EX-MILITARY Governor of Rivers State Zamani Lekwot has said he was not responsible for the killings in the Zangon-Kataf crisis in 1992, which claimed hundreds of lives and left many others injured.
Lekwot, who spoke exclusively with Daily Trust in an interview published on Sunday, September 10, said he was framed and unjustly punished for the riot despite not being a party to it.
“The Zangon-Kataf issue was just blackmail. Do you see a whole general going to the village to kill villagers? No, it doesn’t make sense. Even the tissue of the lies they dashed out were not convincing. How can a general go and start killing people? I am not mad.
“The military tradition demands that when a soldier commits an offence, and he has to be put in the guardroom, you must tell him what he has done wrong so that he can prepare his defence within 24 hours.
“Nobody asked me anything. What caused the problem was a market relocation. A day was fixed for the market to be opened, people started a riot, and some people were killed. I was just framed up by some people,” Lekwot said.
The Zangon-Kataf crisis was one of the major violent clashes between various ethnic groups in the Northern region of Nigeria.
It began in February 1992 following a proposal to move a market from a location more favourable to the Hausas to one which seemed more beneficial to the Atyap people of the region.
The dispute occurred in February and May 1992, and over 460 people were killed. It transcended tribal rivalry and assumed a more religious outlook, as many Christians from other ethnic groups were murdered.
Following the crisis, Lekwot and six others were arrested for the riot. They were tried by a tribunal set up by the former Head of State Ibrahim Babangida and sentenced to death for charges around unlawful assembly and rioting with arms, among others.
Under Chris Okadigbo’s leadership, the tribunal left no room for appeal, and the convicted men were incarcerated until 1996, when they were eventually granted pardon and released under the Sani-Abacha-led government.
In 2020, however, the Supreme Council of Sharia in Nigeria (SCSN) called for a revisit to the death sentence, saying it was the only means to achieve peace in Northern Nigeria.
During the interview, Lekwot maintained that his implication in the riot resulted from conspiracy and blackmail.
THE legal team of Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate for the February 25 presidential election has criticised the appearance of a watermark on the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Presidential Elections Petition Tribunal’s (PEPT) judgment affirming President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the election, hours after its release.
In a statement issued by the Special Assistant on Public Communications to the former Vice President, Phrank Shaibu, on Saturday, September 9, the team urged the PEPT to clear the air on the controversy over the copy of Tinubu’s legal team that has the watermark in the interest of Nigerians.
He alleged that the court delayed providing Abubakar and his legal team with certified true copies of the judgment.
He emphasized the importance of the court explaining the reason for a watermark of Tinubu’s legal team on the CTC copy to Nigerians.
Shaibu alleged that the court placed the respondent’s watermark on the certified true copy of the judgment received by the PDP while the copies provided to its team and others did not have the same.
He also raised concerns over special privileges he alleged the court accorded to the President’s team.
Part of the statement reads, “It is not our intention to stir up controversy on the matter, but it is very important that the PEPC should tell Nigerians why they chose to affix the header of the respondents on the CTC of their judgment, whereas the copies that went to the petitioners did not have the same.
“Was that because the Tinubu Legal Team is deemed to be accorded special privileges? The court must explain!
“It is very clear that there are many questions begging for answers, including why the PEPC came to the decision to avail the Respondents, especially the Tinubu Legal Team to have a first receipt of the CTC of the judgment before the Plaintiffs.
“The curiosity is more confounding based on the fact that the lead counsel to Atiku and the PDP had pleaded in the open court to have express receipt of the judgment, to which Justice Haruna Tsammani agreed and promised to make the document available the following day, which was Thursday.
He said Nigerians wanted to know why the PEPC conferred “special privileges” on the Tinubu Legal Team by making them have first custody of copies of the PEPC judgment, even though it was more urgent for the petitioners who needed the document to cause an appeal to the Supreme Court within 14 days including weekends.
“In the course of delivering its judgement, the PEPC had spoken of the petition it was ruling upon in a vexatious and denigrating language as if it was a crime to bring a case of electoral banditry before the court,” he stated.
He further expressed suspicions about the involvement of the Tinubu legal team in the judgment process and called for clarification from the court.
Responding to the allegation also on Saturday, Tinubu’s legal team denied the allegation that certified copies of the judgement of the PEPC made available to all the parties by the Registry of the court had their imprint on it.
One of the judgment’s pages containing Tinubu legal team’s watermark
The Tinubu Presidential Legal Team, TPLT, in a statement it made available to newsmen through its coordinator, Babatunde Ogala, described the allegation, which has gained traction on social media, as the handiwork of mischief makers.
Ogala noted that lawyers representing the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, were at the Registry of the court when certified copies of the PEPC judgment were handed to the parties.
According to him, President Tinubu’s legal team watermarked its copy upon receipt of the judgment before circulating it to its members.
He said: “Following some mischievous insinuations being made in certain quarters regarding the innocuous watermark of copies of the consolidated judgment of the Court of Appeal with the inscription -‘Tinubu Presidential Legal Team ‘TPLT’, it has become necessary to offer this clarification.
“After the delivery of judgment in the three election petitions by the Court of Appeal on September 6, 2023, the Court directed its registry to make physical copies of same available on September 7, 2023.
