AISHA Alkali Wakil, also known as Mama Boko Haram, was again, on Wednesday, December 21, convicted for fraud by Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court, sitting in Maiduguri.
She was convicted alongside Tahiru Saidu Daura and Prince Lawal Shoyade.
The accused persons were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for conspiracy, cheating and obtaining N120,500,000.00 by false pretence.
This was disclosed on Thursday, December 22, in a statement signed by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) spokesperson Wilson Uwujaren. The statement was made available to The ICIR.
This is the third time Mama Boko Haram will be sentenced in as many months.
The Maiduguri Zonal Command of the EFCC arraigned the defendants on December 8, 2021, on five counts of amended charges.
The defendants pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.
In the course of the trial, the prosecuting counsel, Mukhtar Ali Ahmed, called seven witnesses, including Shehu Usman, an investigator with the EFCC, who testified that “Complete and Aid Care Foundation (a Non-Governmental Organization) was run as a Ponzi scheme, by robbing Peter to Pay Paul”.
After the prosecution closed its case on March 16, 2020, the defendants chose to file a no-case submission, which the court dismissed on September 27, 2021.
Delivering judgment, Justice Kumaliya held that the prosecution proved its case against the defendants beyond a reasonable doubt.
“The court hereby finds you, Aisha Alkali Wakil, Tahiru Alhaji Saidu Daura, Prince Lawal Shoyade, guilty and convicted you as charged”, the judge ruled.
Justice Kumaliya sentenced them on the first count to seven years imprisonment and ten years on the second count.
On the third count, the judge sentenced the defendants to five years imprisonment. The sentences are to run concurrently.
The judge ordered the convicts to jointly restitute the sum of N66 million to the nominal complainant or serve an additional seven years of jail each.
In August 2022, the Maiduguri Zonal Command of EFCC secured the conviction and sentencing of Aisha Wakil, Tahiru Saidu Daura and Prince Lawal Shoyede on a three-count charge of conspiracy and stealing to the tune of N66 million.
Again, in October 2022, the court convicted Mama Boko Haram and the other defendants for N34 million fraud.
BANJI Akintoye, leader of the apex body of the Yoruba self-determination struggle, Ilana Omo Oodua Worldwide, also known as Yoruba Nation, has resigned from his position.
He cited old age and health concerns as reasons for the development.
Akintoye‘s resignation was first made known in a statement released by the group’s secretary, Tunde Amusat, in the early hours of Thursday, December 22.
He said that the group’s former leader handed in his resignation to his deputy, Wale Adeniran, at a worldwide congress of Ilana Omo Oodua held at an undisclosed location on December 17.
Amusat added that the group’s Constitution would be amended to affirm Adeniran as Akintoye’s successor at the next worldwide congress before the end of the year.
According to Amusat, Akintoye commended Adeniran for his consistent patience against all forms of blackmail, slanders and defamatory affirmations which had been unleashed against him in the past by those he (Akintoye) described as disgruntled elements.
Adeniran is a retired Assistant Professor of African Studies and the pioneer Commissioner for Education in Osun State. He hails from Ile-Ife.
Confirming his resignation, Akintoye, in a letter addressed to Adeniran, said the development was not a consequence of recent difficulties in the group.
Akintoye said he had been seeking to resign from the leadership of the group for the past year because combining the duties of Ilana with the duties of the greatly elevated demands of the self-determination struggle has been too heavy for his age.
“I am greatly honoured that you as the closest person to me in Ilana, most Ilana members, and all Ilana committees, have for months been urging me not to leave Ilana because, according to you all, Ilana is my special ‘baby’ in the whole self-determination struggle,” he said.
“But you would remember that in a special meeting of leaders of the self-determination struggle from all over the world about a month ago, you and all the other meeting participants agreed graciously that I should give up my duties in Ilana because of my heavy accumulation of duties to the higher levels of the whole struggle.
“Still, I must ask you to forgive me for leaving Ilana to you in its current condition. I had wanted to leave Ilana immediately after the special meeting of worldwide leaders about a month ago, but I decided to help you to iron out some of the ongoing difficulties before leaving.
“Unfortunately, things have not improved as quickly as I expected, and you now have to face a situation in which some of our extremists are still compounding the difficulties. However, I have much confidence in you – including confidence that you will find ways to steer our Ilana back to the path of compromise, unity and strength.”
While assuring that the group would prevail in its quest to “liberate” the Yoruba people from the Nigerian state, he promised to always make himself available for the service of the group each time he was called upon.
“Of course, you know that I shall always be available to you – to you personally as a friend and close associate in the higher levels of the delf-determination struggle and to Ilana as Patron and Mentor in the way that I am Patron and Mentor to other Self-determination Organizations.
