AREWA REPUBLIC !!! ‘N100bn vanished in one year’ — reps probe north-east commission

The house of representatives says it will probe the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) over the alleged mismanagement of N100 billion.

The resolution of the house was sequel to a motion sponsored by Ndudi Elumelu, minority leader of the house, on Thursday.

The commission was established in 2017 to reconstruct states affected by insurgency in the north-east.

While moving his motion, Elumelu said the N100 billion given to the commission by the federal government has “vanished” with nothing to show for it

The Delta lawmaker accused Mohammed Goni Alkali, commission’s managing director, of awarding non-existent contracts.

“The N100 billion so far disbursed to the commission by the federal government is said to have vanished under a year without any visible impact on the refugees nor any infrastructural development credited to the name of the commission in the whole of the north-east,” Alkali said.

“The corrupt practices include high handedness by the managing director, Mohammed Goni Alkali, over inflation of contracts, awards of non existent contracts, massive contract splitting and flagrant disregard for the procurement laws in the award of contracts.

“There are allegations of how the minister of humanitarian affairs and disaster management, Sadiya Farouk, was said to have entered into an unholy deal with the managing director of the commission to illegally withdraw money for the purchase military vehicles without any recourse to the board.

“The act, which completely disregards the country’s procurement laws, must be seriously frowned at.”

The house adopted the motion after it was put to a voice vote by Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the house.

The motion was referred to the house committees on finance, procurement and NEDC. The report on the probe is expected to be turned in after eight weeks.

The development is coming days after the house concluded its investigation on the alleged mismanagement of N81.5 billion by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The report on the NDDC probe is yet to be laid at the plenary of the lower legislative chamber.

- THECABLE

Falana: Garba Shehu’s memory has failed him… we rejected the request for Sowore to beg Buhari

Femi Falana, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), says when Omoyele Sowore was in detention, a request was made for him to apologise to President Muhammadu Buhari but it was rejected. 

Sowore, an activist, was arrested and detained in August ahead of #RevolutionNow, a nationwide protest against the government.

He was released in December but restricted to the federal capital territory (FCT).

While in detention of the Department of State Services (DSS), a delegation led by the late Ismaila Isa Funtua, an ally of the president, had reportedly visited Sowore to “negotiate conditions” for his release. 

After his death on Monday, Sowore tweeted a video where he described Funtua as an “arrogant man” who asked him to “abandon the struggle” in exchange for his release.

In an ensuing face-off, Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, who was part of the delegation, accused Sowore of “attacking a dead soul”.

Shehu said the visit was not to negotiate Sowore’s release, adding that Sowore felt happy when the first meeting held in Abuja but a subsequent one where the delegation met Sowore’s lawyer in Lagos, collapsed. 

Reacting in a statement on Thursday, Falana who is Sowore’s lawyer, accused Shehu of attempting to distort the proceedings of the meetings. 

“Mr. Garba Shehu has continued to give the highly erroneous impression that the deal struck with the captive was frustrated by his lawyer. Mr. Shehu’s memory failed him in his jejune narrative,” he said. 

“Mr. Shehu ought to have published the terms of the ‘resolution’ which he claimed that Mr. Sowore had accepted instead of of blaming the collapse of the “fence-mending process” on the intransigence of his lawyer ‘whoever that was (sic)’

“I confirm that I held a meeting with the trio referred to by Mr. Shehu even though he did not mention my name. Hence, I am compelled to react to a couple of issues raised in his incendiary account. More so that he did not attend the Lagos meeting. For reasons best known to Mr. Shehu,  he refused to inform the Nigerian people that I rejected the gratuitous request to prevail on Mr. Sowore to apologise to President Muhammadu Buhari and write an undertaking to desist from further embarrassing the federal government. 

“Apart from insisting that my client had committed no offence by exercising his freedom of expression over the perilous state of the nation, I expressed my personal agony over the request because I won the legal battle wherein the court of appeal had upheld the fundamental right of the Nigerian people to protest against the government without police permit. 

“Mr. Shehu ought to have equally disclosed that I demanded for the unconditional release of my client from the unlawful incarceration of the State Security Service. In fact, when the late Alhaji Isa Funtua said rather condescendingly at the Lagos meeting that the regime in power could not be defeated, I was quick to remind him that the Nigerian people had defeated military dictators to pave way for the current civilian dispensation.” 

