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Senate wants NDDC’s N4.9 billion refunded; indicts Niger Delta Ministry

The Senate has asked that a total of N4.923 Billion payment made to staff and contractors in breach of procurement process and approvals in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) should be refunded to the Federation Account with immediate effect.

The amounts to be refunded include payments made to staff for Overseas Travel to the United Kingdom, N85.7 Million; Scholarship Grants, N105.5 Million; Union Members Trip to Italy, N164.2 Million. Others are releases for Lassa Fever Kit, N1.96 Billion; Public Communication N1.12 Billion; and Covid-19 Relief, N1.49 Billion.

On the controversial Forensic Audit, the Senate resolved that for the audit to achieve the purpose for which it was set up and inspire confidence in the operational and financial processes of NDDC, oversight of the audit should be transferred to the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation.

“This will guarantee independence, credibility, transparency and professionalism in the output of the exercise. Furthermore, the Committee recommends that the President with advice from the Auditor General should appoint a renowned, internationally recognized Forensic Auditor to carry out the exercise” the Upper Legislative House suggested.

On allegations of blackmail by the NDDC Management against members of the National Assembly on contract awards, the lawmakers insisted on investigations by the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges.

The Senate also recommended that all expenditures on historical contracts and obligation e.g Hotels, court judgement etc should be refunded as payments are not provided for in the budget.

Other details of the Senate resolutions on NDDC in the areas of:

▪︎Corporate Governance and Executive Management: Reconsideration of Executive Oversight:
For the purpose of consistency and equality of policy, there is a need to review the inconsistencies and differences in the apex control of these development commissions. In retrospect, the original arrangement of putting these commissions in the Presidency should be carefully reconsidered to allow for direct Presidential oversight in view of the huge public resources allocated to them. Section 7 (3) of the NDDC Act already provides for this Presidential supervision.

▪︎Appointment of the Board of Directors: The absence of a Board of Directors at NDDC created a major lacuna of oversight. The Ministry of Niger Delta is culpable of negligent supervision and could not function as effectively as a board would have done.

Therefore, the committee strongly recommends that the President should activate the statutory provisions in the Act and the Board of Directors validly nominated and call for fresh nomination for confirmation by the Senate.

▪︎ Inauguration of Other Accountability Mechanisms: The Monitoring Committee and the Advisory Councils should also be inaugurated along with the Board of Directors as provided in Sections 20 and 21 of the NDDC Act.

This is necessary to ensure that there are sufficient checks and balances in the internal affairs of the NDDC.

▪︎ Improvement of Governance/Processes:
The new Board should be made to undertake a review of the existing governance framework, with attention to upgrading the way and manner the board executes its mandates, with a view to re-establishing a new culture in the organization. The review must bring order to the workings of the management and their control of the organization.

This is necessary for the improvement of the structures and processes of the NDDC especially having witnessed two interim managements with seemingly loss of control on project and staff expenditure.

▪︎ Financial Accountability and Framework Review: Restoration of a Budget-Led system – The NDDC Management must henceforth promote the use of its approved annual budget as the principal instrument and authorisation for all its expenditures.

The testimonies from Public Hearing gave sufficient insight into NDDC’s disregard for its budget, as several expenditure items were done without reference to budget provisions. As at the time of writing this report, the Adhoc Committee’s request for a report of budget performance from the NDDC has not been provided.

▪︎ Submission of Quarterly and Annual Performance Report: That NDDC be reminded of its responsibility to submit its Quarterly and Annual Performance Reports as and when due as stipulated in Sections 19 and 20 of the NDDC Act. Such submission must also be duly passed to both houses of the National Assembly as stipulated in the law.

▪︎ Strengthening OF Procurement Process: That the NDDC must strengthen its procurement department through appropriate staff engagement (e.g. by appointing staff with procurement chartered status), staff training and formulation of appropriate industry rated internal control measure specifics to procurement function to forestall sharp practice in its bids and tender process.

