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Badeh’s presence excites inmates, ex-CDS rejects prison food….

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7 years ago

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The presence of a former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal, Alex Badeh (retd.) in Kuje Prison, Abuja, has generated excitement and curiosity among the inmates.

 

It was learnt that the inmates were amazed to see the former military chief in prison custody barely one year after his image loomed large across the nation.

 

We gathered on Saturday that the former CDS rejected food from the prison and opted to feed himself pending the time he would perfect his bail conditions.

 

It was learnt that Badeh was keeping a low profile in prison custody. A source said on getting to prison, his bio-data and other important details were taken before he was escorted to the prison officer’s office and allocated a cell.

 

He was said to have opted to feed himself, an indulgence that is granted all awaiting trial inmates.

 

“An inmate can reject prison food and sign for self-feeding, meaning he would provide his own food, his family members and friends can bring food for him daily, subject to the approval of the prison authorities,” an official who spoke on condition of anonymity said.

 

It was learnt that Badeh’s rejection of the prison food may not be unconnected with the poor quality of the food served inmates in Nigerian prisons.

 

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Prisons Service, Peter Ezenwa amazed the nation last month when he said that a paltry sum of N222.30k was budgeted by the service to feed each inmate per day.

 

Ezenwa who stated this when he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Interior to defend the Prison Service’s 2016 budget warned of a possible revolt if things continued this way.

 

He stated that the service  made a proposal of N10.6 billion for the feeding allowance of 65,000 inmates, but that the Federal Government slashed it to N5.2 billion.

 

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior, Senator Usman Nafada however contended that each inmate was being fed on N130 per day.

 

“N200 per inmate per day is unacceptable. If you look at it, you are actually feeding each inmate with N130 per day. When you remove Value Added Tax, contractors’ profit and other corporate services, the N200 comes to about N130 to feed one inmate in a day. It is inhuman to feed a human being with N130 per day. What can anybody use N130 to buy? With N130, no inmate can come out of the prison better,” he said.

 

The NPS Public Relations Officer, Francis Enobore, could not be reached for comments on how Badeh is taking prison life, as he did not respond to telephone calls and an SMS sent to him.

 

Badeh was remanded in prison custody on March 7 by Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, following his arraignment along with a company, Iyalikam Nigeria Limited, on 10 counts of money laundering.

 

The judge had last Thursday granted Badeh bail in the sum of N2bn, which is to be guaranteed by two sureties in the sum of N1bn each.

 

Among other bail conditions imposed on Badeh, the judge ordered the ex-CDS to deposit both his blue and green passports with the court throughout the period of his trial.

 

Meanwhile, a lawyer to the former CDS, Mr. Samuel Zibiri (SAN), told us on Saturday that the two sureties the court mandated his client to produce had been secured and their details as well as the Certificates of Occupancy for their respective landed assets had been forwarded to the Chief Registrar for verification.

 

He said the ex-CDS should be out of prison by Monday.

 

 

 

 

 

@ SUNDAY PUNCH

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JUST IN: Tinubu returns to Abuja after France, South Africa trips

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2 hours ago

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December 4, 2024

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President Bola Tinubu has returned to Abuja from his visit to France and South Africa.

The Airbus A330 which conveyed Tinubu, arrived at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at 9.10pm.

This concludes his 33rd foreign trip since assuming office 18 months ago.

Tinubu was in France from November 27 to December 1, 2024, for a three-day state visit on the invitation of his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron.

At the Palais des Elysée in Paris, Tinubu and Macron signed two agreements to ensure a partnership on developing critical infrastructure and the long-term sustenance of agriculture and food security.

They also witnessed the signing of the agreement by the United Bank for Africa Group Chairman Tony Elumelu and Mr. Antoine Armand, the French Minister of Economy, Finance and Industry for the bank to commence operations in Paris.

Zenith Bank also inaugurated its services in the country during the visit.

On Monday, December 2, Tinubu departed France for South Africa.

He, alongside President Cyril Ramaphosa, co-chaired the 11th Bi-National Commission between Nigeria and South Africa in Cape Town.

At the opening of the event, on Tuesday, the President argued that Nigeria and South Africa share a collective destiny to collaborate for the good of the African continent.

Therefore, he said both countries must intensify cooperation across various sectors, warning that the implementation, not the mere signing of MoUs, constitutes the success of the partnership.

He also sought South Africa’s support to ensure Nigeria’s membership in the G20 nations, a premier international forum for economic cooperation, bringing together the world’s major advanced and emerging economies.

In response, Ramaphosa announced that South Africa will “keenly” support the bid of Nigeria, “a valued sister country,” to become a member of the G20 club of the world’s major economies.

Ramaphosa said other key African countries should also be admitted to the club “so that we can raise the voice from Africa, the neglected continent for the longest time.”

He noted that South Africa had been the lone voice for Africa in the G20 before the admission of the African Union last year after his country had lobbied for it to become a member.

Nigeria and South Africa also operationalised the Joint Ministerial Advisory Council on Industry, Trade and Investment to enhance economic cooperation between the two leading African economies.

Tinubu was received at the airport by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, among other senior government officials.

So far, the president has logged 139 days abroad, visited 17 countries, and accumulated about 304 flight hours.

