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LandWey to sue FIJ, Publisher for N1 billion over false publications
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LandWey Investment Limited, one of Nigeria’s leading residential developers has threatened to sue the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) and its publisher, Fisayo Soyombo for N100 billion over libelous and unfounded publications against the company and its chief executive officer.

LandWey, in a letter dated June 30, 2023 by its legal counsel, Godwin Omoaka (SAN), said the news and tweets by FIJ and its publisher, Fisayo Soyombo, that it has been running fraudulent real estate "ponzi scheme" designed to defraud the unsuspecting investors of their hard-earned funds, while also trying to intimidate journalists and stifle the freedom of the press, were false.

According to the letter, “In the past few months, our clients have observed series of concerted malicious attacks by FIJ Nigeria and Mr. Soyombo, in what is ostensibly a grand design to sully their good names and business reputations, through several injurious publications both on your individual verified Twitter and on the FIJ Nigeria website.

“Precisely, between February 2022 and March 2023, you have caused to be published and have continuously circulated series of very injurious publications and tweets targeted at our clients and ostensibly designed to malign their respective and collective integrity and good name.

“The recent publications of 29 and 30 June 2023, were wholly defamatory and were ostensibly calculated to inflict maximum damage to our clients' reputation. Without a doubt, the words used of and concerning our clients, both in their literal meaning, and the innuendoes conveyed therein, were read and understood by all right-thinking members of the society to mean that our clients are fraudulent and have been running a real estate "ponzi scheme" designed to defraud the unsuspecting investors of their hard-earned funds, while also trying to intimidate journalists and stifle the freedom of the press.

“As you would have expected, as of the date of this letter, the damage caused to our clients' reputation by these offending publications are immeasurable and damage continues to aggravate unmitigated for as long as these offending publications continue to be disseminated widely on your platforms."

The company’s legal advisers further demanded an immediate take-down of the false publications, a retraction and apology in two national dailies from FIJ and its publisher.

“Accordingly, we hereby demand that you, FIJ Nigeria and Mr. Fisayo Soyombo, immediately take down all the above referenced offending publications on all your media platforms where they are currently circulating, and to cease and desist forthwith from further publishing, circulating, or disseminating any libellous materials about our clients.

“You will notify us of your compliance by sending an email to the undersigned containing proof that you have taken down and expunged the offensive and libelous words from your website and any other platforms where they are in circulation. You will also issue both on your respective platforms (website and Twitter accounts) and on at least two prominent national dailies, an unreserved public apology to our clients retracting these offending publications with immediate effect.

“Take notice that if we do not receive confirmation that you have complied with our demands, within 14 days, we shall, without further recourse to you, commence action at the High Court of Lagos State against you (as defendants), to seek redress for the damage to our clients' reputation as a result of your libelous publications and shall claim the following reliefs: “Award of General Damages in the sum of 1,000,000,000 (one billion naira) for the injuries caused to our clients by the series of reckless and libellous publications by the defendants in the various media platforms; cost of the action on a full indemnity basis and 21% post-judgment Interest per annum, on all sums awarded to the claimants.

“In accordance with the High Court of Lagos State (Expeditious Disposal of Chill Cases) Practice Directions No. 2 of 2019, we look forward to receiving your response to this letter of claim by no later than 14 (fourteen) days from the date that this letter is served on you.

“We hope that you will allow wise counsel to preval under the circumstance,” the letter added

NNPCL GCEO, Kyari pays Sallah homage to Tinubu in Lagos


The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), Mallam Mele Kyari, on Thursday visited President Bola Tinubu at his residence in Lagos, in the spirit of the Eid-El-Kabir celebration.

Kyari, who stated this in a post on his Twitter page, said he visited the President with the Acting Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Folashodun Shonubi.

The NNPC boss expressed joy for the privilege to pay the homage to the President, adding that Sallah is a day of reaffirmation by the faithfuls to sacrifice or give off the most coveted of possessions to please Allah.


He wrote, "Privileged to pay Sallah homage to Mr President alongside Ag. Gov CBN. A day of reaffirmation by the faithfuls to sacrifice or give off the most coveted of possessions to please Allah and by implication for the common good... and to ultimately be grateful for all the favours of Allah and secure the infinite mercy of Allah. Eid Mubarak."

Beware, this account on Instagram, Debbie_John is a scam!

