Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), says the Bola Tinubu International Conference Centre recorded N650 million in revenue within three weeks of its launch.

During a media parley on Thursday, Wike explained that the conference centre underwent a complete renovation, noting that “the only thing that we didn’t do in that structure was to bring the whole thing down”.

He mentioned that prior to the renovation, the conference centre generated only N50 million annually for the FCT.

“Now let me tell you how this country works. The man they gave it (conference centre) to was paying N50 million to the FCT every year. That place was commissioned on June 10, and the revenue made within three weeks was N650 million. Why? People love good things,” he stated.

He added that the facility hosted the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) heads of state, with positive remarks from ambassadors. According to him, the venue has become highly sought after.

“In fact, there’s no space. As I speak, it has been booked up to 2027.”

Wike recalled facing criticism from politicians and senior government officials when he initially closed the centre.

“The country we’re in is a place that if you begin to pay attention to frivolities, you won’t achieve anything,” he said.

“And now you’re saying, why did I name it after Tinubu. Who should I name it after? Who is more qualified?”

The FCT administration had faced backlash for spending N39 billion to renovate the conference centre.

Wike was also criticised for naming the revamped centre after the president.

The Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party has given Peter Obi, the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, a 48-hour deadline to resign from the party over his involvement in a newly formed opposition coalition.

In a statement on Thursday, Obiora Ifoh, spokesperson for the party, restated the party’s opposition to the coalition, describing it as a collection of “recycled, desperate and frustrated politicians”.

“Former Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Gregory Obi has received a 48 hour ultimatum to formally resign his membership of the Labour Party having formally joined the coalition party,” the statement said.

Obi, who was present at the unveiling of the African Democratic Congress coalition in Abuja, said on Thursday that his decision to join the party picked by the opposition coalition was not made lightly.

Ifoh claimed that Obi had been holding secret meetings with some members of the Labour Party to convince them to join the coalition.

“We are aware of several nocturnal meetings between Peter Obi and some of our members, lobbying them to join him in his new party. We’re also aware that a number of them have refused to defect with him,” he stated.

“Labour Party has consistently said it is not part of the coalition, and therefore, any of our members who are part of the coalition are given 48 hours to formally resign their membership of the party.

“Labour Party is not available for people with dual agenda, people with deceptive persona. The party will not avail itself to individuals who have one leg in one party and another leg elsewhere.

“People who, in the morning, claim to be in the Labour Party and in the evening are in the coalition.

“Nearly 70 percent of the Nigerian population are youths who are tired of the old order, tired of gerontocrats deciding their fate.

“The new Nigeria that the youths are dreaming of is not what can be realised from what we are seeing in the coalition.

“These people are opportunistic politicians who are only interested in relaunching themselves into the circle of power — people who are desperate to continue holding on to power.”

The spokesperson also stressed that the Labour Party remains focused on Nigeria’s progress and called on members to remain committed and uphold the party’s structure.

A Nigerian residing in France, Newton Ofioritse Jemide, who was extradited to the United States for his role in an $8m disaster fraud scheme, has been sentenced to three years and five months in prison.

Jemide received his sentence on Tuesday from Judge Deborah K. Chasanow of a US District Court.

Earlier report had it that Jemide, aged 47, was extradited from France after being found guilty of fraudulently acquiring federal grants intended for vulnerable US citizens.

According to the US Department of Justice, Jemide and his associates stole the identities of US citizens to open Green Dot accounts, which were then used to apply for federal benefits meant for wildfire victims between 2016 and 2017.

The US DoJ explained that Jemide and others in Nigeria instructed their partners in the US to purchase hundreds of Green Dot debit cards.

It said, “Co-conspirators living in Nigeria then registered the cards with Green Dot using stolen personal information from identity theft victims around the United States.

“As a result of fraudulent submissions, FEMA and the other federal agencies deposited benefits onto the Green Dot debit cards.

“Jemide and select co-conspirators informed other co-conspirators when the fraudulent funds became available on the debit cards and gave them information to cash out the funds from the cards in exchange for a commission.”

The US DoJ noted that Jemide and his accomplices took measures to hide their identities by using others to make purchases and withdrawals, conducting transactions at various stores and banks, and purchasing money orders made out to different individuals or businesses.

Providing an update on the case, the US DoJ stated in a release on its website on Wednesday that “FEMA dispersed $500 per claim on the Green Dot debit cards that the co-conspirators purchased for a total of at least $8 million.”

After pleading guilty, Jemide was sentenced to 41 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

The court also ordered him to pay $520,431 in restitution and to forfeit $311,036 to the US government.

“US District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Newton Ofioritse Jemide, 47, a Nigerian national extradited from France, to 41 months in federal prison for his role in a scheme to fraudulently obtain federal benefits.

“Jemide will also serve three years of supervised release, and pay $520,431.83 of restitution, and a forfeiture money judgment was entered against him in the amount of $311,036.64,” the statement concluded.