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STELLA ODUAH SET TO RUN FOR SENATE……. -Set To Battle Chuba Okadigbo’s Widow, Margaret For Anambra North Seat

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Former minister of aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, will contest for a seat in the senate in 2015. Oduah, who was dropped from the cabinet early this year after the controversial purchase of bullet-proof cars, will contest for the Anambra north slot on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). However, she will first have to dislodge the current senator, Mrs Margaret Okadigbo ─ widow of Dr. Chuba Okadigbo ─ who fought all the way to the Supreme Court before she could take her seat in 2013, two years after her election. Oduah, who comes from Akili-Ozizor in Ogbaru LGA, is believed to enjoy the backing of the PDP hierarchy and is not expected to find it difficult to get the party’s nomination. The oil and gas entrepreneur was a key figure in the electioneering of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 with her Neighbour-2-Neighbour organisation.

Senator Margaret Okadigbo

She was subsequently made minister of aviation ─ where she developed a roadmap for the remodelling and renovation of the nation’s 22 airports. However, she ran into a storm last year over the purchase of two BMW armoured cars for N255 million by the National Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). It was believed to be overly inflated and the controversy eventually led to her ouster from the cabinet. The purchase did not follow due process, according to a senate report, and there was also a public outcry over the necessity of such expenditure in the first place. In what could be the pre-amble to her senatorial bid, she was recently given the chieftaincy title of Ada Eze Chukwu for her “outstanding service to Nigeria” by the traditional ruler of Ogbaru, Igwe Nelson Ethmal. She has also been honoured with an “award of excellence” by Ndigbo Lagos. An associate of the former minister disclosed that Oduah decided to give the senate a shot because she believes she still has “a lot” to contribute to national development. “Look at her record at the aviation ministry in less than three years. Never in the history of Nigeria has there been such a revolutionary approach to the development of the aviation industry in terms of infrastructure and safety,” he said. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recently said she was still under probe over the BMW car affair, but she insists she did not commit any fraud.

Abeke Olabode

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EFCC: 58 Ex-Govs Embezzled N2.187 Trillion [Full List]

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According to the EFCC’s allegations, a significant number of former governors, totaling at least 58, have alleged to been involved in the misappropriation, embezzlement, or laundering of approximately N2.187 trillion over a span of 25 years.

This amount does not include properties seized worldwide or those currently being investigated, which amount to billions of Naira.

The amount of N2.2 trillion that was looted is similar to the combined budgets of Lagos State and the South-East states for 2024, totaling N2.25 trillion and N2.29 trillion respectively. This figure exceeds the budgets of the North-Central states and North-East states for 2024, which are N1.89 trillion and N1.60 trillion, by several billion.

The EFCC is currently investigating, probing, and prosecuting 58 ex-governors from various regions of the country. Since the restoration of civilian government on May 29, 1999, there have been at least 170 governors serving in the 36 states of Nigeria.

The 58 ex-governors who are currently or have previously faced investigations by EFCC, with alleged amounts in question, consist of:

late Abubakar Audu (N10.966 bn),

TA Orji and sons (N551 bn)

Yahaya Bello (N80.2 bn)

Chimaroke Nnamani (N5. 3 bn)

Sullivan Chime (N450 million)

Kayode Fayemi (N4bn)

Ayo Fayose (N6.9 bn)

Abdullahi Adamu (N15bn)

Danjuma Goje (N5bn)

Aliyu Wamakko (N15 bn)

Sule Lamido (N1.35 bn)

Joshua Dariye (N1. 16 bn)

Timipre Sylva (N19.2 bn)

Saminu Turaki (N36bn)

Bello Matawalle (N70 bn)

Lucky Igbinedion (N4. 5 bn)

Musa Kwakwanso (N10bn)

Peter Odili (N1000 bn)

Jolly Nyame (N1.64 bn)

James Ngilari (N167 m)

Abdulaziz Yari (N84 bn)

Godswill Akpabio (N100bn)

Abdul fatah Ahmed (N9 bn)

Ali Mode-Sheriff (N300bn)

Willie Obiano (N43 bn)

Ibrahim Dankwambo (N1. 3bn)

Darius Ishaku (N39bn)

Ramalan Yero (N700m)

Achike Udenwa (N350m)

