Front Pix
First Bank, Others Fined N32bn …As NSE Tackles Infractions

Rivers State Governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi waving to the crowd during the Independence Day Anniversary at the Liberation Stadium, Elekahia, Port Harcourt, on Monday
The Nigerian Stock Exchange, (NSE), has indicted Costain
(West Africa) Plc, First Bank of Nigeria Plc, John Holt Plc, Oando Plc, Conoil
Plc and over 50 other quoted companies, and imposed N34.09 million fines for
various infractions, ranging from publications of their activities without
securing the approval of the NSE to late filings of their financial statements.
According to the NSE, in its latest X-Compliance report, 12
companies were fined N8.465 billion for failing to obtain the NSE’s approval
before publicizing their activities in the media; 65 companies were slammed
with a fine of N6.652 billion, while another 18 were fined N16.8 billion for
failing to submit their financial statements for the 2011 and 2012 financial
statements as well their quarterly results.
The NSE maintained that its law stipulates that quoted
companies provide it with timely information to enable it efficiently perform
its function of maintaining an orderly market.
It said, “In accordance with the provisions of Appendix 111
of the Listing Rules, quoted companies are required to obtain prior written
approval before publications are made in the media.
“The companies contravened the provision of the Listing
Rules and the Exchange applied the sanctions prescribed by the rules, and the
companies discharged their financial obligations.”
A breakdown of the sanctions shows that Mobil Oil Nigeria
Plc and Lafarge WAPCO Plc were fined N1.016 million and N0.7 million,
respectively by the NSE for publishing their interim results in the media
without obtaining prior written approval from it, while First Bank of Nigeria
Plc and Unity Bank Plc were fined N2.1 million and N1.544 million for
publishing notices of extraordinary-general meeting and divestment from
non-banking subsidiaries, respectively.
Guinea Insurance Plc was indicted and fined N0.157 million for
publishing its audited account without approval; Transnational Corporation of
Nigeria Plc was fined N0.763 million for publishing changes in its Board
without the consent of the NSE and Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals was
sanctioned with a fine of N0.181 million for publicizing the appointment of its
acting chief executive officer with out notifying the NSE.
Wema Bank was fined N0.352 million; Honeywell Flour Mills
Plc was fined N0.647 million, Multiverse Plc was fined N0.496 million and
Diamond Bank Plc was fined N0.406 million; for not securing approval before
publishing the appointment of directors in their various boards.
The NSE slammed a N2.85 million fine on Costain for late
submission of its audited financial statements for the year ended, March 31,
2012; C&I Leasing Plc was fined N1.05 million for delay in the submission
of its 2012 financial statements, due January 31 while John Holt Plc was fined
N1.7 million for its failure to submit its 2011 financial statement, due
September 2011.
For failure to submit their 2011 financial statements, due
December 31, Cornerstone Insurance Plc was fined N1.5 million; Conoil was fined
N1.2 million, while UnityKapital Assurance Plc, Niger Insurance Plc, Royal
Exchange Plc, Union Bank Nigeria Plc and Universal Insurance Plc were slammed a
fine of N0.9 million each.
FTN Cocoa Plc was fined N0.2 million, Dangote Flour Mills
Plc was fined N0.4 million, Regency Alliance Insurance Plc was fined N0.5
million, Oando Plc was fined N0.5 million, Premier Paints Plc was fined N0.7
million and SCOA Nigeria Plc was punished with a N0.8 million fine.
Several other companies, numbering 31, were fined between
N2,857.14 and N0.245 million, totaling about N2.174 million, for failure to
submit their full year and quarterly results.
Front Pix
Again, RSG Begins Unveiling, Flag-Off Of Nine Key Projects, ’Morrow

The Rivers State Government has rolled out the drums to herald another phase of official commissioning of key projects embarked upon by the Governor Nyesom Wike-led administration in the state.
A statement by the state government said that the process is in continuation of the commissioning and flag-off of projects by Governor Nyesom Wike.
It indicated that Rumuola flyover would be commissioned tomorrow, while the GRA flyover would be commissioned on Saturday.
The also stated that the government would commission the Ezimgbu Road on Monday, December 13, 2021; with another commissioning of Tombia Road Extension scheduled for Tuesday, December 14, 2021.
The statement said that the governor would commission the Safe Home, Borikiri, Port Harcourt on Wednesday, December 15; while on Thursday, December 16, 2021, the governor would commission the Odokwu internal roads.
Also, the governor would continue the flag-off of key infrastructure projects with Chokocho-Igbodo Road slated for Monday, December 20, 2021; Oyigbo-Okoloma Road on Wednesday, December 22, 2021; and Magistrates’ Court Complex, Port Harcourt on Thursday, December 23, 2021.
