The Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, has announced plans to marry off 100 female orphans who lost their parents to banditry attacks in Mariga Local Government Area.

Sarkindaji disclosed this to journalists in Minna, the state capital on Friday.

The Speaker pledged to pay the dowries for the bridegrooms and has procured all necessary materials for the mass marriage ceremony.

Accordingly, the girls who would be married off were carefully selected from the 170 girls whose names were submitted. Sarkindaji stated, without disclosing the age range of the orphaned girls.

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The Speaker, who represents the Mariga Constituency, described the initiative as part of his constituency empowerment project, “aimed at alleviating the suffering of the impoverished.”

Sarkindaji revealed that the Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umar Bago, and the Emir of Kontagora, Alhaji Mohammed Barau, would serve as guardians to the female orphans during the mass marriage ceremony.

The Kano State Commander General of the Hisbah Board, Sheikh Aminu Daurawa, is expected to attend the event, slated for May 24 at Bangi, the headquarters of Mariga Local Government Area.

Former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Francis Okiye, has resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party with immediate effect.

Okiye, a former governorship aspirant of the PDP officially joined the party in October 2020 after he, among others, defected from the All Progressives Congress.

In his resignation letter dated May 10, 2024, and addressed to the Chairman, PDP, Ward 3, Arue, Uromi, Esan North-East Local Government, Okiye, said his decision stemmed from the alienation of the majority of his constituents and supporters by the state government under Governor Godwin Obaseki from the activities and programmes of the party and the government of the state.

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Okiye said, “I have resigned my membership of the PDP as of May 10, 2024, and I have communicated the same to the PDP through my ward chairman.

“My decision stemmed from the alienation of the majority of my constituents and supporters by the state government under Governor Godwin Obaseki from the activities and programmes of the party and the government of the state.

“As if that is not enough, the party candidate has declared that he would continue with the governor’s principle should he win the September election. Other reasons why I quit the party are personal to me.”

He was, however, silent on his next political move.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has read the Riot Act to foreign missions based in Nigeria, banning them from transacting in foreign currencies, and mandating the use of Naira in their financial businesses.

The EFCC has also mandated Nigerian foreign missions domiciled abroad to accept Naira in their financial businesses.

The move, the EFCC noted, is to tackle the dollarisation of the Nigerian economy and the degradation of the naira

The anti-graft commission, in an advisory to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, titled: “EFCC Advisory to Foreign Missions against Invoicing in US Dollar,” expressed reservations and displeasure “regarding the unhealthy practice by some foreign missions to invoice consular services to Nigerians and other foreign nationals in the country in United States dollar(s).”

In a letter dated April 5, 2024, which was addressed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede expressed dismay over the invoicing of consular services in Nigeria by foreign missions in dollars.

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The EFCC cited Section 20(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007, which makes currencies issued by the apex bank the only legal tender in Nigeria.

The letter read, “I present to you the compliments of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and wish to notify you about the commission’s observation, with dismay, regarding the unhealthy practice by some foreign missions to invoice consular services to Nigerians and other foreign nationals in the country in United States dollar ($).

“This practice is an aberration and unlawful as it conflicts with extant laws and financial regulations in Nigeria. Section 20(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007 makes currencies issued by the apex bank the only legal tender in Nigeria.

“It states that ‘the currency notes issued by the Bank shall be the legal tender in Nigeria on their face value for the payment of any amount’.

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“This presupposes that any transaction in currencies other than the naira anywhere in Nigeria contravenes the law and is, therefore, illegal.”

The commission added that the refusal by some missions to accept the naira for consular service in Nigeria and also comply with the foreign exchange regulatory regime in fixing the exchange of the cost of their services is not only illegal but represents an affront to the country’s sovereignty symbolised by the national currency.

Such a situation, EFCC added, undermines Nigeria’s monetary policy and aspiration for sustainable economic development.

The letter continued, “This trend can no longer be tolerated, especially in a volatile economic environment where the country’s macroeconomic policies are constantly under attack by all manner of state and non-state actors.

“In light of the above, you may wish to convey the commission’s displeasure to all missions in Nigeria and restate Nigeria’s desire for their operations not to conflict with extant laws and regulations in the country.”

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When contacted for comments, the spokesperson for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale declined comments.

Meanwhile, the EFCC had resumed raiding in a bid to stabilise the naira.

Operatives of the EFCC had on Tuesday arrested some Bureau De Change operators at the popular Wuse Zone 4 market in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

However, traders also said some BDC operators resisted the arrest during a sting operation.

The operatives had embarked on routine raids to sanitise the market of street traders and eliminate arbitrary trading.

But this move was resisted on Tuesday, leading to gunshots and damage to the operatives’ vehicles.

Penultimate week, the commission arrested over 35 suspected currency speculators for alleged foreign exchange fraud.

Last week, it also paraded over 20 BDC operators arrested in the capital city.
PUNCH