Our Reporters, Author at Trendbrio.com

Probe missing N26bn in Ministry of Petroleum Resources, PTDF, SERAP tells Tinubu

Our Reporters3 months ago3 months ago012 mins

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu “to direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and appropriate anti-corruption agencies to promptly probe allegations that over N26 billion of public funds are missing, diverted or stolen from the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) and the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources in 2021.” These damning revelations are documented in the 2021 audited report published on Wednesday 13 November 2024 by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation. SERAP said, “Anyone suspected to be responsible should face prosecution as appropriate, if there is sufficient admissible evidence, and any missing public funds should be fully recovered and remitted to the treasury.” SERAP urged him to “use any recovered stolen funds to fund the deficit in the 2025 budget and to ease Nigeria’s crippling debt crisis.” In the letter dated 1 February 2025 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “There is a legitimate public interest in ensuring justice and accountability for these grave allegations. Tackling corruption in the oil sector would go a long way in addressing the budget deficit and debt problems.” According to SERAP, “The allegations suggest a grave violation of the public trust, the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended), the country’s anticorruption legislation and international anticorruption obligations.” The letter, read in part: “Poor Nigerians have continued to pay the price for the widespread and grand corruption in the oil sector.” “Despite the country’s enormous oil wealth, ordinary Nigerians have derived very little benefit from oil money primarily because of widespread grand corruption, and the entrenched culture of impunity of perpetrators.” “According to the 2021 annual audited report by the Auditor-General of the Federation, the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) in 2021 reportedly paid over N25 billion [N25,607,890,403.11] for ‘contracts without any supporting documents.’” “The Auditor-General fears ‘the money may have been diverted.’ He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury.” “The PTDF also reportedly failed to account for over N326 million [N326,065,638.00] deposited in two banks. The Auditor-General fears the money may be missing and wants it recovered and remitted to the treasury.” “The PTDF reportedly failed to account for over N107 million [N107,691,733.93] being money for ‘the supply, installation, and commissioning of Library automation system and RFID at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI).’” “The contract for the library ‘was awarded without the prior approval from the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). The Auditor-General fears ‘the money may have been diverted.’ He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury.” READ ALSO CTC of Judgment ordering Buhari’s minister to account for N729bn payment to poor Nigerians“The PTDF reportedly paid over N46 million [N46,974,216.43] to ‘three companies for services without evidence of execution.’ ‘One of the contractors was engaged on 13th April 2021 but was paid for services rendered in March 2021. All the three contractors were paid for periods they had not rendered the services to the PTDF.’” “The Auditor-General fears ‘the money may have been diverted.’ He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury.” “The PTDF also reportedly failed to remit over N60 million [N60,355,670.03] of ‘stamp duty from the capital expenditure contracts awarded in 2019 and 2020.’ The PTDF ‘provided no reason why the money was not remitted.’” “The Auditor-General fears ‘the money may have been diverted.’ He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury.” “The PTDF also reportedly failed to account for over N64 million [N64,088,158.44] ‘being payment for store items not supplied.” The Auditor-General fears ‘the money may have been diverted.’ He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury.” “The PTDF also reportedly paid over N41 million [N41,367,493.50] ‘for services not yet performed or goods not yet supplied.’ The payments were made ‘without relevant supporting documents such as invoices, receipts.’” “The Auditor-General fears ‘the money may have been diverted.’ He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury.” “The Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources reportedly spent over N137 million [N137,751,789.85] ‘from the Capital Vote for expenditures which were recurrent in nature without any approval by the National Assembly and the Minister of Finance.’” “The Auditor-General fears the money may be missing. He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury. He also wants sanctions applied ‘for gross misconduct specified in paragraph 3129 of the Financial Regulations 2009.’” “The Ministry reportedly failed to account for over N232 million [N232,509,238.21] ‘being payments to seven companies for consultancy services for stakeholders’ engagement in the Niger Delta in January 2021.’” “According to the Auditor-General, ‘the type of engagements and the reasons for contracting the seven companies were not stated. The venue of the engagement remains unknown. This spending of public funds appeared fictitious.’” “The Auditor-General fears “the money may have been diverted.’ He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury.” “The Ministry also reportedly failed to remit over N25 million [N25,516,938.00] of ‘taxes collected from payments of N137,929,394.58] made to contractors.’ The Auditor-General fears ‘the money may have been diverted.’ He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury.” READ ALSO Xenophobia: African commission to ‘take appropriate action’ on SERAP’s request to sue South Africa for $10bn“The Ministry also reportedly failed to account for over N43 million [N43,533,036.65] ‘being irregular payments for the replacement of broken ceiling.’ The Auditor-General fears “the money may have been diverted.’ He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury.” “The Ministry failed to account for over N74 million [N74,721,625.03] ‘being payments made as cash advances granted to officers between March and December 2021 without retirement.’ The Auditor-General fears ‘the money may have been diverted’, and wants it recovered and remitted to the treasury.” “We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel your government to comply with our request in the public…

