The acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Prof Kemebradikumo Pondei, fainted on Monday during an investigative hearing at the National Assembly. Pondei collapsed on his seat as members of the House Committee on NDDC grilled him thoroughly for about 45 minutes before he passed out.

Mr Pondei was responding to allegations of 1.5billion naira of financial misappropriation when he suddenly collapsed and couldn’t respond to questions from the chairman of the probe panel. Efforts from witnesses to resuscitate him were  effective as he regained consciousness shortly afterwards.

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Mr Daniel Pondei had to be excused from the panel after feeling unwell and could not continue his defence. Meanwhile, The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on the Niger Delta, Rep. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo (APC-Ondo), has stepped aside as head of the panel investigating alleged corruption at the NDDC.

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Mr Tunji-ojo resigned at 11:37 am on Monday, at hearing room 231, House Wing of the National Assembly, after a 4-minute speech, where he said he was ready to face the anti-corruption agencies for allegations of corruption. Rep. Thomas Ereyitomi (PDP-Delta), stepped in as a replacement immediately after.
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NDDC acting MD collapses during house hearing; probe adjourned

The Nigerian Air Force has disclosed that it will hand over the driver and two other occupants of the Kia Sorento SUV which killed Nigeria’s first female combat pilot, Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile, to the police for proper investigation and prosecution.

The NAF disclosed that the suspects – Mr Nehemiah Adejoh, Mr Igbekele Folorunsho and Mr Festus Gbayegun – all former schoolmates of the deceased at the Air Force Secondary School (now Air Force Comprehensive School) Kaduna, were still in custody.

Disclosing the details of the preliminary investigation to journalists at the NAF Headquarters in Abuja on Sunday, the Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, Air Comm. Ibikunle Daramola, said the service would work with the police to prefer appropriate charges against the culpable persons among the vehicle occupants.

Following Arotile’s death at the NAF base in Kaduna last Tuesday, her family, and groups including the Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, had called for an investigation into her death. Afenifere, which spoke through its spokesman, rejected the freak accident, which the Air Force said caused her death.

However, on Sunday, the Air Force gave more insights into the accident. It claimed that the driver, Adejoh was reversing the Kia Sorento SUV when it hit Arotile who fell and hit her head on the tarmac. The car also ran over parts of her body after knocking her down.

The Squadron Pilot at the 405 Helicopter Combat Training Group, Enugu, subsequently died from loss of blood and trauma to the head at the 461 NAF Hospital, Kaduna.

It was learnt that the culpable person among occupants of the car might face manslaughter charges and on conviction, is liable to seven years’ imprisonment, according to Section 28 of the Road Traffic Law which provides that where reckless and dangerous driving has caused the death of a person, the accused person shall be guilty of an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment of seven years.

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Daramola said the late pilot, who was attached to the Air Component of Operation Gama Aiki in Minna, Niger State, had just completed her promotion examination and was in Kaduna awaiting deployment for her next assignment.

According to him, she was staying with her sister, Mrs Damilola Adegboye, at the Sabo area in Kaduna and visiting the NAF Base whenever necessary.

Narrating the sequence of events that culminated in Arotile’s death, Daramola explained that on the fateful day, at about 10.55am, the late Flying Officer received a phone call from her colleague, Flying Officer Perry Karimo, a fellow helicopter pilot from the 405 HCTG, who wanted to discuss arrangements for their return to Enugu.

He reportedly asked her to come to the base so they could work out the modalities, adding that Arotile at 10.58am placed a call to the Group Operations Officer of 405 HCTG, Squadron Leader Diepiriye Batubo, who was in Minna at the time, to clarify issues regarding her deployment.

The NAF spokesman noted that the call from Karimo and the one to Batubo both took place before 11.00am, over five hours before the incident which led to her death.

He stated, “Flying Officer Arotile was later conveyed from Sabo to the NAF Base Kaduna by her sister, Mrs Adegboye, where the deceased dropped her phone for charging at a house in the Instructor Pilots’ Quarters belonging to Squadron Leader Alfa Ekele.

