THE Rivers state Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has presented the 2024 budget to only five members of the state House of Assembly.
He reportedly presented the budget at the state’s Government House.
The presentation took place hours after his government demolished the state House of Assembly building on Wednesday, December 13, amid the ongoing political crisis in the state.
The development came two days after 27 out of the 32 state House of Assembly members defectedfrom the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
It is also coming a few weeks after unknown persons burnt the Assembly Complex.
Accompanied by the secretary to the state government, Tammy Danagogo, and other members of his cabinet, Fubara presented a N800 billion appropriation bill for the 2024 fiscal year to the five-member Assembly.
At its fifth meeting on Monday, the state executive council adopted the projected 2024 fiscal year budget worth over N800 billion, dubbed the budget of renewed hope, consolidation, and continuity.
During the Wednesday sitting, Edison Ehie, the Assembly speaker, declared vacant the seats of 27 legislators who defected to the APC during the sessions on Wednesday.
The ICIR reports that fire engulfed the complex on Sunday, October 29, around 10 p.m. and was quenched by the Fire Service and security agents, who prevented it from consuming the entire complex.
Some members of the Assembly believed to be loyal to the state’s immediate past governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) initiated impeachment against the governor a day after the inferno.
The then majority leader Edison, known to be the Fubara’s ally, was removed in the botched attempt to impeach the governor, while Fubara was also accused of masterminding the inferno as part of efforts to frustrate his impeachment.
Ehie was elected speaker in October by a faction of the House after the attempt to impeach Fubara failed.
On Tuesday, December 12, the state high Court in Port Harcourt confirmed Ehie as the authentic speaker of the state’s House of Assembly.
The presiding judge, M.W Danagogo, ordered Martin Amaewhule and Dumle Maol, who claim to be the House leaders, to refrain from parading themselves or meddling with Ehie’s duties as speaker of the state House of Assembly.
The court also warned against forceful entry into the Assembly Complex using thugs or Police.
BANDITS suspected to be loyalists of a notorious kingpin Gwaska Dankeremi have attacked the Military base in Zurmi community, in Zormi local government area of Zamfara state, killing three soldiers.
The ICIR gathered that the resurgence of the banditry attacks in the area could be linked with the recent military operations that led to the recovery of many cattle from the dreaded bandits in a nearby forest.
Consequently, the bandits launched a series of attacks on the Zormi community for five consecutive times, leaving four civilians dead and injuring others.
The ICIR gathered that the worst of the attacks occurred in the afternoon of Tuesday, December 12.
The attack lasted from 4pm to 6:30pm during which four patrol vehicles of security operatives, including a military armoured personnel carrier (APC), were destroyed.
A government official who pleaded anonymity said three soldiers were killed during the encounter.
One of the military vehicles attacked by bandits in Zurlum
“We appreciate the bravery and agility of the gallant soldiers who faced the terrorists with AK47s while they (bandits) were shooting them with rockets.
“It was a terrible experience indeed; we were thrown into confusion and frightened due to the heavy sounds of guns both from the bandits and security operatives, as nobody could even dare go out to pray”, the official lamented.
A military APC attacked in Zurmi by bandits
According to the official, a military aircraft was seen hovering in the air, giving soldiers cover. After a while, it disappeared.
The source suggested that more modern weapons be provided for the Army to enable its officers to conduct their operations effectively.
“Most of them don’t even have bulletproof vests or helmets for their safety. They are giving their lives for us, so there is a need to provide them with the need to do their job if at all this country is serious,” added the source.
Side view of a military APC attacked in Zurmi by bandits
Zayyanu Na-Rabe, a resident of Zurmi town who escaped a bullet on Monday, said most of the outskirts area of the town were deserted in addition to over 40 nearby villages, including Kadamutsa, Gidan Shaho, Sangamawa, and Dada, where residents had fled and were taking refuge in Zurmi town before the renewed attacks.
Narrating his ordeal, Mallam Abubakar, a classroom teacher, said the bandits arrived in large numbers brandishing sophisticated weapons. They entered through the Gada Biyu area, Bakin Gidan Zaki and Gangaren Korama, leading to the General Hospital Zurmi, as they shot sporadically.
