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  • Nobody must maltreat Osinbajo – Northern youths

    The coalition of Northern Nigerian Youth has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to halt any attempt that can lead to maltreatment or embarrassment of any kind against Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

    Speaking to the journalists in Kano, Mallam Yusuf Abdulmalik said any attempt to whistle down the influence of Osinbajo will label Buhari, and by extension, the North as ungrateful people, creating a bad image for the region to the entire world.

    He said Osinbajo, who has displayed maximum loyalty to the President in his presence and absence, is the face of the Church and strength of the Yorubas as well as the South in Buhari administration.

    Abdulmalik pleaded the Vice President should never be abandoned at any time.

    He further noted that the smooth relationship between Buhari and Osinbajo in the last four years has given more life to the one Nigeria spirit and should never be allowed to be destroyed by some selfish individuals hiding under the bed to stain the hard- earned integrity of the President.

    READ ALSO: Osinbajo presides over FEC as Buhari continues with foreign engagements at UNGA

    The leader of the group recalled how the Vice-President touched every nook and cranny of the country during the reelection campaign, preaching the next level message of the President.

    He described him as an accomplished Professor of Law and a great servant of God,urging the President to put a stop to any attempt to strip him of his constitutional powers in favour of anyone within or outside the government.

    He appealed to the President to do everything within his reach to protect the interests of his loyal and dependable Vice for the sake of the country.

  • Red hot Osimhen gets sixth season for Lille

    Nigeria international forward Victor Osimhen took his goal count for the season to six in seven games with a goal for Lille in their 2-0 win over Strasbourg.

    Osimhen opened scoring for Lille in the 43rd minute with a calm finish to hand his team a 1-0 lead going into the half time breal and fifteen minutes after the break he was on hand to set up Loic Remy for the second goal for Lille.

    Read Also: French Ligue1: Osimhen, Kalu score Simon plays for 90 minutes

    The win takes Lille to second spot on the table with Osimhen who was signed in the summer from Belgium side Charleroi playing a huge role in their fine start to the season in France.

    Since marking his debut with a brace against Nantes, he scored another brace against Saint-Etienne before finding the net againt Angers and later today against Strasbourg.

    He extended his fine form to the senior national team of Nigeria where he scored his first international goal for the team in the 2-2 friendly draw against Ukraine during the last international round of games

  • I’ll waive my constitutional immunity to clear my name – Osinbajo

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has declared his readiness to waive his constitutional immunity to “enable the most robust adjudication” of several baseless allegations, insinuation and falsehoods against his person and office.

    Prof. Osinbajo made the declaration in a tweet he personally authored on Wednesday afternoon.

    He said “In the past few days, a spate of reckless and malicious falsehoods have been peddled in the media against me by a group of malicious individuals.

    “The defamatory and misleading assertions invented by this clique had mostly been making the social media rounds anonymously.

    Read Also: Nobody must maltreat Osinbajo – Northern youths

    “I have today instructed the commencement of legal action against two individuals, one Timi Frank and another Katch Ononuju, who have put their names to these odious falsehoods.

    “I will waive my constitutional immunity to enable the most robust adjudication of these claims of libel and malicious falsehood.” he said

  • $9.6b award: Fed Govt raises 13 points against P&ID, exposes trick clause in MoU

    Twenty Four hours to its sitting, the Federal Government team has raised 13 grounds on why a London court should reverse the $9.6billion judgment secured against Nigeria by Process and Industrial Developments (P&ID).

    The delegation has also  exposed the trick clause used by P&ID to secure the Gas Supply and Processing Agreement (GSPA), which led to  the controversial arbitration award.

    The government has discovered that the Memorandum of Understanding on the gas contract was signed in 2009 by P&ID Nigeria Limited with the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

    But, a trick clause was inserted in the MoU, which allowed the British Virgin Island (BVI)- registered P&ID to replace the original contractual party, P&ID Nigeria Limited, to sign the contract on January 11, 2010.

    The team said the P&ID case cannot stand because the contract was fraudulent.

    According to sources, who spoke with The Nation, the government was able to discover the supplanting of P&ID Nigeria Limited in the course of the ongoing probe by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Police and others security agencies.

    Read Also: Buhari at UN lashes P&ID for $9.6b swindle attempt

    The latest evidence is one of the strongest points to be tabled by Nigeria’s lawyers tomorrow when the legal battle on the arbitral award begins.

