HOW PROFESSOR YUSUF, ANTI-CORRUPTION PRETENDER, FLEECED NHIS – BY DAPO OKUBANJO
HOW PROFESSOR YUSUF, ANTI-CORRUPTION PRETENDER, FLEECED NHIS, BY DAPO OKUBANJO In 2019, Usman Yusuf was finally eased out of the National Health Insurance Scheme after his indictment by a panel led by Hassan Bukar, which found him guilty of breaching provisions of the Public Procurement Act. But what many people are not privy to are the details of the misdemeanours that characterized his very short stint at the agency and which, if pursued, may deny him a chance to hold public office in the future. So much has been said about Usman Yusuf’s temperament which led to him having multiple conflicts with virtually everyone from the staff and workers union to the then health minister, Professor Isaac Adewole whom he not only disrespected but also sued for placing him on suspension. This could easily be attributed to his zero knowledge of the norms of the public sector and insiders at NHIS would later say he had little patience to learn the ropes especially in a field he neither had absolutely no knowledge of nor administrative experience to make a lasting impact. So, like a bull in a china shop, the man who today postures as a critic of President Muhammadu Buhari ran the NHIS as a fiefdom and took decisions without a recourse to extant laws. Within a few months of heading the health financing agency, Usman had engaged in misdemeanours that could easily be ranked as the worst in the history of the NHIS. It was therefore not surprising that he had the distinction of having the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other offences Commission beaming the searchlight on his activities just about the time he should be marking his first year in office. The EFC specifically stated that it was investigating suspected cases of fraud and misappropriation totalling N919m levelled against Yusuf during his tenure as the executive secretary of the NHIS between July, 2016 and July, 2017. In its letter, with reference number CR: 3000/EFCC/ABJ/CTGI.2/VOL.15/ 237, and signed by its Director of Operations, Umar Abba, for the Acting Chairman, the EFCC noted that it was seeking information on the following: a. “All necessary documents relating to local and international training programmes sponsored by the scheme from July 2016 to July 2017, all documents relating to payment made to Katamaya First Call Hospital. b. “All procurement documents relating to the e-library project of the NHIS. Documents relating to all NHIS-sponsored foreign trips embarked upon by the suspended executive secretary. c. “All payments relating to the fuelling of the suspended secretary’s official vehicles. Disbursement of NEED assessment funds between July 2016 and July 2017.” This was after a 21-member administrative panel set up by the Ministry of Health had found Yusuf culpable of the allegation of fraudulent use of N860 million for staff training without due process. And talking about due process, the former ES had demonstrated his disdain for it by awarding a media consultancy contract of N46,798,512 and another one of N17,500,000 for Strategic training on Communication to Lubekh Nigeria Ltd, a company registered as a meat processing company. It is interesting to note that the majority shares in that firm belonged to one Alhaji Kabiru Yusuf Yar’Adua, who is said to be Yusuf’s brother. And as if that was not enough, he seconded one Hassan Kabiru, his nephew (Alhaji Kabiru’s son), to the procurement department, a move many say was intended to circumvent and manipulate procurement procedure. Back to the issue of training, which is also the subject of investigations, the committee that first investigated Yusuf wondered how payment vouchers showed 1,992 members of staff, yet the total number of staff in NHIS is 1,360. On Yusuf’s watch, it was not strange for…
Dons Eze
- Foreign Affairs
- August 14, 2024
- 91 views
WE’RE WORKING TO EXTRADITE SIMON EKPA THROUGH JUDICIAL PROCESS – GOVT OF FINLAND
