Tinubu expects the new Chief Executive Officer of the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority to “discharge his duties with integrity and in conformity with the highest standards of transparency, while working at harnessing and developing the water resource potential of the area, as well as ensuring that the Authority is a channel for holistic and integrated industrial, agricultural, and community development.”
News
Yahaya Bello: Abuja American School Refunds $760,000 To EFCC
Published
2 weeks agoon
By
EditorThe Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has confirmed the receipt of the refund of $760,000 paid as advanced school fees by a former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello for his children at the American International School, Abuja.
The spokesperson for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, confirmed the development to our correspondent in Abuja on Friday.
“The school has refunded the entire $ 760, 000 to the EFCC’s recovery account,” he said.
Earlier, the American International School of Abuja had asked the EFCC to provide “authentic banking details” for the refund of fees paid for the children of the former governor.
Bello allegedly paid $720,000 in advance as fees for five of his children from the coffers of the Kogi State Government.
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The children are in Grade Levels 2 to 8 at the school.
On April 17, EFCC operatives laid siege on Bello’s residence in Abuja in an attempt to arrest him over an alleged N80.2 billion fraud.
While the operatives were at the house, Usman Ododo, governor of Kogi, arrived at the property and reportedly whisked Bello away.
In a letter addressed to the Lagos Zonal Commander of the EFCC, the school said the sum of $845,852 has been paid in tuition “since the 7th of September 2021 to date.”
READ ALSO: EFCC Declares Ex-Kogi gov, Yahaya Bello Wanted
AISA said the sum to be refunded is $760,910 because it had deducted educational services already rendered.
“Please forward to us an official written request, with the authentic banking details of the EFCC, for the refund of the above-mentioned funds as previously indicated as part of your investigation into the alleged money laundering activities by the Bello family,” the letter reads.
It added, “Since the 7th September 2021 to date, $845,852.84 in tuition and other fees have been deposited into our bank account.
“We have calculated the net amount to be transferred and refunded to the State, after deducting the educational services rendered as $760,910.84.
“No further additional fees are expected in respect of tuition as the students’ fees have now been settled until they graduate from ASIA.”
READ ALSO: EFCC Withdraws Appeal Against Former Kogi Gov, Bello
The school said it would draw the attention of the anti-graft agency if there were any further deposits by the Bello family.
In a statement signed by Greg Hughes, AISA also said, “Ali Bello contacted the school on Friday 13 August 2021 requesting to pay the family school fees in advance until the students graduate from High School.”
The Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, had earlier revealed that the former governor transferred $720,000 from the government’s coffers to a bureau de change before leaving office to pay in advance for his child’s school fee.
Olukoyede revealed this during an interview with journalists on Tuesday in Abuja.
He said, “A sitting governor, because he knows he is going, moved money directly from government to bureau de change, used it to pay the child’s school fee in advance, $720,000 in advance, in anticipation that he was going to leave the Government House.
“In a poor state like Kogi, and you want me to close my eyes to that under the guise of ‘I’m being used.’ Being used by who at this stage of my life?”
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Tinubu Appoints Wike’s Ex-chief Of Staff MD Ogun-Osun River Basin Authority
Published
15 mins agoon
May 9, 2024By
EditorPresident Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Chukwuemeka Woke as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority.
Woke’s appointment was announced in a statement signed Thursday by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale.
The statement is titled ‘President Tinubu appoints managing director of Ogun-Osun river basin development authority.’
READ ALSO: Over 100 Priests, Palace Chiefs Storm Court For Oba Of Benin In Solidarity
Woke succeeds Mr. Olufemi Odumosu who former President Muhammadu Buhari reappointed for a second four-year term in January 2021.
The Presidency described Woke as a “seasoned engineer and politician who…served as Chairman of Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State and was Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, for many years.”
Ogun–Osun River Basin Development Authority is one of the 12 River Basin Development Authorities established by the Federal Government under Decrees 25 of 1976 and 31 of 1977.
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A parastatal under the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority was formally launched on July 4, 1977 by the then Federal Commissioner (Minister) for Water Resources, Ibrahim EI Yakub.
News
Over 100 Priests, Palace Chiefs Storm Court For Oba Of Benin In Solidarity
Published
1 hour agoon
May 9, 2024By
EditorOver 100 priests, priestesses and palace chiefs stormed the Edo State High Court on Thursday chanting curses against the enemies of the Oba at the resumed hearing of the case instituted by suspended Enigie (Duke) in Benin against Oba Ewuare II.
Two suspended Enigie (Dukes) of Evbuobanosa and Egbaen Siluko Dukedoms in Benin Kingdom, Prof Gregory Akenzua and Chief Edomwonyi Ogiegbaen had on behalf of some others, sued the monarch at Edo State High Court, challenging their suspension from offices.