Account name: Debbie John

Account number: 9112403849

Bank: PalmPay

Global Bank Limited, one of the new entrants into the Nigerian banking sector, led by Peter Amangbo as chairman and Elias Igbinakenzua as its chief executive officer, is in the news for the wrong reason.

The bank has filed an application before a Lagos high court seeking an order for recovery of a total sum of N962,019,843.35 fraudulently transferred electronically from its vault into accounts domiciled in eight commercial banks.

The N962m is part of the total N1,755,376,156.34 transferred from the bank between Monday 6th and Saturday 11th of June 2022. The bank has already recovered the sum of N817,998,969.85 from the accounts of the fraudsters.

The development has however raised concerns as financial analysts say that the bank’s security system may be either weak, poor or not up to industry standard.

In an affidavit sworn to by the legal officer, Kosisochukwu Ngene, Globus bank said fraudsters took advantage of system glitch in its USSD application between Monday 6th and Saturday 11th of June 2022 to process several fraudulent and unauthorized electronic transfer totalling N1,755,376,156.34 (One Billion, Seven Hundred and Fifty-Five Million, Three Hundred and Seventy-Six Thousand, One Hundred Fifty-Six Naira thirty four kobo.

The bank said 709 people who were its customers were involved in the fraudulent transfer of the funds to accounts domiciled in eight commercial banks.

It added that immediately it discovered the glitch, it instantaneously notified all the banks involved and requested that the beneficiary accounts be restricted.

This, Globus Bank said was in line with Central bank of Nigeria regulation to avoid dissipation of the funds fraudulently transferred into the accounts domiciled with the banks.

“Subsequently, Globus bank immediately approached the Magistrate Court, in the Yaba Magisterial District and obtained an order directing the banks to freeze and reverse the amount fraudulently transferred into various accounts domiciled in the banks.

“That in response to the order served on the respondents some of the respondents were able to salvage certain sum wherein the total sum of N817,998,969.85 were returned to the bank while the total sum of N962,019,843.35 is still outstanding and yet to be returned to the bank by the respondents banks.

The Excel sheet which contains the names of the respondents the total amount fraudulently transfered from Globus bank,the total amount salvaged and returned to the Globus and the total amount outstanding is analyze was also filed before the court.

Globus Bank said it still requires the order of the high court to enable the other banks to reverse and remit the salvaged funds to it.

It added that the other banks have requested an order of the high court, to enable them reverse and remit the salvaged funds.

“Consequently,Globus bank Limited is seeking the following reliefs from the court.

“An Order of the Court directing all the eight banks to immediately reverse and remit to, Globus bank Limited the total sum of N962,019,843.35 (Nine hundred and sixty two million, nineteen thousand , eight hundred and forty three naira, thirty five kobo), being the outstanding sum yet to be salvaged from the fraudulent transfer into several accounts domiciled with the eight Respondents from the Globus bank 709 customers’ accounts, less depleted sum.

“An order directing the eight commercial banks to release all account information in respect of the destination accounts and the beneficiaries of the transfer funds

“And for such further order(s) as the court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of this case.”

https://www.dailyrecordng.com/globus-banks-system-hacked-depositors-loses-n1-7-billion/

Court fines Dangote for abusing, maltreating, oppressing staff
Aliko Dangote, Chairman, Dangote Group

The National Industrial Court has lambasted and purnished Africa’s richest man and the 67th richest person in the world, Aliko Dangote and his cement company for abusing, maltreating and oppressing his staff.

Ironically, the majority of Dangote’s fortune is derived from his 86 per cent stake in publicly-traded Dangote Cement. But despite them being the backbone of his fortunes, his staff have continually been objects of some form of abuse and unfair treatment by his company, Dangote Cement.

This is as the Presiding Judge, Lokoja Judicial Division of the National Industrial Court, Hon. Justice Oyebiola Oyewumi declared Dangote’s act of withholding a staff, Mr. Malafa AbdulAzeez’s salaries and entitlements as unlawful, abusive and oppressive. The judge further awarded the sum of N645,780.00. (Six Hundred forty-five Thousand, Seven Hundred and Eighty Naira Only) the equivalent of Malafa’s 3 months’ salary as damages and N100,000 as cost of action.

The Court held that an employee is entitled to his wages, as withholding it amounts to withholding the very life of that employee or sniffing life out of him.