Front Pix
Wike Justifies N7bn Libel Suit Against THISDAY

Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, yesterday, appeared before the state High Court in Port Harcourt, to testify as a witness in an N7billion libel suit against THISDAY Newspaper.
Wike said he was in court to seek justice and clear his name as a person from the malicious publication by THISDAY Newspaper, which portrayed him as deceitful, untrustworthy person, who exerts subterranean influences on judicial matters and over court sittings in Port Harcourt.
It would be recalled that Wike had in August, 2020, slammed a N7billion suit being damages for libel written and published in THISDAY’s Tuesday, June 23, 2020 edition captioned, “With Wike, Obaseki Meets His PDP’s Waterloo; Almost.”
The defendants in the suit are THISDAY Newspapers Limited, Leaders and Company Limited, Davidson Iriekpan, Chuks Okocha and Adibe Emenyonu.
Wike, while testifying as witness in suit No. PHC/1505/CS/2020 before the court presided over by Justice A. Enebeli, asserted that the defendants maliciously and falsely portrayed him as an unreliable friend/person.
“When you say somebody cannot be trusted; that cannot be a fair comment. When you say somebody is influencing the Judiciary, that cannot be a fair comment”, the governor said.
In his written statement on oath, Wike had stated that the defendants had accused him of influencing the decision of the court sitting in Port Harcourt that granted an injunction restraining Godwin Obaseki from participating in the primaries of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State in 2020.
He stated that the defendants maliciously accused him of undemocratically exerting influence on the primaries process of PDP in Edo State in aid of his ally, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, who was the beneficiary of the court order restraining Obaseki from participating in the PDP primaries.
The governor, who told the court that he was not even aware of the aforementioned suit by Ogbeide-Ihama against Obaseki, said the publication was reckless, false and without regards for the truth.
According to him, contrary to well-known journalistic tradition and practices, the defendants did not investigate properly to ensure the information they relied on was accurate.
“They did not seek to verify the facts from me or in any manner oblige me with the opportunity to state my own side of the story before proceeding to make the false publication” the governor argued.
Wike stated that the defendants further denigrated him before the entire world as a fake democrat, who engages in meddling in the internal affairs of All Progressives Congress (APC) in order to get at his political foe, Chibuike Amaechi.
The governor explained that he was not a member of the APC and has had no hand in the internal crisis which has bedevilled the party both in Rivers State and all over Nigeria.
“By the letter of Messrs E.C. Ukala and Co., Solicitors, under the hand of Emmanuel C. Ukala, SAN, dated 23rd June, 2020, the defendants were given opportunity to retract, and recant the publication as well as to offer apology for the false publication but the defendants spurned the opportunity and ignored the letter completely.”
The governor, while responding to claim by lawyer to the defendants, Turudu Ede, SAN, that the essence of the lawsuit was to intimidate and harass his clients, said the whole essence of the suit was to get justice and clear his name as a man of substantial character, honour and repute.
“The essence of the suit is to get justice since they (defendants) refused to retract the publication or apologise. So, I sued them to clear my name.”
Speaking to journalists outside the court, one of the lawyers to Wike, Mr. Mark Agwu said his client was in court to seek legal redress.
“To challenge him as a person, it means you have made him untrustworthy, a deceit, a cheat, an influencer of the court, because the publication they made was that he had a role to play in influencing the outcome of that Federal High Court case. Nobody will take that lightly, and especially for a man who believes in the rule of law”, Agwu added.
The court adjourned the matter for further hearing to 12th, 13th and 14th of January, 2022.
Front Pix
$130m Fraud: Rivers Sues Saipem SPA, Saipem Contracting Firm, Others

The Rivers State Government has charged two construction firms, Saipem SPA and Saipem Contracting Nigeria Ltd, to court over an alleged conspiracy to cheat and with intent to defraud the state of the sum of $130million, being advanced payment for the construction of the OCGT power plant in Port Harcourt.
In a 16-count criminal charge filed by the Director of Public Prosecution, C.F. Amadi for the Rivers State Attorney General, the state alleged that after collecting the said sum as advanced payment between 2011 and 2018, the defendants have not kept their obligation under the contract.
Others charged alongside the companies were Walter Peviana; Kelechi Sinteh Chinakwe; Giandomenico Zingali; Vitto Testaguzza and Davide Anelli, who are directors and officers of the companies.