“Accordingly, the Tinubu Presidential Legal Team applied for a certified true copy of the judgment and paid the prescribed fee. Lawyers for PDP were present at the registry at the same time to collect the same judgment. In fact, the representative of the PDP collected the first copy that was made available by the registry.”
He said the Tinubu’s legal team immediately scanned and water-marked its copy with the inscription – “Tinubu Presidential Legal Team ‘TPLT’” before circulating the scanned soft copies to its team lawyers.
He explained that the certified true copies issued to his team and other parties in the petitions by the registry did not contain the inscription, and any insinuation to the contrary is untrue.
He added that counsel to the petitioners should know that the allegation against Tinubu’s team on the judgment copy is “unkind, unfair, and unfortunate, as they have the same certified copies of the judgment as we have,” the statement read further.
NIGERIAN President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has extended his condolences to Morocco’s ruler, King Mohammed VI, following the earthquake which occurred on Friday, September 8 and claimed over 1,000 lives.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity Ajuri Ngelale, on Saturday, September 9, Tinubu commiserated with everyone affected by the disaster and wished those injured a quick recovery.
“In the face of this adversity, Nigeria will continue to stand in solidarity with Morocco as they recover, rebuild and come out stronger than ever from this unfortunate event,” the statement read.
The earthquake occurred in the Marrakesh area of Morocco. There has been difficulty in reaching affected citizens in remote parts of the country.
Also affected by the earthquake is one of Morocco’s nine United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Heritage sites, the Medieval Walls of Marrakesh’s Old City, Medina, first laid in the early 12th Century.
According to the United States Geological Survey, the earthquake is the strongest to hit that part of Morocco in more than 120 years.
It is also worse than the 2004 earthquake in the country, which claimed at least 628 lives, leaving 926 people injured.
About 2,539 houses collapsed, including 2,498 in rural areas due to the 2004 earthquake.
Several countries have begun helping Morocco, including France, Israel, the US, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi shared condolences to those affected by the earthquake while opening the G20 Summit on Saturday.
It was reported that the death toll was about 820, but this has now risen to over a thousand.
Moroccan monarch Mohammed VI has ordered the country’s Armed Forces to mobilise air and land assets to rescue some citizens trapped in remote parts of the country.
THE death toll from the earthquake that struck Morocco Friday night has risen to 1,037, a local media platform, the Morocco World News has reported.
According to the report, the official figure includes 1,204 injured and 721 in critical condition, adding that the number is expected to rise further as rescue operations continue.
The country’s Ministry of Interior Saturday morning disclosed that the 6.8 magnitude earthquake left over 600 people injured, with 205 in severe condition.
The earth tremors began at about 11 p.m. on Friday, forcing residents out of their homes.
Most residents slept on the streets for fear of aftershocks, as many old houses were made from stone and mud brick.
“We had to run right after the strong quake. I still can’t sleep in the house because of the shock and also because the old town is made up of old houses. If one falls, it will cause others to collapse,” a resident Jaouhari Mohamed told Aljazeera.
The incident occurred in the Marrakesh area of Morocco. While rescue efforts are still ongoing, there has been difficulty reaching affected citizens in remote parts of the country.
Also affected by the earthquake is one of Morocco’s nine United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Heritage sites, the Medieval Walls of Marrakesh’s Old City, Medina, first laid in the early 12th Century.
Leaders and diplomats worldwide have expressed their condolences and support for the country over the tragedy.
Nigeria President Bola Tinubu, in a statement on Saturday, September 9, by his spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, extended his condolences to King Mohammed VI of Morocco.
“In the face of this adversity, Nigeria will continue to stand in solidarity with Morocco as they recover, rebuild and come out stronger than ever from this unfortunate event,” he said.
The spokesman for the United Nations Secretary-General, Stephane Dujarric, expressed condolences and solidarity with the nation.
“The United Nations is ready to assist the government of Morocco in its efforts to assist the impacted population,” Dujarric stated.
Several earthquakes have occurred in North Africa, bordering the Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea in past decades.
In 1994 and 2004, two earthquakes occurred in the northern town of Al Hoceima, a Riffian city in the north of Morocco.
The latter earthquake had a recorded 6.5 magnitude on the Richter scale, with over 600 dead, 900 injured, and thousands displaced.
AFTER 24 years of its formation, the Group of Twenty, known as G20, has formally admitted the African Union (AU) into its fold.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced this on Saturday, September 9, 2023, during the opening session of the G20 Summit held in New Delhi, India.
“I invite the representative of the African Union to take his place as a permanent member of the G20,” the Indian Prime Minister said before banging his gavel three times, attracting applause in the room.
The AU admission comes at a time when there are growing global rifts – effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has lasted for over a year, nearly three years post-COVID and, recently, the geopolitical tension in Africa over military juntas, to mention a few.
President Bola Tinubu had on Tuesday, September 5, travelled ahead of the summit to meet with Indian investors on the sideline of the G20 annual meeting held today and tomorrow, Sunday, September 10.
Tinubu, attending the summit as one of the nine guests, had nearly pulled $14 billion in investments from Indian investors, the special adviser on media and publicity to the President, Ajuri Ngelale, posted on his Twitter handle.
He quoted Tinubu as saying, “We are ready to give you the best returns for investment possible; there’s nowhere else like our country. Nigeria offers the best returns for investment today, so invest now.”
Among the anticipated investments, Indorama Petrochemical Limited pledged $8 billion to expand its fertiliser production and petrochemical facility in Eleme, Rivers State.
