…as CP Kanayo orders massive deployments and arrests of the criminal elements
… solicits citizen support and immediate report of individuals sighted with gunshot wounds
Enugu State Police Command’s Operatives, serving in Ogui Division, on May 10, 2024, around 9.30 p.m., while conducting stop and search along Presidential Road, Enugu, suddenly came under attack by armed hoodlums suspected to be IPOB/ESN criminal elements, who operated in three SUV jeeps. The Operatives returned fire, forcing the hoodlums to escape with varying degrees of gunshot wounds and abandoning a recovered Lexus RX 300 jeep with Reg. No. KTU 991 FD.
However, two of the operatives sustained gunshot injuries in the ensuing gun duel and were taken to the hospital for medical treatment.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Kanayo Uzuegbu, psc (+), has ordered the massive deployment of the Command’s operational, tactical, and intelligence resources to sustain the ongoing operations to hunt-down and bring the criminal elements to book.
The CP, therefore, solicits citizen support through the provision of credible information and intelligence, urging the public and owners of medical facilities in particular, to quickly report individuals sighted with gunshot wounds to the nearest Police Station. Or alternatively, contact the Command’s Control Room through 08032003702, 08098880172, or 08086671202, or send emails to infoenugupolice@gmail.com.
DSP DANIEL NDUKWE, anipr, mnisma
Police Public Relations Officer,
Enugu State Command,
State Headquarters,
GRA, Enugu.
May 11, 2024.
Governor Dauda Lawal has paid over four billion Naira in gratuities to retired workers in Zamfara State, which has been owed since 2011.
Retired state and local government workers in Zamfara State have not received the gratuities that have accumulated over the years.
A statement by the spokesperson for the Zamfara Governor, Sulaiman Bala Idris, revealed that gratuity payments began in February for state and local government workers after retirees were authenticated and validated.
According to the statement, the Zamfara State government has paid a total of N4,337,087,492.06 billion in four batches to state and local government retirees.
“In February, Governor Dauda Lawal set up a committee to validate retiree data and settle the gratuity debt that has accumulated since 2011 as part of his effort to sanitize the civil service in Zamfara State.
“After verifying the data of retired civil servants in Zamfara, the government discovered that state and local governments owed a total of N13.4 billion.
“In the first, second, and third tranches of payment, 1,088 verified state pensioners were paid their total gratuity entitlements. The total amount paid was N1,836,836,018.95
“This month, 284 verified state pensioners were paid their gratuity arrears worth N499,435,942.42 in the fourth batch. The total amount paid by the state pension rose to N2,336,271,961.37.
“Furthermore, a total of 1,744 retired Local Government and Primary School Teachers who retired between 2011 and 2018 have been paid N2,000,815,530.69 in four batches.
“The ongoing gratuity payment is a remarkable achievement, and it is expected to provide some relief to the beneficiaries who have been waiting for years to receive their benefits.
“Governor Lawal’s administration has shown that it remains focused on fulfilling its promises to the people of Zamfara State.”
Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has advocated the revival of the Sambisa forest which was affected by the over one decade-old Boko Haram insurgency.
Zulum was speaking on Thursday in New York at the UN’s High-Level Segment Roundtable on: “Forest-based solutions to the triple planetary crises: A Focus on People, Science, Technology, and Finance.”
The governor said, “Borno State has been significantly impacted by the crisis of insecurity caused by Boko Haram insurgency which has led to widespread displacement of communities, destruction of infrastructure, and loss of livelihoods”.
He added: “The conflict has also exacerbated environmental degradation, including deforestation and loss of biodiversity in our major forest (Sambisa Forest), further exacerbating the vulnerabilities of our region”.
Furthermore, he stated, “the loss of forest cover has resulted in soil erosion, reduced water availability, loss of biodiversity, and increased vulnerability to climate change impacts”.
Governor Zulum noted that the shrinking of Lake Chad, which was a vital source of water and livelihood for millions of people in the region, has been a direct consequence of climate change resulting from the incessant destruction of forests such as Sambisa.
According to the governor, deforestation in Borno State has been driven by a combination of factors, including population growth, agricultural expansion, unsustainable land use practices, the need for energy, and the impact of the conflict.
Zulum listed initiatives, including rehabilitation and restoration, community engagements, monitoring and evaluation, and collaboration and partnership as measures to save the forest devastated by the activities of terrorists.
