Alleged links with terrorists: Wike asks Pantami to resign now

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Alleged links with terrorists: Wike asks Pantami to resign now

Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike has asked Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Dr. Isa Pantami to resign immediately irrespective of his recent volte-face.

The Governor said in an ideal society, the allegation that the United States of America placed a serving Minister on its watch list was enough to propel the government into action.

A statement signed by Wike’s Special Assistant on Media, Kelvin Ebiri, said the Governor spoke on Tuesday during an interview with the African Independent Television (AIT) in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

He described as worrisome the decision of the Federal Government to remain mute amidst the raging controversy about the Minister’s sympathy for global terrorist groups.

“I don’t understand why a reasonable government will allow such a person to be in the cabinet,” he said.

The Governor said the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government was known for its proclivity to shield persons of questionable characters even when the country’s secret service presented overwhelming evidence against such individuals.

He said: “But you were here when DSS wrote a report against (Ibrahim) Magu. What happened? Look, I have never seen a country that your secret service wrote a report about the nominee of Mr President, questioning his character and the rest, and that he is not appointable. What happened? So, what are you talking about. What removed Magu is a power play.”

Wike also took a swipe on the National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for not taking stern disciplinary action against former Niger Governor, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, who recently claimed he conspired with others to ensure that President Goodluck Jonathan lost the 2015 presidential election.

He said: “If I was the leadership of the party I would have suspended Aliyu for that comment he made. But, you see nothing will happen. The National Working Committee will not do anything. Why? They need Aliyu to support them.

“I cannot understand why you are a leader, so to speak, you come out and tell the world why you fought your party. I have never seen a thing like in my life. Assuming you did it, you now want to rub it on them and that nothing will happen.

“If I was the leadership of the party, I would have suspended Aliyu and heavens will not fall. What does he want to achieve. This was 2015, we have done 2019 election. Jonathan had lost in 2015, why do you come out now to say how you fought him. Look at where we are today. So, you are telling us you made us to be in this position where we are.

“You are telling Nigerians that you are one of those who have kept Nigeria in this state that we are. And then the National Working Committee will not do anything because Aliyu Babangida is one of the untouchables.”

BREAKING: Chad’s President Idriss Déby dies after battles with rebels

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BREAKING: Chad’s President Idriss Déby dies after battles with rebels

Chadian President Idriss Deby is dead.

Deby, 68, “has just breathed his last defending the sovereign nation on the battlefield” over the weekend, army spokesman General Azem Bermandoa Agouna said in a statement on state television.

He was reelected for a sixth term on April 11.

The Chadian army has been battling rebel forces, which launched an assault on the capital, N’Djamena.

Details shortly…

Chief Lee Ikpea and Family…Is the Storm Over Now?

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Chief Lee Ikpea and Family…Is the Storm Over Now?

The storm seems to be over in the home of Chief Leemon Ikpea, the billionaire Chairman of Lee Engineering and Construction Company, a foremost player in the oil and gas and construction sectors. For now, the bickering and brickbats have ceased, so have the sordid salvos and social media war between Chief Ikpea and his kids. Though the matriarch, Agnes, remains separated from her husband of 39years against the wish of her kids, life seems to have returned to normal in the home of the businessman. Sources say prominent Nigerians and respected relatives have intervened in the messy marital saga of the Ikpeas, which explains the current calm and ceasefire.

Many would recall that Chief Ikpea had instituted divorce proceedings against his wife citing irreconcilable differences. On February 21, Justice Joseph Itsebaga Acha of the Edo State High Court granted the application of Chief Ikpea for his wife to vacate their family home in Banana Island, Lagos, and to refrain from further causing him any harm. The judge also ordered him to provide suitable accommodation for his wife around Victoria Island, Lekki or anywhere convenient in Lagos outside of Banana Island, Ikoyi, pending the determination of the substantive divorce suit. 

