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INEC Task Edo Stakeholders on Peaceful Gubernatorial Elections

by Nelson Ugwuagbo August 21, 2024

written by Nelson Ugwuagbo

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has urged voters and political Stakeholders in Edo State to ensure a peaceful and coordinated elections in the forthcoming Edo State Governorship elections.

INEC’s Supervising National Commissioner for Edo, Delta and Cross River States, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, stated this at the commission’s office in Benin at the presentation of voter registers to the chairmen and representatives of the 16 participating political parties.

Gumus said, “Election should not be a do-or-die affair. If you do not win today, you may win tomorrow. Problems always erupt on election day. Politicians and their supporters in Edo State should eschew violence.

“INEC is ready for the governorship election in Edo State. We want the stakeholders to cooperate with the electoral commission to make the activities before, during and after the election to be seamless. I am giving an assurance that with the support of the security agencies, the election will be peaceful, free and fair.”

The supervising national commissioner also urged Edo residents and other Nigerians to be proud of their motherland, and never to allow tribe or tongue to divide them.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in Edo, Dr. Anugbum Onuoha, earlier reiterated that 2,501,081 voters were registered in the state for the 2023 general elections, while 173,048 persons were registered during the Continuous Voter Registration from May 27 to June 9, 2024, with 119,206 registrants, including the persons who transferred their PVCs, being valid, thereby bringing the total to 2,501,081 eligible voters.

The REC said campaigns would stop on September 19, while the governorship election would hold on September 21.

The Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council in Edo, Greg Igbinomwanhia, who is also the state’s Chairman of People’s Redemption Party, commended INEC for carrying out activities of the election without hitch.

Igbinomwanhia added that the September 21 governorship poll in Edo must not just be free and fair, but peaceful.

He urged the leaders and members of the political parties to shun violence so that Governor Godwin Obaseki’s successor would be elected without rancour.

August 21, 2024 0 comments

Headlines

Again, Naira Depreciates To N1600 Against Dollar

by Nelson Ugwuagbo August 21, 2024

written by Nelson Ugwuagbo

The Naira fell to N1, 600 per dollar in the parallel market from N1,590 per dollar last weekend.

The Naira strengthened to N1,579.22 per dollar in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM), marking an appreciation in value.

Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative exchange rate for NAFEM fell to N1,579.22 per dollar from N1,579.89 per dollar last week Friday, indicating 67 kobo appreciation for the naira.

The volume of dollars traded in the market increased by 41.4 per cent to $162.99 million from $115.23 million traded last weekend.

Consequently, the margin between the parallel market and NAFEM rate widened to N20.78 per dollar from N10.11 per dollar last week Friday.

August 21, 2024 0 comments

Headlines

BREAKING: Wike declares Abuja Park and Pay Policy Illegal

by Folarin Kehinde August 21, 2024

written by Folarin Kehinde

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has declared the Park and Pay scheme in the nation’s capital as illegal.

Wike made the declaration during a live media parley with select journalists in Abuja, on Wednesay.

The interactive session was put together to mark his one year in office.

The minister said, “A call from a senior advocate, brought to light a scheme that has been siphoning government funds under the guise of a legal operation.

“The scheme, which appears to have been operating under the radar, highlights a critical flaw in the system that allows private consultants to pocket the lion’s share of revenues meant for the government.

“These are things we need to fight within the system. Sometimes, if you don’t bring it to our attention, we may not know. We can’t be everywhere.

“The incident unfolded when a Senior Advocate of Nigeria reached out to me with a troubling report. He said, ‘Sir, some people came to our office and they are trying to seize our cars. They claim to be from the Transport Secretariat. I asked him to give the person the phone, and I asked the person, ‘Who are you?’ He said, he is ffrom ‘Park and Pay from the Transport Secretariat.”

Wike, who was unaware of such activities, immediately sought clarification.

