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Amidst Nigeria’s rising security challenges, Buhari gifts Niger Republic N1.1bn SUVs to boost security

President Muhammadu Buhari , on Wednesday, came under heavy criticism over the approval of N1, 145,000,000 for the purchase and supply of 10 Toyota Land Cruiser vehicles to Niger Republic.

The revelation was made by an investigative journalist, David Hundeyin, who tweeted that he obtained a document from the Budget Office in Nigeria which showed that the President made the approval for the purchase of the vehicles to the neighbouring country.

Hundeyin also attached a picture of the document to validate the claim that the President approved the release of the money to a company, Kaura Motors Nigeria Limited, on February 28, 2022.

The document read in part, “Being release of funds in the sum of N1,145,000,000 to the office of the Accountant General of the Federation IFO Kaura Motors Nig. Limited for supply of 10 numbers Toyota Land Cruiser V8 Vehicles to Republic of Nigeria vide Mr. President approval on page 83 dated 28/02/2022.”

Defending the purchase of the vehicles, the Federal Government said that the move was to enable the country to safeguard its territory in the best interest of Nigeria’s security.

Fielding questions from journalists after the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, said it was not the first time Nigeria was supporting her neighbours.

She explained the President had a responsibility to take such decisions in the best interest of the country.

“This is not the first time that Nigeria has supported Niger, Cameroon or Chad, and the President makes an assessment as to what is required, based on the request of their President and such requests are approved and the interventions provided is to enhance their capacity to protect their own territory as it relates to security also to Nigeria,” Ahmed said.

CSOs knock FG

However, Nigerians had been criticising the Federal Government for disbursing funds to purchase the vehicles for another country amid other pressing needs, including the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities and the harsh economic realities in the country.

The Country Director, Transparency International, Auwal Rafsanjani, said the gesture showed that the current political leaders were not sensitive to the plights of Nigerians.

“It shows a lack of priority for development in Nigeria. Otherwise, our universities have been closed down for months, how much is ASUU asking for to stop the strike, how much is needed to modernise our health sector and also improve the lives of Nigerians? But the current leaders just want to accumulate tax payers’ money for personal use,” he said.

Also reacting, the chairman, Human and Environmental Development Agenda, Olanrewaju Suraju, said the amount the vehicles were purchased was outrageous.

He said, “With the level of insecurity and the lack of resources in the country, the next thing we could think of is to purchase vehicles for the Niger Republic. There is nothing bad assisting sister countries in their time of need but this is wrongly conceived.

“Also, it is nearly impossible that those vehicles would cost that amount,that deserves to be investigated. The anti-corruption agencies should investigate this.”

Insecurity: Military To Implement New Security Strategies As Police Commence visibility policing

The Nigeria Police Force has directed its strategic officers across the country to commence intense visibility policing operation with a focus on crime mapping across the country.

The Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba gave this directive on Wednesday during a meeting with the Force’s Strategic Police Managers.

The managers including the Assistant Inspectors-General of Police, Commissioners of Police, and the Force Management Team met with the IGP in Abuja to deliberate on strategies to curb the growing incidences of insecurity.

The chief boss expressed concern over the proliferation of arms in sub-Saharan Africa which has consequently led to an increase in security threats within the nation, notably the attack on the Kuje Correctional Facility in Abuja.

“The IGP equally directed all strategic police managers to commence an immediate special visibility policing operation across all Commands taking into cognizance crime mapping, and massive deployment of operational and intelligence assets and manpower,” a statement by the Force said.

The statement signed by the Force Spokesperson, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi acknowledged the compliance level of strategic managers in identifying vulnerabilities at custodial facilities in their respective areas and complementing the Correctional Service in upscaling security in and around such facilities to forestall further security breaches.

Similarly, the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, on Wednesday said the Armed Forces was working round the clock to implement several new strategies to halt the various security challenges in Nigeria.

Irabor said this while delivering a lecture at the National Defence College on the topic “National Security and Development: Strategic Options for Nigeria’’ on Wednesday in Abuja.

