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Tag: Osinbajo

  • Vice President, Osinbajo fears Nigeria may break up

    Vice President, Osinbajo fears Nigeria may break up

    The Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has said Nigeria may break up if efforts are not made to address the cracks.

    He said efforts to mend the crack may be opposed, but such opposition would be defeated with focus and consistent prayers.

    Osinbajo gave the warning on Sunday in Abuja at an interdenominational church service to commemorate Nigeria’s 60th Independence anniversary.

    The Vice-President was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, at the National Ecumenical Centre, where the anniversary service held.

    In attendance were representatives of the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; Head of Service of the Federation, Folashade Yemi- Esan; permanent secretaries, military officials, members of the diplomatic community and other senior government officials.

    Referencing the biblical story of how Nehemiah championed the rebuilding of the broken walls of Jerusalem, Osinbajo said, “The story should be a challenge to every Christian in Nigeria. It’s only that kind of Nehemiah’s love that will make us, as Nigerians, to rebuild the cracks we have in our walls today.

    “For us in Nigeria, Nehemiah should be taken as a metaphor for those Nigerians who either reside in Nigeria or outside, to cry to God to use the abandoned opportunities in Nigeria to address our challenges of nation building.

    “Fortunately for us, our walls are not yet broken but there are obvious cracks that could lead to a break if not properly addressed.

    “Nehemiah started with fervent prayers, seeking the face of God and pleaded with his king to allow him return to Jerusalem to rebuild the broken walls because wall signifies peace, security, contentment and prosperity. It signifies the essence of the state of the nation.

    “There’s an urgent need for a Nehemiah in our country, Nigeria, today. And like Nehemiah faced opposition in his efforts to rebuild the walls, any Nigerian that desires to rebuild Nigeria must also be ready to face stiffer opposition which will come in torrents. It can only be diffused by consistent focus and prayers.”

    The Vice-President, however, expressed optimism that the 60th Independence anniversary could herald a rebirth Nigeria, saying “no group is more prepared for this task than our religious bodies.”

    The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Dr Samson Ayokunle, in his sermon titled, ‘The crucial need to attain greatness at 60’, stressed the need for justice, which, he said, would bring peace, tolerance and love.

  • Can Osinbajo bring lasting peace to broadcasting? – Okoh Aihe

    Can Osinbajo bring lasting peace to broadcasting? – Okoh Aihe

    By Okoh Aihe

    There is hardly any homogeneity between khaki (military) and Agbada (civilian). Which is why anyone with a descent respect for, and recollection of the country’s history will confess that the relationship has not fared better than a poisoned chalice. Premised on the foregoing, it will not be farfetched to suggest that apart from being initially nonplussed about the coming together of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) and Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) to run for elections as president and vice president of Nigeria, quite a number of people may have gotten sufficiently relaxed by the cooling thoughts that the SAN is able to introduce malleable manageability of the rule of law to the military adroitness or even stubbornness of the general.

    So, when things happen in our nation now the first question they ask is: Where is Osinbajo? The people expect him to do magic. I also expect him to. But we always forget that he is not the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General of the federation. He is a professional enjoying a higher calling in the political ecosystem and may even be as trapped as we are or even more trapped. But you can’t blame us for expecting too much from a government who promised us the stars!

    Since the self-inflicted controversy of the 6th edition of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) with the remote imprimatur of the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the same question has been asked by some concerned stakeholders; perhaps for two reasons: the first being that he is the learned academic at the top level of government, so matters of erudition should stop on his table, and the second being that he is from the same source like Mohammed – the Bola Tinubu stable – and should therefore be able to put a leash on his former colleague.

    We don’t have to wait forever. Last week he spoke, according to media reports. During a session with Nick Clegg, Facebook Vice President, Policy and Communications, Osinbajo dropped the hint that the controversies generated by the new Code would mean that the government has to revisit the matter as urgently as possible. The life circle of the Code is about four years but subject to review within the period. Moreover, the Code is an industry document that has to capture the aspirations and expectations of industry operators. It is in Osinbajo’s place to assure the local and international community that the Nigerian government has not gone to sleep while issues that can affect performance in the business environment are allowed to fester. Prominent among the issues are the regulation of content exclusivity and N5m fine for hate speech instead of N500, 000, while a third, which is extraneous but very subterranean, is the independence of the regulatory agency.

