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Ifeanyi Okowa

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Delta State Axis, has threatened to embark on a mass protest over the allocation of eight per cent to the education sector in the state's 2019 budget presented to the state House of Assembly a few weeks ago.

The students charged Ifeanyi Okowa, Governor of Delta State, to review the decision and work towards improving the sector.

A letter by Dio Oghale Emeka Rex, Chairman of NANS/JCC Delta State Axis, called on Okowa to take immediate action to "save education in the state".

The protest letter, entitled: 'National Association of Nigerian Students, Delta State Axis Demands Prompt Action to Save Education in Delta State', obtained by SaharaReporters, expressed displeasure over the allocation against the 26 per cent minimum allocation for education recommended by UNESCO.

The letter read: "Your Excellency Sir, it is therefore very disheartening to realise that only 8% of the 2019 budget was allocated to education as against the 26% minimum allocation for education recommended by UNESCO. We humbly wish to demand for Your Excellency's prompt actions to save education in Delta State.

"Your Excellency, Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children in the world with about 13 million children being out of school. Poverty has been identified as the major reason for this outrageous figure. The government is expected to be seen taking deliberate steps to improve on education.

"The leadership of Nigerian students in Delta State therefore rejects in totality, such meager allocation for education. It is not acceptable to us and we shall resist it by all means possible. We therefore demand an upward review of the budget allocated to education in the 2019 budget by Your Excellency.

"We also demand that Your Excellency declares a state of emergency on education and adopt free education policy in public basic and secondary schools in Delta State. Your Excellency, as we look forward to a prompt consideration and approval of our demands."

The protest letter copied the Secretary to the State Government, (SSG), Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Commissioner for Higher Education, Special Assistant to the Governor on Students Affairs, Personal Assistant to the Governor on Students Affairs, Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, Director, Department of State Service, Delta State Service Command and the NUJ, Delta State Council.

Meanwhile, a student union president, who preferred not to be named, also called for an upward review.

He said: "Any attempt by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to ignore our call for an immediate review of the meagre 8 percent allocation for the education sector in the state in his 2019 budget, he will get from us what he did not bargain for. We are already mobilising over twenty buses full of students across the state to stage a peaceful protest against the killer of education governor. Since Uduaghan left office, the education sector has been put in a state of comatose.

"The records are there for everybody to see. Since Okowa came into office, the education sector has been in a state of suffering and smiling. Okowa only came to destroy and kill the sector. How can a medical doctor as claimed treat the education sector in such a bad manner? Okowa and his cronies voted billions of Naira to areas they can use to siphon the state treasury.

"Just take a look at the billions of naira he voted for roads in his 2019 budget, because that is the only avenue they can loot the treasury through award of contracts to their mushroom and briefcases cronies contractors who at the end execute substandard jobs."

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Osman Shahenshah, 56, former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Afren plc, was on Monday sentenced to 16 years in prison.

Also sentenced — this time to 14 years in prison — was Shahid Ullah, the 59-nine-year-old former COO.

The duo tricked the Afren board into investing $300 million in a deal in Nigeria, without disclosing that the partner, Oriental Energy Resources Ltd, would kick back $45 million to a Caribbean shell company they controlled.

Shahenshah and Ullah used some of the money to buy luxury properties in Mustique and the British Virgin Islands, and split the rest with some of Afren's and the partner's employees.

Before Monday’s sentencing, a jury at Southwark Crown Court convicted them last week after a six-week trial of one count of fraud by abuse of position and two charges of money laundering.

Shahenshah and Ullah arranged the $45 million kickback after Afren shareholders rejected their £6.6 million ($8.5 million) and £3.8 million ($4.9 million) salary packages in 2013.

Lisa Osofsky, Director of Afren’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO), said the US Justice Department “greatly assisted with our investigation”. An internal investigation at Afren uncovered the fraud in 2014. The SFO started a criminal investigation in June 2015.

Mohammed Indimi, a former in-law of former Military President Ibrahim Babangida and a current in-law of President Muhammadu Buhari, founded Oriental Energy, the Nigerian company with which Shahenshah and Ullah arranged the kickback, in 1990. He has been the Chairman since. He also owns a major share in Afren.

