The embattled MD/CEO of Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET) – Dr Marilyn Amobi has gone on a self-styled terminal leave ahead of the end of her scandalous 4 years tenure. Dr Amobi was appointed on 25th July 2016 by the Presidency vide a letter of appointment from the Office of Secretary to the Federal Government of Nigeria with reference SGF.6/S.9/T/28.

Despite her continuous disregard and disrespect for constituted authorities, process and the rule of law; Dr Amobi has found willing puppets to do her biddings in the corridor of power. Very strangely, and in a rather suspicious manner, on 7th May 2020 through an announcement from the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning’s Special Assistant on media (https://aledeh.com/2020/05/07/buhari-appoints-zainab-ahmed-as-new-nbet-board-chairman/), an announcement of a reconstituted Board of Directors for NBET was made with Dr Amobi as the only executive on the Board; thus institutionalizing corruption in NBET. The earlier Board of Directors of NBET reconstituted in August 2018 chaired by the same person was never dissolved but yet another one reconstituted in May 2020 (https://thenationonlineng.net/n1-4tr-debts-bpe-writes-minister-over-suspension-of-nbet-board-meeting/e-writes-minister-over-suspension-of-nbet-board-meeting/). Time shall TELL.

Dr Amobi has been indicted severally (https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/372125-buhari-reinstates-official-indicted-for-corruption-by-efcc-icpc-auditor-general.html) but the power that be who are afraid from being exposed as they were part of frauds perpetration are still keeping her in the office. She has called the bluff of the EFCC, ICPC, BPP and Auditor General of the Federation saying that she is untouchable because of the unflinching conspiracy from the Presidency and the Ministry of Finance hence their inability to prosecute her in any Court of Law. She has further extended her rascality to the Federal House of Representatives, for which she claims the Speaker of the House (Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila) has also exonerated her of all corruption indictments. We have laid our hands on the documents of her indictments at various levels including the courts, thus one wonders how the Honourable Speaker could have exonerated her in the face of glaring evidences. We are yet to see any document reversing her indictment at any quarter.

With news of her ostensible terminal leave as reported in an article published on 29th April 2020 in Aljazirah Newspaper, https://aljazirahnews.com/marilyn-amobi-nbet-boss-indicted-in-messy-financial-scandal/ that Dr Amobi claimed to be on terminal leave when contacted; she was sighted in the office days after the report in her official capacity as the MD/CEO of NBET. A source at NBET disclosed that immediately a new Board of Directors was reconstituted and announced by the Federal Ministry of Finance, Dr Amobi in a rather untoward manner appointed Ms. Hauwa Bello (A secondee of OAGF to NBET) as interim MD/CEO for NBET to control the strings of management even from the luxurious comfort of her home.

Within the lockdown period, we were informed by sources that Amobi hurriedly awarded contracts running into multiple hundreds of millions of naira among which is the procurement of four luxury vehicles despite the economic depression, consultancy engagement for Biomass Power Generation and extended contract worth millions of naira for Messrs Babalakin law firm to pursue suits against unlawful dismissal of NBET staff or defamation suits against media houses on behalf of Amobi; the law firm has earned several millions of naira for a fruitless efforts as they kept on losing the cases and without procurement process in the engagement of the law firm. The costs are being borne by electricity consumers despite the fact that public officers or government agencies are barred by law from suing for defamation; yet the law firm cannot advise Dr Amobi appropriately.

It is evident that the number of vehicles acquired under the watch of Amobi in NBET outnumbers its staff strength. Most of the said NBET vehicles are offered as gratis to external persons including the regulator’s Vice Chairman who are engaged to do the nefarious bidding of Dr Amobi and cover her tracks, thus shielding her from the law.

The appointment of Hauwa Bello as proxy MD/CEO by Dr Amobi vide an email addressed to NBET staff dated May 7, 2020 reads in part “this is to notify you that Mrs Hauwa Bello (Head, Internal Audit) has been appointed as the Acting General Manager (Strategy and Coordination) in the office of the MD/CEO. Mrs Bello will oversee the affairs of the management and the administration of the office of the MD/CEO while retaining her position as the Head of Internal Audit.” By Public Service Rules and Processes, Dr Amobi is required to handover to the most senior staff of NBET prior to proceeding on terminal leave in the person of Dr Nnaemeka Ewelukwa (the pioneer Company Secretary and General Counsel). By this additional act, Dr Amobi has further displayed gross disregard and disrespect to the Federal Government of Nigeria under the watch of His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari.

