Tinubu employs special investigator to probe Emefiele, CBN’s activities

President Bola Tinubu has taken a significant step in the fight against corruption by appointing Jim Obazee as a Special Investigator. Mr. Obazee’s primary task is to conduct a thorough investigation into the activities of the Central Bank of Nigeria and other Related Entities. This decision, as stated in a letter dated 28 July, is firmly grounded in Section 15(5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), underscoring the administration’s commitment to combating corruption. The appointment of Mr. Obazee is already in effect, and he will be reporting directly to President Tinubu. The specific terms of his engagement as a special investigator will be communicated to him in due course, according to the letter signed by the president. It is worth noting that Mr. Obazee brings significant expertise to this role, having previously served as the chief executive officer of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN). Tinubu also requested regular updates from Mr. Obazee on the progress of the assignment. In the same letter, he directed Mr. Obazee’s attention to his earlier directive to suspend the CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, on 9 June. This move indicates a keen interest in ensuring a comprehensive investigation into the matter. Regarding the suspended CBN governor, there have been subsequent developments. After being suspended by Mr. Tinubu, Godwin Emefiele was arrested at his Lagos residence by operatives of the State Security Service (SSS). He was subsequently transported to Abuja for further proceedings. The SSS is prosecuting him for allegedly possessing an unregistered firearm. However, last week, the Federal High Court in Abuja granted him bail. Despite being granted bail by the court, Mr. Emefiele was re-arrested by the SSS on the court premises, leading to a confrontation between SSS officers and personnel from the Nigerian Correctional Centre, who attempted to take him into their custody. The reason for Mr. Emefiele’s continued detention has not been publicly disclosed by the secret service. This ongoing situation has sparked considerable interest and concern, and the appointment of Jim Obazee as Special Investigator is expected to shed light on the matter. With his expertise and the mandate given by President Tinubu, the investigation aims to bring transparency and accountability to the activities of the Central Bank of Nigeria and associated entities.

Tinubu will address infrastructural deficit, youth restiveness —Shettima

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said the Federal Government will address the challenges of infrastructural deficit, youth unemployment and restiveness in Borno and around the country. Shettima spoke with newsmen shortly after paying Sallah homage to the Shehu of Borno,  Alhaji Abubakar El-Kanemi, on Wednesday in Maiduguri. The vice president is in Maiduguri for the Eid-ul-Adha celebration. “In a nutshell, we went with the governor to pay homage to the Shehu of Borno; he raised some very poignant challenges facing the society, especially with regard to infrastructure deficit. “We conveyed to him the best wishes from President Bola Tinubu and that the challenges would be vigorously addressed, especially the issues of the Dikwa-Gambolu-Ngala Road. “It will certainly be addressed; that of youth unemployment and youth restiveness will also be addressed. “By and large, I am here to reassure of the maximum support of President Tinubu on all challenges confronting us as a society and as a people,’’ he said. On his part, Sen. Tahir Monguno, (APC-Borno) said that the vice president’s visit to his home state was a homecoming as indicated by the massive reception he got. “Well, you know, the visit of the vice president to Borno, being his first official visit for Sallah festivities, is a homecoming. “Home coming in the sense that the vice president was the governor of Borno for eight years and he represented a senatorial district for four years. “So, his coming is homecoming and a celebration of his various attainments in life as clearly manifested by the outpouring of support. “The massive support from all corners as we entered Maiduguri and the testimony of the Shehu of Borno to the fact that he is one of us.’’ Monguno said that the Shehu of Borno raised concerns about some challenges bedeviling the state like roads, agriculture, and security. He said that the vice president assured that the Federal Government would find solutions to the problems highlighted by the traditional ruler. “So, all in all, the coming of the vice president to Borno today for the Sallah festivities is homecoming and the massive show of support is a clear manifestation of the fact that he is a grassroots politician. “A politician that is loved by his people; a politician that has really paid his dues to his people before he finally became the vice president of Nigeria,’’ he said.

