Justice Maryann Anenih of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has set December 10, 2024, to deliver her ruling on the bail applications of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, and two co- defendants. The decision was announced after the court heard arguments from Joseph Bodunde Daudu, SAN, representing Bello, and Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Daudu, in his submission, urged the court to grant his client bail, emphasizing that the....Read Full Article>>

The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC)- led government under Governor Monday Okpebholo of squandering over N30 billion left in the state’ s coffers by the immediate past administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki.....Read Full Article>>

At a press conference titled ” State of the Nation Address, ” the caretaker committee chairman of the PDP in the state, Dr. Anthony Aziegbemi, alleged that the funds were used to reward political ” godfathers” who supported Okpebholo’ s emergence in the September 21, 2024 governorship election.

Aziegbemi further criticized the Okpebholo administration for failing to pay November salaries to civil servants, a practice that, under Obaseki’ s administration, was consistently fulfilled on or before the 26th of every month.

He noted, ” For eight years, the PDP- led administration paid salaries promptly. Today, not a single civil servant in the state has received a credit alert for November. ”

Additionally, Aziegbemi accused the new government of spending over N5 billion on vehicles without adhering to the state’ s procurement laws. He claimed that this created tension among civil servants, with the Permanent Secretary of the Governor’ s Office allegedly pressuring workers to accept improperly documented vehicles.

He also alleged that the government was attempting to classify over N2 billion as inauguration costs.
The administration also reaffirmed its dedication to delivering on its promises, maintaining that it remains undaunted in addressing the people’ s expectations despite political distractions.

The Peoples Democratic Party in Bauchi State has suspended the member representing Kirfi local government in the state House of Assembly, Habibu Umar, on allegations of insubordination.....Read Full Article>>

This was contained in a letter addressed to the state House of Assembly speaker, Abubakar Sulaiman. The letter signed by the party’s state chairman, Sama’ila Burga, stated that “Habibu Umar was issued with a query letter from the party dated 5th November, 2024 for an act of insubordination as reported against him for violating Sections 58 (9) (1) and (f) of the Constitution of the Party 2017 (as amended).

“The said report was submitted to the Party from his Ward of Beni which was duly signed by the entire Exco.”

Burga maintained that “Subsequent to the above, a Disciplinary Committee was constituted by the party dated 11th November 2024 in compliance with the Constitution Chapter 10, Section (59) (1) 2017 (as amended).

“The committee, after critical investigation, and evaluation of the facts before it, found the honourable member guilty of the said offence and therefore recommended his suspension with immediate effect in compliance with Section 59 (4) and (5) of the party’s constitution indefinitely.”

He noted that in view of the above, with effect from November 25, 2024, he is prohibited from participating in any party activity, pending any further development from the party.

It was gathered from an insider that Umar was suspended on allegations of alliance with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

The Head of Civil Service of the Federation, HCSF, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, has provided an update on the lingering issue of ghost workers in the civil service.....Read Full Article>>

DAILY POST reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had at the 2024 Civil Service Award and Gala Night, said civil servants who had relocated abroad while drawing salaries without formally resigning, must refund the wages they received during the period.

Speaking at a press conference to mark her 100 days in office on Monday, the HCSF said some of such workers have returned to their job in Nigeria while other resigned honourably.

She vowed that the momentum would be sustained to fish out such workers as it a continuous process.

“On the civil servants who have ‘japa’, the issue came up and there was verifications done. of them returned to the country to continue working while some other resigned honourably,” she said.

“Right now, it’s just to sustain the momentum. We’re still scrutinising using the IPIS HR and the IPIS payroll to know who is there and who’s out.

“I think that’ll be a continuous process to ensure that people are not having their cake and eating it by going outside and still receiving their salaries.

“Progress has been made in this regard and we’ll ensure that it is completely dealt with.

On the issue of harmonisation of workers salaries, the HoS said “the issue has been on for quite some time. When I came in I tried to find out where we are on that I’m aware that the National Wages, Income and Salary Commission is working very hard on that. I’m also aware there’s a Presidential committee on Salary.

“And being a member of that committee, I can assure that the committee is working hard to deal with all the issues concerning salaries. I want to remind you that just before the minimum wage was approved, there was what we called a wage award and that also was very beneficial to the salaries of civil servants.”

According to Daily Trust, there has been much discussion on President Bola Tinubu’ s son Seyi Tinubu’ s endorsements ahead of the 2027 Lagos gubernatorial election, with major political figures offering their opinions.....Read Full Article>>

The Coalition of Nigerian Youth Leaders (CONYL), which is made up of youth organizations from all six geopolitical zones, supported Seyi Tinubu for governor of Lagos on Tuesday.

A lengthy meeting in Owerri preceded the announcement of the endorsement. The leadership of CONYL, which included Comrade Goodluck Ibem as President General, Comrade Junard Abubakar as Secretary, Comrade Iniobong Sampson as Public Relations Officer, and Comrade Adeyemo Adewale as Publicity Secretary, credited Seyi’ s perceived leadership abilities and the legacy of his father’ s transformative governance in Lagos with their choice.

