Category: Lead

The Minister of Aviation Sen. Hadi Sirika has said the present administration is not willing to sell government assets.

The Minister however said the proposed concession of some public properties was targeted at making them better and gets value for money.

Sirika stated this in Abuja on Monday when the ministry held a bidder’s conference for aerotropolis and cargo terminal development in the country.

The conference is in line with the criteria in the Public Private Partnership (PPP) procurement phase and also in fulfilment of the provision of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) Act and National Policy on Public-Private Partnership.

The Minister in a statement by his Special Assistant, Public Affairs, Sani Dattii said: “Government is committed to the projects and that is why it is taking time because of due diligence as ICRC is superintending the process.

Read Also: Sirika, Saudi aviation chief parley on hitch-free flights

“As an entity regulating PPP, we follow their template so that the public gets the value for the money.

“The present administration is not willing to sell public properties but willing to make them better, by giving them to the private sector to make them better so that there is value for the money”.

Director of Planning, Research, and Statistics and also Chairman of the Project Delivery Team (PDT), Muhammed Shehu said the ministry is in the procurement phase for the selection of preferred bidders for the projects.

He explained that the conference was designed to interface with the companies/consortia that were successful at the Request for qualification (RFQ) stage and have been requalified to proceed to the Request for Proposal stage of the procurement phase.

Aggrieved women and youths in Kafin-koro in Paikoro local government area of Niger State on Tuesday morning razed the Kafin-koro Police Divisional office.

The incident took place three days after the parish priest of St Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Kafin-koro, Reverend Father Isaac Achi, was burnt to death by terrorists who invaded the parish’s residence.

Trouble began when some Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) and Catholic women groups converged on the premises of the burnt parish as early as 7 am on Tuesday to pray against those who gruesomely murdered Rev Achi.

But a police detachment from the Kafin-koro Police Division was drafted to the church, stating it was directed to provide protection for the praying congregation.

Read Also: Police arraign journalist for alleged defamatory Facebook post

Still distraught over the inability of the police to respond on time and prevent the death of the Father, the women refused and resisted the protection provided by the police.

The women were said to have accused the police of not doing anything to rescue the late Reverend Father and asked the operatives to leave.

The women threw stones and sachet water at the police to state their point, forcing the operatives to retreat to their station.

 After the prayers, some youths joined the women to march peacefully through the major roads of the town to the Police Division, chanting anti-police slogans to register their grievances. 

They asked the police to leave the town, alleging their presence was of no security value to the community.

To disperse the crowd, the police began shooting into the air with one of the bullets said to have hit a middle-aged man who died immediately on the spot, turning the protest into a violent exercise.

In the course of the protest, some unidentified people set the Police Division on fire, leading to the burning down of the entire building. 

In the ensuing confrontation with the police, some unidentified protesters were said to have burnt the entire police station.

Efforts are on to get the comments of the State Government and the Niger Police Command.

Details Shortly…

•Petitions EFCC, ICPC, CDB •‘Ex-VP unfit to contest’ •PDP fires back

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (APC-PCC) yesterday called for the arrest, interrogation and prosecution of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

The call followed allegations of corruption and using  “Special Purpose Vehicles” (SPVs) between 1999 and 2007.

The council also asked the PDP flag bearer to apologise to Nigerians and step down from the February 25 presidential election due to the allegations and the evidence against him.

The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo (SAN), also gave the three anti-graft agencies 72 hours ultimatum for Atiku’s arrest, interrogation and prosecution.

He threatened to go to court if Atiku is not investigated and prosecuted.

But, the PDP fired back, saying that its candidate will not withdraw from the race.

The five-page petition dated January 16, 2023, to the Chairmen, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) accused Atiku of four major infractions.

The APC-PCC alleged that Atiku colluded to fleece the country of public funds, using what he termed as SPVs.

At a World Press Conference addressed by the media directors at the PCC Headquarters in Abuja, the council said the offences should not be ignored.

The chief spokesperson and Director of Public Affairs, Keyamo, alluded to the revelations by a whistle-blower, Mr Micheal Achimugu, about how the former Vice President, through SPVs, defrauded and fleeced the nation’s funds to run the opposition party while he was in office between 1999 and 2007.

Keyamo alleged that Atiku colluded with his former boss, President Olusegun Obasanjo, “to fleece the country and steal public funds, using what he termed SPVs.”

