Intrigues as Amaechi, Akpabio, Sylva battle for control of NDDC – Newstrends
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Intrigues as Amaechi, Akpabio, Sylva battle for control of NDDC

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Akpabio, Amaechi and Sylva

Top politicians from the Southsouth zone are intensifying their push for the control of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NNDC).

The NDDC is an agency saddled with interventionist projects for oil-producing areas.

Among the gladiators are two former ministers, Chief Godswill Akpabio, the immediate past Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs and Mr Rotimi Amaechi who until May this year, was Minister of Transport.

Also believed to be scheming for the control of the agency is Minister of State for Petroluem Resources, Mr Timipreye Sylva, and Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwarts are working round the clock to influence the appointment of the agency’s managing director as well as its finance director.

The agency has been run by an interim management board since 2019 and the gladiatora are backing different persons for the plum job.

Incidentally, Amaechi, who is strongly believed to have influenced the appointment of Umana Okon Umana as the new Niger Delta minister, is said to be using  his closeness to President Muhammadu Buhari and an influential member of the “Villa cabal” to get his nominee from Rivers State appointed as Managing Director as “rehabilitation” for him after failing to clinch the APC presidential ticket. This is necessary “to keep and service his support base in Rivers State”.

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Both Amaechi and Akpabio resigned their portfolios as ministers in April to contest the presidential ticket of the ruling party, but failed at the primary.

The latter’s subsequent bid to have the senatorial ticket for Akwa Ibom Northwest as a “consolation prize” is currently still hanging in the balance.

Already, the Council of Traditional Rulers in Bayelsa has declared that it is the turn of Bayelsa to produce the Managing Director.

Though sources close to Amaechi were very confident his candidate would emerge “because he has the President’s ears and those of the Villa cabal”, the sentiments against the former Rivers governor were that he had “monopolised the NDDC board since the inception of the Buhari administration”, having also handpicked the two immediate past substantive Managing Directors, Mrs. Ibim Semitari and Mr. Nsima Ekere, who was arrested in May by the Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) over an alleged N47b fraud in the NDDC.

Akpabio, on the other hand, is said to be rooting for Denyabofa Dimaro who also reportedly enjoys the backing of Umana. One of the odds against Dimaro, is that he is over 76 years old, and seen “as too old for the rigours of office and should be retiring by now”.

For almost three years that he served as minister, Akpabio was seen as having technically remote-controlled the agency through an Interim Management Board he hand-picked with a sweeping mandate to undertake a “forensic audit” of the agency from inception. Critics said it was an interminable gambit to short-circuit a statutory board required by law and perpetuate the aberration of a caretaker committee.

Ironically, Ms. Joy Nunieh, head of the caretaker panel appointed by Akpabio in 2019, later fell out with him.

Sylva’s move to install Maxwell Oko, his Bayelsa kinsman, is said to be facing strong resentment among stakeholders, who are accusing him of creeping “ nepotism”.

Apart from the fact that the recently appointed substantive Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Simbi Kesiye Wabote, is said to be the minister’s cousin, the chairman of Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) board, Chief Edmund Daukoru, appointed in July 2020, is also widely known to be his mentor and was his boss during the Obasanjo administration.

Besides, Oko is battling with a petition written against him raising questions over his academic records.

On the other hand, Omo-Agege is said to be unrelenting in his bid to influence the emergence of Sam Mgbuku, despite the ongoing legal entanglement over “a serious case”.

In the face of mounting opposition to Oko, the Minister of State for Petroleum is believed to have worked out a Plan B by seeking an alliance with Omo-Agege, who hails from Delta State, such that Oko would be considered as Finance Director for the agency while Mgbuku would be Managing Director.

Speaking at a two-day management retreat organised by the Ministry of Niger Delta affairs  last week in Abuja , President Buhari hinted that the NDDC board would be announced soon . He spoke in apparent response to agitations by stakeholders.

The leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Edwin Clark, had expressed misgivings over speculations that the government may again extend the tenure of the Interim Committee of the NDDC.

The Nation

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NCC extends NIN-SIM linkage deadline

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NCC extends NIN-SIM linkage deadline

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has extended the deadline for the the second phase of SIM-NIN linkage.

Recall that the process to disconnect SIMs not linked to NIN was initiated in stages, with the second phase slated for today, March 29.

The first phase was on February 28, 2024, after NCC directed telecom operators to disconnect millions of subscribers who didn’t link their SIMs to their NINs.

The third phase is slated to commence on April 15, 2024, as previously announced by NCC in December, 2023.

However, the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS) said subscriber have been having difficulty linking their SIMs with their NINs, hence it would be unfair to bar them.