He added that during the earlier attack on Saturday, the bandits arrived at Nasarawar Zurmi area through Gidan Shaho village and killed two aged men, while two others were killed during the Monday and Tuesday attacks, respectively.
The ICIR reports that Zamfara is one of the North-West states facing protracted insecurity.
The state’s immediate past governor, Bello Matalle, lost re-election in March after battling unsuccessfully throughout his four years in office to secure his state.
In August, The ICIRreported how President Tinubu appointed him a Minister of State for Defence despite failure to protect his people.
Zamfara has faced attacks from terrorists, lost hundreds of residents to insecurity, and had thousands of others displaced.
In October 2022, this organisation reported how 30 schools remained shut after one year because of insecurity.
THE Rivers state government has begun the demolition of the State House of Assembly building on Moscow Road, Port Harcourt City local government area, amid the ongoing political turmoil in the state.
According to reports, the demolition, which is still ongoing, commenced at about 7:30 a.m., with several bulldozers and other heavy-duty equipment sighted at the location.
The latest development comes two days after 27 out of the 32 members of the state House of Assembly defectedfrom the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
It is also coming a few weeks after unknown persons burnt the Assembly Complex.
The ICIR reports that fire engulfed the complex on Sunday, October 29, around 10 p.m and was subsequently quenched by the Fire Service and security agents who prevented it from consuming the entire complex.
Some members of the Assembly believed to be loyal of the state’s immediate past governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) initiated impeachment action against the governor a day after the inferno.
The Majority Leader Ehie Edison, known to be the Fubara’s ally, was removed in the botched attempt to impeach the governor, while Fubara was also accused of masterminding the inferno as part of efforts to frustrate his impeachment.
The former Assembly leader Ehie was subsequently elected Speaker in October by a faction of the House after the attempt to impeach Fubara failed.
On Tuesday, December 12, the state high Court in Port Harcourt confirmed Ehie as the authentic speaker of the state’s House of Assembly.
The presiding judge, M.W Danagogo, ordered Martin Amaewhule and Dumle Maol, who claim to be the House leaders, to refrain from parading themselves or meddling with Ehie’s duties as speaker of the state House of Assembly.
The court also warned against forceful entry into the Assembly Complex using thugs or Police.
Despite being circulated nationwide for public consumption, companies producing Cway Water, Golden Penny Spaghetti, Peak Milk Powder, and other widely-consumed products failed to renew their operational licences from the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), exclusive documents obtained by The ICIR have shown.
Findings by The ICIR showed that the approvals previously granted to the companies manufacturing these products have expired. This means the NAFDAC might have failed to re-assess the products and the environment under which they are produced.
The NAFDAC regulates and controls the manufacturing, importation, exportation, advertisement, distribution, sale and use of food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, chemicals and packaged water in Nigeria.
According to the NAFDAC Act 2004, no food product or packaged water shall be manufactured, imported, exported, advertised, sold, distributed or used in Nigeria unless registered and approved by the agency.
The act provides that any manufacturer of consumables must apply for certification from the agency. The certificate of registration shall be valid for five years and should be renewed immediately after expiration.
According to the act, any company or individual found violating the regulation may be banned from engaging in the importation, exportation, manufacture, distribution, sale, or use of the food product. Additionally, they may be subject to a fine of N50,000.
The ICIR checked some selected widely consumed products in Nigeria on the agency’s website and sent a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the organisation for further verification.
From NAFDAC’s response, five of the 11 selected product samples sent to NAFDAC for verification have not renewed their licences.
Experts told The ICIR that this negligence by NAFDAC and the firms posed a threat to public health.
Cway and Eva Water
Findings revealed that Cway Ultra Park drinking water, a popular bottled water brand in Nigeria, lacks a valid NAFDAC licence. The manufacturer, Cway Nigeria Drinking Water Science and Technology Limited, based in Lagos state, registered the product in 2017 under number 01-3892, but the registration expired in 2022. Despite this, the company has continued selling the product nationwide.
File Photo: Cway water: Source: Jumia
Similarly, Eva Table Water, owned by Nigeria Bottling Company in Lagos, operates illegally without due certification. The certificate with the registration number 01-0492 issued to the company for its production and sale in February 2013 has expired since 2018.
