In line with the need to sensitize Nigerians to nurture healthy lifestyles, Jabi Lake Mall, a landmark indoor shopping center with water views, on-site parking and a movie theater in Abuja, launched a campaign in partnership with the Federal Healthcare Agency, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, retail pharmacies and health brands to create awareness and sensitize shoppers on key health issues.

https://meganews.com.ng/2022/07/01/health-week-jabi-lake-mall-encourages-healthy-living/

Activities spanning a week was put together by the team of Jabi Lake Mall to educate shoppers about improving their standard of living and providing accessible healthcare to indigenes and residents of Abuja.

To further drive the campaign, distribution of mosquito nets, sanitary pads, and hygiene-oriented items for females were made available. Preventive medicine to combat malaria and vitamins based on professional prescriptions were also given to shoppers and residents who were at the Jabi Lake Mall.

Speaking on behalf of Jabi Lake Mall, the Center Manager, Steve Idornigie said “we are driven to consciously build and sustain a healthy lifestyle by sensitizing our shoppers on the need to avoid drug abuse, ensure vaccination, general body check-ups, eye check, dietary lessons and the need to feed on healthy meals”.

In corroborating with the Center Manager, Abiola Oparinde, the Marketing Manager, appreciated the officials of the FCT National Primary Health Care Development Agency, mentioning that “Jabi Lake Mall made the car park and the Panam Community readily available for aerobics exercise as well as conducting a final health check to mark the end of the Healthcare campaign”.

https://meganews.com.ng/2022/07/01/health-week-jabi-lake-mall-encourages-healthy-living/

Some of the tests conducted on shoppers and residents include eye tests, Body Mass Index (BMI), sugar tests, blood pressure, Hepatitis test, Widal test, Ulcer test, and HIV Screening. Provisions for refreshments were made to engage and encourage shoppers and residents.

Jabi Lake Mall is your destination shopping Center where you eat, shop, play and relax. We encourage you to stay healthy and safe for your loved ones.

Veleta Moments, a TV Commercial campaign under the aegis of Veleta Sparkling Fruit Drink is currently taking over the airwaves. The campaign was created by the foremost advertising agency, Explicit Communications Limited.

Since the campaign broke sometimes in April 2022, the jingle-led commercial has received positive reviews and attracted a large following of enthusiastic audience making it one of the most talked about commercials right now. The TV Commercial engages audience through relatable life scenarios that cut across celebrating the beauty in modern family, friendship and togetherness.

https://meganews.com.ng/2022/05/17/explicit-communications-celebrates-with-veleta/

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Explicit Communications Limited, the Advertising Agency in charge of the production of the rave of the moment commercial, Mr. Tunde Thani, in a recent chat expressed his joy and pride in members of his team. In his words, “I couldn’t be more elated on the successful execution of such amazing project; this has been one of my proudest moments. We currently have people talking about this commercial daily. I am particularly happy that we have been able to keep the dream of celebration alive with Veleta Sparkling Fruit Drink”.

Speaking on behalf of Veleta Sparkling Fruit Drink, the Head of Marketing, Mr Bolaji Alalade of Intercontinental Distillers Limited “we are quite happy with the direction of the TVC as it clearly interprets the celebration moments that is the brand promise.’’

Explicit Communications has been tested and trusted over the years to deliver award winning campaigns. The company has to its credit other subsidiaries such as; ‘Sharpshooters, the Experiential arm of the company, ‘Expo Media, the Media Buying and Planning arm of the firm and Corporate Insignia, the production arm of the firm.

https://meganews.com.ng/2022/05/17/explicit-communications-celebrates-with-veleta/

A Chief Magistrates’ Court in Gwagwalada, FCT, on Friday ordered Zenith Bank PLC to reverse 8,541 dollars illegally deducted from the account of one of its customers, Mr Ida Gabriel.

https://meganews.com.ng/2020/06/20/court-orders-zenith-bank-to-refund-8541-illegal-deductions-to-customer/

Delivering judgment, Magistrate Aliyu Shafa, held the defendant (Zenith Bank Plc) was not able to prove to the court that the said money does not belong to the plaintiff.

“Zenith bank should refund to the plaintiff’s account the said money, minus the bank charges if any,” Magistrate Shafa said.

In the statement of claim filed before the court, the plaintiff said he made the offshore transfer of the said sum through his Zenith Bank account to the second plaintiff (Orange wood International Investment Ltd) in India.

Gabriel said the purpose of the transfer of the said amount of money was for the complete payment for Ophthalmic Surgical devices.

He said the beneficiary who do not receive the money reported back to him, which he laid a complain at the bank to that effect, asking the money be sent to the second plaintiff’s account.

He said that the defendant when approached insisted that he must provide the transfer details from the beneficiary to enable the defendant effect the reversal of the said sum.

Gabriel said that the beneficiary did not receive the amount transferred and therefore has no transcript to send to him to enable him retrieve the said amount from the defendant.



https://meganews.com.ng/2020/06/20/court-orders-zenith-bank-to-refund-8541-illegal-deductions-to-customer/

Counsel to the plaintiff, Abudrahman Salihu, said the bank was approached to pay the money which was not up the said amount again, but was insisting the plaintiff present the transcript from the beneficiary which was not possible

Lawyer seeks probe of spurious contracts


https://meganews.com.ng/2020/05/26/trouble-looms-in-nddc-akpabio-ex-nddc-managing-director-on-war-path/

A legal practitioner, Mr. Ojeh Godwin, has lamented what he called flagrant abuse of statutory procedure and due process, calling for an urgent investigation of the activities of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

‘’It is disheartening that the leadership of the Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) which was supposedly set up to restore sanity and rescue the body has taken over the same acts of corruption and fraudulent transactions with which the erstwhile leadership of the Commission were alleged. The Interim Management Committee which came on board and confidently accused the past leadership of the NDDC of lacklustre performance, abandoned projects, poor project delivery and so on is now enmeshed in acts of pervasive corruption, blatant illegality, flagrant abuse of power and flagrant abuse of statutory procedure and due process’’
He particularly accused former Acting Managing Director of NDDC, Gbene Dr Joi Nunieh of throwing caution to the winds.

