EFCC goes after ex-Kwara State officials, seizes passports over N22b Paris Cash

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC discloses that the commission has seized the passports of 34 top officials who served under former Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed over a N22 billion London-Paris Club refund.

The commission further revealed that ten of the officials have been on the watch-list to prevent them from fleeing the country.

The N22billion covers the N21billion drawn from the refund and the N1billion allegedly intercepted by the EFCC during the February/March elections. There are four cases on alleged mismanagement of billions of naira by some ex-office holders in the state.

According to the Nation Online, a top source, who spoke in confidence, said: “There are monumental cases of fraud already uncovered in Kwara State during the tenure of the ex-governor. We may need to call for reinforcement to be able to conduct the different dimensions of the ongoing probe. So far, we have seized the international passports of 34 former commissioners and top government functionaries during the administration of ex-Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed.

“Out of the 34, about 10 former officers have been watch-listed to prevent them from escaping abroad. And if they travel out, we can effect their arrest in any jurisdiction. The list of the short-listed suspects has been sent to the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) to prevent them from acquiring new passports.”

In a statement yesterday, EFCC’s Head of Media & Publicity Tony Orilade said the agency’s Ilorin Zonal Office “has submitted the particulars of individuals on its watch-list and under investigations in the state to the Nigerian Immigration Service, NIS, Kwara State Command. It said the Acting EFCC Chairman Ibrahim Magu made this known through the Ilorin Zonal Head of the Commission Isyaku Sharu during a visit by the Comptroller of Immigration Service, Kwara State Command Edith Onyemenam.

The statement quoted Magu as saying those whose passports were seized had been trying to procure police reports to deceive the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) to issue them new passports. Magu said:

“The need to familiarise the NIS with the particulars of such personalities under EFCC’s investigation became necessary following intelligence at the disposal of the commission that some highly-placed individuals undergoing corruption probe and on the commission’s watch-list in the state have procured forged police reports with which they plan to apply for new international passports to escape from the country.

“Information at the disposal of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Ilorin reveals that these highly placed individuals are planning to use forged police reports to re-apply for new international passports to flee the country in other to escape prosecution and justice. The commission urges you to use your good office to place these individuals under strict surveillance.”

- PM NEWS

US to establish West African Trade Hub in Nigeria

Representatives of the US government say plans are underway to establish the West African Trade Hub (WATH) in Lagos and Abuja, Nigeria.

This is in a bid to support the bilateral trade between Nigeria and the United States.

Grace Adeyemo, director of the Nigeria-American Chamber of Commerce (NACC), said this at a conference for Prosper Africa, an initiative of the US government targeted at “creating an enabling environment for foreign and direct investment” in African countries.

Adeyemo expressed optimism about the economic prospects of the President Donald Trump-backed trade initiative, which, according to her, prompted the decision to move the trade hub into Nigeria.

She, however, noted that Nigerian entrepreneurs who seek access to opportunities that would accrue from the initiative through the hub would need to meet the regulatory standards required to break into the US/global market.

According to her, the NACC would also offer advice to prospective exporters who would like to take advantage of the tariff-free market on the US-Nigeria bilateral trade agreement.

“US representatives have told us that the West African Trade hub would now move into Nigeria to be situated in Abuja and Lagos. This is so that we can address our challenges and have the hub serve as an overseer reciprocatory for all we’re going to be doing in the US,” she said.

“It will be launched anytime soon. It has always been in Ghana. US government is willing to support a partnership between US investors and Africa. Nigeria can latch onto that but we need to get it right first. We need to try to grow our businesses and add value to them.”

WHAT IS THE WEST AFRICA TRADE AND INVESTMENT HUB?

WATH is a one-stop shop organization backed and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to increase the value and volume of West Africa’s exports by addressing challenges in intra-regional and export-oriented products.

