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The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sued the leadership of the National Assembly members for fixing what it described as the running cost of lawmakers.
Joined in the suit were the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.
The group claimed the duo failed to end “the unlawful practice by the National Assembly of fixing its allowances and running costs, and the failure to account for the monthly running costs paid to members.”
Disclosing this in a statement on Friday, SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, said the suit was filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
He said it followed a recent allegation by former President Olusegun Obasanjo that the lawmakers fix their salaries and allowances, contrary to the recommendation of the Revenue Mobilisation Fiscal Allocation Commission (RMAFC).
In the suit, the group seeks “an order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio and Mr Abbas to end the unlawful practice of the National Assembly fixing its remuneration and allowances termed as ‘running cost’.”
It also wants “an order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio and Mr Abbas to disclose the exact amount of the monthly running costs being paid to and received by the lawmakers, and the spending details of any such running costs.”
According to the statement, SERAP seeks “an order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio and Mr Abbas to end the alleged practice of paying remuneration and allowances termed as ‘running costs’ into the personal accounts of lawmakers.”
“The provisions of paragraph N, section 32(d) of the Third Schedule to the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] clearly make it unlawful for the National Assembly to fix its salaries, allowances and running costs,” Oluwadare said.
“The alleged practice of paying running costs into the personal accounts of lawmakers is a fundamental breach of Rule 713 of the Federal Government Financial Regulations, which provides that ‘public money shall not be paid into a private bank account.’”
Former lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani has suggested that the removal of the customs duties on imported drugs has not reflected in the prices of medical supplies.
Sani said even with the policy, there has not been a drop in prices of drugs at the pharmaceutical shops despite President Bola Tinubu signing an executive order to suspend import duties.
“The removal of the customs duties on imported drugs has not resulted to a drop in prices of drugs at the pharmaceutical shops,” the ex-lawmaker posted on X on Sunday.
DAILY POST reported that Tinubu in June signed an executive order to suspend import duties and value-added tax on essential medical supplies imported into the country.
This was aimed at easing the high cost of locally producing pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and medical devices such as needles and syringes, among others.
Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, who announced the development said: “The order is pivotal to the success of the Initiative for Unlocking the Health Care Value Chain which was approved in October 2023 by the President.
“The order introduces zero tariffs, excise duties and VAT on specified machinery, equipment and raw materials, aiming to reduce production costs and enhance our local manufacturers’ competitiveness.”
A Federal High Court in Abuja has summoned the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Head of the Legal Services Department of the apex bank to appear before it with specific documents on Monday, September 2, the new date fixed for the continuation of the trial in the money laundering case brought against Binance Holdings Limited and its executives.
At the previous court sitting, the presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, had adjourned the matter to October 11, but the defence counsel had approached the court for a date change, which the court granted by bringing the trial forward a month early.
Binance USA’s Head of Financial Crime Compliance, Tigan Gambaryan, and the exchange’s British-Kenyan regional manager for Africa, Nadeem Anjarwalla, are facing money laundering charges to the tune of $35m brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Gambaryan and Anjarwalla were initially both detained in the custody of the Office of the National Security Adviser.
Anjarwalla, however, fled lawful custody on March 22, 2024, while his counterpart, Gambaryan, was moved from ONSA custody to EFCC custody and afterwards to Kuje Correctional Facility, where he is currently detained.
In the document titled Subpoena Duces Tecum, with charge number: FHC/ABCR/138/2024, between the Federal Republic of Nigeria versus Binance Holdings Limited and Tigran Gambaryan, the court asked the apex bank’s heads to appear before it or delegate someone to do so.
It read, “The Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria Plot 33, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Way, Central Business District, Abuja – FCT.
“You or any other officer you may delegate are commanded in the name of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to attend before the Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division, presided over by the Honourable Justice E. Nwite, on the 2nd day of September 2024 at 9 o’clock in the forenoon, and from day to day until the above cause is tried, to bring with you and produce at the time and place mentioned the following documents.
“Certified True Copy of the excel spreadsheet captioned ‘Export Exchange Rate Results’ published on the Central Bank of Nigeria’s website for the period from 1 June 2024 to 16 August 2024.”
