Television Nigerian

Hadiza Bala-Usman, a former managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, has refuted the claim made by Rotimi Amaechi, a former minister of transportation, that she gave a contract valued at N2.8 billion while she was in government.

During a Thursday event in Lagos, the former minister accused the former head of the NPA of leaving out the offenses that resulted in her dismissal from the position in her book, “Stepping on Toes: My Odyssey at the Nigerian Ports Authority.”

Amaechi claimed that Bala-Usman, the managing director of NPA with a N2.5 million approval cap, approved a N2.8 billion contract because there were too many lies in the book.

But in a signed statement dated October 28, Bala-Usman, the President’s Special Advisor on Policy Coordination, questioned where Amaechi refuted the minister’s claim.

She said that the accusation was not included in the list of offenses that she received in response to a question from the Amaechi-instituted Panel of Inquiry.

A portion of the statement said, “Mr. Amaechi claimed in his tirade that I gave a contract worth N2.8 billion. That is untrue. This claim was not included in the list of infractions that the former minister sent me in response to a question about the findings of the Administrative Panel of Inquiry he established, so I’m not sure where he obtained the N2.8 billion figure from.

She pointed out that the only matter pertaining to a contract award in the inquiry was the emergency acquisition of functioning cars in the wake of the NPA’s October 21, 2020, vandalism of its Marina, Lagos offices.

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In response to the question, the former head of the NPA declared she never violated the Procurement Act.

“In response to your question regarding the N1.2 billion expenditure, I explained that we made the procurement under the provisions of Sections 43 (1) (a), (2), (3), and (4) of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 (PPA), which permits procuring entities to purchase items due to an emergency and obtain the necessary approval upon completion of the procurement,” the speaker stated.The book’s pages 166–171 contain a thorough account of the answer to the question, including the authorization that was granted and the purported increase of the car prices.

Regarding the claims about the waivers given to certain people while she was in charge, she claimed the question and her response supporting it were in the book.

“The former minister also discussed waivers, which the FMOT’s inquiry addressed in Item F,” the speaker continues. Pages 171–175 of the book contain the query and my answer outlining the facts and rationale for each waiver that the NPA administration has granted.

“He misrepresented the information in Query C, which claimed that a supplemental agreement concerning the Lekki Deep Sea Port Concession Project, which was published on pages 163-165 of the book, had been executed unilaterally.”

The former head of the NPA added that she was not aware of the ten counts Amaechi alleged the tribunal had found her guilty on.

She questioned whether the non-remittance of N165 billion to the Consolidated Revenue Fund was included in the figures.
I have not received any such indictments, thus I am unaware of these 10 counts. However, may I ask him if these counts encompass the purported non-remittance of N165 billion in operating surpluses to the Consolidated Revenue Fund, for which he applied for and received permission from former President Muhammadu Buhari to look into the NPA’s accounts and my “resignation from office”?
“”Is it not true that this serious accusation was not mentioned in the inquiry I got from the ministry following the panel’s work?” she questioned.

President Bola Tinubu has lauded the characteristics of Oba Rilwan Akiolu, the Oba of Lagos, on his 80th birthday today, October 28, 2023.

Tinubu commended the traditional ruler in a statement issued on Saturday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, and made available.

The President, who characterized the monarch as “a fountain of wisdom and knowledge, and a staunch custodian of Lagos’ rich culture and traditions,” remarked that his bond with the Oba had grown over time.

He went on to say that the monarch was instrumental in his achievement as governor of Lagos State.

“Oba Akiolu and I have come a long way,” the statement begins. He is a confidant of mine. He is a great buddy I hold in high regard for his honesty, integrity, and forthrightness. He is usually generous with his knowledgeable advice and eager to share his fatherly advice.

“Baba defends the truth and his people. His encouragement and wisdom have contributed to my success as Governor of Lagos State. His Majesty’s rule has provided the wonderful people of Lagos peace, progress, and development.”

While praying for the Oba’s long life and reign, the President also expressed heartfelt gratitude for his unending prayers and support.

“Today, I honor an extraordinary monarch whose wit and foresight are unparalleled.” May His Majesty live long, and may his reign on his fathers’ throne be prosperous.”

The Federal Road Safety Corps spokesperson, Bisi Kazeem, has been promoted to the rank of Deputy Corps Marshal by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.

According to a statement released on Friday and signed by Deputy Corps Public Education Officer Charles Edem, Kazeem, who was an Assistant Corps Marshal prior to his elevation, would represent the nation’s South-West geopolitical zone.

The appointed officer was advised to demonstrate greater dedication and recommit himself to accomplishing the agency’s corporate purpose by Corps Marshal Dauda Biu.

