THE leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have declared a total strike in Imo State over the recent attack on NLC president Joe Ajaero in the state.
The unions also declared a total nationwide strike effective from Tuesday, November 14, 2023, over the attack if the Federal Government failed to meet its demand.
The unions announced the decision after an extraordinary National Executive Council meeting on Tuesday, November 7, in Abuja.
“The NEC-in-session orders the immediate withdrawal of services and shutdown of Imo State beginning midnight today. All workers and affiliates are expected to ensure compliance from wherever they are. All flights into and out of Imo state, fuel supplies, and electricity be stopped immediately as applicable. All public and private sector workers are to immediately down tools indefinitely.
“If our demands are still unmet, workers all over the federation shall join in withdrawing their services by midnight Tuesday, the 14th of November, 2023,” part of the communique released at the end of the meeting read.
The ICIR reports that the action will negatively affect the governorship election in the state scheduled for Saturday, November 11. The exercise will also be held in Bayelsa and Kogi states.
On Friday, November 3, the unions issued a five-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, demanding the replacement of the Imo Police Commissioner Mohammed Barde over his alleged involvement in the attack on Ajaero.
Although Governor Hope Uzodimma has stated that he had no hands in the assault on the labour leader, the unions blamed the attack on the governor, who is seeking re-election.
The unions also called for the arrest and prosecution of some of the governor’s aides and threatened to embark on a nationwide industrial action if their demands were not carried out.
Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun redeployed Barde on Sunday, November 5, shortly after the attack.
The ICIR reported how the NLC president was allegedly captured and brutalised during the workers’ protest in Imo State on Wednesday, November 1.
He was reportedly whisked away while addressing the workers at the NLC secretariat over their alleged maltreatment by the state government.
After his release by the Police, the NLC president emerged with a battered face and was quickly rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, for medical attention.
This was made known by GWR on Tuesday, November 7.
Fisher, who is based in Japan, carried out the attempt surpassing Hilda Baci by over 24 hours thereby cooking continuously for 119 hours and 57 minutes.
He also claimed the longest baking marathon by an individual, with a time of 47 hours 21 minutes, surpassing the previous record holder, Wendy Sandner from the United States of America (USA), who baked for 31 hours, 16 minutes.
According to GWR, Fisher said he carried out the challenge to represent himself and Irish food with support from his local community, which kept him going through fatigue and hallucinations.
“I was representing myself, my family, and Irish food and sharing our story. I couldn’t give up. That was the only option,” he said.
Over 550 kg of food and 3,360 portions of 32 Irish specialties were cooked by the Chef to break the record. He also attempted both records back-to-back, putting in nearly 160 hours in the kitchen.
Fisher’s feat is more than 24 hours longer than Hilda Baci’s previous record. His accomplishment came roughly five months after GWR validated Hilda’s cooking effort.
Baci cooked for 93 hours 11 minutes, breaking the previous record held by Indian Chef Lata Tondon, who cooked for 87 hours and 45 minutes in 2019.
Hilda Baci claimed that she had been obsessed with Guinness World Records for a long time and was eager to break a world record.
She also said she attempted the record to “put Nigerian cuisine on the map” and “to inspire young African women to chase their dreams.” Baci gained global attention after her cooking stint in May 2023.
Taking to her X (formerly Twitter), Hilda Baci congratulated the new record holder for his new achievements.
“Huge congratulations to Alan Fisher! 119hrs 57mins is a huge achievement, and I wish him all the best as the new world record holder! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾”, she posted.
THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Monday, November 6, failed to produce the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, in court for the hearing of his motion on fundamental rights enforcement.
The action violates trial judge Olukayode Adeniyi’s directive to the anti-graft agency to either present the former CBN governor in person for the hearing of a request on his bail or release him unconditionally.
This came days after the State Security Service (SSS) released him in October, and the EFCC later arrested him.
The court has adjourned till Wednesday, November 8, to hear Emefiele’s application on notice and give his attorney time to provide more documentation.
Additionally, the judge reiterated his directive from November 2, calling for Emefiele’s unconditional release.
On November 2, Adeniyi gave the anti-graft agency an order to either produce Emefiele in court to get bail or release him unconditionally.
