Gist Arena

T he letter written by Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu in which he accused the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Maikanti Baru of gross insubordination may have elicited more confusion within the Presidency as Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who had initially owned up, through his media aide Laolu Akande, to granting authorisation to the NNPC for two oil contracts worth N640 billion, has in a volte-face denied any fore knowledge of the contractual terms involving the NNPC. In debunking the initial tweet by his media aide, Osinbajo said he only approved loans bothering on backlog of unpaid Joint cash call ventures and not contracts as earlier stated. Osinbajo denied in another tweet while he was still in Bonny Island Rivers State where he had gone to flag off the Bodo-Bonny Road project. Details later…

H ealth Minister, Prof. Isaac Adewole briefed the Federal Executive Council on public health challenges, including recent outbreaks of Lassa fever, cholera, yellow fever and the latest, suspected monkey pox, saying that further tests were ongoing in Senegal to confirm if what is spreading across the country, is actually monkey pox. “We have recorded 33 suspected cases in all from Bayelsa, Rivers, Ekiti, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Ogun and Cross River States. What is particularly significant is that many of the cases so far reported do not fit into the classic prototype of monkey pox, but we are trying to confirm before the end of today (yesterday) or early tomorrow (today) exactly what we are dealing with.” He advised Nigerians not to panic but to observe basic hygiene practices like regular washing of hands, avoiding contact with dead animals, maintaining clean environment and for health workers to maintain “barrier nursing’ while managing suspected cases. He also said Emer...

T he war of integrity between Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Ibe Kachikwu and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Group Managing Director (GMD) Dr. Maikanti Baru got more intense yesterday. The oil giant faulted the Minister’s claim that he was not consulted on $10billion Crude Term Contracts. The NNPC said Kachikwu made an input into the shortlisting of 40 off-takers for the Crude Term Contracts by recommending seven companies, which were engaged. Also, the minister was said to have nominated two companies for the alleged Direct Sales, Direct Purchase (DSDP) transactions, which Kachikwu claimed were worth $5billion. The corporation said while the Minister was its GMD, he sent a memo to the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) seeking clarification on the status of the NNPC Tenders Board. NNPC’s position is contained in a fact-sheet apparently prepared against the backdrop of the six posers raised by loyalists of Kachikwu for GMD Baru. Th...

T he Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan has said that those behind the allegation peddled in some quarters about the Islamization of Nigeria were people desperately struggling for positions of authority and power in the country. He also said that, as far as Nigeria was concerned, there would be no victor between Christians and Muslims if religious war breaks in Nigeria. He disclosed this in Abuja on Wednesday at the annual conference of the Nigeria Anglican Roman Catholic Commission (NARCC) with the theme; “The Church as Communion, Local and Universal.” Commenting on the allegations that Nigeria would be Ismalize, he said: “As a Christian, we live in a country where at least so far, we have every right to practice our faith, not just practice it as an individuals privately but publicly and not only practice it but propagate it and that is the right that we have under the constitution. “We are doing evangelization work and nobody can stop me or...

L agos Federal High Court Judge, Justice Abdulazeez Anka, has hands-off a fundamental rights case filed by suspected kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, also known as Evans. Abia Facts Newspaper gathered that the case file would now be returned to the Administrative Judge for further directive. The judge had earlier heard the case during the court’s long vacation and had adjourned until Aug. 29 for judgment after parties argued it and adopted their addresses on Aug.16. But the police through its counsel David Igbodo said another lawyer, Henry Obiazi, who represented the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Nigeria Police when the case was heard did so without authorisation. The police prayed the court to set aside all the purported arguments made by Obiazi and to set aside the ruling it delivered on Aug. 16 in which he adjourned for judgment. When the case came up before another judge, Justice Chuka Obiozor during the long vacation, he held that the ca...

F ormer First Lady Patience Jonathan used her mother’s company to launder about N2.114b, according to Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) detectives. Besides, Magel Resort Limited, which was incorporated by Mrs., Jonathan’s late mother, allegedly secured over N200m IT contract from the National Information Technology Development Agency. Many people, including an hotelier in Abuja, also remitted funds into the account. Also, uncovered is how some domestic aides of the former First Lady remitted about N5.7billion into the accounts of three firms linked to Mrs. Jonathan. As part of the investigation, some Federal Government agencies were found to have remitted funds into the account of Ariwobai Aruera Reach Out Foundation, her NGO, which has N2,475,784,487.77. Detectives put the cash in the two domiciliary accounts of the ex-First Lady at $20,731, 173. According to sources in EFCC, the major highlights of the latest investigation of Mrs. Jonat...

A Lagos Federal High Court, has ordered the permanent forfeiture of 56 houses linked to a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke. The Justice Abdulaziz Anka-led court gave the order while ruling on the matter, on Wednesday. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission claimed that Diezani acquired the said houses located in Lagos and Port Harcourt between 2011 and 2013 using front companies. EFCC said the former Minister paid $21,982,224 for the properties, adding that the funds were allegedly from proceeds of crime. The Commission listed the properties to include 29 terraced houses comprising eight four-bedroomed penthouse apartments, six three-bedroom apartments, two three-bedroom maisonettes, two twin bedroom apartments and one four-bedroom apartment.