“I thank God for His leadership qualities in you and thank you for giving yourself so unstintingly to our struggle for our nation. Accept my best wishes for you and your family.”
AT least six people have died following an auto crash at Dinki village, in Bogoro Local Government Area (LGA) of Bauchi State.
Confirming the incident on Wednesday, Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps in Bauchi Yusuf Abdullahi said two other passengers were injured in the accident which involved one commercial vehicle.
“Eight people were involved in the fatal road crash and six of them lost their lives on the spot while two others were seriously injured with bruises and fractures,” Abdullahi said.
The Sector Commander noted that the accident occurred due to loss of control, adding that the deceased and injured passengers had been taken to a General Hospital in Bogoro for examination.
However, Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Bogoro, Bauchi Yakubu, who also confirmed the incident to journalists, said the driver had been trying to navigate through the bad road before the accident occurred.
Abdullahi also urged motorists and road users to be adhere to traffic rules and regulations.
About two weeks ago, six people died and 25 others were injured in an auto crash along the Okene-Ogori road in Kogi State.
The number of fatalities from road accidents has remained on the rise, with 6,205 deaths recorded in 2021.
The award will be honoring the best in student journalism.
Entries will be first judged on the regional level. First-place regional winners will advance to the national competition and will be recognized at a regional SPJ conference in 2023. National winners will be showcased on SPJ’s site.
The categories include print/online, art/graphics/multimedia, audio and broadcast.
United States and international students can compete for this award.
The contest is open to anyone studying toward an academic degree enrolled in a US or international college or university in 2022. International SPJ student members may also enter.
The fee for SPJ members is US$25 per entry and for non-members, US$35 per entry.
The deadline for the submission of the application is January 23, 2023. Interested applicants can apply here.
This investigation exposed how healthcare is left in a deplorable state despite multi-million naira investments in the health facilities of Sokoto state. It also shows how the Public Procurement Act was repeatedly violated in one instance, awarding a N126 million worth of contract to a week-old company.
Part 1 – Kware General hospital, Kware LGA
Thirty-year-old Luba Saminu, a resident of Kwazari village of Kware local government area of Sokoto State, looked frustrated. She had recently given birth to a baby but was rushed to Kware General Hospital in the state after she started bleeding.
Sitting in the female hospital ward and frustrated by the extreme heat, Luba lamented the exorbitant charges, which she says is why her husband now ignores her calls; an attempt to evade parting with money.
On a September afternoon, during a visit to Kware General Hospital, some patients lay on the floor at the entrance of the hospital to escape the heat and stuffiness in the wards. Hand fans were waved by patients’ caregivers in the ward and outside to create airflow.
“The heat is causing us discomfort, I cannot sleep at night due to the heat and mosquito bites. We didn’t come with an insecticide-treated net because we didn’t expect to be admitted,” Luba Saminu bemoaned.
The caregivers of the patients in the Kware General Hospital, waving hand fans to escape heat
The discomfort faced by patients at the Kware General Hospital in Sokoto state is in spite of the disbursement of over N118 million (N118,128,155) by the Sokoto State Government in 2021 for the supply and installation of medical equipment and medical furniture to the hospital.
The caregivers and patients that left the ward due to extreme heat in September
On March 12, 2021, the state government awarded N41 million worth of contract to Lion Storms International Company Limited for the supply and installation of medical equipment for the theatre and medical laboratory of Kware General Hospital.
This project appeared in the 2021 Sokoto contract awarded project document after a competitive bidding process.
On the same day, the State government awarded N37,396,051.60 worth of contract to the same contractor for the supply and installation of medical furniture for the same general hospital, while another N39,792,103.40 was again awarded to the same company for the supply and installation of medical furniture to staff quarters and other units of the already completed hospital.
These three projects, with a cumulative sum of N118,128,155 are under the supervision of the Sokoto State Ministry of Health.
Investigations show that despite the release of the funds, the theatre and medical laboratory of Kware General Hospital lack medical equipment. During a visit, it was discovered that the hospital wards had ceiling fans, but none was working due to the dearth of electricity.
A check of Lion Storms International Company Limited on the CAC portal, NG-Check.com, and Nigeria24 in September did not provide any results. However, another search on the CAC website on November 2 showed the company had been registered on March 16, 2020, while the directors were registered almost two years after on May 19, 2022. The people behind the company are Rabi’u Ahmed Rabi’u, Ibrahim Abubakar Dalhatu, and Ahmad Huraira.
The staff quarters furniture worth N39 million supplied to Kware General Hospital
According to a staff of the hospital who pleaded anonymity due to fear of intimidation, health workers often use personal funds to buy medical instruments for the theatre and laboratory.
