News
The Republic of Benin authorities have extended the detention of Yoruba separatist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, by six months.
Yomi Aliyyu, Igboho’s counsel, disclosed this Sunday night.
Aliyyu was quoted to have said Benin Republic renewed Ignoho’s incarceration despite that there was no criminal charge against him and no extradition request from the Nigerian Government.
He said, “Contrary to what was speculated in the news by a lawyer, the government of the Republic de Benin has renewed the incarceration of Adeyemo for another six months even though there is no criminal charge in their file in Cotonou and without extradition request from Nigeria.”
Asked if his client would take any step to challenge the extension of his detention, Aliyyu said he would approach the court of the Economic Community of West African States.
“We will approach the ECOWAS Court which they never obeyed,” he added.
Igboho was nabbed in the neighbouring African country while attempting to escape to Germany after a raid on his Ibadan, Oyo State, residence by the Department of State Service (DSS).
DSS had raided his residence on July 1, 2021 but he was arrested on July 19 together with his wife, Ropo, who was later released.
Daily Trust
Finding a decent place to live can be a daunting task anywhere, but finding 12 months' rent in advance is an additional burden faced by millions of Nigerians.
Landlords prefer large upfront payments as it reduces the chances of tenants defaulting. It is better to chase a tenant once rather than 12 times a year, goes the thinking.
But this system might be about to change.
Lawmakers are debating a law to make yearly upfront rents illegal in the capital, Abuja, while authorities in the biggest city, Lagos, are opting for a voluntary scheme beginning next month.
Lagos state government is hoping that by acting as a guarantor in a new payments system, landlords will be encouraged to switch to accepting monthly rents.
Many residents, especially young people setting out to start a family, like the idea of monthly rents.
Tunde Omotayo, who is getting married in April, is faced with raising 600,000 to 800,000 naira ($1,500-$2,000; £1,000-£1,400) for a "decent apartment" in mainland Lagos as he plans to move out of his friend's house after his wedding.
For someone on a monthly salary of 300,000 naira that is extremely difficult.
"I thought my salary could conveniently take care of my rent but I'm shocked. At this point, I won't mind paying my rent monthly because as things stand I am distressed," he told the BBC.
If he is enrolled on the new system he would only have to pay about 50,000 naira a month, which he reckons would make his life much easier with a wedding just around the corner.
Houses don't come cheap in Lagos
As one of the world's fastest-growing cities, demand for housing in Lagos increases every day, and houses don't come cheap.
Two-bedroom apartments close to the city's main business district, Victoria Island, go for between $11,000 and $22,000 a year while low-to-middle-income housing can cost anywhere between $500 and $5,000 on the city's mainland.
It is left up to the tenants to raise the funds, and the majority of working-class Nigerians have had to master the art of putting aside money every month to pay the annual rent.
Some of those that have difficulty saving borrow from loan sharks with interest charges as high as 28% per month, while a fraction receive no-interest loans from their employers to cover the rent.
Flat-sharing has also become popular for young middle-class people in Lagos so they can pool their resources to pay the huge annual rent.
Many others have moved into neighbouring Ogun state where rent is more affordable, but they face a long daily commute to work in Lagos.
Pam Christopher, who has just moved to Lagos from Jos, in central Nigeria where rents are far lower, could not believe the $2,400 rent demanded upfront for a two-bedroom apartment on mainland Lagos.
"[A] house is gold here," he told the BBC.
"I needed the two-bed because I plan to move my family here and now it looks like I can't afford it," he said.
He is currently living with a friend and is looking forward to the government's intervention, which state Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said was "designed to make people pay their rents according to their monthly earnings".
But as businessman Tosin Emmanuel found out when he broached the idea of paying rent monthly, it takes more than a speech by the governor to sway a Lagos landlord.
"The landlord asked if it was the government that bought the land and built the house for him. He said no government can determine how he collects his rent.
"The man said I should go and meet [Governor] Sanwo-Olu to give me a house," Mr Emmanuel told the BBC.
Retirement funds
For the scheme to be a success, the government is relying on the support of Lagos' powerful landlords. But that may not be forthcoming.
"Yearly rents should not be debated because many house-owners depend on it for survival," landlord Ayem Ojie told the BBC.
Ojie owns flats in Lagos' Ikorodu suburb and said he and many other house-owners built their properties to fund their retirement. "Financial planning is easy when the funds are in bulk," he said.
The word "bulk" comes up a lot in discussions with landlords.
"Maintaining a building demands bulk capital, not piecemeal," said Lekan Ade who owns a house in the middle-class Illupeju area on the mainland.