Justice Oyewumi ruled that the non-payment of Mr. Malafa’s salaries and entitlement is illegal, unlawful and unconscionable and should be paid forthwith.

The Claimant- Mr. Malafa AbdulAzeez had submitted that he was employed by Dangote Cement in 2003 and after his employment was terminated on 13th May 2019, he went to the office in line with the directive in the letter of termination to finalize the release of his salaries/entitlements and was told that he will not be paid.


Mr. Malafa contended that the non-payment of his salaries and entitlements by the company since September 2018 (except February 2019) is illegal, unlawful, abusive and humiliating.

However, the defendant- Dangote Cement made a physical appearance but failed to file any defence to the suit.

The claimant counsel, Nyenke Ikpendu C.J. Esq submitted that the failure of the firm to call evidence in the matter should be adjudged that the defendant has no defence to the action and his client has proven his entitlement to the reliefs sought by his unchallenged statement on oath, urged the court to grant the reliefs sought.

In a well-considered judgment, the presiding Judge, Justice Oyebiola Oyewumi noted that the failure of Dangote Cement to cross-examine the claimant even when given the opportunity to exercise the right operate as a tacit acceptance of the truth of the testimony of Mr. Malafa.

Justice Oyewumi stated that the right given to an employer under a master-servant relationship does not include the right to deny an employee his lawfully accrued earnings after the termination of employment.

“From the above, it is not in doubt that Claimant having worked for the defendant is entitled to be paid and the defendant does not have any power to withhold it and is in law estopped from withholding his salaries and entitlements from him without any justification. An employee is entitled to his wages and he cannot be denied same under any guise or excuse.”

In January, Dangote was ranked the 97th richest person globally, with a net worth of $19.2 billion. In February, the Nigerian billionaire moved up the ranking to become the 83rd richest person in the world, vaulting over popular Russian businessman and owner of Chelsea Football Club Roman Abramovich, who is now ranked 149th on the list of the world’s 500 wealthiest people.

As of March 2022, Dangote moved up the rankings, becoming the 73rd richest person globally with an estimated net worth of $20 billion. The launch of his newly built $2.5 billion fertiliser plant in April, coupled with the surge in Dangote cement behemoth’s shares, has seen his net worth exceed $20.7 billion.

The 64-year-old Nigerian businessman’s wealth has surged by over $1.5 billion this year, but despite the growth, staff have continued to lament poor working conditions.


https://witnessngr.com/court-fines-dangote-for-abusing-maltreating-oppressing-staff/

I won't surrender to cheap blackmail, says NPA MD, Bello-Koko
Mohammed Bello-Koko

Mr. Mohammed Bello-Koko, Managing Director, MD, of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), has vowed not to succumb to cheap blackmail by ‘desperate individuals’ planning to extort him.

Mr Bello-Koko in a statement at the weekend, noted that the individuals, having failed in their desperation to dent his integrity, have resorted to a very cruel campaign of calumny against his person and his family, but noted that they would ultimately fail in their bid.

According to him, “In the past two years, in a desperate bid to defame and extort me, some faceless individuals under the cloak of unknown Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have resorted to blackmail, using the instrumentality of a section of online media to push through their mischief and blackmail.

“Having failed in their desperation to dent or hurt my integrity, they have resorted to a very cruel campaign of calumny against my person and my family.


“Because they are faceless, I don’t have the opportunity to seek redress in court on the grounds of their rehashed and rehearsed lies.


“I need to reiterate that for all of my years as a banker and a public officer up till today, I have never been indicted or convicted by any court. And this fact is in the public domain. I’m also certain that my integrity as well as dedication and fidelity to the rules of public administration must have influenced the decision by the Federal Government of Nigeria to promote me from the rank of Executive Director (Finance and Administration) to Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Ports Authority.


“Resorting to writing to the UK Government, seeking visa cancellation and forfeiture of assets belonging to my wife and I, is not only malicious but also cruel and wicked. I have yet to understand why these evil machinations would be orchestrated against me. Is the offence that I committed my acceptance and readiness to serve my country to the best of my ability?

“This latest attack, in the series of sponsored blackmails targeted at me, which began in 2021 immediately I was elevated from the position of Executive Director of Finance and Administration to the position of Managing Director of the NPA is intended to damage my reputation.


“Is there no limit to what vested interests can do in their desperate pursuit of power and influence?

