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Buhari’s Team Lands In Kano As Five More Personalities Die

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President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday sent a team to Kano State as part of efforts to contain COVID-19 cases in the state.

The team met with state Governor, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, on the directive of Buhari.

The Chief Press Secretary to Governor, Abba Anwar, in a statement, said the team was led by Dr Sani Gwarzo and that they met with Ganduje at the Africa House, Government House, Kano.

Besides Gwarzo, others in the committee are a former Director-General of the NCDC, Prof Abdussalam Nasidi, and the Head of the Department of Health Services at the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Bimpe Adebiyi.

According to the statement by Anwar, Gwarzo said the team members were in Kano to find out what the state needed to contain COVID-19.

He added, “President Buhari directed us to do everything possible to support, reinforce and mobilize support even beyond the nation.

“Your Excellency in the special committee sent to Kano to work with the state government are experts in public health and other areas.

“In the special committee, there are people like Prof Abdussalam Nasidi, the pioneer Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Contre, who is a professor of infectious diseases.

“There is also Dr Bimpe Adebiyi, who heads the Department of Health Services at the Federal Ministry of Health.”

In his remarks, Ganduje thanked Buhari for coming to the aid of the state. He restated his earlier call for more testing centers in the state, saying, “a testing center is the nucleus of the fight against COVID-19.”

Nasidi, on his part, said the team was in Kano to reinforce already existing structures in the state.

In a related development, the unusual deaths, especially among the elite and prominent people in Kano, continued on Tuesday.

Those who died included, Alhaji Uba Adamu, the father of the Vice-Chancellor of the National Open University, Prof Abdullah Adamu. He died in the early hours of Tuesday.

Also, a spiritual leader of the Murtala Mohammed Central Mosque in Kano, Sheik Tijjani Yola, has also died.

A family source told journalists in Kano on Tuesday that the renowned cleric died in the early hours of the day.

The source said, “He passed away at his residence in the Gwale area in Kano in the early hours of Tuesday and was laid to rest around 9am the same day.”

According to the source, the death of Sheik Yola has left a big vacuum as he was managing one of the largest mosques in the city.

A former Speaker of the Jigawa State House of Assembly, Adamu Sarawa, died on Monday of an undisclosed ailment.

Also, a former chairperson of the Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria, Kano State chapter, Hajiya Halima Shittu, also lost her life.

Shittu was said to have died at her residence at the NNDC Quarters on Tuesday morning and had since been buried in accordance with Islamic rites.

A lecturer at the Department of Architecture, Kano University of Science and Technology (KUST), Wudil, Dr Ghali Umar, died three days ago.

The Public Relations Officer of the university, Mallam Abdullahi Abdullahi confirmed the death of lecturer to newsmen in Kano on Tuesday.

He said the deceased had since been buried in accordance with the Islamic rites.

Residents have continued to entertain fears as the unusual deaths continue amidst the coronavirus pandemic in the state.

As of Tuesday, Kano has recorded 77 cases of COVID-19.

The NCDC testing center at the Aminu Kano Testing Hospital which was closed down about a week ago has resumed operation.

A top government official, who did not want his name mentioned, confirmed the development to The PUNCH in Kano on Tuesday.

“The center resumes operation today (Tuesday) but don’t quote me because we have been directed to stop talking to the press. We should allow the task force to talk to the press.”

According to the official, the center which resumed testing would go a long way in reducing the trouble of taking samples to Abuja for testing.

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1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Alan Boy

    April 30, 2020 at 6:42 am

    I cannot imagine a whole head of state like Buhari who is an ex army general will give orders and they will not be carried out, that means his subjects are not loyal to him.
    This is fasting period all over the world, Buhari asked his Finance Minister and AGF to pay University Lecturers their Feb/March salaries but they ignored his instruction because he did mean so much to them.
    According to hear say, it is those handling IPPIS that are not cooperating to pay ASUU salaries.
    Even the President cannot explain in details the major objectives of IPPIS, He is only involved in a way, but they will not allow him to know the rest of the truth.

