Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has confirmed that the Federal Government of Nigeria has received 4,214,017.66 Pounds of the loot associated with former Delta State Governor, James Ibori.
This is coming just as President Mohamadu Buhari wrote to the National Assembly seeking an approval for fresh foreign loan.
Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations, Office of the Attorney-General, Dr Umar Gwandu, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday.
The statement explained that the amount has been credited into the designated Federal Government account with Naira equivalent value of the amount as at 10th May, 2021.
According to the statement, Malami signed the Memorandum of Understanding for the repatriation of the Ibori loot on behalf of the Federal Government.
The development, according to Malami, was a demonstration of the recognition of reputation Nigeria earns through records of management of recovered loot so far in the execution of public oriented projects.
In the letter, read at plenary on Tuesday, by Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, President Buhari is seeking legislative approval for a fresh loan.
The President urged the Senate to approve the new external loan of N2,343,387,942,848.00, about $6.183billion.
Buhari in the letter, noted that the loan would be used by the Federal Government to finance the 2021 budget deficit.
Governor Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa of Delta State has come under criticism from opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, following his statement last weekend about who succeeds him as Governor of the State in 2023.
Okowa had said that Politicians in the State should not mislead their supporters, but leave political stake holders in the State to meet and navigate on who would succeed him.
The Governor added that a rooted politician that has the charisma and understands the dynamics in the State would become Governor come 2023.
This, however, does not augur well with the APC which has tackled him. Its Caretaker Publicity Secretary in the State, Sylvester Imonina, said that In a democracy, it is the responsibility of the electorate to choose who governs them, not a cabal or an individual who thinks, or sees himself as an emperor.
Imonina added that the voice of the people is the voice of God, not personal interest of anyone who sees himself as demi-god.
In a statement, the APC said it is on the above premise, that it condemns in strong terms, the arrogation of power that belongs to Deltans by the State Governor to himself.
“Last weekend in Asaba, Gov. Okowa, who is supposed to be the Governor of all Deltans but presently referred to, by most Deltans, as Governor of Owa-Alero, due to his clannish, nepotistic and propensity for ‘if my personal interest is not there, no one should have it’, carelessly said that in less than a month from now, he would be abandoning governance of the State for politics of who succeeds him by 2023!
“At the said ceremony, he arrogantly said that he would determine/install whoever will take over the saddle of governance in Delta State, come 2023. He threatened to teach those opposed to his political fiefdom a bitter lesson they will not forget, except they retrace their steps and/ or join him in his political marauding of the wealth of our dear State.
“Delta APC believes that all power belongs to the Almighty Creator, and not mortals. The Governor Macbethic ambition cannot supercede what and who Deltans want.
“We, therefore, advise Mr. Governor to humble himself, and concentrate on the current responsibility bestowed on him, by delivering quality dividends of democracy to Deltans, rather than veering into the future that belongs to only God.
“We state without any air of equivocation that the guilty are afraid. Considering the fact that Delta State have been receiving the highest federal allocations for more than four years besides other sources of revenues to the State, there is no commensurate developmental strides to justify monies received. We dare to say that the desperation of the Governor to abandoning governance “for politics of who succeeds” him less than one month from now is a pointer and manifestation of wanting to have someone who will cover his tracks after 2023 governorship election!
“Without any dispute, the expectation of the good people of Delta State from the PDP-led government as at today, is good leadership. Pitiably, it is lacking because of personal/family interest and desperation of a cabal and few political hallelujah boys in the corridor of powers in the State.
“One thing is sure; Deltans are wiser now and are ready to weed out all vestiges of political, social and economic liabilities impeding manifest and quality developments in Delta State since 1999 till date”, the statement reads.
The granting of bail to Nollywood Actor, Olanrewaju Omiyinka, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, by the Police has met with reactions.
He was arrested and kept in Police custody over alleged defilement of 14-Year old.
But his bail, after weeks in detention has generated mixed feelings.
He had been in Police Custody at the State Criminal Investigative Department, SCID, Panti, Lagos. But his bail was confirmed by his lawyer, Adesina Ogunlana, Monday, May 17th, 2021.
Ogunlana said; “Baba Ijesha has been granted bail about one hour ago. We are working to perfect the bail. He was granted bail on health grounds.
“He hasn’t been released. He will be released after his bail conditions have been met.”
Ogunlana also explained that Baba Ijesha was granted administrative bail by the police in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties.
