News
Budget Office Lodged Illegal N791m in NTI Account
The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts on Wednesday heard how the Budget Office of Federation transferred N791 million to the bank account of the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI) without any request for funds by the institute.
Mallam Abdulkarim Affo, bursar of the institute, informed the committee that the management of the institute was surprised at the development.
Affo said the money was lodged in the NTI’s account on December 31, 2012 through a transfer from the controversial Service Wide Vote.
The committee, which is chaired by Mr. Solomon Olamilekan, is investigating the withdrawal of N4.7 trillion from the SWV from 2004 to 2014.
Affo stated that what the institute did was to return the money immediately to government treasury since it could not defend the transaction.
He said, “On December 31, 2012 we just received an alert, a sum of N791 million was credited into the Institute’s bank account from the budget office without any prior request for financial assistance from the Federal Government.
“We tried to make inquiries and we wrote to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to find out what was the purpose of the whopping amount, but all efforts yielded no result.
“At end of the day, what the institute did was to pay back the money to the treasury at the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, as required by the law of the federation.
“We have the evidence of payment; we never made request for any money.”
However, Olamilekan directed the bursar to produce the treasury receipt and other evidence to prove that the money was indeed returned.
He observed that the disclosure of the NTI’s bursar followed a pattern of “fraudulent acts” by the budget office being investigated by the committee.
The lawmaker said, “Only last week, NAFDAC officials appeared before the committee over the whopping sum of N5 billion claimed to have been released to the agency by the budget office.
“But, the agency claimed it received only N365 million from the amount. Also, just a while ago, the National Boundary Commission appeared before the committee over the N2 billion the budget office claimed it released to the commission, which the commission also denied ever receiving a kobo from the budget office.
“It is disheartening that the National Assembly approved about N2.1 trillion for the service wide vote account in the period under review but at the last count, over N4.7 trillion had been expended by the executive.”
News
AfDB to Partner LAMATA to Expand Existing Rail System
The African Development Bank (AfDB), has disclosed plans to work with the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), to boost the state’s transport system with the development of another rail line.
This was contained in a statement signed by, the Head, Corporate Communication, LAMATA, Mr. Kolawole Ojelabi in Lagos.
Ojelabi said that the AfDB Vice President, Private Sector Infrastructure and Industrialisation, Mr. Solomon Quaynor, gave the assurance during a visit to LAMATA.
He added that the bank was interested in partnering LAMATA to expand the capacity of the existing rail system.
“Quaynor was also in the company of the Non-Sovereign Operations and Private Sector Equity Specialist, Mr Mayowa Ayodele ahead of a visit of the technical team to assess the Purple line,” he said.
The Purple Line is a 60-kilometre railroad along the Redemption Camp in Ogun State, traversing Berger, Agege and Alimosho and terminate at Volkswagen to join the Blue Line.
“The visit follows a recent pitch for investment on 60-kilometre Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Purple Line at the African Development Bank forum in Morocco, where the Lagos delegation was led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
“This is to further discuss collaboration on the project and other lines outlined in the Lagos Strategic Transport Master Plan. The delegation toured the LRMT Blue Line and expressed satisfaction with the progress of the Blue Line rail system,” he said.
News
SERAP Drags FG, Govs to ECOWAS Court over ‘Misuse of Cybercrimes Act’
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has filed a lawsuit against the Nigerian government the 36 states over the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024.
SERAP is arguing that “the repressive use of the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024 by the government to criminalize legitimate expression violate the human rights of Nigerians, including activists, journalists, bloggers and social media users”.
In a statement on Sunday, Kolawole Oluwadare, deputy director, SERAP, explained that the suit was filed to stop the Tinubu administration and Nigeria’s 36 governors from using the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024 to criminalize legitimate expression and punish Nigerians, including social media users.
He said: “Rather than using the amended legislation to make cyberspace and its users safer, Nigerian authorities are routinely weaponizing it to curb Nigerians’ human rights and media freedom.
“The suit no: ECW/CCJ/APP/03/2025 was filed last week before the ECOWAS Court in Abuja.”
Recall that Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court had on March 25, 2022, declared Section 24 of Nigeria’s original Cybercrimes Act 2015 as “arbitrary, vague, and repressive.”
The court ordered Nigeria to repeal the provision, citing non-compliance with human rights obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Although the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024 repealed Section 24, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) argues that the reworded provisions still infringe upon freedom of expression and information.
SERAP’s concerns center around the ambiguity of “causing a breakdown of law and order” in Section 24(1)(b), which they believe threatens peaceful and legitimate expression and leaves room for abuse.
SERAP highlighted several instances where the law was allegedly misused to target government critics, including activist Dele Farotimi, journalist Agba Jalingo, and social media user Chioma Okoli.
The organization emphasized that the amended legislation has a chilling effect on human rights and media freedom.
SERAP stressed that the amended Act contravenes international human rights law, which requires restrictions on freedom of expression to serve a legitimate purpose and be strictly proportionate.
The organization seeks a declaration that Section 24 of the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024 is unlawful and an order directing the government to repeal or amend the legislation in compliance with international standards.
However, a hearing date has not been set for the suit.
News
GOCOP Applauds Edo Gov for Appointing Edomaruse, SA, Int’l Development
Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) has applauded Mr. Monday Okpebholo, Edo State governor, for the appointment of Mr. Collins Edomaruse as his Special Adviser, International Development Partners (IDP).
Ms Maureen Chigbo, president of GOCOP and publisher of RealNews Online, described Edomaruse’s appointment as a welcomed development.
Chigbo in a press statement by Ogbuefi Remmy Nweke, GOCOP Publicity Secretary, also congratulated Edomaruse for this appointment assuring of support from over 110 members of GOCOP in carrying out his duties.
Until his appointment, Edomaruse who is a founding member of GOCOP and the Secretary General of the body of reputed online publishers is also a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), among others.
Edomaruse doubles as the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of METROWATCH, and has held several senior editorial management positions in THISDAY, including Group News Editor, Group Politics Editor, Deputy Editor, Daily, Saturday and Sunday titles respectively, as well as the Editor, Nation’s Capital/Abuja Bureau.
Also known as ‘General’ because of his mastery of the Defence Beat, his records in THISDAY have remained unbeaten, where he ranked the best among the editors.
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