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Fayose trial: Ex-NSA authorised N2.2bn payment without job evidence, says witness
Fayose trial: Ex-NSA authorised N2.2bn payment without job evidence, says witness
A former Director of Administration and Finance in the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) has told a Federal High Court in Lagos that a former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki, authorised the payment of N200 million and N2 billion to a company, Silver Macnamara without any evidence of the job done.
Shuaibu Salisu, who is the 14th Prosecution Witness (PW 14), also told the trial judge, Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke, that the NSA did not tell him the purpose for which the money was meant.
He said the memo raised only stated that the purpose was physical security infrastructures.
Salisu revealed the foregoing in the ongoing trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of a former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, alongside his company, Spotless Investment Limited, over an 11-count charge of criminal breach of trust, theft and stealing of public funds.
The anti-graft agency alleged that Fayose and one Abiodun Agbele, who is also standing trial on alleged money laundering before another division of the court, on June 17, 2014 took possession of N1.219 billion to fund his 2014 governorship campaign in Ekiti State.
The ex-governor, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
When the case was called on Friday, Salisu, who was led in evidence by prosecution counsel Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), said: “Once the NSA approves payment, we process the payment accordingly. And our payments are mainly on operational payment for security; I mean operational activities.
“The role of the NSA office is purely on the security of the entire country, and if moneys are expended for security infrastructure, we expect that it will be retired.”
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Shown a document tagged Exhibit S, the payment voucher raised for the funds, he said: “It is the payment mandate raised by me as a Director of Administration and Finance under the NSA’s instruction.
“The NSA instructed me to raise it. The first figure was N200 million in favour of Silver Macnamara, paid to the Diamond Bank account, and the NSA gave me the account details.”
When the witness was asked who signed the payment mandate, he said: “I signed my part as signatory B. After that, I took it to the NSA for final signature, which is the approval, after which I will take the mandate to the Central Bank of Nigeria for payment.”
He further testified that the payment was made and that there ought to be a retirement after the purpose for which the money was paid had been carried out, but up till the time he left the office, he could not say whether the beneficiary made the retirement or not.
Under cross-examination by counsel to the first defendant, Ola Olanipekun, SAN, Salisu testified that all payments made by the office of the NSA were made through the bank, and they had to raise the mandate before it was done.
While being cross-examined by the lawyer of the second defendant, Olalekan Ojo, SAN, the witness testified that about the retirement of funds, once money is given to a recipient, he is supposed to bring a receipt of what he has been asked to supply with a memo attached to it.
However, Olanipekun moved an application before the court, seeking the permission of the court for his client to travel abroad on health grounds.
Fayose trial: Ex-NSA authorised N2.2bn payment without job evidence, says witness
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Why governors’ forum is silent on Rivers emergency, by DG
Why governors’ forum is silent on Rivers emergency, by DG
The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) yesterday attributed its neutral position on the recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State to the need to steer clear of taking positions that may alienate members with varying political interests.
Taking positions on contentious partisan issues, the NGF said, would not augur well for it, especially in view of its past experience in fundamental division.
Notwithstanding, the declaration of the state of emergency by President Bola Tinubu yesterday generated more kudos and knocks from across the country.
Special Adviser to the President on Senate Matters, Senator Basheer Lado, said the action of the president was meant to ensure protection of lives and restoration of law and order in the state, while the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, said his principal was required to “avert needless harm and destruction .”
National Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Felix Morka, said Tinubu, by his action, cleared what had manifested as a constitutional crisis in Rivers state.
But former President Goodluck Jonathan saw it from a different perspective.
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He described “abuse of office and power by the three arms of government in the country“ as a dent on Nigeria’s image.
The NGF, in a statement by its Director General Abdulateef Shittu, said it is essentially “an umbrella body for sub-national governments to promote unified policy positions and collaborate with relevant stakeholders in pursuit of sustainable socio-economic growth and the well-being of the people.”
It added: “As a technical and policy hub comprising governors elected on different platforms, the body elects to steer clear of taking positions that may alienate members with varying political interests.
“In whatever language it is written, taking positions on contentious partisan issues would mean a poor sense of history — just a few years after the forum survived a fundamental division following political differences among its members.
“Regardless, the Forum is reputed for its bold positions on governance and general policy matters of profound consequences, such as wages, taxes, education and universal healthcare, among others.”