In a separate document but with similar wording, the court summons, “The Head, Legal Services Department, Central Bank of Nigeria, Plot 33, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Way, Central Business District, Abuja – FCT.
“You or any other officer you may delegate are commanded in the name of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to attend before the Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division, presided over by the Honourable Justice E. Nwite, on the 2nd day of September 2024 at the hour of 9 o’clock in the forenoon, and from day to day until the above cause is tried, to bring with you and produce at the time and place mentioned the following documents,” part of the subpoena read.
As the people of Sokoto State, especially those in Sabon Birni Local Government Area, continue to battle insecurity, a group of professionals within the local government, Gobir Development Association, has revealed that the people of the community paid over N160bn in levies and ransom payments to bandits in the area.
According to a press statement signed by the chairman of the group, Idris Alhassan Gatawa, and its secretary, Professor Aliyu Gobir, and made available to newsmen in the state on Saturday, it was said that more than two billion naira was also lost to armed bandits.
The group, while reacting to the recent killing of their District Head, Muhammad Bawa, who was killed by bandits following his abduction along Sabon Birni – Sokoto Road after his official engagement in the state capital, condemned the rising case of insecurity in the area.
The group said, “Over sixty billion naira has been paid as ransom, over a hundred billion naira paid as imposed levies by the bandits, and more than two billion naira lost to armed bandits.
“Likewise, about six hundred thousand heads of cattle and five million sheep and goats were rustled within the last five years.
“About two-thirds of the arable farmlands are inaccessible due to the fear of being killed or kidnapped by bandits, causing severe economic losses, hardship in terms of food and nutrition security, and psychological and social imbalances.”
They, however, appealed to the government at all levels to act swiftly to stop the killings, kidnappings, displacement of people, and livestock rustling to restore peace and stability in all areas affected by banditry.
Ebonyi State governor, Francis Nwifuru, has approved the payment of N70,000 minimum wage to civil servants under the employ of the state.
Nwifuru, who made the announcement on Saturday at the grand finale of the Ojiji Izhi New Yam Festival 2024, said he has directed relevant government authorities to draft out modalities for the payment of the new minimum wage commencing in September.
The governor, however, frowned at the lackadaisical manner by which government projects awarded as contract to prominent leaders of the state were handled, especially the housing estates at Izo Autonomous Community in Ishielu Local Government Area.
He gave a marching order to the Commissioner for Housing to ensure the painting of the houses immediately.
He further called on the people of Ebonyi State not to hesitate to report government projects being delayed by contractors.
Pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere, has called on the Federal Government to save Nigeria, expressing concern over what it described as the near collapse of the nation since the administration of President Bola Tinubu took over.
In a communique by its Deputy Leader, Oladipo Olaitan and the Deputy Secretary General, Alade Rotimi-John after a regular quarterly meeting held in Ogun State, Afenifere maintained that the state of the nation has left the people perplexed.
According to the group, the Nigerian people are sorely troubled by the pervasive hardship, crippling hunger, unremitting insecurity in the land, runaway inflation, and massive unemployment all of which have left the people worse off than they were at the beginning.
It also observed the reckless, obstinate and indifferent attitude of the government to the long-term effects of the lack of forethought or purpose regarding the handling of the public revenue.
Afenifere, therefore, rued some of the Tinubu administration’s profligate predilection or inclination to waste resources, stating that $100m or N 240 billion as the purchase price for an Airbus A330 jet for the President and a further $50m to retrofit it was uncalled for.
In addition, Afenifere noted that N950m each as purchase price of a new set of armoured Cadillac Escalade Limousine SUVs as befitting vehicles for the President, N21 billion for renovating a new mansion for the Vice President, N90 billion as subsidy for religious pilgrimage and N10 billion to renovate the Presidential Lodge at Ribadu Road, Lagos, among others, gave an insight of a wasteful nature of the administration.
“Afenifere is scandalised or shamed by the odium and poor international or global image which have attended these profligate or prodigal expenditures.