The senior lawyer said it is interesting to note that he teamed up with other patriots in 2006 to campaign for the release of Shehu, who was then spokesperson of former Vice-President Atiku Abukakar, when he was detained by the DSS State and charged with the offence of  “obtaining, reproducing and keeping classified material” in contravention of the official secrets act.  

He said the charge filed against  Shehu was withdrawn and struck out in his favour. 

“In like manner, the charge of treasonable felony which is hanging menacingly on the head of Mr. Omoyele Sowore like a sword of Damocles will also be struck out in his favour in the fullness of time,” he said. 

- THECABLE

80,000 Nigerians abroad held as sex slaves, labourers – Reps

The House of Representatives says 80,000 Nigerians are currently held as sex slaves and in forced labour across the world.

During plenary on Thursday, Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora, Tolu Akande-Sadipe, said majority were in Lebanon, Mali and across the Middle East.

She condemned the complacency of Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Labour and Employment.

Sadipe alerted that the Foreign Affairs Ministry, under the guise of diplomacy, was working to release alleged Lebanese trafficker, Wafic Mohammed Hamza.

Hamza was apprehended by National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for alleged trafficking of sixteen Nigerian girls to Lebanon.

“Records show that Wafic Hamza was complicit in the trafficking of 16 girls. 10 have been repatriated to Nigeria, and 6 remain stranded in Lebanon.

“Hamza is in custody in Ilorin, Kwara State, awaiting trial for trafficking. But it appears that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working for his release without any regard for our citizens losses, their repatriation back home and compensation.”

Sadipe decried the unprecedented rise in the dehumanization of citizens even in nations with long history of cordial relationship with Nigeria.

“The ongoing sordid dehumanizing treatment foisted on Nigerians abroad particularly trafficked girls under the cover of foreign domestic staff has become very disturbing.

“According to NAPTIP, in the past one year, there has been an alarming number of daily distress calls from Nigerian women crying to be rescued due to the inhumane conditions they face in countries like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Oman, Lebanon and Mali.”

The legislator, in a motion raised, called for parliamentary intervention to ensure eradication of trafficking and maltreatment of citizens in foreign land.

Sadipe implored President Muhammadu Buhari to sanction the Minister and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, for allegedly violating suspension of the issuance of International Recruiters Licenses.

She decried that many companies were excused from the mandatory annual reporting requirements on location and conditions of service of each recruited Nigerian taken abroad.

Speaking, Hon. Tolulope Akande, raised the plight of Nigerian students in Turkey who cannot afford the cost of evacuation flight.

She urged the House to compel the Foreign Affairs Ministry to negotiate affordable flights for nationals in the diaspora.

- DAILY POST

Chelsea reveals decision on punishing Lampard after face-off with Klopp

Chelsea will not take any action against manager Frank Lampard, for his action on the touchline against Liverpool on Wednesday, the UK Times reports.

After the game, which the Blues lost 5-3 at Anfield, footage emerged showing Lampard and Reds boss in a heated argument.

Lampard repeatedly told Klopp and his staff to “f**k off”.

The confrontation arose following a foul by Mateo Kovacic, which led to Liverpool’s second goal.

The match officials quickly stepped in to diffuse the situation between the two managers.

After the game, Lampard accused Liverpool of being “arrogant”.

However, Chelsea have chosen not to punish the former England midfielder for his behaviour.

- DAILY POST

NNPC: HUSHPAPA, Buhari asked to probe alleged $2.5bn oil sale to China, suspend Kyari

A political activist, Timi Frank, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to probe alleged sale of 48 million barrels of Nigeria’s Bonny crude light oil to China.

He alleged that the deal, valued at $2.5billion, was shared by some persons around the government.

Frank also called for the suspension of the Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari.

“The NNPC GMD must step aside so as not to allow for a proper investigation of this humongous stealing and criminality,” Frank noted.

Calling for prosecution of indicted Nigerians, he wondered how Buhari, “perceived as the anti-corruption fighter of Africa by ECOWAS, would allow such brazen acts of corruption to be perpetuated under his watch.

“Corruption under Buhari has assumed a very disturbing height and, except he is complicit, one wonders why he has stubbornly refused to prosecute persons indicted for the corruption perpetrated under his watch as Petroleum Minister?”

He recalled that in 2015, a similar allegation about diverted accrued funds was made.

“Following the transaction in 2015, Buhari instituted a team to travel to China to investigate the report concerning the oil sale. We need Buhari to tell Nigerians the outcome of that investigative team to China.