Data Protection Act: Commission, stakeholders applaud Tinubu

The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), formerly Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB), has commended President Bola Tinubu on the signing of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023. The Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, provides a legal framework for the protection of personal information and the practice of data protection in Nigeria. Dr Vincent Olatunji, the National Commissioner, NDPC, made the commendation at the NDPB’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP) validation workshop on Wednesday in Abuja. The Bill was introduced to the Senate and House of Representatives for consideration and passage on Tuesday, April 4, 2023, via a letter from former President Muhammadu Buhari. Now an Act, the new law establishes the NDPC and replaced the NDPB established by Buhari in February 2022. Olatunji said: “I am happy to announce that data protection ecosystem is really growing. “The Nigeria Data Protection Bureau is now a Commission by law. Nigeria now has its Data Protection Act signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on June 12.” He appreciated the efforts of the former administration of  Buhari who started the journey under the former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami. The national commissioner stressed the need for effective partnership and stakeholder engagement especially in the areas of awareness and sensitisation. “We need to work together as government, private sector, academia, civil society groups. “We agree that Nigeria is well positioned to move data protection ahead in Africa, the whole of Africa is waiting for us,” he said. He disclosed that over 500,000 job opportunities had been identified in the data protection and privacy ecosystem which was in line with one of the campaign points of the current administration to create one million jobs in the digital economy sector in 12 months. Olatunji, however, buttressed the need to bridge the huge gap that existed in the data protection ecosystem that had the capacity to create wealth and millions of jobs for Nigerians and promote the digital economy. Mr Williams Ojo, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fostering a culture of trust and accountability in the digital sphere. “We can create an ecosystem that protects the rights of individuals while fostering a vibrant and innovative digital economy. “Together, let us embark on this validation workshop with a shared vision, a vision of a Nigeria where personal data is treated with the utmost respect, where individuals have control over their own information, and where innovation thrives in an environment of trust,” he said. Mr Kashifu Inuwa, the Director-General of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), said data was the currency of digital economy, urging the meeting to look at the key principles for data protection. “We need to prioritise freedom and rights of our citizens, promote transparency, accountability and foster an enabling environment for innovation and economic growth. “We can only create jobs when we are innovative and look at how we can create prosperity in our country,” he said. Dr Abdul-Hakeem Ajijola, the Chairman, Committee on the Action Plan, said the roadmap was intended to help identify some of the things needed to build the ecosystem. Ajijola emphasised the need for more awareness and sensitisation to build a robust, inclusive and viable data protection and privacy ecosystem.

Subsidy: Marketers lament delay in payments

Natural Oil and Gas Suppliers Association of Nigeria (NOGASA) has disclosed that its members now spend as much as N25 million to purchase a 45,000 litres truck of Premium Motor Spirit popularly referred to as petrol. Before the subsidy was withdrawn, a fuel tanker was purchased for N7 million.  According to NOGASA, the situation has made it impossible for its members to cough out the differentials. National President of NOGASA, Mr. Bennett Korie, who revealed this Wednesday in Abuja, insisted that there is need to also consider the problems associated with the removal. “We are 100 percent in support of subsidy removal, but you know that everybody is talking about subsidy removal but they don’t talk about the problem behind the subsidy removal. It is good to remove subsidies but there are things that people don’t know, for instance, some of the marketers don’t have the money to pay differentials.  “This is because in less than an hour that Mr. President announced the removal of the subsidy, the price changed and that affected a lot of marketers. We are talking about millions of naira. Before the removal, a tanker of fuel was selling for about seven million, but in less than an hour, it went up to 25 million naira, where is the money?” he lamented. Korie said that Nigeria’s high interest rate of 30 percent was making it difficult for marketers to make profits. According to him, where would marketers get money from to continue the distribution of petroleum products across the country. He urged the federal government to pay marketers their outstanding of the Petroleum Equalization Fund (PEF) to boost their Capita and enable them stay in business. “Subsidy was removed without considering some of these problems. At the same time, before now, we have this PEF.  But they are not paying the marketers. There is no money, where do we get the money? “Therefore, I want to use this opportunity to appeal to the government to please pay marketers their PEF, so that they will continue in business, if it is not paid, we would not get fuel to sell,” he said.