Jindal Steel and Power Limited, one of India’s largest private steel producers, committed to investing $3 billion and founding President of SkipperSeil Limited to invest $1.6 billion in the establishment of twenty 100 megawatts (mw) power generation plants across the states of Northern Nigeria.
Ngelale also said Indian firm Bharti Enterprises, interested in telecom, space communications, digital solutions, insurance, processed foods, real estate, and hospitality, will invest an additional $700 million.
Meanwhile, the AU makes it the second regional bloc after the European Union to become a permanent member of the G20 bloc.
The G20, comprising world economic powers, represents 85 per cent of global gross domestic product (GDP), 75 per cent of international trade, and two-thirds of the world’s population.
Founded on September 26, 1999, the G20 is a forum for finance ministers and central bank governors to discuss global economic and financial issues.
The group was upgraded to the Head of State/Government level after the global economic and financial crisis of 2007 and 2009 and was designated the “premier forum for international economic cooperation”.
Initially focused mainly on broad macroeconomic issues, it expanded its agenda to inter-alia, including trade, sustainable development, health, agriculture, energy, environment, climate change, and anti-corruption.
The G20 comprises 19 countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, United Kingdom and the United States.
AN X (formerly Twitter) user, @LifeofNapaul, has claimed that a Nigerian-trained lawyer cannot practise the legal profession abroad.
He made the claim following the judgement of the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) which upheld the victory of Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election held on February 25, 2023.
The judgement did not sit well with supporters of opposition parties especially the Labour Party and Peoples Democratic Party who filed the petitions against Tinubu’s emergence as Nigeria’s democratically-elected president at the poll.
The post, published on his X page on Wednesday, September 6, 2023, reads:
“You know what’s funny about studying law in Nigeria?! You can’t practice anywhere else in the world. It’s either you practice here in NG were the law books ain’t respected or you go abroad & wash plate.”
The post has since garnered over one million views, more than 900 reposts and over 3,000 likes as of Friday, September 8, 2023.
CLAIM
Nigerian-trained lawyers cannot practise abroad.
Screenshot of the viral social media post
THE FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MOSTLY FALSE.
Checks show that a Nigerian-trained lawyer can practice outside the country depending on the requirements set by the host (foreign) country on the practice of law in their nation.
Nigerian lawyers who sit for and pass law exams in a foreign country, right in their home country, can have multi-jurisdictional qualifications which allow them to practise law in that country and in Nigeria simultaneously, ThisDay newspaper reported. This was also corroborated by a Daily Trust report published in 2022.
However, this isn’t solely an embargo on lawyers trained in Nigeria; traditionally, any foreign lawyer seeking to practice in a different country must fulfil requirements set by the country. This requirement exists due to the potential differences in laws between countries, which makes it important for foreign-trained lawyers to familiarize themselves with the legal framework of their intended practice location.
Even in Nigeria, a foreign lawyer intending to practise must pass the Nigerian Barexams. Upon successfully passing the Bar final exam, such a foreign-trained lawyer will be admitted to the Nigerian Bar to become eligible to practise law in Nigeria.
A foreign lawyer cannot practise law in Nigeria without passing through the law school except a limited extent where they obtain a warrant from the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) for the purposes of a specific proceeding or appeals arising from such proceedings.
In Canada, it’s based on province. An applicant must apply to the law society of that province and meet its requirements before they can be licensed to practise. The licence is subjected to assessment and examination that will be conducted by the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA), a committee responsible for evaluating foreign-trained lawyers seeking admission into the Canadian bar. This is followed by taking the Barrister Licensing examination and the Solicitors Licensing Examination, 10-month internship and character fitness test.
In United Kingdom, a lawyer is either addressed as a barrister or a solicitor. Therefore practising in the United Kingdom means an applicant will have to apply and be qualified as either of the two.
To qualify as a solicitor, the requirements include a law degree equivalent to a UK law degree, passing solicitors’ qualifying examinations (SQE1 and SQE2), two years of qualifying work experience, and passing the character and suitability test.
To qualify as a barrister, the applicant must possess a law degree, equivalent to a UK law degree, pass the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC), complete a one-year studentship with a barrister’s chambers and also pass the character and suitability test.
Speaking with The FactCheckHub, a Nigerian-trained lawyer, based in the United States, Israel Olawunmi, confirmed that Nigerian-trained lawyers can be licensed in the United States and other countries.
“Nigerian-trained lawyers can easily get licensed in European and North American countries. It’s why you see Nigerian-trained lawyers in law firms in these parts of the world,” he said.
He pointed out that tons of Nigerians take the New York and California bar exams yearly, and they get licensed to practice in both states.
“The thing is, the US, UK, Canada, Australia and some of these popular destinations are common law countries; the same legal system practised in Nigeria. So, it makes transitioning easier,” Olawunmi stated.
He explained that Nigerian-trained lawyers can still get licensed to practice in non-common law countries, subject to fulfilling the requirements to practice in the given country.
“The Nigerian training is no barrier to practising in other countries. In fact, as a foreign-trained lawyer in Nigeria, to practice in Nigeria, there are some requirements such a person must satisfy, including attending the Nigerian Law School among others,” he added.
In few cases, he explained that Nigerian-trained lawyers may not even need to attend the law school of the countries they intend to practice.