Indimi’s Oriental was awarded an Oil Prospecting Licence (OPL) 224 by the regime of former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd). From 1991 to 1994, it entered a Technical Service Agreement (TSA) with DuPont Nigeria Limited (Conoco oil) for its activities. Its OPL 224 was converted to Oil Mining Licence (OML) 115. 

Later in 2008, Oriental entered into a Technical Service Agreement with Afren Energy Resources to appraise the Ebok Field. Oriental Energy and Afren Energy preserved and worked on the Ebok Field and by 2012, Afren had transformed from a London penny stock to an Africa-focused power house worth £2billion, thanks to the Ebok Field.

Afren gradually started spreading to other counties in Africa and the Middle East, such as Congo, Cote d’ ivore, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Ethopia and Iraq. 

Following the recession and its attendant crash in global oil prices, the funds for Oriental Energy’s exploration activities in the Obok Field had dried up. Therefore, Indimi turned to his friends in Afren, Shahenshah and Ullah, for the striking of a deal for Afren to provide a $400million lifeline for Oriental while the Afren executives get 15% of it in return. 

In mid-2014, Afren announced that the law firm of Willkie Farr & Gallagher (UK) LLP had completed its independent review into the receipt of unauthorised payments by members of management and senior employees.

“In connection with the conclusion of this review, the company has decided to terminate the employment and directorships of Osman Shahenshah and Shahid Ullah with immediate effect,” the company said in a statement published on its website.

The investigators added: “WFG has concluded that in October 2013 Shahenshah and Ullah entered into an agreement with Oriental by which Oriental agreed to pay 15 per cent of the agreed net cash flows that Oriental was due to receive from Ebok for the period 2013 to 2017 to a British Virgin Islands special purpose vehicle, Ntiti Limited, in exchange for facilitating $400m in funding by Afren to Oriental,” the WFG stated.

“Shahenshah and Ullah, with assistance from Afren’s former Nigeria Business Development Manager, Faiz Imam, used the funds in part to pay extraordinary bonuses to themselves ($17.1m in total was paid to Shahenshah and Ullah), and to other selected employees of Afren,” it further said.

In the review, 11 employees — past and present — were found to have benefited from payments from Oriental Energy. Afren also sacked Associate Directors, Iain Wright and Galib Virani, saying they received payments in breach of the company’s approved remuneration policy and that it would seek to recover such sums.

“The Board has instructed counsel to commence legal proceedings against Shahenshah and Ullah, if necessary, to recover sums in respect of such unauthorised payments,” the statement added.

“Greed motivated this crime. Osman Shahenshah and Shahid Ullah failed in their duties as company directors, abused their positions and lied to their board,” Said SFO’s Osofsky.

“Instead of acting in their company’s best interests, they used Afren like a personal bank account to fund an illicit deal, with no regard for the consequences. Fraud corrodes confidence, undermines trust and damages the reputation of the UK at home and abroad. It is our mission to bring those committing this crime to justice.”

In 2014, boasting a net worth of $670million, Forbes named Indimi the 37th richest company in Africa. His wealth has since plummeted. Similarly, Afren once a FTSE 250 company with a market cap of more than $2.6 billion, is now in administration.

Due to concurrent sentencing, Shahensha will serve up to six years and Ullah up to five years.

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Osman Shahenshah, 56, former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Afren plc, was on Monday sentenced to 16 years in prison.

Also sentenced — this time to 14 years in prison — was Shahid Ullah, the 59-nine-year-old former COO.

The duo tricked the Afren board into investing $300 million in a deal in Nigeria, without disclosing that the partner, Oriental Energy Resources Ltd, would kick back $45 million to a Caribbean shell company they controlled.

Shahenshah and Ullah used some of the money to buy luxury properties in Mustique and the British Virgin Islands, and split the rest with some of Afren's and the partner's employees.

Before Monday’s sentencing, a jury at Southwark Crown Court convicted them last week after a six-week trial of one count of fraud by abuse of position and two charges of money laundering.

