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Ondo: SDP Backs Agunloye, Says Now Viable Option To APC, PDP

By
Ayodele Oni
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Olu Agunloye

Ayodele Oni

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Ondo state has for the first time, rose in defence of the party’s national secretary, warning those behind his blackmail to desist.

The SDP in the state also proudly declared that it is now a viable option for the electorate seeking an alternative to the misrule of the two major political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and People’s Democratic Party, (PDP).

The Ondo state Chairman of the party, Stephen Adewale in a statement in Akure on Friday, disowned a meeting reportedly held by some expelled members of the party under the auspices of “South West SDP Stakeholders” in Ibadan, Oyo state.

Members at the Ibadan meeting had advised aspirants, that wish to contest on the platform of the party ahead of the 2023 general elections not to purchase expression and nomination forms yet.

But Adewale, in his reaction, wondered why those claiming to be members of the SDP would tell hopefuls not to fly the party’s flag.

The Chairman said that “We, therefore, take strong exceptions to the false innuendo being passed around by expelled members of our party.”

He pointed out that the party’s leadership in the national and the states, “remains united and solidly committed to the task of building the party as a viable choice for the people in the states seeking an alternative to the APC and PDP misrule.

“The party has never been more united than it is now, as new members join in significant numbers on a daily basis.

“Nigerians are beginning to regard the SDP as a viable option to the two major political parties that have ruled the country since 1999.”

The Chairman also took exception to the attack on the party’s national secretary, Dr Olu Agunloye by the expelled members at the Ibadan meeting.

Adewale declared that the party would not take kindly to the “attacks on our respected National Secretary’s personality, attempt to ruin the Social Democratic Party’s name and integrity on the altar of politics.

According to the chairman, ‘Sola Agboola, the expelled state Secretary of the party in Ondo state and his associates’ constant attacks on the character of our National Secretary and the integrity of our great party are unfounded, in bad faith, and obviously libellous.

“Their reckless and baseless allegations against the National Secretary is unfortunate and an insult to our Leader’s hard-earned reputation, which he has strongly maintained.

“As a two-time former Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, his age and achievements in the Nigerian politics and other walks of life set him out as a distinguished citizen of this great country.

“We further make it clear that the accusation of tyrannical leadership levelled by Dr. Olu Agunloye’s traducers are mere fabrications intended to smear and taint our noble leader and should be disregarded entirely.”

Ondo Community Gets Obaship Status After Decades Of Legal Tussle

By
Ayodele Oni
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Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State
Rotimi Akeredolu

By Ayodele Oni

After over a decade and prolonged legal tussle, the seat of Asin of Oka-Odo in Akoko area of Ondo state has been accorded obaship status on Grade C.

This is after 117 years of tussle as Sir Pius Omiyejola Akande was presented Staff and Instrument of Appointment as substantive traditional ruler.

Ondo State Governor, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu made history as he presented Instrument and Staff of Office to Sir Pius Omiyejola Akande as the substantive Asin of Oka-Odo in Akoko south west local government.

The Governor, represented by his Special Adviser on Rural Development, Babatunde Kolawole, disclosed that the battle for recognition of the obaship status of the Asin seat, started when a paramountcy and supremacy tussle ensued between the Olubaka and Asin and the paramouncy was conferred on the Olubaka.

According to him, the Asin Obaship status had been accorded recognition during the defunct Western region, but was jettisoned due to the fight over supremacy between the Olubaka and the Asin.

The Governor added that after a long legal battle that was decided at the Supreme Court, the State government was ordered to implement the recommendation of the 1979 Justice Ogunleye Commission of inquiry which conferred an obaship status on the Asin seat.

“The State Executive Council immediately swung into action and approved the recognition of the Obaship status on the Asin of Oka-Odo on Grade C on the 4th of March.”

He congratulated the people of Oka-Odo for this great achievement.

The  Governor charged the new Oba to embrace the spirit of sportsmanship, be a father to all, limit his activities to his domain and make the development of Oka-Odo paramount in his pursuit.

