A former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, has said that he has no plans to facilitate the defection of Governor Hyacinth Alia from the All Progressives Congress, APC to the People Democratic Party, PDP.

In a statement he signed on Wednesday, Maku said his participation in the recent Good Governance Tour of development projects in Benue State was completely apolitical.

As DAILY POST earlier reported, Governor Alia sparked fresh defection rumours following reports that he had engaged Maku, a member of the PDP, into his media team.

The move was interpreted in political circles as a calculated signal of realignment.

However, the former minister dismissed the speculations as false, saying it was only a sincere, non-partisan initiative.

“The Good Governance Tour is a professional effort designed to shift the focus of political leaders – across all parties and at all levels – away from endless political quarrels towards the urgent need for development and service delivery, particularly to the grassroots,” Maku said in the statement.

He explained that the concept is not new, adding that it began during his time as Minister of Information, when he initiated the National Good Governance Tour as a non-partisan platform for assessing and showcasing development efforts of incumbent leaders across the country.

“Prof Jerry Gana also undertook a nationwide media tour during his time as the Minister of information and National Orientation,” he added.

“At that time, it became clear that our political space was dominated by power tussles and not enough attention was being paid by political actors and the media to the real needs of the people.

“The tour helped many leaders to refocus on their core mandate, which was service to the people.

“As sitting Minister then, I led journalists to states governed by different political parties, and the feedback was very encouraging. Several state Governors confessed that the tour prompted them to take their development agenda more seriously.

“Since leaving office, I have remained concerned about the continued lack of priority attention to governance.

“It was in response to this troubling trend that I reached out to like-minded professionals, including Dr. Mike Omeri, former DG of the National Orientation Agency, to revive the good governance tour as a tool for civic accountability and public engagement.

“We have approached political leaders across party lines, requesting permission to assess and showcase their projects and policies. A number of them have responded positively. The Governor of Benue State, Rev (Dr) Hyacinth Alia happened to be the first to officially invite us to tour his state.

“The Governance Tour of Benue was conducted transparently and broadcast across multiple media platforms. It included a lively town hall where citizens directly engaged the government, asked tough questions, and received honest answers on development and security efforts.

“We have since received a wave of positive feedback from citizens across Nigeria, many of whom are urging us to bring the good governance tour to their own states. The widespread enthusiasm underscores the importance of what we are doing.

“Let me be clear: No part of our mission to Benue State involved persuading Governor Alia to switch political parties. That narrative is absolute fiction. Those who know him understand that he is not driven by desperation for 2027, but by a burning desire to serve.

“We are far more interested in promoting development initiatives and concrete service delivery by our leaders than in the endless cycle of political scheming and bitter power games.”

[DailyPost]

The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has warned Disc Jockeys (DJs) of performing other people’s music publicly without license or owner’s authorisation.

Dr John Asein, Director-General of  NCC, gave the warning in an advisory issued on Wednesday in Abuja.

According to him, the attention of  NCC has been drawn to the practice of some DJs, who publicly perform music without obtaining the requisite copyright licences from rights holders or their approved Collective Management Organisations (CMOs).

He said under sections 9 and 12 of the Copyright Act, 2022, the owner of copyright in a musical work or sound recording had the exclusive right to reproduce, perform or communicate it to the public.

“Engaging in any of these acts without the owner’s authorisation constitutes an infringement under the Act.

“Such infringement may constitute a civil wrong or a criminal offence under section 44 (7), punishable upon conviction by a fine of not less than N1 million or imprisonment for a term of not less than five years or to both.

“The public performance of music by a DJ, whether at hotels, event centres, clubs, gardens, or recreational facilities, constitutes both a public performance and a communication to the public of the musical work and sound recording, as provided for under the Act,” he said.

He advised them to obtain appropriate licences and pay royalties to the approved Collective Management Organisation (CMO) prior to engaging in such performances.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the approved CMO for musical works and sound recordings in Nigeria is the Musical Copyright Society, Nigeria (MCSN).

“The Commission is aware that the Disc Jockey’s Association of Nigeria (DJAN), as the umbrella body representing DJs in Nigeria, has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with MCSN.

“Under the arrangement, DJAN is authorised to work with MCSN to facilitate the payment of royalties by DJs nationwide, based on the tariff that DJAN had negotiated

with MCSN,” he explained.

The DG, however, stressed that the commission would not hesitate to investigate, arrest and prosecute any DJ found to be in contravention of the law.

He added that henceforth, the commission would be working with other relevant authorities to support the initiative of DJAN, to ensure that DJs carry out their trade in compliance with the Copyright Act.

(NAN)

Former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, has exposed how billions of naira were siphoned from public coffers through fraudulent subsidy claims.

Bawa in his new book, “The Shadow of Loot & Losses: Uncovering Nigeria’s Petroleum Subsidy Fraud,” alleged massive corruption in Nigeria’s fuel subsidy regime, detailing how billions of naira were looted through ghost imports, over-invoicin, forged documentation and systemic collusion between corrupt officials and private firms.

In a statement on Wednesday, Bawa, who served as EFCC chairman from 2021 to 2023 under former president, Muhammadu Buhari, revealed how single fuel shipments were used to obtain multiple subsidy payments, while subsidized fuel was diverted to black markets or smuggled out of Nigeria.