“Her elder sister later dropped her off  (sic) at the Base Mammy Market at about 4.00pm, where she proceeded to photocopy and laminate some documents. It was while she was returning from the Mammy Market at about 4.30pm that three of her former schoolmates at the Air Force Secondary School, Kaduna; Mr Nehemiah Adejoh, Mr Igbekele Folorunsho and Mr Festus Gbayegun, drove past her in a Kia Sorento SUV, with registration Number AZ 478 MKA.

“It is noteworthy that Adejoh, Folorunsho and Gbayegun are all civilians who live outside NAF Base Kaduna, but were on their way to visit one Mrs Chioma Ugwu, wife of Squadron Leader Chukwuemeka Ugwu, who lives at Ekagbo Quarters on the Base.”

Upon recognising Arotile after passing her, Daramola disclosed that Adejoh reversed the vehicle, ostensibly in an attempt to quickly meet up with the deceased, who was walking in the opposite direction.

“In the process, the vehicle struck Flying Officer Arotile from the rear, knocking her down with significant force and causing her to hit her head on the pavement. The vehicle then ran over parts of her body as it veered off the road beyond the kerb and onto the pavement, causing her further injuries.

“Flying Officer Arotile was subsequently rushed to the 461 NAF Hospital Kaduna for treatment, while Mr Folorunsho (one of the occupants of the vehicle) who is also an Accident & Emergency Nurse at the St Gerard Catholic Hospital Kaduna, administered First Aid. Arotile was confirmed dead by the On-Call doctor at the 461 NAF Hospital at about 4.45pm on 14 July 2020, as a result of the head injuries,” the NAF spokesman disclosed.

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After the incident, Daramola said the driver and the two occupants of the car were immediately detained at the Air Provost Wing, 453 Base Services Group Kaduna as investigations began.

He also said they were subjected to toxicology tests at the 461 NAF Hospital but no traces of alcohol or psychotropic substances were found in their systems, noting, however, that Adejo did not have a valid driving licence.

Daramola further said, “Traffic Officers from the Kawo Police Station and the Kaduna State Police Command as well as road traffic experts from the Federal Road Safety Corps were also called in to provide support during the investigation.

“Having carefully considered the foregoing, the preliminary investigation concluded that the death of Flying Officer Arotile was caused by blunt force trauma to the head and significant bleeding resulting from being struck by the vehicle.”

“Being a civil case, the matter will be handed over to the Nigeria Police with a view to further investigating and charging the suspects to court in accordance with extant laws.”

Meanwhile, the NAF has requested the expertise of the FRSC in the investigation into Arotile’s death. It asked the corps to authorise “the release of its road traffic accident investigative experts in analysing and interpreting the accident.”

In a letter addressed to the Sector Commander, FRSC, Kaduna dated July 17, 2020, and signed by an investigator, Flying Officer, M. Isah, the NAF said the corps’ expertise was needed to assist the HQ 057 Provost Investigation Group, Ikeja, to investigate the circumstances that led to Arotile’s death “in order to ascertain the actual cause of death.”

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Police to take over Arotile case, suspects to face manslaughter charges

Senior Pastor of the Awaiting The Second Coming Of Jesus Christ Ministry, Adewale Giwa has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of leading the most corrupt administration in Nigeria since 1999.

Pastor Giwa said Buhari and the All Progressives Congress, APC, deliberately put Nigeria in a quandary for five years, through corruption.

He made the remark while addressing his church members on issues affecting the country on Sunday in a sermon where he stressed that, “Buhari runs the ‘most corrupt presidency’ while Nigeria has been in a quandary for 5 years.”

The cleric lamented that nothing had happened to those indicted of corruption in the country and called on all Nigerians to start preparing for political disintegration.

According to Giwa: “Political entities will split into smaller parts ahead of 2023 and this development may pave the way for total disintegration in Nigeria.

“Nigeria has been in a state of mental uncertainty since President Buhari took over. They told us they came to fight corruption, but they are running the most corrupt presidency since 1999.

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“Babachir David Lawal, the former Secretary to the Federal government under Buhari was indicted of stealing millions of emergency funds along Ayo Oke, where are they today?

“Has Buhari’s presidency prosecuted them? Magu’s case will also be swept under the carpet just like others.