Rochas Okoro ha (N10. 8bn)

James Ibori (N40 bn),

DSP Alamieyeseigha (N2.655bn)

Gabriel Suswam (N3. 111bn)

Samuel Orton (N107bn)

Murtala Nyako (N29bn)

Rashid Ladoja (4.7bn)

Christopher Alao-Akala (N11. 5 bn)

Abdulkadir Kure (N600m)

Babangida Aliyu (N4bn)

Abubakar Audu (N10bn)

Idris Wada (N500m)

Ibrahim Shekarau (N950m)

Adamu Aliero (N10bn)

Usman Dakingari and wife (N5. 8bn)

Attahiru Bafarawa N19. 6bn)

Jonah Jang (N6. 3bn)

Aliyu Doma (N8bn)

Tanko Al’Makura (N4bn)

Boni Haruna (N93bn)

Bindow Jibrila (N62bn)

Adamu Muazu (13bn)

Isa Yuguda N212bn)

Mohammed Abubakar (N8. 5bn).

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Dangote University explains how female student died in her off-campus apartment

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Tragedy struck on Thursday at the Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Wudil, Kano State, when a female student, Aishat Yahaya Olabisi, was found dead in her off-campus apartment.

Olabisi, a 300-level female student of Food and Science Technology, was said to have been found dead after she returned to her room from the school.

The deceased student was said to have written her first examination in the ongoing first-semester examination at the university on the fateful day.

One of the male students who spoke to PUNCH Online on condition of anonymity on Saturday blamed her sudden passing away on examination pressure.

“The deceased was hale and hearty before she went out to write her first examination in the ongoing first-semester examination,” the student said.

However, following reports in the media that the female student died in the university students’ hostel, the Management of the university clarified the misinformation.

In a statement by the Dean, Students Affairs of the university, Prof. Abdulkadir Dambazau, dated 3rd May 2024, refuted the media claims.

The statement titled “Clarification Regarding False Statement About Student’s Death” read, “It has come to our attention that a recent statement made by DLC Hausa and some media outlets regarding the discovery of a student’s corpse at the students’ hall of residence is entirely false. We wish to address this matter promptly and unequivocally refute these claims.

“On 23 April 2024, we received news about the untimely passing of Yahaya Aishat Olabisi, a diligent and bright student of ADUSTECH Wudil. Aishat spent her last evening engrossed in her studies, diligently preparing for upcoming examinations. The following morning after a shared breakfast with her roommate and a heartfelt conversation with her father, she expressed her intent to rest briefly before resuming her studies. However, destiny had a different plan.

“In the early afternoon of the same day, concerns arose when Yahaya Aishat Olabisi did not respond to attempts to reach her. Upon investigation, it was discovered that she had passed away in her sleep in her off-campus residence. Immediate measures were taken, and she was swiftly taken to the university clinic, where her passing was confirmed by medical professionals.”

The statement added that Olabisi’s remains had been transferred to the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital for postmortem analysis.

“Given the circumstances, her remains were transferred to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital for postmortem analysis to ascertain the cause of her sudden demise. Meanwhile, her grieving parents, who hail from Ilorin arrived the following day to bid farewell to their beloved daughter.

“In honouring her memory and bidding her farewell, Aishat was laid to rest on 24 April 2024, surrounded by family, friends, and members of the academic community who mourned her loss deeply,” the statement added.

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Court Sentence FCMB Branch Manager to 121 years in Prison for embezzling Customers Funds

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FCMB is a leading financial institution in Nigeria has received a big shock of the year as one of its staff has been thrown to prison for fraud and embezzlement.

Justice S. Odili at the Anambra State High Court in Onitsha, Anambra State, sentenced Mr Nwachukwu Placidus, a bank manager at First City Monument Bank FCMB, Onitsha Anambra State to 121 years in prison for embezzling N112 million from a customer’s fixed deposit account.

The Honorable justices delivered the verdict resulting in the conviction and sentencing of a former manager at the First City Monument Bank’s branch in Onitsha, who has now been sentenced to a total of 121 years in prison for misappropriating fixed deposit funds totaling N112,100,000 from a customer for personal use. This is tantamount to a breach of trust by the former manager which has attracted a huge jail term.

 

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