However, at the resumed proceeding in the matter, Emefiele’s lawyer, Mathew Burkaa, told the court that EFCC defied the order.
Emefiele, detained since June 9, filed a request with the court to uphold his fundamental human rights.
In addition to pleading for his quick release from EFCC custody, he is asking the court to grant him N5 million in damages.
A High Court in Abuja on July 14 nullified the arrest, detention, and interrogation of Emefiele by the DSS.
The court, presided by Bello Kawu, ordered his release and described his arrest and detention as illegal.
Emefiele had filed a motion against his arrest and detention with the Incorporated Trustees of Forum for Accountability and Good Leadership, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Inspector-General of Police, State Security Service (SSS), and the Central Bank of Nigeria as respondents.
Kawu, delivering judgment, held that the arrest, detention and interrogation of the former CBN governor violated the subsisting decision and orders of M. A. Hassan, a judge in Suit No. FCT/HC/GAR/CV/41/2022.
The court also granted an injunction restraining the security agencies, particularly the SSS, from interfering with his liberty and freedom of movement or taking other steps against him.
The judgment came barely 24 hours after another High Court in Abuja had ordered the release of the suspended CBN governor.
The ICIR had reported that the Abuja High Court ordered the SSS to file charges against Emefiele or release him within one week.
The ICIR reported that the SSSconfirmed the arrest of the former apex bank governor, whom President Bola Tinubu suspended on June 9.
THE family of veteran Nollywood actor John Okafor, majorly known as Mr. Ibu, has revealed that one of his legs had been amputated to keep him alive.
The family disclosed this in the statement shared on Monday, October 6, via the actor’s official Instagram page.
It said the actor had seven successful surgeries, including the amputation of one leg.
“As of 1 pm, noon today, daddy has gone through seven successful surgeries, but to keep him alive and increase his chances of recovery, one of his legs had to be amputated.
“This development has been hard on us all, but we’ve had to accept it as daddy’s new reality to keep him alive”, the statement read in parts.
While soliciting help, the family appreciated Nigerians’ support and said the actor was still in a delicate situation.
“Please, we are still soliciting support from well-meaning Nigerians as, at this stage, daddy is still very delicate, and he needs all the help he can get.
“Thank you, everyone; the Okafor family is grateful, and we don’t take you for granted. In due time, daddy will personally acknowledge everyone who supported him during this period as soon as he’s stable.”
Though the cause of the illness that led to Mr. Ibu’s leg amputation was not stated, the actor took to his Instagram page in October to solicit prayers and financial assistance from Nigerians over his condition.
THE Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has condemned the Supreme Court ruling that affirmed Bola Tinubu as the election winner.
Obi stated this at a press conference on Monday, November 6, in Abuja.
Obi spoke for the first time after the Supreme Court dismissed his petition against Tinubu’s victory on Thursday, October 26.
Obi said the apex court judgment contradicted the overwhelming evidence of election rigging, false claim of a technical hitch, and substantial non-compliance with rules set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), adding that the Supreme Court had transferred a moral burden from the courtroom to the society.
“These were hefty allegations that should not be treated with levity. More appalling, the Supreme Court judgment willfully condoned breaches of the Constitution relative to established qualifications and parametres for candidates in presidential elections. With this counter-intuitive judgment, the Supreme Court has transferred a heavy moral burden from the courtrooms to our national conscience. Our young democracy is ultimately the main victim and casualty of the courtroom drama.
“Without equivocation, this judgment amounts to a total breach of the confidence the Nigerian people have in our judiciary. To that extent, it is a show of unreasonable force against the very Nigerian people from whom the power of the Constitution derives. This Supreme Court ruling may represent the state of the law in 2023 but not the present demand for substantive justice. The judgment mixed principles and precepts. Indeed, the rationale and premise of the Supreme Court judgment have become clearer in the light of the deep revealing and troubling valedictory remarks by Hon. Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammad (JSC) on Friday, 27th October 2023,” he said.
Obi emphasized that he, along with his vice presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, strongly disagreed with the rulings of both the Presidential Petitions Court and the Supreme Court.
