Connect with us

News

Group Carpets Malami Over FG’s Reason For Usurping £4.2m Ibori Loot

Published

on

The League of Professionals for Strategic Advocacy, Delta State, yesterday, said the contention by Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, that the Federal Government would appropriate the £4.2million seized from a former governor of Delta State because it completed the recovery process with Britain, was the suspicious reading of the law.

The group is a joint statement by Prince Obaro Unuafe and Pius Mordi, convener and chairman, yesterday, at Asaba, said, “After it emerged that Britain had agreed to repatriate the £4.2million seized, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, unilaterally announced that the Federal Government has taken possession of the money and will deploy it to fund some ongoing capital projects in various parts of the country.

“The attorney general’s unilateral action is illegal, immoral and a blatant attempt at appropriating the commonwealth of the people of Delta State.

“Justifying his decision, Malami claimed that the law that was violated by Ibori was a federal law”.

According to him, the parties of interests involved in the repatriation of the funds were national and not sub-national governments.

“The attorney general’s contention that the Federal Government is the victim of the crime, not Delta State, simply because the processes associated with the recovery were consummated by the Federal Government is a dubious interpretation of the law.

“By choosing to personally announce the grabbing by Aso Rock of the money about to be repatriated, Mr Malami sought to give the action a veneer of legality. He is wrong.

“Firstly, there is no discernible legal basis for his stance. As a sub-national government, Delta State could not have entered negotiations with Great Britain, a sovereign state. Only the Federal Government can negotiate with another sovereign state. In effect, Malami’s argument that since ‘the processes associated with the recovery were consummated by the Federal Government’, then it becomes a victim of crime is duplicitous, dubious and amounts to double jeopardy for the people of Delta State.

“Secondly, there is precedence where recovered looted funds were returned to the state that was the actual victim of the crime. In 2012, the Federal Government recovered over £5million stolen by late Bayelsa State Governor, Dieprieye Alamieyeseigha, from Britain and handed it back to the state government.

“This same principle should apply to the indication from Malami that another £100million may be repatriated when Chief Ibori’s landed property in Britain are disposed of. The proceeds belong to Delta State, the real victim of the crime.

“We consider Malami’s action a brazen effort at appropriating what rightfully belongs to the people of Delta State. We are vehemently opposed to this ill-advised action of the attorney general.

“He should immediately discontinue his course of action and initiate the process of handing over the recovered money to the people of Delta State as represented by their government.

“It will be quite understandable if the Federal Government should extract a written commitment from the state that the money should be directly deployed to funding critical capital projects. That will be consistent with the agreement it reached with the governments in the countries from where the funds were repatriated.

“Beyond this, it is beyond Malami’s remit and, indeed the Federal Government, to divert the recovered money to fund projects in states other than Delta.

“The League of Professionals for Strategic Advocacy is prepared to seek the intervention of the Judiciary to stop this heist on the wealth of the people of the state.

“Malami’s action is only the latest in the series of ferocious assaults on the principle and spirit of federalism which the Muhammadu Buhari administration has been waging with the attorney general superintending,” the group said.

 

 

Continue Reading

News

NAFDAC Alerts Nigerians To EU Ban On Dex Soap

Published

on

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has alerted Nigerians on the ban on Dex Luxury Bar Soap (No 6 Mystic Flower), by the European Union (EU).
The notification is contained in a public alert with No. 012/2024, signed by NAFDAC Director-General, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, and issued to newsmen in Abuja yesterday.
“The product does not comply with the cosmetic products regulation; it also contains Butyphenyl Methylpropional (BMHCA), which is prohibited in cosmetic products due to its risk of harming the reproductive system.
“It also causes harm to the health of unborn children and may cause skin sensitisation.
“It is as a result of the defective nature of the product that the EU banned it.
“The products is not in NAFDAC database; importers, distributors, retailers and consumers are to exercise caution and vigilance within the supply chain,” she said.
NAFDAC boss urged marketers and consumers to avoid the importation, distribution, sale and use of the product, stressing that product’s authenticity and physical condition must be carefully checked.
She enjoined members of the public in possession of the product to discontinue sale or use, and submit stock to the nearest NAFDAC office.