He said: “Those SPVs were companies Atiku admittedly registered upon assumption of office as vice-president (with the approval of President Olusegun Obasanjo), using ‘trusted allies’ as shareholders and directors.

“The purpose was to divert government contracts to these companies as ‘consultants’ and then pay monies into these companies and use those monies to fund the PDP and their private businesses and family activities.”

He added: “We can all vividly recall that during that tenure, both President Obasanjo and Atiku Abubakar built the Bells University and American University respectively. Now, we know from where the funds came.”

From the oral account of the whistle-blower, the voice notes and all other supporting documents, Keyamo listed the infractions of the law by Atiku:

Offences against the Code of Conduct for Public Officers

Sections 5, 10, 13 & 17 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act state as follows:

• A public officer shall not put himself in a position where his interest conflicts with his duties and responsibilities.

• A public officer shall not ask for or accept property or benefits of any kind for himself or any other person on account of anything done or omitted to be done by him in the discharge of his duties.

• For subsection (1) of this section, the receipt by a public officer of any gifts or benefits from commercial firms, business enterprises or persons who have contracts with the government shall be presumed to have been received in contravention of the said subsection (1) of this section, unless the contrary is proved.

• A public officer shall not do or direct to be done, in abuse of his office, any act prejudicial to the rights of any other person, knowing that such act is unlawful or contrary to any government policy.

• A public officer who does any act prohibited by this Act through a nominee, trustee or another agent shall be deemed ipso facto to have committed a breach of this Act.”

Offence of money laundering

Section 18 (2) of The Money Laundering (Prevention And Prohibition Act), 2022 provides: “Any person or body corporate, in or outside Nigeria, who directly or indirectly

(a) conceals or disguises the origin of,

(b) converts or transfers,

(c) removes from the jurisdiction, or

(d) acquires, uses, retains or takes possession or control of any fund or property, intentionally, knowingly or reasonably ought to have known that such fund or property is, or forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, commits an offence of money laundering under this Act.”

Offence of criminal breach of trust

Section 311 of the Penal Code Law reads: ”Whoever, being in any manner entrusted with property or with any dominion over property, dishonestly misappropriates or converts to his use that property or dishonestly uses or disposes of that property in violation of any direction of law prescribing the mode in which such trust is to be discharged or of any legal contract express or implied, which he has made touching the discharge of such trust, or wilfully suffers any other person so to do, commits criminal breach of trust.”

Offence of conspiracy

Section 96 (1) of The Penal Code Act provides: “When two or more persons, agree to do or cause to be done (a) an illegal act; or (b) an act which is not illegal by illegal means, such an agreement is called a criminal conspiracy.”

The APC PCC also called on security agencies to recover all the monies siphoned through all the pseudo companies floated as SPVs during 1999 and 2007.

Keyamo said: “Since the nation now knows that the Marine Float Account and other similar accounts were ‘SPV’ accounts, it follows that all payments made into that account were monies stolen from the public coffers.

“Therefore, we call on all security agencies to recover all monies withdrawn from that account by anyone for that matter.”

He urged the law-enforcement agencies to protect Achimugu, who has blown the whistle on Atiku.

Keyamo added: “No harm must befall him or members of his family. We suspect that some goons of Atiku Abubakar are planning to eliminate him and harm members of his family.

“We shall hold Atiku Abubakar responsible if anything befalls this patriotic Nigerian or members of his family.

“We also encourage him to reveal to Nigerians those ‘earth-shaking’ revelations he is withholding for the sake of this nation and the future of our children.”

The Special Adviser, Media, Communications, Public Affairs and Strategy, to the council, Mr Dele Alake, also decried what he called conspiratorial silence of a section of the media over the allegation against the PDP candidate.

At the conference were Mr. Bayo Onanuga, Director, Media and Publicity, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, Director, New Media and Alhaji Idris Mohammed, Director, Strategic Communications.

Keyamo said: “Because this matter is of great national importance, I expect you to act with alacrity and a sense of duty within 72 hours of the receipt of this petition.

“If you (anti-graft agencies) fail, refuse and/or neglect to act, I shall be proceeding to court to compel you to act.”

‘Tinubu, not Atiku, should withdraw from race’

The PDP yesterday said Atiku would not resign over allegations of corruption.