Shahenshah and Ullah arranged the $45 million kickback after Afren shareholders rejected their £6.6 million ($8.5 million) and £3.8 million ($4.9 million) salary packages in 2013.

Lisa Osofsky, Director of Afren’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO), said the US Justice Department “greatly assisted with our investigation”. An internal investigation at Afren uncovered the fraud in 2014. The SFO started a criminal investigation in June 2015.

Mohammed Indimi, a former in-law of former Military President Ibrahim Babangida and a current in-law of President Muhammadu Buhari, founded Oriental Energy, the Nigerian company with which Shahenshah and Ullah arranged the kickback, in 1990. He has been the Chairman since. He also owns a major share in Afren.

Indimi’s Oriental was awarded an Oil Prospecting Licence (OPL) 224 by the regime of former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd). From 1991 to 1994, it entered a Technical Service Agreement (TSA) with DuPont Nigeria Limited (Conoco oil) for its activities. Its OPL 224 was converted to Oil Mining Licence (OML) 115. 

Later in 2008, Oriental entered into a Technical Service Agreement with Afren Energy Resources to appraise the Ebok Field. Oriental Energy and Afren Energy preserved and worked on the Ebok Field and by 2012, Afren had transformed from a London penny stock to an Africa-focused power house worth £2billion, thanks to the Ebok Field.

Afren gradually started spreading to other counties in Africa and the Middle East, such as Congo, Cote d’ ivore, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Ethopia and Iraq. 

Following the recession and its attendant crash in global oil prices, the funds for Oriental Energy’s exploration activities in the Obok Field had dried up. Therefore, Indimi turned to his friends in Afren, Shahenshah and Ullah, for the striking of a deal for Afren to provide a $400million lifeline for Oriental while the Afren executives get 15% of it in return. 

In mid-2014, Afren announced that the law firm of Willkie Farr & Gallagher (UK) LLP had completed its independent review into the receipt of unauthorised payments by members of management and senior employees.

“In connection with the conclusion of this review, the company has decided to terminate the employment and directorships of Osman Shahenshah and Shahid Ullah with immediate effect,” the company said in a statement published on its website.

The investigators added: “WFG has concluded that in October 2013 Shahenshah and Ullah entered into an agreement with Oriental by which Oriental agreed to pay 15 per cent of the agreed net cash flows that Oriental was due to receive from Ebok for the period 2013 to 2017 to a British Virgin Islands special purpose vehicle, Ntiti Limited, in exchange for facilitating $400m in funding by Afren to Oriental,” the WFG stated.

“Shahenshah and Ullah, with assistance from Afren’s former Nigeria Business Development Manager, Faiz Imam, used the funds in part to pay extraordinary bonuses to themselves ($17.1m in total was paid to Shahenshah and Ullah), and to other selected employees of Afren,” it further said.

In the review, 11 employees — past and present — were found to have benefited from payments from Oriental Energy. Afren also sacked Associate Directors, Iain Wright and Galib Virani, saying they received payments in breach of the company’s approved remuneration policy and that it would seek to recover such sums.

“The Board has instructed counsel to commence legal proceedings against Shahenshah and Ullah, if necessary, to recover sums in respect of such unauthorised payments,” the statement added.

“Greed motivated this crime. Osman Shahenshah and Shahid Ullah failed in their duties as company directors, abused their positions and lied to their board,” Said SFO’s Osofsky.

“Instead of acting in their company’s best interests, they used Afren like a personal bank account to fund an illicit deal, with no regard for the consequences. Fraud corrodes confidence, undermines trust and damages the reputation of the UK at home and abroad. It is our mission to bring those committing this crime to justice.”

In 2014, boasting a net worth of $670million, Forbes named Indimi the 37th richest company in Africa. His wealth has since plummeted. Similarly, Afren once a FTSE 250 company with a market cap of more than $2.6 billion, is now in administration.

Due to concurrent sentencing, Shahensha will serve up to six years and Ullah up to five years.

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The Lagos State Police Command has given motorists one month to regularise all necessary documents for their vehicles.

This was contained in a statement signed by Chike Oti, Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Police Command.

