Civic Reception in Honour Of Comrade Silas Adamu Grounds Kafanchan

Kafanchan, the political capital of Southern Kaduna came alive on Saturday as it was thronged with several dignitaries who were on ground to honour newly elected President of the Atyap Community Development Association (ACDA), Comrade Dr. Silas Adamu.

The reception, tagged “Civic Reception For Comrade Silas Adamu by Friends, was held at the Wonderland Hotel, Kafanchan.

The event attracted several dignitaries, including the Senator representing Southern Kaduna, Senator Danjumah La’ah, who was the Chief host.

Others spotted were the Agwatyap, Sir Dominic, former Minister of Environment, Mrs Lauretia Mallam, Chairman of Zango Kataf Local Government Area, Dr. Elias Mamza, SOKAPU President, Honourable Jonathan Asake who was represented by his PRO, Comrade Luka Biniyat and former Kaduna State Commissioner, Mr
Bawa Magaji.

Others spotted were representativesof Medical Health Workers Union of NIgeria (MHWUN) from all over Nigeria, representatives of Tsaunin Kura GRA Residents Association (Sabo GRA), Elder Tagwai Emmanuel, Daniel Meltu, Jonah Adua Kure and Okpani Jacob Onjewu Dickson.

At the event, Senator.Danjumah La’ah described the ACDA President as an embodiment of peace, adding that he was proud to host the reception.

According to him, Comrade Adamu is a shinning light and he is optimistic that his emergence will translate to progress for Atyapland.

“I have known Comrade Adamu for long and know his antecedents. I am optimistic that his tenure will bring good news to our people,” he said.

Speaking further, he called on all Atyaps and by extension, Southern Kaduna to unite in protecting their interests.

In his remarks, ACDA President, Comrade Adamu thanked his friends for organising the reception in his honour.

“To the committee of friends who organised this lavish reception, I am grateful and pray God replenishes all you have committed to making it a tremendous success.

“Just as you are celebrating me, you will also be celebrated for success which will come shortly.

“Thank you all.for coming here from far and near to celebrate with me. I pray for God’s blessings upon all and journey mercies back to various destinations,” he said.

​How NBET mismanaged N50bn in Escrow account— Senate

The Senate has uncovered how the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET) mismanaged N50 billion in the Escrow Account.

According to the Senate, the N50 billion in the Escrow account is from sales of Egbin , Omotosho, and Olorunsogo Power plants.

Senator Matthew Urhoghide, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Edo South led Senate Committee on Public Accounts which raised the alarm and exposed the mismanagement of public funds in the Escrow Account, has also discovered that the renegotiation was carried out after two years from 0.02 to 2 percent per annum.

The Senator Urhoghide led Committee is relying on the query raised by the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation in the 2015 report and brought before it for probe and subsequent presentation to the Senate at Plenary.

The query read, ” Funds in form of escrows in the possession of EGBIN ESCROW agreement FCMB Escrow Account BPE/NBET 2435507018- N30,000,000.000, UBA Escrow Account BPE/NBET 1017699148 – N10,000,000,000.00, FBN Escrow Account BPE/NBET 2024063360 – N10,000,000,000.00.

” The following observations were made: there was no execution date, as the agreement only stated 2013.

“This has been left out deliberately and arouses suspicion of malpractices. This is evidenced by a mail sent by the Legal Counsel to the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), asking for this information which was never replied to.

“As stated in the original draft agreement, the rate of interest generated on escrow funds shall be agreed between BPE, NBET and the escrow agents (banks) but subsequent manipulated agreement sighted states “The interest shall be CONCESSIONARY taking into account a reasonable compensation of the escrow agents in the CONSIDERATION for their OBLIGATION under the agreement”.

“The minutes of the meeting that decided the concessionary rate and the obligation of the escrow agents necessitating any form of consideration as well as the identities of the attendants and parties to the proposed and implemented 0.025 percent interest on the escrow fund should be produced.

“It is pertinent to note the financial mismanagement in the sum of over N5,000,000,000.00 (Five billion naira) which would have been realized on the

investment of the funds in Nigeria Treasury Bills at an interest rate of 10%.

“Olorunsogo power plant, OLORUNSOGO escrow agreement FCMB, IBANGB555CBL60910412544458, $10,110,000.00, Omotosho power plant

OMOTOSHO escrow agreement Diamond Bank PLC IBAN 021000089, N10,110,000.00.

“Examined documents revealed a meager interest rate on this escrow at 0.5%. I have requested to know the interest of the parties to this agreement and the reasons for negotiating such a ridiculously low-interest rate.

“There is a cloud of uncertainty surrounding the status of this account. Documents revealed that the account was to be re-denominated but confirmation of this was not presented during the audit exercise.

The Managing Director/CEO was requested to produce the following documents and evidence:”Detailed schedule of the 5 accounts showing all interests accrued in the period, a detailed document declaring the status of the alleged re-denominated accounts and reasons for this action.