“Look at the ongoing case of Ms. Nunieh vs Akpabio. Where are we heading to in Nigeria? Please, pray for Nigeria, pray for the events that would turn this country around.

“We can’t continue this way; for how long are we going to be repeating ourselves? Our leaders are confused, the APC is collapsing while the PDP is fading away.”

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Buhari's govt ‘most corrupt presidency’ in Nigeria since 1999 – Pastor Giwa

The family of Tolulope Arotile, the late first Nigerian female combat pilot, and the Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, on Thursday rejected the accident theory of the Nigerian Air Force as the cause of the death, calling for a probe.

The late combat pilot died on Tuesday at the age of 24 after a car that was reversing hit her. Her mother described her as a special child who liked to fast and pray.

Tolulope’s elder sister, Damilola Adegboye, told journalists on Thursday that the family was devastated by her untimely death and had been wondering how a car that was reversing could kill her.

“We are not convinced that Tolu can die like that in a freak accident. I know that the military is well trained in the art of investigation; we want them to carry out a thorough investigation that can convince us beyond all doubts that the incident that led to her death was the truth,” she added.

She said the day the late combat pilot died, she was in the room where she was sleeping.

Adegboye said, “A call came into her mobile phone; from the way she spoke, I knew that the caller must be a senior officer telling her to come to the air force base. She was reluctant and I offered to drop her off.

“One hour later, I saw it online that something serious had happened to her. I couldn’t believe that somebody I just dropped off is dead.”

Also,  Afenifere on Thursday demanded a coroner inquest into Tolulope’s death.

The National Publicity Secretary of the organisation, Yinka Odumakin, in a statement titled, ‘Afenifere wants coroner inquest into Tolulope Arotile’s death,’ said, with the death of the flying officer, “Nigeria the demented chicken sucked one of its finest eggs yet again.”

READ ALSO, Kogi Assembly holds special session to honour Tolulope Arotile, John Abah

He said, “It was only eyewitness accounts that unofficially released that it was a colleague of hers who reversed his car to knock her down on the road.

“Unofficial accounts say she just returned from a combat operation before she was knocked down to death. We therefore do not accept that her death was an accident until the report of a coroner says how she died and how a supposed attempt to stop and greet could come with a death impact.

“We say this against what is known of the infiltration of the forces by sympathisers and agents of Boko Haram. We recall the report years back of such agents revealing the routes and timing of movements of our troops to Boko Haram who ambushed them.”

Arotile: Family, Afenifere reject crash report, demand probe

Kogi State House of Assembly on Thursday held a valedictory session to honour the late member representing Ibaji State constituency, Hon. John Abah who passed on after a brief illness on June 24, 2020. The deceased was the former chairman, House Committee on Finance.

The lawmakers who were all dressed in black took turns to eulogise the late Abah for the legacy he left behind.

According to the speaker, Prince Mathew Kolawole in his submissions, “John Abah’s death at this time is a monumental loss to the 7th Assembly considering his robust contributions to the floor of the house on any issues relating to the overall development of the State.

“However, death is an expected end of every mortal, hence I enjoined his family to take solace in the words of God which says everything under the sun have time, a time to be born and time to die”.

The House, however, called on the state government to immortalize the late lawmaker in any of the government facilities in the state in view of his numerous contributions towards the development of Kogi State.

In a related development, the House also urged the State Government to immortalize the first Combatant Helicopter Pilot, Flying Officer, Tolulope Arotile who recently passed away due to injuries sustained in a car crash.

The call was contained in an oral motion moved by the member representing Ijumu constituency, Kilani Olumo at Plenary on Thursday.

Kilani Olumo said the deceased pilot had contributed her quota to the ongoing fight against insecurity in the country.

He noted that her death was painful and a great loss to the State, and pointed out that immortalizing her would be a reward for hard work and dedication to protection of the nation’s territorial integrity.

READ ALSO, FG issues warning to doctors trying to relocate to the UK

The lawmaker prayed God to grant the family and Nigeria Air Force the grace to bear the loss.

Seconding the motion, the member representing Lokoja 1, Umar Tenimu described the motion as timely in view of the efforts of the Late Pilot to the nation’s security.

The Speaker, Prince Matthew Kolawole in his ruling, called on the State Government to urgently immortalize the young icon.