WE’RE WORKING TO EXTRADITE SIMON EKPA THROUGH JUDICIAL PROCESS – GOVT OF FINLAND The Government of Finland on Tuesday said the judicial process has to be exhausted for Simon Ekpa, one of the leaders of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to be extradited from the Nordic country. Simon Ekpa has in various videos and online post instigated violence against Nigerian government and called for secession of Biafra from Nigeria. The Nigerian government has consistently demanded for his extradition from Finland where he is presently residing to face charges in Nigeria. Addressing a press conference in Abuja during the visit of five Nordic countries ministers of foreign affairs, Finland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Elina Valtonen gave an assurance that the judicial issue regarding Simon Ekpa will be closed very soon. She noted that Ekpa’s case is not considered political but judicial and Finland being a democracy that respect rules of law would want to wait until the case against the Biafran leader is judged at the court before action is taken on him. She said “the case against the person in question is a judicial issue which must run through its course.” She however said the judicial hurdle must first be removed. She said: “If you mean a specific person who is operating in Finland in a not very, say, constructive manner, then indeed we have taken this up and discussed this with the Nigerian authorities in full collaboration. “And the entire process is within our judicial system, and in Finland, who operates very strictly by the rule of law, such as we see that Nigeria is doing as well. “It is not a political question, but it is a question to the judicial system, and both our judicial systems do collaborate on this matter, and we hope that we will be able to close it soon. The other Nordic ministers at the meeting are Mr Tobias Billström, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden, Ms Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland, Ms Bjørg Sandkjær, State Secretary for International Development, Norway and Ms Eva Marie Frida Barløse, Under Secretary for Foreign Policy, Denmark. All the Ministers said they are in Nigeria to increase trading with their countries and see Nigeria as an important partner.
NIGERIAN GOVT FREEZES $37M WORTH OF CRYPTOCURRENCY TRACED TO SUSPECTED PROTEST ORGANISERS
NIGERIAN GOVT FREEZES $37M WORTH OF CRYPTOCURRENCY TRACED TO SUSPECTED PROTEST ORGANISERS The Nigerian government has frozen more than $37 million worth of cryptocurrency held in wallets believed to be owned by some organisers of #EndBadGovernance protests. The freezing followed an order by the Federal High Court in Abuja. The judge, Emeka Nwite, gave the order in a ruling delivered on 9 July, a copy of the decision seen by PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday shows. Mr Nwite issued the order based on an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). In the ex parte application filed on 8 August and heard by the court on the following day, the EFCC described the assets as proceeds of money laundering and terrorism financing. There was no objection to the application during the hearing, which was an exchange of views between the judge and EFCC’s lawyer, O.S Ujam. “That an order of this honourable court is hereby made freezing the wallet addresses/accounts stated in the schedule below, which wallets are owned by individuals currently being investigated for offences of money laundering and terrorism financing, pending the conclusion of the investigation,” Mr Nwite ruled shortly after listening to the applicant’s lawyer. The wallet with the lion’s share of the assets has USDT 37 million (37,061,867,869.3) cryptocurrency, which equals the exact value in American US dollars. The three other wallets each have USDT 967, USDT 90, USDT 443,512.37. The agency did not reveal the identities of the wallet owners in its application. However, insiders briefed about the case informed our reporter that the federal government traced them to suspected organisers of the #EndBadGovernance protests. The anti-government protests against rising costs of living, economic hardship faced by millions of Nigerians and general governance issues in Nigeria were held across many parts of the country from 1 to 10 August. Security forces have launched a crackdown on persons linked to the protests, appearing not to make any distinction between genuine protesters and persons who allegedly perpetrated crimes under the guise of the protests. Security forces reportedly killed more than 20 protesters during the demonstrations. In Abuja, security forces fired live ammunition at peaceful protesters and journalists identified by their vests. The police have quizzed a Daily Trust TV journalist in a bid to arrest one of the protest organisers who appeared on one of the platform’s programmes. The Nigerian government has equally been hard on those suspected to have committed crimes during the