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BVN Fraud: Presidency Probes 513 Ex-agitators Over 1,370 Accounts

Published

1 year ago

March 29, 2023

Editor

The Office of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) has disclosed that all names of those involved in BVN fraud have been forwarded to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) for investigation.

This is coming as a result of a handful of ex-agitators gathered on Tuesday at the premises of the National Assembly to express anger over the stoppage of their monthly N65,000 stipends, which the PAP office said was necessitated by the issues surrounding BVNs.

The former agitators in the oil-rich region raised various issues, alleging that the monthly payment of N65,000 to over 7,000 of them had been stopped since Ndiomu was appointed September last year by the President General Muhammadu Buhari.

The protesters, who said they were from Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa, Ondo and Edo states, said the protest was to register their displeasure with the non-payment.

They urged the leadership of the National Assembly to intervene in the matter.

However, in a swift reaction on Wednesday, Media Aide to the PAP Interim Administrator, Mr. Freston Akpor, affirmed that findings that will emanate from the ongoing investigation into multiple accounts of ex-agitators linked to one BVN, will determine the fate of protesting beneficiaries.

He also blamed bank officials for colluding with these ex-agitators to aid the ‘financial crime’.

According to him, “So the investigation is ongoing and honestly, I must tell you there is nothing the Presidential Amnesty Programme can do now over this matter until the investigation is concluded and then the ONSA will take a decision on what to do.

“This is a financial crime, that is why the ONSA is investigating the matter.

“The policy is one name, one BVN. But in a situation where you have more than 30 names linked to one BVN, it becomes an issue.

“We discovered that 513 names were linked to 1,370 accounts. And these are the people who have cases to answer.

“As it stands those who are protesting are the people who fall within those who have multiple accounts linked to their BVN,” he explained.

On the purported ‘gentleman agreement’ with leaders of the ex-agitators to receive monies in bulk to pay the boys, he said: “It is these same boys, so-called beneficiaries, who have also come to complain that when the money is collected by these so-called leaders, the money doesn’t trickle down to them.”

Related Topics:#Presidency BVN Fraud Ex-agitators

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JUST IN: CBN Raises Interest Rate To 26.25%

Published

56 mins ago

May 21, 2024

Editor

The Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria has increased the benchmark interest rate to 26.25 per cent.

This was disclosed by the Governor of the CBN who doubles as the Chairman of the MPC at the end of the 295th MPC meeting held in Abuja.

At the March MPC meeting, the benchmark rate had been increased by 200 basis points from 22.75 per cent to 24.75 per cent.

The MPC has maintained a hawkish stance since it resumed meetings this year in a bid to tackle Nigeria’s persistent inflation.

As of April, Nigeria’s inflation rate had risen to 33.69 per cent.

A number of analysts have projected a rate hike while some suggested that the apex bank may consider a hold stance as the growth rate of inflation moderated month-on-month.

Details later…

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JUST IN: Peter Obi, Other Protesters Storm Labour Party Secretariat [PHOTOS]

Published

1 hour ago

May 21, 2024

Editor

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the 2023 election, Mr Peter Obi along with other protesters from the six Area Councils have stormed the National Secretariat of the Labour Party in Abuja.

Although the reason for the canonical like atmosphere is not yet clear, but it can be deduced from the banners, drumming and singing by various cultural groups representing prominent ethic groups that the gathering is a solidarity match in support of the National Chairman, Comrade Julius Abure.

News

JUST IN: Fubara Wins As Court Voids Tenure Extension For Rivers LGA Chairmen

Published

2 hours ago

May 21, 2024

Editor

A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has voided the tenure extension for local government chairmen in the state.

This was as the court declared Local Government Law No. 2 of 2024, which extended the tenure of local government chairmen by 6 months after expiration of their tenure, invalid.

The 27 lawmakers in the camp of the Minister of Federal Capital, Chief Nyesom Wike, had this year, in the face of the crisis, enacted a law extending the three-year tenure of the serving LGA chairmen by three months.

However, the court, in its decision Tuesday, held that the new law was inconsistent with the 1999 constitution and Section 9(1) of Rivers State Law No. 5 of 2018, which fixed 3 years for local government chairmen and councillors.

The court gave the ruling that the recent extension of local government chairmen’s tenures was invalid in suit number PHC/1320/CS/2024, a case instituted by Hon. Enyiada Cookey-Gam & 6 Ors vs. The Governor of Rivers State & Ors.

In his judgment, HHon. Justice D.G. Kio declared that Local Government Law No. 2 of 2024, which sought to extend the Chairmen’s terms by six months, conflicts with the 1999 Constitution and Section 9(1) of Rivers State Local Government Law No. 5 of 2018.

The court affirmed that the lawful tenure for local government chairmen and councillors remained three years, as stipulated by the 2018 law, stressing that any attempt to extend the tenure was not only unlawful but also violated the officials’ oath of office.