if they want to buy goods and services and money is available?

“They should leave that strategy to the CBN. That’s the bank’s problem, because by the end of the year, all the old notes being released now will also be removed from the system.

“For now that is not the problem of the citizens.

“Those complaining are looking for the new notes to hoard. That’s the implication.”

What is happening, the source said, “is that the new notes are not returned to the commercial banks.

“If they can be returning them to the commercial banks, the banks will also give them out to the citizens to use, but it appears that that is not happening,

“I don’t know what the fancy is in the new notes that they are hoarding them again.”

The official also disclosed that the CBN will print more new notes between now and December.

“Definitely it (CBN) will, because the old notes would have to exit the system.

“But for now, the strategy of the CBN is to meet the present exigencies, ameliorate any suffering, make money available, either old or new, so that people can have easy access.

“But the CBN has its own strategy to ease out the old notes before the end of December, so the implication is that there is the likelihood that more new notes will come into circulation.”

The official sought to allay fears that printing more new notes to maintain the N1trillion in circulation will lead to excess liquidity.

His words: “The CBN will map out appropriate strategies. New notes printed will replace old notes that will be eased out.

“There is no likelihood of too much currency in circulation, and secondly, the bank has its own idea of the optimal quantity of cash or notes, both old and new, that should be in the system. That is what the CBN is working towards.”

One of the reasons the initial attempt at currency redesign failed was the unavailability of smaller denominations of N100 and N200 notes for ordinary citizens to spend.

Admitting that that was a lapse in judgment on the part of the CBN, the official said: “I envisaged that one. Some of us have also made that point, because printing of the lower denomination notes will reduce the prospects of hoarding and counterfeiting of large denomination notes.

“That will help to meet the objectives of the CBN to minimise hoarding and counterfeiting of large notes.

“You know it is the large denomination notes that are very vulnerable to counterfeiting because of the huge profit they make from it.

“So the possibility is there that the CBN will print more of the lower denominations in line with its own objective.”

A member of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council, Bismarck Rewane, said the CBN printed approximately N400 billion new naira notes following the currency redesign programme.

In a report titled: Nigeria Hits A Brick Wall, Rewane said that a shortfall of N2.48 trillion cash exists, leading to near paralysis of commercial activities in the economy.

He said the shortfall represents 90 per cent of the cash in circulation, meaning that only about 10 per cent of the cash needed was printed.

According to Rewane, an economist and Managing Director, Financial Derivatives Company Limited, three of the eight naira denominations – N200, N500 and N1,000 estimated at N2.88 trillion – make up 90 per cent of the total cash in circulation.

Also speaking on the development, an economist and CEO, Economic Associates, Dr. Ayo Teriba explained what is playing out.

He said a breakdown of the N400 billion new notes printed by MINT Nigeria showed that about 700 million pieces of new notes are in circulation at present.

He said the volume of the new notes, falls drastically below the 9.75 billion pieces naira notes circulating before naira reforms.

He said: “The Naira notes have attracted global attention at the turn of 2023 for the wrong reasons.

“The currency redesign policy was a needless exercise that turned out to be a chaotic wild goose chase until the Supreme Court suspended it on legal grounds.

“The Supreme Court Ruling has however not completely taken the issue off the table as the N200, N500, and N1,000 currency notes may still cease to be legal tender by 31 December 2023.

“The policy choice Nigeria must make is whether to replace the old notes with new ones of the same face values or with new notes of larger face values.”

He suggested that instead of wasting resources to print and replace 9.75 billion pieces of naira notes, it can be drastically reduced by introducing larger denominations notes.

Teriba said it is very unlikely that the CBN will print over nine billion pieces of new notes to totally replace the old notes by December 31.

He suggested: “The pieces of Naira notes in circulation had exploded to 9.75 billion pieces by December 2021.

“This piece demonstrates that the introduction of N2,000, N5,000, N10,000, and N20,000 notes that would be equivalent to US$4 to US$50 now is the sensible way to drastically reduce the pieces of Naira notes in circulation to between half a billion and a billion pieces before the end of 2023.”

He said that at less than US$1 per Naira note, Nigeria has inadvertently printed far too many pieces of these small value notes to be easily manageable by CBN.

The reason the CBN could never have printed enough of the N200, N500, and N1,000 new notes was that there were well over five billion pieces of them in circulation, and there was no way the CBN could have printed that much even if they had two years to do so.

Teriba said the nominal value of currency in circulation is the most basic measure of cash circulating in the economy, a key component of the overall money supply that lubricates economic transactions.

According to him, the total value of cash is only meaningful when related to the economic transactions that it is meant to lubricate. As such, you cannot conclude that it is too much or growing too fast by looking at its size or growth in isolation.

Teriba said Nigeria fell into that trap in the nineties as the total pieces of naira notes in circulation was to rise steadily from 1.5 billion pieces just after the N50 note was introduced in 1991 to 8.5 billion pieces by year 2000.

But an industry source said the new notes are scarce because of currency hoarding. According to the source, the new naira notes released by the CBN are being hoarded by high net-worth customers of banks, who had unlimited access to the cash.

The source said many high net-worth individuals who were able to source the new notes stockpiled them thereby depriving the public from having access to the cash.

President, Bank Customers Association of Nigeria (BCAN), Dr. Uju Ogubunka, said it was very worrisome that the new notes are not available to the ordinary people on the streets.

“You can occasionally see the new notes with politicians and top business executives who maintain huge account balances in banks.

“We have read stories of banks calling their top customers to come and take new notes. If third party intervention is needed for MINT Nigeria to print the notes, let them request for such support,” he suggested.

