The whistle blower, Arch. Obodozie Ihezue alleged in a petition to the House dated 8th May, 2020 that Ihedioha misappropriated the funds during his seven months administration.
The House learnt in the petition that less than eight months Ihedioha piloted the State, huge amount of money meant for the development of the State could not be accounted for.
According to the petition the broke down of the monies gulped by the past administration include: 2019 fiscal receipts brought forward from governor Rochas Okorocha’s tenure which amounted to N48. 5 billion, Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) In addition to Special allocations which the whistle blower said is N54.319 billion, excluding N13.04 billion Value Added Tax (VAT) and N14. 385 billion (IGR).
The Whistle blower further alleged that the Paris Club Refunds was about N4. 85 billion while the Joint Allocation Committee (JAAC) funds for 7 months was put at an average of N3. 86 billion per month totalling about N27.02billion.
State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) fund and the Rural Access Mobility Project (RAMP) he claimed was N17.5 billion and N15 billion respectively.
Similarly, the Whistle blower has also alleged that Ihedioha have some choice properties in Abuja, London and in Imo State.
According to him, Ihedioha own a 5 star hotel under construction at 4, Chulkee street Gazope, Asokoro Abuja valued at N10 billion.
He further alleged that the former governor has 10 houses acquired at Achike Udenwa Estate, Imo State through his front who he alleged is his cousin, Chikere valued at N5 billion.
Another multi million mansion at St. John’s Wood NW8, City of West Minister, London the Whistle blower said was owned by Ihedioha.
He also alleged Ihedioha also bought, demolished and rebuild another property he acquired at Charles Amadi Street, Civic Centre, Owerri at the sum of N5 billion as well as the ones he bought at his Mbutu village. He urged the House to investigate the whereabouts of these funds as there was nothing on ground to show that “these funds were judiciously expended.”
Contacted, the Imo State House of Assembly has admitted that it has received a petition from the whistle blower.
Speaker of the State assembly, Chiji Collins who admitted the petition is before the house added that the petition would be looked into when the House resumes sitting.
“We have received it in the Assembly, it has come to my table. We supposed to have handled it but because of Covid, that’s why. I have not presented it to the House but I have seen it, usually when a petition comes in we take it to executive session, then the Clerk will list it. So, it is still with me, once we resume, we are going to look into it. It is a serious matter.”
The report in a section of the media that I, Rev Fr Ejike Mbaka, the Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministry Enugu has prophesied the sack of a South East Governor before the end of this year is a contumacious falsehood.
The allusions made by the mischievous author of the said report to Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State is a figment of the writer’s imagination.
For the records Adoration Ministry Enugu is yet to resume after I suspended the Ministry’s programme since March 2020 following the restrictions that came with the outbreak of the Covid 19 pandemic.
Since then I have not made any public prophecy of such anywhere but has been immersed in prayers for the healing of the World of the global pandemic and need not be distracted at this point.
It is a thing of concern that mischief makers, impostors and agent of darkness have continued to use my name to achieve their selfish missions in different media inspite of several warnings.
People should be careful of the wrath of God.
The ministry has taken this ugly trend seriously and shall liaise with security agencies to fish out the culprits and make them scapegoats.
Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka
Spiritual Director,
Adoration Ministry Enugu Nigeria.
People should be careful of the wrath of God.
The ministry has taken this ugly trend seriously and shall liaise with security agencies to fish out the culprits and make them scapegoats.
Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka
Spiritual Director,
Adoration Ministry Enugu Nigeria.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Thursday signed his first Executive Order on indiscriminate refuse dumping, traffic management, and Public works.
Sanwo-Olu shared the news on his Twitter handle, @jidesanwoolu. He said,
”I signed an executive order on indiscriminate refuse dumping, traffic management and public works.”
In a video, going viral on social media, the Governor said the executive order wasn’t meant to arrest residents but to ensure that the state is clean.
It was also revealed that the executive order now puts the closing time of operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) at 11:00pm on two shifts.
Confusion has overtaken the political atmosphere of Imo state, over the demolition of the Akachi tower, built by the immediate past governor, Rochas Okorocha, along Akachi road in Owerri.
However, security agents have taken over the location of the Akachi tower thereby stopping the demolition.
While an eyewitness told our source that the demolition was carried out by the agents of the new government of Emeka Ihedioha, others were of the view that the land on which the Akachi tower was built was forcefully collected from the original owners who on their own decided to carry out the demolition.
According to one Onyenso, “We saw some people last night they were in two Hilux vehicles and some security people. They came and moved around the tower and later drove off.
“Just this afternoon, as we are working on our site, we saw a group of people they came with a caterpillar, and they ordered the man in the caterpillar to start pulling down the Akachi tower.
“They were shouting a new government has emerged and we are taking what belongs to us nobody can stop us. There is a new government, old things shall pass away and give way for a new thing.”
A source who did not want his name mentioned said,
“Let me tell you the truth my brother, I think you are a journalist, this land is not a government land it belongs to some people.
“But what I am seeing here today is like some people are angry they want to take laws into their hand. With the way this thing has started anything can happen at anytime. The government must be guided and be careful of those using their name to take actions. This is taking a very bad shape whether you like it or not.”
