The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Chief

  • Chief denies rift with Ooni

    The Maye of Yorubaland, Dr. Ramon Adedoyin has said that he bears no grudge against the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi.

    Adedoyin said this shortly after the visit of an umbrella body of associations of Ife people, Ife Action Council, led by the president of the association,  Dr. Gbolade Famoriyo and four Ife elders at the Senate Building , Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu,  Osun State.

    According to Adedoyin, who is also the founder of the Oduduwa University, the rumour of his animosity with Ooni was the handiwork of miscreants and enemies of Ife who are averse to the progress of Ife.

    Justifying that there had never been any animosity between him and Ooni, Adedoyin disclosed that Oba Ogunwusi had paid a visit to his residence and had also attended some of the programmes of the Oduduwa University.

    Read also: Ooni assures INEC of monarchs’ support

    Maye,  therefore, advised those who are heating up the polity and waiting to benefit from this perceived animosity with Ooni to allow peace reign in Ile Ife, adding that he would not dignify these group of people with any response.

    Adedoyin promised that in no distance time, himself and Ooni would meet and plan big for the growth and development of Ile Ife. “As I’m speaking with you, myself and Ooni talk,” he told The Nation.

    Maye  said he was not interested in politics or contesting any political position.  “I’m  also not interested in any chieftaincy be it the Ooni or Emese. As a matter of fact, I have discouraged my children from being interested in any position, be it political or chieftaincy in Ile-Ife.”

  • Defence chief advises military officers on financial literacy

    Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin, has called on military officers to embrace financial literacy and save for retirement.

    He spoke during a three-day workshop conducted for the Nigerian Armed Forces by ABO Services and Konsult, an investment and personal finance training company. The training titled: ‘Impact of Financial Literacy on Successful Retirement Planning and Wealth Creation’, was held at the Army Resource Centre, Abuja.

    Olonisakin, who was represented by the Director of Veteran Affairs Division, Maj-Gen. Edmond Obi, said the workshop was necessary to train officers on how to navigate the financial challenges they might experience when they are no longer on regular salary incomes, adding that it would help them to be financially organised and appreciate their jobs better.

    He attributed the hardship faced by many retired officers to “poor or lack of proper planning while in active service” and called on officers to embrace proper financial management skills from the early days of their careers.”

    He added: “The aim of the workshop is to educate officers and men of the armed forces on the significance of financial literacy with a view to preparing them for a successful retirement life. It has been discovered that lack of financial literacy is one of the major reasons there is wide economic disparity in the country.

    “It is believed that, in addition to the vocational and professional skills that are taught in training institutions, money skills, which can only be acquired through financial education, must be taught to fully equip individuals for retirement.”

    Managing Director of ABO, Abimbola Olanrewaju, said financial literacy was necessary for all categories of employees and professionals. He said financial literacy skills would help individuals to have blissful retirement.

  • APC chief sues National Assembly over 2019 elections schedule

    APC chief sues National Assembly over 2019 elections schedule

    The sequence of the 2019 elections has become the subject of a legal battle.

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Anike Nwoga, has filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Enugu, challenging the Bill passed by the National Assembly.

    The Bill changed the sequence of the 2019 elections, earlier adopted and published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Nwoga, who is the Zonal Vice Chairman of APC in Enugu East Senatorial District, filed the suit March 2 through his lawyer, Godwin Onwusi Esq.

    In his motion on notice, supported by 25-paragraph affidavit, Nwoga is praying the court for an interlocutory injunction restraining the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from assenting to the Bill pending the determination of the substantive suit.

    The motion on notice was brought pursuant to orders 26 and 28 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2009 and under the inherent jurisdiction of the honourable court,

    Aside the National Assembly, which was listed as the 1st defendant/respondent, others listed as 2nd to 4th  defendants/respondents in the suit are INEC, the President and the Honourable Attorney General of the Federaion (AGF).

    Apart from the prayer for interlocutory injunction restraining the President, 3rd defendant, from assenting to the bill, Nwoga is also praying for an order of interlocutory injunction, restraining the National Assembly from overriding the President’s veto, should he decide to veto the bill pending the determination of the substantive suit.