Kogi Assembly holds special session to honour Tolulope Arotile, John Abah

The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, has warned doctors planning to relocate to countries like the United Kingdom, to reconsider such plans as they would lose out on getting paid their hazard allowance.

Ehanire stated this while speaking at the Presidential Task Force (PTF) daily briefing on Thursday in Abuja.

According to him, there is no need for doctors to leave the country, as the government is working on getting better welfare for them.

“Now, this UK where they are going to, there’s no hazard allowance. They don’t give doctors hazard allowance. You just get your salary, that’s all. I’ve spoken to doctors there and they said it’s part of their job, part of what they’re trained for.

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“But here, apart from your salary, we still try to add something to it in the hope that we’re going to attract our people to stay,” Ehanire said.

The Minister further stated that doctors owe Nigeria nothing, but it was important they bring home “the experience and cutting-edge knowledge and skills they gained abroad.”

FG issues warning to doctors trying to relocate to the UK

The suspended acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, has labelled the allegations levelled against him as “nonsense”.

Magu stated this while speaking with The Nation hours after his release from detention. He expressed shock at the allegations, which he claimed were trumped-up to tarnish his image.

“They are nonsense. They are mere trumped up allegations to tarnish my image and that of the EFCC. I did not steal or divert or convert funds to private use. I read the allegations and I was shocked.

“What I have gone through is a case of dog eats dog but I see it as one of those risks of the job… we must not give up in any way,” Magu said.

READ ALSO, Ogun Govt bans okada riders from highways

He also thanked Nigerians for their support and vowed that “whether I am EFCC Chairman or not, the anti-corruption war must continue.”

Magu was released 10 days after he was picked up by men of the Department of State Services (DSS), to face the Justice Ayo Salami-led Presidential panel over allegations of embezzlement and corruption.

The allegations levelled against me were nonsense - Magu 

The Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun has declared that commercial motorcyclists, known as Okada riders, are henceforth banned from plying the highways.

According to the governor, this decision was necessary because of the inherent danger the highways posed, not only to the riders, but also to their passengers.

The Governor made this known while inaugurating the Ogun State Transport Master Plan Committee in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, on Wednesday.

According to him, commercial motorcyclists are not meant to ply the highway. He also added that the purpose of allowing them to operate in Ogun was to serve as a means of moving people from the interior parts of the town to the major roads.

Abiodun expressed regrets that Okada riders are now plying the expressways, especially the Lagos-Ibadan road, a development he described as suicidal and risky to both riders and passengers.

“They (okada riders) were not meant to ply the major roads. Worse still, they were not meant to ply highways. Today, you see okada on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. I think that must stop,” Abiodun emphasised.

READ ALSO, Scrap age limits for job seekers- Senate to FG

In his assignment to members of the Committee led by the State Commissioner for Transportation, Engr Gbenga Dairo, Abiodun said, in the meantime, you need to come up with a decision on Okadas and how to stop them from plying the highways. We must not see Okadas on Lagos-Ibadan expressway because this is completely unacceptable. That road was not built for Okadas.”

He added that his administration had no intention of taking away people’s sources of livelihood but “we want to ensure that things are better organised.”

Ogun Govt bans okada riders from highways

The Senate on Wednesday, asked the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to direct the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity to set up a committee to review the age limits for job seekers in the country to allow competent applicants to be employed.

The resolution followed the consideration of a motion by Senator Ibrahim Gobir.

 According to Gobir who cited Orders 42 and 52 of the Senate Standing Rules, and noted that requirement of Ministries Departments and Agencies and other private bodies, which set age barriers, “inadvertently excludes and marginalises skilful and competent prospective applicants from participating in such exercises.”

He said, “Many individuals resort to falsifying their age all in a bid to fall within the required age limit for them to be gainfully employed.

 “This development, where a person believes he is unemployable, can lead them to embracing criminal activities and further increase the growing crime rate and insecurity in the country.”

In his contribution, Senator Bala Na’Allah drew the attention of the upper chamber to the Federal Government’s embargo on employment over 13 years ago.

He said the embargo period must be factored into the review of age limits by the Ministry of Labour and Productivity for prospective job seekers in the country.