Beyoncé wins album of the year Grammy

Our Reporters3 months ago3 months ago07 mins

Beyoncé has finally won the album of the year Grammy Award for her chart-topping country album Cowboy Carter after previously missing out on it four times. The US superstar had previously failed to secure the prize with 2008’s I Am… Sasha Fierce, 2013’s Beyonce, 2016’s Lemonade and 2022’s Renaissance and alluded to the previous misses in her speech, saying it had been “many, many years”. The recognition, alongside earlier wins on Sunday of best country album and the country duo/group performance award for her song featuring Miley Cyrus, titled II Most Wanted, has extended her lead as the most decorated artist in Grammys history to 35 awards. Collecting the album of the year award at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, the 43-year-old said: “I just feel very full and very honoured. “It’s been many, many years and I want to thank the Grammys, every songwriter, every collaborator, every producer, all of the hard work. “I want to dedicate this to Ms (Linda) Martell, and I hope we just keep pushing forward, opening doors. God bless y’all. Thank you so much.” US singer Martell, a groundbreaking country performer who became the first black woman to play at the Grand Ole Opry, features on Cowboy Carter tracks Spaghettii and The Linda Martell Show. Beyonce, who was joined on stage by her daughter Blue Ivy, also praised the firefighters for “keeping us safe” during the Los Angeles wildfires. Earlier in the night, fellow album of the year nominee Taylor Swift presented a stunned Beyonce with the best country album award. The singer admitted she was “not expecting” to win the award and praised the “incredible country artists” who accepted her album, adding: “I think sometimes genre is a cold word to keep us in our place as artists and I just want to encourage people to do what they’re passionate about and to stay persistent.” Ahead of the ceremony, the singer announced she would be taking Cowboy Carter on tour with an Instagram post featuring a light-up billboard. US rapper Kendrick Lamar scooped up two of the other top awards – record of the year and song of the year – for his “diss” track Not Like Us, which is reportedly directed at Canadian rapper Drake. The song also picked up a slew of early prizes including best music video, best rap performance and best rap song, with Lamar dedicating the record of the year award to his hometown Los Angeles after the city was devastated by wildfires. This year’s award ceremony is raising funds for wildfire relief following wind-driven blazes that swept through parts of the Californian city last month, destroying neighbourhoods and killing at least 28 people. Meanwhile, Lady Gaga offered her support to the transgender community as she collected her award after the new Trump administration issued executive orders rolling back transgender rights. Accepting the best pop duo/group performance prize for her collaboration with Bruno Mars on Die With A Smile, Gaga said: “It is a privilege to be a songwriter and a producer, a musician, such an honour to sing for all of you. “And I just want to say tonight that trans people are not invisible. Trans people deserve love. The queer community deserves to be lifted up. Music is love. Thank you.” Chappell Roan called for the music industry to provide a “liveable wage and healthcare for artists” as she collected her first Grammy award, the best new artist prize. The 26-year-old US star revealed she had told herself she would demand that labels and the industry would protect artists more if she ever won a Grammy. She recalled feeling “betrayed” and “dehumanised” when she struggled to find work and afford health care during the pandemic after getting dropped by her first label as a young artist when she had given “everything” to them. The 2025 award show was hosted by South African comedian Trevor Noah for the fifth year in a row.