He noted further: “In fact, in the UK, if you have practised satisfactorily as a barrister in Nigeria, you do not need to take any exams, you can apply for a waiver and would be ultimately admitted as a barrister in England and Wales.”
THE VERDICT
The claim that a Nigerian-trained lawyer cannot practice outside the country is MOSTLY FALSE; findings revealed that if the person passes all the necessary requirements of the foreign country where he intends to practice law, then they will be licensed to practice law outside their country.
COMMENTS by Minister for Women Affairs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye that school days should exclude Fridays to enable children to get involved in production activities to boost urban development has received a lot of criticism from Nigerians.
On Thursday, September 7, Kennedy-Ohanenye, while speaking at the 2023 Anambra Investment Summit, said that Fridays should be made free for school children to allow them to produce items like matches and sanitary pads for sale.
“I am pleading for us to look into more production of some of these things in our society. Especially the necessities like the matchbox, the toothpick, the cotton buds, the sanitary pads and stuff like that. Let us introduce urban development in the schools. If we can think about using Fridays as free, for our children to start producing things just like they do in China … In China, even young kids get involved in production,” she said.
Kennedy-Ohanenye also disclosed that she contacted Nigeria’s Traders Union, who indicated an interest in marketing the items produced by the children.
“I was able to speak to the president of the Traders Union Association, and they are ready to partner on this where when they produce these things, they carry it and market it within our country.
“We will not only create jobs; we will not only stop the issue of giving handouts to our Nigerians when they are supposed to be eating fat. We will equally curtail the drug intake of our children because they will be more occupied. They will go to school and equally do some productions to start earning money on time. It will equally curtail the insecurity in our society,” she said.
However, the speech has been widely condemned by Nigerians, who described it as advocacy for child labour on various social media platforms.
“The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, is at the Anambra Investment Summit, advocating for the reduction of school days and the use of school children as workers to manufacture essentials such as toothpicks, sanitary pads and cotton buds!
“The solution to drug abuse is child labour? The solution to insecurity is child labour and reduced school hours? In 2023, when children across the world are being taught digital skills a Minister is advocating that our children should be sent to labour camps?” a Twitter user I_am_Ilemona posted on Thursday.
“Can you imagine what she’s saying? Education isn’t important to them,” another user Shegun posted.
On Facebook, David Shuaibu reposted a video of the Minister speaking at the Summit with a caption that read in part, “Your plan to introduce child labour will not succeed.”
Another user, Quassim Olamilekan Ayodele, who also reposted the video, added a caption that partly read, “ Mind you, this woman sits on the FEC! She may introduce this very sickening idea and they will clap and adopt same,” he posted.
Reuben Abati, a former presidential spokesperson and one of the anchors of “The Morning Show,” a magazine programme on Arise TV, condemned the minister’s statement.
He said Thursday morning on the show that the minister’s position reflected how public officials were bereft of ideas and needed training on what they should say in public.
Child labour has been a matter of increasing concern in Nigeria.
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), over 15 million children in Nigeria between five and fourteen years are engaged in child labour as of 2022.
Despite this, for some Nigerians on social media, the Minister’s suggestions were not tantamount to child labour but aimed at developing children’s skills.
“Bunch of bad mouths. If you could do better, trust me, you would have been there. There is nothing wrong with her suggestion. Besides, there are other ventures aside from tech. In other words, she is helping these young lads build something without seed funding,” a user, Kaybydesign, posted.
“She’s simply talking about developing vocational skills of children during their leisure hours. And I don’t see anything wrong with that. You quoted her out of context,” another user, Gbenga Saka, noted.
However, according to the ILO, certain factors determine what constitutes child labour, including work that “interferes with their schooling by depriving them of the opportunity to attend school; obliging them to leave school prematurely; or requiring them to attempt to combine school attendance with excessively long and heavy work.”
BARELY three months after a United Nigeria Airlinesaircraft skidded off the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) runway, another flight belonging to the organisation skidded off the runway again on Friday, September 8, while landing.
In a statement seen by The ICIR on Saturday, September 9, United Nigeria Airlines confirmed that its flight U5 0513, with registration 5N-BWY, upon landing, encountered aquaplaning due to a downpour.
The aircraft had onboard 51 passengers and four crew members, according to the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
In aviation parlance, aquaplaning occurs when an aircraft lands on a wet runway at high speed, causing the tires to lose runway contact and the plane no longer responsive to steering.
In May this year, a United Nigeria Airlines aircraft, 5N-BWW, with 50 passengers on board, flying in from the airport in Abakaliki, Ebonyi state, also skidded off runway 18L at the Murtala MMA2 in Lagos.
The aircraft landed safely but was forced to terminate its movement to the apron off the runway.
Explaining the recent incident, United Nigeria Airlines’ head of corporate communications, Achilleus-Chud Uchegbu, said, “The aircraft which was coming in from the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport Owerri operated and landed normally but skidded off the runway upon landing.”
He said no passenger was hurt in the incident, and all passengers were safely evacuated with their luggage.
“Relevant authorities have been informed about the incident,” the spokesperson added.
The NSIB spokesman, Tunji Oketunbi, while confirming the incident that 51 passengers and four crew members were onboard the aircraft, sought information from the general public to assist in conducting a comprehensive investigation.
He said, “NSIB has been notified and commenced investigation into a serious incident involving an Embraer ERJ145 with Nationality and Registration Marks 5N-BWY belonging to United Nigeria Airlines, which occurred around 06:33pm (Local Time) on 8th September 2023.
