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Category: Governance

  • Youths and Social Devpt Minister calls for Staff Welfare

    Youths and Social Devpt Minister calls for Staff Welfare

    Dr Jamila Bio-Ibrahim, Youth Development Minister has appealed to the Permanent Secretary and the top management of the ministry to prioritize the welfare of the staff, ensure that all allowances are paid on time and ensure that workers are enabled to work at optimal level.

    The minister made the call this Monday, Abuja, while conducting the ministry’s first top management monthly statutory meeting.

    She said the ministry is one family working together for a common goal, which is to ensure that the interest of the Nigerian Youths are protected and their needs provided.

    Speaking further, she said, “One philosopher said that if you want to go far, you go together, but if you want to go fast, then you go alone.

    “We understand the importance of teamwork, and we want to foster the spirit of it here in our ministry,” she admonished.

    Speaking further, she said, “We are expecting a periodic update from all the departments on progress of their activities, while at that we should always know that our day to day actions here will determine the fate and future of this country”.

    Earlier, the Minister of State for Youth Development, Mr Ayojide Olawale, expressed his appreciation to the staff for their co-oporation so far and prayed that their efforts shall be crowned with resounding success.

    He enjoined them to always try as much as possible and, to the best of their ability, do the right thing at the right time.

    Dr Dunoma Ahmed Umar, the Permanent Secretary at the ministry
    explained that the reason for the management monthly statutory meeting is to bring together the implementors of the ministry’s policies to synergize in ways to achieve success.

    He stated further that the purpose of the meeting is to review ministry’s activities, keep track of the programs that it is implementing, rate staff members’ performances and ensure that they undertake the programs of government, especially the inline with the government’s vision especially the renewed hope agenda.

    He said “we have competent and experienced staff who are always available to undertake and implement the programs of this administration and with the direction and support of our honourable minister and minister of state we are going to deliver.

    “We are going to ensure that we pursue our policies in line with the Federal Civil Service implementation plan 2025, focusing on its six pillars and synchronized them with the nation’s National Development plan.

    ” Among the the six pillars are capabilities building and talent management, we are going to train and retrain our staff to achieve high performance. We will also use performance management system to access our staff’s day to day activities to ensure quality performance. We will pursue paperless office as well as enhancing the welfare of our staff” he said.

  • Court orders Gov Fubara loyalists remain in prison custody

    Court orders Gov Fubara loyalists remain in prison custody

    Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon, had ordered that the five loyalists of Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State to remain in prison custody, as the court refused to grant them bail.

    The federal high court, Abuja, rejected and dismissed their application for bail for lacking in merit.

    They were charged with terrorism offences by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and argued by Lukman Fagbemi SAN.

    The five defendants charged with terrorism are Chime Eguma Ezebalike, Prince Lukman Oladele, Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, Osiga Donald and Ochueja Thankgod.

    Refusing the bail application,
    Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon held that they did not provide special circumstances to warrant their respective release from remand at the Kuje Prison in Abuja.

    The judge insisted that the defendants, especially Chime Eguma Ezebalike and Prince Lukman Oladele, failed to give cogent and verifiable evidence to back up their request for bail.

    Also, the Judge held that in their affidavits in support of request for bail deposed to by one Mariam Alawiye, an office assistant, she claimed to have obtained information and exhibits on the defendants from some persons but refused to share the identities of the persons with the court.

    Justice Olajuwon explained that an affidavit evidence must supply names of those who volunteered information about defendants in a criminal charge as stipulated by Section 115 of the Evidence Act.

    The Court held that rather than containing facts as required by law, the affidavit contained extraneous issues that are not relevant to persuade any court to grant bail.

    The Court disagreed with an assertions by the deponent that the defendants would not jump bail, commit any other offence or interfere with witness and investigation adding that claims were vague and hearsay because the deponent did not establish or produce any evidence.

    To compound the problem, the Judge said that the defendants are charged with terrorism offences which are not ordinarily bailable.

    In the application of Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, Justice Olajuwon said that the claim of his 10 years of chronic hypertension and high blood pressure was not supported with any medical documents.

    Besides, the Judge held that the counter claim by the IGP that the sickness can be managed by medical personnel of the prison was not disputed

    While dismissing the bail request, Justice Olajuwon ordered them to remain in Kuje Prison from where they would be coming for their trial.