He further enjoined the community to accord the monarch required cooperation, support and loyality needed to move the community forward.

Mr Akeredolu charged the oba to lend the government a helping hand in ensuring peace and security in his domain, while promising that government on its part, will continue to make life more meaningful and worthwhile for the people through the provision of basic social amenities and infrastructure.

In his address, the Chairman Akoko Southwest Local Government, Augustine Oloruntogbe appreciated the Governor for fulfiling his electioneering promise of recognising every chieftaincy stool that qualifies for recognition.

He appealed to the people to support the government as well as key into all its programmes, as a way of resiprocating its good gestures.

In his response, the Asin of Oka-Odo , Oba Pius Imiyejola Akande appreciated the Governor for fulfiling his promise to the people as well as counting Oka-Odo and consequently Akoko Southwest Local government, worthy of people oriented projects doting its landscape.

The monarch asked for more projects that will make life more meaningful for the people,  while pledging to live up to expectation, as well as foster peaceful coexistence with the people and other Obas in the Local Government.

ICYM: Buhari’s Supporters Demand Emefiele’s Resignation

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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By Fola James

The call for the resignation of Godwin Emefiele as Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN Governor has become more intensified now that he has obtained the nomination form to contest the presidential election next year under the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC for N100 million.

No serving CBN Governor has been so politically partisan.

Few months ago, a group supporting President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria First Movement, NFM after blaming Emefiele for the nation’s economic woes, noted that he had put a “final nail in the country’s already doomed economy.”

The pro-Buhari group which said the economy has been wobbling since the re-appointment of Emefiele by the president, vowed to mobilise over 200 other pro-Buhari groups  against the apex bank governor if he failed to resign.

The group Coordinator, Augustine Richard in a statement said many Nigerians were disappointed with the tedious registration processes as part of the requirements for the e-naira.

Richard said Emefiele enjoyed the privilege of being the only CBN Governor to be re-appointed, in spite of this, the group pointed out, Emefiele has failed to use his position to turn the economy around, adding that the launch of the e-naira has prove this point.

NFM said, “the introduction and subsequent launch of the digital currency, eNaira, is perceived as the final nail in the country’s already doomed economy.

We are ready to champion the call for Emefiele’s removal by staging a one-week protest that could potentially cripple economic activities in Abuja. We’re also ready to mobilise over 200 other pro-Buhari groups across the globe in the ‘mother of all protests’ that would hold simultaneously in Abuja, Lagos and London against the nation’s poor economic posture.

“Emiefele played a pivotal role in the collapse of the economy since his appointment as the CBN chief and before his arrival, the economy was said to be one of the fastest growing in the world. Shortly after his reappointment in 2019, Emefiele announced a five-year plan that targets double-digit growth in one of Africa’s largest economies.

“His approach to policy implementation, however, has left many in doubt, raising questions on how his key policy move, especially in the context of management of the exchange rate, benefits the economy, and the naira he sought to protect.”

The group further accused the CBN of rolling out various economic programmes which it said have no direct effects on the lives of Nigerians.

Richard further said in the statement that “on July 24, 2020, the CBN launched a series of non-intrant loan schemes under the AGSMEIS, MSMEDF, AADF and other loan schemes. The program attracted a lot of Nigerians, with millions of them seeking to join the program through all due process.

“For more than a year now, nothing has been done. The CBN under Emefile has shirked its primary responsibility of ensuring price stability and has embraced a more developmental role, in the hopes of naira stability.

“As confirmed by the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Finance, Rt. Hon. James Faleke, the CBN has failed to submit its Audited Account to the Office of the Auditor General (OAGF) for review, from 2010 to date.

“According to Kalu Ajah, chief executive officer at AfriSwiss Capital Assets Management Limited in Abuja, the CBN has pursued a strong naira policy and had sought to dampen imports. Well, imports have not declined and the naira is far from strong. One wonders if the import restrictions on items and capital controls were necessary or if the CBN should have devalued the naira earlier. I will say Nigeria did not benefit from the capital controls regime.

