Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike has threatened to ‘flog’ a former governor of Niger State and fellow member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Aliyu Babangida.
Wike also accused Babangida of being a ‘mole’ in the party. The Rivers state strongman disclosed that it was unfortunate that the PDP has continued to allow the former Niger State governor to remain a member of its highest decision making body after he publicly confessed to working alongside others to frustrate former President Goodluck Jonathan’s second term bid in 2015.
He made this comments during a media chat at the Rivers state government house on Monday. He added, “The same Aliyu in 2017 was one of those who opposed Secondus to be Chairman of the party. He only came on board at the dying minute when he knew Secondus was coasting to victory.”
“The governor also clarify that he was not aware if the PDP national chairman has disagreement with stakeholders of the party in Rivers State.”
Wike insulted Babangida stating; “Governor Aliyu Babangida comes early for meetings to sit in front and bulge out his eyes. People like him are noisemakers”.
“Aliyu thinks it was that time they were moving around to fight PDP, I will flog hell out of him”.
It was gathered that Babangida had accused Wike of being a ‘dictator’ in the PDP.
A house of representatives panel says the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) illegally paid N2 billion to Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation (AGF), from recovered loot.
At its sitting on Tuesday, the house ad hoc committee probing the status of recovered loot queried Malami on the funds which they said they never approved as a budgetary allocation.
The lawmakers cited a letter from the CBN which indicated that the apex bank directed the release of the funds following a request made for the money to be used to prosecute terror suspects.
They also tackled the minister of justice for allegedly requesting payment of approved solicitors’ fees from the recovered loot.
Adejoro Adeogun, chairman of the committee, said: “The honourable attorney general of the federation is requesting payment of approved solicitors’ fees. You see, you are asking for solicitors’ fees from recovered funds’ accounts. I don’t think it is proper; that is what we are talking about.
“The question I want to ask regards to the payment of N2 billion which you received for the prosecution of terrorism suspects; was it supposed to come from that [recovered funds] account or should it have been part of the budgetary spending? Is it that when you exhaust your budget, you ask these people to send you some money?”
But Malami denied making specific requests from the recovered loot, although he did not deny receiving the said N2 billion from the CBN.
“Where the money comes from is a function of the federal ministry of finance and I am not making specific requests out of the recovered assets,” he said.
The lawmakers then presented a letter from the central bank titled, ‘Request for approval to effect critical payments in respect of federal ministry of justice for the recovered (funds)’.
Adeogun said the letter shows “the attorney-general knows that this is coming from the recovered funds; which means that the attorney-general knows that he is making a request that is against the law”.
The AGF, however, insisted that the request did not originate from his office.
“There is nothing indicating a previous correspondence from the office of attorney-general nor is there anything in the opening paragraph making reference to a letter from the office of attorney-general,” he said.
‘DISCREPANCIES’ IN RECOVERED ASSETS
The panel also raised the alarm over the discrepancies in the records of recovered assets presented by various government agencies.
According to Adeogun, “the EFCC said they handed over this number of vessels to your office, the navy gives a different number and you have a different number — the same items, different inventories, different figures”.
Malami responded that he is “not in a position to confirm the discrepancies with the number of assets” and asked the lawmakers to verify so through their oversight roles.
…AND THE CONTROVERSIES CONTINUE
TheCable had earlier reported how Ahmed Idris, the accountant-general of the federation (AGF), was unable to provide records to account for €5 million recovered funds said to be missing when he appeared before the committee.
The developments are the latest in a series of controversies that have rocked the recovery of stolen funds and assets under the Buhari administration.
This is mostly loot recovered from Sani Abacha, former head of state, who Transparency International estimates stole up to $5 billion, out of which about $3.6 billion has been recovered since 1999.
TheCable had exposed how the current administration paid controversial legal fees of up to $15 million to lawyers hired by Malami for the repatriation of $321 million Abacha Loot despite that Swiss lawyers had done much of the work.
Antonio Conte leaves role as Inter Milan head coach by mutual consent; former Chelsea boss led Inter to their first Serie A title in 11 years; Lazio manager Simone Inzaghi is likely to replace Conte at Inter
Kaveh Solhekol has the latest developments as Antonio Conte leaves Inter Milan just weeks after winning the Serie A title
Antonio Conte has left Inter Milan by mutual consent, with Simone Inzaghi likely to replace him as head coach of the Serie A champions.
Conte has agreed a deal with the club’s owners which will see him paid €7m (£6m) for the final year of his contract.
