metro
$2.3bn Siemens power project idle before Tinubu came – Minister
$2.3bn Siemens power project idle before Tinubu came – Minister
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has stated that the $2.3bn Siemens project signed by the Buhari administration did not embark on any infrastructure development since the agreement was signed in 2019.
The minister, during a meeting with a delegation of the World Bank in his office in Abuja, said not until the ascension of the current administration before the country got a mobile power station.
“We entered into the Siemens contract in 2019. We never lifted a finger until 2023, when this government came on board. So, you can now imagine since this president came in and now look at the mileage we have achieved. Even in this Siemens project, the pilot phase is almost completed and that is in less than two years, when in four years we didn’t do anything”, Adelabu said while expressing optimism that the future is bright for the sector.
The minister blamed the neglect of the sector by the past administrations for the rot and the degeneration that the sector is passing through.
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“We actually have a past that we are not proud of. Over the years, we have only been paying lip service to transforming the power sector. We have not walked the talk. Previous administrations have kept on doing the same thing all the time and you cannot get different results for that, which is why we have decided to do things differently this time. In all the segments across the sector, we must run away from the past.”
Adelabu, in a statement by his media aide, Bolaji Tunji, lamented the neglect of power infrastructure, which has contributed to the present problems in the sector.
“How will you explain the kind of infrastructure that we put together for our transmission network across the country? Thousands of kilometers of power line, thousands of power transformers, hundreds of thousands of distribution transformers that we have not maintained over time and expect them to keep sustaining our energy supply. It is not possible.
“How do we allow our people to vandalise infrastructure and expect stable electricity? So how do you have a sector with over 12 million customers and our meter is not more than six million and we expect to have a stable industry? No, it’s not possible. So what has happened with past governments?
“In 1984, when the military was in power here, we achieved 2,000 megawatts. Between 1984 and 2023, it took us 40 years to add an additional 2,000 megawatts. Now, we have an average of 5,800 megawatts generated within one and a half years that we came to the office. What I’m saying is that, if the past administrations have been adding things like this, we will not be where we are today. And that is why I said that President Tinubu is actually laying the kind of foundation that we need for our country to grow”.
He however stated that the current administration is laying a solid foundation for a stable, reliable, and effective power supply for Nigeria and is willing to partner with international agencies and reputable organisations to achieve the objectives.
$2.3bn Siemens power project idle before Tinubu came – Minister
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metro
Frank Edoho Faces Fresh Allegations as Estranged Wife Breaks Silence
Frank Edoho Faces Fresh Allegations as Estranged Wife Breaks Silence
Media personality Frank Edoho is facing fresh controversy following serious allegations of infidelity, emotional abuse, intimidation, and financial misconduct levelled against him by his estranged wife, Sandra Onyenucheya, amid the collapse of their marriage.
In a detailed social media statement, Sandra dismissed claims portraying her as unfaithful, insisting she had been unfairly labelled throughout the public fallout surrounding their separation. She described the situation as painful and said she was compelled to speak out to correct what she called long-standing misrepresentations about her character.
Sandra stated that she entered the marriage out of deep affection for Edoho despite resistance from her family, stressing that she remained committed even under difficult circumstances.
According to her, the marriage was allegedly marked by repeated acts of infidelity, which she claimed she later discovered through access to his private communications. She alleged that these discoveries revealed contacts with multiple women, including hotel visits, payments to women, and romantic engagements outside the marriage.
She also accused the broadcaster of subjecting her to years of emotional distress, claiming she endured humiliation, emotional trauma, and alleged physical abuse while remaining silent for a long period due to family considerations and their children.
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Sandra further alleged that she made significant financial contributions during the marriage, including assisting with the repayment of a vehicle loan and investing in property assets. She claimed that one of the properties she financially supported was later sold without her consent.
The estranged wife also accused Edoho of violating her privacy, alleging that he recorded private conversations and released them publicly, an action she described as deeply damaging and humiliating.
In another part of her statement, Sandra alleged that she was subjected to threats during arguments, claiming she was once told she would be harmed in a way that would permanently affect her appearance.
She said the situation eventually reached a breaking point when she feared for her safety, prompting her decision to leave the marriage permanently.
Sandra added that she remained silent for years due to her children and the pressure of public scrutiny, but decided to speak out so her side of the story would be understood in the future.
The allegations come amid ongoing public discussion surrounding the breakdown of the marriage, with both sides previously linked to competing claims and counter-claims in the media.
Neither Frank Edoho nor his representatives have issued a detailed public response to the latest allegations at the time of this report.
Frank Edoho Faces Fresh Allegations as Estranged Wife Breaks Silence
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metro
El-Rufai Denies Wrongdoing As DSS Presents TV Interview In Court
El-Rufai Denies Wrongdoing As DSS Presents TV Interview In Court
The trial of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, took a dramatic turn on Monday after a witness from the Department of State Services (DSS) told the Federal High Court in Abuja that the agency uncovered alleged illegal phone interception involving the former governor through a television interview aired on Arise Television.
The witness, whose identity was concealed for security reasons and identified only as “APC,” appeared before the court as the first prosecution witness in the high-profile case involving alleged unlawful interception of phone conversations linked to National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu.
Led in evidence by prosecuting counsel, Oluwole Aladedoye (SAN), the DSS operative told the court that the agency had prior intelligence indicating that El-Rufai would appear on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme.
According to the witness, DSS operatives monitored the interview closely and later concluded that certain remarks made by the former governor amounted to a confessional statement.
“My Lord, the service got information that the defendant would appear on Arise TV Prime Time Show,” the witness said.