A few weeks later, several reports surfaced in the social and traditional media that Mrs Ikpea had been ejected from the same home she had shared with her husband and kids for years. Pictures of the alleged ejection with her bags and other paraphernalia on the ground were splashed in the media. In a video recorded by one of her daughters who came to fetch her, Mrs Ikpea said that Chief Ikpea resorted to self-help and engaged thugs to physically throw her out of the house the day after the judgment. She added that some ‘hefty men’ sent her packing bare-footed without concluding arrangements for where she would stay.

Enraged by the treatment meted out to their mother, the Ikpeakids went on a media rampage, calling Chief Lee all sorts of unprintable names and claiming that he sent their mother packing on the prompting of Tina, his second wife. They did not stop there. The Ikpea kids also recorded their mother saying that Chief Lee was heavily into voodoo practice. Chief Ikpea’s sons-in-law were no less involved as they reportedly goaded on their wives. 

Tina was accused of just being a mistress and not a legitimate wife, which Chief Ikpea vehemently refuted, stating that they had been married for almost 20years. Perhaps the most devastating must have been a statement attributed to the Edo Women’s Rights Network, EWRN, which also accused Tina of being the crooked wood that disrupted the marriage. The EWRN, which claims to fight the cause of women, stated its disgust and disappointment at Chief Ikpea and blamed Tina for her role in the entire saga. 

According to a statement signed by the Executive Director of the group, Hadiza Ero, “We are shocked to hear that a marriage of 39years old that has produced adult children will just pack up without any cogent reason from the man. It means that there’s someone, a higher, devious power controlling things behind the scenes and we are very sure that it is Tina. Since she came into the life of Chief Ikpea, the marriage has known no peace. And, as a women’s group, we are compelled to ask Chief Ikpea to sit back and think twice before incurring the wrath of Edo women and God.”

The storm raged for about a month as Chief Ikpea’s family life became a sitcom of sorts with a cult-life following among Nigerians. Good enough for the businessman, all seems to be well now as no more salvo is being fired from within and no more proxy war is being engineered by his kids and their friends. For now, it is silence from the Ikpeas underscoring that the reports of reconciliation with the kids may be true after all. Perhaps that is why the man has now hugged the limelight, granting interviews and espousing ideas on how to move the oil and gas industry forward.

REVEALED: Why Shell, Chevron, other oil majors are leaving Nigeria

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REVEALED: Why Shell, Chevron, other oil majors are leaving Nigeria

Fresh insights as to why the oil majors are gradually scaling down their operations and planning their exit from the country has been unraveled.

Investigation revealed that among the oil majors, including Royal Dutch Shell, ExxonMobil, Total and Eni, are cutting billions in spending after taking hits to their profits, thus shifting money to renewable fuels and focusing only on the most cost-effective markets.

Checks further revealed that the country was able to attract only $3 billion, or 4%, out of the $70 billion committed on new projects in Africa between 2015 and 2019, a development experts say, does not bode well for economy which relies on oil receipts to survive.

Nigeria’s loss has been the gains of other African countries such as Angola, Sao Tome and Principe, where some of the IOCs have made major investments in recent years.

In Sao Tome & Principe for instance, is now being heavily courted by oil companies from far and near. Notably, a consortium of US firms, including Chevron Texaco and ExxonMobil where among the first to secure oil license along with a Norwegian company, EER, which netted over $70million with many other prospects.

Confirming this development, Delta State Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Onogba Christian, while fielding question from our correspondent on the sidelines of the “Stakeholders Forum on The Environment” facilitated by the Institute of Directors Nigeria (IoD) Port Harcourt chapter, said oil majors like Shell, Chevron and others may have been compelled by the present socioeconomic realities that has made the current operating environment bad for their business to plan their exit from the country.

Specifically, he said: “The first ominous signs that presented itself was the deliberate efforts by the international oil companies (IOCs) to relocate their headquarters outside the Niger Delta region. When that happened few years back, it was a bad signal.