    The plaintiff pleaded for an order of interlocutory injunction restraining INEC from complying with the sequence of elections contained in the bill passed and such further orders as the court may deem fit to make in the circumstance, pending the deterrmination of the substantive suit.

    Specifically, the plaintiff,  is asking the court to, among other things, determine:

    *”whether the National Assembly in exercise of its lawmaking powers can make laws to compel INEC to exercise the powers to organize, undertake and supervise elections conferred on it by the constitution in a particular sequence”;

    *”whether the National Assembly in exercise of her law making powers can make a law to change the sequence of elections, already adopted and published by INEC, pursuant to the powers conferred on it by the constitution”; and

    *”upon the determination of the questions, to make the following orders.

    “A declaration that the National Assembly cannot make laws to compel Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to exercise the powers conferred on it by the constitution to conduct election in a particular order.

    “A declaration that the recent bill adopted by the two chambers of the National Assembly, which altered the sequence of the 2019 elections, already adopted and published by INEC pursuant to the powers conferred on it by the constitution, is a usurpation of the constitutional powers of INEC, hence unconstitutional.

    “An order of perpetual injunction restraining the 3rd defendant from assenting to the bill changing the sequence of elections, already adopted and published by the 2nd defendant, when it is presented to him for assent.

    “An order restraining the 2nd defendant from complying with the sequence contained in the bill or the Law, if assented to by the 2nd respondent.

    “Any further or other orders or consequential Orders that the Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of the case.

    No date has been fixed for the hearing.

  • Minister orders relocation of security chief, deployment in schools

    Minister orders relocation of security chief, deployment in schools

    Minister of Interior Abdulrahman Dambazau yesterday directed Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) boss Abdullahi Gana to relocate to the Northeast and liaise with the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole and  governors of Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states.

    Dambazau said they should also ensure the deployment of their personnel in all schools in the liberated areas.

    The minister’s spokesman, Ehisienmen Osaigbovo, said the directive became necessary to forestall a re-occurrence of attacks on innocent school children.

    He said the government was making efforts at rescuing the Dapchi schoolgirls and other Boko Haram captives, with the commencement of 24 hours air surveillance by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).

    The minister also condemned recent clashes that resulted in loss of lives and property in Kajuru Local Government Areas of Kaduna State and urged security operatives to ensure that the perpetrators were brought to justice.

    Also yesterday, Senate Leader Ahmed Lawan urged parents not to withdraw their girls from schools as a result of the abduction.

    Lawan told reporters in Damaturu that parents needed to trust that the government was doing everything to secure all schools for a conducive learning environment.

    Acccording to him, a state like Yobe needed to double its efforts to encourage more of girl-child education both in western and Islamic education.

    “Parents should continue to trust us that we mean business.  That we are always thinking of how to ensure   that there is security for the schools, especially in states like ours where girl-child education needs to be promoted and encouraged.  We  have to do a lot more to secure the  schools,  especially the girls’ schools, so that parents have some comfort and sense of satisfaction that their children are properly protected. They shouldn’t withdraw their children from school or become discouraged and start developing lukewarm attitude towards education. Our girls need to be educated both in Islamic and western education. In fact, it’s a challenge for us to encourage these girls to be in school,” Lawan said.

    Yobe State Commissioner for Education Mohammed Alamin accused the media of sowing fear in the minds of parents with their reports on the Dapchi attack.

    Mohammed Lamin was quoted as saying in an  interview with BBC Hausa Service: “You, the media people, are responsible for this fear. You are scaring the parents with your reports; that is why some of them are even thinking of not sending their children to school again, not even about relocating them to other places.”

    The Senate leader gave a pass mark on the response of the Federal Government so far in trying to rescue the girls, but faulted the security arrangement at Dapchi before the attack.

    ”I want to say that I am satisfied with the attention given at the moment, but I wasn’t  satisfied with the security arrangement before the incident. After the Chibok girls’ abduction where over 200 girls were abducted and we are still struggling  to get some of them back, we should have had a better security arrangement around our schools especially the girls schools.