The party said it is the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who should withdraw.

In a statement by the PDP spokesman, Debo Ologunagba, the party dismissed the call by the APC as irresponsible.

He said the call for Atiku’s resignation was a ploy to divert public attention from the issues affecting Nigerians.

Ologunagba said the corruption allegations levelled against Atiku were simulated by the ruling party.

He said it was ironic that the “embattled” Tinubu/Shettima campaign could attempt to impugn the “unimpeachable integrity” of the PDP presidential candidate.

He added: “For clarity and for the interest of Nigerians, it is on record that Atiku Abubakar is one of the most investigated public officials in this country.

“It is also on record that in all the investigations, Atiku Abubakar was never found culpable in any of the allegations.”

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has detailed his plans towards quelling secessionist agitations and unrest across the country.

Obi made his stance known yesterday during a media briefing at the Chatham House, in London. Various secessionist groups such as the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Yoruba Nation have unleashed mayhem on Nigerians, which has induced insecurity amongst the populace.

In response to a question regarding the situation, Obi vehemently refused to criticise the movements, while detailing the cause of such agitations. He said: “When 40 per cent of your population is unemployed, there will be all sorts of problems which is what caused this agitation and this is as a result of leadership failure over the years and once there is good leadership; these problems will be solved.

“So, yes, I will talk and speak with all agitators.”

Obi also pledged to prosecute saboteurs who have held the country’s power sector hostage, while ensuring the elimination of fuel subsidies to boost revenues from other crucial sectors.

He said: “Monies have to be put into crucial areas, which is why I am insistent on the elimination of fuel subsidies. This is why we need to dismantle the structure of criminality holding the country back. I am going to declare war on those holding the country back, especially in the power sector.

“We are committed to building a New Nigeria for the youths in order to bring back the Diaspora,” Obi revealed.”

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the family of its leader Nnamdi Kanu yesterday disagreed on the offer by Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo to stand surety for him.

Soludo, at the weekend, said he was ready to stand surety if the detained IPOB leader could not be released unconditionally.

The governor said: “I am making a passionate appeal to the Federal Government to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally. 

“If he cannot be released unconditionally, I want him released to me and I will stand surety for him.

“We need Nnamdi Kanu in the roundtable conversation to discuss the insecurity in the Southeast. 

“We must end insecurity in the Southeast and we need Nnamdi Kanu to be around.”

Kanu’s brother, Kanunta, expressed the family’s gratitude to the Anambra governor.

He tweeted: “@CCSoludo Governor Anambra State. The Kanu family is grateful.”

But IPOB said while it appreciated Soludo’s gesture, its leader deserved to be released unconditionally rather than granted bail.

It said the governor’s offer came long after the Court of Appeal, Abuja, on October 13, 2022, discharged and acquitted the IPOB leader.

The group’s spokesman, Emma Powerful, said in a statement: “It is important therefore, to clarify that our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has no any form of indictment or even charge pending against him today before any court by the authority of this judgment.

“The issue of granting bail or otherwise does not arise by any stretch of consideration or imagination because it is the Federal Government that is today in breach of this order of a superior court of competent jurisdiction.

“It is to be emphasised further that Onyendu, who was discharged on October 13, 2022, by the Court of Appeal does not have any need for surety because there is no charge hanging on his neck today.

“We have gone beyond the issue of surety or no surety. 

“Every genuine call/demand in the prevailing circumstance should be firmly directed at calling out on the Federal Government of Nigeria to immediately obey the order for the unconditional release of Onyendu made by its court.”

Also yesterday, Kanu thanked Soludo for the gesture.

His special counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, tweeted: “I just concluded a visitation with #MNK. He directed me to publicly convey his appreciation to Gov. Chukwuma Soludo for the political courage he displayed by demanding his unconditional release. 

“On a sad note, he told me that his nutrition The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) backed Soludo on the need for the Federal Government to release Kanu unconditionally.

Its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement, said constructive dialogue rather than the use of force was critical to achieving a peaceful election.

“We urge President Buhari to hearken to the voice of reason and release Kanu now to stop the heightened threats to lives, and property of citizens of Southeast and to open up vistas of constructive dialogues towards peaceful polls all over Nigeria, and especially in the Southeast,” the group said.

A lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, argued that Soludo cannot legally stand surety for Kanu because should he violate the bail terms, he (the governor) cannot be arrested or held to account due to the immunity he has.

