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Press Rejoinder: Arewa Cultural Heritage Network Responds to Vice President's Remarks on Sokoto State Governance
Admin
The Arewa Cultural Heritage Network wishes to address the recent comments made by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the North West Peace & Security Summit regarding the status of His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, the Sultan of Sokoto. While we recognize the Vice President's concern, we urge the federal government to respect the autonomy of Sokoto State in handling its internal matters, particularly those related to traditional leadership and governance.
Governor Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto phd has been exercising his constitutional responsibilities diligently. The recent actions taken by the state government, including the deposition of certain traditional rulers, are based on grounds of negligence, disloyalty, and disrespect towards the government. It is essential to understand that these decisions are made in the best interest of the state and its people.
The Sultan of Sokoto, despite his esteemed position, has been found guilty of neglecting his palace duties, showing disloyalty, and demonstrating a lack of respect towards the current administration. His evident support for the PDP candidate during the last election, despite the electorate's mandate for Governor Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto, has further strained relations. The Sultan's continued efforts to undermine the government's initiatives have made it challenging to foster mutual cooperation.
We strongly urge the Vice President and other federal officials to refrain from interfering in state governance matters. The Governor of Sokoto State is well within his rights to make decisions that align with the constitutional framework and the welfare of the state.
Furthermore, we call upon President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR to ensure that the Vice President respects the boundaries of state governance and allows the Sokoto State Government to function without undue interference.
The proposed amendment to section 76 of the local government and chieftaincy law is intended to align legal frameworks with customary procedures in Sokoto. It aims to clarify the roles and responsibilities within the state, ensuring a smooth and effective governance process. The authority to appoint district and village heads, while still involving recommendations from the Sultanate Council, will ultimately lie with the Governor, reflecting both traditional and contemporary practices.
We believe that this alignment will promote greater stability and progress within Sokoto State. It is crucial for all parties involved to work together harmoniously for the betterment of our community.
Thank you.
Signed,
Yunusa Abdullahi Esq
Arewa Cultural Heritage Network
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has announced that students of state-owned institutions will not be able to access loans on the platform yet.
The management of the fund, on Tuesday, announced a 14-day postponement of the application process for student loans for state institutions due” to low data submissions.
According to NELFUND, only 20 state universities out of 48, 12 state colleges out of 54, and 2 state polytechnics out of 49 have successfully completed the data submission process, making it difficult to verify the loan applicants.
Based on this development, the agency disclosed that the application window, initially set to open on June 25, 2024, will now commence on July 10, 2024.
“To date, only a limited number of state-owned institutions have successfully completed the data submission process. These include 20 state universities out of 48, 12 state colleges out of 54, and 2 state polytechnics out of 49.
“While we acknowledge the efforts of these institutions, the failure to submit data from the remaining state institutions poses significant challenges to ensuring a seamless and accurate verification process for student loan applicants.
“The application window, initially set to open on June 25, 2024, will now commence on July 10, 2024,” the statement released in Abuja reads.
The Fund said the extension will provide additional time for state institutions to comply with the data submission requirements and ensure their students can benefit from the Federal Government student loan scheme.
“To facilitate an efficient and error-free application process, it is crucial that all state institutions provide complete and accurate information.
“This includes JAMB numbers, matriculation numbers, admission numbers, full names, level, faculties, departments, duration of program, fees, and gender of all eligible students.
“Incomplete or incorrect data submissions will result in application delays and potential disqualification for affected students,” the statement added.
The fund urged all state institutions to expedite their data submission processes and ensure the accuracy of the information provided.
It further warned that Institutions that fail to meet the revised deadline risk disadvantaging their students, who depend on these loans to support their education.
[NaijaNews]
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has expressed worry over what he described as a growing tendency of state governments to exert influence by distorting the modalities of enthroning traditional stools.
Atiku, who was the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the last general election, stressed that traditional institutions must be protected from the arbitrariness of state governments.
In a statement issued on Tuesday via his X handle, the former Vice President said it will become difficult to maintain peace and orderliness in communities if the structure of ascension of traditional rulers was unstable.
He, therefore, called for constitutional reform that will not only recognize traditional institutions in the nation’s laws but also define the responsibilities of their offices.
Atiku’s read: “Recent developments in the country has seen a growing tendency of state governments exerting influence in distorting the modalities of enthroning traditional stools.
