Nelson Ugwuagbo

The Nigerian Government on Tuesday debunked reports that the United Arab Emirates, UAE, has resumed visa services for Nigerian citizens wishing to visit the country.

LEADINGREPORTERS earlier reported that Emirati authorities lifted the visa restriction on Nigerian travellers.

It was also reported that the visa ban was lifted on March 4, 2024.

The statement also claimed that the commencement of visa issuance was a “milestone, reflecting the successful outcome of in-depth talks between the two nations and underscoring.

But the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu, on his X page said the document didn’t emanate from the Nigerian government.

“UAE has not resumed visa issuance to Nigerians.

“The document in circulation is not authorised either by the Nigerian government or the UAE,” he wrote.

The Federal High Court, Abuja has fixed March 7 to hear a motion filed by former Anambra Governor, Willie Obiano.

Obiano is challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the alleged N4 billion fraud charge filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

LeadingReporters learnt that the former Anambra governor was arraigned on January 24 on a nine-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering to the tune of N4 billion but he pleaded not guilty to all counts when the charge was read to him.

At the resumed hearing of the case on Monday, counsel to Obiano, Mr Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, informed the court that he had filed a motion challenging its jurisdiction on behalf of his client.

Counsel to the EFCC, Mr Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, however, said he had yet to file a reply because he was served the motion on Monday morning in court.

Tahir also said the issue of jurisdiction had been settled by the Supreme Court once the charge bordered on money laundering, the Federal High Court had inherent jurisdiction to try it.

The trial judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo advised the prosecutor to do his part by filing his response to the motion.

“It is not for you to tell the court the Supreme Court’s decision on the issue. Respond to the motion and leave the court to decide”, Ekwo said.

Obiano, a governor between March 2014 and March 2022, is said to have allegedly diverted the money from the state’s account dedicated to security funds in his last five years in office.

He allegedly directed the diversion of the funds from the state’s account between April 2017 and March 2022 and spent the money for purposes unconnected to the security affairs of the state.

The funds, according to the EFCC, were diverted through companies that had no business relationship with the Anambra government, converted to dollars and handed over to the former governor in dollars.

The case, filed by the EFCC, detailed the nine companies allegedly used to divert the funds from the state government’s security vote account.

Each of the nine counts disclosed the amount a company received and the period it received it from the state government’s account.

In count one of the charges, the EFCC alleged that between Feb. 16, and March 9, 2018, an aggregate sum of N223,371,000 was paid from the security vote account into the account of Connought International Services Limited.

The anti-graft agency alleged in count 2 that between Oct. 30, and Nov. 13 2018, a total sum of N95 million was paid from the security vote account into the bank account of S.Y. Panda Enterprises.

In Count 3, EFCC alleged that from April 11, 2017, and June 21, 2019, a total of N416,000,000 was diverted from the security vote account into the account of Zirga Zirga Trading Company Limited.

A UK-based Nigerian researcher, Yunusa Jibrin said he has invented an Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool to discern terrorists and their hideouts.

Jibrin explained that he leveraged AI-driven image synthesis to generate thousands of visual representations depicting bandits in desert environments, adding that his research achieved remarkable accuracy in preliminary evaluations by employing the use of a Vision Transformer (VT) model to identify terrorists.

In a chat with Vanguard, the University of Sussex alumna said his findings, if adopted by the federal government, would help to direct the efforts of the military towards identifying and eliminating terrorists wherever they may be hiding in the country.

“Efforts are underway to formalize these findings, with plans to publish and integrate the developed algorithms into the operational frameworks of the Nigerian government,” he stated.

Nigeria has been battling terrorism for more than a decade.

Following the commissioning of Geometric Power in Osisioma by President Bola Tinubu last week, media space in Abia State has been taken over by a raging verbal war between loyalists to former Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu and those of the present Governor, Alex Otti.

The subject of the media clash is the 5% stake which the aides and close allies of the former governor said was acquired by Okezie Ikpeazu in Geometrics Power, on behalf of the Abia State government.