It would be recalled that Mrs Hauwa Bello is a staff of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, and was seconded to NBET through a friendly parley between Dr Amobi and the Accountant General of the Federation. The NBET Human Resources Policy manual a copy of which was made available to this reporter does not empower Dr Amobi to make such reckless elevation/appointments for Hauwa Bello as doing so would have usurp the powers of both the Head of Service of the Federation, SGF and the NBET Board of Directors. During the recent oversight visit of the House of Representatives Committee Members on Power to NBET, the House Chairman picket Amobi for altering the agency organogram at will without the NBET Board approval thereby disrespecting governance structure. When the chairman queried Dr Amobi, she became violent to the chairman of the committee in the presence of journalist and other committee members.

Section 5.4.3.5 of the NBET policy manual reads “an inward secondee remains an employee of the donor organization and remains subject to their terms and conditions”. One wonders the basis or right that Dr Amobi exercised in elevating/appointing Hauwa Bello to act as the MD/CEO of NBET. Dr Amobi is extremely desperate and afraid, having dwindled in favour with her management team. This is her desperate move to hold on to the reins of power at NBET at all cost, thus converting it to Amobi Enterprises.

Various media houses had earlier reported the mirage surrounding the secondment of the said Hauwa Bello to internal audit department of NBET https://www.icirnigeria.org/how-accountant-general-of-the-federation-ahmed-idris-turned-blind-eye-to-fraud-at-nbet/ which necessitated the removal of a whistle blower and the NBET Board appointed Head Internal Audit- Mr Sambo Abdullahi from his job functions to a newly created Learning and Development unit by Dr Amobi. On 30thMay 2017, the OAGF via unusual letter with Reference number OAGF/ADM/PMGT/67/IV/014 posted Hauwa Bello to NBET finance department whereas a personalised letter dated 5th June 2017 posted Hauwa Bello to the Audit Department of NBET. Dr Amobi unilaterally made Hauwa Bello the Head of Internal Audit against NBET Human Resources Policy Manual and Board Charter to pave way for her unrestrained pilfering of the company’s resources. Rather than adding value to NBET, Dr Amobi has incurred liabilities in excess of N1.3trillion for the agency during her leadership. Capital vote to the agency annually (both padded and lawful ones) are in billions of naira despite the fact that the agency owns no assets than its staff.

Dr Amobi did not stop at that but further paid the secondee huge salaries, car and travel gifts to subdue her to succumb to her fraud biddings by promoting Hauwa Bello to the status of DGM on resumption at NBET. By this, Mrs Bello earns two salaries monthly both from OAGF and NBET, this is against financial regulation of the Federal Government.

Interestingly, Mrs Hauwa Bello has spent complete 36 months (3 years) as at the time of this reporting as a secondee to NBET in gross violation of NBET Human Resources Policy manual which stipulated maximum of 12months for a secondee in the company. Section 5.4.1.8 of the manual reads “Transfer and secondment will be for a minimum period of three months and maximum period of twelve months”. One wonders what Hauwa Bello is still doing in NBET to merit her appointment to oversee the affairs of the office of the MD/CEO if not as conspirator in fraud perpetration.

Hauwa Bello and Ibrahim Otaru Saliu from OAGF were both seconded to NBET in June 2017 to aid the fraudulent activities of Dr Amobi but the latter has been transferred out of NBET to Federal Ministry of Science and Technology (Accts) since 2019 after his unlawful monthly earning of N1,513,993.38 throughout his stay in NBET as salary payable by NBET aside from salary he was earning from OAGF office.

Our findings revealed that the duo were the first treasury staff posted to NBET since the incorporation of the agency in 2011. The posting was said to have been orchestrated by Dr Amobi few months after assumption of office. The posting circular of treasury staff of OAGF made available to our investigative journalist poses serious question on the posting of Hauwa Bello to NBET as against the posting of other treasury staff of OAGF to Ministries, Departments and Agencies. By the circular of the OAGF, posting treasury officers dated 5th June 2017, Ibrahim Otaru was officially posted in a circular to NBET vide circular referenced OAGF/ADM/PMGT/67/III/069 but Hauwa Bello’s name was out rightly omitted.

The only posting letter which posted Hauwa Bello to NBET was personalised and secretly addressed to the Managing Director, Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc against the tradition of numerous addressees not limited to the Chief of Staff to the President, All Honourable Ministers, SGF, Head of Service, Service Chiefs, National Assembly and Supreme Court duly signed personally by the Accountant General of the Federation. Why the posting of Hauwa Bello was made private and signed by one Alhaji Sule B. Al-Hassan (Director, Administration in OAGF) rather than Ahmed Idris himself is a hallucination till date.