“It is a reality that stares us in the face from every corner of the country.
“While it is understandable that the institutions of traditional rulership is in the exclusive purview of the state government, although through the local government authorities, it must be established that traditional institutions constitute a component of our governance structure.
“And thus, traditional institutions must be protected from the arbitrariness of state governments that threaten their stability.
“When the structure of ascension of traditional rulers is unstable, it will become equally difficult to maintain peace and orderliness in communities.
“Although our constitution, in its current format, does not ascribe any recognition to traditional institutions, yet our experiences show clearly that they perform enormous roles in the economic life of their domains, as well as maintenance of peace and security in communities.
“I wish to remind that the traditional institutions formed the governance structures before the advent of the colonialists. And they governed well. Consequently, they are institutions we must protect and preserve and not destroy.
“It is, therefore, on this basis that I lean towards the advocacy that calls for constitutional reform that will not just recognize traditional institutions in our body of laws but also define the responsibilities of their offices.
“This reform is even more important in view of the collective drive to stem the ugly tide of terrorism and sundry security challenges at the local levels.
“In conclusion, I must also appeal to state governors to accord the necessary respect to the offices of traditional institutions. The customs that our traditional rulers represent is the totality of our heritage as a people.”
[DailyPost]
Organised Labour has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to show his compassion for Nigerian workers by approving their demand for a minimum wage of N250,000, to reflect the nation’s current inflationary trend.
The president-general of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and a member of the organized labour negotiation team in the Tripartite Committee for the New National Minimum Wage, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, criticized state governors for obstructing efforts to secure a fair wage for government employees.
He said: “If you are an employer of labour and you do not have a love of your workers in your heart, how do you call yourself an employer of labour? We have problems with OPS and the state governors who believe they cannot afford to pay N30,000 let alone the figure the labour is demanding.
”We started having that issue at the negotiating table where they were dragging from N30,000 to N48,000 and N60,000. They were priced as if they were tomatoes and onions before they now finally came out and said N62,000.
”Even before they arrived at N62, 000 the Organised Labour was still coming down so that we could be on the same page. Yes, the country is not smiling.
“We all know what the harsh economic situation is and the workers have not been happy with the economic downturn. At the close of negotiations, we had two position papers; one from the government and OPS sides that recommended N62,000 and N250,000 from the Labour side which includes TUC and NLC.
“The ball now lies on the table of Mr President who I believe that this is an opportunity to show empathy to the whole workers. This minimum wage comes every five years. Between now and five years, what is going to be the impact of the figure of a new minimum wage on the lives of the workers in their various workplaces?
”That is why we are appealing to him as a friend of workers who persistently promised to give workers a living wage to approve the N250,000. Nothing stops him from approving it, but we heard that he said he would only approve what is what the economy can afford.
He added: “As organised labour, we all are citizens of this country and we know the economy can afford our demand. We plead that he should not listen to those greedy governors who want to pay slave wages to continue to maintain their outrageous and ostentatious lifestyle.
”The security vote they are getting is enough to pay that minimum wage. What are they doing with their security votes? Which security are they providing to the citizens? Some of the governors, the likes of Edo State, have been paying 70,000.”
[TheNation]
A fresh graduate of the Department of Quantity Surveying, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Ifunanya Miracle, aka Bliss, has lost her life during an attempt to escape a yet-to-be-identified prankster’s robbery on the premises of the school in the Awka area of Anambra State.
Ifunanya’s friend, identified simply as Peace, a student in the Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, who was also involved in the robbery, sustained varying degrees of injury and was said to have been rushed to the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital for treatment.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Ifunanya, during her studies, engaged in the business of Point-of-Sale operations on the premises of the school.
The graduate was said to have closed her business for the day on Sunday, June 9, 2024, and boarded a tricycle along with Peace to a destination.
The duo were said to be on their way when a passenger, who sat beside them, allegedly attempted to rob them of their valuables.
A student of the school, who does not want to be mentioned in print for fear of victimisation, told our correspondent that in a desperate attempt to escape the robbery, the two students jumped out of the moving tricycle, adding that while Peace sustained injuries, Miracle was unlucky as she hit her head on the ground during the attempt to escape the operation.
