News

Obanikoro opens up on his role in movement of $5m to Fayose

Published

6 years ago

January 22, 2019

grassroots

By: Oliseama Okwuchukwu

A former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, yesterday told the Federal High Court in Lagos the role he played in moving $5 million to Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital.

He testified in the trial of former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose before Justice Mojisola Olatoregun.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) EFCC charged Fayose and Abiodun Agbele, who is facing a different charge, with taking possession of N1, 219, 000, 000 on June 17, 2014 to fund the former governor’s 2014 gubernatorial campaign.

The commission said Fayose “reasonably ought to have known” that the money “formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: criminal breach of trust/stealing.”

EFCC said Fayose, on the same day, received cash payment of $5million from Obanikoro without going through a financial institution, the sum having exceeded the amount authorised by law.

The alleged offence, EFCC said, contravenes Sections 1, 15 (2) (d and 16 (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 and punishable under Section 15 (3) and (4)..

Led in evidence by prosecuting counsel Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), Obanikoro, the fifth prosecution witness, said the money was paid to Fayose’s account from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in June 2014.

According to the former minister, in June 2014 ahead of the Ekiti State governorship election, he received a call from Fayose asking if there was any “message” from the then National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd).

Obanikoro said the NSA eventually confirmed to him that he had a “message” for the accused.

The witness said Dasuki told him that money would be received in an account that was opened to manage Boko Haram insurgency under his watch as Minister of State for Defence.

“The NSA told me that Fayose will call me as to how he will receive the money. A total equivalent of $5million from the NSA impress account was given to Fayose by the order of NSA,” Obanikoro said.

The witness said Fayose introduced Biodun Agbele to him, explaining that he would be the one to receive the money for him, which was done at the Akure Airport “because it was physical cash.”

“I had earlier wanted to transfer the dollars so that the naira equivalent can be withdrawn in Ado Ekiti which was the reason why I initially called Diamond Bank Managing Director, but he replied that the bank did not have such capacity in Ado Ekiti for that huge amount of money,” Obanikoro said.

The former minister of state said his late aide was in the meeting where Fayose acknowledged receipt of total naira equivalent of $5million at Spotless Hotel owned by Fayose.

Jacobs then showed the witness exhibit E to confirm if it was the account to which the funds were transferred and the witness replied: “Yes”.

Obanikoro told the court that on June 13, 2014, and June 16, 2014, funds were posted into the account, adding that the funds were from the NSA’s impress account.

He said that he asked Fayose how he wanted the money sent, and that the former governor told him that some it should be paid in naira and others in dollars.

According to the witness, the money was eventually brought in a bullion van to the private wing of the Ikeja Airport, where Agbele, sent by the accused, was on standby.

He testified that after confirmation from the accused, the money was taken to Ado-Ekiti, following which he went to meet Fayose.

Obanikoro said the transactions occurred “about three days to the election”.

On the source of the money, the witness said: “The NSA is the only person that can ascertain the source of the money; it is from the impress account of the NSA.”

Obanikoro said that the account from which the money was transferred from was used for security purposes.

News

Badaru on Operational Tour of 82 Division, other Military Installations in Enugu and Imo States

Published

2 days ago

November 21, 2024

grassroots

Minister of Defence H.E Mohammed Badaru Abubakar

The Honourable Minister of Defence H.E Mohammed Badaru Abubakar CON mni is currently in Enugu on operational tour of 82 Division of Nigerian Army and other military platforms in Enugu.

He was received on arrival by the General officer Commanding 82 Division of the Nigerian Army / Commander JTF SE of operation Udoka Major-General H.T Dada and other senior military officers.

The Minister is expected to meet with South East stakeholders on the way forward.

Details later…

News

Tinubu Grants More Power to Ministers of State on Oversight Funtions

…of Agencies under them

Published

2 weeks ago

November 11, 2024

grassroots

President Bola Tinubu and Minister of State for Defence Dr. Bello Matawalle

Tinubu has granted full oversight responsibilities to Ministers of State over agencies under them amongst whom are Minister of State for Defence Dr. Bello Matawalle, Water Resources and Sanitation, Minister of State for Agriculture and others will henceforth enjoy full oversight responsibilities over such agencies.

President Bola Tinubu at FEC Meeting has approved that ministers of state be given full powers to supervise the agencies under them, the cable reported.

Until now, files pertaining to departments and agencies under their supervision were sent by their permanent secretaries to the senior ministers.

With the new dispensation, ministers of state can now grant all necessary administrative approvals on the governance process of these agencies and departments.

According to a source in the office of the head of service of the federation, “the president was not pleased with the prevailing governing framework in which ministers of states were just ministers in name”.

This, Tinubu reportedly said, led to the “underutilisation of the expertise and capabilities” of most ministers of state.

