You are opportunists, liabilities to Osun, Amotekun Commander lambasts Oyetola’s CoS, SA

 

BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO                    

THE Osun State Commander of Amotekun, Amitolu Shittu, has lambasted the Chief of Staff to Governor Gboyega Oyetola, Charles Akinola, and the Governor’s Special Adviser on Security, Mrs. Abiodun Ige, describing them as opportunists.

While Shittu called Akinola an opportunist and liability, the Amotekun Chief described Ige, a former Police Commissoner in the state, as politically deficit.

Amitolu punched the duo in a lengthy statement posted on his Facebook account on Wednesday.

The Point gathered that Shittu’s outburst might not be unconnected with the forthcoming 2022 Governorship election in the state and the rift between Governor Oyetola and the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola.

Amitolu specified that Oyetola, while he was the CoS to former governor Rauf Aregbesola, performed well and was never a political liability to Osun.

“However, these cannot be said about some hangers-on and opportunists at the corridors of power, who are reaping where they did not sow,” he said.

He added, “Record cannot lie. Charles Akindiji Akinola has no political relevance in Osun. This is a man who failed when he headed O’REAP as Director-General and has nothing to write home about as his account of stewardship at O’REAP.

“Politics is beyond grammatical expression and America phonetics because politics itself is local and grassrooted.

“If Governor Oyetola, like the hangers on, attaches importance to being self-centred, the government he is leading would have become unpopular, just like the wish of Charles Akinola.”

The Amotekun Commander said, today, as a responsible appointee of the Governor, Akinola should have borrowed a leaf from the present SSG, Wole Oyebamiji, “who, in his wisdom, has popularised the government of Oyetola the more, in his Egbedore Local Government, through various empowerment programmes, including the provision of solar street light for his people.”

He stated, “To say that Charles is a political liability is an understatement. Of a fact, he is a terrible political liability and masteric in the game of busy body and arrogant in character.

“Charles Akinola and Mrs Abiodun Ige, the so-called SA security, are birds of a feather. Abiodun Ige is using the name of Jesus Christ to deceive people and claiming to be holy, knowing full well that deep inside her, she is not fit to be the personality she is portraying.

“Abiodun Ige is a pathological liar, pretender and backbiter. Above all, she is politically deficit. She is another liability to our government and instead of her to face the reality, she is busy looking for Amitolu Shittu’s downfall (which will never come to reality) to cover her inadequacy, deficiency, incompetency and lack of direction. She is self-centred and too greedy.

“Instead of her to concentrate on how our state would be secured, in terms of lives and property of the populace, she is busy fabricating lies and engaging in evil scheming. What a political liability bereft of competency.”

“From West to East and the Central (with the highest electoral figures in our state) Governor Isiaka Gboyega Oyetola will by HIS grace, WIN again and again,” he declared.

Meanwhile, all efforts to get the reaction of Akinola have been abortive, as he refused to pick calls from our correspondent. Ige’s telephone line was not also connecting when our correspondent put calls across to her on Thursday.

 

 

Four civil servants arrested for stealing streetlight diesel in Ebonyi

 

BY AGNES NWORIE, ABAKALIKI                    

FOUR staff of the Ebonyi State Ministry of Power have been arrested for allegedly stealing diesel meant for powering streetlights across the state.

Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Uchenna Orji, who disclosed this while briefing journalists on the outcome of the State’s Executive Council meeting held at the EXCO chambers, old Government House, Abakaliki, said a disciplinary committee had been set up to try, dismiss and prosecute the suspects.

Orji added that the owner of the house where the suspects allegedly kept the stolen diesel would pay a compulsory N5million punitive fine or the house would be sealed by government to serve as deterrent to others.

He said, “EXCO received a sad report of the four staff of the Ministry of Power and their cronies that connived to steal several quantities of diesel meant to power the street light. EXCO resolved that a disciplinary committee be set up to try, dismiss and prosecute the persons involved accordingly.

“EXCO also resolved that the owner of the house used in perpetrating this state sabotage shall be made to pay N5m as a punitive measure or the house be sealed. This is intended to serve as a deterrent to others.”

The Information Commissioner added that the State government had banned the collection of revenue by cash, henceforth, in the state, in order to curb revenue leakages, noting that anybody found doing so would be arrested and prosecuted and would be made to pay 200 per cent of the revenue sought to be paid.

