A Federal High Court in Lagos will on Feb. 11 deliver judgment in an application seeking final forfeiture of 8.4 million dollars and N7.4 billion allegedly linked to the immediate past First Lady, Patience Jonathan.
The premier reports that the EFCC filed the application against the former first lady and six others..
The others are Globus Integrated Services Ltd., Finchley Top Homes Ltd., Am-Pm Global Network Ltd., Pagmat Oil and Gas Ltd. , Magel Resort Ltd., and Esther Oba, as the second to the seventh respondents, respectively.
The commission had on April 20, 2018, via an ex-parte application, obtained an order for interim forfeiture of the sums
EFCC counsel, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, on Oct. 29, 2018, filed an application for final forfeiture of the sums.
At the resumed hearing today, Oyedepo told the court that the EFCC had filed and served a further affidavit to the respondents’ application to show cause.
Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), counsel to the respondents, however, opposed from paragraphs eight to paragraph 12 of the affidavit, and prayed the court to expunge them.
According to Ozekhome, the prosecution raised new issues in an attempt to discredit a video exhibit on the case, instead of responding to existing issues.
Justice Mojisola Olatoregun held that there was no need to expunge the paragraphs, noting that no new issues were raised.
In his submission for final forfeiture, Oyedepo told the court that Jonathan, fraudulently diverted funds from Women for Change Initiative, a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) linked to her.
According to him, most of the funds were fraudulently diverted from the NGO to other accounts of the second to sixth respondents – companies said to be owned by the former first lady.
Oyedepo said: “Women for Change Initiative is not joined in this suit; we are not asking for forfeiture of its money, the funds have been onverted and that is an unlawful act.’’
He further told the court that Jonathan signed some of the fund transfer instructions personally, and also signed using other people’s names and passport photographs.
Oyedepo also said that as regards the 8.4 million dollars, the first respondent (Jonathan) had not been able to disclose to the court, the identities of those who made the donations.
He said that the EFCC attached exhibits to show that the former first lady was the sole signatory to the companies’ accounts.
“The funds we are seeking to forfeit from the second to sixth respondents are not funds from their legitimate businesses but those traced from the NGO,” Oyedepo said.
Fidelity Bank Renovates Nasarawa PHC Clinic, Donates Water Facility
AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM
SPONSORED BY: H&H
As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, leading financial institution, Fidelity Bank Plc, has renovated the Primary Healthcare Clinic along the Workers Village in the Tudun Amba Community of Lafia Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
The bank also provided water facilities to ameliorate issues of water scarcity being experienced in the community in recent times.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the Divisional Head, Brand and Communication Plc, Fidelity Bank, Meksley Nwagboh, said the dignity of every human person is a shared responsibility. The bank decided to embark on the project as a means of improving the living condition of people in the community and as part of the bank’s social responsibility to its host community.
Expressing gratitude to the leadership of the community for giving the bank the opportunity to execute the project, Nwagboh said, “What we are doing today is not different from what we have been doing in communities, local governments and states across the country over the years. As a socially responsible organisation, we take it upon ourselves to impact our host communities positively through developmental initiatives such as these.
“On behalf of the management and staff of Fidelity Bank, I want to say thank you to everyone who made it possible for us to touch the lives of the people positively in this community and we remain committed to playing our part in helping individuals grow, thrive and prosper”.
On his part, the Honourable Commissioner of Health, Nasarawa State, Gaza Gwamna, while commending Fidelity Bank for the donation of a water facility and the renovation works at the Primary Healthcare Clinic, reiterated the state government’s commitment to continue to support commercial banks to boost the economy of the state.
The Commissioner who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, John Damina, further called on the Nasarawa State Primary Healthcare Development Agency to utilise the upgraded facility with care to encourage the bank and other private investors to continue to support the less-privileged people of the state.
“I want to use this opportunity to call on the management of the NAPHDA to ensure proper utilization of this facility for the good of the host community and beyond. This will go a long way in encouraging other private sector players to extend the same gesture to other communities in the state,” he said.
Ranked as one of the best banks in Nigeria, Fidelity Bank is a full-fledged customer commercial bank with over 8.5 million customers serviced across its 251 business offices in Nigeria and the United Kingdom as well as on digital banking channels.
The bank has won multiple local and international awards including the Export Finance Bank of the Year at the 2023 BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards, the Best Payment Solution Provider Nigeria 2023 and Best SME Bank Nigeria 2022 by the Global Banking and Finance Awards; Best Bank for SMEs in Nigeria by the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2023; and Best Domestic Private Bank in Nigeria by the Euromoney Global Private Banking Awards 2023.
