Why we made emergency landing at Lagos airport – Air Peace
News
Tinubu undergoes surgery in US hospital – Report
Uncertainty surrounds the state of health of the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress and former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu,[tps_title][/tps_title] as he is said to be hospitalised in Maryland, the United States.
An online news portal, SaharaReporters, reported that the influential politician had just undergone a surgical operation in the US hospital.
It stated that Tinubu, who had undertaken several medical trips this year alone, had a surgery last week and could be billed for another one over a yet-to-be-disclosed illness.
The APC national leader has not been part of official and party functions for a long time, amidst talks that he is being positioned to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.
Saharareporters reported, “Tinubu is hospitalised in Maryland, US. His health is failing. He couldn’t participate in launching his Arewa library, and he couldn’t participate in the Local Government Area elections last week. He could not attend today’s APC congress due to health reasons.
“He had a surgery last week.”
In January 2021, Tinubu was also reported sick and hospitalised in Paris, France.
He had earlier complained of exhaustion and travelled out to rest before the news of his collapse gone viral.
He was flown to Paris for medical attention in the first week of January.
SaharaReporters had on June 15 reported that Tinubu was also in Paris, battling some old age illnesses.
It had also reported the absence of Tinubu during the one-day working visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to inaugurate the new Lagos-Ibadan rail among other projects in Lagos State.
SaharaReporters had learnt that the Presidency, against its former custom, refused to extend an invitation to Tinubu ahead of the visit which should make him feel welcome at the ceremony, and the camp of the APC leader felt embarrassed by the Presidency’s decision.
Top sources had also revealed that Tinubu did not feel comfortable to stay in Lagos during the Presidential visit in order to hide the growing battle between the two from public glare and he instead decided to embark on a journey.
Earlier, the President’s spokesman, Garba Shehu, had tried to downplay the obvious rift between the two leaders and their camps, saying the interview the President granted to Arise Interview where he mentioned Lagos was not in reference to Buhari.
“You cannot sit there in Lagos, for instance, and decide on the fate of APC on zoning,” Buhari had said while responding to a question during the interview.
“The hope of this administration is to see APC last beyond it. Therefore, we should allow the party to decide. The restructuring of the party has begun from the bottom to the top with the membership card registration. Every member of the party must be involved. We will soon conduct our convention. No single member of the party will be allowed to go against the wish of the party.”
But Shehu maintained that there was no rift between the two leaders.
News
Labour shuts NSITF head office over staff salary cut
Labour shuts NSITF head office over staff salary cut
Members of the organised labour, on Friday, protested and shut down the headquarters of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) over alleged cut of workers’ salaries in the agency by the management of the fund.
The aggrieved protesters, led by the President of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo and executive members of the Association of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFE), started their demonstrations at about 11:00am.
READ ALSO:
- Bandits attack Matawalle’s hometown in Zamfara kill one, kidnap many
- Eight illegal security guards arrested in Anambra
- Weeks after Iran’s attack, Israel discovers another massive surface-to-surface missile
Armed with placards with various inscriptions, the protesters alleged that the management led by Mrs Maureen Allagoa, the Managing Director of the Fund, had made deductions of consequential taxes from their salaries to the tune of N2.1bn which were not remitted.
Addressing the protesters, Osifo said the protest and subsequent shutdown of the Fund became imperative after efforts made by the leadership of ASSBIFE to resolve the issue amicably with the management failed.
The protesters urged President Bola Tinubu to sack the MD of the agency with immediate effect to avert “looming crises” in the Fund and called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe their claims.
Both the MD of the Fund, Mrs Allagoa and spokesman of the Fund, Mr Godson Nwachukwu could not be reached for comments at the time of filing this report.
Labour shuts NSITF head office over staff salary cut
News
How ex-Head of Service Oyo-Ita diverted N3bn public funds to private firms
How ex-Head of Service Oyo-Ita diverted N3bn public funds to private firms
Hamma Bello, the eighth prosecution witness in the trial of Winifred Oyo-Ita, a former Head of Service of the Federation, has narrated how N3 billion was diverted to private companies.
The witness stated this while testifying before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on Thursday about how the defendant and her subordinates diverted public funds into their private companies.
Oyo-Ita, the first defendant, is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, along with her special assistants; Ugbong Effiok (seventh defendant) and Garba Umar (fourth defendant).