“The regulatory bank’s aggressive lending policy has been called into question as well, causing some concerns over the bank chief’s stewardship of the banking sector. The CBN is forcing banks to lend, and penalising non-lenders. These are shareholders’ funds being deployed via fiat.

“In October last year, the Central Bank fined 12 banks, including Citibank, First Bank of Nigeria, Guaranty Trust Bank, and Standard Chartered Bank N499 billion for failing to meet lending targets. It is another move that attracted criticism across the board,” he said.

Unprecedented: CBN Governor, Emefiele Joins Presidential Race, Picks APC Nomination Form

By
Ayodele Oni
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Godwin Emefiele

By Ayodele Oni

Speculation is that Emefiele, from Delta State, is being prepared to eventually become Senate President Lawan’s running mate

In  an unprecedented situation in Nigeria, or any other country in the world, civilised or uncivilised, the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, on Friday picked the expression of interest and nomination forms to contest on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), while still in office as CBN Governor.

By picking the forms, Emefiele has confirmed months of speculations that he would run in 2023.

Report from Abuja indicate that Emefiele picked his form at the office of Party’s  Organising Secretary, at the International Conference Centre (ICC) in Abuja.

The CBN Governor has been rumoured, without any confirmation, to be in the race for the APC ticket to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari since late 2021.

Apart from his posters which have adorned strategic places within Abuja and other parts of the country, there are several branded vehicles displaying his pictures.

Emefiele has not refuted or confirmed the reports, but said he was focusing on supporting the government’s efforts to strengthen the Nigerian economy.

In a veiled reference to the ongoing campaign by Friends of Godwin Emefiele, a political group,  urging him to give the Presidency a shot, and other associations mounting pressure on him, Emefiele in March, 2022, said he is more interested in helping President Muhammadu Buhari finish well.

In a tweet early early this year, the CBN Governor declared that “My focus at this time is a robust monetary policy and fighting inflation, which is now a global problem; building a strong financial system in an increasingly uncertain global economy.

“Development finance and supporting farmers and manufacturers in our self-sufficiency and import substitution drive, raising N15 trillion for InfraCo infrastructure financing, building a world-class International Financial Centre in Lagos, as well as support the @MBuhari administration to finish strong.”

Nobody knows when Emefiele registered as an APC member, but the consensus among many people is that it is unethical; that the Governor of the Central Bank should be apolitical.

A couple of weeks ago, there were strong hints that Emefiele had been asked to stop all his campaign plans and pull down all posters and withdraw all vehicles connected to the Presidential election.

But that now seems a ploy to divert attention from him.

A source told this magazine that Emefiele would eventually be a running mate to Senate President, Dr Ahmad Lawan who, is expected to pick his form before the last date for that.

Lawan’s would-be-entry into the race has been interpreted as a ploy by the by the North to deny the South of the 2023 Presidency. Until now, the understanding was that the APC had zoned its Presidential ticket to the South.

Senator Lawan, urbane, pleasant and cosmopolitan is from Yobe State.

Emefiele, appointed CBN Governor by President Goodluck Jonathan and reappointed by President Muhammadu Buhari, is from the Igbo speaking area of Delta State.

IPOB: Fears Over Updated Timetable For PDP Governorship Primaries In The South-East

By
The Source
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By Charles Igbo

There are fears that the just released updated timetable by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as it concerns the South-east States, might not work. It is likely to be disrupted and marred.

The PDP in the reversed timetable had fixed the Governorship Primary for May 23. But that date is a Monday, and in the South-east, it is a day marked for the ill-advised and much condemned sit-at-home order, a baby of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB.

The Primaries will hold in three States out of the five States in the Zone. The States are Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi States. That of Imo will hold a couple of months later, while that of Anambra will hold in 2026.