Continue Reading

News

Communities, Volunteers Ready To Face Upcoming Floods – Red Cross

Published

on

The Country Manager of the British Red Cross in Nigeria, Karsten Voigt, says communities and volunteers are ready to face the challenges expected with the upcoming floods.
Voigt said this at the sidelines of the 56th Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS), Lagos Branch.
The Tide’s source recalls that the British Red Cross donated resilience items to some communities in December 2023, to help mitigate the effects of flooding.
The items included cash, rain boots, rain coats, mosquito nets, handheld flashlights, solar powered lights with radio, USB chargers and a bridge to link the communities.
The communities that benefited included Agboyi 1, Agboyi 2, Agboyi 3 and Odo Ogun in Kosofe Local Government Area of the state.
Voigt said the Red Cross had measured the impact of the project in the communities and noticed that a lot of progress had been made.
According to him, apart from the cash and items given to the communities, simulation exercises have also been carried out to prepare the volunteers ahead of the floods.
“We have seen that people used the cash to address immediate needs they have after floods.
“Many households have used part of the cash to build up businesses.
“The solutions we have given to them are not only addressing their immediate needs after the disaster but actually building family income for their future,” he said.

Continue Reading

News

Nimet Forecasts Three-Day Sunshine, Thunderstorms

Published

on

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted sunshine and thunderstorm from Monday to Wednesday across the country.
NiMet’s weather outlook released yesterday in Abuja, forecasts sunny skies on Monday with a few patches of cloud over the northern cities and prospects of thunderstorms over parts of Taraba later in the day.
According to the forecast, sunny skies with patches of clouds are expected over the North Central region with prospects of morning thunderstorm over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa, Kogi and Kwara States.
“Later in the day, isolated thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Kogi and Benue States.
“The southern region is expected to be cloudy with spells of sunshine with prospects of morning thunderstorms over parts of Oyo, Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo and Lagos States.
“ In the afternoon/evening periods, isolated thunderstorms are expected over parts of Enugu, Ebonyi, Abia, Ekiti, Ogun, Imo, Oyo, Ondo, Edo, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Rivers, Lagos and Bayelsa States,” it said.
NiMet also anticipated sunny skies on Tuesday with few patches of cloud over the northern states with prospects of isolated thunderstorms envisaged over parts of Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba and Kaduna States during the afternoon and evening hours.
It envisaged the North Central region to be sunny with patches of cloud during the morning hours.
The agency also envisaged isolated thunderstorms over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Plateau, Nasarawa, Kogi, Benue, Kwara and Niger States, later in the day.
“Cloudy atmosphere with intervals of sunshine is expected over the inland and coastal areas of the South, with chances of morning thunderstorm over parts of Cross River, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and Rivers States.
“In the afternoon/evening periods, isolated thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, Imo, Anambra, Enugu, Abia, Oyo, Edo, Delta, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Rivers and Bayelsa States ,” it said.
It predicted a sunny atmosphere on Wednesday, with patches of cloud over the northern region, during the forecast period.
“Sunny skies with patches of clouds are expected over the North Central region with chances of isolated thunderstorms over parts of Plateau, Kogi, Nasarawa, the Federal Capital Territory and Benue States, during the afternoon/evening periods.
“ Cloudy atmosphere with intervals of sunshine is expected over the inland and coastal areas of the South with prospects of thunderstorms over parts of Anambra, Imo, Enugu, Ebonyi and Abia.”
Other states to experience cloudy atmosphere, are “Edo, Ondo, Ekiti, Ogun, Oyo, Cross River, Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Delta and Bayelsa States, later in the day.”
NiMet urged the public to take adequate precaution as strong winds might precede rains in areas where thunderstorms were likely to occur.
The agency also urged airline operators to get updated weather reports and forecasts from its office for effective planning in their operations.

Continue Reading

Trending