“In deceit, they have disingenuously claimed in the sponsored report that UK/Ireland Investigators were the ones that had written to the UK government after they had purportedly unearthed alleged criminal acts against me, bordering on money laundering activities, fraud, forgery, and tax evasion, which are all baseless figments of their malicious intent.

“Whereas, particulars cited in the report were the regurgitated allegations that they had sponsored and which had been doing the rounds in the media from the outset, this latest attempt is as spurious as their first attempt ever.

“Their claim that UK/Ireland Investigators, and not Metropolitan Police or Scotland Yard, are investigating me falls flat on its face and gives out the sponsors of the report- which is a piece of cheap blackmail-as desperate hustlers who are not civil and neither working in the interest of the society.

“It is unfortunate that some online news media have lent their platforms to these desperadoes to ply their odious trade. However, I challenge the conduit pipes of this malice to go ahead and mention the names and true identities of the CSOs and the investigators.

“If the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had been on the matter as indicated in the report, it is then unfair to suggest or claim that some questionable UK/Ireland Investigators are now pushing for exclusion order to ban me from ever entering the United Kingdom. One expects that there should be inter-agency collaboration in line with some bilateral or mutual agreements.

“All the supposed assertions and innuendos in the report are nothing but spurious and malicious concoctions intended to cause a predetermined damage.

“I had, on several occasions, stated that the NPA under my leadership is not aware of any secret foreign accounts and I could not have been a beneficiary of something that I am not aware of and, which I would like to emphasize is non – existent to the best of my knowledge.

“The authority had, on July 26, 2022, set the records straight through a publication in the reputable “The Guardian” and “The Nation” Newspapers. Find link below:

https://guardian.ng/news/npa-management-denies-operating-secret-accounts/

https://thenationonlineng.net/we-dont-have-secrets-accounts-npa/

“The UK property they mischievously mentioned was declared with the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and purchased before I was appointed into public office. It is also important to note that the property was purchased on a 15-year mortgage payment plan.

“As NPA MD, I run an open administration that gives premium to due process in the execution of the agency’s core mandates.

“Our performances have been recently validated by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), which adjudged the NPA on my watch as a Platinum Level Organization, consequent upon the deployment of its Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) in the NPA for the independent assessment, validated assessment and in-depth analysis of processes and practices of the agency.

“Flowing from the assessment, the BPSR had returned a verdict of “exceptional performance by the NPA with a performance level of 91.25 percent.”

“According to the Director General of BPSR, D.I. Arabi, “This means that NPA’s performance far exceeded expectations due to exceptionally high quality of work in all essential areas of responsibility, resulting in an overall quality of work that is superior, exceptional or unique.”

“For the record, the NPA on my watch has specifically, in terms of tangible achievements that the various publics can relate with, recorded some modest achievements.

“The NPA has generated the sum of N286 billion and remitted over N100 billion to Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) account of the federation as of November 2022.

“The NPA has renewed the concession leases of five terminal operators who would be more responsible for the maintenance of Quays, Fenders, and allied matters such as port illumination.

“The agency has approved the upgrade of infrastructure at Terminal ‘B’, Berths 7 and 8, Onne Port Complex based on Messrs WACT Nigeria Limited’s proposal for investment exceeding USD 110 Million over a period of two years. The overall progress on all ongoing works is 75% as of end of October.

“We have increased container holding capacity at Rivers arising from conversion of unused space within PTOL Terminal into stacking area.

“To improve communication and navigational safely, we have provided and installed Eighty-Six (86) number Buoys for Warri and Calabar Pilotage Districts and have Completed the modernization of Control Towers at Lagos Port Complex and Tin Can Island Port which were built in the 1970s.

“We have also installed one hundred and eighty (180 Nos) Marine Fenders on all Quays Authority Wide for safe berthing.

“Our achievements also include:

• Completion of the construction of 6,000 metric tonnes Bitumen Tank in Rivers Port Complex to improve the company’s bitumen storage capacity which will ease their operations and have impact on the infrastructure development of the South-South.

• Provision of 24 motorcycles deployed in aid of effective monitoring of Truck E-Call Up operation at Apapa/TCIPC/Ijora axis to ease free flow of traffic.

• Enforcement of full compliance of trucks to E-Call Up regime and Minimum Safety Standard resulting in significant reduction in the traffic gridlock along the main Port corridor and the internal access roads through enforcements, proper batching, continuous access control mechanisms and movement of cargo via barge operations.