Bawa explained that perpetrators manipulated bills of lading to exploit international price fluctuations and maximise illicit gains, adding that the book is both a documentary of fraud and a call to action for reform, transparency, and accountability in Nigeria’s oil sector.

He said, “Companies routinely claimed subsidies for fuel never imported or inflated volumes to receive excess payouts.

“These crimes were enabled by forged documentation, regulatory failure, and entrenched corruption across government and business.

“In the book, published by CableBooks, an imprint of Cable Media & Publishing Ltd, Bawa details multiple fraudulent strategies including: Ghost importing and over-invoicing: Companies submitted claims for fuel that was never imported or inflated shipment volumes to receive excessive subsidy payouts.

“Manipulation of bills of lading: By altering shipping documents, fraudsters exploited international price fluctuations to claim higher subsidies. Round-tripping and double claims: Single shipments were often used to obtain multiple subsidy payments.

“Diversion and smuggling: Subsidised fuel was frequently diverted to black markets or smuggled out of Nigeria for profit.

“These practices, Bawa explains, were enabled by forged documents, weak regulatory oversight, and systemic collusion between corrupt government officials and private sector actors.

“The Shadow of Loot & Losses is not just a chronicle of fraud, it is a call to action — a demand for transparency, accountability, and reform in Nigeria’s public finance management, especially in the oil sector.”

The Department of State Services (DSS) has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to restrain former presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Pat Utomi, from making further public comments or staging rallies in connection with his plan to establish a shadow government in Nigeria.
The security agency raised the alarm in a fresh application filed on Wednesday, citing security concerns and a looming threat to public order and national unity if Utomi proceeds with his planned activities upon returning to the country on June 6.

In the application, the DSS is seeking an interlocutory injunction to stop Utomi, his agents, and associates from conducting any form of public mobilisation including road shows, rallies, media appearances, and publications—pending the hearing of the substantive suit already before the court.

“Unless this Honourable Court intervenes by granting this application, the defendant/respondent’s acts may foist a fait accompli on the court,” the DSS said in its affidavit.

According to the DSS legal team led by Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), intelligence reports revealed that Utomi, who is currently abroad, has concluded plans to return on June 6 and launch a series of public engagements in support of the controversial shadow government agenda.

“If not restrained, Utomi’s planned activities constitute a serious threat to the public order, safety, and national unity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the DSS warned.

The agency maintained that as the statutory body responsible for protecting Nigeria’s internal security, it must act to prevent any attempt to undermine lawful authority.

The DSS noted that the former minister and political economist had already been served with court processes and had entered appearance through his counsel, Prof. Mike Ozekhome (SAN), on May 20, 2025.

The substantive suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/937/2025, seeks to restrain Utomi from actions deemed capable of causing unrest or undermining national stability.

The agency accused Utomi of planning to disguise the mobilisation under the banner of free speech and civic engagement, with the ultimate aim of inciting public discontent similar to the 2020 #EndSARS protests.

“The planned protests, riots and agitations… may lead to mayhem with a potential for anarchy, loss of lives and property,” the DSS warned.

The DSS further cited Utomi’s remarks at the University of Lagos on May 26 during the Topaz Lecture Series, where he defended the concept of a shadow government and reportedly stated that if the court ruled against him, he would simply adopt a different name for the movement.

 
The security agency argued that such comments were capable of undermining judicial authority and instigating unrest.

Speaking after filing the application, Kehinde said the agency’s actions were guided by its constitutional mandate to prevent threats to Nigeria’s sovereignty and democratic institutions.

Kehinde said, “We, as counsel to the SSS have just filed an application seeking interlocutory injunction against the defendant and his group pending the determination of the substantive suit. The application, being a public document can be obtained from the registry of the honourable court.

“It is good that as members of the 4th estate of the realm you are keeping watch over the case filed against the formation of “Shadow Government” by Prof. Pat Utomi and his group.

“The civil suit, as you are aware, was filed by the State Security Service (SSS) in consonance with its statutory mandate of ensuring internal peace and avoidance of any form of insurrection and treasonable felony against the democratically elected government in the country.

“This fresh application is premised on the fact that despite the pendency of the substantive action, the service of same on the defendant and the entry of appearance to same by his Counsel, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, the defendant has continued to make inflammatory statements capable of igniting chaos in the country instead of abiding by the hallowed principle that civilized parties before the court are expected to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the substantive matter.

“What our client has submitted to the court is for the interpretation of the Constitution whether any form of government by whatever nomenclature can be formed or allowed outside the Constitution.

“Furthermore, our client is not interested at arresting anybody in respect of this matter having on its own accord submitted itself to the jurisdiction of the honourable court to interpret the Constitution and determine the legality or otherwise of the ‘Shadow government’ or any other nomenclature that it may be so named.

“It must be pointed out that our client under its current leadership is a very civilized organization with absolute confidence in the rule of law and that is why, it or any of its personnel will always approach the court of law whenever it feels that there is any infraction on its statutory duties by anyone or the rights of its personnel. Let the court have the final say.

“Gentlemen, we must all ensure that constitutional democracy and the rule of law have its way in Nigeria.”