    “The President responded promptly and gave leadership by asking the military to move in and, of course, by sending a high-powered  delegation to the state.

  • Council chief seeks corporate organisations’ help

    The Executive Chairman of Yaba Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Kayode Adejare Omiyale, has urged corporate organisations to partner the council to empower the residents.

    The council chief spoke at the distribution of 183 free eye glasses to pupils of public primary schools in the LCDA.

    He said: “When the idea to screen children for eye defects was brought before me, I hesitated a little bit before I embraced it. In my own personal opinion, I reasoned that pupils in primary schools had nothing to do with eye defects, because they were young and tender! To my amazement, out of about 1,000 pupils who went through the eye screening last year, 183 of them needed eyes glasses urgently to correct their eye defects.

    “This gathering today would not have been possible but for the tremendous supports we received from our partners, such as Catholic Optical, Visionspring, USAAID and Zenith Bank Plc. This is a clear indication that government alone cannot provide the needs of the populace.

    “I want to sincerely express our appreciation to the primary school authority, which graciously allowed us access to the pupils in their various schools.

    “I wish to call on our partners to extend this largesse to the public, especially those in dire need of corrective glasses but do not have the financial capability to purchase a pair; same for our workers in Yaba LCDA.

    “It is apparent that a child with eye defect will not be able to read or write. This is, in fact, the beginning of failure to most pupils.”

  • $2.1b deals: Ex-Army chief Minimah refunds N1.7b

    $2.1b deals: Ex-Army chief Minimah refunds N1.7b

    Former Chief of Army Staff Gen. Kenneth Minimah (retd) has refunded about N1.7billion to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), The Nation learnt at the weekend.

    Besides, there were indications that another former Chief of Army Staff and some ex-military officers might be arraigned in court for alleged corrupt practices relating to “phoney” arms contracts.

    The legal unit of the EFCC is fine-tuning charges against the suspects.

    But a status report on Gen. Minimah, who was the Army Chief from January 2014 to July 2015, indicates that he has returned some cash to the EFCC.

    The refund followed extensive investigation by the anti-graft agency on the report and recommendations of the Presidential Committee on Audit of Defence Equipment Procurement (CADEP).

    CADEP had uncovered “irregularities” in the procurement and award of contracts in the Army   and suspicious transactions in the accounts of the Defence Industry Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) during Gen. Minimah’s tenure.

    A top source, who spoke in confidence, said: “We have interrogated Gen. Minimah and he has started refunding some funds. So far, he has refunded about N1.7billion in two tranches to the EFCC.

    “So far, he has cooperated with us and we are hopeful that he will still make more refunds, in line with some contracts awarded by the Army.

    “But we are likely to arraign another Chief of Army Staff and some ex-military officers in court soon following the conclusion of a comprehensive investigation on them. We are expecting relevant advice from our legal unit.”

    The CADEP panel had observed that  a company was registered on November 17, 2014 and awarded $125,179,299.10 on the same day.

    The report said in part: “ “The Nigerian Army, between April and August 2014, entered into four contract agreements with Societe D’Equipmenteux Internationale (SEI Nig Ltd) for procurement of Cobra Armoured Personnel Carriers, Shilka Self-Propelled Artillery Guns, Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs) as well as various ammunition and spares funded by the ONSA.

    “The contracts for the Cobra APCs and Shilka Guns were not executed as they were not funded. However, the costs for procurement of the AFVs; ammunition and spares were $398,550,000.00 and $484,765,000.00 respectively totalling $883,315,000.00.

    “In November 2014, the ONSA awarded contract to Conella Services Limited for procurement of 72 various arms and ammunition that included MRAP vehicles and Mi-17 helicopter at the cost of $125,179,299.10.

    “The Committee observed that the company was registered in Nigeria on 17 November 2014 and awarded the contract on the same date while the EUC for the procurement was issued a day later, on 18 November 2014. Furthermore, the ONSA paid $36,996,530.00 and N2,209,582,296.00 to the vendor between November 2014 and 15 April 2015.  However, the Nigerian Army denied receipt of any procurement from Conella Services Ltd.

    “Similarly, the Committee tried in vain to reach officials of the company to confirm execution of the contract. There is, therefore, the need for further investigation of Conella Services Ltd.

