A forensic expert and witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Bamaiyi Mairiga, has admitted that forensic examination was not carried out on the signature of the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele, who is being tried by the federal government over alleged $6.2 million fraud.

The witness made the admission under cross examination by Emefiele’s lawyer, Mr Mathew Burkaa (SAN).

Emefiele is standing trial for an alleged 20-count amended charge preferred against him by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (OAGF).

He was alleged to have engaged in criminal breach of trust, forgery, conspiracy to obtain by false pretence and obtaining money by false pretence when he served as the apex bank’s boss.

Among the allegations was that the former CBN boss forged a document entitled: Re: Presidential Directive on Foreign Election Observer Missions dated January 26, 2023 with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/201 and purportedly to have emanated from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (AGF).

During the court sitting on Thursday, the witness, who is the sixth to be called by the prosecution, presented report of the Forensic Document Examination (FDE) carried out on the signatures of former President Muhammadu Buhari and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) , Mr Boss Mustapha.

According to him, his forensic examination was limited to only Buhari and Mustapha.
He told the court he did not carry out the forensic examination of Emefiele’s signature because the EFCC did not submit it to him, adding that he did not know why the defendant is standing trial.

He also admitted that the request for the forensic document examination was made by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Earlier, Mairiga had informed the court that the signatures of Buhari and Mustapha were forged in two separate letters used to facilitate the withdrawal of $6.2 million from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Led in evidence by prosecution lawyer, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, the witness stated that he analysed documents carrying the “disputed signature” and the “specimen signature” in order to identify individual characteristics present or absent in each of the signatures.

He said, “Conclusion from the analysis revealed that the disputed document showed evidence of forgery and copying as the same movement in formation and the skill of execution were found to be different from that of the specimen signature.”
At the end of his evidence, Mairiga went ahead to tender the said documents used in the forensic analysis which were admitted by the court as exhibits.
Sources however wondered why Emefiele’s signature was not sent for forensic examination given that he was the first to raise an alarm after meeting with a special investigator, Mr Jim Obazee, that his signature had been forged.

HIS Excellency Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, is a pendulum. He dangles across political and ideological lines. Sometimes, he seems to forget what he said in the morning. It is therefore not surprising that in the Russo-Ukrainian War, he has swung from being a peacemaker in 2022, to an advocate of damaging Russia without destroying it, on to demanding in 2024, an outright invasion and destruction of Russia.

 I am sure he is not so daft not to realise that his advocacy to militarily overrun Moscow, is an invitation to a Third World War. I don’t know if he cares; his objectives are to grab the headlines and, position himself as the leader of the so-called free world.

The contemporary Ukrainian political crises began in November 2004 following disputed presidential election re-run between the pro- Russian candidate from the Eastern Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych and Viktor Yushchenko which was won by the former. What followed were street protests in some parts of the country, and the election results were annulled. In the second re-run, Yushchenko was declared winner and was sworn-in as President. This was called the ‘Orange Revolution’.

In the 2010 elections, Yanukovych, the pro-Russian candidate, again, won. This time, his election was not annulled. However, when, three years later, his government decided to sign a trade pact with Russia, rather than the European Union, pro-West forces staged street protests and on February 21, 2014, President Yanukovych fled the capital, Kyiv. Next day, the parliament, claiming that the President had withdrawn from his constitutional duties by fleeing the capital, removed him from office.

 Eastern Ukraine protested that it was the second time it was being deprived of the presidency it had won through the ballot box. It therefore refused to recognise the new government, insisting that only a democratically elected President can preside over the country. This led to a civil war in which the Ukrainian armed forces, backed by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, NATO, took on the Russian–backed rebels.

Two peace accords were signed in Minsk, capital of Belarus, to end the conflict. The Minsk Peace agreements provided for a ceasefire, constitutional reforms, including decentralisation, a federal system and special status for the eastern regions of Donetsk and Lugansk.

 This was where Macron came in. He, like the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, pressed that the peace accords signed by all sides, should be implemented. But the then Ukrainian President, Petro Poroshenko, refused to implement them. He insisted on conquering the rebels.