Exec Sec NCDMB, Felix Ogbe Bags Fellowship of Engineering Society
AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM
SPONSORED BY: H&H
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe was on Wednesday inducted into the Fellowship of the Nigerian Society of Engineers.
The investiture was performed by the President/Chair-in-Council of the NSE, Engr. Margaret Aina Oguntala, FNSE at a ceremony in Abuja.
In her remarks at the occasion, the President of NSE congratulated the 63 new inductees and urged them to uphold the values of their new position in their field of engineering.
She highlighted that engineers have been at the forefront of driving progress and development across various sectors of the economy, notably in the oil and gas industry.
She particularly lauded the Executive Secretary of NCDMB for his excellent leadership and expertise through the strategic development of local content and in-country value retention, which is a testament to his brilliance in the field of engineering.
She also applauded the strategic partnership between the NSE, the NCDMB and other stakeholders in the oil and gas industry.
Similarly, the chairman Board of Fellows/College of Fellows, Engr. Kamila Maliki, FNSE, commended the new inductees for their resilience, dedication, and contribution to the field of engineering.
He added that it was not a small feat to be chosen for the investiture due to the rigorous and thorough nature of the selection process.
The Executive Secretary later was joined by the Managing Director of Setraco Nigeria Limited, Engr. Ziad Mouannes and Senator Patrick Ndubueze for the unveiling of the very first edition of the 2024 NSE Quarterly Magazine.
Some senior officials of the Board who accompanied the Executive Secretary to the event included the Director, Monitoring and Evaluation, Mr. Abdulmalik Halilu, Director, Project Certification and Authorization, Engr. Abayomi Bamidele, and the General Manager, Corporate Communications and Zonal Coordination, Mr. Esueme Dan Kikile, Esq.
Before he was appointed the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Ogbe had nearly 30 years top -level career in the field of engineering in the employment of Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), before retiring voluntarily to set up his private firm.
His last position at Chevron Nigeria was Construction Services Group Superintendent, and he oversaw 200 personnel, including Nigerian nationals and expatriates.
Other notable positions he held at the company included Offshore Projects Manager, Construction Manager (Lagos & Escravos -Warri), Construction Engineer (San Ramon) in California, United States of America.
Nigeria’s Adekeye Emerges Chairperson, APPO Training Directors
Nigeria’s Folashade Adekeye has emerged as the Chairperson, Forum of the Directors of Oil & Gas Training & Vocational Education Institutes of the African Petroleum Producers Organization (APPO). Adekeye, who is the Director, NNPC Academy, took over from the former chairperson, Mr. Abdelkader Guenone, the Managing Director of the Algerian Petroleum Institute (API), during the second meeting of the Forum, in Abuja, at the weekend.
L-R: Secretary General, African Petroleum Producers Organization (APPO), Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim; Executive Vice President, Business Services NNPC Ltd (Representative of the GCEO NNPC), Mr. Inuwa Danladi; new Chairperson, Forum of the Directors of Oil & Gas Training & Vocational Education Institutes of APPO and Director NNPC Academy, Mrs. Folashade Adekeye and Managing Director, Algerian Petroleum Institute (API), Mr. Abdelkader Guenone, during the second meeting of the Forum, in Abuja, at the weekend
Adekeye, who heads the NNPC’s oil and gas training arm, brings into the role over 30 years of experience, and is expected to work with her colleagues from APPO Member Countries in order to foster more collaboration towards addressing the challenges of competences, skill gaps, infrastructure, and poor funding in the organization’s training institutions.
Earlier in his keynote address at the opening ceremony of the meeting, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd., Mele Kyari, represented by Inuwa Danladi, Executive Vice President (Business Services), emphasized the importance of a standardized educational and training approach to meet the changing demands of the oil and gas industry.
L-R: Executive Vice President, Business Services NNPC Ltd (Representative of the GCEO NNPC), Mr. Inuwa Danladi exchange pleasantries with the Secretary General, African Petroleum Producers Organization (APPO), Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim, during the second meeting of the Forum of the Directors of Oil & Gas Training & Vocational Education Institutes of APPO, in Abuja, at the weekend.
Also in his keynote address, APPO’s Secretary General, Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim, charged the Member Countries to work towards further enhancing collaborative efforts to establish Oil & Gas Centres of Excellence across the African continent.
Dr. Ibrahim, also from Nigeria, said having good knowledge of the Forum’s challenges would enable APPO Member Countries to make recommendations and provide solutions in areas such as Oil & Gas project funding, technology adoption, and the formation of Africa Energy Bank.
He concluded that such collaboration by all member countries will guarantee Africa’s energy accessibility, affordability and sustainability, which overall, will strengthen her economies and bring prosperity to its citizens.