TheNewsGuru

Tag: Chairman

  • Udom Emmanuel elected Chairman South East/South South Governors Forum

    Udom Emmanuel elected Chairman South East/South South Governors Forum

    The South East, South South Governors’ Forum on Sunday elected Akwa-Ibom Governor, Udom Emmanuel, as chairman of the forum.

    The forum at the end of its meeting in Enugu also agreed to pursue regional cooperation and integration for the economic benefit of the two regions.

    The governors, after the three-hour meeting, also agreed on political cooperation.

    The governors in their first meeting in the current dispensation, also resolved “to work together and realign as a people that share common heritage, culture and and affinities”.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the forum agreed to hold its next meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on August 27, 2017.

    The communique of the meeting was read by Governor Udom on behalf of the governors.

    The meeting was attended by eight governors and a deputy governor; while two governors were absent.

    The governors present include: Igwenyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), David Umahi (Ebonyi), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa-Ibom), Ben Ayade (Cross River), Rochas Okorocha (Imo), and Nyesom Nike (Rivers).

    Others are; Okezie Ikpazu (Abia), Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa) and Anambra Deputy Governor, Nkem Okeke, who represented Governor Willie Obiano.

    Governors Ifeanyi Okowa and Godwin Obaseki of Delta and Edo states were absent at the meeting.

  • I don’t need NASS approval to be EFCC chairman – Magu

    I don’t need NASS approval to be EFCC chairman – Magu

    …Says Buhari, Osinbajo’s support is enough to flush out corrupt politicians in the country

    The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, on Friday said all he needs to prosecute the war against corruption in Nigeria is the “backing of the President and his Vice.”

    Magu made the declaration in Kano when he received a number of civil society groups at the EFCC’s zonal office in the state.

    The EFCC boss reiterated that President Buhari and Acting President Osinbajo are determined to wipe out corruption to its root in Nigeria.

    Magu also revealed that not less than 1000 corrupt people are holding Nigeria to ransom.

    According to Magu, “We should thus use our greater number to push these minor criminals out of service before they cause serious problems in the country

    “My messages to these corrupt persons, hanging around our necks and using all criminal strategies to create disharmony among Nigerians, is that their times are up; this one is a fight to finish

    “What more do we need? I think the backing of the President and his vice is enough for us to win the fight and we shall win it, no doubt about that, the end of this fight is just around the corner.”

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Senate had on different occasions stepped down the confirmation of Magu as EFCC insisting he was not fit to lead the anti-graft agency.

    While declaring the EFCC Zonal Office in Kaduna open on Thursday, the Acting President, ably represented by Governor Nasir El-Rufai said President Buhari will keep Magu as EFCC chair as long as he remains the country’s president.

     

  • ‘As long as I remain president, you are EFCC chairman,’ Buhari assures Magu

    ‘As long as I remain president, you are EFCC chairman,’ Buhari assures Magu

    President Muhammadu Buhari has given the assurance that the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu will retain his leadership role of the anti-graft agency.

    This was revealed on Thursday by the acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

    Osinbajo, who spoke at the inauguration of the Kaduna office of the anti-graft agency on Thursday, said that those who think that they were winning in fighting back against the government’s war on corruption, should wake up.

    Represented by Gov Nasiru El-Rufai of Kaduna State, Osinbajo said, so long as Buhari remained Nigeria’ s President Magu would continue to work as the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    “Mr Chairman, two weeks ago, I discussed the EFCC and your appointment with President Muhammadu Buhari and he told me he has every confidence in you and every confidence in the commission and the work that you have been doing, and as long as he is president you remain the chairman of the EFCC,’’ he said.

    El-Rufa’ is also told the gathering that the Acting President was also solidly behind Magu.

    “Last night, I spoke with the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, who reconfirmed the position of the President and told me that as long as he remained the Acting President or Vice President, Ibrahim Magu would remain the chairman of the EFCC.

    “That is the only message from the President, so those thinking that corruption is winning this war, Magu would remain their nightmare for the next two years or six years as the case may be.’’

    The governor had earlier said his administration donated the office to the EFCC to demonstrate its “zero tolerance to bad behaviour by public office holders, contractors, businesses and citizens.

    “We applaud the leadership of the EFCC for taking the significant step to establish a state office in Kaduna.

    “I assure you that you can continue to count on us in Kaduna to support the commission in every facet of its activities.

    “We have set aside land for your training school awaiting the submission of your application.

    “We have also set aside land to build your staff housing estate if you so require.”

    He said the state was first to adopt the Federal Government policy on Single Treasury Account (TSA).

    The governor explained that as a result of that, over N25 billion was realised by the government after it closed about 470 accounts with commercial banks.

    He said the anti-graft agency had assisted the state government in recovering over N400 million from corrupt public officials.

    Earlier, the acting chairman of the EFCC had called for public support to the agency in the fight against corruption in the land.

    Magu said Nigerians must rise and do what is expected of them to reclaim their commonwealth stolen by a few corrupt individuals.

