Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naturenex roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Saturday, 17th August 2024.
1. EFCC Uncovers How Emefiele Spent ₦18 Billion To Print ₦1 Billion Notes
A fresh investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has revealed alleged corruption linked to the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.
The investigation focuses on printing one billion pieces of ₦100 banknotes and the production of 5,000 acrylic blocks in commemoration of Nigeria’s centenary celebration in October 2014.
Sources within the EFCC who spoke with the Premium Times disclosed that Emefiele allegedly bypassed the standard approval process by securing direct approval from former President, Goodluck Jonathan without first passing the proposal through the CBN board as mandated by the CBN Act of 2007.
According to the investigation, this contract, valued at $121.66 million (₦18.91 billion at the time), was awarded to Swedish company Crane Currency, raising concerns of overinflation and kickbacks.
The EFCC’s findings indicated that the payment arrangement breached established practices, with 60% of the contract sum ($72.99 million) advanced to Crane Currency through its Nigerian subsidiary.
Investigators allege that only $39.85 million was actually transferred to Crane, while the balance of $32.72 million was held back, converted to naira, and used to enrich top officials of the CBN and their associates.
The EFCC has reportedly recovered ₦3.18 billion of the inflated amount so far.
2. Seized Presidential Jets: My Role In Ogun, Chinese Firm Deal – Ex-Gov Amosun
The former governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun, has spoken regarding the ongoing dispute between Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd, a Chinese firm, and the Nigerian government.
The disagreement has recently escalated, leading to the seizure of three Nigerian aircraft stationed at Paris-Le Bourget and Basel-Mulhouse airports in Europe.
The dispute stems from a contract the Ogun State government revoked in 2016 during Amosun’s tenure as governor.
The revocation led Zhongshan to pursue legal action, resulting in the seizure of the aircraft as part of an arbitration ruling against Nigeria.
The firm alleged that the Nigerian government had reneged on an agreement, prompting it to seek enforcement through international arbitration.
In a recent turn of events, Zhongshan agreed to release one of the seized jets after learning that President Bola Tinubu required the aircraft for a scheduled meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Reacting to the situation, Senator Amosun, in a statement personally signed by him on Saturday, recounted the role he played in the original deal and expressed his readiness to work with the federal government to ensure any foreign entity does not exploit Nigeria.
Amosun in the statement, titled, ‘Zhongfu firm is an impostor, it’s Chinese against Chinese dispute’ noted that when his administration assumed office on 29 May 2011, very shortly after, two different sets of Chinese companies, Messrs China Africa Investment FXE and Zhongfu International Investment FXE, laid claims to Management rights over the Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone (OGFTZ).
“Based on the information at the disposal of the Government at the time, Zhongfu International Investment FXE was on 15/03/2012 appointed as Interim Zone Manager pending further evaluation. The whole idea was to ensure that someone was in charge and thereby prevent unwholesome and untoward development in the Zone pending the completion of our fact-finding exercise.
“It was later discovered that the information and claims volunteered by Zhongfu International Investment FXE against China Africa Investment FXE were tissues of lies,” Amosun noted.
3. Kidnapping: ‘We Must Declare War On This Massive Insecurity’ – Peter Obi
The Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has called for the declaration of war against insecurity and economic hardship in the country.
Peter Obi made the call following the recent cases of kidnappings, including the abduction of medical students in Benue, and a state commissioner and his wife in Edo State.
Naturenex recalls that on Friday, not fewer than 20 medical and dental students, along with a house officer, were kidnapped by gunmen in Benue State.
The students were reported to be travelling to the Federation of Catholic Medical and Dental Students annual convention in Enugu when they were ambushed around 5.30pm in the Otukpo area.
Similarly, the Commissioner for Youths Development in Anambra State, Patrick Aghamba, and his wife were reportedly kidnapped in Edo State on their way to Abuja on Friday.
In a statement via X on Saturday, Peter Obi stated that citizens will not continue to live in fear, poverty and darkness.
The former Anambra State Governor added that the country must collectively resolve and unite to confront the challenges confronting the country.
4. Tinubu Issues Directive To Government Officials Ahead Of 79th UNGA In US
President Bola Tinubu has issued a directive that only authorised government officials with business at the forthcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meetings in New York, United States, should attend the event.
Naturenex reports that the directive was disclosed by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Saturday in Abuja during a one-day retreat organised by the State House management for heads of government agencies under its supervision.
In a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, Gbajabiamila, said Tinubu ordered a reduction in Nigeria’s official delegation to UNGA.
According to him, the decision to streamline Nigeria’s delegation to the 79th session of UNGA in September is part of the administration’s commitment to ensure prudent management of resources and reduce the cost of governance.
The Chief of Staff urged heads of agencies to comply strictly, adding that the President is listening to the concerns of Nigerians and is committed to addressing them diligently.
5. NNPCL Speaks On Selling Employment Slots
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL) has debunked rumours of selling employment slots to Nigerians and anyone who wishes to buy.
