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Parley With House of Assembly Leadership — CCDI To Gov. Sanwo-Olu

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The Centre for Convention on Democratic Integrity (CCDI), a non-governmental organization with the consultative status of the United Nations has urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to dialogue with the leadership of the Lagos State House of Assembly on the debacle of the screening of seventeen Commissioner-designates, due to lack of adequate consultations by the governor with necessary stakeholders in the state, before submitting the list of the nominees to the House of Assembly.

In the statement issued on Monday by the President of CCDI, Mr. Olufemi Aduwo, he called on the governor for immediate dialogue with the leadership of the house in the interest of peace and co-existence in the state.

He said, constitutionally, it is a prerogative of the governor to appoint commissioners, likewise, the House of Assembly is empowered to confirm the approval of the nominees. In the appointment of Commissioners, section 192 specifically states that the governor must conform with Section 14(4) of the 1999 constitution as amended which clearly states that the composition of the Government of a State, shall be carried out in such manner as recognized the diversity of the people within its area of authority and the need to promote a sense of belonging and loyalty among all the people. Therefore the appointment must spread across all the Local government areas and also take cognisance of belief.

Nigerians should not be deceived by the term “technocrat,” which implies that a person must hold advanced degrees before they may be a minister or commissioner. In developed economies, the technocrats are in the civil service, the same thing in Nigeria during the Gowon and Shagari regimes. We did not borrow any money during the Civil War, and the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo served as Minister of Finance. He did not take any MBA classes in macroeconomics or finance either. During the Gowon administration, Chief Femi Okunu, a trained lawyer, served as the Minister of Works while Aminu Kano, who was neither a medical practitioner nor degree holder, held the position of Minister of Health. Xavier Becerra, a lawyer, is the current Secretary of Health of the United States. He added that we should not mistakenly equate media praise for political appointees with actual performance. For instance, evaluating the success of the Lagos State Commissioner of Health solely on the basis of COVID-19 management is not the appropriate standard. It was a rare instance where the public lacked complete information regarding the administration of financing.

The situation is not encouraging if you visit any of the Lagos State General hospitals. I am convinced that the House of Assembly is in possession of comprehensive information regarding the performance of former Commissioners who were not confirmed. We want to appeal to the public, not to be deceived by such beer parlor discussion that the house turned down 17 names out of a list of 39 persons presented by the state governor because of religious considerations.

The ball is now in Sanwo-Olu’s court, he could re-submit the rejected names to the House of Assembly, and there must be consultation with the House leadership. He must consult within and outside APC as a ruling party and, more importantly, the Speaker. It would be wrong of the governor to unilaterally nominate all the 37 nominees.

BIG STORY

NDPC Fines MultiChoice N766m For ‘Violating Privacy Of Subscribers’

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The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has imposed a fine of N766.24 million on MultiChoice Nigeria, the parent company of DStv and GOtv, for “violating the privacy of subscribers and their friends”.

In a statement on Sunday signed by Babatunde Bamigboye, head of legal, enforcement and regulations at NDPC, the commission explained that the sanction followed an investigation launched in the second quarter of 2024.

NDPC said MultiChoice was found to have breached the Nigeria Data Protection (NDP) Act after an inquiry into alleged violations of the privacy rights of its subscribers and the illegal cross-border transfer of personal data belonging to Nigerians.

“NDPC found, among others, that Multichoice violated the data privacy rights of subscribers and their friends who are not necessarily subscribers,” the commission stated.

“The Commission also found that Multichoice carries out illegal cross-border transfer of personal data relating to data subjects in Nigeria.

“The depth of data processing by Multichoice is patently intrusive, unfair, unnecessary and disproportionate. This is a grave affront to fundamental right to privacy as enshrined in section 37 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Nigeria is entitled to protect her citizens, and data sovereignty under both international and extant municipal laws – as these have far-reaching implication for rule of law, national security and economic growth.

“In line with its standard remediation procedure, the Commission directed Multichoice to carry out appropriate remedial measures. However, the Commission found the measures undertaken by Multichoice in this regard unsatisfactory.

“For want of cooperation, the Commission has directed Multichoice to pay N766,242,500 for violating the Nigeria Data Protection Act.”