The student said, “Miracle just graduated from the university and does a Point-of-Sale operation in the school. The incident happened around 7 pm on June 9, 2024. She does her PoS business at the front of my residence.
“She usually packed her business stuff under the staircase in our compound and the stuff is still there. She packed it and put it back there in the evening. But all of a sudden, we just heard that she was dead.
“We were like how; she still dropped her stuff under the staircase of our compound on Monday. From what we gathered, she was on a moving tricycle with her friend when a fellow passenger, ordered them to give him their phones.
“While trying to escape, Miracle jumped out of the tricycle and hit her head on the road and by the time she was rushed to the hospital, she had died. Her friend, who also jumped out of the tricycle sustained injuries and she is still in hospital.”
Another student said the man, who ordered the victims to surrender their property, later claimed that he was pranking them, adding that unconfirmed reports indicated that the man had reported himself to the police.
The student said, “We heard the guy has reported himself at the police station and claimed it was a prank. How can he be pranking someone on a moving tricycle? After the incident, we have not heard anything. This lady (Miracle) just died because of the carelessness of some people who claimed to be pranksters.
“It could be that he wanted to rob and when he saw the outcome of his action, he changed the argument to pranking because of what happened. The university has not said anything about the case. The fact that the school has not addressed it is a concern. The girl just did her convocation.
“The girl who died is Ifunanya Miracle, also known as Bliss, and she was a student in the Department of Quantity Surveying. Her friend’s name is Peace, in the Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry. She was hospitalised after the incident.”
The spokesperson for the school, Dr Emmanuel Ojukwu, when contacted on Monday, confirmed the case and noted that the prankster, a final-year student of the school, would face disciplinary measures after Miracle had been buried.
He said, “The university is fully aware of the incident. It was not a robbery but a very expensive prank. The students were told to bring their phones but they didn’t know it was a prank. So, they jumped, one died and one survived.
“The families of the victims and that of the final-year student who pranked the victims have held a meeting with us and it was established that it was a prank.
“The families have reached some agreement and we want the process of the burial to take place before the student that pranked them will face disciplinary measures.
“It was an unfortunate incident; the school regrets it, the student who pranked them regrets it and the family of the concerned student will take responsibility for the funeral of the dead victim and the hospital bill of the other student. We use this opportunity to warn students to avoid expensive pranks that lead to death, the person will face the music.”
[Punch]
Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, minister of women affairs, could not list the six pilot states where a $500 million World Bank project will be implemented.
Kennedy-Ohanenye was a guest on Arise TV on Monday, where she accused the past administration of mismanaging the first tranche of the loan.
The initiative dubbed Nigeria for Women Project (NFWP) is a strategic engagement between the World Bank and the Nigerian government to improve the livelihoods of the nation’s women.
NFWP was initially approved on June 27, 2018 with $100m financing. However, in June 2023, the World Bank approved a $500 million scale-up.
The bank said the scale-up will help to ensure better economic opportunities for women and guarantee better education, health, and nutrition outcomes for families; while building the resilience of women and communities to climate change.
Kennedy-Ohanenye said the previous administration “lavished” the fund on meetings, advocacies, and consultancies.
“Fortunately, President Tinubu quickly made me raise a new structure on how that money will be utilised,” she said.
The minister asked women to applaud Tinubu who was not satisfied because the previous outcomes did not align with his ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda.
“The first $100 million, when I came in, I was not satisfied. It didn’t augur well with the vision of the new president’s Renewed Hope agenda,” she said.
“It was mainly used for advocacy, meetings, consultancies and that was it. They shared it among the states.
“But remember the project is called ‘Nigeria for women project’ and to me, the way I understand it, it was supposed to be used for projects.”
The minister assured that on her watch, allocations would be equitable across states.
Asked to reel out the six states where the implementation of the project will kick off, she said: “I will mention few because I don’t really know all of it…
“The six states are Niger, Abia…,” she began, before she was interrupted by Reuben Abati, one of the hosts of the show.
“You don’t know the six states where you are having the programme?” Abati asked.
“I don’t know all,” the minister responded, before stuttering on.
“Listen to me, my dear brother, please…
“The six states is not the issue to me. All the states is what I am focusing on.”
The six pilot states for the project are Abia, Akwa Ibom, Kebbi, Niger, Ogun and Taraba — with one state representing a geopolitical zone.