According to the Ikpeazu’s allies, who include John Okiyi Kalu, Onyebuchi Ememanka, Enyinnaya Appolos, Chinonye Mba, and lately, Don Ubani, the Otti administration should confirm the said investment.

According to the argument produced by the Ikpeazu side, the Abia State government during the administration of the Obingwa-born former governor, acquired a 5% stake in Geometrics worth $5m with about $3.6m allegedly paid to Geometrics already, representing about 71% in payment.

The Ikpeazu side also berated the Abia State government and the Chairman of Geometrics, Professor Barth Nnaji for allegedly not crediting Okezie Ikpeazu’s administration with the roles it played in the power project while he was in charge of the State.

In their further arguments, the said investment was made with Abia people’s money and should be protected.

Apart from these, a former Commissioner for information and also former Commissioner for trade and investment in Abia State, John Okiyi Kalu, also made an allegation on his Facebook page, where he claimed that the State government awarded a 9.0km road contract that connects Abiriba to Etitiama Nkporo, even when such road had already been done and handed over to the communities by the previous administration of Okezie Ikpeazu.

He also challenged the Abia State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on recovery of government properties and funds to investigate the acclaimed Abia State government investment in Geometric.

But responding to the claims made by the Ikpeazu side, media aides to Governor Alex Otti dismissed the reported investments in Geometrics, saying that no documents about such investments were handed over to the present administration by Ikpeazu.

On the side of Governor Otti’s defence team are Ferdinand Ekeoma, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dodoh Okafor, Special Assistant to the Governor on Special Communications, among others.

Addressing the matter, Ekeoma said: “At this point, we do not have any document, any information.

“So, as long as we do not have any document, what it implies is that to the best of our knowledge, such does not exist”,

Ekeoma accused the former governor of allegedly deploying his former and serving aides to attack the present administration in the State, saying that the opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was jealous of achievements recorded by Governor Alex Otti in the Geometric power project.

He slammed the former administration and aides to the former Governor, for allegedly engaging in “primitive propaganda and rehearsed image laundering” for their boss.

Ekeoma, who recalled how people’s property were destroyed at Port Harcourt road in Aba by the previous administration without compensation, said those who brought pain to the people cannot distract Governor Otti.

Intervening on the matter during an interview with Channels TV last week, Governor Otti said he was aware of the ongoing media arguments concerning 5% investment which the Abia State government was said to have made in the Geometric power project.

Asked to explain Okezie Ikpeazu’s roles in Geometric project, Governor Otti said, “It is difficult for me to say, but I am aware he joined the Geometric management team to South Africa sometime in 2018 or 2019 to sign a loan agreement of about $50m part of which was used to settle the dispute between Geometric and EEDC.

“But the records available to me do not show that the government guaranteed that loan. So, the loan was given at the back of the assets of Geometric.”

The Governor made it clear that he did not have any document about the 5% investment, as no such document was handed over to him.

He however said that he had directed his Commissioner for finance and the Accountant General to go through and find out if there was any truth to the acclaimed 5% equity investment in the power company, adding that Geometric was in the better position to respond specifically to the argument.

The Joint Action Committee of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions have threatened to disrupt industrial peace in universities should the government fail to release the withheld salaries of members.

The salaries were seized by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari during their strike in 2022.

The unions, in a joint letter signed on Friday by the President of SSANU, Muhammed Ibrahim and General Secretary of NASU, Peters Adeyemi, questioned the rationale with which the government released four months withheld salaries to members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities but failed to release the withheld salaries of non-academic staff.

The unions noted that they would no longer be able to assure the government of industrial peace in universities should the amounts owed by the government are not released.

Earlier, the unions wrote protest letters to the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, on February 13, 2024, over the exclusion of the Non-Teaching staff from the payment of outstanding four months salaries.

The letter read, “We are therefore shocked that two weeks after the letters had been sent and received by the appropriate quarters, the Federal Government has remained quiet and refused to take any step towards addressing this very sensitive issue and it seems as if the Federal Government is taking our maturity for granted.