▪︎ Business Process Re-engineering (BPR):
That NDDC should be made to undertake a thorough and substantial Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) without prejudice to the much- awaited Forensic Audit, covering its areas of operation thus:
Review of Operation and Processes.
Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) in the Commission must be reviewed upgraded, reinstituted with full documentation and formal trainings conducted, then translated into readable materials and manuals for guidance of current and future of the Commission.

That NDDC must engage a new governance system around projects and contracts from advert to award and then to delivery. This involves the pre and post-implementation step to be taken for an effective delivery of projects.

▪︎ Review of Financial/Accounting Processes: That NDDC must review its financial system to ensure its adequacy in terms of controls and flexibilities with a view to ensuring that a robust financial report is produced out of the system at all times.

This reform will also ensure that all compliances measures that fosters governance and accountability traits are captured in the system in form of coding of transactions, hierarchy and secured access/control.

▪︎ Review of Human Resources Policy
That the management must agree a policy to refocus the staff, and management of the NDDC based on its core mandate. This will be a blend of human resource reform and training. This reform must lead to a robust organogram based on staff need, it must also cover the engagement of staff, staff orientation mandate, appraisal systems and eventually severance of work relationship.

▪︎ Instituting Performance Based Organisation: For NDDC to deliver on its mandate, it must immediately imbibe some of the processes associated with high performing organisations. These include target setting for employees, performance appraisal linked to reward system and the evolution of a new corporate culture.

Present attitude that tends to view the NDDC as a source of easy money must be discouraged. This attitude is also closely tied to the narrative that has characterised succeeding management. It is akin to a self-fulfilling prophesy that has in itself led to a vicious circle that seems to suggest “we are financially imprudent because we operate in an environment of siege where we must continuously appease our stakeholders”

But doing this as they deprive the region of the needed development which also reinforces restiveness and creates the siege environment. This circle must be broken through a new culture and awareness by which the Board and Management of NDDC understands its responsibility to engender a new thinking and strong focus on infrastructural development of the region. A new approach to human resource management is desired.

▪︎ Enhancement of Internal and External Audit capacities: That management must review the Service Level Agreement they currently hold with their external auditor with a view to making a change of auditor. There is a lot of merits in our opinion, to change the external auditor, given the level of systematic failures already listed in this repot, some of which should have been resolved by an effective audit regime.

▪︎ Review of Corporate Social Responsibility Policy (CSR): That the management embark on a CSR review to restructure and reshape NDDC’s social responsibility to its staff, community and the public at large in order to properly ensure an equitable and responsible delivery of these responsibilities without losing focus of its corporate mandate. The scope of this review should include condolences, community relations and stakeholders engagement.

What pained Air Chief most about Heroine Tolulope’s death as she goes home in style despite Covid-19 restrictions

Unknown to many, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Abubakar Sadique, was personally saddened by the sudden death of Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile because his well laid out plans to make her one of his finest flying officers and move her to the Presidential Air Fleet, was truncated by the alleged careless driving of one of her friends.

Everyday.ng learnt from an insider that he took her under his wings as soon as she opted to be a combat helicopter fighter because it is also his own speciality.

It was gathered he intentionally facilitated her foreign trainings as part of his grand design for a determined young lady he considered a daughter.

“So, when conspiracy theorists began to read meanings and weave stories around her unfortunate passing, he was really pained,” the source volunteered.

Heroine Tolulope was killed in a freak car accident by one of her excited former schoolmates who reversed into her, knocking her down fatally.

Meanwhile, giving details of the burial ceremony, the Air Force reported that its chief spoke knowingly of the late female air combatant.

In a statement titled, NAF LAYS BODY OF FIRST FEMALE COMBAT HELICOPTER PILOT, FLYING OFFICER TOLULOPE AROTILE, TO REST AT NATIONAL MILITARY CEMETERY ABUJA, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, the Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force wrote:

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) today, 23 July 2020, laid to rest the body of late Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile, the NAF’s first female combat helicopter pilot, who died on 14 July 2020.

The burial Ceremony, which was conducted with full military honours, was held at the National Military Cemetery, Abuja with restricted attendance in compliance with COVID-19 protocols.