The audacity of impunity of Dr Amobi far exceeds any known atrocities by any Public Officer since the return of democracy in 1999 till date. There is the need for President Muhammadu Buhari to move swiftly in prosecuting Marilyn Amobi, and restoring sanity at NBET to further clean up the mess in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry for the good of Nigerians.

Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Muhammad Nami has stated that the Service is a national institution of pride where tribalism and ethnic jingoism has no ground to take roots much less thriving.

Mr. Nami made this assertion in a statement issued on Monday by Director, Communication and Liaison, Abdullahi Ismail Ahmad.

According to Mr. Nami, “the FIRS is one national institution which any Nigerian joins and is assured of rising to the very top in the hierarchy based on his or her individual competence and hard work on the job, and not on the basis of any tribal or religious affiliation.”

The Executive Chairman stated: “If any FIRS worker had been a victim of tribalism or religious discrimination in the past, I say to such marginalized worker: Not anymore and not on my watch at the FIRS.”

Therefore, Mr. Nami pointed out that claims in a section of the media alleging appointments and retirements along ethnic and religious lines at the FIRS “are very far from the truth in relation to publicly available evidence.”

The statement continued:

“The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) wishes to clarify that the recent staff retirement exercise which affected nine directors was done in full compliance with the law and in the best interest of the Service and the country, contrary to insinuations in a section of the media.

“The Board of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in a meeting held on Friday, March 20, 2020 took the decision and approved that all directors who had served in the FIRS for eight years and above should be retired.

“The FIRS Board took that decision in line with Paragraph 10.1(a)(iii) of Human Resources Policy and Programmes (HRPP)” of the FIRS after considering a number of career progression complaints by some staff in the Service.

“Worthy of note is that FIRS Establishment Act, 2007, Section 7 empowers the FIRS Board to take certain far-reaching decisions in the interest of the Service and by extension, the country.

“Specifically, Section 7 (d) states that the Board shall… “employ and determine the terms and conditions of service including disciplinary measures of the employees of the Service”. Section 7(J) states that the Board shall “do such other things which in its opinion are necessary to ensure the efficient/performance of the functions of the Service under this Act”.

“It is in the discharge of such responsibilities that the Board approved the retirement of the nine directors who had spent eight years and above as directors as provided by the FIRS statutes.

“In doing that, the FIRS Board considered subsisting issues in the Service which have to do with career progression. Management had observed that there was stagnation in career progression in the Service because some directors had served for about 10 years while younger members of staff who also possessed requisite expertise could not progress in their career line. Some staff had taken a number of promotion examinations and had passed but could not be promoted. The affected staff and the staff unions had complained to the Management to intervene in the situation.

“Consequent upon the appointment and inauguration of the new Executive Chairman together with the Board by the Federal Government, the career progression issue was tabled before the Board on March, 20, 2020. In its wisdom, the Board used its prerogative to direct the nine directors to be retired immediately.

“The retirement of the directors was a selfless and courageous decision taken in compliance with the laws. It was done in good faith and in the best interest of the Service.

“To further portray its good intentions, the Board of FIRS reappointed five of the retired directors either as Coordinating Directors or as Special Advisers in the Service. This way, the junior colleagues could have the opportunity to rise in their career line.

“It is unfortunate that some unnamed individuals were quoted in a section of the media alleging that the FIRS did not follow due process in retiring the directors and in appointing new ones.

“The retirement exercise and the appointment of new directors was not done in secret or with ulterior motives. The FIRS issued a press statement announcing their retirement and the appointment of new directors. This information is in the public domain for anyone interested to verify.

“The newly appointed directors out of the nine retired directors are: Chiaka Okoye (an Igbo) the Group Lead, Digital Support Group and a member of the management team; Mr. Olufemi Faniyi (a Yoruba) the Coordinating Director, Tax Operations Group and a member of the management team; Dr Asheikh Madugu (a Kanuri) the Acting Coordinating Director, ECFIRS Group and a member of the management team; Mr. Innocent Ohagwa (an Igbo) the Acting Coordinating Director, Support Services Group and a member of the management team; Mr. Ezra Zubairu ( a Northern Christian) the Acting Coordinating Director, Compliance Support Group and a member of the management team. While Mrs. Faosat Oguniyi (a Yoruba Muslim) who is not among the nine retired directors is the Group Lead, Enforcement Support Group and also a member of the management team. Kola Okunola (a Yoruba) and Auta Mohammed (a Hausa) have been retained as Special Advisors ICT and Administration respectively. And Nneka Ofekwuna (an Igbo) is the Board Secretary.