    The Judge subsequently granted accelerated hearing and fixed February 8 for opening of trial by the Inspector General of Police IGP.

    The IGP had on January 25 slammed terrorism charges on the five Port Harcourt-based men who allegedly invaded, vandalized and burnt down Rivers State House of Assembly last year.

    They were alleged to have committed the alleged terrorism offences during the wake of political upheaval that rocked Port Harcourt in October last year.

    In the charges against them marked FHC/ABJ/CR/25/2024, police alleged that
    apart from burning down the State House of Assembly, some of them were said to have killed a Superintendent of Police, (SP) Bako Agbashim and five police informants at Ahoada community of the state.

    The police informants said to have been killed by the defendants are Charles Osu, Ogbonna Eja, Idaowuka Felix, Paul Victor Chibuogu and Saturday Edi.

    They were also accused of using various cult groups, namely- Supreme Viking Confraternity, Degbam, Iceland and Greenland to unleash mayhem on the people of the state and their commercial activities.

    Specifically, they are alleged to have on October 29, 2023 at Moscow Road in Port Harcourt conspired to commit acts of terrorism by wilful destruction of public properties by invading, attacking, destroying and burning of the Rivers State House of Assembly, an offence punishable under section 26 of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act 2022.

    Part of the charges read, “That you, Chime Eguma Ezebalike, 37 years, business man of Street 5, Radio Estate Ozuoba, Port Harcourt, Prince Lukman Oladele, 47 years of Okocha Street, Port Harcourt, Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, Hon Edison Ehie and others now at large on 29th of October 2023 at Moscow Road in Port Harcourt, while acting in concert conspired together to commit felony to wit: acts of terrorism by wilful destruction of public properties by invading, attacking, destroying and burning of the Rivers State House of Assembly and you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 26 (1) of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act 2022.

    “That you Chime Eguma Ezebalike, 37 years, business man of Street 5, Radio Estate Ozuoba, Port Harcourt, Prince Lukman Oladele, 47 years of Okocha Street, Port Harcourt, Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, Hon Edison Ehie and others now at large on 29th of October 2023 at Moscow Road in Port Harcourt, while acting in concert and armed with dynamite, iron rods, lighters and other offensive weapons willfully and maliciously invaded, attacked and set fire on the Rivers State House of Assembly Complex and you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 1 of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

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  • No plan to increase NYSC’ Allowance-FG

    No plan to increase NYSC’ Allowance-FG

    The Federal Government has said it is not certain there will be an increase in the monthly allowance of serving members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

    The Minister of Youth Development, Jamila Bio-Ibrahim, made this known on Sunday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.

    Bio-Ibrahim said there are no immediate plans to increase the monthly allowance of corps members following the food inflation and increasing cost of living in the nation.

    The minister stated that the government would find innovative ways of ensuring that corps members’ welfare is well taken of.

    She said, “We can’t say for sure, we all understand that resources are dwindling, even oil revenues are not as they used to be but we will find innovative ways of ensuring that corps members’ welfare is taken of. ”

    Recall that former President Muhammadu Buhari, in January 2020, raised allowance for corps members from N19,000 to N33,000, about a year after he signed the new minimum wage bill into law in April 2019.

    Speaking further, the minister said the government has announced a reform of the NYSC scheme and is planning to make it a revenue-generating scheme and agency.

    She said, “When it comes to remuneration and looking totally at the holistic funding of the NYSC, we have announced a reform of the NYSC scheme itself. So, we want the scheme to go beyond that social programme of government to be that revenue-generating scheme and agency.

    “The reforms which transform the NYSC into a revenue-generating agency and prepare the corps members for the job market and to be decently and gainfully employed or to be employers of labour through entrepreneurship and of course, perfect matching into primary assignment and all the support they need in that career path.”

  • FG Says NYSC Will Soon Be Revenue Generating Agency

    FG Says NYSC Will Soon Be Revenue Generating Agency

    The Bola Tinubu-led federal government has unveiled a fresh plan to transform the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) into a revenue-generating agency.

    The Minister of Youth Development, Jamila Bio-Ibrahim, disclosed this during an interview with ChannelsTV on Sunday night.

    Asked if there were immediate plans to increase the monthly allowance of corps members, the minister said the government was working on reforming the NYSC scheme to reflect the present realities of the nation.

    “We all understand that resources are dwindling, even oil revenues are not as they used to be but we will find innovative ways of ensuring that corps members’ welfare is well-taken care of,” she said.