It led to a series of similar sponsorships. The Middle Belt Youths’ Lagos chapter joined the appeal on Thursday at a news conference held at the Eko Hotel. Capt. Brent Kane, the National Youth Leader of the Middle Belt Forum, and Dr. Stanley Augustine Kavwam, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary, both pushed Seyi to take over in 2027, calling him the leader Lagos needs.

Lagos State Speaker Mudashiru Obasa responded to rumors that he was considering running for governor amid the escalating crisis. Obasa denied accusations of self- serving ambition immediately after Governor Babajide Sanwo- Olu gave the House of Assembly the N3 trillion Lagos budget for 2025.

There is no conflict between Obasa and Seyi Tinubu or any other possible party candidates, he continued.
” I cannot recall any part of the speaker’ s speech that drew a battle line with Seyi Tinubu or anyone else. This is simply the opposition trying to play up the situation to create unnecessary sentiment, ” he said.

Former Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, is on the watch list of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, The PUNCH has learnt. This is just as our correspondent gathered that the anti-graft agency had commenced an investigation into transactions, including contracts awarded during his tenure as the governor of Edo State.....Read Full Article>>

Obaseki, who bowed out of office on November 12 after an eight-year tenure, had said the EFCC planned to arrest him soon after stepping out of office. His successor, Monday Okpebholo, has just established a 14-member State Assets Verification Committee to investigate his tenure.

Similarly, the EFCC had on November 2 arrested five Edo government officials who served under Obaseki, including the Accountant General, Julius Anelu, over huge withdrawals from the state treasury within a short period of time.

But Obaseki had on November 8 said he was not scared of a probe by the EFCC.

The former governor said he would be willing to submit himself to the anti-graft agency to give an account of his tenure.

commission, who pleaded anonymity because they were not permitted to speak on the matter, said so far the bulk of the transactions under Obaseki’s administration had not been directly linked to him.

The source said, “An investigation has commenced on his administration. He can’t just be invited until the work has got to a certain stage. Some team of crack investigators have been assigned to the case and have been trying to unravel some of the transactions including contracts awarded under his administration.

“The bulk of the transactions, you can’t trace it to him. He made use of others. There have been leads which we have been following and we hope to get something substantial.”

Asked if Obaseki had been watch-listed, another source said though not limited to Obaseki, all former governors are being watchlisted by the commission.

“All former governors are always on the commission’s watch list whether the commission has something with the fellow or not. We are not going to allow them to jet out of the country and then start going after them when we need them. So that is why we always place all of them on our watch list,” the source said.

Efforts to get the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, proved abortive as calls to his line were not answered. He had yet to respond to a text message sent to him on the matter as of the time of filing this report.

Mohammed Saidu Etsu, a former All Progressives Congress (APC) national chairmanship aspirant, on Tuesday faulted President Bola Tinubu’s decision to appoint Daniel Bwala as his Special Adviser on Policy Communication. Etsu said Tinubu should not have appointed the likes of Bwala into his government due to his past actions and utterances.....Read Full Article>>

Speaking on Arise TV’s Morning Show, Etsu recalled how Bwala denigrated Tinubu in the past, only for the president to appoint him as one of his spokespersons. The APC chieftain also accused Bwala of struggling to be appointed into Tinubu’s media circle.

He said, “It’s not bad to have a presidential spokesperson, but to have people who have insulted or denigrated the office of the president as a spokesperson is what I feel is an aberration on us as party loyalists.

“I felt sad for Mr. Bwala, who has been struggling to be appointed into Tinubu’s government because I don’t know why he has been running helter-skelter to be in the government he had denigrated and the government he called all sorts of names before his appointment.

“For Tinubu to appoint Bwala into his media circle, I don’t think he has done well for himself as president because people are looking at Bwala as someone that has said a lot of things about the president.

“He even spoke against the party’s Muslim-Muslim ticket, but today he is back speaking for the same Muslim-Muslim ticket, and this is why I said I feel bad for him struggling to be appointed into Tinubu’s government.

“The current Minister of Digital Economy was appointed, and all the party men were not happy, but he was screened, and they promised to make amendments, but we are seeing now that people who insulted this government are the ones being rewarded.

“When I contested for the National Chairman of this party, I worked on three thresholds – internal party mechanisms, loyalty to the party, and reward system – and I know Asiwaju very well. Before he was elected as president, he always talked about people who have worked for the party being rewarded, but today things have turned into something else.

“The president should adjust himself because he’s losing a lot of core party men. When you talk about bringing your enemies closer, it’s not the likes of Bwala that should be appointed into such a position.

“Somebody that had called the president all sorts of names? He called the president a drug baron, and you appointed him? That’s why I said I feel sad for Bwala to struggle to take this appointment.”