General
Senate Tells Buhari To Fire SGF Over IDPs Funds
By Dipo Olowookere
President Muhammadu Buhari has been asked to remove Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Babachir Lawal.
The sack of Mr Lawal was requested for by members of the Senate at the plenary on Wednesday, over his alleged involvement in the misappropriation of funds meant for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the north east of Nigeria.
A report submitted by an adhoc committee led by Senator Shehu Sani alleged that the SFG used his influence to get contract for his company, Global Vision Ltd, through the Presidential Initiative for the North East (PINE).
It was further alleged that Global Vision Ltd was among the firms indicted to have benefited from inflated and phantom contracts awarded by PINE, including using N200 million to clear ‘invasive plant species’ (grass) in Yobe State.
According to the committee’s report, Mr Lawal was still the director of Global Vision Ltd as at March 2016, when the contract was awarded and he only resigned in September 2016, though still a signatory to the company’s account.
The Senate noted that Mr Lawal, while being a public official as Nigeria’s SFG, should not have remained a director of Global Vision Ltd as stipulated in the code of conduct for public officials as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution.
It therefore said due to this, the SFG has breached the law and should be sacked by the President and prosecuted to show the seriousness of the government’s anti-corruption campaign.
Aisha Buhari Commissions Borehole For Mpape Community
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari, has commissioned water project (borehole) for people of Sympaya community of Mpape to ease them from contaminated water from a nearby river.
Mrs Buhari, who donated the borehole recently in Abuja through her NGO the ‘Future Assured’ programme, expressed hope that the water problem bedevilling the community would be alleviated.
Mrs Buhari, through her representative, the former deputy governor of Plateau State, Mrs Pauline Tallen, expressed hope that the borehole would provide portable drinking water to the community, while urging the people of the community to make judicious use of the borehole.
According to her, the borehole would prevent the community from drinking contaminated water which causes typhoid fever and other diseases.
Earlier, the Chief of Sympaya village, Elder Amadu Dio, who spoke in Hausa language, expressed his gratitude to the wife of the President for identifying with his community.
Dio said that the village had for a long time suffered from typhoid fever and other diseases as a result of lack of portable drinking water.
“For a long time, we have difficulties getting clean water in this community, sometime we get confrontation with Fulani herdsmen because their cows also drank from same source” he said.
He said that their only source of water was the nearby river which was about two kilometers to the community.
He said that, sometime his subjects make confrontation with herdsmen because the herdsmen used to move their cows to the river and contaminate the water.
The traditional ruler prayed to Almighty God to guide and protect the wife of the President for the kind gesture done to his community.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Three African subsidiaries of global advisory firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), have been debarred by the World Bank Group for 21 months after being found guilty of manipulating procurement processes for a major cross-border electricity project.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Washington-based multilateral lender said PricewaterhouseCoopers Associates Africa Ltd, based in Mauritius, along with its Kenyan and Rwandan affiliates, engaged in “collusive and fraudulent practices” linked to the Eastern Electricity Highway Project, a flagship initiative to transmit hydropower from Ethiopia to Kenya.
The decision sidelines PwC from lucrative World Bank-funded projects on the continent, dealing a blow to one of the region’s most influential audit and advisory firms.
This development could reshape competition for high-value consulting work across emerging markets, potentially disrupting startups and tech firms reliant on World Bank funding, as scrutiny over governance and compliance tightens.
The World Bank, through its private sector arm, International Finance Corporation (IFC), offers grants and low-interest loans to startups across emerging markets.
Earlier this week, the IFC committed $20 million to invest in high-growth startups in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa.
“The debarment makes PwC Associates, PwC Kenya, PwC Rwanda, and any affiliates they control ineligible to participate in Bank Group-financed projects and operations,” the World Bank said. “It is part of a settlement agreement under which the three companies admit culpability for sanctionable practices.”
The determination was based on the company’s conduct between 2019 and the award of contracts for consultancy services and asset valuation work for the Ethiopian state power utilities.
According to the World Bank statement, the firm obtained confidential procurement documents to improperly influence the award of a contract for the implementation of International Financial Reporting Standards at the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation.
They also attempted to steer a separate contract for a fixed asset inventory and revaluation for the power utility towards PwC Associates. During the bidding and execution of that contract, the bank found that the company misrepresented the availability and qualifications of key experts and failed to disclose the full list of subconsultants involved.
According to the World Bank, the debarment is shorter than would otherwise apply because PwC admitted misconduct. The advisory firm also agreed to a series of remedial measures, including internal investigations, disciplinary action against responsible staff, terminating relationships with all subconsultants involved, and additional staff training.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
A Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State, has affirmed the right of Nigerians to film personnel of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) on duty.
The judgment was given by Justice H. A. Nganjiwa on Tuesday in a case filed by Mr Maxwell Uwaifo in suit number FHC/WR/CS/87/2025.
The court held that Nigerians have the constitutional right to use any device to record police officers executing their official duties in public.
It was ruled that police officers must wear visible name tags, display their force numbers, and must not harass, intimidate, arrest, or seize devices from citizens documenting their activities.
The court awarded the applicant N5 million in damages for the violation of his fundamental rights and N2 million for the cost of litigation.
Business Post reports that the respondents in the case were the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the NPF, the Police Service Commission (PSC), and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).
The lawyer filed the case in accordance with Sections 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, and 41 of the Constitution of Nigeria and others.
“This judgement has significant implications for policing standards, civil liberties, and public accountability across Nigeria,” Mr Uwaifo said after the judgement.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The General Manager in charge of Transmission for Lagos Region of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Mr Adeshina Adeonipekun, has stressed the critical role of Lagos in the national grid.
While receiving the chief executive of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), Ms Wola Joseph Condotti, at his office on Monday, he said the Lagos region accounts for about 30 per cent of total power off-take in Nigeria.
He stated that TCN was implementing strategic expansion and project upgrades aimed at enhancing grid stability and operational efficiency in response to rising demand.
Mr Adeonipekun highlighted recent key milestones achieved in the region, including the commissioning of a 100MVA power transformer at the Ijora 132/33kV Transmission Substation, a 300MVA transformer at the Lekki 330/132kV Transmission Substation, and a 125MVA unit at the Agbara 132/33kV Substation, among others.
According to him, these additions have further increased the region’s installed capacity to 5,470MVA on the 132/33kV network and 4,110MVA on the 330/132kV network.
He further said that there were several ongoing rehabilitations at key substations within the region, including Amuwo GIS, Akoka 132/33kV, and Itire 132/33kV Transmission Substations, all geared towards further improving reliability, reducing system constraints, and enhancing the overall efficiency of power delivery.
In her remarks, Ms Condotti expressed appreciation for TCN’s continued partnership and support, underscoring the importance of sustained collaboration between transmission and distribution companies in building a more stable and efficient electricity transmission and supply network.
Both parties explored ways to strengthen collaboration and ensure a more stable and efficient power supply in Lagos, the nation’s commercial hub.
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