“Except he (Buhari) is in full knowledge of the $2.5bn oil sale to China, we expect the immediate arrest and prosecution of all those mentioned in the outright stealing of resources that could have been utilized in the provision of sustainable amenities for Nigerians,” he noted.

Frank called on the United States Government to help Nigerians investigate “this crime, especially as the transaction was conducted using the US currency”.

He also advised the National Assembly to also investigate the sale and push for the conviction of culprits.

- DAILY POST

LAND OF DREAM KILLERS !! Tolulope Arotile: Nigerian Air Force gives reason for not conducting autopsy

The Nigerian Air Force has given a reason why an autopsy was not carried out on Tolulope Arotile, the first Combat Helicopter pilot in Nigeria who died on July 14.

Speaking on Channels Tv, the Spokesman for the Nigeria Air Force NAF, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, on Friday said an autopsy was not carried out because the circumstances surrounding her death were clear.

Recall that Arotile was confirmed dead after a former classmate allegedly reversed into her at the Nigeria Air Force base in Kaduna State.

Following her death, Nigerians from different quarters called for an investigation and an autopsy to determine the cause of her death which they termed not ordinary.

But Commodore Daramol also added that her family members were not open to an autopsy as they wanted to move on from the unfortunate incident.

“On the issue of autopsy or further investigation, the family would have initiated that but based on discussions with them and the fact that witnesses were there at the time, Arotile was taken to the Nigerian Air Force hospital in Kaduna.

“There are no doubts to the cause of death which was head injury as a result of blunt force trauma caused by the vehicle hitting her from the rear,” he insisted.

”So, in consultation with her family, her father, Akintunde Arotile, said they wanted closure on this matter and that he was comfortable with the Nigerian Air Force’s investigation which of course is also being transferred to the police.

Arotile was buried on Thursday at the military cemetery in Abuja, amid tears.

- DAILY POST

Yoruba leaders decry state of Nigeria, warn Buhari on 2023

The Yoruba Summit Group on Thursday held a virtual meeting on the state of Nigeria.

The discourse centered on insecurity, COVID-19 pandemic fight, economy, resignations from the military, insurgency war, kidnapping, banditry, unemployment, corruption, etc.

In attendance were prominent elders and leaders including Ayo Fasoranti, Ayo Adebanjo, Banji Akintoye, Gani Adams, Segun Mimko, Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele, Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu, Yinka Odumakin, Tunji Alapini, Supo Shonibare, and many others.

They insisted that the nation is veering off precariously into a precipice, and restated demand for restructuring.

The group warned President Muhammadu Buhari that, “any attempt to go ahead with elections in 2023 without addressing the issue of restructuring would spell doom for Nigeria”.

Their joint communiqué lamented daily tales of looting by public officials, while the country is being encumbered with massive debt.

On late Nigeria’s first female combat pilot, they condemned “the initial casual manner Tolulope Arotile’s killing was handled by the Nigerian Air Force”.

“The authorities did not imagine that so much noise would be made, and so many questions would be asked. Her death was treated with levity, just as many other cases. The lives of Nigerians do not seem to matter anymore.”

The group demanded a full-scale independent investigation by an inclusive panel of experts.

They protested that on the day Tolulope was buried (July 23), Major General Olusegun Adeniyi was court-martialled for daring to voice out the lack of equipment needed to battle Boko Haram.

The communiqué agreed with numerous calls on President Muhammadu Buhari to change Service Chiefs, “who have failed to provide the highest quality of security, leadership and delivery of forthrightness in their duties”.

It condemned in strong terms, “the cherry-picking of our soldiers and officers as cannon fodders easy-targets and operational fall-guys for experimental disciplinary measures, whilst the real culprits, go free!”

The group also cited, “news of friendly fire from soldiers of a particular part of the country using their guns on our fighters who dare carry the battle deep into the Boko Haram held territories”.

On licenses for gold prospecting in Yorubaland, they raised alarm of the dangers of banditry, kidnapping and sundry criminalities.

The leaders reiterated support for Amotekun security network in South-West states and charged the Governors and the people to ensure success of the outfit.

“Notwithstanding the interests of some in our midst, it would be presumptuous to assume that the educated Yoruba Nation will dive headlong into the 2023 elections, when the Military, Paramilitary, INEC, Judiciary, have been rigged and appropriated by a single minority.”

The body vowed to mobilise the Yoruba not to participate in further elections “until the goal of restructuring or self-determination is attained”.