    “The committee observed that SEI and its two associated companies, APC Axial Ltd and HK-Sawki Nig Ltd, were incorporated in May 2014 with two Nigerien brothers, Hima Aboubakar and Ousmane Hima Massy, as the only directors.

    “ Between May 2014 and March 2015, the ONSA mandated CBN to release various sums totalling $386,954,000.00 to SEI and the two associated companies for ‘procurement of technical equipment’, without tying the money to particular items of procurement.

    “Thus, the allotment of the fund was left at the discretion of the vendor without input or

    consultation with ONSA or the Nigerian Army.

    “Furthermore, some of the funds transferred preceded the formalisation of SEI contracts with the Nigerian Army. There was also no evidence of any contract to justify the payments made by ONSA to the SEI associate companies. Consequently, it had been difficult for the ONSA, the Nigerian Army and SEI to reconcile the accounts vis-a-vis the equipment delivered.”

    The panel also uncovered that 42 units of Armoured Personnel Carrier(APC) which were rejected by Iraq were later sold to Nigeria to fight Boko Haram insurgents.

    It claimed that some of the APCs were either expired or unsuitable, leading to loss of lives.

    It added:  “The Committee observed that one of the new equipment SEI procured for the Nigerian Army from Ukraine was BTR-4E APC.

    “However, according to the Ukraine’s State Enterprise Lviv Armour Repair Plant, the designers of the equipment, some of the products sold to Nigeria in 2014 were actually among 42 units designed for Iraq which subsequently rejected them due to poor performance rating.”

    “The Nigerian Army did not also undertake the mandatory pre-shipment inspections provided for in the contract agreements. Instead, the NA deployed an Infantry officer, who lacked the technical knowledge to assess the capabilities and shortcomings of the equipment, to oversee the shipment of the items for the Nigerian Army from Ukraine.

    “Additionally, the two weeks training availed the technicians and operators was inadequate for them to comprehend the technical workings of the newly introduced equipment.

    “The Committee’s interactions with the field operators revealed that although the platforms and ammunition procured by SEI were deployed for the NE operations, some of them were aged or expired, lacked spares and prone to breakdown without immediate recovery equipment.

    “Therefore, failure to carry out pre-shipment inspection and inadequate training resulted in procurement of some unreliable equipment that reduced the capacity of the Nigerian Army in the North East Operations and resulted in the loss of lives and equipment.”

    On some payments to SEI on T-72 Tanks, the panel said the company made about $93,000,000.00 profit without paying the mandatory 5 per cent Withholding Tax(WHT).

    It said: “SEI submitted a document to the Committee reconciling the items it delivered to the Nigerian Army vis-a-vis the payments made to it by ONSA.”

    According to SEI, the total value of the contracts it executed amounted to $909,065,824.00 and not the  $883,315,000.00 reflected in the two contract agreements it signed with Nigerian Army. “Furthermore, SEI claimed that it delivered goods worth $697,718,168.00 whereas only $198,289,672.00 was paid to it by ONSA.

    “However, the Committee established from ONSA payment mandates to CBN that $386,954,000.00 were actually paid to the contractor.

    “Additionally, SEI quoted the unit cost of refurbished T-72 Main Battle Tanks as $2,240,000.00. However, the Committee confirmed from court documents filed by SEI against one of its vendors, Dolarian Capital Inc of the US, that SEI paid only $85,000.00 for a unit of the T-72 tanks.

    “ Thus, from the refurbished T-72 Tanks transaction alone, SEI would have made a profit of about $93,000,000.00 for the 43 units it delivered to the Nigerian Army.  Moreover, there was no evidence that SEI paid the mandatory 5% WHT.”

    On suspicious transactions in DICON’s accounts, the CADEP report also implicated Gen. Minimah.

