Internet fraudster bags two years imprisonment

Justice Demi-Ajayi of the Federal High Court sitting in Benin City, Edo State, has convicted and sentenced Osawaru Samson to two years imprisonment, with an option of fine of N1million.
Samson was arraigned by the Benin Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a two count charge bordering on impersonation.
One of the counts read: “That you, Osawaru Samson on or about the 6th day of May, 2019 at Benin City, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court fraudulently impersonated Kennedy Lucas and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22(2)(b)(ii) of the Cybercrimes (prohibition prevention, etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22(2)(b)(iv) of the same Act.”
Samson pleaded guilty to the charges when they were read to him, in view of which prosecution counsel, M. Funkeye prayed the court to convict and sentence the defendant accordingly.
However, defence counsel, Paul Ejiga, prayed the court to temper justice with mercy as the defendant was a first -time offender and has promised never to return to crime.
Justice Demi-Ajayi sentenced the defendant to two years imprisonment or a fine of One Million Naira. The convict is also to undertake in writing to be of good behaviour forthwith.

OGUN EXTENDS AGRIC FRONTIERS, SIGNS MOU WITH IITA

The Ogun State Government has signed a memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, (IITA), towards strengthening partnership for agricultural intervention activities as well as expanding mechanised agricultural opportunities.

Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Adeola Odedina, while signing the MoU  at the Institute’s head office in Ibadan, noted that the state is leveraging on the expertise of IITA to further assist in executing its key strategic agric  pillars of food security, job creation, industrialisation, nutrition and food safety, among others.

The Commissioner revealed that with the official sealing of the partnership, the state would benefit in the area of improved planting materials, technical backstopping for the establishment,  demonstration of farms for youth focused agricultural projects as well as training.

Odedina submitted that the focus on agriculture in Ogun State was working fast such that the state cannot rely on its expertise alone, hence, the need to collaborate with IITA.

“In Ogun State, the focus on agriculture is real and we have close to 70,000 young people that have registered for opportunities in agriculture and the opportunity is along the value-chain. Before you deliver on this responsibility as a state, you don’t want to rely on your strength alone, you also want to rely on partners.

“In the last two months,we have been working to develop an MoU so that IITA can support our programme in terms of technology, advice, infrastructure, etc, and the governor recently approved the final draft of the MoU. We are running the biggest cassava programme in Nigeria so, some of our youths will be coming here to learn”, he stated.

Assuring on how the state intends to guide the over 27,000 registered cassava growers under its Anchor Borrowers Programme, Odedina said, “Having successfully linked different categories of farmers to  credit, off-takers, marke, etc, we can’t do less than to attach our aprons to IITA in the cassava sector, so that our youths can come out with high yield and farmers can sustainably supply raw materials to industries”.

Speaking shortly after signing the MoU on behalf of IITA, Director-General of the Institute, Nteranya Sanginga maintained that the agricultural development in Ogun State was on the right track, revealing that the states Agric team gave an excellent presentation given a detailed summary of the strides made so far.

Represented by Deputy Director General, Partnerships for Delivery, Kenton Dashiell,  he disclosed that with the linkage of farmers with fertilisers, the state has asserted itself as a key player in agriculture reformation in Nigeria.

Also speaking, Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Agric, Dr Angel Adelaja- Kuye, said the state is positioning itself to ensure it maintains its agricultural hub status, revealing that the governor had informed that he wants the state agriculture to be driven by technology.

The team were thereafter led on a production field demonstrations of crops in field by a Cassava Breeder, Mrs. Elizabeth Parkers who affirmed that with the level of partnership, Ogun State will benefit more in cassava production and multiplication, cassava post harvest utilisation, livestock feed, youth agribusiness, among others.

Other dignitaries at the event were the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Dotun Sorunke, member, Ogun Anchor Borrowers Steering Committee, Prof Lateef Sanni, General Manager​, Ogun State Agricultural Development Programme (OGADEP),Taiwo Ayansanwo, the Coordinator, Cassava Revolution, Mrs Kehinde Jokotoye, among others.