UPDATE: In reaction to this publication, a spokesperson for the Nigeria bottling company (NBC), Samuel Iboroma told The ICIR that their licence is up to date. He also sent a licence obtained from the NAFDAC that is due to expire in 2025.
A statement sent to The ICIR noted that, “The Nigerian Bottling Company’s EVA Premium Table Water registration licence, with registration number 01-0492, is hereby attached and remains valid until February 2025.
We would like to state that NBC adheres to high ethical standards of doing business and assures the public that NBC is fully committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our valued consumers. We have been operating in Nigeria for over 70 years and consistently uphold the highest safety and quality standards in the production process of all our products.”
The ICIR has contacted NAFDAC to respond to this.
Eva water: Source: Cocacola
Peak Milk Powder
Another product being sold across the country with expired certification is Peak Milk Powder, a popular brand of instant milk powder in Nigeria, produced by FrieslandCampina, a Dutch multinational dairy company. Findings by The ICIR show that the certification for the product expired in 2020.
UPDATE: In reaction to this publication, an official of the FrieslandCampina WAMCO, Ngozi Manukaji told The ICIR, that contrary to what the food and drug regulator, NAFDAC said, their registration is up to date and will expire in June 2025.
Manukaji provided a licence certificate obtained from NAFDAC in 2020 to back up the claim.
“It is pertinent to note that Peak Milk Powder with NAFDAC registration number 01-0274 has a valid Certificate of Registration due to expire in June 2025,” the company said in a statement addressed to The ICIR and signed by its Executive Director Corporate Affairs, Ore Famurewa.
The company said it also adheres to all international and local regulatory laws/guidelines for milk production.
“All FrieslandCampina WAMCO’s factories adhere to the international Food Safety System Certification (FSSC) 22000 v5.1 Standards; a globally recognised certification that validates the Company’s dedication to producing wholesome dairy products to nourish its consumers.
“Furthermore, all our products are NAFDAC and MANCAP certified; a mandatory product certification scheme put in place by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to ensure that all locally manufactured products in the country conform to the relevant Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS) before sale in the market or exported.”
The ICIR has reached out to NAFDAC on this development.
Golden Penny Spaghetti
Golden Penny Spaghetti is produced by Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, a food and agro-allied company in Nigeria. Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc was established in 1960, making it a longstanding player in the Nigerian food industry. The document revealed that the approval for the product expired in 2018, even though the product could be found in almost every Nigerian market.
Golden Penny Spaghetti
Gino magic season tomato mix
The tomato mix is widely used for cooking various dishes in Nigerian homes. Produced by Conserveria Africana Limited in Lagos state, the company has failed to update its approval since June 2022.
PRODUCT
NAFDAC NO
Manufacturer
APPROVED DATE
EXPIRY DATE
Cway Ultra Pak Water with Zinc
&
CWAY Ultra Drinking Water
D1-7020
&
01-3892
Cway Nigeria Limited
&
CWAY Portharcourt
6/9/2018
&
12/20/2017
9/5/2020
&
12/20/2022
Peak Milk Powder
01-0274
Friesland Campina Wamco Nigeria Limited
1/29/2015
1/28/2020
Golden Penny Spaghetti
&
Golden Penny Spaghettini
01-0291
&
A1-0291
Golden Pasta and co. Ltd
8/1/2013
8/1/2018
Gino Tomato Mix
08-6288
Conserveria Africana Ltd
6/2/2017
6/1/2022
Eva premium Table Water
01-0492
Nigeria Bottling Company
2/5/2013
2/4/2018
Table showing the list of products with expired licences. Source: NAFDAC
In an interview with The ICIR, Malomo Olusola, a chief dietitian at Ajeromi Hospital in Lagos, explained that the essence of the renewal of licences was to ensure that manufacturers did not alter the standard. He noted that the proliferation of unlicenced products could cause severe danger to the public.
“It’s crucial to acknowledge that the products are not safe. Why do we have a protocol for bringing back certificates and samples? It’s for quality control. The NAFDAC is the agency that regulates a product in terms of quality control. It is part of the guidelines for receiving a NAFDAC number or approval that companies must periodically bring samples for evaluation.
