Connect with us

News

Court grants ex-CBN governor, Emefiele’s travel request

Avatar

Published

on

On Thursday, a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, modified the bail conditions previously granted to Godwin Emefiele, the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. In November, the court had initially granted Emefiele bail set at N300 million with two sureties, each having a value of N300 million in landed property within the court’s jurisdiction. The sureties were also required to provide a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) for verification by the court registrar.

As part of the bail conditions, Emefiele was directed to surrender his travel documents and remain in Abuja throughout the trial period. However, during the recent proceedings, Emefiele’s counsel, Matthew Burkaa, SAN, informed the court that the defendant had filed a motion on January 10, seeking a modification of the bail conditions to allow him to travel within the country. Burkaa requested the court to consider altering the conditions for his client.

The prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, did not object to the application but urged the court to ensure that Emefiele stayed within the country during the trial. Oyedepo also requested that the defense team provide an undertaking confirming their client’s commitment to remaining in the country.

In response, Justice Hamza Muazu granted the request, ordering that Emefiele must stay within Nigeria throughout the trial. Meanwhile, Oyedepo informed the court that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had filed an amended charge against Emefiele, and he suggested that the defendant be allowed to plead to the new charge.

However, Burkaa explained that the defense had received the new charge on Wednesday and needed time to review it. Consequently, the court adjourned the proceedings until January 19 to allow Emefiele to enter a plea for the amended charge.

Advertisement

Emefiele had been arraigned before the court on November 17, 2023, facing a six-count charge related to allegedly conferring advantages on a female staff member of the CBN. The charges, marked CR/577/2023, accused Emefiele of using his position as CBN governor to award contracts totaling N1,210,600,000 to Sa’adatu Ramalan Yero, a CBN staff member, between 2018 and 2020. The procurement contracts were awarded to a company in which Yero is a director, and Emefiele pleaded not guilty to the charges.

News

Hospital Board Suspends Doctor Over Negligence In Kano

Avatar

Published

on

Dr. Mansur Nagoda, the Executive Secretary of the Kano State Hospitals Management Board, has sanctioned the immediate suspension of a medical officer at the Muhammad Abdullahi Wase Teaching Hospital. This action follows numerous complaints from patients and staff regarding the doctor’s unauthorized absence from duty.

Dr. Nagoda disclosed that the suspended doctor, whose identity is withheld, left the hospital without informing any authority or management personnel. Despite attempts to reach her, she claimed to be on the premises but failed to report to the doctors’ quarters or fulfill her duties, leaving a dialysis patient distressed.

Emphasizing the ethical responsibility of doctors to prioritize patient care, Dr. Nagoda stressed the need for accountability and professionalism within the healthcare system. He warned that proper arrangements must be made with another doctor when absent from duty, and negligence will not be tolerated.

The suspension will remain in effect pending the investigation’s outcome, demonstrating the board’s commitment to upholding standards of conduct among healthcare workers. Dr. Nagoda reiterated the board’s expectation for all personnel to fulfill their duties diligently, emphasizing consequences for those found derelict in their responsibilities.

Continue Reading

News

Oyebanji approves 50% subsidy on improved oil palm, cocoa, cashew seedlings for Ekiti farmers

Avatar

Published

on

Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji of Ekiti State has authorized a 50 percent subsidy on oil palm, cocoa, and cashew seedlings for distribution to farmers in the state during this planting season. Mr. Ebenezer Boluwade, the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, conveyed this information in a statement released to the press in Ado-Ekiti.

He explained that this initiative is part of the strategic measures undertaken by the Oyebanji administration to generate employment, foster wealth creation, and revive Ekiti State’s agricultural sector to its former glory, particularly harking back to the prosperous era of the 1970s when it was renowned globally as a leading cocoa production hub in Nigeria.

Boluwade emphasized that the program aims to rejuvenate the state’s agricultural prowess by replacing aging trees in existing plantations and those lost to bushfires with high-quality seedlings possessing shorter gestation periods. Furthermore, concerted efforts are underway to attract enthusiastic young farmers into cocoa plantation farming.

Continue Reading

News

‘We’ve no hotel’ – Nigerian Correctional Service clears air

Avatar

Published

on

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) clarified that the Correctional Service Multi-Purpose Co-operative Society (COCOS) Hotel and Gardens Project was not financed by the Federal Government. Umar Abubakar, the agency’s Public Relations Officer, made this statement in Abuja on Wednesday, emphasizing that the hotel was an investment of the NCoS Cooperative Society.

Responding to concerns raised about the facility, Abubakar stressed that the hotel, featured on the Service’s official Facebook page, was solely aimed at enhancing staff welfare. He attributed its establishment to strategic planning and efficiency within the agency’s cooperative unit.

Abubakar expressed bewilderment at attempts to discourage meaningful investments, highlighting that the “COCOS Hotels and Gardens” was inaugurated on March 1, 2021, by former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola. He asserted that the report in question is not only deceptive but also aimed at spreading misinformation. Abubakar clarified that the hotel was constructed in 2021 and is exclusively owned by the Correctional Cooperative Society, established in 1996 for all personnel of the service.

Continue Reading

Trending