Ogubunka, a former Register/Chief Executive Officer, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) said the Domestic Operations at the CBN owes Nigeria explanations on what is keeping the new notes out of reach of the people.

“I know that a lot of security measures are involved in new notes printing. But whatever it is, by now, the old notes should be passing out. But what we have is that the old notes have remained the dominant means of transaction.

“If care is not taken, we will have another round of crises by December 31 when the old notes will cease to be a legal tender,” he said.

At a press conference in Lagos, CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele had admitted the hiccups in the implementation of the policy.

Emefiele said the apex bank was addressing “pressure areas” by redeploying cash where there are excesses. The governor described the challenges as transient, promising that the issues would be overcome soon. He urged Nigerians to embrace alternative payment channels.

On the scarcity, he said: “CBN is aware of the difficulty being faced by Nigerians in accessing the new currency at this initial stage of its issue and circulation but wishes to plead with all to please show some understanding as everything is being done to correct some of the observed lapses in the implementation of this ambitious programme.”

A social activist and author, Reno Omokri, has said that forensic analysis of the just-concluded presidential election results of the February 25, 2023 has showed that there were over-voting in more than 10,000 polling units, which represents almost eight per cent of all PUs in the country.

He, however, told the the Nigerian judiciary that the world was watching the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal (PEPT) and hoped it will abide by the provision of the law as enshrined in Nigeria’s Electoral Act of 2022.

In a statement released to journalists Saturday, the former presidential aide also called on Nigerians to add their voices to that of millions of others against miscarriage of justice by the Nigerian Judiciary.

The statement titled, “An Action Call To Save Democracy in Nigeria”, said the alleged over-voting was only possible due to manual accreditation of voters and transmission of votes, rather than the legally required electronic accreditation via Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines.

Omokri said: “On February 25, 2023, Nigeria held Presidential elections in which the ruling party won.

“However, forensic analysis of the result of the election showed that there were over voting in more than 10,000 polling units. This represents almost 8% of all PUs.

“Evidence has been presented by both the Peoples Democratic Part, and the Labour Party at the Presidential Election Petition Court that the ruling party candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was declared President-elect based largely on the votes he amassed in some of these 8% of polling units where over voting occurred.

“Now this is very convenient, and too coincidental. And it is also unlawful.

“By virtue of Section 47 (3) of Nigeria’s Electoral Act, those results ought to have been cancelled, and the elections rescheduled for a later date when the issues with the machines would have been resolved. That section says: ‘Where a smart card reader or any other technological device deployed for accreditation of voters fails to function in any unit and a fresh card reader or technological device is not deployed, the election in that unit shall be cancelled and another election shall be scheduled.’

“The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justuce Kayode Ariwoola, who sits at the head of the judiciary, and who has set up the PEPC, made comments, on video, praising the ruling party on November 25, 2022. As a result of those comments, millions of Nigerians lack confidence in his ability to spearhead a judiciary that dispenses impartial justice.

“What I humbly ask of you reading this is for you to consider using your good offices, no matter how small you think it is, to add your voice to that of millions of Nigerians, and tell the Nigerian judiciary that the world is watching the PEPC and hopes it will abide by the provision of the law as enshrined in Nigeria’s Electoral Act of 202 2.”

Nigerian crypto-based fintech, Lazerpay is shutting down operations after unsuccessful fundraising attempts.

In a statement issued via its official Twitter handle on Thursday, the CEO, Njoku Emmanuel, said Lazerpay ceased operation after multiple fruitless efforts to raise funds for the business’s survival.

“We were unable to close a successful fundraising round,” Emmanuel explained to stakeholders.

He said, “We fight hard to keep the lights on as long as possible, but unfortunately, we are now at a point where we need to shut down.”

The firm promised to resolve all outstanding matters before the disruption, and merchants were advised to withdraw their funds from the platform before April 30, 2023.

Recall that the Nigerian crypto payments startup commenced operation two years ago, intending to drive crypto adoption globally. The firm has enabled over 3,000 businesses to accept payments in stablecoins, including an off-ramp feature to help merchants convert crypto to fiat directly to the bank in over 100 countries.

Last November, Lazerpay fired members of its team in a bid to extend its operating runway after a proposed lead investor pulled out abruptly due to market conditions and disagreements on terms.

Notably, the firing round occurred after the company’s employees agreed to a pay cut, while the management team took zero salaries.

The United Kingdom government yesterday refuted comments over the detention and interrogation of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the just concluded 2023 elections, Peter Obi, by British immigration officials following issues of identity at the Heathrow airport in London.

When contacted for clarification on the matter, the head of the Media Unit of the British High Commission in Abuja, Dean Hurlock, told our correspondent that the mission does not make comments on issues of that nature because they are personal.

“The British High Commission is aware of media reports around the LP presidential candidate in the past few days. But in line with the Commission’s policy, we don’t comment on individual cases,” Hurlock said.

The Media was yesterday awash with reports that the UK government had apologised to Obi over the embarrassing way he was allegedly treated in London, describing it as ” unacceptable’

But in a swift reaction, the Media Office of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council (LPPC) denied receiving any apology from the British government over the embarrassing detention of its Presidential candidate.

Obi was last Friday detained at the Heathrow Airport by Immigration officials over a case of duplicated identity.

Head, Obi-Datti Media team, Diran Onifade, in a statement called on the UK government to resolve the matter around the treatment of the former Anambra State governor, even as he reiterated that the Labour Party has gone past the incident.

The statement reads in part: “We have been receiving enquiries with regards to a so-called apology, purportedly issued by the British Government or any of its agencies, to our Principal Mr Peter Obi, in respect of a routine Immigration engagement with him, as he arrived London, for a brief visit, last Friday, the 7th of April.

