COURT ORDERS FORFEITURE OF UNCLAIMED N157BN RECOVERED BY EFCC TO FG

Justice Obiozor had ordered the EFCC to publish the interim order in the newspapers for anyone interested in the money to show up in court to prove why it should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government. On Tuesday, Iheanacho told the judge that the publication order had been complied with, adding that no one had shown up to lay claim to the money.

The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of the sums of N1,250,000,000; $327,132.35, £167.85 and €157.91 recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to the Federal Government.

Justice Chuka Obiozor gave the order on Tuesday, following a suit filed by the EFCC against Heritage Bank Plc and Secure Electronics Technology Limited.

The anti-graft agency said the funds were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.

Iheanacho Ekene, Counsel for the EFCC, told Justice Obiozor that “The persons in whose possession the funds were found are not laying claim to them and surrendered them for forfeiture.”

In August, Justice Obiozor had made a temporary forfeiture order in respect of the funds. He ordered the EFCC to publish the interim order in the newspapers for anyone interested in the money to show up in court to prove why it should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

On Tuesday, Iheanacho told the judge that the publication order had been complied with, adding that no one had shown up to lay claim to the money. He urged the judge to order that the funds be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

As there was no opposing application, Justice Obiozor ordered the sums of N1.2bn, $327,132.35, £167.85 and €157.90 permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

In a supporting affidavit to the forfeiture application, a female investigator with the EFCC, Oghare Ogbole, had averred that the funds were discovered following an intelligence report received by the anti-graft agency.

She added that, “Heritage Bank did not provide any legitimate explanation for the above transactions (involving the sums) and consequently returned the said money through 16 separate bank drafts issued in favour of the EFCC Recovered Funds Account.

“Attached and marked as exhibits EFCC 7A to 7F are the bank drafts representing the refund of the sums of N157,000,000,000 by Heritage Bank Plc, on the sums of $327,132.35, £167.85 and €157.90," she said.

I WILL SELL 90% OF NNPC IF ELECTED, ATIKU VOWS

Atiku

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, says he will sell the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and retain just 10 per cent of the company for the Federal Government.

Atiku said this in an interview with The African Report, a monthly publication.

Atiku, who presided over the National Council on Privatisation during his tenure as vice-president, said the NNPC was supposed to have become more profitable by now.

On whether he would sell NNPC and keep 10 per cent shares for the government, he said, “Yes, I would want to go ahead. There is no doubt about that. The government should have a very minor shareholding. Nigeria is in dire need of funds to develop its infrastructure and other sectors of the economy.”

The PDP presidential candidate said Nigeria ought to have been producing far more than two million barrels of oil per day.

Speaking further on the privatisation of the nation’s oil company, he said, “Without a stable regulatory framework, the oil and gas companies will find it difficult to invest more in Nigeria.

“At the time, we pushed for the passage of the new law. We expected that Nigeria would be able to export up to four million barrels per day, but here we are, still at less than two million barrels per day.”

JUSTICE NYAKO ORDERS SENATOR ABARIBE TO PAY N100M OVER KANU'S ABSENCE IN COURT

Kanu

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the three persons, including Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe, who stood sureties for the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, to within two months, pay the sum of N100m each into the court’s account for their inability to produce the missing Biafran activist in court.

Justice Binta Nyako gave the order on Wednesday in a ruling in which she amended the conditions of the bail she had in April 2017 granted Kanu.

Kanu is being prosecuted before the court on charges of treasonable felony.

His trial had been earlier separated from that of his co-accused following his disappearance after a military invasion of his home in Afara-Ukwu, Umuahia, in Abia State, on September 14, 2017.

The three sureties who guaranteed his bail had been made to sign a bail bond of N100m each which was backed by their landed assets whose documents were deposited in court.

But with the amendment ordered by the court on Wednesday, they are now required to deposit cash of N100m in the bank account of the court.

Justice Nyako ruled that the three sureties had two months to pay the sum of N100m each into the court’s account.

The judge reiterated that the order directing the sureties to pay the money was an order of interim forfeiture.

She fixed March 28 for the hearing of the motions filed by the sureties to challenging the duties imposed on them to produce the IPOB leader.

UNIPORT GRADUATE OF CRIMINOLOGY CAUGHT IN THE ACT OF STEALING AT GTBank IN PORT HARCOURT (SEE PICS)

A man was severely dealt with and arrested after he was caught stealing in a bank earlier today in Port-Harcourt, Rivers state. 

According to reports, the suspect who claims his name is Ifeanyi Dike from Abia state, was apprehended while allegedly stealing from unsuspecting victim in GT bank located at GRA in the state capital. 