The sit-at-home order – a total lockdown of the South-east- was introduced by IPOB to pressurise the Federal Government to release its Leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who is in the custody of the Federal Government, and is being prosecuted for alleged sundry charges, including terrorism and treasonable felony. But the order only succeeded in bringing untold agony, pain, loss and anguish to the Zone as it claimed several innocent lives, destroyed people’s businesses and the economy of the Zone. The Federal Government turned a blind eye, and played deaf to the order. It was like, “it is their people they are punishing and killing, let them go ahead ”

Based on that understanding, IPOB  first reduced the sit-at-home order from every Monday to only the days Kanu would appear in Court, to finally suspending it entirely.

But the order is still being enforced every Monday, not by Kanu’s IPOB, but by Simon Ekpa who identifies himself as a “Disciple of Nnamdi Kanu”, but who IPOB has recently disclaimed and called a criminal.

In a statement, IPOB said he, and his group called “Autopilot”, are responsible for the continued violence and enforcement of the sit-at-home order in the South-east.

Ekpa has, so far, not denied or confirmed IPOB’s allegation, but has continued  to issue orders for the lockdown of the Zone, and threaten consequences if not obeyed.

Recently, gunmen attacked and disrupted an INEC centre in Imo where people had gone for the issuance of their voters’ cards. The gunmen who threatened there will be no elections in the South-east, killed one INEC official, and kidnapped two. The fate of the two kidnapped INEC staff remain unknown.

Not a few people think the PDP should reschedule the Governorship Primaries in the South-east to another date – not on a Monday – to avoid its disruption and to give the people the chance to pick their own candidate.

Access Holdings Plc Makes Bold Moves

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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0

By Tosin Olatokunbo

Access Holding Plc has taken major steps in line with its new status as a multi-financial service provider after securing a $50 million private placement from the London Stock Exchange, LSE. The development also came on the back of the recent promotion of 800 staff from the senior, middle, and junior management levels in the bank.

The Group Managing Director of the financial behemoth Herbert Wigwe, disclosed last month, the commercial bank’s readiness to “evolve from a bank into a large-scale ecosystem player offering a new globally connected set of services.”

He added that, “This ecosystem will offer specialized services at the same time as a seamless integrated experience to improve both relevance and convenience. Access Corporation will oversee a group of portfolio companies with significant complementarities that will drive more value for you.

“These include: Access Bank Group: banking remains at our core, now equipped to provide best-in-class, seamless and consistent Customer Experience, and service delivery in its operations in Nigeria, and across its 14 subsidiaries in Africa, Europe and Asia.”

Now, the Corporation seems to have started on the right footing by boldly stepping into the international market to raise capital to further consolidate its position in the nation’s financial sector as a positive risk taker, keen analysts in the sector said.

In a statement to the Nigerian Exchange Limited, NGX the bank said the fund was raised under Access Bank’s $1.5 billion Global Medium-Term Note Programme, MNTP; the dollar offering in the second Green Bond issued by the financial institution due for settlement in 2027.

According to the statement, the bank disclosed that it has successfully “priced a US$50 million Reg S Step-Up Green Notes due 2027 in the international capital market via a private placement.

“The Step-Up Puttable Green Bond is a 5-year Senior Unsecured Note (Reg S) under Access Bank’s US$1.5 billion Global Medium-Term Note Programme and is listed on the main market of the London Stock Exchange.

“The Green Bond matures in May 2027 with an investor put option, commencing May 2024. The Green Bond was issued with a coupon of 5.50 per cent in the first two years and then steps up (on the put option date) to 7.25 per cent in the last 3 years to maturity, with interest payable semi-annually in arrears.”

The lender, last week, announced in a statement signed by its Group Head, Communication and External Affairs that the elevation of the 800 staff to higher levels is in recognition of their efforts which saw the bank remained on a consistent growth level.

