The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday grilled the immediate past governor of Kwara, Abdulfatah Ahmed, over alleged diversion of the state’s funds when he served for eight years.
A top official of the commission, who does not want his name in print, hinted newsmen that the former governor honoured an invitation extended to him and he was still being quizzed as at the time of filing this report.
The anti-graft agency’s spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, in a telephone interview with our correspondent confirmed Abdulfatah’s presence at the headquarters of the commission in Abuja.
When asked why he was invited, Uwujaren said he was invited to help the commission in its ongoing investigation. It was unclear whether he would be released this night or not.
Nollywood actor, Olarenwaju Omiyinka popularly known as Baba Ijesha has been granted bail, his lawyer, Adesina Ogunlana, confirmed this today.
Recall that he was detained by police for alleged sexual assault has been granted bail.
He has been granted bail about one hour ago. We are working to perfect the bail. He was granted bail on health grounds. He has not been released. He will be released after his bail conditions have been perfected,” he said.
Among the bail conditions listed by the lawyer for Baba Ijesha’s release are two reliable sureties – one of them must be a level 10 officers, a direct blood relation, and N500,000 bail bond in like sum.
We gathered Baba Ijesha was granted bail when magistrates went around police stations across the State, hearing cases of some suspects.
Ogunlana had in a letter addressed to the Commissioner of Police seeking Baba Ijesha’s bail on Friday that Baba Ijesha is looking abnormally weak and lean.
The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi said that the Maritime Security Project will be launched in June by President Muhammadu Buhari. Amaechi made this known in Abuja when the Belgium Ambassador to Nigeria paid him a courtesy visit. In a press statement signed by Anastasia Ogbonna on behalf of the Director Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Transportation, the Minister said “the Crisis in the Maritime Sector is the maritime Insecurity and its more complex than the world knows” but the Federal Government has come up with a solution and it is ready to take off. The Navy, Police, Army and State Security Service are involved. He noted that, if it is successful, in the near future there will be improvement in the Maritime security, then other countries in the Gulf of the Guinea can adopt it. The Minister added that sixty five to seventy five percent of crime comes from our water and if successfully eliminated, progress would be made. “If you are in the air, you see what is happening in the water, you are inside the water, you will be able to respond, the helicopter has the capacity to drop in the Naval men when they see anything suspicious”, He said. Speaking further, he stated that he will be glad to partner and share information with anyone who wants information for the purpose of securing the Gulf of the Guinea. Earlier, the Belgium Ambassador to Nigeria, Daniel Bertrand officially presented a letter to the Minister requesting for the support of the Nigerian government for the Belgium candidate for the position at the International Maritime Organization. Bertrand also mentioned that they have observed with keen interest what is happening in the Gulf of Guinea and would like to be of assistance and give support to the implementation of the maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea.
Most of the challenges plaguing the country was as a result of long neglect of youths by successive government and other critical stakeholders, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA ) Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olusade Adesola has said.
He, however, called on stakeholders to prioritize youth engagement,in order to achieve sustainable national development.
Adesola made this known on Monday in Abuja, when he played to some members of the Nigerian Youth Parliament led by the minority Leader, Hon. Daniel Uwadia on courtesy visit.
The Permanent Secretary hinted that when the youths are effectively carried along in all sphere of affairs, restiveness and other vices that destroy values will be reduced to the barest minimum, if not completely eradicated.
He added that, youths were veritable assets to every nation, and the roles they play was key to economic development and growth.
According to him , ” from my days in the ministry of youths and Sports I have come to the conclusion that youths are very key and strategic to the development of every society and nation. The youths have bern very resourceful to men and the ministry as well. Even here at the FCTA the youths remain very strategic to the development of the FCT”
Earlier in his remarks, the Minority Leader, Hon. Daniel Uwadia who presented a congratulatory plaque to the Permanent Secretary, said the gesture was in recognition of his sterling qualities that have helped to motivate the youths.
Uwadia who is also the Edo state representative at the Parliament said his group came to congratulate the Permanent Secretary on his transfer to the Administration of the Federal capital Territory.