“We are puzzled that a government can be so masterful at diversionary tactics just to lull the people to sleep and confuse them as they wake amid grave national circumstances and of a strident or sustained debate of its desultory or unmethodical handling of governance,” the group stated.
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has urged the Federal Government to suspend the recent policy by the federal ministry of education to peg the minimum age requirement for enrollment for senior secondary school examination at 18 years.
The association described the policy as limiting, backward and said it is capable of short-changing students and their parents.
Addressing journalists at the end of a meeting of principal officers of the association in Abuja, the SSANU President Mr. Mohammed Ibrahim, urged federal government to step the decision down and make further consultations on the matter in order to avoid a crisis in the education sector.
The condemnation of the policy by SSANU adds to the concerns earlier raised by some stakeholders since the policy was made public by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, last week.
The Minister, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, had said that individuals under 18 years would no longer be allowed to take part in National Examinations Council and West African Examinations Council exams.
According to Mamman, the Federal Government has directed WAEC and NECO to enforce the 18-year age requirements for candidates seeking to take their exams.
The presidency has given more details about Nigeria’s debt condition under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
The presidency explained that contrary to some reports that Nigeria’s debt stock increased, the nation’s debt stock decreased by 15% in dollar terms in Q1 2024.
It added that the government is able and committed to repaying its debt.
The explanation was given on Saturday, 31st August, by the Special Assistant to President Tinubu on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, in response to a report by StatiSense, which quoted the debt profile of Nigeria under the nation’s presidents starting from the time of Shehu Shagari to the current administration of President Tinubu.
The presidential media aide explained that the increase in public debt under the current administration is largely due to economic factors, not increased borrowing.
He argued that the Tinubu government is reducing the nation’s debt profile.
Olusegun said President Tinubu’s administration is committed to transparency and responsible economic management.
The bullet points in the post by Olusegun via his X account, titled, ‘Debunking the Myth: Nigeria’s External Debt Under President Bola Tinubu’ are highlighted below.
– Nigeria’s total debt stock decreased by 15% in dollar terms in Q1 2024, contrary to claims of rising debt.
– The increase in public debt is largely due to economic factors, not borrowing:
– Depreciation of the naira exchange rate (from N899.39/$ to N1,330.26/$)
– Interest rate changes
– Securitization of Ways and Means
– The current administration inherited a legacy of N22.7 trillion in outstanding Ways and Means, now being audited and securitized.
– The current Ways and Means deficit stands at N3.4 trillion, offset by operating surpluses from revenue-generating agencies.
– Nigeria’s (FG only) external debt stands at $42 billion.
– Multilateral creditors are owed $20.82bn, while China is owed $5bn.
– The federal government’s economic reforms have impacted foreign exchange and interest rates, contributing to the public debt spike.
– The government’s capacity to pay its debts is intact, with a revamped financial system.
The presidency noted that the addition of Nigeria’s external debt figure provides further context to the discussion, highlighting the country’s overall debt situation while emphasizing the factors contributing to the public debt increase.
‘Envy Is Among Nigeria’s Political Class’ - El-Rufai Laments Amidst Alleged ₦432bn Corruption Prosecution
AFOLABI
Former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai took to his official X handle over the weekend to share his personal thoughts on what he termed ‘envy’ among Nigeria’s political class.
His lamentation follows allegations of corruption and misappropriation of government funds during his eight years as governor of Kaduna State.
The Kaduna State House of Assembly had claimed that his eight-year administration allegedly siphoned ₦432bn, leaving the state with huge debt liabilities.
Earlier in June, the ad hoc committee set up by the state Assembly to investigate all finances, loans and contracts awarded under the El-Rufai administration submitted its report to the House.
The chairman of the ad hoc committee, Henry Zacharia, said most of the loans obtained under El-Rufai’s administration were not used for the purpose for which they were obtained, while in some cases, due process was not followed in securing the loans.
The Speaker of the Assembly, Yusuf Liman, also said that a total ₦423bn was allegedly siphoned by El-Rufai’s administration leaving the state with huge liabilities.
