Oluwasegun Adesuyi, Author at SocietyGazette.com

Ministries, Agencies Padded 2021 Budget With N300 Billion Duplicated Projects – ICPC

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says that Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) padded the 2021 budget to the tune of N300 billion.

The padding which they did by duplicating projects shot the budget to N13.59 trillion, it has stated.

The anti-corruption agency says that the MDAs also padded the 2022 budget with duplicated projects amounting to N100 billion.

This shot the current year’s budget to N17.12 trillion.

This is aside of the N49.9 billion discovered as salaries for ghost workers between January and June, 2022, it says.

ICPC’s Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, made these known in Abuja on Thursday.

He made the submissions at an interactive session with the Senate Committee on Finance on the 2022-2025 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper.

He said the ICPC discovered the projects duplication and budget padding for the two years during a scrutiny of projects approved for the various MDAs.

“Three hundred billion naira would have been wasted by the Federal Government on duplicated projects inserted into the 2021 budget.

“Federal Government would have wasted another N100 billion in the 2022 budget if not tracked and intercepted by the ICPC.

“The same pre-emptive move saved the country from spending N49.9 billion on payment of salaries to ghost workers inserted into payrolls by the fraudulent MDAs between January and June this year.

“Names of MDAs involved in projects duplication and fictitious payrolls are available and will be forwarded to the committee,’’ he said.

Owasannoye explained that ICPC’s interception ensured that monies for the fraudulent acts were prevented from being released to the affected MDAs.

“It is gratifying that the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Accountant-General’s Office cooperated with us’,’’ he stressed.

The ICPC chairman advised relevant committees of the National Assembly to look out for such projects duplication in the proposed N19.76 trillion 2023 budget.

“From our own end, detection of such projects is done by verifying their locations and names, upon which we tell the appropriate authorities not to release wrongly budgeted monies,’’ he said.

In his remarks, chairman of the committee, Sen. Solomon Adeola (APC-Lagos West), assured that ICPC’s operational cost would be increased from the current N1.8 billion.

“This committee is impressed by the proactive ways your commission has adopted in the fight against corruption.

“Your submissions clearly shows that all hopes are not lost for our dear country as far as fighting corruption is concerned.

“Your operational cost which is N1.8 billion will be increased as required impetus for more proactive measures against corrupt practices across the various MDAs,’’ Sen. Adeola said.

Just In: PSC Union Suspends Strike After Musiliu Smith’s Resignation

The Joint Union Congress of the Police Service Commission (PSC) chapter has suspended its indefinite strike after 17 days.

The PSC spokesperson, Ikechukwu Ani disclosed this in a statement on Thursday where it officially reacted to the resignation of the former chairperson of the commission, Musiliu Smith.

Ani noted that the union suspended its indefinite strike to allow the new management to look into its demands.

It was earlier reported that the commencement of the strike action purportedly due to the hijack of the commission’s constitutional mandate to manage recruitment exercises into the police force.

The union had accused the PSC’s former management led by Smith of complicity with the police authorities to rid staff members of their constitutional duty to recruit prospective officers.

The Union also accused the erstwhile management of nepotism while stating that the situation is limiting the commission’s growth.

Meanwhile, the PSC acknowledged the resignation of Smith stating that the development was pursuant to Schedule 2(4) sub-section 2(2) of the Police Service Commission Establishment Act 2001.

The statement further confirmed the nomination of Clara Ogunbiyi, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, as the acting Chairman pending the appointment of a new Chairman by President Muhammadu Buhari.

In her response, Justice Ogunbiyi expressed her appreciation to her colleagues for the confidence reposed in her and pledged to run an inclusive administration based on the rule of law.

Ogunbiyi who is a Commissioner in the Commission and next in the hierarchy to the former Chairman noted that the commission deserves the best.

“We will do our best by the grace of God and I believe our best will be good enough,” she said.

NATFORCE: Buhari Finally Disbands Security Outfit After Senate Ignored NSA To Recognize Body

The President Muhammadu Buhari-led National Security Council has ordered the disbandment of the National Taskforce on Prohibition of Illegal, Importation/Smuggling of Arms, Ammunition, Light Weapons, Chemical Weapons, and Pipeline Vandalism (NATFORCE).

The task force was declared illegal at a meeting of the National Security Council presided over by President Buhari on Thursday.

The Senate had in July passed a bill establishing the National Commission for the Coordination and Control of the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons which included the NATFORCE.

The squad’s inclusion in the bill, however, received negative feedback from security experts.