“I wasn’t aware of this, so I called the person in charge of it. I asked, ‘Who collects the money?’ Unknown to us, there are agreements between the secretariat and some people who claim to be consultants. So, the consultant takes 80%, and the FCT administration takes 20%,” Wike explained.

The minister declared their activities illegal, assuring that immediate action would be taken to dismantle the operation.

“I’m trying to say that it’s illegal, and nothing like that exists. And if my colleague hadn’t called me, I wouldn’t have known,” he concluded.

August 21, 2024 0 comments

Headlines

Tony Elumelu Launches New Bank

by Nelson Ugwuagbo August 21, 2024

written by Nelson Ugwuagbo

Nigerian Billionaire and Chairman of the United Bank for Africa (UBA), Tony Elumelu has launched Ucee Microfinance Bank, a subsidiary of United Capital Plc, a leading investment and financial services group.

Tony Elumelu performed the unveiling ceremony in Lagos, accompanied by a delegation of top executives, including Stephen Nwadiukpo, Chairman of Ucee MFB, Peter Ashade, Group CEO of United Capital Plc, and Esther Adeola-Balogun, Managing Director/CEO of Ucee MFB.

According to Elumelu, the new bank is committed to improving lives, creating prosperity, and helping society live comfortably. Elumelu expressed hope that the new bank would surpass the collective expectations of the group, consumers and the Nigerian public.

He expressed confidence in the bank’s leadership’s ability to take it beyond Nigeria’s shores.

Ashade said that Ucee MFB strives to drive financial inclusion and increase access to capital financial services in line with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) objectives.

Adeola-Balogun explained that the new microfinance bank was digitally focused on bridging the gap between digital and traditional microfinance banking operations.

She said that beyond profit-making, the Ucee MFB was ready to impact the lives of Nigerians.

According to her, the bank’s medium of reaching the Nigerian public is via its mobile app, a one-stop shop for all its products and services.

August 21, 2024 0 comments

Headlines

“Beware of fake Milo in circulation”, NAFDAC Warns Nigerians

by Folarin Kehinde August 21, 2024

written by Folarin Kehinde

….. begins mop up in bauchi

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC in Bauchi State has commenced a three-day exercise in markets to mop up fake Milo chocolate drinks in circulation.

The State Coordinator of NAFDAC, Dr Paul Kamai made this known on Wednesday in Bauchi.

“The NAFDAC office began the inspections in markets and superstores to get rid of the fake Milo in circulation following a directive from the Headquarters.

“This exercise will last for three days starting Tuesday,” he said.

According to Kumai, the agency has scheduled a date within the week to engage the leadership of the association of Agro chemical dealers on the dangers of chemicals on foods.

“In Bauchi, we will engage the dealers of Agro chemicals against the use of Dictholoruvis and Paraquat chemicals to store food as we approach the harvest period.

“These are dangerous chemicals that have been banned over time,” he added.

Kamai called the attention of Bakers and packaged water producers to renew their licenses within the stipulated two-year timeline.

He said failure to renew the operational licenses could result in penalties that might affect business operations.

Kamai urged small and medium enterprises to register their products with NAFDAC to assimilate their products into Nigerian markets.

August 21, 2024 0 comments

Headlines

Rain, lightning, thunderstorms caused petrol scarcity: NNPC

by Folarin Kehinde August 21, 2024

written by Folarin Kehinde

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Ltd. has blamed the fuel scarcity that has led to long queues in filling stations nationwide due to recent rains, lightning, and thunderstorm.

NNPCL’s vice-president (downstream), Dapo Segun, disclosed this at a press conference at the NNPC towers in Abuja.

Fuel queues have resurfaced in filling stations across the country, with car owners spending long hours in queues and black markets having a field day with fuel now being sold for as much as over N1,000.

Apologising to Nigerians for the queues springing up across the country and noting that the NNPC will not like to make excuses, Mr Segun, on Tuesday, said the recent weather conditions hampering the sufficient distribution of fuel across the country is beyond the control of the corporation, but assured that all will be done to manage the situation.