    “When it comes to remuneration and looking totally at the holistic funding of the NYSC, we have announced a reform of the NYSC scheme itself. So, we want the scheme to go beyond that social programme of government to be that revenue-generating scheme and agency.

    “The reforms which transform the NYSC into a revenue-generating agency and prepare the corps members for the job market and to be decently and gainfully employed or to be employers of labour through entrepreneurship and of course, perfect matching into primary assignment and all the support they need in that career path.”

    She noted that corps members were no longer posted to states deemed unsafe in the wake of worsening security conditions in the country.

    “As an immediate intervention of the government and the NYSC as an agency, we have actually stopped posting corps members to the very unsafe states.

    “We have been doing it. We have been doing it in the past. There are states we have not been posting corps members to to ensure their safety,” she added.

    According to her, the security of corps members requires collaboration with other agencies of government.

    “When it comes to security matters, it is a multi-sectoral approach. So, it is not the NYSC alone and the ministry that is involved. We are working with security outlets to ensure corps members are safe,” the minister said.

  • ISWAP Attack Police Headquarters In Borno

    ISWAP Attack Police Headquarters In Borno

    The Borno State Police Command has confirmed the killing of four policemen by Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists on Friday in Gajiram, headquarters of Nganzai local government area of Borno State.

    Confirming the incident to our journalists on Saturday in Maiduguri, the state’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Nahun Daso, said the bodies of the slain police officers have been recovered.

    Similarly, sources, according to Zagazola Makama, a Counter-Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad region, revealed that the terrorists disguised themselves and sneaked into the town at about 11 am on Friday and went straight to the police quarters in Gajiram town and opened fire, killing the four policemen.

    Makama added, “Sources said mobile policemen at the police quarters engaged the terrorists in a heavy gun battle, which prevented them from burning down the quarters.

    “It was learnt that when the troops of ‘Operation Hadin Kai’ Joint Taskforce stormed the scene, the terrorists had fled.”

    Gajiram is located about 73 kilometers from Maiduguri, the restive capital of Borno State.

  • Kwara Governor Vows To Get Justice For Slain Monarch

    Kwara Governor Vows To Get Justice For Slain Monarch

    Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, has expressed deep sorrow over the tragic death of Peter Aremu, the Onikoro of Koro-Ekiti in Ekiti LGA of Kwara state. 

    The traditional ruler was brutally killed during a home invasion by gunmen on Thursday, who also abducted his wife and two others.

    In a statement issued by Rafiu Ajakaye, the chief press secretary to the governor, Abdulrazaq denounced the incident as “reckless, shocking, and abominable.”

    The governor has urged security operatives to swiftly track down the perpetrators, rescue the abducted individuals, and ensure justice is served.

    “We will certainly get the perpetrators and ensure that this is their last crime against humanity,” Governor Abdulrazaq vowed. 

    “My profound condolences go to the people of Koro. Our hearts are broken, and we stand by them at this time and always.”

    This tragic event further compounds the unsettling pattern of attacks on traditional rulers, echoing the broader security challenges facing the nation.

    Just days ago, on January 29, two traditional rulers fell victim to suspected kidnappers in Ekiti state, heightening concerns about the safety of community leaders.

  • Court refuses to stop terrorism charges against Fubara’s 5 loyalists

    Court refuses to stop terrorism charges against Fubara’s 5 loyalists

    The Federal High Court Abuja Friday, refused to grant the request of the five loyalists of Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State to stop the Inspector General of Police IGP from proceeding with their prosecution on terrorism offences.

    They are before the court seeking to stop the IGP on the ground that they can only be put on trial on terrorism charges by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice.

    Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon in a ruling on their preliminary objections raised against the IGP held that the defendants were wrong in their claims that only the AGF can put them on trial.

    Justice Olajuwon said that the law especially sections 3, 63 and 74 of Terrorism Prevention Act were clear to the effect that while the AGF has Constitutional.power to strengthen the terrorism prevention law, the same sections did not confer the exclusive rights to prosecute on the AGF.

    The Judge said that while section 5 of the Terrorism Prevention Act confers responsibility of gathering intelligence and investigation on police, the same section donated rights to Police to initiate criminal charges in a competent court of jurisdiction.