However, Volodymyr Zelensky, as a candidate, campaigned that he would implement the peace accords. He told the Eastern Ukrainians that he would “continue in the direction of the Minsk Talks and head towards concluding a ceasefire”. But after his 2019 election, he reneged and, rather, sent troops to overrun that part of the country.

Justifying his sabotage of the peace agreements, Zelensky in an interview with the German newspaper, Der Spiegel, published on February 9, 2023, said: “Procrastination is perfectly fine in diplomacy”. He added that he merely “jumped on the (peace) train” to deceive Russia and prepare for war.  

Former French President, Francois Hollande, confirmed that Ukraine was not interested in a peaceful resolution of the civil war. He said: “Since 2014, Ukraine has strengthened its military posture. Indeed, the Ukrainian army was completely different from that of 2014. It was better trained and equipped. It is the merit of the Minsk Agreements to have given the Ukrainian army this opportunity.”

Merkel also confirmed that rather than seek a peaceful resolution of the differences in the country, Ukraine decided to stockpile Western weapons, strengthen its armed forces and prepare for war with Russia.

Former Israeli Prime Minister, Naftali Bennet, said he thought the Russo-Ukrainian War was avoidable. So, he decided to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine, but that the United States and Europe blocked the process, insisting that there is the need “by the West to keep striking Putin” and ensure that the civil war in Ukraine escalated. He reiterated: “They blocked it, and I thought they’re wrong”.

Macron also did not agree Europe should encourage war in Ukraine rather than peace. On February 7, 2022, he met President Vladmir Putin in the Kremlin. On February 22, 2022, Russia decided to support the Ukrainian rebels military by attacking Ukraine. Despite this, Macron kept an open communication line with Russia.

Following the war, he changed his attitude towards Russia. Putin said of this: “At some point, the French President stopped the relationship with us. We didn’t do it, I didn’t. He did. If there’s interest, we’re ready. If not, we’ll cope.”

Then on Saturday, February 18, 2023, Macron moved to advocate the defeat of Russia, but not its humiliation. He told the Le Journal du Dimanche paper: “I do not think, as some people do, that we must aim for a total defeat of Russia, attacking Russia on its own soil. Those observers want to, above all else, crush Russia. That has never been the position of France and it will never be our position.”

At the end of February, 2024, Macron had completely changed his position. He said: “We are convinced that the defeat of Russia is indispensable for stability and security in Europe…We are determined to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes” to help Ukraine defeat Russia. Then he dropped the bombshell: “There is no consensus today to send (NATO) ground forces in an official, acknowledged and approved manner. But in a dynamic situation, nothing should be ruled out. We’ll do everything necessary so that Russia cannot win this war.”

So, does Macron think that Russia, a nuclear power, would watch NATO forces stroll into Moscow? It is like expecting the United States to watch foreign troops march across New York and seize Washington.

 Even if Macron is suicidal, I am sure NATO is not. It is aware that even in a conventional warfare, the prize of its troops taking on Russia, will be quite high. Other Europeans are not as daft as Ukraine that is using its youths as cannon fodder. Also, NATO as an alliance, is smart enough to realise that it is not the only game in the world. In other words, in the event of war, Russia will have allies.

Thirdly, NATO is smart enough to know that while the first and second all-European wars of the 20th Century, christened the First and Second World Wars, were fought with conventional weapons, the third one will not be fought only with such weapons.

Since humanity is not ready for the Third World War, it is logical to ask when Macron will leave the French Presidency; 2027 may be too far.

The Cosmopolitan Women’s Cub of Lagos on The Occasion of The International Women’s Day 2024 Joins All Women of Every Strata in Nigeria and The World Over to Once Again Celebrate Ourselves.

It is good to thank God for the success thus far of the millions of women’s march for women’s rights as human rights.

However, it looks like no sooner have women seemed to have broken the glass ceiling than is it replaced by a tripled glazed glass barrier.

Poverty is rife and has sadly attained generational dimension and women are amongst the poorest of the poor.