‘’It is saddening that Gbene Dr Joi Nunieh, Ag EDP of the Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, the Ag. EDFA of the Interim Management Committee of the NDDC, Mr. Ibanga Bassey and other members of the Management Team of the Interim Management Committee of the NDDC who are to oversee the forensic audit of the NDDC as ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari, in a spate of few months in office have done nothing but to betray the trust reposed in them. Rather than stemming or exposing the corruption they had accused their predecessors of, they had thrown caution to the winds and don the toga of corruption to perpetrate fraudulent acts and abuse of laid down statutory procedure under the NDDC Act and Public Procurement Act. The so much acclaimed contract verification Committee led then by Gbene Dr Joi Nunieh, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, Mr. Ibanga Bassey and other members of the Management team approved the sums of money to the tune of over N4billion on spurious contracts in the name of supplying “Maternity Delivery Kits”, “Cholera Vaccines”, “Lassa Fever Kits” and “Outstanding Science Equipment’’.

https://meganews.com.ng/2020/05/26/trouble-looms-in-nddc-akpabio-ex-nddc-managing-director-on-war-path/

In a petition to the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Femi Gbajabiamila and others, the Benin based lawyer accused Nunieh of dispensing fund not captured under any budgetary allocation/appropriation.

“It is pertinent to state at the outset that Gbene Dr Joi Nunieh, Ag. EDP of the Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Dr Cairo Ojougboh, the Ag EDFA of the Interim Management Committee, Mr. Ibanga Bassey and other members of the Management Team unilaterally approved huge sums of payments without any prior budgetary appropriation. This is reflected in the Memo dated January 17, 2020 where they directed the approval and also directed that the Summarised Information on the Health and Education Projects listed in a Memo dated 3rd December, 2019 and January 10, 2020 be treated for payment. They did this despite the fact that the Memo dated January 17, 2020 clearly stated that “The programmes have already been awarded and supplied”, and that “some of the items have already been distributed”.

In fact, they overruled the professional advice of a top official (the DPRS) of the NDDC, who stated on the Memo that “The request is for inclusion in 2020 budget and not for payment”. This singular act of theirs was in direct conflict with the provisions of section 16(1) (b) of the Public Procurement Act which provides as follows: “(1) Subject to any exemption allowed by this Act, all public procurement shall be conducted: (b) based only on procurement plans supported by prior budgetary appropriations and no procurement proceedings shall be formalised until the procuring entity has ensured that funds are available to meet the obligations and subject to the threshold in the regulations made by the Bureau, has obtained a ”Certificate of No Objection to contract Award “from the Bureau” In the instant case, there was no budgetary appropriation and there was no Certificate of No Objection to back up the payments made. All the payments so made are detailed below. The Memos referred to above which speak for themselves are annexed herewith as ANNEXURE A, B and C’’.

https://meganews.com.ng/2020/05/26/trouble-looms-in-nddc-akpabio-ex-nddc-managing-director-on-war-path/

Titled: Petition against Gbene Dr Joi Nunieh, the former acting managing director/chief executive officer, interim management committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, the acting executive director (Projects) interim management committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Ibanga Bassey, the acting executive director (Finance and Administration) interim management committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission and other management members of the interim management committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission for fraudulent misappropriation of public funds, contract splitting, payment of money for non-existing contract, unauthorised payment beyond official capacity, Godwin Ojeh said the Interim Management of the Niger Delta Commission had carried out several surreptitious and selective payments on nonexistence emergency contracts.

“Gbene Dr Joi Nunieh, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, Mr. Ibanga Bassey and other members of the Management team of the Interim Management Committee had carried out several surreptitious and selective payments on spurious/ non-existence emergency contracts which are in direct conflict with and antithetical to the campaign against corrupt practices in public offices by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari. This is so in that, there was no time that any public announcement was made to allow for bidding for the said “contracts”. This is a contravention of the provisions of section 16(1) (c) and (d) of the Public Procurement Act which provides as follows: “Subject to any exception allowed by this Act, all public procurement shall be conducted: (c) by open competitive bidding. (d) In a manner which is transparent, timely, equitable for ensuring accountability and conformity with this Act and regulations deriving there from”

He said payments were made to Pear Medical Support Services (357,437,500.00 – First Bank (FBN) Account No: 2034259777), Signora Concepts Ltd- N357437, 500.00 -First Bank (FBN) Account No; 20342732267) and T & N Ltd – N357, 437,500.00 (UBA Account No; 0121112544.