• Licensing of additional truck parks to increase capacity of truck parks servicing the Lagos Ports.

• To improve revenue collection, we have Tightened collection mechanisms and plugged revenue leakages that resulted in the unprecedented generation of the sum of 286bn and the remittance of 103bn as of November 2022 to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) of the federation.

• Licensing of 10 Export Processing Terminals to facilitate exports at Nigerian Sea Ports. Four (4) of these terminals are already fully operational.

“The Harbours department of Onne and Calabar ports have secured the International Standard Organization (ISO) certification

“There’s reduction in ship waiting time and cargo dwell time and increase in cargo traffic in the eastern ports.

“The committed efforts at advancing trade facilitation recently won the award of “Best Maritime Agency of the Year 2022” at the recently held Daily Telegraph Newspaper.

“In light of the above, I cannot afford to be distracted by the deliberate shenanigans of blackmailers and vested interests who are desperate to upset the applecart of my sharply-focused leadership that is committed to emplacing and bequeathing to the nation a transparent and accountable management of the NPA now and in the years ahead.

“In rounding off, I will, henceforth, institute legal action against any media house that publishes unsubstantiated and damaging reports about my person.

“I’ll not hesitate to seek the support of all well-meaning and decent citizens to tell my traducers to use their energy for more meaningful endeavor than to engage in maliciousness of their campaign of intimidation, blackmail, and vendetta.

“My job at the NPA is not personal. It is national service, to which I had resolved from the outset to give my best shot.”


https://witnessngr.com/i-wont-surrender-to-cheap-blackmail-says-npa-md-bello-koko/

Sanwo-Olu launches Senseable Lagos Lab at Isimi Lagos Tech Valley

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Thursday 15th December, 2022 launched the Senseable Lagos Lab, the first MIT Senseable City research facility in Africa at Isimi Lagos, Epe.

The initiative which is sponsored by Nigeria’s leading residential real estate company, LandWey Investment Ltd, in partnership with the team members of MIT Senseable City Lab and the Lagos State Government was officially launched at the maiden edition of the Lagos Future City Week organized by LandWey.

Speaking at the epoch-making ceremony, Governor Sanwo-Olu who was represented by his Special Adviser on SDGs and Investment, Solape Hammond, said: “I wholeheartedly commend Landwey Investment for attracting this partnership. The Senseable Lagos Lab launch is a very exciting project for us as it follows our climate adaptation and sustainable resilience plan for Lagos. We have identified many projects which will help us address this including; waste management, flood risk, green building and some other challenges. Thus, it is exciting to see the fruition of this partnership as it would help us address some if not all of these challenges.”

While commenting on what the partnership means for education, Hammond said: “We have recently established the University of Science and Technology which will focus on churning out those graduates who will be providing solutions through science and technology. This makes it an apt time to have this partnership as Lagos is well equipped with several universities for the Senseable City Lab and Isimi Tech Valley to work with across the state.” She remarked.

At the event, the Co-Founder and Director, MIT Senseable City Labs, Carlo Ratti, walked the audience through the vision of the research initiative focusing on some of the global solutions developed by the facility through its meticulous research.

“We are elated about this partnership as it is our first ever in Africa. Building sustainable cities around the world has helped us realize the peculiarity of each city. Each one has its own distinct problem; to which we use data to provide solutions. We are curious to possibly discover Lagos’ environmental challenges and equally excited to proffer solutions using data,” Ratti noted.

With an overall goal of anticipating future trends, the Senseable Lagos Lab will bring together researchers from many academic disciplines to conduct real time work on groundbreaking ideas and innovative real-world demonstrations in Lagos state. Work from MIT Senseable City Lab has been exhibited in leading venues including the Venice Biennale, the Design Museum Barcelona, the Canadian Centre for Architecture and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. Among many awards are TIME Magazine's Best Invention of the Year in 2007 (Digital water Pavilion) and 2014 (Copenhagen Wheel).

Committed to promoting the adoption of sustainable living in Nigeria and by extension, Africa, the relationship between Isimi Tech Valley and MIT Senseable City Lab hopes to provide data-led long-term solutions to the ever-growing Megacity which will in turn encourage more investment.

For more information visit www.isimilagos.com or www.futurecity.ng

Govt says states have an outstanding of N860bn

The Federal Government has released details of oil derivation refunds made to Niger Delta states amidst a growing controversy that the funds had been misused by some governments in the region.

