General
N26bn PHCN Severance Benefit Puts Insurance Broker in Trouble
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
An insurance broker, Mr Abiodun Waheed Hassan, has been arraigned before Justice S.C Oriji of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Apo, Abuja for an alleged diversion of N26 billion.
Mr Hassan, who is a director at Bestworth Insurance Brokers Limited, was accused of using the funds earmarked for the payment of outstanding insurance premiums and claims of deceased and incapacitated staff of defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which arraigned the suspect on Thursday, February 25, 2021, said the offence was punishable under Section 315 of the Panel Code Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, (Abuja) 2004.
One of the five-count charges against the insurance broker indicated that, “That you, Abiodun Waheed Hassan, Director, Bestworth Insurance Brokers Limited and Bestworth Insurance Brokers Limited on or about January 15, 2015, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, while being entrusted with certain property to wit: the sum of N26.2 billion paid into Bestworth Insurance Brokers Limited’s Skye Bank Account No. 1771645118 from PHCN Staff Severance Benefits account with the Central Bank of Nigeria, being funds earmarked for the payment of outstanding insurance premiums and claims of deceased and incapacitated staff of PHCN, did commit criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property by dishonestly misappropriating the sum of N2.5 billion thereof when you transferred the said sum into Kakatar CE Limited’s Zenith Bank Account No.1012637660 and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 315 of the Panel Code Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, (Abuja) 2004.”
Another count said, “That you, Abiodun Waheed Hassan, Director, Bestworth Insurance Brokers Limited and Bestworth Insurance Brokers Limited on or about December 18, 2014, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, while being entrusted with certain property to wit: the sum of N26.2 billion paid into Bestworth Insurance Brokers Limited’s Skye Bank Account No. 1771645118 from PHCN Staff Severance Benefits account with the Central Bank of Nigeria, being funds earmarked for the payment of outstanding insurance premiums and claims of deceased and incapacitated staff of PHCN, did commit criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property by dishonestly misappropriating the sum of N6.0 billion thereof when you transferred the said sum into PJO Venture Limited’s Skye Bank Account No.1771645235 and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 315 of the Panel Code Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, (Abuja) 2004.”
However, the defendant pleaded ‘not guilty’, when the charges were read to him. Based on his plea, prosecution counsel, Benjamin Lawan Menji, ask for a trial date and prayed the court to remand the defendant at the Correctional Service pending the trail.
Counsel for the defendant, Ade Olusalako, told the court that the defence had filed a motion for bail of his client and pleaded for the remand of the defendant in the custody of the EFCC pending the determination of his bail application on the grounds that “the defendant has been on administrative bail for almost five years and he has an underlining sickness”.
But the prosecution counsel objected to the application.
“As he rightly submitted, we received the application but we shall vehemently be opposing the application; we said vehemently so that the court will know that we have a strong opposition.
“Moreover, our facility is overstretched because of the issue of the COVID-19 pandemic, the little we have we are trying to manage them. The proper place of detention or custody is the Correctional Service which the government has done its best in providing,” Menji told the court.
However, Justice Oriji adjourned the matter till March 4, 2021, for a hearing on the bail application and remanded the defendant in EFCC custody.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has said that the average retail price of a litre of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol, rose by 22.55 per cent or N237.07 per litre to N1,288.54 in March 2026 from N1,051.47 in February.
In the Premium Motor Spirit (Petrol) Price Watch for March released on Tuesday, the NBS said on a year-on-year basis, the average retail price of fuel also increased by 2.13 per cent from N1,261.65 recorded in March 2025.
This surge in fuel prices could be linked to global disruptions brought on by the US-Israel war on Iran, which triggered the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and sent prices of crude oil above $100 per barrel.
While the country was not heavily hit by the impact, it felt the ripple effect of crude prices increasing, particularly as Dangote Refinery imported crude from other markets to cover for local feedstock shortfalls.
The data noted that by state, Anambra recorded the highest average retail price of N1,441.22 per litre, followed by Sokoto at N1,377.55 and Borno at N1,375.16.
However, the price was cheapest in Lagos at N1,162.71, followed by Ogun at N1,169.78 and Kaduna state at N1,193.40.
By zone, it was most expensive in the North East at N1,336.50 last month, while the South-West recorded the lowest at N1,232.46.
A look at the Diesel Price Watch Report for March showed that the average retail price paid by users rose by 16.05 per cent on a month-on-month basis to N1,648.08 per litre from N1,420.17 per litre a month earlier.
“On state profiles analysis, the highest average price of diesel in March was recorded in Ebonyi at N2,262.29 per litre, followed by Akwa Ibom at N1,895.72 and Osun at N1,872.15.
“On the other hand, the lowest price was recorded in Kogi at N1,383.40 per litre, followed by Katsina State at N1,438.25 and Enugu at N1,480.06,” parts of the report said.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Mr Datti Baba-Ahmed, has left the party to join the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP).
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, the politician said he’s no longer interested in the way the Labour Party was being run.
He disclosed that there is no more peace in the political party he flew its flag in the last general elections because of greed.
He accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of destabilising opposition political parties to ensure President Bola Tinubu does not have a credible opponent in the 2027 presidential poll.
“What the Labour Party stood for is not the same now. We have a government of today which is interested in destroying other political parties,” he said.
“I am leaving the Labour Party tomorrow (today) by 12 midnight,” Mr Baba-Ahmed said when asked about his plans for next year.
I am leaving the Labour Party [at] midnight, and I am joining PRP. PRP is the new destination. PRP is the one with a history. It’s about 75 years old,” he further stated.
He further said, “When there was real peace in the Labour Party, someone was redeployed to the Labour Party and because of the antecedents of the person, [I don’t see things getting better].
PRP, a progressive Nigerian political party, was established in 1978 by Mallam Aminu Kano. It is rooted in social democratic principles and populist ideology, often focusing on the empowerment of the talakawa (common people).
Its current National Chairman, according to data obtained from the website of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is Mr Falalu Bello, while the National Secretary is Mr Babatunde F. Alli.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Director General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Ms Omolola Oloworaran, has highlighted strategies deployed by her organisation to ensure pension coverage is deepened in Nigeria.
Speaking at the ISSA Technical Seminar in Abuja recently, she said the steps taken were to build a more inclusive, transparent, and responsive pension system, where communication serves not just as information, but as a bridge to trust, accessibility, and sustained industry growth.
According to her, the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) has, over more than two decades, built a strong institutional foundation, but true inclusion goes beyond coverage to require trust and clear communication.
For this reason, PenCom has prioritised the Personal Pension Plan, strengthened stakeholder engagement, and invested in digital channels that reach contributors in accessible and relatable ways, she stated.
Ms Oloworaran further stressed that, “Effective communication is not a soft complement to regulation; it is a core instrument of coverage expansion, compliance, and public confidence.
“Every circular we issue, every benefit we pay, and every reform we introduce ultimately succeeds or fails on whether our members can understand it and act on it.”
The ISSA Technical Seminar, themed Improving Inclusivity and Accessibility of Social Security Services Through Effective Communication, was organised in collaboration with the International Social Security Association (ISSA).
It brought together key stakeholders across West Africa to advance dialogue on strengthening social security systems through clearer, more inclusive engagement.
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