He said; “The terms of the bail include two reliable sureties- a blood relation and a level 10 civil servant.”
However, popular Comedienne and guardian of the assaulted girl, Abimbola Adekanye, known as Princess, said Baba Ijehsa’s case has been dragged to God following his release.
This was contained in her post on instagram, where she shared that she might not win, immediately, but eventually, she will overcome, putting a caption: ‘On God’, with several hashtags mentioning God’s name.
Iyabo Ojo an actress, had, in an earlier Instagram live video, lamented some celebrities were trying to use their influence to secure the release of Baba Ijesha.
“If they release baba ijesha we are going to re-arrest him… as long as I live, I will stand with this girl,” She vowed.
The case, however, is a bailable offence. He remained in detention this long because of the strike action by Judiciary staff which stopped his arraignment in court.
The Central Bank of Nigeria’s quest to stop crypto currency trade in Nigeria has been spurned by many Nigerians, particularly youths who have embraced it as a way out of the country’s massive unemployment problem as well as an alternative payment system.
The Godwin-Emefiele-led CBN had on February 5 directed commercial banks and other financial institutions from allowing their customers to trade in the digital currency, citing security issues such as terrorism and fraud.
In spite of this, the digital trade among Nigerians has not abated as indicated by a report by IC Intelligence Insights which ranked the Nigeria third in global currency trade. The report which said the trade has been revolutionalised in the country, said investment and payments have become seamless as more people in the country are taking advantage of the global digital payment system which was first banned in 2017 by the CBN who four months ago reinforced the ban.
The report said, “Of the top 10 countries trading cryptocurrency volumes, Nigeria ranked third after the US and Russia in 2020, generating more than $400m worth of transactions.”
Emefiele: Bans Cryptocurrency Over Terrorism
Obviously, the apex bank has failed in its quest to demonise cryptocurrency which is gradually replacing cheques and cash in the payment ecosystem, according to Dr Desne Masie, the Chief Chief Strategist & Editor of Insights Newsletter, IC Intelligence, who said cryptocurrecny trade surged significantly in the last one year.
According to him “Bitcoin enjoyed a surprising surge of about 1,000% over the past year, more than quadrupling in value and outstripping stocks and gold, with Tesla’s $1.5 billion Bitcoin purchase making headlines and many investors desperate to get-rich-quick in a world of uniquely low interest rates.
“With the trend of the segment of the market, it may be of course that all money changing becomes digital in the end. Millennia ago it happened through bartering. Then progressed via metal items of exchange into currencies based on physical notes and coins. Followed by cheques and telex transfers, then interbank electronic exchanges. Now personal banking via Apps on mobile phones is widespread.”
He said many Africans, particularly Nigerians have embraced bitcoin as a preferred mode of payment, noting that the traditional transaction systems are losing momentum.
“In 2016, I was startled to witness in a Kampala open-air market impoverished women paying for bananas and vegetables on their mobile phones; stall holders standing in the dust were happy to accept money that way. And of course money exchange via mobile phone is now widespread in Africa, as well as elsewhere.
“Meanwhile, more cryptocurrency trading goes on in Nigeria than almost anywhere else in the world, reflecting a loss of faith in more traditional forms of investment,” he said.
The CBN’s ban has not been well received by many Nigerians, including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who said the apex bank was wrong to issue a blanket ban when it should be regulating the cryptocurrency trade for the benefit of Nigerians.
Osinbajo said “Rather than adopt a policy that prohibits cryptocurrency operations in the Nigerian banking sector, we must act with knowledge and not fear and develop a robust regulatory regime that is thoughtful and knowledge-based.”
He said digital currency is the future of the global payment system and Nigeria cannot be allowed to be left behind because “there is no question that blockchain technology generally and cryptocurrencies, in particular, will in the coming years challenge traditional banking, including reserve (Central) banking, in ways that we cannot yet imagine.”
According to checks, the most popular cryptocurrency transacted in Nigeria is Bitcoin, but others like Dogcoin and Ethereum are also dominant while more cryptocurrencies continue to be created from time to time, by many youths in Nigeria who have found transactions in cryptocurrencies profitable and rewarding.