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BIG STORY

Detained Binance Executive Gambaryan Drags EFCC, NSA To Court

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Tigran Gambaryan, the CEO of Binance who is currently in detention, has claimed that he has been violated in his fundamental human rights by the Economic Financial Crimes Commission and Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser.

Gambaryan, in an originating motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/356/24 sought a declaration that his detention and seizure of his international travel passport, contravened Section 35 (1) and (4) of 1999 Constitution.

He urged the court to order the NSA and the EFCC to release him from their custody and return his international travel passport with immediate effect.

Gambaryan also sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining the respondents and their agents from further detaining him in relation to any investigation into or demands from Binance.

He also urged the court to order the respondents to issue a public apology to him.

Gambaryan averred that he was in Nigeria alongside fleeing Nadeem Anjarwalla to honour the invitation of the ONSA and EFCC to discuss issues relating to Binance in Nigeria.

Anjarwalla escaped from the guest house where he and Gambaryan were being held

He argued that he had not committed any offence during the meeting, and neither was he informed in writing of any offence he personally committed in Nigeria at any other time.

“The only reason for his detention is because the government is requesting information from Binance and making demands on the company,” he added.

The fleeing Anjarwalla also filed a similar suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/355/24.

At the proceedings on Thursday, T.J. Krukrubo (SAN) appeared for the plaintiffs, while the respondents had no representation.

Krukrubo informed the court that the respondents were served two days ago.

Shortly after that, he announced to the court that he was withdrawing from the matter as counsel for the fleeing Anjarwalla.

He did not give reasons for his withdrawal.

The trial judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, adjourned the matter till April 8.

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Federal Government To Arraign Binance Executives Over ‘Tax Evasion’ On April 4

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On April 4, the federal authorities will file charges against senior executives of the cryptocurrency company Binance, Tigran Gambaryan, and Nadeem Anjarwalla, for allegedly engaging in “tax evasion.”

Anjarwalla is Binance’s regional manager for Africa, while Gambaryan oversees the company’s compliance with financial crimes.

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) charged Binance with a crime on March 25th for “tax evasion.”

The service claims that the action is intended to maintain national economic integrity and fiscal discipline.

The lawsuit, designated as suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/115/2024, is said to “implicate Binance with a four-count tax evasion accusation”.

However, on Thursday, NAN reported the federal government will charge the three defendants before Emeka Nwite, the presiding judge, at the federal high court (FHC) in Abuja on a four-count charge.

Despite not being a vacation judge, according to the report, the chief judge granted the fiat for the judge to oversee the case during vacation because it is a matter of critical national interest.

The lawsuit comes a month after Anjarwalla and Gambaryan were detained by the Nigerian authorities.

Anjarwalla and Gambaryan had flown into Nigeria but had their passports seized by ONSA.

On March 12, Anjarwalla was transferred to a local hospital after he fell ill while in detention in Nigeria.

However, on March 25, Anjarwalla escaped from custody and fled Nigeria with a smuggled passport.

Meanwhile, Gambaryan, on March 28, sued Nuhu Ribadu, the national security adviser (NSA) and the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), alleging violation of his fundamental rights.

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BIG STORY

President Tinubu’s 50-Member Emergency Teams Get Six Months To Fix Economy

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Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Wednesday established a 31-man Presidential Economic Coordination Council comprising himself, the Vice President, Senate President and the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, among others.

A 19-member Economic Management Team Emergency Taskforce was also formed by Tinubu, who gave them instructions to convene twice a week and produce a detailed six-month plan of economic interventions by 2024.

The Federal Executive Council gave its approval to the Economic Management Team Emergency Taskforce on Monday.

The President ordered that the six-month plan be put into action right away, within two weeks of the EET’s inauguration.

The EET comprises ministers, four governors and some members of the economic management team as well as the private sector.

The EET is to report to the Presidential Economic Coordination Council headed by Tinubu.

The PECC comprises 13 ministers, the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Yemi Cardoso, and the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State, among others.