NDPC also stated that Vincent Olatunji, the national commissioner of the agency, has directed that every outlet through which MultiChoice collects Nigerians’ personal data be investigated for possible non-compliance.

Olatunji emphasized that any outlet processing personal data in violation of the NDP Act would be subject to a penalty as stipulated by the Act.

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BIG STORY

US Court Jails Nigerian Pastor Over $4.2million COVID-19 Fraud As Monarch Forfeits Properties

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They appeared before Justice Christopher Boyko at the US District Court of Ohio.

A Nigerian pastor, Edward Oluwasanmi, has been sentenced by a United States District Court to 27 months in prison for defrauding the COVID-19 relief fund.

His associate, the Apetu of Ipetumodu, Oba Joseph Oloyede, forfeited his property to the US government while awaiting a court ruling set for August 1.

Oluwasanmi and Oba Oloyede were arrested in early 2024 for fraudulently obtaining $4.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds.

They were charged with 13 counts, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud, money laundering, and engaging in monetary transactions involving criminal proceeds.

They were brought before Justice Christopher Boyko at the US District Court of Ohio.

Reports indicated both men pleaded guilty to some of the charges under a plea agreement.

According to court documents, Judge Boyko sentenced Oluwasanmi on Wednesday, July 2, to 27 months on counts one, 11, and 12 of the indictment.

The sentences will run concurrently.

The court also ordered Oluwasanmi to pay a $15,000 fine and report to the U.S. Marshal Service.

The court stated, “Supervised release three years on each of counts 1 and 11-12, all such terms to run concurrently, with standard and special conditions.”

It also declared, “As a result of the foregoing offenses, defendants Joseph Oloyede and Edward Oluwasanmi shall forfeit to the United States: all property, real and personal, which constitutes – or is derived from – proceeds traceable to the commission of the wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy offenses; all property constituting, or derived from, proceeds the defendants obtained, directly or indirectly, as the result of the wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy offenses and any and all property, real and personal involved in the money laundering offenses, and any property traceable to such property.”

Oluwasanmi will forfeit a commercial property located at 422 South Green Road, South Euclid, Ohio. Meanwhile, the court scheduled Friday, August 1, for the sentencing of Oloyede after the monarch pleaded guilty to counts one and 13 of his indictment.

On Monday, April 21, Oba Oloyede, a US-based accountant and information systems professional crowned Apetu in July 2019, entered his guilty plea before the court.

Oba Oloyede and Oluwasanmi were accused of submitting fake applications for the Paycheck Protection Programme and Economic Injury Disaster Loans under the US Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act between April 2020 and February 2022.

They allegedly used falsified tax and wage documents to obtain funds intended to help struggling businesses during the pandemic.

The Act was meant to offer emergency financial relief to Americans facing the economic consequences of COVID-19 by providing loans to small businesses and nonprofits.

Oba Oloyede was alleged to have used some of his companies, including Available Tax Services Incorporated, Available Financial Corporation, and Available Transportation Company, to commit the fraud.

Following the monarch’s disappearance, the Osun State Government said it would wait for the conclusion of his trial before deciding on any action.

The state Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, said, “A person is innocent until a court convicts them. So, we don’t want to jump the gun; let us wait for the court’s pronouncement on the matter.”

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UK Grants Duty-free Access To 3,000 Nigerian Products Under New Trade Scheme

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The United Kingdom has revealed that more than 3,000 Nigerian products, such as cocoa and cashew, are now eligible to enter the UK market either duty-free or at reduced tariffs. The Country Director for the UK Department for Business and Trade, Mark Smithson, announced this development as part of the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) in a recent video released by the UK in Nigeria.

“Up to 3,000 products from Nigeria qualify for low tariff or no tariff access to the UK through the Developing Countries Scheme, one of the most generous trading schemes in the world,” Smithson stated.

He added that the UK has streamlined the process for Nigerian exporters, making it simpler to trade a wide range of goods, including cocoa and textiles.

Smithson urged Nigerian exporters to take advantage of this opportunity.

“The UK is open and looking to do business with Nigeria. So why don’t you go to the website and find out more about the Developing Countries Trading Scheme and begin to trade with us?”

The DCTS, launched in 2023, replaced the UK’s former Generalised Scheme of Preferences. It aims to lower tariffs and simplify trading regulations for over 60 developing countries, Nigeria included.

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