Countries visited include Paris, France (five times); Malabo, Equatorial Guinea; London, the United Kingdom (four times); Bissau, Guinea-Bissau (twice); Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Nairobi, Kenya; Porto Norvo, Benin Republic; The Hague, Netherlands; Pretoria and Cape Town, South Africa; Accra, Ghana; New Delhi, India; Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates; New York, the United States of America; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (twice); Berlin, Germany; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Dakar, Senegal and Doha, Qatar.

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Federal Government Is Not Investigating Air Peace – FCCPC

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6 hours ago

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December 4, 2024

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The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC says its invitation to Air Peace is simply for an inquiry to understand its price methodology and respond to consumers complaints.
The Director, Surveillance and Investigation, Mrs. Boladale Adeyinka said neither the airline nor the chairman, Dr. Allen Onyema is under any investigation, but that the Commission invited Air Peace based on complaints from customers for the airline to educate them on its price methodology.
“Thank you so much for honouring our invite in person. We have gained more insight into your operations. Just again to reiterate that it is not an investigation, it is an enquiry to understand and again, find out based on consumer complaints.”
Adeyinka, who stated this on Tuesday in Abuja when the chairman of Air Peace, Dr. Allen Onyema led some members of his team to honour the invite extended to the airline, commended Air Peace for the insights made on its operations.
“Thank you also for bringing your expertise and insights to the industry, it is a good one for us, it is a good one for Nigerian consumers. This is our own, we are happy that you are doing well because if the consumers are saying that this is our aircraft, it means that ownership has moved from you to every Nigerian.”
She noted that the Commission exists for the good of businesses, customers and the operators, stressing that business stability and sustainability are core to their mandate. “We will review the situation and intervene where we can, not just for Air Peace customers but generally for all air passengers and other consumers of aviation services,” adding that this is part of the Commission’s efforts at bringing competitiveness in the market.
The FCCPC director also commended Dr. Onyema for his love for the country and philanthropic spirit and advised him not to let anything deter him from his services to humanity.
Earlier the Chairman of Air Peace, Dr. Onyema explained that fare pricing in the aviation sector is a global thing but lamented that the fare regime in Nigeria is not commensurate to the cost of putting an aircraft in the air, thus the reason why airlines frequently go under in Nigeria.
Dr Onyema argued that the choice before Nigerians going forward would be flying safe and sustainability of the airlines, which requires proper pricing based on global standards or watch the airlines go under due to poor pricing. “We need flight safety in Nigeria. For us at Air Peace, safety is a pre-condition rather than just a priority.”
He pointed out that the cost of flying anywhere in the world is priced at between $250 to $300 for an hour and in some cases even as high as $540, adding that this is what could pass for fair pricing, which Air Peace does not follow because of the low purchasing power of Nigerians.
Dr Onyema argued that the addictive nature of aviation business and patriotism have kept him in the business, stressing that if Air Peace is to factor the numerous charges involved in its operational cost, not many Nigerians would afford to fly.
He stated that the high cost of interest on loans from banks ranging from 33 to 35 percent, high insurance cost put at about $12m annually, an amount which could insure about eight aircraft abroad, volatility in the cost of aviation fuel, other sundry charges and replacement of parts, which are all sourced in dollars, make prices of tickets very high.
The Chairman of Air Peace also pointed out that it costs about $4,000 for landing per hour for an airbus plane, just as there is a cost for engine flight circle per hour, stressing that these costs if factored into operating cost will deny a number of Nigerians the opportunity of flying.
“What happens abroad is far better but here, it is a different ball game. When you calculate all these costs, you will find out that when you fill your plane with passengers, you will still have not broken even, though 70% is given as the breakeven point because the fares are not just right.”
He further highlighted that in other climes the cost of operations accounts for 40 percent component of the business but regretted that the case is different in Nigeria as the cost is much higher even up to 70 percent.
Dr Onyema noted that he has served Nigeria well at critical times in helping to protect the image of the country during COVID-19, and other times when some Nigerians were stranded abroad at no cost to the nation, stressing that nothing will kill the patriotic spirit in him.

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Just In: Nigerian Activist, Dele Farotimi Sent To Prison 24 Hours After Arrest..

Published

13 hours ago

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December 4, 2024

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Popular human right activist, Dele Farotimi has been sent to prison following his arrest yesterday in Lagos.

 

Farotimi was arrested in Lagos and whisked to Ekiti state for an allegation of defamation following a petition written against him by Aare Afe Babalola, SAN.

 

 

Aare Afe Babalola had accused Dele Farotimi of defaming him in a video he shared about corruption in the judiciary.

 

While giving update about the issue on Twitter, Omoyele Sowore confirmed that Dele Farotimi has been sent to prison.

 

“The Nigerian justice system is whack, as expected @DeleFarotimi has been hurriedly prosecuted and sent to prison after being denied bail by a judge in Ado Ekiti pre-arranged to do the same.

 

 

According to Sowore, “The Nigerian Police, Chief Afe Babalola SAN, and the judicial officers had it all planned out even before they sent the goons from Ekiti state command RRS (formerly SARS) to abduct him. The case adjourned till December 10, 2024. #RevolutionNow, I mean it. Nigeria is overdue for a REVOLUTION! “

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