[nigerianeye]
The Presidency has pleaded with Nigerians not to mount unnecessary pressure on President Bola Tinubu over the new minimum wage demand.
The government assured that Tinubu would transmit the proposed bill to the National Assembly once it is ready.
Speaking to Punch, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga wondered what the rush for the transmission of the bill was all about.
Onanuga’s position is coming barely 24 hours after the Organised Labour asked the President to consult with them before transmitting the bill to the National Assembly.
The Union had complained that the National Executive Committee which will accommodate about 300 Labour leaders, is being stalled by Tinubu’s delay to transmit the wage bill.
The President, during his Democracy Day broadcast, disclosed that a consensus had been reached between the Federal Government and Labour on the new wage, a development which the Organised Labour debunked.
However, Onanuga, while admitting that he had no idea when the bill would be submitted, called for patience.
“People should be patient,” he stated.
His appeal comes one week after he reiterated that the ₦250,000 wage being demanded by the workers’ union is unsustainable, warning that the Federal Government cannot channel all its resources to meet such demand.
Governors of the southern region of the country, have maintained their stand on the need for the creation of state police.
The Governors, who met yesterday in Abeokuta, Ogun State, under the auspices of the Southern Governors Forum, reiterated the need to have control over the security architecture of their respective states as the chief security officers.
Speaking on a national television interview, the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, who just replaced former Ondo governor, the late Rotimi Akeredolu as the chairman of the forum, said the governors of the region are united in their call for state police.
He argued that federal security officers deployed to various states do not understand the local terrain, language or culture of the people, and before they settle down to understand such things, they are transferred to another state, making it difficult to gather intelligence on security issues.
Abiodun stated that it is obvious that the federal police is short of manpower, but with the creation of state police, security operatives who understand the terrain will be able to complement the efforts of the federal officers in curbing insecurity.
The Ogun Governor said: “We all spoke with one voice in support of state policing.
“We spoke with one voice in support of regional security outfits which almost all regions have set up.
“The outfits are working hand in glove with the law enforcement agencies and providing them with intelligence and support.
“We all know that we cannot have any meaningful development in the atmosphere of insecurity.
“We all spoke with one voice in support of state policing, and regional security outfits, working hand-in-glove with the security outfits.
“The governors are called state chief security officers. But, we know that the Commissioner of Police is appointed by the Inspector General of Police and is only answerable to the IG.
“And when the governor needs to call the attention of the CP on an urgent task in his state, the governor will have to first clear with the IG.
“What have we discovered? In most cases, a policeman from Borno, Maiduguri, posted to Lagos or Ogun states, for instance.
“Such an officer doesn’t understand the terrain, he doesn’t speak the language and he does not get the level of intelligence he needs.
“By the time he is settling down to understand these factors, he is transferred to another state.
“We’re calling for community police to tame insecurity in the state and the nation.
“Under the state police arrangement, a policeman posted to his ward won’t have problems with language and intelligence.
“In that case, the policeman understands the community and the locals, language, the sentiments and, he knows the criminals within his territory.
“It is also common knowledge that the federal police have a shortage of manpower.
“We, as governors, are not in charge or control of our states as far as security is concerned.
“Yet, we fund the federal police operations, yet we are not getting the best from them. They don’t have enough personnel.
“State policing is not something new.
“We have several types of policing structure in other climes where we took our democracy from.”
The property of a former military governor, General Anthony Stephen Ukpo (Rtd), in Rivers State which was revoked by the immediate past governor, Nyesom Wike, has now been reinstated by Gov Siminalayi Fubara.
The land was initially revoked by the Wike-led administration in a bid to allegedly spite former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
According to The Whistler, the property in question, Ogeyi Place Hotels, formerly Le Meridien Hotels Limited, is located at Plot 319, GRA Phase II, Port Harcourt
Fubara's administration announced the cancellation of the revocation in a newspaper publication, citing that the original revocation was “made in error”.
The decision comes amidst a backdrop of recent political tensions and realignments in Rivers State.
In December 2022, an unconfirmed letter purportedly issued by the Wike-led government to Ogeyi Place Hotels Limited indicated that the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) of the hotel was revoked for alleged default on ground rent payment.
At the time, Opunabo Inko Taria, former Media Adviser to Governor Wike, criticised the action, suggesting it was a punitive measure against the hotel for hosting a meeting of supporters of Atiku.