    It added: The Nigerian Army awarded seven contracts to DICON  for the procurement of Igirigi and Spartan APCs , arms and ammunition amounting to N4, 329’985, 000

    “The committee discovered that suspicious transactions to the tune of N845,600,000 and $3,450,619 were made from DICON’s domiciliary and Naira accounts with Fidelity Bank accounts 5250020197 and 5030040885. Out of this amount, the then DG DICON, Maj.-Gen. E.R, Chioba (retd) personally withdrew N81m and $131,740 in cash from the accounts. The sums of N764,600,00 and $3,318,879.17 were also transferred to the accounts of Lava Trade , 7×7 Limited and Oranto Petroleum Limited.

    “The explanations offered by Gen. Chioba that the transfers were payments for services and foreign exchange were unconvincing as there was no evidence if formal business relationship between DICON and these companies.

    “Consequently, the committee opines that the poor procurement process associated with DICON  contracts contravened financial regulations, encouraged illegal withdrawals leading to wastage of public funds, diminished the capacity of the Nigerian Army  in the campaign against terror and served as a conduit for misappropriation of entrusted funds.

    “The committee is of the view that Lt. Gen. A. O. Ihejirika, Lt.-Gen. KTJ Minimah (retd), Maj.-Gen. A.I Muraina(retd), Maj.-Gen. U. Buzugbe (retd) and Maj.-Gen. E.R. Chioba(retd) are to be held accountable.”

    “The  Committee  also  noted  that  between  3  September  2014  and  30 April  2015,

    NIMASA funded accounts of the Joint Task Force Operation Pulo Shield with various

    sums totalling N8,542,586,798.58 purportedly to enhance operations of the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta. Neither the need assessment that warranted the release of funds nor the details of the expenditure were made available to the Committee.

    “However, analyses of the accounts of the Joint Task Force showed that transfers totalling N6,277,698,885.13 were made to  some companies for unknown purposes.

    A source in Oranto Petroleum Limited said it never had any business link with the Army either during Gen. Ihejirika’s tenure or his successor Gen. Minimah’s.

    The source said: “Oranto Petroleum Limited did not receive any funds from the Nigerian Army under any guise between 2013 and 2015.”

  • Council chief arrests cart pusher, street traders

    Council chief arrests cart pusher, street traders

    Iru-Victoria Island Local Council Development Area (LCDA) Chairman Princess Rasheedat Adu has arrested a cart pusher around Idowu Martins Street on Victoria Island.

    She also arrested some street traders  for displaying their goods on the road.

    The cart pusher begged for his release, describing himself as a scavenger.

    The traders pleaded for leniency,  promising to stop  displaying their wares on the road.

    The council boss encountered the cart pusher and traders when she went  out to clear canals at Ajose Adeogun and Musa Yar’Adua  off Kofo Abayomi.

    She instructed her sanitation officers to issue abatement notices to a horticulturist and owners of abandoned buildings

    The flowers were not properly kept and appeared to have disfigured the beauty of the road.

    Some hoodlums have turned the abandoned buildings to their hideouts, bathing and dropping  faeces in the canal on Musa Yar’Adua Street.

    Adu appealed to owners of abandoned buildings to ensure that they did not become hoodlums’ den.

    She warned those dumping refuse inside the drains to desist or be prosecuted.

    “This area is inhabited by elite. It is populated by corporate bodies. It is the commercial area of our council and seeing this kind of attitude is nauseating.  If those canals and drains are not cleared of refuse, it would become flooded during rainy season. We must change our attitude to public infrastructure; our taxes are being used to build and maintain them. If we do not take ownership of those infrastructure, it will affect  the developmental changes we so much desire,” she said.

    At the canal on Ajose-Adeogun Street, the council chief stood on the hyacinth to clear refuse, urging her officials to join her.

    “It is our duty to ensure a cleaner environment; that will give us a safer community devoid of epidemic. If we don’t do it, we will spend funds meant for other projects to treat sick people,” she said.

  • APC chief’s wife donates clothes to 500 widows

    The wife of an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Mrs. Caroline Enuha, at the weekend donated clothes, valued at N3 million to over 500 widows in Aniocha South Local Government of Delta State.

    She urged governments to address economic challenges facing widows.

    Mrs. Enuha was accompanied to the event in Ogwashi-Uku by her husband, Mr. Hyacinth Enuha, chairman, Delta APC Elders Forum.