He disclosed that the Armed Forces were working on upgrading the intelligence management procedures of the defence and security sector to strengthen the overall security architecture in the country.

In addition, Irabor urged the media not to become a tool of criminals by promoting terrorists’ agenda, but to uphold the interest of the public while carrying out its duties.

He said, “The media should report on such incidents in an independent and authentic way, but not allow itself to be made the tool of criminals

“The German Press Code for example says in reporting actual and threatened acts of violence, the press should carefully weigh the public interest in information against the interest of victims and other people involved.”

Wema Bank Press Release: Formal Statement on Purported Forgery of Cheque and Inappropriate Arrest warrant on Managing Director

Mr Ademola Adebise, Managing Director Wema Bank Plc

The attention of Management of WEMA BANK PLC has been drawn to the trending news in the media to the effect that a Magistrate’s Court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, had issued a warrant for the arrest of our Managing Director, MR. ADEMOLA ADEBISE, in connection with a Garnishee proceeding for the payment of a judgement-debt on behalf of the Bayelsa State Government.

WEMA BANK PLC would like to use this medium to refute the allegations and dismiss the gross representation of facts in regard to the material facts, and the apparent breach of the principles of fair hearing before such order of the court was entered against our Managing Director.

WEMA BANK PLC wishes to state that, contrary to the facts presented before Her Worship, Mrs. Elizabeth Jones, the said set of five cheques for the total sum of N50m issued in protest based on pending applications before an Abuja High Court then, were in favor of the Chief Registrar FCT High Court, not in favour Barrister. George Haliday who is now claiming the proceeds of the cheques. It is important to note that those cheques were not signed by MR. ADEMOLA ADEBISE and had not assumed the position of the Managing Director of the bank at the material time the cheques were issued in favour of the Chief Registrar.

Furthermore, we would like to state that the five cheques issued in protest by our Bank were not dud cheques as alleged by the complainant. The cheques have only not been cleared for payment because of the subsisting Appeal at the Court of Appeal Abuja on the Garnishee proceeding which has now been decided in favour of the bank. It was after Barrister George Haliday lost at the Appeal Court that he resorted to a Magistrate Court in Abuja to lodge a complaint about issuance of dud cheques. It is very worthy of note that the judgement debt against Bayelsa State Government, which Barrister George Haliday attempted to enforce by a garnishee proceeding, thereby leading to the issuance of the cheques in question had been settled by Bayelsa State Government via a Terms of Settlement between Barrister. George Haliday and the Bayelsa State Government at the Supreme Court.

WEMA BANK wishes to state that the warrant for the arrest of MR. ADEMOLA ADEBISE is in violation of his fundamental rights to fair hearing as he was never personally served with any process to appear before the Magistrate Court, neither was he represented in court. We are a law-abiding corporate citizen; if there was any court summon properly served on the Managing Director for his appearance in court, he would have done so without fail. But, in this case, there was no such service extended to him or any court processes personally served on him to appear in court until a warrant of arrest was issued in absentia. We view the arrest warrant as being an infringement on his fundamental rights.

We, therefore, refute and dismiss in their entirety the allegations of dud cheque and forgery levelled against our Bank and the Managing Director. We also dismiss the inappropriate issuance of bench warrant on our Managing Director. We are already engaging in legitimate actions to seek redress and bring all the perpetrators of these unprofessional conducts and heinous criminal act against our Managing Director and the bank to book.

IGP Meets With Police Commissioners amidst Terrorists Threat

The Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, on Wednesday morning met with all Commissioners of Police and other senior officers in the country.

It was gathered that the meeting, which was conveyed as a result of the rising insecurity in the country, would map out strategies to combat criminals.

Also, the documentation and streamlining of the operations of commercial motorcycle and tricycle riders across the country will be discussed.

More to come…

‘Aregbesola’s Supporters Massively Worked Against Oyetola’ – Osun APC Chairman

The crisis rocking the Osun State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken a new twist as the party Chairman in the state, Gboyega Famodun, has accused supporters of the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, of working against the incumbent governor, Gboyega Oyetola.