It asked for “the understanding of the public and the media, confident that appropriate platforms and crisis management mechanisms would take care of any such issues.”
Why governors’ forum is silent on Rivers emergency, by DG
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Rivers: Tinubu acted to save state, economy, says Karimi
Rivers: Tinubu acted to save state, economy, says Karimi
Chairman of the Senate Services Sunday Karimi has hailed President Bola Tinubu for the decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State.
He told reporters on Friday in Abuja that the President acted in the best interest of the State and Nigeria, having taken his decision in compliance with the Constitution.
“No President or government worth a name, will fold its arms and watch a political situation deteriorate to what we saw unfolding in Rivers State.
“We saw that bombing of pipelines had begun, and the security situation was getting worse with the tension everywhere”, Karimi stated.
Karimi, who represents Kogi-West on the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC), recalled the “fatherly role” Tinubu had played in the crisis since 2023 in a bid to get the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara to reach an understanding, to no avail.
He explained: “We were all here in 2023 when Mr President called that truce meeting at the Aso Rock Villa. There was the eight-point agenda for settlement reached between the factions.
“When Nigerians expected that progress should be made to achieve peace, things started deteriorating considerably to a point where the governor demolished the House of Assembly building and administered the state with only three legislators.”
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Karimi observed that with the recent judgment of the Supreme Court, which gave the upper hand to the 27 lawmakers loyal to the camp of the FCT Minister, matters merely got worse in the State as the lawmakers were set to impeach the Governor.
“What did you expect would be the implications? There would have been more destruction, killings and economic losses for the country.
“With the bombings that had already started, it was a matter of time before the whole state would be engulfed in flames. No responsible President would sit, arms folded, and allow that to happen “ he added.
The senator further argued that it took “painstaking efforts” by the administration to raise daily crude oil production to around 1,800 barrels, noting that Nigeria’s economy was already “witnessing a rebound under the renewed hope projects of the government.”
“Allowing the situation in Rivers to get worse before he would act, wouldn’t have helped the state or Nigeria as a country in any way.
“Mr. President intervened at the right time, and his actions are covered by law,” he said.
Karimi also spoke on the emergency declaration in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and a couple of other states by former President Goodluck Jonathan without removing the Governors from office or suspending the state assemblies.
According to him, the case with those States was not generated by political crises but rather security concerns.
“So, I will advise those comparing the two scenarios to remember that one was purely about security threats resulting from the insurgency caused by Boko Haram, while that of Rivers is clearly political.
“It was the proper thing to do to suspend the political actors in the two factions to allow for tensions to diffuse. Nigerians should appreciate the President for the action he has taken so far,” he stated.
Sen. Karimi also noted that there was no cause for alarm as the National Assembly had indicated that the emergency rule could be reviewed as soon as there were signs that things could quickly normalise in Rivers State.
Rivers: Tinubu acted to save state, economy, says Karimi
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Just in: Tinubu swears in Rivers Sole Administrator Ibas
Just in: Tinubu swears in Rivers Sole Administrator Ibok-ete Ibas
President Bola Tinubu has sworn in Vice Vice Admiral Ibok-ete Ibas (Retd.) as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State.
The administrator was sworn in on Wednesday after a short meeting with the President.
Tinubu announced the appointment of the retired naval chief at a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday, when he declared a state of emergency in Rivers State and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor, Ngozi Odu, and the state House of Assembly members.
The President said his decision was based on Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, saying he could not continue to watch the political situation in Rivers escalate without taking concrete action.
The suspension of Fubara and other elected representatives has been rejected and condemned by many eminent Nigerians, legal luminaries, groups such as Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Femi Falana, the Labour Party (LP), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Nigerian Bar Association.
However, the emergency rule has been praised by the pro-Nyesom Wike Assembly led by Martins Amaewhule, accusing Fubara of contravening the Supreme Court ruling on the political situation in the state.
Ibas was the Chief of Naval Staff from 2015 to 2021.
He is from Cross River State where he had his early education.
The new sole administrator went to the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1979 from where he proceeded to have a successful career in the Navy, rising through the ranks to the very top.
He is a member of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) and the Nigerian Institute of Management.
President Muhammadu Buhari who appointed him as Chief of Naval Staff conferred him with the National Honour of Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) in 2022.
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