Salute to a departed Heroine

The Honourable Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Magashi (Rtd), represented by the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Defence, Mr Sabiu Zakari, presided over the Ceremony, which also had in attendance the Executive Governor of Kogi State, His Excellency Yahaya Bello, amongst other dignitaries. 

Speaking at the Ceremony, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, stated that the NAF was still in palpable shock and intense grief over the loss of a mentee in whom the Service had so much confidence.

He remarked further that he, as a combat helicopter pilot with several years of experience, was keenly aware of the many odds which the young and confident first female combat helicopter pilot in the history of Nigeria must have braved through to get to where she was before her demise.

He described the late Arotile as a dedicated and goal-oriented young woman who carried out her assignments both on the ground and in the air with a high level of professionalism and commitment.

A flag for the family

While reiterating how the fallen heroine had contributed immensely to the decimation of subversive elements in the North-West axis in several anti-banditry combat missions, Air Marshal Abubakar condoled all NAF personnel, the Arotile Family as well as the entire women folk of the nation, whom, he said, the late Arotile represented so creditably.

He equally commiserated with the good people of Nigeria, whose sovereignty, the CAS noted, Tolulope fought earnestly to protect.     

The CAS restated the commitment and unalloyed loyalty of the NAF to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, in his efforts at tackling the security challenges facing the Nation.

Air Marshal Abubakar ended his remarks by praying for the repose of the soul of the NAF’s first female combat helicopter pilot, who, he re-emphasized, had left her mark in the sands of time, proving that when it comes to displaying excellence and adding value to the society, age or gender should not be barriers.

“Tolulope, while you fulfilled your childhood dream of becoming a pilot, we could only scratch the surface of our collective dream as a Service for you. We remain comforted by the peace which only God grants us all at this moment and at all times. Your memory will remain indelibly marked in our hearts each time we remember you,” he said.

While reading a tribute to late Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile, the Representative of the Arotile Family and elder sister of the deceased, Mrs Damilola Adegboye, expressed gratitude to the NAF for the impact, training and expertise which, she said, set an excellent platform for Tolulope to outshine her peers.

“Because of their trust and investments, Tolulope showed exemplary skills too difficult to emulate”, she added.

She highlighted that Tolulope had always dreamt of becoming a pilot. She said the entire Arotile Family was grateful that the dream, though blurry at that time, was not only fulfilled but also resulted in great impact not only in the NAF but among family members, friends, colleagues and the entire Nation.

She said this was because Tolulope was a determined, hardworking, godly and extremely focused person.

She again expressed gratitude to the CAS and the entire NAF Family who, she said, would always remain treasured members of the Arotile Family.

Other key moments of the solemn event were the presentation of National Colours to the deceased’s Next-of-Kin by the CAS, laying of wreaths by dignitaries and the representative of the Arotile Family as well as the customary 21 Gun Salute and rendition of “the Last Post” by the NAF Band.

The Faith Service had earlier been conducted by Group Captain (Reverend) Dogo Gani, Director Chaplaincy (Protestant) Headquarters NAF, before the casket was lowered into the ground.

Other dignitaries at the burial ceremony included the Chairman Senate Committee on Air Force, Distinguished Senator Bala Ibn Na’ Allah; Chairman House Committee on Air Force, Honourable Shehu Koko; Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen; Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq; Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin; Representatives of the Chiefs of Army and Naval Staff, along with other serving and retired senior military officers; Heads of Government Agencies, Senior Government Officials as well as family members and friends of the deceased officer. 

Lawyers Protest At Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) Abuja, Lagos Over Poor Services & Inaccessibility Of Portal

The activities of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) have in recent times left many with much more to be desired. 

This is sequel to frustration being witnessed by customers and lawyers as a result of the delay, site inaccessibility, among other issues which have become the new ways of things in the CAC.

In a video which was sighted by TheNigeriaLawyer, brings to fore the horrible experience faced by Lawyers in the process of trying to access the Abuja and Lagos  CAC.

Decrying the unpleasant state of things, one of the Lawyers interviewed by TheNigeriaLawyer expressed as follows:

“Well if you’re a regular customer at CAC,  you will notice that their services have been abysmal these days.