This group of Nigeria have chosen cryptocurrency as a livelihood, according to Kingsley Moghalu, a former Presidential aspirant and CBN Deputy Governor who said the apex bank should rather work out a regulatory frame work to regulate the trade rather than banning it outright,
According to him “I think that there is need for a very serious study about this thing because many Nigerians are involved in cryptocurrencies. If your country is number 10 in the world usage of cryptocurrencies, I do not think that it is a wise approach to either ignore or banish it.My recommendation to the CBN is to really take a deep look of this whole thing and perhaps look at the possibility of the issuance of its own digital currency as China, Sweden and Uruguay and other countries are doing. What you do not know can be scary for you.
“If you think that you are too scared of what you do not know, then you will lose many opportunities and a lot of things will be happening under your nose because you pretend that it is a bad thing and you do not like it,” Moghalu said.
The former CBN top notch emphasised the need for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to launch an investment education campaign to educate Nigerians about the risks associated in trading in cryptocurrency.
“I think the CBN should be imaginative and deploy risk management approach to cryptocurrency. Investments are risks that are personal to the investors as long as they do not affect systemic stability. I think this is the attitude we should take in respect of crypto currency,” he said.
He also debunked the argument that digital currencies are channels for fraud and money laundering, insisting that no payment system is devoid of fraudulent and criminal practices.
Laoye Jaiyeola, Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group, NESG, said checking excesses in crypto trade is a challenge, he noted that the country cannot afford to be left out of the digtal payment revolution.
According to him “Cryptocurrency transaction is a challenge that people grapple with all over the world. While we institute the ban, we should undertake a comprehensive study to understand how it works. We have been told that they can easily be deployed to fund criminal activities, but it has come to stay, and if we are going to allow it in future, we should start learning about it now.”
A report by UsefulTulips said bitcoin volume traded in Nigeria in 2020 amounted to $353,482,254, even though analysts insist that the figure is conservative, putting the actual figure at over $400 million. The figure could rise further to as much as $1 billion or more in few years, according to financial analysts who said more Nigerians are embracing digital coins as a modern payment system.
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state is among the state governors that are not likely to attend a meeting called by Chief Bisi Akande, a veteran south west politician and former All Progressives Congress, APC Interim National Chairman, to brainstorm on issues affecting the region, particularly on the recent agitation for a Yoruba nation.
Apart from the Oyo state helmsman, Governor Fayemi of Ekiti state, it was learnt will also not attend the parley, according to sources in Ekiti Government House, who cited political differences with the former Governor Bola Tinubu, on whose behalf the meeting was being conveyed.
Fayemi is being backed by some APC stalwarts, including Governor El Rufai of Kaduna state to contest the 2023 presidential election, contrary to the position of a bloc in the party who supports Asiwaju Tinubu.
Akande, a former governor of Osun state has convened the meeting amidst raging calls for secession from Nigeria by prominent Yoruba leaders. In his state, Osun, supporters of secession led by youth activist Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho met at the week end to chart a way forward on Yoruba future in the Nigerian federation.
This may have become a source of worry for Akande, particularly with the rumoured presidential ambition of his protégé, former Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The concern among some leaders in the South west, particularly, those in the camp of the former Lagos Governor, is that the agitation for secession could scuttle the ambition of Tinubu to take a shot at the presidency in 2023.
The unease in Tinubu’s camp, it was learnt, prompted the Akande meeting in which all the governors in the region are expected to attend at the Lagos House in Marina, on May 23.
Those expected to attend the meeting are: Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; APC stalwart, Bola Tinubu; Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State; his Ogun State counterpart, Dapo Abiodun; Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State and Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu.
Others invited to the meeting include: Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, who is also the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum; the Chairman, Police Service Commission, Musiliu Smith; a former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Alani Akinrinade; and former APC South-West Vice Chairman, Pius Akinyelure.
The invite read in part, “Notice of Meeting: A lot has happened in our country since the last time we met, I hereby formally invite you for a meeting on the state of the nation as follows: Date: Sunday, May 23, 2021. Time: 2pm. Venue: Lagos House, Marina. Lagos. Subject: Review of State of Nation.
“Attendees: Chief Bisi Akande, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Chief Segun Osoba, Gen. Alani Akinrinade (retd.), Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, Chief Pius Akinyelure, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, Kayode Fayemi, Governor Dapo Abiodun, Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Former IGP, Alhaji Musiliu Smith.”
But, speaking on the meeting an aide to Governor Makinde said his principal will not attend “because he was not among the invitees. From all indications, the meeting called by Chief Akande seems to us an APC affairs, as the names of the list of invitees indicate. “
He said “The Governor of Oyo state is a member of the People’ Democratic Party, PDP and as such what they do in APC is not his concern. The convener, Chief Bisi Akande is a respected elder statesman, and the governor respect him as well as other Yoruba leaders but the meeting does not seem a bi-partisan one, all the governor can do is to wish them well in their endevours.