“When a company doesn’t come for an assessment and their licence expires, who guarantees the quality of such products? This is particularly critical for food products, as it directly impacts the well-being of individuals. Quality control ensures that the company will be on its toes to ensure the consistency of quality that was earlier approved. If approved samples are not brought for re-assessment, it becomes uncertain whether the same quality used yesterday is maintained today.”
Malomo explained that there were manufacturers who might attempt to take shortcuts, and in doing so, the assurance of quality could be compromised, leading to a decline in the quality and overall qualitative value of the content.
“Now, I’m not particularly concerned about expired products. Those can be discarded. What’s alarming is when the licence is not renewed, and production continues. The expiry date will not reflect the actual time the licence expires. For instance, if your licence is supposed to expire in 2023, but you continue production in 2026 without renewal, the stated expiry date on the product will not show that the company is not licenced.
Malomo argued that NAFDAC’s failure to enforce compliance means the public would continue to consume potentially unsafe products, which might cause significant harm to the well-being of the public.
The dietician added that if an issue is identified later, NAFDAC might need to order the product to be withdrawn from the market. However, a substantial quantity of these products could already be in circulation by that point.
“Imagine a scenario like contaminated water entering the market and being distributed to a large gathering, such as a wedding with 1,500 guests from all over Nigeria. Look at how harmful that could be.”
He said that even though some renowned companies might claim they have internal quality control measures, there’s a need for peer review by a regulatory body like NAFDAC to ensure checks and balances.
NAFDAC’s Misleading database
NAFDAC maintains a publicly accessible online database containing all approved food and drug manufacturing companies in Nigeria and regularly updates the portal with information about the approval status of various products in Nigeria in line with its mandate.
The database tagged Registered Products Automated Database (NARPAD) collates and keeps data on all registered products in an automated database accessible electronically to designated users.
A Freedom of Information request filed by The ICIR revealed discrepancies between the information displayed on NAFDAC’s online portal and the agency’s official response.
The ICIR ran a search on some selected products and filed a freedom of information request to NAFDAC to confirm the accuracy of the information displayed on the agency’s portal. The information provided in the FOI response largely contradicts the data on the portal.
For instance, according to the database, the approval for Dangote bread flour expired in June 2022, but the FOI response says the approval is valid till August 2025. The database also states that the approval for the Nescafe Classic Pure Instant Coffee expired in August 2022, while the FOI response reveals that it is valid till 2028.
This discrepancy led to confusion when the Foundation for Investigative Journalism reported no proof of NAFDAC registering Nagiko Tomato Mix, manufactured by Erisco Foods Limited. The organisation reached this conclusion after searching the agency’s database and failing to locate the product.
This occurred after a Facebook user, Chioma Egodi, posted a negative review about the product, alleging high sugar content. The review led to a legal tussle between the reviewer and the company, who argued that the review was defamatory.
The NAFDAC later clarified that the product received its registration in 2021 but had not been updated on its database due to a backlog issue. The agency said it was actively updating the portal.
It also presented the registration certificate issued to Erisco Foods for Nagiko Tomato Mix, saying that the certificate issued to the company on February 25, 2021, remained valid until February 24, 2026. However, The ICIR‘s investigation reveals that NAFDAC has not consistently uploaded various certified products, and some of those that have been uploaded contain inaccuracies in their details.
When contacted by The ICIR, the NAFDAC spokesperson Christy Obiazikwor said the agency was beefing up its post-market surveillance to ensure that manufacturers without updated certifications and distributors of expired products are sanctioned.
“We have extended and expanded our post-marketing surveillance. There are people that go to market on the field to look for any of such products. We go to shops. We have expanded our post-market surveillance. That is why we keep telling people if they get any information about any product that has expired, they should not buy it. We tell them to report such products so that we can make an announcement about them and create awareness,” she said.
She said the agency frowned at selling products with expired licences and was taking active measures to apprehend and prosecute the manufacturers caught.
However, when asked why popular products like Peak Milk Power, Eva and Cway water are sold nationwide without valid licences, she asked The ICIR to send evidence.
The ICIR sent her the Freedom of Information response, but she has yet to revert as of the time of filing this report. The ICIR also asked about discrepancies in the database and she is yet to respond to the enquiry.