    “If we can pause and trace the root cause of the problem that confronts us as a nation, we will discover they are all linked to corruption.

    “Corruption is the cause of the recession that has pushed our people deeper into poverty and the insurgency that has visited death, displacement and untold hardship on Nigerians in the North East.

    “This is the reason I have suggested that we set up prison for the corrupt in the Sambisa forest, where they can be kept away and have the sobriety to be truly reformed,” Magu said.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Senate had on two occasions stepped down the confirmation of Magu as chairman of the anti-graft agency saying he was not fit.

  • $1.2bn loan: Hakeem Belo-Osagie resigns as Etisalat chairman

    The chairman of Etisalat Nigeria, Hakeem Belo-Osagie, has stepped down following the restructuring of the telecommunication company.

    His resignation is effective immediately.

    Etisalat was taken over by a consortium of banks two weeks ago.

    The banks, led by Access Bank PLC and other local and foreign banks have taken over the telecommunication company effective June 15.

    The take-over came as a result of a futile effort by Emerging Markets Telecommunications Services, EMTS, promoted by-one time Chairman, United Bank for Africa, UBA, Hakeem Bello-Osagie, to reach agreement with the banks on debt restructuring plan in the protracted $1.72 billion (about N541.8 billion) debt impasse.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that UAE’s Etisalat had on June 20, said that it had been instructed to transfer its 45 per cent stake in Etisalat Nigeria to a loan trustee.

    Etisalat said it had been notified to transfer its stake by June 23. It said the stake had a carrying value of zero on its books.

    TheNewsGuru.com also reports that in the last few months, Etisalat Nigeria has been in talks with Nigerian banks to restructure a 1.2 billion dollars loan after missing repayments.

    The loan is a seven-year facility agreed with 13 banks in 2013 to refinance a 650 million dollars loan and fund expansion of the telco’s network.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that though the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) stepped into the fray to prevent a takeover by the banks, those discussions failed to produce an agreement on restructuring the debt.

  • Alleged N937m fraud: Court grants Niger PDP chairman, Tanko Beji N150m bail

    A Minna High Court on Friday granted Mr Tanko Beji, Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Niger, standing trial on alleged N937million fraud, bail in the sum of N150million.

    Justice Aliyu Mayaki, who granted the bail, also ordered Beji to produce two sureties in like sum, who must also have landed property worth not less than N200million within the court’s jurisdiction.

    According to the judge, the prosecution failed to give cogent reasons why the defendant should not be granted bail.

    Mayaki had on Monday ordered the remand in prison custody of Beji, and fixed Friday, June 23, to rule on his bail application.

    Beji was arraigned on Monday by the EFCC in amended charges, alongside former Gov. Babangida Aliyu and former Commissioner of Environment, Mr Umar Nasko.

    They were accused of criminal breach of trust, punishable under Section 97 of the Penal Code Law of Niger, Cap 94, Vol. 3 Laws of 1992.

    The PDP chairman was accused of aiding and abetting Aliyu to convert N937million withdrawn from the state security account in 2011 to personal use.

    Mr Ayodele Olajide (SAN), counsel to Aliyu and Beji, had urged the court to grant the PDP chairman bail, as he is a long-standing lawyer, practising in Niger.

    The EFCC lawyer, Mr Gbolahon Latona, opposed the bail application but urged the judge to use his discretion.

    In the amended charge, the former governor who is the first accused is standing trial on a seven-count charge of criminal breach of trust and abuse of office from 2007 and 2015.

    Beji who is the second accused person is also standing trial on a two-count charge of criminal breach of trust and abetting the commission of crime.

    Nasko is standing trial on a three-count charge of criminal breach of trust and abuse of office.

    The three defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges levelled against them.

    Justice Maiyaki, however, did not tamper with the earlier bail granted Babangida and Nasko.

    The case was adjourned until Sept. 11 to Sept.15 for hearing of the substantive suit.

     

     

    NAN

  • OPEC appoints Nigeria’s Olusegun Adekunle board chairman

    OPEC appoints Nigeria’s Olusegun Adekunle board chairman

    The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) on Friday, announced the appointment of Mr Olusegun Adekunle as the alternate Chairman of the Economic Commission Board.

    ​This is contained in a statement released in Abuja on Friday by Idang Alibi, Director Press, Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

    Alibi said: “In a welcome development, OPEC announced the appointment of Nigeria’s Mr Olusegun Adekunle as the Alternate Chairman of the 127th OPEC Economic Commission Board.”

    ​The statement quoted the Minister, ​Dr Ibe Kachikwu​, as expressing
    delight at the development​.

    Kachikwu congratulat​ed​ Adekunle and urg​ed ​​him ​”​to continue to work hard to justify the appointment and make Nigeria proud.’’

    Adekunle was before this appointment Nigeria’s representative to the organisation.

    The Commission is saddled with the responsibility of writing reports and making recommendations to the Conference of OPEC Oil Ministers on oil prices and other economic issues.