“The president believes ministers of state should have the right to make decisions and direct action within their areas of responsibility,” the official added.

According to the Cable report, the source said the idea, first mooted by Hadiza Bala Usman, special adviser to the President on policy coordination and head, central delivery coordination unit got an instant buy-in from the President.

With the new directive, the administration hopes “to unleash” the potential of all the ministers, the source added.

News

Enugu: Mbah Approves N80,000 Minimum Wage for State, LG Workers and Primary School Teachers

Published

4 weeks ago

October 25, 2024

grassroots

L-R: Secretary, ALGON, Enugu State chapter, Hon. Uche Okolo; Vice Chairman, ALGON, Enugu State, Hon. Ferdinand Ukwueze; Chairman, ALGON, Hon. Okechukwu Edeh; Chairman, TUC, Enugu State, Comrade Ben Adogwa; Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah; Chairman, NLC, Enugu State, Comrade Fabian Nwigbo; Chairman, Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, Comrade Ezekiel Omeh; Chairman, NULGE, Enugu State, Comrade Udaya Ani and the Head of Service, Mr. Kenneth Ugwu, during the announcement of N80,000 new state minimum wage at the Government House, Enugu, Thursday.

…It’s unprecedented to earn above minimum wage in Enugu- Labour

… We’ll commence implementation immediately- ALGON

Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has approved N80,000 minimum wage for the state’s work force, including local government workers, effective October 2024, noting a direct link between a motivated workforce and his administration’s vision of growing the state’s economy from $4.4bn to $30bn.

The new minimum wage covers all state employees, primary school teachers, and local government workers.

Organised labour has described the wage as unprecedented, as it was the first time that Enugu workers would be earning above the national minimum wage.

Mbah announced the new minimum wage on Thursday after a meeting with the Enugu State Minimum Wage Implementation Committee headed by the Head of Service, Kenneth Ugwu and labour leaders, including the state’s labour leaders.

Mbah said, “Few weeks ago, I inaugurated a committee with the responsibility to oversee the implementation of the New National Minimum Wage in Enugu State. Today, I’m happy to announce a new minimum wage for workers in Enugu State, reflecting our fidelity to their welfare, in regard of which we have been resolutely committed.

“We have approved the sum of N80,000 as the new minimum wage in Enugu State. This underscores our commitment to bequeathing lasting legacies of improved living conditions.

“Our commitment to improved workers’ welfare runs deep, and is rooted in the firm understanding of the inextricable link between an inspired workforce and the audacious economic targets we had set our sights on.

“We clearly understood that reducing poverty to the barest minimum and achieving an unprecedented economic growth target were contingent on the output of the workforce. Therefore, for us, the best way to acknowledge that labour creates wealth is by ensuring that the workforce, which creates the wealth that oils the wheel of government, is sufficiently motivated.

“We have similarly demonstrated our commitment to workers welfare through the consistent payment of the wage awards, a gesture we had pledged to sustain until a new wage structure took effect.”

Speaking, the Chairman of the Enugu State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Fabian Nwigbo, thanked governor Mbah for always prioritising the welfare of workers, describing the new minimum wage as “a great one for Enugu workers.”

“In the past, when minimum wage is announced, it takes up to one or two years for anything to happen; and when it did, we took anything they gave us as we saw it. But today, you have even given us something much higher than national minimum wage.

“But I am not totally surprised because when other governors were paying N12,000 wage award, you were paying us N25,000. When others paid for some months and stopped, you continued paying it until the new minium wage as you promised. So, we have enjoyed wage award for 11 months and today you announced the minimum wage which is the first of its kind since my 32 years in service,” said.

Speaking to Government House correspondents, the Chairman of the Enugu State chapter of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, Comrade Ben Asogwa, said, “We are so happy. The governor did not just announce ₦80,000 minium wage, but said that it cascades down to even local government workers. He said that he does not want disparity in salary implementation in Enugu State anymore because we all go to the same market.

“This is the first time in history we are seeing the implementation of minimum wage above the approved amount by the federal government. Actually, when we entered into the negotiation, we were afraid because we know quite well that we are not among the states that share in dividends of oil money. We know quite well that we are at the back when it comes to federal allocation, but His Excellency actually surprised us.

“One thing we have seen is that he understands the impact of motivation on productivity. The governor has set a pace and we know that any other person coming after him will have the challenge to meet up with the target set by His Excellency, Governor Peter Mbah.”

On his part, Chairman of the Association of Local Government Workers, ALGON, Enugu State, Hon. Okechukwu Edeh, pledged the commitment of council chairmen to implementing the new minimum wage.

“When you motivate workers, they become more productive. What I am promising on behalf of the Enugu ALGON family is that we are going to cascade the new minimum wage to the local government level. Implementation begins immediately,” he said.