Ojeh Godwin listed Cremes Ltd (21000 Lassa Fever Protective Kits –TSA/Pro/20/01/0006 –N857, 850,000 – FBN Account No; 2014316595, A & G Int. Ltd (100 Lassa Fever Protective Kits in the Niger Delta Area – TSA/Pro/20/01/0004 – N47,166,787.50 –Zenith Bank Account Number 1014628310, Bukadi Global Services (100 Lassa Fever Protective Kits in the Niger Delta Area – TSA/Pro/20/01/0005 – N47,166,787.50 – Fidelity Account Number 5080021292, Ceeone Pharmacy Ltd ( 100 Lassa Fever Protective Kits in the Niger Delta Area –TSA/Pro/20/01/0006 –N47,166,787.50 – Polaris Account Number 1770953450, Chloe Capital & Business Support -(100 Lassa Fever Protective Kits in the Niger Delta Area – TSA/Pro/20/01/0007- N47,166,787.50 –GTB Account Number 0139522300, Cremes Ltd ( 100 Lassa Fever Protective Kits in the Niger Delta Area –TSA/Pro/20/01/0008 – N47,166,787,50 – FBN Account Number 2034782183), Deltafric Concepts ( 100 Lassa Fever Protective Kits in the Niger Delta Area –TSA/Pro/20/01/0009 –N47,166,787.50 – Polaris Account Number 4091179628, Dotu Solutions Ltd ( 100 Lassa Fever Protective Kits in the Niger Delta Area –TSA/Pro/20/01/0010 –N47,166,787.50 – Unity Bank Account Number 0085504, Duxter Services Ltd( 100 Lassa Fever Protective Kits in the Niger Delta Area –TSA/Pro/20/01/0011 –N47,166,787.50 – GTB Account 0089040175, Falconwood Nig Ltd ( 100 Lassa Fever Protective Kits in the Niger Delta Area –TSA/Pro/20/01/0012 –N47,166,787.50 –Unity Bank Account Number 0028812258, Guaco Light Ltd ( 100 Lassa Fever Protective Kits in the Niger Delta Area –TSA/Pro/20/01/0013 –N47,166,787.50 –UBA Account 1014623098, Jeog Logistics Nig Ltd ( 100 Lassa Fever Protective Kits in the Niger Delta Area –TSA/Pro/20/01/0014 –N47,166,787.50 – Access Bank Account 0045147182, Lloyds Capital & Business Support Ltd ( 100 Lassa Fever Protective Kits in the Niger Delta Area –TSA/Pro/20/01/0015 –N47,166,787.50 – Access Bank Account 0801084201 and Madinagreen Nig Ltd ( 100 Lassa Fever Protective Kits in the Niger Delta Area –TSA/Pro/20/01/0016 –N47,166,787.50 – Wema Bank Account 0122807400 as companies used to indicate supply of Lassa Fever Protective Kits in the Niger Delta Region.
https://meganews.com.ng/2020/05/26/trouble-looms-in-nddc-akpabio-ex-nddc-managing-director-on-war-path/

He also listed Manson Global Healthcare Services ( 100 Lassa Fever Protective Kits in the Niger Delta Area –TSA/Pro/20/01/0017 –N47,166,787.50 –FBN Account Number 2033000398, Master Builder Nig Ltd ( 100 Lassa Fever Protective Kits in the Niger Delta Area –TSA/Pro/20/01/0018 –N47,166,787.50 –Unity Bank Account Number 008303813, Otams Services Ltd ( 100 Lassa Fever Protective Kits in the Niger Delta Area –TSA/Pro/20/01/0019 –N47,166,787.50 – FCMB Account Number 3031833017, Path Stones & Logistics Nig Ltd ( 100 Lassa Fever Protective Kits in the Niger Delta Area –TSA/Pro/20/01/0020 –N47,166,787.50 – Ecobank Account Number 0432008716, Pearl Clinics & Maternity Ltd ( 100 Lassa Fever Protective Kits in the Niger Delta Area –TSA/Pro/20/01/0021 –N47,166,787.50 – FCMB Account Number 5279674010, Signora Concepts Services Ltd ( 100 Lassa Fever Protective Kits in the Niger Delta Area –TSA/Pro/20/01/0023 –N47,166,787.50 – FBN Account Number 2014079850, Squrepyram ID Ltd ( 100 Lassa Fever Protective Kits in the Niger Delta Area –TSA/Pro/20/01/0024 –N47,166,787.50 – Zenith Bank Account Number 1015601833 and Switch Original Ltd ( 100 Lassa Fever Protective Kits in the Niger Delta Area –TSA/Pro/20/01/0025 –N47,166,787.50 – Fidelity Bank Account Number 4010298726 as other companies used to indicate supply of Lassa Fever Protective Kits in the region.
He expressed displeasure over the activities of the Interim Management Committee.

“Rather than follow due process statutorily laid down under the enabling law, the Interim Management Committee led by Gbene Dr Joi Nunieh, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh and Mr. Ibanga Bassey simply raised an Internal Memo in which it gave summary of contract awards and their various stages including the names of the beneficiaries companies and the contract sum’’.

Ojeh Godwin said the actions of Gbene Dr Joi Nunieh in making payments for non-existing contract were tantamount to fraud in the public service.

“Gbene Dr Joi Nunieh, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, Mr. Ibanga Bassey and other members of their Management team of the did not apply for and obtained the requisite “Certificate of No Objection to Contract Award” from the Bureau of Public Procurement as required under the law. In this wise, the enabling Public Procurement Act in its section 16 (1) (b) directs as follows: “Subject to any exception allowed by this Act, all public procurement shall be conducted: (b)“…based only on procurement plans supported by prior budgetary appropriations, and no procurement proceedings shall be formalized until the procuring entity has ensured that funds are available to meet the obligation and subject to the threshold in the regulations made by the Bureau, has obtained a “Certificate of ‘No Objection to Contract Award from the Bureau.”
He emphasized that the Interim Management Committee in many instances paid sums of money beyond the bench mark of its official capacity.

“The Interim Management Committee under the leadership of Gbene Dr Joi Nunieh, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh and Mr. Ibanga Bassey in many instances had paid sums of money beyond the benchmark of its official capacity. For instance, on 22 January, 2020 the sum of N857,850.00 was paid into the First Bank of Nigeria Account No: 2104316595 of Cremes Ltd for the supply of Lassa Fever Protective Kits. On same date the sum of N357,437,500.00 were paid separately to Pear Medical Support Services, Signora Concepts Ltd and T&N Ltd.

Meanwhile, the limit of money that the Committee can approve after following all the due process is N250 Million. Ojeh also cited instances of gross violation of the Public Procurement Act.

“Prior to the setting up of the Gbene Dr Joi Nunieh led Interim Management Committee, on May 3, 2019, Prof. Nelson Braimbaifa led board of the NDDC wrote to the Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP, vide NDDC/BPP/EP16/2019/02/01, seeking ratification of 205 emergency contracts awarded in the 4th quarter of 2016, for the total sum of N81,271,015,478.