protests. In Kano State and other places, the police have arrested and arraigned those suspected of looting businesses during the protests. Nigerian authorities have arrested seven Polish citizens over their suspected roles in the brandishing of Russian flags in Kano. An affidavit filed in support of the application for the court order to freeze the cryptocurrency wallets said the assets “are owned by individuals currently being investigated for offences of money laundering and terrorism financing.” The affidavit was sworn to by an EFCC official, Jimada Yusuf. At the hearing of the application on 9 July, EFCC’s lawyer, Mr Ujam, urged the judge to order the freezing of the wallets “pending the conclusion of the investigation and prosecution.” There was no objection to the application since it was an ex-parte hearing usually conducted without the adverse parties in attendance. In cases where a legal process begins with an ex parte application, the adverse parties are not served until the court orders service of the outcome of the hearing and other filings. “That the applicant’s application dated and filed on 8th day of August 2024 is granted as prayed,” The judge, Mr Nwite, ordered after listening to the lawyer. Pattern of post-protest reactionThis is not the Nigerian government’s first of taking such measures against protest organisers. In…
REVENUE ALLOCATION COMMITTEE CLARIFIES MONTHLY SALARIES, ALLOWANCES OF NIGERIAN SENATORS
REVENUE ALLOCATION COMMITTEE CLARIFIES MONTHLY SALARIES, ALLOWANCES OF NIGERIAN SENATORS The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission wishes to clear the air on the controversy surrounding the salaries and allowances payable to Members of the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria an issue that continues to occupy the front burner of national discourse especially amongst Elder Statesmen, public affairs commentators, civil society and the media. The clarification has become imperative in view of the recent statement made by Mr. Shehu Sani, a former Senator of the Federal Republic who was reported to have disclosed to the public that each Senator collects monthly running cost of N13.5 M in addition to the monthly N750, 000.00 prescribed by the Commission. First of all, I wish to state that RMAFC does not have constitutional powers to enforce compliance with proper implementation of the Remuneration package. This lacuna is, however, being addressed by the National Assembly. A closer look at the monthly entitlement of Senators reveals that each Senator collects a monthly salary and allowances of the sum of N1,063,860:00 consisting of the following: Basic Salary- N168,866:70; Motor Vehicle Fuelling and Maintenance Allowance N126,650:00; Personal Assistant N42,216:66; Domestic Staff-126,650:00; Entertainment-N50,660:00; Utilities-N50,660:00; Newspapers/Periodicals-N25,330:00; Wardrobe-N42,216,66:00; House Maintenance -N8,443.33:00 and Constituency Allowance- N422,166:66; respectively. It is instructive to note that some allowances are regular while others are non-regular. Regular allowances are paid regularly with Basic Salary while Non-Regular allowances are paid as at when due. For instance, Furniture allowance (N6,079,200:00) and Severance Gratuity (N6,079,200:00) are paid once in every tenure and Vehicle allowance (N8,105,600:00) which is optional is a loan which the beneficiary has to pay before leaving office. It is important to also emphasize that with the exception of some few Political, Public Office holders such as the President, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representative etc., all Public and Legislative Officers are no longer provided with housing as was the case in the past. The Commission also wishes to use this opportunity to state that any allegation regarding other allowance(s) being enjoyed by any political, public office holder outside those provided in the Remuneration (Amendment) Act, 2008 should be explained by the person who made the allegation. To avoid misinformation and misrepresentation of facts capable of misleading citizens and members of the International Community, the Commission considers it most appropriate and necessary to request Nigerians and any other interested party to avail themselves of the opportunity to access the actual details of the present Remuneration package for Political, Public and Judicial Office holders in Nigeria published on its website: rmafc.gov.ng. M. B. Shehu, OFRChairman13th August, 2024.