The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawan, led the Nigerian delegation, which included the Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, and other officials.
In continuation of the bid by Governor Peter Mbah Administration to revive and convert Enugu State’s dormant assets to productive assets, the government has signed a N100bn deal with Pragmatic Palms Limited, a subsidiary of Diamond Stripes Limited, to resuscitate the moribund Enugu State United Palm Products Limited, UPPL.
The partnership will see Pragmatic Palms transform UPPL, one of the agricultural and agro-industrialisation initiatives of the late premier of the defunct Eastern Region, Dr. M. I. Okpara, which had lain fallow for many years.
Speaking during the signing of agreement at Government House Enugu, Governor Peter Mbah said the move was in line with his administration’s determination to grow the state’s economy exponentially from $4.4 billion to $30 billion, assuring the investors that his government would play its own part.
“This is a moment we must all be very proud of because it represents a major leap in our quest towards the revival of our dormant assets in line with our vision and the promises we made to our people.
“This investment outlay of over N100bn is very significant because we also see agriculture beyond food security. We see agriculture as business.
“I want to assure you that the government you are dealing with is business-facing, and given my background as an entrepreneur, we understand what it means to have the ease of doing business. So, we are going to ensure that this is going to be an experience that you will use as a reference point. We will be very responsive, and we are going to make sure that this partnership works for the benefit of the company and also that of Enugu State. So, what we are doing here today will mark the beginning of great things ahead,” Mbah stated.
Fielding questions from newsmen, the Enugu State Commissioner for Trade, Investment and Industry, Adaora Chukwu, described the deal as a milestone, listing its many socio-economic benefits to the state.
“Today, we witnessed a remarkable milestone. Recall that before His Excellency came on board, one of the first promises he had made to the people of Enugu State was to revive our non-operational assets and United Palm Products Ltd is one significant asset that has been dormant for years. And what we did today was the partial handover and the contract signing of UPPL to a company called Pragmatic Palm Ltd, which is a subsidiary of Diamond Stripes Ltd.
“The economic significance of what we did today is huge: The number of jobs it will create, the multiplier effects in terms of increasing production in the oil palm industry. You know that oil palm is an export commodity. We are not talking about the forex earnings into the state and also the building of capacity in-house, technology transfer, as well as skills and knowledge transfer to the people of Enugu State,” she said.
Also speaking, the Managing Director/CEO of Pragmatic Palms, George Nwangwu, said that palm products were in high demand, noting that United Palm Products Limited was capable of kick-starting the economic transformation of Enugu State.
“We have to realise that agriculture is a business. We are going to bring in a lot of equipment, and we are going to process the palm. Not just the palm, the palm kernel is an export commodity. If you go back and look at the biggest import over the years, palm is actually number five on the list. So, it is a significant product, and we tend to make sure we optimise its potentials here.
“The idea is to kick-start the economic transformation of the state. For instance, if we produce enough, people will come and set up their soap factories and then employ more people. It has a multiplier effect.
“Also, just to give you an example, to get the one at Oji River running, you are talking about close to 500 people because we need people to weed, to operate the plants and process it. So, you are also creating direct employment. If you put all these together, you can see that it runs into thousands of jobs,” he explained.
The House of Representatives said yesterday the controversial Lagos-Calabar coastal highway had no National Assembly’s approval.
It also resolved to investigate the procurement process of the coastal highway.
The House also called on the Minister of Works, Minister of Finance and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to ensure that all project guarantees and credit enhancement instruments are sent to the National Assembly for approval.
The Green Chamber equally mandated its committees on Procurement and Works to investigate the procurement process of the contract for the project.
Recall that the project has generated a lot of controversies, with former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, and Presidential Candidate of Labour Party, LP, in the 2023 election, Mr Peter Obi, asking the Federal Government to come clean on the project.
The motion, titled “Urgent need to investigate the procurement process and award of contract for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway’’, was moved by Austin Achado(APC-Benue) at plenary in Abuja.
Moving the motion, Achado said award of the contract did not follow due process, adding that it also did not get the approval of the National Assembly, hence the need to thoroughly investigate the procurement process of the contract.
Achado said: “The House is disturbed that the contingent liabilities accruing to the Federal Government of Nigeria on this project violate the Debt Management Office (Establishment) Act of 2023, as Section 22(3) states that the minister shall not guarantee an external loan unless the terms and conditions of the loan shall have been laid before the National Assembly and approved by its resolution.