Aregbesola’s faction had planned to embark on a protest in Osun and Abuja over the alleged poor leadership of Oyetola.

Reacting, the State Chairman of APC, in a statement on Tuesday, condemned the protest against the state leadership of the party and the administration of Governor Oyetola.

Famodun said the protesters lack the moral right to effect any solution on the challenges within the party, stating that it is on record that they worked massively and collectively against Oyetola in the just concluded Osun State Governorship election.

According to him, the protesters should take their agitation for restructuring of APC to Adeleke’s house since they worked for him.

He said: “When I heard that the supporters of the immediate past governor of our state, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, were protesting, I thought my memory was playing me falsely as they cannot insulate themselves from whatever might be the current plight of the APC in Osun State.

“Assuming but not conceding that there are challenges within the party, protesters should be told that they lack moral right to either suggest or effect any likely solution as it is on record that they massively and collectively worked against Oyetola.

“If I may ask, at what point did it occur to you that the political party that you had abandoned for about three years which you have been working against needs restructuring.”

Soyinka Backs Lawmakers On Buhari’s Impeachment

Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, has backed the six weeks ultimatum given to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), by some federal lawmakers to find a solution to terrorism or be impeached.

Soyinka spoke on Tuesday in Abeokuta, Ogun State, during an interactive session organised to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Abeokuta Club.

The session, which had a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana; the Registrar of the Joint Administration and Matriculation Board, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede; a lawyer, Gbenga Adeoye; a businessman, Ogo-Oluwa Bankole; and the spokesman of the Electricity Distribution Companies, Sunday Oduntan, as panellists, had as its theme “Good governance or mis-governance: The contract called democracy.”

The PUNCH reports that senators and members of the House of Representatives elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party had last week handed down the ultimatum over lingering insecurity in the country.

Soyinka, who was the session’s moderator, noted that the President should be impeached because he had breached the contract of democracy.

He said, “Democracy indicates a contract, that is why the candidate puts on a manifesto. On the basis of that manifesto, the candidate is either accepted or rejected.

Soyinka Backs Lawmakers On Buhari‘s Impeachment

“Very often, the grounds for breach of contract, I think we all agree, is mis-governance and one of the ways of breaking this kind of contract we know even before the duration of a contract is known as impeachment.

“The reason we will go by some legislators to impeach the President who is the head of government. In fact, one cleric has gone even further. He believes that the impeachment should take place not in the legislative home but in the bush with the kidnappers and he appealed to the kidnappers to quicken the process by impeaching the President and take him away and some of his aides and one or two governors.”

Soyinka, however, threw the question to the gathering whether the President should be impeached or not and majority of the people who comprised members of the club and other dignitaries raised their hands that Buhari be impeached.

He also faulted a situation where Buhari, who he said had performed abysmally to the point that lawmakers are considering impeachment, will decide who succeeds him at the end of his tenure.

He added, “In any democracy, any president, prime minister or whatever is entitled to one vote. We are not saying we should disenfranchise somebody because they are on top of governance.

“They had their right to campaign for any candidate they like but there is nothing in any constitution that I know of, in any democratic constitution, which says that the head of government should appoint his or her successor.

“I am not aware of it and this is a head of governance who is generally agreed, I believe, as having failed, having misgoverned to the point that impeachment is being considered.

“I hear the governors go to this individual, go to this failure and say to him ‘please give us your successor.’

“Many of us in this country, including governors, including chairmen of local governments, what comprehension they have of this process called democracy because what these governors are telling us is that after a failure has occupied a seat of government for eight years, that failure should give us another failure for another eight years.”

Soyinka urged the governors to stop desecrating democracy by enthroning a dynasty of failure.

Falana, in his remarks, corroborated Soyinka’s submission on the need to stop the abuse of democratic process.

He decried the imposition of leaders on Nigerians.