He noted that while they understood they had exhausted their legal remedies, the development signified the start of their quest for a better country.
“The judiciary has largely acted in defiance of constitutional tenets, precedents, and established ground rules. Political expediency has preceded judicial responsibility. A mechanical application of technicalities has superseded the pursuit of justice and fairness. Both INEC and the Supreme Court, as the referees, respectively shifted the goalposts in the middle of the game,” he added.
This was coming a week after the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate, Atiku Abubakar, accused the Supreme Court of legalising illegality, forgery, and identity theft.
Abubakar said that with the judgment, the Supreme Court told Nigerians to win an election by any means, including “forgery, identity theft and violence.”
“If the Supreme Court, the highest court of the land, implies that crime is good and should be rewarded, then Nigeria is lost,” the former vice-president said, adding, “It is not about me; it is about our country, Nigeria and the future.
The ICIR reported how the apex court dismissed the appeals by Abubakar and Obi.
On Wednesday, March 1, The ICIR declared Tinubu the winner of the presidential election conducted on February 25.
Tinubu polled 8,794,726 votes to defeat a dozen other candidates, including three major ones, namely the PDP’s Abubakar, LP’s Obi, and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP’s) Rabiu Kwankwaso.
According to the election results announced by INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu, Abubakar came second with 6,984,520 votes, Obi followed closely with 6,101,533 votes, and Kwankwaso got 1,496,687.
THE Lagos State Government’s electric bus scheme appears to be suffering a setback as the implementation of the project phase two failed to commence.
The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) and Oando Clean Energy Limited (OCEL) had, on April 28, 2022, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enable the deployment of electric buses and other supporting transport infrastructure systems in the state.
On April 30, 2023, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced the arrival of the first set of electric buses for the state’s mass transit scheme.
“I am excited to announce the first set of electric buses in the Lagos Mass Transit Master Plan as part of our increased effort to modernise every sector of Lagos.
“Thanks to our partnership with @Oando_PLC, Lagosians can expect a cleaner and greener public transportation system,” the governor tweeted.
Immediately after the launch, The ICIR contacted the state’s former Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, for enquiries. However, there has yet to be a response from him after intensive efforts via calls, email and WhatsApp messages.
Further efforts to get the permanent secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, Kamar Olowoshago, to comment on the project failed.
Olowoshago told The ICIR that the governor’s office procured two electric buses and that any enquiry on the project should be channelled to the office.
On May 18, The ICIR sent an enquiry to the governor’s office by mail, which was acknowledged on May 20.
“You had sent some questions to Mr Governor of the EV buses. I have been tasked to provide you with answers. I’m currently out of Lagos but shall be back tomorrow evening. I promise you will get responses to the questions on Monday,” the Head of Corporate Communications at LAMATA, Kolawole Ojelabi, said in a WhatsApp message to The ICIR‘s reporter.
Ojelabi did not respond as promised, but after much follow-up on June 26, he replied.
In the response, he stated that the MoU with Oando Clean Energy was to run into three phases of implementation, which are proof-of-concept, pilot and roll-out phases.
According to Ojelabi, the proof-of-concept phase and the pilot phase are expected to last for nine months, while the pilot phase takes six months out of the nine months.
“The two buses on the ground are for the proof-of-concept phase. According to the MoU, 50 buses would be procured for the pilot phase, which is expected to last for six months, after which the rollout phase follows with a minimum number of 100 buses.
“Phases one and two will last for nine months,” he stated.
On April 30, 2023, the Lagos government, with its Oando Clean Energy partner, flagged off two electric buses for the proof-of-concept phase implementation.
It is over seven months since the two buses were unveiled, yet the partners have yet to implement the project’s second phase.
When The ICIR contacted Ojelabi on Wednesday, November 1, to ask what was delaying the implementation of the project’s second phase, he said, “What we did was just to do a pilot. I understand those buses will run for a cumulative period of 90 days. The cumulative period excludes weekends.
“I think there was a meeting in the office earlier last week; I am sure very soon we will issue a statement on the operation of the EV (electric vehicle) buses.”
