News
Firm Battles Katsina Over N66bn Paris Club Refund
A financial consulting firm, Mauritz Walton Nigerian Ltd, has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to order the Katsina State Government to pay it the 20 per cent of $217.3 million due to it from the Paris Club refund made to the state by the Federal Government.
The company alleged that the 20 per cent of the $217.3 million (N66 billion) was the contractual fee for the service it rendered the state government to ascertain and recover the excess deductions by the Federal Government from its account to service the external debt between July 1995 and March 2002.
According to the firm, the 20 per cent agreement it reached with the state government in 2014 amounts to about N13.2 billion.
It stated, through its Chief Executive Officer, Dr Maurice Ibe, that it was appointed by Katsina State to execute the contract via a letter dated August 18, 2014, and with reference number, MOF/STAFF/409/1/31.
Ibe stated in his witness statement filed along with his company’s suit, that his firm executed his contract by ascertaining that Katsina State Government was entitled to $217,274,991.01 (estimated at N66,268,872,258.00 calculated at an exchange rate of $1 to N305) as Paris Club refund.
He noted that, in 2016, President Muhammadu Buhari, directed the payment of the first tranche of the Paris Club refund to states, including Katsina.
He stated that while the funds due to Katsina State from the Paris refund had been paid to state’s account with the United Bank for Africa, the state had refused to pay his firm the 20 per cent of the fund agreed to be its fee.
Ibe said despite his suit and various interim orders restraining further payment to Katsina, the Central Bank of Nigeria (the 2nd defendant in the suit), on the instruction of the Minister of Finance (the 1st defendant) recently paid N35,364,610,435 to the 4th defendant (Katsina State), through the 5th defendant (UBA).
But in its statement of defence filed in response to the suit, the Katsina State Government conceded that it truly engaged the plaintiff to ascertain and recover its share of the Paris Club refund.
But it stated that there was no conclusive agreement for the payment of 20 per cent to the company before it was disengaged.
The government stated, it had “no reason to honour the demand of the plaintiff as contained in its letter of July 10, 2017 and at the subsequent meetings with the plaintiff as there was no conclusive agreement between the 4th defendant and the plaintiff to pay the said 20 per cent of the credited refunds as the plaintiff had been disengaged.”
News
Mba Seeks Closer Synergy To Check Road Accidents
Worried over the high rate of accidents on Nigerian roads, resulting in the death of hundreds of thousands of people, the Governor of Enugu State, Barr Peter Mbah, has called for closer synergy and cooperation among security agencies to check the ugly trend and ensure safety on all the roads within the country.
Governor Mbah, made the call in an address at the Graduation Ceremony of Senior Course 2 of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Command and Staff College, Udi near Enugu.
Represented by the state Commissioner for Information, Chief Aka Eze Aka, governor Mbah noted that closer security and intelligence sharing on incidents on roads within the country by various security formations and agencies both military and para-military would lead to greater security and safety of lives and property on roads.
He stated that the state government had keyed into the FRSC vision of reduction in road crashes and fatalities, adding that it had equipped the state traffic officers with the same set targets.
“As an administration, we are making all efforts to fix and improve on all roads and road infrastructure within the state; while we are calling on the Federal Government to do the same.
“Our partnership with the FRSC for training and retraining of our road traffic officers will continue and be strengthened so that as a state it will also build its own capacity to deal with road traffic issues and challenges,” he said.
Governor Mbah, however, congratulated the graduating participants of the course, while commending the FRSC management for being in the forefront of raising the standard and quality of its staff.
According to him, “my administration will continue to partner with the FRSC and strengthen existing engagements of mutual benefits”.
Earlier, the FRSC Corps Marshal, Dauda Biu, said that the event was significant to the Corps as it marked its commitment to continuously improve its educational and operational standard and capacity.
Biu, represented by the Deputy Corps Marshal (DCM) Bisi Kazeem, who is in-charge of FRSC Training, said that the Corps was building resiliency and increasing its service delivery capacity by equipping its officers with quality and international standard training.
By: Canice Amadi Enugu
News
PDP Opobo/Nkoro Hails Fubara On Peace, Projects
Stakeholders of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Opobo/ Nkoro Local Government Area of Rivers State have commended the state Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara for his disposition that has fostered peace in the State.
Rising from an expanded stakeholders meeting last Saturday in Opobo Town, the body in an eight-point communique signed by its Chairman, Hon. Benneth Daminabo, Chairman of Council, Rt. Hon. Enyiada Cookey-Gam and LG party Chairman, Warisenibo Godwin Pepple commended the governor for linking Opobo/Nkoro LGA to the national grid.
In addition, it lauded the effort of the governor in pursuing the 50.15 kilometre Dual Carriage Ring Road, Elelenwo internal road, Aleto-Ebubu-Eteo Road in Eleme and Andoni Road projects.
Despite the distractions, the stakeholders said they were impressed that the governor had equally done projects in health-the unveiling of Prof. Kelsey Harrison Hospital, Agric projects at Tai and Oyigbo and improving welfare of civil servants.
In their words, “members reaffirmed their unalloyed loyalty and implicit confidence in his administration.”
Condemning the unfriendly and discourteous utterances of Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and Tony Okocha in different fora in the State, the forum urged the duo to desist from such action in order not to heat up the polity.
The forum pledged to stand by the governor through, “thick and thin”, the stakeholders acknowledged the contributions of women, who through prayers for the government has impacted positively in the direction and posture of the governor.
Finally, the forum unanimously expressed gratitude to the Simplified Movement and other bodies that have thrown their weight behind the governor to ensure that the administration is stable and successful.
By: Kevin Nengia
News
‘Rivers People Are Now Breathing Fresh Air Under Fubara’
Aformer Caretaker Committee Chairman of Abua/Odual Local Government Council of Rivers State, Hon Elamo Arogu, says under Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the people of the State are now breathing fresh air.
Hon Arogu said Governor Fubara has given Rivers people hope, considering the impactful and people-oriented projects being carried out by his administration.
The former CTC chairman made the assertion during the Simplified Movement’s thanksgiving service and rally held in honour of Rivers State chief executive last Friday in Abua .
Arogu said under Governor Fubara, the Abua/Odual people have the confidence that the dividends of democracy will definitely get to them.
He noted that the Governor has the strong will to change the narrative in Rivers State, being the reason he is receiving massive support across the State.
“The people of Abua/Odual are strongly behind him. Our doors ate open for everyone because there is government in place to attend to the needs of the people. I believe that he will develop Abua/Odual and other Rivers council areas, hence, the massive support. This government is business- oriented and we are ready to encourage him succeed and invest in our land. The issue of a bank; road networks and other necessities of life bordering on development as demanded by the people will be considered by Governor Fubara”, he said.
He called on the opposition to team up with Governor Fubara to build a stronger, united and viable Rivers State.
He maintained that ward nine under his leadership is Simplified.
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