While announcing the disbandment on Thursday, the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola said the council agreed that the task force was illegal.

NATFORCE got the Senate’s nod more than a year after the National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (retd.), declared the security outfit illegal and ordered a halt of all its operations nationwide.

“In particular, the office has cautioned individuals, organisations, and foreign partners on the activities of NATFORCE which was illegally formed as a task force to combat illegal importation and smuggling of small arms, ammunition, and light weapons into Nigeria.

“The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons domiciled in the Office of the National Security Adviser is the national coordination mechanism for the control and monitoring of the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Nigeria,” ZM Usman, the Head of Strategic Communication, Office of the National Security Adviser, had said in a statement.

Usman noted allegations of extortion and harassment against NATFORCE “which seeks to combat illegal importation of Arms, Ammunition, Light Weapons, Chemical Weapons, and Pipeline Vandalism and has been involved in mounting illegal roadblocks, conducting illegal searches, seizures, and recruitment.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the general public and all stakeholders are to note that NATFORCE is an illegal outfit without any mandate or authority to carry out these functions.

“This trend is unacceptable and the promoters of NATFORCE are warned to dismantle their structures and operations immediately,” he added.

FG Releases Suspected IPOB Members Arrested In 2020

Some suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) arrested by the Nigerian Army on February 27, 2020, have been released by the Federal Government.
It was learnt that the suspected IPOB members were arrested by officers of the Nigerian Amry at the Imo River community in Abia State.

The victims, who were held at the 14 Brigade Nigerian Army Ohafia Abia State, include, Sunday Nwafor, 59; Uzonwanne Ejiofor, 48; and Wilfred Dike, 36.

Amnesty International Nigeria has reacted to the release of the suspected IPOB members.

Amnesty International, in a statement released on Wednesday night, charged the Federal Government to release information about other victims who are in detention.

It also called on the Federal Government to grant the families and lawyers access to the victims in detention.

Amnesty International also appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to charge the victims to a court or release them in the absence of any legal authority used to justify their continued detention.

The statement reads, “Amnesty International urges Nigerian authorities to provide information about the status of other victims of enforced disappearance and incommunicado detention, grant their families and lawyers access to them, charge them to court, or release them in the absence of any legal authority used to justify their continued detention.”

MAUREEN BADEJO – NO REST FOR THE WICKED, A HOPELESS AND POINTLESS MISSION COMES TO AN END

In my opinion, I really think that the reason God is patient with MEN when we tread upon dangerous paths is that he either wants us to repent from our HOPELESS AND POINTLESS WAYS or use our own hands to put ourselves in HARMS WAY.

For almost two years, I wrote different articles to call this woman to order, but no, she was determined to destroy herself and her poor life.

This woman came out with fabricated matters and delusional arguments against MFM and Dr. D.K Olukoya. As at the 13th day of September, 2021, she ran into another rock that will surely straighten her life for the better.

Frantic efforts by London-based Vlogger Maureen Badejo to escape or delay the consequences of her defamatory broadcasts against Dr. D. K. Olukoya, General Overseer of Mountain of fire and miracles ministries MFM and his wife Dr Folashade has suffered a crushing defeat, as the High Court sitting at Strand, London has refused her leave to appeal.

I had COVERED THIS MATTER SOMETIME LAST YEAR that the Court in England found Maureen Badejo liable for defamation and character assassination thereby awarding damages, amounting to Hundred thousand pounds (100,000) to the Olukoyas.

Since the judgment, Ms. Badejo has been running from pillar to post, blaming her own lawyer for her defeat, and eventually applying for leave to appeal against the decisions.

In his signed judgment on the 13th day of September 2022 the Honorable Justice Lavender sitting at the Royal Courts of Justice, Strand, London refused Maureen permission to appeal, describing her application as “totally without merit” His Lordship also barred Ms. Badejo from requesting a reconsideration of its order.

In providing the reasons for his decision, the Judge observed that no reason for extension of time to appeal was canvassed by the applicant just as no arguable ground of appeal had been identified.

Describing Ms. Badejo’s proposed grounds of appeal as “BOTH HOPELESS AND POINTLESS”, His Lordship concluded by pointing out that no useful purpose would be served by her proposed appeal.

This development bears clear testimony to the adage that lies and falsehoods may endure for a long while but truth will eventually catch up with them. Awọn adiye n bọ si ile lati gbe PERMIT MY MOTHER TONGE IT MEANS The Chickens are coming home to roost!!!