“The guarantees issued to cover the debt financing component of this project do not have the approval of this National Assembly.”
Speaking further, he noted that the Federal Ministry of Works had executed an Engineering Procurement Construction and Finance (EPC+F) contract, in favour of Hitech Construction Company Nigeria Limited, for the delivery of the 700km Lagos to Calabar Coastal Road and Rail Project estimated at a rate of N4.329 billion per kilometre, using reinforced concrete technology for a carriage width of 59.7metres to include 10 lanes, shoulders and rail with additional designs of service ducts, street lights, drainages and shore protection.
He further noted that the project, with the prospect of providing easy access for the movement of goods and services across the nation, has a financing structure, as announced by the Minister of Works, which required the Federal Government to provide 15 to 30% co-financing, while the private sector counterpart will provide the balance, and toll the road when completed for a minimum period of 15 years, to ensure full recovery of all debts and equity applied for the delivery of the project.
The lawmaker expressed concerns that the procurement strategy might have violated the Public Procurement Act 2007, Section 40(2) which required that where a procuring authority adopts to use Restrictive Tendering Approach, it should be on the basis that the said goods and services are available only from a limited number of suppliers and contractors and as such, tenders shall be invited from all such contractors who could provide such goods and services.
According to him, the procurement strategy adopted by the Federal Ministry of Works for the award of the contract violates the Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission Act 2905, as Section 4 of the Act outlines that all approved infrastructure projects and contracts for financing, construction and maintenance must be advertised for open competitive public bid, in at least three national dailies and Section 5 of the Act further clarifies that any direct negotiations with only one contractor could be allowed, only after exhausting the provisions of section 4 .
He expressed concern that the Federal Ministry of Works, in promoting the project, has provided a rate per kilometre for the planned works, but has not provided the private partner’s financing sources, structure and competitiveness, as this was likely to create contingent liabilities to the Nigerian government.
The House, therefore, asked it’s committees to report back within four weeks.
The Senate has approved the death sentence as a penalty for drug traffickers in the country, as it passes through the third reading, the 2024 NDLEA Act (Amendment) Bill.
The proposal was adopted on Thursday when the Senate dissolved into a committee of the whole for a clause-by-clause consideration of a report of the Chairman of the Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights & Legal Matters and Drugs & Narcotics National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024, Senator Tahir Munguno.
In a review of the penalty provisions of the amendment bill towards strengthening the operations of the agency, a proposed amendment to award a death sentence to drug traffickers rather than just a life sentence was raised by the Senate Chief Whip and Sen. Peter Nwebonyi Under clause 11.
When the matter was put to a voice vote, it appeared the nays had it. However, when the question was put on a second vote, the Deputy senate President ruled in favour of the i’s. A slight uproar ensued as some lawmakers were displeased.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole expressed his displeasure over what he considered a hasty consideration and passage of the amended clause.
The Deputy Senate President rejected an objection by Senator Oshiomhole to reverse the ruling, insisting that it came late which is against the rules.
The upper chamber also commenced the review salaries, allowances and fringe benefits of judicial office holders in Nigeria in a bid to curb bribery and corruption and ensure independence of the judiciary.
The executive bill seeking to prescribe the salaries of the judicial office holders both at the federal and state levels scaled second reading on Thursday and is expected to nip in the bud, the prolonged stagnation in remuneration to reflect the current socio-economic realities.
Even though the bill was unanimously embraced, some lawmakers canvassed that in the face of the current economic hardship, salaries/ remuneration of Nigerians in other sectors be equally reviewed.
The bill was, thereafter, referred to the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters to report back in four weeks.
…Set to complete Int’l wing, construct cargo terminal, warehouses
…As Gov Mbah targets 100 flights per day, 3 million visitors per annum
The partnership by the Enugu State Government and the Federal Government towards the completion and operationalization of the international terminal as well as the construction of a cargo terminal and warehouses at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, has received a boost following the constitution of a committee to fine-tune the terms of cooperation between the state government and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, and work out other modalities towards the actualisation of the long-awaited infrastructural upgrade.
This was even as the Managing Director of FAAN, Mrs. Olubunmi Oluwaseun Kuku, lauded what she described as “the wisdom of the Enugu State Government to partner with FAAN in providing critical infrastructure that will enhance the ability of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in providing seamless operations in cargo, domestic, and international passenger facilitation.”