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NATCOMS’ President, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, therefore, appealed to the NCC extend the deadline scheduled for the disconnection of telephone lines not linked to NIN beyond Friday, March 29, 2024.

Meanwhile, a senior official of NCC said the commission had changed the second phase deadline.

He disclosed that the change, which will now see the deadline extended by one week, was necessitated by the Easter public holiday.

The official, who spoke in confidence with Daily Trust, said the telcos had been directed not to bar any subscriber until after one week, from Friday, March 29.

He explained that, “The telecom operators will not bar any subscriber yet. We will only be talking about barring after a week from tomorrow. Yes, technically, we can say the deadline has been extended by a week.”

Another NCC top staff member who corroborated what the first official told our reporter added that NCC yielded to appeals by some CSOs and telecom right groups calling for deadline extension because of internet glitches experienced in the country two weeks ago

NCC extends NIN-SIM linkage deadline

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30,000 students benefit from Ogun Educash transfer

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Gov. Dapo Abiodun

30,000 students benefit from Ogun Educash transfer

Ogun State said has said 20,000 of its students in tertiary institutions have benefited from Educash transfer of N50,000 to cushion the economic crisis.

Also, it said 10,000 indigent pupils in primary and secondary schools in the state got N10,000 cash transfer.

Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, spoke after monitoring the cash transfer to primary and secondary schools at Ogun West Senatorial District.

Arigbabu noted more would benefit from the scheme.

He said everyone captured would be paid.

“I can tell you that for the tertiary institutions, we have done 20,000 as at today, and the total for tertiary institution beneficiaries is a little bit less than 50,000. Hopefully, by end of next week, we will reach half of that, which is about 25,000 beneficiaries.

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“I want to assure those who have not received theirs, for instance, Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), a list of a little bit over 12,000 was sent to us. As we speak, we have paid just a little less than 6,000. The same thing at Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), where we have a little bit less than 8,000. We have tried to make sure we are targeting between 45 to 50 per cent,” he said.

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Binance Executive drags NSA, EFCC to court, demands public apology

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Binance Executive drags NSA, EFCC to court, demands public apology

Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan has taken legal action against National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), alleging violations of his fundamental rights.

In a filing dated March 18 and presented by his lawyer Olujoke Aliyu from Aluko and Oyebode Law Firm, Gambaryan sought redress before Justice Inyang Ekwo, requesting five reliefs.

Similarly, Nadeem Anjarwalla, Binance’s Africa regional manager who escaped custody on March 22, initiated a separate suit before Justice Ekwo.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gambaryan and Anjarwalla, in the suits marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/356/24 and FHC/ABJ/CS/355/24, had sued the Office of NSA (ONSA) and EFCC as 1st and 2nd respondents.

Gambaryan, a US citizen overseeing financial crime compliance at the crypto exchange platform, alleged that his detention and the confiscation of his international travel passport violated Section 35 (1) and (4) of the 1999 Constitution, constituting a breach of his fundamental right to personal liberty.

He further requested the court to order his immediate release and the return of his passport. Additionally, he sought an injunction preventing further detention related to any Binance investigations and demanded a public apology from the respondents, along with costs incurred.

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Gambaryan stated that he visited Nigeria on February 26 alongside Nadeem Anjarwalla, representing Binance, in response to invitations from ONSA and EFCC. Despite attending the meeting as requested, both were detained afterward without formal charges.

During the court proceedings, T.J. Krukrubo, SAN, representing Anjarwalla and Gambaryan, informed the court of the respondents’ absence despite being served. Krukrubo also mentioned their notice of withdrawal of legal representation for Anjarwalla, filed on March 26.

Justice Ekwo noted the withdrawal of legal representation and adjourned the matter to April 8 to allow the applicants to seek new representation and give the respondents an opportunity to appear.

In Gambaryan’s case, Krukrubo stated that although the processes were served on ONSA and EFCC, they still had time to respond. He requested an adjournment, indicating that the respondents’ deadline to file their applications would expire the following week.

Consequently, Justice Ekwo scheduled the next hearing for April 8 to continue proceedings.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government will arraign Binance Holdings Limited and its two top officials, Tigran Gambaryan and the fleeing Nadeem Anjarwalla, on April 4 on allegations bordering on tax evasion.

Binance, Gambaryan, and Anjarwalla, listed as 1st to 3rd defendants respectively, are expected to be arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite of a Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja on a four-count charge.

Anjarwalla, who had been in detention alongside Gambaryan, was said to have escaped from lawful custody. He escaped on Friday from the Abuja guest house where he and his colleague were detained.

Binance Executive drags NSA, EFCC to court, demands public apology

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