Nigeria Times

“… confirms Aboki as member LGSC, as House proceeds on recess till February 12th…”

Nasarawa State House of Assembly, has passed the 2024 Appropriation Bill of N199.9 as presented by Gov. Abdullahi Sule into law .

Rt. Hon. Danladi Jatau, the Speaker of the House announced the passage of the bill into law during the House proceedings today in Lafia.

The Speaker said that the passed budget, if assented to by Gov. Sule would promote economic growth and development in the state.

” A Bill for a Law to Authorize the Issue Out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the State (Appropriation) of the Sum of N199, 879, 370,709.43 only for the Services of Nasarawa State Government for the period of 12 months commencing from 1st January 2024 and Ending 31st December, 2024.

” The total sum of N117, 138, 350, 954.18 as Recurrent Expenditure while the sum of N82,741, 019, 755.25 as Capital Expenditure.

” The 2024 Appropriation bill is read for the third term and passed ,” the Speaker said.

Jatau appreciated members for their determination and commitments in ensuring the speedy passage of the 2024 Appropriation Bill into law.

” I want to appreciate you for your efforts in ensuring speedy passage of the bill.

” This shows sign of unity and synergy with the executive and judicial arms of government as we will always work in synergy with the state government for the overall development of the state,” he said.

Jatau urged the state government to ensure full implementation of the budget, if assented to by the Governor.

” We have done the needful, I hope that the executive will also do the needful,” he said.

He, then directed the Clerk of the House to produce a clean copy of the bill for Gov. Sule’s assent.

Earlier, Hon Suleiman Yakubu Azara, the Majority Leader of the House moved a motion for the passage of the bill into law.

Hon Luka Iliya Zhekaba, the Minority Leader of the House seconded the motion.

The House unanimously passed the 2024 budget into law.

In a related development, A Bill for a Law to make Provision for Right of Way in Nasarawa State and For Other Matters Connected Therewith passed first reading at the floor of the House.

Hon Suleiman Yakubu Azara, the Majority Leader of the House moved a motion for the bill to scale first reading which was seconded by Hon Luka Iliya Zhekaba, the Minority Leader of the House.

The House unanimously passed the bill into first reading.

In a related development, the House screened and confirmed Hassan Aboki Zanwa as member Local Government Service Commission.

Hon Suleiman Yakubu Azara, the Majority Leader of the House moved a motion for the screening and confirmation of the nominee which was seconded by Hon Luka Iliya Zhekaba, the Minority Leader of the House after Hon Solomon Akwashiki SDP Lafia Central and Hon. Esson Mairiga PDP Lafia North spoke in favour of the nominee who is from Lafia LG.

It would be recalled that on Dec 12, 2023, the Speaker of the House, has received the nomination of Mr Hassan Aboki Zanwa from Gov. Sule for re-appointment as member of the Local Government Service Commission.

The House also proceeded on recess from today to February 12th, 2024.

The House of Representatives Committee on Financial Crimes on Wednesday walked out lawyers from Udo Udoma and Belo-Osagie, for misleading a cryptocurrency exchange company in Nigeria suspected to be operating at variance with extant Nigerian laws.

Recall that on the 5th of December, 2023,
Empowerment for Unemployed Youths Initiative, Niger-Delta Youth Council and their partners petitioned Binance Holdings Limited, the operators of Digital Assets Exchange before the House Committee on Financial Crimes alleging a plethora of crimes and infractions against Nigerians and total disregard for extant laws governing cryptocurrencies which has posed a risk to Nigerians especially the youth who are vulnerable to such schemes.

The House Committee on Financial Crimes, swiftly summoned the Managing Director of Binance, Richard Teng in a letter dated 12th December, 2023 and signed by its chairman, Hon. Ginger Onwusibe requesting a hearing on the 18th of December, 2023.

However instead of honouring the invitation, lawyers from Udo Udoma and Belo-Osagie appeared on their behalf.

Speaking at the hearing, the Chairman, House Committee on Financial Crimes, Hon. Ginger Onwusibe described the appearance of lawyers from Udo Udoma and Belo-Osagie Chambers a as despicable and unprofessional stressing that the National Assembly is not a law court.

The chairman therefore walked Udo Udoma and Belo-Osagie out and directed that the company be given another date to appear.

A source at the National Assembly diclosed that, “to say we are disappointed with the infantile, treacherous, demeaning and insensitive treatment meted on the National Assembly by Udo Udoma and Belo-Osagie is an understatement. By conniving with an illegal entity clearly operating at variance with existing laws and risking the Nigerian economy, the firm has shown that its loyalty is not with the country and its laws but to their pocket and selfish desires even if it means disrespecting the legislature. A case unfolding like the P&ID scandal.