“This is a positive move at a time other competitors are retrenching their staff due to unfavorable economic situations in the country. What this means, is that, the bank has boosted the psychology of these employees, to prepare them ahead for the immediate task of transforming Access Corporation into a global financial top player,” a financial expert told the magazine on Friday.

The Arrest & Detention Of Hon. Farah Dagogo

By
The Source
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Farah Dagogo

By Annkio Briggs

I write from Port Harcourt, the capital city of Rivers State. I write as a Rivers State indigene, daughter, stakeholder, elder, and rights advocate.

I was outside of Rivers State and Nigeria when l was made aware that Hon. Farah Dagogo had been declared wanted by my State Government. While l was trying to confirm this information as the truth

from other stakeholders, elders and politicians, l heard that Hon. Farah Dagogo had been arrested.

Further investigation confirmed the news about his arrest and detention.

At this point, l decided to stop further commitments abroad and return home to Rivers State.

It is not a secret that l have been a reasonable and an unsolicited supporter of Governor Nyesom Wike. In fact, l see him as a younger brother as well as the elected Governor of my beloved Rivers State.

It is a fact that Hon. Farah Dagogo is known to me. He is known and is more like a son to me.

The passion with which l hold my State and all the peoples of the state cannot be measured, nor can the commitment with which l stand for right and truth, be measured.

I arrived in Port Harcourt on Monday, the 2nd of May, 2022, and drove straight to where Hon. Farah Dagogo was being held in custody.

The police allowed me to see him briefly, which was enough time for me to hear directly from him, his own story –  from the declaration for his arrest, to why he was declared wanted, his actual arrest, who arrested him and where he was taken.

The result of my visit to see Dagogo was that l was given access to other eyewitnesses to the arrest.

This took place when he went for screening as a Governorship aspirant of Rivers State in the upcoming elections of 2023.

Hon. Farah Dagogo was elected into the State House Assembly in 2015, and was again elected into the Federal House of Representatives from Rivers State, representing the Degema/Bonny Federal

Constituency both times on the PDP platform in 2019.

He is currently a House of Representative Member representing Degema/Bonny Constituency.

No Rivers State indigene and residents will forget what we went through in 2019, as the menacing Military tanks and soldiers rolled into Rivers state, and the huge prices the Riverine people especially paid for daring to vote their choice candidates and political party.

The concerns l have are as follows:

*Did his arrest affect his basic human rights to aspire to the office of Governor in the upcoming 2023 elections?

*Did his purchase of Governorship aspirant form to declare interest to run for the upcoming Governorship elections break any known laws in Rivers State, Nigeria or in the PDP party?

*Did the Police investigate and conclude with undeniable proofs that Hon. Farah Dagogo arranged and directed cultists to the South-South zonal office of the PDP in Port Harcourt?

If the Governor has information to that effect, he indeed, has to report it to the police as the Chief Security Officer of our State. But the Police must investigate and have proof of such before arresting any citizen, politician or not.

It is worth bearing in mind,   for the Police also need to know that Dagogo is a Governorship aspirant and his screening was due on the day that he was arrested and not on the day before when aspirants for National Assembly were being screened.

The people deserve a Police Force that gets their facts right before they are let loose on us.

The police arrested Hon. Farah Gagogo within hours of being accused of hiring cultists to the venue of the PDP zonal office in Port Harcourt, where he was expecting to be screened by

the PDP appointed Screening Committee, thereby denying him of his basic human rights to offer himself  to the people of his State.

He was denied his basic rights in the presence of the men and women representing the PDP, which should have long ago constituted a formidable opposition to the APC.

If the APC had acted in this manner towards Hon. Dagogo, or any other member of PDP, the PDP would have been shouting abuse of rights and, no doubt that l, Annkio Briggs, would have joined in condemning and accusing APC of witch-hunting.

It is a collective shame of the Federal House of Representatives and the National Assembly that, nearly seven days one of their members was so treated and denied his basic human rights, they are yet to express an opinion on the matter.