Source
Vanguard
The House of Representatives on Thursday called on President Buhari to immediately sign into law the bill which seeks to establish National Commission against the proliferation of small arms and light weapons with the view to curb the influx of illegal weapons into the country.
The lawmakers who gave the charge during the debate on a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje also urged President Buhari to rescind the Executive Order which seeks to remove, revoke and banish all firearms certificates and licenses throughout the country.
In her lead debate, the lawmaker expressed grave concern over unabated insecurity challenges which led to the death of thousands of innocent citizens, resulting from terrorism, kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes across the country.
She further noted that insecurity which was hitherto confined to the North East and North Central states have spread to the North Western States and all other parts of the country.
She equally noted that in response to the local and international outcry and concerns for Nigeria security situation, Mr. President signed an Executive Order to remove, revoke and banish all gun certificates and licenses throughout the federation.
Worried by the development, Elendu-Ukeje argued that the omnibus order targets legal gun owners and their guns without institutional actionable policy or plan to mop up small arms and light weapons that are at the center of these crimes.
According to her,
“the House is convinced that the high number of illegal guns is responsible amongst other factors for the increase in crime”.
Speaking in support of the motion, Hon Edward Pwajork said that the President should only go after those who go about with unlicensed weapons and those with valid licenses.
He said that the Executive Order signed by the President would only exacerbate the level of insecurity in the country.
Also in his contribution, Hon. Sunday Adepoju stated that the security agencies should ensure that all ammunition outside the legally licensed ones were recovered.
On his part, Hon. Pally Iriase, Deputy Chief Whip said that the insecurity in the land was so pervasive and so government should take proactive measures to address the challenge.
He noted that the cardinal objectives of governance “is the security of lives and properties” and added that the timing of the Executive Order was wrong.
Consequently, the House presided by the Speaker Hon. Yakubu Dogara put the matter to a voice vote which was overwhelmingly voted for by the lawmakers.
To this end, the House urged President Buhari to
“sign into law the Bill on the Establishment of a (National) Commission against the proliferation of small arms and light weapons which is not only a domestic law but also a treaty obligation so as to help curb the inflow of illegal weapons that had been used in the theater of wars.”
The Green Chamber also urged
“President Buhari to, in the interest of the Nigerian people who are left vulnerable to the activities of mindless criminals, terrorists, bandits, and kidnappers, to please reverse that decision as it strips the people of the rights to life and self-defense.”
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has announced the appointment of six new Permanent Secretaries in the States Civil Service.
Their appointment was announced by the governor on Thursday.
The new henchmen are: Dr. Eniayewun Ademuyiwa Benjamin, former Medical Director, Island Maternity, Lagos; Erinle Olumide Olufolami, former Principal, Apapa Senior High School, Education District 1V; Mrs Oludara Okelola, former Principal of Babs Fafunwa Millennium Senior Grammar School, Education District V1.
Others are: Mr. Akewusola Wasiu Adedamola, former General Manager, New Town Development Authority, NTDA; Mrs Falugba Yewande Abiodun, former Director, Administration and Human Resource, Ministry of Youth and Social Development and Mr. Osi-Efa Mustapha Abidun, former Director, Administration and Human Resource, Ministry of Home Affairs.
The assignment of portfolios to the new Permanent Secretary will be done later.
Perhaps in a bid to avoid a repeat of the 2015 last-minute disappointment, National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu, has reportedly relocated to Abuja to personally monitor shifting political developments regarding the election of the next leadership of the National Assembly, Saturday Tribune has learnt.
Calls to the mobile phone of his media aide, Tunde Rahman, rang out and as of press time, he was yet to either return the calls or reply the SMS sent him.
Tinubu is backing Senator Ahmed Lawan for Senate presidency and Femi Gbajabiamila for the speakership of the House of Representatives, the same candidates he could not carry over the finishing line four years ago.
While Lawan is seen more as President Muhammadu Buhari’s anointed candidate for the job, Gbajabiamila, from Surulere Federal Constituency in Lagos, is an anointed of Tinubu, though Lawan, too, was propped up by the leading party chieftain in 2015, after dropping his initial candidate, former Benue State governor, Senator George Akume.
In 2015, Tinubu reportedly failed to show his hand deep in the contest early enough in order not to be seen as being dictatorial, preferring to line behind the then newly-elected president, Buhari.
Gbajabiamila and Lawan were pretty much doing their campaigning then using the party machinery with Tinubu using the president’s influence to rally support for them.
The duo also got involved in horse-trading with opposition leaders.
Saturday Tribune was privy then to Gbajabiamila’s meeting with a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governor from the South at a hotel in a posh area of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), weeks to the parliamentary contest he lost to the outgoing Speaker, Yakubu Dogara.
With the stakes believed to be higher this time, Tinubu is reportedly handling the expected high-wire horse-trading trailing the emergence of the duo again as the preferred candidates of the party, considering the internal opposition to their candidature.