CALLING ME IMPOSTOR, AFFRONT TO JUDICIARY – SHAIBU FIRES BACK AT EDO STATE GOVT
CALLING ME IMPOSTOR, AFFRONT TO JUDICIARY – SHAIBU FIRES BACK AT EDO STATE GOVT The reinstated Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, on Tuesday, insisted that he’s not an impostor. Reacting to claims by the state’s Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, Shaibu said calling him an impostor was an affront to the judiciary. Nehikhare had called Shaibu an impostor shortly after he resumed office as the Edo State Deputy Governor. However, speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Musa Ebomhiana, Shaibu faulted Nehikhare’s claim. He said, “Our attention has been drawn to a statement credited to Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, describing the state Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu as an impostor. “To say the least, the statement, in its entirety, is an affront to the judiciary, and a clear violation of a valid court order of July 17, 2024, as delivered by Hon Justice James Omotosho of the FCT Federal High Court. “We also view it as an insult to the people of Edo State who overwhelmingly voted for the Godwin Obaseki/Philip Shaibu joint ticket in the governorship election of September 2020. “It’s a known fact that the Edo people never voted for Marvellous Omobayo as their deputy governor. It’s also a known fact that in the eyes of the law, Omobayo is only a political appointee of Governor Godwin Obaseki who imposed him on the people of Edo State. “So, Nehikhare should know, except if he wants to be mischievous, Omobayo is the impostor who should stop parading himself as the Edo State Deputy Governor because he was never voted for.”
FG TELLS THOSE SEEKING REGIME CHANGE TO WAIT TILL NEXT ELECTION IN 2027
FG TELLS THOSE SEEKING REGIME CHANGE TO WAIT TILL NEXT ELECTION IN 2027. Dele Alake, Minister of Solid Minerals, said this after the inaugural Council of State meeting under President Bola Tinubu. Among those who attended the meeting at the Presidential Villa were former Presidents Muhammadu Buhari and Goodluck Jonathan. Former presidents Yakubu Gowon and Abdulsalami Abubakar also joined the meeting virtually, while former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim Babangida were absent. The meeting of the National Council of State holds to advise the President on policy decisions and other matters that the sitting president might put before them. Members of the Council include the President, Vice President, former Presidents and Heads of State, the Senate President, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, state governors, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Attorney-General of the Federation. Addressing State House Correspondents after the meeting that lasted for over three hours, Alake said, “Matters of State were discussed in a robust manner and the National Security Adviser was on hand to present the security situation of the country and he did inform the Council of State about the Pre, during and post events of the last protest which I do not call a protest. “I call it a movement to effect a change of regime by force which was also resisted. The council thanked Nigerians at large for resisting an unconstitutional move to change government. If anybody is not satisfied with the government, the current administration, there is always an election coming, so you wait for election and cast your vote. “The NSA brief the council on the security situation and laid bare… So after the NSA briefing, he allayed everybody’s fears and spoke on the tightness of the security around the country and also re assured all that nobody will be allowed to truncate our hard earned democracy. “Any change of government has to be through the ballot and not through the barrel of the gun, or through insurrection or through any other unconstitutional means, only through the ballot box can any government be changed and re assured on the security readiness of all security agencies in the country to secure our territorial integrity and to protect Nigerians democracy.” Alake added that the presentations by seven ministers was to let the Council of State know the progress being made in each sector of the economy. He said, the “Agenda, is on economic diversification. And that’s why I was there. That’s why Agric was there. That’s why all the other ministers you know that constitute, or the ministries that constitutes the plank of the Renewed Hope Agendas, economic diversification and transformation.” Council passes vote of confidence on Tinubu On his part, The Chairman of the Governor’s Forum and Governor of Kwara State Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq said the Council also passed a vote of Confidence on President Bola Tinubu. He disclosed that after the Council of State meeting, the Governors also met with the President in an Executive session where another vote of confidence was passed on the president He said, “Council members, especially those of the Nigerian governor’s forum, were satisfied with the presentation by the members of the Federal Executive Council, and after that meeting, there was an executive session between members of the Nigerian governor’s forum and Mr President, and Frank and fruitful discussions were held between both parties. “I’m glad to say we’re on the right track. And to say in the same vein, members of the NGF also, like the members of the Council of State, passed a vote of confidence on Mr President. We also wish him well and pray for God, guidance for him. Thank”
