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Tinubu presents action plan to business leaders: ‘Improving security, reviving dead industries’

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Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has promised that his administration would revive Nigeria’s dead industries if elected in 2023.

Tinubu said this during his town hall meeting with the business community and organised private sector on Tuesday in Lagos.

At the meeting, the APC presidential candidate laid out his action plan before the business leaders, while he noted that his administration will target double-digit gross domestic product (GDP) growth.

In a statement by Tunde Rahman, Tinubu’s media aide, business leaders at the event include Aliko Dangote, president of Dangote Group; Jim Ovia, chairman of Zenith Bank; Tony Elumelu, chairman of UBA; Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, former chief executive of Access Bank; Herbert Wigwe, group chief executive of Access Bank, among others.

Tinubu said having achieved similar economic success as Lagos state governor, he has the capacity to repeat the same in the country as president.

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“Lagos is an appropriate venue for this meeting. You may have heard that I was once governor of this dynamic economic force,” Tinubu said.

“However, may I remind you that when I first entered the office, Lagos was a different story My team and I developed a blueprint, a master plan, for Lagos. I can say that plan has been largely successful.

“We turned this state into a safer, more prosperous place where people can go about any legitimate vocation or venture regardless of their ethnicity, religion, region, or prior social status. We did more than open Lagos for business. We opened the door for all Nigeria to join and experience the decent things progressive democratic governance can bring.

“We were not perfect but we did a lot. In doing so, we worked hand in hand with the business community as partners sharing the same goals of prosperity and renewed hope. Well, as you might have heard at some point recently, I now stand before you, seeking a bigger yet similar job.”

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The APC presidential candidate called on the business community to join hands with him to achieve his plans, stating that a viable economy requires collaboration between the political and business communities.

Tinubu said the nation needs to move from dependence on exporting its raw materials to nations that sell the finished products at exorbitant prices to one that refines its raw materials for upward export itself.

Tinubu further itemised his administration’s plans to build on the achievements of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government.

These, he said, include reviving dead industries, promoting agriculture, providing power, producing and using made-in-Nigeria goods, building infrastructure, and improving the country’s security.

“I have saved the single most important point for last. May I conclude with my thoughts on security? We shall continue the fight against insecurity by redefining our counterinsurgency doctrine and practice,” the presidential candidate said.

“Our response to terror, kidnapping, and violent criminality will be defined by the following elements. We shall enlist more people in the armed forces, security services and the police. Our forces will be given better tactical communications, and mobility as well as improved aerial and ground surveillance capacity.

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“Through these and other measures, we shall better identify, monitor, track, and defeat these evil groups where they are. They shall have no respite until they surrender or are utterly defeated”.

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ICPC detains TETFund boss ‘over questionable N7.6bn project’

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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has detained Sonny Echono, executive secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

Demola Bakare, ICPC spokesperson, confirmed the development on Friday.

 

Bakare said that Echono was invited by the anti-graft agency on Thursday.

“The executive secretary of TETFund is here with us. He has been invited for questioning. He is still in custody. He was invited yesterday.” Bakare said.

 

“He was invited on Thursday. He has not been released. He’s still with us. Investigation is still ongoing.”

 

It was earlier reported that TETfund awarded two contracts to Fides Et Ratio Academy and Pole Global Marketing (PGM) within two months at the cost of N3.8 billion respectively without the approval of the federal executive council (FEC), which is required for the contract size.

 

The contract was to provide capacity building course and learning management systems to about 2 million students across higher institutions in the country.

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In a rejoinder, TETFund said it did not award N7.6 billion contracts to two companies without due process.

 

The agency said it was wrong to say they were contracts, whereas they were ICT projects implemented under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) which doesn’t require competitive bidding in public procurement.

 

TETFund further said its disbursement guidelines were approved by the president on the recommendation of the “Fund’s Board of Trustees and concurrence of the Honourable Minister of Education in line with the TETFund Act 2011″.

In an interview with TheCable, Echono said there was no form of irregularity in the N7.6 billion project.

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American school writes EFCC, seeks to refund $760k of Yahaya Bello’s children fees

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The American International School of Abuja (AISA) has asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to provide “authentic banking details” for the refund of fees paid for the children of Yahaya Bello, immediate-past governor of Kogi state.

 

It will be recalled that Bello had àllegedly paid $720,000 in advance as fees for five of his children from the coffers of the Kogi state government.