    “Basically, it says if you have a licensed product for TV, you are expected to share it with other platforms. It’s one which I understand the argument of those who say this is a violation of copyright and intellectual property, which is a very strong point and this is why we have to take a second look at it and see whether there are ways of moderating it to be more acceptable so as not to stifle the work of very hard working creative people,” The Eagle Online reports Osinbanjo as saying.

    It will be germane to add here that even within the NBC, there was a split right through the middle. The Board headed by former Communications Minister, Alhaji Ilkra Aliyu Bilbis joined the fray when it accused the Minister, Alhaji Mohammed, of being the one pulling all the strings and thus deny the regulator the opportunity to function independently. Unfortunately, that voice has been muted because the NBC Act ascribes very little strength and responsibilities to the Board.

    Let’s try and make some meaning out of this. Under Composition of the Board, the Act says: (4) The chairman and members of the of the Commission shall be part-time members. Under Tenure of office, etc. (1) The chairman and other members of the Commission shall hold office for three years renewable for one further period of three years only.

    The lesson arising therefrom is that NBC is not set up to have a stable Board. Three years term for the Board and even on part-time basis is thin and fragile and can expose the members to the almightiness of a minister made supremo by the Act. Only a politician with the heart of gold will not exploit such latitude, and they are not many in this dispensation.

    Another sister agency also established in 1992, like the NBC, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) doesn’t endure such fickleness. The tenure of the 9-man Board of Commissioners is five years and this is renewable for another term by the President. There are two executive commissioners whose appointment are permanent along with the chief executive or executive vice chairman. This has guaranteed some level of stability in the Board while also giving untrammeled opportunity to the executive commissioners to contribute to the development of the telecommunications industry without a busy-body minister breathing over their shoulders, especially if they are picked on merit, based on sound knowledge of the sector.

    Here is a point of emphasis. If the government mulls a revisit of the Code, it should also consider as priority a total cleanup of the entire Act in order to strengthen it for performance. As it is the document is too weak for a landmark performance in an industry in perpetual motion because of new technologies.

    Let me also quickly submit here that the broadcast industry at the moment is too fractured for any meaningful growth and development. There is the Ministry and the NBC on one hand and there are others scrambling to be heard; they include: Broadcasting Organization of Nigerian (BON), Independent Broadcasting Association of Nigeria (IBAN), Cable TV Association of Nigeria, The Association of Licensed STB Manufacturers of Nigeria (STBMAN), and a few others not listed here.

    There are so many stakeholders in the industry with disparate voices and variegated views of their sector. It is my humble suggestion that their voices and views be considered and harmonized in order to build strength for the industry. I am particularly troubled by a document released by the Cable TV Operators whose definition of exclusivity, in summary, is monopoly practice to exclude local cable TV operators from the industry and, in fact, completely obliterate them even as subscribers are oppressed with convoluting subscription rates. While trying to reinforce the argument that what is stated in Article 6. 2.5 in the new Code is not really new, a voice emotionally told this writer that local operators have been routed from the cable TV sector and really need to be given a whiff of life by the government.

    I am used to these stories. However, the truth is that something needs to be done about the broadcast industry especially the DSTV and Cable TV services. This demands that Prof. Osinbajo moves with speed to stem the distrust and hemorrhage. There has to be peace for the industry to prosper. There is something that is not right at the moment. I am suggesting that to mark the beginning of a détente the regulator should call for a big stakeholders meeting where the various parties will be encouraged to canvass their positions meaningfully and also make suggestions. The cable TV operators are too infinitesimal in their approach to business operations in an industry that guzzles cash. While suggesting they change their approach, it is the responsibility of government to device very creative ways of supporting their operations and, for once, encourage Nigerian business entities to grow into big businesses and strong groups. While we have always trumpeted the strength of our economy, which is smoke that evaporates in the face of reality, it is sometimes important to endure the insipidity of a humble pie and find out how other African countries are doing it, sending businesses into other territories including ours, while green-eyed, we complain bitterly of internal colonization.