While Lawan is reportedly having it easier, selling his candidacy to stakeholders outside of his party, the unmistaken emblem of the Lagos “godfather” on Gbajabiamila’s candidacy is said to be making things difficult somewhat for the four-term lawmaker.
“Gbaja, on his own, isn’t a problem, though people have been talking about his elitist attitude. But anything with Tinubu’s hand on it, many within the party, do not just want to hear it, especially our people from the other side (North) and oga (Tinubu) doesn’t always know when to back down.
There is a popular joke in Abuja now, especially at the party secretariat. If you say you are broke, they will ask, is Asiwaju not in town and that if he is in town, you can’t be broke because all you need to do is go and tell him some lies that he wants to hear about his candidates or 2023 and you will come back with …. (mentions denomination),” a source who was once chummy with the leader, disclosed.
Tinubu is reportedly handling the reaching-out because his rumoured presidential ambition is said to be closely tied to the success of getting Gbajabiamila and Lawan enthroned, particularly the former as the head of the legislative institution with more youthful, exuberant and impressionable politicians.
For allies of Gbajabiamila and those who would play ball from the opposition to get him to the political Promised Land, Saturday Tribune learnt that their loyalty is going to be sustained for some future assignment.
The implication of having a need for them, according to insiders, is that such tested and trusted allies would have four years of comfort under the Gbajabiamila leadership.
The said bait of not using and dumping them, considering future engagement and partnership, is reportedly working more for the Tinubu camp since any form of betrayal from their end would mean losing massive support for the future aspiration which is bigger and of higher political value than what is being sought now.
It was also learnt that lawmakers from the opposition, especially those not too close to Dogara, may find comfort in Tinubu’s arm and possibly break ranks with their party in the event of the party directing its congressmen and women, to, again, work against Tinubu’s interest.
Gbajabiamila recently boasted that he already had the number to sail smoothly in the speakership contest but some opponents are saying it will be too early to declare victory.
While President Buhari has characteristically not been too loud about his support for Lawan, it was learnt that not saying anything regarding Gbajabiamila’s emergence at the dinner where the Lagos politician was presented has made the journey more tortuous for Tinubu’s camp.
The relocation to Abuja to oversee things directly is also said to be connected with the rumoured power play that could see “one go for one.”
With both Lawan and Gbajabiamila being projected as Tinubu’s anointed, there is the likelihood of the party leader being told at the zero hour to pick one and leave the other position for other tendencies in the party.
His camp is said to be working assiduously to avoid a situation of having to make such a tough call.
His allies in the South-West are also coming in and out of Abuja to confer with him but one ally that would be expected to be by his side at this crucial moment, former Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola, is reportedly missing in the Abuja action.
Aregbesola spearheaded the defunct Tinubu’s Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) parliamentary mutiny of 2011 which enthroned the current Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal, as the Speaker of the House of Representatives against then-PDP’s choice, Mulikat Adeola-Akande.
The PDP paid Tinubu back in the same coin in 2015, helping the APC to install Dogara in place of the party’s pick, Gbajabiamila.
Saturday Tribune learnt that Aregbesola is staying back in Lagos fixing the next cabinet of the incoming administration of Babajide Sanwoolu at Tinubu’s behest.
Seen as Tinubu’s closest ally, Aregbesola’s influence has been looming large on Lagos politics since his tenure ended in Osun State.
Saturday Tribune can confirm that names of likely picks for commissioners and special aides have been submitted by party leaders from local governments in the state and the man touching the final list up, in concert with the “Big Boss” in Abuja, is reportedly not the incoming governor but the former governor of Osun State.
Both the incoming governor and his deputy, Femi Hamzat, are said to be having minimal say in the composition of those who will work with them, though they reportedly made nominations.
With many of those expected to be nominated by Sanwoolu and Hamzat left out of the current list, disappointment is said to be setting in for many who worked tirelessly for the party’s victory.
“We are just here; we don’t know our fate yet. They have shared the thing (available positions) among themselves. The hawks are the ones in charge here,” a committed party man lamented to Saturday Tribune.
Meanwhile, the recent involvement of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with the administrative leadership of the National Assembly is said to be part of the game plan to ensure a desired ending to the contest for Senate and House of Representatives’ top jobs.
Clerks of both chambers reportedly played a major role in swinging things in certain directions in 2015 and with the fear that the outgoing Senate President and Speaker may swing the process again using the top officials to keep the party’s anointed out of the seats again, the anti-graft commission is reportedly being involved to “sound a note of warning.”
Operatives of the commission swarmed collation centres in Lagos, Abuja and many other states during the final declaration of results of the 2019 general elections.
The official explanation was to prevent financial inducement of the electoral officers.
The voting procedure for the new NASS leadership has been a major dispute among contending factions with the majority favouring secret balloting, the type that rubbed the ruling party’s face in the mud four years back.
There is palpable fear in the ruling party that another secret balloting could produce a similar result.
The current probe of the assembly’s administrative leadership by the EFCC is said to be a ploy to have an unfettered access to the books and information that could help prevent another humiliating loss.
If things are not going the desired way with the voting procedure, it was learnt, the probe could become a major tool in beating everybody into line.
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