He said, “A report of revenue leakages was taken. The EXCO considered a report and resolved that with effect from the 24th day of March 2021, it shall be an offence in Ebonyi State for anybody to make payment in respect of IGR by cash. So, there will be no payment by cash in respect of any form of IGR in Ebonyi State.

“We have a law on this, but by administrative means, we are going to enforce that law. That is intendment of this resolution of EXCO. And anybody who does that henceforth, shall pay 200 per cent of the value of the revenue sought to be paid and shall be prosecuted accordingly.”

Orji said the State Executive Council observed with dismay the rising spate of fake land documents in the state, and other activities of unscrupulous elements and would constitute a committee by April, 2021, to handle the processes of land documents revalidation in the state.

He noted, “The State Executive Council deliberated on the issue of revalidation of Certificate of Occupancy in all lands in Ebonyi State, and a report was received on the rising spate of fake land documents in Ebonyi State, which many a time, they would take it to the banks to receive facility and it would be turned down.

“EXCO also observed with dismay, that some people who served as land officials in the past still sign and backdate land documents for unsuspecting members of the public. EXCO noted that the revalidation of Certificate of Occupancy and land documents in the state would put a permanent stop to this ugly situation, and that this measure will also resolve the issue of two persons laying claim to one land document.

“EXCO therefore, resolved that the state government constitutes a committee in April 2021 to handle the processes of land documents revalidation.”

On the issue of the collapse of the perimeter fence of the new stadium, the Commissioner also disclosed that a committee had been set up to verify the cause of the collapse, to be Chaired by Engr. Mohammed Idris, and was given seven working days to submit their report.

The Committee’s terms of reference, according to Orji, are to verify total work done, total work yet to be done, level and value of the fence that collapsed and the reason for the collapse.

“EXCO also made some financial approvals. One, is for the construction of parking lots at the airport. They are approved in three phases. Phase one is the sum of N949,340,000. The second phase is N950,000000, and third phase which is the procurement of the lifts and the escalators is at the sum of N643,000000,” the Commissioner said.

 

 

Inflation: We’ll make life difficult for those hoarding commodities – Emefiele

 

BY VICTORIA ONU, ABUJA                    

THE Central Bank of Nigeria has said that Nigerians have no reason to panic over rising food prices as there are adequate arrangements to end food scarcity in the country.

The regulator also issued warnings to hoarders and smugglers whose activities are triggering the rising food prices.

The CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, said this on Wednesday during the launch of 13 rice pyramids with a cumulative of 200,000 bags of 50kg rice under the Anchor Borrowers Progamme in Gombe State.

He said the apex bank would make life difficult for those hoarding commodities because they want to take advantage of the prevailing scarcity.

The comment comes amid rising inflation in the country which has hit 17.33 per cent in February 2021.

The country’s inflation is primarily driven by the rising food prices currently at 21.79 per cent in February.

But with the bank’s efforts to drive down prices using monetary policy tools and injections in the Agric sector, Emefiele believes that prices of food, especially rice, will crash.

The apex bank boss said, “I therefore say there is no reason for anybody to panic that food prices are high. We know they are already coming down, we will make life difficult for those who feel that they want to hoard commodities because they want to take advantage of scarcities.

“We will be cultivating almost one million hectares during the dry season luckily the dry season has brought up two seasons for rice, so we will not have rice scarcity again.

“For those who think they can continue to smuggle rice into the country, we are sending a warning signal to you that you should desist from smuggling. Smuggling undermines the progress of the economic plan.”

Emefiele said the activities of both hoarders and smugglers were frustrating the Economic Sustainability Plan of the government.

Apart from their activities, Emefiele also decried the challenges faced by farmers who are unable to farm due to insurgency and banditry as another issue with the plan.

He, however, reiterated CBN’s commitment to finance one million hectares of rice farms over the dry season.

According to the governor, the CBN will continue to ensure integration of farmers in the country’s economic plan.

He revealed that the FG had been able to attract huge private sector investments in the areas of rice mills, adding that the total capacity of the Integrated Rice Mill, which had doubled over the last five years.

“That is the reason I said we are now improving in food sufficiency. This symbolic event reinforces the massive potential in Nigeria agriculture and encourages more private sector investment in the agricultural value chain,” he added.

As motivation to farmers, Emefiele said the CBN would provide five million homes with electricity using solar panels.

He said, “Under this programme, any farmer under our Anchor Borrowers Programme is eligible to get a solar home system that will provide electricity to power their essential home appliances.

