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Clarify your position on leaked audio, FG challenges Peter Obi

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The Federal Government, on Monday, challenged the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, to clarify his position on a leaked audio of the conversation he allegedly had with the founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo.

Addressing the media in London, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said Obi should clarify what he meant by saying the leaked conversation was “a fake doctored audio call.”

“I need to draw the attention of Nigerians to the recent leaked audio of conversation between the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, and the cleric.

“The leaked audio rattled Nigerians because we heard Obi pleading with the cleric to interfere on his behalf to convince Christians that this is a religious war and they should support him,” he said.

The minister said that in the aftermath of the leaked audio, Obi came out to say that it was “a fake, doctored audio call.”

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The minister said, “If it is fake, it means it never took place. But if it is doctored, it means there was that conversation but it was manipulated.

“Obi needs to come out and make the clarification on whether the conversation did not take place or it took place, but it was doctored.

“If it was doctored, which part of it was doctored?

“Is it the beginning, the middle or the end or is it the ‘Yes Daddy’ part of it, or where he said it was a religious war?”

Mohammed said the leaked audio had corroborated the position that Obi’s electioneering campaign was based on religion and ethnicity.

He said this was the first time in the history of Nigeria’s elections that a politician would come out openly to campaign on grounds of religion and ethnicity.

“From the outcome of the presidential elections, you will see that Obi got his vote mostly from areas where he comes from and his religious leaning.

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“This is not good for the politics of Nigeria and it is very dangerous.

“As a result of this kind of campaign, Nigeria is more divided than ever and people are being heard commenting either based on their religious position or ethnic origin.

“Many otherwise respected commentators are not left behind on the effect of this divisive politics,” he said.

The audio clip as released by an online newspaper was an alleged conversation between Obi and the founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo.

Speaking on his mission to London, the minister said it was to defend the legitimacy of the just concluded general elections and to correct the imbalance in the skewed narrative which had pervaded the air on the polls.

He said, like what he did recently in Washington, he would let the world know that the 2023 election was the freest in Nigeria’s history.

The minister is scheduled to hold conversations and meetings with international media organisations and relevant think tanks based in London.

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FULL LIST: Multichoice increases DStv, GOtv subscription

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Broadcasting company Multichoice has jacked up the prices of its offerings in Nigeria four months after its last increment.

 

The company reviewed prices in its packages across the board. The new prices will take effect from May 1, 2024.

 

With the latest price hike, the DStv Premium package increased from N29,500 to N37,000. Similarly, the DStv Compact+ went up from N19,800 to N25,000 while the Compact package increased from N12,500 to N15,700.

The Comfam package moved from N7,400 to N9,300. Yanga package moved up from 4,200 to N5,100 while Padi package increased from N2,950 to N3,600. HDPVR was increased from N4,000 to N5,000, the Access Fees package from N4,000 to N5,000, and XtraView moved from N4,000 to N5,000.

 

Meanwhile, the Gotv Supa+ package moved from N12,500 to N15,700, Supa package from N7,600 to N9,600, and Max package from N5,700 to N7,200.

 

While the Jolli package was jacked up from N3,950 to N4,850, the Jinja package moved from N2,700 to N3,300, and Smallie package from N1,300 to N1,575.

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It will be recalled that the company implemented an upward review of prices in December 2023, days after announcing a $72m loss in its financial statement for the third quarter of the year.

 

Checks on the company’s reviewed price list then showed a 20 per cent per cent hike in the company’s packages across the board.

 

 

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NCAA grounds all Dana Air operations

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The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has been directed by Festus Keyamo, the minister of aviation, to suspend the operations of Dana Air, TheCable understands.

 

The directive followed the incident involving a Dana Air plane at Lagos airport on April 23, which veered off the Lagos airport runway.

 

This forced aviation authorities to divert flights from the local airport to the international terminal.

 

In a letter to the NCAA director general dated April 24, signed by Emmanuel Meribole, permanent secretary, ministry of aviation, and seen by TheCable, the ministry said Keyamo’s attention has been drawn to the “serious concerns” that followed the incident.

 

The ministry said the incident has raised concerns regarding both the safety and financial viability of Dana Air operations.

 

“In light of these incidents and with the paramount priority being the safety and well-being of our citizens and travelers, the Honourable Minister has directed that you immediately initiate the suspension of Dana Airline’s fleet until a comprehensive audit can be conducted. This audit should encompass all aspects of safety protocols, maintenance procedures, and financial health to ensure full compliance with our aviation regulations,” the ministry said.

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“The recent incidents have underscored the urgency of this matter, and it is imperative that swift and decisive action be taken to safeguard the interests of all stakeholders involved. I trust in your expertise and diligence in carrying out this audit thoroughly and expeditiously.”

 

On April 23, Dana Air said all 83 passengers and crew onboard the flight disembarked safely without injuries or scare.

 

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Yahaya Bello took $720k from state coffers to pay his child’s school fees – Olukoyede

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The chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, says Yahaya Bello, former governor of Kogi, withdrew $720,000 from the state’s coffers to pay his child’s school fee in advance.

 

Olukoyede spoke in Abuja on Tuesday during an interactive session with media executives.

 

The EFCC boss alleged that the former Kogi governor transferred money from the state coffers to a bureau de change operator, and used the money for his child’s school fee in advance.

 

Olukoyede added that Bello made the payment in anticipation that his tenure was gradually coming to an end.

 

“A sitting governor, because he knew he was leaving office, moved money directly from the government to bureau de change and used it to pay his child’s school fee in advance,” the EFCC boss said.

 

“Over $720,000 in anticipation that he was going to leave the government house. In a poor state like Kogi, you want me to close my eyes under the guise of ‘I’m being used’. Used by who? At this stage of my life.”

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Olukoyede said he inherited the case file of the former Kogi governor, noting that he did not initiate the investigation against Bello.

 

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

 

While the EFCC operatives were at Bello’s residence, Usman Ododo, governor of Kogi, came to visit his predecessor.

 

Shortly after Ododo departed from the residence, the EFCC operatives also left the house.

 

Bello was reportedly rescued by Ododo when he departed his residence located in the Wuse Zone 4 district of Abuja.

 

Subsequently, the anti-graft agency declared the former governor wanted.

 

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has also placed Bello on a watchlist.

 

The anti-graft agency alleged that Bello, alongside Alli Bello, chief of staff to Ododo; and one Daudu Suleiman, diverted about N80.2 billion belonging to the Kogi government.

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