General
Ripples Over ANLCA BoT Election
By Bon Peters
The seeming fresh air of peace being enjoyed for nearly one year now in the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) may soon evaporate into thin air as a chieftain of the group, Mr Dennis Okwu, has alleged a clandestine and orchestrated plan hatched by some people whom he described as wearing the toga of The Nine Billionaires in the association, fighting tooth and nail to stop his aspiration as one of the contestants in the September 2024 BoT election to pave way for themselves and their cronies.
Speaking to select journalists on Tuesday in his office in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, Mr Okwu wondered why he would be schemed off from the election having paid the mandatory N1.5 million expression of interest form.
“Let me tell you, some people feel they are the only ones that are supposed to be in ANLCA. During the last NECOM election, many things went wrong but because we want ANLCA to speak with one voice, we didn’t go to court to challenge the election.
“Personally I have 1,000 reasons to go to court, but I said no, for peace to reign. Some of us should be commended for that, but instead what we are seeing now is an ANLCA that has been hijacked by one family,” he claimed.
Continuing, he said, “Let Emenike Nwokeoji, the ANLCA national president, come and tell us what he has done in ANLCA for almost one year now. We want to see his scorecard, only what is there, is ANLCA that has been hijacked by Earnest Elochukwu and his family and the national president is there as a puppet.”
Mr Okwu noted that he wrote a letter to the ASECO chairman and specifically copied Nwokeoji, explaining why the submission of his form could be delayed, especially when the letter has received the letter before the deadline, challenging anybody to the contrary to come out and deny it.
When contacted by this reporter, Mr Nwokeoji declined to comment on the matter on the basis that it “was already in court.”
“Did the man in question tell you he has gone to court?” he queried, and when responded in affirmative, he quipped that, “As a journalist, you should know that once an issue is in court, it would amount to subjudice if I comment on it. Do you want the court to jail me? When I get to the court, I will tell them what I know about the issue.”
As for the ASECO chairman, Mr Obiora Elochukwu, he said, “Whatever he tells you is subject to the outcome of the matter that is already in court, I can’t pre-empt a matter that is already in court.”
General
NDLEA Arrests Engineer For Concealing Illicit Drugs In Pressure Machines
By Adedapo Adesanya
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a suspected drug trafficker, Mr Egwu Phillip Inya, a building engineer, while attempting to take delivery of illicit consignments concealed in pressure machines imported from South Africa.
According to a statement by the NDLEA spokesperson, Mr Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, the 42-year-old Egwu was arrested on Monday, December 2, 2024, at Okeyson Motor Park in Enugu when he showed up to collect three units of pressure machines inside which were hidden parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, weighing 7.40 kilograms.
Mr Babafemi stated that the consignments had arrived the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos import shed on November 29, 2024.
“Following credible intelligence, officers of the MMIA Strategic Command of the Agency had monitored the shipment pass through clearing processes up to a logistics company’s warehouse outside the airport where it was to be collected by the consignee.
“The importer however changed the point of collection to Enugu at the last minute. As a result, NDLEA operatives in a follow-up operation in Enugu arrested Egwu when he showed up to collect the consignments.
“No fewer than 511,000 pills of tramadol were recovered from a Siena vehicle at Hildi, Askira Uba way in Adamawa state by NDLEA operatives on patrol along the road in the early hours of Friday 6th December.
“The occupants of the vehicle had made a detour upon sighting the NDLEA team and, after a distance, abandoned the vehicle with the consignments after noticing the operatives were on their trail,” the statement said.
It also added that in Ekiti State, two suspects, Mr Olanrewaju Alale, 48, and Mr Babatunde Kayode Ijadahun, 55, were arrested along Ise- Emure road in a J5 bus marked EPE 958 XJ while transporting 108 jumbo bags of cannabis weighing 1, 323 kilograms to Owo, Ondo state from where they claimed the consignment will be moved to the North for distribution.
It further read, “Another suspect, Adekunle Yusuf, 33, was nabbed by NDLEA operatives with 704 kilograms of the same psychoactive substance, concealed in white sacks on Friday 6th December at Idere road, Igboora, Oyo state.