The committee, therefore, recommended the investigation and prosecution of El-Rufai, and some members of his cabinet by security and anti-corruption agencies for alleged abuse of office, diversion of public funds and money laundering.
The committee also recommended the immediate suspension of the Commissioner of Finance, Shizer Badda, who also served in the same capacity under El-Rufai’s administration.
‘Scandalous Claims’
Responding, El-Rufai’s spokesman, Muyiwa Adekeye, affirmed the integrity of the El-Rufai government and dismissed as “scandalous”, the claims by the committee.
He said, “Malam Nasir El-Rufai is immensely proud of his record of governance and the legacy he left in Kaduna State. This record of consistently high performance in public and private office cannot be altered by any malicious effort to use the auspices of a state legislature for defamation and undeserved smears.
“Many of the officials who served in the El-Rufai government appeared before the ad-hoc committee because of their confidence in the quality of their service and the rectitude which they served Kaduna State. They were under no illusion that they were participating in a fair process. It was obvious that the ad hoc committee was merely going through the motions of an inquiry just to give some gloss to predetermined conclusions.
“It is sad to see such a shameful departure from any notion of decency and fairness by a state legislature. We dismiss with contempt the claims being peddled in connection with the report.
“Malam El-Rufai wishes to assure discerning Nigerians that he has served Kaduna State with integrity and to the best of his capacity, assisted by a hardworking and patriotic team. He complied with all extant laws in all his activities while he was the governor. This jaundiced probe should be disregarded as the politically motivated hatchet job it is.”
He has since filed a fundamental rights suit at the Federal High Court in Kaduna against the state House of Assembly.
‘Envy Leads To Hatred’, Says El-Rufai On A Weekend Reflection
However, in a long post on his on X handle on Saturday, El-Rufai who described envy as an ‘incurable disease’ said he doubted if it could be cured among the political class.
He said, “WEEKEND REFLECTION: “NONE of us has to fail for ALL of us to succeed. And in unity there is strength.” – @VP Kamala Harris, US Vice President (2021-2024) and Democratic Presidential Candidate at the Democratic National Convention,
“The quote above led me to reflect on the meaning and implications for our situation in Nigeria. Feelings of envy require that EVERYONE fails for ONE to succeed.
“Envy is quite prevalent amongst the key actors in our political system. Competence, capacity, and commitment are some personal leadership qualities that attract the envy of those lacking or deficient in these indices.
“Instead of striving to attain, the envious seeks to hate and destroy those that are better. Envy leads to hatred.
“Hatred leads to destructive thoughts and actions, including unspeakable crimes like perjury, malicious prosecution, persecution, unlawful imprisonment, torture and even murder for the target(s) of the envy.
“Can the incurable disease of envy amongst Nigerians, particularly within the members of the political class be cured? Personally, I doubt it.
“The emerging problem of Nigeria is the outcome of the continuously deteriorating competence, capacity and commitment of the political leadership.
“Societies succeed or fail depending on these personal and institutional qualities.
“No matter what, the incurable virus of ENVY has to be confronted and degraded, if not cured, if Nigeria is to achieve its manifest destiny of greatness and leadership of the Black Race. I pray this can be realized. Amen.”
The Ogun State Government said it has revoked the provisional licences granted to 20 private orphanage owners operating in the state, due to non-compliance with regulations and laws prioritising the well-being and safety of vulnerable children in their care.
The state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Adijat Adeleye, disclosed on Friday during a meeting with members of private orphanage homes at the ministry’s conference room, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, in the state capital.
The commissioner expressed displeasure over some private orphanage owners’ activities, stating that the state would not tolerate shady practices involving illegal adoption, child trafficking or maltreatment of children in their custody.
She emphasised that orphanages should operate with empathy by empowering and caring for vulnerable children and not doing anything to compromise their safety.
She said the present administration was committed to safeguarding children’s welfare and preventing exploitation, urging them to adhere to laid down guidelines.
The commissioner explained that the essence of operating an orphanage is to give back to society through humanitarian services and as such, anyone found wanting in the discharge of their duties would be prosecuted,
She added that the ministry had taken steps to improve its data collation, to ensure that the number of children brought to the orphanages was recorded and properly documented.