In reaction, on May 8, 2019, the BPP responded vide BPP/S.1/CID/19/Vol.I/215 and rejected the request, declared the action illegal and spelled out the consequences to the Accounting Officer for authorizing such actions. The NDDC management at the material time was advised to make detailed records available to enable the Bureau make an informed decision on the request. Interestingly, the same Emergency contracts which the BPP rejected and described as “fraudulent and illegal,” has been approved and paid for by the Interim management Committee of the NDDC, consisting of Gbene Dr Joi Nunieh, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, Mr. Ibanga Bassey and other members of the Management team. As a result, the Interim Management Committee has made various payments to contractors in contravention of the Public Procurement Act’’.

He said the Commission paid N607,445,026 to Atamu Const Ltd (UBN Account Number 0067379672), N623,053,818 to Franez Nig Ltd (UBN Account 0045358643), N607,114,818 to Rill Oil Services Ltd (Zenith Account 1016082718), N655,471,044 to Simoka Marine Ltd (First Bank of Nigeria Account 2018520972) and N445, 686, 266 on December 3, 2019 to Rodnab Construction Ltd ( Zenith Account 1013906383).
‘’As a concerned Nigerian and indigene of the Niger Delta Area, I humbly bring the above detailed infraction of the laws to your attention and urge you to use your good offices to investigate this complaint/ petition’’ he added.


https://meganews.com.ng/2020/05/26/trouble-looms-in-nddc-akpabio-ex-nddc-managing-director-on-war-path/

Omobola Johnson, a former minister of communication, says her office has been disconnected over N29,000 electricity bill while it was shut during the COVID-19 lockdown.

In a Twitter post on Thursday, the former minister said not even one light bulb was used for a whole month for which the bill was issued by the Eko Electricity Distribution Company.

She noted that the bill was the highest she had received for four years, and called for an end to estimated billing.

https://meganews.com.ng/2020/05/22/former-minister-kicks-against-estimated-billing-after-n29k-charge-during-lockdown/


“Got back to my office on Tuesday after 6 weeks of lockdown to see April bill from @EKEDP for N29k! Not even a light bulb came on in the whole month,” she said.

“Then they had the audacity to disconnect the power because I refused to pay! This estimated billing nonsense really has to stop.

“Yes there is a minimum amount. My monthly electricity bill is between N20k and N25k. This April bill is the highest I have received in 4 years!”

According to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), about 5.8 million electricity users in the country are still on estimated billing.

The commission later issued an order against the billing method to protect customers from “unrealistic and arbitrary billing” as the DisCos have failed to meter most of its consumers.

The house of representatives has also passed a bill seeking to criminalise estimated billing in the country.

https://meganews.com.ng/2020/05/22/former-minister-kicks-against-estimated-billing-after-n29k-charge-during-lockdown/

Omobola Johnson@OmobolaJohnson

GOT BACK TO MY OFFICE ON TUESDAY AFTER 6 WEEKS OF LOCKDOWN TO SEE APRIL BILL FROM @EKEDP FOR N29K!NOT EVEN A LIGHT BULB CAME ON IN THE WHOLE MONTH.THEN THEY HAD THE AUDACITY TO DISCONNECT THE POWER BECAUSE I REFUSED TO PAY! THIS ESTIMATED BILLING NONSENSE REALLY HAS TO STOP.

1,203

8:11 PM – May 21, 2020

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Detoun Popoola, newly appointed General Manager of Lagos State Park Agency (LASPARK) is moving in the direction of being a scandalous government officials. 

Since her resumption,  it was learnt that the lady has been jumping from one controversy to the other thus creating unnecessary animosity for herself in the agency.

Top on  the agenda of her new found enemies are the management of the agency being frustrated by the former banker who has refused to take tutelage from them.

It was exclusively gathered that at one of the meetings of àgencies with the environment commissioner, Tunji Bello, the general manager was specifically advised to tamper some of the pending issues of landscape and gardens operators with care which she promptly responded to be a hard nut to crack for her, telling her close associates that she can not be hoodwinked by any Commissioner to dance to his tunes.

The GM who is the daughter of Chief Mrs Kemi Nelson is said to be living on the illusion of her mother's political influence that she's untouchable. 

According to insiders,  two of the agency's stakeholders are said to be planning a protest over seven months unpaid fees while she has instructed that she was unwilling to meet with them over their payments.

Already, two petitions are  said to have been written to the Mr governor,  Babajide Sanwoolu and the environment Commissioner to call the exuberant LASPARK boss to order and face her mandate rather than dropping her mother's name 'upandan'.

Residents of Alagbole Cele bus stop, a busy Community in Lagos/Ogun State suburb are currently living in probable tension, as pipeline vandals are said to be scooping fuel from the shallow pipe that passed through the community.

Just like it happened few days ago at Abule-egba in Lagos, residents of this community said they have been noticing activities of vandals around the area as the whole environment now smells of petroleum products.

https://meganews.com.ng/2020/01/27/danger-as-another-nnpc-pipeline-may-explode-in-alagbole-lagos-suburb-soon/

Some even alledged that they have been noticing night movements of suspected vandal’s vehicles at odd hours. They said if care is not taken, the Abule-egba experience may be just a little story compared to the magnitude of destruction this alagbole pipeline might caused.

I paid a visit to the environment yesterday, Saturday January 25, 2020 to witness what the residents described as a very disturbing odour of petroleum products and to my dismay, the community is actually sleeping on a loaded barrel. The entire Ifelodun community (they are the closest) smells as if they were bathing with petrol. The odour was so obvious that people gathered in twos to discuss it.

They were equally discussing the suspicious movement of an unidentified military man who always disappeared into the tick forest moments after being noticed around the area.