“Of course, you cannot lay all the blame on the IOCs entirely because no businessman wants to invest in an area where insecurity is a big issue. The problem really has to do with the issue third party interference, poor legislation among other factors which are genuine reasons to affect investment decisions, he stressed.

To address this issue, the government, he maintained, must ensure that there is an enabling environment for business to thrive. “I’m convinced that once there is a level of assurance that their investments can be guaranteed many of these oil managers that have exited the country will come back,” Christain assured.

Echoing similar sentiments, Chief Prof. Jasper Jumbo, Chairman/CEO, Niger Delta Projects Consortium Limited, said, “Nobody wants to do business in an environment of chaos. Once peaceful co-existence is a challenge no business can survive under such a circumstance.”

International energy companies working in Nigeria are worried that proposals in the country’s long-delayed oil industry law will deter investment in new offshore projects.

In a joint presentation, the OPTS urged lawmakers to remove a proposed hydrocarbon tax as producers will still be subject to companies income tax.

“Our review of the Petroleum Industry Bill shows that deepwater provisions do not provide a favorable environment for future investments and for the launching of new projects,” Mike Sangster, managing director of Total SE’s Nigeria unit, told lawmakers at a hearing in Abuja, the capital recently.

To boost new investment, the proposed law should grant deepwater oil projects full royalty relief for the first five years of production or a graduated royalty program, said Sangster, speaking on behalf of the Oil Producers Trade Section, a group of 30 producers including Total, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Exxon Mobil Corp., Chevron Corp. and Eni SpA, which he chairs.

The bill — legislation that’s two decades in the making — will streamline how Nigeria’s energy assets are operated and funded. First presented in parliament in 2008, progress in passing the bill was held up by political wrangling and objections from international oil companies that say the government is demanding an excessive increase in revenues.

The persistent failure to pass the bill “has been a major drag” on the oil and gas sector, Ahmad Lawan, president of Nigeria’s Senate, said last January as he opened two days of public hearings on the proposed legislation. The delays have harmed the country’s ability to “attract both local and foreign capital” at a time of greater competition with other resource-rich nations, he said.

-The Nation

BREAKING: Buhari meets acting IGP Baba

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BREAKING: Buhari meets acting IGP Baba

President Muhammadu Buhari and the acting Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba met on Monday.

They met at Aso Villa in Abuja.

President Muhammadu Buhari, through the Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammad Dingyadi, had on Tuesday, April 6, appointed Baba to succeed Mohammed Adamu.

The President was in London for a medical check-up when the appointment was announced.

Government of Nigeria@NigeriaGov·President @MBuhari received Acting Inspector General of @PoliceNG, Usman Alkali Baba at the State House, Abuja. #AsoVillaToday

Tottenham sack Jose Mourinho

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Tottenham sack Jose Mourinho

Jose Mourinho has been sacked as Tottenham coach after 17 months in charge of the London club.

According to reports, Ryan Mason and Chris Powell will be in temporary charge until a new permanent manager is appointed.

It was gathered that Tottenham have begun the process of appointing a new coach.

Mourinho was sacked less than a week to the Carabao Cup final between Tottenham and Manchester City on Sunday.

He replaced Mauricio Pochettino in the club in November 2019, signing a deal expected to end in 2023.

Last season, Tottenham finished sixth as against their previous 14th position in the Premier League.

The club also qualified for Europa League but were knocked out of the Champions League by RB Leipzig at the last-16 stage.

This season, the club embarrassingly crashed out of Europa League at the last-16 stage following defeat to Dinamo Zagreb.

Spurs are currently in the seventh position in the EPL table, needing five points to move to the Champions League spot.

Tottenham chairman, Daniel Levy, said, “Jose and his coaching staff have been with us through some of our most challenging times as a club.

“Jose is a true professional who showed enormous resilience during the pandemic.

“On a personal level, I have enjoyed working with him and regret that things have not worked out as we both had envisaged.

“He will always be welcome here and we should like to thank him and his coaching staff for their contribution.”

Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann is the bookmakers’ favourite to replace Mourinho, while Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers is also a contender, according to AFP.

Access Bank enters pact to buy majority interest in Botswana bank

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Access Bank enters pact to buy majority interest in Botswana bank

Access Bank Plc, which last month cut a $60 million deal to acquire the controlling stake in Grobank of South Africa, will look to firm up its presence in the region as its acquisition of Botswana’s African Banking Corporation (BancABC Botswana) is now in the bag.

The lender hopes to muster 30 per cent of profit for this year from outside its base Nigeria, and break into eight countries in Africa, from Morocco to Angola, that have been marked down as markets of significant promise.

A definitive agreement is in place for Access Bank to acquire more than 78 per cent of the Botswana bank shares, held by Atlas Mara, a financial services group based in British Virgin Islands, in a transaction to be completed by June, Nigeria’s biggest bank by asset told the Nigerian Exchange Limited Monday. Atlas Mara owns the biggest stake in Union Bank of Nigeria Plc.

“BancABC Botswana is the fifth largest Bank in Botswana and is a very well-capitalised banking institution poised for growth and success in its local market,” Access Bank said.

“The bank has been perennially profitable, given an existing high-quality retail loan book with opportunities and scope for diversification and further expansion into corporate and SME lending.”

Access Bank has been stepping up plans to be a key player in retail banking to complement its core strength in the corporate segment of the industry since its strategic purchase of Diamond Bank in 2019, riding on the latter’s sweeping digital innovations to gain traction in the retail sector.

It said it would count on the uptake of digital banking in Botswana to deepen financial inclusion in the Southern African country.

“The establishment of Access Bank through this acquisition in the Republic of Botswana will position the bank to deliver a more complete set of banking solutions to its clients active in across the SADC and COMESA regions,” said Herbert Wigwe, the group managing director.

Market Infractions: CBN, SEC fine 10 banks N2.5bn

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Market Infractions: CBN, SEC fine 10 banks N2.5bn

Three financial services regulators in the country have sanctioned 10 of the nation’s lenders to the tune of N2.5bn for committing various market infractions.

Specifically, the Central Bank of Nigeria, Securities and Exchange Commission and Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria have sanctioned Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Access Bank Plc, FBN Holdings Plc, FCMB Group and five others for diverse market infractions.

The financial violations range from non-compliance with anti-money laundering procedures, non-compliance with ATM installation procedures, the opening of foreign branches without regulatory approval, and improper handling of customers’ accounts, among others.

In line with regulatory requirements, the various offences and the amount of fines were disclosed in the lenders’ audited results for the period ended December 31, 2020, submitted to the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

In the year under review, the CBN sanctioned FBN Holdings, GTBank, Access Bank, Stanbic IBTC Holdings and Union Bank of Nigeria, United Bank for Africa Plc, and Fidelity Bank Plc to the tune of N1.69bn for violating its policy on textile importation using foreign exchange sourced from the Nigerian market.

The CBN in March 2019 imposed foreign exchange restriction on the importation of textile and textile materials into the country.

The CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, announced the foreign exchange restriction at a meeting with textile manufacturers, and cotton farmers.

He directed banks and bureaux de change to stop selling foreign exchange to such importers with immediate effect, adding that stopping textiles imports was key to revamping the local industry.
According to the financial reports, UBA was fined N636m by the CBN in 2020, while Access Bank was fined N464.23m in 2020.

Fidelity Bank was sanctioned five times by CBN with a sum of N446.9m in 2020. GTBank was fined a total of N237m for committing three market infractions.

From the 2020 audited results, Stanbic IBTC Holdings was sanctioned N277m by the CBN, while FBN Holdings’ total fine in 2020 was N223.4m.

FCMB Group was also fined N183.37m by the CBN, SEC and the FRC.