“The aircraft, with 51 passengers and four crew members onboard, was en route Lagos from Owerri. The aircraft on landing on Runway 18R of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, skidded off the runway.”
He also confirmed that there was no injury or fatality.
The management of the Cross River State College of Nursing and Midwifery Sciences, Itigidi, in Abi Local Government Area, LGA, Cross River State, met the proverbial “judgment day” on Thursday, June 1, 2023.
The Registrar, Aji Eko, who was on his way to catch up with an appointment at the nearby General Hospital, expressed surprise when approached by the reporter.
The reporter had come to ask the Registrar questions about some contracts. This included the contracts to renovate the building used for his office awarded to Quintito Integrated Services Nig. Ltd for N20 million; completion of block work/fixing of doors and windows in a 3-story hostel block awarded to JND Consultant Ltd for N60 million; landscaping of the college premises, including the construction of the perimeter fencing awarded to Renaissance Datarium for N18 million; and another N18 million paid to Entek B for the construction of additional three classrooms to meet NBTE’s specification.
The Registrar could not hold his anger upon learning from the reporter that the Ministry of Health had played a fast one on the College. True, the projects are ongoing, but they are being funded from the college’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) because the government claimed it was financially constrained and asked them to use IGR for the projects. But, the Registrar and his team had not been told that contracts had been awarded and contractors paid. Meaning that work ought to have started.
Eko rang the Provost of the College, Ruth Eta-Ebong on the phone to share with her what he had just learnt. After expressing her frustration with the funding challenges bedevilling her office, the Provost instructed the Registrar, in the company of her deputy, to accompany the reporter to all the project sites to see the level of work done.
But, rather than do this, the Registrar set up an emergency panel that interrogated the reporter for over an hour about the source and authenticity of his information. At the meeting were the Registrar, Deputy Provost, Administration, Bursar, and Auditor, while the Provost coordinated them over the phone.
After surviving the interrogation, the officials declined to guide the reporter to the project sites and helplessly confirmed that this was for fear of losing their jobs.
The four contracts listed above and 32 others worth over N1 billion inspired this six-week investigation, which uncovered a far-reaching breach of the Cross River State Procurement Law, 2020.
From scrutinising documents from the Due Process and Price Intelligence Bureau (DPPIB), CrossRiverWatch established that 79 contracts were awarded from the $20.4 million grant the state government got from the World Bank through its States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) programme. The 79 contracts were awarded from October 2020 to December 2021.
Of the 79 contracts, 36 were awarded by the immediate past government of Ben Ayade in violation of several provisions of the State Procurement Law, 2020 and the Project Development Objective (PDO) of the SFTAS programme, which is to strengthen fiscal transparency, accountability, and sustainability in participating Nigerian states. All 79 contracts were awarded at the exact amount the contractors proposed.
What is SFTAS?
To support the government in its objective to encourage a common set of fiscal behaviour aimed at fiscal transparency, accountability, and sustainability among states in Nigeria, the World Bank developed a four-year (2018 – 2022) Programme for Results (PforR) facility worth $750 million called States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) Performance for Results (PforR).
The programme combines selected actions from the Fiscal Sustainability Plan (FSP) and the Open Government Partnership (OGP) agenda to form its disbursement-linked results, which States are to meet before they can access funds.
The $750 million financing of the programme was spread to cover $700 million in annual performance grants and $50 million in technical assistance support to states.
The State Procurement Law of 2020 and PDO of SFTAS were violated just to award 35 contracts to friends and cronies at the expense of the people. Part 3 – fundamental principles of procurement, section 1(b), 6(a) sub 1, and 6(b) are the provisions violated.
No prior budgetary appropriation
Part 3, section 1 (b) of the state procurement law stipulates that subject to any exemption allowed by the Law, public procurements shall be conducted “based only on prior procurement plans, supported by prior budgetary appropriation…”
Four contracts were not found in the 2020 and 2021 budgets of the state as required. Two of these are from the Ministry of Health, while the others are from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The contracts by the Ministry of Health are renovation of the building used for the Registry/Registrar’s Office, College of Nursing Itigidi, valued at N20 million, awarded to Quintito Integrated Service Nig. Ltd and the renovation of General Hospital, Itigidi (female ward, children’s ward, and theatre) awarded to Gobenchi Supply and Investment Company Ltd for N48 million.
The IRS contracts are procurement of Integrated Data Extraction and Analysis (IDEAL) software, given to Gobenchi Supply and Investment Company Ltd for N21 million, and printing of 7,000 units of vehicle registration booklets and 3,000 units of motorcycle registration booklets for N9.5 million awarded to Odessys Services.
Incompetent firms
The investigation further revealed that three contracts were awarded in violation of Part 3, section 6(a) of the procurement law, which stipulates that “all bidders in addition to requirements contained in any solicitation documents shall possess the necessary “Professional and technical qualification to provide the goods, services, or works.”
The companies that lack the professional capacity for the services paid for are Konkri Kong Nigeria, Conceal Nigeria Ltd, and Ishor Global Concept (Nig) Ltd.
Konkri Kong Nigeria, which is registered as generator merchants and traders was employed and paid N15 million to purchase 200 non-contact stand-by infra-red thermometers for the Governor’s Office.