Uwadia used the occasion to appeal to youths across the country to shun violence and close ranks with government to tackle insecurity and other challenges confronting the nation.
Members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) are currently on the streets of Kaduna for the strike declared against the state government over what the union described as anti-labour policies of the Kaduna State Government.
Recall that NLC declared strike after the government failed to reverse the mass sack of workers.
The train station at Rigasa has been fully shut while the Kaduna State secretariat, which houses about 10 ministries, is under lock and key.
Officials of different workers group have been enforcing compliance with the strike.
Before the workers hit the streets, Comrade Ayuba Sulieman, NLC Chairman in Kaduna, addressed members of affiliated unions.
Comrade Ayuba Wabba, NLC President, later joined the protesters at the state secretariat of the union.
Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi on Sunday revealed that several Boko Haram commanders are willing to surrender and urged the federal government to use proper engagement to negotiate with the group.
Gumi, who spoke to newsmen in Kaduna yesterday after hosting the released students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Kaduna also reiterated his call on the government to negotiate with bandits.
The cleric noted that information at his disposal revealed that many Boko Haram commanders were willing to surrender and be integrated into society.
He further disclosed that the bandits were also putting pressure on him to assist them with amnesty.
But with Boko Haram although we have reliable information from some contacts too that many of their commanders want to surrender; So, I think that with serious engagement and government involvement in these issues on a serious note, I think we will overcome. You see, in Nigeria, we are a tribal society. So, every group has elders that they listen to,” Gumi explained.
Gumi also disclosed that he had reached out to 80 per cent of the bandits’ leaders and they were willing to surrender, adding that the remaining 20 per cent were the ones still causing havoc.
He also argued that the government should engage the bandits and provide them with schools and amnesty so that they could live a normal life.
According to him, the bandits are not more than 100,000, adding that government should be able to provide for their needs.
The cleric revealed that the bandits that kidnapped the Kaduna Greenfield University students have also suspended their initial plan to kill the students and expressed the hope that they will also regain their freedom.
On whether ransom was paid for the release of the school of forestry students, Gumi said his team did not pay any ransom.
He, however, added that some parents, who were impatient, went behind his team to tell the bandits that they were willing to pay.
Gumi pointed out that he did not know if those parents paid ransom or not.
Reacting to the issue of whether the students were molested sexually or not, Gumi disclosed that a notorious bandit who wanted to take away a female student to unknown location to molest her was killed by his colleagues to prove the point that they were not irresponsible but were just agitating for better welfare
According to him, the bandits are different from the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the other groups agitating in the South because they believe in the government of Nigeria and other constituted authorities.
Earlier at the reception he held for the released Afaka students, Gumi asked them to put the ugly past behind them and pursue their education.
“My appeal to government is to engage with the bandits so that the bandits can abandon their ways.
They are already showing signs that they are ready. They have grievances, which I think if we come together we can cure this menace in a very short time,” he said.
He called for the cooperation of governments at all levels to resolve the security challenges.
“We want the cooperation of federal, state and local governments; the clergy and other well-meaning Nigerians should all come together to sit down and talk,” he said.
Asked how he secured the release of the students, Gumi said: “You don’t negotiate with your friend, you negotiate with your enemy. The first thing you do is to try and break the ice and break the barrier between you and the person you are negotiating with and also build confidence by demonstrating that you are not going to cheat them or deceive them.
“If there is that level of communication, then negotiation comes in the third phase.
These are people who have been involved in this kind of criminality for a long time, we have to use psychology on them because it is not possible over night to just consent.
“But preaching to them, admonishing them and showing them the way out of their problems helped a lot in getting them to understand and release these children.”
Also in his remarks former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who was represented by Mr. Vitalis Ortese, congratulated everyone for making it possible for the release of the students and expressed the hope that “this will lead to the release of other persons in captivity.”
Speaking on behalf of the parents, Mr. Friday Sani, expressed gratitude to Gumi and Obasanjo for their roles in ensuring the release of the students.
He said: “We are here to appreciate the emancipating team led by Sheikh Gumi. He stood by us to the end. We are happy that our children are back to us.
“The leaders of tomorrow who will make this country proud. We want to give God the glory for what He has done for us.