When The ICIR asked whether more electric buses had been procured, he said, “We are not the one procuring; it is Oando Energy that will procure.”
He did not answer further questions but said, “Let us wait for the process from Oando.”
This organisation sought to know if the project was suffering a setback, Ojelabi retorted, “That is your conjecture.”
The ICIR put a call through to Oando Clean Energy. The company’s General Manager, Business Support Group, Alero Balogun, declined to respond.
“I am doing something now,” she said.
When the reporter asked if he should call back later that day, she said she had a meeting.
Alero Balogun
The reporter asked if he could send a WhatsApp message instead for her to respond. She said, “You can send your WhatsApp message if you want.”
They eventually agreed to an email to which she did not respond.
Based on the MoU signed with OCEL under the Lagos State Smart City Initiative, the project is hinged on sustainable energy and environmental schemes to support the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations Race to Zero campaign on climate change.
According to the LAMATA spokesperson, “OCEL indicated an interest in a PPP [public–private partnership] with LAMATA to achieve the objectives of the Lagos State Government for cleaner energy in the drive for sustainable energy and environmental schemes. OCEL will, therefore, install the EV charging infrastructure and fund the purchase of two EV buses, which LAMATA will deploy and use for the mass transit programme with the aim of gathering data to determine the viability of EV buses public transport operations.”
Ojelabi declined to comment on how much each electric bus cost the government. He said, “LASG is not funding bus acquisition. It is being funded solely by the private sector.”
A look at some of the electric bus specifications revealed it has three closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, 40 passengers carrying capacity, a ramp (for wheelchair) for people living with disabilities (PWDs), and the ability to travel 280 kilometres at full charge.
Oando Clean Energy’s capacity raises question
There are concerns about whether Oando Clean Energy can handle such a gigantic project that would cost a lot of money.
According to a report by BusinessDay, an electric bus costs between $400,000 and $500,000, almost four times the cost of diesel buses in Lagos.
If taken that an electric bus costs $400,000, it means the Lagos government and Oando Clean Energy would require about $60.80 million (152 buses multiplied by $400,000) to implement the planned three phases of the project.
The total investment sum will be about N60.80 billion, using the N1,000/$1 mark, which the exchange rate has already crossed.
The delay in implementing the project could have resulted from Oando Clean Energy pooling the funds.
Already, the Lagos government has said it was not funding the project, and the parent company of Oando Clean Energy, Oando Plc, has not been financially healthy in the past years.
A recent analysis by The ICIR on Oando’s audited annual reports and consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2021, released on Monday, September 18, 2023, showed that the company was not financially healthy.
It disclosed that the company’s current liabilities exceeded its assets by N237.8 billion, as it reported net current liabilities of N202.4 billion in 2020.
The company also reported net liabilities of N202.2 billion from N174.1 billion in 2020 and a total comprehensive loss of N28.12 billion from N45.31 billion in 2020.
A further look at the audited report showed that the group delivered a sign of recovery, posting a total comprehensive income of N30.6 billion in 2021 from a N132.8 billion loss in 2020. The company also suffered net liabilities of N129 billion from N67.7 billion in 2020.
Oando Group comprises Oando Trading, Oando Clean Energy, and Oando Energy Resources.
A Nigerian multinational energy company operating in the upstream, midstream and downstream, Oando had suffered a two-year run of losses that began in 2019 when it reported loss after tax of N207.1 billion in 2019 and N140.7 billion in 2020.
When current liabilities exceed current assets, the current ratio will be less than one. In that situation, the company might have problems meeting its short-term obligations, say financial analysts.
Worst off, Oando’s independent auditor, BDO Professional Services Chartered Accountants, in the statement, even expressed worries over the company’s ability to continue as a going concern.
On June 30, 2022, The ICIRreported that Oando was on the verge of voluntarily delisting from the Nigerian capital market, which it could leverage to raise funds to cover its enormous obligation.
For over three years, Oando could not produce its financial results and was suspended by the Security and Exchange Commission from holding its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in 2018.
The ICIR also asked the Lagos government why it partnered with Oando on the huge project.