“We would like to state emphatically that we are not aware of any such apology, and have not issued any statement whatsoever, in that regard.

“While we continue to examine any dubious or political motive, on the part of the perpetrators of the identity theft, we have every confidence in the ability of the British authorities to resolve the matter to a conclusion.

“Mr Peter Obi and the LP/PCC have since moved on from the incident and continue to be totally focused, on the legal processes before the Election Petition Tribunal towards the recovery of our mandate, which we are firmly convinced was overwhelmingly expressed by voters, in the Presidential election of February 25th.”

Meanwhile, the federal government of Nigeria has denied news making the rounds that it intervened in the detention ordeal of the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in London, United Kingdom last week.

A fake photo had gone viral on the social media on Thursday purportedly showing the executive chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, seated in an office with Obi and a UK law enforcement officer in order to secure the LP presidential candidate’s release from detention.

Also, an aide of President Muhammadu Buhari, Bashir Ahmad, also tweeted on Thursday, implying that the federal government intervened in Peter Obi’s ordeal to secure his release.

Ahmad wrote, “I heard Aunty @Abike Dabiri has done it for the Compatriot that needed her intervention in the UK. God bless you and the services you have been rendering for our countrymen and women, especially this recent one, ma’am!”

But, the spokesperson and head of media, public relations and protocol unit of NiDCOM, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, disowned the viral photo, describing it as a stunt.

He said the NiDCOM boss, Dabiri-Erewa, was not in the UK and not in a position to secure the release of any Nigerian suspected to be under UK interrogation

“Our attention has been called to the above social media stunt which has gone viral. Aunty Abike Dabiri-Erewa is NOT in the UK and NOT in a position to secure the release of any Nigerian suspected to be under UK interrogation. So, members of the public should disregard the information in its entirety,” the NiDCOM spokesman stated.


I’m Not Aware Of Any Apology From UK – Obi

In his reaction yesterday, Obi said he was not aware of any apology from the UK government in respect of the Heathrow Airport incident.

A statement issued by Diran Onifade, Head, Obi-Datti Media, said they have not received any apology from the UK government as widely reported by some media platforms.

“We have been receiving enquiries with regards to a so called apology, purportedly issued by the British Government or any of its agencies, to our principal Mr Peter Obi, in respect of a routine Immigration engagement with him, as he arrived London, for a brief visit, last Friday, the 7th of April.

“We would like to state emphatically that we are not aware of any such apology, and have not issued any statement whatsoever, in that regard.

“While we continue to examine any dubious or political motive, on the part of the perpetrators of the identity theft,

“We have every confidence in the ability of the British authorities to resolve the matter to its conclusion.

“Mr Peter Obi and the LP/PCC have since moved on from the incident and continue to be totally focused, on the legal processes before the Election Petition Tribunal towards the recovery of our mandate, which we are firmly convinced was overwhelmingly expressed by voters, in the Presidential election of February 25th,” the statement added.

The Director General, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Olawale Fasanya has said that over two million businesses in Nano, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (nMSMEs) subsector died between 2017 and 2021 alone, pushing more than six million Nigerians into unemployment market.

He said the death of the businesses was largely caused by insecurity that had denied farmers access to their farms, inadequate access to affordable funds, high cost of doing business, inflation, and lack of access to local, regional and global markets among others.

He made this known at the opening ceremony of cluster empowerment programme on shea butter, organised by the agency in collaboration with the Niger State government, which was held in Minna, the state capital.

Represented by Prof. Fisher Yinka of the Partnership and Coordination Department of the agency, Mr. Fasanya said the cluster empowerment initiative was aimed at reinvigorating the rural enterprises and mainstream them into the formal sector to cushion the effects of the economic downturn on nMSMEs in the country.

The Director General, Niger State Commodity and Export Promotion Council, Fatima Wushishi, said the state produces 196,000 tons of shea butter annually of the 500,000 tons produced annually in West Africa, lamenting that the opportunities in the shea butter businesses had not been properly harnessed in the country.

From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye

Senator Ali Ndume has said that democracy does not exist in Nigeria as far as he was concerned. Speaking on Channels TV Sunday Politics, he alleged that leadership positions in the National Assembly were being bought by kleptocrats and plutocrats.

Is the outcome of the election exactly what you thought it would be?

Yes. But there were actually some surprises.

Which of the results surprised you?

Lagos, South East.

South East surprised you?

Yes.

You thought your party, the PDP would make an inroad?

Not really. The performance of LP is actually above my expectation.

You never thought Peter Obi could pull that string?

Yes. Even in the general election, all over especially, he had six million votes.

It indicates, he goes to talk about something that people don’t really talk about. And that is to say… I think the science are out there that the middle income group or social group and the youths are getting tired of the… do I even include myself at the upper level of 60s, 70s, 80s, who have been in the corridors of powers since they were 30.

You have been?

Yes. I have been in the National Assembly for 20 years but not because I am directly involved. The quality of work in the National Assembly depends on the number of people who have the experience or ranking. That is why right now in the US Senate, the oldest person has been there for 43 years. Joe Biden was in the Senate for 32 years and the ranking plays a great role there because we are legislators. But in the Executive, you need people that are youthful, that are young that have the energy to execute.

Your candidate was declared winner although a lot of reactions have trailed it. Some people are not happy, some of your supporters are happy. What do you make of them?

Nigerians have spoken. You see, we are trying to hype up trivialities like religion, like tribe but an ordinary Nigerian don’t buy into that and that election results have shown that too.

You think so?

Yeah.

I mean because those who have analyzed that the same religion strategy of your party appears to have worked in your region for example in the North east, is the reason your party performed and in the North West in that regard?