The former Chelsea boss guided Inter to their first Serie A title in 11 years but was embroiled in a dispute with the club’s owners after they proposed a downsizing of his squad.
Inter chairman Steven Zhang reportedly asked Conte to cut his wage bill by 15 to 20 per cent and potentially sell players worth up to £70m this summer.
Zhang arrived at Inter’s headquarters to continue discussions with senior staff on Wednesday morning.
A club statement read: “FC Internazionale Milano announces that it has reached an agreement for the consensual termination of the contract with the coach Antonio Conte.
“The whole club would like to thank Antonio for the extraordinary work he has done, which culminated in winning the 19th Scudetto. Antonio Conte will remain forever in the history of our club.”
Conte was keen to keep up to eight players he sees as “untouchables” which include Milan Skriniar, Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez.
Lukaku is happy at Inter but Conte’s departure, coupled with the club needing to cut costs, has put a question mark over his status at the club.
The club’s strategy, according to Sky in Italy, could include the sale of one of the club’s star players and a move to focus on developing young talent.
Lazio manager Inzaghi is set to replace Conte at the San Siro. The former Italy striker has been in charge of the Rome club since 2016 and led them to a sixth-place finish this season, finishing six points above fierce rivals Roma.
“Antonio Conte is one of the best managers in the world, and this evening he is unemployed, although he has got €7m pay-off from Inter Milan. There had been crunch talks going on all day about his future and he was very unhappy about the fact that the owners of the club had asked him just a few days after winning the Italian title for the first time in 11 years to cut costs.
“They wanted him to shave around €100m off Inter’s budget for next season and Conte was very unhappy about that. He basically said that he had won the title, he had done what had been asked of him, but when it came to Europe, they had finished bottom of their Champions League group.
“Next season, he wanted to win the title again and to win the Champions League. He wanted to make them a force in Europe again as well, and he claimed he would not be able to do that if they were asking him to sell some of his best players to cut the wage bill. He said he could not manage with one hand tied behind his back and that’s the reason why he has decided to go.
Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez celebrates after he scored his side's fifth
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Uncertainty remains over several of star players including Lautaro Martinez
“He had one year remaining on his contract worth around €11m after tax, so a lot of the talks today were around what the pay-off was going to be. The question people will be asking is why Inter’s owners have allowed this to happen? This is a manager who has won titles at Juventus as both a player and as a manager. He’s someone who has won titles at Chelsea and he’s done it again at Inter.
“The owners of Inter are a Chinese retail giant called Suning, who also owned the reigning Chinese Super League champions Jiangsu Suning. They won the Chinese title in November but just a few months later, Suning turned around and said they were closing the club down due to financial problems.
“They wanted to step back from football, and that’s exactly what they have done at their other club as well, Inter Milan. They felt it was costing them too much money. Conte has heard what they have had to say and decided this is not how he operates.”
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Reconciliation Committee and Strategic Committee, led by former Senate President Bukola Saraki, on Wednesday reconciled warring chieftains of the party in Lagos State.
The party leader, Chief Bode George, and chairman of the chapter, Deji Doherty, embraced truce and promised to work jointly for victory in future elections.
The reconciliation train rolled into the Southern Sun Hotel, Ikoyi at noon, where Saraki and other members of the panel held a four-hour meeting with Lagos PDP stakeholders.
With Saraki were former Governors Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe), Ibrahim Shema (Kaduna); Mulikat Adeola-Akande and Linus Okorie.
Lagos PDP chieftains at the peace parley included the secretary, Muiz Dosunmu, former acting national secretary, Remi Akitoye, Senator Kofo Akerele-Bucknor, Lai Ogunbambi, Uthman Shodipe, and Otunba Okanlawon.
A source said the chieftains and committee members had frantic discussion about the protracted crisis and the need for mutual forgiveness and peace.
It was agreed that George should be accorded the accorded the respect of the party leader, who is should also be conciliatory.
Saraki, who spoke with reporters after the meeting, urged the warring chieftains to sheathe their swords, jettison bitterness and adorn a forgiving spirit in the interest of the party.
He said: “We’ve seen committed of PDP members in Lagos to bury their differences and understand that the call of majority of Lagosians to have PDP in government is more important than their own individual differences.
“We have reconciled the party leaders today and they are ready to dissipate their energies to push the agenda of the PDP for Lagos State. We are happy to see that.”