“We’ll like to apologise to Nigerians for the queues we’ve been seeing springing up. A number of the causes are outside of our control but we’ll do our best to manage. We do not like to make excuses,” Mr Segun stated. “For example, since the rains began, the Estragos channel has been difficult to navigate through. We have vessel after vessel going around there because of siltation, and that has really hindered our ability to bring petroleum products, particularly PMS, up country.”

The NNPCL executive added, “We also understand that with the rains also, situations where to discharge petroleum products where there is lightning, thunderstorms, you have to suspend, not just the discharge of petroleum products onshore but also, the evacuation from the tankers. We’ve had situations that have occurred in recent times.

“We’ve also had issues with the road network. That also gives challenges in bringing these products upcountry. The tightness you see in Lagos currently was due to a very short supply gap, which has since been redressed. Vessels are in Lagos now, offloading and discharging as I speak. So, that is definitely short-lived.”

Mr Segun vowed that despite the number of factors creating the nightmarish situations, no stone will be left unturned in ensuring that petroleum products get to all nooks and crannies in the country.

August 21, 2024 0 comments

Headlines

JUST IN: Chinese takes over Nigeria’s guest houses in Liverpool, to sell on eBay for $2.2 million

by Folarin Kehinde August 21, 2024

written by Folarin Kehinde

A Chinese investment group racing to recover up to $70 million in arbitration awards from Nigeria has concluded plans to list two residential structures it confiscated from the country for sale on global online marketplace eBay, Peoples Gazette was told by people familiar with the arrangement.

Zhongshang Fucheng Industrial Investment Ltd took possession of two buildings linked to the Nigerian government in Liverpool, United Kingdom, in June 2024, years after Nigeria failed to settle an arbitration judgement handed down in 2021, The Gazette learnt.

The properties, 15, Aigburth Hall Road, Liverpool and Beech Lodge, 49, Calderstones Road, Liverpool, were targeted after a December 2021 British court order gave Zhongshang executives the power to seize Nigerian assets in the UK to retrieve the $70 million payment, which remained outstanding as of August 20, 2024, with two per cent monthly interest accruals.

Zhongshang was awarded $55,675,000 plus interest of $9,400,000 and costs of £2,864,445 as of the date of the arbitration verdict on March 26, 2021, court documents said. The case stemmed from a dispute between Zhongshang and Ogun State. The firm said the state violated a 2001 trade treaty between Nigeria and China when its rights to a free trade zone were rescinded in 2016.

The company dragged Nigeria before the arbitration panel in the UK in 2018, alleging that Nigeria allowed its federal organs like the police, immigration and export processing authority to be deployed by Ogun State without due process. Court documents said two Zhongshang executives were expelled from Nigeria between mid and late 2016 after one of them had allegedly been detained and tortured by the police.

The case has once again thrown Nigeria into confusion, barely months after the country luckily escaped a similar arbitration decision that awarded over $11 billion to a consortium called P&ID. The arbitration verdict was thrown out after it was later discovered that P&ID owners were involved in bribery and corruption.

However, the Zhongshang case appeared different, with several European courts already granted enforcement orders in the UK, Belgium, France and other countries, where Nigerian-owned jets and other assets are being tracked down. An appellate panel recently declined to grant Nigeria sovereign immunity protection over Zhongshang’s recovery efforts in the United States.

A consultant working with Zhongshang said the company has been working to put the two Liverpool houses up for sale, including on eBay, where the source said up to $2.2 million would be asked for both.

“They said the value of both properties should be around $2.2 million, so they already put together a plan to sell them to willing buyers,” the consultant said under anonymity to discuss client deliberations. “Some websites like eBay might bring buyers faster than other methods.”

