News
Fraud: Buhari Suspends Coordinator Of Amnesty Programme
President Muhammadu Buhari has suspended the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Charles Dokubo, over fraud allegations.
Buhari wielded the big stick following the recommendation of a Panel chaired by the National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno.
The State House said in a statement on Friday night that the panel has looked into the “numerous allegations and petitions surrounding the Presidential Amnesty Programme” and came to the conclusion that Dokubo should be suspended.
In Dokubo’s place, a Caretaker Committee has been appointed by Buhari to review the programme by bringing its operations in line with the objective of the scheme.
The mandate of the Monguno Panel is to “ensure that allocated resources are properly utilised in consonance with government’s objective of alleviating problems in the Niger Delta region, and stamping out corruption in the amnesty programme.”
As for the Review Committee, the statement, which was signed by Buhari’s media Aide, Femi Adesina, said it was directed to review the programme and “oversee the running of the programme henceforth, with a view to ensuring that government objectives are achieved.”
Dokubo and the PAP had been in the news lately, with one of the allegations being that 75 ex-militants said he did not pay them their allowances totalling N492million.
The ex-militants alleged that the money covered their monthly stipend of N65,000 from January 2011 to May 2019.
Another allegation was that Dokubo “manipulated” the allocation of 75 slots to the Benuwolo Camp in breach of operational procedures.
Recall that in December 2019, the ex-militants had sued Dokubo before the Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, over the same matter.
The court had summoned Dokubo to appear before it on January 21 to answer to the allegations of fraud raised by the ex-militants.
Amid the development, Buhari too waded in, setting up the Monguno panel to investigate all the allegations levelled against the Coordinator.
Incidentally, Dokubo was also Buhari’s Special Adviser on Niger Delta Affairs.
Former lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, has described the planned increase in electricity and telecom tariffs as unconscionable.
The statement comes after the telecoms regulator last week approved the increase in mobile tariffs.
The federal government also recently said that plans were ongoing to increase electricity tariffs “over the next few months.”
However, Sani, who said the government’s plan is unreasonable, insisted that it should be halted.
The ex-lawmaker also expressed his support for the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over the scheduled protest against the government’s proposal, calling it a welcome development.
“The planned increase in electricity tariffs in the midst of poor power supply and the proposal to increase telecom tariffs is unconscionable and should be halted. The scheduled labour union protest is a welcome development,” he posted on X.
The United States President, Donald Trump, has revealed his decision to cut off all future funding to South Africa, citing poor treatment of “certain classes of people.”
Trump made this known on Sunday in a post on Truth Social, his social media platform.
According to Trump, South Africa was seizing land and mistreating some citizens without concern for the violations of their rights.
“South Africa is confiscating land and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY.
“I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed!” Trump wrote.
Reports suggest that the American leader may be defending White South Africans, some of whom have alleged that the South African policy is unfair to them.
There are indications that the federal government will on Monday meet with the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, to stop the planned Tuesday nationwide protest against the 50 percent telecommunications tariff hike.
A reliable source familiar with the matter, who preferred anonymity, disclosed this on Monday morning, noting that the meeting between the NLC leadership and the federal government is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Monday.
The source said the meeting was a “dialogue on matters of national interest as it affects Nigerian workers.”
According to the source, it will be an inter-ministerial meeting with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), purposely to resolve issues raised by the NLC concerning the federal government’s approved upward adjustment to telecommunications tariffs, which the NLC, its allies, and others are vehemently opposing.
This comes as the NLC is already mobilizing workers for a mass protest tomorrow (February 4) against the 50 percent tariff hike approval.
On Thursday last week, in a letter to affiliate unions and state councils, NLC General Secretary Emma Ugboaja urged them to mobilize other Nigerians to send a serious message to the government.
The planned protest follows the 50 percent telecom tariff approval by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on January 20, 2025.
The approval had sparked widespread rejection among telecom subscribers.
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