22 PERSONS KILLED DURING #ENDBADGOVERNANCE PROTESTS
22 PERSONS KILLED DURING #ENDBADGOVERNANCE PROTESTS During the National Council of State meeting held on Tuesday at the Ado Rock Presidential Villa, it was revealed that a total of twenty-two persons lost their lives in different parts of the country during the nationwide #Endbadgovernance protest. The ten-day protest which started on August 1, was aimed at drumming on the air of government about hunger currently ravaging the people, which was due to the abrupt removal of fuel subsidy and floating of the Naira At the meeting, the first since the current administration came to power, seven ministers and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, briefed the council on various national issues. According to the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, who spoke to journalists after the meeting, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu provided a comprehensive briefing on the recent protests that took place across the country. Alake described the protests as a “movement to effect a change of regime by force,” which was resisted by authorities. He said, “I call it a movement to effect a change of regime by force which was also resisted. “The council thanked Nigerians at large for resisting an unconstitutional move to change government. If anybody is not satisfied with the government, the current administration, there is always an election coming, so you wait for the election and cast your vote.” “Any change of government has to be through the ballot and not through the barrel of the gun, or through insurrection or through any other unconstitutional means, only through the ballot box can any government be changed and reassured on the security readiness of all security agencies in the country to secure our territorial integrity and to protect Nigerians democracy,” Alake added. The protests, which turned violent in some states, resulted in 22 deaths. Ribadu’s briefing covered the pre-, during, and post-event of the protests, providing the council with a thorough understanding of the situation. In addition to the protests, Finance Minister Wale Edun briefed the council on the economy, updating members on the progress made in implementing macroeconomic policies under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership. “And these policies are anchored in his eight priority areas and the results to date have been very encouraging,” Edun said. The National Council of State passed a unanimous vote of confidence in President Bola Tinubu, commending his achievements since assuming office a year ago. The council also condemned the demands by some protesters for President Tinubu’s resignation during the recent #EndBadGovernance protests. Former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari attended the meeting in person, while former Heads of State,Generals Yakubu Gowon and Abdulsalami Abubakar, joined virtually. State governors, deputy governors, ministers, former Chief Justices of the Federation, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and the National Security Adviser were also in attendance. Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq of Kwara State who also addressed State House Correspondents following the meeting said that during a subsequent executive meeting between the Governors and President Tinubu, the governors unanimously passed a vote of confidence in the President.
FG BLOCKS N83BN ACCOUNT USED FOR SPONSORING #ENDBADGOVERNANCE PROTESTS
The Federal Government has traced at least N83 billion in cryptocurrency and fiat money channelled towards the recent nationwide protests. They include $50m of cryptocurrency — $38m of which were blocked in four cryptocurrency wallets — and N4bn contributed by various political actors in Abuja, Kano, Kaduna and Katsina. This was part of a presentation by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, at the inaugural meeting of the Council of State convened by President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja. According to multiple sources with knowledge of Tuesday’s meeting proceedings, Ribadu, who presented on the topic ‘The Nationwide Protest As It Affects National Security,’ also revealed that an European has been identified as the mastermind of the proliferation of foreign flags during the protests and will soon be declared wanted by the Police. One of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, disclosed that local conspirators traced to capital city Abuja, Kaduna and Kano have been arrested. “In his presentation, the NSA said the government was able to trace $50m to crypto wallets that were made as donations to the protests. They succeeded in blocking four of those wallets containing $38m. “They also found out that some political actors contributed N4bn to fund the protests,” one of the sources claimed. On Tuesday President Tinubu convened the Council of State meeting to discuss, among other matters, the recent #EndBadGovernance protests, national security, the economy and food security. The Council comprises the President (who serves as its chairman), the Vice President, all former Presidents and Heads of State, all former Chief Justices of Nigeria, the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Secretary to the Government of The Federation and all state governors. Former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Muhamamdu Buhari attended the inaugural Council meeting, while former Heads of State, General Yakubu