Speaking at a meeting between the state government and FAAN at the Government House, Mrs. Kuku stressed that the infrastructural upgrade, when completed, would “catalyse the business potential of the South East region, increase wealth creation within the zone, reduce poverty, and enhance the GDP of the states within this geopolitical zone.”
She explained that separate studies by the International Civil Aviation Organisation and the International Airport Transport Association had demonstrated that ”airports are engines of economic growth and that “one percent of a state budgetary allocation spent on an airport has the ability to triple the state’s GDP.“
“In this regard, we welcome the nomination of experts from the state and from FAAN to join a committee that will commence further actions and with timelines. That will aid in signing the necessary MOU for the immediate implementation of the project as envisioned by the governor,” she stated.
Speaking of Enugu State, Dr Peter Mbah, reiterated his government’s determination to make the state the preferred destination for investment, business, tourism, and living as well as grow the state’s economy from the current $4.4 billion GDP to $30 billion GDP in the next four to eight years. He, however, said that the government was aware that such exponential growth would not happen without providing the necessary environment, including world class airport, aviation, and logistics services, that would make the state attractive to private investors.
“For example, in our plan for tourism, we have projected to have over three million visitors come into Enugu State every year from next year. So, when we think in numbers, in terms of logistics, we will be expecting over 100 flights to come into Enugu on a daily basis. Therefore, the current infrastructure cannot handle it.
“Therefore, we are going to work with you to operationalise the international wing of the airport. We are also interested in constructing the cargo terminal and warehouses,” the governor stated.
He explained that the initial issues with the Nigerian Airforce surrounding the proposed site for the cargo terminal had been resolved following the execution of an MoU with the military service and there was nothing encumbering the commencement of the project.
“One of the impediments, which is something we came across when we assumed office and we have been able to deal with that, is our relationship with the Nigerian Airforce. We now have green lights to go ahead with the construction of the cargo terminal following our agreement because we have executed an agreement with the Airforce.
“We have an understanding where they are to build their barracks and where we are to build the other infrastructure. That is all sorted out now. We are hoping that we get this Committee sitting done and concluded within the next two weeks. And so, by the next time we will meet, it will just be to sign the dotted lines. This is a priority for us as government”, Mbah stated.
Meanwhile, the Committee is to be chaired by the Commissioner for Transportation in Enugu State, Dr. Obi Ozor, and co-chaired by Mr. Hycienth Ngwu, Head of Business Development, FAAN.
Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has described the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, as an epitome of democracy and quality representation who has contributed immensely to the growth of democracy in Nigeria.
The statement, which was contained in a press release by the governor marking the 53rd birthday of the lawmaker, added that the deputy speaker had shown that the nation could get it right through dedicated leaders like him who put Nigeria first in their priority list.
“I am glad to join your family, friends, well-wishers as well as our countrymen and women to commemorate your 53rd birthday, and to also salute your courage, dedication and commitment to the service of our great nation,” he noted.
Describing the ranking legislator as a patriotic citizen who would continue to be asset to his constituents, the National Assembly, Abia State and Nigeria at large, the governor urged him to not to relent in the patriotic journey to making the country better, safer and conducive for the citizens.
He also commended him for the robust relationship between the legistlative and the executive arms of the government, stressing that the cooperation had begun to yield dividends of democracy for the Nigerian citizens.
“On behalf of the Government and the good people of Enugu State, I wish long life and good health,” the statement concluded.
The Federal Government has said mandatory registration of Point-of-Sales operators nationwide will reduce kidnapping and help security agencies arrest recipients of ransom payments from kidnap victims.
It also vowed that security agencies would go after PoS operators who fail to comply with the directive to register with the Corporate Affairs Commission after July 7, 2024.
The Registrar-General, CAC, Hussaini Magaji, disclosed this at the formal launch of the CAC registration of agents and merchants of fintechs on Wednesday in Abuja.
The event also marked the unveiling of a 24-hour service centre to help prospective applicants get a prompt response to enquiries and approvals.
The government had through the commission on Monday issued a two-month registration deadline for PoS operators to register as corporate bodies with the commission in line with the legal requirements and directives of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The action backed by Section 863, Subsection 1 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, CAMA 2020 as well as the 2013 CBN guidelines on agent banking aims to safeguard businesses and strengthen the economy.