NOTES:
This report was updated to reflect the comments of Peak Milk Powder and Eva Water organisations.
Paragraph 8: 14 was changed to 11.
The table was updated to reflect some products have different versions.
This report was updated to reflect that NBC provided a licence copy to back their claim.
UNITY Bank Plc has forecast a negative performance for the first quarter (Q1) of 2024 amid plans to shake off and completely reverse opposing financial positions.
The bank proposed this in its earnings forecast statement for Q1 2024, released to the investing public on Tuesday, December 12.
According to the statement, the bank proposed a loss after tax of N8.49 billion, a pre-tax loss of N7.83 billion, and negative operating expenses of N7.404 billion as it anticipated positive gross earnings of N21.56 billion.
The bank also projected a negative net cash flow from operating and investing activities at N271.19 billion.
It put the net cash to be used in financing activities at N262.69 billion while anticipating N6.84 billion in cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period (Q1 2024).
Negative cash flow from investing activities can be challenging for any company, as it could be a warning sign that the company’s management is not efficiently using its assets to generate revenue or a positive sign that the management is positioning the company for future growth, according to Investopedia, a research platform.
Similarly, posting harmful operating activities on its cash flow will mean the company’s receivables are less than its payables, while financing activities indicate that the company is indeed servicing debts.
In September, The ICIR reported that Unity Bank showed signs of financial distress as its total liabilities were higher than its total assets, a concern financial analysts said could not only mean the bank would default on its obligations to creditors but could also mean it was headed for bankruptcy.
In its nine-month financial statements, Unity Bank posted a loss after tax of N47.92 billion, a pre-tax loss of N47.73 billion, and a growth of N38.18 billion gross profit.
This shows that while its gross profit will rise, loss after tax and pre-tax loss will decline as the bank is expected to be more prudent in managing its debt obligations.
According to Unity Bank’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Tomi Somefun, the plan to reverse the record negative is focused on the efforts to recapitalise the bank, innovate with products to compete in new markets, drive asset creation, and pursue digital banking innovation.
“This also means that the bank enjoys market confidence, which will enable the institution to thrive better in the months ahead with increased business conversion, profitability and growth needed to achieve sustainable returns,” she said.
While Unity Bank had anticipated posting a profit after tax of N135.34 million and pre-tax profit of N147.91 million in Q4 2023, the bank’s Q1 2024 earnings forecast indicates that it will fall back to negative performance, which will continue to raise concern about its financial health.
A HIGH Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, has confirmed Edison Ehie as the authentic speaker of the state’s House of Assembly.
Edison Ehie is among the five lawmakers loyal to the Governor of Rivers state, Siminalayi Fubara.
Ehie was suspended and removed as leader of the House by his colleagues in the wake of the crisis at the House of Assembly.
The presiding judge, M.W Danagogo, on Tuesday, December 12, ordered Martin Amaewhule and Dumle Maol to refrain from parading themselves or meddling with Ehie’s duties as speaker of the state House of Assembly.
The court warned against forceful entry into the Assembly Complex using thugs or Police.
Ehie, a former majority leader, was impeached in October during the political crisis that engulfed the state.
According to the House speaker, Martins Amaehwule, Ehie was ousted because he failed to attend an Assembly sitting.
Ehie was elected speaker in October by a faction of the House after an attempt to impeach Fubara.
The ICIR reported that 27 lawmakers in the Rivers State House of Assembly defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday, December 11.
Under Amaewhule’s leadership, the defectors comprise members loyal to the state’s former governor and current minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Moments after the defection on Monday, the lawmakers were seen waving the APC flag in viral videos on social media.
The 27 lawmakers are among the 32 state House of Assembly members.
The ICIR reports that the defection came on the heels of the political tension rocking the state party politics.
There have been fears in the state following news of a rift between Fubara and his predecessor, Wike.
Wike handed over to Fubara on May 29, 2023, after concluding his two terms of four years apiece. Fubara is widely believed to be Wike’s political godson.
Anxiety among people in the state was heightened in October when the state House of Assembly moved to impeach the governor, a day after fire gutted the state House of Assembly.
THE Osun State government has commenced an investigation into an incident involving about 18 pupils from James Primary School B, Osogbo, who took ill after consuming a mid-day meal provided under the state’s free school feeding programme.