Gowon (retd.) and General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), joined virtually alongside governors of Abia, Adamawa and Akwa Ibom State. However, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Head of State General Ibrahim Babangida (retd.) did not attend the meeting. Tuesday’s gathering came days after Nigerians, mostly youths, hit the roads in Abuja for a one-million-man march. The march, which climaxed with a low turnout, marked the 10th day of the nationwide protest against the rising cost of living in the country. On August 1, the opening day of the nationwide protest, demonstrations declined into destruction of property and loss of lives, especially in the North, leading to at least 22 reported deaths during the “days of rage.” On August 3, just two days into the demonstrations, viral photos and videos showed demonstrators waving the flags in Kano State and chanting in Hausa, “We don’t want bad government.” In Kaduna, a state in the north west, protesters were also seen waving the Russian flag and reciting in Hausa, “Welcome, Russia; Welcome, Russia.” Russia, an Eastern power which is currently mired in a proxy war with the West, has been blamed for several unconstitutional changes of government in West African countries such as Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, among others. The Nigerian military said the use of Russian flags during the protests was a treasonable offence, adding that it was investigating those behind the move and would “take serious action” against them. While addressing the nation in a broadcast on August 4, President Tinubu warned demonstrators not to “let the enemies of democracy use you to promote an unconstitutional agenda that will set us back on our democratic journey.” Security agencies had identified at least four politicians from Katsina, Kaduna and Kano states, who, they said, promoted the use of the Russian flag among demonstrators with…
- Foreign Affairs
- August 13, 2024
- 91 views
US WILL CARRY OUT LARGEST DEPORTATION IN HISTORY IF I’M RE-ELECTED – DONALD TRUMP
US WILL CARRY OUT LARGEST DEPORTATION IN HISTORY IF I’M RE-ELECTED – DONALD TRUMP Former United States President, Donald Trump, has promised to carry out the largest deportation in the country’s history if he wins re-election in the November 5 election. The Republican presidential nominee made this known in a X-space conversation held by Elon Musk, which SaharaReporters monitored in the early hours of Tuesday. Trump asserted that over 20 million immigrants have entered the country illegally, including individuals. from prisons, mental institutions, and terrorist organisations. He emphasised that the immigrants come from various regions, including South America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, and alleged that some are from countries currently supporting Hamas militants in the ongoing war against Israel in Gaza. He said, “They (immigrants) have to come in legally. They have to be checked. I believe over 20 million people came into our country. Many coming from prisons, from mental institutions or a bigger version of that is insane asylums and many are terrorists and I will tell you that they are coming not just from South America. They are coming from Africa. They are coming from all over the world. They are coming from Asia. They are coming from the Middle East. They are coming from countries that are stupidly and horribly bombing Israel on October 7th. We have a defective government. “These are people that are jailed for murder and all sorts of things and they are releasing them into our country and they are telling them if you come back we gonna kill you. We are gonna give you the death penalty or kill you. These are criminals that make our criminals look like nice people. “We are gonna have the largest deportation in history,” Trump declared.
AS TINUBU HOLDS FIRST COUNCIL OF STATE MEETING, BUHARI, JONATHAN IN, OBASANJO ABSENT
AS TINUBU HOLDS FIRST COUNCIL OF STATE MEETING, BUHARI, JONATHAN IN, OBASANJO ABSENT President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is currently presiding over the Council of State meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Among those present are former Presidents Muhammadu Buhari and Goodluck Jonathan. Former presidents Yakubu Gowon and Abdulsalami Abubakar also joined the meeting virtually. The meeting of the National Council of State is always held to advise the President on policy decisions and other matters that the sitting president might put before them. Members of the council are the President, Vice President, former Presidents and Heads of State, the Senate President, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, state governors, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Attorney-General of the Federation. The ongoing meeting, the first to be put together by the present administration, comes days after some Nigerians took to the street to protest against the prevailing hardship and economic polices of the present administration. Some of the protesters asked the Federal Government to reverse removal of fuel subsidy. Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo who said the demands of the protesters are legitimate did not attend the meeting. The ministers at the ongoing meeting were specially invited by President Bola Tinubu to address the Council on the policies and direction of the present administration to allow the members have a first-hand knowledge, before advising the president on the way forward.