“The state government’s actions aim to protect vulnerable children and maintain the integrity of orphanage services,” she said.
“About 20 orphanages with provisional licences were affected but not all of them were involved in various sharp practices like not following due guidelines on child adoption among other contraventions”
“But we have withdrawn the provisional licences of these 20 orphanages. We want to take our time to dig deeper and ensure that they are all doing the right things”
“We have told the affected orphanages to reapply after a month and we have given additional guidelines to those with permanent licences to ensure that the standard is not compromised”.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Adejumoke Adewole, said the ministry would not relent in embarking on unscheduled visitation to all orphanage homes in the state, to monitor and evaluate the activities of the owners, and ensure proper compliance with directives.
A representative of the private orphanage owners, Adeyemo Anthony, commended the state for ensuring that orphanage homes were monitored, pledging their support to work together with the government to ensure the welfare and well-being of the children in their care.
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The Police Service Commission (PSC) has promoted 684 senior police officers.
Ikechukwu Ani Head, Press and Public Relations, in a statement, said the decision to approve the promotion of senior officers took place during the first preliminary meeting with the new chairman of PSC in Abuja.
According to him, the meeting presided over by the Chairman of the Commission, DIG Hashimu Argungu (rtd), had in attendance, DIG Taiwo Lakanu, (rtd), Honourable Commissioner and Chief Onyemuche Nnamani, Secretary to the Commission.
It said eight Commissioners of Police were elevated to the rank of Assistant Inspectors General of Police, while 15 Deputy Commissioners of Police were promoted to the next rank of full Commissioners of Police.
“52 Chief Superintendents of Police were also promoted to Assistant Commissioners of Police, 525 Superintendents of Police promoted to the rank of Chief Superintendents of Police and 84 Deputy Superintendents promoted to Superintendents of Police. ASP Patrick Ebhodahe was also promoted to the next rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police,” it said.
It said the eight Commissioners of Police and 15 Deputy Commissioners were subjected to some form of assessment/examination,a condition now precedent for their promotion to the new ranks.
The PSC Chairman said the Commission must also ensure that promotions in the Police will be merit based and predictable, just as he assured that the Commission will not for any reason delay the promotion of deserving officers but insisted that it must be earned.
The eight Commissioners of Police promoted to the next rank of Assistant Inspectors General of Police are CP Benneth Igwe; Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Command; Suleiman Mohammed Abdul, acting Assistant Inspector General of Police, PAB, Force Headquarters Abuja; CP Augustina Nwuka Ogbodo, CP Ebonyi State Command; CP Stephen Olanrewaju, CP Admin, Works, Force Headquarters Abuja; CP Kenechukwu Onwuemelie, CP Abia State Command; CP Fayoade Adegoke Mustapha, CP Lagos State Command; CP Adegboyega Funsho Adegboye, CP Admin, FID, Abuja and CP Mohammed Bala Labbo, CP Communication DICT Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The 15 Deputy Commissioners of Police elevated to substantive Commissioners of Police are; DCP Innocent Ifeanyi Emenari, DCP State CID Taraba State Command; DCP Betty Enekpen Otimenyin, DCP DFA, Zone 5 Benin; DCP James Iroegbunam Nwokolo, DC DFA, Edo State Command; DCP Felix Nka Oben, DC Federal Operations, Force Headquarters, Annex Lagos; DCP Olusegun Eyitayo Omosayin DC Armament, Directorate of Operations, Force Headquarters Abuja; DCP Ugobueze Ogbodo, Deputy Commandant, Police Detective College Enugu; DCP Ohagwu Felix Ndukwe, DC Department of Operations, Zone 11 Osogbo and DCP Taylor Lennox Olarewaju, DC, CCR, Lagos State.