I can say to some extent but our party that is tagged as Muslim Muslim or a Muslim party, won some seats in the South East. We have senators from South East, we have senators from South South and we have senators from North Central. There’s no region or geo-political zone that APC didn’t have a candidate.

Have we learnt any lesson at all if the cleavages of this country has been widened by this dirty part of politics?

No we have not. Especially the politicians are banking on this to the extent that to me now, democracy in Nigeria doesn’t exist because I have said once or twice here that the whole polity of democracy has been taken-ever-by-kleptocrats and plutocrats and now religion and tribal sentiments have been placed in it; putting democracy itself, that is government of the people, for the people and by the people have been put in the background and those kleptocrats and plutocrats

and then the tribal thing and religion; now you find people instead of going to the public to campaign, they go to churches, they go to Mallam to go and campaign.

People can blame you and your friends for that?

Who are my friends?

They are politicians

Yeah! Politicians are from the public, we are not from the moon, politicians are like you maybe because you are not in politics because you didn’t have the chance to be.

No not because I don’t want to but because I am comfortable doing what I am doing?

I am comfortable being a politician too. I didn’t complain about your own. Why should you tell me that my own is not good? Let’s not get off the track.


The track is what you and you colleagues have done during these elections; those you said are bad elements. Have we learnt any lessons?

No. We have not. People are emphasizing on this. Just this morning, somebody was telling me when I told him I was coming to this programme, this is just in Nigeria. You see, if you go to America, religion is not playing or where you come from. Hillary Clinton was at one time from one state and then she moved over to New York to become a senator. In those days when we were not civilized, the first mayor in this South East was an Hausa man, and at one time, a Kanuri man came to Benue because he couldn’t get ticket in Borno; he contested in Benue State and he was a member of House of Reps.

The candidate from your party, Bola Ahmed Tinubu will be sworn in as the next president. Since some of these sentiments have largely divided the Nigerian people, what will you suggest that he does immediately to fix these cleavages?

Immediately he takes over, the Bola Tinubu that I know, married to a Christian, when he was in government, had Christians, Muslims, Igbo in his cabinet. That means he will be able to carry Nigerians along. I think he has already naturally started. He has a wife that is not only a Christian but a Pastor. Would you say that now Tinubu will not be fair to Christians? They will have problems right in his bedroom. So the problem is solved. How can you say just because Tinubu is a Muslim…it’s a personal something. Okay, supposing Tinubu decides to be a Christian tomorrow? Everybody will shut up right? My mother is a christian, she died as a Christian, my siblings are Christians.

Is it possible you will be a Christian?


Me? No no. I am a Muslim. I don’t have problem with Christians.

So the issue of your faith is personal?

So it should not be any issue.

Absolutely. I mean in the real sense of the word, should religion be part of our politics?

So you know what they do in America? Actually, they don’t talk about religion. If you are talking about religion, go to church, go to mosque. I went to school in America, in the university, you don’t see church, you don’t see mosque, no prayers. Every time here, you start with prayers, you close with prayers.


As it stands, your party holds the majority in both chambers of the National Assembly, although different figures compared to 2019 and 2015…

I think 57.

Yes. In the senate for example, out of the 109 seats, out of the 102 seats declared so far pending the completion of election in some parts of the country, APC has 55, PDP 33, Labour Party 8, NNPP 2, SDP 2, APGA 1, YPP 1. Let’s switch to House of Reps, out of the 326 seats so far declared, 160 seats are for the APC, PDP has 105, Labour Party 34, NNPP 18, APGA, 4, SDP2, ADC 2, YPP 1. It is the most colourful National Assembly since Nigeria returned to the fourth republic in 1999.

But there are other contentions, those jostling for the different positions in the Senate and House of Reps. Do you want to be the Senate President?

I tried to be Senate President twice and this is what we need to discuss about the leadership of the National Assembly. It is not about people just throwing in their hat for it. This is the National Assembly that is supposed to be an institution to oversight the executive and therefore, leadership should be based on certain criteria. Especially, in the emergence of leadership one of the criteria normally is experience and that is what we call the ranking. But in considering the political scenario of today, you just don’t put that as the famous thing. Besides, as these people came out, they have the right to do that, the party said we should hold on, they should be more of consultations other than pronouncements that I want to contest. And of course, if I say I want to contest, and the party said no that it is not fair for the Senate President to come from the North or the North East, then do you now say I want to contest against the wish of the party? Which we did at one time and the aftermath was a bit clumsy and we don’t want to have a repetition of that.

So, we are holding on till the party decides. If the party zones to the North as they did in the case of presidency, where the governors and the party at one time said it should be from the South, and that was what led to the emergence of our current president-elect. If the party says that the Senate President should come from a particular zone, we have to look at it and see whether it is fair.

Which region do you think it would be fair? The president-elect is from the south west, the Vice president is from the north east, in your experience where do you think that the Senate President and the Speaker should come from?

For me, the leadership of the National Assembly should be open in the first instance.

Open?

Yeah

We should not consider the interest of other regions that are not captured?

Look, the Senate President is not supposed to be a regional president, he is the President of the Nigerian Senate. In the United States and that is the Democracy we are trying to copy and that is not what we are actually fully practising, the vice president is constitutionally the Senate President, they have what they call Senate President Pro Tempore, that is the person who presides on the daily basis anytime the Senators are sitting. He is normally the most senior. Then, you have the Senate leader that is also based on seniority. They don’t talk where you come from.

In the Congress, that is the House of Representative, it is the same thing there; normally, seniority plays a role too but the leadership in there is more open that’s why I think they had their elections seven times or more before they eventually agree because they didn’t quite come to the numbers that is lawfully agreed for the leader to appear.