He said no multi-million-naira worth of medical equipment was supplied to the hospital and added that the contractor only supplied two beds and three pieces of furniture to each flat of the hospital staff quarters.
“The small generator we use was donated through the Drug Development Funds. I just bought bougies (surgical instruments) worth N56,000 on loan, which will be paid when I collect my salary. I also bought gas to be used during surgery in the hospital theatre. This hospital is not up to 50-bed capacity as claimed by the State government,” he explained.
The equipment worth 41 million supplied to theatre and laboratory in Kware General HospitalThe snapshots of the faces behind Lion Storms registered in 2020 and the directors registered on May 19, 2022
Despite being a general hospital that caters for at least three local government areas in Sokoto, the hospital is not connected to the power grid due to a lack of a transformer. Instead, they rely on small generators.
A staff in the hospital alleged that the Mikano generator in the hospital cannot be maintained because the state government used to make a monthly disbursement of N9,000 for diesel which he said can only last four hours, while N10,000 is paid for monthly maintenance. However, the staff said the cumulative amount of N19,000 for diesel and maintenance had been halted in the last five months as at November.
Earlier, when Lion Storms did not appear on the CAC portal, the state Commissioner of Health, Mohammed Ali Inname had said the ministry will verify from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) office and the state Ministry of Finance and revert. He, however, did not respond to subsequent calls and messages. For instance, the call in November was not answered or returned. WhatsApp on November 23 was viewed but not replied.
Contract is a gentleman’s agreement with governor – Lion Storms
Abdulkareem Sulaiman of Lion Storms International Limited confirmed that the full contract amount had been paid, and maintained all equipment has been supplied to the Kware General Hospital as of November 2021.
Suleiman, who said he had no knowledge of the year his company was established, explained that the multi-million naira contract awarded to him was based on a gentleman’s agreement with the Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal.
He alleged that he was being blackmailed by the Director of Planning at the state Ministry of Health, Abubakar Danmafara, who he insisted had indicated an interest in the contract.
The contractor accused Danmafara of making allegations against his company and boasted that he had a direct link with the governor, who instructed his company to ignore protocols and supply the equipment so he (Tambuwal) could commission the hospital.
He said even at that, the Director of Planning had failed to issue them a certificate of completion and had reported the matter to the governor.
He refused to respond to the question of why his company only appeared on the CAC portal in November but rather said the reporter should take him to court.
However, the Director of Planning at the state Ministry of Health, Danmafara, denied the allegations of Lion Storms International Limited but said the contractor was only trying to jump the procedure.
“Ordinarily, he needs clearance of due process, tender board, BPP, and that is why the certificate of completion hasn’t been issued to him,” he said.
Danmafara explained that politics sometimes interfere with such contracts with attempts by contractors to jump procedures. He said the ministry wrote a letter to BPP to verify the company before awarding the contract, adding that BPP had confirmed it with a certificate of no objection.
“When you try to contact them (contractor) to pay registration fees, they think they are going to pay me. It is a slap on our faces if the contractor fails to follow the right process,” he stated.
The Chief Press Secretary to the state governor, Muhammad Bello, said the governor is not aware of a gentleman’s agreement that asked the contractor to forgo due process.
Bello shared a screengrab of a conversation he said to be with the governor pertaining to the enquiry, “I am not aware of this, Hon SA”, the conversation read.
A response from Sokoto State Governor on the allegation against him
Meanwhile, The acting Director of BPP, a lawyer, Kabiru Haliru, said he will not speak on the Lion Storms registration status. He asked for a formal letter to that effect instead but he is yet to respond to it.
The Violation…
Aside the issue of whether the contract was completely executed or not, by awarding a contract to Lion Storms, the BPP and the Sokoto State Ministry of Health violated section (16) (6) of the Public Procurement Act 2007 by failing to follow the pre-requirement in the award of the contract.
The pre-requirement states that the bidding company must tender the clearance tax certificate for the last three years.
Lion Storms was established on March 16, 2020, and was awarded the contract on March 12, 2021, a year after its registration on CAC and even before the registration of its directors.
Section 58 of the PPA makes it an offence with offenders liable to five or 10 years imprisonment for awarding contracts without due process and in line with the law.
Part 2: General Hospital Salami, Gwadabawa LGA
Government awards N126 million contract to a week-old company
On June 8, 2021, the Sokoto State Government awarded over N126 million (N126,575,071.75) contract to Kakkahu General Services Co. Ltd for the completion of General Hospital Salami in Gwadabawa LGA.
Before then, a former Governor of Sokoto State, Aliyu Wamakko, had in 2013 commenced the construction of the hospital. The structure had been built, roofed and fenced.
