Akwa Pluz

A Lagos High Court in Igbosere on Thursday dismissed a motion by the Executive Director of Lekki Gardens Estate Limited, Mr. Sola Olumofe, seeking to quash the criminal charges filed against him and others by the Lagos State Government over the collapse of a building in Lekki area of the state on March 10, 2016. Olumofe, the Managing Director of Lekki Gardens, Richard Nyong and others are arraigned before Justice Sybil Nwaka on charges of negligence. Other defendants are – Odofin Henry Taiwo, Omolabake Mortune, Omotilewa Oluwatosin Joseph, Lekki Gardens, Get Too Rich Investment Limited and HC Insight Solution Limited. Olumofe, through his lawyer, George Oguntade (SAN,) had urged the court to quash the charges against him because the prosecution has not established a prima facie case against him. He submitted that the prosecution failed to invite him for questioning before the charges were filed. The state government, in its response, faulted the application, pointing out t...

The Senate on Thursday, gave the Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Usman, four days to explain the whereabouts of over 282 vessels allegedly missing from the sea ports. Sen. Hope Uzodinma, Chairman, Senate’s Joint Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariff and Marine Transport, gave the ultimatum in Abuja, at an investigative hearing on N30 trillion lost through leakages in Customs and other agencies. Uzodinma, who expressed displeasure with the managing director for not honouring the committee’s two previous invitations, said the information on the vessels was imperative and must be available within four days. He threatened that the senate may be compelled to pursue a financial crime case against Usman should he fail to heed the committee’s directive. “We are looking for these vessels. We have the date of arrival, the ports of discharge and manifest. “Everything is with us but in information available to us, no money was collected by Customs, the ...

The All Progressives Congress ( APC ) Oyo State chapter, says the on-going re-alignment of forces by the opposition political players in the state ahead of the 2019 gubernatorial election would fail. This was contained in a statement by Mr Olawale Sadare, the party’s Public Relations Officer in Ibadan on Saturday. The leaderships of opposition political parties in the state, including the Accord Party, Social Democratic Party, Labour Party and Peoples Democratic Party have initiated a move to regroup against the ruling APC. The re-alignment is aimed at dislodging the ruling All Progressives Congress ( APC ) in the state in the 2019 elections. Prominent among the state political leaders in the move were former Gov. Rasheed Ladoja, former Gov. Adebayo Alao-Akala, Mr Seyi Makinde and Alhaji Sharafadeen Alli. “We are a governing party that has distinguished itself as the only vehicle of good governance, peace and wholesome development desired by the majo...

• Envoy condemns burning of used tyres Ecuadorian Ambassador to Nigeria Leopoldo Verdesoto Rovayo has urged  Nigerian leaders to take issues of environmental pollution seriously. He advised them to ensure that laws on environments are implemented to save the earth and climate from further depleting. Ravayo spoke in Port Harcourt, Rivers  State capital, when he partnered, a Rivers lawmaker, Hon. Victoria Nyeche on a campaign on “Sustainable Lifestyle on Environment”, to plant trees at Elekahia Secondary School, in Port Harcourt Local Government Area at the weekend. The campaign was an offshoot of the just concluded Port Harcourt Environmental Summit by members of the State House of assembly, and the brain child of Nyche. He said the government, multinational companies as well as residents in the state have roles to play, if the environment must be saved. He condemned the practice of indiscriminate emission of hydro carbon chemical and other harmful chemicals, element...

  The Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) has stated that Nigeria can build a robust and inclusive digital payment ecosystem with active collaboration among key stakeholders Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof Umar Danbatta, while speaking at the 2023 yearly conference of the Finance Correspondent Association of Nigeria (FICAN) with the theme “Strengthening Digital Infrastructure for Efficient Innovative Payment System in Nigeria, held on Saturday in Lagos, said for Nigeria to advance its payment system, there is need for stakeholders to adopt a multidimensional collaboration in the system. According to the NCC boss, who was represented by a Deputy Director at the commission, Engr Anthony Ikemefuna, to strenghten digital infrastructure for efficient payment system is a long-term exercise that requires active involvement of key stakeholders in attracting huge investment needed to achieve the desired result. He categorically stressed the need to improve collaboration between the NCC and fi...