Demand for housing outstrips supply in Lagos, and the rental sector is seen as a sellers' market, where those with the property can set the terms that tenants need to follow.
Although the government says it has built 14 public housing schemes since 2019, where civil servant occupants pay low rents, there is still a large housing deficit that has been left to private developers to fill.
Nigerians used to paying upfront
They build what they want and charge what they want in a sector that is barely regulated.
But many tenants who have already got a home are not so keen to change the system.
Nigerians are used to paying upfront for things; cars, phones, school fees, and there are few mortgage facilities available for those who want to buy their own homes.
Adaobi Asuoha, who lives in the middle-class Ajah district of Lagos Island, prefers to pay her rent annually as it allows her to be more financially flexible for the rest of the year.
"The monthly rental fees is good but yearly payment [takes] the pressure off you. There are some months when I would need my entire earnings for something else," she told the BBC.
She gathers her rent by saving a percentage of her salary each month, Asuoha said.
This mindset of saving large amounts is a reflection of a Nigerian culture of upfront payments, says banker Kayode Omosebi.
He believes that Nigerians are not culturally wired for monthly bills or paying in instalments, and that people see rents as an investment.
"In a place where job security and other bills are not guaranteed, people don't want to joke with their shelter," he said. If they have paid for a year in advance, that is something they don't have to worry about for another 12 months.
But he believes that if more Nigerians open their minds to monthly payments, "things are bound to get easier".
Even the government realises that its ambitious monthly payments plan is at the mercy of the powerful landlords and might be dead on arrival.
"We know we cannot enforce monthly rent collection on landlords," said Toke Benson-Awoyinka, special adviser to the Lagos governor on housing.
But the government says its new scheme was designed after consultations with all stakeholders and sees no reason why it cannot work.
BBC
An Abeokuta Magistrates’ Court on Thursday ordered the remand of four teenagers for alleged murder of one Sofiat Okeowo, 20 -year - old girl
The police charged Balogun Mustakeem,20, Majekodunmi Soliudeen,18, Abdulgafar Lukman,19, and Waris Oladeinde,18, on a two count charge of conspiracy and murder.
Magistrate I. O Abudu who did not take the plea of the defendants, ordered that the defendants be remanded in prison.
Abudu ordered that the defendants should be remanded in Oba correctional service, pending Legal advice from Ogun State Director of Public Prosecution(DPP).
She however adjourned the case to March 14, 2022 for mention.
The Prosecutor, Inspector Lawrence Balogun, told the court that the defendants committed the offence on January 28 at about 11:00 am at Kugba area in Abeokuta.
Balogun, alleged that the defendants conspired among themselves and murdered one Sofiat Okeowo who was a girl friend to one of the defendants, Soliudeen.
He said the defendants killed her by cutting off her head with a cuttlass.
According to the prosecutor, the defendants murdered sofiat with the plan to use her for money ritual.
The prosecutor, said that the offence committed contravenes sections 324, 316 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun 2006.
(NAN)
Factions of the All Progressives Congress in several states loyal to some ministers and senators are set to lose out as APC has perfected plans to inaugurate state chairmen loyal to the governors at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Thursday (today).
Some of the losers include Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola; Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo; and Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed.
Others who lost out include former Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, Kabiru Marafa and a former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdul’Aziz Yari’.
Several state chapters had been divided into factions due to the controversial congresses conducted late last year. However, the national leadership of the party is now set to inaugurate chairmen who are loyal to the governors except in Kano State.
According to reports, chairmen from at least 30 states had already arrived in Abuja ahead of their inauguration.
One of our correspondents who visited the party headquarters on Blantyre Street, Wuse 2, Abuja, reported heavy police presence around the secretariat. The arrangement, it was learnt, was put in place to prevent any breakdown of law and order especially if aggrieved elements stage protests.
Some of the states witnessing crises include Osun, Ogun, Kwara, Kebbi, Kano, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bauchi and Zamfara. In some of these states, factions have gone to court, seeking to be recognised as the authentic one.
However, Wednesday began on a dramatic note as Aregbesola, who had been engaged in a feud with his successor, Gboyega Oyetola, lost out. A Federal High Court in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, refused to recognise Aregbesola’s faction as the authentic one.
Emmanuel Ayoola, the presiding judge, dismissed an application brought before it by Aregbesola’s loyalists, citing a lack of jurisdiction. The Judge ruled that the plaintiffs’ application was not covered by the law and could not be adjudicated by any competent court of law. Ayoola said the suit brought before the court was strictly party affairs, and the court lacked jurisdiction on the matter.