    Specifically, Justice Olajuwon held that while the AGF under section 174 of the 1999 Constitution can lawfully take over, continue or terminate any initiated criminal charges, such right did not make trial an exclusive rights of the AGF.

    “From the cursory look at all the authorities cited by lawyers for and against the IGP rights to initiate the instant criminal proceedings, one thing is clear and clearly too, that police can rightly initiate criminal charges including terrorism charges”.

    The Judge said that the preliminary objections to the trial by the defendants was incompetent, lacking in merit and subsequently dismissed them.

    The five defendants charged with terrorism offences are Chime Eguma Ezebalike, Prince Lukman Oladele, Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, Osiga Donald and Ochueja Thankgod.

    Meanwhile, Justice Olajuwon has fixed Monday, February 5 for ruling in their respective bail applications.

    The Judge fixed the date after taking arguments from lawyers from police led by Simon Lough, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Lukman Fagbemi SAN who stood for the 1st and 2nd defendants in the matter among others.

    Justice Olajuwon ordered that the five defendants be returned to Kuje Prison in Abuja pending the decision of the Court to allow them on bail or not.

    The five defendants are accused of committing the alleged terrorism offences during the wake of political upheaval that rocked Port Harcourt in October last year.

    In the charges against them marked FHC/ABJ/CR/25/2024, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun is named as the complainant.

    Apart from allegedly burning down the State House of Assembly, some of them were said to have killed a Superintendent of Police, (SP) Bako Agbashim and five police informants at Ahoada community of the state.

    The police informants said to have been killed are Charles Osu, Ogbonna Eja, Idaowuka Felix, Paul Victor Chibuogu and Saturday Edi.

    They were also accused of using various cult groups, namely- Supreme Viking Confraternity, Degbam, Iceland and Greenland to unleash mayhem on the people of the state and their commercial activities.

    Specifically, they are alleged to have on October 29, 2023 at Moscow Road in Port Harcourt conspired to commit acts of terrorism by wilful destruction of public properties by invading, attacking, destroying and burning of the Rivers State House of Assembly, an offence punishable under section 26 of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act 2022.

    Part of the charges read, “That you, Chime Eguma Ezebalike, 37 years, business man of Street 5, Radio Estate Ozuoba, Port Harcourt, Prince Lukman Oladele, 47 years of Okocha Street, Port Harcourt, Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, Hon Edison Ehie and others now at large on 29th of October 2023 at Moscow Road in Port Harcourt, while acting in concert conspired together to commit felony to wit: acts of terrorism by wilful destruction of public properties by invading, attacking, destroying and burning of the Rivers State House of Assembly and you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 26 (1) of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act 2022.

    “That you Chime Eguma Ezebalike, 37 years, business man of Street 5, Radio Estate Ozuoba, Port Harcourt, Prince Lukman Oladele, 47 years of Okocha Street, Port Harcourt, Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, Hon Edison Ehie and others now at large on 29th of October 2023 at Moscow Road in Port Harcourt, while acting in concert and armed with dynamite, iron rods, lighters and other offensive weapons willfully and maliciously invaded, attacked and set fire on the Rivers State House of Assembly Complex and you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 1 of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

  • CBN Implements Stricter Measures to Curb Forex Speculation

    CBN Implements Stricter Measures to Curb Forex Speculation

    In a bid to address concerns over rising foreign currency exposures among banks, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has issued a new circular outlining prudential requirements. 

    The directive aims to mitigate risks associated with excessive foreign currency speculation.

    The circular, titled “Harmonisation of Reporting Requirements on Foreign Currency Exposures of Banks,” stipulates that the Net Open Position (NOP) limit for overall foreign currency assets and liabilities should not exceed 20 percent short or 0 percent long of shareholders’ funds unimpaired by losses. 

    Banks with current NOP exceeding these limits must adjust to the prudential limit by February 1, 2024.

    Banks are now mandated to calculate their daily and monthly NOP and Foreign currency trading position using provided templates. 

    Non-compliance with the NOP limit may result in immediate sanctions and/or suspension from the foreign exchange market, warns the apex bank.

    Additionally, the CBN requires banks to maintain a sufficient stock of high-quality liquid foreign assets to cover maturing foreign currency obligations.
     
    Foreign exchange contingency funding arrangements with other financial institutions are also mandatory.

    To mitigate currency risks, banks are urged to borrow and lend in the same currency, adopt natural hedging, and align interest rates for borrowing and lending. 