This was contained in a statement by the state Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, on Tuesday, December 12.
The incident, which occurred on Monday, prompted widespread concern, particularly among parents who shared videos of their children on hospital beds on social media.
In one of the videos seen by The ICIR, three victims were seen receiving intravenous treatment.
One affected student narrated that they were served rice with egg, after which they experienced digestive issues.
Mothers of the victims expressed concerns about the food quality, noting a foul smell from the eggs when their children returned home from school on Monday.
Alimi said the state Governor, Ademola Adeleke, had also directed that further food cooking be stopped at the affected school pending the outcome of the investigations.
“Osun state Government has ordered full investigations into the reported cases of food poisoning at St James primary School B, Owoope Osogbo.
“The state Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, directed immediate action when the matter was reported to him by the special adviser on O-Meal, Mrs Grace Ayodele. The Governor has subsequently directed the stoppage of further food cooking at the affected school pending the outcome of the investigations,” the statement read in part.
The Commissioner further said Adeleke had summoned the affected cooks and the planning officer for the O-Meal programme to a meeting while also calling for the enforcement of food standards and control and an audit of the O-Meal structure to prevent future occurrences.
“Meanwhile, the government is settling the medical bills of the affected students as narrated by the chairman of the Local Government Education Authority, Mr Nathaniel Ojetola. The LGEA Chairman, who was at the forefront of the intervention efforts disclosed that a total number of 18 students were treated and discharged.
“The total student population of the school is 200, while 103 are within the population receiving food from the O-Meal Programme. A government delegation is also visiting families of the affected students,” Alimi said.
THE Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has urged the Federal Government to investigate the military bombing at Tudun Biri village in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna state that claimed scores of lives on Sunday, December 3.
Obi also advised the government to provide the military and other security agencies enough funding to improve their operations.
The former Anambra state governor said this when he visited the attack victims on Tuesday, December 12, at Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital, in Kaduna.
He claimed that over 500 people had died from 16 accidental military bombs in the country.
He further alleged that the Federal Government had done nothing to prevent similar tragedies from occurring.
Obi asked the government to support the nation’s armed forces in order to prevent the tragedy from recurring.
He said the armed forces needed enough funding to handle the security risks the nation faces now and in the future.
He supported calls for an investigation into the military airstrike as well as the creation of a foundation to care for the victims of the Tudun Biri drone attack, particularly the orphans left behind.
In addition, he donated N5 million to help injured victims get treatment.
The ICIR reportedthat the leadership of the Nigeria Senate donated its December salary amounting to 109 million naira to attack victims..
The Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, disclosed this during a condolence visit to the Kaduna state Governor Uba Sani at the state Government House on Sunday, December 9, 2023.
Barau, who represented the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, said the National Assembly would collaborate with the presidency to unravel the circumstances surrounding the accidental bombing of the victims in order to avert a recurrence.
On his part, the governor, while thanking the senators for their empathy for the victims, called on the National Assembly to support the Federal Government in probing the attack.
He also appealed to the federal legislators to review the agitation for the creation of state Police to strengthen security at all levels.
The ICIRreported that no fewer than 85 unarmed civilians were killed in an attack by the military on Tundun Biri village, Kaduna state.
The villagers were celebrating the Maulud Nabiyy (the birth of Prophet Muhammad) in the late hours of Sunday, December 3, when they were bombed.
The Nigerian Army took responsibility for the bombing and described it as accidental.
According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), 85 corpses were recovered from the attack scene.
AMID prevailing leadership turbulence in Ondo State, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, has announced his plan to embark on a fresh medical vacation in Germany on Wednesday, December 13.
Akeredolu in a statement by his chief press secretary, Richard Olatunde, on Tuesday, December 12, said he would return to the Europe as a follow-up to his medical treatment.
He also disclosed that he had written a letter to the state House of Assembly in this egard and that the deputy governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa would assume office as the acting governor.
The latest development is coming barely four months after the governor returned to the country and continued to govern the state from his private residence in Ibadan, Oyo state.
Both Akeredolu and Aiyedatiwa have been involved in a months-long feud over the governor’s insistence on retaining power despite being unable to function optimally due to ill health.