    Nigeria is also insisting that the contract was not  vetted by the office of the Attorney- General of the Federation and it was not taken to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for  approval.

    One of the sources said: “We are raising 13 grounds  of defence on Thursday against P&ID  for a stay of execution and a declaration of the arbitral award as a nullity, based on substantial evidence of fraud and economic sabotage.

    “Of importance, detectives have  discovered that the MoU for the GSPA was entered into with the Ministry of Petroleum Resources  by P&ID Nigeria Limited and the contract signed by P&ID of the British Virgin Island.

    “It was a contract filled with deception, with an ultimate target of swindling Nigeria. Our legal team has taken judicious notice of this amorphous clause.”

    The source added: “A contract of that magnitude cannot be valid until it has been vetted by the office of the Attorney- General of the Federation and taken to the Federal Executive Council for approval. None of these was done. The sham contract was also signed in contravention of the infrastructural Regulatory Commission Act and Public Procurement Act.

    ”While the initial MOU for the project was signed in 2009 by P&ID Nigeria Limited and the Nigerian government (Ministry of Petroleum Resources), a ‘trick’ clause in the MoU was curiously activated that allowed British Virgin Island (BVI) registered P&ID to replace the original contractual party, P&ID Nigeria Limited, to sign the contract in January 11, 2010.

    “ P&ID incorporated in the British Virgin Island is a Shell Company that has no history of any business except the phantom gas supply project in Nigeria. There was no board resolution approving the assignment of the contractual interest to the BVI registered entity.

    ” P&ID never kick started the construction of the project facility, it claimed to have incurred $40 million in preliminary expenses. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has confirmed that there is no record of such investment, or any transaction related to the gas project in Nigeria by P&ID from 2010 to date.

    “There is no proof of any initial commitment by P&ID toward the execution and implementation as its own obligations as stipulated in the agreement signed in 2010.

    “P&ID could not meet any of the requirements the company was asked to provide. They include:

    • Updated proposal for the gas processing and utilisation
    • Identification of project site
    • Land acquisition
    • MoU with other agencies pertaining to gas processing in Nigeria
    • Evidence of financial capacity

    Another source, who is privileged to be involved in the investigation and legal battle against P&ID, said the contract was a sham dotted with bribery and corruption.

    The source said: “Suspicious payments were made to Mrs. Grace Taiga who, as the Legal Director in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, was vested with the responsibility of providing legal counsel to the Federal Government and ensuring that the interest of the country was adequately protected in the contract. Industrial Consultants International limited, a company associated with P&ID, made two transfers to Ms. Taiga in 2017 and 2018. These transfers could only have been made in appreciation of the ‘good deed’ done to the company by Mrs. Taiga, which has entitled her to agreed or perpetual benefits.

    ”There was no budgetary provision for the implementation of the GSPA in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources in 2010 while the P&ID did not have any licence to deal in petroleum product.

    “The firm also failed to file tax returns and pay VAT to the Federal Inland Revenue Service as required by law.

    ”The unprecedented $9.6 billion in arbitration award to P&ID is an unreasonable reward to a company that has done nothing more than to engage in fraud and economic sabotage.

    “Not only does this run against the course of justice, but more importantly, failing to recognize this sham would bring harm and hardship to Nigeria, as well as the wider region.

    ”Two directors of P&ID in Nigeria have been convicted of charges of money laundering and economic sabotage. Muhammad Kuchazi, commercial director of P&ID, the British Virgin Islands, and Adamu Usman, a director of the company in Nigeria, pleaded guilty to 11 counts of economic sabotage and money laundering at a Federal High Court in Abuja last Thursday.”

    It was learnt that the government delegation in the United Kingdom has so far succeeded in setting the records straight to stakeholders, investors and the media.

    Another source said: “We have been going round in the last three days to meet with the critical segments of the UK society. We discovered that many stakeholders did not have balanced information on what led to the $9.6billion, which was a judicial ambush.

    ”The dispute that led to Arbitration between the Nigerian government (Ministry of Petroleum Resources) and the Irish engineering company P&ID arose from a 20-year Gas Supply and Processing Agreement (GSPA) entered in 2010 between the two parties in respect of an accelerated gas development project in Nigeria’s OMLs 67 and 123.

    “P&ID’s claim in the arbitration proceedings was mainly for loss of profit for the entire 20-year term of the GSPA, initially claiming the sum of  $1.9 billion and later increasing its claim to  $5.9 billion.