Furthermore, the pair, speaking on behalf of others, asserted that their removal from their positions could only be done by the State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, and not by the monarch who had suspended them for rebelling against his authority.
The High Court admitted the Benin Traditional Council, as a party in a suit instituted by suspended (Enigie) Dukes in Benin, against the Oba.
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Ruling on a motion on Thursday, Justice Peter Akhihiero granted the first defendant’s application to include the Benin Traditional Council as the third defendant in the suit marked, B/250os/2023, while Oba Ewuare II and Edo State Government, are the first and second defendants respectively.
The ruling was in response to an application filed by the second defendant’s lead counsel, Prof. Yemi Akinseye-George, SAN, Prof Edoba Omoregie and his team against the Claimants, Prof. Gregory Akenzua, and Edomwonyi Ogiegbaen who both took the Oba of Benin to court over their suspension as Dukes of Evbuobanosa and Egbaen Siluko Dukedoms in Edo South Senatorial District by Oba Ewuare II in 2023.
Justice Peter Akhihiero directed parties in the suit, Edo State Government represented by the State Attorney General and State Commissioner for Justice, Oluwole Iyamu, SAN, Oba Ewuare II, Prof. Gregory Akenzua and Edomwonyi Ogiegbaen, who were both represented by their counsels led by Dr. Osagie Obayuwana who had objected to the motion through the counsel of Oba Ewuare II, to amend their relevant documents in the case to reflect the decision.
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While other parties in the suit aligned with the position of Oba Ewuare II’s counsel to join Benin Traditional Council, in the suit, the claimants, Prof. Gregory Akenzua and Edomwonyi Ogiegbaen through their counsel, Dr Obayuwana, prayed the court not to list the council as a party in the suit and urged the court to award cost against Oba of Benin in favour of the claimants.
But Justice Peter Akhihiero turned down the prayers and held that Obayuwana should not worry about the timing, insisting that, “The race is not for the swift, or the battle for the strong.
“If they are bringing in the Traditional Council as necessary, I don’t see this as a problem since you people have brought the Oba to court.
“I don’t think I can shut down any party. Let them come in and file their processes.”
Justice Akhihiero adjourned the hearing in the case till July 15, 2024, in the absence of any objection.
There was a heavy security presence at the premises of the State High Court Complex on Sapele Road in Benin City.
However, all those who came to the court in solidarity with the Oba were not allowed into the court due to their large numbers.
Groups and Edo sons and daughters, including members of the royal family and chiefs, displayed affection and solidarity for the Oba.
The Senate on Thursday approved death penalty for dealers and importers of cocaine, heroin and other hard drugs into the country.
The proposed capital punishment also applies to manufacturing, trafficking, dealing in or delivery of hard drugs by any means.
The Senate arrived at the resolution on the floor of the red chamber after deliberations on the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
The maximum punishment in the extant law for offenders is life imprisonment.
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During the consideration of the report on the bill for passage on Thursday, Senate Whip, Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South), recommended that the punishment of life imprisonment be “toughened” to death penalty.
The penalty for drug importation or dealership is captured in Section 11 of the extant law, which Ndume sought to be increased to a death sentence.
He said, “This (life imprisonment) should be changed to a death sentence. This is the standard worldwide. We have to do this to address this problem of drugs that has seriously affected our youths.
“It should be toughened beyond life imprisonment. It should be the death sentence, either by hanging or any way.”
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This proposal did not sit well with some of his colleagues, including former Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, who took to the floor to voice out his reservations.
Oshiomhole told his colleagues that he would rarely joke with any matter concerning life and death.
“When a matter has to do with life and death, we should be accountable. Let’s divide the Senate. This is lawmaking. We are not here to take voice votes,” Oshiomhole said.
His position was overruled by the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, who presided over the plenary.
Jibrin told Oshiomhole that he should have called for a division of the Senate immediately after the voting took place and before the Senate moved to another clause in the amendment bill.
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“This is about procedure. You were supposed to call for a division; you didn’t do so. I am sorry, I can’t help you”, the DSP stood his ground and stuck with the decision of the Senate.
Similarly, Senator Sampson Ekong from Akwa Ibom State also kicked against the resolution of the Senate but he was overruled.
The Senate went ahead to pass the bill for a third reading.
The report on the bill was jointly produced by the Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters/Drugs and Narcotics.
Speaking with Senate correspondents after the plenary, the Chairman of the Joint Committee, Mohammed Monguno, said the Senate approved the death sentence, noting that the voices of Oshiomhole and others did not change the ruling of the presiding officer.
“The ruling of the presiding officer is the position of the Senate,” he added
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