The council also includes 13 persons drawn from the organised private sector including Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote; UBA Chairman, Mr. Tony Elumelu; BUA Founder, Abdulsamad Rabiu, among others. The members of the organised private sector would serve on the council for a one-year tenure.

Tuesday’s move is “in furtherance of his administration’s efforts at re-engineering the nation’s economic governance framework,” the Presidency said in a statement signed by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale.

The statement is titled ‘President Tinubu establishes comprehensive economic coordination and planning system for Nigeria.’

It comes weeks after the President created an economic advisory committee comprising the federal government, sub-nationals and the private sector, on February 25.

Upon assuming office 10 months ago, the Tinubu administration discontinued subsidies on petrol, which, he said, would save the government monies for infrastructural expansion.

He also unified the foreign exchange rates to curb currency arbitrage.

However, these moves sparked major instability in the value of the naira and heaped hardship on Nigerians as food prices soared.

In February 2024, N1,900 was exchanged for one USD in the black market.

The naira has recently seen a steady climb against the US dollar, exchanging N1,300/$ at the official market on Wednesday.

Ngelale who announced the economy-focused initiatives said the setting up of the PECC and the EET was a strategic move to ensure robust and coordinated economic planning and implementation to tackle the challenges head-on.

Members of the PECC include President Tinubu as Chairman, Vice President Kashim Shettima as Vice-Chairman; President of the Nigerian Senate; Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum; Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance; Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria; Ministers of Agriculture and Food Security; Aviation and Aerospace Development and Budget and Economic Planning.

Others include Ministers of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy; Industry, Trade and Investment; Labour and Employment; Marine and Blue Economy; Power; State, Petroleum Resources; State, Gas; Ministers of Transportation and Works.

Other members representing the organised private sector include Ms. Amina Maina, Mr. Begun Ajayi-Kadir, Mrs. Funke Okpeke and Dr. Doyin Salami, Mr. Patrick Okigbo, Mr. Kola Adesina, Mr. Segun Agbaje, Mr. Chidi Ajaere, Mr. Abdulkadir Aliu and Mr. Rasheed Sarumi.

Tinubu mandated the EET to formulate and implement a consolidated emergency economic plan in “furtherance of the President’s collaborative approach toward achieving economic resilience and growth.”

Members include the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance who serves as Chairman, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Minister of Power, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, and Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment.

Others are the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, National Security Adviser, Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Governor of Anambra State, and Governor of Ogun State.

The Governor of Niger State, Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Director-General, Budget Office of the Federation, GCEO, NNPC Limited, Director-General, Nigeria Economic Summit Group, Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Economists, Dr. Bismarck Rewane and Dr. Suleyman Ndanusa are also members.

On the operations of the EET, the Presidency said “Over the next six months, the EET will focus on the rapid implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of critical initiatives, strengthening the Tinubu-led administration’s collective approach to advancing Nigeria’s economic objectives.”

It also revealed that the Economic Management Team, established in October 2023, and chaired by the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, would serve as the working group under the PECC, “playing a crucial role in the economic governance structure established by the president.”

Consequently, the Economic Management Team, which traditionally meets monthly or as required, will suspend all meetings for the duration of the EET’s six-month mandate.

The EMT comprises the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, who served as its Chairman, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Minister of Works, and Minister of Labour and Employment.

Other members are Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Minister of State, Gas, Minister of Power, Minister of Transportation, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy.

The Presidential Spokesman, Ngelale, noted that, “The Chairman of the EMT may, as needed, call on any Federal Minister or Head of Agency to brief the EMT on key programmes and developments affecting the economy.”

He noted that the President’s formation of the PECC, under his Chairmanship, alongside the creation of the EET, led by the Chairman of the EMT, and the EMT itself, manifests a unified strategy aimed at enhancing Nigeria’s economic management architecture for verifiably improved performance.

“The formation of these teams will complement existing economic governance structures, including the National Economic Council , which is chaired by the Vice-President,” the statement read.

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