UBA was heavily fined in 2020 for failing to adhere to CBN’s policy on textile importation. The bank was sanctioned N623m for failing to review the operation of its customers’ domiciliary accounts relating to foreign exchange transactions on textile importation.

The bank in its audited financial statement for the half year ended June 30, 2020, reported a sanction of N552m over infractions on the processing of import transactions. Also in 2020, the bank was sanctioned N8m relating to corporate social responsibility donations.

In addition, the pan-African bank was fined N3m and N2m for incomplete documentation on customer account opening and late refund to customers respectively.

Access Bank paid a sum of N220m in respect of sourcing for foreign exchange from the Nigerian foreign market for the importation of textile.

It was fined the sum of N57m for its failure to comply with the CBN’s anti-money laundering terrorism financing code for the period 2018 to March 2019.

The bank also received a N42.8m fine in respect of failure to comply with the CBN’s Anti–Money Laundering/Combating Financing of Terrorism regulations and Know Your Customer policies in a transaction.

It also got a N2.2m fine for failure to obtain Nigerian Stock Exchange approval prior to the announcement of the Notice of Meeting of Board of Directors of the Bank.

While it was fined the sum of N1m in respect of operating a Tier 3 account without valid means of identification, it also got a fine of N10m for inadequate KYC. It has also fined N131.23m in respect of the contravention of the CBN foreign exchange manual and TED ACT.

Fidelity Bank was sanctioned N2m for foreign exchange infraction in textile. Also, a N2m sanction was imposed on the lender for substituting Open Market Operations Bill prior to maturity by the bank.

Corruption: SERAP Seeks Probe Of Missing N106billion in 149 Ministries, Departments, Agencies

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Corruption: SERAP Seeks Probe Of Missing N106billion in 149 Ministries, Departments, Agencies

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to “direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, and appropriate anti-corruption agencies to investigate allegations that N106 billion of public funds are missing from 149 ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), as documented in the 2018 annual audited report by the Auditor-General of the Federation.”

SERAP said, “Anyone suspected to be responsible should face prosecution as appropriate, if there is sufficient admissible evidence, and any missing public funds should be fully recovered.”

SERAP also urged the President “to direct Mrs Zainab Ahmed, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning to create a system of public announcements to name and shame the indicted 149 MDAs, including those that reportedly failed to remit over N55 billion of their revenue; awarded contracts of over N18 billion for services not rendered; and spent over N23 billion without any supporting documents.”

In a letter dated April 17, 2021, and signed by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said, “The reported missing public funds reflect the failure of the indicted MDAs to ensure strict compliance with transparency and accountability rules and regulations, and the failure of leadership of the MDAs to foster institutions that uphold the rule of law and human rights.”

It continued, “Recovering the alleged missing public funds would reduce the pressure on the Federal Government to borrow more money to fund the budget, enable the authorities to meet the country’s human rights obligation to progressively realise Nigerians’ rights to quality health care and education, as well as reduce the growing level of public debts.”

The letter reads in part; “SERAP urges you to ask Mrs Ahmed and Mr Ahmed Idris, the Accountant-General of the Federation to explain why they allegedly failed to ensure strict compliance with relevant legislation, rules and regulations across all MDAs, despite the warning and recommendations by the Auditor-General.

“SERAP also urges you to direct Mrs Ahmed to publish full details of the yearly budgets of all MDAs, and issue regular updates that accurately detail their expenditures, including by making any such information easily accessible in a form that can be understood by the public.

“The Auditor-General stated that the alleged infractions by the 149 MDAs could have been prevented if the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, and the Accountant General of the Federation had heeded his warning to ensure strict compliance with relevant legislation, rules and regulations across all MDAs.

“SERAP is concerned that the alleged missing public funds have hampered the ability of the MDAs to meet the needs of average citizens, as the missing funds could have helped your government to invest in key public goods and services, and to improve access of Nigerians to these services.

“Investigating and prosecuting the alleged grand corruption documented by the Auditor-General would improve the chances of success of your government’s oft-repeated commitment to fight corruption and end the impunity of perpetrators. It will improve the integrity of MDAs, as well as serve the public interest.