    The fight for dominance in any business sector would usually hurt the weak and also the imperially positioned. While the fight is on, all parties bleed, there is atrophy and the returns grow anemic in the record books. For instance, while Uber China devoted a hefty sum of $1bn annually to fight its competition, Didi Chuxing, the coming together of the two organizations in 2016 created a deal of $35bn. My humble appeal is that operators of this genre of broadcasting should not see treat or death in the eyes of a competitor but should look well and closely enough to see advantage in those shrewd eyes that can create a big industry and generous returns. And also remember, it makes great sense to have a small part of a big business that is doing well than to have a whole business burdened by inefficiency and crippling debt.

    Okoh Aihe writes from Abuja

  • How Nigeria can recover from COVID-19 ― Osinbajo

    How Nigeria can recover from COVID-19 ― Osinbajo

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has counselled that Nigeria must deploy technology and innovation to address emerging challenges as they will be crucial to the country’s recovery from the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

    He stated this, on Monday, at the virtual conference of the Centre for Lion Gadgets & Technologies (University of Nigeria, Nsukka) themed “Technological Innovation for Holistic Sustainable Development.”

    Speaking on the importance of technology and innovation in resolving society’s numerous problems, the Vice President said “we must creatively imagine and pioneer our way out,” adding, “we are in one of the worst health and economic crises in living memory and our recovery must be innovative – we must employ never-before-seen methods to fight the never-before-seen plethora of issues before us.

    A statement issued by his spokesman, Laolu Akande, further quoted him as saying: “Whether we are discussing the delivery of social services to vulnerable communities and promoting financial inclusion or we are talking about boosting agricultural productivity and promoting the security of our communities, how we harness technology is crucial.

    “The future will be decided in groups such as yours, where young Nigerians are actively thinking about how to deploy technology in creative ways for problem-solving.”

    The Vice President, however, noted that such innovative ideas must be deployed in a manner that is inclusive and accessible to all Nigerians including the poor and vulnerable “in thinking about solutions to our developmental issues, we are expected to be both creative, relevant and ingenious, which is what innovation is all about. But we must also be faithful stewards of our environment, we must be inclusive, innovation must be accessible to all especially the poor and vulnerable.

    “So, innovating for sustainable development involves creating environmentally friendly low cost and contextually relevant technological solutions to our most pressing challenges,” Osinbajo added.

    He added: “Recently the Nigeria Climate Innovation Center concluded its Climate LaunchPad, and some very innovative ideas were unveiled. One of the innovator companies, New Digits, generates power from water, the product uses water and conformed solar cells to generate energy for electricity and cooking. It actually works by collecting water automatically from any piping channel in the house, breaks down the water into Hydrogen which is used to cook and to power the entire house without the need for batteries of any kind.”

    He gave another example: “PowerStove Energy, founded by three young Nigerians, Okey, Abdulaezze and Glory. What they did was that they produced a low-cost, clean smokeless cookstove. PowerStove Energy is the first clean cookstove to be fitted with self-powered Internet of Things (IoT) cloud system to monitor in real-time, every day that cooking is done, the amount of Co2 that is used and biomass saved, black carbon prevented and total electricity generated. All of that is monitored in real-time every day.”

    Continuing, the Vice President said “…everyone is turning to technology in search of new ways to solve age-old problems. So, we have health tech firms like 54Gene who are using technology to harness African genomic data and transform how we are able to study and diagnose diseases. This is so that you can grow up in a society where healthcare research can serve you better, an illustrative example of how technological innovation can be used for sustainable development.

    “In education too, COVID-19 has shown us just how adaptive we can be and there are a number of ed-tech firms such as uLesson, where students can take lessons and tests on an app. If scaled, this could revolutionize how we approach challenges with access to education.”

    Acknowledging that the relationship between industry and the Universities can be better, the Vice President pledged the support of the Federal Government to universities especially in enhancing their capacity for research and innovation.

    Osinbajo said: “Government is prepared but the university needs to do more by being proactive in the links with industry. Industry, as you know, is interested in commerce. If it will make profit and money, the industry is interested. I think that a lot of the innovations we are seeing are certainly profitable and can be lucrative. But where the government can come in is where there are needs for additional support to make the research easier or cheaper for the public to access. So, I certainly look forward to the cooperation between the Federal Government and the University of Nigeria.”