Photo: Warburton: ‘Special’ Eze Focused Despite EPL Interest

QPR boss Mark Warburton has praised Ebere Eze for not allowing speculation about his future to affect him.

Eze has been widely tipped to move to a Premier League club after a sparkling season for Rangers.

Crystal Palace and more recently West Ham have expressed interest in the 22-year-old and several other top-flight clubs have been linked with him.

Warburton believes Eze deserves credit for the way he has taken it all in his stride.

“He’s a very special player,” said Warburton, whose team finished 13th in the Championship table.

“He’s worked so hard and for a young guy to deal with the headlines as he has – it’s very easy to distract a young player – 

I’m delighted for him and the manner he’s dealt with some of the pressures.”

Warburton says he still hopes to start next season with the likes of Eze and Bright Osayi-Samuel in his squad. Rangers have accepted an offer from Club Brugge for Osayi-Samuel, who played on Wednesday evening following talks with the Belgian outfit.

He was withdrawn from the squad for Saturday’s game against Millwall but returned for the trip to West Brom and plans to assess his options now the season has ended.

QPR and the player himself have been hoping that other clubs might come forward with offers for him.

Asked if he agreed Osayi-Samuel’s outing at The Hawthorns is likely to be his final appearance for the R’s, Warburton said: 

“No I don’t. He’s a QPR player. I think the world of him and how he’s adapted and worked and the quality he’s delivered.”

Osayi-Samuel’s contract expires next year and he has rejected offers of a new deal, prompting Rangers to accept a £4.7m bid for him.

He is mulling over the move to Belgium, but Premier League and some Championship clubs have been made aware of his potential availability.

Warburton, whose squad will return to training in three weeks’ time, added: “Whatever happens happens. But if any player leaves QPR – and this is the key point – they leave on QPR’s terms. That’s what people have to realise.

“Every player in the world has got a price, whoever they are. If that valuation is met then everyone should win.

“I hope very much that everyone returns in 20 days’ time. But if we lose one or two it’s on QPR’s terms, that’s for sure.”

Burnley keen On Signing Osayi-Samuel From QPR

Burnley are interested in signing Queens Park Rangers winger Bright Osayi-Samuel – but face missing out on a deal for the 22-year-old.

Osayi-Samuel has impressed in the Championship this season and is available for around £5million this summer with his contract expiring next year.

A host of clubs are keen on the talented wideman, including Burnley, but the Clarets have yet to make an offer and their indecision means others are likely to steal a march.

There is concrete interest from Belgian outfit Club Brugges, who can offer Champions League football and have had a bid accepted by QPR, but there remains time for Premier League sides to enter the market for a player who has six goals in the second tier this season.

The Clarets have been admirers of Osayi-Samuel and he is understood to tick the boxes for both manager and recruitment team but no bid has been lodged.

Osayi-Samuel has made 40 appearances this season and close to 100 in total for QPR since moving to Loftus Road from the Seasiders in 2017.

Burnley are in need of reinforcements in midfield having seen Aaron Lennon and Jeff Hendrick depart at the end of their contracts last month.

Osai-Samuel would fit the bill as an option out wide while his pricetag and wages would be within Burnley’s remit.

Sack NDDC now! ..Senate tells Buhari

says Commission

turned into cesspool of corruption

*Reveals IMC received N81.5bn between Oct. 29, 2019 and May 31, 2020 and expended all
*Recommends immediate refund of N4.923bn questionable spendings
*Insists Board, not IMC, statutory for Commission

