Alleged ₦2.7bn fraud: Sirika, daughter get ₦100m bail, barred from travelling

A former Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika has pleaded not guilty to the alleged corrupt practices involving about N2.7 billion brought against him by the Federal Government.

Sirika was arraigned before Justice Sylvanus Oriji at the Federal High Court in Abuja along with his daughter, Fatima, his son-in-law, Jalal Sule Hamma, and a firm – Al Buraq Global Investment Limited.

The daughter and son-in-law also pleaded not guilty to the six-count charges when read to them.

Following their denial of the fraud charges, their respective lawyers moved applications for their bail which was granted by the judge.

Justice Oriji admitted the three defendants on bail for ₦100m and two sureties each in the like sum.

The sureties must be responsible citizens with verifiable home addresses while one of them must have landed property with a certificate of occupancy signed by the FCT Minister.

The judge ordered that the defendants must not travel out of the country without express permission of the court.

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If unable to perfect the bail conditions, Justice Orijin ordered that they should be remanded in prison custody till the time of perfection of bail conditions.

The court fixed June June 10th for the commencement of the trial.

Sirika served under the administration of former president Muhammadu Buhari.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had on Wednesday said it would arraign Sirika and the three others.

The charge sheet sighted by Channels Television allegedly that Sirika used his position as a minister to fraudulently award contracts to his daughter, son-in-law, and associates.

In February, the EFCC arrested Sirika’s brother Abubakar Sirika over an alleged contract fraud in the aviation ministry.

During his tenure as minister, Sirika faced allegations including conspiracy, abuse of office, diversion of public funds, contract inflation, criminal breach of trust, and money laundering totaling N8,069,176,864.

The EFCC had revealed that the funds in dispute related to four aviation contracts awarded by the former minister to a company called Engirios Nigeria Limited, which is owned by his younger brother.

Alleged ₦2.7bn fraud: Sirika, daughter get ₦100m bail, barred from travelling

Electricity: Labour demands immediate removal of band classification, tariff hike

Members of organised labour demanded an immediate reversal of the recent electricity tariff hike by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). Failure to comply, they declared, would result in a complete shutdown of all NERC offices nationwide.

The movement, led by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), expressed vehement opposition to what they termed a “discriminatory practice” of categorizing electricity consumers into arbitrary bands. They asserted that such actions were unjust and vowed to take decisive measures to address them.

A letter addressed to the Chairman of NERC, with copies sent to key government officials including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Minister of State for Labour, and the Minister of Power, outlined the unions’ grievances and demands.

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Signed by Joe Ajaero, President of the NLC, and Festus Osifo, President of the TUC, the letter emphasized the necessity of immediate action to rectify the situation. It underscored the duty of the labour movement to protect the rights of citizens against exploitation and called for the restoration of fairness in electricity pricing.

The unions set forth three key demands: the reversal of the electricity tariff hike to its previous rate of N65/kwh, an end to the discriminatory practice of segmenting consumers, and adherence to statutory obligations governing the electricity industry.

A May 12, 2024, deadline was given for compliance with these demands. Should NERC fail to act, the unions pledged swift and decisive action, including occupying NERC and Distribution Companies (DisCos) offices nationwide until justice is served.

The letter concluded with a firm reminder of the unions’ commitment to defending the rights of citizens and ensuring accountability within the electricity sector.

Electricity: Labour demands immediate removal of band classification, tariff hike

PoS agents won’t pay monthly tax – CAC registrar

Ishaq Magaji, SAN, the Registrar General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), has clarified the misconception surrounding the requirement for Point of Sales (PoS) operators to remit monthly taxes to authorities following their registration.

In an interview with Trust Radio, a subsidiary of Media Trust Group, Magaji revealed that PoS operators would register under the ‘Business Name’ category, which does not mandate tax returns.

The recent directive from CAC instructed PoS terminals, whether operated by agents, merchants, or individuals, to register with the agency before commencing business operations. However, this directive sparked protests among PoS agents who argued that registration would adversely affect their transactions, diminish profits, and potentially force them out of business.

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Magaji addressed these concerns, stating, “If you are paying tax to the FIRS, you must be a Limited Liability Company, but these are registering under a business name. Except if the state government captures them, their taxes go to the state government. The only thing they will be required to do is a yearly profile update with the agency in case of any changes.”