    The circular also emphasized the need for approval from the CBN for any early redemption clause in eurobonds.

  • Court Orders Arrest of Fubara’s Chief of Staff, 5 others over alleged terrorism, killing of DPO

    Court Orders Arrest of Fubara’s Chief of Staff, 5 others over alleged terrorism, killing of DPO

    A Federal High Court Abuja, Wednesday, issued a warrant for the arrest of the Chief of Staff (CoS) to the Rivers State Governor, Hon Edison Ehie, over his alleged involvement in the burning of the State House of Assembly.

    Ehie who is the immediate past factional Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, was ordered to be arrested along with five other persons based in Port Harcourt for allegedly participating in some criminal activities.

    Those ordered to be arrested alongside the former factional Speaker are Jinjiri Bala, Happy Benedict, Progress Joseph, Adokiye Oyagiri and Chibuike Peter also known as Rambo.

    Justice Emeka Nwite granted order on Wednesday for their arrest while delivering ruling in an ex-parte application brought before him by the Inspector General of Police IGP.

    The ex-parte application was predicated on sections 37, 113, 114, 84 and 184 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 and section 35 of the 1999 Constitution as well as 32 of the Police Act 2020.

    In the ex-parte application argued by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN and Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Simon Lough, the six defendants were said to be at large.

    The senior lawyer submitted that the defendants are involved in conspiracy, arson, terrorism, attempted murder and murder of a Superintendent of Police SP Bako Agbashim and five other police informants.

    The five police informants they are alleged to have killed are Charles Osu, Ogbonna Eja, Idaowuka Felix, Paul Victor Chibuogu and Saturday Edi.

    Justice Nwite granted the request of the IGP to declare the defendants wanted and upon their arrest and investigation, bring them before the court for trial.

    The ex-parte application is marked FHC/ABJ/ CS/12/2024

    It will be recalled that the IGP had two weeks ago put five Port Harcourt-based person’s on trial on terrorism charges and were
    remanded at Kuje Prison upon their arraignment.

    They were ordered to remain in prison custody till February 2 when their respective bail applications would be determined by the Judge.

    The five defendants are Chime Eguma Ezebalike, Prince Lukman Oladele, Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, Osiga Donald and Ochueja Thankgod.

    In the 7-count charges, the defendants were accused of committing alleged terrorism offences by invading, vandalizing and burning down Rivers State House of Assembly during the wake of political crisis that rocked Port Harcourt in October last year.

    Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon ordered their remand at the Kuje Prison.

  • EFCC uncovers religious sect laundering money for terrorists

    EFCC uncovers religious sect laundering money for terrorists

    The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, has revealed that the anti-graft agency uncovered how a religious sect in Nigeria is laundering money for terrorists.

    He stated this during a public engagement on youth, religion, and the fight against corruption.

    This was as he also revealed that another religious body was found to be protecting a money launderer after some money suspected to have been laundered was traced to the organisation’s bank account.

    Speaking during a public engagement on youth, religion, and the fight against corruption, as well as the launch of the fraud risk assessment project for ministries, departments, and agencies, Olukoyede stated that the EFCC was investigating a N13bn fraud case when it discovered that N7bn of the N13bn was linked to a religious body’s bank account.

    He noted that religious organisations, institutions, sects, and bodies have been found culpable of money laundering.

    Olukoyede said, “A religious sect in this country had been found to be laundering money for terrorists.”

    He, however, noted that the religious organisation quickly obtained a restraining order to prevent the EFCC from probing its leaders.

    “We were able to trace some laundered money to a religious organisation, and when we approached the religious organisation about it and we were carrying out our investigation, we got a restraining order stopping us from carrying out our investigation,” he said.

    Olukoyede further said the commission will not give up on the investigation as it is appealing the restraining order to recover the stolen funds.

    The one-day event is aimed at addressing the challenges of youth involvement in cybercrimes and how religion could be used as a weapon for their reorientation.

    The event, themed “Youth, Religion and the Fight Against Corruption,” featured the launch of the Interfaith Preaching and Teaching Manual developed by the Interfaith Anti-Corruption Advisory Committee of the Commission as a resource to promote abhorrence for corruption among adherents of Islam and Christianity.

    The EFCC’s Fraud Risk Assessment Prevention and Control Project for Ministries, Departments and Agencies was also launched at the event.