General
Kwara Govt Denies Corruption at Harmony Holdings Ltd
By Dipo Olowookere
The Kwara State Government has denied social media claims purportedly attributed to the former Managing Director of Harmony Holdings Limited, (HHL), Dr Shehu Kuranga Mohammed, alleging corrupt practices concerning state government properties managed by the company.
In a statement, the state government said the claims of corruption at HHL involving management of state-owned property are creations of the fertile imagination of its authors.
It also absolved Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki of any involvement in the planned lease of a prime state-owned property located in Lagos or in any illegal transaction involving other state-owned assets.
Rather, the government maintained that transactions relating to the proposed lease followed due process and involved relevant state agencies.
The statement also denied the claim that Dr Mohammed resigned due to pressures from Government House to engage a particular company to manage the Victoria Island, Lagos property and to financially disadvantage the state in favour of a private company or individuals.
Instead, the government said Dr Mohammed was asked to review the companies shortlisted for managing the property, recommend one or come up with an alternative company but resigned before the process was completed.
The government stressed that Dr Mohammed was personally head-hunted by Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed based on the former incumbent’s corporate finance experience and capacity and not at the request of the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU) as wrongly claimed.
It, therefore, urged the public to ignore the lies about HHL and warned those bent on playing politics with government-owned entities to have a rethink and be mindful of the long-term impact on the image of Kwara State as investors may be reluctant to partner the state if the negative atmosphere of needless controversy is allowed to persist.
The full statement reads thus:
“We have become aware of a social media post alleging corrupt practices at Harmony Holdings Limited, a company fully-owned by the Kwara State Government. For the avoidance of doubt and in the interest of the people of Kwara State who are the ultimate owners of HHL and the assets it is managing, we wish to state clearly that the allegations in the said post are lies concocted in a futile bid to embarrass the administration of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed.
To restate, Harmony Holdings Limited is a product of the administration’s quest to innovate new funding sources for government programs in the light of a fragile global economy and unstable federal allocation.
To insulate the state from these uncertainties and keep it on a firm pedestal for the benefit of its people, reforms were necessary. One of them was HHL, especially given the existence of state assets which were constituting a drain on state resources rather than augmenting them.
In the light of the vast investment and revenue potentials of these state-owned assets, it was decided to recruit for HHL only those with the capacity and pedigree to successfully attract private partners to invest funds in the dormant assets, and significantly boost the state government’s revenue.
An essential skill in this regard was previous Corporate Finance and related management experience which was deemed necessary for the task of making HHL achieve its target of N50b in annual revenues and ranking as one of the top holding companies in the country. It is also reflected in the capacity, experience and pedigree of the previous board which was headed by a Professor of Public Finance and included credentialed individuals with a strong finance, business and academic backgrounds.
It remains the government’s understanding and resolve that the task of turning these state-owned assets to revenue generating ventures can only be achieved by management manned by technocrats with the necessary capacities.
This need for a Chief Executive with relevant requisite capacity for HHL was the spirit behind Dr Mohammed’s recruitment by the state government when the previous board’s tenure expired.
His mandate was to focus not on HHL’s ongoing concerns that were already contributing revenue but on turning high value but dormant assets into income generating ventures for the government. One of the assets was a state government-owned commercial property located at Victoria Island, Lagos. Before Dr Mohammed’s appointment, the said property was the subject of litigation.
Subsequently, the property was tied up for the duration of the court case which the state government eventually won. HHL was then instructed to review a shortlist of companies bidding for the lease, to recommend one or make new recommendations. Dr Mohammed resigned before the ongoing process to choose a preferred bidder with the required competence and capacity to manage the property, which followed necessary processes and involved other state agencies, was completed.
It is therefore untrue that Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed is involved in any corrupt deals at HHL or any effort to influence the selection of any company to manage government assets.
The state government also exonerates the former state governor and Senate President, His Excellency, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki of any involvement in any aspect of HHL’s operations, including the management and sale of any state government asset assigned to the company or indeed any other government property.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has warned that the country faces a significant gap of 480,000 Data Protection Officers (DPOs), in spite of notable progress recorded in the last three years.
The National Commissioner of NDPC, Mr Vincent Olatunji, disclosed the opening of a one-week training for the second cohort of DPOs Training and Certification Programme in Abuja.
Mr Olatunji said there were still shortages even as the number of certified DPOs in Nigeria increased from fewer than 1,000 three years ago to over 10,000, while more than 27,000 professionals now operate within the broader privacy ecosystem.
However, he noted that the gap remained wide due to the increasing number of data controllers and processors in the country.
“We have identified over 500,000 data controllers and processors who require the services of data protection officers.
“At the moment, we have about 10,000 certified DPOs to work in that space.