Residents’ hope was raised again when the present Governor, Tambuwal, decided to complete the project in 2021. A dilapidated Primary Health Care (PHC) facility currently serve resident of Salami community and its environ.
However, a few months later, the project was abandoned.
The dilapidated state of Primary Health Care in Salami in Gwadabawa local government
The building has been overtaken by bushes and reptiles. The hospital compound has been overtaken by farmers while the wards have been turned into farm stores where crops are stored.
The community leader of Shiyyar Makera in Salami town, Muhammad Bello, expressed dismay over the abandoned general hospital, saying the community has lost residents due to the lack of a standard hospital.
The groundnut leaves stored by farmers inside the Salami General Hospital wardThe community leader of Salami in Gwadabawa local government area
A resident who pleaded anonymity for fear of intimidation said three contractors have worked on the project since it commenced during the second tenure of the former governor, Aliyu Wamakko. He said the first contractor came from Abuja, adding that the second contractor had fenced, fixed the roofing and plastered the building before he died.
The abandoned Salami General Hospital in Gwadabawa local government
He added that the present administration had then awarded the contract to Kakkahu General Service Co Ltd which only “put the iron on the fence, did generator house roofing, watchman’s room roofing as well as staff quarters roofing.”
Why we abandoned project – contractor
Kakkahu General Service Co Ltd was registered with CAC on May 31, 2021, and was awarded the contract on the June 8, 2021; a week after its registration, which is against the Public Procurement Act 2007.
Section 6(a-d) of the Act states that all bidders in addition to requirements contained in any solicitation documents shall: “have fulfilled all its obligations to pay taxes, pensions and social security contributions.”
According to the requirements contained in the solicitation of the Sokoto contract, the minimum qualification for the award of any contract is to have a Tax Clearance Certificate from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) for at least three years.
Sample of the pre-qualification requirements of the project executed by Sokoto Government
The directors of the company are Abdullahi Bello, with an address at No 4, Kofar Marke, Area, Sokoto State, and Bello Hassanu Bashari, with the same address. When The ICIR visited the address, the location was also the home address of the contractor.
While speaking with The ICIR, Abdullahi Bello, a director with Kakkahu confirmed that they abandoned the project because the state government released only 30 per cent of the N126,575,071.75 funds.
When asked why his company was awarded a multi-million naira contract a week after its registration, he said he could not answer the question but stressed that he has no relationship with the government or the state Ministry of Health.
How did a week-old company get a contract award?
The contractor gave out the contact of the Director of Dotline-Architect Consultancy Nigeria Limited, Kabir Yabo as his engineer. Kabir Yabo, however, said he is not an engineer with Kakkahu but a consultant employed by the state government to monitor and supervise the construction of the project.
On why a week-old company got awarded the contract, he said that will best be answered by the Ministry of Health while stating that his job description is to come up with a bill of quantity to complete the abandoned project, supervise and issue a certificate of completion to the contractors.
In an attempt to defend the state Ministry of Health, he said, “a company can be established today and start work today without the need to pay tax revenue to Inland service for three years.”
This is, however, against the pre-qualification requirements stated by the Sokoto State Government. Section 58(5-9) of the Public Procurement Act spells out penalties for the BPP or anyone who violates the Act to be liable to a term of imprisonment of not less than 5 years without the option of fine and summary dismissal from the government.
Section 58(7) states that any legal person shall be convicted pursuant to section 58 (4) of the PPA, every director of the company as listed on its records at the CAC shall be guilty of an offence and is liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment not less than 3 calendar years but not exceeding five calendar years without an option of fine.
When this reporter asked the Commissioner of Health about Kakkahu, he said the question should be directed to the BPP for their failure to screen contractors forwarded to the ministry to award contracts.
The acknowledgement FOI letter written to the BPP officeThe acknowledgement FOI letter written to the BPP office
On November 2, an FOI was sent to the BPP office. A week later, when the reporter went to get a response, the BPP acting Director General, Haliru, said the letter should have been addressed to the Director General, not Director, as erroneously written.
On November 10, another letter with a request for an interview was written to the Director General of BPP.
A week later, when the reporter visited the office, the acting DG of BPP said he will revert, which he is yet to do.
Part 3: Achida LGA
Abandoned healthcare facility left to waste in Achida
Residents of Achida LGA, have no choice but to travel to Sokoto Specialist Hospital or Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) for medical attention. This is about one hour and 30 minutes away. The community, however, has a primary health centre. Investigation shows that the ambulance was not working, which makes it difficult to transport emergency cases.
The abandoned General Hospital in Achida, Wurno local government
On August 24, 2021, the Sokoto State Government awarded a contract worth over N263 million (N263,445,220.60) to Amiz Construction Nig. Ltd for the upgrading of Primary Healthcare Achida to a General Hospital.