When contacted, chairman of Aregbesola’s faction in Osun APC, Rasaq Salinsile, said it was not clear yet who would be inaugurated by the national leadership as Osun state APC chairman.
Speaking with our correspondent on Wednesday, Salinsile simply said, “As it is not clear to you, it is not clear to us who will be inaugurated. But let’s keep our fingers crossed.”
But when contacted, Special Adviser to the Osun governor on Political Affairs, Sunday Akere, said there was no contention about the post of chairman of APC in the state, adding that the Gboyega Famoodun would be inaugurated by the national leadership of APC.
“No contention about who is the chairman of APC in the state. Gboyega Famoodun will be inaugurated by the national leadership of the party,” Akere said.
I have been invited for inauguration, I am in Abuja – Governor Abdulrazaq’s faction factional chair
In Kwara State, the faction loyal to Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, was invited for the inauguration.
Sunday Fagbemi, who heads the governor’s faction, said he had been invited for Thursday (today’s) inauguration of party chairmen by the national caretaker committee of the party.
Fagbemi said in a telephone conversation with our correspondent on Wednesday that he was already in Abuja ahead of the inauguration and that the state chapter of APC was fully invited for the inauguration ceremony. “I’m already in Abuja for the swearing in of the APC chairmen that will hold on Thursday”
I am not aware of inauguration – Chairman, Lai Mohammed’s faction
However, the faction loyal to Lai Mohammed said that it was not aware of the inauguration.
Sunday Oyebiyi, Deputy Chairman elected by the faction at the APC Congress said, “We don’t know whether anything is being done by the national caretaker committee of APC in Abuja. We were not informed and we were not invited.”
Abiodun’s loyalist to be inaugurated
In Ogun State where Governor Dapo Abiodun and his predecessor, Amosun, control two separate factions, the APC headquarters seems to have recognised Abiodun’s loyalist, Yemi Sanusi.
When Sanusi was asked if he was confident of being inaugurated as the chairman of the party in the state, Sanusi just said “you cannot talk to me now. I just landed in Abuja, till tomorrow.”
Several attempts to speak to the faction loyal to a former governor of the state, Amosun, also failed. The factional chairman, Derin Adebiyi, could not be reached as of the time of filing this report.
Marafa faction kicks as APC recognises Matawalle faction
In Zamfara State where three factions are currently operating, it was learnt that APC would inaugurate the faction loyal to Governor Bello Matawalle.
While the faction led by Marafa kicked against the development, former Governor Yari’s faction did not respond to calls.
Zamfara State APC Publicity Secretary of the governor’s faction, Yusuf Idris, said they were the only faction invited by the national headquarters of the party for the inauguration.
We are already in Abuja for inauguration – Matawalle faction
Idris said, “We are already in Abuja for the inauguration as invited by the national headquarters of our great party, the APC”.
“I have been telling people that we have no faction in Zamfara state as both former Governor Yari and Marafa have been saying.
“Their factions are not recognised by the national headquarters because they were not registered members of the party. They refused to revalidate their membership cards as directed by the national headquarters, as such, they have no business in APC.”
In his reaction, Publicity Secretary of Marafa’s faction, Bello Bakyasuwa said, the Matawalle APC faction was only wasting its time.
Bakyasuwa said the Marafa’s faction did not go to Abuja for the inauguration because the case they filed against the national headquarters of the party was still in court.
“We didn’t go to Abuja because of our pending court’s case which will be heard on February 17. But I am telling you, that any faction of our party that goes to Abuja for the inauguration is violating the court’s order because we have been directed by the court to maintain the status-quo”.
Efforts to speak with executive members of the Yari faction proved abortive as both the factional chairman, Lawal Liman and the Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Magaji, did not pick their calls after several attempts.
In Bauchi State, the national headquarters of the party recognised the faction led by the President’s ally and Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu. This implies that the faction led by the Ambassador to Germany, Yusuf Tugar; has lost out.
When contacted, Spokesman for the Adamu-led faction, Adamu Jalla, said that the elected chairman and secretary of the APC in the state would be inaugurated.
“Yes, there will be an inauguration on Thursday (today) in Abuja for the Chairman (Babayo Misau) and secretary.” When asked further questions, he hung up the call.
Chairman of the faction loyal to Tugar, Sanusi Kunde, however, kicked against the action of the national leadership of APC, insisting that the matter was still in court.
“The party executives in any state which has a case in court will not be inaugurated until such issues are first resolved,” he stated.
Winner of the state chairman of the APC in Benue State, Austin Agada, is one of the state chairmen to be inaugurated today by the party in Abuja.
The State Organising Secretary elect and Party Publicity Secretary, James Orgunga told our correspondent on the phone that Austin Agada, who is backed by Minister of Special Duties, George Akume, had been invited to Abuja for today’s inauguration.