“The gap of about 480,000 still exists, which underscores the need for sustained capacity building,” he said.
The NDPC boss said the commission was intensifying efforts to bridge the gap through continuous training programmes.
He said the initiative was aimed at positioning Nigeria as a hub for highly skilled and globally competitive data protection professionals in Africa.
“Our goal is to make Nigeria the go-to country when it comes to sourcing qualified data protection officers in Africa.
“The certification we offer meets global standards, enabling practitioners to operate not just locally but in any part of the world,” Mr Olatunji said.
He said the programme would also contribute to job creation within the digital economy, in line with the federal government’s priorities.
On her part, Mrs Tolu Fadipe, the commission’s Head of Research and Development, emphasised the critical role of data protection in the digital economy.
She said that responsible data handling was fundamental to the growth of digital systems and emerging technologies.
“As we move towards a digital economy, data becomes central and protecting that data is essential.
“This training is designed to build competence and ensure organisations comply with the Nigeria Data Protection Act,” she said.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The processing of planning permits for property owners in Lagos State is now fully digital, discontinuing manual and semi-digital processes.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on E-GIS and Urban Development, Mr Olajide Abiodun, said the new system is the Electronic Physical Planning Process System (EPPPS).
He described it as a transformative, web-based platform designed to completely modernise the operations of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, which is transitioning from legacy, manual systems toward a highly efficient, transparent, and scalable digital framework.
“Lagos State has entered the dawn of a new era in digital processing of Planning Permissions, Authorisations to Commence Construction Works, Stage Certification, amongst other services,” he told newsmen recently.
Mr Abiodun noted that the full automation of the planning permit process commenced on April 1, 2026, stressing that anyone processing planning permits manually from the stated date is engaging in an illegal activity and that all applications must now go through the EPPPS platform exclusively.
The Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s aide added that once one receives planning approvals via EPPPS, the journey is not over. The person should immediately apply for their Authorisation to Commence Construction Works and Stage Certifications through the EPPPS platform, amongst other services, adding that there will be a task force to monitor compliance with this activity.
While updating the citizens on other developments on Urban Development and Land Administration in the State, he said the state government has introduced CAP to further strengthen LASBCA’s capability in ensuring strict building development compliance.
According to him, CAP is a strategic Public-Private Partnership that allows accredited private professionals to work alongside LASBCA in monitoring building projects.
“This helps us ensure strict compliance with the state’s building codes. It will drastically reduce the risk of building collapses while accelerating project delivery. It is a win for safety, a win for the construction industry, and a win for Lagosians,” he said.
The Lagos State Government, in the journey of moving from the built environment to Land Administration, has actively decentralised its services to ease the burden on citizens, announcing that the e-GIS Regional Office in Ikeja has officially commenced operations.
“This is a dedicated, customer-facing hub designed specifically to handle your digitised land administration activities. Citizens will no longer need to travel all the way to Alausa for every land-related inquiry.
“The Ikeja office is fully equipped to serve residents efficiently at the grassroots level, as the Government is assuring that the remaining divisional offices across the state will also commence operations very soon,” he disclosed.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Mr Salimon Akanni Oladiti is in pole position to take over the presidency of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
According to reports, Mr Oladiti, who is the current National Trustee of the union, will take over from Mr Williams Akporeha, who is set to exit office at the end of April after eight years at the helm.
Mr Akporeha announced his departure at the weekend during the Quarterly National Executive Council meeting of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) Branch in Warri, Delta State.
He noted that the union will elect a new president on April 24 in Lagos.
If Mr Oladiti, a former PTD National Chairman, emerges as the president of the union, it would be the first time a PTD member ascends to NUPENG’s top office.
The move gained momentum at the meeting, where Mr Joseph Okafor moved a motion for Mr Oladiti’s unanimous ratification, seconded by Mr Adekunle Akinlaja.
Mr Akporeha expressed gratitude to PTD members for their steadfast support throughout his tenure.
“Eight years ago, you stood by me in this same room. You didn’t only stand by me, you supported me. When things were tough, you were there through all the challenges.
“I want to appreciate all of you. If I stand to support one of your own as President, I have no apology. If I had done anything otherwise, my conscience would have troubled me. God used you to install me,” he said.
He urged members to rally behind Oladiti and the newly elected PTD National Chairman, Mathias Ote, to sustain the union’s stability and growth.
“By the grace of God, as I move along, I want to see a union stronger than I left it. I don’t want to see PTD go into disarray. The greatest favour you can do is to support this man whom you have elected today as your national chairman. Also support your own that will be the President, by the grace of God, on April 24,” he added.
On his part, the President of the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Mr Lawal Yusuf Othman, commended NUPENG for steering a peaceful transition.
“I once again want to appreciate NUPENG. NARTO will continue to give you the necessary support,” he said.
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