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Stolen N2.1bn Found In Heritage Bank’s Vault Plus + multibillion Naira Lootings

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The Special Presidential Investigation Panel (SPIP) for the Recovery of Public Property has recovered seven million Dollars ($7 million) Or (₦2.1 billion at official rate) illegally kept in Heritage Bank.

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Chairman of the panel, Mr Okoi Obono-Obla, disclosed this while briefing President Muhammadu Buhari on activities of the panel.

The panel has also recovered ₦533 million and land worth N1.5 billion, from the “Previous Management” of NEXIM Bank.

The recovered funds and property had since been returned to the bank.

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The panel has also recovered and returned to the National Theatre, ₦24 million which was diverted by some directors of the agency.

Also recovered, were 2 hectares of land in Abuja valued at over N2 billion, belonging to the National Council of Arts and Culture.

The panel went on and recovered and returned a part of Agura Hotel belonging to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA). The recovered part of the hotel had been illegally “annexed by some so-called powerful persons with untouchable connections for over 20 years”.

Other recoveries by the SPIP, according to Obono-Obla, are 19 official Sports Utility Vehicles allegedly made away with by former Commissioners of the National Population Commission after their tenures in office.

He said the panel had charged a former Director in the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing to court for failure to declare his assets. The assets include houses in upscale areas of Abuja, a quarry and a farm within the Federal Capital Territory, for which a court has granted an interim forfeiture order.

The SPIP is also investigating some members of the National Assembly and former governors for a range of alleged offences. These include illegal purchase of designated official residences for principal officers of the National Assembly excluded from the monetisation policy at giveaway prices.

Others are purchase of several properties worth hundreds of millions in various currencies, and flagrant abuse of office thus causing financial adversity to the nation.

Mr. Obono-Obla said the SPIP was partnering with the United Kingdom’s Home Secretary to ensure that some public officers “perceived to have looted public funds and illegally acquired assets both in Nigeria and the UK”, were prevented from entering that country.

The SPIP chairman equally told the President that the panel was beaming its searchlight on several companies for a wide range of alleged offences. Some of the companies, he said, are

Celtel, for alleged tax evasion since 2005;

Western Oil and Gas, for illegally drilling crude oil in Delta, and seven others for alleged failure to pay royalties to the Federal Government in about 10 years.

He said some multinational oil companies based in Egi Kingdom, Rivers, were also being investigated for allegedly conniving with unscrupulous individuals to dodge their obligations to the community to the tune of ₦38 billion and $30 million

Also under investigation by the panel is another company, which has failed to fulfil its contractual agreement to dredge the Calabar Channel, years after receiving $12 million.

The panel has also compiled a list of over 200 past and serving public officers perceived to have illegally enriched themselves at the expense of the nation and the Nigerian people, among others,” Obono-Obla said in the briefing.

Pres. Buhari, assured the panel of his continued support and non-interference in line with his administration’s stance on the anti-corruption fight.

Obono-Obla said the panel would remain committed to its mandate, in addition to complementing the Federal Government’s fight against corruption.

He solicited the continued support of Nigerians to the panel with useful information that would lead to the recovery of looted public assets.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the panel was inaugurated by the then Acting President Yemi Osinbajo in August 2017.

 

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Sahara weekly online is published by First Sahara weekly international. contact saharaweekly@yahoo.com

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THE PROPHETIC HALL OF FAME: How I ended “sit at home” in the East, Prophet Godwin Ikuru speaks

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By Collins Nkwocha

One of the major problems of the Eastern region was the “sit at home” menace which crippled business activities in the entire Eastern region; several lives have been lost in the process of enforcing this as the enforcers have always been very cruel and wicked, killing anyone who refuses to obey the order.

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Disturbed by the cruelty of the enforcers and how many lives that have been lost through this act, the prophetic Hall of Fame, prophet Godwin Ikuru of Jehovah Eye Salvation Ministry, Lagos,made a public declaration that “sit at home” was going to be over in the East.

People didn’t believe it when he said it, everyone believed that only the release of Nnamdi Kanu was going to end “sit at home” in the East.prophet Ikuru said that it would stop even while Kanu is still in detention.

Today,”sit at home” has ended in the East, people now go about their normal businesses on Monday.Today, the dreaded “sit at home” enforcers are nowhere to be found, you can do anything or carry out any business activity of your choice on monday because God has honoured the word of his prophet.

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Prophet Godwin Ikuru is one of the best prophets in Nigeria,he remains a major part of the ruling party in Nigeria.He is the major prophet that brought the president to power .

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Ondo Guber: APC Screening Committee Clears Female Aspirant, Funmi Ayinke

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The only female aspirant in the contest for the APC governorship ticket in Ondo state, Engr. (DR) Oluwafunmilayo Ayinke Waheed-Adekojo has been cleared by the screening committee of the All Progressive Congress (APC) at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja yesterday Friday, 12th of April, 2024.

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The screening process which normally involves validation of candidates’ credentials and eligibility to contest was without hassle for Funmi Ayinke as there were no discrepancies in her credentials especially for the fact that she has proven records in the public space confirming her credibility and eligibility for the contest.

When asked about her plans for the people of Ondo state by the committee, Funmi Ayinke expressed the need for Ondo state to evolve using technology and Artificial intelligence which she is very knowledgeable in, narrating how she generated electricity through briquette.

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She stated that Ondo state needs an engineer who is vast in the application of technology which would of course; secure a better position for the state internationally.