Others are: DCP Sa’adatu Ismaila, DC Anti Human Trafficking Annex Lagos; DCP Olabode Adeleye Akinbamilowo, Deputy Force Secretary (DFS11), DCP Regina Cosmas Udoette, DC Department of Finance and Admin, Akwa Ibom State Command; DCP Francis Omatimeyin Gbiwen, DC, State CID Edo State Command; DCP Afolabi Wilfred Olatokunbo, DC Department of Finance and Admin, Delta State Command; DCP Ohiozoba Oyakhire Ehiede Acting CP Legal, FCID Force Headquarters Abuja and DCP Anthonia Adaku Uche-Anya, DC, Department of Finance and Admin FID.
The Commission has conveyed its approval to the Inspector General of Police for Implementation and further necessary action.
A Nigerian woman based in Canada, Amaka Sunnberger, is under probe for threatening to poison Nigerians of Yoruba and Benin extractions.
A representative of the Toronto Police Service, Sergeant Bassey Osagie, said investigation had begun into the matter.
“This incident has been reported to the Toronto Police Service and is currently under investigation,” Osagie said.
The House of Representatives and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission had petitioned the Canadian authorities, demanding an investigation and prosecution of the woman.
Nigerians woke up on Wednesday to a viral video of the woman, who was on a TikTok live with some other persons, threatening to ensure mass killings of the Yoruba and Benin people living in Canada.
Sunnberger, who boasted that she lived in Ontario, Canada, said she would begin to poison the food and water of Nigerians immediately after she got to her place of work.
Hours after the threat went viral, the Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, revealed her identity with her photo.
She further sent a petition to the Mayor of Brampton, Patrick Brown, to call attention to the threat.
Reacting to the video, the House of Reps, in a letter to the Canadian government, requested that Sunnberger be prosecuted.
The letter, addressed to the Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Jamie Christoff, said Sunnberger’s inflammatory statements constituted a direct threat to Nigerians.
The letter read in part, “In the light of the seriousness of these violations, we respectfully request the following actions: Investigation: an immediate and thorough investigation should be conducted into Ms. Sunberger’s actions by Canadian law enforcement and appropriate authorities.”
Reacting to the lawmakers’ demand, Sunnberger, in another video, dismissed the request for her arrest, affirming that she held a Canadian passport.
She said, “Somebody just sends me a message, say them arrest me, say them wan deport me, with passport? I be Canada pikin.
“See am now, I dey house, why I go dey lie?”
While speaking in Pidgin, Sunnberger had said she hated the Yoruba and Benin people.
She said, “It is time to start poisoning the Yorubas and the Benin. Put poison in all your foods at work. Put poison in all your water so that you all will begin dying one after the other.
“You all will not die one day. You will start falling sick for a long time. I will put Otapiapia (rat poison) inside your waters and foods. You people will never recover from the poison.
“This kind of hatred I have for you people will last forever. In all your foods, I will put Otapiapia,” as others at the meeting reminded her of other poisons including Eat and Die, Sniper.
She added, “I will put them in all your foods. If I go to work tomorrow, I will put it (poison) in Yoruba people’s food. Go and tell the government that I’m in Canada, I’m in Ontario. Hurry up, go fast.
“I will put Otapiapia, I will put Ogbomosho inside your foods. You will start hearing that Yorubas have died, Benins have died. I’m the one saying it.
“I want Igbos to have a heart of wickedness. You people are too quiet. You are too cool. Enough is enough. If you have a means of killing them, kill them out of the way, because they are too foolish. They are of no use to society. Lots of prostitutes and everything.”
Amid prolonged delays in the appointment of ambassadors to oversee Nigeria’s diplomatic missions, the Federal Government disbursed an approximate sum of N14bn to no fewer than 16 foreign missions in July 2024, findings by Saturday PUNCH have revealed.
Nigeria has 109 missions: 76 embassies, 22 high commissions, and 11 consulates globally.
Recall that on September 2, 2023, President Bola Tinubu recalled all career and non-career ambassadors operating the country’s diplomatic missions, embassies, and consulates globally.
The envoys, which include 41 non-career ambassadors and 42 career ambassadors, were directed to return to the country on or before October 31 by Tinubu, having been appointed by the President’s predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, in July 2020.
Since last year, the lack of appointed ambassadors has continued to elicit public concerns over the country’s diplomatic representation and the effectiveness of its foreign missions.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, attributed the delay in the envoys’ appointments to financial and economic challenges being faced by the current administration.