So you see in our own case, we have 109 senators and what did the Constitution or the Senate standing order say as it is now; the leadership emergence is not clearly stated that it must be based on region. Section 50 of the Constitution says that the Senate President shall be elected amongst its members.

I mean this is a political consideration that we are talking about, you know what happened in 2015 and 2019…

Don’t forget about what happened in 2023. I said it, people want to put it behind.

The current president-elect was not the parry’s candidate but you see…

That scenario could play out at at the national assembly?

Yeah! And let me tell you, I was part of the 2015 that you are reemphasizing on, I don’t think we were rebellious, we only did what we thought was right. Unfortunately one day when we got the leadership and if you can remember, I was a senate leader and I was removed because I went into disagreement with the Senate President then, Saraki because I told him that was not what we greed. We didn’t take over the National Assembly leadership to antagonise the Executive or engage in fighting unnecessarily but then I didn’t know that Saraki had his own agenda.

We were not supposed to fight the executive; we are supposed to oversight them, we are supposed to work interdependently, harmoniously without compromising the Constitutional role of the

NationalAssembly or the Senate and that is to say to oversight the executive. So while Saraki wanted to take us into fight with the executive, I disagreed with that.

Like the case of Magu’s confirmation, we started that fight so I don’t want people to be emphasizing that everybody…no the president of course or anybody can have interest to lead us, nobody should tell us who should lead us, there will be something new.

Senators in the 10th National Assembly might not be exactly the same thing?

Okay let me give you an example. There are 76 new senators, so supposing they put themselves together and say this is the person who will lead us before the day of inauguration and they agree, would you say they can’t produce the Senate president?

But the constitution envisaged there should be inclusiveness and the balance of power. The president elect is from the South West, the vice president is from the North East, and both men are Muslims and there are also talks in your party that these consideration have to also be given prominence and the spread. Which region do you think is right to have the Senate president come from?

If you are going by this map that you are doing now, you have the president from the South West, you have the vice president from the North, where is the Chief Justice of the Federation coming from?

But those are not political sentiments?

Why not?

They are not elected; these ones are the elected ones…

The vice president was not elected but was appointed by the flag bearer.

But they were on a joint ticket, those in the judiciary are not elected?

But they are on the consideration. You are talking about the constitution and yet you are trying to drive away…

Maybe because you want to be Senate president, that is why you are thinking…

No, no, no. If I had wanted to be the Senate president abinito without this consideration, you know me, I would have gone out to say I want to be the Senate president. But the time is not yet there. I can do that. Why not? The constitution did not stop me.

Now the times are different…

You are talking about government and religion, Jonathan was the president, was he not a christian from the South south, the Senate president then, David Mark was a Christian. Ekweremadu from the south East was a Christian, and Ette from South West was a Christian. Was it a big deal? Is it now because Kashim is a Muslim from the North East? And Tinubu happens to come from the South, so if you are talking about balancing South and North which is what we do, so you have the CJN from the South; you have the president from the South, the Senate president should come from the North or the speaker should come from the North in order to balance it, then you take another position available based on convenience.

So that’s why l’m saying allow Nigerians to make their choice; they have done that before.

When they started, they went to church and shouted above their voice that Muslim Muslim is not fair but Muslims and Christians, then they went for elections, Nigerians voted for Tinubu and now they are doubting that he won the election. I don’t want to talk about the matter because it is in the court.

I told you I was surprised with the performance of Peter Obi, and I see it is about age, energy and all that, I see him as one of those I have soft spot for. Tinubu is not from the North, he won in the North. He performed in some states better than Atiku. Atiku is from the North but he didn’t win.

There is a huge turnover, a lot of the lawmakers are not returning. How would this impact on lawmaking?

Honestly, that is the problem, it is like starting all over again. When I checked the numbers this evening, the returning senators are only 26. And in law making, there’s no library for you to refer to, there’s no handover note. That means we are starting from the scratch.

So there’s need for experience?

There’s a need for experience. Why are you talking to me? Because I have been there for the past 20 years. Some people are now saying, oh you have been there for a long time and that is why you need to go. Is like Nigerian politics is being turned into something that is turn by turn and that is what I really wanted to discuss. Is a very bad precedent; I see people coming to the National Assembly with nothing and then suddenly, because they have spent years in National Assembly, they become rich, something is wrong.

You see civil servants living in houses worth billions, nobody is asking questions. I have come to this programme several times, there should be an Unexplained Wealth Act. If you display wealth that is not in tandem with your income, you should be investigated and wealth confiscated and if it is extensive, you should be prosecuted.

Now you see what is happening? The position in the leadership of this country is becoming those that belong to kleptocrats and plutocrats. Democracy is no longer there.

So they are trying to buy these positions?

They are buying it already; that is what I am saying. Didn’t you hear about the accusation that they are sharing money?

And I was even thinking in the last election, if I had more money, I would have won. I don’t have money.

What will be the impact of the younger or the newer lawmakers. What do you think the 10th National Assembly will be like? Bola Tinubu, a former Senator, Kashim Shettima, a sitting Senator, they understand the politics of lawmaking.

And the party chairman was a senator, the party secretary is a senator, deputy national chairman North was a senator.

So you think your party should handle the politics of the National Assembly differently?

Yeah! In fact, it is already happening. This is going to be a rancour-free administration. You know, even the pedigree of our president-elect and the vice president and the chairman and all of us in there, given the fact that even the so-called new senators are not new, many of them I think about 20 are from the House of Representatives moving over so they have the experience. We have people coming from the houses of assembly, speakers; we have people that were Senators before that are not new. Akpabio, Izunaso, and some of these are coming back to the Senate, you know, so it’s not going to be and then when I see also the composition, they are not small people.