    Adekunle was before his chairmanship appointment Nigeria’s representative to the organisation.

    The Commission is saddled with the responsibility of writing reports and making recommendations to the Conference of OPEC Oil Ministers on oil prices and other economic issues.

     

  • PDP Crisis: I might quit if Supreme Court affirms Sheriff as chairman – Wike

    Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has said he might quit his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, should the Supreme Court rule in favour of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the National Chairman of the party.

    The governor revealed this while featuring on a monitored programme on Channels Television. Wike noted that he was not comfortable working under Sheriff’s leadership. The governor said working under Sheriff “is against my belief and tradition.”

    Wike also hinted on dumping the party should the apex court ruling favour the Sheriff’s faction.

    He said,“Why we are following up this issue is for the stance of the law on certain things to be stated properly.

    “It is very, very unlikely for me to be under Sheriff if the supreme court rules he is the party chairman. I can’t say if I will leave but of course I have my choice.

    “There are things you can’t go on with, they’re certainly wrong.

    “Have you seen the characters around Sheriff? Do the party have any clear roadmap with such person? And then you want me to go and work under such person? It is against my belief. It is even against the tradition, no I can’t do that.”

  • JUST IN: Former Bayelsa PDP chairman assassinated

    A former Acting State Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, Bayelsa State, Mr. Christopher Hobobo, has been assassinated.

    He was reportedly assassinated in his residence on PDP Road, Yenagoa, the state capital.

    Hobobo, who hailed from Agbere town in Sagbama Local Government Area of the state was allegedly stabbed to death by unknown assassins in the early hours of Wednesday.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the assassination of Hobobo is coming within one month after a similar assassination of a Yenagoa-based broadcast journalist, Mr. Famous Giobaro.

    According to a report by The Punch, Hobobo’s gate was forced open by the assailants before gaining access to his sitting room, where they allegedly stabbed him several times in the chest.

    It was learnt that his killers refrained from using the gun to kill the former acting Chairman of the PDP in order not to attract the attention of his neighbours.

    It was also learnt that after the incident, family relations and friends, who thronged to the house as early as 7 am invited police.

    A team of policemen led by the Divisional Police Officer, Ekeki Division, was said to have removed the deceased’s corpse amidst wailing from sympathisers and neighbours.

    Two family members, Mr. Desi Tambrebofa and Mr. John Gidi, expressed shock over the manner Hobobo was brutally murdered.

    They described the deceased as an easy going man, saying that the assassins had murdered sleep.

    The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Amba Asuquo, who had visited the scene of the crime, assured the family members that the police would fish out the perpetrators of the crime.

    The remains of the deceased have been deposited at the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa.

  • Tinubu not solely responsible for my emergence as APC Chairman – Oyegun

    Tinubu not solely responsible for my emergence as APC Chairman – Oyegun

    The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief John Odigie Oyegun has said contrattry to popular opinion, the National Leader of the party, Bola Tinubu was not responsible for his emergence as the chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

    Oyegun maintained that several people who believed so much in his integrity and personality stood behind him to ensure he emerged the party’s chair.

    Oyegun revealed this in an interview with Vanguard Newspapers.

    In his words: “Everybody assisted me to this position and I am grateful to all of them. The only thing is my personality and integrity; I don’t joke with these two things because they are the only currency that I have and I will defend them at any time.

    “I don’t believe one particular person solely assisted me to this position, everybody assisted me and someday, the story of how I became chairman of APC will be told.

    “You will then see that everybody did assist me to become National Chairman. This means that I am there for everybody. I don’t belong to any camp in the APC. I belong to all members of APC high and below,” Oyegun explained.

  • Buhari hails Peterside’s emergence as Chairman of AAMA

    Buhari hails Peterside’s emergence as Chairman of AAMA

    President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dakuku Peterside on his election as the new Chairman of the Association of African Maritime Administrators (AAMA).

    The president’s congratulatory message was issued in a statement by Mr Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, on Saturday in Abuja.

    Buhari said: “Peterside’s unanimous election is not only a personal honour and affirmation of confidence in his ability to lead AAMA, but also places Nigeria in a pivotal position to rally other maritime administrations in collaboration with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) toward safer global maritime activities.’’

    He acknowledged NIMASA’s encouraging performance under Peterside, especially in the fight against sea piracy through inter-agency cooperation.

    According to the president, Peterside’s new position provides him with an even bigger platform to forge ahead in doing the nation proud by meeting the objectives of AAMA.

    While wishing the new Chairman of AAMA successful one-year tenure, he expressed confidence that within this period, the Federal Government’s renewed focus on growing the Nigerian economy through increased maritime resources would be further enhanced.

    Dakuku Peterside emerged chairman of AAMA at the end of the 3rd Annual Conference of the continental organisation in Abuja on Friday.

    Peterside took over the chairmanship position from Sobantu Tilayi, the acting Chief Executive Officer of South African Maritime and Safety Agency (SAMSA), who has been the acting Chair of the association since 2013.

     

     

    NAN