“The current management team is composed of two Yoruba, two Igbo, and two Northern minority tribes; and in all there are four Christians and three Muslims in the current FIRS management team. The public is therefore called upon to disregard the mischief making the rounds in some sections of the media. The current management team and the Board of the FIRS is poised to discharge its statutory responsibilities without succumbing to blackmail or unnecessary distraction.

…..We’ve lost a gem, state’ll immortalize him, says Makinde

The Oyo State Executive Council, on Monday, conducted a valedictory session in honour of the erstwhile Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Rt. Honourable Kehinde Ayoola.

The council members  severally eulogized the late former speaker of the state assembly, declaring that he  would be greatly missed.

Speaking during the meeting held at the Government House, Agodi, Ibadan, the president of the council and governor of the state, Engineer Seyi Makinde, described the late commissioner as a gem, noting that he has lost a loyal and dedicated friend and colleague.

A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, quoted the governor as saying that the state would immortalize Ayoola.

The governor also declared that henceforth the task of educating the children of the deceased has become  his responsibility.

According to him, he would be ready to bear the cost of their education no matter where they want to go in search of knowledge.

The governor said: “Nothing prepares us for something like this. One week, you are with a friend, colleague, discussing the affairs, dreams, aspirations and, the next moment, he is no more. All the dreams and aspirations are extinguished.

“He will definitely be missed by all of us who have worked with him. I have seen pictures that the deceased and some of our colleagues took together. We will all miss him but I will be missing him even more dearly. I first met him in 2002. We were very young then and we were thinking about the ideal situation for our state.

“I remember the first meeting at Fortune Chinese Restaurant at Onireke. He was the only politician amongst us. We were just professionals thinking about how Oyo State can progress and we all decided to support Governor (Rashidi) Ladoja. But because we all knew nothing about politics, every time we got to a point to review the political implications of the decisions we were about to take, we always fell back on him because he will be the one to always tell us the ramification of the decision we’d planned to take.

“After that effort, Pa Ladoja emerged as the governor. We maintained the relationship and, once in a while, we talked about his love for agriculture, until 2014 when I decided to run for the governorship seat of Oyo State. After we lost the election, we stayed together and kept the relationship going.

“In 2019, he was going to be the Director-General of my campaign organisation but some people said I should give the new people that had just joined the team, the opportunity to also contribute. Eventually, late Honourable Ayoola became the Deputy DG for the 2019 campaign. “Normally, one would have expected resentment, but he said to me that he could even become a cleaner, since the whole idea is to win the election and to actualize the dreams that we have been nursing since 2002.

“For me, he was a rare gem. We had spoken about the new waste management architecture for Oyo State. We had actually started the project at the dumpsite. He sent me pictures of himself, where he was supervising the project at the dump-site. We had spoken about the PSPs.”

Governor Makinde, who also encouraged the late Commissioner’s wife, Professor Oluwakemi Ayoola, and his two sons, to take heart, noted that whatever God does cannot be questioned.

He also added that the Oyo State Executive Council, the people of Oyo town and indeed the Oyo citizenry were united with the immediate family, in the loss of Rt. Hon. Ayoola.

He added: “We have his wife and children here. I want you to know something; we are all united in this loss. For yourself, it is something personal because you have lost a friend, husband, and the bread-winner of the family. For the children, they have lost a friend, father and a mentor, but in all of these, who are we to question God? Whatever God does, the Bible says, is always the best.

“Woman, please, be strong. We will definitely immortalize him in the days to come. The state will take a decision on what we have to do. But, for me personally, from this moment, the children are my responsibility till they are done with their school. And wherever they want to go, in any corner of the world, in search of knowledge and education, they are my responsibility and I will shoulder it.

“I use this opportunity to also thank you my colleagues for your messages and support and I pray that, from this point forward, we won’t lose anyone among us again.”

Similarly, the Secretary to the Oyo State Government, Mrs. Olubamiwo Adeosun, the Head of Service, Mrs. Amidat Agboola, and  commissioners took turns to eulogize the late Oyo-born politician, describing him as a patriotic individual who worked for the development of the state in all ramifications.