Families are without the basic necessities of life and end up going to bed hungry. 

Extremely high cost of living and inflation have reduced households to a status of indignity.

Disease and poverty have excluded large numbers of women and children from basic human needs of healthcare and housing. 

Gender inequality impacts on empowerment of women in politics and decision-making positions thereby leading to exclusion.

So, as we reflect on the IWD theme inspire inclusion, let us resolve to act in unison to break down all barriers to women’s liberation.

Happy International Women’s Day.

Dame Marie Fatayi-Williams President Cosmopolitan Women’s Club, Lagos

The Central Bank of Nigeria says foreign portfolio inflow into Nigeria surged $2.3 billion in the first two months of 2024 compared to $3.9 billion recorded in 2023.

The Acting Director of Corporate Communications at CBN, Hakama Sidi Ali, disclosed this on Thursday.

She noted that foreign investors purchased more than $1 billion in Nigerian assets in February alone.

According to her, the surge in foreign investor’s interest in Nigeria has led to total portfolio flows reaching $2.3 billion in 2024.

Meanwhile, the apex bank said diaspora remittances surged by 443 per cent to $1.3 billion in February.

“Foreign investors purchased more than US$1 billion of Nigerian assets last month, with total portfolio flows of at least US$2.3 billion recorded thus far in 2024 compared to US$ 3.9 billion seen in total for last year,” she stated.

DAILY POST recalls that foreign investment portfolios in the fourth quarter of 2023 surged by 66.77 per cent to $1,060.73 million in the fourth quarter of 2023 compared to the preceding quarter.

Meanwhile, an economic think tank group, Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, said the recently introduced expatriate employment levy will hurt FDI in Nigeria.

The House of Representatives, on Thursday, charged the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, to recover all taxes totalling over N5.19 trillion owed to the Federal Government by ministries, departments and agencies.

The development comes after the adoption of a motion by the member representing Oredo Federal Constituency of Edo State, Esosa Iyawe.

He said, “Audit reports from 2015 to 2019 revealed government agencies owing hundreds of billions in FIRS taxes, comprising underpayments and under-recoveries and over 5,000 companies and MDAs of the Federal Government owing N5.2 trillion in withholding taxes.”

Iyawe further argued that under-remittance and non-remittance of tax deprived the country of much-needed revenue.

He said, “The effect could be crippling on the country’s already dwindling economy.”

He contended that small-scale businesses in Nigeria were frustrated by multiple taxations by the FIRS “while states and local government authorities, multinational companies and other corporate organisations are getting the kid-glove treatment.

“To ensure that all debts in taxes owed to the federal government are duly recovered and reported back within four weeks for further legislative action.”

The N28.7 trillion 2024 Budget signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has a deficit of N9.18 trillion.

Meanwhile, FIRS generated N12. 37 trillion as tax revenue in 2023.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has declared the Super Eagles head coach position vacant.

Former handler of the side, Jose Peseiro officially left the post at the end of last month.

There were speculations that the NFF was still negotiating with Peseiro but the latest decision by the soccer house suggests otherwise.

Interested coaches, both expatriates and locals are now expected to submit their application to the NFF.

Peseiro guided the Super Eagles to second position at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

The NFF also declared the position of the U-17 coach vacant.

Former Super Eagles defender, Nduka Ugbade was last in charge of the team.

Organised Labour was divided, yesterday, over what the new minimum wage should be. The lack of unanimity was evident at public hearings organised by the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage, TCNMW, across four of the six geo-political zones of the country.

In the South-West, while leaders of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, proposed N794,000, those of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, proposed N497,000 as minimum wage as the Director-General, Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies, MINILS, Ilorin, Kwara State, Comrade Issa Aremu, said the range should be between N120,000 and N200,000.

In the South-East, the NLC said it preferred the new minimum wage to be N540,000, while the TUC suggested N447,000.

However, South-South workers proposed N850,000, with their North-West counterparts angling for N485,000 minimum wage.

This happened as North-West governors shunned the parley with their South-West colleagues, saying it will be hard to sustain higher wages for their workers without a significant adjustment in some of the narratives in the national economy, such as revenue sharing formula.