Apart from synergizing with local regulatory agencies and policymakers to influence the business environment and attract investors, it is also targeted at promoting the two-way trade between Africa and the US under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

AGOA is a US policy that accords duty-free treatments to virtually all products that are exported to the US by beneficiary sub-Sahara African countries. Acclaimed as the cornerstone of US trade policy with Africa, it is aimed at facilitating the export of over 6,000 goods with no tariff.

WHAT IS THE PROSPER AFRICA INITIATIVE?

Prosper Africa, a trade initiative launched by the Trump’s administration, is one aimed at synchronizing the efforts of the US government agencies to facilitate more deals between the US and African businesses and address trade/investment barriers.

Earl Gast, executive vice president of programs at Creative Associates International, said the end-result of the initiative would create more jobs for Nigerians. He said it would significantly grow the economies of both countries and improve the export capacity of Nigerian businesses.

“With Africa’s prosperity should come the US’ prosperity. We’re looking at how we can marry up the private sectors of both countries and, in the context of Nigeria, partner with the US capital; knowhow; and exports,” he said.

“Economies would grow, jobs would be created through private sector development. Nigeria would export into the region, through AGOA strategy, and to the US. We’re also looking at US exports that might help grow companies in Nigeria so that they can take advantage of the US market.”

On her part, Florie Liser, CEO of the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA), said the initiative would support US firms that intend on investing in Africa and develop the value of Nigerian products to enable the private sector benefit substantially from the value chain.

“Now Prosper Africa is focused on incentivizing and facilitating US investments into Africa in key sectors, whatever they may be. Agro-business is one of them. But there are others: health, ICT, infrastructure and places where the US government can bring value in terms of products and services,” she said.

“The reason that Africa accounts for only 3 percent of world trade today, notwithstanding that they have so many resources they sell the world, is because they are always on the lowest end of every value chain. You ship raw products while somebody else processes it into something that has more value.

“As long as that stays that way, Africa wouldn’t be able to benefit much from global trade. Why shouldn’t Africa ship its value-added products instead of raw products? The focus of the initiative is going to be on the investment into productive capacity that adds value.”

- THECABLE

Bernard Arnault, Louis Vuitton boss, overtakes Bill Gates on billionaire index

For the second time in seven years, Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft, has moved a spot lower on the Bloomberg Billionaires’ Index.

Bernard Arnault, chairman of LVMH (Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton), now occupies the second position after his net worth increased to $108 billion ahead of Gates’ $107 billion.

This is the first time that Bill Gates would fall out of the top two since the index was created

Arnault, who is France’s richest man, has added $39 billion to his net worth since June 2018, the biggest leap by an individual among the 500 people on Bloomberg’s ranking.

He holds the controlling share in LVMH through a family company and a 97% stake in Christian Dior.

Apart from the brands that form its acronym, LVMH controls brands like Givenchy, Dom Pérignon (a champagne brand) and Sephora (beauty retailer).

According to Bloomberg, Bill Gates would still be the world’s richest man if not for his philanthropy.

He is reported to have donated $35 billion through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to various causes.

During a visit to Nigeria, the billionaire said the foundation has donated $1.6 billion to humanitarian causes in Africa’s largest economy.

Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO, is still the world’s richest man with a net worth of $125 billion, even after reaching a divorce settlement with his wife, MacKenzie Bezos.

The $38 billion divorce settlement made her the world’s fourth-richest woman.

-THECABLE

Leave Northern Nigeria now – Biafra group warns South-east, South-south

The Biafra Nations Youth League, BNYL, has called on the people of the South-east and South-south to immediately
 leave the North, following calls by Northern Elders Forum, NEF, and Coalition of Northern Groups, CNG for Fulani people to leave the South.

In a statement signed and issued to DAILY POST by the Chief Press Secretary of BNYL, Comrade Kufre Obot, the group appealed to the people of South-east and South-south to return home or risk being killed after the 30th July ultimantum by CNG.

BNYL claimed that it was because of its threats to retaliate any unfortunate incident against people of the old Eastern region that prompted the call for Fulani to leave the south by the northern elders and CNG.