Conceal Nigeria, which is registered as an estate agent and maintenance company, was contracted to print pantographs and HMIS data tools for N65 million.
General Hospital Itigidi female ward, children’s ward, and theatre
Ishor Global Concept (Nig) Ltd was incorporated for cleaning/waste disposal services and was paid N40 million to build and equip Primary Health Care Centre Egbe Mbube, Ogoja LGA.
Unlicensed companies
Another critical finding by this reporter is that despite being mandatory as contained in Part 3, section 6(b) of the law that all bidders “shall possess the legal capacity to enter into the procurement contract,” 24 companies that are not incorporated by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) got 28 contracts.
Three out of the 24 companies got two each out of the 28 contracts. As for the procuring entities, the Ministry of Health topped the list with 16, the Ministry of Environment with seven, the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources with two, the Governor’s Office with one, the Ministry of Land with one, and Internal Revenue Service with one.
Legitimate companies kicked aside
For the 28 contracts awarded to the 24 companies not registered with CAC as demanded by law, some legitimate and qualified companies were kicked aside during the bidding process to favour the illegal ones.
There are nine awards where all the companies that bidded were unregistered. These are Phoenix Prime Enterprise, Go Beyond Enterprises, Bura Kovis Services, Eblalaobu-lowo Enterprises, Bapy Hi-Tech Services, Fravakem Ventures, Action Multi-Media, Wegosip Promotions, and Emui Resources Ltd.
There are five cases where the only legal company that bidded was kicked aside. The companies kicked aside are Dadaman Global Invest. Nig Ltd in the contract to print 7000 units of vehicle registration booklets and 3000 units of motorcycle registration booklets for IRS – N9,500,000; Breatinor Ventures, collection/evacuation, and transportation to dumpsites for the feasibility waste to wealth program in Ikom Urban – N20,300,000; Fergobest Nig. Ltd, procurement of nutritional pillar commodities MUAC tape, micronutrient power, vit A capsules – N10,000,000; Dual Basol Nig. Ltd, construction of state cold store, Barracks Road, Calabar – N95,000,000; and Preyek Ventures, procurement of 818 Nos. green bins transportation inclusive Lot IV Ogoja Urban – N40,500,000.
In the case of another 14, there was more than one registered company that bidded, but none got the contract.
Surprisingly, in one instance, the contract to purchase IDEAL software was awarded at the sum of N21,000,000 to Gobenchi Supply and Investment Company Ltd, which did not bid but miraculously got the contract.
The companies that bidded to purchase IDEAL software and were kicked aside are Pierre Consulting, Direct Link Procurement, and Supply Ltd, and Glory Land Mega Works Ltd.
Awarded Contracts Less Than 8 Months After Incorporation
This investigation also uncovered a case of four companies that got contracts not more than 8 months after they got incorporated. They were awarded in vioaltion of the State procurement law which envisages that all contract seeking entities would have been filing returns and paying tax, among other obligations, for three years prior by providing a tax clearance certificate.
Tax clearance for three years is sacrosant as it is mandatory according to the check-list of documents required for Due Process review and certification.
Shaema Global Services was awarded the contract to collect/evacuate and transport waste for feasibility and analysis under the waste-to-wealth program in Boki Urban, Lot VI for N21,350,000. The contract was given to the company 8 months after its incorporation.
Patson Environment Services was also engaged to collect/evacuate and transport waste for feasibility and analysis under the waste-to-wealth program in Yala Urban, Lot Vii for N21,550,000. It got the contract two and a half months days after incorporation.
For the procurement of nine direct solar refrigerators and one ice park freezer for N30,000,000, Erhnof Limited was contracted 18 days after it registered with CAC.
Bedas Enterprise was paid N20,000,000 for the procurement of delivery kits for safe motherhood (Lot I) 35 days after it got registered.
Awarded to politicians
This six-week investigation also uncovered seven contracts awarded to four companies affiliated with politicians or Politically Exposed Persons, PEPs. Two are commissioners, one was an aide and relative to Governor Ben Ayade, and the other a 2019 House of Assembly candidate cum popular radio presenter turned legislative aide.
Glory Land Mega Works got three contracts, Gobenchi Supply and Investment Company Ltd got two, Quintito Integrated Service Nig. Ltd and Wegosip Promotions got one each.
Glory Land Mega Works was contracted to purchase gunshot-infra-red thermometers for N45,000,000; procurement of 70 life jackets for N10,000,000; and another 70 life Jackets for 10,000,000. Its has Okon Nyong Owuna, Mabel Okon Owuna, Obassi-Akare Okon Nyong, Onor-Obasi Okon Owuna, and Ekup-Nse Okon Nyong listed as Directors.
Mr. Okon Nyong Owuna was Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources during the period of the contract award in Cross River State. He later resigned to contest for the Southern Senatorial District ticket.
Gobenchi Supply and Investment Company Ltd, which was contracted to renovate General Hospital, Itigidi (female ward, children ward, and theatre) for N48,000,000 and procurement of Integrated Data Extraction and Analysis (idea) software for N21,000,000 has two Directors, George O’ben-Etchi and O’ben-Etchi G. Both directors are believed to be Hon. George O’ben-Etchi, former House of Assembly member and immediate past Commissioner for Social Housing, but during the contract award period, he was Commissioner for Solid Minerals.