“Repayment of the electricity consumed under this solar home system being provided to our farmers under our Anchor Borrowers Programme can be repaid using the produce from the farm just like today.”

 

 

NIJ appoints Kalesanwo as first female Registrar

 

BY FOLASHADE KEHINDE                    

THE Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, has appointed Mrs Patricia Kalesanwo as its first female Registrar since the establishment of the institution in 1971.

The Olusegun Osoba-led Governing Council of the NIJ, Nigeria’s premier monotechnic, confirmed the appointment of Kalesanwo at the Council meeting, held on March 17, 2021, in Lagos.

This was disclosed in a statement, on Thursday, by the Provost, NIJ, Gbenga Adefaye.

Kalesanwo, who holds a Masters Degree in Adult Education (Communication Arts) from the University of Ibadan, was the Students Affairs Officer of the Institute for over a decade.

She worked at the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria before joining the NIJ.

Kalesanwo has attended many courses on Journalism within and outside the country.

 

 

Hijab: Stop putting fingers in other people’s eyes, Oyedepo warns Muslims, Kwara Govt

 

BY FOLASHADE KEHINDE                    

FOUNDER of the Living Faith Church, popularly known as Winners Chapel, Bishop David Oyedepo, has advised Muslims to leave mission schools in Kwara State and look for hijab-wearing schools for their children.

The influential pastor described as a nasty development, a situation in Kwara where Muslims were asking students in Christian schools to wear hijab and the Church was resisting it.

Oyedepo was reacting to the lingering controversy over the wearing of hijab in grant-aided schools in Ilorin, which had led to continuous confrontation between the Christian and Muslim communities.

The Kwara State Government had shut 10 schools in February over the crisis, but reopened them on Monday, giving reasons why Muslim female students should be allowed to wear hijab in the affected schools.

There was, however, a clash between the Muslims and Christians, especially at Baptist Secondary School, Surulere; and Cherubim and Seraphim College, Sabo-Oke in Ilorin, when students wearing hijab were not allowed to enter the schools’ premises.

Reacting in a viral video seen by The Point, Oyedepo said, “It is such a nasty development in Kwara State where Muslims are asking their students in our schools to wear Hijab, and the church said no.

“I have never seen a place in my life where a tenant will be decreeing for the landlord…We have never shown the world the other side of God. God is not a toy. Our God is a consuming fire. Let us show them the consuming fire of God. They need to know.”

“Leave the schools for the owners, go to your schools. Is there any fight? Stop putting fingers in the eyes of others,” he added.

He warned that the church was a time-bomb, noting that “when God turns his back on anybody or any system, that system is grounded.”

“My advice is: leave the schools for the owners, find your own schools, men and women can wear hijab there. Stop putting your fingers in the eyes of others when they are not blind,” Oyedepo declared.

 

 

CBN disburses N1.487trn to boost food supply in Nigeria

 

BY BANYO TEMITAYO                    

THE Central Bank of Nigeria has disbursed N1.487trillion under its various agricultural programmes, aimed at improving food supply in the country.

Out of this figure, N686.59 billion was disbursed under the Commercial Agricultural Credit Scheme (CACS) and ₦601.75 billion under the Anchor Borrowers Programmes (ABP) to 3,038,649 farmers to support food supply and dampen inflationary pressures.

This was disclosed by the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, in the Communique 135 of the Monetary Policy Committee meeting.

He said, “The Committee noted that the Bank has disbursed funds under its various agricultural interventions towards improving food supply in Nigeira. The Committee noted the disbursement of ₦107.60 billion to 548,109 farmers cultivating 703,619 hectares of land between Q4 2020 and Q1 2021 to boost dry season output in support of agricultural value chain development.

“Total disbursements as at end-February 2021 amounted to ₦1.487 trillion under the various agricultural programmes, of which N686.59 billion was disbursed under the Commercial Agricultural Credit Scheme (CACS) and ₦601.75 billion under the Anchor Borrowers Programmes (ABP) to 3,038,649 farmers to support food supply and dampen inflationary pressures.

“Under the Targeted Credit Facility, the Bank has disbursed N218.16 billion to 475,376 beneficiaries, of which 34 per cent of beneficiaries are SMEs. Under AGSMEIS, N111.62 billion has been disbursed to 28,961 beneficiaries, 70 per cent of which are in the agricultural sector. Under the Creative Industry Financing Initiatives mainly targeted at youths, N3.19 billion has been disbursed to 341 beneficiaries, of which 53 per cent is to the movie industry.”

