NRC clarifes Osun railway land dispute, accuses mischief makers of incitement – Newstrends
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NRC clarifes Osun railway land dispute, accuses mischief makers of incitement

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The Nigerian Railway Corporation has accused mischief makers of driving religious sentiment into a railway land dispute in Osun between two temporary allotees.

It said they were inciting members of the public, especially Muslims, against the management of the corporation.
The NRC in a statement on Saturday described as malicious reports by some online publications last Wednesday that the corporation was planning to cause a religious crisis over the land matter.
Even as it stated that it had commenced investigation into the dispute, it urged “the good people of Osun and indeed the general public to disregard any malicious claim to disrupt the peace in Osun State.”
The statement read in part, “Our attention has been drawn to inciting reports by Sun News Online and several other social
media platforms on Wednesday 6th April 2022 captioned ‘MUSLIM GROUP RAISES ALARM OVER ALLEGED PLAN BY NRC TO CAUSE RELIGIOUS CRISIS IN OSUN’.
“The report alleged that the NRC officials are taking steps to convert a piece of land already
granted to the Muslim Community for use as a Muslim prayer ground for the use of one Pastor Solomon”.
‘The management of NRC/RPMCL wishes to clarify the very grave allegations levelled against the officials and to bring to the notice of the general public that the social media reports did not in any way portray a true picture of the issue at hand. The management is therefore clarifying the purported allegations as follows:
1. The management of Railway Property Management Company Limited wishes to
categorically state that the issue in contention is between two temporary allottees on
Railway land who have misunderstanding over boundaries. Efforts have been made to
resolve the problem with no success.
2. A piece of land measuring 20m2 was allocated to one Lateef Oriade on Temporary permit in 2015. Another piece of land measuring 56m2 was allocated to one Bukola Solomon in 2016 and both allottees have been occupying the space since 2015 and 2016 respectively.
3. In November 2021, one Imam and his son came and complained about an attempt by someone wanting to claim the land. The Area Manager in trying to resolve the issue, went with the complainant to the said site. On getting to the site, the manager discovered that
the land in question was the one allocated to Lateef Oriade which the Imam claimed that
the land was transferred to him even though there was no evidence to back that claim.
4. The Area Manager discovered that the space being occupied by the Imam is 372m2 as against the 20m2 on the letter of allocation to Lateef Oriade. But the Imam claimed that the space allocated to them is 372m2 and the 56m2 allocated to Bukola Solomon. The area manager further directed that both the Imam (representing Lateef Oriade) and Bukola Solomon should apply for the regularization of their allocation since the allocation in their
possession is a temporary permit which they both promised to comply.
5. However, instead of them applying for the regularization, the Area Manager received a
report that the two tenants continued their disagreement over the matter. To this note, the area manager gave both of them a six months revocation notice due to their refusal to
reconcile and to comply with the directive to regularize their stay.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we do not have any record of allocation to any Imam, Muslim Community nor any pastor, as such, the claim to incite any religious crisis might be the handiwork of mischief makers. In any case management has ordered an immediate investigation of the matter
and have already contacted all the key parties.
“The good people of Osun State and indeed the general public should disregard any malicious claim to disrupt the peace in Osun State.”

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

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November 14, 2024

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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

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10 hours ago

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November 14, 2024

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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

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10 hours ago

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November 14, 2024

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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.

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

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