He added: “We must present ourselves as a serious party. The differences for many months have been buried and that shows people are committed now to make the party attractive to new people who want to join the party.”
The proscribed Igbo separatist group, Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) has reportedly engaged a lobbying firm in the United States, BW Global Group (BWGG LCC), to facilitate the recognition of Biafran independence.
The leader of the group, Nnamdi Kanu, according to the report, allegedly paid the outfit the sum of $350,000 for their services.
While confirming the engagement of the firm, Kanu said the move was to see to the smooth sailing of the agitation for Biafra’s independence in the eyes of the wider world.
The Media and Publicity Secretary of IPOB, Emma Powerful, in a statement made available to Ripples Nigeria on Wednesday, said the funds were provided by Igbo businessmen in Nigeria and in the diaspora, who have bought into the Biafra project.
According to him, the group contracted the firm to help “secure the support of the US government and those of Britain, France, China, Russia, Israel, Germany, Australia and the European Union” in the agitation.
“It’s true that our Supreme and indefatigable leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has hired another lobbying group in the USA to facilitate the coming and recognition of Biafra independence.
“We engaged them with the wholesome amount of $350,000 to lobby for Biafra freedom in America and the whole world.”
Powerful added that the deal which is for an initial 12 months period with a possibility of a renewal, was signed in February with Kanu signing on behalf of IPOB.
Checks by Ripples Nigeria revealed that the BW Global Group is
co-owned by Jeffrey Birrel and Alan White, and is registered in Washington D.C.
The firm has a high concentration of top government officials, lawmakers, policymakers, and opinion leaders who are well versed in the art of international diplomacy.
The agreement between IPOB and the BW Global Group took effect from March 1, 2021, months after an earlier one struck by Kanu with another US-based lobbying entity, Mercury Public Affairs LLC, expired.
Under the old contract, IPOB reportedly paid $85,000 per month beginning September 23, 2019, in addition to a $5,000 one-time compliance fee.
Kanu, while signing the deal with Mercury, had said the funds were sourced from Igbo businessmen both at home and the diaspora who believed in the Biafran struggle.
“Our people both home and abroad contributed money for the project. Nobody can change our resolve towards the fight for Biafra freedom and independence.
“IPOB has been spending huge amounts of money for this project to ensure that Biafra is restored without another war but those traitors and saboteurs in Biafraland and elsewhere are bent on supporting terrorists to attack us from within and outside so that IPOB can engage them prematurely.
“The Federal Government wants us to declare an unprepared war for Biafra freedom, but we maintain our peace till we get what we want.”
The Delta state government has denied receiving the £4.2m James Ibori loot. That was contrary to the submission of the Accountant General of the Federation, Mr. Ahmed Idris that the Federal Government had returned the recently repatriated sum, allegedly looted by former Governor James Ibori from the United Kingdom to the state coffers.
He said this when he appeared before the House of Representatives’ Ad hoc Committee on Assessment and Status of All Recovered Loots Movable and Immovable Assets from 2002 to 2020 by Agencies of the Federal Government of Nigeria for Effective Efficient Management and Utilisation.
When the committee asked him this question, Idris said with emphatic knocks on the table: “It was paid to Delta State. So such recoveries go specifically to those states. Honourable Chairman, any recovery arising from the looted funds from a particular state goes to the state. The state governors will not even allow this to fly.”
He added, “Some recoveries are for some state governments, specific state governments. I know there was a time recovery was made on behalf of Plateau State, there was one for Bayelsa, there is one for Delta.
“You know they will take the Federal Government to court for holding their money. So we don’t joke or play with that, we pay them their money.”
However, TNG, an online newspaper quoted an exclusive source within Delta government: “We have been bombarded with calls since the Accountant General made that unsubstantiated claims of the transfer of the funds to the Delta State Government. You are aware of the stand of the Attorney General of the Federation some few days back that the state won’t have a share of the money with FG despite efforts by the governor. Where the new development is coming from is still unknown to us. As I speak with you, we are yet to receive the monthly allocation. There is nothing to hide. Once the funds are transferred to us, Deltans and indeed the entire nation would be adequately informed and carried along on the expenditures.”
Recently, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta said on Channels: “I have spoken with the attorney-general of the federation. My attorney-general went to have a meeting with him. I think that we are working and we are likely to come on the same page. We have written a formal letter of protest to Mr President.