Kanu, who was tried on terrorism charges, is in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).

The Federal Government has appealed against the Court of Appeal judgment freeing him.

GLOBAL recession, rising interest rate benchmark in many countries and economy, shaped by geo-political tensions, is imminent this year, Community of Chief Economists have predicted.

Their forecast was made at the ongoing World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.

The forecast shows that almost two-thirds of chief economists believe in the inevitability of recession.

But they predicted that the cost-of-living crisis may be approaching its peak, with a majority (68 per cent) expecting it to have become less severe by the end of the year.

WEF Managing Director Saadia Zahidi said: “Some 18 per cent considered a world recession ‘extremely likely’ – more than twice as many as in the previous survey conducted in September last year. Only one-third of respondents to the survey viewed it as unlikely this year.

“The current high inflation, low growth, high debt, and high fragmentation environment reduces incentives for the investments needed to get back to growth and raise living standards for the world’s most vulnerable.”

Zahidi’s statement accompanied the WEF survey results.

The organisation’s survey was based on 22 responses from a group of senior economists drawn from international agencies including the International Monetary Fund (IMF), investment banks, multinationals, and reinsurance groups.

It came a week after the World Bank slashed its 2023 growth forecasts to levels close to recession for many countries as the impact of central bank rate hikes intensifies, Russia’s war in Ukraine continues, and the world’s major economic engines sputter.

Definitions of what constitutes recession differ around the world but generally include the prospect of shrinking economies, possibly with high inflation in a ‘stagflation’ scenario.

On inflation, the WEF survey foresees large regional variations: the proportion expecting high inflation in 2023 ranged from just five percent for China to 57 percent for Europe, where the impact of last year’s rise in energy prices has spread to the wider economy.

Some economists see further monetary policy tightening in Europe and the United States (59 per cent and 55 per cent, respectively), with policy-makers caught between the risks of tightening too much or too little.

While a global slowdown would risk hitting investment in areas from education and health to tackling poverty and climate, some see it driving inflation down and forcing the U.S. Federal Reserve and others to hold back from further rate hikes.

“I want the outlook to become a little weaker so that the Fed rates start going down and that whole sucking-out of liquidity by global central banks eases,” Sumant Sinha, chairman and CEO of Indian clean energy group ReNew Power, said.

“That will benefit not just India but globally,” he said, adding that “the current round of rate hikes was making it dearer for clean energy companies to fund their capital-intensive projects”.

Others said that while more affluent people would likely escape the worst effects of the recession on the back of high inflation levels, it would hit lower middle-income groups hard.

“If you only have your time and your energy which is creating your income, you’re getting ravaged right now because your wages are just not keeping pace,” the founder of U.S.-based investment firm, SkyBridge Capital, Anthony Scaramucci, said.

Other main predictions in WEF survey included that nine out of 10 respondents expect both weak demand and high borrowing costs to weigh on firms, with more than 60 percent also pointing to higher input costs.

The economists said the challenges would trigger lead multinational businesses to cut costs, from reducing operational expenses to disengagement of workers.

They also said that supply chain disruptions will not cause a significant drag on business activity this year.

The presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has charged the party’s election planning and monitoring teams to protect the party’s votes during the general elections.

He gave the charge on Monday while addressing party volunteers during the train-the-trainer session for the election monitoring team on Monday in Abuja,

Appreciating the monitors for agreeing to work for the party’s success in all the elections, the frontline presidential candidate noted that the party’s success greatly rests on their commitment to the assignment given to them.

According to Tinubu: “The work you are doing is essential to victory. We cannot win without your contributions.

“Victory rests on you all as much as it rests on our party’s candidates themselves. And when I say this, I include myself in that statement. This is how important I see your work,” he said.

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The APC presidential standard bearer urged the election monitors to be vigilant and do their best to ensure that the party’s votes across the country are secured to bring victory for all the candidates contesting in various elections.

He added: “I know there will be challenges and our opponents will lay traps in hopes that you fail. You must stand firm and remain vigilant.

“Tens of millions of people believe in our great party. They have put their trust in us and will cast their ballots for us in every election at the national and state levels.

“We must ensure the trust of the people is not betrayed. How? By ensuring that every vote in our favour counts and is counted and recorded. We must protect every vote.