“We met at a closed door today after reading the statement from northern elders and their CNGs, we resolve to equally call on the Igbo, Efik-Ibibio, Ejagham, Ogoni, Uhrobo, Ijaw and other tribes from the South south to return home before the 30th ultimatum only if their life is more precious to them than their Business, they should return and at least observe if the ultimatum is a joke or not before concluding,” the statement added.

BNYL however vowed not to tolerate the killing of any Easterner in the North even as it stated that the call for Fulani to leave the south was a signal.

“It is a signal and we are ready to face it in whatever ways they want,” the group said.

- DAILY POST 

CCB to verify Gov. Makinde’s source of wealth

An anti-corruption agency under the Presidency, Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), has said it will verify the N48 billion worth of assets declared by the newly inaugurated Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State.

The Director, Oyo state office of CCB, Mr. Moses Atolagbe, disclosed this to reporters in Ibadan on Wednesday.

He stated that the verification will commence as soon as relevant directives were given from the CCB headquarters

Atolagbe also said assets of the officials of the last administration in the state would be verified.

He added that there were a few people in the last administration of the state who were yet to comply with asset declaration.

He said: “We have a few people that have not complied with the position of the law.

“They are very few in number; some of them are out of the country and others are based it on health ground.

“They have got in touch with the bureau and one of them showed up on Monday.

“We will just give them a little ample opportunity when they don’t comply they would be prosecuted.

“We have done that before, a former commissioner Oyo State in time past had been prosecuted for failure to comply.”

- DAILY POST

Ruga settlement: Do your worst, IPOB tells Arewa Youth

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has issued a note of warning to anyone who wants to take over their ancestral lands for Ruga Settlement.

Reacting to the 30-days ultimatum issued by the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) to governors opposing Ruga settlement, the IPOB challenged the group (ACF) to “do their worst”. 

In a statement by its spokesman, Emma Powerful, the group said cattle business remains personal and they won’t condone any attempt to enforce the release of lands for Ruga settlements. 

The statements read in part: “IPOB is a peaceful movement and must remain so but cannot allow anybody to trample on us by forcing our people to release their ancestral land to them.” 

“We are aware that cattle business remains personal business in Nigeria and cannot change today.

“The community’s ancestral lands are gifts from the God, handed over to us to dwell, on which must not be taken over under any guise by the government or Fulani.

“We challenge Fulani Islamist terrorists including their Arewa youths to do their worst after the expiration of the so-called 30 days ultimatum as was widely reported in every national and international media.

“We are anxiously and eagerly waiting for them in whatever shape they may want it.”

The group advised the federal government and “those behind the plan to retrace their steps before it turned uncontrollable and claim more innocent lives”.

Earlier, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, had asked its people to be ready to defend themselves against “northern war mongers”.

- PM NEWS

Ogun Police nab 3 for killing aged couple

Three men have been arrested by the Ogun State Police Command for allegedly killing an aged couple, James Olaosebikan, 72, and his wife, Esther, 68, at their Sagamu home on June 30th.

According to the spokesperson of the command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, who paraded the suspects, Ibrahim Uthman, Aba Abdulkareem and Abdulhamid Ibrahim, said the men had gone into the house to rob.

However, the couple recognized them and in order to cover up their crime, the suspects hacked the aged couple to death, and the incident was immediately reported to the police by the couple’s son, Joseph Olaosebikan.

“Upon the report, the Commissioner of Police, Bashir Makama, ordered the DPO of Sagamu Division, SP Okiki Agunbiade, to fish out the killers within the shortest possible time. The DPO and his men embarked on technical and forensic investigation of the case and their efforts yielded a positive result with the arrest of three members of the gang.

They confessed being members of a robbery gang and that one of their colleagues, now at large, invited them for the purpose of robbing an old couple and a nearby shop. But on getting to the house, they discovered that the couple recognised one of them, hence they killed them,” Oyeyemi said.

The police spokesperson added that the state Commissioner of Police, CP Bashir Makama, has ordered the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) to take over the case for proper investigation.

- PM NEWS