The revocation was seen by some as part of Wike’s political maneuvering ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
[PRESS RELEASE] SOSG to MURIC: Remain apolitical,your accusations untrue, baseless,biased, unfounded
Admin![[PRESS RELEASE] SOSG to MURIC: Remain apolitical,your accusations untrue, baseless,biased, unfounded](/media/k2/items/cache/1bf6aa93663548c9aa61877ec6e98802_S.jpg)
The attention of the Sokoto State Government has been drawn to a malicious publication credited to the Muslims Rights Concern (MURIC) alleging a plan by the state government to dethrone the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar.
The state government wondered how a responsible body like MURIC,claiming to be protecting the rights of the Muslims would descend so low and cheaply as to join hands with deluded mischief makers and enemies of progress to fabricate such a false and unsubstantiated story just to create an unfriendly atmosphere and fear in the minds of the law-abiding and peaceful citizens of the state.
We believe that MURIC is not the type that will be dancing to the tunes of enemies and mischief makers who are trying to take away the attention of the good people of Sokoto state and Nigerians on the transformative initiatives taking place in Sokoto State over the last one year.
We also like to assure MURIC that the present administration just like the previous administrations in the state cherishes and respects the Sultanate Council long before MURIC was established.
The Sultanate Council, which has a long standing historical importance is so reverred to all the people of Sokoto State, therefore we still hold the institution in very high regards and esteem.
This is not the first time stories such as this were fabricated to show that all is not well between the state government and the Sultanate Council, as some few months back we had a similar obnoxious story which the state government categorically condemned and denied in whole.
From the look of things,those nefarious detractors and distracting enemies of progress have not relented in their failed efforts to smear the cordial relationship existing between the state government and the Sultanate Council.
MURIC should have cared to find out if there was ever any query, warning or any threatening documents served on the sultan by the state government.
We equally like to remind MURIC that promoting Islamic affairs is the second item on the Ahmed Aliyu's nine-point Smart Agenda,therefore Islam means so much to the present administration, coupled with the fact that Sokoto being the Seat of the Caliphate, is a 100 per cent Muslim-dominated society.
It is on record that no administration in the history of Sokoto State has done to Islam what the present administration has done in just one year. This we say without any fear of contradictions.
Therefore, for any one to think that the present administration could engage in acts or actions that could jeopardize the development of Islam is not only unfair but unjustifiable.
To put the records straight, we would like to tell the world that the relationship between the Ahmed Aliyu-led administration and the Sultanate Council under the leadership of our most respected monarch, Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar has been very cordial.
The present administration always consulted with His Eminence, the Sultan on issues affecting the state, and his invaluable contributions and inputs are always respected and included in policy implementation.
On the issue of sacking and transfer of some District Heads in Sokoto State, MURIC should know that the affected District Heads were accused of some unbecoming behaviours,such as land racketeering, aiding insecurity as well as insurbodination to the constituted authority.
In order to give them fair hearing the committee summoned all the affected District Heads, after which it came up with a whitepaper report, advising the government on what to do. And it was based on that and also in the public interest that the state government acted in conformity with the recommendations made by the whitepaper committee.
It is equally important for MURIC to note that nobody is above the law, therefore,the sacked District Heads are just reaping what they saw, and that the action taken by the Sokoto State Government was indisputably in the best public interest.
Abubakar Bawa
Press Secretary to
Sokoto state Governor
More...
[STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE] President Tinubu Congratulates Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Birthday
Admin![[STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE] President Tinubu Congratulates Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Birthday](/media/k2/items/cache/b6726861acbd9382e98e9769f4f1c9bf_XS.jpg)
President Bola Tinubu extends his warm congratulations to his Chief of Staff, Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila, CFR, on his birthday.
Honourable Gbajabiamila, a statesman and prolific public administrator, is an accomplished lawyer who previously served as the Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2019 to 2023.
Owing to the quality of leadership and representation he provided for Surulere 1 Federal Constituency of Lagos State in the House of Representatives, Honourable Gbajabiamila maintained a perfect streak of re-elections across decades from 2003 until 2023 when he was appointed as the Chief of Staff to the President.
President Tinubu joins family, friends, and staff of the presidency to celebrate an exceptional leader on this special occasion.