The communiqué added that as Nigeria moves toward 60 years anniversary as an independent country, the Buhari administration should call a meeting of all nationalities “to determine the nature of our relationships”.

“Unless this peaceful step is heeded to, so that Nigeria heads in the right direction thereafter, the clear alternative would be for self-determination quests to proceed rapidly without any further restraint”, it concluded.

• - DAILY POST

LOOTING ENGINE !!! Lagos spends N1m to treat a severe COVID-19 patient daily – Abayomi

Lagos State Government on Thursday said it spends between N500,000 and N1 million to cater for a severe COVID-19 patient daily at its isolation centres.

Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi disclosed this at a briefing to give update of COVID-19 in the state, held in Alausa, Ikeja.

According to him, to treat a patient who had mild case of Coronavirus cost the government around N100,000 daily. 

He stated that for moderate and severe cases, it costs the government between N500,000 and N1 million to cater for a patient on daily basis.

Abayomi, however, said it is very difficult to calculate what is cost the state government to treat a COVID-19 patient, but that what he provided was a rough estimate.

According to him, in arriving at the cost he provided, he factored in the treatment, cost of feeding, accommodation, the services provided by the healthcare givers, among others.

Abayomi also said the use of Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) Kits for COVID-19 testing in Lagos was illegal as it had not been validated, explaining that RDT kits had a very high risk of giving false positive or negative results which could be traumatizing for citizens.

“In the event that a false positive result is given, a potentially negative person will be subjected to trauma, isolation and treatment like a positive patient”

“And in the event that a false negative is given, a potentially positive person is allowed to continue to roam freely in the community regardless of his positive status and as a result of the above, the use of RDT kits is illegal until Lagos State can validate RDT kits that actually work,” he stated.

The Commissioner explained that the State Government had considered the use of Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) Kits as part of the strategies to expand its testing capacity but noted however that none of the RDT kits submitted for validation passed the validation test.

“In order to expand our testing capacity, we considered the use of RDT Kits and to facilitate the quick validation of the RDT Kits and reduce the barrier of entry for proposed manufacturers and supplier of RDT Kits, Mr. Governor paid the validation fees for the RDT kits. However, upon review of the several RDT kits that were submitted for validation, we can report that none of the RDT kits passed the validation exercise,” he said.

While noting that the World Health Organization (WHO) has not yet declared any RDT kit useful for public use, Abayomi stated that it was also illegal for private health facilities to test or manage COVID-19 cases without proper accreditation and validation by the regulatory authorities.

“It has come to our attention that several laboratories and health facilities are testing and managing COVID patients without proper accreditation and validation by the regulatory authorities”

“Two laboratories were sealed as a result of this. We will continue to closely monitor all facilities that partake in these illegal activities and endanger the lives of all residents of Lagos State and instigate punitive measures to ensure they desist from such activities”, the Commissioner said.

He disclosed that only seven private laboratories have been accredited by the State government adding that the second phase of accreditation and validation of laboratories will be conducted when the demand arises.

Abayomi added that the State Government had also only accredited three private facilities and was currently in the process of accrediting more including general practitioners and small clinics that are interested in partaking in the soon to be launched community-based and home-based care programme.

“It is important to reiterate that the COVID-19 pandemic is a public health emergency and the Lagos State Government has adopted a central planning approach to managing its response”, he said.

- PM NEWS

ODUDUWA CITIZEN, Damilola Samuel jailed in U.S. for ATM fraud, to be deported after

A Nigerian citizen in U.S. Damilola Bamidele Isaac Samuel, has been sentenced to federal prison for ATM fraud.

Samuel, 22, was convicted in Shreveport, Louisiana for using fraudulent ATM bank cards to steal more than $260,000 from dozens of bank customers.

According to federal prosecutors, Chief U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. ordered Samuel to serve 33 months and pay $276,790 in restitution.

U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph disclosed the judgement in a statement on Thursday.

He said Samuel will face deportation proceedings after serving his term.

According to court documents, Samuel conspired with others to steal money from Regions Bank customers.

Authorities said he set up accounts in legitimate bank customers’ names then transferred money from those accounts into fraudulently created accounts.

Multiple times, Samuel was seen on surveillance cameras using ATM cards associated with the fraudulent accounts, the news release said.

Samuel pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud on Dec. 10, 2019.

The judgement was delivered on Monday.

- PM NEWS