It is a shame on the PDP that the voices which have spoken up and have taken political advantage of the arrest of Dagogo are the APC.

It gets clearer every day how APC was able to easily take Federal Government political power from

PDP.

In the past seven years, all the PDP have done is say: “The broom cannot sweep, the umbrella willcover you.” How?, l dare ask.

Why did the Magistrate say he has no jurisdiction? What does he mean by that? Why was Honourable Dagogo denied bail, at least, pending police investigation? Have the Police and Judiciary decided to contribute to denying Dagogo his right to be screened?

After all these have been resolved, l hope the PDP will give Hon. Dagogo his opportunity to be screened as he did not, on his own volition, miss the screening as it is safe to assume that the Police arrested him to stop him from being screened.

The arrest of Hon. Farah Dagogo took place in the presence of PDP appointed Screening Committee. He was denied his basic human rights to be screened in the presence of those to conduct the screening.

PDP should not forget that we expect them to live up to the responsibilities of an opposition political party. If APC had arrested a PDP member at the venue of PDP screening of its member, PDP would be shouting abuse of human rights and dare l say l would have joined them in shouting rights abuse and witch hunting.

PDP cannot be saying this is a family affair when APC is gaining political mileage out of this. PDP should not continue to take the electorates of the Niger Delta for granted. When we wake up it will be the political loss of the PDP.

It is sadly clear why APC was able to take political power from PDP.

When all this is resolved, l expect the PDP to avail to Hon. Farah Dagogo a screening as he was denied his right to be screened.

The Police and Judiciary should not be sympathetic to any political party.

May l, at this point, call on all the indigenous peoples of our beloved Rivers States to remember that we are equal peoples of Rivers State.We we must take a stand for our future and refuse to let politics divide us, especially when the dividers take opportunities that we provide for them when we put party and strangers interests first in our beloved Rivers state.

Politics is the wagon that delivers the dividends of democracy. The the LGAs must ride on this wagon. The future, development, unity and justice of Rivers State is about, and for all, the peoples of Rivers state.

When l look back to the past l know Rivers State doesn’t want to see the political violence we saw in

2019, where tanks rolled into Rivers State, just to stop our people from voting for a candidate of our choice.

We all took risks to establish our rights to vote and to have our votes counted. It is our right.

I appeal again, the interests of our State and people must come first. Recalling the past seven years, the 2023 elections are likely to be worse than anything that we have seen since 1960, either as electorates or politicians.  Therefore, our lives, state and future must come first.

I call on the Inspector General of Police to look into the reasons and circumstances under which Hon. Farah Dagogo was arrested and is being held, and to please remember that these are uncertain times in Nigeria, from terrorism to political party interests.

Any injustice could give birth to reactions, and Rivers State, like Nigeria, is a political bubbling and boiling pot.

I speak with experience of 23 years spanning six elections in Nigeria and Rivers State, and we all, especially in Rivers State, need to bring the tempo down. We cannot call one situation an unjust situation at Federal Government level and call the same thing at Rivers State “it does not matter” – IT MATTERS!

I am concerned to hear that Hon. Dagogo is in hospital after six days in police custody. We all need to be concerned – politicians and non-politicians when in any custody must be protected. Months leading up to elections in Nigeria are dangerous times.

I have always stood fearlessly with, and for Truth, Right, Justice, Equity, and Equality, and l will continue to do so, in my beloved Rivers State and in the make by Lugard Nigeria that we find ourselves in.

 

The politicians of the PDP know that this can be resolved. l call on them to find the courage and to do so quickly; if you claim to be an elder politically or traditionally, be courageous and quench this political fire in our state. If you, for any reason, do not rise up for Rivers State, you will remember this statement.

I call for the release of Hon. Farah Dagogo from Police Custody on his own recognition and allow him his screening while the courts sort out if he is guilty or innocent of having deployed cultists to the South South Zonal Headquarters of the PDP in Port Harcourt.