…..adopts virtual proceedings

The Federal High Court (FHC) on Monday directed judges of its various judicial divisions to adopt virtual proceedings for court cases.

Chief Judge of the FHC, Justice John Tsoho, issued the directive in the new 2020 Practice Directions for the COVID-19 period dated May 18 and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

The direction, however, provides that proceedings can only be held virtually with the consent of the parties and their counsel.

Also, under the new rules, FHC judges cannot hear more than nine cases daily.

The direction also provides that:

“Virtual proceeding is hereby adopted for adjudication in the Federal High Court.

“Virtual proceedings can be either by Zoom, Skype or any other audio-visual platform approved by the Court,”

The CJ also directed that where parties and their counsel agree to virtual proceedings in a case, they should liaise with the court’s Registrar to schedule the hearings.

He said that cases for virtual proceedings shall then be stated on the Cause List, posted on the FHC website, and communicated to counsel and parties, either by e-mail or any other electronic means.

Justice Tsoho added that the Judge and counsel in such proceedings must also be properly robed.

“Service of court processes may be effected by e-mails, WhatsApp or as may be directed by the Court, and shall be deemed as good service.

“Service of hearing notices may be effected by e-mail, WhatsApp, text messages or as may be directed by the Court

“The print out of same shall be sufficient proof of service,” he said.

Also, in keeping with the Federal and States COVID-19 regulations, the Chief Judge also made mandatory, the wearing of face masks and maintaining of social distancing.

“Face Masks must be properly worn by everyone within the court premises to cover their mouths and noses at all times.

“Every person within the premises of the court and inside the court room shall observe the requirement of social and physical distancing of not less than 2 meters (6 feet) apart from each other,

“At any given time, there shall not be a congregation of more than ten (10) within the Court premises, except for purposes of court sittings.

“There shall not be more than twenty (20) persons inside the court room including the court staff and counsel at court sittings.” he said.

(NAN)

The Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami has expressed his delightement to hear about the Executive Order No. 007 of 2020 on Right of Way Charges on Telecommunications Infrastructure that was signed by the Executive Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, CON, on the 12th of May, 2020.

In a press release signed by the Spokesperson to the Honourable Minister of Communications & Digital Economy, Uwa Suleiman (Mrs), she said that the Order shall “specifically target all sectors of Ekiti State including rural homes, farms, small businesses, manufacturing and production sites, transportation systems, and healthcare and educational facilities”. It is also noteworthy that the Order specifies that “Right of Way charges related to the laying of broadband or any other telecommunications infrastructure in Ekiti State shall not exceed N145 per linear metre”.

The statement read, “This action of providing a policy backing to the Right of Way charges is truly commendable. It is also in consonance with the resolution of the State Governors under the auspices of the Governors’ Forum on the 22nd of January 2020 to address the lingering issue of Right of Way (RoW) charges in a bid to deepen broadband penetration in the country and promote a Digital Economy for a Digital Nigeria.

“At that meeting the Executive Governors had resolved to adopt the 2013 resolutions reached by the National Economic Council (NEC) which agreed on a maximum RoW charge of N145.00 per linear meter of fibre. Implementing this resolution will go a long way in implementing the National Broadband Plan (NBP) which was launched by His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, on the 19th of March 2020.

“An increase in broadband access will have a positive impact on the economy of the various States as well as the entire country. One of the key benefits is the rapid growth in the gross domestic product (GDP) of any country that increases its broadband penetration. The negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated the importance of broadband in supporting economies around the world.

“The Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, congratulates and commends the Executive Governor of Ekiti State for this landmark action. The Honourable Minister would like to use the occasion of the World Telecommunications Day to encourage other Executive Governors to emulate this action in order to accelerate broadband penetration across the country, the statement concluded.

Amidst the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Niger State Government has called back all contractors handling various projects to sites.

Governor Abubakar Sani Bello disclosed while inspecting some road projects under construction in Minna the state capital, said life cannot be put on hold because of Coronavirus.

Governor Sani Bello said normal life has to continue as it was not definite when the pandemic will be over, saying that as such government has move on.

He called on those handling the various projects to observe all the precautionary measures put in place to avoid contracting and spending the virus.

The Governor however expressed satisfaction with the level of work ongoing, adding that they would put pressure on the contractors to deliver the work on time before the rains set in.

The governor said any contractor found to be defaulting in executing their work in line with specification would have their contract terms terminated.

Projects inspected by Governor Abubakar Bello include ongoing road construction at Morris Fertilizer Area and Tunga Low-Cost Road.