Quintito Integrated Service Nig. Ltd was contracted to renovate a building for use as Registry/Registrar’s Office, College of Nursing Itigidi for N20,000,000. The company is registered and has and has four Directors. They are Enamhe Ushie, Blessing Anthony Ulayi, Prince Victor Necus-Agba, and Anthony Andor Ulayi. The company is linked to Anthony Andor Ulayi who is related to Gov. Ayade through his half-brother, Placidus Ogar. Apart from the bloodline, Mr. Ulayi was Ayade’s Special Assistant on Local Government Service Commission.
Wegosip Promotions is an unregistered company but was contracted to procure and distribute 1000 bales of LLNS for N10,000,000. The company is owned by Mr. Awade Friday, owner of the popular vernacular English radio program on Hit 95.9FM Calabar – Otwetwe.
Mr. Awade AKA Last Prophet contested and lost in the February 2019 general elections, where he ran under the Social Democratic Party (SDP) for the Obanliku State Constituency in the House of Assembly category. He is currently a media aide to the member representing Obudu/Bekwarra/Obalinku in the House of Representatives, Hon. Peter Akpanke.
Sad Tales
It was further established that nine contractors did not go to their sites despite being mobilized, while one abandoned the project halfway.
At the Cross River State College of Nursing and Midwifery Sciences, Itigidi, four contracts were awarded but the contractors never stepped foot on the institution.
Quintito Integrated Service Nig. Ltd, a company linked to Governor Ayade’s relative, got N20,000,000 to renovate a building used as Registry/Registrar’s Office but never visited the site.
Likewise, JND Consultant Ltd was paid N60,000,000 for the completion of block work/fixing of doors and windows in a 3-story hostel block, but it never went through with it.
Renaissance Datarium got N18,000,000 to landscape the college premises, including the construction of the perimeter fence, but it never did.
Also, Entek B was paid N18,000,000 for the construction of additional 3 classrooms to meet NBTE’s specifications like others, but it never went to the site.
Sharing the fence with the College in Itigidi is the General Hospital, where Gobenchi Supply and Investment Company Ltd, a company linked to Hon. George O’ben Etchi, former House of Assembly member and immediate past Commissioner for Social Housing, got N48,000,000 to renovate the hospital’s female ward, children ward, and theater but never did. He was Commissioner for Solid Minerals when the contract was awarded.
Ishor Global Concept (Nig) Ltd, a company registered as a cleaning/waste disposal service provider was paid N40,000,000 to build and equip a new facility for them. The Primary Health Care Centre Egbe Mbube, Ogoja LGA operated from a community town hall, and this was what the contract was supposed to address. It abandoned the project halfway.
Peter Enhievi Nigeria Enterprise was also contracted to equip the Primary Health Care Centre, Egbe Mbube, for N28,000,000, but no sign of the contractor or the equipment has been seen to date.
Current state of PHC Egbe Mbube.
Remains of what Ishor Global Concept (Nig) Ltd left behind.
De-sanitizers Nig. Ltd. was contracted to renovate Primary Health Care Centres in Adadama, Abi LGA; Benedehe Ekem, Etung LGA; and Katchuan Irruan, Boki LGA for N45,000,000.
The contractor only renovated the PHC in Adadama, Abi, and abandoned that of Katchuan Irruan in Boki and Bendehe Ekem in Etung LGAs.
PHC Katchuan Irruan in Boki.
PHC Bendehe Ekem in Etung.
Livics Nigeria Enterprises, an unregistered company was paid N43,478,800 for the procurement of Callywood equipment. Callywood Studio, which operates from Tinapa, has been abandoned for years. A visit shows that it is still not functional, under lock and key and not bearing looks of N43,478,800.
What is left of Callywood studio in Tinapa.
What is left of Callywood studio in Tinapa.
Contractors explain
When asked why the N48,000,000 contract to renovate the theatre, female, and children ward was not executed, George O’Ben Etchi, owner of Gobenchi Supply and Investment Company Ltd was startled.
He told CrossRiverWatch over the phone that the contract was not given to him directly and that he only helped a young friend.
“Someone approached us to use our company to do a job. I was in the United States of America then, and I did not know the details of the job, but I said he can go ahead and make use of the company. When the payments were done, we made sure the money was released to him.
“Usually, when they get jobs at Lafarge and they don’t have the requirements, I say go ahead and use our company, but once money is paid we give it to them. Some people charge 10 per cemt but I don’t, I use that to help young people who have jobs, Just to enable them. Give me some time to make my findings, and I will get back to you.”
After two hours, an agitated O’Ben was sitting face-to-face with this reporter in Chef Zanga’s kitchen. Great Ogban and a lady accompanied him.
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“So that’s the person that came to me (referring to Ogban) and said he had a friend whose madam (boss) wanted to give him a job. I said ok.”
Perplexed, Ogban revealed that the friend he assisted is Duke Igebu, who was Personal Assistant to the immediate past Commissioner of Health in Cross River State, Betta Edu, She is also the immediate past APC Women National Leader, now Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
Edu enlisted his service right from her days as DG of the Primary Health Care Development Agency.
Thinking his problems were over, O’Ben was surprised when told that his company got another contract it did not bid for – a contract to purchase IDEAL software (N21,000,000) for the IRS.
Palpably angry, O’Ben said, “This is outright fraud. I may sue the IRS. I did not bid, and you did not pay the money to my company.”