An earlier Police circular dated October 25, 2018, had disclosed details of the 'Operation Restore Sanity on Lagos Roads/Velvet' exercise aimed at addressing the "recent upsurge in the volume of traffic and its attendant problems" on Lagos roads.

However, during its plenary session on Monday, the Lagos State House of Assembly had asked the Police postpone the exercise, to give motorists a window of opportunity to get the necessary documents. See Also Breaking News Lagos Assembly Asks Police To Postpone 'Operation Restore Sanity On Lagos Roads' 0 Comments 20 Hours Ago

In the statement released on Tuesday, the Command said motorists had been given one-month grace to regularise their documents.

The statement read: “The authorities of the Lagos State Police Command have suspended the ongoing Operation Velvet for a period of one month, with effect from today 30/10/18 to enable motor vehicle and motorcycle owners time to regularise their documents. 

“The operation, aimed at enforcing all relevant traffic laws to restore orderliness on our roads and highways, was put on hold for a month period based on the appeal of the Executive Governor of the state, His Excellency, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and the honourable members of the State House of Assembly.

“However, the Command wishes to warn all road users that the grace period should not be interpreted as a period of lawlessness on the city roads. It is a time allowed to get the vehicle documents and necessary permits together. 

“It warns that the Command will continue to enforce laws against driving on BRT lanes, parking at unauthorised places thereby causing gridlock and driving against traffic (one way).”

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The Lagos State Police Command has given motorists one month to regularise all necessary documents for their vehicles.

This was contained in a statement signed by Chike Oti, Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Police Command.

An earlier Police circular dated October 25, 2018, had disclosed details of the 'Operation Restore Sanity on Lagos Roads/Velvet' exercise aimed at addressing the "recent upsurge in the volume of traffic and its attendant problems" on Lagos roads.

However, during its plenary session on Monday, the Lagos State House of Assembly had asked the Police postpone the exercise, to give motorists a window of opportunity to get the necessary documents. See Also Breaking News Lagos Assembly Asks Police To Postpone 'Operation Restore Sanity On Lagos Roads' 0 Comments 20 Hours Ago

In the statement released on Tuesday, the Command said motorists had been given one-month grace to regularise their documents.

The statement read: “The authorities of the Lagos State Police Command have suspended the ongoing Operation Velvet for a period of one month, with effect from today 30/10/18 to enable motor vehicle and motorcycle owners time to regularise their documents. 

“The operation, aimed at enforcing all relevant traffic laws to restore orderliness on our roads and highways, was put on hold for a month period based on the appeal of the Executive Governor of the state, His Excellency, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and the honourable members of the State House of Assembly.

“However, the Command wishes to warn all road users that the grace period should not be interpreted as a period of lawlessness on the city roads. It is a time allowed to get the vehicle documents and necessary permits together. 

“It warns that the Command will continue to enforce laws against driving on BRT lanes, parking at unauthorised places thereby causing gridlock and driving against traffic (one way).”

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Organised Labour and civil society organisations have embarked on a sensitisation march in Lagos ahead of the industrial action scheduled for November 6 over the new national minimum wage. 

Members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), United Labour Congress (ULC), Joint Action Front (JAF), and Civil Society of Nigeria (CSON) marched en masse along Ikorodu road on Tuesday, to sensitise workers and Nigerians on the imminent strike.

The unions urged members to remain resolute despite the Federal Government’s threat of “no work, no pay”.

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and members of the Economic Management Team met with some state governors in Abuja on Monday on the new national minimum wage.

The governors are expected to hold a meeting today and come up with a position on the adopted figure.

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Organised Labour and civil society organisations have embarked on a sensitisation march in Lagos ahead of the industrial action scheduled for November 6 over the new national minimum wage. 

Members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), United Labour Congress (ULC), Joint Action Front (JAF), and Civil Society of Nigeria (CSON) marched en masse along Ikorodu road on Tuesday, to sensitise workers and Nigerians on the imminent strike.

The unions urged members to remain resolute despite the Federal Government’s threat of “no work, no pay”.

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and members of the Economic Management Team met with some state governors in Abuja on Monday on the new national minimum wage.

