Immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-rufai on Wednesday responded to his indictment of the State House of Assembly probing his 8-year administration in the state.

El-Rufai said he led a government of integrity and competent governance between May 29, 2015 and May 29th 2023 when he governed the state.

In an apparent reference to the his indictment by the ad hoc committee of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, El-Rufai’s Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Muyiwa Adekeye, affirmed his principal’s integrity while dismissing what he described as a “scandalous claims being aired as the report of the committee.”

El-Rufai’s reaction, made available to THE WHISTLER, read:”We are aware of news that the Kaduna State House of Assembly has adopted the report of the ad-hoc committee it asked to probe the El-Rufai government.

“We have not been availed a copy of the report, to which we would respond robustly whenever we obtain it. We affirm the integrity of the El-Rufai government and dismiss the scandalous claims being aired as the report of the committee.

“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 in 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.”

Recall that the probe by the state Assembly was necessitated following the lamentation of the incumbent Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, that El-Rufai left him a huge debt profile.

Sani, who spoke during a town hall meeting in Kaduna, said he inherited a lean treasury, adding that he could not pay workers’ salaries.

Sani said, “Despite the huge debt burden of N587m, N85bn, and N115bn contractual liabilities sadly inherited from the previous administration, we remain resolute in steering Kaduna State towards progress and sustainable development.

“We have conducted a thorough assessment of our situation and are sharpening our focus accordingly.”
The revelation by Sani had generated reactions from several quarters, including El-Rufai’s son, Bashir, who took to his social media handle and accused his father’s successor of shying away from his responsibility.”

Meanwhile, ad hoc committee set up by the Kaduna State House of Assembly to investigate all finances, loans and contracts awarded under the former governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on Wednesday, submitted its report to the House.

The Committee indicated the former governor saying that most of the loans obtained under El-Rufai’s administration between 2015 and 2023, were not used for the purpose for which they were obtained.

The Committee led by Hon. Henry Zacharia, who’s also the Deputy Speaker of the House, recommended the prosecution of El-Rufai, some other indicted members of his cabinet by security and anti-corruption agencies for abuse of office and money laundering while in office as well as plaguing Kaduna State into heavy debt.

The House of Representatives on Thursday resolved to investigate the alleged fraudulent allocation of title documents to some real estate developers.

This followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by the member representing Karu/Keffi/Kokona Federal Constituency, Nasarawa State, Mr Jonathan Gbefwi.

Moving the motion, Gbefwi, noted that before the appointment of Wike by President Bola Tinubu in August 2023, several title land documents in the FCT were issued to some real estate developers “In a highly suspicious manner.”

He said, “The House wonders if the Director of Lands or any official of the Federal Capital Territory Development Administration issued the Right of Occupancy, purportedly in the name of the Minister of FCT. at the period when the office of the Minister was vacant, have the legal right or authority to do so.

“The House is concerned that some of the lands affected were subject to litigations which were yet to be resolved

“We are disturbed that some of the beneficiaries of these alleged fraudulent allocations are already using them to forcibly grab disputed land which is a recipe for conflicts

“We are convinced that if the title document of any land is fraudulently issued or procured, whatever is built on it should not stand in the interest of the public.”

Following the resolution of the House, the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu who presided over plenary, directed the Committee on FCT to “Investigate all allocations of land in the name of the Minister of FCT. Abuja, given from January to August 2023.”

The House also resolved “That all such lands which are subject to litigation or multiple allocations, should be identified and their allocation withdrawn by the Minister pending the resolution of the matter.”

The committee is expected to report back to the House in four weeks.

…says trial- and -error economics failing

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has urged President Bola Tinubu to stop deceiving Nigerians about his administration’s true position on fuel subsidy.

Atiku said this in a statement, in Abuja, yesterday.

He explained that contrary to the President’s public posturing about removing fuel subsidy, the Tinubu administration has been secretly paying trillions of Naira as subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (petrol).

The former Vice President who was the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the 2023 election, noted that subsidy payments under Tinubu’s watch is likely to hit N5.4 trillion this year (2024).

Atiku said, “President Bola Tinubu, at his inauguration on May 29, 2023, announced the abolishment of the subsidy on PMS, popularly known as fuel.

“Ever since, it has been a bragging right of Tinubu and officials of his administration.

“I had in my statement reviewing the one year of the Bola Tinubu administration urged the government to come clean on the actual position of the subsidy policy.

“These were my exact words: “…provide clarity on the fuel subsidy regime, including the fiscal commitments and benefits from the fuel subsidy reform and the impact of this on the Federation Accounts.

