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Witch-hunt: I was disqualified from being minister out of envy – Stella Okotete

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Executive director of business development, Nigeria Export-Import (NEXIM) Bank, Stella Okotete, has spoken on her disqualification as a ministerial nominee by the senate.

 

Okotete was recommended to the senate for screening and confirmation by President Bola Tinubu as a ministerial nominee.

 

But the senate did not clear Okotete, Nasir el-Rufai, a former governor of Kaduna, and Danladi Abubakar, a nominee from Tabara state, citing security reports against them.

 

Senate President Godswill Akpabio had said the upper legislative chamber was waiting for the security clearance on the three nominees.

 

In 2020, Okotete was appointed as the national women leader of the All Progressives Congress’ caretaker/extraordinary convention planning committee (CECPC).

 

THOSE FIGHTING ME ARE ENVIOUS’

Speaking in an online interview “Mic on Podcast” on Saturday, Okotete said the refusal of the senate to clear her as a nominee was “purely political games”.

 

The former APC women leader said she would not have remained a director in the NEXIM bank if she was a security threat to the country,

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Okotete added that she is not under investigation by any security outfit in the country.

 

“I was not beaten out of the game of becoming a minister, I think some people tried to stop me from serving the country on a higher platform and they didn’t succeed,” she said.

 

“I’m sure, logically speaking, if I’m a security threat or I have security issues, I won’t still be the ED of NEXIM Bank.”

 

Okotete said those fighting her are doing so because of their fears that she may vie for the 2027 Delta governorship election.

She added that there is no such intention to join the race to the Delta state government house in 2027.

“Most of the people fighting Stelle Okotete today are all out of envy. I will be 40 years old in April,” she said

“At 40, who can say they have seen through all the tiers of the government, from LG to state and the federal government?

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“At 36, I was the national woman leader for the party and still the executive director of NEXIM. I’m sure in Nigeria, there is no woman who has held two positions of such, simultaneously.

“It is all envy. I have made impact. I understand their fears and worries. I even told those who cared to listen that I don’t have the intention…

 

“Some of the fears are about 2027. You know how these politicians think. I’m not vying for governor of Delta state.”

 

 

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Good morning! Here Are Some Major News Headlines In The Newspapers Today: FG terminates Julius Berger’s Abuja-Kaduna road contract

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1. The Federal Government has terminated the contract for the Rehabilitation of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Dual Carriageway, Section I (Abuja-Kaduna) from Julius Berger Construction company. A statement by the Director of Press, Federal Ministry of Works, Mohammed Ahmed, said the decision followed the failure of the management of Berger to show up for a meeting to fine-tune the contract worth N740bn, which the company rejected.

 

2. President Bola Tinubu on Monday swear in the seven newly-appointed ministers at the Council Chambers in Abuja.

 

3. Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested a former Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa. He was arrested for allegedly diverting N1.3 trillion belonging to the state Government.

 

4. The federal government on Monday announced the removal of universities and other state-owned tertiary institutions from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System, IPPIS. This was made known by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, OAGF.

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5. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday said the debt servicing to revenue ratio has further dropped to 65 per cent. He spoke during the inauguration of seven new ministers into the Federal Executive Council (FEC). The new figure is an improvement on the 68 per cent, given by the President in his October 1 Independence Day broadcast to the nation.

 

6. The Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Mrs. Oluwatoyin Madein, has said the government did not give a directive to workers to change their salary accounts. The AGF was reacting to a news report that workers had been directed to change a particular financial institution registered on the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) platform as their salary accounts.

 

7. All the minors detained in connection with the August 1 cost of living protest are to be released on the order of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Information and National Orientation Minister Mohammed Idris announced on Monday.

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8. Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has stated that there is no going back on President Bola Tinubu’s reforms in the forex, as well as the oil and gas sector. Edun made the disclosure when he received the newly assigned minister of state for finance, Doris Uzoka Anite at the Ministry’s headquarters, on Monday.

 

9. Operatives of the Bauchi State Police Command have neutralised six suspected kidnappers in some villages and in the Burra Mountain area, all situated within Ningi Local Government Area of the state. The Commissioner of Police, Auwal Musa Muhammad disclosed this when he paraded the suspects.

 

10. The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria says the Dangote Petroleum Refinery is inconsiderate for selling petrol at N990/litre, stressing that the company enjoyed massive concessions while accessing foreign exchange during its construction. PETROAN also insisted that imported petrol was cheaper than the N990/litre price of Dangote petrol. Major marketers recently revealed that the landing cost of imported petrol as of October 31, 2024, was N978/litre.

READ  Tinubu asks senate to confirm Kekere-Ekun as substantive CJN

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Tinubu orders probe of security agents involved in arrest, detention of minors

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President Bola Tinubu has directed an investigation into the arrest and arraignment of minors detained for participating in the #EndBadGovernance protests.

Mohammed Idris, minister of information and national orientation, told State House correspondents that the president issued the directive to Lateef Fagbemi, attorney-general of the federation (AGF) and minister of justice.

Idris said the president has directed the immediate release of all minors arraigned over their involvement in hunger protest.

He added that Tinuhu also asked the humanitarian affairs ministry to rehabilitate the minors.

“Second, the president has also directed the ministry of humanitarian affairs and poverty reduction to immediately see to the welfare of those minors, and also take part to ensure their smooth reunion with their parents or guardians wherever they are in the country,” Idris said.

“Number three, the president has directed that a committee will be set up immediately to be headed by the ministry of humanitarian affairs

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“It’s actually an administrative committee, to look at all issues surrounding the arrest, detention, the treatment, and finally the release of these young minors.

“Fourthly, the president has also directed that all the law enforcement agents involved in the arrest and the legal processes will be investigated.

“And if there are any infractions found to have been committed by any official of government, be him a law enforcement agency or whoever that person may be, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against him or her.”

In August, many Nigerians across different states staged #EndBadGovernance protest against the state of the station.

The 10-day protest turned violent in some states  with protesters, leading to looting and destruction of public and private properties.

Many of the protesters were also seen waving Russian flags in some northern states.

On November 1, the police arraigned 76 persons, mostly malnourished minors, for alleged involvement in the protest, charging them with treason.

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However,  four of the minors collapsed n court.

The minors’ arraignment ignited public outcry on social media, leading to demands for their release, after which the attorney-general asked the police for the case files.

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BREAKING: EFCC arrests ex-Delta Gov Okowa for alleged fraud

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Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested a former Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, for alleged diversion of N1.3 trillion 13% derivation fund from the federation account between 2015 and 2023.

 

An EFCC source confirmed the former governor’s arrest on Monday.

 

Okowa was arrested on Monday, November 4, 2024, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, when he reported at the Port Harcourt Directorate of the EFCC on the invitation of investigators handling his matter.

 

The former governor was alleged to have failed to render accounts of the funds as well as another N40 billion he allegedly claimed he used to acquire shares in UTM Floating Liquefied Natural Gas.

 

Specifically, Okowa allegedly bought shares worth N40 billion in one of the major banks in the country representing 8% equity to float the offshore LNG. The funds were alleged to be used for other purposes.

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Investigators are also investigating the diversion of funds by the former governor to acquire estates in Abuja and Asaba in Delta state.

 

He is being held at the EFCC holding facility in Port Harcourt.

 

Okowa was the running mate to Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election.

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