A former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN) has filed a petition before the UN Human Rights Committee(UNHRC) against the Federal Government and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), accusing them of threatening his life. He said the government and the anti graft agency have embarked on  unmitigated acts of persecution, intimidation, harassment, threat of deprivation right to life, unlawful interference with right to family life and livelihood as well as filing of phantom criminal charges against him. He said some powerful forces were using state agencies, especially EFCC, because he resisted the use of his office for the control of Malabu Oil and Gas Limited and the proceeds from the disposal the of the assets of Malabu Oil and Gas Limited held in OPL 245, to Shell and ENI. Adoke in the petition  which was filed by a solicitor, Mr. Femi Oboro, pleaded with the UNHRC to “ expeditiously consi...

Fidelity Bank Plc will be celebrating the first anniversary of its highly regarded Export Management Programme (EMP). Launched in 2016, the EMP is a sector focused capacity building programme run by Fidelity Bank in partnership with the Pan-Atlantic University and the Nigerian Export Promotions Council (NEPC), to deliver impactful, world-class export management education to aspiring and existing players in the non-oil export sector of the Nigerian economy. The programme which prepares participants for effective play in the international non-oil export markets in particular and the larger export markets in general,  has continued to raise the bar of capacity building in exports in Nigeria. Its unique curriculum is structured to take participants through courses bordering strategically on product development for export; developing linkages with customers in importing countries; understanding the various export processes, accompanying documentation and other requirements in Nig...

Minister of Youth and Sports Solomon Dalung will lead a delegation of top officials to cheer on the Super Eagles when they clash with Ghana’s Black Stars in Sunday’s WAFU Cup of Nations final. A statement from the Nigeria Football Federation ( NFF ) on Saturday said Dalung would be accompanied by the NFF President Amaju Pinnick. “Also in the delegation to the Cape Coast Stadium is NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, who arrived in the Ghanaian capital on Friday. “Super Eagles’ Technical Adviser Gernot Rohr also flew into Accra on Saturday and will be in the stands. “Head Coach of Super Eagles B, Salisu Yusuf is Chief Coach of the A team where Rohr is technical adviser,’’ it said. The statement also noted that Dalung has been an ever-present guest in Super Eagles’ most crucial matches in the past year. “He undisputable brings a rich vein of fortune around the team with the Eagles now only one win away from a sixth appearance in the FIFA World Cup finals,’’ it s...

A notorious  kidnapper, Abubakar Mojumba, now in police net, at the weekend narrated how members of his gang  sexually abused  a female victim for three days when members of her family could not raise money demanded as ransom. The kidnap suspect, a Fulani, was said to have stormed the home of their victim, also a Fulani at Elewuro village, Iganna , Oyo State and abducted the woman, Saidat Musa. They also stole victim’s husband motorcycle with which she victim was taken away on June 7, 2017 at about 1am. Speaking further, the kidnap suspect who was in handcuff at the Eleyele Police headquarters, Ibadan, Oyo state last weekend, said he was only promised the motorcycle if the operation succeeded by other members of the gang now at large. The 22-year-old kidnapper told newsmen that the gang had, after the abduction of the victim, went back to the husband of the victim to collect money demanded as ransom when some of the villagers gave them a hot chase and in the process,...

…Alleges threats from brothers Nigerian Hip-hop twins , Peter and Paul Okoye of the popular PSquare group, appear to be splitting up, finally. Peter, on Monday, gave credence to the purported tales of separation of the musical group. In a letter written to their lawyer, Festus Keyamo, Peter is seeking to dissociate himself from the group, citing threat to life, disregard for his family and failure to honour past agreements as some of the reasons he cannot continue with the musical group. He said although the decision to quit was a tough one, Peter noted that he has tried and exhausted all options to work things out, but that Paul is not willing to cooperate. “For example, he canceled our U.S. tour without discussing it with me. Unknown to me, he canceled each show as we were being booked. He has also been accusing and threatening my wife and family of unimaginable lies via social media outlets. Me and my wife have been getting different threatening messages. I fear fo...