Makinde Not Invited to Parley
Governor Makinde is among the leaders in the region who does not support the presidential ambition of Tinubu. The governor who defeated the governorship candidate of the APC, Adebayo Adelabu in 2015, has said repeatedly that what the region needs now is restructuring rather than a power ship to the south west, as being clamoured by the Tinubu group, even though the APC stalwart has not expressly shown interest in the 2023 presidential race.
The magazine, however, learnt that Governor Makinde is supporting former vice President Atiku Abubakar to take over from President Muhammadu Buhari whose tenure expires in two years’ time.
The 2023 Presidential Ambition of Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has turned into a mockery of him.
Deji Adeyanju, an Abuja based Activist mocked Governor Bello over his ambition of running for the Presidency.
The Kogi State Governor had said that Nigerians were asking him to run for the Presidential seat come 2023, and that he wouldn’t disappoint.
But reacting to that, Adeyanju said Bello lacks the capacity to rule over a complex Country as Nigeria.
Adeyanju, the co-convener of Concerned Nigerian Advocacy Group said Bello lacks the capacity to be president of a “pig farm,” let alone, ruling Nigeria.
Bello had hinted on running for the 2023 presidency when he pledged not to disappoint Nigerians.
In his words, “Nigerians, the youth and women including very objective elites, are asking me to run for President in 2023.”
Adeyanju, shocked at him, said Bello cannot be Nigeria’s president because the Governor has neglected the Kogi State civil servants, and his State remains the worst governed state in Nigeria.
Governor Bello recently met with former President Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo over his Presidential Ambition come 2023, and has been consulting ahead of the general election.
In an opinion poll conducted a couple of days ago by a Television station, only six per cent of those polled said they would support him.
Organized Labour in Ekiti State has presented its position on the recently announced measures by the State Government to reduce cost of governance occasioned by dwindling resources.
At a stakeholders’ meeting in Ado Ekiti early this month, it was agreed that subventions to Government owned tertiary Institutions should be slashed.
The decision was reached after Governor Kayode Fayemi announced that the cost of governance must be reduced due to paucity of funds, especially from the Federation Account.
Other measures put forward include cutting, or total stoppage of running grants to offices, and discontinuation of the consequential adjustments of the minimum wage for senior category of workers, as well as ramping up of tax collection in a bid to shore up Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
The Governor had earlier told the stakeholders that there was the need to reflect the economic reality and development in the country in order to avert possible economic crisis.
But, organized labour in the State, under the Joint Negotiating Council, (JNC) rejected the withdrawal of minimum wage and consequential adjustment.
JNC insisted that government should continue to release subventions to deserved institutions.
A statement made public after a meeting with Governor Fayemi by the workers group states that: “The Organized Labour in Ekiti State met today with Mr Governor, Dr John Kayode Fayemi on the state of the economy in the State.
“The Organized Labour comprising NLC TUC and JNC expressed the position of the entire workforce to Mr Governor that Workers of Ekiti State rejected any withdrawal of minimum wage and consequential adjustment payment of the State which is a product of a process that has been signed to law.
“In the same vein, the Organized Labour rejected any stoppage of subventions to all the subvented institutions in Ekiti State.
“Also, the State Organized Labour, viewed any attempt under any guise to further impoverish the living standard of workers and all vulnerable groups in Ekiti State as unacceptable.
“To this end, the State Organized Labour further advocated for the inclusion of GL 13- GL 17 in the implementation of the consequential adjustment payment among other arrears of workers welfare.
“Flowing from the above, the leadership of the Organized Labour promised the entire workers that there is no way we will comprise on the welfare of workers in the State, hence, workers should be rest assured of our commitment at all times to their yearnings and aspirations.”
The statement was signed by Kolapo Olatunde, NLC Chairman; Mrs Akinyemi Taiwo NLC Secretary; Sola Adigun,TUC Chairman; Kuloogun Lawrence,TUC Secretary; Kayode Fatomiluyi, JNC
Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, says he is not nursing any presidential ambition ahead of 2023.
He said that his major pre-occupation now is to join hands in addressing compelling situation in the country at present.
A statement from the VP’s Media Office on Monday disowned a website that is calling on Nigerians to join a group that is mobilizing support for the VP.