    How Nigeria can recover from COVID-19 ― Osinbajo

  • Electricity tariff hike won’t affect majority of Nigerians -Osinbajo’s spokesman

    Electricity tariff hike won’t affect majority of Nigerians -Osinbajo’s spokesman

    The spokesperson for the Vice-President, Laolu Akande, has said the recent hike in electricity tariff will not affect majority of Nigerians because the hike is targeted at only those who experience stable electricity for 12 hours and above.

     

    Akande made this known on Channels Television’s ‘Sunrise Daily’ programme on Wednesday.

     

    Akande was responding to a question on how the Federal Government’s ‘Economic Survival Fund’ would ameliorate the suffering of Nigerians in the face of electricity tariff hike and an increase in the pump price of petrol.

     

    The Presidential aide said, “Regarding the electricity tariff, the majority of Nigerians will not be paying more and I will like to say that again. Regarding the electricity tariff, the majority of Nigerians will not be paying more and that is essentially because if you are currently receiving anything below 12 hours of electricity a day, your tariff will not go up.

     

    “If you are being asked to pay more if you are in that category, you need to let us know, you need to go to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission’s platform on social media; go to Twitter, go to Facebook and report so that what the President said is enforced.”

     

    Asked if the electricity tariff hike would not affect the cost of production and ultimately goods, Akande said Nigerians must understand the protection they enjoy.

  • Osinbajo attends ECOWAS extraordinary summit in Ghana

    Osinbajo attends ECOWAS extraordinary summit in Ghana

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will depart Abuja on Tuesday for Accra, Ghana, to attend an Extraordinary Summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on the situation in Mali.

    Osinbajo’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, in a statement said the vice president will represent President Muhammadu Buhari at the summit.
    He will join other leaders in the sub-region to discuss the political crisis in Mali and the security situation in the sub-region at large.
    The Accra meeting will form part of several efforts by leaders in the sub-region to resolve Mali’s political crisis.
    While in Accra, the vice president will also meet with representatives of the Nigerian community in Ghana to discuss issues bothering on their wellbeing in the West African country.
    Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb Zubairu Dada is to accompany Osinbajo on this trip.
    The vice president is expected back in Abuja later on Tuesday at the end of his engagements.
  • Poverty level deepening daily, ministers must quickly implement Buhari’s N2.3trn stimulus- Osinbajo

    Poverty level deepening daily, ministers must quickly implement Buhari’s N2.3trn stimulus- Osinbajo

    VICE President Yemi Osinbajo has lamented that the poverty situation in the country, as well the economic distortions and hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are deepening daily.

    He said it was therefore important for relevant ministers and other key actors to expedite action on the N2.3trn stimulus package designed by the government to mitigate the effect of the crisis on the economy.

    According to a statement on Tuesday by his spokesman, Laolu Akande, the Vice President made his position known in his presentation on the Economic Sustainability Plan at the First Year Ministerial Performance Review Retreat at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Monday.

    The statement was titled, ‘VP to ministers at retreat: The N2.3trn stimulus package must be implemented quickly’.

    The statement quoted Osinbajo as saying, “We are already in Day 67 since the plan. Nothing is going to happen by magic, we have to simply do this stuff.

    “We have to ensure that we have the money and ensure that day by day, we are measuring our achievements and trying to ensure that we do the things that we need to do. And we simply are not favoured by time, every single day, the poverty situation and the economic distortions deepen.”

    Osinbajo was further quoted as saying that the only way out of the current problem was to fund production, enable consumer spending so that people can go and buy things, and we to put money in people’s hands.

    He said under the mass agriculture programme, the government had enumerated four million farmers.

    Under the mass housing programme, he explained that the government would build 300,000 homes across the country and would ensure that their prices did not exceed N2m.

    Osinbajo said all the components of the plan were designed to create jobs.

    “Agriculture requiring N637.2bn funding will provide five million jobs; the solar power project funding requirement is N152.4bn is expected to provide 250,000 jobs; the mass housing programme with a funding requirement of N217.3bn is expected to create 1.5m jobs; while public works funding is N52bn to provide 774,000 jobs:

  • Osinbajo, others to speak at virtual summit

    Osinbajo, others to speak at virtual summit

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will on September 3, 2020 deliver a keynote address in an online conference titled “Media Coverage of Virtual Court Proceedings: Prospects and Challenges organized by Gavel International, an online news platform that covers the adminstration of justice system in Nigeria.