“It is curious that since April 2024, fuel queues have mounted at many filling stations across Nigeria, and the infamous ‘black market’ has sprouted in several states.

“How much PMS is being imported and distributed, and at what cost? What is the implicit subsidy?”

“If the subsidy regime had been characterised by opaqueness, what would we say of a situation where the subsidy is still being paid under the cover without Nigerians in the know?

“Like millions of Nigerians, I was shocked to learn through media reports that
the “government is still supporting downstream consumption.”

“Now we know that expenditure on fuel subsidy may reach N5.4 trillion in 2024, compared to the N3.6 trillion spent in 2023, the same year that Tinubu claimed to have abolished fuel subsidy

“I wish to restate that Nigeria is not working, and what we have had in a little over a year is a cocktail of trial-and-error economic policies. Paying subsidies and lying about it is nothing to brag about. Nigerians deserve better than this deception. “

The Nigerian government has said the turnover of Binance, a cryptocurrency platform, surpassed $20 billion from activities in Nigeria, yet the firm paid zero tax to the country.

The Minister of Information and Orientation, Mohammed Idris disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday while reacting to the allegation that two Binance executives Tigran Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla were illegally held in custody in Nigeria.

The Minister clarified that the two executives, although one is currently at large, were held for fueling currency speculation and operating non-registered business activities in Nigeria. 

“It would be recalled that Binance had a turnover in Nigeria of over US$20 billion in 2023 alone, far above the federal budget for health and education, fueling currency speculation and the cost-of-living crisis.

“In addition, it is not registered in Nigeria and neither has it ever paid any taxes within the Nigerian jurisdiction, having all the while operated without oversight or any of the normal guard rails to flag criminal activity”, he said.

Recall that on February 28, Gambaryan and Anjarwalla were arrested by the Nigerian government on the allegation of currency speculation.

Anjarwalla was confirmed to have escaped custody in March.

In April, the Nigerian government arraigned Gambaryan in court for tax evasion and other charges bordering on money laundering.

Anjarwalla, though on the run, was joined in the suit with Binance.

In the federal high court in May, Gambaryan was denied bail and was ordered to be kept in Kuje Correctional Centre pending the recommencement of his trial.

Meanwhile, in a recent unfolding of the trial, Aluko & Oyebode, the law firm handling the case of Binance Holdings Limited, said Mr Tigran Gambaryan may die in custody in Kuje prison and called for his release.

Premier League clubs will on Thursday, vote on whether or not to scrap the Video Assistant Referee, VAR.

The clubs will meet at an annual general meeting.

Wolves are the club driving the vote having been hard done by numerous times. 

The 2023/2024 season saw a host of high profile errors from VAR, including the failure to award a goal that was shown to be onside for Liverpool in their loss at Tottenham.

VAR was introduced ahead of the 2019/2020 season and still continues to split opinions.

The proposal needs 14 votes from the 20 clubs for it to change.

But according to the UK Mirror, Wolves will get nowhere near the required number with VAR set to stay.

The Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage has resumed talks over a new minimum wage for workers in the country.

The committee is meeting at NICON Luxury Hotel in Abuja.

DAILY POST reports that the Federal Government is represented by Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance; Atiku Bagudu, the Minister of Budget and National Planning; Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, the Minister of Labour; and representatives of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, along with the Head of Service of the Federation.

Joe Ajaero, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Festus Osifo, the President of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, are leading the organized labour delegation.

Abdulateef Shittu, the Director General of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, was present at the meeting even though none of the state governors was present at the time of filing this report.

DAILY POST reported that Labour suspended its nationwide indefinite strike on Tuesday after grounding the economy.

The Nigerian government has acknowledged that fuel subsidy expenditures are expected to surge to ₦5.4 trillion in 2024, according to a recent revelation by the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun.

This disclosure was made during the presentation of the Accelerated Stabilisation and Advancement Plan (ASAP) report, which outlines strategies to address critical challenges and stimulate growth across various sectors.

The projected subsidy cost for 2024 marks a significant increase from ₦3.6 trillion in 2023 and ₦2.0 trillion in 2022, highlighting a continuous upward trend in government spending on fuel subsidies.

This revelation comes amidst previous denials from the government regarding the complete deregulation of fuel prices.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, reiterated during a ministerial briefing on the anniversary of President Bola Tinubu’s administration that fuel subsidies had been entirely eliminated.

“I can confirm to you that subsidy is gone; officially, there is no subsidy; I want to make it clear that there is no subsidy in the country today,” Lokpobiri stated.

These statements come after significant policy shifts last year when President Tinubu declared the end of the fuel subsidy, leading to a hike in pump prices from ₦250 per litre to over ₦500. Prices have continued to climb, reaching an average of ₦702 per litre as of April 2024.