Although bushy, the pipeline was cleared recently and a joint military force monitoring the activities of vandals were around to check few days ago, but with this latest development, hardly would you see anyone around that area that can sleep with both eyes closed.

One of the residents of the area who simply identified himself as Mr. Olatunji said, “few days ago, I heard that the community arrested a man who was seen with kegs of fuel and some packaged inside nylon materials but, it seems as if the issue have been buried.”

Mr. Olatunji therefore, called on the Lagos and Ogun State Governors to as a matter of urgency address the situation before it becomes a catastrophe.

Activities of vandals have in the couple of days ago, caused serious havoc in Lagos State, most recently the Abule-egba, Lagos State pipeline explosion.


https://meganews.com.ng/2020/01/27/danger-as-another-nnpc-pipeline-may-explode-in-alagbole-lagos-suburb-soon/

Ex-Delta commissioner raises alarm over planned conversion of Mariam Babangida Women Development Centre to Appeal Court

https://meganews.com.ng/2020/01/23/ex-delta-commissioner-raises-alarm-over-planned-conversion-of-mariam-babangida-women-development-centre-to-appeal-court/

A former commissioner for women affairs in Delta State, Queen Betty Efekodha has raised an alarm over the plan to convert the Mariam Babaginda Women Development Center that was built during the tenure of former governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of the state to Appeal Court premises.

According to Efekodha, the building has been roofed and painted, while what remained is for it to be furnished.

“I have been looking forward to the day it will be commissioned by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of the state.

“This would have gone a long way in improving the lot of women all round as the edifice housed a very big hall plus smaller adjoining halls and different offices for meetings, trainings, seminars, hall of fame and skills acquisitions,” she said.

The former commissioner said in a statement she wrote on the issue that the centre also plays host to national and international women programs and events.

She added that the importance of the women center could not be over emphasized.

“More so, it was named after an illustrious daughter of Delta State, who made women to be seen and also heard through her Better Life Programme.

“It is definitely a big plus to women development. I have deliberately brought it to this platform so that we women of Delta State can appeal to the governor to let our centre be.

“In as much as the Court of Appeal is necessary and I appreciate the Governor for it, robbing Peter to pay Paul is not the best.

“I therefore appeal to my National President and State Chairman to please look into it. If possible, a delegation can see our Governor,” she said.

https://meganews.com.ng/2020/01/23/ex-delta-commissioner-raises-alarm-over-planned-conversion-of-mariam-babangida-women-development-centre-to-appeal-court/

Police in Anambra State has arrested two official drivers of a commercial bank for threatening to kidnap the manager of the bank’s branch

Both men were said to have been using an anonymous phone number to send text messages to the branch manager, who is a female, threatening to kidnap her except she paid the sum of N2million to them.

The Police Spokesperson in Anambra, SP Haruna Mohammed who disclosed this to journalists through a press release, said that “ On the 16/6/2019 at about 8:15pm, Police detectives attached to the Command’s Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) arrested two men at Jesus Estates Oba in Idemili North LGA of Anambra State.

“The men are Izuchukwu Nebolisa ‘m’ aged 33 years and Simeon Obiakor ‘m’ aged 35 years respectively, suspects are drivers attached to First Bank PLC Awka branch.

“They conspired and continuously threatened to kidnap their branch manager one Chinwe Ezenwa ‘f’ through anonymous text messages that they will kidnap her unless she pays two million Naira to them.”

http://meganews.com.ng/2019/06/18/police-arrest-first-bank-drivers-over-alleged-attempt-to-kidnap-manager/

Haruna said the men were set up and arrested by men of the command after sustained intelligence with the aid of modern technology.

He said, “They have equally confessed to the crime and the Sim card used in sending the threat massages to the complainant has also been recovered in their possession.

“Case is under investigation after which Suspects would be charged to Court for prosecution.”

http://meganews.com.ng/2019/06/18/police-arrest-first-bank-drivers-over-alleged-attempt-to-kidnap-manager/

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Mustapha Dandaura has called on members the public to be wary of their close aids including domestic staff and do a thorough background check before employing staff in order to avert this kind of ugly situation.

The Special Presidential Investigation Panel For The Recovery Of Public Property (SPIP) has netted in the sums of one billion, three hundred and sixty million, seven hundred and thirty six thousand, eight hundred and sixty five Naira, (N1,360,736,865.00) and ten million, two hundred and eighty six thousand, three hundred and sixty eight dollars, ten cents ($10,286,368.10), from Heritage Bank Plc, for NEXIM Bank.

The over ten million dollars is part refund of funds illegally placed in fixed deposit by the previous management of NEXIM Bank with Heritage Bank.

http://meganews.com.ng/2019/05/12/presidential-panel-recovers-over-n10-billion-dollars-from-heritage-bank/

Upon maturity of the fixed deposit term however, Heritage Bank failed to return both the capital and accrued interest which cumulatively stands at over twenty two million dollars to NEXIM Bank.

The over one billion, three hundred million Naira on the other hand, is a refund Heritage Bank is making on behalf of Paytech Technology Limited, for which the bank had provided crystallized bank guarantee, on a loan Paytech had taken from NEXIM Bank and failed to pay back.

http://meganews.com.ng/2019/05/12/presidential-panel-recovers-over-n10-billion-dollars-from-heritage-bank/

These figures are cumulative refunds Heritage Bank has been making to NEXIM Bank since 2017 following the intervention and investigation by the Presidential Panel. Then Panel found the bank culpable and caused it to refund its indebtedness to NEXIM Bank.

All recoveries so far made by the SPIP have been remitted to NEXIM Bank. More are expected.

http://meganews.com.ng/2019/05/12/presidential-panel-recovers-over-n10-billion-dollars-from-heritage-bank/

..... As Trial Begins Tomorrow


http://meganews.com.ng/2019/05/12/how-first-bank-relationship-manager-others-allegedly-defrauded-customer-n10m-sfu/

Except for any unforeseen circumstances, the trial before Justice Muslim Sule Hassan of a Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos State, Nigeria, of First Bank Plc, its Trade and Relationship manager, Mazamaza branch, Innocent Chidozie Amadi and two others, over alleged N10, 015, 172, million fraud, will begin on May 13, 2019 (tomorrow).