“You make name reservation, it will be approved but you can’t proceed to register on time, sometimes takes like two weeks.

“When you register your company does not get approved on time, and when it finally gets approved, to pick the certificate is another stress, you have to go early,pick a number and queue up to enter.”

Besides, it was stated that the verification process is equally another issue to worry about.

“To file, or do verification is another stress. Their services these days have been poor.”

In addition, it was noted that Lawyers are not properly treated at CAC owing to their malfeasance, which further contributed to lost of clients.

“And the way lawyers are been handled is embarrassing. Clients are getting impatient. Lawyers are losing customers gradually.”

TheNigeriaLawyer recalls that CAC in recent times has been providing services that are getting customers worried as a result of its modes of operation.

Arotile, Saleh: Two deaths, many life lessons, By Azu Ishiekwene

The news last week of the deaths of two young people, Tolulope Arotile and Fahim Saleh (Gokada entrepreneur) whose paths may never have crossed but who nevertheless shared the same kindred spirit of adventure, left me in a daze.

Both died in different places and under different circumstances, but you only need to look a bit closer to see the dots connecting the tragedies. Like candles in the wind, as Elton John would say, they burned out before their legend ever did.

Let’s start from home, with Arotile.

I don’t know which one got me more confused – the first statement by the Air Force authorities announcing Arotile’s tragic death, or the second, which was supposed to clarify the first.

Arotile, a flying officer and the first female helicopter combat pilot of the Air Force, was the poster girl of the service. Her face was the spirit of the evolving future, the place where the Force was hoping to be sooner than later.

At 24, she wasn’t exactly a rookie. She had been flying several combat missions, especially in the North-east. She had accomplished what generations of women enrolled in the service in the last 56 years could only dream of, standing on the shoulders of first female combat pilot, Blessing Liman; and the first female senior non-commissioned officer to be promoted to the rank of Air Warrant Officer, Grace Garba.

Three years after Arotile earned her commission, it was a mark of the confidence that the Air Force placed in her that she was assigned the duty of explaining the features of a newly acquired attack helicopter to President Muhammadu Buhari at the Eagles Square, Abuja in February. 

My friend and presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina, himself father of a pilot, who was present at the Eagle Square on the day, attested to Arotile’s charm and confidence in a widely published tribute last week.

That tribute reflected the statement by the authorities that, “Arotile died in an auto crash at the Nigerian Air Force Base in Kaduna.” I was struggling to recover from my sense of shock and confusion when the Air Force issued a second statement on Sunday, that compounded my misery.

Let’s be clear. An accident is what happens unforetold, in some cases, in spite of the best precautions. How we respond to the grief, recover and possibly prevent or reduce the chances of future occurrence, however, depends largely on how we confront the facts, especially inconvenient facts that may be demanded of us.

For example, although the first announcement on the Air Force Facebook wall on July 14 said Arotile died “as a result of head injuries sustained from a road traffic accident at the NAF base Kaduna,” a number of people were left wondering just what kind of road traffic accident inside a military base would lead to fatality. 

Accidents can occur anywhere. But for many years I was a regular visitor to the NAF military base, Ikeja, Lagos, probably one of the busiest for motor traffic in the country. I never once heard of a road traffic accident for over six years when I visited my former schoolmate, Amaechi Aghachi, who had his office there, or later on, my father-in-law’s younger brothers, who both lived in the base.

Drivers can be mad outside, but once inside the base (at least at that time), they behaved, without being told.

So, what kind of “road traffic accident” took Arotile’s life on the spot inside the base on a weekday? In a 1,297-word attempt to clarify the ambiguity in its first Facebook post, the Air Force raised more questions than answers and if journalists who attended the event in-person asked any questions, it didn’t show in the reports. 

The second statement by the Air Force said Arotile, who was staying with her sister, Mrs. Damilola Adegboye, outside the base, had just finished her promotion exam, “awaiting deployment for her next assignment.” 