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The exercise “is part of the commission’s drive towards rewarding excellence, diligence, and hard work which is in line with the administrative philosophy of the present leadership of the corps,” according to a quotation from Biu.

As the current chief of the Corps Public Education Office, Kazeem is an experienced administrator with a strong background in road safety. He has held multiple positions of authority and completed numerous courses both domestically and abroad.

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He graduated from Ogun State University with a Master of Science in Transport Studies and the University of Ilorin with a Master of Arts in Peace and Security Studies.

In addition to being an associate member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, he is a fellow of the Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria, the International Association of Chiefs of Police in the United States, and the Nigerian Institute of Management Chattered.

The Nigerian Supreme Court currently has ten justices on its bench, according to Chief Justice Olukayode Ariwoola’s statement on Friday.

He claims that the Supreme Court has the fewest justices in history, with just 10 justices sitting on the bench.

In the concluding court session for Justice Musa Dattijo, who reached the mandatory retirement age of seventy years, the Chief Justice delivered a speech.

But the CJN gave everyone the reassurance that all efforts are being made to quickly promote a sizable number of Justices to the Court’s bench.

“Just 10 Justices remain on the Supreme Court Bench, the lowest number in the court’s modern history, following the departure of Justice Musa Dattijo today and Justice Adamu Augie’s retirement a few weeks ago,” he stated.

“That being said, I can tell the litigant public with confidence that we are making every effort to add a significant number of Justices to our ranks in order to complement the enormous amount of work we have been putting into the Court’s operations.”

The CJN praised Dattijo, calling him an example of brilliance that goes beyond the legal field.

He declared, “I am extremely thrilled to be present for this unique valedictory session, but I am also extremely overwhelmed emotionally.”

“This is not because this is my first time witnessing or presiding over a valedictory session; rather, it is because we are honoring a classic judicial icon with brilliant attributes and captivating stature who can be categorised as an exemplary figure that goes beyond the legal profession in a single breath.

“My Lord Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammad, in whose honor we are gathered here today, is the pinnacle of jurisprudential grace; an unstoppable lion in the temple of justice with an unquenchable voice.

“We are here to honor a distinguished jurisprudential iconoclast who has dedicated his many years of impeccable and unchallenged judgments at various Nigerian court levels to the progress of the legal profession.

By all accounts, His Lordship has made a profound impact on the highly regarded history books of the Nigerian judiciary as the valiant and distinguished Justice on the Supreme Court bench who unwaveringly maintained authority in the performance of his judicial duties.

“My Lord, Justice Dattijo, skillfully assisted and backed me almost in every domain of administration as second-in-command in the Supreme Court hierarchy. He is an excellent example of diligence, industry, self-control, and moral rectitude.

He voluntarily provided all the assistance and motivation a leader could hope for from a deputy in order to successfully navigate the frequently rough waters of court administration.

The time to stop serving as a judicial officer has therefore arrived, as this event marks his 70th birthday anniversary. After this Court session, my Lord’s life will finally turn a new page that His Lordship and a completely different group of people—whom destiny had already brought together during the course of his second phase of life—will start writing on.

“He is undoubtedly a treasure of immeasurable value and a symbol deserving of praise and admiration. His Lordship is a judge who can be frank, often to the point of being irritating. He also has a reputation for telling it like it is and doesn’t hesitate to call a spade when one’s ox is gored.

“His Lordship has succeeded in building an edifice of hope and optimism in the minds of his throngs of admirers—and even future generations who will have the honor to access and witness his great works in the judicial landscape that have already been well-documented and prominently displayed in the shelves of various libraries across the world—through his mien and conduct.”

Okpolupm Etteh of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was recognized as the representative of the Eket/ONNA/Esit Eket/Ibeno Federal Constituency of Akwa Ibom State by the Court of Appeal, which was located in Lagos. Eseme Eyiboh of the All Progressives Congress (APC) filed the challenge, but it was dismissed for “lack of merit.”

Judge Jummai Hannatu C. Sankey led the panel that rendered the decision on Thursday.

In the decision, the chief judge stated, “We all agreed to rely on the comprehensive decision of the Justice Kudirat Jose-led Tribunal, which had confirmed Hon. Etteh, the victor of the February 25, 2023, House of Representatives election for the Eket/ONNA/Esit Eket/Ibeno Federal Constituency, as announced by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), with 33,001 votes against Eyiboh (16,909 votes)”.
The court ruled that Eyiboh, who claimed that Etteh’s certifications were faked based only on conjecture, must give N300,000 to each of the respondents.

Recall that Eyiboh had petitioned the Tribunal to void Etteh’s eligibility and declare him the election winner on the grounds that Etteh, the PDP candidate, had falsified his certificate, making him ineligible to run for office.