The investigation, however, showed that the project has been abandoned by the contractor for several months.
Amiz Construction Nig was not found at No 112 Ahmadu Bello Way, Sokoto, the address listed on CAC. Shop owners in the area said they were not aware of the company.
One of the company’s director, Usman Maigona, was called, but he threatened to report the reporter to the Department of State Service (DSS).
The district head of Achida, Umar Abubakar, said the contractor had notified him of the intention to upgrade the PHC in Achida to a General Hospital adding that land for the project has been provided.
He added that the project was, however, abandoned a few months after its commencement and noted that the contractor has not informed him of why the project was abandoned.
The state of Achida’s primary healthcare
Why we abandoned project – Amiz construction
Another Director of Amiz Construction, Aminu Maigona, said the project was abandoned because the state government failed to release additional funds apart from 30 per cent mobilisation fees.
He explained that he has written to the state Ministry of Health since January and that he was expecting funds from the ministry of finance to complete the project.
The first director reached Usman, when he eventually spoke, also stated that the contract was abandoned as they only received 30 per cent and the request for additional funds is yet to be granted.
When asked about the processes he went through to get the contract, he said the ministry called him and gave him a contract.
He, however, stated that his company had completed all necessary processes with the CAC and had the necessary tax clearance, stressing that anyone who was unsatisfied should report him to the DSS.
A check through the CAC portal shows that the company is not active and awarding a contract to this inactive company contravenes section 16 (8) (d) of the Public Procurement Act 2007.
The Act states that: “A bidder may have its bid or tender excluded if the bidder is in arrears regarding payment of due taxes, charges, pensions or social insurance contributions unless such bidders have obtained a lawful permit in respect to allowance, the difference of such outstanding payments or payment thereof in instalments.”
It could, however, not be ascertained if the inactive status of the company was a result of CAC not updating its portal.
PART 4 : Sokoto State Specialist Hospital
On September 9 2022, a social advocate in Sokoto state, Mansur Isah Buhari, posted on his Facebook page that all dialysis patients buy diesel worth N17,800 and narrated how a friend, related to the Sokoto State Governor died on their way to a private hospital after waiting for 10 hours for a generator repair.
He said this had happened a year ago but said the hospital had failed to fix it.
On March 23, 2021, the Sokoto State Government awarded a contract worth N43,754,872.00 to RoyalKim Nigeria Ltd, for the supply of medical equipment and furniture to Sokoto State Specialist Hospital.
A staff in the hospital disclosed that the theatre and medical laboratory have not been equipped with medical equipment.
Sokoto State Specialist Hospital Theatre
However, while speaking with The ICIR, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Sokoto State Specialist Hospital, Nuhu Maishanu, said two contractors have supplied the medical equipment and noted that the ministry supplied dialysis and a digital x-ray machine which he claimed cost N44 million.
The acknowledgement letter of an FOI written to the Sokoto State Specialist HospitalThe acknowledgement letter of an FOI written to the Sokoto State Specialist Hospital
He asked for an FOI to the hospital, but a week after the letter was submitted, it was not attended to because the CMD “was not on seat”.
Several messages and calls were sent to the CMD to remind him of the letter, but he is yet to revert.
The contact number for RoyalKim retrieved from the Open Contracting Data Standard for Sokoto State (OCDS) portal while responding to the allegation said the government cannot pay a contract without a certificate of completion from the board of survey.
When asked for further explanation on the supply of medical equipment to the Specialist Hospital, she rained curses on this reporter and dared him to publish anything he wanted.
However, when pressed further about whether she is Adesanya Kemisola, the Director of the RoyalKim company, she replied in the negative, saying Adesanya Kemisola was her boss even though a check through the trucaller app showed her number to be that of the director – Adesanya Kemisola.
An FOI acknowledgement letters written to the Sokoto State Ministry of Health
Earlier, the state’s Commissioner for Health had assured that he would direct the Director of Planning of the ministry to release the relevant documents requested by the reporters.
However, when contacted, the Director of Planning said he hasn’t received any directives from the commissioner.
A text message and WhatsApp message sent to the Commissioner for Health about the response of the Director of Planning were ignored.
This failure to provide information is contrary to the stand of the Sokoto State Government that anyone who wished to investigate the finances of the state was free to request the report of the Sokoto State Bureau of Public Procurement and Private Partnership on all public expenditures in the state.
CONTROVERSY has continued to trail the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, and some of his policies in recent times.
