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Delta hands over $40m Songhai farms to American firm

Delta hands over $40m Songhai farms to American firm

The Delta State Government has officially handover $40m Songhai Farm to an American incorporation, Adventium Global Delta Consortium Limited.

The State Government recently signed an MoU with the firm for the transformation of the Songhai Delta Farm at Amukpe in Sapele Local Government Area into an Agro-Industrial Processing, Tourism and Training Park.

However, Secretary to the State Government, Patrick Ukah, who presided over the handover on Wednesday in Asaba, stated that by the terms of the agreement, there were certain conditions that had to be met before closing the deal.

He said, “The conditions such as obtaining the approval of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, all other necessary regulatory and government consent, and a resolution of the Delta State House of Assembly approving the agreement

“Both parties had passed a resolution of either the state Executive Council or a general meeting (as the case may be) approving the agreement and any other necessary third party consent had also been complied with which now provided a basis for both parties to proceed to close the deal, which culminated in the formal hand-over of Songhai Farms to the Joint Venture Company.”

In his remarks, the Group Managing Director of Adventium Global Consortium Limited, Isaac Oghogho, thanked the state government for giving the Consortium the opportunity to partner with the state.

He assured the state government that his firm will ensure that it plays its part in keeping to the terms of the agreement it signed with the state government”

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Court Jails 17 Internet Fraudsters in Bauchi

Justices A. Muazu and M.A Sambo of the Bauchi State High Court have convicted and sentenced seventeen (17) internet fraudsters to different jail terms.

The convicts were jailed after pleading guilty to one –count separate charges upon their arraignment by the Gombe Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

They are: John Yakubu, Adams Ogbu Adai, Anthony Favour, Londima Donendung, Anthony Osai Samuel, John Jerry, Christianah Joseph, Adejumo Faruq, Emmanuel Shammah, Iliya Yakubu, Godfrey Fidelis Namzy, Danjuma Aklahel, Michael Monday Auta, Alphonsus Jeremiah, Banabas Emmanuel, Jerry Emeka and Solomon Monday.

The charge against Auta reads; “That you, Micheal Monday Auta sometimes between 2023 and 2024, at Bauchi, Bauchi State, within the Jurisdiction of this honorable court, attempted to cheat by personation by pretending to be one Adriana Maria and Nora Paslaru a foreigner who deals in cryptocurrency investment in order to introduce unsuspecting foreign nationals to deliver the monies to him, thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 321 and punishable under Section 324 of the Penal Code”.

They pleaded guilty to the charges when they were read to them.

Based on their pleas, the judges convicted and offered them different sentences which are; Donendung to six month imprisonment or an option of fine of N250,000, Shammah to eight months imprisonment without an option of fine, Yakubu to two years imprisonment with an option of fine of N200,000, Namzy to six months imprisonment without an option of fine, Ogbu to two years imprisonment with an option of N250,000 as fine, Yakubu to eight years imprisonment with an option of fine of N500,000, Samuel to three years imprisonment or an option of N200,000 fine and he also forfeited two laptops, one iPhone X, MTN router and one headphone to the Federal government of Nigeria.

Other convicts are: Emeka sentenced to three years imprisonment or an option of N250,000 fine and he forfeited one BMW car to the government, Emmanuel to two years imprisonment or an option of N150,000naira fine, Monday to four years imprisonment or N400,000 as option of fine, Ekond to six years imprisonment or N350,000 as fine, Danjuma to three months imprisonment with an option of N250,000 fine, Joseph to two years imprisonment or option of N400,000 fine, Auta to six months imprisonment without an option of fine, Adejumo Faruq to six months imprisonment without an option of fine, Anthony Favour to two years imprisonment with an option of N150,000 fine, and he also forfeited two tecno phone used in committing the offence to the government and Jeremiah to six months imprisonment without an option of fine.