Apart from the old generation bank, others standing trial are Chukwuma Nnadiekwe and his company, Nilorch Global Services Limited.

The customer allegedly defrauded by First bank and others is one Mrs. Ogochukwu Nkiruka Ezeakunne.

It would be recalled that the Special Fraud Unit, SFU, of the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, Ikoyi-Lagos, had on February 17, arraigned First Bank Plc, it's manager and two others on a seven count-charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining under false pretence, fraud, issuing of dud cheques and forgery.

According to the prosecutor, Chukwu Agwu, the alleged offences are contrary to and punishable under sections 8, 1(a)(b)(c)(2)(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006, and section 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, 2006.

The prosecutor equally insisted that the alleged offences contravene sections 17(b) of the Money Laundering (prohibition) Act, 2011, (as amended) and section 1(1)(b)(I) and (ii) of the Dishonoured Cheques Offences Act, 2004.

But the accused had pleaded not guilty to the charges, and the court fixed the date for trial after granting bail to the accused persons.

According the charge designated FHC/L309c/18, SFU alleged that First Bank, its Trade and Relationship Manager, Amadi and other defendants between January 2014 and January 2015, conspired among themselves to commit felony to wit: obtaining money under false pretence, money laundering, forgery, and issuance of dud cheques.

First Bank Plc and its Trade and Relationship Manager, Amadi were equally alleged to have with an intent to defraud, fraudulently obtained the said money from their victim, Mrs. Ezeakunne, with the understanding that the money would be transferred to Capital Trust Limited, a subsidiary of the bank, but failed to do so.

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Both First Bank and Amadi were also alleged to have on January 22, 2014, forged the bank's Local Currency Funds Transfer form with serial number 1955576, of which they inserted the name of Nilorch Global Services Limited, alongside a new generation bank account number 0034615888, as the beneficiary of the money instead of Capital Trust Limited.

The third and fourth defendants, Nnadiekwe and Nilorch Global Services Limited, were also alleged to have on April 9, 2015 and December 29, 2017, with intent to defraud issued a new generation cheque number 00000305 and a Stanbic IBTC Bank's cheque number: 00000129 to defraud the victim, Mrs. Ezeakunne, for the money fraudulently received from her account number 3040106396 domiciled in First Bank.

http://meganews.com.ng/2019/05/12/how-first-bank-relationship-manager-others-allegedly-defrauded-customer-n10m-sfu/

http://meganews.com.ng/2019/05/10/corruption-nirsal-boils-as-md-abdulhammed-allegedly-turns-agency-into-family-business/

– Appoints son major contractor, brother as TA in-charge of procurement

– As fresh N342m financial scandal rocks agency

Fresh crisis is currently rocking the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agriculture Lending (NIRSAL) over allegations of corruption, fraud and lack of transparency by its managing director, Mr. Aliyu Abbati Abdulhammed.

NIRSAL, an initiative of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Bankers Committee (BC) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development (FMA&RD), incorporated as a public limited liability company (PLC) and licensed as a non-bank financial institution (NBFI) is tasked with the primary mandate of facilitating the flow of credit to agribusiness value chain players and collaborating with stakeholders to fix broken agricultural value chains in Nigeria.
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As against the mandate of NIRSAL, the managing director, Mr. Abdulhammed is said to have turned the agency into his family business favouring his family members and friends. He is alleged to have appointed his younger brother, Babangida Abdulhammed as his technical assistant, handling all procurement related matters, effectively usurping the functions of the procurement department of NIRSAL. Sources alleged that Babangida singlehandedly decides how contracts are awarded at NIRSAL and who gets them.

As if that was not enough, the son of the managing director, Imran Abdulhammed, is the sole supplier of office equipment including desktop computers, laptops, etc. at exorbitant prices.

http://meganews.com.ng/2019/05/10/corruption-nirsal-boils-as-md-abdulhammed-allegedly-turns-agency-into-family-business/

Investigations also revealed that the managing director circumvents the usual routes in procurement. A staff of the apex bank, who is one of his relatives, has been fingered in some wild infractions including backdating of documentations for several monies that had been spent to secure board approvals. It was further learnt that Mr. Abdulhammed singlehandedly appoints contractors who work with the company. Nextzone, Blue Accord, Global Knowledge consulting are some of the firms allegedly linked to him by sources.

The lack of transparency in the workings of the NIRSAL leaves much to be desired. Besides the fact that it makes nonsense of the president’s anti-corruption crusade, it further exposes the current government’s inability to adequately monitor public officers. For instance, contrary to government’s directive placing ban on foreign trainings, NIRSAL had sent some staff on trainings abroad, including a particular one in South Africa, described as jamboree by a member of staff who was part of the training.

“It was a shabby exercise and a total waste of public resources,” the staff said. He is also accused of flying in first class on foreign airlines. Amongst other things, the managing director was accused of not keeping adequate records of financial transactions and commitments relating to inflow, expenditure and disbursements. NIRSAL has accumulated bad credit guarantees running into billions of naira, while the farmers are yet to benefit.

Another issue causing ripples in the agency is how the managing director allegedly misappropriated a princely N342 million released to NIRSAL by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under its Anchor Borrowers’ programme (ABP) for a Southwest maize farmers’ cooperative, Hope Concept Investment Cooperatives and Credit Union.

The fund, which was approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria and released in July last year to NIRSAL, for onward disbursement to about 1,800 small holders’ farmers that make up the union, was for preparation of land and planting of maize during the rainy season.

