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Firm Wants Attorney-General Investigate Court Ruling On Breach Of Contract

Published

3 days ago

August 28, 2025

Editor

The management of Fidken Multi Services Ltd., has called on the Attorney-General and Minister Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, to intervene on alleged judicial manipulation and connivance in a case between the firm and Togo Oil & Marine Ltd, also known as TOM, owneriof Vessel MV MONTY J & ANOR.

Fidken Multi Services Ltd. also called on the Chief of Naval Staff,
Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, and Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, to investigate and bring to justice their men who allegedly aided the escape of the vessel owned by a foreign firms despite a restraining order from the Court of Appeal Lagos.

The Managing Director, Fidken Multi Services Ltd., Engr. Kennedy Fidelis, made the call on Wednesday in a statement made available to newsmen in Warri, Delta State.

According to him, his company, Fidken Multi Services hired the vessel for a period of Six (6) Months with a renewable agreement but unfortunately the vessel broke down after two weeks of delivery to Nigeria from Lome, Togo.

He named Socemet as Ship Brokers, that is, the company that connected his company with the ship owners.

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He noted that, rather than the owner-company to take up the responsibility of repairs as per contract agreement, TOM sent representatives to plead with the management of Fidken Multi Services Ltd to assist in fixing the vessel.

He said TOM, m during the plea, said that the company was bankrupt to foot the bill of the repair, just as the company promised to make a refund of any amount spent on the repair or make deduction during execution of the contract.

The MD added that, the promise of refund or deduction during execution of the contract prompted his company to show concern and consequently took full responsibility of the repair.

According to him the breakdown of the vessel was already causing a lot of down time and draw back to his business.

He lamented that, however, immediately after the repair, the management of TOM first attempt was to put up the vessel for sale without his knowledge or any of his management staff.

Engr. Fidelis said this single act by TOM to sell out the vessel he repaired when it was down without his knowledge was a complete breach of the existing contract.

According to him, after several attempts to take away the vessel from him, they finally escaped with the vessel back to Lome, Togo, in spite of a restraining order by the Court of Appeal in Appeal No: CA/LAG/CV/991/2024.

He narrated: “We approached the court to demand a full Bank guarantee of USD380,729.00 ,USD 1.080,000.00 and USD 659,555.00 to cover our total claims as pre Bond condition ordered by Appeal Court should they go away with the vessel. But surprisingly, the Federal High Court in its judgement awarded the Sum of USD380,729.00 only as a guarantee for the release of the vessel. This sum can only cater for a part of the expenses we have incurred in maintaining the vessel, so we approached the Court of Appeal, and a restraining order was immediately placed on the release of the vessel.

“But this foreign company, in connivance with security agents jettisoned the order and moved the vessel out of the country.

“The judgment by the Federal High Court, was a surprise to us. We couldn’t believe that in spite of the evidence our legal team presented, the presiding judge could give such a judgement. And this is why we are calling on the Attorney-General to investigate this. Also, some security agents aided this company to escape with the vessel.”

Corroborating this, Comrade Omentan Parson, a human rights activist who said he has been following up the case since inception, said this was the fifth time the company attempted to escape with the vessel, lamenting that they eventually succeeded.

He alleged that this same foreign company, in order to escape with the vessel, used Nigerian security personnel to kidnap the security man in charge of the vessel, saying this matter of kidnap is about to be filed in the court too.

“It’s quite unfortunate that Nigerian security agents whose monthly pay is from tax payers (Nigerians) could be used by a foreign company against fellow Nigerians. This is very bad. They (security agents) aided every step of the vessel in making sure it escape from this country.

“I was by the Jetty in Port Harcourt where I saw security agents supervise the bunkering the vessel and provide an escort Gunboat with personnel in making sure she left the shores of Nigeria.”

Calls put across to the foreign contact of the Managing Director of TOM, Mrs Jessica Jones, by our correspondent did not connect neither did she reply to the SMS sent to her cellphone.

News

Shock As Adeleke Employs Roadside puff-puff Hawker As Govt House Chef

Published

4 hours ago

August 30, 2025

Editor

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Thursday shocked a female puff-puff seller during a rally in Osogbo by buying all her snacks with ₦50,000 and offering her employment as a chef at the Government House.

This happened when Osun public servants trooped out in their thousands in what they called an appreciation solidarity rally in support of the governor for his support and care since he took over state governance.