Naturenex reports that NNPCL, in a statement on Saturday by its Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, described rumours of selling employment slots as antics of fraudsters who want to take advantage of unsuspecting applicants.
The national oil company called on Nigerians to disregard such rumours and warned against paying money to anyone for any job in the company.
The statement reads, “The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. (NNPC Ltd.) has called on members of the public, especially jobseekers, to discountenance rumours of employment slots for sale.
“The company states that there is no iota of truth in the insinuations that it has employment slots on offer to anyone who wishes to buy, describing such as antics of fraudsters who want to take advantage of unsuspecting applicants.
“It cautions that as a responsible corporate entity, recruitment into the company is a straightforward process and does not involve the sale of slots or inducement of any kind.
“It warns that anyone who pays money to anyone for any job in the company does so at his or her own risk.”
6. Labour Party Rejects Soludo’s Proposed LG Polls In Anambra, Takes Legal Action
The Anambra State chapter of the Labour Party (LP) has threatened to head to court as it formally declines to endorse the forthcoming local government election slated for September 28.
During a press conference over the weekend, the state working committee of the party addressed journalists, revealing its intention to pursue legal action against what it characterizes as the rushed modification of the state electoral laws by the House of Assembly, allegedly in response to the directives of the state Governor, Chukwuma Soludo.
LP said: “The trending matter of the moment as we all know, is the proposed forthcoming Anambra State Local Government elections.
“As much as the State House of Assembly did not make any budgetary provisions for the proposed Council Election, we are shocked and at a loss as to the speed of amendments upon amendment of the State Electoral Law even extending into the wee hours of the night.
“The governor is under intense pressure to conduct the LGA election before October 2024 or lose the monthly Local Government Fund Allocations to a holding account as ruled by the Supreme Court of Nigeria.”
After a careful study of the amended Electoral Law, the party said they have resolved to go to court.
7. We Were Pressured To Ask INEC To Cancel 2023 Presidential Elections – Gen. Abdulsalami’s Peace C’ttee
The National Peace Committee (NPC) has revealed details of behind-the-scenes maneuvers by partisans and other unnamed elements during the 2023 Presidential Election, disclosing that it came under immense pressure to persuade the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to either halt the collation of results or cancel the election entirely.
The NPC, led by former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar, made these revelations on Friday in Abuja during the public presentation of its 106-page report on the 2023 General Elections, titled ‘Nigeria’s Pursuit of Electoral Compliance: National Peace Committee NPC 2023 General Elections Report’.
General Abubakar highlighted the immense pressure exerted on the committee during the election process as partisan forces sought to influence the election outcome through various means.
According to him, the report provides an in-depth analysis of the challenges faced during the election and recommendations for improving future electoral processes in Nigeria.
Before the public presentation of the report, the NPC had earlier met with INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and other senior management staff of the commission.
During the meeting, they were briefed on INEC’s preparations for the upcoming governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states.
8. Africa Didn’t Receive Mpox Vaccine – Ex-DG NCDC, Prof Nasidi
Former Director-General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Professor Abdusalam Nasidi, has lamented that Africa was marginalized in the distribution of the Monkeypox vaccine the first time it was developed.
Professor Abdusalam Nasidi said Europe and other developed nations were the focus of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the vaccine distribution even though Africa was the continent affected by the disease.
Professor Nasidi said this while reacting to 39 cases of the Monkeypox virus reported across the country, in an interview with Arise TV.
Speaking about the vaccine and its availability in Nigeria, Nasidi said the vaccine for the Mpox virus did not go through the supposed clinical trial because of the emergency.
9. Deploy Every Measure To Secure Release Of Our 20 Student Doctors – NMA To FG
The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has tasked the federal government to ensure the secured release of 20 student doctors abducted by bandits in Benue, on Thursday.
NMA said the students who were en route to Enugu for the Federation of Catholic Medical and Dental Students (FECAMDS) conference were abducted at approximately 5:00 pm.
NMA, in a statement on Saturday, added that 12 of the victims are students of the University of Jos, Plateau State, while 8 of the victims are students of the University of Maiduguri, Borno State.
The statement signed by Dr Benjamin Egiso, Secretary-General of NMA, copied to the Minister of Health, Ali Pate and Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, urged the Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun to deploy all necessary resources to secure the students.
10. We Want More Nigerians In Our Country – Botswana High Commissioner
High Commissioner of Botswana to Nigeria, Philda Nani Kereng, has advised Nigerians to move into the country.
Philda Nani Kereng said the relationship between Nigeria and Botswana has not been substantial, and she is committed to seeing a relationship built on infrastructure collaboration, business and tourism.
Kereng said Nigeria and Botswana have so many opportunities to share. She added that sufficient collaboration between the two countries would help harness the opportunities.
Speaking in an interview with Arise TV, the Botswana High Commissioner said the current relationship between the two countries was insufficient.
That’s the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naturenex. See you again tomorrow.