It was learnt that while Akume was supporting Agada, a former Deputy Governor, Steven Lawani, is backing the other faction.
Asked about the pending court case restraining the party from inaugurating the chairman-elect, Austin Agada, and two others, Orgunga debunked the restraining order, saying that what the court said on Monday when the case came up for hearing was that it would be given accelerated hearing.
“What the judge said on Monday when the case held is that the suit will be given accelerated hearing, so the chairman elect, Austin Agada will be sworn in on Thursday, in fact I am just arriving Abuja for the inauguration,” Orgunga said.
Inauguration will be contempt of court – Benue rival faction
When contacted, the factional leader, Omale Omale, confirmed that the court at its hearing on Monday submitted that it would give the case accelerated hearing and adjourned till February 3 to consider the motion on stay of execution until the matter is determined.
Omale said, “Regrettably, the court which should have done that (pronounce stay of execution) before now has not but we are also fortified by the position of the law which says that when a party is aware of a pendancy of a suit and does any other things to destroy the rex, the court frowns at it, it comes heavily on them.
“APC is aware of the pendency of this suit we filed on January 18 and the same day our lawyer wrote to them notice of a pendency of a suit and a motion for stay of execution and the APC has entered appearance and filled paper and joined issue with us and adjourned till tomorrow (today) .
“So if they (APC) go ahead to do anything to destroy the rest that will make it impracticable for the court to pronounce on a motion before it, the court will not be happy and as a lawyer we know what to do by taking options open to us, such as contempt.”
APC to inaugurate Omo-Agege faction
In Delta State where Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege and Keyamo have been engaged in a supremacy battle, it was learnt that the Omens Sobotie, the chairman loyal to Omo-Agege would be recognised by APC.
When contacted, Sotobie said, “Why not wait till tomorrow. I have no comment, tomorrow is the D-day.”
Also, former Delta North Secretary, Victor Sorokwu, who is a member of Omo-Agege’s faction, said that there was only one congress in the state.
He stated, “There was only one congress in Delta, the other faction boycotted both state and LGA congresses resulting from perceived grievance emanating from the ward congress.
“They went to court and but the national body went ahead and conducted both the LGA and state congress and winners emerged, there is no court order stopping the swearing in of the executive, then will you now ask the national body not to inaugurate the state chairman-elect?”
Keyamo group to storm Abuja
But the faction led by Keyamo has concluded plans to storm venue of the inauguration to demand that its own chairman be recognised.
When contacted on the telephone, Deputy Chairman of the Keyamo-led faction, Evils Ayomanor, said, “Please we are in serious meeting now, I can’t speak” But a source inside the faction confided in our correspondent that the faction is seriously meeting and has concluded plan to storm to the venue of the tomorrow inauguration.
Confusion over Kano APC factions
In Kano, there was confusion as it was learnt on good authority that the national secretariat was insisting on recognising and inaugurate members of APC loyal to the Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
When contacted to confirm whether the national secretariat invited the Ibrahim Shekarau-led faction to Abuja for the inauguration, the Chairman, Haruna Danzago, said although he was in Abuja but could not give me an update on the ongoing reconciliation process or inauguration.
Also, when contacted, Kano State Commissioner for Information and spokesman man of the State Government, Muhammed Garba, who is also in Abuja, promised to call back to give an update on the current situation but has not at the time of filing this report.
Punch
Lauretta Fagbohun, Ogun
Ogunstate governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun and his Oyo State counterpart, Engr. Seyi Makinde, Wednesday held a joint security meeting in Abeokuta, as they both meet to deliberate on critical security issues affecting the two States.
Addressing newsmen, Prince Dapo Abiodun stated that the collaboration between the two states is hinged on the common patrimony between the two states.
Abiodun added that the two states shares about 336 kilometres of borderlines, covering 6 local government areas in Ogun state, saying that the similarities have created a reoccurring security challenges in the corridor.
"Ogun and Oyo States were created the same day, and we share alot of common patrimony with ancestors that binds us together.
"Today's security meeting therefore different in heritage, common history and cultural affinity.
"Ogun state shares border with the South West states, except Ekiti state. But our longest stretch of borderlines is with Oyo State.
"This collaboration is therefore peculiar because it is with our biggest neighbor by land mass in the South Western states and the political capital of our region", Abiodun added
He therefore reteraited that the security partnership between the two states is hoped to create an enduring peace that will promote sustainable economic development among the citizens.