On Friday, November 24, The ICIRreported that Akeredolu had been out of Ondo state for 171 days, nearly six months since he was flown out of Nigeria to receive care for an undisclosed ailment.
Although he returned to Nigeria in September, the governor remained in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, where he leads his state from.
Meanwhile, since the governor arrived in Ibadan, he has made botched moves to impeach his deputy, which has continued to generate public reactions, including the intervention of President Bola Tinubu.
The ICIR reported that during the meeting with Tinubu, Aiyedatiwa accepted to remain in his position as deputy governor, describing the crisis between him and his principal as part of politics.
Announcing Akeredolu’s fresh medical leave in a statement, the chief of staff said the Governor would prioritise his health and ensure a full recovery before resuming his official duties.
“A formal letter regarding the medical leave and a notice formally transferring power in line with the Nigerian Constitution will be transmitted to the House of Assembly.
“In the absence of Governor Akeredolu, the Deputy Governor, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, will assume the responsibilities of the Governor in an acting capacity.
“Governor Akeredolu expresses his gratitude for the unwavering support and affection of the people of Ondo State. He assures them that his administration remained committed to the path of progress and prosperity for the people.”
The statement also noted that Akeredolu, being a Senior Advocate, had consistently delegated power to his deputy during his annual vacations, adding that the “practice was observed on April 1, 2021, April 1, 2022, April 3, 2023, and July 10, 2023, when he embarked on previous vacations.”
However, this latest request for medical leave by Akeredolu has generated controversies among Nigerians on social media, with some calling the Governor to resign and hand over power to his deputy.
In 2009, when the late President Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua battled with a prolonged illness that later killed him, Yar’Adua refused to hand over power to his deputy, Goodluck Jonathan, after he was flown out of Nigeria.
Akeredolu, then president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), urged Yar’Adua to hand over power to his deputy, arguing it was a constitutional requirement.
“It is not your party or your wife that will decide whether you are capable of handling state matters; it is only your doctors that can decide that. The bar is not asking the President not to come back and take his seat, but the right thing must be done,” Akeredolu had said.
THE Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reacted to a viral video of one of its officers caught demanding N5,000 from an airport passenger.
An online video emerged on Tuesday, December 12, where a woman in a Customs uniform was seen brazenly demanding N5,000 from a passenger at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos.
The Customs officer tells a male passenger in the video that the passenger must pay a N5,000 bribe before she allows him to pass with his luggage, which looks like foodstuffs.
The passenger, willing to offer only N1,000, said the Customs officer did nothing for him to deserve the bribe she demanded.
The officer who didn’t hide her face insists on N5,000 or nothing, while she pushes the luggage away in a trolley.
As the passenger keeps saying she won’t pay more than N1,000, the officer reduces the demand to N3,000 and rejects the N1,000 the passenger offers her.
Reacting to the video, an X user, @ urged the NCS o to take immediate action on the matter.
“CustomsNG an action must be made before people started (sic) sharing her videos to where it’s not necessary.”
In a tweet, @I_AM_MAC4 said he spent around N30,000 sorting people at the airport before he could go with foodstuffs.
“Spent around 30k sorting because I carried foodstuffs. From the entrance, they beg till you sit in the plane. Just manipulating people because they know you will not want to delay and miss your flight.”
Reacting to the video in a statement signed by its national public relations officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, on Tuesday, December 12, the NCS said the Service was investigating the incident.
The Customs noted that it will ensure full accountability on the matter.
“The recording reveals an inappropriate request for ₦5,000 in exchange for expeditious processing of customs procedures.
“We wish to confirm that the officer implicated is indeed a member of the Nigeria Customs Service, properly assigned to the Murtala Mohammed International Airport Area Command.
“A comprehensive investigation is underway to scrutinize the incident thoroughly, and appropriate actions will be taken,” the NCS stated.
According to the statement, such behaviour is entirely inconsistent with the core values of the Service.
The Customs urged passengers and the public to report any misconduct or corruption promptly.
The statement added that reports from the public on the conducts of its officials were crucial in upholding the integrity of the Service and ensuring that officers adhere to the highest ethical standards.
“The outcome of the investigation will be communicated to the public at the earliest opportunity,” the statement added.