But that fateful Tuesday morning, she got a call from “Flying Officer Perry Karimo, a fellow helicopter pilot from the 405 HCTG, who wanted to discuss arrangements for their return to Enugu, requesting that she comes to the Base so that they could work out the modalities.”

So, what was it? Was she awaiting deployment or planning to return to Enugu or both? Also, while the statement recorded the time Arotile received the call from her colleague and when she was dropped off at the base by her sister, we’re not told if her meeting with Karimo held, where and for how long? 

And at what point did she drop her phone for charging at the instructor pilots’ quarters – after the meeting with Karimo or before – and did her sister wait all the time (between 11am and 4pm) before dropping her off at the mammy market?

We were told that three of Arotile’s former schoolmates at the Air Force secondary school, all civilians living outside the base who were in a car, saw her as she was returning from the mammy market inside the base after 4pm, going in the opposite direction. 

According to the statement by the Air Force, the driver, in a hurry to meet up with Arotile, reversed the car “knocking her down with significant force and causing her to hit her head on the pavement. The vehicle then ran over parts of her body as it veered off the road beyond the kerb and onto the pavement, causing her further injuries.”

Except if the driver had a premeditated intention to kill a long-lost friend or was suddenly overcome by suicidal instinct, assuming all three occupants in the car saw Arotile and she didn’t see them (which we are not told), the normal thing would be for the driver to horn, before stopping and then reversing.

I’m bereft at how the driver moved from the excitement of seeing a long-lost friend to halting the car, and flying back in reverse at killer speed knocking down and climbing over Arotile without warning or any alarm from the other two passengers in the car or even passersby that may have alerted the victim.

Generally, jeeps tend to have slower acceleration than sedans. Except if the Sorento involved in this accident is a Sorento SXL that can potentially reach 60mph in eight seconds, it would be interesting to know the distance from the reverse point to where Arotile was and the speed of the car at impact. Did the driver in a regular Sorento SUV go from zero to 20kph? 30kph? 40kph? 60kph? inside a military base, before knocking down and killing Arotile?

And apparently, after the accident, the vehicle came to a stop, with no other casualties and no other incidents. And from the 1,297-word press release by the Air Force we are not informed of any eye-witnesses – a most troubling thing, if ever there was one, for an accident that occurred in broad daylight in a military base supposed to be a safe and secure location. 

I understand the frustration of the Air Force authorities, especially with the ethnic twist some are giving the story. But they have themselves to blame for the gaps in the information. 

When an Air Force man killed a female colleague supposed to be his lover in Benue three years ago, the public was outraged, but the interest was different.

Although we don’t know what eventually became of the suspect, the authorities were unusually, but robustly open, admitting that the airman and the airwoman were in a love relationship, which resulted in the deadly shooting. 

The unanswered questions in Arotile’s case, make the current story difficult to swallow. The final report must provide answers, instead of raising doubts.

That’s where the story of Saleh’s death is different. To slightly paraphrase Leo Tolstoy, every family bears its grief in its own way but I guess for all those hurting, truth makes closure a bit easier. 

How do you explain a situation where the kindness of Saleh to his assistant, whom he protected in spite of the fellow allegedly stealing big time from him, would eventually lead to his murder?

I’ve heard all sorts since Saleh’s murder; from those who plainly admitted that they didn’t know what else he might have done to save his life, to those who said he might have been alive if he reported his assistant early on but probably didn’t report because he didn’t want to become the unintended target of investigation himself. 

Whatever his killer’s motive, the New York Police Department didn’t have to issue multiple statements for the evidence or circumstances of his death to be clear. They know what that would mean for confidence in a police system already under scrutiny, and particularly for the reputation of the city as the world’s financial capital. 

Within two days of Saleh’s murder, CCTV footage of how it happened was out and the suspect facing trial. That’s how to discourage crime.

Nothing that anyone does now will bring back Arotile or Saleh. But how their deaths have been handled in both jurisdictions is the difference between lingering grief and closure, between accident and prevention.

