Author: The Nation

• Our story, by shareholders

Arik Air shareholders yesterday called on all parties involved in the on-going probe of the airline by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to cooperate to allow the anti-graft agency carry out its duties without interference.

They were reacting to a statement by Mr. Simon Tumba of SY&T Communication for and on behalf of Mr. Kamilu Omokide, the Receiver Manager of Arik Air Limited (in Receivership).

According the shareholder, the statement is laced with falsehood.

Absolving the management team of any fraudulent activities in the carrier, the receiver manager described the ongoing investigation by the anti-graft agency as a response to a petition initiated by counsel to the founder of the airline, Sir Arumemi Johnson.

But the shareholders said the receiver manager got its fact all wrong. Its reaction was contained in a statement issued yesterday from their Media Office.

Read Also: Arumemi-Ikhide barred from Arik Air’s premises

The statement reads: “The attention of the shareholders of Arik Air Limited has been drawn to a press statement issued by Mr. Simon Tumba of SYT Communications  for and on behalf of  Mr. Kamilu Omokide, the Receiver Manager of Arik Air Limited (in Receivership).

“In as much as it is not in our character to engage in media disparagement of institutions and persons, we took a considered opinion to clarify certain misstatements and falsehoods in that press release.

“It is public knowledge that Sir JIA Arumemi Ikhide at the instance of AMCON was investigated by the EFCC a day before AMCON forcefully took Arik Air Limited into receivership on 9th February, 2017 on spurious allegations.

“He cooperated with the EFCC and was cleared. Till today, he remains available to honour invitations of the anti-graft agency without hesitation. He neither complained of being bullied by AMCON nor resorted to name-calling.

“It speaks to equity and reasonableness therefore that the ongoing investigations by the anti-graft agency, EFCC, should be respected by all parties and allow to run its course without interference.

“However, we wish to state that before the receivership by AMCON; Arik Air Limited was valued at the sum of $3.7b by the Delloite of London. This valuation is a product of months of forensic review of all assets and visits to all worldwide stations including the Nigerian base by the valuers in 2014.

“While it should be recalled should be recalled that AMCON through an ex parte  order in suit No,  FHC/L/CS/175/17obtained on 8th February in 2017 based upon allegations of indebtedness of Naira 141billion, the sum which is less than 5% of the valuation of the airline.

“In addition, as part of the Arik Air continuous engagement with AMCON over the years, the management of Arik Air led the team of Delloite valuers to present that report to the minister of Finance, the Central Bank, and the management of AMCON in 2014.

“It should be noted that in 2021, Arik Air shareholders, through the airline’s vice chairman, Senator Aniete Okon, made a public demand for AMCON to file the statement of affairs of the company in order for the shareholders to ascertain the state of the alleged indebtedness, but AMCON bluntly refused and resorted to name calling.

“Now, it is interesting that after over 80days  that the federal high court Lagos in suit no FHC/L/CS/1175/2021 ruled on March 31st, 2023, that the Receiver Manager and AMCON  should within 14 days of the judgement file the audited accounts of Arik Air  since receivership ( a period of six years) with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the receiver manager and AMCON are yet to obey the court order to file that account. In addition, the receiver manager disobeyed the order of court for unfettered access for the shareholders/directors into  the Arik Air offices at the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos.

“That, notwithstanding, upon news of sales of some Arik Air assets and inventory in the international aviation circuit, Arik Air Limited lawyers resorted to private investigations which culminated in a recent petition to the EFCC.

“It should be noted that EFCC visited the Arik Air Headquarters in Lagos  and spent four days for on-site investigation. We therefore plead that all parties restrain themselves from overreaching or meddling with the investigation.

“Consequently, we believe it serves equity and respect that nobody should disparage the anti-graft agency nor fan embers of discord between agencies of government and or persons but encourage them to do their work in the best interest of justice.

“In that regard therefore, we will not comment on any activities of innovative management financing solutions by the receiver manager and the purported sale and or tear down of the CRJ 1000, B737NG and other such aircraft and assets of the airline that are subjects of investigation.

“In the meantime, we have advised our lawyers to properly evaluate all matters relating to third party involvement in the ongoing matter with the intention to appropriately address all issues solely within the remit of the law”.

Unity schools old students have joined students of Federal Government College, Kaduna in a peaceful protest, where they appealed to President Bola Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani to help return the school’s land taken by the state government.

Governor Nasir El-Rufai had, in the twilight of his administration, ordered the excision of 2.5 million ft² (22.23 hectares) of the FGC Kaduna land by Kaduna State government to be converted for commercial use to build housing estate.

The Federal Ministry of Education, who owns unity schools, had intervened by seeking the return of the land, but to no avail. Therefater, they had gone to court but despite an injunction by the Kaduna State High Court, government agencies went ahead to cut off the piece of land.   