    According to the Publisher of Gavel International, Mr Mustapha Ogunsakin, the conference has become crucial particularly now that Covid-19 has changed so many things across the world, even the court system.

    He said: “There is no gainsaying the fact that the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected systems, norms, institutions and countries across the world, including our beloved country, Nigeria. The administration of justice system of our country is particularly affected as stakeholders seem not to be prepared for the challenges the pandemic has incurred;

    Since lock-down started in late March 2020, Courts across the country are just beginning to sit. The Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chief Judges of States are now making Practice Directions to allow Courts to sit online via social media platforms such as Zoom and Skype!

    Now, part of the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution is public hearing of Court proceedings. There was a recent decision of the Supreme Court which ordered a case to start ‘de novo’ because a trial court delivered Judgment in the Judge’s Chambers, and not in an open court. Due to this constitutional provision, Courts in Nigeria make available Press Galleries for journalists in recognition of the Media as representatives of the people during court proceedings. The media as the representative of the public therefore ensures fair hearing and fair trial in dispute resolution.

     

    With the “new normal” the world is in,the question that readily comes to mind is: “How can the media fulfill its constitutionally provided role in the coverage of virtual trials?” It is in light of this that Gavel International has put together this webinar to discuss the role of the media in the coverage of virtual court proceedings.

     

    Others to join the Vice President is this discourse are Justice Joseph Olubunmi Oyewole(JCA) of the Court of Appeal, Enugu Division, former President, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN, former General Secretary,NBA, Mr Dele Adesina SAN, human rights crusader, Femi Falana SAN, former Chairman, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Prof Chidi Odinkalu, and Mr Richard Akinnola, Publisher, Anti-Corruption Journal

    The webinar will be moderated by Dr Reuben Abati,former Senior Special Adviser (Media) to President Goodluck Jonathan, and ably assisted by Mrs Shola Soyele of Channels television.

    The time of the webinar is 2.00pm

  • Buhari names Osinbajo chair of Executive-Legislative party forum

    Buhari names Osinbajo chair of Executive-Legislative party forum

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday inaugurated a government Consultative forum including representatives of the Executive and the legislative arms alongside APC party leaders.

    The forum will foster harmonious working relationship between the executive and legislative arms of government in such a way that they will both effectively work to advance the Next Level manifesto of the ruling All Progressives Congress.

    Constituting the forum at the Council Chambers in the State House, Abuja, Buhari named his deputy, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo as the chairman of the NASS forum.

    The Committee will work to ensure that the promises of the electoral campaigns become entrenched in government policymaking and legislation.

    Members of the committee are Senate President, Ahmed Lawan; House of Representatives Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila; Secretary to the Government of Federation, Boss Mustapha; Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Gambari; and Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.

    Others are Sen. Ovie Ọmọ-Agege, Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, Governor Mai Mala Buni, Sen. Yahaya Abdullahi, Alhassan Doguwa and Sen. Akpan Udoedehe.

  • Osinbajo: Why Church leaders are afraid of CAMA

    Osinbajo: Why Church leaders are afraid of CAMA

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said on Thursday that the agitations by some Nigerian Church leaders against the recently signed Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020 was the possibility of the abuse of the provisions of the law in a way that can compromise the entire organization.

    Osinbajo said this on Thursday during a special conversation at the ongoing Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference when asked if the criticisms by Church leaders against the amended CAMA was because they don’t want to be in the management of their organizations.

    But the Vice President said the issue is rather the fear of abuse of the law than avoiding accountability.

    According to Osinbajo, “As a general position, I do not think it will be right to say that pastors don’t want to be accountable. I believe that several Christian organizations and pastors are willing to be accountable. The problems that they may have is ensuring that processes are not abused in such a way as to compromise the entire organization. And I think that if all that is required is some process of accountability, I think it will be easier for organizations to accept that.”

    “Churches, Mosques and church organizations are regarded as charities. It is the Incorporated Trustees Section of the Companies and Allied Matters Act that has become controversial. And because churches are charities, the provisions in the incorporated trustees section obviously affect the churches.”