In his remarks, the Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde stressed that the security partnership between the two states is absolutely important, considering the recent security breaches along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
Makinde, who appreciated his Ogun State counterpart said despite belonging to a different political parties, stressed that they are both committed to the security of lives and properties of the citizens of both states.
He however expresses optimism that the entire South Western region will experience relative peace and economic development at the end of the technical session of the meeting.
Senate has confirmed Rhoda Gumus as a national commissioner (Southsouth) of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Gumus, a nominee from Bayelsa state, is said to be a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), a civil society organisation (CSO), had petitioned Senate President Ahmad Lawan against her nomination.
In the petition dated January 26 and acknowledged by the office of the senate president, Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA national coordinator, said the CSO found documents proving that Gumus is a card-carrying member of the ruling party.
The documents were said to have been attached to the petition.
However, while presenting a report on the floor of the senate on Wednesday, Kabir Gaya, chairman of the INEC committee, said no petition against Gumus was received.
“The nominees were asked questions and they answered soundly. Mr President, we only received one petition in regard to Major-General Alkali,” Gaya said.
“But through the media, after we had submitted our report, we were hearing news about a different person (Gumus) again. The committee received a petition from Taraba elders against Alkali over incontinence.”
Gaya said the elders wanted the Northeast position to go to Taraba state. He, however, said the committee members dismissed the petition because the president has the prerogative to pick a nominee from any state in the Northeast.
Other nominees confirmed as national commissioners for INEC are Mohammed Haruna (Northcentral), May Agbamuche-Mbu (Southsouth), Ukeagu Nnamdi (Southeast), and Sam Olumekum (Southwest).
The Cable
The United States embassy in Nigeria has lifted the restriction on drop box service or interview waiver for those renewing visas in the country.
The interview waiver was suspended for Nigerian applicants in May 2019.
Applicants must, however, be applying to renew a visa in the same classification as their prior non-immigrant visa.
“Right now, this service is only available to applicants renewing a B1/B2, C1/D, F, M or J, H and L visa. Applicants must satisfy all the following criteria for their visa class. If applying as a group or family, all members must fulfill all criteria to qualify for interview waiver,” the embassy said.
“For B1/B2 or C1/D visa holders: the applicant must possess a full-validity B1/B2 or C1/D visa that expired within the past 24 months or will expire in the next three months.
“The applicant must be a citizen or resident of Nigeria. The applicant must not have been refused a visa since the issuance of the previous visa, or had a visa revoked, or have ever required a waiver.
“The applicant possesses all issued passports covering the entire period since receiving the previous visa and the passport with the most recent visa.
“The applicant has never been arrested or convicted of any crime or offense in the United States, even if the applicant has later received a waiver or pardon.
“The applicant has never worked without authorization or remained beyond their permitted time in the United States. C1/D applicants must possess a letter from the employer outlining the scope, duration, and location of the anticipated work.”
The same criteria also apply to Lagos F or M visa holders and Abuja applicants with F1/F2 visas, while for J visa holders, the embassy said the visa must be for academic purposes.
“The applicant’s DS-2019 must be for an academic program (not summer work travel, au pair, or camp counselor,” it said.
The embassy also instructed applicants to complete their applications using this link.
The following documents are to be mailed to the Abuja embassy via a designated document delivery DHL facility: “A printout of your submission letter (printed from https://ustraveldocs.com/ng/); completed DS-160; an approved I-20; a receipt for your I-901 SEVIS fee; a GTB (MRV) receipt for your visa fee; your passport containing the expired student visa (if that passport is expired, a current valid passport is also required).”
Also required are: “A passport photograph meeting these requirements; proof of continued full-time enrollment (such as transcripts, tuition payment, etc.)”.
The embassy added that only applicants with scheduled appointments can drop off documents at the US Consulate.
The Cable
Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited spent N100 billion on the rehabilitation of the nation’s refineries in 2021.
Details of the expenditure are contained in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) presentation to the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting on its funding performance for the year.
According to the state oil firm, the fund was used to revamp the facilities throughout the year.
Although the specific refineries were not stated, according to the funding report, NNPC said it spent N8.3 billion every month in 2021 to revamp the refineries.
The facilities under the NNPC’s management include the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC), Kaduna Refining Production Company (KRPC) and the Warri Refining Production Company (WRPC).
The refineries have a combined installed capacity of 445,000 barrels of oil per day.
Despite having four refineries, Nigeria imports its refined petroleum products. As a result, the country spends the scarce foreign exchange (forex) to ensure no scarcity.
Mele Kyari, group managing director of the NNPC, had said the nation’s refineries were deliberately shut down because their operations were no longer sustainable.
