General
Rivers to go After Amaechi, Tonye Cole Over Gas Turbines Sales
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Rivers State Government has revealed that the former Minister of Transport, Mr Chibuike Amaechi; the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Mr Tonye Cole of Sahara Energy Ltd, and others may stand trial over alleged fraudulent sale of four gas turbines, other valued state assets and diversion of state funds worth N96 billion.
Governor Nyesom Wike said that leaders of the state will meet to decide on whether to commence criminal prosecution of the former Minister of Transport and a presidential aspirant of the APC and others.
This is coming after the Supreme Court recently dismissed the former Minister’s appeal to stop the investigation into the activities of his administration as governor of Rivers State between 2007 and 2015.
The Governor during a media parley said the Supreme Court dismissal of Mr Amaechi’s appeal has vindicated the Rivers State government, stating that on his assumption of office in 2015, the state government set up a judicial panel of inquiry to investigate the activities of the former Rivers State governor’s administration.
“The judicial panel was mandated to investigate the sale of the 150 Megawatts gas turbine in Omoku, Afam 360 MW Gas Turbine, Trans-Amadi 136 MW Gas Turbine and the 75 MW Gas turbine in Eleme; Monorail Project; the sale of Olympia hotel; and non-execution of the contract for the construction of Justice Karibi-Whyte hospital after the Amaechi administration paid $39.2m to the contractor,” he said.
Governor Wike added that the judicial panel at the end of its investigation submitted its report and recommendations to the State government. According to him, this necessitated the State Government to come up with a White Paper Report.
“So many people were indicted by that report and so we didn’t go to court to file charges against those that were indicted because some people went to court, particularly, the former governor, Rotimi Amaechi. And as those who obey the rule of law and have respect for the court, we said we will not take any step further until the court decides.
“At the State High court, the Rivers State Government won. The former governor went to the Court of Appeal, the Rivers State Government won. And then he appealed to the Supreme Court to set aside the recommendations of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry and the White Paper of the government.
“To the glory of God, the Supreme Court unanimously dismissed his appeal against the judicial panel of the inquiry report and the government White Paper Report,” the Governor stated.
Mr Wike said the state government has been justified by the Supreme Court judgment because those indicted by the Judicial Panel of Inquiry were given the opportunity to defend themselves, but some of them chose not to appear before the panel.
“If you see that report, as a Rivers man you will cry. Nobody who loves Rivers State will see that report and will not cry. Now that the Supreme Court has come up with its judgment, the leaders of the State will decide what next step to take. It is not for only me. Yes, I am a governor, I can’t do it alone. If the leaders of the State say we must prosecute them, I have no choice.”
“The money that was collected by Sahara Energy and Tonye Cole, it is for the leaders of the State to say should we go ahead and file charges against Rotimi Amaechi and his cohorts, or should we allow it to be. It is for the State elders. The State elders will meet and agree on what next to do. But the point is, let the world know that nobody who will see that report and not be angry,” he disclosed.
The Rivers State governor narrated how the sum of $50 million was diverted from the State account and paid to Sahara Energy for inexplicable reasons. According to him, there is no evidence of any transaction indicating that the State is indebted to the company.
“What did Sahara Energy do for us? What is the transaction that we paid $50 Million for? You said Sahara Energy bought our gas turbines, if they bought our gas turbines, why are we paying them $50million? Did we borrow money from them and where is the agreement to show we borrowed money from them? Nothing.
“People will come out and begin to sing we are innocent. I thank God we have been vindicated. We did the right thing. It is for the Rivers people to decide the next line of action. If they decide today that they will file criminal charges, I have no choice than to direct the Ministry of Justice to file charges against Rotimi Amaechi, Sahara Energy, and Tonye Cole,” he quipped.
By Bon Peters
More congratulatory messages have continued to pour in for Mr John Azuta Mbata on his emergence as the President of the Ohaneze Ndigbo.
Last week, the Rivers State-born man was elected as the successor to Mr Nze Ozichukwu Chukwu, who took charge of the organisation after the demise of Mr Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu last year at the age of 82.
In a statement, the Igbo World Assembly (IWA) said it was happy for Mr Mbata for emerging as the new leader of the prominent Igbo socio-cultural group.
In the statement jointly signed by its chairman, Mr Nwachukwu Anakwenze; the vice chairman, Mr Christian Onuorah; and the general secretary, Mr Oliver Nwankwor; the group commended Mr Chukwu and his team for weathering the storm within the 27 days to ensure the smooth democratic transition to the new executives.
“The election offers a renewed opportunity to address key challenges, and IWA is optimistic that this new leadership will apply statesmanship and diplomacy to achieve unity, peace, greater collaboration, due process, development and progress.
