Kogi N80bn fraud: EFCC finally serves Yahaya Bello his charges
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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has served former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello with charges over alleged N80.2 billion.
EFCC said the charges were served to Bello through his counsel, Abdulwahab Muhammad (SAN) after Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja ruled that he should be served through his counsel.
The judge ruled following Bello’s refusal to appear in Court.
However, a statement by EFCC’s Head, Media and Publicity of the Commission, Dele Oyewole reads: “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC is prosecuting Yahaya Bello alongside Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu on 19-count charges bordering on money laundering to the tune of N80, 246, 470,089.88k (Eighty Billion, Two Hundred and Forty-six Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand and Eighty-nine Naira, Eighty-eighty Kobo).”
During Tuesday’s sitting, Bello’s counsel, Adeola Adedipe (SAN), prayed the court to quash the arrest warrant granted by the Commission against Bello, arguing that Tuesday’s substituted service to the defendant through his counsel, Abdulwahab Muhammad (SAN) has invalidated the arrest warrant.
The counsel said, “The court is expected to do justice at all times. A warrant of arrest cannot be hanging on Bello’s neck when we are in this court. It appears to us that the defendant will not get justice because the court granted a warrant of arrest before service.
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Tinubu appoints Consuls-General, Chargés d’Affaires for 14 countries
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President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of 12 consuls-general and five chargés d’affaires to represent Nigeria in 14 countries.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.
In the statement signed by his media aide, AlKasim Abdulkadir, the minister emphasised the appointees’ crucial role in advancing Tinubu’s economic agenda and urged them to prioritise diplomacy over political affiliations.
The new appointees are expected to commence their duties promptly.
The statement read, “The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, has called on the newly appointed Chargé D’affaires and Consuls General to be good ambassadors of Nigeria, asserting that they are pivotal to the economic drive of President Bola Tinubu.
“He further stressed that as seasoned career diplomats, they should shun the act of politicking and recommit themselves to their calling of diplomacy for the collective interest and development of Nigeria.
Ganduje gets 37 APC chairmen’s backing, says suspension ‘African magic’
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The Forum of All Progressives Congress State Chairmen, on Tuesday, passed a vote of confidence on the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje.
The delegation of 37 state chairmen gave the endorsement during a solidarity visit to the secretariat of the party in Abuja.
The embattled national chairman opened up on his purported suspension by his ward in Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of Kano State, saying the drama looked like a flick from the popular entertainment channel, Africa Magic.
The PUNCH last week reported how the ward’s Legal Adviser, Haladu Gwanjo, led some party leaders to pronounce the former Kano governor’s suspension.
Gwanjo, who hinged the purported suspension on the alleged bribery case brought against Ganduje and his wife, said the decision was taken by nine executive members of the APC ward.
In a twist, however, Gwanjo and other executive members in Ganduje Ward in Dawakin Tofa Ward Local Government visited Ganduje in Abuja, alleging that impostors carried out the suspension move.
The purported suspension move was quickly followed up with a Kano High Court order on Wednesday, restraining Ganduje from parading himself as the APC national chairman.
Despite spirited efforts to abort the move by the Kano APC, which immediately suspended the ward executive members for their roles, the new court injunction proved to be a stumbling block.
The court order was, however, put on hold when the embattled national chairman secured another injunction from the Federal High Court presided over by Justice A.M. Liman.
The ruling was given after Ganduje filed an ex parte motion, seeking to enforce his fundamental right to a fair hearing.
Addressing the audience on Tuesday, the acting chairman of the forum and Lagos APC chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi, said they were solidly behind Ganduje and would defend him against external aggression.
Finance ministry recovered N57bn MDAs’ debts – Director
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THE Federal Ministry of Finance has recovered over N57bn from the N5.2tn debts owed by ministries, departments and agencies to the Federal Government.
The Director, Special Projects, Federal Ministry of Finance, Aisha Omar, disclosed this in Enugu on Tuesday, during a one-day workshop on the Federal Government Debt Recovery Drive, through the Project Lighthouse Programme for the South-East zone.
Declaring the event open, Omar, represented by the Deputy Director of Special Projects in the ministry, Mrs Bridget Molokwu, revealed that the debts came to the spotlight from data aggregated from over 5,000 debtors across more than 93 MDAs.
Though she claimed more recoveries had been made, she could, however, not provide the data.
She said the ministry could account for the official figure of N57bn, adding that the debts were in the form of liabilities to the Federal Inland Revenue Service.
Molokwu said the ministry also received refunds from companies that failed to deliver on projects for which payment had been made.
Other refunds, according to her, were unpaid credit facilities granted to both corporate entities and individuals by the Bank of Industry and Bank of Agriculture, Judgment Debt in favour of the government and debts owed Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate by insurance companies, amongst others.