The persistence of fuel subsidies and the floating of the Naira have had a profound impact on the economy, contributing to soaring inflation rates. As of April 2024, Nigeria’s headline and food inflation rates had escalated to 33.69 percent and 40.53 percent, respectively.

Italian Serie A former champions, Napoli, have confirmed the appointment of former Juventus and Chelsea manager, Antonio Conte, as their new manager.
Antonio Conte has been without a coaching job since he left Tottenham Hotspur in the middle of the 2022-2023 season, the same season in which Napoli won the Serie A title for the first time in 33 years.

Unfortunately for Napoli, they completely collapsed in the 2023-2024 campaign, a season they couldn’t win any title and didn’t even qualify for European club football.

Despite the unpleasant state of Napoli which could lose Super Eagles of Nigeria striker, Victor Osimhen, to another club this summer, Antonio Conte decided to take the challenge.

After signing his contract with Napoli, the 54-year-old Italian tactician who has won the Serie A title three times in a row with Juventus and once with Inter Milan, said he is committed to the growth of Napoli.

“Napoli is a place of global importance. I am happy and excited at the idea of ​​sitting on the blue bench,” Conte said.

“I can certainly promise one thing, I will do my utmost for the growth of the team and the club. My commitment, together with that of my staff, will be total.”

Antonio Conte is expected to do better than Slovakian coach Francesco Calzona, and Walter Mazzarri who were in charge of Napoli in separate periods last season.

The strike declared by organised labour has reversed some of the gains made in May by stock market investors as the Nigerian Exchange Ltd (NGX) All-Share -Index (ASI) fell by 0.18 per cent on the first market day of June.

ASI fell to 99118.86 points from the 99,300.38 which it was on the last market day of May 2024.

Market capitalization dropped by 0.18 per cent to close at N56.07tn as investor’s wealth declined by N102.55bn.

On Monday, the volume and value of shares traded decreased by 19.45 per cent and 38.92 per cent to 349.59 million units and N5.24bn respectively.

Top losers were E-Tranzact International Plc which saw shares price dropping by 9.82 per cent of its value, Unity Bank Plc with a decrease of 9.80 per cent, Jaiz Bank Plc losing 9.65 per cent of its shares and MCnichols Plc which lost 9.09 per cent of its share value.

Banking stocks went south as Access Corporation lost 0.05 per cent of share price, First Bank Holdings lost 1.1 per cent shares and Unity Bank Plc lost 0.15 per cent of share price.

The bearish performance came on the background of labour strikes in Nigeria which crippled economic activities across all sectors.

THE WHISTLER reported that banks, schools, hospitals, airports and government offices were shut on the orders of the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress over a wage increase dispute with the Nigerian government.

Organised labour is demanding N494,000 minimum wage and embarked on an indefinite nationwide strike on June 3, 2024 but the federal government is offering a N60,000 wage.

But after deliberations on Monday night, June 3, 2024, the federal government has agreed to increase the N60,000. However, no amount was mentioned on the negotiation table between the government, private employers and organised labour.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), on Tuesday, announced that it would shutdown power supply for one hour at the international terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos.

The power maintenance shutdown is expected to occur between 1:30pm and 2:30pm on Wednesday.

FAAN said this is to verify the issues affecting the Bus Riser 11KVA high tension panel on the ground floor – North of the international terminal 2.

“The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) hereby notify all stakeholders and the public that a maintenance shutdown of power supply shall occur at the International Terminal 2(ITZ-2) between 13:30 and 14:30 hrs on Wednesday, June 05, 2024.

“This is as a result of the urgent need to verify the issues affecting the Bus Riser 11KVA high tension (HT) panel on the ground floor, North of the International Terminal 2 (ITZ-2) of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos,” a statement by FAAN’s Director, Public Affairs & Consumer Protection, Obiageli Orah, said.

The agency assured that it would ensure that the shutdown has very minimal disruption to flight operations and passenger facilitation.

FAAN informed that airlines that operate within the maintenance hour would be relocated for check-in and arrival formalities at the International terminal 1.

“FAAN would ensure that the shutdown of power supply is with very minimal disruption to flight operations and passenger facilitation.

“The identified airlines, namely Rwanda Air (WB), EgyptAir (MS) and Qatar Air (QR) that operate within the maintenance hour will be relocated for check-in and arrival (parking) formalities at the International terminal 1(ITZ-1). All intending passengers on these flights should please take note.

“The Authority regrets any inconveniences this might cause our stakeholders and the travelling public.

“We are committed to world-class safety standards and service to all airport users,” Orah added.