The federal government said in a statement Friday that the nine oil-producing states received a total of N625.43 billion 13 per cent oil derivation, subsidy and SURE-P refunds from the Federation Account between 2021 and 2022. The refunds date from 1999 to 2021.

It is the first public confirmation that huge amounts of money, separate from monthly federal allocations, had been paid to the states, amidst growing questions on how the state authorities used the funds.

Neither the federal nor the affected state governments disclose the payments until October 2022 when Governor Nyesom Wike said he spent the funds on multibillion projects in Rivers State, and challenged his colleagues to explain how they used theirs.

Governors in the region have since come under pressure to disclose the amounts they received and how they spent them. While some have released the figures collected, none, except the Rivers governor, has tied the refunds to specific projects delivered.

The Niger Delta comprises Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Rivers, Ondo, Imo and Cross River states. The states receive oil derivation funds monthly and are some of the richest states in the country.

Yet, many states in the region owe benefits to workers and retirees and do not pay social security to their citizens. Poverty rates in those states are amongst the highest in the country.

A statement by presidential spokesperson Garba Shehu, citing figures from the Accountant General of the Federation’s office, said the refunds were monies that should have been paid as 13 per cent derivation when the federal government made deductions from the Excess Crude Account over years. Similar payments were outstanding when NNPC made deductions from oil revenue without paying out 13 per cent derivation to the states.

In the details provided, Akwa Ibom and Delta States got the largest refunds.

The benefitting states still have an outstanding balance of N860.59 billion windfall from the refunds, the statement said.

Read the full statement below:

OIL DERIVATION, SUBSIDY AND SURE-P REFUNDS: NINE OIL PRODUCING STATES RECEIVE N625.43 BILLION IN TWO YEARS; N1.1 TRN STILL OUTSTANDING

Nine oil-producing states received a total of N625.43 billion 13 percent oil derivation, subsidy and SURE-P refunds from the Federation Account in the last two years, 2021-2022.

The states that received the refunds dating from 1999 to 2021 are Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers.

Data obtained from the Federation Account Department, Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, show that a total of N477.2 billion was released to the nine states as refund of the 13 percent derivation fund on withdrawal from Excess Crude Account (ECA) without deducting derivation from 2004 to 2019, leaving an outstanding balance of N287.04 billion.

The States also got N64.8 billion as refund of the 13 per cent derivation fund on deductions made by NNPC without payment of derivation to Oil Producing States from 1999 to December.

The benefitting States still have an outstanding balance of N860.59 billion windfall from the refunds, which was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to the figures, under the 13 per cent derivation fund on withdrawal from ECA without deducting derivation from 2004 to 2019, Abia State received N4.8 billion with outstanding sum of N2.8 billion, Akwa-Ibom received N128 billion with outstanding sum of N77 billion, Bayelsa with N92.2bn, leaving an outstanding of N55 billion.

Cross River got a refund N1.3 billion with a balance N792 million, Delta State received N110 billion, leaving a balance of N66.2 billion, Edo State received N11.3billion, with a balance of N6.8billion, Imo State, N5.5 billion, with an outstanding sum of N3.3 billion, Ondo State, N19.4 billion with an outstanding sum of N11.7bn while Rivers State was paid 103.6 billion, with an outstanding balance of N62.3 billion.

The States were paid in eight instalments between October 2, 2021 and January 11, 2022, while the ninth to twelfth instalments are still outstanding.

On the 13 per cent derivation fund on deductions made by NNPC without payment of derivation, the nine oil producing States were paid in three instalments this year, with the remaining 17 instalments outstanding.

Under this category, Abia State received N1.1 billion, Akwa-Ibom, N15 billion, Bayelsa, N11.6 billion, Cross River, N432 million, Delta State, N14.8 billion, Edo State, N2.2 billion, Imo State, N2.9, billion, Ondo State, N3.7 billion, and Rivers State, N12.8 billion.

Meanwhile, the benefitting States shared N9.2billion in three instalments in April, August and November 2022 as refunds on the 13 per cent derivation exchange rate differential on withdrawal from the ECA.

The three largest benefitting States were Akwa Ibom (N1.6billion), Delta State (N1.4billion) and Rivers State (N1.32billion).

