General
MOSOP Urges Tinubu to Probe Alleged $800m Misused Cleanup Fund
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has charged President Bola Tinubu to probe claims of mismanagement of over $800 million in allocated funds to the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) for the cleanup of Ogoniland in the last seven years.
The group’s president, Mr Fegalo Nsuke, speaking in Ban Ogoi, Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State, alleged that the handlers of HYPREP have misused the funds recklessly and tasked the new Nigerian leader to step in.
It also called for the dissolution of all governing structures of HYPREP, pending the conclusion of investigations into the finances of the Project.
Mr Nsuke recalled that former President Muhammadu Buhari had initiated an inconclusive probe into the activities of HYPREP and urged President Tinubu to revisit the issue.
He noted that continued funding for HYPREP without accountability would encourage reckless mismanagement of the project.
In his words, “MOSOP wants to state that in the past 7 years, HYPREP has been severely decimated by looters. We emphatically state that over $200 million cannot be accounted for in HYPREP. The organisation has been looted to death, and it will only be immoral for the government to be silent over such monumental fraud.”
“MOSOP expects President Bola Tinubu to dissolve all governing structures of HYPREP, halt funding for the organisation and order a probe into its finances while a re-organisation is pending,” he said.
The MOSOP leader further raised questions about some N180 billion approved for HYPREP three weeks to the expiration of the tenure of the Buhari administration, saying that such approvals raised some issues.
He said: “In three weeks to the expiration of President Buhari’s tenure, over N180 billion was approved for HYPREP. The timing of the approvals raised some red flags and reinforced our suspicion that such requests from the environment ministry and subsequent approvals could not have been made in good faith.
“The only way we, the Ogoni people, can begin to have some confidence in the cleanup process is that it has to be conducted transparently. Government and partners cannot spend over $800 million, and the Ogoni people will not get water, nor are people compensated for livelihood losses.
“There has also been no compensation for people whose sources of livelihood have been destroyed by decades of oil pollution, not to talk of the thousands of people sent to early graves due to pollution-related diseases, including cancers, poisoning, and other complications.
“A recent analysis in a government hospital has revealed that 80 per cent of people with growths in the mouth which can degenerate into cancers are coming from the Ogoni region.
“The government agency responsible for the cleanup has received over $800 million between 2016 to date. Its operations have been lacking in transparency, and it has failed to account for its expenditure during the period.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Contrary to reports making the rounds, the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly is not considering passing a bill to make it a criminal offence for single ladies having romantic affairs with married men in the state.
On Monday, unconfirmed news went viral, purporting that a phantom Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mrs Akon Etim, had sponsored a bill to ensure single ladies having sexual relationship with married men spend 10 years in prison, while the men pay a fine of N2 million.
It was claimed that the bill was to be passed by the state parliament, today, Tuesday, January 13, 2026.
Business Post reports that the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State is Mrs Akon Eyakenyi, not Mrs Akon Etim.
Reacting to the reports, the chairman of the House Committee on Information, Mr Jerry Anson Otu, described the reports as “false.”
“The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly wishes to categorically state that this report is entirely false and has no basis in fact. The Assembly has not received or considered any such bill, and the Deputy Governor has not sponsored it.
“We condemn this malicious attempt to tarnish the image of the Deputy Governor and the Assembly, and urge the public to disregard this fake news and any associated commentaries.
“The House remains committed to its constitutional role of law-making, and will not be swayed by mischievous attempts to undermine its integrity,” parts of the statement issued by the parliament stated.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria is eyeing stronger diplomatic and strategic ties when it comes to sustainable development as it participates in the 2026 edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW).
President Bola Tinubu arrived in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), on Sunday. His plane landed at the Presidential Wing of Zayed International Airport at exactly 11:30 pm local time.
He was received by Sheikh Shakhboot Nahyan Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs; the UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi; Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar; and members of the Nigerian diplomatic mission in Abu Dhabi.
Several other ministers, including the Minister of Budget and Planning, Mr Atiku Bagudu; the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs Jumoke Oduwole; and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mr Mohammed Mohammed, welcomed President Tinubu at his hotel.
President Tinubu arrived in Abu Dhabi from Europe, where he spent part of his end-of-year break, engaging in fruitful discussions with Rwandan President Paul Kagame and French President Emmanuel Macron, according to a statement by the presidency.
The 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, with the theme The Nexus of Next, All Systems Go, is a global platform that brings together world leaders, policymakers, investors, and experts to advance dialogue and action on sustainable development, climate action, energy transition, and inclusive economic growth.
This visit further reinforces the strong diplomatic and economic ties between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), while positioning Nigeria as an active contributor to global conversations on sustainable development.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to account for about N55.9 billion earmarked for the purchase of some materials for the 2019 general elections has forced the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) to file a lawsuit against the commission.
In the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/38/2026 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, SERAP asked the court for an order of mandamus to compel INEC to disclose the names of all contractors paid the sum of money.
It was claimed that the N55.9 billion was meant for the purchase of smart card readers, ballot papers, result sheets and other election materials for the 2019 general elections, which produced the late Mr Muhammadu Buhari as President for a second term in office.
SERAP is relying on the latest annual report published by the Auditor-General on September 9, 2025, to ask for the use of the funds, which is said to be missing or diverted.
The organisation argued that the electoral umpire “must operate without corruption if the commission is to ensure free and fair elections in the country and uphold Nigerians’ right to participation.”
“INEC cannot ensure impartial administration of future elections if these allegations are not satisfactorily addressed, perpetrators including the contractors involved are not prosecuted and the proceeds of corruption are not fully recovered,” a part of the statement issued by the group stated.
“INEC cannot properly carry out its constitutional and statutory responsibilities to conduct free and fair elections in the country if it continues to fail to uphold the basic principles of transparency, accountability and the rule of law.
“These allegations also constitute abuse of public office and show the urgent need by INEC to commit to transparency, accountability, clean governance and the rule of law,” it further declared.
-
Feature/OPED6 years agoDavos was Different this year
-
Travel/Tourism9 years ago
Lagos Seals Western Lodge Hotel In Ikorodu
-
Showbiz3 years agoEstranged Lover Releases Videos of Empress Njamah Bathing
-
Banking8 years agoSort Codes of GTBank Branches in Nigeria
-
Economy3 years agoSubsidy Removal: CNG at N130 Per Litre Cheaper Than Petrol—IPMAN
-
Banking3 years agoFirst Bank Announces Planned Downtime
-
Banking3 years agoSort Codes of UBA Branches in Nigeria
-
Sports3 years agoHighest Paid Nigerian Footballer – How Much Do Nigerian Footballers Earn