It also came against the backdrop of frequent fraud incidents involving PoS terminals and plans to stop trading in cryptocurrency or any virtual currency by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
PoS terminals accounted for 26.37 per cent of fraud incidents in 2023, according to a fraud report by the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc.
Last week, the CBN stopped major fintech firms like Kuda, Opay, PalmPay and Moniepoint from onboarding new customers. The fintech firms later warned their customers against trading in cryptocurrency or any virtual currency on their apps, threatening to block any accounts found engaging in such activities.
Speaking at the event, Hussaini reiterated the government’s resolve to fully implement the mandate by providing a fully digitised service centre for easy registration.
He emphasised that the registration process aligns with both legal requirements and the directives of the CBN mandating individual, merchant or business entities to be captured in its database.
He further warned that the 60-day deadline would not be extended while stressing that defaulters would receive adequate punishments after the deadline.
He said, “We have launched a 24-hour service centre to accommodate enquiries from Point of Sales operators and agents who may want to register as directed by the new policy. The secretariat is filled with staff members who have the responsibility of availability, and some are being saddled with the responsibility of approving requests. We have equipped the secretariat with the necessary facilities.
“This is to show you how the government is taking this issue seriously and the centre will be open for a 24-hour service. It will be open for compliance and any feedback from the public especially PoS operators who have been mandated to register their businesses with the commission.”
He added, “We have trained our staff to accommodate these activities and these staff can work from home and that’s why we said 24-hour service. We have equipped them with facilities and they can work from home for approvals and availability segment. The deadline remains 60 days and it will end July 7th.”
The CAC boss further stated that the timeline was not intended to target specific groups or individuals but genuinely aimed at safeguarding businesses.
The CAC boss explained, “Of course, the mandatory registration will reduce crime and fraudulent practices, the commission is hosting data and if any crime is committed anywhere, the security agencies would have to reach us to know the people behind the company and the fraudsters. But if they are not registered, we can’t do anything and that’s the essence of the registration.
“We have had a situation where a ransom is being paid with a PoS terminal and a lot of fraud but after the registration, if anything happens we can provide the details of the persons behind the company to the government. We will capture the picture and other relevant information and this is a good development for the country.”
He stressed that “after the deadline, we would go after defaulters, If you have been identified as a criminal, security agents will go after you, we will go after them because some are being chased by the security agencies already.”
He elaborated on the benefits of registration, emphasising that it goes beyond taxation to encompass access to loans, legality, and compliance with regulatory requirements.
“The law has stated that for any person to carry out business activity in the country, your business must be legitimate and for your business to be legitimate you must register, either you are doing your business as an individual or as an agent, you must register with us.
“The POS terminal holders are doing business, and we are now enforcing part of the provision of the Company and Allied Matters Act. We have been on this issue since December and extending it to July means they have six months. We have provided a timeline in the interest of their business.
Meanwhile, PoS agents have reacted to the order asking them to register with the CAC.
While some agents agreed with the CBN, many said it would place more burden on the operators, especially those in rural communities.
The National President of the Association of Mobile Money and Bank Agents in Nigeria, Sarafa Fasasi, in a reaction on his handles, said the directive was confusing.
“The memo got me confused because the current CBN agent banking regulations allow individuals to be onboarded as agents under the sub-agent category. Currently, Nigeria has over 1.9 million agents of which over 70 per cent are sub-agents without registered businesses, operating under an agent network – super agent arrangements. They are the most penetrating channel of financial inclusion. Now, we want to eliminate them with CAC registration?” he queried.
Fasasi noted that the nation should be able to achieve payment security without reversing the 74 per cent financial inclusion rate.
He posited, “On the suspension of top service providers, majorly non-banks like Opay, Palmpay, Moniepoint, Kuda bank and others from account creation due to alleged foreign exchange and crypto transactions; it would be recalled that before Binance controversies, FX/crypto transactions, at one point or the other, terminated in several accounts or wallets, across all service providers, bank and non-banks. So, all service providers may be guilty and should be suspended to be fair.
“I cannot imagine suspending all commercial banks from opening new bank accounts because of pre-regulation transactions.”
In a similar vein, a Point-of-Sale agent, Ogunfowokan Temitope, located in the Ilasa area of Surulere, Lagos State, said the move was unfair against the agents.
She said, “It is not fair because most of the PoS agents only have a small amount of money. Some even borrowed money to start a business. These set of people, how are they going to cope, and do you know how much it costs to register a business now?”