Oloyede, in his submission, urged Nigerians not to focus on the faults of the Federal Government but concentrate on the state governments’ involvement in the failure.

WeForGood, IHS Nigeria Boost Youth Enterprises with $250,000 Grant

From left: Yejide Aina, CEO, The Illuminator Academy; Oluwatoyin Aralepo, Director, Corporate Excellence & Programme Mgt, IHS Nigeria Ltd; Cima Sholotan, Director, Sustainability and Corporate Communications, IHS Nigeria Ltd; Martin Abraham, Asst Director, Training & Development, IHS Nigeria Ltd; Temitayo Ade-Peters, CEO, WeForGood International; Ireayo Oladunjoye, Head Startups, LSETF and Sandra Iheanacho, Human Resources Consultant at the UN World Youth Skills Day Conference themed “Promoting Eco-Focused Solutions, Africa’s Pathway To Sustainable Growth” held in Lagos at the weekend

A Lagos based non-governmental organisation, WeForGood International, through the support of organisations such as IHS Nigeria, has disbursed N104 million to viable eco-friendly sustainable enterprises owned by young African entrepreneurs between 18 and 35 years.

This was disclosed last weekend in Lagos by the Chief Executive Officer of WeForGood, Ms. Temitayo Ade-Peters, during the 2022 Sustainable Solutions Africa Project Conference to mark the United Nations’ World Youth Skills Day with the theme “Promoting Eco-Focused Solutions Africa’s Pathway to Sustainable Growth.”

Ade-Peters said: “In the past three years, through our fellowship programme, we have directly supported close to 60 African startups with training and coaching and facilitated over $250,000 to promote sustainable solutions on the continent.

“We’ve reached about 1,400 youths and entrepreneurs exploring skills for impact to further scale their reach. The start-ups we support run for-profit and not-for-profit businesses addressing one or more areas of the SDGs.”

She said that the conference was focused on innovative solutions that addressed SDG-focused environmental challenges and to provide strategies that would help youths to harness and maximise their skills and talents in response to the increasing call for climate actions, adding that “every young person here will leave this conference well inspired to embrace and explore opportunities to build a sustainable Africa.”

She said that enterprises that qualified for funding from the organisation must be economically viable and have eco-solutions projects that would enhance environmental sustainability.

She also said that “through the support of IHS Nigeria, we have opportunity for young people to get up to N3 million to support their individual projects” that could be used to create sustainable solutions to solve Africa’s problems.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), HE, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, in her special remark during the conference said that the participation of youth in the advocacy for a real shift is essential in order to combat climate change.

Orelepe-Adefulire said: “Government, private sector and civil society must all look towards young people, as we aim to strengthen both formal and informal education on climate change and viable lifestyles. In addition, sustainable production and consumption patterns must be promoted and supported by the youth as environmental champions in their local communities.”

She added that “we are partnering with UNDP to launch six SDG Innovation Hubs across the country which will prioritise the engagement of young people as catalysts for innovative technical, technological and business solutions to help us accelerate the achievement of the SDGs.”

A panelist during the conference, who is also a Human Resources Consultant, Mrs. Sandra Iheanacho, said that education is very essential to produce young Nigerian entrepreneurs that would become job creators.

Iheanacho said: “To take care of tomorrow we have to prepare by taking care of the education of our youths that are capable to create jobs.”

The Chief Executive Officer of The Illuminator’s Academy, Ms. Yejide Aina, who was among the panelists during the conference, said that Nigerian youths need quality educational curriculum that would equip them with innovative and entrepreneurial capacity to create economic opportunities in the country’s economy.

Another panelist who is the Head, Startups, Lagos Innovates LSETF, Ms. Ireayo Oladunjoye, tasked young entrepreneurs to acquire skills that would imbue them with leadership skills to influence their environment.

The Director, Corporate Excellence and Programme Management at IHS Nigeria, Ms. Oluwatoyin Aralepo, advised the young entrepreneurs to base their entrepreneurial development on three leadership ladders of personal vision, higher standard and influence.