FIND ATTCHED THE JUDGEMENTS AS IT READS:

FEMI OYEWALE- SAHARA WEEKLY

How I’II Turn Nigeria Around In First 100 Days – Atiku

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, has promised to lead Nigeria out of darkness and turn the economy around within his first 100 days in office if elected president in 2023.

Atiku, who spoke at the Private Sector Economic Forum organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry(LCCI) in Lagos on Tuesday, also promised to make poverty eradication the centrepiece of his economic agenda if he wins the 2023 presidential election.

The former Vice President promised a wide range of sweeping policy reforms, including removing electricity from the exclusive list to the concurrent list so that states can produce electricity for the citizens in their respective states.

He promised that his economic growth and development agenda seeks primarily to stimulate the growth of the economy, that it envisions an economy that is modern, dynamic, and competitive, capable of taking its rightful place among the top 20 economies of the world.

He said as a matter of policy, re-building infrastructure and reducing infrastructure deficit will enhance the carrying capacity of the economy and unleash growth and wealth creation.

The former Vice President promised to elevate production for export to a top policy priority and long-term investment priority and promote export of manufactured goods.

Justifying this agenda, he said, “First, a warm handshake with the private sector. We will support the private sector to drive growth. We will establish strong partnerships in investing in infrastructure, creating jobs, income and in the fight against poverty.”

While saying that his team will listen to the private sector more, the said there will be regular dialogue to build consensus, improve trust between the government to enable the engendering of new reform initiatives that will be easier to implement and sustain.

On security as a policy, he said he will take tough and difficult decisions on security matters without fear or favour. “Investment is a cowardly animal and is fearful of conflicts and insecurity,” he said.

On the poor infrastructure in the country, he promised to break the jinx in its financing through establishing an “Infrastructure Development Unit” (IDU) in the Presidency, with a coordinating function and a specific mandate of working with the MDAs to fast track and drive the process of infrastructure development in the country.

He assured that as a short-term measure to ensure enhanced supply within the first year of the new administration, saying “I shall initiate and implement an emergency power programme (EPPs) that can deliver additional capacity in certain key areas.

“Over the medium term, I will then go on to propose legislation for the removal of the entire electricity value chain from the exclusive list and give states the power to generate, transmit and distribute electricity for themselves.”

He argued that investments in additional generation capacity are futile without consideration for the complementary transmission and distribution infrastructure to wheel the additional energy.

Also, he said, ahead of procuring additional generation, both transmission and distribution capacities would be enhanced with private sector support for investments.

“We shall incentivize private investors to invest in the development of multiple green-field mini-grid transmission systems to be looped into the super-grid in the medium to long term while allowing the FG focus on policy, regulation, and standardization.

“I will stimulate growth to create jobs and wage war against hunger. The economy must grow for economic opportunities to abound.

“Poverty reduction shall be the centrepiece of our economic development agenda and economic performance shall henceforth be measured by the number of jobs created and the number of people lifted out of poverty.

“Within the first 100 days in office, I will create an Economic Stimulus Fund with an initial investment capacity of approximately US$10 billion to prioritize support to MSMEs across all the economic sectors.”

He promised to focus on non-debt financing by promoting a private sector-led infrastructure development fund for the financing and delivery of key infrastructure projects.

After Losing 4 Belts, Anthony Joshua Set To Fight Tyson Fury December 3rd

British-Nigerian boxer, Anthony Joshua, is set to return to the ring after loosing his four titles to Ukrainian, Oleksandr Usyk.

Fury had last week offered to fight Joshua for 60 percent of the matchday revenue, which would see the heavyweight rivals clash for Fury’s world title before the end of the year.

In accepting the terms of the offer, the British-born Nigerian boxer, however, insisted on fighting Fury before the end of the year.

“258 [Management] and Matchroom Boxing can confirm, on behalf of Anthony Joshua, that we accepted all terms presented to us by Fury’s team for a fight December 3 last Friday. Due to the Queen’s passing, it was agreed to halt all communication. We are awaiting a response,” Joshua’s team tweeted on Tuesday.

Fury had planned to fight Oleksandr Usyk in an undisputed fight in December but the Ukrainian revealed he will not be ready until February or March, which saw Fury turn his attention to Joshua who lost to Usyk last month in their Saudi Arabian rematch.

Recall that Joshua had recently lost the WBA, WBO , IBF and IBO belt while Fury retains the WBC world heavyweight champion belt.