Senate yesterday called for immediate disbandment of the Interim Management Committee,
IMC, of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, for allegedly turning the
intervention body into a cesspool of corruption.
Specifically, the upper legislative chamber ordered for immediate refund of N4.923billion
expended by the IMC on questionable items between April and June this year.
Board of Directors, Senate added, is the statutory body that should run the agency at anytime,
and not IMC.
These and other far reaching recommendations were taken by the Senate on the strength of
the report presented to that effect by its ad-hoc committee on alleged financial recklessness in
the NDDC.
Chairman of the ad-hoc committee, Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi (APC Ekiti North), in the
17-point recommendations he presented and adopted by the Senate, said the IMC of NDDC
spent money recklessly as made available from three major sources.
The sources, he explained, are monetary contributions into the agency by oil companies
mostly in Dollars, budgetary provisions and Internally Generated Revenues, IGR.
From the three sources, according to the report, NDDC got a total of N81.5billion between
October 29, 2019 and May 31, 2020 and expended all.
Though two different IMCs, the report stated, held NDDC during the period under review but
the current one headed by Professor Daniel Pondei which assumed office on the February 19,
this year, spent about 90 per cent of the monies on items that were very questionable.
The most frivolous of the spendings, the report stated, was the N4.923billion spent between
March and May this year , which it declared, must be refunded by the beneficiaries who were

Delayed passage of PIB hurting exploration, investments –NAPE

President, Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) Mr Alex Tarka, has blamed delay in the passage of Petroleum Industry Bill  (PIB) for the stunted growth of exploration activities in the oil and gas sector.

Tarka made this known at Virtual workshop on Leveraging fiscal regulations to attract Investments in the Petroleum sector, on Thursday.Minister of State for petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, had on July 14, announced that the PIB would be sent to the National Assembly, in two weeks times, even as the law makers said they were expecting the new PIB  soon for deliberations and debate  to begin.

But according to the NAPE boss, there is need for aggressive exploration in the country noting that the new fiscal policy of the PIB must reduce government participation to enable investors participate.

He noted that presently, only the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has been involved in oil and gas exploration in the country. This, he said, was not good for the sector given the role oil and gas sector plays in the economic development of the country.

NAPE president noted that government must ensure that it stuck to the date proposed in the presentation of the PIB to the National Assembly and ensure its speedy passage.

“Nigerian government’s failure to approve the PIB, has stalled investment in the exploration of oil and gas industry in the country as only the NNPC is operating; this is not good for the industry. “The industry especially the upstream needs a lot of palliatives, waivers and stimulus  to operators to enable them sustain employment. “We need government to put policies in place to get thing done properly,’’ he noted.

Tarka  further noted that the delay in passing PIB had driven away  many investors to the sector adding that its quick passage would show the seriousness of Nigerian government in developing the sector.

“Exploration is expensive, especially here, so as an investor, if I don’t see any seriousness in the government to show how safe my investment will be, I will keep it elsewhere. “Until PIB is passed, investors will continue to look elsewhere to invest So, there is no better time than now  to rob minds on this issue and get the bill passed,’’ he added.

He restated the need for implementation of policies that could help drive the much desired investments and stimulus in the upstream oil and gas sector for employment generation and economic growth.

Pensioners hail Buhari for N7.45bn payment

Benjamin Babine, Abuja

The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) has thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for the part-payment of N7.45bn for various outstanding accrued rights and benefits owed to its members under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

The NUP , in a statement by its President, Dr Abel Afolayan, said the gesture of the President would go a long way in lessening the pains and frustrations of vulnerable members who have been hit by the economic effects of the COVID-19  pandemic.Afolayan went on to appeal to the Federal Government for the release of the remaining funds. He said: “While appreciating and commending the Federal Government for this laudable humanitarian gesture, we wish to passionately appeal to the Federal Government for the release of further funds towards clearing the backlog of the accrued rights from June 2019 to date.

“May we also use this medium and opportunity to appeal to the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, to intensify effort in the payment of the 50 per cent outstanding balance due to  the Nigeria Airways pensioners which had been approved by the Federal Government since November, 2019.

“As we express our appreciation and gratitude to the Federal Government, we would like to, as well, place on record that the NUP and its teeming members under the leadership of  Dr. A. O. Afolayan is proud to be associated with President Muhammadu Buhari’s humane administration and leadership style which had brought succour to many dejected and hopeless pensioners; and many other homes.”

The Union finally thanked the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, for promptly disbursing the funds to the members, saying it has wiped the tears of the vulnerable and downtrodden pensioners/retirees in the country.