Even though the properties belonged to Nigeria, they were seized because they weren’t listed as Nigerian diplomatic or consular assets. The Gazette learnt that those currently occupying the properties had no ties to the Nigerian mission in the UK. It was unclear when Nigeria bought the assets, but a senior judge said its officials had regularly rented out both places to guests.

In her June 14, 2024, ruling allowing Zhongshang to seize the buildings from Nigeria, Master Lisa Sullivan of the UK High Court, King’s Bench Division, said: “The properties are currently used for the purpose of leases to residential tenants unconnected with Nigeria and its mission. Those are commercial purposes for the purpose of s13(4) of the SIA and therefore the enforcement against the properties is not barred by state immunity.”

The source said the sale wouldn’t be done in secret because the Nigerian people deserved to know how much all recovered assets were being sold until the full amount had been recovered.

“Zhongshang promised to be transparent with the sale because of the keen public interest of Nigerians in the matter,” the consultant added.

August 21, 2024 0 comments

Headlines

FG inaugurates 10-member committee to enforce S’court judgement on LG autonomy

by Folarin Kehinde August 20, 2024

written by Folarin Kehinde

The Federal Government has set up a 10-member Inter-Ministerial Committee to ensure the enforcement of the Supreme Court’s recent judgement granting financial autonomy to Local Governments in Nigeria.

This committee was inaugurated by Senator George Akume, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) on August 20.

The Supreme Court, on July 11, 2024, ruled that Local Governments must receive their funds directly, without interference from state governments.

This ruling, delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, declared that it is unconstitutional for state governments to withhold or use funds meant for Local Government Areas.

The committee is led by the SGF, Senator Akume, and includes the following members:

Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume – Chairman
Minister of Finance & Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun
Attorney General of the Federation
Minister of Budget & Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu
Accountant General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein
Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, Sewan Temitope
Chairman, Revenue Mobilization Allocation & Fiscal Commission, Bello Shehu
Representative of State Governors
Representative of Local Governments.

The main objective of this committee is to ensure that Local Governments operate independently and receive the funds they are entitled to, as stipulated by the Constitution.

This move aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s efforts to strengthen local governance and promote grassroots development across the country.

August 20, 2024 0 comments

Headlines

SGF Inaugurates Committee To Implement Local Govt Autonomy

by Nelson Ugwuagbo August 20, 2024

written by Nelson Ugwuagbo

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, has inaugurated a 10-man Inter-Ministerial Committee to enforce the Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to local governments in Nigeria.

The committee was announced on Tuesday in Abuja by the Director of Information and Public Relations in the Office of the SGF, Segun Imohiosen. Imohiosen revealed the names of the committee members, which include the SGF as Chairman.

The committee members comprise key government officials, including the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, and Accountant General of the Federation.

Other members include the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, and representatives of state governors and local governments.

According to Imohiosen, the committee’s primary goal is to ensure local governments are granted full autonomy, enabling them to function effectively without interference from state governments.

This move aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s efforts to implement the Constitution’s provisions, recognizing local governments as the third tier of government.

August 20, 2024 0 comments

Headlines

Kogi gov appoints 1,192 additional aides

by Folarin Kehinde August 20, 2024

written by Folarin Kehinde

Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Usman Ododo, has approved the appointment of 1,192 additional aides.

This was contained in a statement issued on Monday by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Folashade Ayoade.

“The aides include Yakubu Abdulhakeem who is to serve as the Executive Secretary, Kogi State Office for Disability, 165 Senior Special Assistants, and 36 Special Assistants.

“Others on the list approved by the governor are 574 Ward Special Assistants and 290 Local Government Special Assistants,” the statement read.

Similarly, Ododo also approved the appointment of Alhaji Ibrahim Abdulsadiq as the Director of Protocol, First Lady Office, in addition to other retinue of aides.

The governor congratulated all appointees and urged them to put in their best service to the state and humanity at large.

Ayoade said that all appointments are with effect from September 1, 2024.

August 20, 2024 0 comments

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