GRBusiness

Group accuses Obiano as reason N90B investment was diverted from Anambra

Published

6 years ago

August 31, 2018

Facts have emerged on how Governor Willie Obiano cost his state, Anambra, a whopping N90 investment, which was eventually moved to a more receptive part of the country.

Details of the monumental loss were contained in a statement issued on Thursday in Onitsha by 20 human rights group under the banner of the South-East Based Coalition of Human Rights & Good Governance Organizations (SBCHRO’s).

The coalition lamented the resultant loss of over 600 direct jobs and over 2000 indirect jobs by Ndigbo following the relocation of the Hero brewery to Ogun State.

SBCHRO’s in the statement cited the investment that was taken away from the South-East as part of the cost of failed political leadership in Igbo land.

The statement reads in part: “Particularly saddening and shocking was the recent diversion or relocation, construction, expansion and commissioning (28th August 2018) of a gargantuan N90 billion ($300M) Budweiser/Hero Beer Breweries in Shagamu, Ogun State, Yoruba Land or Southwest Nigeria.

The Brewery; brewers of Hero and Budweiser Beers as well as Grand and Beta Malt, among over half a dozen other alcoholic and soft drinks, was originally attracted to Nigeria in the 90s by former Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State in his private capacity as an international investor-businessman.

The Company, originally “SABMiller Breweries” from South Africa, was recently purchased and taken over by AB InBev (Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV), a multinational drinks and brewery holdings company, based in Leuven, Belgium with global net value of $115 billion.

“Obi followed it up when he became Anambra State Governor and succeeded in getting the Company to invest and situate its giant Plant in the Harbour Industrial Layout part of Onitsha and Ogbaru; where it procured and paid for a parcel of land belonging to the General Cotton Mills (GCM) and injected not less than N30billion or $100m (calculation based on official exchange rate) into the Onitsha Plant. The Plant at its commissioning instantly created 200 direct and over 2000 indirect jobs, mostly involving sons and daughters of Igbo Nation. Anambra State Government till date maintains 5% stake in the Company.

“The Company, since its inception in the State in 2010, has continued to pay hundreds of millions of naira as tax into the coffers of the Government of Anambra State; making it the highest taxpayer in the State with tens of millions of naira monthly. The Hero Beer Company has also doled out hundreds of millions of naira worth of cash, materials or kind in fulfilment of its corporate social responsibility obligations to Government and People of Anambra State in particular and the entire Igbo Nation in general. It has further served as a formidable source of investment, employment and poverty reduction mechanisms in the State in particular and Igbo Land in general. The Company and the Nigerian Brewery facility in Udi, near Enugu State Capital City, are the two most surviving and largest industries in Igbo Land today . . .

“SBCHROs also has it on good authority that the Budweiser and Hero Breweries Company approached the present Governor of Anambra State twice for allocation and acquisition of a larger parcel of land to expand their facilities, but got cold response, forcing them to abandon their third scheduled meeting in frustration, leading to relocation to Shagamu in Ogun State, Southwest Nigeria.

“At the commissioning of the N90 billion project on 28th August 2018 with full support and presence of the Governor of Ogun State and members of his cabinet, instant employment of 600 direct or skilled laborers and no fewer than 2,000 unskilled or indirect labourers was announced. The employment rate is also expected to hit thousands and tens of thousands for the skilled and the unskilled involving sons and daughters of the Yoruba Nation in coming years; in addition to projected monthly tax payment of hundreds of millions of naira into the coffers of the Government of Ogun State.

“Social and economic consequences of loss of the gargantuan N90 billion Brewery investments to Yoruba Nation; on Igbo Nation and her People are innumerable.”

On the feelings of the people of the South-East over the development, the group said: “It is therefore heart-breaking and condemnable for the affairs of the Igbo Nation to be left in the hands of ‘apostles of stomach infrastructure and casino bar disco dancers’ parading themselves as ‘elected’ and ‘appointed’ public office holders in Igbo Land. It does not border them at all that perpetrators of physical violence, structural violence and cultural violence against the Igbo Nation and her People have sworn never to allow the Race to reap from fruit of their hard labour.”

Finance

EFCC Chairman Tasks Nigerian Youths Against Crimes And Fraudulent Acts

Published

2 days ago

May 4, 2024

Alice Ginika Simon

The Chairman of Economic Finance Crime Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has stressed the need for Nigerian Youth to see themselves as agents of positive change that have a lot to contribute to the socioeconomic development of the Nation.