By disgracefully walking Udo Udoma and Belo-Osagie out of the hallowed Chambers of the National Assembly and venue of the scheduled meeting by the House Committee on Financial Crimes, the leadership of the National Assembly and indeed that Committee has shown that there is no room for crooks who are not worth their credentials and the trust bestowed on them. Udo Udoma and Belo-Osagie should stop embarrassing itself and allow the needful to be done rather than protect illegality”.

Commenting on the outcome of the committee sitting, the National Coordinator of Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiative, Amb. Solomon Adodo, the National Coordinator of the Niger Delta Youth Council, Chief (Engr.) Jator Abido, on behalf of other partners, expressed their deep seated disappointment with the lawyers from Udo Udoma and Belo-Osagie Chambers and wondered why a knowledgeable law firm could have the effrontery to treat the hallowed Chambers of the National Assembly with such disdain capable of bringing shame and ridicule on the House.

The group insisted that Binance Holdings Ltd must explain to the National Assembly and Nigerians the status of their operations in Nigeria by physically appearing before the House Committee on Financial Crimes with the relevant documents requested of them rather than enlisting the services of lawyers who have chosen the unprecedented route to promote gross ineptitude and primitive accumulation without any iota of patriotic commitment to the fatherland.

“Binance Holdings LTD. has a case to answer and they must avail themselves to the nation’s legitimate authority. You cannot be operating in the country and think you can disregard the laws of that country. Those beating the drums of disobedience to foreign firms whose operations threatens national security and economic stability must think twice. We are well within our mandate as civil societies and must continue to act as watchdogs to safeguard the economy and governance structure in the country. Those who are in bed with enemies of the country should know that their time is up”, the statement warned.

The groups equally cautioned Mr. Richard Teng, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Binance Holdings LTD. to desist from acts capable of earning him a warrant of arrest from InterPol and the possible freezing of the assets of Binance, adding that, “crimes such as money laundering, investments and securities fraud, tax evasion and failure to comply with regulatory frameworks are crimes of national security dimension whose punishments are stiff. There will be no hiding place when the law finally catches up with Binance.

The group finally urged unsuspecting Nigerians to distance themselves from Binance.com whose “operation of a virtual asset platform targeting Nigeria (including the country’s cyber space) and onboarding Nigerians, without due registration violates the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in the country respectively. Nigerians should therefore not fall victim to such fraud or even enable it”.

The Federal Government has been urged to urgently scrap the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and terminate the appointment of its Director General, Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote over incompetence, corruption allegations, amongst others
The call was made during a press conference addressed by Adegoruwa Omobolanle, National Spokesperson of Tinubu Shettima Support Campaign Council (TSSCC) on Tuesday in Ibadan.
According to Omobolanle TSSCC as a prominent grassroots organization committed to advancing good governance, grassroots development, and the welfare of Nigerian citizens is “deeply concerned about the recent appointment of the current Director General of NIMC, and growing cases of fraud within the commission.
TSSCC also added that stakeholders from the NIMC Director General’s home state and region are disappointed with her inefficacy and fraud allegations rocking the Commission, hence are in support of calls for her sack.
Part of his statement read: “We are deeply concerned about the recent appointment of Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote as the Director General/CEO of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and hereby call for immediate action to rectify the situation.
Unfortunately, Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote’s appointment has proven to be a gross misjudgment, evident by her incompetence in effectively carrying out the duties of Director General/CEO. Under her tenure, NIMC has failed to fulfill its primary objective of providing a reliable and efficient national identity management system. This failure is a significant setback for national development and undermines the rights and interests of Nigerian citizens.
Additionally, corruption cases within NIMC have further tarnished its already diminishing reputation and it is an obvious fact that a person who is corrupt lacks the morality and capacity to check corruption. The alleged corrupt practices, misappropriation of funds, and lack of transparency have eroded public trust in the commission. Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote’s oversight in such cases is deeply concerning and raises questions about her ethical integrity and ability to lead effectively.
Furthermore, NIMC has been plagued by a range of other issues, including mismanagement of resources, inadequate staffing, and technological inefficiency. These issues hamper the commission’s ability to operate efficiently and provide the necessary services to the Nigerian population.”
Given the gravity of these concerns, TSSCC urgently calls for the following actions to be taken:

1. Terminate the appointment of Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote as the Director General/CEO of NIMC, as her incompetence and alleged involvement in corruption cases makes her unfit for the position.
2. Conduct a thorough and independent investigation into the corruption cases within NIMC, ensuring transparency, accountability, and appropriate action against those responsible.
3. Scrutinize the overall operations and structure of NIMC, identifying and rectifying the root causes of its failures, including mismanagement of resources, inadequate staffing, and technological inefficiencies.
4. Consider alternatives to NIMC that can effectively address the primary objective of providing a reliable and efficient national identity management system, prioritizing competency and accountability.
   It is crucial that immediate action is taken to rectify the situation at NIMC and restore public confidence in the commission. The provision of a transparent, effective, and corruption-free identity management system is paramount for the security and prosperity of Nigerian citizens

The Nigerian Coalition of Civil Society Organizations (NCCSO) has commended the recent flag-off of the National Cash Transfer Programme by President Bola Tinubu-led administration over its poverty reduction potentials.

The commendation came during a press conference addressed by the leader of NCCSO, Abimbola Ademola on Tuesday in Abuja.

Speaking on behalf of the Coalition, Ademola stated that the civil society groups welcome the Federal Government unwavering resolve to tackle poverty through the “Renewed Hope Cash Transfer”, while backing the National Cash Transfer Office under the leadership of the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Beta Edu to deliver on the initiative.

The Coalition stressed that the National Cash Transfer Programme will help the poor develop savings skills and ultimately reduce poverty, while urging the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation not to relent in doing the right thing.
Part of the statement read: “We want to express our joy and happiness in the transparency thus far, we also encourage Dr. Edu to keep up the good works as we are satisfied with her hard work and achievements.

“President Bola Tinubu’s initiation of the Renewed Hope Cash Transfer Programme is highly commendable as the Programme has successfully credited about 2.6 million Nigerians with N25,000, through their bank accounts. These Nigerians, though extremely poor, previously had no bank accounts to enable them to benefit from the programme. These nearly three million Nigerians will receive additional N25,000 for two months totaling N75, 000. They are representatives of poor and vulnerable households identified through the National Social Register.

“The National Cash Transfer Office under the able leadership of Dr. Beta Edu, the Minister for Humanitarian affairs and Poverty Alleviation aims to reach 15 million poor and vulnerable households, with cash transfers of 25 thousand Naira monthly for three months, under the renewed hope conditional cash transfer program of Mr President.

“This is being done in a phased approach of 5 million households per month. The National Cash Transfer Program has also made a breakthrough as it was able to validate existing poor vulnerable household data from the National Social Register, through its ongoing beneficiary enrolment process. The office is currently in the hinterland of Nigeria’s rural areas, physically identifying these poor individuals, who have largely been unbanked and have also been without any form of telecommunications exposure.

“They are enrolling them into a beneficiary register with its vast network of about 10,000 cash transfer facilitators, spread across every ward of the federation, doing physical identification and engagements with these vulnerable individuals to ensure that only the poorest of the poor benefit from the National Cash Transfer Programme.

“This in itself is a huge task because it helps identify new Nigerians that had previously been left behind in the planning process of this country, bringing them into the forefront of Nigeria’s resource allocation initiatives.

“All these and more are being midwifed by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs under the leadership of Dr. Betta Edu through the National Cash Transfer Office and the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office, initiatives conceived under the National Social Safety Net Programme, which is a poverty mapping and alleviation collaboration between the Nigerian Government through the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Ministry of Finance and the World Bank

“All in the bid to create financial access for these beneficiaries, and alleviate the interim hardships emanating from Nigeria’s ongoing economic reforms.
“The funds are transferred directly into the beneficiary bank accounts, from the accounts of the Cash Transfer Office in the CBN, without any intermediary funds warehousing as promised by Mr President.

“The Cash Transfer Office is also ensuring that all beneficiaries have BVN or NIN generated for them, as directed by the CBN, which further strengthens Nigeria’s ability to identify and plan for the well-being of its vast number of citizens.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has been applauded for his laudable reforms in the aviation sector in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The Coalition of Civil Society Organizations for Monitoring and Evaluation of the Renewed Hope Agenda gave the commendation in collaboration with the Coalition of Middle Belt Groups and Faith-Based Organizations. 

The groups said significant progress has been made in infrastructure development, safety and security, reforms, policy formulation as well as institutional Strengthening.

In a detailed report signed and made public by the convener, Tobias Ogbe, the group noted that the industry under Keyamo is experiencing an evolution thanks to President Tinubu’s resolve to prioritise the development and modernisation of the aviation sector.

