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Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa has suspended all local government Caretaker Committees in the state.

In a circular dated January 2, the governor, through the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, directed the Heads of Local Government Administration (HOLGAs) in all the LGAs/LCDAs to immediately assume responsibility as head of their respective Local Government Areas/ LCDAs in acting capacity pending the resolution of all Legal matters relating to this subject.

The letter reads:

RE: INDEFINITE SUSPENSION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF CARETAKER COMMITTEES OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND LOCAL COUNCIL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IN ONDO STATE.

It has come to the notice of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs that despite the suspension of all recently appointed Caretaker Committee members for Local Government (LGAS) and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the State by a Court of competent jurisdiction, some individuals in these former positions are still parading themselves in that posts.

2. Consequently, I have been directed to request the Heads of Local Government Administration (HOLGAs) in all the LGAs/LCDAs to immediately assume responsibility as head of their respective Local Government Areas/ LCDAs in acting capacity pending the resolution of all Legal matters relating to this subject.
3. Furthermore, I have also been asked to request all HOLGAs to retrieve without delay, all assets and properties of the LGAs/LCDAs with these former Caretaker Chairmen, Vice-Chairmen and other members and to safely keep them within their respective Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas.
4. Kindly give the content of this letter the urgent attention it deserves, please.

Aiyedatiwa was sworn in as governor of the state, last week, following the death of the immediate-past Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.

Traditional bride price in Idoma land of Benue State has been codified and fixed at fifty thousand naira only.

This was disclosed by the Idoma Area Traditional Council, IATC at the end of its meeting at Otukpo on Wednesday.

The IATC said it arrived at this far reaching decision after wide spread consultation with rulers, political leaders, and most importantly their God-given subjects.

It also said some self-imposed, barbaric, and harsh cultural practices have been expunged from the practice of the culture and tradition of the people.

The IATC enjoined all Idoma-speaking people to strictly adhere to all decisions of the council in the interest of its people.

Some of the decisions of the council include the prohibition of costly burial rites especially the imposition of costly prescriptions, stipulations, and requirements on the bereaved family for the burial rites of a deceased person in Idoma land.

The IATC said the practice of depriving the children and wife(s) of the deceased from Inheriting His property in the area is banned.

It said the practice where relatives deny and deprive the children and wives of deceased persons their right to inheritance of the deceased’s property, is prohibited.

” For the avoidance of doubt, where the deceased is survived by wife(s) and children, such children and wife(s) shall have the right of first consideration, in the apportioning of the inheritance, in the absence of a Written Will.”

The new law allows a deceased’s wife to be buried in her husband’s place, except in special circumstances where the Wife during her lifetime, was married to and had children for more than one man; in which case, the wife may be buried in her father’s place to allow other husbands and children to partake in the burial rites.

All forms of stringent conditions, stipulations, and expectations associated with traditional marriage are hereby removed and prohibited according to the new law by the IATC.

The new IATC frowned at the indiscriminate burial of corpses within and around the community, especially in residential areas saying it is prohibited and enjoined every community to mandatorily provide a burial ground.

“Where for any special reasons, a person has to be buried within or around the compound, the permit of the Traditional Ruler must first be sought and obtained and such burial spot or grave must be marked and secured.”

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPL) on Wednesday, January 3, denied clashing with marketers or any other party on payment of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) petrol.

This was contained in the company’s rejoinder to a media report that petrol should now cost N1,200 per litre owing to exit from the under-recovery of the fuel cost.

The short rejoinder that NNPC, Group Communications, Officer, Olufemi Soneye issued today reads: “NNPC Ltd emphasises it has not clashed with any party. The Punch headline is deemed unfortunate. The publication sought confirmation on the alleged subsidy reduction, to which NNPC responded that the subsidy has been entirely removed.”

… Milestone Achieved Without Single Recordable Lost Time Incident (LTI)

Seplat Energy Plc, a leading Nigerian independent energy company listed on both the Nigerian Exchange Limited and London Stock Exchange, is pleased to announce that the ANOH gas plant installation works reached mechanical completion on 29th December 2023, in line with the revised timetable.

This milestone has been achieved without a single recordable Lost Time Incident (LTI) across 11 million man hours, a testament to the focus of the whole team on safe and secure operations.

The ANOH Gas Processing Company (AGPC), an incorporated joint venture between Seplat Energy and NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC) Ltd, is delivering the ANOH gas plant with Phase One processing capacity of 300mmscfd.

Upon commencement of operations, the plant will deliver dry gas, condensate, and LPG to customers. It is envisaged that AGPC will sell the gas and LPG domestically, and the condensates to the international market.

The other key steps to first gas, as outlined in the Company’s Interim Results announcement, were the drilling and hook-up of the Upstream wells and completion of essential third-party infrastructure: the OB3 pipeline river crossing and Spur Line connecting OB3 to the gas plant.

Completion of the third well (ASSN-05) was previously announced and the fourth and final well (ASSN-06) planned ahead of first gas has also now been completed by the upstream unit operator, SPDC.

We now look forward to the completion of the necessary plant pre-commissioning activities and essential third-party infrastructure which will enable commissioning of the gas plant and commencement of operations. Our previously communicated guidance for first gas is unchanged.

Roger Brown, Chief Executive Officer of Seplat Energy, said:

“ANOH is an important strategic project for Seplat, it will roughly double our gas production, and we are focused on the path to first gas.

