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The suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission , Ibrahim Magu , along with his lawyer , Wahab Shittu , has presented a 34 – page letter with 100 annexure to the Presidential panel investigating him .

It was learnt that Magu appeared before the Justice Ayo Salami- led panel around 1 pm and was still there as of 6 pm .

Magu is currently explaining to the panel how recovered assets were disposed of and how monies seized from looters were kept .

A top source at the EFCC said , “ Magu arrived at the Presidential Villa along with his lawyer and some aides . However , only Magu and his lawyer were allowed inside the main hall . They have been there for the last five hours .

“ Magu presented a 34 – page letter which was spiral bound with 100 annexure including pictures . We are hopeful that he will be able to convince the panel that all the allegations levelled against him are trumped up . ”

The PUNCH had quoted a part of the letter wherein Magu stated that some of the recovered vehicles were auctioned to the Presidential Villa , the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs , Disaster Management and Social Development , the Federal Inland Revenue Service and others.

The suspended EFCC boss stated in the letter that the agencies had not paid the funds but the Federal Government had agreed to deduct the money from their financial allocations .

Magu was first arrested on July 6 , 2020 and detained for almost 10 days at the Force Criminal Investigation Department , Abuja.

While in custody, he was suspended along with about 11 top officials of the commission .

Amid several allegations , Magu is being accused of being unable to explain the whereabouts of interest accrued to N550 bn recovered funds .

He is also alleged to have bought a house in Dubai at the cost of about N570 m .

Punch

The Senate has adjourned plenary till September 15 to enable members proceed on annual summer vacation.

Senate President Ahmad Lawan made this known after an extended sitting of the Upper Chamber, in Abuja.

Lawan however said the break notwithstanding, the various committees of the Senate would be working and available “to attend to urgent matters that require their attention”.

He directed the Senate Committee on Finance to engage with the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planing, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, to prepare the 2021 appropriation Bill.

He said the Senate hopes the Executive will, apart from the presentation of the 2021 budget estimates, forward to it the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) for consideration and passage.

TheNation

The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs , Senator Godswill Akpabio , has replied to the National Assembly denying he said that the lawmakers got 60 per cent of the contracts awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission .

The Speaker , Femi Gbajabiamila , who announced the receipt of Akpabio ’ s response , said the minister claimed to have referred to old contracts awarded by the NDDC which had not been paid for and some of which are part of the constituency projects of the lawmakers .

Gbajabiamila said Akpabio ’ s response would be referred to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges to look at the merits of the minister ’ s arguments .

The minister ’ s response came after Gbajabiamila said the lawmakers would sue Akpabio for failing to prove that NDDC awarded contracts to them.

The Senate has confirmed the appointment of 38 non – career and one career ambassadors – designate that would represent the country on foreign missions .

The President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd . ) , had requested the approval of the Senate for the confirmation of 42 nominees .

However , the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs , Adamu Bulkachuwa , while presenting his report , said there were irreconcilable issues with two nominees from Niger and Yobe States .

The only career ambassador – designate on the list is from the Federal Capital Territory.

Among the non – career ones are , two journalists , Messrs Debo Adesina ( Oyo ) and Oma Djebah ( Delta )

The list also included Dare Awoniyi ( Kogi) , who is the son of the late Sunday Awoniyi, former Chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum .

A careful observation of the list indicated that three states , ( Kwara, Kano, Oyo ) have three nominees each while three others, ( Borno , Benue , Adamawa ) , got two slots each .

Twenty states had one slot each while four states had no nominee .

The full list of the non – career ambassadors – designate confirmed are , Umar Suleiman (Adamawa ); Kelvin Peter ( Adamawa ); Chief Elejah Onyeagba ( Anambra ); Prof . Monique Ekpong (Cross River ); Ominyi N. Eze ( Ebonyi); Yamah Mohammed Musa ( Edo); Maj. Gen. C. O . Ugwu ( Enugu ); Dr . Hajara I . Salim ( Gombe ); Amb . Yahaya Lawal (Katsina ); Ademola Seriki ( Lagos ); Chief Sarafa Tunji Ishola ( Ogun); Adejare Bello ( Osun ); John Usanga ( Akwa Ibom ); Hamisu Umar Takalmawa ( Kano); Philip Ikurusi ( Bayelsa ); Hon. Tarzcor Terhemen ( Benue ); Al – Bishir Ibrahim Al – Hussain ( Borno ); Obiezu Ijeoma Chinyerem ( Imo ); Ali M. Magashi ( Jigawa ); Prof . M . A. Makarfi ( Kaduna ) .