In March 2021, the federal executive council (FEC) approved the sum of $1.5 billion for the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery. Last week, the federal government said it had processed $98 million and N17.2 billion as partial payments for the ongoing rehabilitation works at the refinery.
The Cable
Three teenage boys have been caught burning the head of a girl, said to be in a relationship with one of them, for money ritual in Oke Aregba area of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
Men of the Ogun State Police Command arrested the three teenagers in the early hours of Saturday following the tip-off by one Segun Adewusi, who is the community security guard.
Adewusi was reported to have observed that four boys were burning something suspected to be human head in a local pot.
The security guard immediately alerted the police at Adatan station, who went to the scene and arrested the three boys while the fourth one escaped before the police arrived.
A source, who confirmed the incident said the slain girl, identified as Rofiat, was a resident of Idi-Ape; and was a girlfriend to one Soliu, who is now in police net.
Soliuwas said to have lured the girl to his room, where he held her down and asked one of his friends to slaughter her with a knife.
The source said, “The arrested suspects were identified as 17-year-old Wariz Oladeinde from Kugba, 19-year-old Abdulgafar Lukman from Kugba and Mustakeem Balogun from Bode Olude, all in Abeokuta.
“The police have taken the body away to a mortuary.”
Confirming the incident, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the three boys have been arrested.
Oyeyemi said, “Three young boys whose ages range between 17and 20 years were in the early hours of Saturday 29th of January 2022 arrested by men of Ogun State Police Command for killing a girlfriend of their friend for money making ritual.
“On interrogation, the arrested suspects confessed that what they were burning in the local pot is the head of the girlfriend of their escaped accomplice.
“They confessed further that the girl who was simply identified as Rofiat was lured by her boyfriend simply identified as Soliu to where she was murdered by four of them, after which they cut off her head and packed the remains in a sack, and dumped it in an old building.
“They subsequently led policemen to the building, where the dismembered body was recovered and deposited at general hospital mortuary for autopsy.
“The short cutlass and a knife used in cutting off the deceased head were also recovered.”
The PPRO however said the Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, described the action of the suspects as height of callousness.
He said Bankole has ordered for a massive manhunt for the fleeing boyfriend of the victim by name Soliu.
“The CP also ordered the immediate transfer of the suspects to homicide section of the state Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for discreet investigation with the view to arraign them in court as soon as possible,” he said.
Lauretta Fagbohun, Ogun
Officers of the Ogun State Police Command on Tuesday killed two bandits in a fierce gun battle at Saala Orile forest, where the bandits were attacking some Fulani herders.
This was disclosed by the Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi who confirmed that an Inspector of police, Omolayo Olajide, lost his life during the gun duel.
DSP Oyeyemi told newsmen that, the DPO of Ayetoro police division, CSP Bernard Ediogboyan, led his men and operatives of the Joint Security Intervention Squad (JSIS) to the scene, having received a distress call that the bandits were attacking the Fulani herders, at Isaala Orile forest.
He explained that "on sighting the police, the bandits opened fire on them and the policemen replied fire for fire".
"At the end of the encounter which lasted for about twenty minutes, two among the bandits were shot dead while others escaped with varying degrees of gunshot injuries".
The State Police spokesman said, items recovered include three locally made guns, sixteen live cartridges, assorted criminal charms, one cutlass, one small phone, and one unregistered Bajaj motorcycle.
Meanwhile, the State Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, who expressed sadness over the death of the police officer while fighting the bandits had directed that the escaped members of the gang be hunted and brought to justice.
The CP also condoled with the family of the late inspector and assured them that his death will not be in vain.
More...
A traditional ruler in Agodo town near Papalanto in Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State, the Alagodo of Agodo, Ayinde Odetola, and his three friends were on Monday burnt to death.
Our correspondent gathered that the slain traditional ruler and three others were attacked by some hoodlums who are residents of Agodo village around 11am.
A source told our correspondent that the Oba was burnt to ashes with his car he brought into the town.
It was further gathered that the three others were also killed in the same car with the traditional ruler.
Our correspondent further gathered that crisis erupted when the late Oba was installed by the Alake of Egbaland , Michael Gbadebo, in the village believed to be under the authority of Owu kingdom .
It was further learnt that residents of the village, who are mostly of Owu extraction, rejected his installation, being an Ake person.
An elder sister of the late Oba, Adenike Akintade, lamented the killing, alleging that the same people had killed the younger brother of the late monarch recently.
She said “I had just been discharged from hospital early this morning, only to start mourning the brutal assassination of my brother by 11am.
“Oba Odetola lost his younger brother to the imbroglio some months ago; the young man was butchered by the so-called hoodlums. Today, Kabiesi is no more, what a world!”