“Once completed, ANOH will provide two income streams for Seplat: wet gas sales from OML 53 to the gas plant and dividends from the joint venture ANOH Gas Processing Company, which will operate the plant.

“ANOH’s gas will further reduce Seplat’s and Nigeria’s carbon intensity and increase energy supplied to the Nigerian domestic market.”

President Bola Tinubu’s administration has directed that all ministries, departments, and agencies fully funded by the federal government remit 100 per cent of their revenues into a Sub-Recurrent Account, a sub-component of the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF), where the federal government will now receive and consolidate its revenue earnings.

This directive, issued in a December 28 circular by the Finance Ministry and publicised on Tuesday, effectively closes the single treasury account operated under the erstwhile Muhammadu Buhari administration.

It is the latest of the federal cabinet’s move to “improve revenue generation, fiscal discipline, accountability and transparency” in resource management and waste prevention under Bola Tinubu’s nascent presidency.

“All Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAS) that are fully funded through the annual federal government budget (receiving personnel, overhead and capital allocation) and on the schedule of Fiscal

Responsibility Act, 2007 and any addition by the Federal Ministry of Finance should remit one hundred per cent of their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to the Sub-Recurrent Account, which is a Sub-component of the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF),” the directive read.

“Agencies and departments that are partly funded by the federal government – having budgetary allocations for capital or overhead expenditures – are expected to remit 50 per cent of their gross revenue while statutory revenue like “tender fees, contractor’s registration, sales of government assets, etc should be remitted one 100 per cent to the sub-recurrent account,” it added.

Agencies not funded by the federal government are also expected to remit 50 per cent of their generated revenues.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation shall open new TSA Sub-Accounts for all Federal Government Agencies/Parastatals listed on the schedule of Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007 and any additions by the Federal Ministry of Finance, except where expressly exempted.

“The new account opened for Agencies/Parastatal shall be credited with inflows in the old revenue-collecting accounts based on the new policy implementation of 50 per cent auto deduction in line with Finance Act, 2020 and Finance Circular, 2021, 50per cent cost to revenue ratio,” it added.

While the current approach bears resemblance to the previous administration’s strategy, all revenues in the new processes are consolidated into a unified treasury account, and the Office of the Accountant General calculates deductions according to approved percentages. The remaining funds are then entrusted to the remitting agency. This contrasts with the prior administration, where agencies autonomously determined the remittances they provided to the federal government.

The accountant general is tasked with overseeing, monitoring, and conducting a monthly review of both the existing and new accounts of agencies/parastatals. This ensures that only funds approved by the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy (HMFCME) and the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) are credited to supplementary accounts that the departments and agencies would use to hold internal funds.

All ministries and agencies concerned are expected to fully comply with the directive except when expressly permitted to act differently.

A few hours after her suspension, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arrested the National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), Halima Shehu.

She was still being detained as at press time last night.

Halima Shehu was picked up in connection with the movement of N17 billion from NSIPA account to some suspicious accounts within one week.

The interception and recovery of the cash followed some alleged payments of billions of naira by the agency without presidential approval.

It was learnt that the EFCC might have recommended Halima Shehu’s suspension to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Her suspension, based on preliminary investigation, was to pave the way for an unfettered probe of the infraction.

Operatives of the commission, who were drafted to the National Coordinator’s private office and home, arrested her at about 8pm yesterday.

After searching her home and office, she was taken into custody at about 9pm for interrogation.

It was also learnt that the EFCC was closing in on a director of the agency, who was allegedly complicit in the huge payments into the suspicious accounts.

But, some crack operatives of the EFCC will today interrogate a former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, for allegedly laundering N37, 170,855,753.44 during her tenure through a contractor, James Okwete.

The ex-minister has disowned the implicated contractor.

She might be quizzed today by a team of interrogators.

Investigation by our correspondent revealed that following intelligence, the EFCC uncovered “unusual movement of billions of naira” from NSIPA’s account.

A top source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The EFCC raised a red flag on the suspicious payments of billions of Naira into some individual and corporate accounts. Preliminary investigation showed that there was no presidential approval for the payment of such humongous funds.

“Pre-emptive steps were immediately put in place to track the suspicious funds. So far, about N17 billion has been intercepted and recovered from some accounts by this commission.

“Our team is working round the clock to trace the remaining billions of Naira suspected to have been laundered from the Social Investment cash.”

An EFCC source told our correspondent how the NSIPA boss was arrested.

He said: “Shortly after her suspension, EFCC operatives laid siege to her office in Maitama District but it took almost two hours to arrest her. While the siege lasted, the EFCC chairman directed that the operatives should not break into her office or her residence.

“Eventually, she was arrested and detained by our team. Her grilling immediately started based on preliminary findings.”

As at press time, it was gathered that the EFCC might have recommended Halima Shehu’s suspension, pending the conclusion of the ongoing investigation.

Before Halima’s appointment, she worked as the National Coordinator of the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme .

She also served with the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development between 2017 and 2022.

Investigation confirmed that the President wielded the big stick yesterday because Halima Shehu had earlier defied a presidential directive to work with the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, to pay the outstanding and statutory stipends to beneficiaries of the N-Power programme before Christmas.

The N-Power programme was created by ex-President Muhammadu Buhari to address youth unemployment with the beneficiaries earning N30,000 monthly.