“Any failure to promptly investigate the allegations and prosecute suspected perpetrators would breach Nigeria’s anti-corruption legislation, and the country’s international anti-corruption obligations.”

Judiciary workers’ strike stalls Senator Stella Oduah’s arraignment in alleged N25B fraud

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Judiciary workers’ strike stalls Senator Stella Oduah’s arraignment in alleged N25B fraud

The planned arraignment of former Aviation Minister, Senator Stella Adaeze Oduah at the Federal High Court in Abuja, today, Monday, on alleged N25B fraud and money laundering charges has been aborted.

This is owing to the on-going nationwide strike by judiciary workers in the country.

The Senator, who allegedly committed the corruption offence when she served as Minister of Aviation under former President Goodluck Jonathan was billed to be arraigned in court today, April 19 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

At the Federal High Court billed to be presided over by Justice Inyang Eden Ekwo where Mrs Oduah was supposed to be docked along with eight others, the gates were put under lock and key by the striking workers.

We observed around 9am that well-wishers and sympathizers of the Senator who stormed the court to witness the arraignment were turned back at the Court’s entrance gate.

Private security guards keeping watch on the court were seen politely informing the crowd that the court will not sit until further notice.

However, our Correspondent could not ascertain if the Senator representing Anambra North in the Senate was in one of the luxury cars brought to the court due to their factory fitted tinted glasses.
Her lead counsel Chief Onyechi Ikpeazu a Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN simply said that his client was ready to honour the court as soon as they are ready for her.

This is the third time the arraignment of the former Aviation Minister will be scuttled in the same court for different reasons.

According to our findings, Senator Oduah’s arraignment was first stalled on February 9, 2021, following her absence in court which EFCC lawyer, Dr Hassan Liman, SAN, attributed to non service of the charge personally on her as required by law.

The trial judge, Justice Ekwo had then rescheduled her arraignment for Monday February 22, 2021 which also flopped.

Although Mrs Oduah was present in court on February 22 with her lawyers led by Dr Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, the arraignment again failed due to non service of the charge sheet on two other defendants.
EFCC’s lawyer had told the court that the commission was yet to serve the fifth and sixth defendants specifically with the court processes.

Liman had then sought for a short adjournment to enable the EFCC serve the defendants which are corporate bodies at their respective addresses.

In a short ruling, Justice Ekwo granted the request and directed that the defendants be served within 14 days.
The judge subsequently fixed today, April 19 for the arraignment of the defendants to answer the criminal fraud and money laundering charges brought against them by the anti-graft agency on behalf of the federal government.

Mrs Oduah is to stand trial alongside eight others on a 26-count criminal charge bordering on corruption, misappropriation and money laundering.

In the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/316/20, the defendants were in count one charged with money laundering while in count two, Oduah in connivance with one Gloria Odita, Company Secretary of Sea Petroleum & Gas Conthat, Ltd (SPGC), was alleged to have “used your position to transfer the sum of N839,780,738.00 (Eight Hundred and Thirty Nine Million, Seven Hundred and Eighty, thousand, Seven Hundred and Thirty Eight Naira only) from 1-Sec Security Nig. Ltd account No. 2021756955 with First Muds Plc to Broadwaters Resources Company Ltd account No. 2023201064 with First Bank Plc which money you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: Fraud and thereby, committed an offence contra, to Section 15(2) (b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (As Amended) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act”.

The Senator was also accused of Illegally transferring another sum of N838,000,000.00 (Eight Hundred and Thirty Eight Million Naira only) in count three.

In count four, both Mrs Oduah and Mrs Odita were accused of laundering another sum of NI, 629,250,000.00 (One Billion, Six Hundred and Twenty Nine Million, Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Nairn only) in February 2014 and another N1.629,250,000.00 (One Billion, Six Hundred and Twenty Nine Million, Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) in count five.

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