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Obasa: How wives of Lagos lawmakers spent N80m on Dubai trip

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Mudashiru Obasa, the speaker of the Lagos house of assembly, has appeared before a panel of inquiry set up to probe corruption allegations leveled against him.

The nine-man fact-finding panel was chaired by Victor Akande, representative of Ojo constituency I.

SaharaReporters had carried out a thorough investigation on Obasa who allegedly owns more than 60 bank accounts.

He was accused of using his office to misappropriate funds and allocate contracts to himself through third party sources, as well as other acquaintances.

Speaking before the panel on Saturday, Obasa, however, claimed that the allegations were untrue, stating that all expenses were done with the approval of the house, as well as the fund management committee (FMU) which he chairs.

In his response to spending N258 million to print invitation cards for the inauguration of the ninth assembly, he said the event cost N61 million, and that N1.1 million was spent on printing the invitation cards.

“It is not possible to spend N258 million to print invitation cards. We are not involved in such a frivolous expenditure,” he said.

He, however, did not give further details on how the remaining funds were distributed for the inauguration which held in June 2019.

On how N80 million was spent as estacode for training in Dubai, Obasa said wives of 20 lawmakers attended the event and he was there to declare the event open.

“We gave N4 million to each of the participants for air tickets, hotels, feeding and local travel. Air ticket to Dubai alone is about N2 million. Some of these allegations were raised for a crusade to get the speaker out of office,” he said.

“The house of assembly is above common standard of excellence and we have to train people, and this comes with a cost. Learning is not cheap and I have never collected N80 million for estacode at a go before.”

So far, there are no further details on the training referred to by the speaker.

In his speech at the inauguration of the ninth assembly in June 2019, Obasa made reference to the Lagos legislators wives association (LASLEWA), but the group has no significant presence online and it is not clear what the Dubai training was about.

Speaking on the purchase of exotic cars, he added: “We bought land cruisers for principal officers of the house. The cars we bought for them are always higher than those of other members and we followed due process in the purchase. We went through the public procurement agency (PPA) and others and the vehicles were distributed appropriately.

“It was agreed at the parliamentary meetings on about four occasions and the clerk of the house, Mr Azeez Sanni, is the secretary.

“Also, it is not true that my wife collects N10 million monthly from the house. Anyone who says she does should come with proofs and evidences.

“My approval limit as the speaker is N100 million, and anything above that would have to be approved by the fund management committee.”

Officials of Zenith Bank, John Olorundare, chief compliance officer, and Sanni Idowu Awe, zonal head of Alausa, also appeared before the panel.

According to the bank officials, an individual can only have one BVN, and different account names could not be used for one BVN.

They added that Obasa had six accounts with Zenith Bank, out if which two of the accounts are operational, one savings and one current, while the rest are dormant.

Politics

Breaking: UAE lifts visa ban on Nigerians

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Tinubu and Uae ambassador

In a significant development, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has officially lifted the visa restrictions that were previously imposed on Nigerian travelers. This announcement came from the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, following a Federal Executive Council meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu.

“I can tell you that the agreement has been reached and effective from today, Nigerian passport holders intending to travel to the UAE are able to do so,” Idris confirmed.

The lifting of these restrictions marks the end of a prolonged diplomatic dispute between the two nations. The UAE initially imposed the visa ban due to several unresolved issues, including financial disputes. Notably, Dubai’s Emirates airline had suspended flight operations to Nigeria over the Central Bank of Nigeria’s inability to remit an estimated $85 million in revenue to the UAE.

In June, after extensive negotiations, the Nigerian government reassured its citizens that the visa ban would soon be lifted. The government also announced that it had paid 98% of the $850 million owed to the UAE, paving the way for this positive outcome.

Further details on the agreement will be provided later today, as mentioned by Minister Idris. This development is expected to strengthen bilateral relations and promote travel and trade between Nigeria and the UAE.