“We have 28 governorship candidates, 109 senatorial candidates, 360 house of representatives candidates and 988 state assembly candidates, all of whom have put their trust in you. I too have deposited my trust in you as your presidential candidate. We rely on you to make sure that those who oppose our party, our candidates and our progressive ways do not skew the election.

“As we approach the elections, I ask you to match the diligence and hard work of our candidates themselves.”

The Department of State Services (DSS) has said reports that it invaded the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to arrest the Governor, Godwin Emefiele, are false.

Read Also: Court orders CBN to freeze Polaris bank account

It’s spokesman, Dr Peter Afunanya, in a short statement on Monday, said: “The attention of the Department of State Services (DSS) has been drawn to the false news making the round that its operatives invaded the Central Bank of Nigeria and arrested its Governor, today 16/1/23. This is fake news and quite misleading.”

There is anxiety in Ebonyi following the delisting of People’s Democratic Party(PDP) candidates by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from the governorship and National Assembly election.

A check by The Nation on INEC’s website shows the governorship and deputy governorship candidates of the party, Ifeanyi Ọdịi and Senator Igwe Nwagu were conspicuously missing from the updated list.

The three senatorial candidates of the party, Senator Sam Egwu (Ebonyi North); Lazy Ogbe(Ebonyi Central) and Senator Ama Nnachi(Ebonyi South) were also missing from the list.

Five out of the six House of Representative candidates were also not included in the updated list.

Those whose names were missing are Idu Igariwey (Afikpo North/South); Jerry Obasi (Ọhaozara/Onicha/Ivo); Ogbonnia Nwanne (Ikwo/Ezza South); Chukwuma Ofoke (Abakaliki/Izzi), and Victor Aleke (Ebonyi/Ohaukwu).

In the updated list, INEC listed Mr Emmanuel Nwoke as the candidate of PDP for Íshíelu/Ezza North constituency in place of Mr Obinna Nwachukwu who was listed as the candidate in the previous list released in September.

Read Also: Police launch manhunt for attackers of Enugu INEC office

The Commission listed one Henry Udeh as the senatorial candidate of the Labour Party(LP) for Ebonyi South instead of Mr Linus Okorie who emerged in a run-off primary conducted late last year.

The amended list was signed by Secretary of INEC, Rose Oriaran-Anthony

and published on the Commission’s website.

The Commission explained that the updated list was pursuant to various court orders which the commission was bound to abide by.

It said: “The Commission published the final list of candidates for Presidential, Senatorial and House of Representatives elections on 20th September, 2022 and Governorship and State House of Assembly elections on 4th October, 2022 in accordance with the provisions of Section 32 of the Electoral Act, 2022 and the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Elections”, the statement accompanying the new list explained.

INEC noted that “after the said publication, the Commission was served Orders of Court in respect of the nomination of candidates for Governorship, Senatorial, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly elections”

“It is worthy of note that the list of candidates was amended in Amendment No. 1 published on the Commission’s website on 3rd November, 2022 pursuant to Court Orders and Death”

“By virtue of the provision of Section 287 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the Commission is bound to enforce the Orders of Court on the Nomination of candidates by political parties in the affected Constituencies”

“Consequently, the lists of candidates in respect of the attached Senatorial Districts and Federal Constituencies, Governorship and State House of Assembly elections are amended pursuant to the Orders of Court served on the Commission as at 21s December, 2022 for upload on the Commission’s website”, the statement added.

Ebonyi PDP Legal Adviser, Mudi Irhenede said he was not aware of the updated list and declined to comment when contacted.

He said:” You are just telling me about it right now. I am not aware. Let me find out”.

PDP governorship candidate, Abịa Onyike, also declined comment on the new list as he was not aware of its existence. 

Ebonyi PDP has been embroiled in crisis following the primaries which held last year.

Two parallel primaries held in the State with two governorship candidates, Ifeanyi Odii and Senator Obinna Ọgba emerging from the two primaries 

The same situation occurred in the National Assembly and State House of Assembly primaries.

The situation led to cuts and counter-suits in various courts across the country as candidates attempted to outwit each other for the ticket.

There was also a battle for the State Chairmanship of the party between Mr Silas Ọnụ and Tochukwu Okorie.

It was not immediately clear which ruling or rulings led to the delisting of the candidates by INEC. Ends