Rashford completes Aston Villa loan move

Our Reporters3 months ago3 months ago03 mins

Marcus Rashford has joined Aston Villa on loan from Manchester United for the remainder of the season. The 27-year-old forward had also been linked with moves to AC Milan and Barcelona this month after falling out of favour at his boyhood club. Rashford, who joined United at the age of seven, has scored 138 goals in 426 appearances since breaking into the first team in 2016 but has not played since December 12. A statement read: “Aston Villa is delighted to announce the loan signing of Marcus Rashford from Manchester United. “The England international, capped 60 times by the Three Lions, joins Villa on a deal until the end of the season.” The PA news agency understands Villa will cover at least 75 per cent of Rashford’s £300,000-plus weekly salary. That figure could reach up to 90 per cent depending on performance-based bonuses and the option to make the move permanent is reported to be £40million. Villa have also secured an option to buy the player in the summer. Rashford’s future has dominated the headlines throughout the transfer window having admitted he was “ready for a new challenge” after being dropped for the derby against Manchester City on December 15. It now seems his appearance against Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League three days earlier could turn out to be his last for United. Rashford failed to impress new United manager Ruben Amorim, who said this week the forward “has to change” to have a future at Old Trafford. Rashford said in a statement on Instagram: “I would like to thank Manchester United and Aston Villa for making this loan deal happen. “I was lucky to have a few clubs approach me but Aston Villa was an easy decision – I really admire the way that Aston Villa have been playing this season, and the manager’s ambitions. I just want to play football and am excited to get started. “I wish everyone at Manchester United all the best for the rest of the season.”

Kano Pillars suspend Technical Adviser for three weeks

Our Reporters3 months ago3 months ago01 mins

Nigeria Premier Football Legaue campaigners, Kano Pillars have suspended their Head Coach Usman Sheriff Abdallah for three weeks. The coach’s suspension was announced on the club’s official X handle formerly Twitter on Sunday. “The management of Kano Pillars FC have suspended the club’s Technical Adviser, Usman Sheriff Abdallah for three weeks following poor results and his gesture towards the fans after the Sai Masu Gida’s 0-0 draw against Bayelsa Unitedd. “Chief Coach Ahmed Garba Yaro-Yaro will take charge of the team,”Kano Pillars tweeted. Kano Pillars are currently in the 10th place on the NPFL log with 29 points from 21 games and are trailing Remo Stars, who are the league leaders with 16 points.

NSC inaugurates Elites Athletes Devt. and Podium Board

Our Reporters3 months ago3 months ago07 mins

In his avowed commitment towards taken sports to a podium height, the Chairman National Sports Commission Mallam Shehu Dikko has inaugurated the Elite Athletes Development and Podium Board charging them to be proactive and ensure Nigerian sports meets up with global success. Speaking during the inauguration held recently at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium Abuja, the Chairman said, globally sports has gone technical, hence the need for crucial measures to be able to meet up with global practices; “Setting up the Board is a crucial step towards strengthening Nigeria’s Sports Development and ensure our athletes achieve global success.” Mallam Dikko noted that Members of the board, are seasoned sports technocrats who were carefully selected to bring in their wealth of experience, to drive sports and prepare Atheletes to podium performance internationally. “Their collective expertise will be instrumental in the development and success of our athletes, together we will create an environment that nortures talents, promotes excellence and delivers results”. As a Commission, he stated further that we are working hard to bring back all the key areas in sports especially in grassroots sports development through re introduction of school sports and and setting up of center of excellence in various tertiary institutions where our young talents can be nortured. The Chairman expressed his optimism in his leadership, to drive sports to an enviable level and with the line of budget put in place for the various tiers of the sector, the pace has been set for the private sector to come in, this way the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President for the creation of a sports industry can also be achieved,” he said. Earlier, the Director General of the Commission, Honourable Olapade olubukola, commended the initiative of forming the board which he said is a significant step towards achieving its vision of making Nigeria a force to be reckoned with in the world of sports. “With your support and guidance we believe that our athletes will have the best possible preparations, training and resources to achieve podium success and bring glory to the nation.” He expressed confidence in the board and assured them of the full support of the commission, encouraging them to work closely with relevant stakeholders to ensure the success of their mandate. In his remark, the media aide to the President and former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare congratulated the newly inaugurated board members and urged them to see the job as a service to the Nation. He commended the President for his commitment in seeing to the development of sports in the country while encouraging the sports leadership to take the podium performance seriously stressing that; “Your achievements cannot be measured by beautiful stadium built, but by podium performance and you can have all the money, if podium performance does not have gold medals coming in you have achieved nothing,” he said. The Board is to be headed by Mr Yusuf Ali, other members are; Prof. Ken Anugweje, Bambo Akanni, Dr. Emmanuel Igbinosa, Mallam Salisu Abubakar, Aku Aghazu, Tunde Adelakun, Prof.Sadiq Abdulahi, Mary Onyeali, Hauwa Kulu Akinyemi, Suleiman Isah, Olumide Oyedeji and Bamiduro Olumide. The Terms of Reference among othing things includes Developing a robust and sustainable high performance system for podium success, identify and defining the broad range of roles and responsibilities of the entire high performance chain, construct an organogram for establishment of various roles, design and implement talent identification, development and progress as well as see to the selection preparation and participation of Atheletes for major international tournaments. They are to be giving monthly annual report to the Commission. Responding on behalf of the inaugurated members ,the Chief Executive of the Board Mr Yusuf Ali thanked the Commission for finding them worthy to serve the country in that capacity. He appreciated the opportunity given them to serve, but assured that they will deliver on the mandate given.

