THE NATIONAL Universities Commission (NUC) has ordered the closure of universities across the country for three weeks to enable students exercise their franchise in the February 25 and March 11 elections.
According to a letter addressed to the vice-chancellors of all universities and directors of inter-university centres, the NUC stated that the directive was based on an order issued by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu.
“As Vice-Chancellors of all Universities and Director/Chief Executive of Inter-University Centres are quite aware the 2023 General Elections have been scheduled to hold on Saturday, February 25, 2023, for the Presidential and National Assembly, and Saturday, March 11, 2023, for Gubernatorial and State Assembly, respectively.
“In view of the foregoing and concerns expressed on the security of staff, students and properties of our respective institutions, the Honourable Minister of Education, Mal. Adama Adamu has following extensive consultations with the relevant security agencies, directed that all Universities and Inter-University Centres be shut down and academic activities be suspended between February 22 and March 14, 2023 for election,” the statement said.
The ICIR has earlier reported that there were concerns that many students will likely not vote in the election.
Some institutions, especially universities, normally give a few days break for elections.
But students who spoke to The ICIR noted the a few days break would not be enough to enable them participate in the elections.
According to them, a few days break would not be enough for journeys that may take a day or two to their destinations.
LILU Specialist Hospital, an illegal facility operated by a Korean, Jongsu Kim, in Abuja, has reacted to The ICIR’s findings about its activities.
In its reaction to the report, the hospital denied its name and gave itself another identity.
The reporter’s registration card at the hospital
Speaking through one Muhammad Mahmood, its media adviser, the facility also denied that it shut down, even though it had closed its doors since the ICIR published its first reporton January 31, 2023.
As of the time of filing this report at 2: p.m. on February 9, the hospital was not open to the public, though its workers were indoors.
The ICIR’s reports detailed how the hospital’s manager drives around Abuja in an SUV bearing a diplomatic number plate, enjoyed by only diplomats.
Presidency officials, a former Attorney General of the Federation, Michael Aondoakaa, and at least four senior advocates of Nigeria are among those that receive treatment at the facility.
The Private Health Establishments Registration and Monitoring Committee (PHERMC), a department under the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Health Secretariat, is the agency that registers and monitors private hospitals’ operations in Abuja.
PHERMC’s bus conveyed the Department’s officials to Lilu Specialist Hospital on Friday but the hospital was locked
The PHERMC confirmed to The ICIR that the hospital never applied for registration and is not registered to operate in the city.
The hospital does not have a signboard. It did not have a bank account when the larger part of this investigation was carried out between June and October 2022 and was not paying tax to the government as required by law.
For instance, the hospital was not paying the “Pay As You Earn” (PAYE) tax to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Internal Revenue Service (IRS), even though it has Tax Identification Number 20913237. PAYE is the tax companies deduct from their employees’ salaries and remit to the government.
The ICIR learnt that its reports on the hospital’s operations were causing some storms within the highest level of power in the country.
However, a source in the medical community, who pleaded anonymity, said prominent Nigerians and government officials aid foreign doctors coming to Nigeria because they want to cut the cost of travelling abroad for treatment.
The source said no matter what anyone does to stop the operations of hospitals where those sponsored doctors work, the people who bring them into the country would have their way.
Responding to the ICIR’s findings, the hospital said in its rebuttal, “The facility was not forced by any authorities to shut down its activities as claimed, but they are attending to some functions approved by the Korean Embassy since they are not operating a full-time organisation.”
The ICIR describes this statement as untrue. Lilu Specialist Hospital has operated fully since it moved to its Wuse Zone 2 centre in early 2022.
Similarly, Mahmood said in the statement that “reports online show that the expatriates were operating a hospital by the name of LILU. This is to inform the general public that the Korean has never operated under Lilu Hospital, it is just a mere speculation, but they only operate Acupuncture as an alternative therapy for body muscle straightening and a Spa”.
This is a deliberate falsehood. More than four documents The ICIR obtained when its reporter had an undercover test at the hospital bear “Lilu Specialist Hospital.”