“One of the key areas of focus has been the upgrade and expansion of airport infrastructure across the country. Several airports have undergone extensive renovations, leading to improved facilities, enhanced capacity, and increased operational efficiency. These infrastructure developments have not only boosted economic activities but have also positioned Nigeria as a regional aviation hub, attracting more airlines and promoting tourism,” Ogbe said. 

“We are happy with the way President Tinubu’s administration has placed a strong emphasis on enhancing safety and security measures in the aviation sector, and the Minister made sure to speak this development into reality through his actions. Stringent regulations, improved training programs, and the implementation of advanced technology have so far contributed to a significant reduction in accidents and incidents. It is also worthy of note to state that the establishment of effective security protocols has also played a crucial role in safeguarding passengers, crew, and airport facilities.

“The aviation sector reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda have been instrumental in reshaping the industry and promoting sustainable growth. Key reforms have been implemented in various areas, including regulatory frameworks, policy formulation, and institutional strengthening. Several reformations have implemented to further solidify this agenda. 

“President Tinubu’s administration has prioritized the review and update of existing aviation regulations to align with international standards and best practices. This has created a more conducive environment for both domestic and foreign investors, fostering healthy competition and encouraging innovation in the sector.

“The Renewed Hope Agenda has also focused on formulating policies that promote the growth and development of the aviation industry. Streamlined processes, simplified procedures, and the removal of unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles have made it easier for stakeholders to operate efficiently. These policies have also encouraged the emergence of new airlines, improved connectivity, and increased accessibility for remote areas.

“Owing to the need to ensure effective implementation of reforms, the Tinubu administration has worked towards strengthening the institutions responsible for overseeing the aviation sector. Training and capacity-building programs have been introduced to enhance the skills and knowledge of industry professionals. Collaboration with international aviation bodies has further facilitated knowledge transfer and exchange of best practices.”

The group, however, admitted there is still a lot of work to be done. Ogbe harped on: “Continued investment in airport infrastructure to support the growing demand for air travel and ensure passenger comfort.

“Strengthening of safety and security measures through regular audits, training, and adoption of advanced technologies. Enhancement of regulatory frameworks to promote healthy competition, protect consumer rights, and attract more foreign investment.”

By our Correspondent

Ahead of the Court of Appeal verdict over the Adamawa state governorship election dispute, an aide to governor Ahmadu Fintiri, on new media, Alhaji Muhammad B. Tukur, has boosted in the Adamawa state capital yola, that the appellate court will today, deliver judgment in favour of his principal and the appeal will be dismissed.

The Court had slated December 18, 2023 to pronounce its decision on the appeal before it by the Adamawa State Governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Aishatu Ahmed (Binani).

A highly placed political source yesterday night told our Correspondent that one of the senior media handlers to governor Ahmadu Fintiri, had claimed that his principal had reached out to Justice Tunde Oyebamiji Awotoye( Presiding) and Justice Ebiowei Tobi, ahead of the judgment.

On the panel of justices handling the election dispute are Justice Tunde Oyebamiji Awotoye( Presiding), JUSTICE EBIOWEI TOBI and Justice Amina Audi Wambai, respectively.

A highly placed political source, late last night told our Correspondent that one of the governor top political aide, Alhaji Tukur, has claimed that the governor through his legal team has reached out to the panel members that are adjudicating over the matter to secure judgment in favour of governor Fintiri.

According to the source, already close members of the governor’s kitchen cabinet, political associates and family members are already celebrating the judgment that is yet to be delivered later today, particularly, in yola Adamawa state capital.

Senator Binani, is challenging the victory of the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the last governorship election, Ahmadu Fintiri, who has since been functioning as the state governor.

The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, which had earlier heard the case and reserved judgment, will today deliver the awaited judgment

Binani had gone to the Court of Appeal shortly after the Adamawa State Governorship Electoral Petitions Tribunal in October 2023 dismissed the petition filed by the All Progressives Congress, APC and herself.

Binani had approached the tribunal asking it to quash the declaration of Governor Fintiri by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as elected governor of Adamawa State.

In her petition challenging the governorship election conducted by INEC on March 18, 2023, Binani, who named INEC, Fintiri, and PDP as the first, second, and third respondents respectively, asked the tribunal to annul the election over non-compliance with the Nigerian Electoral Act.

The tribunal had, however, dismissed Binani’s petition and affirmed Fintiri’s victory, after which Binani filed an appeal at the appellate court.