“I think in the review, that has to be taken into account, and therefore, the age limit can now be raised in addition to the established age. That should be the legal verdict for the review,” Na’Allah said.

 The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, condemned the discrimination against job seekers as a result of the barrier imposed by the prescribed age limit.

He said, “It is not through a fault of theirs that people are discriminated against. They’ll tell you only 30 years’ limit; meanwhile, someone graduated 10 years ago.”

Scrap age limits for job seekers- Senate to FG

According to an oil union on Tuesday, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has fired 850 workers, many of them from refineries, amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

The workers are both skilled and unskilled contractors, including technicians who helped maintain Nigeria's oil refineries.

 This was disclosed to Reuters by Lumumba Okugbawa, general secretary of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), on the phone. 

The NNPC did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Layoffs in Nigeria's oil sector are a tense issue, with frequent stand-offs between the NNPC and unions. 

READ ALSO, ECOWAS Appoints Former President, Jonathan, Special Envoy To Mali

Nigeria is dependent on crude sales to prop up its struggling economy, now at risk of its worst recession in four decades due to the coronavirus and the pandemic tanking global oil prices. Yet Nigeria's refineries are barely operational. 

Almost all of the country's fuel supply is processed overseas at a high cost, despite Nigeria being Africa's largest crude producer.

In May, the NNPC said it had more than 6,600 staff.

NNPC Fired 850 Workers, Many From Refineries—PENGASSAN

Nigeria’s former President, Goodluck Jonathan, has been appointed by the Economic Community of West African States as a special envoy to lead the sub-regional body’s mediation mission in Mali.

This was made known in a statement issued by his media adviser, Ikechukwu Eze, on Tuesday.

As a special envoy, the former President is expected to facilitate dialogue “with all principal stakeholders in Mali, including President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, opposition leaders, civil society as well as religious organisations, towards resolving the worsening socio-political situation in the West African country”. 

Speaking ahead of his scheduled departure for Bamako on Wednesday, Jonathan promised to do his best to ensure that the mission achieves the desired result. 

He also thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for the support of the Nigerian Government, including providing an aircraft and other logistics needed to make the assignment successful.

READ ALSO, FCTA Arrests Illegal Employment Syndicate In Abuja

Jonathan, who had led peace missions to many crises-ridden nations in the past, is expected to deploy his enormous goodwill within the continent to facilitate the process of restoring peace in the troubled nation.

His appointment was communicated to him in a letter signed by Mr Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, President of the ECOWAS Commission.

Mali has been hit by protests fuelled by the outcome of parliamentary elections in March and April, perceived discontent over the government’s handling of the nation’s jihadist insurgency and worsening economic situation.

ECOWAS Appoints Former President, Jonathan, Special Envoy To Mali

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), on Tuesday, arrested seven persons allegedly operating illegal employment agencies to defraud job seekers in Abuja, the nation's capital.

Director of Outdoor Advertisement and Signage (DOAS), Dr Babagana Adam, said the syndicate was defrauding people under the guise of giving them jobs. He spoke while parading the suspects before journalists in Abuja. 

He said, "They print job posters, promising a monthly salary of N40,000, staff bus and accommodation while asking interested applicants to call specific phone numbers.

"What the cartel does is to paste illegal adverts, stickers on available spaces along FCT roads, bridges and infrastructures, calling applicants to apply for the non-existing jobs only to initiatie their victims into their gang to defraud, steal and  sometimes rape innocent residents across the territory.

"I am sure you can see several of such illegal adverts along the streets. We have continuously informed the general public through radio jingles, television as well as the newspapers, to ignore such posters because they are not only illegal but an avenue to defraud job seekers."

READ ALSO, Nigeria’s First Female Combat Helicopter Pilot Dies At 24

Adam stressed that applicants should note that only the DOAS is constitutionally empowered by the FCT Administration to take care of signage and advertisements.

He warned residents against fake advertisements in the territory.

The DOAS boss added that the cartel was traced to Zone 6, Primary School, opposite FCT Development Control by a combined team of DOAS Officers. He said the suspects would be handed over to the police for prosecution.

FCTA Arrests Illegal Employment Syndicate In Abuja

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