Others are six companies: Frontline Ace Global Services Limited, Asanaya Projects Limited, Slopes International Limited, U and U Global Services Ltd, Prince Mega Logistics Ltd, and Good Deal Investments, on 18 counts bordering on misappropriation, official corruption, money laundering, and criminal diversion of funds to the tune of over N3 billion.
READ ALSO:
- Third Mainland Bridge: Contractors set to return for resurfacing, solar power installation
- Police nab brothers over gang rape
- Why we made emergency landing at Lagos airport – Air Peace
The witness, while being led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Faruk Abdullahi, and H.M. Mohammed, told the court that Oyo-Ita used Slopes International Limited and Good Deal Investments Limited – fifth and sixth defendants respectively, to fraudulently award government contracts to herself through the fourth defendant, Umar.
The first entry transaction of Good Deal Investment Limited. in February 2019 showed that N42,748,201.47 was paid into its Zenith Bank account.
Umar, the witness said, incorporated the company with Oyo-Ita’s full knowledge.
“We called for the account statements of these two companies, and upon analysing them, we realised he (Umar) was paid several sums of money from the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, where he is an employee.
“And upon interviewing the fourth defendant, he admitted that he was also a contractor. He also admitted to have paid the first defendant on several occasions from the proceeds of the transaction,” the witness said.
On April 27, 2019, the witness disclosed that a transfer of N20, 2027, 142 was made in the name of Ibrahim Madu to the Zenith Bank account of Asanaya Projects Limited.
The mandate card of the account bears the signature and photo of the seventh defendant, Effiok.
Investigation, according to the witness, also revealed that the seventh defendant incorporated Asanaya Projects Limited in his name with the knowledge of the first defendant and that approvals were granted and payments made to the seventh defendant either through his personal account or to the account of the company.
READ ALSO:
- Why we made emergency landing at Lagos airport – Air Peace
- Police intervene as mob attempts burning two one-chance robbers alive
- PDP, LP kick as US report says 2023 polls reflect people’s will despite irregularities
The witness said, “The seventh defendant, upon interview, confirmed he had never travelled for most of the funds he received and that the first defendant was aware of and benefitted on several occasions from the funds. The account of U and U Global Services Limited was also opened by the seventh defendant.
“In summary, from 2015 to 2018, U and U Global Limited received several payments in the form of Duty Tour Allowances and estacodes. Sometimes, payments from the federal government were made directly to the account, for instance, on March 24, 2016, he received N40, 313, 453. 58. This particular payment was from the federal government.”
Further in his testimony, the witness stated that, “Exhibit O is the Fidelity Bank account of Prince Mega Logistics Ltd. On March 27, 2018, and April 6, 2018, there were four entries, N4, 950 000; N3,946,000, N4,676,000 and N1,478,000, from Thomson Titus Okure, who used to be a colleague of the seventh defendant in the Account Department.
“There were also outward payments to Ignom, Minaro Blessing, Winifred Oyo-Ita, Olarenwaju Godman Olushola and the seventh defendant is the sole signatory of this account.”
Speaking further, he said, “I also want to add that we invited the first, second and seventh defendant at different times to our office and interviewed them. In the case of the first defendant, we printed chats from her phone and saw conversations she had with contractors, subordinates, and permanent secretaries. She also voluntarily made a statement to the EFCC.”
The matter was adjourned till April 30, 2024.
(SAHARAREPORTERS)
How ex-Head of Service Oyo-Ita diverted N3bn public funds to private firms
News
Why we made emergency landing at Lagos airport – Air Peace
A statement by Stanley Olisa, the airline’s Corporate Communications Lead, explained that some minutes before landing, the Captain noticed a fire warning indicator in the cockpit.
-
Education6 days ago
Why we charge N42m fees for primary school pupils — Charterhouse Lagos
-
Auto6 days ago
We expect massive roll-outs of Nigeria-made cars by December 2024 – Minister
-
metro6 days ago
JUST IN : Borrow pit collapses, kills seven Qur’anic school pupils
-
metro4 days ago
How gunmen killed Babcock university lecturer, abducted two – Police
-
News5 days ago
We’re not part of Yoruba Nation agitation, says MKO Abiola family
-
Politics6 days ago
Ondo APC primary: Ododo, gov aspirant in open confrontation
-
Sports6 days ago
Arsenal beat Wolves to return to top spot
-
Politics4 days ago
Aregbesola, Oyetola’s camps disagree over Osun shares