Similarly, all the nine states received N4.7 billion each, totalling N42.34 billion as refunds on withdrawals for subsidy and SURE-P from 2009 to 2015. The refund, which is for all the states and local government councils, was paid on 10th November, 2022.

The Federation Account also paid N3.52billion each as refund to local government councils on withdrawals for subsidy and SURE-P from 2009 to 2015 on the same date in November.

President Buhari considers it a matter of honour and decency that debts owed to states or anyone for that matter be repaid, and in time without regards to their partisan political affiliations.

The President will continue to render equal service to all the states of the federation and an acknowledgment of this by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and the others is not out of place.

The refunds to the oil producing states will continue.



Garba Shehu

Senior Special Assistant to the President

(Media & Publicity)

December 2, 2022

https://witnessngr.com/breaking-akwa-ibom-n128bn-delta-n110bn-fg-reveals-how-ndelta-states-shared-n625bn-13-derivatives/

In a suit marked EHC/216/2015, Agro Allied Development Enterprises, the claimant had sued Joma Frozen Food Limited, 1st defendant; Sterling Bank Plc, 2nd defendant and Godwin Obali Nwekoyo, 3rd defendant, following an alleged illegal sealing of its business premises by the defendants.

AHigh Court sitting in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State has slammed Sterling Bank PLC and one Godwin Obali Nwekoyo with N840.8 million in damages for allegedly sealing the premises of Joma Frozen Food Products Limited in Effurun near Warri, Delta State.

In a suit marked EHC/216/2015, Agro Allied Development Enterprises, the claimant had sued Joma Frozen Food Limited, 1st defendant; Sterling Bank Plc, 2nd defendant and Godwin Obali Nwekoyo, 3rd defendant, following an alleged illegal sealing of its business premises by the defendants.

The claimant, a registered food production and processing company through its counsel, N. Ogbannaya approached the court following the unlawful sealing of its cold room facility by the 2nd and 3rd defendants.

The claimant sought an order of the court declaring that the sealing of the cold room facility and its continued denial of access to same, jointly and severally, by the 2nd and 3rd defendants was an act of trespass and constituted a breach of its rights.

The claimant also sought general and exemplary damages to the tune of N100 million for conversion and detinue, trespass and breach of its right to “peaceful and peaceable possession of the cold room as well as special damages to the tune of N839. 6 million as the total loss it incurred in selling its fish damaged during storage at the 1st defendant’s cold room and additional N5 million being estimated cost of filing the lawsuit”.

According to the claimant, sometime in August and September 2015, it entered into two separate cold room lease/storage agreements with the 1st defendant (Joma Frozen Food Limited).

According to the claimant, based on the agreement, it was entitled to “peaceable and peaceful possession and quiet enjoyment of the leased property”.

It added that the 1st defendant was supposed to be responsible for all the services including the provision of power supply, and maintaining and repairing of the refrigerating units to ensure the temperature of the cold room was maintained at a preset degree.

The claimant said that while offloading and storing frozen food valued at N2 billion in the cold room, the 3rd defendant, authorised by the 2nd defendant (Sterling Bank PLC) invaded the facility with thugs and policemen, and chased away its staff members and sealed the premises.

It said despite several warnings and pleas in view of the perishable items stored in the cold room, the 2nd defendant directed him to the 3rd defendant who insisted that he should either buy the property or make a fresh lease.

Delivering her judgment, the presiding judge, Justice Roli-Daibo Harriman held that the 1st defendant, Joma Frozen Food Products Limited, had no direct or indirect responsibility for the actions of the 2nd and 3rd defendants.

The judge held that the sealing of the cold room facility by the 2nd and 3rd defendants is an act of trespass, actions she said constituted a breach of the claimant’s “right of peaceful, peaceable possession and quiet enjoyment of its leasehold interest in the said cold room facility”.

Harriman held, “It is the law that a claimant who makes a claim for specific damage must provide credible evidence to convince the court that he is entitled to the special damage. The claimant has not only pleaded his specific damage but has provided documents and records showing the same.

“These are not challenged by the defendants in any way. I find that special damages have been proved. The claimant has proved its case against the 2nd and 3rd defendants and is entitled to Judgement against the said defendants jointly and severally.”

The judge, therefore, ruled that N839.6 million of the cost represents the total loss incurred by the claimant over its damaged fish while N1 million was for general damages in addition to an additional cost of N300,000.

Sahara Reporters