Certificate of Incorporation bearing Lilu specialist hospital on the hospital’s wall
The ICIR reports that Lilu Specialist Hospital might be attempting to change its name because a businessman based in Awka, Bartholomew Chigozie Awugozi, one of its directors, claimed he owned the facility.
The ICIR contacted Awugozi, who expressed shock that the hospital he opened in Port-Harcourt some years ago and had shut down because it was not yielding returns was running in Abuja by people he claimed not to know.
When contacted, the hospital’s lawyer, Matthias Adeyemi, agreed that “some” of the ICIR findings were true.
The ICIR finds it curious that the hospital now parades a media adviser, except it has just hired him.
All through the period the investigations lasted, the hospital only referred the ICIR reporter to its lawyer. The lawyer never mentioned the facility had a media adviser.
A second report on February 3, 2023, revealed that the facility had shut down and health officials from PHERMC were on Kim’s trail and other workers at the hospital.
In its rebuttal, Lilu Specialist Hospital referred to itself as “Acupuncture Therapy and Spa,” a name it never bore before The ICIR’s findings.
Mahmood further exposed the hospital by claiming its manager is not Jongsu Kim but ‘Hak’.
Lilu Specialist Hospital’s flier
The hospital’s manager had told the ICIR reporter he was Jongsu Kim and had given his bank account to the reporter to pay for services the hospital rendered to him while investigating the facility.
As of September 2022, when The ICIR was investigating the facility, Kim received payment of bills by patients into his personal account rather than the hospital’s. The facility treated each patient for between N150,000 and N500,000 and attended to many patients.
During the investigation, The ICIR contacted several government agencies, including the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), FCT Internal Revenue Service (FCT IRS), Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), and the Chinese and Korean embassies.
The ICIR was also at the Lilu community in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, where the hospital was initially registered to operate. Lilu community bears the same name as the hospital.
A NON-governmental organisation Connected Development (CODE), which provides technological platforms to enhance effective democratic governance and accountability to close the feedback loop between citizens and the government, is collaborating with THE ICIR to observe the 2023 general elections.
The CEO of CODE, Hamza Lawal told The ICIR that the organisation has two different platforms (Uzabe Ushaidi and AI), which are used to get accurate data during the election observation before disseminating information to the general public.
Lawal said CODE has strengthened it’s capacity on election observations over the years and 20,000 observers have been trained to be on the field while focusing on using the AI platform.
He added that election observations begin before the elections.
“For us, observing elections is not on the day of election, we have pre-election observation, election observation and post-election observations. Most times violence erupts, it erupts when the results are being announced,” Lawal stated.
He added that 13,000 observers would stay in polling units within their vicinities to observe events while 7,000 would travel around their states to observe.
Lawal noted that every information given out would be on verified incidents, adding that there would also be monitoring and gathering of opinions from social media platforms to generate analytics for the general public.
NINE-YEAR-OLD David Balogun who made history as one of the youngest-ever high school graduates, has already finished a semester at Bucks County Community College, Pennsylvania, United States, The Guardian has reported.
David lives with his family in Pennsylvania, US.
The only person on that list younger than David is Michael Kearney, who still holds the Guinness world record for youngest high school graduate that he set when he was six in 1990, before obtaining master’s degrees at ages 14 and 18 years.
David’s science teacher, Cody Derr, remarked: “David was an inspirational kid, definitely one who changes the way you think about teaching.”
The young Balogun began high school just before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 at Reach Cyber Charter School and graduated with an over 4.0 GPA before the end of 2022.
His mother, Ronya Balogun, said he was tested for giftedness in Grade 1 and later skipped several grades in elementary school when it was discovered he had the brain capacity to understand and comprehend a lot of concepts beyond his years and sometimes beyond her understanding.
David, who is already a member of Mensa, the largest high-IQ society in the world, has a particular interest in science and computer programming and wants to be an astrophysicist who studies black holes and supernovas in the future. He also plays sports and the piano and is working on his martial arts black belt.
His parents who both have advanced degrees admitted that raising a young son with extraordinary intellectual gifts was challenging.