The defendants are charged with various offences ranging from conspiracy, cheating and obtaining credit by false pretence, contrary to Section 518 (6) and (7) and punishable under Section 518 of the Criminal Code, Cap 37 Vol. 2 Laws of Rivers State of Nigeria, 1999, section 419A and punishable under Section 419 (A) (1) (b) of the Criminal Code, Cap 37 Vol. 2 Laws of Rivers State, amongst others.
Already, the Rivers State Government has issued a fiat to the law firm of Godwin Obla (SAN) to prosecute the matter before the state High court.
The defendants are equally charged for the offence of false Statements by Officials of Companies contrary to and punishable under Section 436 (b).
The prosecution specifically accused the defendants of obtaining credit of $130million by false pretences or other fraud contrary to Section 419A and punishable under Section 419 (A) (1) (b); obtaining credit of $20,467,942.00 by false pretences or other fraud contrary to Section 419A and punishable under Section 419 (A) (1) (b), obtaining credit of N7,000,000,000.00 only by false pretences or other fraud contrary to Section 419A and punishable under Section 419 (A) (1) (b).
They are charged for obtaining credit of N318,640,173.54, by false pretences or other fraud contrary to Section 419A and punishable under Section 419 (A) (1) (b); attempt to cheat $97million contrary to Section 508 and punishable under Section 509; attempt to cheat $15million contrary to Section 508 and punishable under Section 509; conspiracy to receive a credit of $97million by false pretences contrary to Section 518 (6) and punishable under Section 518; cheating $11million contrary to Section 421 and punishable under Section 421; cheating contrary to Section 421 and punishable under Section 421; cheating N110, 097, 416.51 contrary to Section 421 and punishable under Section 421; cheating by collecting sums attributable to shared facilities already paid for in AFAM Phase I in AFAM Phase II contrary to Section 421 and punishable under Section 421.
Obtaining N20, 467, 942 contrary to Section 421 and punishable under Section 421; obtaining credit of $60,168,936.00 by false pretences or other fraud, contrary to Section 419A and punishable under Section 419 (A) (1) (b); obtaining credit of $1,512,034.00 by false pretences or other fraud contrary to Section 419A and punishable under Section 419 (A) (1) (b) all of the Criminal Code Law of Rivers State, Cap 37 Vol. 2 Laws of Rivers State of Nigeria 1999.
According to the Proof of Evidence attached to the charge and the statement made by the Head, Power Generation/Mechanical of the Rivers State Ministry of Power, one Mr Temple Azunda M., the facts constituting the case in hand are as follows:
Saipem SPA and Saipem Contracting Nigeria Limited and other officers of the duo, herein the Defendants, are Italian companies which services have been retained by the Rivers State Government, herein RSG, in several projects, prominent amongst which is the AFAM Phase II Power Plant Project.
By an initial tripartite agreement made on the January 20, 2010, the RSG under the auspices of the Rivers State Ministry of Power entered a contract with Saipem Contracting Nigeria Limited, Saipem SPA for the construction of the OGCT power plant in Port Harcourt at a total cost of $119million consequent upon which the Rivers State Government made advance payments, in instalments, to Saipem Contracting Nigeria Ltd and Saipem SPA amounting in total to a sum of $130million in all which the Defendants have acknowledged receipt of.
The Defendants were to be given an initial mobilization of 20per cent of the total contract sum which the RSG paid.
It was part of the initial agreement – and indeed a condition sine qua non – that, to access the 2nd tranche of payment of 25per cent from the Rivers State Government, the Defendants would mandatorily have installed the Gas Turbine into the foundations as referenced in ATTACHMENT 1 to VO 007 which states that:
CONTRACTOR shall be entitled to a payment corresponding to 20per cent of the VO No. 007 LS PRICE upon mobilisation to site and commencement of bush clearing activities at SITE.
Upon commencement of bush clearing activities at the site, the contractor shall issue the invoice relevant to the above payment and the owner shall pay such invoice within 14 days from its issuance.
The parties agree that no deduction for recovery of advance payment shall apply on the payment due to the contractor for invoices issued by the contractor in accordance with this paragraph.
-
Nation4 days ago
Train-Bus Accident: 66 Patients Out Of Hospital
-
News4 days ago
IGP Orders Movement Restriction On Election Day
-
News1 day ago
NDLEA Intercepts Cannabis Concealed In Dried Onions At Lagos Airport
-
Niger Delta1 day ago
UBTH Mourns Former CMD
-
Rivers4 days ago
Guber Polls: Group Cautions Against Conducts Capable Of Threatening Peace In ASALGA
-
Politics4 days ago
DSS Alleges Plot To Destabilise Kano Over March 18 Elections
-
Business1 day ago
Nigeria’s LNG Output Struggles, Despite Europe’s Demand
-
Sports1 day ago
Betking Partner Ikorodu City Football