However, Governors Douye Diri (Bayelsa) and Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom) promised to abide by the resolutions of the parleys.

Drama in South-West

The differences in the proposals of the NLC and TUC in the South-West came as governors from the zone said the majority of governments in the zone could hardly sustain improved wages and salaries for workers as things stand now.

Organised Labour is advocating a N500,000 minimum wage, following the submission of proposals by state chapters to the headquarters of the congress.

The hearing is aimed at hammering out a new minimum wage that aligns with the current economic conditions and meets the expectations of workers.

On the government’s part, the argument was that even though workers deserve a new wage, each state should be allowed to negotiate with its respective workers because of its peculiarities.

However, labour unions described the stance of some governors’ inability to pay minimum wage as “unacceptable.”
These were the high points of the South-West, geo-political zone public hearings organised by the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage, TCNMW, and chaired by the Minister of Finance, Mr Wale Edun. The hearing was held at LTV Ground, Agindingbi, Ikeja, Lagos.

The chairman of Lagos State NLC, Mrs. Funmi Sessi, recommended payment of at least N794,000 minimum wage for workers and appealed to the Federal Government to ensure that the national minimum wage remains on the exclusive list.

Sessi also suggested that a review of the minimum wage should be every two years instead of the current five years.
Sessi asked for a 13 per cent derivation for Lagos State because of its peculiarities, noting Lagos needs to conform to the standards of other cities of the world.

On his part, the representative of TUC, Mr Gbenga Ekundayo, called for an annual review of minimum wage as stated in Section 3(4) of the National Minimum Wage Act; and advocated for N497,000 new minimum wage.

Organised private sector

To the Director-General, Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies, MINILS, Ilorin, Kwara State, Comrade Issa Aremu: “in real-time, the purchasing power of workers has been eroded. The two scriptures recognize the payment of workers. If you pay workers very well, it is Godly. It is also good economically because workers are meant to purchase goods and services.

“To get the minimum wage right, you must talk about affordability. We should be realistic on what will keep workers alive and at the same time sustain the establishments. I think we should be talking in the range of N120,000 to N200,000.”

Others who spoke at the South-West hearing include Professor Adejumo Akintoye, who represented the Congress of Nigerian University Academics, CONUA; Mr Tayo Adelaja, who represented the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN; Vice-President (South-West zone) Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, NASME, Mr Solomon Aderoju, who lamented that firms and workers are facing hard times in the country.

S’West govs list challenges of meeting minimum wage

Speaking on behalf of his South-West colleagues, Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, said: “The committee on the proposed New Minimum Wage was established by the Federal Government and I was appointed to represent governors from the South-West geopolitical zone.

“In all our meetings and various deliberations, one thing that the committee has been able to establish is that the workers in Nigeria are due for an improved welfare package.

“To this effect, there is a consensus for an upward review of the National Minimum Wage because the existing one has become unrealistic.

“Having said this, it has to be reiterated that the majority of governments at the Sub” nationals can hardly sustain improved wages and salaries for their workers without a significant adjustment in some of the narratives in the national economy.”

He continued: “In tandem with the public outcry for the review of the sharing formula for the federation account, the time has come for the Federal Government to revisit the matter. “There is an urgent need for the review of existing sharing formulas in favour of states and local governments. I call on the National Assembly through the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, to urgently take decisive action to look at the ratio objectively and realistically.

“As we offer opinions on minimum wage, I will admonish all workers both in the private sector and public service to improve their productivity. This is a way to ensure the sustainability of the new minimum wage when it is eventually approved.

“Our position from Osun State is that workers deserve improved wages and salaries. The Osun State Government is in support of a new and realistic minimum wage for all workers within the limit of available resources in a very sustainable manner.

In Lagos, we prioritize workers’ welfare, says Sanwo-Olu

Earlier, the chief host, and Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Head of Service, HoS, Bode Agoro, said that Lagos is committed to working collaboratively with other states and the Federal Government to arrive at a fair and realistic wage structure that takes into account, the diverse economic conditions across the nation.