Briggs, a daughter and servant of Rivers State wrote from Portharcourt

Decades Later, Abacha Loot Continues To Be Discovered

By
Uche Mbah
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0

By Uche Mbah

Millions of Dollars continue to be repatriated from money laundered and stashed away in foreign banks by late Nigerian dictator, General Sanni Abacha, and his associates.

The National Crime Agency, the Uk based crime detection agency, has been investigating the loot in collaboration with the US Department of Justice.

Information gathered by this magazine through the NCA website indicates that the Crime Agency has recovered $23,439,724.98 from the loot laundered out of Nigeria in the 1990s, during the rule of Abacha, associates and family.

According to the report, “the funds form part of a larger pool of monies identified by the United States Department of Justice (USDOJ) as having been misappropriated by Abacha and his associates.”

The NCA acted on a request from the USDOJ, which report the Agency has been investigating for the past seven years.

They had pursued a “protracted litigation and international negotiation to obtain the recovery order, to enforce the US forfeiture order relating to the recovered monies.

The funds have now been transferred to the Home Office for onward transmission to the USDOJ, ” the DOJ website said.

According to reports, Billy Beattie, Asset Denial Senior Manager at the NCA, said: “The NCA is committed to ensuring that the UK is not a safe haven for criminals to launder their proceeds of crime, and civil recovery of assets is a powerful weapon in this fight.

“We work closely with UK and international partners to tackle the threat posed by corruption, which disproportionately impacts the poorest and most vulnerable members of society. We are committed to ensuring that those who perpetuate corruption do not benefit from their actions.”

“The NCA continues with other ongoing and affiliated cases where other monies are being identified   by the USDOJ “as having also been misappropriated by Abacha and his associates.”

CBN, Money Banks Step Up War Against Drug Money Inflows

By
James Orji
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0
CBN Gov Emefiele

By James Orji

The Godwin Emefiele-led Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN has directed commercial banks in the country to block illicit drug proceeds front Republic of Benin. The apex bank said the banks must activate firewalls to prevent drug-related funds from the West African neighbour which has now become a hub for drug dealers, from entering the country.

The development came barely two weeks after the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA arrested billionaire drug kingpin Afam Mallinson Emmanuel Ukatu who was behind the N3 billion Tramadol deal linked to Abba Kyari, the disgraced former head of Intelligent Response Team, IRT.
Ukatu who is Chairman of Mallinson Group of Companies was eventually nabbed onboard a flight to Abuja at the MM2 terminal of the Lagos airport, Ikeja on April 13 several months after evading arrest by the anti-narcotic agency.

The magazine learnt from competent sources in CBN that the apex regulator has now stepped up collaboration with NDLEA with the aim of blocking illicit drugs related funds from getting passage into the country from neighbouring African nations.

The top financial regulator said it will hold any bank responsible for breech of this directive, adding that it has discovered that some criminals are trying to use the French speaking nation as a transit point of flushing Nigeria with drug money.

CBN, in a circular dated April 11 and signed by Asuquo Evelyn, Director of Banking Supervision department, said the order became necessary to stop Nigerian from being used as warehouse for dirty drug money.

It has, therefore, urged money banks and other financial institutions to strengthen their Know- Your Customers as well as customers due diligence mechanisms.

The circular said “We write to bring to your attention an intelligence report availed to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) which indicated that the Benin Republic is increasingly becoming a drug trafficking transit and consumption hub in West Africa,” the circular reads.

“In order to ensure that Nigerian banks are not used as conduits for laundering such illicit funds, it has become imperative to intensify the know-your-customer (KYC) and customer due diligence (CDD) measures in your bank as required by regulation.

“Consequently, you are required to implement additional measures on customers and business relationships linked to the Benin Republic. You are also required to re-classify related customers and transactions as high risk and conduct enhanced due diligence (ED) procedures accordingly.”