Others are : Henry John Omaku ( Nasarawa ); Sadiya Ahmad Nuhu ( Kano); Adeshina Alege (Oyo ); Shehu Abdullahi Yibaikwai (Plateau ); Maureen Tamuno (Rivers) , Faruk Yabo ( Sokoto ); Abubakar Moriki ( Zamfara ); Adamu M . Hassan ( Taraba ); Abubakar D. Ibrahim Siyi ( Bauchi); Paul Oga Adikwu (Benue ); Jazuli Imam Galadanci ( Kano); Dare Sunday Awoniyi ( Kogi); Ibrahim Kayode Laaro (Kwara ), Abioye Bello ( Kwara); Zara Maazu Umar ( Kwara); Mrs. Nimi Akinkugbe ( Ondo); Debo Adesina ( Oyo ); Ms . Folakemi Akinyele ( Oyo ); and Oma Djebah ( Delta ) .

Mr Suleiman Sani (FCT) career ambassador .

Punch

Ekiti State Governor , Kayode Fayemi , says he has tested positive for Covid – 19 .

Fayemi said this in a tweet , adding that he would be handing over to his deputy , Adebisi Egbeyemi .

“ I took my third Covid – 19 test yesterday and it came back positive. I ’ m generally ok and I ’ m already self -isolating at home and receiving the best of care from my medical team. I ’ m delegating critical tasks to my deputy but will continue routine duty from home, ” the governor tweeted.

Fayemi , who is the Chairman , Nigeria Governors Forum , is the eighth governor to test positive for Covid – 19 .

Others who have tested positive in the last four months include Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State , Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State and his Kaduna State counterpart , Nasir el – Rufai .

Ebonyi State Governor , Dave Umahi; Abia State Governor , Okezie Ikpeazu ; Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State and Ondo State Governor , Rotimi Akeredolu had also contracted the virus .

Punch

The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan , has asked the President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari ( retd ) to ensure the submission of the 2021 national budget before the end of September this year.

Lawan stated this while referring the 2021 – 2023 Median Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper , which were submitted to the federal Parliament by Buhari to the relevant committees of the Senate for necessary legislative action .

He said the presentation of the budget before the end of September , would enable the National Assembly to complete necessary works and pass it before the end of December .

He also asked the various committee members to engage all the revenue -generating committees very well to ensure that a thorough job is done .

Punch

The Federal Government says the partial closure of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos State begins from Friday midnight July 24 , 2020 to January 23 , 2021 .

The Minister of Works and Housing , Babatunde Fashola, announced this at a press briefing in Abuja .

He stated that between 2015 and 2019 , the government undertook a survey of all the bridges in Nigeria to determine their conditions and the urgency of repairs that should be done on them.

Fashola said , “ Some were critical , others were less critical and the Third Mainland Bridge is one of those bridges . At the time we estimated that we will need about N277 bn to do all of that work over a period of four years .

“ We didn ’ t get the budget that we expected , but we got something and we have started some work over the last few years . Currently , we have intervened on 37 bridges across the country, doing maintenance work and all of that . ”

Punch

The Senate have asked the service chiefs to step aside following the killings of soldiers who are fighting insurgency and banditry in some parts of northern Nigeria .

The motion was brought to the floor of the Senate via a point of order , moved by the Chairman of its Committee on Army , Senator Ali Ndume .

Those who contributed to the motion lamented the implication of the disturbing development stressing that it was capable of frustrating the war against insurgency and banditry .

They noted that many members of the armed forces who are scared of losing their lives have started resigning from the military .

The Vice- Chairman of the Senate Committee on Customs , Senator Ayo Fadahunsi, proposed an additional prayer that demanded the stepping aside of the service chiefs and his prayer was seconded by Senator Betty Apiafi .

The Senate President , Ahmad Lawan , ruled on the prayer and it was overwhelmingly supported by all the senators in attendance.

The Senate, therefore , asked the service chiefs to step aside so that the President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari , ( retd . ) to appoint new ones with fresh ideas .