“In Lagos State, we have always prioritized the welfare of our workers, recognizing that a well-compensated and motivated workforce is essential for sustainable development. One notable accomplishment has been the regular review of the minimum wage. I am proud to announce that Lagos State has implemented a minimum wage of N41,500, surpassing the standards set by many other states in the region.”

FG wants to make an informed decision – Edun

Earlier, Finance Minister Edun said the committee is interested in well-researched position papers that will aid informed decisions.

The minister, who is the South West Zonal Committee Chairman on the minimum wage, said: “We must recognize the significance of this assignment and its multiplier effect on the lives of millions of hardworking citizens and our great country Nigeria.

“We recognize the interests of balancing both employers and employees to achieve a fair and sustainable minimum wage that promotes social justice and economic stability.”

“The 37-member National Minimum Wage Tripartite Committee, which Mr. President constituted with equal memberships drawn from the government side (Federal and states) organised labour and the employers’ association has been tasked with ensuring that our minimum wage reflects the evolving economic landscape, adequately addresses the well-being of our workforce and of course the ability to pay sustainably.”

NLC, TUC divided in S-East

At the South East zonal public hearing organized by TCNMW in Enugu,, the Enugu State TUC Chairman, Comrade Ben Asogwa, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues in the zone, said that wage increase had become inevitable based on the present economic situation in the country.

While the NLC said it prefers the new minimum wage to be N540,000, the TUC maintained a proposal of N447,000; with both organised labour unions concurring that the minimum wage law should be reviewed every two years instead of five years as the law currently prescribes.

Asogwa said: “We can’t bear the suffering again, we believe that the needful should be done, we’re disappointed that the governors are not here. We have seen that five years is a long time for the review and so we have proposed that the minimum wage should be reviewed every two years.

Unwilling govs should quit or be impeached

“We are also saying that the law should reflect that any governor who is not ready to pay the minimum wage law should vacate his office and not the fine of N250,000 as recommended by the law. TUC is looking forward to the possibility of implementation of the wage and we can’t give a different proposal from what the national leadership of the TUC has made and so we affirm that the least we can take is N447,000.”

Nwigbo lamented that Nigeria’s minimum wage was less than eight per cent of what was obtained in other African countries, stating that in 2019 when N30,000 was proposed, prices of commodities and fuel were lower than their present rates.

South-South workers propose N850,000,00 minimum wage

In the South-South zone hearing, workers proposed tN850,000 as the new national minimum wage.

The position of the zone was contained in a memorandum presented in Uyo by the Chairman of the (NLC Akwa Ibom State Council, Comrade Sunny James, at the event.

James stated: “The standard of living for every worker has become suicidal and strangulating. Every single item a worker depends on for sustenance has gone out of reach-foodstuffs, transportation, school fees, accommodation, medical care, clothing, even ordinary sachet water.

“The leadership of Congress, therefore, posits that to ensure social stability, increased productivity and to adhere to the global requirements of decent work, the following socio-economic indicators must be considered as we review the 2019 minimum wage: The cost of living per day, housing/accommodation, Transportation/utility, Health, Educational, etc. Using the above key indicators for measurement and considering that the comparatively high cost of living peculiar to the oil -producing areas, a consequence of oil exploration and mining activities, the South-South zone hereby proposes a new wage of N850,000.”

He also recommended that the minimum wage should be retained in the exclusive legislative list.

He continued: “The zone proposes a penalty for those contravening the minimum wage to include the impeachment and imprisonment of such insensitive/inhuman governors, withdrawal of operational license to the defaulting private sector employers.”

In its memorandum the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, said it supports the demand of N850,000 minimum wage as proposed by the NLC.

Prof Emem Abraham, Akwa Ibom State Chairman of NMA, who submitted the memorandum to the committee, noted that the consequential adjustment is of utmost importance to NMA members.

In his remarks, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, who noted that the welfare of Akwa Ibom workers had always been on the government’s priority list, assured that the state would implement the outcome of the hearings.