    “The Arbitral Tribunal on 3lst January, 2017, rendered its Final Award against Nigeria (Ministry of Petroleum Resources) in the sum of  $6.597 billion together with pre-award interest at the rate of seven per cent per annum effective from 20th March 2013 and post-award interest at the same rate till date of payment. This interest has increased the size of the award to $9.6 billion.

    “In arriving at this decision, the tribunal ignored the ruling of a Federal High Court in Lagos that the award be set aside.

    “On Friday 16 August 2019 at the United Kingdom’s Business & Property Courts (the Commercial Court), Mr. Justice Butcher granted P&ID’s enforcement application which converts the arbitration award secured by P&ID into a domestic UK judgment against Nigeria.”

  • How we plan to create 100m jobs, by VP

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has explained how President Muhammadu Buhari plans to lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty.

    He said the Federal Government’s policies and programmes aimed at promoting financial inclusion remain key to the actualisation of the plan.

    Prof. Osinbajo spoke in Abuja at the opening of the Annual Conference of Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN).

    In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, the Vice-President referred to the President’s June 12 speech where he stated that “we are working to lift Nigerians out of poverty and set them on the path to prosperity. We intend to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty over the next 10 years”.

    Read Also: AfCFTA’ll open new vistas to banking sector, says Osinbajo

    Osinbajo said: “Financial inclusion, of course, is the key to realising so much of what we expect as an economy and the President promised in his June 12 speech to lift 100 million people out of poverty in 10 years. That is the commitment of the government of Nigeria.

    “We started that journey with our collaboration with the Bank of Industry (BoI) to deliver the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) programme, better known as TraderMoni and MarketMoni by providing microcredit to almost two million petty traders.

    “The Bank of Industry has now brought this huge bottom of the pyramid into the formal financial system and that has been recognised worldwide. “Recently, the programme won the African Development Bank (AfDB) prize for financial inclusion because of the work that was done with TraderMoni. This is a huge task.

    “Going forward, we now need to embark on financial training for all of those who have been brought into the net. As you know, when they’re given N10,000 and they pay back, they are given N15,000, N20,000, and it goes all the way.

    “But at that point they’re given their Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs), they’re formally included in the financial system; they’re formally included as formal traders. So, we are able to give them financial training and all that.”

    He added: “…For very long, that bottom of the pyramid has been completely excluded and yet informal trade is a significant part of trading that is going on in our country.

    “So, there’s a real need out there and we must devise the methods by which those at the bottom of the pyramid can be uplifted. We must look at how we can even resource the entire value chain. What we find is that the petty trader, who just has a trade, is usually selling little bits and pieces from many of the manufacturers or fast-moving products. We found that just by giving them credit, we can resource the whole value chain all the way up.”

  • One dies as Police, cultists clash in Delta

    A yet- to -be identified man has reportedly died in a gun duel between policemen and suspected cultists at Express Junction in Udu council area of Delta state.

    The incident occurred on Tuesday evening.

    It was gathered that Policemen from Ovwian/Aladja Division had gone to the area to put an end to a clash among rival cult groups.

    However, a suspected cultists from one of the groups allegedly opened fire on the team of uniformed security men, leading to an exchange of bullets.

    Read Also: Police arraign lawyer for threatening to kill Kashamu

    It was learnt that one of the suspects was gunned down by the Police while others fled the scene.

    Delta Commissioner of Police, Mr Adeyinka Adeleke, confirmed the development.

    He said: “Cultists clashed with Police and one was shot dead. The person is a cultist.”

    Udu council boss, Hon. Jite Brown, had only last week announced the imposition of a dusk to dawn curfew due to the incessant criminal activities threatening the peace and security in parts of the local government area.

  • FEC okays N310b for roads projects

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday approved three memos and a total of N310 billion for roads projects.

    The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola briefed State House correspondents at the end of FEC meeting chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa.

    He was with the Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajuba and the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Laolu Akande.

    According to him, FEC approved N79.82 billion for Ibadan-Ilesa-Ife road, N200.176 billion for roads linking second Niger Bridge to Asaba and Onitsha, and N29.654 billion for phase 2 of Kano-Katsina highway.

    He said “The ministry of works and housing presented three memoranda and they were approved by the council: construction of Ibadan -Ilesa-Ife Dual Carriage Way, they are connected to Oyo and Osun State at the cost of N79.829 billion.