The MPC also said the market capitalisation of listed equities on the Nigerian Stock Exchange fell by 1.11 per cent to N20.82trillion on February 26, 2021, from N21.06 trillion on December 31, 2020.

The N240billion decline was attributed largely to investor sell-off, which continued to cause price depreciation of large and medium capitalised stocks.

The CBN Governor said, “The Committee noted the weak performance in the equities market despite the recent increased patronage by domestic investors.

“The All-Share Index (ASI) and Market Capitalisation (MC) continued to decline due to portfolio switching from equities to fixed income securities, reflecting the perception of improved yields at the long end of the yield curve.”

He stated, “All-Share Index (ASI) decreased by 1.17 per cent to 39,799.89 points on February 26, 2021 from 40,270.72 on December 31, 2020. Similarly, Market Capitalization (MC) fell by 1.11 per cent to N20.82 trillion on February 26, 2021 from N21.06 trillion on December 31, 2020.

“This was attributed largely to investor sell-off, which continued to cause price depreciation of large and medium capitalized stocks.”

-ThePoint

 

Fake military officer bags 8 years for impersonation, harassing, defrauding unsuspecting victims

 

BY AYO ESAN                    

JUSTICE Agatha Okeke of the Federal High Court, sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on Wednesday, March 24, 2021, sentenced one Henry Mfon Asuquo, a military impostor, to eight years imprisonment on a two-count charge of impersonation and cybercrime brought against him by the Uyo Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Asuquo’s journey to jail started on January 3, 2019, when operatives of the Commission arrested him at Ayara Street, Nungu Uko in Ibesikpo Local Government Area of the State, following a petition by one Itoro Tom.

Tom alleged in her petition that Asuquo swapped her Subscriber Identification Module, SIM card, and fraudulently withdrew N700,000 from her account domiciled at a new generation bank.

Investigation into the matter revealed that the convict paraded himself as a military officer and in that capacity, he was going about intimidating and defrauding unsuspecting victims of their hard-earned money.

A search executed on his apartment upon arrest led to the recovery of military uniforms, boots and bullet proof jackets.

In the course of interrogation, he admitted to the crime and refunded the sum of N100,000 to the petitioner.

He was subsequently arraigned on March 27, 2019, on a two-count charge bordering on fraud, impersonation and cybercrime, to which he pleaded “not guilty”.

In the course of trial, counsel to the EFCC, Adebayo Soares, presented two witnesses; Tom Itoro Edet (PW1- the complainant) and Suleiman Abba (PW2 – an operative of the Commission).

Some of the exhibits tendered and admitted in evidence included: military kits containing several military shirts and trousers, Techno Spark 3 phone belonging to the convict and correspondences from the Nigeria Army and First City Monument Bank.

However, the trial took a new turn on March 5, 2021 when the defence counsel, Dennis Adiaka informed the court of the convict’s intention to change his plea. The application was granted and Asuquo pleaded “guilty” to the charge against him. The court, thereafter found him guilty and adjourned his sentencing till Wednesday.

In her judgment, Justice Okeke sentenced Asuquo to four years imprisonment on each of the two counts preferred against him to run concurrently without the option of fine.

The judge also ordered the convict to pay his victim a sum of N600,000 as restitution before he could be released from prison. In addition, the court ordered the forfeiture of the items used in the commission of the crime, which were recovered from the convict at the point of arrest to the Federal Government.

In a similar fashion, Justice Okeke also convicted and sentenced one Vincent Harrison Chukwuemeka, a serial Facebook hacker, to one year imprisonment without option of fine, for impersonation and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N407,000.

It was alleged that Chukwuemeka falsely presented himself as Lisa, while claiming to be a representative of Facebook and WhatsApp from the United States of America, through the African Head Office.

Under that guise, he allegedly defrauded one Felicity Felix Ekpezu of the said sum, as he (Chukwuemeka) deceived her (Ekpezu) to believe that she had won $971 and an Iphone 6S, to which she needed to pay N407, 000 to redeem.

Chukwuemeka was arraigned on a one-count charge bordering on impersonation and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N407, 000

He initially pleaded “not guilty” to the charge, but in the course of trial changed his plea to guilty and refunded his victim the money he fraudulently collected from him.

The court at the resumed sitting on Wednesday, sentenced him to one year imprisonment beginning from the date of his arrest without option of fine.