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Saraki’s aide Accuses Prof. Sagay of Attempting To Influence CCT Judgement

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The Special Assistant on New Media to the Senate President, Mr. Bamikole Omishore, has accused the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Prof. Itse Sagay, of attempting to influence the judgment of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), to ensure the conviction of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.

Omishore released an audio recording where Sagay allegedly admitted to “tackling” the judge over the delay in the prosecution of the case.

The recording, he said, was secretly taped two months ago.

The CCT last week dismissed charges of false declaration of assets brought against Saraki by the federal government, in a case that lasted almost two years.

The Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Umar Danladi held that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against the defendant.

The case was largely considered to be political, as a fall out of Saraki’s emergence as Senate President against the wishes of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in June 2015.

However, Saraki’s acquittal was criticised by Sagay and another legal aide in the presidency, Mr. Okoi Obno-Obla, who said that the federal government would appeal the CCT ruling.

Reacting, Omishore yesterday took to his twitter handle, @MrBanksOmishore, to accuse Sagay of pushing for the removal of Saraki as Senate President.

He said: “Clearly, the CCT charges against @bukolasaraki were never about corruption of justice, was strictly to remove him as President of Senate.

“Prof. Sagay’s attempt to use illegal means to get a conviction is a major reason most cases can’t stand in court of law.

“The fight against corruption is being rubbished by Prof. Sagay. It’s illegal to try to get convictions by intimidating judges to do your bidding.

“The fight against corruption must be predicated on the rule of law, not sentiments, not media propaganda, double standard or guess work.

“The recording was secretly taped about two months ago outside of Nigeria. I am waiting for Sagay to deny and I will expose more.”

The transcript of the two minutes, 11 seconds audio recording where a man purported to be Sagay who appeared to be responding to an interview is reproduced below:

“We have actually tackled the judge about the delay, and he gave some reasons mainly that the lawyers prosecuting were not directing themselves at the actual charge, giving evidence which was not totally related, and to some extent one can accept that excuse, because new charges have been filed.

“I think if you ask me, that judge himself doesn’t seem to (INAUDIBLE)… When you allow cross-examination to go on for one month, there is no precedent for that in Nigeria.

“Usually you should start cross-examination (INAUDIBLE)… It has to do with that particular judge. He has lost control of his court.

“And you are right, by the end of four years, we might still be on that case and the man would have been the Senate President through out in spite of these charges, if we are not careful.”

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FCTA uncovers illegal oil refining warehouse in Abuja

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In continuation of the city cleaning exercise, Authorities of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) with operatives of security personnel have uncovered an illegal oil refining warehouse in Mabushi, opposite Mobile filling station on Ahmadu Bello way in Abuja.

 

The Director, Department of Development Control, FCTA, Mukhtar Galadima after the operation on Thursday, said the illegal refining site was discovered during the continuation of the city cleaning exercise.

 

According to him, about three to four plot of lands designated for commercial purposes have been converted to an area where oil and diesel are being adulterated and circulated to other parts of the city.

 

Galadima explained that the city sanitation task force will look into the provision of the law and make necessary recommendations to the FCT Administration for further actions on the plots used for the activity.

 

He said there was no arrest but the items used in carrying out the illegal refining have been impounded.

 

Galadima said, “During the continuation of our city sanitation exercise in Mabushi opposite Mobile filling station on Ahmadu way, we discovered an illegal refining site where oil and diesel are being adulterated, we have done the needful by moving the items to Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.

 

“From what we have seen so far, about three or four pilot of lands designated for commercial purposes have been converted to unapproved activities, which we believe the owners are fully aware, there will be consequences.

 

“We are going to look at the provision of the law and make necessary recommendations to the FCT Administration”

 

He said the administration will continue to go tough on activities being carried out without government approval,  especially revocation of the titles.

 

Collaborating, Head, operations FCT Directorate of Road Traffic Service (DRTS), Deborah Osho said the city management team during the exercise also discovered that most of the areas in the Nation’s capital have been converted to illegal car mart and motor parks.

 

She disclosed that fifteen vehicles have so far been impounded since the operation commenced about two days.

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Central Bank To Freeze Accounts Without BVN, NIN From April 2024

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The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said on Friday that it will freeze accounts without a Bank Verification Number (BVN) or National Identification Number (NIN) from April 2024.

This is according to a Friday circular by the apex bank which said a BVN or NIN verification will be “conducted shortly”.

It also said all BVN or NIN attached to accounts/wallets must be electronically revalidated by January 31, 2024, according to the circular by the CBN Director of Payments System Management Department Chibuzo Efobi, and the Director of Financial Policy and Regulation Department Haruna Mustapha.

More details later….

 

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Adebayo Alli: Guinness Nigeria gets new Managing Director, Its first Nigerian CEO since 2015 …..

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Guinness Nigeria has announced the appointment of Mr Adebayo Alli as its new Managing Director, its first Nigerian MD since 2015.

The appointment comes after John Musunga, the now erstwhile MD of Guinness Nigeria moved to become Diageo Africa’s Managing Director for Southern, West, and Central Africa.

The announcement was given after the company’s board meeting held on Monday, November 27, 2023.

According to the corporate filing on NGX’s website signed by the Company Secretary, Abidemi Ademola, Adebayo Alli would resume his new role within the company on January 1, 2024.

Profile of Adebayo Alli …..

Adebayo Alli, a mechanical engineer by training, holds a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Ibadan and an MSc in Advanced Process Engineering from Loughborough University, UK.

He joined Diageo, owner of Guinness Nigeria in 2005 as a Packaging Operations Support Manager. Since then, he has gone on to work as project lead for a business transformation project in Meta Abo Brewery Limited, Ethiopia, another of Diageo Africa’s businesses. In 2014, he became a plant manager at the Meta Abo Brewery, and in 2015, Supply Chain Director.

Upon his return to Nigeria in 2017, he assumed the role of Operations Director at Guinness Nigeria before shifting his focus towards general management, venturing into multiple senior commercial sales positions within Guinness Nigeria PLC.

His trajectory saw a brief tenure between 2019 and 2020 as the Director for IPS, Reserve & Modern Trade. Subsequently, in 2020, Bayo ascended to the role of Commercial Director at Guinness Nigeria.

What you should know….

Guinness Nigeria’s last Nigerian MD was Seni Adetu who served between 2012 and 2015. Since him, John O’Kefee an Irish man became the MD, followed by Peter Ndegwa, a Kenyan, Baker Magunda, another Kenyan, then John Musunga, also another Kenyan.

Guinness Nigeria Plc is majorly owned by Diageo Plc with a 58% stake. In the past, Diageo’s only footprint in Nigeria was through Guinness Nigeria and the Managing Director of Guinness Nigeria also doubled as the head of the Diageo brand in the country.

However, after Diageo announced a discontinuation of its import deal with Guinness Nigeria, which meant Guinness Nigeria would no longer import Johnnie Walker and Baileys into Nigeria, it was also announced that Diageo was creating a new “wholly owned spirits-focused business” to manage the importation and distribution of those premium spirits brand in West and Central Africa. Presumably, John Musunga is resuming to head this new business.

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