The NAMIP Sustainability Challenge seeks applications from media organisations that are building innovative news and information products that explore opportunities to reach and connect with broader audiences through digital platforms and technologies, or develop new revenue generation opportunities or sustainable business models.
Winners will receive grants and join NAMIP’s three-year innovation and capacity-building program.
The program is designed to increase capacity, generate sustainable and diverse revenue streams, and build audiences of independent media in Nigeria, particularly those reaching underserved communities.
Independent media outlets in Nigeria can compete for project grants up to US$50,000.
The deadline for submission of applications is February 28, 2023. Interested applicants can apply here.
Idris was subsequently arraigned alongside Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman, and a firm — Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited.
According to one of the charges, the EFCC alleged that Idris received gratification from one Olusegun Akindele, worth N15.1 billion, in exchange for “accelerating the payment of 13% derivation to the nine oil-producing states in the federation”.
Idris was released on administrative bail from the custody of the anti-graft agency in Abuja on June 1, 2022.
He was later arraigned alongside the other accused persons on July 22 before a vacation judge, Justice Adeyemi Ajayi, on 13 counts bordering on the misappropriation of N109.5 billion.
The case was then adjourned to July 27 for continuation of trial.
A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting at Maitama on July 28 granted bail to Idris and two others.
Justice Ajayi, in a ruling, adopted all the terms and conditions of the administrative bail the EFCC earlier gave the ex-AGF and his two co-defendants.
In November 2022, an EFCC witness told the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, that Idris voluntarily returned about $900,000 in cash.
In December, while appearing at the Ministerial Media Briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, EFCC chairman Abdulrasheed Bawa disclosed that the anti-graft agency recovered over N30 billion out of the N109 billion alleged to have been stolen by Idris.
Bawa spoke on December 15 while responding to a question on the independence of the Commission.
Also, on December 21, 2022, a Federal Capital Territory High Court ordered forfeiture of $900,000, and properties that were recovered from Idris by the EFCC.
The forfeited items are a sum of $899,900, N304.5 million and 15 choice properties in Kano and Abuja.
Nine properties linked to the second respondent, Mohammed Kudu Usman, located in Abuja, Niger and Nasarawa States, were also forfeited in the interim.
Kogi State governor Yahaya Bello’s nephew Ali Bello
The ICIRreported in December 2022that the EFCC arraigned Ali Bello, identified as a nephew of Yahaya Bello, governor of Kogi State, before a Federal High Court in Abuja in December 2022.
He was arraigned alongside one Dauda Suleiman on a 10-count charge of alleged misappropriation and money laundering before James Omotosho, a judge.
Ali Bello, Nephew to Kogi state governor Yahaya Bello,
The Commission stated that the pair, along with one Abdulsalami Hudu, a cashier at the Kogi State House of Assembly who is now at large, took N10.2 billion for personal use out of the state’s coffers.
However, the accused entered a “not guilty” plea to the accusations.
In its decision on the bail request, the court mandated that the defendants provide bail in the amount of N1 billion apiece, along with two sureties who must provide N2 billion bonds and landed property worth N500 million each.
The court also ordered that they be remanded in prison pending the fulfilment of their bail conditions.
The case was then adjourned till February 6, 2023.
Speaker of Ogun State House of Assembly
The ICIRreportedthat the EFCC arrested the Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly Olakunle Oluomo on September 1, 2022, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, and took him to its Lagos office, where he was detained until he was released on administrative bail.
Oluomo is accused of conspiring, forging documents, and stealing more than N2.5 billion.
Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Olakunle Oluomo,
The Speaker and two other people were brought before Justice Daniel Osiagor.
When the matter came up in November 2022, the Federal High Court in Abeokuta shifted the hearing to January 23 to enable the judge clear pre-election issues before the court.
On the adjourned date, the court could not hear the fraud case because the judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, was reportedly slightly ill.
Former General Manager NSITF Adebayo Adebowale Aderibigbe
The EFCC also arraigned a former General Manager (GM) of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Adebayo Adebowale Aderibigbe.