Ishiekwene is the MD/Editor-In-Chief of The Interview

Lagos Lawyer, Valentino Buoro Introduces Free Public Interest Mediation Advocacy, Says Many People Lack Finances To Prosecute Cases In Court


Lagos Lawyer and Mediation Advocate Mr Valentino Buoro has announced the commencement of a new initiative designed to provide free mediation advocacy services to vulnerable members of the society.

He said in an interview in Lagos that a significant number of cases that presently go unattended to in the public space can be resolved amicably through a new scheme he has branded as Public Interest Mediation Advocacy.

Mr Buoro explained that Public Interest Mediation Advocacy was the Alternative Dispute Resolution variant of what has been known for centuries as Public Interest Litigation or lawyering.

He explained that in the Nigerian Society today, several hundreds of people are suffering one hurt or the other because they do not have the finances to prosecute their causes in court. Some of these include the wretched of the earth whose nature of heart-rending circumstances do not fit into the kind that will attract the big-ticket publicity and or societal applause for public interest litigation lawyers.

Characteristically, those who suffer these pains are better off with less publicity and or exposure if they can achieve a closure devoid of public confrontation.

He said that a number of other certified mediation advocates were already signing up for the initiative which will slowly find its place into the consciousness of the Nigerian public.

He said that Public Interest Mediation Advocacy will utilize some measure of publicity to canvas the point that amicable and confidential processes can be used to resolve any case between a governmental authority or institution and private citizens.

He said that although Public Interest Mediation Advocates will attempt to carry out cases they are advocating outside of public view and in consonance with the confidential nature of ADR processes, they will have no choice but externalise such disputes where for any reasons a respondent such as Government or top member of society refuse to participate in mediation when the dispute is referred to a Multi-Door Courthouse for mediation.

The mediation advocate dismissed the thinking in some quarters that Public Interest Mediation Advocacy will be unsuccessful in the Nigerian jurisdiction because mediation is voluntary. He noted that where a public authority fails to live up to its expectations of providing information and or solution to a matter of public interest just by the mere fact that there is no compellabilty as in litigation, nothing should stop the mediation advocate and the concerned plaintiffs or claimants from approaching the conventional courts of law to seek an order of mandamus and or any such other orders to recognise the constitutional rights of parties to be heard in any which way they prefer to air their grievances

Mr Buoro said that even though it had not been so branded, Public Interest Mediation Advocacy has since been recognised by the law setting up all of the Multi-Door Courthouses in Nigeria.

This provision, he said, can be found in the clauses which mandate Multi-Door Courthouses to directly intervene and resolve certain disputes of public interest at their own instance without the invitation of concerned interest or parties.

‘How Kidn*ppers Killed My Son After Collecting N1.5m Ransom’

A Kaduna- based father, Mr. Eguaku Anya has narrated how kidnappers abducted his 15- year -old son, Stephen and killed him after receiving N1.5million ransom.

The prime suspect, Joseph Sylvester, was among 217 kidnappers and other suspects paraded by the Kaduna State Police Command on Wednesday.

Anya told journalists the kidnappers broke into his house, destroying valuable property, before kidnapping his son.

According to him: “On the 27th of May, 2020, this boy (Sylvester) and the other person came into my house and damaged a lot of things.

“They took away our phones, my laptop, my daughter’s phone and in addition, they abducted my own son in my car and left.

“My son is 15 years. My son scored 245 in JAMB he passed WAEC and NECO, only for him to enter school.

“They (kidnappers) stayed for a long time before contacting us and when they collected ransom, they switched off the phone.

“When they finished the money, they called back and began to demand for money again.

“The first amount they demanded was N40 million. So as we negotiated we brought it down to N5 million and again it came to one million Naira. They collected that and said it was not enough, so we added N500, 000.”

He added: “And all this while, we have been begging them let us hear the boy’s voice but as soon as they collected money, they switched off the phone.

“Eventually they demanded for another N1.5 million and we agreed that we will rally round and get it for them but on the condition that we hear the boy’s voice and you release him to us, not knowing that they had killed the boy already the following day after the kidnap.

“It was only God that saved me and my brother that went to give them the money. They could as well have killed or abducted us. That was when we went and alerted the anti- kidnapping unit and FCID.”