The President commends Honourable Gbajabiamila for his diligence, high sense of responsibility, patriotic zeal, and commitment to the common good.
President Tinubu wishes his Chief of Staff many more years in good health and renewed strength in his service to the nation.
Chief Ajuri Ngelale
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
[STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE] President Tinubu Commiserate with Abdullahi Ganduje Over the Passing of Mother-in-law
Admin![[STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE] President Tinubu Commiserate with Abdullahi Ganduje Over the Passing of Mother-in-law](/media/k2/items/cache/652731c657243476443a708e840b6790_XS.jpg)
President Bola Tinubu extends his condolences to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, over the passing of his mother-in-law, Hajiya Asiya Muhammad Gauyama.
Hajiya Asiya died in Kano on Monday.
President Tinubu states that the deceased will be missed for her contributions to her family and community as matriarch, guide, and leader.
The President prays for the repose of the soul of the late Hajiya Asiya and comfort for her family.
Chief Ajuri Ngelale
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
A Kano State High Court sitting at Audu Bako has fixed July 11, 2024 to begin hearing of the motion on notice on the fundamental rights of the leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and seven others.
The applicants in the suit are the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Dr Ajuji Ahmed, Dipo Olayanku, Ahmed Balewa, Chief Clement Anele, Lady Folshade Aliu, Eng Buba Galadima and Kwankwaso.
The respondents in the suit are the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
When the case come up before Justice Yusuf Ubale Muhammad on Monday, counsel to the applicant, Barrister Robert Hon told the court that they had served the respondents with the court processes on June 10th and by the fundamental rights rules, they are to file their processes within seven days.
On his part, the judge said the respondents should be given ample time to respond.
He, therefore, adjourned the matter to 11th of July, 2024 for hearing of the substantive suit.
Daily Trust reports that the Court had issued an order restraining the EFCC from infringing, intimidating, arresting or harassing the applicants until the determination of the motion on notice.
[DailyTrust]
Mr Michael Agboro, a prosecution seventh witness alleged that the suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Godwin Emefiele awarded contracts to companies belonging to his wife and a his broher-in-law.
Emefiele is standing trial on an alleged 20-count amended charge, preferred against him by the Economic and financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before a FCT High Court in Maitama, Abuja.
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.
The EFCC alledged that the former CBN boss forged a document titled: Re: Presidential Directive on Foreign Election Observer Missions dated Jan. 26, 2023 with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/201 and purported same to have emanated from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (AGF).
Besides he is also accused of using his office as CBN governor to confer unfair and corrupt advantage on two companies; ”April 1616 Nigeria Ltd and Architekon Nigeria Ltd”.
Agboro, an investigator with the Independent, Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) who testified earlier was cross-examined further by Emefiele’s counsel, Mathew Burkaa, SAN.
When asked if the defendant conferred unfair and corrupt advantage on himself, he answered :”he conferred on Saadatu Yaro, who is a Public Officer working under him. He also conferred on his wife and brother-in-law.
When asked if Emefiele alone could award and approv contracts, he answered that the contracts were approved by the defendant.
Answering if there was no difference between CBN and Emefiele, he said :”the difference is that the defendant was an employee of CBN.
When asked if the defendant was a member of the tender’s board or procurement department, he said he did not know.
”We limited our investigation to him, his wife, relatives and associates.
”Our findings revealed that the defendant was not a director or shareholder or an account signatory in either April1616 limited or Architekon Nigeria limited.
He also admitted that there was no evidence of any payment made to Emefiele by these companies in the course of performing his duties at the CBN.
Also when asked if in the course of their investigation they interviewed people in the CBN to determine whether the two firms executed the jobs they were contracted to do, the witness said “yes”.
However, when asked if the team in their final report stated this fact, the witness said he could not recall if they did.
Agboro being led in evidence by the EFCC counsel, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN on Marrch 11 tendered several documents including company registration documents and award as well as payments for contract relating to the two forms.
He added that documents his team, comprising of persons drawn from the ICPC, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and the Department of State Service (DSS), showed that while a Director of ”April 1616”, Yaro, is a Public Officer, with the CBN, Emefiele’s wife, Margaret Omoyile and his brother-in-law, Mac Congo were directors in Architekon.
Justice Hamza Muazu adjourned the matter untilTuesda, for re-examination of the witness.
(NAN)