The LAMATA spokesperson provided an answer: “OCEL’s proposals meet the Lagos State government’s vision to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation and the need to transition its mass transportation scheme from internal combustion engine, ICE buses, that are dependent on fossil fuels to buses powered by cleaner energy sources like Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), electricity, hydrogen, and hybrid buses.”
A MAGISTRATE Court in Yaba, Lagos state, has granted singer Azeez Fashola, also known as Naira Marley, and Balogun Eletu, popularly known as Sam Larry, bail in the sum of N20 million. backed by three trustworthy sureties.
The head of the court, Adeola Olatunbosun, ordered the two suspects to submit their international passports as part of their bail conditions.
The magistrate also ordered them to make weekly appearances at the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
In the ruling, Olatunbosun strongly warned that any attempts to contact her would be recorded and possibly disclosed in open court sessions.
The suspects were arrested and detained upon their return to Nigeria in connection with the death of musician Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad.
The ICIR reported on Tuesday, October 31, that embattled Marley and Larry sued the Nigerian Police and the Lagos magistrate, Adebola Olatunbosun, over their continued detention.
They were ordered to be taken into custody by the magistrate following Mohbad’s death.
According to a Punch report, the suspects filed a fundamental rights suit to challenge their continued detention over Mohbad’s passing.
In the suit filed before the Federal High Court in Lagos, both Marley and Larry sought N20 million in damages from the defendants.
According to the suit filed through their lawyer, Olalekan Ojo, a senior advocate, they urged the court to declare that their continued detention “at the homicide section of the Lagos State Police Command, Panti, Yaba, Lagos State since October 4, 2023,” violated their rights.
The deponents, in the affidavits accompanying their lawsuits, stated that their ordeal began between October 3 and 4, 2023, when they were arrested by the Police over their alleged link with Mohbad’s death.
The ICIR reports that following Mohbad’s passing, Naira Marley and Sam Larry were charged with accusing and harassing the deceased singer by the Lagos State Police Command and taken into custody.
However, Naira Marley and Sam Larry have sternly denied having a hand in Mohbad’s death.
On Wednesday, October 4, a magistrate court in Lagos ordered Naira Marley and Sam Larry to remain in Police detention.
They were asked to be held without bail for 30 days, pending the conclusion of the investigation.
Similarly, the House of Representatives summoned Marley over Mohbad’s royalties.
This came after several appeals by Nigerians over the past few weeks for Naira Marley to pay Mohbad’s royalties.
The legislators noted that the purpose of their invitation was to ensure the late singer’s family members receive the compensation that is rightfully theirs.
A FEDERAL High Court, Abuja, headed by a justice, Nyang Ekwo, has confirmed the genuineness of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate of Enugu state Governor Peter Mbah.
The court found the corps and its director-general guilty of misrepresenting material facts and awarded N5 million against them.
In the judgment delivered on Monday, November 6, Ekwo maintained that the evidence presented in court demonstrated that the governor was called to service in 2001 but completed service in 2003.
According to the court, Mbah applied for and was reinstated for the NYSC in 2003 after requesting and obtaining permission from the organisation midway through his service to attend the Nigeria Law School.
Ekwo also pointed out that while the NYSC did not challenge the evidence that Mbah served in the law firm of one Udeh, he berated the corps for not charging the governor for forgery if it believed it didn’t issue the certificate in contention to him.
He concluded that by refusing Mbah’s NYSC certificate, the NYSC was insincere and behaved cunningly.
Mbah had filed a lawsuit against the NYSC and Ibrahim Muhammad, the Corps Certification Director, for issuing a disclaimer that refuted the issuance of the discharge certificate that had been granted to him on January 6, 2003.
On May 15, Ekwo issued a restraint prohibiting Muhammad, the NYSC, and any of their representatives from publishing anything about the certificate while the substantive matter was being heard and decided.
The order followed an ex parte motion filed by Emeka Ozoani on behalf of Mbah.
However, the NYSC, in its preliminary objection submitted on May 19 and received on May 22, requested an order dismissing the lawsuit due to lack of jurisdiction and competence.
The NYSC claimed the lawsuit was premature for the court’s jurisdiction to solidify since the plaintiff/respondent had allegedly refused to abide by the terms of Section 20 of the National Youth Service Corps Act.