The CBN had reportedly credited NIRSAL on July 18 and 19, 2018 with a first tranche of N246,523,120:00 but instead of NIRSAL to remit the fund to the bona fide farmers who were registered with and approved by the CBN as beneficiaries, Abdulhammed directed that the fund be transferred to NIRSAL’s operations office in Abeokuta.

It was learnt that Abdulhammed tweaked the mandate of NIRSAL from risk management to operating as a commercial bank. The concerned farmers were asked to apply afresh for the fund as a loan, a development they kicked against.

The concerned maize farmers/beneficiaries were subsequently subjected to a long delay that NIRSAL masterminded through a series of unnecessary meetings, trainings and workshops while the fund was idle in NIRSAL’s account, attracting huge interest. Sources familiar with the development hinted that many weeks, which the farmers would have used to deploy in the farms were lost, a development that disrupted timelines for cultivation and harvest of maize for off-taking by companies that make use of maize in the production of their goods.

The off-takers, the biggest of them being the Flour Mills Plc had to source for maize (raw materials) from other farmers when the beneficiary farmers under the aegis of Hope Concept Investment Cooperatives and Credit Union could not meet up with the timelines for supply of maize.

Investigations further revealed that while the concerned southwest farmers waited in vain for their respective accounts to be credited with the funds, officials of NIRSAL asked the farmers to part with some of the funds before disbursing.

Due to the alleged corrupt practices of the NIRSAL officials, the farmers lost over N600 million, excluding funds spent on clearing the lands, interest on loans and other costs. Upon approval of Hope Concept’s request, the group also fulfilled the payment of a requisite N16 million equity counterpart funding, which is five per cent of the financing.

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We gathered that the farmers were supposed to supply about 6,000 MT of maize to Flour Mills Plc. One of the concerned southwest maize farmers alleged ethnic bias and deliberate promotion of a northern economic expansionist agenda against Abdulhammed who hails from Adamawa State and whose appointment was said to have been influenced by the first lady, Mrs. Aisha Buhari.

Consequently, it became difficult for senior officials in the apex bank to rein in on Abdulhammed over his questionable act and other impunities including misappropriation of funds and abuse of processes in the contract awards.

Meanwhile, the farmers are demanding compensation for time lost, funds spent on clearing the lands, other financial costs including the counterpart funding and interest on loans. NIRSAL under the current leadership has huge reputational problems as it has also been accused of withholding a N1 billion intervention fund in Owerri, Imo State and another in Delta State. At a public event recently in Abuja, farmers from Kojoli Farms in Jada, Adamawa, called for the overhauling of NIRSAL, citing large-scale corruption in the running of the affairs of the organization. The lack of transparency in the workings of the NIRSAL leaves much to be desired. Besides the fact that it makes nonsense of the president’s anti-corruption crusade, it further exposes the current government’s inability to adequately monitor public officers.

NIRSAL REACTS, DECLINES COMMENTS ON ALLEGATIONS

In our fact-finding mission, The Witness contacted the managing director of NIRSAL, Mr. Aliyu Abdulhammed for his and the agency’s angle to the allegations.

In a statement sent to The Witness by the agency’s Head of Corporate Communications, Anne Ihugba, the managing director reeled out the mandate of NIRSAL but declined comment on the allegations raised by our reporter.

Read the full statement below:

Over the past few weeks, there has been an intensification of longstanding attacks against NIRSAL and its current management by entrenched interests and other hostile elements who do not mean well for the country.

The obvious objective of the campaign is to halt the momentum of progress that NIRSAL, working with public and private sector partners, is making in transforming the Nigerian agricultural economy in order to boost productivity, food security and the welfare of the teeming millions of smallholder farmers around the country. We are certain that they will fail.

The attacks are also characterized by desperate efforts to distort and misrepresent NIRSAL’s mandate, role and achievements. For the avoidance of doubt, NIRSAL is a policy tool of the Central Bank of Nigeria deliberately designed as a self-sustaining company with the sole aim of achieving the public good by catalyzing and guaranteeing private finance and investment to the agricultural sector.

NIRSAL’s operations are characterized by the highest standards of good governance and professionalism and these are delivering solid dividends to the agricultural sector and the national economy as can be seen below:

NIRSAL is an investee company of the CBN, a going concern incorporated under the Companies & Allied Matters Act (CAMA) and governed by all standard governance and reporting rules of public liability companies applicable nationally and globally.

Following from the above, NIRSAL files its annual financials every year at the CAC as required by the Companies and Allied Matters Act. Therefore, NIRSAL operates by the highest standards of corporate governance rules coupled with capital preservation and capital growth objectives in order to maintain a robust balance sheet against which it issues its guarantees, provides technical assistance and builds capacities and incentivizes borrowers and lenders in the agriculture finance space.

NIRSAL’s accounts are prepared in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standards and audited by Board-approved independent auditors.

NIRSAL’s Board comprises a broad spectrum of respected high profile professionals representing the CBN, Bankers Committee (CEOs of DMBs in Nigeria), the Organized Private Sector (OPS), the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Department (FMARD).

NIRSAL’s operations are solely funded from earnings derived from its meticulously invested seed capital. And, as a result of astute management of its finite resources by its Management, NIRSAL has not only retained its original investment capital but has also more than doubled its balance sheet while

paying its staff salaries and covering its operating expenditures without recourse to any external source of funding. This is a testament to the prudence exercised by the current leadership of NIRSAL.

It’s also to the credit of NIRSAL’s Management that it has maintained a very healthy crystallized Guarantee ratio of about one percent on its Credit Risk Guarantees against the financial industry average that at a point reached 17%.

The bottom line is that NIRSAL is doing justice to its core mandate of serving the public good 100% while preserving and growing its balance sheet.

It is incontrovertible that in just three years, with the robust support of the CBN, NIRSAL has set up strong processes and structures including offices across the country and global partnerships, facilitated significant funding to the agricultural sector and made measurable impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of beneficiary farmers and other players along the various agricultural value chains.