All the convicts bagged their imprisonment when they were arrested for internet offences. They all pleaded guilty before the court and were convicted.

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Army frees 230 detainees cleared of ties with Boko Haram

The military has released 230 suspected Boko Haram terrorists made up of two hundred and nineteen males and eleven females after profiling them.

A source within the military says the suspects were cleared after it was established that they are not terrorists but were conscripted against their will.

The source added that the 230 suspects were handed over today to the Borno state government through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development for reintegration.

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Presidency denounces circulating fake list of ambassadors

The Presidency has debunked the list of ambassadorial nominees currently circulating as fake news.

Mr. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, dismissed the claims, emphasising the list’s inauthenticity.

“There is no official list as of today. There is a list in circulation. That is fake news. The foreign affairs list will still go through certain processes before it is released.

“Don’t forget that the ambassadorial list has two components. There are career ambassadors and political ambassadors. So, whichever one they submitted, it will still go through a long process,” Onanuga said on Tuesday.

In November 2023, a senior official in the ministry said: “Names of new ambassadors are being compiled.”

Although it was not clear if the nominees were political or career diplomats, feelers indicate that they primarily comprise the latter.

It is believed that while career diplomats are determined by their career progression, as recommended by the foreign service, political diplomats are often appointees of the President.

In December 2023, a high-ranking official in the nation’s foreign service, who spoke anonymously to The PUNCH, indicated that one of those considered for the top diplomatic jobs is the Founder of Guaranty Trust Bank Plc. Mr. Afolabi Adeola.

Adeola, according to him, will be designated Nigeria’s Ambassador to one of the world’s top three economies.

The source stated: “Yes, the President has a list of recommended persons and is considering it already.

“One of those I saw is Fola Adeola, the Founder of GTB.

“He is being considered as the Nigerian Ambassador to one of the world’s top three economies.”

Aside from Adeola, it was gathered on Tuesday that a Senior Special Assistant to the President, a former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Olufemi Pedro, and the Speaker, Katsina House of Assembly, Tasiu Maigari, are also being considered for ambassadorial jobs.

Explaining the rationale for the choice, the source noted that the Tinubu administration was keen on deploying technocrats and captains of industry as its front persons in foreign lands.

“The President is reserving many of the slots for technocrats, people who have built a strong reputation in their respective fields and have built companies employing thousands of Nigerians. We need people who can use their influence to secure deals and partnerships for the benefit of their country.

“It is not a new thing. When choosing envoys, the most developed economies send their best hands for those jobs. And Tinubu is following that path.

“For example, Adeola is an investor and is not a strange face on the foreign scene and the global business community. He knows them and they know him. And he is not the only one. You can see that this speaks of the administration’s pursuit of more Foreign Direct Investment,” said the source.

On the process followed in compiling the nominees, sources told our correspondent that the Federal Government had set up a committee to recommend qualified individuals to fill the roles.

A source, who did not want to be named, said: “A committee was set up to make recommendations for career and political ambassadors.

“You see, most of the career ambassadors already know they are next for appointments. But they don’t know to which country they will be sent. There are countries where Nigeria has delicate political interests. For these ones, the government usually sends political ambassadors.

“If you remember, President Buhari appointed his former service chiefs as ambassadors to some African countries.”

Nigeria has 109 missions, 76 embassies, 22 high commissions and 11 consulates globally.

On September 2, 2023, President Tinubu recalled all career and non-career ambassadors operating the country’s diplomatic missions, embassies and consulates globally.

A statement by Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Ministry confirmed the recall of the ambassadors, saying: “Sequel to the inquiries on the letter recalling the Nigerian ambassador to the UK, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, has clarified that all career ambassadors and non-career ambassadors have been recalled on the instructions of President Bola Tinubu.”

The envoys were directed to return to the country on or before October 31.

They include the 41 non-career ambassadors and 42 career ambassadors appointed by Former President Muhammadu Buhari in July 2020.

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