We are praying that God will help them to overcome the trauma they went through.
“Some of us have been going in and out of hospitals for them to receive proper treatment.
“We need the support of the government to rehabilitate these children so that they will be fit enough to return to school. Today is a happy day for us.”
Meanwhile, the parents have dismissed speculations that the students were sexually molested while in captivity.
Meanwhile, a statement on Sunday in Kaduna, spokesman of the parents, Mr. Abdullahi Usman, said the speculations being circulated online that the students were sexually molested is not true.
Usman said while the parents were basking in the joy of having reunited with their children who were released unharmed.
“On behalf of the parents, we wish to set the records straight and hope that this will end the circulation of the fabrication of the stories. We state in unequivocal terms that none of the 37 kidnapped (now freed) Afaka students were sexually or homosexually molested by the bandits,” he said.
The Caretaker/ National Convention Planning Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is considering a 60-to-70-member strong convention planning committee.
Newsfocusng gathered on Sunday that while the Mai Mala Buni-led CNCPC has been putting finishing touches to the list of party officials to handle state congresses, it is also shopping for a chairman and members of its scheduled national convention.
A top-ranking member of the party caucus who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media on the issue, said, “The committee is finishing touches to the list of members of the state congresses which we expect them to release within a week or two.
“It is after this has been done that we expect the convention planning list to be made public.
“However, because of the shortage of time, a few things may be twerked to speed up the process because considering the variables, we really don’t have time on our side.”
In response to a question on the possible size of the convention committee, the source said, “We are looking at between 60 and 70, in order to accommodate as many of the tendencies within the party as possible.
“Of course, as has been the tradition, serving and former governors, Senators, members of the House of Reps, serving and former as well as serving and former party leaders will be given the opportunity to serve.
Exemptions will be made for those who are interested in contesting for any of the positions to avoid a conflict of interest.”
The source further said, “We are now very interested in how our congresses at the state level are held because it will determine a lot of things. Delates who will vote at the national convention will be elected from the Ward, Local Government and State levels. This is our procedure.”
Another top-ranking member of the party who also spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject said, “We are aware the opposition, especially the Peoples Democratic Party, is waiting for us.
“The truth is, whichever zone we pick our next National Chairman from will be a pointer to where our presidential candidate is likely to come from.”
The National Secretary of the CENCPC, Senator John Akpanudeoehe, declined comments on the time-table and schedule of activities.
However, our correspondent gathered that the party’s national caretaker committee will be meeting this week to finalise arrangements.
The committee is expected to present its proposal to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari and the caucus before it is made public.
Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) and the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond say Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, has sacked over 60,000 workers since he took office in May 2015.
They, therefore, endorsed the five-day strike across Kaduna State which will begin on Monday.
ASCAB in a statement on Sunday called on all NLC affiliates and supporters to join the “essential strike” adding that a “firm action is needed to reverse the massive attacks on jobs and poverty induced insecurity in Kaduna State.”
Falana hinted that the economy of Kaduna was traditionally built around textile factories and the public sector but in the decade before the administration of el-Rufai, the last four major textile factories were closed with many of the workers not receiving any terminal benefits despite two of the factories being mainly owned by the governments of the northern states.
The activist said rather than seeking to address this economic decline, el-Rufai has retrenched perhaps 60,000 public sector workers and many have not received their due payments.
He further added that, “Kaduna State is now a dangerous state in Nigeria to live, work or visit in terms of the regularity of bloodshed, kidnappings and killings by bandits and ethno-religious inspired violence. The level of insecurity in Kaduna State today is a function of unprecedented, cruel anti-workers’ policy of the Kaduna State Government including repeated mass layoffs. The uncontrolled insecurity is, therefore, the ’harvest’ or product of the State’s anti-labour policies.”
The activist noted that in 2016, over 13,000 workers considered to be ghost workers, were dismissed. The following year another 40,000 public sector workers were retrenched.
Around half of these were teachers. The state arbitrarily pegged the pass mark for their competency test at an unprecedented 75 per cent. Many of these teachers did not receive any redundancy money.