The old students of the Federal Government Colleges under the aegis of Unity Schools Old Students Association (USOSA) led by its President-General, Mr. Michael Magaji, appealed to  Tinubu and  Sani to return the land.

He said the land was not abandoned, but was being prepared for agriculture practicals, as sports field, as Cisco laboratory, ICT laboratory, students hostel and classrooms and further expansion of the College.

“This is a threat to public education, to future development of students. There was no prior notice, no processes but sudden takeover of the land. We came to protect interest of public education, we are appealing to President Bola Tinubu, to Governor Uba Sani to address the issue and correct this situation. We should not be limiting access to education but expanding it. The land annexed is over 800 standard plots of land, which is enough to build another school but it’s not being used for education purposes but for commercial purpose to build an estate.”

The Global President of FGC Kaduna Alumni Association, Mr Seyi Gambo said the students of FGC Kaduna have been restive and want to bring down the wall erected around their school. “We want to tell the world that it is not done anywhere and should not be done here. We are talking about the future of these students and you are shrinking the land that they are using for learning what happens to development? We have places earmarked for Cisco laboratory to train the students. We have started an endowment fund from N1 billion to N10 billion to develop the school”.

The acting head boy Federal Government College, Kaduna, Umar Farouk Adam said, “the land that government took from the school we are not happy with it. Our director/ principal has lots of projects and the school land is now limited. We use the land for agriculture practicals and sports. We are calling on government to please bring back our land”.

The FGC Kaduna acting head girl, Maryam Muhammad Sani towed same path, saying the annexation of the school land is affecting the students because, “we use the land for sports, agriculture and other activities. Other schools also come here to have activities with us our field is around the area so it’s affecting us. Because our land is reduced, that is why we are here to protest to the government to return our land back”.

• Council chair imposes curfew

Plateau State  Governor, Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang has charged security agents to go after the bandits who killed many people and destroyed properties in some communities of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area.

The affected communities are Kak, Ranyam, Nging, Lohala and Buka.

Mutfwang sympathised with the victims and their families.

 Also, the Interim Council Management Chairman of Mangu Local Government Area has imposed a 24-hour curfew to save lives.

The governor had urged the security agencies to deploy more personnel to the affected communities.

Mutfwang  reiterated the commitment  of his administration to the security  apparatus at the federal level, using multifaceted approaches to secure innocent communities  who have been under invasion by the bandits.

He saluted the officers and men of the various  security agencies for curbing the attacks.

While commiserating with the families  of the deceased,  Mutfwang reassured Plateau citizens of his commitment to addressing their plights, particularly insecurity to bequeathe the development and  progress the state is yearning for.

Meanwhile, he Commissioner of Police Plateau State Command, CP Bartholomew Nnamdi Onyeka has deployed Mobile Policemen to the area to  restore peace on the Plateau.

Meanwhile the Interim Management Committee Chairman of Mangu Local Government Area, Hon. Markus Artu, said the curfew, which took immediate effect, is aimed to ensure the safety and security of residents in the face of mounting unrest. By this declaration, vehicular movement in the local government area has been restricted.

The measure, intended to minimise violence and protect the local population, will only allow the movement of security personnel and essential workers who have been assigned critical duties.

The decision to enforce a round-the-clock curfew comes in the wake of increasing security challenges within the local government area.

Artu stressed the importance of prioritising the safety of Mangu’s residents and maintaining peace and order in the region.

The curfew imposes restrictions on non-essential activities, urging residents to remain indoors and adhere to the regulations strictly.

 The local government authorities have called for the cooperation of residents during this challenging period, urging them to support the security agencies and provide any necessary information that could assist in ensuring the restoration of peace.

Hon. Artu assured the residents that the government is committed to bringing the situation under control swiftly and that measures are being implemented to restore peace and normalcy in Mangu Local Government Area.

Onyeka, during the deployment at the Police Headquarters ordered the personnel deployed to be very vigilant while carrying out their constitutional duties and warned that any officer found engaging in any illegal act will be severely punished in accordance with the disciplinary procedure in the Police Act and Regulations.

The Secretary to the Government of Plateau State (SGS), Arch. Samuel Nanchang Jatau, who was present at the Command Headquarters to ensure the successful exercise maintained that “the deployment of these units is part of Government’s efforts to enhance security and maintain law and order in the State.”

The Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS) has urged Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as contractors in Abuja to ensure that the Withholding Tax (WHT) due to the Service is remitted.

In a statement, the Head, Corporate Communications, FCT-IRS, Mustapha Sumaila, said: “Regrettably, we have observed instances where the wrong tax jurisdiction is entered on the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) platform by the MDA desk officers. This error can lead to contractors suffering the loss of WHT credit and the relevant tax authority experiencing revenue loss. The beneficiary of the WHT may also be denied the WHT credit.