‘’I am vast in the knowledge of technology and Artificial intelligence, the world is changing and we can’t continue to remain as we are. We need an engineer who is vast and knowledgeable in all of these. I developed the generation of electricity through briquette so when we have this kind of grace in Ondo state, we should not waste it.’’

Continuing, Funmi Ayinke expressed confidence in securing the party’s ticket because all women in the state have thrown their weight behind her. She noted that many women decided to support her ambition because she has been a source of hope for them before she thought of a governorship ambition.

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Speaking further on the support she has received so far, Funmi Ayinke recounted the massive crowd that besieged her rally ground in Akure without paying a dime.

‘’Women come to me that they want to pay me back with their support because I have been a source of hope for them. Women vote more in Ondo state and I have that confidence that this is my time, I have sown the seed, it’s time for harvest.’’

‘’In the last rally we did, I didn’t pay any women to attend, It was just an open invitation and we shut down the whole of Akure, this means people know what they want and they appreciate the fact that we have the courage to come out. Without woman, there is no vote, no nation.’’

The screening process ended with cheers from the committee, congratulatory messages from officials at the party’s secretariat and prayers of victory from women in the secretariat premises.

 

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Tsokundi killings: Tivs in Taraba Are Taking The Generosity of Gov. Agbu Kefas For Granted – Chief Benjamin Bako

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One Month In Office: A Reconnoitre Of Dr. Agbu Kefas’ Giant Strides In Taraba State

 

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The president of the Jukun Apex Socio- Cultural and Political Organisation of the Jukun people , the Jukun Development Association of Nigeria (JDAN) Chief Benjamin Bako has warned the suspected Tiv Militia group who were alleged to have killed three ( 3) people and many others injured  to take advantage of the generosity and the inclusiveness of the present administration of Dr agbu kafas to live in peace with their host Community or the Jukun people  will be prepared to defend their land.

 

Chief Bako stated this in an exclusive interview with Taraba News while reacting to the news of the killings of 3 people, including a woman  along Wukari Tsokudi Road in Wukari Local Government of Taraba State. He expressed surprise that a Tiv group will audaciously step forward to claim responsibility for slaughtering Jukun people on their own land .

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Chief Bako said Gov Agbu Kefas’ efforts to operate an all-inclusive government of State unity by taking the political risk to ignore many interest groups and brought on board even the opposition is being viewed by some Tiv renegades as a sign of weakness. Can you  imagine that for the first time after a long time a Tiv man is appointed into the state executive council with hope for more opportunities, then the Tiv people stroke with the intention of blackmailing the government.

 

The magnanimity of the current government needs to be commended, to say the least. Tiv people in Taraba dividend their votes between Professor Yahaya of the NNPP and Senator Emmanuel Bwacha of the APC, yet Dr Agbu Kefas rewarded them and many others for opposing him.

 

 

 

Chief Bako Condemns in strong terms the attack against the Jukun people and warn that Jukun will no longer  tolerate, he said this attack has been going on for some time now, he said this attack is not only happening on Wukari- Tsokundi but also on, Chanchanji-Takum road where Tiv criminality has been elevated to a community enterprise.

 

“As I speak to you many have died, Yoruba people, Igbo Business people  by the same Tiv people along Chanchanji, robbery and kidnapping taking place on this road on a daily basis, some of this incident are even under reported”

 

According to Chief Bako, the Jukun people in Benue state are being ridiculed and maltreated daily but yet they follow a civic approach by seeking redress in court, he condemned the recent attack on Jukun people in North Bank Makurdi Benue state.

” Our people in Benue are suffering under a terrible inhuman condition witness only in appartite SouthAfrica, they don’t even have a government primary school, clinics, not even get a councilor in over  100 years of existence. Yet our people obediently wrote to complain about their plight, and even went to court, without taking law Into their hands”

 

According to him ,Tiv criminality in Southern Taraba has destroyed the economy of the entire region is becoming very worrisome and the Jukun people will defend themselves and defend their land, he warned that the continuous killing of the Jukun people will no longer be tolerated.

 

“We  own land from Kente  to Makurdi in Benue state but has been subjugated completely and yet the Jukun people did not take laws into their  hands in Benue State, rather went to court, we need to go back to drawing board with this open declaration of war by the Tiv people, it is going to be fire for fire, enough is enough, we will defend ourself and our land no body has monopoly for violence” He called on security agencies to identify the Tiv Taraba group officials and arrest them promptly before they kill more people as they openly promised.

 

He condemned the declaration by the TIV Taraba group online,  where the group claimed responsibility for  the attack and also threatened further attack on the Jukun people.

 

“The acceptance by the TIV Taraba that they kill the Jukun people  is the high of it, this can only happen in Afghanistan, we need to go back to the drawing board and defend ourselves because they have told us what to expect ”

 

He disagreed with the claim that some land in Jukun land belonged to the Tiv people.

 

“The problem has been there for years, those places they are claiming that they are their grand fathers’ land now, these where farm labourers that were brought into Jukunland, to come and farm, you know the culture of farm labourers in Jukun land is not new, our people go and hire people surplus supply of farm labourers across Benue to come and  farm for them, when you farm for them they will say, let me compensate you with a small piece of the land to farm your choice of crop for the season, ; these Jukun people with time now died and their children not interested in farming left for the city, this community Tivs stay their and continued to multiple and stay in the farm and now they are claiming it is their land” They should produce the receipt of payment where the land was sold to them by Jukun people. Is Tsukundi a Jukun name or Tiv language? Answer me!

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