    She was the governorship candidate in 2011 general election on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

    The woman said she gave the gifts “because most widows do not have the means of clothing themselves at a special period like the Christmas.”

    She said she had plans for an empowerment scheme to train widows in skills to make them self -reliant.

    On what informed her philanthropic gesture, she said: “My husband, Chief Enuha and I have been giving succour to the hopeless for a long time. But on individual basis, I feel it will be better to expand it and touch more people at a time like this.

    “Considering the economic situation in the country, coupled with the unhealthy culture that exposes widows to forms of deprivation, I feel they need assistance.”

    Mrs. Enuha urged governments to implement programmes that will address challenges facing widows.

    A 70-year-old beneficiary, Mrs. Caroline Otogbodor, thanked the donor and her husband for their magnanimity.

  • Ajose-Harrison is PSSDC chief

    The Lagos State Government has confirmed Mr. Senukon Olufunmi Ajose-Harrison as  Director-General of the Lagos State Public Service Staff Development Centre (PSSDC), Magodo.

    Ajose-Harrison became Acting Director-General in May, following the retirement of his predecessor, Mrs. Regina Olubunmi Fabamwo.

  • CBN chief: banks fail to disburse N26.4b equity cash to SMEs

    CBN chief: banks fail to disburse N26.4b equity cash to SMEs

    Banks have failed to lend N26.4 billion Agriculture-SMEs fund to customers, eight months after the cash was made available through equity contributions by the lenders, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele said yesterday.

    Speaking at the ninth Bankers’ Committee retreat in Lagos, he said the banks were mandated last year by the CBN to contribute five per cent of their total assets as equity funds for lending to agriculture and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

    Last year’s contributions which stood at N26.4 billion were released in April. They were meant  immediate disbursement to those who applied for loans.

    This year’s contribution is expected to hit N30 billion, bringing the total fund to N56.4 billion by the end of this year.

    Emefiele said: “The first of the issues that we looked at, you all recall this time last year, we said we were going to create an Agric SMEs fund. And in the month of April this year, we were able to put together about N26.4 billion.

    “But, as we speak even at this time, not a penny of that fund has been disbursed. It ‘s a shame that we will have N26.4 billion sitting in the CBN whereas there were people who needed access to the fund”.

    Emefiele said the committee is now determined to ensure that the fund get disbursed as loans to the customers to boost job creation and grow the economy.

    He said: “Since 95 per cent of businesses in Nigeria are SMEs, it is crucial if the economy must grow, the SMEs and small manufacturers must not be ignored.”

    According to him, financial access will lead to improve job creation and growth in the economy.

    The CBN chief said the fund will now be disbursed to over 100,000 SMEs by February next year to enable the beneficiaries to grow their businesses or stimulate agricultural production.

    The fund, he added, can also be used to buy machines and agricultural equipment and delivered to beneficiaries who will begin to payback.

    Emefiele said the committee had decided to reevaluate the conditions under which the facilities were to be made available.

    “It was meant to be just equity, but we found out that because of certain apathy on the part of people who have businesses and would have wanted to be part of it, most people shied away from the equity fund. So, we decided to amend it.  We decided that the fund needed to be reviewed completely. It must me in a way that we must improve access for people who need the facility that it must be done in a very speedy manner, so that those who need it can get it in good time so that they can run their business,” he said.

    The committee, which agreed that the fund must be affordable, also amended the fund’s tenor It raised the tenor of the fund to a minimum of seven years, providing for certain moratorium that would make it possible for beneficiaries to have the fund at low pricing and at a tenor that would give them ample time to repay.

    “The Bankers’ Committee looked at the governance principles around the pricing and it was agreed that the fund must be development-oriented.

    Besides, the facility must not be a profit maximisation scheme with a professional and transparent management process around it to give everybody comfort. That way, banks will be happy to be contributing to the fund which is their contribution to job creation and economic growth of the country,” he said.

    The committee agreed that under the governance principles, the fund must be seen to be sustainable, have a life and be in perpetuity.

    The committee decided that it will no longer be equity fund but a sort of preference share arrangement or debt structure for easy access for applicants.