When contacted the Police Public Relations Officer, Ogun State Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident.
Oyeyemi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said the Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole; and the Special Security Adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun, Olusola Subair, visited the town for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation.
The PPRO stated that the whole town had been deserted at the time of the visit.
He said, “Yes, we are aware. The CP has gone to the place. The villagers had left the village before we got there.
“The CP has directed the Homicide Section to take over the case and investigate the matter.
“Only one person was burnt. We don’t know if he is an Oba or not.”
Punch
Federal government has postponed the planned petrol subsidy removal till further notice due to “high inflation and economic hardship”.
Subsidy or under-recovery is the underpriced sales of premium motor spirit (PMS), better known as petrol.
The government had planned to stop subsidy payments on petroleum products from July this year.
Zainab Ahmed, minister of finance, budget, national planning, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja at a meeting with Senate President Ahmad Lawan.
The meeting had Timipre Sylva, minister of state for petroleum resources; representatives of oil companies, among others, in attendance.
Last week, Lawal had said Buhari did not direct the removal of petrol subsidy, saying their “constituents are raising concerns over the policy”.
National Economic Council (NEC) said it was still considering the recommendations of its ad-hoc committee — which proposed full deregulation and N302 per litre for PMS.
Petrol subsidy payments gulped N1.43 trillion in 2021, shrinking revenue accrued to the federation account to N542 billion — a shortfall from the projected N2.51 trillion. In December 2021, Nigeria spent N270.83 billion to cater for the cost of petroleum shortfall.
The finance minister said the government had to reconsider its decision after the 2022 budget was passed.
Ahmed said petrol subsidy was provided for in the 2022 budget to run from January till June.
She, however, said that after consultations with stakeholders — in view of the high inflation and economic hardship — additional provisions would be made beyond the initial period.
According to her, it has become clear that the timing for the removal of petrol subsidy will be problematic as the country still experiences heightened inflation.
“Provision was made in the 2022 budget for subsidy payment from January till June. That suggested that from July, there would be no subsidy,” Ahmed said.
”The provision was made sequel to the passage of the Petroleum Industry Act, which indicated that all petroleum products would be deregulated.
“Sequel to the passage of the PIA, we went back to amend the fiscal framework to incorporate the subsidy removal.
“However, after the budget was passed, we had consultations with a number of stakeholders, and it became clear that the timing was problematic.
“We discovered that practically, there is still heightened inflation and that the removal of subsidy would further worsen the situation and impose more difficulties on the citizenry.
“Mr President (Muhammadu Buhari), does not want to do that. What we are now doing is to continue with the ongoing discussions and consultations in terms of putting in place a number of measures.
“One of these include the roll-out of the refining capacities of the existing refineries and the new ones, which would reduce the amount of products that would be imported into the country.
“We, therefore, need to return to the National Assembly to now amend the budget and make additional provision for subsidy from July 2022 to whatever period that we agreed was suitable for the commencement of the total removal.”
On his part, Lawan appealed to the leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) to shelve their planned industrial action over subsidy removal as it has become unnecessary.
The Cable
The Ogun State government has called for the review of the terms and conditions for accessing counterpart funded projects by international donor agencies by States, contending the current arrangement is no longer in tune with current economic realities in the country.
The State Commissioner for Finance and Chief Economic Adviser, Mr. Dapo Okubadejo, made the call during a meeting with a team from the International Economic Relations Department (IERD), Federal Ministry of Finance, led by its Director, Hajia Aisha Omar, in his office in Abeokuta.
He argued that mandating participating States to provide a certain percentage of the counterpart fund as requirement for accessing loans or grants, as a demonstration of their commitment was no longer realistic.
He added that most States were contending with numerous financial challenges, suggesting that donor agencies should collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Finance, to evaluate capacity of States seeking such loans or grants before approvals are granted.
Okubadejo also enjoined development partners to deemphasize the use of level and rate of disbursement, instead of the impact rate of loans to partnering States as a yardstick for measuring their performance.
“Using counterpart funding as a way to determine commitment is no longer popular because resources are scarce. Most States are grappling with wage increase, COVID-19 pandemic, slowdown in economic activities and decrease in Internally Generated Revenue. All of these have put pressure on the funding capacity of State governments. We would love to do these projects, but because counterpart funding is put as a requirement, a lot of States will be slow in kick starting the projects.
“But if you put in place necessary governance requirements to ensure compliance and implementation, and evaluate the governments capacity to deliver on the projects, I think we would achieve a lot more”, Okubadejo said.