Stay tuned for more updates as the full details of the agreement are released. For now, Nigerian travelers can start planning their trips to the UAE, free from previous travel restrictions.

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Politics

I’m leaving PDP for APC – Gov Umahi of Ebonyi State

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The Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi, told the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party in Abuja on Tuesday that he was leaving the party.

He said he would join the ruling All Progressives Congress which he claimed would protect the interest of the South-East in the 2023 elections.

Our correspondent gathered that Umahi told the members of the National Working Committee of the PDP that his decision to join  the APC was irrevocable.

The members of the PDP NWC, who were led to the meeting by its National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, were said to have tried in vain to convince the governor not to abandon the party.

Apart from Secondus, among those that were at the meeting at the Ebonyi Governor’s Lodge in Abuja were Deputy National Secretary, Agbo Emmanuel; National Organising Secretary, Austin Akobondu; Financial Secretary, Abdullahi  Maibasira;  National Women Leader, Mariya Waziri  and Senator Sulieman Nazif.

The governor was said to be friendly when he received the PDP delegation, but stuck to his decision to leave the PDP when the issue came up.

It was gathered that the PDP delegation impressed it upon the governor that there was no need leaving the PDP for the APC, which they argued had become unpopular.

Sources at the meeting, however, said the governor was not convinced, insisting that  the APC was planning to zone the 2023 Presidency to the South-East.

He was said to have promised to stay in the PDP if the party could make a pronouncement that it would zone the Presidency to the same zone.

One of the sources said, “I think his (governor’s) mind was made up. We told him there was no need for him to abandon the party that had made him a deputy governor, state chairman of the party, two-time governor and all that. But he refused.

 “He wanted us to unilaterally zone the office of the Presidency to his area. We cannot do that. Parties are not run that way. He told us he was leaving. That is what we got from him.’’

When contacted, Secondus confirmed that the party’s leadership met with Umahi.

 He, however, refused to declared the details of the meeting, insisting that the meeting was on ‘‘national issues.’’

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Crime

We Spent ₦2.2 Billion On Prayers Against Boko Haram – Adariko

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An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission investigating officer, Adariko Michael, on Tuesday, alleged that N2.2 billion was spent on prayers in Nigeria and Saudi Arabia to win the war against Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria.
Mr. Michael was giving evidence as the first prosecution witness (PW1) in the trial of Sambo Dasuki, former National Security Adviser (ONSA) to President Goodluck Jonathan, in the alleged two billion dollars arms deal fraud.

Others charged with Mr. Dasuki, a retired colonel, are a former General Manager with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Aminu Baba-kusa, Acacia Holdings Limited, and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited.

The EFCC charged them with 32 counts bordering on misappropriation, criminal breach of trust, dishonest release and receiving various sums of money before Husseini Baba-Yusuf.

Led in evidence by the EFCC counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, Mr Micheal said N750 million was allegedly transferred from the ONSA special account to Reliance Referral Hospital Limited’s account with First Bank.

He added that N650 million was also transferred to Acacia Holding Limited’s account with EcoBank, while another N600 million and N200 million were transferred to the company’s account with UBA.

“Between September 27, 2013, and April 16, 2015, N50 million was credited to Reliance Referral Hospital’s account.

“Based on responses from the banks involved, as investigating officer, we found out that money was transferred to several individuals and companies.

“When we went through the account statement, we asked the second defendant (Aminu Babakusa) the reason for this.

“He informed us that the money was used to hire clerics to pray for the nation as regards Boko Haram crisis.

“When we asked him to provide the names, contacts and phone numbers of the clerics he hired to pray for the nation, he mentioned only two,” he said.

Mr Dasuki spent four years in detention, following his arrest in 2015 over alleged misappropriation of N2.2 billion meant for arms purchase during his time as National Security Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan

After the Federal Government had consistently failed to honor court orders granting him bail, including an ECOWAS court judgment in 2016, he was finally released on December 24, 2019

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