It was observed that the governor, who sat in the bus, had sighted the woman who was among the crowd cheering him.

He immediately beckoned to the woman carrying a plastic container filled with puff-puff on her head and asked how much it would cost to buy all the snacks.

The female hawker, who was visibly surprised and star-struck at the level of her proximity to the governor, found it difficult to even tell the governor how much she sold the snacks.

Surprisingly, Adeleke handed her a bundle of ₦50,000 to the cheers of the crowd.

The lucky woman knelt down in appreciation of the governor’s generosity.

Excited onlookers quickly rushed to share the snacks in the plastic already purchased by the governor.

The governor invited the vendor inside the vehicle where one of his officials questioned her academic background, and she revealed that she holds a Nigerian Certificate in Education.

Adeleke further asked about the dishes she could prepare and instructed his aides to take her contact details for employment as a chef in the Government House.

Confirming the development, the Commissioner II at the Osun State Civil Service Commission, Olaniyan Taofeek, shared the video on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “The moment Gov. Adeleke turned the life of a puff-puff seller into a Government House chef.”

A Special Assistant to the Governor on Digital Media, Oni Gbenga Lawrence, also corroborated the incident in a post on X, stating: “Moment Governor Ademola Adeleke turned the life of a puff-puff seller to Government Chef… not only ₦50k but he invited her into his car and employed her as chef in the Government House.”

The Guardian correspondent, who was at the scene of the welcome rally, made efforts to interview the lucky vendor, but they did not yield as she was not allowed to alight from the bus throughout the event.
(The Guardian)

News

Katsina Govt Revokes Licenses Of All Private, Community Schools

Published

5 hours ago

August 30, 2025

Editor

The Katsina State Government has withdrawn the operating licenses of all private and community schools in the state, with effect from August 13, 2025.

The announcement came through a circular issued by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and signed by Commissioner Hajiya Zainab Musa-Musawa.

The ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Malam Sani Danjuma, released the document in Katsina on Saturday.

According to the circular, the move is part of the government’s effort to strengthen quality assurance and standardization within the education sector.

“The withdrawal of licenses is aimed at ensuring that schools operate in line with approved standards and provide quality education to students,” Danjuma said.

The circular also outlined a review of fees for license application, registration, and annual renewal.

“Owners of affected schools are required to obtain fresh licenses by submitting proof of payment to the ministry on or before September 30, 2025.”

The statement also added that school operators have been warned not to increase tuition or other charges without government approval.

The ministry further promised to issue additional guidelines soon, including categorization of schools and the revised fee structure.

News

JUST IN: Oldest Missionary To Nigeria, Ruth Elton, Is Dead

Published

6 hours ago

August 30, 2025

Editor

British-born Nigerian missionary, Ruth Elton, reputed to be the oldest missionary has passed on at the age of 91.

Ruth Elton, born 7 September 1933, was a British-born Nigerian missionary whose lifelong dedication to faith, healing, and revival left an indelible mark on communities across western and central Nigeria.

It was learnt that Elton died on Saturday at Sharon compound, Alafia Bamin Quarters in Ilesa, Osun State.

She was the only daughter of Pa Elton and her remains have been deposited at the mortuary.

Ruth Elton, daughter of Sydney Granville Elton (Pa Elton), who is referred to as one of the founding fathers of Pentecostalism in Nigeria, had approached a Kaduna court and nationalised as a Nigerian.

At old age and despite the happenings in Nigeria, she still held in high esteem her father’s prophecies that although Nigeria could be known globally for corruption, it would only for a while as new dawn would beckon when the country would be known worldwide for righteousness and prosperity.

Elton moved to Nigeria in 1937 with her parents and served as a Christian missionary across Egbe, Okene, Koton Karfe, and other parts of Kogi, Ondo, Oyo, and Osun States.

A naturalised Nigerian, having renounced her British citizenship in the 1970s, she embraced the country completely and became fluent in Ebira and Yoruba.

Elton, who remained single, believed that she had made a true mark in the country and apart from her missionary work, she saw her efforts in taming infant mortality, especially in Okene, Kogi State as a generational impact.

Relating her experience on infant mortality in the country, Elton recently noted that many newborn babies had passed on due to lack of proper care and hygiene, adding that the practice of force-feeding babies contributed to the challenges, especially in the face of poor awareness.