“We like to confirm through this medium once again to the Federal Government that the pressure on us has intensified and we have done everything possible within our ambit to prevail on our members to maintain industrial peace and tranquillity.

“While we appreciate the Federal Government for paying our Academic counterpart, we also deem it necessary that our members are also paid. The various feelers we are getting from our members in the universities and inter-university ventres indicate that we can no longer guarantee and be able to sustain industrial peace in the university sector.

“We therefore use this opportunity once again to call on the Federal Government to do the needful within the next seven days as the Joint Action Committee of NASU and SSANU should not be held responsible should the wheel of administration and corporate governance be grounded to a halt in the University sector, as we have exercised enough patience.

“If nothing is done by the Federal Government to positively address this situation and respond to our previous letters to them, the members of the two Unions may be forced to meet soon to take all lawful and stringent decision on the matter.”

The British Council Nigeria has announced an increase in the prices of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) for the second time in 2024.

The hike comes amidst ongoing concerns about the exchange rates of the Nigerian Naira against other foreign currencies.

An update on the Council’s website on Thursday attributed the new rates to what it described as “prevailing market dynamics.”

“The change in fees is due to the evolving market dynamics and increased costs in the delivery of our exams.”

The Council added that the new prices for the IELTS range of tests are effective from 1st of March

With the new prices adjustment, applicants willing to write IELTS computer academic and general training modules will now pay N266,000, while those opting for paper academic and general training modules are required to pay N256,500; UK visas and immigration (UKVI) applicants will pay N285,500 and IELTS life skills now costs N249,000.

The Council had only in January effected a 29 per cent increment on the price of writing the test from the initial N107,500 being paid for the test prior to last month.

The January prices had the IELTS on computer academic and general training modules set at N139,000; IELTS on paper academic and general training modules pegged at N134,000; while the UKVI was increased to N149,000, Life skills, N130,000; and one skill retake (O.S.R) at N87,570.
IELTS scores are internationally recognized English language assessments for migrants aspiring to study overseas and skilled workers applying for jobs abroad.

The Nigerian government has been at the centre of criticism over the recent weakening of the Nigeria Naira against other foreign currencies.

The wife of Abia State Governor Mrs. Priscilla Otti, has distributed 600 bags of 50kg rice, 1,000 rubber of 2.5 litres of groundnut oil, and cash to support Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in the state.

Addressing the beneficiaries at the event held in Umuahia, Mrs. Otti emphasized her commitment to supporting PWDs amid the economic challenges.

She reiterated her dedication to offering assistance and opportunities for vulnerable individuals, expressing confidence that the palliative support program will lead to positive outcomes in the future.

“I know that members of your community might not have fully benefitted from them. We are going to work assiduously to ensure that you are included in these interventions,” Mrs. Otti stated.

Mrs. Otti expressed her joy at witnessing the remarkable efforts of many members within the disabled community who have utilized their exceptional abilities to achieve self-reliance despite facing challenges.

She assured Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) of the government’s commitment to providing support and opportunities for self-sufficiency, with the goal of significantly improving their lives.

She urged philanthropists and individuals with goodwill to support the government’s efforts in enhancing the welfare of PWDs.

Speaking with journalists Mrs. Otti discussed her ongoing data collection initiative for PWDs to gather relevant information for providing tailored interventions to meet their specific needs.

She explained that this process would involve collecting details such as names and bank information to facilitate targeted support.

She said, “Also, beyond giving the palliative, these people need other forms of help that would meet their needs, especially for those that need assistance to improve their means of livelihood to be self-reliant”.

In a desperate attempt to salvage the naira, the Bola Tinubu-led federal government has slammed Binance, a fine of $10 billion in its continued crackdown on the cryptocurrency exchange platforms operating in the country.

The special adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, made this know in an interview with the BBC on Friday morning.

According to the presidential aide, Binance profited substantially from its “illegal transactions” in Nigeria while the nation suffered inexplainable losses.

Details shortly…