He explained that after watching the programme, he immediately briefed senior officials of the DSS.
“I told them that there was a confessional statement where the defendant said he tapped the conversation of the National Security Adviser,” the operative added.
The court heard that the DSS subsequently copied the interview into a flash drive and preserved it as part of the prosecution’s evidence in the case.
The prosecution later tendered the flash drive and a certificate of compliance before the court. Counsel to El-Rufai, Paul Erokoro (SAN), did not object to the admissibility of the materials.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik thereafter admitted both items as exhibits.
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Following the ruling, the prosecution applied for the interview video to be played openly in court, a request that was granted by the judge.
El-Rufai, dressed in a blue agbada, watched the footage from the dock alongside members of his legal team and other observers present in court.
During the interview played in court, the former governor spoke extensively about an alleged encounter with DSS operatives at the Abuja airport after returning from Egypt.
According to El-Rufai, security officials approached him at the airport and attempted to compel him to accompany them without presenting any formal invitation or official document.
“I came out of the plane and a young man came to me and said, ‘I am SSS and they would want to meet with me in our office,’” El-Rufai said in the recorded interview.
The former governor further alleged during the broadcast that the operation against him was ordered by the National Security Adviser.
According to him, information about the alleged directive was obtained through intercepted phone conversations.
“We listened to their calls, someone tapped the phone conversation and told us that he gave the order,” El-Rufai stated in the interview shown in court.
That statement immediately became one of the major issues raised by the prosecution in the ongoing trial.
The DSS is prosecuting El-Rufai on an amended five-count charge bordering on alleged unlawful interception of communications, breach of national security protocols, and offences connected to provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024 and the Nigerian Communications Act.
The prosecution alleged that the former governor unlawfully interfered with communications classified as part of Nigeria’s Critical National Information Infrastructure.
During the proceedings, El-Rufai also accused security agencies of being used against him for political purposes.
He claimed he was being targeted because of political alignments linked to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term ambitions.
The former governor insisted he had nothing to hide and challenged anyone to produce evidence that he stole public funds during his time in office.
Proceedings were briefly interrupted after the audio quality of the video deteriorated during playback.
Following the technical issue, the prosecution requested additional time to produce a clearer version of the recording, a move the defence did not oppose.
Justice Abdulmalik subsequently adjourned the matter for continuation of hearing.
Earlier, the court granted El-Rufai bail in the sum of N100 million with one surety in like sum.
The judge ruled that the surety must be a federal civil servant not below Grade Level 17 and must own landed property in either Maitama or Asokoro, Abuja.
The court also ordered the former governor to surrender all international passports and report monthly to the DSS headquarters pending the determination of the case.
Justice Abdulmalik further approved the prosecution’s request for DSS witnesses to testify under protection throughout the trial.
The court equally dismissed objections raised by the defence challenging the amended charges and granted accelerated hearing in the matter.
El-Rufai Denies Wrongdoing As DSS Presents TV Interview In Court
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metro
ICPC Denies Blocking El-Rufai From Receiving Food, Medical Care In Detention
ICPC Denies Blocking El-Rufai From Receiving Food, Medical Care In Detention
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has dismissed allegations that former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, was denied access to food, family members, and medical care while in detention.
The anti-graft agency described the claims as “false and misleading,” insisting that the former governor has continued to receive medical attention and family visits in line with the commission’s detention protocols.
The controversy followed allegations by Mohammed Bello, the lawmaker representing Kaduna North Federal Constituency and son of the former governor, who accused the ICPC of violating his father’s fundamental human rights.
Bello claimed that officials of the commission prevented El-Rufai’s wife from delivering food to him and also blocked his personal doctor from seeing him to discuss the outcome of recent medical examinations.
According to the lawmaker, the doctor was allegedly informed that written approval from the ICPC chairman was required before access could be granted.
However, speaking during a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, ICPC spokesperson, Okor Odey, rejected the allegations and maintained that the commission had acted within established procedures.
Odey explained that the agency operates an access-control policy that allows visitors into the detention facility between 9:00am and 6:30pm daily.
According to him, El-Rufai’s wife arrived at the facility around 7:00pm, after official visiting hours had closed.
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“The families of all defendants and suspects in ICPC custody, including the family in question, were duly informed of this protocol and have, until this incident, been in compliance,” Odey said.
He disclosed that one of El-Rufai’s wives and a housemaid had earlier delivered food to the former governor at least three times between 10:30am and 5:30pm on the same day.
The ICPC spokesman also said the commission maintains a visitors’ register containing details of all approved visits, including family members, legal representatives, and medical personnel.
Addressing allegations that El-Rufai’s doctor was denied entry, Odey said the medical personnel were only subjected to standard security and identification procedures before being granted supervised access.
“It is a standard security procedure,” he stated.
Odey further revealed that the former Kaduna governor had recently been allowed to visit both his dentist and eye doctor under ICPC escort.
He added that El-Rufai also has access to in-house medical personnel within the commission whenever necessary.
The ICPC stressed that the former governor’s detention was not politically motivated, noting that he remained in custody because he had yet to meet the bail conditions earlier granted by the court.
El-Rufai has been in the custody of the ICPC since February 19 over alleged financial impropriety linked to his administration as Kaduna State governor between 2015 and 2023.
The former governor was arraigned before the Kaduna State High Court on April 13 on an amended nine-count charge bordering on alleged fraud, abuse of office, and diversion of public funds.
The commission maintained that it would not be distracted by what it described as “dramatised narratives” aimed at undermining lawful institutional procedures.
ICPC Denies Blocking El-Rufai From Receiving Food, Medical Care In Detention
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