“The Igbo World Assembly has always been and will remain a core backbone of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and will support in Actualization of Igbo Agenda,” the statement said.
“Above all, your distinct desire to unify and restore Ndi Igbo towards the part of peace, progress and growth shall be the guide to our actions as Igbo Diasporas worldwide,” it added.
On the goals of the organization, the statement emphasised that IWA’s goal was clear, “Ndi-Igbo must speak with one voice and one accord; we must seek to do and be done equitably, by all means expedient or warranted; we must wage struggles as necessary; we must conclude peace as always necessary; we must establish and prosper our economies; we must promote our welfare; we must tell our stories; and we must celebrate our culture and history.”
On finding a lasting peace for the socio-cultural organization, IWA strongly pleaded with other notable persons in Rivers State to sheath their swords and bury their differences and stand behind Mr Mbata for Igbo unity.
The British Council, a UK-based organization dedicated to fostering cultural relations and educational opportunities, hosted the Going Global Africa Conference 2024.
The event, which took place from November 26 to 28 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja, was themed Building Sustainable and Relevant Tertiary Education Institutions and Systems in Africa.
It brought together policymakers, academics, industry leaders, and youth advocates to address critical issues in tertiary education across the continent.
At the opening session, which spotlighted youth aspirations and actionable strategies to bridge the gap between tertiary education and workforce demands, the Minister of Education, Mr Olatunji Alausa, unveiled the Nigerian Educational Sector Renewal initiative, a six-pillar agenda aimed at modernising the education system.
The session, titled The Future is Now: Realising the Vision of Africa’s Youth, was used by him to emphasised the importance of STEM and vocational training.
According to him, one of his takeaways from the opening plenary session is starting up student-led ventures, a good initiative the government would take on.
Throughout the three-day event, critical sessions explored the role of partnerships and innovation in strengthening tertiary education.
Another session titled Maximising Impact through Tertiary Education Partnerships, chaired by Prof. Sir Steve Smith, examined frameworks for sustainable education partnerships.
Also, at another session, Transitioning to the World of Work, led by Femi Taiwo, Founding Partner of F.I.T. Africa, delved into career-readiness strategies and the systems required to prepare graduates for industry demands.
Contributors such as Prof. Colin Riordan from the Association of Commonwealth Universities and Ms. Nadia Waggie from the University of Cape Town enriched these discussions with their expertise.
The conference also included a variety of focused sessions and panels, such as Learning Labs on technology integration, employability, and international research partnerships. Discussions highlighted access to education for marginalized groups, including women and persons with disabilities, with sessions such as Disability Inclusion in Tertiary Education led by Prof. Tracy Bhamra and featuring disability rights advocates.
Business Post reports that the conference coincided with the British Council’s 80th anniversary in Nigeria, celebrating decades of impactful partnerships in education.
“Hosting this conference in Sub-Saharan Africa underscores our commitment to fostering sustainable partnerships and innovation in education,” the Regional Director for Sub-Saharan Africa at the British Council, Lucy Pearson, remarked.
The event concluded with a renewed commitment to bridging the skills gap in Africa’s tertiary education.
The Acting Country Director for the council, Chilufya Besa, said, “By bringing together industry stakeholders, we have made significant progress in aligning education with workforce needs.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria has received a 32-tonne shipment of rice from Thailand as part of foreign relief to tackle escalating hunger and food insecurity.
The shipment, the first of its kind in a decade, has arrived in Lagos, according to DUCAT, the logistics company that facilitated its delivery.
The rice from Thailand was exported following Nigeria’s decision to implement a tariff moratorium on wheat, corn, rice, and other food crops last year, DUCAT revealed.
Although the duty waiver was introduced, purchases have largely been cautious, driven by concerns about its potentially harmful impact on local producers.
“Nigeria has been working hard to find solutions to broaden and strengthen its food supply accessibility,” DUCAT Chief Executive Officer, Mr Adrian Beciri said in a statement.
Several months ago, Nigeria unveiled a set of measures to combat soaring food inflation, which is rising at its fastest rate in three decades.
According to the last inflation update, food inflation reached 39.93 per cent year-on-year in November from 39.16 per cent the previous month in October 2024, caused by price rises for staples such as rice, maize, bread, potatoes and cooking oil.
Inflation quickened sharply in the second half of 2023 after President Bola Tinubu devalued the Naira and cut petrol and electricity subsidies to try to lift economic growth and shore up public finances.
Inflation has still not let up as it remained at 34 per cent as of November.
Many of the policies have failed to materialise including a 180-day window to allow duty-free imports of wheat, corn, and other critical food crops— a move promised would crash food prices.
A survey of market prices by Business Post indicates that food prices remained elevated during the last Christmas period.
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