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I will sack bad workers, demolish bad structures till my 11th hour in office – El-Rufai

Published

1 year ago

May 21, 2023

Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai

Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has vowed to continue to sack any bad person that needs to be sacked in his government and as well demolish bad structures till the last hour he will be leaving office.

The governor spoke yesterday at a book presentation on him. The book authored by a veteran journalist and public commentator, Mr. Emmanuel Ado, is titled, “Putting The People First”.

“Any bad thing we find we will remove so that the next governor does not need to do it again. Watch out till the eleventh hour when we shall quit office, we will continue to sack bad persons and remove bad things.” El-Rufai said.

Meanwhile, the leadership of the Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky led Shi’ites group, otherwise known as Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), has raised the alarm over plans by the El-Rufai led government to demolish 48 structures belonging to the movement across Kaduna State.

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Briefing journalists on the development in Kaduna, the movement’s Engineer Yunusa Lawal who was flanked by other leaders, said the planned demolition was not only illegal, but vindictive, as the only reason given by the government was that IMN had been banned.

Lawal, said though, the Islamic Movement was yet to receive any notice of demolition from the Kaduna State government or any of its agencies, it stumbled on a leaked memo where the Director General of Kaduna State Urban Planning and Development Authority (KASUPDA), Ismail Umaru-Dikko, was seeking approval of Governor El-Rufai to carry out the demolition.

According to the Shi’ites leader, “We are constrained by the memo to address you arising from the premeditated attempt/approval given to carry out the demolition exercise.

“It is baffling to note the manner and timing of the proposed exercise! Could it be part of Mr. Dikko’s severance package? The DG, ASUPDA and his cohorts should know that their intention to destroy people’s properties/structures is evil and could be consequential sooner or later!

“It is noticed from the memo, 48 structures belonging to the Islamic Movement are earmarked for demolition across the state; 1,860 security personnel will be involved and N20,253,500 will be the cost of the demolition exercise. The sinister motive is to particularly clamp down on the Islamic Movement once again.

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“To cover up the deception for the exercise, 7 other locations were earmarked, but NONE of those locations will cost up to N2,500,000 and NONE will require above 180 security personnel to execute! The total cost approved for the exercise is N29,523,500 and the total security personnel required is N2,510.

“It is, therefore, disheartening to observe that the main purpose of this demolition exercise is to, again, subjugate and oppress members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria. We view this as an act of provocation and suppression tantamount to the infringement of our fundamental human rights as citizens and indigenes of Kaduna State.

“From the memo, the acronym ‘IM’ is alien to the Islamic Movement under the leadership of Allamah, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakkaky (H) and members of the movement have their various hard earned properties/structures as citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

We are aware, throughout the 8 year tenureship of El-Rufai’s stewardship; he has had NO regard for the rule of law! He has been a loose cannon trampling over whoever he does not like! He has been law unto himself since becoming governor.

“Furthermore, we would like to seize this opportunity to call on the government to release the international passport of our leader, Sayid, Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky (H) and that of his wife, Malama Zeenatudeen Ibrahim, without further delay to enable them seek medical treatment abroad. We also demand for the release of hundreds of our members that are in detention centres across the country,” Lawal said.

Related Topics:El Rufai Featured Workers

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BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

Published

6 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

The federal government has unveiled a proposed budget of N47.9 trillion for the 2025 fiscal year.

Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, disclosed this to journalists on Thursday following the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu.

Bagudu revealed that the council had approved the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for 2025-2027.

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According to the minister, the government has pegged the crude oil benchmark at $75 per barrel, with an oil production target of 2.06 million barrels per day (bpd).

The budget also sets the exchange rate at N1,400 per dollar and aims for a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 6.4%.

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

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EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

Published

6 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told FIJ that they have arrested Timber Wabote, the former executive secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCMB), on the grounds of a failed $35 million Bayelsa refinery project fraud.

Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s spokesperson, confirmed this to FIJ on Thursday.

“It is true,” Oyewale responded to FIJ’s inquiries.

Wabote is accused of misappropriating public funds for a refinery project that should have improved local energy production.

Vanguard reported that the NCDMB under Wabote paid $35 million to support the development of energy infrastructure in the Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa, yet there was nothing to show for it.

The EFCC picked Wabote up following the arrest of Akintoye Adeoye Akindele, the Managing Director of Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, for alleged misappropriation, money laundering and diversion of $35 million in public funds.

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“NCDMB under the watch of Wabote allegedly paid the $35 million to Akindele to build a 2,000 barrel per day (BPD), refinery, jetty, gas plant, power plant, data centre and tank farm at Brass free trade zone (FTZ), Okpoama Community in Brass LGA of Bayelsa State,” a source with the EFCC had explained.

Since December 2020 when the payments were made, Akindele abandoned the project with little or nothing to show for the huge sum he received.

Preliminary investigations showed that Wabote’s NCDMB financed 17 different projects, including the 2,000 BPD refinery in Brass LGA.

There has been a series of public fund misappropriation cases in the energy sector in recent times.

FIJ earlier reported that members of the House of Representatives summoned three ministers to defend how over $2 billion was spent on renewable energy with not much to show for it.

A recent FIJ report also recently detailed how residents of Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa, have not had power in their homes since July due to the vandalisation of the Ahoada-Yenagoa transmission towers caused by unidentified persons.

The Bayelsa state government told FIJ it was the federal government’s responsibility to provide electricity for residents. The state has no renewable energy options reliable enough to power its capital despite the multi-million-dollar NCMB energy project.

Transparency in the energy sector has become necessary at a time when Nigerians have suffered power instability due to frequent grid collapses.

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

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Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

Published

7 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

Yahaya Bello

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has requested an adjournment in the new case against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, stating that the 30-day window for the previously issued summons is still active.

The commission has granted administrative bail to his co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, and asked the court for an extension of time for Bello to appear.

At the resumed hearing before Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, EFCC Counsel Jamiu Agoro noted that the court’s order from October 3rd had not yet expired.

“In that wise, we feel it will not be appropriate for us to take proceedings while that 30 days is still running. So we have discussed and agreed to come back on the 27th day of November, 2024, my lord,” he told the court.

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He also mentioned that the previously set date of November 20th was not convenient for the prosecution counsels.

Counsel to the second defendant, Aliyu Saiki, SAN, confirmed that his client had been granted administrative bail by the prosecution and had no objection to the adjournment request. The third defendant’s counsel, ZE Abass, concurred.

The prosecution counsel also requested the court to allow the notice of hearing to be pasted on the last known address of the first defendant.

After hearing from all counsels, the judge granted the EFCC’s application for adjournment and the issuance of the hearing notice.

“I have considered the application for adjournment by the complainant and issuance of hearing notice and the submission by the second and third defendants. The application is granted,” she said.

Justice Anenih then adjourned the case to November 27th for arraignment.

The former governor, alongside Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are being prosecuted as 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively, in a fresh 16-count charge instituted against them by the EFCC.