Why we made emergency landing at Lagos airport – Air Peace
News
We must treat kidnappers as terrorists, says Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu says those involved in kidnapping must be treated as terrorists.
The President made the statement on Tuesday at a Ramadan dinner with members of the federal judiciary led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Olukayode Ariwoola.
Tinubu said those who resort to kidnapping children are cowards, incapable of confronting the might of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
”We must treat kidnappers as terrorists. They are cowardly. They have been degraded.
“They look for soft targets. They go to schools and kidnap children and cause disaffection.
‘We must treat them equally as terrorists in order to get rid of them, and I promise you we will get rid of them,” the president said.
The dinner was attended by serving and retired judicial officers, including two former CJNs, Mahmud Mohammed and Walter Onnoghen.
The President also spoke review on the salaries of judicial officers, pledging that his administration would continue to implement necessary reforms to improve their welfare and working conditions.
“I recognise that the judiciary has one of the most unrewarded responsibilities. They are yet to modernise equipment and record keeping, and their progress towards improvement is slow.
“When you look at the career path of a judicial officer, they cannot practise the vocation for which they were trained after retirement.
“While the framers of the law may have their reasons, I perceive this differently and see this from a fair compensation angle that should benefit all,” the president stated.
President Tinubu expressed gratitude to the judiciary for their dedicated service to the nation and acknowledged their role in upholding the respectability of the judicial arm of government.
“We will continue to support one another and bring Nigeria to that glorious dawn,” the president concluded.
The CJN commended President Tinubu for the honour of hosting judicial officers to a Ramadan dinner and his commitment to judicial reforms.
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
-
Politics5 days ago
Aregbesola, Oyetola’s camps disagree over Osun shares