It was reported that the suspect goes from bank to bank - disguising as a customer who wants to do a transaction before looking for victims to steal various properties from including cash. 

After he was nabbed, he also claimed to be a graduate of Criminology at the University of Port-Harcourt (UNIPORT).

He was beaten severely as one of those who caught him - revealed that this was the second time he was nabbed for the same offence. 

He was later taken away to the police station after receiving some strokes. 

ORGANISED LABOUR GIVES DECEMBER FINAL DEADLINE FOR N30,000MINIMUM WAGE IMPLEMENTATION

~ Says any reduction or delay will lead to devastating consequences

THE Organised Labour on Tuesday gave December, this year, as the final deadline for the full implementation of the N30,000 new national minimum wage.

Besides, Labour warned that any reduction in the N30,000 agreed by the Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage; as contained in the committee’s report to the President or any further delay in its passage will lead to devastating consequences.

The President of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama and the Secretary-General of the Association of Senior Civil Servant of Nigeria (ASCSN), Comrade Bashir Lawal, gave the warning at the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the ASCSN, held at the Chida Hotel, Abuja on Tuesday.

They both warned that labour would not accept anything less than the N30,000 agreed by the Committee, as Nigerian workers patiently await President Muhammadu Buhari, to forward the Executive Bill to the National Assembly, for its passage into law.

In his speech, Comrade Kaigama, who is also the National President of ASCSN, stressed the urgent need to fast-track the implementation of the newly agreed national minimum wage.

Specifically, he said the expectation of labour is that the full implementation of the N30,000 new minimum wage should not exceed December.

Though Kaigama stated that he would not pre-empt President Buhari that the N30,000 agreed through the process of tripartite negotiation could be reduced, but he quickly warned that the consequences of reducing or delaying its implementation would be very devastating.

He said: “The Federal Government is advised to avoid any action that can delay or truncate the process of enacting the new Minimum Wage Act as the consequences of allowing that to happen can be very devastating.”

According to Kaigama: “It is worthy of note that the single most important issue agitating the mind of an average Nigerian worker today is that of the new National Minimum Wage, the report of which was presented to Mr President on Tuesday 6th November 2018. It is apt to state that against all odds the Tripartite Committee that negotiated the new Minimum Wage was able to scale all hurdles and agreed to the sum of N30,000 as the new Minimum wage for the country.

“It is on this premise that I strongly want to appeal to the Federal Government to fast-track the process of enacting the new National Minimum Wage into law.

“Our expectation is that the Government should be able to complete the entire process before the end of this year so that workers who have waited for so long can begin to enjoy a new lease of life provided by the newly agreed minimum wage.”

The TUC president also regretted that the core civil service, which is the engine room of government, is the least paid in the Public Service; since other segments thereof have had their emoluments beefed up over the years.

He explained that even though civil servants, for instance, possess the same qualifications and experience as their counterparts in the Parastatals and Agencies, “yet, the salaries of these other employees are, in most cases, three times more than that of officers in the core Ministries.”

He added: “This situation has been made worse by the fact that since 2010 when Salary Relativity was carried out in the core civil service, no salary increment has been granted to civil servants except for the N900 monthly that was added to the emoluments of senior officers across board after N18,000 was approved as the National Minimum Wage in 2011.”

The Secretary-General ASCSN, Comrade Lawal, said they were holding President Buhari to his words that he would send the report submitted to him to the National Assembly.

He said: “The way we interpret the President speech is that he said he is going to forward Executive Bill to the National Assembly, and on that, we stand. We are not going to accept five kobo drop on that N30,000; we are not going to accept it. We are not going to accept anything less than N30,000. Like I said earlier on, we have mobilised already, we only suspended. So, we will pick off from where we left. It is not going to be a difficult thing.”

He explained that the President should send the bill to the National Assembly before the next two weeks, saying, “we want it done less than two weeks; we cannot wait till the end of November because we want the minimum wage achieved this year.

“We are taking Mr President for his words now, but we have a timeline on when we will swing into action. Our members are ready and only waiting for directive; we are prepared because as we have always say, we have never gotten anything on a platter of gold.”

GOODLUCK JONATHAN ATTACKS VP OSINBAJO, SAYS HE HAS 'LEPROUS FINGERS'

Former President, Goodluck Jonathan has reacted to claims by Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo that he left Nigeria with debt and ruined the economy due to the alleged corruption under his watch.

The Vice President had during a lecture entitled, “Restructuring and the Nigerian federation,” delivered as part of activities marking the 40th anniversary of Association of Friends in Lagos yesterday, accused the immediate past government of President Goodluck Jonathan, of throwing Nigeria into untold hardship, recession and debt.