On the killing of his son, he said: “They killed him and dumped him in a well – that is the most gruesome way of killing person. Not only that he was killed but in a gruesome way.

“The effect of that still attacks me every time when I think about what my son could be thinking before he was killed. It is terrible.”

The Command’s Spokesman, ASP Muhammad Jalige, said the suspects killed their victim and dumped his body in a shallow well.

They then threw in about 20 building blocks to prevent the corpse from floating, he said.

UK Visa Application Centres Open July 28

The British High Commission in Nigeria has said visa applications centres in the country would open from July 28 for Nigerians willing to travel to the United Kingdom to process their papers.

The Commission noted that Nigerians hoping to visit the UK could do so once international flights resume.

The Federal Government had in March shut the country’s airspace to domestic and international flights as part of measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

However, with the resumption of domestic flights two weeks ago, Nigerians are in high spirits, expecting the government to okay the restart of international flights.

The British High Commission in Abuja had in a statement said visa application centres which were initially suspended due to the pandemic would reopen “when it is safe to do”.

“We know there are many Nigerian nationals hoping to travel to the UK when flights resume, both for employment and to see family members.

“UKVI are working closely with TSL contact, our commercial partner, to reopen visa application centres that were suspended due to COVID-19,” it had said.

But while giving an update on Monday, the Commission wrote via Twitter, “Update on visas. Thank you to everyone for your questions and patience. But remember application centres open from 28 July.”

Senate Passes Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BOFIA) (Amendment) Bill, 2020

Soothing news came the way of the monetary policy wing as the Senate on Wednesday, passed the Bill to repeal the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA) CAP B3 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and to re-enact Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA) CAP B3 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 (Amendment) Bill, 2020

The passage of the Bill trod the normal legislative path, which started with the sponsors presenting the Bill for First Reading on Tuesday, May 12, 2020 and a Second Reading on Tuesday, May 19, 2020.

Following the debate by the Senate at the plenary, the Bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions for further legislative actions.

Wednesday’s passage of the Bill, after a clause by clause consideration by the Senate at its Plenary, followed the public hearing by the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions on Wednesday, July 15, 2020, to consider the opinions of stakeholders in the industry such as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Federal Ministry of Finance, Body of Bank CEOs and the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Company (NDIC). Others at the hearing were the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Financial Correspondents Association of Nigeria (FICAN), the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance & Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI) and the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFE).

In addition to strengthening the Nigerian financial system, the Bill sponsored by Senator Uba Sani (Kaduna Central) and co-sponsored by Senator Betty Jocelyn Apiafi (Rivers West), seeks to regulate banking and businesses of other financial institutions by prohibiting the carrying on of such businesses in Nigeria except under licence and by a company incorporated in Nigeria.

The Bill also made adequate provisions for proper licensing, supervision and revocation of licenses of such institutions by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

However, for the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA) CAP B3 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 (Amendment) Bill, 2020, passed by the Senate to become Law, it has to be similarly passed by the House of Representatives; after which the Reports will be harmonised and forwarded to the President for assent.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in its presentation at the public hearing had pushed for a review of the framework for managing failing institutions, a restriction remedy for successful action against revocation of licenses in line with international standards and the creation of a Credit Tribunal.

The CBN, which was largely backed by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) and other stakeholders, also made a case for enhancement of regulatory measures for single obligor limits, transfer of significant holdings and the strengthening of the sanctions regime to make it more deterrent.

FEC Approves N75bn Youth Investment Fund

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the establishment of the Nigerian Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) to the tune of N75 billion.

The NYIF, also tagged ‘the Youth Bank’, would create a finance support base for creativity and innovation of Nigerian youths within the age range of 18 and 35 years.

Disclosing this to State House Correspondents after a lengthy FEC meeting on Wednesday night, the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, said Nigerian youths with ideas and innovation would be able to apply for funding from the Youth Bank.

He said the modality would entail those between the ages of 18 and 35 years and who have genuine business ideas would be eligible to pitch their ideas in any of the 125 micro-credit banks across the country and qualified candidates would have access to the funds.