Tuggar, who disclosed this during a ministerial sectoral briefing in Abuja in May, said the ministry had not been receiving the necessary funding to operate effectively.
“The whole idea was to stop subsidising consumption and focus on subsidising production. However, the government has faced various other challenges. When the microeconomic reforms began showing benefits, platforms like Binance and the rise of crypto currencies began undermining those gains,” Tuggar stated.
He noted that it was pointless to appoint ambassadors without the financial resources to support their travel and the effective running of missions abroad.
However, checks by our correspondent using GovSpend, a civic tech platform that tracks and analyses the Federal Government’s spending, showed that the government disbursed the sum of N13.7bn for the personnel costs of 16 foreign missions.
The overseas missions are those located in The Hague (Netherlands), Tokyo (Japan), Vienna (Austria), Washington (United States), Berlin (Germany), Brasilia (Brazil), Brussels (Belgium), Paris (France), Beijing (China), Geneva (Switzerland), Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), London (United Kingdom), Madrid (Spain), Moscow (Russia), New York (USA), and Ottawa (Canada).
The funds were wired through the FGN Treasury (TSA Settlement Centre) on Friday, July 19, and Monday, July 29, 2024.
On the last day, The Hague received N504,071,400, Tokyo N761,253,100, Vienna N505,361,900, Washington N1,115,260,900, Berlin N813,678,400, Brasilia N564,693,300, Brussels N593,438,800, UNESCO Paris N545,086,850, Beijing N657,566,000, Geneva N830,278,500, and Jeddah N527,993,000.
Others include London N1,233,706,800, Madrid N803,821,400, Moscow N516,013,500, New York (CG) N915,844,500, New York (PM) N1,523,174,400, Ottawa N631,663,800, and Paris N611,712,300, while New York (PM) also received N576,147,689 on the first day.
Speaking to Saturday PUNCH, a former Nigerian ambassador to Singapore, Ogbole Ode, said even though paucity of funds had hindered the appointment of the envoys, the heads of missions at the consulate level had been deployed.
He noted that in the Foreign Service accounting system, there were different subheads, one of which were for personnel, adding that the free fall of the Nigerian currency often increased the naira value of the funds the government disbursed to the overseas missions.
In its ongoing efforts to combat terrorism within the nation, the Department of State Services (DSS) has successfully obtained a fresh order from the Federal High Court in Abuja to freeze 13 bank accounts associated with a suspected terrorist, Henry Okocha.
Naija News understands that the accounts held across seven different banks will remain frozen for 60 days, allowing the agency to conduct thorough forensic investigations into the alleged terrorist activities linked to the individual.
In a ruling on an ex-parte application supported by various exhibits, Justice Peter Lifu authorized the DSS to impose a freeze on the accounts for the specified duration to facilitate the investigation.
According to an eight-paragraph affidavit accompanying the ex-parte motion, the DSS accused Okocha of receiving substantial sums of money into these accounts, which are believed to be proceeds of terrorism.
After his arrest, Okocha was placed in the security agency’s custody for further investigation.
The DSS’s application was presented by its attorney, Yunus Ishaku Umar, who informed Justice Lifu that the freezing order was necessary to prevent the suspect from utilizing the funds for unlawful activities that could harm innocent citizens.
The attorney further explained that the account freeze would assist the DSS in identifying the individuals involved and ensuring their prosecution in court.
The ex-parte application, FHC/ABJ/CS/1036/2024, was filed under sections 5 and 81 of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act of 2022.
The banks involved in this matter include United Bank for Africa, Guaranty Trust Bank, Union Bank of Nigeria, First Bank of Nigeria, Providus Bank, Palmpay Limited, and Resolut Limited.
Justice Lifu denied the request for a 90-day freeze, granting only 60 days, which will automatically expire at the end of that period.
It is noteworthy that a similar order was previously issued against a suspected female terrorist, Aisha Abdulkarim, whose 20 bank accounts were also ordered to be frozen for 60 days by the DSS.