But reacting in a statement made available to daily post by Reno Omokri (for Dr. Goodluck Jonathan), the former President wondered why Osinbajo, who, according to him, was recently indicted by the House of Representatives for an alleged worse corruption in Nigeria, should point accusing fingers at him (Jonathan).

The statement continues, “My attention has been drawn to regurgitated and discredited allegations by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo blaming former President Jonathan of saddling Nigeria with debt and ruining the economy by the alleged corruption of his administration.

“How can Vice President Osinbajo, a man who had just been indicted by the House of Representatives in one of the biggest corruption scams ever in Nigeria’s history, have the gall to point accusing fingers on Dr. Jonathan, a man that is celebrated internationally for his efforts at achieving Nigeria’s best rating in Transparency International’s annual Corruption Perception Rating when Nigeria improved 8 paces from 144 to 136 in 2014?

“Having read through the sordid details of Professor Osinbajo’s corruption as revealed in the indictment by Nigeria’s House of Representatives, it is easy to understand why Nigeria made her worst ever retrogression in Transparency International’s annual Corruption Perception under him this year, moving 11 paces backwards from 136 to 148.

“On the issue of debt, the fact remains that in the entire 16 years that the Peoples Democratic Party governed Nigeria, the total amount of money borrowed was N8.06 trillion Naira. These are facts sourced directly from the budget office controlled by the Buhari administration.

“However, in only 3 years, the All Progressives Congress-led administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has borrowed a total of N10 trillion Naira. With this fact in hand, where does Vice President Osinbajo have the moral authority to point leprous fingers at former President Jonathan?

“The claim by Vice President Osinbajo that former President Jonathan left $63 billion in debt is also a false claim. The Jonathan administration inherited $42.23 billion in debt in 2011 which were debts borrowed by the states and the Federal Government.

“Throughout the five years that he was President, former President Jonathan incurred the wrath of several state governments because his administration refused to guarantee their foreign loans.

“The reason that Nigeria’s debt has ballooned under this administration is because the Federal Government lacks the discipline that Jonathan had and are thus unable to curb borrowing by both the Federal Government and the states.

“For example, on Tuesday, November 13, 2018, the Debt Management Office revealed that in just 2017 alone, the Buhari administration borrowed N2.4 trillion to fund their budget deficit. This is besides other loans that they took in 2017 alone. 

That money is more than the funds borrowed by the Jonathan administration in 5 years!
“To show to Nigerians the profligacy and ineptitude of the current administration, I draw their attention to the fact that between July and August 2018, the Buhari administration claimed it had shared $322 million Abacha funds recovered by the Jonathan administration to the poor. Then a week after it made that announcement, the Buhari government borrowed $328 million from China.

“The question is this, why would you share out $322 million one week only to borrow the same amount next week? Why not use the Abacha funds to fund government activities instead of adding to the already strained debt burden?
“These are questions that Vice President Osinbajo should answer rather than making false allegations against former President Jonathan.”

TROOPS ARREST FEMALE SUICIDE BOMBER IN BORNO

A 19-year-old girl, Shaidatu Adamu, has been arrested by troops of 251 Task Force Battalion, Maiduguri, Borno State while trying to detonate her suicide vest in the Gonikalachari area.

Adamu, who said she is from Gwoza, told the army upon interrogation that she had been in the Sambisa Forest with the Boko Haram terrorists for three years.

She said she was sent out on Tuesday on a lonely mission.
The army gave out Adamu’s confessions on its Twitter page.

According to the army, the troops from 47 Explosive Ordinance Device Battalion were invited to diffuse the explosives, while Adamu has been transferred to 7 Military Intelligence Brigade Maiduguri for further investigations.

We shall bring you details as they unfold...

BREAKING: EFCC CONFIRMS PROCESS TO BRING BACK DEZIANI ALISON-MADUEKE

Diezani Alison-Madueke

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has confirmed that the process to bring back a former Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Deziani Alison-Madueke, from the United Kingdom has begun.

Acting spokesman of the Commission, Mr. Tony Orilade, disclosed this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Abuja.

There have been calls from different quarters for the former minister to return to the country to answer several allegations of financial impropriety against her.

According to Orilade, EFCC’s Operations Department had made presentation to the Legal Department to commence the process, noting that the process has commenced.

He, however, said that the action had to be processed through the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, explaining that it was not something the Commission could commence and conclude on its own.

“It is ongoing. Within the next few weeks, the extent to which we have gone will be made known to the public.

“It is not a fresh case; it is not a fresh petition that is just being looked into; the whole process is a total package.

