Prosecutors from the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), said the immediate past Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed will appear before a Federal High Court, Abuja, to explain his role in the alleged misappropriation of N2.5 billion Federal Government Digital Switch-Over (DSO), programme.

The Commission said that Alhaji Mohammed admitted in a statement to the ICPC that he was misled by the Director General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Ishaq Modibbo Kawu.

Spokesperson of the ICPC, Rasheedat Okoduwa said that the former Minister’s involvement had come under questioning following the discovery by ICPC during investigations, that a government White Paper that governs the execution of the DSO programme was allegedly flouted by the NBC, a parastatal under the ministry of information.

ICPC had filed a 12-count charge before Justice Folashade Ogunbanjo-Giwa, against Kawu, Lucky Omoluwa and Dipo Onifade, the Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of Pinnacle Communications Limited respectively, saying that the NBC director general misled the former Minister into approving government funds to a private company.

A witness said that the payment of N2.5 billion from NBC to Pinnacle Communications Limited, as seed grant was suspicious because the ICPC found out through its investigations that only government-owned company was approved to benefit from the grant according to a White Paper. “The court also heard that the processes that led to the final payment of the fund to the private company were shrouded in secrecy as revealed by the minute from an NBC emergency board management meeting, where issues of carriage fees owed Pinnacle and not seed grant was discussed, said Okoduwa.

“He told the court that 47 suspicious transactions were originated by the Chairman of Pinnacle Communications, Omoluwa, immediately after the receipt of the funds on June 2, 2017,” she added.

She said the transactions include payments of N363 million to one Idowu Olatunde, N274.4 million to one James Segun and N127 million to Dipo Onifade, the Chief Operating Officer of the company.

The ICPC informed the court that Omoluwa refused to explain the reasons for the payments to Olatunde and James when asked by ICPC, but Onifade explained that he received the N127 million as legal fees he rendered to Pinnacle Communications Limited.

Source: Per Second News.

The Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently scrap fuel and electricity subsidies before they ground the country’s economy.

Sanusi, who is a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), made this point in an address he delivered at the ongoing third National Treasury Workshop, organized by the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation in Kano.

Sanusi recalled that in 2011, when he was CBN governor, Nigeria made $16 billion from petroleum sales, “and we spent $8bn importing petroleum and spent another $8.2bn subsidising the product…and I asked, ‘Is this sustainable?

“The country is bankrupt and we are heading to bankruptcy. What happens is that the Federal Government do pay petroleum subsidy, pays electricity tariff subsidy, and if there is a rise in interest rates, the Federal Government pays. What is more life-threatening than the subsidy that we have to sacrifice education, health sector and infrastructure for us to have cheap petroleum?

“If truly President Buhari is fighting poverty, he should remove the risk on the national financial sector and stop the subsidy regime, which is fraudulent.”

He asked the President to tell Nigerians the facts about the economic situation and act promptly to address it, saying: “we need to ask these questions: why are there high mortality rates, malnutrition, high rate of out-of-school children, among others, while the national treasury goes to petroleum sector?

“In 2016, we were told that we are consuming 28 million litres of petrol per day and just a few weeks ago, we were told that it has jerked up to 60 million litres daily; what went wrong? Since I have decided to come here, you have to accept what I have said here. And please, if you do not want to hear the truth, never invite me.”

The Emir expressed worry about the state of public finance in the country, saying there were a number of very difficult decisions that must be made.

“We should face reality. His Excellency, the President, said in his inaugural speech that his government would like to lift 100 million people out of poverty. It was a speech that was well received, not only in this country but worldwide.

“The number of people living in abject poverty in Nigeria is frightening. By 2050, 85 per cent of those living in extreme poverty in the world will be from the African continent, and Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo will top the list.

“Two days ago, I read that the percentage of government revenue going to debt servicing had risen to 70 per cent. These numbers are not lying. They are public numbers. I read them in the newspapers. When you are spending 70 per cent of your revenue on debt services, then you are managing 30 per cent.

“And then, you continue subsidising petroleum products and spending N1.5tn per annum on petroleum subsidy! And then we are subsidising electricity tariff. And maybe, you have to borrow from the capital market or the Central Bank of Nigeria to service the shortfall in the electricity tariff. Where is the money to pay salaries? Where is the money for education and other government projects?”

Source: PUNCH.

The Police Service Commission has disclosed that it will on July 1st, commence the screening of 210,150 shortlisted applicants for recruitment into the Constable Cadre of the Nigeria Police Force.

The Commission said that the screening exercise will hold from Monday, July 1, to July 28th, 2019 in the 36 states of the federation and the FCT.

The Commission at the close of its recruitment portal on Friday, January, 11, 2019 received 315,032 applications.

The Commission got the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari to recruit 10,000 Nigerians into the Nigeria Police Force.

Out of the 210,150 applicants shortlisted for screening, 182,926 are males while 27,224 others are females.

A statement in Abuja today, June 26 by the Commission’s Spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani said that letters of invitation stating venue, date and requirements for the screening have been sent to the email addresses of the applicants at the time of submitting their applications.

Ikechukwu Ani said that applicants can check for their names in the Commission’s Recruitment portal, www.psc.org.ng.

Giving the details of some of the states with the highest and lowest applications, the spokesman said: “Niger State recorded the highest number of applicants with 12,247 shortlisted for screening while Lagos State has the least with, 1,305.

“Kano State recorded second highest applicants with 11,717; Katsina State, third with 11,651; Benue State, fourth, with 10, 567; Adamawa State, fifth, with 10,361 and Bauchi, State, sixth, with 10,232 applicants.

“Bayelsa State with 1,414 shortlisted for the screening exercise is second from the rear after Lagos State. Anambra State is third with 1,415, Ebonyi State fourth with 1,679, and Abia State fifth with 1,880 applicants.”

Chairman of the Commission, Musiliu Smith charged the candidates to be of good behaviour throughout the period of the screening.

He warned that anybody who has nothing to do with the exercise should stay clear of the venues as loiters would be arrested and prosecuted.

He advised the candidates not to attempt cheating or compromise the Staff of the Commission as anyone caught involving himself in any criminal act will be handed over to the police for investigation and prosecution.

Smith also warned Staff of the Commission and Police Officers involved in the exercise to work diligently, firmly and above board throughout the duration.

He stressed that the Commission is committed to a transparent, hitch-free and merit-driven exercise that will ensure the recruitment of the best for the Nigeria Police Force.