The governors are expected to hold a meeting today and come up with a position on the adopted figure.

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Allan Kadams, a Professor with the Crop Production Department of Modibbo Adamawa University of Technology (MAUTECH), Yola, Adamawa State, has been kidnapped.

According to NAN, Kadam’s kidnap comes two weeks after another Professor, Ibrahim Adamu of the same university' Department of Soil Science, was kidnapped. Adamu was released after one day.

Hajiya Halima Bala, Registrar of the university, confirmed the kidnap, noting that the incident took place around 2am on Tuesday.

She said Kadams was kidnapped in his residence at the Federal Housing Estate, Bajabure, on the outskirts of Yola.

SP Othman Abubakar, Police Public Relations Officer in Adamawa, also confirmed the incident, stating that policemen had been dispatched to track and rescue the professor.

“We are also in touch with the family of the professor for any development,” Abubakar said.

Abubakar also said the Police, in its effort to check kidnapping in the state, had arrested 11 suspects operating in Wuro-Jabbe and Vunoklang wards of Yola.

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Allan Kadams, a Professor with the Crop Production Department of Modibbo Adamawa University of Technology (MAUTECH), Yola, Adamawa State, has been kidnapped.

According to NAN, Kadam’s kidnap comes two weeks after another Professor, Ibrahim Adamu of the same university' Department of Soil Science, was kidnapped. Adamu was released after one day.

Hajiya Halima Bala, Registrar of the university, confirmed the kidnap, noting that the incident took place around 2am on Tuesday.

She said Kadams was kidnapped in his residence at the Federal Housing Estate, Bajabure, on the outskirts of Yola.

SP Othman Abubakar, Police Public Relations Officer in Adamawa, also confirmed the incident, stating that policemen had been dispatched to track and rescue the professor.

“We are also in touch with the family of the professor for any development,” Abubakar said.

Abubakar also said the Police, in its effort to check kidnapping in the state, had arrested 11 suspects operating in Wuro-Jabbe and Vunoklang wards of Yola.

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More than 3,000 members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State have defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Also, about 2,000 members of the newly formed Zenith Labour Party in the state have also decamped to the PDP.

At the reception for the new members, which took place at the PDP secretariat in Idanre Local Government Area on Tuesday, Lanre Olurakinse, the APC party leader in Idanre Local Government, accused his former party of "lacking internal democracy".

He said he and other defectors opted to leave the APC because it had "brought more hunger and hardship" to the state.

"The APC lacks internal democracy, that is why they are factionalised," he said.

"Since they came to power they have not integrated many members of the party. They are operating the party like an occultic group. We can’t stay in such a party any longer.

“Also, they have brought more hunger and hardship to the state. All the projects left by the previous administration have been abandoned. The party has lost its popularity in the state. We have to look for a better alternative.”

Welcoming the defectors to the party, Clement Faboyede, the Ondo PDP chairman, who was represented by Bolu Ogunmolu, the PDP chairman in Idanre LGA, said the umbrella of the PDP is wide enough to accommodate more defectors.

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More than 3,000 members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State have defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Also, about 2,000 members of the newly formed Zenith Labour Party in the state have also decamped to the PDP.

At the reception for the new members, which took place at the PDP secretariat in Idanre Local Government Area on Tuesday, Lanre Olurakinse, the APC party leader in Idanre Local Government, accused his former party of "lacking internal democracy".

He said he and other defectors opted to leave the APC because it had "brought more hunger and hardship" to the state.

"The APC lacks internal democracy, that is why they are factionalised," he said.

"Since they came to power they have not integrated many members of the party. They are operating the party like an occultic group. We can’t stay in such a party any longer.

“Also, they have brought more hunger and hardship to the state. All the projects left by the previous administration have been abandoned. The party has lost its popularity in the state. We have to look for a better alternative.”

Welcoming the defectors to the party, Clement Faboyede, the Ondo PDP chairman, who was represented by Bolu Ogunmolu, the PDP chairman in Idanre LGA, said the umbrella of the PDP is wide enough to accommodate more defectors.

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