NIRSAL has made measurable progress in reducing the risks to financing institutions while granting agricultural loans by building the capacities of both banks & investors and agricultural value chain actors on good practices in agricultural production, financing, loans/investment utilization and repayment.

NIRSAL has facilitated funds in excess of N85.5 billion for various agriculture sector projects from various sources as at Q3 2018.

Broken down, this translates to the following investments: Agricultural Inputs: N43.8 Billion; Mechanization: N1.7 Billion; Primary Production: N19 Billion; Processing: N20.9 Billion.

Interms of broad impact, this translates to 373,752 direct jobs and 1.8 Million indirect jobs facilitated by NIRSAL.

Having completed our corporate establishment phase within the last 3 years, the agriculture finance space, from 2019 and beyond, should see a rapid scale out of NIRSAL’s interventions on 15 Industrial, Export, Domestic Consumer, Youth-specific and Livestock Agricultural Commodity value chains in Nigeria.

Our core inspiration continues to be the Federal Government’s focus on the agricultural sector and the targets set out in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan and the Agriculture Promotion Policy.

We also owe our accomplishments, sound fundamentals and rigorous processes to the leadership provided by the Central Bank of Nigeria under Mr. Godwin Emefiele.

While there is still a lot to be done, there is no doubt that we have made definite progress in delivering our core mandate to enable the flow of affordable financing and investments to all players across entire agricultural value chains.

Our focus on improving community and individual lives along the many agricultural value chains that we are working on remains strong. And we will keep working — harder – with all partner organizations to deliver more measurable results.

That is our pledge and our commitment.

Signed: Management

-Additional report by Per Second News

http://meganews.com.ng/2019/05/08/alleged-n187m-fraud-former-sterling-bank-manager/
For allegedly being involved in fraud to the tune of N187m, a former acting branch manager of Sterling Bank Plc, Oliver Anidiobi, was on Tuesday (yesterday) arraigned before Justice C.O. Ajah of the Enugu State High Court.
Anidiobi who was also the Account Relationship Officer of OHHA Microfinance Bank was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) over the alleged offence.
http://meganews.com.ng/2019/05/08/alleged-n187m-fraud-former-sterling-bank-manager/
The former bank manager is facing a 32-count charge bordering on forgery and stealing from the microfinance bank.
According to the anti-graft agency, Anidiobi used his position to convince the microfinance bank to deposit the said amount with him with an accompanying letter of instruction (which he acknowledged) to Sterling Bank.
The former bank manager was equally said to have fixed the amount on behalf of the microfinance bank, only for him to forge a ‘Fixed Deposit Certificate’ as evidence of their investment.

http://meganews.com.ng/2019/05/08/alleged-n187m-fraud-former-sterling-bank-manager/
The Commission insisted that upon receipt of several instalments of the money totalling N187 million (One Hundred and Eighty Seven Million Naira), Anidiobi diverted the said sum to his personal use to build a two-storey building of five flats, several plots of land along Enugu Port Harcourt Expressway and an uncompleted four bedroom bungalow at Centenary Estate, Enugu.
He was further accused of making an investment of over N65 million (Sixty Five Million Naira).
One of the counts against him reads: “Anidiobi Oliver Chukwuka, sometime between 15th day of August, 2014 and 28th day of August, 2014 in Enugu, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did commit a felony to wit: stealing by fraudulently converting to your personal use the aggregate sum of N5 million naira only, being property of OHHA Microfinance Bank Limited and thereby committed an offence.”

Polaris Bank has reiterated its commitment to the success of the Meter Acquisition Partners (MAP) Project, which ensures that acquisition of pre-paid meters is seamless.

The bank’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Tokunbo Abiru, gave the indication at the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the bank and Mojec, a leading Meter Manufacturing Company at the bank’s headquarters in Lagos.

http://meganews.com.ng/2019/05/01/polaris-bank-group-petitions-buhari-calls-for-sack-of-ceo-tokunbo-abiru-over-poor-performance/

Abiru, represented by the Executive Director, Technology and Services, Innocent Ike, said: “Polaris Bank is pleased to be partnering with Mojec International to support consumers on the meter acquisition scheme. Our bank will be facilitating the acquisition of these meters by granting loans to eligible customers under the Programme.”

Abiru applauded the commitment of the regulators and partners in the public electricity value chain towards ensuring that the pre-paid meters are made available and affordable.

He explained: “Some of the advantages of using prepaid electricity meter is that it enables consumers determine their level of consumption, manage their cash flow and allocate costs appropriately.”

Polaris Bank CEO noted that the initiative, particularly, affords the bank the opportunity to facilitate easy, convenient and acquisition of pre-paid meters for consumers who before now are used to the highly discredited and estimated electricity billing system with its attendant social and economic burden.

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Also, the bank’s Executive Director, Abuja and Northern Region, Abdullahi Mohammed assured of the readiness of Polaris Bank to “leverage our wide branch network in Abuja and the whole of the Northern region to enable the roll out of the pre-paid meters”

Earlier, the Mojec Chairperson and Managing Director, Mrs. Mojisola Abdul and Chantelle Abdul noted the bank’s support to Mojec in over a decade.

Mrs Abdul said with the MoU, both institutions were confident that the bank would support Mojec to meet the expectations of Nigerians under its bank’s Consumer & Retail Financing Scheme for MAP meter acquisition.

“We value our years of business relationship with Polaris and believe with the signing of the MAP MoU, we would be able to meet the expectations of Nigerians by making available pre-paid meters, which they would acquire and subsequently pay for the actual energy consumption cost in a stress-free manner,”Mrs Abdul said.

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Following the failure of the Advance Payment for Metering Implementation (CAPMI) project, executed by the DisCos, to bridge the metering gap in the country, the Federal Ministry for Power through Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) unveiled MAP to enable consumers buy from accredited accredited agents.