Quintito Integrated Service Nig. Ltd was contracted to renovate a building for use as Registry/Registrar’s Office, College of Nursing Itigidi, for N20 million. The company, though registered, is linked to Anthony Andor Ulayi, a relative and aide of the then-governor, Ayade.
When contacted, Anthony Andor Ulayi, a director in Quintito Integrated Service Nig. Ltd, claimed not to know anything about the contract.
He confessed “It was a friend who approached me to use my company. I am not aware of this particular contract. Let me call him.”
Pressed further, he refused to give the name of the friend and the MDA he or she works with.
Awade Friday, the owner of Wegosip Promotions, which was found not to be registered with CAC, insisted that it is registered but could not provide the registration number.
Friday, the owner of the popular vernacular English radio programme on Hit 95.9FM Calabar, Otwetwe, said he delivered as contracted and presented his defense, though he deleted them after sharing them with this reporter.
Stakeholders call for law enforcement
Civic actors have condemned the brazen abuse of the procurement process in Cross River State and called for transparency and accountability.
Efanga Etim, Cross River State/South-South Zonal Lead for the #FollowTheMoney campaign, commended the investigation and called for law enforcement.
In a WhatsApp chat with this reporter, he stated, “It’s just disheartening to hear this. I want to first thank you for taking the time to uncover all this massive information.
“This is an issue that is bringing Nigeria to its knees on a daily basis.”
On the need to battle illegality, he posited, “Corruption is killing us as a nation, and we won’t stop until we fight it and ensure it is reduced to nothing in this country.
“The agencies are really not doing enough to combat corruption, I must say.
“The agencies should start enforcing laws to combat corruption in Nigeria. Once they do this, corruption will reduce.”
On his part, the Cross River State Lead of Policy Alert, Lawrence Peter, urged respective authorities to spring into action.
Pinpointing a gap between policy implementation and accountability, he said, “There is a gap between policy implementation and transparency. Most of the problems we have today about budgeting and project executions are major because of some political errors.
“It is time the government looks into issues of transparency, accountability, and service delivery, particularly in the public sector.
“We need a clear record on transparency and accountability.”
No response from the government
Two separate visits were made to the Ministries of Health, Agriculture, Environment, and Land as well as the Internal Revenue Service and Due Process and Price Intelligence Bureau after their information officers could not provide answers to this reporter’s questions.
A Freedom of Information (FOI) request seeking answers to why the state procurement law was not strictly followed in the award of the 36 contracts was sent to the heads of IRS, DPPIB, Ministries of Health, Agriculture, Environment, and Land. None of them responded within the seven-day stipulated time frame and at the time of filing this report.
When called to react to our findings, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Pauline Obute, told this reporter on the phone that she would facilitate a meeting with the contractors to answer questions relating to the awards they got.
“We will call for a meeting with the contractors. We will not speak on their behalf. I became Permanent Secretary in December last year. You will need to get ethical approval to get all the information.”
The Director of Planning, Research, and Statistics, Ministry of Agriculture, Cliff Ayang Oyira, while speaking on the phone, said the six contracts awarded from his Ministry never emanated from there as he would have been aware of them.
He said, “I will be sincere to you, I am not aware of such contracts. My office is the ideal office to deal with such things, but I’m not aware, sadly.”
The Procurement Officer for the Ministry of Environment, Samuel Ikpi, was called. He promised to respond later but did not. His number never connected afterwards.
The Ministry of Land, Internal Revenue Service, Due Process, and Price Intelligence Bureau are yet to respond to inquiries.
This investigation is supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, The ICIR
THE Editor of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) Damilola Ayeni has regained freedom from Benenise Police after spending nine days in detention while on his second part of his Nigerian-Benin Environmental Journalism report.
On Friday, September 8, Ayeni was released from captivity, a result of combined actions including persistent media pressure, the unceasing efforts of the Nigerian Embassy in Benin, and legal representation and advocacy efforts coordinated by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
The ICIR reports that Beninese police arrested and detained the Editor of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) Damilola Ayeni, at the Commisseria Central, Parakou Police Station, in Parakou, Republic of Benin on September 6, 2023.
The report stated that FIJ received a distress text from Ayeni on Thursday, August 31, which was swiftly deleted a few moments after it was delivered through one of its communication channels. The message read, “I have been apprehended.”
Ayeni subsequently told his colleagues on a phone call that he was briefly held because the authorities stated that there were security concerns in the area.
Following his arrest and detainment, the FIJ’s Editor was moved to Cotonou, ahead of his arraignment to a court in Porto Novo.
According to a statement by the Coalition of Whistleblowers Protection and Press Freedom (CWPPF) on Friday, September 9, 2023, Ayeni will be arraigned in court for “terrorism.’
Announcing his release in a report, FIJ mentioned that, Ayeni, as of the time filing the report, was being handed over to Nigerian authorities. Although, the report stated that he will remain in Benin Republic for a little longer.
Also, confirming his arrest the FIJ founder and editor-in-chief, via his X (now Twitter) handle, posted: “Damilola Ayeni @AF_Damilola, editor of @fijnigeria, has regained freedom after combined efforts of sustained media pressure, relentless work by the Nigerian Embassy in Benin, and legal representation and advocacy efforts facilitated by FIJ and @CPJAfrica.”
While he was in detention, The ICIRreported that several Nigerians and journalists expressed their dissatisfaction with the situation and demanded his immediate release.