The Chief Economic Adviser further decried the situation where States were mandated to spend certain amount of grants and loans on hiring consultants, maintaining that Ogun State, due to its huge investment in human capital development by the current administration, has a large pool of in-house experts who have been assisting it with its development plan strategies, thereby making such condition uneconomical and unattractive.
“A situation where you say out of about 250 million dollars, 50 million dollars was meant to be for technical assistance and hiring consultants is not tidy enough. For us in Ogun State, because of our heavy investment in human capital development, we have a lot of public office holders with good professional requisite skills, experience and capacity to do these things we are expected to hire Consultants for.
“This is so because a lot of the reforms that were envisaged by these projects are in our own economic development plan and strategy. For instance, we set up the Ogun State Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency, it was envisaged in the project, but we set it up without using consultants. We also passed the Private –Public Partnership law and set up an office for it by ourselves. For the procurement portal, we were advised to hire a consultant for about 350 to 400 thousand dollars, but because of our capacity in the State, we developed the portal by ourselves internally and we submitted it to them to verify and validate, they said fantastic, and it was approved. That’s how we created the e-procurement portal we are using now. And with this, we saved almost four hundred to five hundred thousand dollars for the State”, Okubadejo pointed out.
Responding, the team leader, Hajia Omar, corroborated the Commissioner, saying her agency was working on the mandate of the Federal Executive Council for a downward review of amounts allocated for consultancy services, and focus on infrastructural development and capacity building for sustainability of the programme.
“The directive of the Federal Executive Council is that allocations under Consultancy should be brought down to the minimal except when highly required, and that we should focus on infrastructure, in-house building for sustainability of the projects, because projects will still be there years after the intervention of the development partners.
“There is really no value most time when you talk about hiring Consultants because most times we have in-house experts, except for some new fields that have not been developed within the civil service”
“You were also right that much emphasis is being placed on level and rate of disbursement instead of the impact of projects, and I think that is one discussion we have been having seriously with our development partners, For us, from us from Finance side, we want to see what you have spend and what you have on ground, is there value for money? That is our own focus and I think it is now our duty and responsibility to draw the attention of development partners and ensure emphasis should be on impact, not on disbursement”, she submitted.
Federal government has approved a prior review of the thresholds service-wide application for procurements in ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).
Ministerial tenders board can now award a contract of N30 million and above — but less than N1.5 billion — for works.
This represents a 200 percent increase from the initial approval of N10 million and above — but less than N500 million.
The board can also award N20 million and above (but less than N300 million) for goods, while the threshold for services is N20 million and above (but less than N300 million).
Before now, it could only approve contracts from N5 million and above (but less than N100 million) for goods and consultant fees.
Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of the federation, sent a circular to that effect on Wednesday.
According to the circular, Mustapha said the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) would be more disposed to post review, procurement audit, surveillance and monitoring activities to check against abuse procurement processes and enforce appropriate sanctions.
The review states that only BPP can provide a certificate of “no objection” for procurement of goods worth N300 million and above, works from N1.5 billion and above and consultant fees above N300 million in MDAs.
Certificate of no objection is approval showing that a procuring entity conforms with the procurement laws.
“In order to ensure sustained and realistic procurement outcomes in the face of current economic realities and to enhance budget implementation and ease of doing business, the Federal Government has approved the revision of the subsisting Prior Review and Monetary Thresholds for Service-Wide Application for procurement of Goods, Works and Services,” the circular reads.
“With the revision of the procurement thresholds, the bureau shall be more disposed to post review, procurement audit, surveillance and monitoring activities to check against abuse or breach of to enforce appropriate sanctions where necessary in line with the provisions of the Public Procurement Act.”
The circular added that the approved procurement thresholds supersede all subsisting thresholds with the exception of the special thresholds for expenditures related to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPC), which is in US Dollar and is self-adjusting to reflect the prevailing Naira equivalent values.
Mustapha said the implementation of the circular is with immediate effect.
According to section 22 of the Public Procurement Act, the Tenders Board, headed by an accounting officer (permanent secretary or executive officer), is responsible for the procurements of goods, works and services within the threshold set in the regulations.
For parastatal tenders board, the government also reviewed the contract thresholds to N10 milion and above (less than N100 million) for goods, N30 million upwards (less than N1.5 billion) for works, and N20 million above for services.
It added that accounting officers (permanent secretaries) can only approve less than N20 million contracts for goods, N30 million and below for works and N10 million and below for services.
For the director-general and chief executive officer (CEO) of MDAs, the contract threshold was reviewed upward from N2.5 million to N10 million for goods.
For works and services, it increased the threshold from N5 million and N2.5 million to N20 million and N10 million, respectively.
The Cable