Gov Yahaya Bello Uses Tinubu’s ‘Emi Lokan’ Style To Campaign For Him

The Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has been seen in a video clip replicating All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu‘s body movement while wooing party members to vote for the national leader in 2023 polls.
Governor Bello said just like Tinubu had said earlier that it is his turn (Emilokan) to become Nigeria’s next president, he will deliver the votes in Kogi State to the APC national leader to ensure his victory in the 2023 presidential election.

Bello recalled that Kogi delivered a higher number of votes for President Muhammadu Buhari and Yemi Osinbajo in 2019 than it did in the previous election.

He assured that the state will double the number of votes for Tinubu and Kashim Shettima come 2023.

Raising his Babanriga (Agbada) from side to side to mimic Tinubu, Governor Bello said APC’s new anthem after its presidential candidate might have won the 2023 election would now be ‘Awalokan’.

The Kogi State governor said: “Our leader and our father, Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is our candidate today. Who we shall all work to deliver 100%.

“I could remember he said ‘Emi Lokan’. And me, myself, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the executive governor of Kogi State and one of the aspirants in that presidential primaries, believe that ‘Awonlokan’.

“And let me tell you that, by the special grace of God, the way we did it and the numbers we recorded in 2019 for President Muhammadu Buhari and Yemi Osinbajo, were higher than in 2015 at the presidential level, is that not so?

“The one that we are going to deliver as far as Kogi is concerned, for Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima, will be times two of what we had last time.

“And remember, it is only when we do all of this that and we escort him to the Villa come May 29, 2023, then it will be Gbogbowa Lokan. And that time our new signal would be [Bello raised his Babanriga to replicate Tinubu’s body language while delivering a speech months ago].”

Ekweremadu’s Daughter Appeals For Kidney Donor As Father Spends 82nd Day In UK Prison

Daughter to Nigeria’s former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, Sonia has appealed for the donation of a kidney from anyone who wishes to help her out.

She called for help via her Instagram Page on Monday.

She appealed to the general public to come to her aid and save her life as she is battling with a rare kidney disease.

She wrote, “I dropped out of my postgraduate studies at the University of Newcastle in 2019 when I was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease, FSGS Nephrotic Syndome.

“My family has battled to save my life and has taken me to various hospital but the illness persisted and kept degenerating.

“I’m alive today by the special grace of God. I am presently in London, UK, receiving five hours of dialysis 3-4 times a week. This is at the expense of my family as I am not qualified for NHS due to immigration status.

“The charges being faced by my parents in London presently are directly connected to my illness and have complicated matter for me and my family. I do not intend to delve into details of this unfortunate development as the matter is still in court.

“In the circumstance above, I am appealing to anybody whom it may please to assist me willingly with a kidney donation in the name of God.”

Recall that the London metropolitan police had on June 23 arrested and detained her father alleging he conspired to arrange the travel of a child into the UK in order to harvest organs for her.

The senator has since denied the allegation, insisting through his lawyer that the boy in question (Ukpo Nwamini David) accepted to donate his kidney before being flown into the UK.

But Nwamini had claimed that he was not aware of the arrangement.

The truth of the matter is yet to be determined by the UK court but Ekweremadu has been refused bail.

Anger As Opay Blocks Accounts Of Customers With ‘Suspicious Transactions’

Opay Nigeria has blocked accounts of it’s customers alleged to be making suspicious transactions, the company said.

The payment platform said the affected accounts were blocked due to suspicious transactions or account activities, fraud reports, password and payment PIN errors.

Opay tweeted on Monday that, “The recent blocking and freezing of selected Opay accounts were carried out according to financial compliance and regulatory rules.

“Please note that Opay will never block your account unjustly and will only do so in case of suspicious transactions or account activities, fraud reports, password and payment PIN errors.

“All cases of blocked accounts are currently being reviewed by Opay and relevant regulatory bodies.”

THE WHISTLER had reported how a POS operator, Musa Bamaiyi, who uses Opay platform was defrauded by hackers.

The fraudsters used Palmpay, an e-payment app to transfer about N127,000 from their victim’s account.

They also made several attempts to withdraw N893,021 from their v

The decision has gathered reactions from affected customers of the payment platform.

For @PromiseOnyeka15 said: “This one you guys are talking about blocking of users accounts day by day, hope you people are not something else?. It’s right time for me to withdraw all my fund before I hear story that touches the heart.”

Also, @iamDJOKB while reacting said, “I can’t view my balance. Does that means my account is blocked. I just made transfer to it and I can’t view my balance. Please help.”

Another customer who tweeted with @PeopleloadedTv said, “Money is no longer safe with all this online bank like Opay, Kuda etc be smart. Now all my money can’t be found since morning.”