Aderibigbe was arraigned alongside Ogundele Mura Yisa-Yemi before Justice O. A Musa of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Jabi, Abuja.
former General Manager and Head of Legal Services of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Adebayo Adebowale Aderibigbe
They were arraigned on a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining the sum of N60.4 million by false pretence.
The judge granted the defendants bail in the sum of N50 million and one surety each in like sum.
The judge adjourned the matter till February 21 and 23 for trial.
Former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose
Another high profile case being handled by the EFCC is that of the former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose.
A Federal High Court in Ikoyi presided by Justice Chukujekwu Aneke, on February 1, adjourned the trial to March 20.
The former governor and his company, Spotless Investment Limited, are being tried over an alleged N6.9 billion fraud.
File Photo: Ayodele Fayose, former Ekiti State governor
The EFCC, on July 2, 2019, re-arraigned Fayose and one other person on an 11-count charge bordering on money laundering and stealing.
The case was adjourned to March 20 and 21 for a continuation of trial.
Ex-NIMASA DG Akpobolokemi
The case of alleged N754.8m fraud against Ex-NIMASA Director General Patrick Akpobolokemi is still pending in court.
Justice R.I.B Adebiyi of the State High Court, sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on January 30 adjourned the matter to March 6 for the adoption of final written addresses in no-case submission filed by Akpobolokemi.
Former DG, NIMASA Patrick Akpobolokemi
Akpobolokemi and one Agaba are alleged to have defrauded NIMASA of N754.8m.
Former Accountant General of the Federation, Jonah Oguniyi Otunla
In a judgment, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, on Monday, January 30 held that a former Accountant General of the Federation, Jonah Oguniyi Otunla failed to prove that there was actually a non-prosecution agreement between him and the EFCC.
The court upheld the arguments of EFCC’s lawyer, Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, and resolved the four issues identified for determination in favour of the Commission.
Otunla reportedly refunded N6.4 billion from the N24 billion he allegedly stole.
He was the Accountant-General of the Federation between June 2011 and June 2015.
THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has filed an appeal against the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal ruling that declared Gboyega Oyetola as the governor of Osun State.
The ICIR had reported that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Governor Ademola Adeleke, was sacked in a split judgment delivered by the tribunal in Osogbo, Osun State capital, on Friday, January 27.
The tribunal ordered INEC to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to Adeleke and issue the same to Oyetola.
The majority judgment read by the tribunal’s chairman, Justice Tertse Kume, said Oyetola scored the majority lawful votes of 314,931 against Adeleke’s 219,666.
But in a notice of appeal filed on Wednesday, February 8, INEC contended that the tribunal failed to consider its preliminary objection before proceeding with the petition.
The Commission also noted that there was no majority judgment as the second judge on the panel did not write her opinion as required by the Constitution.
INEC listed 44 grounds on which the tribunal’s judgment should be set aside.
It also asked the court to dismiss the petition for want of competence and jurisdiction.
The electoral commission is seeking an order to dismiss the petition filed by Oyetola and the APC as lacking in merit with substantial cost.
The Osun state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed support for INEC’s appeal.
The PDP caretaker chairperson, Akindele Adekunle, released a statement commending the Commission for taking action.
Adekunle stated that INEC has taken the right approach by appealing the judgment. He noted that the tribunal’s decision would result in candidates who lost elections manipulating server reports and presenting them to a judge to steal the election from the actual winner.
THE Senator representing Delta North in the National Assembly, Peter Nwaoboshi, has been sent to the Ikoyi Prison months after his conviction for money laundering by the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal.
This was disclosed in a statement released on Wednesday, January 8, by the spokesman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Wilson Uwujaren.
The EFCC said its operatives arrested Nwaoboshi at a Hospital in Lagos on Monday, February 6. He was finally sent to Ikoyi Custodial Centre to start a seven years prison sentence handed down to him after his conviction.
The ICIR reported that in July 2022, aLagos Division of the Court of Appeal sentenced Nwaoboshi, a serving Senator, to seven years in prison for money laundering.