“We have made two suggestions; return the money directly to us or apply it directly to projects that we feel are of importance and are in Delta State so that Deltans can directly benefit from the repatriated funds and I don’t think anybody can fault that line (of thinking)”
Famous Nigerian actress, Toyin Abraham has finally broken silence on her lingering squabble with colleague, Lizzy Anjorin.
It all started in September 2019, when an Instagram blog reported that Liz was ‘held and searched for drug peddling’ during hajj in Saudi Arabia.
The blog reported that she was ‘teary all through her encounter with the security agents at the airport’.
Speaking in response to the story, Liz Anjorin said her investigations revealed that Toyin Abraham ‘leaked’ the story to blogs and she came for her guns blazing.
Toyin’s response at the tie came with threats to sue Liz.
Well, recently, the story came up again after Liz had an interview with social media influencer, Esabod. Apparently, during the interview, Esabod reigned curses on Toyin, her husband, Kolawole Ajeyemi, and their son, Ire.
Toyin, on seeing the recent interview, took to an IG live session with Iyabo Ojo on Tuesday, May 25 where she stressed that she had nothing to do with the drug peddling story about Liz whom she said she isn’t friends with as she has met just twice in her life.
She swore by the Bible that she had nothing to do with the story.
The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Mr Bashir Jamoh, has asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate an allegation of N1.5tn fraud levelled against him by one Jackson Ude.
Ude had on Saturday alleged that N1.5tn was traced to Jamoh. The allegation made on Twitter had gone virile.
He had written, “Fraud in Buhari govt as N1.5tn, $9bn traced to NIMASA boss, Bashir Jamoh’s personal accounts.”
On Sunday, he wrote, “Bashir Jamoh, DG of NIMASA has told his friends he doesn’t know anything about N1.5tn in any account. And that all the story is a lie and fake news. When I wake up, I will drop his receipt. He just ate the bait.”
However, on Tuesday, though a letter with a reference number, NIMASA2020/DG/EFCC/VOL1/09, addressed to the Economic Financial Crimes Commission urged the crimes agency to investigate the allegations.
He said, “I write to bring to your attention the attached online publications and tweets that have gone viral since Friday 21 of May 2021.
“The publications emanated from a series of tweets of one Jackson Ude alleging the sums of N1.5tn and another US$9,557,312.50 were traced to my personal account.
“The allegation of money laundering which impugns my integrity, character and family name has been circulating on social media also suggested that the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria be invited by security agencies to give reasons why such huge sums of money were transferred to my personal account instead of the Treasury Single Account.
“In view of this weighty allegation and the insidious and perniciously damaging effect on the government and the country, I hereby request that a thorough and painstaking investigation be carried by your commission with a view to unravelling the truth or accuracy of the allegation.”
He added that the investigation would put the record straight in the public domain.
An irate mob yesterday set on fire a mad woman allegedly caught with three AK-47 rifles stashed in a sack bag at Abule-Ado, Trade fair area of Badagry, Lagos State.
An eyewitness that made a video of the incident said the mad woman was accused of keeping the rifles for suspected armed robbers.
Commenting on the incident, the police spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the command had commenced an investigation into the killing and setting ablaze of a mentally challenged woman, who was alleged to have been in possession of a stolen baby and three AK 47 rifles at Abule Ado, under bridge, Festac Area of Lagos State on Monday, May 24, 2021.
“Based on preliminary investigation, it was discovered that the mentally challenged woman had been living in the area for several years before she was lynched and set ablaze.
“The command, however, states categorically that the woman was just murdered for reasons best known to the perpetrators of the heinous crime as investigation revealed that no baby and AK-47 rifles were found in her possession nor were they recovered by the perpetrators or the police. It’s just a clear case of murder”. Adejobi said
Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) Brig. General Buba Marwa (retd) has said that politicians seeking public office and students seeking admission into higher institutions must undergo drug integrity test.
Marwa stated this in Abuja while delivering a paper on “Drug Abuse and National Security Challenge: Way Forward”, as the guest speaker at the fifth anniversary lecture of presidential diary magazine.
He said as elections come up in the states and across the country, there is the need for the people to entrust the management of their treasury and their wellbeing in the hands of politicians that have clear minds because no public office holder under the influence of drugs can think straight.
Marwa said same thing applies to students seeking admission into higher institutions.
He said because of the evidence-based strong nexus between drug abuse and security challenges across the country, concerted efforts must be made towards tackling the drug scourge headlong.
While urging Nigerians not to be despondent about the security challenges facing the country, spokesperson of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, urged that everyone must join the agency’s advocacy train.