2023: Osinbajo Shuns South West Leaders’ Meeting With Akande, Tinubu

By
James Orji
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Yemi Osinbajo and Bola Tinubu

By James Orji

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will not attend a meeting convened by some south west leaders for presidential aspirants from the zone scheduled for Friday. The meeting was, arranged last week by former Governor of Osun state, Chief Bisi Akande and other Yoruba leaders with the intension of pruning down the number of aspirants and brightening the chances of the region in next year’s presidential election.

Some presidential hopefuls from the South west include Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President Osinbajo, Governors Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, former governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, who is the latest aspirant to show interest in the race after declaring to run Thursday, amongst others.

Since announcement about the meeting was made last week, there were clear signals that some notable presidential aspirants will not attend, following watchers of events in the zone said the meeting was clearly “an APC affair” to drum up support for Tinubu, the party’s National Leader.
“The meeting should have been convened by traditional and religious leaders from the region, rather than Akande who is clearly an APC stalwart having held the position of APC National chairman at a point. It was clearly a mistake on the part of these leaders, and it’s not a su9 that the whole thing has fallen apart before it even started” , a source said on Friday.

Speaking on why Osinbajo will not attend the meeting, Kayode Ajulo, leader of pro- Osinbajo group, Progressives Lawyers for Osinbajo, PLO said his principal will not attend the meeting expected to take place at Lagos House, Marina today.

According to him, the meeting is a ploy to endorse Tinubu as the preferred candidate from the zone by Akande and others, through the back door. He said Osinbajo will not be cornered to drop his ambition for anyone, describing the venue of the meeting and conveners at root soldiers of Tinubu.

“The attention of the Progressive Lawyers for Osinbajo, PLO, has been drawn to a proposed meeting by some leaders of the APC in South West for the APC presidential aspirants of South West extraction slated to hold today, at State House, Marina, Lagos,” Ajulo said in a statement on Thursday.

The rights activist said further that, “We want to commend this initiative which we believe was borne out of our earlier call on the Yoruba leaders to hold a strategic conference to provide direction towards the fate of the South West in the coming presidential election.

“While it is our utmost desire that such an important meeting be conveyed to establish a consensus harmony among the aspirants of the APC in South West, we want to state clearly that it should be designed appropriately to promote fairness.

“This scheduled meeting should have been a welcome development but for the following configurations which were not rightfully designed.

“The composition of personality invited for this meeting is a testament to our position that the meeting is a sectional affair of the APC and clearly not in the interest of the southwest and Nigeria.
“The Choice of Venue: Lagos Flag House in Marina, Lagos belongs to Lagos State and associates. This venue should not play host to such a meeting if it will be adjudged to be credible and fair. The meeting, if it is for the collective good of the people, should be held at neutral locations like Ibadan, Oyo State or Akure, Ondo State.”

He questioned the motive behind the meeting, noting that the conveners did not have a clear agenda as to what they want to achieve other than a premeditated plan to throw up a particular candidate for the election.

“We can state for a fact that the motive of this meeting is inexplicit and undefined to many of the invited aspirants as most of them were never engaged. How the meeting is conveyed like a secret proceeding shows that the conveners have no defined agenda productive enough to be for the benefit of all.

“Information at our disposal has it that a communiqué has already been prepared, and in favour of a particular aspirant. This document is currently in circulation among some of the invitees.

“The above-stated positions have lent credence to the incredibility of the proposed meeting as well as the unreliability of same as a compass for the Southwest in the 2023 presidential election.
“We want to reiterate in clear terms that our recent call was directed at notable, respected and apolitical Yoruba leaders, who are genuinely interested in the development of the South West and Nigeria; leaders who patriotically and tenaciously hold on to the history and heritage of Yorubaland and the upliftment of the masses against inordinate personal gains.

“It is undoubted and without gainsaying that the meeting as conveyed with a prewritten communiqué without the inclusion of notable statesmen on the list of invitees is premeditated and planned to serve a purpose which will not be beneficial to the southwest and Nigeria,” Ajulo said.

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