The court also ordered that Nwaoboshi’s two companies, Golden Touch Construction Project Ltd and Suiming Electrical Ltd, be wound up in line with the provisions of Section 22 of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2021.
According to the EFCC, the lawmaker, who was not present in court at the time of the ruling, went underground and refused to present himself to the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).
Instead, he proceeded to the Supreme Court, praying the apex court to not only set aside the appellate court’s judgment but also grant him bail, pending the determination of his appeal.
However, on January 27, 2023, the Supreme Court dismissed his application in a unanimous decision.
In the lead judgment written by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the apex court questioned why Nwaoboshi, who refused to submit to the law, would also ask for the law’s tolerance.
On his part, Justice Tijani Abubakar, another member of the Supreme Court panel, criticised the Senator for filing the bail application while on the run.
Nwaoboshi was found guilty by the Court of Appeal after the EFCC appealed a ruling by Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court in Lagos, which released and exonerated the Delta lawmaker and his businesses on June 18, 2021.
According to the EFCC, Nwaoboshi and his companies illegally acquired Guinea House, Marine Road, in Apapa, Lagos, for N805 million.
The money was considered to be the proceeds of illegal activities.
“I am directed to inform you that Mr President Muhammadu Buhari, in the exercise of his powers under Section 8 of the NSITF Act, has required the removal from office of Dr Michael Akabogu as the Managing Director/CE of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) with effect from Friday, February 3 2023.
“Subsequently, the Executive Director Administration of the Fund – Barr. (Mrs.) Maureen Allagoa has been directed to take charge of the affairs of the Fund.
“Furthermore, this information should be communicated to the staff of your various Departments/Units, Regions and Branches,” the memo read.
The ICIR has learnt that Akabogu’s dismissal is connected to the alleged forgery of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) Discharge Certificate.
A whistleblower had, in 2022, petitioned the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), accusing the NSTIF boss of forging the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) Discharge Certificate, which is attached to his Curriculum Vitae.
Following the petition, the Police summoned Akabogu for questioning, but the then NSITF boss said he was mobilised for the compulsory one-year youth service.
He claimed he was deployed with the first batch, his service year spanning between October 4 1991, to October 3 1992. He gave his mobilisation number as OG/ FUTO/ 91/23402.
The NSTIF has a long history of financial mismanagement and corruption scandals.
It would be recalled that the NSITF was accused of illegal tax deductions from workers’ salaries in 2022.
An investigation by The ICIR revealed that taxes running into billions were deducted from the salaries of over 5,000 workers.
The agency made headlines in August 2022 after claiming termites had eaten up documents containing expenditures of its 2013 spending worth N17.1 billion, following a probe launched by the Senate.
In 2021, the NSTIF management was enmeshed in an N62 billion fraud scandal.
Similarly, in July 2020, top officials of the NSITF, including the managing director, Bayo Somefun, were suspended over allegations of corruption, including the squandering of N3.4 billion on non-existent staff training.
The NSITF was also probed for an alleged N2.3 billion fraud in 2019.
In 2018, the Federal Government said it uncovered N62.555 billion unaccounted funds in the NSITF.
In November 2017, EFCC arraigned an ex-NSITF boss, Umar Muni and four other officials for over an N18 billion fraud.
Also, in 2016, the management of the agency was accused of favouritism in promotions by a section of workers which reportedly generated enmity between the old and new staff.
THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has elected Joe Ajaero as its new National President.
Ajaero, who was previously the Deputy National President and General Secretary of the Nigerian Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), was elected unopposed at the 13th National Delegates’ Conference in Abuja on Wednesday, February 8.
He takes over from Ayuba Wabba, whose tenure as NLC President ended on Wednesday.
The conference, which began on Tuesday, February 7, is to produce new national officers who would lead the union in the next four years.
Born on December 17, 1964, in Emekuku Owerri-North, Imo State, Ajaero has a rich background in the media and has been a prominent figure in the NLC since 2011.
Ajaero marks a new chapter for the NLC and the country’s labour movement. The NLC will be looking to Ajaero to provide the leadership and guidance needed to tackle the challenges facing workers in Nigeria.