“This request to have Mrs. Alison-Madueke repatriated to Nigeria is just an aspect of Diezani’s investigation and commencement of trial,” he said.

In 2017, a Federal High Court in Lagos ordered the final forfeiture of N7.6bn alleged loot recovered from the former minister to the Federal Government.

Justice Abdulazeez Anka granted an application by the EFCC seeking the final forfeiture of the money to the government.

Granting the application, the judge had said: “I have read the motion on notice seeking the final forfeiture of the sum of N7.6bn reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity.

“I have also gone through the affidavit in support of the application.

“In the circumstances, I am of the view that the application has merit and is hereby granted as prayed. Parties have a right of appeal.”

In October, 2017, the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, had said that Nigeria had no immediate plan to bring Alison-Madueke back home to face trial.

Alison-Madueke, who is being investigated in the UK, had urged the Federal Government to have her repatriated to Nigeria to face corruption charges against her.

But Malami said that bringing her back to the country would jeopardise the investigation being carried out on her in the UK.

“Steps have been taken by the United Kingdom authorities on issues bordering on corrupt practices involving Nigerians.

“If Nigeria feels strongly that there is need to bring Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke here to face charges of corruption, government will not hesitate to do that.

“As things stand now, there is no need for that, since the UK Government is already investigating her,’’ he had said.

The EFCC spokesman could not, however, say the point at which it became necessary to seek repatriation of the former minister.

(NAN)

A 65-YEAR-OLD MAN SLUMPS AND DIES DURING SEX WITH LOVER

A man said to be about 65 years has been reported dead while having sex at a hotel in Awka, Anambra State.

The man, identified as Mr Obi Nwoda, checked into the hotel with a lady on Saturday.

According to the management of the hotel, the woman was leaving the hotel alone and when she was forced to go back to the room where the man, Obi Nwuda, was seen lying unconscious.

The incident was reported at B Division Police Station where the DPO, Mr Odion Ekeinde led a Patrol Team to move the unconscious man to a private hospital.

Obi was declared dead on arrival at the hospital and his corpse photographed and deposited in the morgue.

Confirming the incident, Mr Mohammed Haruna, the Police Public Relations Officer in Anambra, said the lady was arrested and that she had confessed that the deceased died while having sex with her.

Haruna described the death as sudden and unnatural, adding that it occurred at 8.15 p.m. on Saturday.

“Victim was rushed to Apex Hospital, Awka, where he was confirmed dead on arrival by the medical doctor.

“The corpse was photographed and deposited at the hospital morgue for autopsy.

“The woman alleged that the victim collapsed while making love to her.

“She was subsequently arrested and the case is under investigation to ascertain circumstances surrounding the incident,” he said.

(NAN)

GRADUATE ASSISTANT SALES REPRESENTATIVE JOB CITCC

Graduate Assistant Sales Representative Job CITCC

Full Time

Location: Abuja

Website CITCC

CITCC

Restructured from former China Communication Construction General Corporation, China International Telecommunication Construction Corporation (hereinafter referred to as CITCC) is an internationalized large professional comprehensive communication construction group enterprise affiliated to China Communications Services Corporation Limited under China Telecom in China’s communication construction field, with strong construction capacity, high scientific and technological content and the highest nationally certified qualification for a construction enterprise. As a comprehensive “window” enterprise going global on behalf of China’s communication construction industry, it owns the right to engage in foreign economics and trade and labor import and export and undertakes national foreign economic assistance missions and inter-governmental cooperative missions.

Assistant Sales Representative

Details:

Job Summary

Engage in New and Existing Client Relationship Management

Support well-structured oral presentation to clients and prospects introducing our solutions and services

Support in Effective Client Communication Management

Develop clear and effective written proposals and quotations for current and prospective clients

Give oral and written report on customer needs, issues, competitive activities and potentials for new products and services

Arrange high level meeting between Marketing Manager/ Sales Manager and clients top Managers/decision makers

Support in Post Sales Service to Clients

Increase CITCC revenue through effective sales support and; ensure our Marketing System is fully Implemented

Other Requirements

Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Impressive sales and Marketing skills

Commendable public speaking skills

Presentation Skill is a must

Ability to use Microsoft Office suite proficiently especially Ms Word, Excel and PowerPoint

Ability to learn fast the various solutions (technology) and services of the organization

Ability to collect and analyze necessary market information

Outstanding Interpersonal skills

Qualification/Experience

Candidate must have a Mminimum of HND/BSc in Marketing, Arts/ Humanities or in a Social Science course.

Work experience of 1-2 years in a sales/marketing or related job is required

HOW TO APPLY

Applicants should send CVS to recruitment@citcc.cn