“In Lagos, a grandmother, 65-year-old Ramata Bola Adeyemo was on Friday 6th December arrested by NDLEA operatives at 62 Odunfa Street, Lagos Island, where 20.6 litres of codeine-based syrup was recovered from her. Also arrested in Lagos was Alhaji Lawan Manga who was picked up at Ogundana Street, Ikeja on Thursday, December 5 while 4.7kg cannabis and 1.3kg tramadol were recovered from him.
“With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization lectures to schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities among others in the past week. These include WADA sensitisation lecture to students and staff of Progressive Secondary School, Ado Awaye, Oyo state; Muslim Grammar School, Ede, Osun state; Government Girls College, Maiduguri, Borno state; Community Secondary School, Ogale, Rivers state; Santa Maria Secondary School, Igogoro, Enugu state; and Chiranci Upper Basic Junior Secondary School, Bichi, Kano state while Lagos State command of NDLEA organised WADA enlightenment lecture for leaders and members of NURTW, Orile Agege, Lagos, among others.
The chief executive of NDLEA, Mr Buba Marwa, stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts are well appreciated.
General
Aigbovbioise Aig-Imoukhuede for Africa Financial Summit in Morocco
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The chief executive of Coronation Asset Management, Mr Aigbovbioise Aig-Imoukhuede, will speak at the Africa Financial Summit (AFIS) fixed for Monday, December 9 to Tuesday 10, 2024, in Casablanca, Morocco.
Mr Aig-Imoukhuede, who is also the President of the Fund Managers Association of Nigeria (FMAN), will participate as a distinguished speaker on a strategic panel titled Connecting the Dots Between Investors and Issuers with AI and Fintech, with the session to be moderated by Senior Director at McKinsey and Company, Anass Bensrhir.
He will be joined by the Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in Nigeria), Mr Emomotimi John Agama; and the Chairman of the Financial Regulatory Authority in Egypt, Mr Mohamed Farid Saleh.
The panel will delve into critical topics such as cultivating a digital investment culture to attract investors and issuers, scaling digital investment products through traditional banking channels, and fostering strong collaboration between fintech innovators and regulators.
Mr Aig-Imoukhuede will share insights on how Coronation is developing digital infrastructure and frameworks to enable wealth creation at all levels—individual, organisational, and public sector—while influencing economic growth across the continent.
“At Coronation, we believe that wealth creation should be accessible to all, and technology is the key to making this a reality.
“Through AI and fintech, we aim to bridge the gap between investors and issuers, laying the foundation for a thriving financial ecosystem across Africa. The discussions at AFIS will be instrumental in driving this transformation,” he stated.
Mr Aig-Imoukhuede is a seasoned leader in the financial sector, with extensive experience in wealth management, investment strategy, and policy advocacy.
His leadership at Coronation Asset Management highlights his expertise in driving innovative investment strategies, advancing wealth management solutions, and fostering sustainable growth across Nigeria’s financial ecosystem and the broader African market.
Coronation’s participation at AFIS reflects its commitment to redefining financial services through innovation and partnerships.
General
How to Stop Recycling of Criminals, Ex-Convicts—Onabulo
By Emmanuel Udom
The president of the Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria (CRAN), Mr Olalekan Onabulo, has explained how the various justice systems could work to stop the recycling of criminals and ex-convicts in the country.
Speaking in his welcome address at the CRAN Public Lecture/Award ceremony held at Sheba Event Centre in Ikeja, Lagos, Mr Onabulo said that there is no denying the fact that the pursuit of justice and security is a shared responsibility that demands collective efforts and collaborations.
He further explained that since recidivism, which is the recycling of criminals and ex-convicts is a hydra-headed monster, which has become a significant source of concern for security agents in the country.
Security operatives are in most cases ambushed, killed or maimed by criminals earlier arrested, investigated and prosecuted who returned to a life of criminalities after their convictions.
According to the CRAN leader, these criminals are emboldened and unrepentant and may want to take their pounds of flesh from security operatives to carry out their professional duties.
Speaking on Justice System Administration and Security in Nigeria: Challenges, Opportunities, and Solutions, Mr Onabulo said all hands must be on deck to address the issue as the whole process seems to have failed and must be redeemed by all and sundry.
”The security operatives, the judiciary and indeed all Nigerians must collaborate and work together to create a safer, just, and equitable society for all,” he stated.
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