However, the immediate past president of the association, Victor Olojo, backed the move by the CBN, stating that it was the measure needed for standardisation and enhanced security.
He said, “Because it is a financial matter, the CBN needs to ensure the financial system is well galvanised. Today we see people hawking and handling PoS terminals, who should not even have any business handling.
“Also, this move would weed them off, and enable those with capacity to focus on the business, hence Nigeria being better served.”
He noted that it is a plus for the CAC, adding that millions of unregistered PoS agents are adequately regularised.
“We would begin to have a unique business identity or identifier generated for a specific PoS agent. This means that all PoS accounts opened would now have the proper Know-Your-Customer tier 3 standard where you have all the needed verifications plugged into your account.
“That way, if there are any issues, the PoS agent can be easily traced and arrested, therefore curbing fraudulent practices by agents,” he added.
Corroborating Olojo’s position, a PoS agent located in the Berger area of Lagos State, Sunday Samuel, said the move was laudable as it aimed to standardise the businesses of agents.
He said, “The move is going to help the agents to make their businesses more standardised, however, it is not everybody that would understand it from this perspective.
“There are agents in the rural areas that are not aware of what the Corporate Affairs Commission is all about nor the importance. So, they might find it difficult, and it takes a lot of stress going through the registration procedure. However, looking at it in a normal way, having one’s business registered is a good move”.
Meanwhile, another agent located in the Mowe-Ibafo area of Ogun State, Taiwo Shobowale, argued that the new directive would affect the operators because most of them are not oriented on what it means to be registered with the CAC, adding that these agents take it as a daily source of income.
“Most agents do not see this business as an entity, however, rendering financial services can be very sensitive, as the government wants to be involved. The market is already saturated and fraudulent transactions are rarely traced due to the inadequate KYC rule and a lack of proper documentation.
“In addition, the notice is sudden, and the time frame given is short because it is a project that should last for the rest of the year. The rush would lead to a slowdown in the commission’s system, hence resulting in delays,” Shobowale added.
According to the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System, there are over 1.9 million PoS terminals deployed by merchants and individuals nationwide.
The Enugu State Government has dismissed a caveat emptor published on Hotel Presidential in various national dailies by Mr. Gbolahan Elias, SAN, on behalf of Primeview Hotels Limited.
The state made its position known in a statement entitled “Setting the Record Straight: Re: Hotel Presidential”, issued by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, on Wednesday.
It said Primeview had tried to unscrupulously acquire the hotel in 2013 with the sole intent to illegally take over its assets and bury the heritage, hence the revocation of the transaction by the Enugu State Government.
The statement explained that the company lost its lawsuit against the government both at the High Court of Enugu State and the Court of Appeal, while also deliberately failing to appear in court on the last day of hearing at the Supreme Court, as it had no case.
It explained that the apex court did not deprecate the action of government in any way.
The government, therefore, urged the public to disregard the publication, describing it as a baseless, mischievous, contemptuous and erroneous misinformation.
The statement reads: “Enugu State Government, in the discharge of its governance responsibility, hereby presents facts to clear the misinformation that was published by G. Elias SAN on behalf of Primeview Hotels Limited (Primeview) in The Guardian newspaper of 6th May 2024 and others, purporting to place a caveat emptor on the lawful award of contract by the Enugu State Government to rebuild and restore order to the abandoned Hotel Presidential Enugu, which has constituted a serious state security threat.
“The record is set straight as follows: Primeview and E Hospitality Services Limited entered into an illegal Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) and related transactions with Hotel Presidential Limited (owned by the Enugu State Government) in September 2013 to unlawfully concession Hotel Presidential, contrary to the Enugu State Privatization and Commercialization of Government Enterprises Law, No. 15 of 2010. Those behind Primeview were only interested in illegally acquiring the assets of Hotel Presidential and burying the heritage.
“To uphold the Law, Enugu State Government consequently terminated, revoked and set aside the illegal JVA and its related transaction documents.
“Primeview and E Hospitality (Defendants) sued Hotel Presidential and the Government in the High Court of Enugu State on 7th November 2017, seeking: (1) a declaration that the Government’s termination of the contract is wrongful; (2) an order for consequential damages for profits that the defendants would have earned within the period of the contract; and other orders relating to payment of damages.
“The Defendants never contested that Hotel Presidential and its premises or assets are owned by the Enugu State Government, neither did they seek specific performance of the illegal contract, because it was clear who owns the Hotel and that they have been caught up by their illegal act. Thus, lis pendens never applied.