Signed by Laolu Akande, SSA media to the Vice President, the statement reads:” The attention of the Office of the Vice President has been drawn to a website: supportosinbajo.ng that is calling on Nigerians to join a volunteer group mobilizing support for Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
“Details of this website and the solicitation of the group are currently trending on WhatsApp with a suggestion that Prof. Osinbajo has “quietly” declared interest in the 2023 election.
“The Office of the Vice President is not in any way connected to this website or the group behind it and considers such an enterprise an unnecessary distraction.
“Prof. Osinbajo has not declared any interest whatsoever in the 2023 election, but he is rather focused on working in his capacity as Vice President in the current administration to address all the compelling issues in the country and concerns of Nigerians, including finding effective and lasting solutions to the security challenges.
“Therefore, we ask that people desist from such unhelpful permutations while we all deal together with the challenges confronting us as Nigerians, and resolve them for the benefit of our people, peace and prosperity in the land.”
In a statement that is not only unbelievable but laughable, a group, the Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, has blamed the genesis of the current Middle East crisis on former President Goodluck Jonathan, citing his refusal to recognize the State of Palestine in 2014 as the cause of the current crisis.
Israel and Palestine are currently at war since the Palestinian freedom organisation, HAMAS, attacked Israel with a shower of missiles without a warning, a situation that Israel retaliated with heavy casualties.
In a statement issued by their Director, Ishaq Akintola, Monday, the Islamic group claimed that Jonathan played an ignoble role in the case when he was President.
“Ex -President Goodluck Jonathan played an ignoble role in the Palestinian question. The request to officially recognize Palestine as a State within the 1967 borders with the full UN member benefits and State status throughout the International community was presented by Jordan on 30 Dec 2014.
“While Justice seeking countries like Argentina,Chad, Chile, Jordan, China, France, Russia ruled ‘yes’ to the Palestinian State, Nigeria dashed the hope of Palestinians by abstaining. Just nine votes were mandatory for Palestine to secure the status it needed and eight had been obtained, only one more vote was needed but Nigeria reneged on its well known anti apartheid stance. It was a shocking conservative and reactionary shift from anti apartheid champion status for which the country was known to a pro-zionist entity. It was the coup de grace.
“It was the day Nigeria shamefully turned its back on its principle of justice, liberty and humanity, no thanks to ex President Jonathan’s love for anything that may hurt Muslims and favor Christians. Jonathan cannot wash his hands off that diplomatic misadventure. He allowed his religious sentiments to get the better of him.”
Governors elected on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP), rose from their meeting in Ibadan, Oyo state capital, on Monday, with a call for the amendment of Nigeria’s constitution to give more powers to State Governors on security.
The PDP governors, in a communique stated that “Mr President as the Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria and Commander in Chief of Nigerian Armed Forces, should immediately send an Executive Bill to the National Assembly to amend the Nigerian Constitution to devolve more powers to the States with respect to security arrangements culminating in some form of State Policing and the general security architecture.
The meeting, attended by all the governors, and presided over by Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, Sokoto state Governor, in the interim, called on Mr President to summon a meeting of the Nigerian Police Council, to evolve and implement strategies to combat the present threats to the unity of the country, especially with respect to policing.
The Police Council is made up of the President, Governors and other critical stakeholders.
It agreed that the Police Force still remains the appropriate institution to secure democracy and should not be subjected to personal attacks.
“The welfare, training, equipment, funding of all security agencies should be given priority.
Other decisions reached were: “Backing the earlier position taken by the Nigeria Governors Forum, Northern Governors Forum and recently, by the Southern Governors Forum to adopt ranching as the most viable solution to the herders / farmers clashes in Nigeria; the restructuring of the Nigerian Federation to devolve more powers and functions to the States; and reform of various civil institutions to achieve efficiency and equity for all sections of Nigeria.
“The meeting enjoins all Nigerians to work together to achieve peace and harmony with one another, devoid of discrimination based on ethnicity, religion and other cleavages.
“To this end, the meeting called on the incompetent and rudderless APC Government to take bold and deliberate steps to de-escalate and lower tensions in our country, and concentrate on projects and policies that will enhance and promote national unity and cohesion.
“The meeting re-iterated earlier call for the National Assembly to expedite action on the passage of the Electoral Act that will ensure a free and fair election, including provisions for electronic accreditation and electronic transmission of votes.”
The meeting by the PDP Governors Forum was to discuss the State of the Nation, especially, given the unprecedented worsening insecurity in the country.