    “Secondly, for the link-road that connects the second Niger Bridge to Asaba and Onitsha. The Asaba link-road was awarded to Julius Berger and the Onitsha link-road was awarded to RCC at the total cost of N200.176 billion.

    “So this completes essentially the access road that will link the Bridge in the short time. You might recall that these roads were under-designed when the bridge was awarded.

    “So it is this administration that completed the design and we now awarded them so that you can have a bring that has link-roads. This was awarded initially under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) and the bridge in 2010 administration.

    Read Also; Buhari consoles VON DG over wife’s loss

    “The third approval was for phase two of the Kano-Katsina High Way from the point known as Gidan-Mutum Daya all the way to where Katsina Steel Rolling Mill is. This is a 78KM stretch approved at the sum of N29.654 billion.

    “That road is a 152KM road linking Kano and Katsina road from Kano. It was a single length Highway until it was awarded in 2013 by the previous administration in phase 1.

    “So we inherited it and we have continued to execute it. The award was to then expand the road into a dual carriage highway way. That means we are constructing the existing one and building another new one. It was awarded for the first 70KM plus for the phase 1 we we have now done is to complete the award to the same contractor so that there is a uniformity of construction.” he said

    Nwajuba disclosed that contracts amounting to N1.833 billion were approved for his ministry under Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND).

    The first, he said, is N915 million for construction of Faculty of Environment at the University of Abuja.

    He said the second contract is N918 million for construction of Faculty of Education in the same university.

    “The memorandum approved was in respect TETFUND intervention programme in respect of University of Abuja. A key component of that was the award of contract at the sum of N915 million for the construction of the faculty of environment.

    “Another was also approved for he sum of N918 million for the award to build the faculty of education. Those are the two components arising from the special intervention programme that was awarded then in 2017. So we have to act to give effect to them so that they can proceed the delivery.”

  • Police exonerate reps member of rape allegation

    The Imo State Police Command on exonerated a member of the House of Representatives representing Ohaji/Egbema Oguta and Oru West Federal Constituency, Hon. Uju Kingsley Chima of the rape allegation levelled against him by one Mrs. Nkeiruka Cynthia Kamalu.

    The Command dismissed Kamalu’s allegations against Hon. Uju as false and baseless.

    It stated this in a statement signed by Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Orlando Ikeokwu, which was obtained by The Nation.

    The statement reads: “The attention of the command has been drawn to the news making the rounds in some media, dailies and other social platform in which one Nkeiruka Cynthia Kamalu claimed that she was raped by one Hon. Uju Kingsley Chima and as such claimed she was unlawfully arrested, tortured and detained.

    “The command wish to state that on 6/5/2019 the command received a report of a case of advanced fee fraud, conspiracy, child trafficking, forgery and threat to life against one Nkeiru Cynthia Kamalu ‘f’ 40 years of Plot 4, Ademola Close By Ire-Akari Estate, Ago, Lagos State.

    Read Also; ‘Lawmaker raped me, promised to give me N20m if my husband divorced me’

    “The command arrested two suspects namely -(1) Nkeiruka Cynthia Kamalu ’f’ and (ii) Emeka Muoneka ’m’. Both of the suspects made confessional statements as to the offence committed. For the purpose of clarity, the said Nkeiruka Cynthia Kamalu ’f’ called Hon. Kingsley Uju Chima claiming to be pregnant for him and as such blackmailed him into sending her various sums of money. She later claimed to have given birth to twins and one died of which she sent him picture of a baby boy.

    However, in the course of the investigation, the following were discovered.

    “That she was never in Canada as she claimed.

    “That she forged Canadian visa which she snapped and sent to Hon. Kingsley Uju Chima to trick him into sending money.

    “That Emeka Muoneka ‘m’ took her to Nnewi in Anambra State where she bought a three-day old baby boy at the sum of N1,800,000.

    “That she installed a software in her phone in which she used to call Hon. Kingsley Uju Chia, to ensure that a foreign number appears whenever she calls.

    “That both Nkeiruka Cynthia Kamalu and Emeka Muoneka led operatives to Nnewi, Anambra State where they bought a three-day old baby, for the purpose of deceiving Hon. Kingsley Uju Chima and blackmail him into sending money to her.

    In view of the above findings, the command said she was charged to court for the offence, adding that there was no time she was victimized, torturer detained.

