Headline

Foiled attack on Atiku’s residence: APC says he deserves protection

Published

10 months ago

July 26, 2023

The All Progressives Congress (APC) says Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Candidate, deserves the fullest protection of the law as a Nigerian citizen.

Mr Felix Morka, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, said this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja while reacting to the recent foiled attacks on Atiku’s Yola residence and ABTI University by suspected Boko Haram terrorists.

He, however, called on the police and the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate PDP’s allegation that the APC was responsible for the attack.
Morka described the allegation as a vacuous and mindless campaign of calumny, saying as an old party, the PDP should not indulge in such.

“In continuation of its vacuous and mindless campaign of calumny, the PDP has alleged that suspected members of Boko Haram terrorist group,
“Arrested by the police following their foiled plot to attack the residence of Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President and its presidential candidate, in Yola, were sponsored by the APC.

“Spewing lies and gibberish has become the PDP’s obsessive preoccupation following its crushing defeat in the last Feb. 25 Presidential Election.
“This bizarre and senseless allegation comes only days after the same badly ailing party alleged, without a shred of substantiation, that APC was engaged in a plot to intimidate members of the judiciary,” Morka noted.

He recalled that the PDP had also alledged that the APC was seeking to influence the outcome of pending cases before the Election Petitions Courts.
He said it was downright irresponsible for the PDP to continuously politicise serious matters of security and national importance “for its vain and macabre humour”.

The APC scribe added that as an age old party, this ceaseless display of incivility in the conduct of the PDP affairs was disgraceful and sad.

He explained that acts of terror or involvement in a terrorist plot were heinous crimes under the law, saying the PDP could not continue to bandy allegations around without justification.

He stressed that Abubakar is a citizen of Nigeria and deserved the fullest protection of the law.

“Our law enforcement authorities must protect and investigate any threat to his person, family or assets and prosecute offenders.

“However, Atiku’s PDP cannot continue to peddle criminal blackmail and wicked falsehoods in the name of opposition politics, unrestrained and without accountability.

“We call on the Police, DSS and other relevant security services to investigate the PDP’s wild and bogus allegations, invite its leadership to substantiate these claims and bring the perpetrators to justice.

“Nigerians roundly rejected the PDP at the polls, rather than engage in some introspection and give the court the time of day to deliver a verdict in the case they had brought challenging the election of President Bola Tinubu.

“They have chosen to busy themselves with swimming in abysmal pool of lies and mischief,” Morka stated.

He further said that while vigorously defending its legitimate and popular election mandate in court, the APC would continue to win the hearts and minds of Nigerians through Tinubu’s strategic programme of social and economic development.

According to him, Tinubu’s strategic programme of social and economic development are designed to improve the living conditions of Nigerains.

Headline

EFCC bars dollar transactions, orders embassies to charge in naira

Published

3 days ago

May 11, 2024

Desmond Ukafor

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has barred foreign missions based in Nigeria from transacting in foreign currencies and mandated them to use Naira in their financial businesses.

The EFCC has also mandated Nigerian foreign missions domiciled abroad to accept Naira in their financial businesses.

The anti-graft agency said the move is to tackle the dollarisation of the Nigerian economy and the degradation of the naira

The Commission, therefore, asked the government to stop foreign missions in Nigeria from charging visa and other consular services in foreign denominations.

The EFCC gave the advisory in a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, for onward transmission to all foreign missions in the country.

In the letter, the EFCC said it issued the advisory because the practice of paying for consular services in dollars was in conflict with extant laws and financial regulations in Nigeria.

In a letter dated April 5, 2024, which was addressed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, titled: “EFCC Advisory to Foreign Missions against Invoicing in US Dollar,” the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede expressed dismay over the invoicing of consular services in Nigeria by foreign missions in dollars.

The EFCC cited Section 20(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007, which makes currencies issued by the apex bank the only legal tender in Nigeria.

The letter read, “I present to you the compliments of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and wish to notify you about the commission’s observation, with dismay, regarding the unhealthy practice by some foreign missions to invoice consular services to Nigerians and other foreign nationals in the country in United States dollar ($).

“It states that ‘the currency notes issued by the Bank shall be the legal tender in Nigeria on their face value for the payment of any amount’.

“This presupposes that any transaction in currencies other than the naira anywhere in Nigeria contravenes the law and is, therefore, illegal.”

The commission further stated that the rejection of the naira for consular services in Nigeria by certain missions, along with non-compliance with foreign exchange regulations in determining service costs, is not just unlawful but also undermines the nation’s sovereignty embodied in its official currency.

The letter continues: “This trend can no longer be tolerated, especially in a volatile economic environment where the country’s macroeconomic policies are constantly under attack by all manner of state and non-state actors.

“In light of the above, you may wish to convey the commission’s displeasure to all missions in Nigeria and restate Nigeria’s desire for their operations not to conflict with extant laws and regulations in the country.”

Diplomatic sources said yesterday, May 10, that some embassies were wondering whether the EFCC’s advisory represented the position of the Federal Government.

Headline

Prince Harry visits sick Nigerian soldiers in Kaduna

Published

3 days ago

May 11, 2024

Alero Danjuma

Prince Harry and his team visited the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna to interact with wounded soldiers who are receiving treatment.

The Duke of Sussex is in Nigeria with his wife to champion the Invictus Games, which Harry founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans.

Nigeria joined the Invictus Community of Nations in 2022 becoming the first African country to join.

Prince Harry’s visit to Kaduna came 68 years after his late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II visited the state during the time of the late Premier of Northern Region Sir Ahmadu Bello.