“To prevent such losses, we urge MDA desk officers to ensure accurate data entry at the point of initiation. We also wish to draw the attention of enterprises and individual contractors in the FCT to this issue and caution them of the potential consequences.

“Henceforth, the  FCT-IRS will not grant Tax Clearance Certificate on WHT credit that was wrongly sent to another tax jurisdiction by the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) platform.

“We advise taxpayers to liaise with their MDA desk officers to ensure the correct tax jurisdiction is selected during WHT remittance.

“Our aim is to ensure a seamless tax administration system that supports compliance, promotes ease of doing business, and upholds the principles of transparency and accountability.”

It will be recalled that the FCT-IRS took over the administration, collection, and accounting of taxes in the FCT in 2018.

Prior to this, FIRS was responsible for these functions.

Sumaila said with the advent of GIFMIS, payment for contracts and the deduction and remittance of the WHT for both companies, enterprises, and individuals is done using the GIFMIS platform.

Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has commiserated with the family, friends and members of the Bauchi State House of Assembly over the death of a lawmaker, Ado Wakili.

In a statement, Director of Press Affairs, Bauchi State Government House, Mr Suleman Dambam, stated that Wakili, a member representing Burra Constituency of Ningi Local Government Area, died on June 16, three days to the end of his tenure after a brief illness.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mohammed described the death of the deceased as a great loss to the state, especially the people of Burra Constituency, and his colleagues at the state Assembly.

He said the lawmaker would be remembered for his  contributions and sterling qualities in the political landscape of Bauchi State.

The governor urged his family, friends, and members of his constituency whom he represented and worked for during his lifetime, to ensure that his legacies were sustained.

Kano State residents have appealed to the State Government to restore public water supply, ahead of the Eid el-Kabir festival to end the hardship and prevent outbreak of diseases.

A cross-section of residents interviewed by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in the metropolis yesterday, said the government must end the  hardship being faced by them.

Sheikh Sani Imran, a resident of Karkasara, said the absence of public water supply had resulted in enormous hardship on the people.

“The situation that we found ourselves in Kano is pretty bad, especially the problem of water supply.

“For the first time in over 40 years, public water supply has been shut, public taps have dried up and people have to travel hundreds of kilometres in search of water.

“Sometimes women and children have to wake up as early as 2 a.m. in search of water.

“Most people rely on public water supply, while others rely on local well for their water supply, ” he said.

Imran said lack of public water supply had resulted in indiscriminate drilling of boreholes by individuals who could afford them.

“All our wells have dried up due to uncontrolled drilling of boreholes; individuals are drilling boreholes in their residence to escape from the problem.

“But the indiscriminate drilling of boreholes has dried up all the local wells in the area.

“People have to rely on some boreholes donated by charity organisations for water, but the problem of epileptic electricity supply has also prevented the boreholes from operating.

“Sometimes, people have to travel as far as Yen Lemo to fetch water in boreholes owned by wealthy individuals, it is really a pathetic situation,” he said.

Malam Haruna Ahmad, a resident of Darmanawa Quartres, corroborated the claim saying his neighbour’s 15 year-old daughter was raped while trying to fetch water from a borehole in the night.

“Two weeks ago the girl was raped while trying to fetch water from a borehole donated by charity organisation.

“What happened was that there were no electricity throughout the day and when it came in the night, she went with her sister to fetch the water and unfortunately, she fell into the wrong hands.

“We have reported the case at the police station and some arrests have been made.

“It’s really a sad situation, the government must live up to its responsibility by restoring the water supply, ” Ahmad said.

Alhaji Ibrahim Bagobiri, a resident of Sharifai Zauren Tudu, said the problem of water supply was not new to the area.

“The problem didn’t start today and we are used to it, because we buy water daily from hawkers who supply water from boreholes around.

“But sometimes you wake up without anything in your pocket, that’s where the problem comes in because the hawkers won’t give you water free,” he said.

But Malam Hamza Ibrahim, a resident of Kurna Asabe, offered a different dimension.

“This place has never enjoyed public water supply, so we don’t even know what is called public water supply.

“Everybody relies on ‘Maigaruwa'( water hawkers) for his daily supplies, we buy a gallon of water for between N80 and N100 depending on the location and the whole truck goes for about N1,500.

“This is the way we have been living for years, we don’t care about public water supply, if they like they should restore it and if they like they can leave it, ” he said.

Gov. Abba Yusuf had on assumption of office declared State of Emergency on supply, directing the state water board to submit its demands for the restoration of water supply for immediate action.

But many days after the declaration, the government had yet to take concrete steps on restoring the supply.(NAN)