    Read Also: One dies as Police, cultists clash in Delta

    The command therefore urged members of the public to discharge the allegations as “they are false and baseless.”

    On September 11, 2019, Kamalu, a businesswoman, filed a fundamental rights suit marked FHC/L/CS/1458/19 alleging “intimidation, mounting surveillance and or illegal oral invitation threat of life and annihilation of property,” against the lawmaker.

    She alleged that she was raped by Chima, on August 9, 2015, while she was married to a United States-based doctor.

    “I lodged the case first at New Owerri Police Station wherein he influenced it and I wrote a Petition to the Inspector-General of Police, Force State Quarters, Abuja. The petition was assigned to Zone 9 Police Command, Umuahia, Abia State.

    According to her, the police persuaded her to settle with the lawmaker and soon after, they resumed an incestuous relationship

    Mrs Kamalu claimed that afterwards, the lawmaker offered to pay her N20 million if she was divorced by her husband, Mr Gabriel Igbibi. Her husband subsequently left her and her new resumed relationship also failed, she said.

    She further alleged that the lawmaker caused her to be arrested in Lagos on 27th day of May, 2019 by SARS and that she was tortured and detained for seven days, after which she was arraigned on a fictitious N40 million theft charge.

  • Man ‘caught’ selling marijuana at NDLEA office

    A Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday remanded a man, Ayobiojo Hammed, who was allegedly caught peddling marijuana at the Lagos Command of the National Drug Laws Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

    Justice Sule Hassan kept Hammed, of 7, Moshalashi Street, Empire, Surulere, Lagos, in prison custody, following his plea of guilty to a one-count charge of unlawfully distributing 630 grammes of the narcotic drug.

    He adjourned till October 11 for review of the facts of the case and sentencing.

    Earlier, NDLEA prosecutor Fingere Dinneys alleged that Hammed was arrested on March 26, 2019, while distributing 630 grammes of the substance to some construction workers on the NDLEA’s premises, No. 4, Shaw Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

    Read Also: NDLEA intercepts 238kg of cannabis in Edo

    The court heard that the defendant’s offence infringed Section 20(1)(a) of the NDLEA Act, 2004 and was punishable under Section 20(2)(a) of the same Act.

    Following Hammed’s plea, his counsel, C. W. Ezeonyeziaku, who stood in for Mrs. Susan Agu, did not oppose the prosecution’s remand application.

    The charge against the defendant marked FHC/L/198c/19, reads: “That you Ayobiojo Hammed, Male, Adult, of 7, Moshalashi Street, Empire Surulere, Lagos on or about 26th March, 2019, at 4, Shaw Road, Ikoyi, Lagos without lawful authority distributed 630 grammes of Cannabis Sativa otherwise known as Marijuana, a narcotic drug similar to Cocaine, LSD and Heroin and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 20(1)(a) and punishable under Section 20(2)(a) of the NDLEA Act 2004”.

  • Vibetone drops debut single ‘PAMI’

    Young prodigy and Afrofusion artiste, Adeniji Samuel Adedolapo, also known as Vibetone has released his debut single titled ‘Pa Mi’ meaning Mesmerise me in his indigenous Yoruba language.

    ‘Pa Mi’ produced by DXL da beat is a feel good and danceable song which expresses the intoxicating love from his love interest, received by the singer. The guitar strings is deftly struck by by Fiokee. It is a potential hit song released today and would be played on many radio stations.

    Vibetones says the song is one of the many coming out from his repertoire as he storms the music world.

    “My song is influenced by the old generation Nigerian classics highlife and majorly Afropop. Music to me is an escape route from life daily struggles. My way of forgetting my problems and I want my listeners to to get same feelings when they listen to my songs,” says the talented Nigerian singer who is based in New Jersey, United States.

    READ ALSO: Guchi drops debut single, ‘No Be Jazz’

    Born 28 years ago, Vibetone grew up in Lagos, from a family of nine in Ojodu suburb of Lagos listening to the music of great Nigerian stars who helped shaped his musical influence.

    He went to Mayflower Secondary School at Ikenne, Ogun State.

    Vibetone began music professionally in 2017. The likes of Meologo, Sir Dauda, Burna Boy, 1da Banton are the Artistes that inspire him.

    The young artiste who believes in the impact of education already has a bachelors degree from University of ilorin, and MBA from Saint Joseph’s university in Philadelphia USA.

    Pa mi is a song everyone would love to listen and dance to the vibe.