Eno who was represented by Head of Service, Elder Effiong Essien said: “It is on record that in the 2019 new minimum wage implementation effort, Akwa Ibom State was the first to inaugurate the state implementation committee.

“In line with the spirit and intent of the ongoing revision of the National minimum wage to provide a living wage, I wish to assure that my state, Akwa Ibom will align and oblige the outcome as usual, when the input from the hearings shall have been collated, considered and enacted into the Act by our legislators.”

Similarly, Governor Duoye Diri of Bayelsa State who was represented by the Head of Service, Mrs Biobelemoye Charles-Onyeoma, said: “ I want to thank His Excellency the President for setting up this committee in recognition of the plight of the workforce and the need to engage the stakeholders.

“We appreciate the workforce of Nigeria because without the workforce the government cannot do anything. Having listened to all the presentations I want to encourage us that as a government whatever harmonious review that would be done, we will be willing and ready to abide by it.”

In the North-West, the NLC proposed N485,000 as the new minimum wage for workers.
At the hearing held at the Coronation Hall, Government House, Kano, Kano State Chairman of the NLC, Kabir Inuwa, proposed on behalf of the North West leadership of the congress.

He said the proposed minimum wage of N485,000 was necessary considering the dynamics of the national economy.
“The congress thinks that for any minimum wage to achieve its purpose it must reflect the realities of the economic situation and accordingly assess the least income that would be sufficient for the survival of a family of six,” Inuwa said.

The NLC chairman said that the Minimum Wage Act provides all the protection required to ensure compliance.
“This may be initiated by an individual or trade unions. The lack of awareness of the existing laws constitutes rampant contravention of the law most especially by some state and local governments. If the labour unions can initiate a mechanism to explore the provision of the law, would record minimum defaults.

He urged the Federal Government to ensure compliance by withholding all allocations to any state or public institutions that contravened the minimum wage law. Governors of the North-West zone were absent apart from Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, who sent a representative, and the host governor, who was represented by his deputy, Abdulssalam Gwarzo.

[Vanguard]

Sani Abdullahi, a teacher at the Government Secondary School Kuriga, Chikun LGA of Kaduna, says 287 students are missing after bandits attacked the community on Thursday morning.

Abdullahi, who spoke when Uba Sani, governor of Kaduna, visited the community after the incident, said bandits invaded the primary and secondary schools at about 8am.

The teacher said a member of the Kaduna State Vigilante Service (KADVS) was killed by the bandits when he attempted to confront them.

“At GSS Kuriga, 187 students are presently missing. In the primary school, 125 pupils were initially missing, but, 25 of them escaped and returned home,” Abdullahi told the governor.

The teacher said he resumed work by 7:47 am and entered the acting principal’s office to sign the staff register when the bandits surrounded the school premises.

“All of a sudden, the acting principal asked me to look at my back and when I turned, we discovered that bandits had surrounded the school premises,” Abdullahi said.

“We became confused, we didn’t know where to go. Then, the bandits ordered us to enter the bush, so we obeyed them because they were many.

“So, when we entered the bush, I was lucky to escape alongside many other people. I returned to the village and reported what happened to the community.

“Immediately our vigilante and personnel of Kaduna Vigilante Service followed the bandits, but the vigilante did not succeed. The bandits killed one of the vigilantes, we just buried him a short while ago.

“It was when we came back that we briefed the village head and we started making efforts to find out the actual number of pupils and teachers taken by the bandits.”

Commenting on the attack, the governor of Kaduna said: “Since I received the sad news of this incident, I have not had rest of mind because every child in Kaduna state is my child. So, I don’t want you people to be disturbed.

“Let us pray to God to help and on our part as a government, we will not rest until these children return home.”

He promised to establish a police station and build a permanent camp for the military in the community.

The Kaduna governor said he had briefed Nuhu Ribadu, the national security adviser (NSA), about the attack.

He said efforts are being made to deploy security forces to rescue the children.

“We will do whatever we need to do to ensure the safe return of these children, even if it means coming to Kuriga to stay with you,” Sani said.