On a final note, what do you think is important for Nigerians to take note of Tinubu’s presidency and the 10th National Assembly? How expectant should Nigerians be?

Yeah! I think Nigeria should put more pressure on us the Senators and demand for what we are elected to be, we should put Nigeria first and Nigerians interest first in even determining these so-called leadership that you are talking about because as for Senate President, you are just a presiding officer. It’s supposed to be one among equals and not first among equals.

There was apprehension, yesterday, regarding rumoured resignation of National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Adamu.

The speculation is coming against the backdrop of call by the Vice National Chairman (North West), Dr. Salihu Lukman, seeking Adamu’s resignation for alleged failure to render an account of expenditure.

He had argued that it was incumbent on the former Nasarawa State governor to throw in the towel honourably to balance the winning Muslim-Muslim ticket of the ruling party.

Lukman, in a statement, titled “APC Internal Dynamics and the Future of Democracy,” canvassed a Christian leader.

But checks by The Guardian revealed that Adamu is on a medical trip abroad.

However, an official, who craved anonymity, said it would not be surprising if the story eventually turns out to be true.

He noted: “He (Adamu) just left without informing anybody in the NWC (National Working Committee). Nobody is aware of his movement as we speak now. So, if they say he has resigned, who am I to say it is not true?”

When contacted, the National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, dismissed the speculation as untrue.

“There is nothing like that. Senator Adamu is still the national chairman of the party,” he said.

Germany has ordered the Chadian ambassador to leave the country after the “unfounded” expulsion of its own ambassador to Chad, a spokesman for the foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

Jan Christian Gordon Kricke was declared persona non grata by the government for his “impolite attitude” on Friday and asked to leave Chad within 48 hours.

The German foreign ministry on Tuesday said it had made the same request of Chad’s ambassador Mariam Ali Moussa “in response to the unfounded expulsion of our ambassador to Chad”.

“We regret that it had to come to this,” the spokesman said.

“Ambassador Kricke has exercised his office in N’Djamena in an exemplary manner and has worked for human rights and the rapid transition to a civilian government in Chad,” he added.

Kricke left Chad on Saturday after the government of Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno accused him of “non-respect of diplomatic practices”.

Chadian government officials did not specify the exact reasons for his expulsion.

But one official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP that N’Djamena was critical of the diplomat for “interfering too much” in the “governance of the country”, as well as for “remarks tending to divide Chadians”.

A German foreign ministry official on Friday deemed the reasons for expelling Kricke, who had held the post since July 2021, “absolutely incomprehensible”.

Deby Itno, then a young 37-year-old general, was proclaimed president on April 20, 2021, when his father who had led the vast Sahelian country for 30 years was killed by rebels.

The military junta initially promised to hand power to civilians through “free and democratic elections”, however in October, Deby’s rule was extended for two years.

The move has been boycotted by the opposition and main rebel movements.

The German embassy joined others such as France, Spain and The Netherlands in expressing its concern over the delayed return to democracy.

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has opened up on circumstances that led its candidate and President-elect, Bola Tinubu, to forfeit the sum of $460,000 to the government of the United States of America, USA, in 1993.

The ruling party, in processes it filed to defend the outcome of the presidential election that was held on February 25, maintained that Tinubu, who was its candidate, merely surrendered funds in 10 bank accounts that were opened in either his name or that of Compass Finance and Investment Co.

It told the Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, sitting at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, that funds in the said accounts, which were domiciled in both First Heritage Bank and Citi Bank N. A, were subject to a “civil forfeiture proceeding” in Case No: 93C4483.

According to the APC, the purported decision of the United State District Court Northern District of Illinois, Eastern division in the said case, was not a fine but a decree of forfeiture of the amount of $460,000 to the United State pursuant to the settlement of claim by the parties to the case.

“The said decision is not against the 2nd Respondent (Tinubu) but against the funds in the various account opened in the name of Bola Tinubu with First Heritage Bank and City Bank N.A.

“The compromise terms that led to the forfeiture were preceded by express admission on record that the 2nd Respondent did not admit the commission of any drug, drug-related or illicit conduct of dishonesty or fraud that fits into any of the grounds of disqualification to contest for office of president of Nigeria at the 25th February, 2023 general election,” APC insisted.

It listed the 10 account numbers that contained funds that Tinubu forfeited after the settlement of claim by parties involved in the case, as: 263226700, 39483134, 39483396, 4650279566, 00400220, 39936404, 39936383, 52050-89451952, 52050-89451952 and 52050-89451953.

Besides, the APC, through its team of lawyers led by Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, told the court that the Federal Government had as far back as 2003, through the American Consulate in Nigeria, inquired about Tinubu’s criminal record.

It said the outcome of the inquiry which FG made through the Inspector-General of Police, “yielded a clean bill of health that unequivocally and unreservedly cleared 2nd Respondent of any criminal record, interest or association in the United States of America”.

“The formal clearance report dated February 4, 2003, under the hand of Legal attaché to the United States Embassy, Nigeria in response to the inquiry by the Inspector General of Police is hereby pleaded and shall be relied upon for its full effect; particularly the portion in the second paragraph which states-

‘In relation to your letter, dated February 3, 2003, reference number SR.3000 /IGP SEC/ABJ/VOL. 24/287, regarding Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a records check of the Federal Bureau of Investigation‘s (FBI) National Crime Information Center (NCIC) was conducted.