” Detailed financial and economic analysis defending all decisions regarding interest rates, all minutes of meetings and deliberations on decisions for fixing the interest rates and parties involved.”

In its written response, NBET said, “it was never stated that the fund will be invested in the Treasury Bill. However. with the reduction in CRR, the rates on sitting balance for the Egbin was renegotiated to 2 percent from 0.02 percent per annum effective July 01, 2015.”

​Corruption, assault on democracy: PDP tasks Biden to sanction APC leaders, Buhari’s officials

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has commends United States President Joe Biden for lifting the immigration visa restrictions on regular Nigerians but urged him to impose firm sanctions on leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and officials of the Buhari administration involved in acts of corruption and undermining our nation’s democracy.
The party also entreated the new US leader to take drastic measures to freeze “the assets of such APC leaders and officials of the Buhari administration” in the United States, while ensuring that the lifting of visa ban does not extend to such individuals.

This was contained in a statement released late Sunday night by Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP publicity secretary.

“Now that President Biden has settled down to work, our party urges him to look into the records, especially the report of the Department of State and note the litany of infractions on our polity by APC leaders and officials of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.

“President Biden is invited to act on the report of the Department of State detailing cases of human right abuse, arbitrary and extra-judicial killings, illegal arrests, detention, torture, shooting and killing of voters, massacring of peaceful protesters as witnessed in the EndSARS protests as well as other atrocious crime against humanity under the Buhari-led APC administration which were also reported by the Amnesty International (AI) and Transparency International (TI).

“Moreover, our party urges President Biden to offer support in saving our democracy by enforcing firm sanctions on APC leaders and their agents in Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, security agencies and the judiciary, who openly undermined our democracy by manipulating elections, deploying thugs and security operatives to unleash violence to rig elections in Kano, Ondo, Kaduna, Katsina, Ekiti, Niger, Plateau, Rivers and Kogi states among others.

“In Kogi, security agents were deployed to shoot and kill voters, cart away ballot boxes, while police helicopter was deployed to fire tear gas on innocent Nigerians, burnt an innocent woman to death, altered election result figures to declared themselves winners.

“Such sanctions should be extended to all individuals who participated or benefited in the undermining of the Imo state governorship election at the Supreme Court, where a person, who was not a candidate in the election was suddenly declared winner, after which brute force was used to subdue the people.

“Our party condemns the invasion of the US Capitol and welcome the prompt arrest of culprits. In that vein, we urge President Biden to announce strong sanctions against those who invaded our courts as well as the chambers of our Senate where they disrupted parliamentary session and carted away the mace.

“It is indeed sickening that the same individual who ought to be in jail for leading the invasion of our Senate chamber is shamelessly presiding over the proceedings of the Senate under Buhari’s watch.

“Furthermore, the PDP urges President Biden to assist our country in the recovery of over N15 trillion stolen by APC leaders including the N9.6 trillion detailed in the leaked NNPC report as well as the over N6 trillion stolen in various ministries, agencies and departments of government under the Buhari administration.

“President Biden is also called upon to impress it on President Buhari to vanquish terrorists, bandits and kidnappers ravaging our nation by rejigging our security architecture and replacing his wearied service chiefs with more competent hands.

“President Biden should also impress it on President Buhari to end the corruption in his government, stop the looting spree bedeviling his administration and direct his party and its leaders to get ready to peacefully exit the stage in 2023, through a credible and fair election, having failed on all fronts,” the statement read.

Quit Notice Order to Fulani Herdsmen: Arewa Group Warns Against Creating War Situation

By Alex Uangbaoje, Kaduna

The Arewa Youths Consultative Forum (AYCF), has warned of a situation that might lead to war in handling the issues surrounding the quit notice order by the Governor of Ondo State Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN and subsequent attack and destruction of property in Oyo State.

AYCF President, Shettima Yerima, in statement described the situation as not only worrisome but disturbing.

“We must guide against any act that will create a war like situation in Nigeria, we must learn from mistakes of the past and avoid a repeat because it’s consequences may be unimaginable.” He said.

According to him, “AYCF will not support any group that engages in any form of criminality and such People should not be identified by their religion, tribe or ethnicity but should be treated as a criminal.

“Let it be known that the constitution of Nigeria guarantees every Nigerian to live in any part of this country and free to engage in any legitimate business of his or her choice, the Governor of Ondo State being a learned person is expected to know better.

“The subsequent attack that followed the quit notice in Oyo state is rather uncalled for and condemnable’. The perpetrators must be brought to book and made to face the full wrath of the law.

“AYCF supports constitutional ways of every state protecting her citizens but quit notice should be out of it and must not be considered under any circumstance. Nigeria is an indivisible entity and whatever has the tendency like happenings in Ondo and Oyo must be discouraged in the interest of peaceful coexistence and one Nigeria.”

He therefore called on the Government of Ondo and Oyo states to give peace a chance and rescind the quit notice order while those whose Property has been destroyed should be compensated accordingly.