The Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed February 2, 2021 to rule on whether or not it has jurisdiction to entertain an application filed by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria seeking to seize the funds in the bank accounts of the 2019 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Delta State , Chief Great Ogboru , and his firm , Fiogret Limited . AMCON said it was seeking to recover a judgment debt of N 784m from Ogboru and his firm . Justice Maureen Onyetenu fixed the date last week after taking arguments from AMCON’ s lawyer , Mr Kunle Ogunba ( SAN) , and counsel for Ogboru and his firm , Chief Nelson Imoh . In an ex parte application filed before the judge , AMCON said the N 784m debt arose from a July 5, 2013 consent judgment entered in its favour by Justice Okon Abang. The corporation said contrary to its expectation , about seven years after Justice Abang’ s judgment , Fiogret Limited and Ogboru “ have not taken any step ( s ) to satisfy /liquidate the judgment sum and the accruable interest . ” AMCON said its investigation revealed that Fiogret and Ogboru had accounts in 22 banks in Nigeria . It prayed the court to summon all the banks to disclose how much Fiogret Limited and Ogboru had with them and for the court to make an order attaching the funds “ to prevent the judgment debtors from dissipating their funds with the various garnishees ( banks) . ” The corporation said this was the only means by which it could “ reap the fruits of its hard-earned judgment in the suit herein. ” But Fiogret Limited and Ogboru are challenging Justice Onyetenu’ s jurisdiction to hear AMCON’ s ex parte application seeking the seizure of their funds. The firm and the businessman said they had already appealed Justice Abang’ s July 5, 2013 judgment up to the Supreme Court , while their Motion on Notice praying for a stay of execution of the judgment was also pending before the apex court .

The N25 billion refunded to the Anambra State Government by the Federal Government for repayment of rehabilitation and reconstruction of Federal roads has pitched Senator Ifeanyi Ubah (Anambra South) against Governor Willie Obiano. Ubah at a press briefing on Sunday gave Obiano 72- hour ultimatum to address Anambra on why he had to discount the promissory notes with about N8billion or two-third of the money ahead of their maturity dates. He threatened to institute a legal action against the Anambra State Government if Governor Obiano fails to heed his request. The promissory notes were issued to the Anambra State Government by the Debt Management Office in 2018 and 2019. The refund was made to the state through two separate promissory notes issued by the Debt Management Office (DMO) in December 2018 and April, 2019, to the tune of N10.097 billion and N15.146 billion respectively The two Promissory notes had maturity dates of December 28, 2020 and April 1, 2022 respectively. Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr. C-Don Adinuba, had in a statement denied that the State Government raised money from “the Debt Management Office or the Federal Ministry of Finance under a bond, or any financial instrument from any institution or organisation. “Our record of prudent financial management and integrity is well acknowledged far and near. It is tough to speculate how the senator came about the phantom N25billion bond which Anambra State purportedly raised surreptitiously from the DMO/Federal Ministry of Finance.” However, Senator Ubah, who was armed with documents concerning the transaction from the DMO and signed by its Director General, Patience Oniha and the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, insisted that the N25billion was expected to be paid in two installments. He lamented out of the N25billion, only N16.1billion was realised by the state government after the promissory notes were discounted at the rate of 15 per cent and 13 per cent respectively, by Governor Obiano through a commercial bank. He said the state lost whopping N8.85billion after the promissory notes were acquired at discounted rates by the bank. “The governor paid banks over N8billion in order to cash out the promissory notes before their maturity dates, thereby ensuring that Anambra lost the amount from the transactions,” Ubah said. According to the documents obtained from the DMO by Senator Ubah, the amount and tenor of the first promissory note was N10, 097, 722, 436.90 and issued to the state government on December 28, 2018 with a maturity date of December 28, 2020. The second promissory note of N15,146, 583, 655.00 was issued by the DMO on April 1, 2019 with a maturity date of April 1, 2022. The letter from the DMO to Senator Ubah with reference number DMO/PMD/598/S.4/III/881 and dated November 16, 2020, reads in part: “The Distinguished Senator may wish to be informed that these were the only promissory notes issued to Anambra State Government which fully settled the outstanding claims of the state as approved by the Federal Executive Council and the National Assembly.” But Senator Ubah further alleged that “in order for Governor Obiano to cash out on the N25billion that hasn’t matured, he had to terminate the deal by giving up 15 per cent and 13 per cent respectively of the total sums per annum.” He added: “The Governor paid about N3billion in bank charges for N10billion on the first promissory note which has a tenor of two years and paid another N4.5billion on the second promissory note of N15billion which has a tenor of three years.” The lawmaker, however, vowed to petition the Anambra State House of Assembly after which he would sue the Governor should he fail to explain to the people of Anambra State why he threw away N8billion in his rush to cash out the money before the respective maturity dates. He, however, wondered why the governor failed to capture the money realized from the promissory notes in the state’s annual budgets. He called on the Governor to explain what he did with the N16billion he collected after making the state to lose whooping N8billion as discounts as well as why he allegedly lied through his commissioner about the funds. He insisted that the road projects for which the N25billion was refunded by the Federal Government were executed by the administrations of Governors Chris Ngige and Peter Obi. Senator Ubah also alleged that Governor Obiano has prevailed on the Federal Commissioner for Works in the state to stop him from rehabilitating some bad roads in his constituency even as the governor has continued to neglect the roads.

Ibe Pascal Arogorn, Awka Six people have been killed, eleven injured in a fatal crash involving a mini white bus belonging to CDO transport Company with registration number BGT 313 XA and a white truck without a registration number recorded at 1710hrs on Sunday at Niwelle Junction along Nteje – Onitsha express way. Crimefacts.News gathered that the crash occurred as a result of excessive speeding leading to loss of control of the bus and crashing eventually. A total of 17 people (11) Male adults and (6) female adults were involved in the Crash. Eleven (11) male adults who sustained varying degree of injuries were rushed to Iyi – Ene Hospital Ogidi by FRSC rescue team from Nteje Unit Command who deposited Corpses of the dead victims at the Mogue after Doctor’s confirmation. Road obstruction is being cleared to ensure free flow of traffic. The Sector Commander Federal Road Safety Corps Anambra State CC *Andrew A *Kumapayi* sends his condolences to the deceased families and strongly warns motorists to adhere strictly to speed limits stipulated by law and minimize avoidable crashes this Ember Months.

The meeting between the Federal Government and the organised labour on the hikes in fuel pump price and the electricity tariff on Sunday ended in disarray as the labour leaders walked out of the parley in anger, ThePunch is reporting. The dialogue, which was meant to take updates on the implementation of resolutions reached during the three previous meetings, ended abruptly barely 10 minutes after it commenced at the Presidential Villa banquet hall , Abuja . The meeting had started at 8:18 pm when the Trade Union Congress President , Quadri Olaleye , raised the issue of the latest hike in fuel pump price from N 160 to N 170. He accused the government of insincerity, stating that the meeting must record progress otherwise , the labour leaders would walk out of the parley , adding that they were beginning to lose confidence in the government . According to the TUC leader , several meetings held on the issues had not recorded any appreciable progress. Olaleye said , “ Government is showing a high level of insincerity in discussions with us and is also putting us at risk with the people we are leading , with the masses. We find it difficult to move freely but the people in government are moving freely . ”