‘The results of the checks were negative for any criminal arrest records, wants, or warrants for Bola Ahmed Tinubu (DOB 29 March. 1952). For information of your department, NCIC is a centralized information center that maintains the records of every arrest and conviction within the United States and its territories.’

APC said it would apply for a subpoena to be issued again at the IGP to enable him to adduce and tender in evidence, the letter dated February 3, 2003, reference number SR.3000 /IGP SEC/ABJ/VOL. 24/287, which triggered the clearance letter of the Legal attaché of the US Embassy in Nigeria, as well as the response to same dated 4th February 2003.

It further argued that the said forfeiture Tinubu made to the US government, having lasted a period of 29 years, was no longer a valid ground to challenge his eligibility to contest the presidential election.

“The Respondent states that, in any event, the impleaded decision of the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division is not a decision by a competent court of law or tribunal in Nigeria; and same has been falsely, mischievously paraded by 2nd Respondent’s political adversaries like the petitioners, detractors and haters to scandalize, demonize and de-market him to the Nigerian electorate at the 25th February 2023 general election with a view to delegitimizing his well-earned victory at the polls, despite all legitimate and fact-checked denials and rebuttals as exemplified by the official report from the United States affirming his innocence and exonerating him from the touted drug connection and criminal conviction.

“The Respondent states further that in any event, the said decree of forfeiture was made by Judge John A Nordberg in the said Case No: 93C4483 on the 4th day of October 1993, a period of 29 years before the 25th day of February 2023 when the said presidential election was duly conducted by the 1st Respondent.

“The Respondent avers that the allegations referred to in the said paragraph have been subjecting to litigation and duly litigated upon by a court of competent jurisdiction in Suit No: FHC/L/CS/1146/1999.

“The Respondent further avers that having been litigated upon by a competent court of law, this Honorable Court is estopped from retrying the same issues that have been appealed against. The Respondent shall found and rely upon the judgment in Suit No: FHC/L/CS/1146/1999.

“Without prejudice to the above, the Respondent avers that the Nigeria Police Force investigated the 2nd Respondent regarding any record of criminal arrest and/or conviction. The investigation was extensive and far-reaching.

“Consequently, the American Consulate, Lagos Nigeria revealed that there was no record whatsoever of any criminal arrest, warrants and/or conviction regarding the 2nd Respondent. The Respondent shall find and rely on the letter issued by the Embassy of the United States of America, Nigeria dated 4th February 2003.

“Furthermore, the release from forfeiture of other monies in the account the subject of the proceedings in Case No: 93C4483; in excess of one million dollars and for the benefit of the named beneficiary K.O Tinubu though not the account holder, less forfeited sum of $460,000.00 (Four Hundred and Sixty Thousand United States Dollars) is a manifest affirmation that the case was not a criminal trial and the fund forfeited was not a fine imposed as a punishment for a criminal conviction of any person- let alone the 2nd Respondent.

“The disqualification factors as stipulated by the Constitution only conceives of a conviction sentence or fine involving dishonesty or fraud or contravention of the Code of Conduct as found by a Court of the law of competent jurisdiction or Tribunal in Nigeria,” it added.

While urging the court to strike out petitions against Tinubu, the APC argued that Mr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party, who alleged that Tinubu was convicted for drug-related case, lacked the requisite locus standi to challenge the outcome of the presidential election.

Insisting that Obi was not validly nominated by the LP, the APC, stressed that he was not a member of the party, at least 30 days before it conducted its presidential primary election.

It told the court that Obi was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, till May 24 2022, adding that he was screened as a presidential aspirant of the party in April, 2022.

APC further averred that whereas Obi joined the LP on May 27, he was subsequently declared the winner of the presidential primary election the LP held on May 30, 2022.

“By section 77(3) of the Electoral Act, 2022, the 2nd Petitioner (LP) is mandated to have submitted its comprehensive register of members to the 1st Respondent 30 days before its presidential primary.

“That is to say the said register of members must have been submitted to the 1st Respondent on or before 30th April, 2022.

“The 1st Petitioner (Obi) as at 30th April, 2022 was still a member of the PDP and his name was not and could not have been in the register of members submitted by the 2nd Petitioner to 1st Respondent (INEC).

“The Petition herein is incompetent as the 1st Petitioner is not a member of the 2nd Petitioner since the 1st Petitioner’s name is not, and could have been listed in the list of the register made available by the 2nd Petitioner to the 1st Respondent, same having been made available before the 1st Petitioner joined the 2nd Petitioner”.

It, therefore, prayed the court to dismiss or strike out Obi’s petition “wholly or in part as may be appropriate”.

There was a mild drama at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the headquarters of Arik Air, as the Chairman/Founder of the airline, Chief Johnson Arumemi-Ikhide, was barred from entering the company’s premises.

Arumemi-Ikhide with some of his aides had arrived the premises of the airline in line with the court order which granted him access to the premises.

Daily Trust reports that AMCON had taken over the management of Arik Air since 2017 and appointed a receiver-manager, Kamilu Omokhide, for the airline.

In 2021, the founder of Arik Air, Sir Johnson Arumemi Ikhide, and his wife, Mary Arumemi Ikhide (plaintiffs) filed an originating motion dated December 14, 2021, and prayed the court that the duty imposed on the receiver-manager, Kamilu Omokhide (first defendant) by section 553 of the CAMA 202O to act in the best interest of Arik Air Limited as a whole, includes the duty to act in the best interest of the plaintiffs (Arumemi and Mary Ikhide) as members of Arik Air Limited.

Arumemi-Ikhide also sought an order directing the 1st & 2nd defendants “to allow the Directors and Shareholders of Arik Air Ltd unfettered access to their offices, premises of the Plaintiff, facilities and staff required for the discharge of their functions.”