“For the first time in the history of Nigeria, the Federal Executive Council today approved the establishment of the Nigerian Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) to the tune of N75 billion. This fund is meant to create a special window for accessing credit facilities and financing on the part of our youths that will help to fund their ideas, innovations and also support their enterprise.

“The best way to call it is that for the first time the country will have a youth bank. A fund that will cater specifically for our youth within the stipulated age band, which is going to be between 18 and 35 years.

“The second approval that secured was for the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development to play a lead role in working on necessary steps that need to be taken in terms of legislation, organisation and other aspects of financing.

“The Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning will take the lead when it comes to the aspect of financing, working with the CBN, the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and other relevant MDAs.

“A couple of other details will be released later, but I think the most important thing is that the N75 billion Nigerian Youth Investment Fund, to cater specifically for this target group, a population of over 68 million, got the attention and support of the Federal Executive Council today and this fund will be assessed by our youths, once they are able to present their ideas, they can assess this fund directly,” Dare said.

He, however, assured that just as the N-Power programme, the process of the Youth Bank would be digital and fair to all youth aged between 18 and 35 years, regardless of their ethnicity or social status.

Oyo APC Kicks As Govt Approves N100bn Bond

The Oyo State Executive Council, on Tuesday, approved the issuance of a N100 billion private bond tagged “Oyo Prosperity Bond” to facilitate the execution of priority projects that will further drive economic development in the State.

This was contained in a statement by state Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr Wasiu Olatubosun.

Olatubosun disclosed that the fund would be raised in two tranches of N50 billion each for the construction of the 50-kilometre Iseyin-Ogbomoso road, the Ibadan Circular Ring-Road and Ibadan Airport upgrade.

The fund will also cover the development of Ibadan Dry Port and rail corridor that he said would serve as economic hubs of the state.

Olatunbosun added that the state will also construct and upgrade one government hospital in each of the three senatorial districts of the state.

In addition, the 21-kilometre Airport – Ajia – New Ife Express Road with a spur to Amuloko in Ibadan would also benefit from the alternative project funding approach of the state government.

According to Olatunbosun, the construction of Iseyin – Ogbomoso will help to save manhours spent on travelling and reduce vehicular accidents associated with dilapidation of the road.

In addition, N8.52 billion is to be expended on the 21km Airport – Ajia – New Ife Express Road with a spur to Amuloko to be executed by Messrs Peculiar Ultimate Concerns Ltd.

The project funding, Wasiu explained, would be in the form of Alternative Project Funding Approach (APFA), which allows for Public-Private Partnership for funding of infrastructural projects in the State.

“With this approach in place, there will be a transfer of projects’ risk to the private entity while the hassle of debt management office (DMO) approval would be avoided and the quality delivery, as well as quick completion of the project, would be ascertained,” Olatubosun said.

Major opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) described the approval for N100billion bond as another needless borrowing styled as a bond.

In a statement by the party’s publicity secretary, Azeez Olatunde, the Oyo APC bemoaned that the Makinde’s government continued to increase the state’s debt profile without evidence of justifiable use of loans acquired in the past one year.

The party pointed to the state Assembly’s approval of N7.6billion loan for Akufo and Eruwa farm settlements and N22. 5 billion infrastructure loan with the projects yet to see the light of the day.

The party wondered what informed government’s decision seeking to finance projects like the Ibadan Circular Road by directly seeking for loan.

Noting that the Makinde government met ENL Consortium as a contractor for the Ibadan Circular Road Project, on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Model, the Oyo APC described as baffling the decision to abandon such model only to seek for loans to finance the same project.

The party explained that the project was meant to be operated on “Build-Operate-Transfer”(BOT)Model where ENL Consortium will source for the funds, toll it upon completion and transfer it to the government having realised their investment fund without interference.

Aside from the Ibadan Circular Road Project, the Oyo APC regarded the state government seeking to commit part of the Bond to financing the Ibadan Airport as laughable.

According to the Oyo APC, the Makinde government should rather have lobbied the Federal Government through FAAN to upgrade the Alakia Airport.