Speaking at the 2nd edition of a Leadership Trainings Programme in Abuja, Olukoyede, who was represented by the Head Enlightenment and Re-orientation unit, (EFCC), Aisha Mohammed, said the commission’s dream is to see the youth contribute meaningfully to the society, emphasizing on the need to work together in bringing positive change to society.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Boss declared the readiness of his agency to work with all Stakeholders, including the youth towards changing the narrative and reposition the country to greater exploit.
Also speaking, the representative of the Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Sonny Echono, appealed to the youths is to eschew social vices that could deter their full potential in life.

Other speakers at the event, including the Chairperson, Zero Tolerance for Social Immoralities Initiative (ZEITI) Africa, Rasak Jeje called on all stakeholders to join hands in collective pursuit of empowering new generation of leaders to curb the rising tides of social Vice among Nigerian youths.

The Chairperson, Zero Tolerance for Social Immoralities Initiative (ZEITI) Africa, Rasak Jeje made the call while addressing journalists at the 2nd edition of it Leadership Trainings Programme in Abuja on Thursday.
He said the training was aimed to intimate students leaders with knowledge and insights that will help them drive positive change and become exemplary leaders in their respective spheres.

Finance

AISA Has Refunded The Fees Paid By Yahaya Bello To EFCC

Published

1 week ago

April 27, 2024

Alice Ginika Simon

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says the American International School Abuja (AISA) has refunded the fees paid by the immediate past governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello, for his children attending the school.

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

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.

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.”

In a chat with The Cable, the spokesperson of the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, confirmed that the school has refunded the money.

‘’The money has been paid into public account,” Dele Oyewale was quoted as saying

Finance

Godwin Emefiele Disobeyed Direction Of Law With Intent To Harm The Public, He Printed ₦684.5M Using ₦18.9B Says EFCC in fresh charge

Published

2 weeks ago

April 23, 2024

Alice Ginika Simon

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has filed a fresh charge at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory against the embattled former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.

EFCC in the charge accused Emefiele of approving the printing of N684,590,000 at the rate of N18.96 billion.

EFCC also alleged that Emefiele broke the law with intent to harm the public during his implementation of the naira swap policy of the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The anti-graft agency also accused Emefiele of unlawfully approving the withdrawal of N124.8 billion from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation.

EFCC’s top prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN revealed that Emefiele will be arraigned on a new four-count charge before Justice Hamza Muazu

Counts one to four of the charge, read,

“STATEMENT OF OFFENCE: Public Servant disobeying direction of law with intent to cause injury to the public contrary to and punishable under Section 123 of the Penal Code Law, Cap. 89 Laws of the Federation, 1990.

“PARTICULARS OF THE OFFENCE: That you GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE between the 19th day of October 2022 and 5th March 2023 in Abuja, knowingly disobeyed the direction of Section 19 of the CBN Act, 2007, by approving the printing of N375,520,000.00 pieces of colour swapped N1, 000, at the total cost of N11,052, 068,062 without the recommendation of the Board of Central Bank and the strict approval of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you thereby committed an offence.”

This and three other charges were stated against him. They read;

“COUNT 2: “That you, GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE, between the 19th of October 2022 and 5th March 2023 in Abuja, knowingly disobeyed the direction of Section 19 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007, by approving the printing of 172,000,000 pieces of colour swapped N500 (Five Hundred Naira) Notes, at the total cost of N4, 471,066,040 without the recommendation of the Board of Central Bank and the strict approval of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you thereby committed an offence.

“COUNT 3: “That you GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE between the 19th day of October 2022 and 5th March 2023 in Abuja, knowingly disobeyed the direction of Section 19 of the CBN Act, 2007, by approving the printing of 137,070,000 pieces of colour swapped N200 (Two Hundred Naira) Note, at the total cost of N3, 441, 005, 280 without the recommendation of the Board of Central Bank and the strict approval of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you thereby committed an offence.”

“COUNT 4: “That you, GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE, on or about the 7th day of October 2020, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, knowingly disobeyed the direction of Section 80 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended), by approving the withdrawal of the total sum of N124, 860, 227, 865.16 from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation in a manner not prescribed by the National Assembly, which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you thereby committed an offence.”