On February 1, the NYSC sent a letter, signed by Muhammed, stating that the corps had not issued Mbah’s NYSC certificate.
The ICIR reportedthat the Director-General of NYSC, Dogara Ahmed, a brigadier-general, said the NYSC certificate submitted by Mbah to INEC to enable him to participate in the 2023 governorship election was not issued by the organisation.
Ahmed stated this on May 19 while featuring on Arise News Television magazine programme ‘The Morning Show’.
In a ThisDay newspaper reporton February 7, a group claimed that it found out that Mbah forged his NYSC certificate.
The group ‘Total Support for Rule of Law and Justice Initiative and Enugu Progressive Forum’ sought Mbah’s disqualification from the governorship election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the March 18 governorship election in Enugu state.
The result was challenged at the tribunal by the (LP) candidate Chijioke Edeoga and Chris Agu of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP).
However, the three-member tribunal led by Kudirat Murayo Akano rejected the accusations and upheld Mbah’s election in its decision.
In its ruling, the tribunal found that Mbah’s paperwork presented to INEC to contest the election did not contain the NYSC certificate.
MONGABAY has announced applications for its Environmental Journalism Internship programme, an official statement from its website said.
The internship entails writing environmental news stories for Mongabay.com. It’s an affiliated news site.
The projected time for the internship is six months, and interns are expected to write six news stories on diverse conservation and environmental subjects.
Also, the interns will work directly with Mongabay journalists. They will receive one-on-one training, mentorship, writing guidelines, and comments on their news items before publication.
Early-career journalists interested in environmental issues can apply for a remote internship. The programme will begin from January 1 to June 30, 2024, with a partial payment.
The application deadline is November 28, 2023. Interested individuals can apply here
THE Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has filed a lawsuit against President Bola Tinubu over his administration’s failure to probe alleged missing funds for unaccounted oil revenues and repair of refineries between 2020 and 2021.
This is contained in a statement released by the organisation’s deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, on Sunday, November 5, 2023.
The suit follows the 2021 report by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).
In the suit number FHC/L/CS/2334/2023 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Lagos, SERAP is seeking: “an order of mandamus to direct and compel President Tinubu to probe the allegations that US$15bn of oil revenue, and N200bn budgeted to repair and maintain the refineries in Nigeria are missing and unaccounted for.”
SERAP is also seeking “an order of mandamus to compel President Tinubu to direct appropriate anti-corruption agencies to probe allegations of corruption involving the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Limited, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NPDC) and State Owned Enterprises (SOE).”
The organisation also seeks an order of mandamus to compel President Tinubu to use any recovered proceeds of corruption to enhance the well-being of Nigerians.
In the suit, SERAP argues that: “There is a legitimate public interest in ensuring justice and accountability for these serious allegations. Granting the reliefs sought would end the impunity of perpetrators and ensure justice for victims of corruption.”
It also argues that the allegations of corruption documented by NEITI undermine economic development of the country, trap the majority of Nigerians in poverty and deprive them of opportunities.
It said, “Unless the President is directed and compelled to get to the bottom of these damning revelations, suspected perpetrators would continue to enjoy impunity for their crimes and enjoy the fruits of their crimes.
“Many years of allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the spending of oil revenues and impunity of perpetrators have undermined public trust and confidence in governments at all levels.
The ICIRreported that, the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), in its 2021 report, released on September 19, 2023, revealed how 14 government agencies, including the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NNPC) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NPDC), failed to remit $9.85 billion in revenue to the federation account in one year.
NEITI said the unremitted funds accounted for 8.47 per cent of the federal government’s $23 billion total revenue during the year.
The organization stated that NPCL failed to provide a clear account of $1.951 billion generated as revenue for the federal government in 2021.
Reacting to the report, SERAP had said the findings by NEITI revealed a grave violation of the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], national anti-corruption laws, and the country’s obligations under the UN Convention against Corruption and asked President Bola Tinubu to investigate the missing funds.
The suit was filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare, Andrew Nwankwo, and Ms Valentina Adegoke. But, no date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