Emefiele, who has been CBN governor since June 2014, suddenly burst into unusual limelight early in 2022 when rumours emerged that he was nursing a presidential ambition on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Eventually, Emefiele announced his intention to contest the 2023 presidential election on the ticket of the APC after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House in Abuja.
Reports later emerged that Emefiele had picked the N100 million APC presidential election nomination forms.
CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele
The development came after weeks of speculations concerning the CBN governor’s presidential ambition.
Ondo State governor Rotimi Akeredolu was among the first prominent voices that criticised Emefiele’s decision. Akeredolu insisted that Emefiele should resign to pursue his presidential ambition.
Akeredolu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), asked Buhari to remove Emefiele from the position of CBN governor if he refused to resign.
Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu
Emefiele, in response to all the criticism that followed his presidential ambition, said he was yet to decide on the issue. He spoke about 24 hours after a group reportedly purchased the APC presidential forms for him.
He thanked those who raised money for the gesture but said he would buy the forms with his own money when he decides to contest.
In the same month, Emefiele reportedly went to court to seek constitutional clarification on whether he could remain in office while running for President.
Reports emerged that Emefiele’s lawyer Mike Ozekhome, SAN, filed a suit before an Abuja Federal High Court seeking interpretation of the Constitution and Public Service Rules on public servants seeking elective positions while in office.
It was reported that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was listed among the respondents in the suit numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/610/2022.
During the period, reports emerged that Emefiele has been sacked. However, the head of corporate communications at the CBN, Osita Nwanisobi, refuted the reports, which he described as mere rumour.
Nwanisobi confirmed to The ICIR that the alleged sack was not true.
Nationwide controversy also trailed Emefiele’s s announcement on October 26 that new naira notes would be introduced to replace the current N200, N500, and N1000 notes.
Many observers raised concerns at the timing of the naira redesign plan.
The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning Zainab Ahmed disclosed that the CBN governor did not inform her of the plan to redesign the naira.
The CBN said the new notes will be released for public use on December 15 and circulate alongside the old ones until January 31, 2023, when the old ones cease to be legal tender.
New Naira Notes
Reactions eventually followed the unveiling of the redesigned N200, N500 and N1000 notes by President Buhari in Abuja on November 23.
Most Nigerians, in their reaction, jokingly described the new Naira notes as “coloured” and “bleached”, with some tagging the project as a waste of scarce resources.
Public outrage trailed the cash withdrawal limit introduced by the CBN on December 7.
The policy limited cash withdrawals to N100,000 for individuals and N500,000 for organisations per week, from January 2023. The introduction of the withdrawal limit, which followed the launch of the redesigned naira notes on November 23, was in line with the cashless policy of the CBN.
However, the policy generated heated controversy and was met with criticism from several quarters.
One of the groups that criticised the policy is the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF).
The ACF warned that the cash withdrawal limit would lead to the collapse of the informal sector.
In a statement released by the Secretary-General, Murtala Aliyu, the ACF noted that the CBN might have had the best intentions while initiating the policy but failed to consider its extreme consequences on the informal sector.
A Civil Society Organisation (CSO), Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), also criticised the policy and demanded its reversal.
In a statement released by the Executive Director, Ibrahim Zikirullahi, on December 14, the group said the CBN took a hasty and ill-conceived decision that will impact negatively on the livelihood of Nigerians.
The Senate and the House of Representatives also demanded the reversal of the policy.
The Senate mandated its Committee on Banking and Finance to undertake aggressive oversight of the apex bank on its commitment to flexible adjustment of the withdrawal limit.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, while speaking in Abuja during the 2nd Distinguished Parliamentarians Lecture 2022 Series organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), faulted the CBN’s cash withdrawal policy for lack of thorough consultation.
The House of Representatives also summoned Emefiele to appear before the it to explain the rationale for the cash withdrawal limit policy.
The House, via a resolution passed after robust debate on a motion, mandated CBN to halt the implementation of the plan.
Emefiele failed to honour the lawmakers’ summons.
The CBN has, however, bowed to pressure by reviewing the cash withdrawal limits. On December 21, the apex bank increased the maximum weekly limit for cash withdrawals across all channels by individuals and corporate organisations to N500,000 and N5 million, respectively.
The decision was disclosed in a circular signed by the director of the banking supervision department, Haruna Mustafa.
In the circular, the apex bank said it did the upward review based on feedback received from stakeholders
In another development, last week, a Federal High Court in Abuja reportedly refused an application by the Department of State Services (DSS) to arrest and detain Emefiele.
It was gathered that the move to arrest and detain Emefiele followed unconfirmed claims that he was involved in terrorism financing and economic crimes.
On refusing the application to order Emefiele’s arrest and detention, the court presided by Justice T Tsoho said such an application should have been accompanied by presidential approval because of the grave implications for the Nigerian economy if the CBN governor is to be arrested and detained.