From April of this year, the state government has been dismissing perhaps as many as another 17,000 workers. This includes 6,000 local government and primary health care workers who have all received their marching orders. The remaining 11,000 workers from the state ministries have been listed for dismissal on account of having spent 30 years and above in service and/or being on level 14 and above,” Falana said.
The senior advocate noted that pensioners who have earned pension for between five and 10 years and have ‘refused to die’ are no longer being paid.
He said the governor’s claim that these policies are necessary due to declining revenues is far from the truth.
“The state has plenty of money – ‘borrows’ from workers. Kaduna State Government has significantly increased its internally generated revenue over the last five years. IGR has increased by about 16 per cent a year in real terms (after taking into account inflation). So IGR is now about half the total income of the state despite the fact that the monthly FAAC allocations are now increasing again as crude oil prices have recovered from the Covid-19 dip,” he said.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the bank, Mrs. Tomi Somefun has said that the bank will extend funding to 120,000 maize farmers.
She disclosed this while delivering a goodwill message at the unveiling of the first National Maize Pyramids and flag-off of wet season farming programmes held over the weekend in Katsina.
As a major stakeholder in the roll out of the CBN’s Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP), Unity Bank was invited to participate in the events marking the unveiling by the Maize Association of Nigeria, MAAN.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer who was represented by Head, Agribusiness unit of the bank, Mrs. Patricia Ahunanya, Somefun said the additional funding for 2021 wet season farming is “in furtherance to the Bank’s commitment towards supporting maize farmers” in the country.
She stated that the strategic partnership with the Maize Association of Nigeria commenced in 2019 with the financing of about 37,182 smallholder farmers, with the Bank increasing its financing tally to 70,604 smallholder farmers in 2020.
Commenting on the maize pyramid, Somefun stated that “The maize Pyramids will go down in history as the first maize pyramid in Nigeria which demonstrates not only the resilience of our farmers but also the commendable vision of the Federal Government of Nigeria through the implementing partners. This should be replicated in all states with a focus on the crops that have comparative advantage.”
She noted that with agriculture contributing over 26% to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product, and employing about 50% of Nigeria’s working population in the rural areas, the Bank will continue to make strategic investments into the sector in line with the Federal Government’s quest to attain food sufficiency, diversify the economy away from oil, create jobs for the youth and reduce poverty.
She added: “Unity Bank is fully committed to its partnership with MAAN and this commitment will ensure the attainment of FGN/CBN target to meeting self-sufficiency in Maize production through the Association”.
Also speaking, the national President of MAAN, Dr. Abubakar Bello commended Unity Bank for its continued support of the farmers through its strategic role in providing the necessary financing to the maize farmers.
He said that; “We cannot appreciate enough our financing partners, especially Unity Bank. Today we have over 50,000 bags of maize in this pyramid, which will contribute significantly to Nigeria’s strategic grain reserves. This could not have been possible without the financing made possible by these partners. We commend them for this role and remain grateful.”
He restated the commitment of the association to continue to meet the financing obligations and sustain the drive for increased maize output in the 2021 wet season farming.
It would be recalled that recently, Unity Bank received similar commendation from Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, RIFAN over the Bank’s strategic role in providing the necessary support to the association to explore the opportunities provided by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN’s Anchor Borrowers’ Programme. RIFAN specially commended Mrs. Somefun for her leadership and doggedness in supporting the rice farmers through the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme, which is playing a critical role in Nigeria’s quest to attain self-sufficiency in rice production.
The PDP Governors’ Forum is scheduled to meet today to review the current state of the nation.
The Director-General of the forum, Hon. C.I.D. Maduabum, said that the forum would deliberate on issues on national security and the economy.
Maduabum in a statement made available to newsmen on Sunday in Abuja stated that the governors elected under the platform of the PDP would meet in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The meeting will further review the current state of the nation, especially issues of national security and the economy, and also fine-tune strategies to support PDP as a viable and necessary alternative to the All Progressives Congress administration.”
Maduabum said that the meeting, expected to be attended by the 15 governors elected under PDP, would be presided over by the Forum Chairman, Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, while Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State would be the Chief Host.