Aralepo said: “Leadership has to be strategic and patient to be able to carry all members of the team along to achieve the group’s objectives.”

Apart from the intellectual discussions that gave participants a rich time of learning and networking opportunities, the conference, anchored by the delectable Woli Arole, also featured other side attractions such as entertainment, quizzes and raffle draws with amazing gifts such as laptops, home gadgets among others won by attendees.

Interested participants can register to apply for the next cohort of the Sustainable Solutions Africa Fellowship Program for free by visiting this link https://bit.ly/SSAfricaFellowship2022 and more information is available on WeForGood’s website: www.weforgood.org.

LIRS Set To Launch Whistle-Blower Initiative August 5

The Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) is set to launch its Whistle-Blower initiative, a state-wide project, introduced to provide a platform for employees, stakeholders and the general public to report any observed violation, misconduct, or unethical behaviour across the state on Friday, August 5, 2022.

In a public notice signed by the LIRS Executive Chairman, Ayodele Subair, the Whistle-Blower initiative is a public policy of the State Government to encourage reporting of illegal actions or financial crimes, through the appropriate channel, with a view to correcting the violations or non-compliance.

According to the LIRS boss, “In line with the LIRS core values of integrity and accountability and our commitment to uphold the highest standards of openness, probity and accountability in our dealings with stakeholders, the platform is anonymous and confidential and it is independently managed by Deloitte, a globally accredited company.”

“The objective of the Whistle-Blower initiative is to guarantee transparency, accountability, and confidentiality to all taxpayers and stakeholders in general.

“The policy is designed to protect whistle-blowers from victimization and to encourage them to freely report without fear,” Subair submitted.

The launch of the Whistle-Blower initiative is scheduled to take place at the Protea Select Hotel, Assibifi Road, Alausa-Ikeja, Lagos.

Suspected Ritualists Kill 65-Year-Old Woman, Remove One Eye

Osun State Police Command on Tuesday said the corpse of a 65-year-old woman, declared missing in Ilesa, was found on her farm with one of her eyes plucked.

SP Yemisi Opalola, Osun Police Spokesperson in a statement, explained that the daughter of the deceased reported the discovery of her mother’s corpse to the police.

She said, “At about 1.00 p.m on Monday, One Dare Oluyemi of Odundun Area Ilesa reported that her mother, Oluyemi Tunmise, 65, who the family had been searching for since Saturday, had been found dead.

“She said her mother was found dead with one of her eyes removed by yet-to-be-identified assailants on her farm at Fadahunsi Area of Ilesa, at about 11.30 a.m on Monday.”

Opalola said the police had visited the scene of the crime and had taken photographs.

She said the complainant that reported the incident and the other children of the deceased, however, refused the police to take the body of their mother to the mortuary or carry out further investigation.

She said they threatened to unleash violence and that they wished to bury the corpse.

Biden Reacts As US Army Kills Osama Bin-Laden’s Deputy In Afghanistan

The United States army has successfully conducted a counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan leading to the killing of the emir of al-Qa’ida: Ayman al-Zawahiri.

The US President, Joe Biden, announced this in a national address.

Biden claimed that al-Zawahiri served as deputy and number 2 to Osama Bin Laden, the mastermind of the 9/11 attack on US soil that took the lives of over 2,000 people in one-day.

He said that US intelligence showed that the target planned the attack against US alongside Bin Laden.

Writing on his Facebook page on Tuesday morning, Biden vowed that no matter how long it takes, the US will continue to ensure that justice is served against all enemies of the state.

He wrote,” On Saturday, at my direction, the United States successfully conducted an airstrike in Kabul, Afghanistan that killed the emir of al-Qa’ida: Ayman al-Zawahiri.

“Justice has been delivered.

“The United States continues to demonstrate our resolve and our capacity to defend the American people against those who seek to do us harm.

“No matter how long it takes.
No matter where you try to hide.
We will find you.

“I made a promise to the American people that we’d continue to conduct effective counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan and beyond.

“We have done that.”