“The High Court, in its judgment delivered on 16th July 2018, refused to grant any reliefs sought by the Defendants, and held that the JVA (with all its related transaction documents) was illegal and unenforceable, having been made in contravention of an existing law. Consequently, the action was struck out; thus, upholding the action of the Government
“This decision of the High Court was upheld by the Court of Appeal in its judgment of 12 March 2020 in Primeview Hotel Limited & anor v Hotel Presidential Limited & Ors, CA/E/754/2018.
“The Supreme Court in SC/CV/359/2020 never at any point deprecated any act of the Government. Rather, Primeview and its counsel on the last day of hearing deliberately failed to appear in court, as they know that their appeal lacks merit.
“The general public is urged to disregard the aforementioned mischievous, contemptuous and erroneous misinformation of Primeview on Hotel Presidential Enugu.”
The House of Representatives has stepped down a motion calling for the suspension of the cybersecurity levy which has elicited negative reactions from Nigerians.
Honourable Manu Soro, who moved a motion on the floor of the house on Wednesday, had explained that the levy was coming at the wrong time, considering the current living conditions of Nigerians.
The lawmaker had argued that the National Security Adviser is a political office, and has no mandate to manage accruals.
However, the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, urged the lawmaker to step down the motion to allow the leadership of the House to deliberate on how best to address the situation.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), had described the planned cybersecurity levy introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on all electronic transactions as another burden on Nigerians.
According to a circular issued to various financial institutions, including commercial, merchant, non-interest, and payment service banks, the apex bank indicated that the levy would come into effect in two weeks from May 6.
The levy’s introduction has sparked widespread criticism among Nigerians and civil society organisations.
Rejecting the policy, the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, said such deductions directly affect the disposable income of workers, and further diminish the purchasing power of the common citizens.
He said the directive is another gang up by the ruling elite, to continue its extortion and exploitation of helpless workers and the masses.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress recognises the importance of cybersecurity in today’s digital age,” the statement reads.
“However, imposing such a levy on electronic transactions without due consideration for its implications on workers and vulnerable segments of society is unjustifiable.
“This levy stands as another tax that is too much for Nigerians, burdening them with additional financial responsibilities.
“We see this levy as another gang-up by the ruling elite to continue its extortion and exploitation of hapless and helpless workers and the masses.”
Ajaero lamented that domestic manufacturers and other businesses were already shuttering as a result of the stifling socio-economic environment.
“We urge a collaborative approach between the government, regulatory bodies, and stakeholders to develop sustainable cybersecurity measures that do not unduly burden the populace.
“We reiterate our commitment to championing the rights and welfare of Nigerian workers and the masses,” the NLC President said.
Also reacting, the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, said the 0.5 per cent levy came at a time when the government should be reducing taxes to curb inflation.
“The government is instead introducing new taxes. And when did the office of the NSA become a revenue-collecting centre?,” he queried in a post on his X handle on Wednesday.
The Chairman/CEO of Chisco Transport, Chief Chidi Anyaegbu, has commended the Dr. Peter Mbah Administration in Enugu State for its effort to reposition the transport and logistics sector in the state, including the administration’s plans to build modern transport interchanges or bus stations in various parts of the state, stressing that “transport is life.”
Anyaegbu noted that as a political leader, who came from the business world, he had an unwavering conviction that the governor would drastically change the fortunes of the state for good.
The business mogul stated this while fielding questions from Government House correspondents during a visit to Mbah on Wednesday, urging the residents and people of the state to continue to accord the governor their total support.
“I came for a private visit to the Executive Governor of Enugu State. We had a good discussion and I can say that the Executive Governor has a very good intention of how to develop the state, which I also know because he came from the business sector or business environment. He understands how to add value to what he met,” he said.
Speaking on Governor Mbah’s modern transport interchange plans, Chief Anyaegbu said, “His plans are very good. Transport is life, I have been in Transport for 46 years. I know what transport is. I understand that transport adds a lot to the economy. And which I will repeat myself again, after listening to the Executive Governor, I know he has good plans about this and this is why I am telling you that when you give him time, in very short time, Enugu people will see a lot of improvement under his administration.
“He has a lot of plans on logistics and how to develop Enugu State in the area of logistics and every other area he has plans for. I am convinced that all his plans will come to fruition,” he stated.