The joint committees on Defence , Army , Air force , Police , and Interior were also mandated to receive briefings from the new service chiefs and the Minister of Interior on the disturbing development.

Punch

The Speaker of the House of Representatives , Femi Gbajabiamila , has given the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs , Godswill Akpabio , 48 hours to name the lawmakers who received contracts from the Niger Delta Development Commission .

Akpabio had said before a House committee on Monday said that 60 per cent of the contracts awarded by the NDDC was given to lawmakers .

The minister ’ s claim had generated controversy and questioned the integrity of the committee set up to probe the alleged N 81 bn fraud perpetrated by the NDDC.

Addressing the House , however , Gbajabiamila , who has been a federal lawmaker since 2003 , said he had never received any NDDC contract before .

He subsequently gave Akpabio 24 to 48 hours to reveal the identities of the lawmakers that received the contracts or face severe sanction .

The Speaker said , “ This is my 5 th term here and I have never for once collected anything from the National Assembly and I know I speak for a great majority of members of this House, a great majority . And because of that , I will take this allegation and accusation very seriously.

“ And I will give the minister (Akpabio ) 24 to 48 hours . Clerk , I want you to back this up with a letter from this House. Give the minister 24 to 48 hours to publish the names , the contracts so given, the dates because obviously these things will be documented ; unveil the companies of the 60 per cent projects that were given to members of the National Assembly . ”

Gbajabiamila ’ s ultimatum received applause from a large section of the lawmakers .

Punch

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted thunderstorms and rains from Tuesday to Thursday across the country.

NiMet’s weather outlook released in Abuja said there were active weather systems currently observed over parts of Borno, Abuja, Kogi, Taraba and some parts of the southeast.

According to the weather outlook, there are chances of early morning thunderstorms to affect parts of Kano, Yobe, southern Borno, Bauchi, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Katsina, Adamawa and Taraba on Tuesday.

“Thunderstorms are still expected over parts Borno, Katsina, Yobe, Jigawa, Adamawa, Taraba, Kano, Gombe, Zamfara and Bauchi during the afternoon and evening hours.

“There are prospects of morning rains over Nassarawa, Abuja, Plateau and Kogi, leaving other places in the central region in cloudy skies in the morning hours.

“Thunderstorms are anticipated over the entire region in the afternoon and evening periods,’’ it said.

NiMet predicted cloudy skies across the inland cities of the south with chances of light to moderate rains over the southeast inland to affect parts of Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo and Cross River in the morning hours.

The agency, however, envisaged the afternoon and evening to hold prospects of thunderstorms over a wider area of the entire inland cities.

It forecast, predominantly cloudy in the morning over the coastal cities with possibilities of morning rains over Bayelsa, Rivers, Cross River and Akwa Ibom.

It further forecasts light to moderate rains over the stretch of the coastal belt during the afternoon and evening period.

According to NiMet, cloudy skies are expected over the Northern region in the morning of Wednesday with chances of thunderstorms over Kano, Katsina, Kebbi and Taraba.

“In the afternoon and evening period, few thunderstorms are expected over Borno, Bauchi, Yobe, Jigawa and Adamawa while morning rains are likely over Niger, Abuja, Benue and Nassarawa as other places remain cloudy.

“During the afternoon and evening hours, thunderstorms are expected over parts of Benue, Plateau, Nassarawa and Kogi axis.

“The inland cities of the south should be predominantly cloudy in the morning while the entire region should watch out for rain showers in the afternoon and evening hours,’’ it said.

The agency predicted intermittent rains over the coastal cities throughout the forecast period.

According to the agency, morning thunderstorms are likely over parts of Jigawa, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Bauchi on Thursday with the rest of the region in cloudy skies during this period.

“Thunderstorms are expected over Borno, Gombe, Bauchi, Kaduna, Katsina, Gombe, Adamawa and Taraba while the north-western parts should be in cloudy skies during the afternoon and evening hours.

“The north-central cities are likely to be cloudy with prospects of overnight thunderstorms over Abuja, Niger, Nassarawa and Plateau in the morning.

“Later in the day, cloudy skies with thunderstorms are expected over the region.

“Moderate rains are anticipated over the southern region in the morning hours while the coast is expected to experience moderate rains in the afternoon and evening periods.’’

Vanguard