Premier Leaague: Onuachu’s late strike seals Southampton win

Our Reporters3 months ago3 months ago01 mins

A Paul Onuachu’s 87th minute strike sealed victory for Southampton against Premier League fellow strugglers Ipswich Town at Portman Road on Saturday. Despite entering the game as the Premier League’s lowest scorers, Ivan Juric’s side drew first blood thanks to a volley from another Nigerian international, Joe Aribo. The visitors have consistently demonstrated defensive vulnerabilities this season however, and Ipswich were back on level terms just ten minutes later. Liam Delap exploited the visitors’ high line before sliding his strike beyond Aaron Ramsdale to mark the ninth goal of the season for the England youth international. A point would have seen Ipswich climb out of the relegation zone but they were unable to hang on and were undone when Onuachu netted a winner from close range in the closing stages.

Police begin enforcement of 3rd Party Insurance on Motorists

Our Reporters3 months ago3 months ago02 mins

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun has ordered the enforcement of the Mandatory Third Party Insurance which will commence on February 1st, 2025. In a statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi on Friday, the initiative is aimed to reinforce road safety measures and ensure that all vehicle owners comply with the stipulated insurance requirements to protect themselves and others on the road. The Nigeria Police Force cautioned vehicle owners and operators against non-compliance with this essential regulation. Failure to possess valid Third Party Insurance will result in strict enforcement actions, including fines or penalties or both, as mandated by relevant extant laws. The staement reads in parts; “Effective February 1st, all vehicle owners nationwide are required to possess valid Third Party Insurance as they move about, and those without the Insurance, are advised to be insured quickly to avoid any sort of embarrassment. “The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, has directed all State Commissioners of Police to ensure due enforcement, as Police officers will be empowered to conduct checks and enforce penalties for non-compliance in line with relevant extant laws. “The Nigeria Police Force remains dedicated to enhancing road safety and protecting the lives of all citizens through the enforcement of traffic laws and regulations. Cooperation from members of the public in this crucial endeavor is much appreciated.”

Ndidi returns to Leicester training next week

Our Reporters3 months ago3 months ago01 mins

Nigerian international Wilfred Ndidi could be included in Leicester City team training next week. Ndidi has played just two matches under Ruud van Nistelrooy, injuring his hamstring in the 2-2 draw with Brighton in early December. Since then, City have lost all seven Premier League games they’ve played. But the Nigerian midfielder is now close to a comeback. Van Nistelrooy expects him to be back alongside his team-mates at Seagrave next week, in the build-up to the trip to Everton. “Wilfred is making very good progress in his rehabilitation. Hopefully he can be part of team training next week some time,” Van Nistelrooy stated.