In line with the court order which ruled that the receivership of Arik Air does not preclude restricting access to the premises, the Arik Air founder made an attempt to enter the premises of the airline on Tuesday.

However, he was stopped at the entrance by the security guards on duty.

The Chief Security Officer of the airline identified as D Tom-West said there was an order from above not to allow him access to the premises.

In the ensuing argument, the CSO said he is only answerable to the receiver-manager.

He said, “The receiver manager gave an instruction not to allow you in. I am not aware of the court order. We cannot give you access to get into the compound. This is the instruction from above.

I’m very sorry that I’m keeping you people under the sun. We have the directive to deny you access. I’m obliged to respect the directive from receiver manager,” he said.

Arumemi-Ikhide had told the CSO that he was not at the premises to harass anybody or cause any problem but to respect the order of the court which granted him access into the premises of the airline.

He said he had a meeting with the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Finance Officer that he would be coming around on Tuesday and that some offices should be reserved for him which they agreed.

He said he was astonished that he was being denied access into the premises.

The Chairman later left the premises and proceeded to the MMA Domestic Airport Division of the Nigeria Police Force where he wrote a statement.

He said he would report back to his lawyers who would take up the matter from there.

The Osun State Command of the Nigeria Police Force has confirmed the arrest of a suspected human trafficker identified as Muideen Adebisi, who attempted to steal four teenage girls from Ile-Ife in Osun State to Libya.

The Osun State Police Public Relations Officer, Yemisi Opalola, in a statement on Monday stated that the suspect had invited the victims to a birthday party in Ile-Ife, during which he offered them food and drinks but after the teenagers took the food and drinks, they fell asleep and only woke up at a place in Kano where papers were being processed for them to travel to Libya.

According to the police spokesperson, after they regained consciousness, three of the victims escaped and contacted their parents.

The PPRO however said that the whereabouts of the remaining fourth victim still remained unknown.

“The suspect (Muideen Adebisi), invited the young girls to a birthday party at a hotel in Ile-Ife and gave them food and drinks. After taking the food and drinks, the girls slept off and later woke up in Kano State en route to Tripoli, the capital of Libya.

“Three of the girls escaped miraculously in Kano and called their parents, who reported the matter to the police.

“Three of the girls have been reunited with their families, but the whereabouts of the fourth girl were not known at the time of filing this report,” the statement read.

During interrogation, the police said the suspect insisted that the four girls willingly accepted to go to Libya and work and that his brother who resides in Tripoli instructed him to get girls and send them to a man in Kano who would take them to Libya.

The police spokesperson added that Adebisi further told the police that when he got to the man’s house in Kano, he met many girls that were being processed for the journey to Libya.

The PPRO assured of diligent investigation and said that the suspect would be charged to court in due course.

By Tunde Sulaiman and Anayo Ezugwu


Ahead of the inauguration of the president- elect Bola Tinubu’s administration next month, the shape of the new government is beginning to surface with speculation of names of those that would form the cabinet. Highly placed sources in the All Progressives Congress (APC) told New Telegraph the Northern governors of the party are to be “well compensated” for their insistence in backing a southern candidate to take over from President Muhammadu Buhari, who is from the North would have completed his eight years next month.

Some of the governors who had stood resolutely behind this position, which ultimately paved the way for the emergence of Tinubu, were Nasir el- Rufai of Kaduna State and his Kano counterpart, Abdullahi Ganduje. Consequently both are being strongly considered for plum positions in the next government with Ganduje being pencilled down the President-elect for the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and el-Rufai as Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

The source also told us that a former Commissioner for Finance in Lagos State, Wale Edun, has been pencilled down to take over the Ministry of Finance. New Telegraph recalls that Tinubu nominated Edun in 2015 for President Muhammadu Buhari to be appointed Minister of Finance but the president deferred to the then Ogun State governor, Ibikunle Amosun who nominated the former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, who was also a Commissioner in his cabinet. The source also revealed that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has been pencilled down for the Chief of Staff to the President-elect.

New Telegraph learnt that a former head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nuhu Ribadu, former governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi and a former governor of Enugu State, Chimaroke Nnamani are among those in the race for ministerial positions. Nnamani would be rewarded for the role he played in supporting Tinubu despite the outcry and popularity of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi in the region, which led to Nnamani losing his senatorial reelection bid. The former governor was also later expelled from his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for supporting the then APC presidential candidate New Telegraph also learnt that some stakeholders in the ruling party are lobbying for the President-elect to compensate Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State for the role he played in the presidential election.

Some of them said that the governor should be given the opportunity to nominate the minister that will represent the state in the cabinet. It is believed that Wike will not defect to the ruling party despite the crisis in the main opposition party, the PDP. Wike worked for the victory of Tinubu in Rivers State during the presidential election but in the governorship, he ensured that his preferred candidate, Siminalayi Fubara, emerged victorious.

As the speculations continue, Tinubu had assured Nigerians that he would constitute a government of national competence. In a statement he personally signed, the president elect said: “In selecting my government, I shall not be weighed down by considerations extraneous to ability and performance. “The day for political gamesmanship is long gone. I shall assemble competent men and women and young people from across Nigeria to build a safer, more prosperous and just Nigeria. Securing our nation and making it prosperous must be our top priorities. We cannot sacrifice these goals for political expediency. The whims of politics must take a backseat to the imperatives of governance.”

Tinubu, who is currently resting abroad, is still said to be holding a series of consultations from a variety of interests as he intends to hit the ground running once he is inaugurated on May 29. From what New Telegraph learnt, unlike Buhari’s first term when he operated for months without a cabinet, Tinubu wants to ensure that he has one in place as soon as possible.