Following the development, on December 19, human rights lawyers and civil groups, including the Arewa Youth Consultative Movement, raised the alarm over an alleged plot by the DSS to frame Emefiele with terrorism charges.
Also, the Coalition of National Interest Defenders alleged that to get Emefiele arrested, the DSS had secretly instituted a court action against him at a Federal High Court in Abuja.
The coalition demanded the immediate sacking of the Director-General of the DSS over the development.
The convener of the coalition, Tochukwu Ohazuruike, said the DSS filed a motion in court, accusing the CBN governor of terrorism financing and other crimes it described as economic crimes of national security dimension.
Meanwhile, the DSS has warned Nigerians against being used to “undermine” its investigations.
In a statement issued on December 19, Peter Afunanya, DSS spokesperson, said the Service would not be distracted by those seeking to use “propaganda” to undermine its lawful investigations.
Afunanya said one of the DSS’s duties is to investigate matters of national security dimension. He urged Nigerians to avoid being used to undermine lawful investigations, warning that those who wish to act in the breach would be dealt with.
In yet another controversial development, on December 14, a House of Representatives member, Muhammed Kazaure, raised the alarm over Emefiele’s role in alleged missing N89 trillion stamp duty proceeds.
Kazaure, who said he is the secretary of a committee set up by Buhari for the reconciliation and recovery of all outstanding stamp duties, claimed that he has valid documents that prove the existence of such funds in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) custody.
He alleged that the apex bank had not remitted stamp duty revenue to government coffers as tax, insisting that the bank paid only 60 per cent to the government while 40 per cent went to private pockets.
According to Kazaure, the President is worried over the unremitted huge sums since he wants to liquidate the nation’s debts before leaving office. According to him, the money in question would have gone a long way in offsetting the debts.
The lawmaker further alleged that the CBN governor kept another $171 billion proceeds from stamp duty in the bank’s private investors account.
He called for Emefiele’s suspension to enable relevant authorities to investigate the matter.
However, the Speaker of House Gbajabiamila has distanced the National Assembly from the N89 trillion stamp duty controversy.
Femi Gbajabiamila, House Speaker
While speaking to journalists on December 20, after meeting with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Gbajabiamila said the stamp duty funds controversy had nothing to do with the National Assembly.
THENational Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has warned corps members against using social media for ethnic jingoism, rumour peddling and promotion of hatred in the country.
NYSC Acting Director-General, Christy Uba, gave the warning at the closing ceremony of batch ‘C’ Stream II Orientation Course at Macgregor College, Afikpo, Ebonyi State.
She charged the corp members to be good representatives of the NYSC as well as their families and institutions of graduation.
“I urge you to avoid using social media for ethnic jingoism, rumor peddling and the promotion of hatred. Instead your activities online should be targeted at self-improvement as well as the promotion of unity, peace and development of the country.
“Therefore, you must be wary of activities that can portray the scheme in a bad light, especially drug abuse and trafficking, cybercrime and Advance Fee-Fraud and spreading of fake news amongst others.
“Also remember that your membership of the Service Corps does not confer on you immunity from the legal consequences of any wrongdoing. You are therefore enjoined to be law abiding while also serving as role models to the younger ones.
“I urge you to sustain the spirit of patriotism, hard work and resilience which you imbibed during the orientation course. It is my ardent hope that you will strive to meet the expectations of Nigerians by contributing towards the progress and development of our dear country,” Una said.
Uba took over the leadership of the NYSC in acting capacity following the removal of Brigadier General Kaku Fadah as Director General by President Muhuammadu Buhari.
THE Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has demolished an Internally Displayed Persons (IDPs) camp in the Durumi area of Abuja.
The camp is reported to be an arena for criminal activities and made up of shanties the government explained were causing security challenges.
During the demolition on Wednesday, December 21, the Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Shehu Samad, revealed that the IDP camp is located on the site of a dual road carriage corridor with a rail modal.
He noted that some residents of the area are not genuine IDPs.
Samad said, “If most of them are not IDPs then this is a straight forward issue and definitely not allocated because these are slums we are talking about. Then where are they coming from, and how did they get this location?
“Beside, this is a planned road corridor and a transit way for inner southern transit way, that is suppose to convey dual transportation, dedicated bus line and rail median but these have been taken over by hoodlums and shanties. You can imagine the kind of criminalities going on here.
“From the outlook we have here, they are not into meaningful employment or serious activities. They constitute nuisance not only to the neighborhood but the entire city. We will continue to sustain this operation to rid the city of unruly behavior.”
He noted that those that were arrested with hard drugs and others dangerous items during the operation would be handed over to the Police for further investigation.
Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, Ikharo Attah, who led the team, lamented the extreme criminality perpetrated in the area.
He said, “This is an operation that has long been a discussion in the security committee meetings since March till today. The extreme criminality in areas like Garki, Durumi and Gudu were all traced to this area.
“Some dangerous criminals claim to be IDPs but they are not.
“It is really very disturbing that the area has so badly degenerated that the road corridors have been built upon. We saw tent before now we thought belong to IDPs later we saw more shanties then we saw block structures that they said they bought from squatters. Some people are even claiming to be Sarki of the area.
“It is really worrisome and the Minister have directed that this area must be cleared as soon as possible,” Attah said.
Durumi IDP camp was established in 2014, after attacks on villages in the North-East by insurgents.
THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has reviewed upward its cash withdrawal limit directive, 15 days after issuing the policy.
The apex bank had on December 6, 2022 issued a directive to commercial banks and financial institutions limiting daily automated teller machine (ATM) withdrawal to N20,000, while also limiting over-the-counter withdrawals for individuals and corporate organisations to N100,000 and N500,000 respectively.
However, in a circular it issued today, the CBN confirmed an upward review of its cash withdrawal limit, directing that individuals can now withdraw N500,000 cash weekly and up to N5 million for corporate entities from January 9, 2023.
The Director of Banking Supervision, Haruna B. Mustafa, who signed the circular, stated, “The maximum weekly limit for cash withdrawal across all channels by individuals and corporate organizations shall be N500,000 and N5,000,000 respectively.
“The above directive supersedes that of December 6, 2022 and takes effect nationwide from January 9, 2023.”
The notice was directed to all deposit money banks (DMBS) and other financial institutions payment service banks (PSB), primary mortgage banks (PMB), microfinance banks (MFBs), mobile money operators (MMOs) and agents.
The CBN said the review was based on the feedback it got from stakeholders after issuing the December 6 circular that limited cash withdrawal to N100,000 for individuals and N500,000 for companies.
The apex bank, however, retained the caveat for legitimate cash withdrawal above the limits as such requests shall be subject to a processing fee of 3 per cent and 5 per cent for individuals and corporate organizations respectively, but through a portal with the customer’s details, including valid ID card, tax ID and BVN.
Third party cheques above N100,000 shall not be eligible for payment over the counter, while the extant limit of N10 million on clearing cheques still subsists, it noted.
“The CBN recognizes the vital role that cash plays in supporting underserved and rural communities and will ensure an inclusive approach as it implements the transition to a more cashless society,” it added.
AHEAD of the 2023 general elections, an opinion poll commissioned by ANAP Foundation has again revealed that the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, is leading other candidates.
According to the poll, 23 per cent of the electorate are proposing to vote for Obi.
This is an increment from the 21 per cent that indicated readiness to vote for Obi in the September poll conducted by ANAP Foundation.
The result of the poll was revealed by ANAP Foundation President and founder, Atedo Peterside, on Channels TV Politics Today on Wednesday, December 21.
ANAP 2nd Presidential poll result
Peterside said mobile phones were used to conduct the poll because of increased GSM penetration in the country, adding that many people are undecided.
He noted that the interest level in the next general elections is driven by economic challenges plaguing the nation, including poverty, and insecurity, amongst others.
Peterside further disclosed that youths have a “high appetite” for the elections and carpeted candidates who have dodged presidential debates.
According to him, the result of the latest poll was polled from 1,000 respondents. He explained that after ANAP Foundation conducted similar polls with a 2,000 and 3,000 respondents sample size, the difference in the results was insignificant.
The poll revealed that 29 per cent are undecided on their preferred candidate, while 23 per cent have refused to disclose who they will vote for according to the survey.
The poll further indicated that 13 per cent of respondents are proposing to vote for the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, while 10 per cent are backing the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.
Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) was fourth, with two per cent of voters proposing to vote for him.
Peterside said the December 2022 poll waa inconclusive in terms of establishing a clear winner as the undecided voters, combined with the voters who refused to disclose their preferences, are enough to affect the tables.
However, the Foundation said it has concluded that the trends are clear enough to establish the front-runners, and subsequent polls will continue to concentrate on the four leading candidates only.
In the first ANAP poll conducted in September, Obi also came first with 21 per cent.
Peterside, however, said another poll would be conducted in January.
The presidential election will hold alongside the National Assembly election on February 25, 2023.
![[INVESTIGATION] Abandoned health projects litter Sokoto despite multi-million naira investment](https://www.icirnigeria.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/ththt-e1671702577269-768x386.jpg "[INVESTIGATION] Abandoned health projects litter Sokoto despite multi-million naira investment")