 

The children are in grade level 2 to 8 at the school.

 

On April 17, EFCC operatives laid siege on Bello’s residence in Abuja in attempt to arrest him over an alleged N80.2 billion fraud.

 

While the operatives were at the house, Usman Ododo, governor of Kogi, arrived at the property and reportedly whisked Bello away.

 

In a letter addressed to the Lagos zonal commander of the EFCC, the school said the sum of $845,852 has been paid in tuition “since the 7th of September 2021 to date”.

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AISA said the sum to be refunded is $760,910, because it had deducted educational services already rendered.

 

“Please forward to us an official written request, with the authentic banking details of the EFCC, for the refund of the above-mentioned funds as previously indicated as part of your investigation into the alleged money laundering activities by the Bello family,” the letter reads.

 

“Since the 7th September 2021 to date, $845,852.84 (Eight Hundred and Forty Five Thousand, Eight Hundred and Fifty Two US Dollars and eighty four cents) in tuition and other fees has been deposited into our Bank account.

 

“We have calculated the net amount to be transferred and refunded to the State, after deducting the educational services rendered as $760,910.84. (Seven Hundred and Sixty Thousand, Nine Hundred and Ten US Dollars and Eighty Four cents).

 

“No further additional fees are expected in respect of tuition as the students’ fees have now been settled until they graduate from ASIA.”

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The school said it will draw the attention of the anti-graft agency if there are any further deposits by the Bello family.

 

In a statement signed by Greg Hughes, AISA also said “Ali Bello contacted the school on Friday 13 August 2021 requesting to pay the family school fees in advance until the students graduate from High School”.

 

The EFCC has since declared Bello wanted, with the NIS placing the ex-governor on a wanted list.

 

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Arms deal: N4.6bn traced to Bafarawa’s son, EFCC witness tells court

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Hamza Abdullahi, a witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has narrated how N4.6 billion from the arms deal was traced to the son of Attahiru Bafarawa, a former governor of Sokoto.

Abdullahi appeared before Y. Halilu, the judge, at the federal capital territory (FCT) high court on Wednesday.

Bafarawa alongside Sagir, his son; Bashir Yuguda, former minister of state for finance; Sambo Dasuki, former national security adviser (NSA); Dalhatu Investment Limited, a company owned by the former Sokoto governor; were arraigned by the EFCC.

The defendants are facing 25 counts of misappropriation, criminal breach of trust and receiving stolen property.

 

Their trial is connected to the alleged misappropriation of arms funds by Dasuki while he was NSA from 2012 to 2015.

On Wednesday, EFCC presented Abdullahi as the second witness in the trial-within-trial of the former Sokoto governor.

During the court proceedings, the EFCC witness said N4.633 billion was traced to the account of Dalhatu Investment Limited, where Bafarawa’s sons were directors.

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The witness added that Sagir was the sole signatory to the company’s bank account.

 

The EFCC witness told the court that he was the second-in-command of special task force, fraud investigation on arms, defence equipment procurement in the office of NSA in 2015.

He said the team investigated the activities of 78 companies that received money from the office of the NSA without justification, adding that Dalhatu Investment Limited was among the companies.

Abdullahi said Sagir was interviewed on November 25, 2015 by the investigation team and that he made his statement voluntarily.

“My Lord, I witnessed the statement dated 25/11/2015 of Sagir Attahiru Bafarawa. He was interviewed in my presence, the statement was also recorded in my presence,” the witness said.

 

“At the conclusion of the written statement, I read it to him. Thereafter, I endorsed the written statement. I equally endorsed the second statement at 4pm and it was concluded by 4:25pm, the same day. I witnessed it, my name and signature were there.

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“My Lord, there was nothing like promises made to the accused, threat or inducement. To the best of my knowledge, there was nothing like that.

“It was a very conducive environment and that was the secretariat of the special task force at the head office then.

 

“The secretariat is the conference room of the chairman, and no member of the special task force is authorized to make any promise in the course of investigation.

“When Sagir Attahiru Bafarawa honored our invitation, he came with his lawyer and he was confronted with the evidence that we have.

“Afterwards, he said he needed to consult his lawyer and later volunteered his written statement. These statements were based on the fact of the evidence we have on the company.”

After the witness’ testimony, Halilu adjourned the case to May 22, 2024.

Bafarawa served as the governor of Sokoto from 1999 to 2007.

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