News

Suspended Ogun Assembly member begs for forgiveness

Published

2 years ago

September 28, 2022

Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta

One of the two lawmakers recently suspended by the Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon. Solomon Osho representing Remo North local government, has formally apologised to the House over whatever could have led to his suspension.

Hon. Solomon Osho and the former Deputy Speaker of the house representing Ijebu North constituency II were suspended about two weeks ago after a resolution was passed by the appropriate number of the lawmakers alleging them of breach of the provision of the Legislative Houses (Power and Priviledges) Act, 2017.

However, during the sitting of the house on Tuesday, the suspended lawmaker sent a letter of apology to the lawmakers seeking for forgiveness over whatever his offences might have been.

The apology was said to have been contained in a correspondence dated 26th September, 2022 and addressed to the Rt. Hon Speaker, which reads, “I hereby humbly apologise for whatever I might have done to warrant the suspension, as it was never intentional and without prejudice to the rights and Priviledges of the Hallowed House.

“Furthermore, I passionately appeal for reconsideration of my suspension, as my conduct has (sic) always been with decorum and respect for constituted authority. This I hope and pledge to keep sacred till the end of my tenure as worthy representative of my people.

“Thank you Mr. Speaker and the House in anticipation of a favourable reconsideration, and understanding.”

Responding, the Speaker charged the correspondence to the Committee of the Whole House for further legislative actions.

Meanwhile, the lawmakers during the sitting confirmed Governor Dapo Abiodun’s nominee, Mr. Lateef Balogun, for the post of the State Auditor General, urging the Governor to go ahead and appoint him as the new Auditor General for the State.

The confirmation followed the presentation of the report of the Committee of the Whole House, chaired by Speaker Olakunle Oluomo as presented by his Deputy, Akeem Balogun, who also moved for its adoption, seconded by Hon. Bolanle Ajayi and supported by the Whole House.

The report partly reads: “The curriculum vitae and credentials of the nominee were thoroughly and carefully scrutinised by honourable members. Thereafter, the nominee was interviewed. The Committee found Mr. Balogun Akorede Lateef eligible and suitable for appointment into the exalted office of State Auditor General in the State.

“The Committee, therefore recommended that the confirmation of the screened nominee for appointment as the State Auditor-General be approved by the House, having found him eligible and suitable to hold the Office, in consonance with the provision of section 126 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as altered).”

Consequently, the Deputy Speaker moved the motion for the confirmation of appointment of the new Auditor General, seconded by Hon. Musefiu Lamidi and supported by the Whole House through a unanimous voice vote.

News

Demolition of buildings for Lagos-Calabar coastal road begins Saturday

Published

5 hours ago

April 26, 2024

NewsDirect

The Federal Government has announced that the demolition of buildings situated within the right of way of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road will commence this coming Saturday.

According to Channels Television’ on Thursday, the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Korede Keisha, disclosed this during a press briefing held in Lagos on Thursday.

Keisha urged all residents whose houses have been earmarked for demolition to visit the ministry’s secretariat in Lagos to address any necessary procedures required by the ministry.

She stated that the demolition team would commence the removal of the marked properties on Saturday.

Keisha said, “So this press briefing is just to create awareness for all those that may be involved or have one or two things to do along that project corridor.

“We’ve sent out demolition notices to as many as are within the right of way and we are using this medium now to say that everyone that has any concern within that corridor and have been served, the secretariat is opened to them from today, 3pm.

“We are welcoming them from today till tomorrow. Whatever you have to do along that axis, and then we’ve come to you and marked you down for demolition, we are asking that you see us at the secretariat from today till tomorrow evening.

“Thereafter, demolition squad will move to action by Saturday morning for the first three kilometres.”

The minister added, “For the first three kilometres, anything within the right of way of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway will be dropped down from Saturday morning.

“So, I want to use this medium to reach out to as many as we cannot put calls across to, that this will go a long way to let them know that their issues will be sorted out between today and tomorrow.

“Especially if you are within zero to three kilometres of the projects and you have been marked. You have been identified as standing in the right of way of the project corridors.”

Recently, Minister of Works Dave Umahi disclosed that the construction of the Lagos-Calabar coastal road is expected to span eight years and cost N4 billion per kilometre

The 700 km Lagos-Calabar coastal road will be constructed for N15 trillion, and a kilometre of the road will cost N4 billion.

It is designed to connect Lagos to Cross River, passing through Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom states before culminating in Cross River.

News

How ex-HoS, Oyo-Ita, others diverted public funds – Witness

Published

5 hours ago

April 26, 2024

NewsDirect

Hamma Bello, the eighth posecution witness in the trial of a former Head of Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita, narrated before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, on Thursday, how the defendant and her subordinates diverted public funds into their private companies.

Oyo-Ita, the first defendant, is facing criminal prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission alongside 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 N3bn.

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.

The witness said, “We called for the account statements of these two companies, 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.”

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.

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, “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.”

peaking 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.

News

New minimum wage announcement on May Day not feasible – TUC president

Published

5 hours ago

April 26, 2024

NewsDirect

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) President, Mr Festus Osifo, has said that the much-awaited new minimum wage may not be announced on May 1.

Osifo said this while speaking with newsmen on Friday in Abuja.

”The negociation by the Tripartite Committee is still on going. If you remember, the TUC earlier submitted N447, 000 as the new minimum wage but we have harmonised our figure with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) .

“It is now N615,000. Regarding the when for the new minimum wage, the committee is still working.

“So, certainly, May 1, will not work for the pronouncement of the new minimum wage. Except if the Federal Government wants to pay the minimum wage of N500, 000 to workers,”he said.

He however said that the N615,000 demanded by the organised labour is not sacrosanct.

”The government also has its markup and so conversations and negotiations will start and end somewhere, ‘he said.

He also noted that before organised labour arrived at that amount, a proper study was conducted.

”If you look at the N615. 000, you will think that the amount is right but at about the time we did that computation, a dollar was about N1, 700.

”I am hopeful that the committee will meet after May 1,” he said.

NAN reports that the 37-member tripartite committee on minimum wage set up by the Federal Government to continue further negotiations and consultations on the new minimum wage.

The National Minimum Wage Committee is chaired by former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Bukar Aji, with other members drawn from the Federal Government and State Governments, the Private Sector as well as the Organised Labour.

Shettima notes that though decisions made to salvage the economy remain inevitable, the Federal government is not oblivious of the short-term implications, assuring Nigerians of better days ahead

He urged the committee to be diligent and consult widely in arriving at a fair and decent wage that can alleviate the sufferings of the people.