Rumors about Governor Akeredolu’s Health & more –13th July 2023

Sannu from BA! This is the Rorshok Nigeria Update from the 13th of July twenty twenty-three A quick summary of what's going down in Nigeria.

There has been a lot of uncertainty surrounding the Ondo state governor’s health.

Recall that on the 7th of June, Rotimi Akeredolu, governor of the state, wrote to the state house of assembly, seeking approval of an extension of his medical leave —he had already taken a twenty-one-day leave. Rumors had it that he was dead, while others said that the governor was having a quick recovery.

On Monday, the 10th, Abdullahi Adamu, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (or APC), the party to which the governor also belongs, said that Akeredolu is in a state of “extreme incapacity” and called for prayers. However, Jimoh Ibrahim, a senator representing Ondo South, said that it was very unfortunate that the governor’s health was a matter of such public discourse, adding that those who wished him death would suffer the same fate before him. He said that former President Buhari had been out of the country for six months while in office because of poor health and asked the public to be kind with their words. So far, the deputy governor has been in charge of the affairs of the state.

In a major development, the Debt Management Office (best known as DMO) has announced that Nigeria has paid off its 500 million dollars debt! The DMO said that the payment was made on Wednesday the 12th which was the due date for repayment. According to the agency, the money was issued in July twenty thirteen. The DMO said that Nigeria had previously redeemed a 500 million dollars debt in July twenty eighteen, another 500 million dollars in January twenty twenty-one, and another 300 million dollars in June twenty twenty-two. The DMO said that Nigeria’s ability to pay off its foreign loans at the due date proved that the country is committed to meeting its debt service obligations.

In another foreign development, a United States court has sentenced Olalekan Ponle, better known as Woodberry, to eight years and three months in prison for a multimillion-dollar fraud.

Recall that Woodberry is an ally of Ramon Abbas, best known as Hushpuppi, another Nigerian who was jailed for internet fraud in November twenty twenty-twoin the US.

Back in June twenty twenty, Hushpuppi and Woodberry were arrested in Dubai for massive international online fraud and later sent to the US for separate trials. Although Hushpuppi initially denied all charges, he later changed his plea and was sentenced to eleven years in prison. Woodberry, on the other hand, also denied charges of defrauding a US company of about 188,000 dollars but changed his mind and later entered a guilty plea to one count of wire fraud in April twenty twenty-three. On Tuesday the 11th, a judge ordered Woodberry’s imprisonment, his deportation, and ordered him to pay his victims a total of eight million dollars.

While we’re on the subject of money, on Wednesday the 12th, President Tinubu asked the national assembly to approve 500 billion naira (about 652 million dollars) so that the federal government can provide palliatives that will ease the burden of the petrol subsidy removal on Nigerians.

However, the president’s request was called into question, as it might be another of the government’s corruption schemes. For instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many poor citizens did not benefit from the last palliative grant that the executive said it handed out.

On that note about corruption, the House of Representatives has resolved to set up a committee that will investigate some reported corruption allegations against the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (best known as NIMASA). On Wednesday the 12th, the lawmakers accused the director-general of NIMASA of huge mismanagement of funds and awarding fake contracts. The House of Representatives accused the agency of engaging in “unwholesome and corrupt practices” which also includes fraudulent foreign exchange transactions, a lopsided placement of directors, among others. The lawmakers said that such accusations were too severe to be swept under the carpet and asked the investigative committee to report back with findings in four weeks.

Speaking of the House of Representatives, on Wednesday the 12th, the lawmakers asked the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (best known as JAMB) to extend the validity of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (or UTME) results to three years. The legislators also asked JAMB to make the UTME available twice a year.

Recall that the UTME is only taken once a year and has a one-year validity. However, Akin Rotimi, a lawmaker, asked JAMB to rethink the arrangement so that they could meet global standards, adding that the move would bring immediate relief to students and their parents, who may be stressed from paying for the exam every year. Rotimi also said that the move will give candidates multiple chances to sit for the exam in a year and make gaining admission into the university more accessible for many students. He said that a committee should be quickly set up to discuss the proposal with JAMB, and reach a decision as soon as possible.

On Wednesday the 12th, Eddy Megwa, the National Youth Service Corps (best known as NYSC) spokesperson, said the NYSC has temporarily relocated its permanent orientation camp from Mangu in Plateau state to Buken Academy Doi-Du in Jos south, over rising insecurity in the area. Lately, there have been so many killings in the state that the governor imposed a twenty-four-hour curfew in Mangu. Nine people were killed lately. On Tuesday the 11th, the House of Representatives asked the national security adviser to declare Plateau a state of emergency.

Megwa asked corp members sent to the state to take note of the new location, especially members of the twenty twenty-three Batch B Stream One who are supposed to be in the camp soon.

The Oyo state government has begun a ban on street traders.

On Wednesday the 12th, the state’s Ministry of Environment and natural resources said that the ban is in line with the ‘street trading and illegal market prohibition law’, which prescribes specific punishment for buyers and sellers of any goods or services on the roads. According to the ministry, the move is also necessary to protect the lives and properties of residents due to fast-rising accidents that could have been avoided if traders hadn’t crowded the streets. The permanent secretary of the ministry said that the government started to ask traders to follow the rules so as to avoid running into trouble with the law.

And finally, some good news for sports lovers!

D’Tigers of Nigeria have qualified for the quarter-finals of the ongoing twenty twenty-three AfroCan championship, a men’s basketball competition in Africa. The Nigerians got into the knock-out stage after defeating Gabon in Angola on Wednesday the 12th. Although D’Tigers beat Mali in the first game, the team lost to Angola in their final group game which cost Nigeria an automatic ticket to the quarter-finals. The twenty twenty-threeAfroCan will hold till the 16th of July, twenty twenty-three while D’Tigers will face the Democratic Republic of Congo, the defending champions, in the quarter-finals on Thursday the 13th. Good luck to them!

That’s it for this week! Thanks for joining us!

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