    “What the Churches are concerned about is a provision that says that in the event that some wrong-doing is found to be perpetrated by the trustees of the particular organization or Church, the Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) can go to court and get an order to appoint interim administrators or interim trustees for the Church or whichever charity organization and manage the organization.”

    “The concern of the Churches is that it could lead to a situation where practically anybody could be appointed as a trustee to oversee the Church and a Church or a Mosque is a spiritual organization and if you do not share the same faith with the Church or Mosque, you may be the wrong person and if a wrong is appointed, you may create more trouble for the organization,” the Vice President added.

    However, Osinbajo said concerns by religious leaders about CAMA can be processed through possible amendment of the contentious section of the law through a proposal to the National Assembly.

    “What can be done is that, whatever the proposal for amendment may be, whatever the views of the leadership of the church may be, regarding the question of how the trustees, whether they are interim trustees or not, can be put in the form of a proposal that will be taken to the National Assembly for consideration for amendment to the law, that is the process which is entirely opened and ought to be pursued.”

    Continuing, Prof. Osinbajo said “we are in a democracy and there is a process by which things can be done and that process is the one where you bring forward amendments to the National Assembly and they will do whatever is considered useful in the circumstance.”

    Further clarifying the CAMA law, the Vice President said “it is a massive legislation that covers a wide range of issues on companies – general meetings, appointment of directors etc. Now, there is a small portion of it called the Incorporated Trustees Section, that small section of it is the section that regulates charities.

  • Osinbajo’s ex-aide in trouble, allegedly collected N250m without executing contracts

    Osinbajo’s ex-aide in trouble, allegedly collected N250m without executing contracts

    An ex-aide to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Donald Wokoma, allegedly failed to execute some contracts awarded to his firms in 2018, after receiving N250million.

    This was when he served as Special Assistant to the VP on the National Economic Council (NEC).

    A report published in PRNigeria’s Economic Confidential reveals that Wokoma was a signatory to the bank accounts of the companies.

    An investigator at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) spoke while testifying before the Justice Ayo Salami-led Presidential Investigative Committee on Thursday.

    The panel is investigating EFCC activities under the suspended Acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu.

    The police officer is facing a 5-year review – 2015 to 2020.

    The operative, whose name is withheld for security reason, said several contracts were awarded without execution and payments were made to companies under the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP).

    The officer recalled that the case was assigned to Special Investigation Team in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) after an intelligence on PAP fraudulent activities.

    Upon investigation, it was discovered that Damijay Integrated Services was awarded a contract worth about N98million.

    A similar contract was awarded to another company named Eagle Technology Ltd, at the same amount of N98million.

    After the payment, Eagle Tech transferred it to Damijay.

    A total of N250million was transferred from Damijay to Elixir Investments Partners as Investment.

    Wokoma was the sole signatory to the account of Damijay.

    Also, he, his wife and son were shareholders of the company.

    The EFCC investigator told the panel that Wokoma was detained but released on Magu’s instructions.

    He disclosed that Wokoma’s Regular and Diplomatic Passports were retained but later released to him also on Magu’s directives.

    The official said: “The N250million invested by Wokoma and traced to Elixir Invest was then placed on hold. Wokoma subsequently, instituted a civil suit for the hold placed on his fund to be lifted and the court-ordered sometime in November 2018 that in the absence of a court order, the hold should be lifted. However, in same November 2018, the ommission was granted a freezing order by the court on the funds which nullified the initial order.

    The operative added that the investigation of the case was concluded and four separate charges were proffered against Brig. Gen. Boroh (rtd) and Hanafi Moriki; Sgt. Joshua Ebemeiyefa; Donald Wokoma & Damijay; alongside Paul Ofana Santus and his firms.

    The detective said the four charges were then taken to the chairman.

    But after perusal, Magu allegedly directed that the name of Wokoma be removed from the charge.

    The suspected chairman said only his company be charged.

    Shortly after, some officers investigating the case were transferred for being “stumbling blocks” to the soft landing intended to be given to Wokoma.

    Magu then allegedly directed that no one should look for the accused or any of his family members since it was only Damijay that was charged.