Tag Archives: Refund

Buhari Asks States To Clear Workers’ Outstanding Salaries With Paris Club Debt Refund

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President Muhammadu Buhari has called on state governors to use at least 25 per cent of the refunds made to them from excess deductions for external debt service of Nigeria’s Paris Club debt to clear outstanding workers’ entitlements.

A statement by his media aide, Mr. Garba Shehu revealed that the president approved N552.74bn to be paid in batches to all the states, which were entitled to the refund.

They are, however, expected to get 25 per cent of their approved sums in the first instance before this week ends. About 33 states are affected.

Shehu said that the refunds arose from claims by the states that they had been overcharged in deductions for external debt service between 1995 and 2002.

He said, in a directive through the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, the president said the issue of workers’ benefits, particularly salaries and pensions, must not be allowed to continue and should be handled with urgency.

The statement read: “When he assumed office last year, the president declared an emergency on unpaid salaries, following the discovery that 27 out of the 36 states had fallen behind in payments to their workers, in some cases for up to a year.

“Following this, a bailout loan was issued to the states twice, with a first batch of about N300 billion given to them in 2015 in the form of soft loans.

“The administration also got the Debt Management Office to restructure their commercial loans of over N660 billion and extended the life span of the loans.

“Because this did not succeed in pulling many of the states out of distress, the federal government this year gave out a further N90 billion to 22 states as yet another bailout under very stringent conditions.

“President Buhari is of the opinion that the payment of salaries and pensions must be given priority to save both serving and retired workers and their families from distress.”

A recent report by BudgIT showed that of the 36 states in the country, only Lagos, Rivers and Enugu, were capable of meeting their obligation to their workers.

Credit: thisdaylive

EFCC Detains Ex-gov Udenwa For Failing To Refund N350m

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested a former Imo State Governor, Achike Udenwa, for allegedly receiving N350m from the Director of Finance of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Senator Nenadi Usman, during the build-up to the 2015 presidential elections.

The money was said to have been part of the N4bn that emanated from the imprest account of the Office of the National Security Adviser domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria.

According to the EFCC, Udenwa who was the Imo State coordinator of the campaign organisation, had admitted in his statement of oath that he received the money via Diamond Bank account 0058805692 and 005950791 respectively on January 14 and January 28, 2015 in three separate instalments.

Udenwa explained that he and a former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Viola Onwuliri, who was his deputy at the presidential campaign organisation, were the two signatories to the Diamond Bank account that received the money.

Onwuliri has since left the country.

Investigations revealed that the money came from a company named Joint Trust Dimension Limited which is said to be owned by Usman.

This same company was charged alongside Usman and the Media Director of the campaign organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, before a Federal High Court in Lagos on a similar allegation.

Fani-Kayode had also admitted receiving N840m through the account while the Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, Chief Olu Falae, received N100m through his company, Marecco Nigeria Limited.

A source at the EFCC said, “Upon his arrest, Udenwa was immediately granted administrative bail by the commission with condition that he should be reporting to the commission at an appointed time. But while enjoying his administrative bail, Udenwa chose to deliberately skip reporting, thereby compelling the commission to revoke his administrative bail pending his arraignment soon.”

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http://punchng.com/efcc-detains-ex-gov-udenwa-failing-refund-n350m/

EFCC Wants Me To Refund N840m Without Trial- Fani-Kayode

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Former Aviation Min­ister, Chief Femi Fani-Kay­ode, has asked the Federal High Court, Lagos, to ad­mit him to bail 24 hours after he was arraigned on a 17-count charged by the Economic and Finan­cial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He also alleged that he is being pressured by EFCC to refund N84o million without trial.

In the motion for bail filed on his behalf by his counsel, Mr. Ahmed Raji (SAN), Fani-Kayode told the court that he would be ready and willing to provide a responsible surety(ies) as may be re­quired by the court as a condition(s) for the grant of his application.

He argued that under the Administration of Crimi­nal Justice Act (ACJA), bail is more relaxed as all offences are bailable “and in the class of offences charged, it is the prosecu­tion that has a burden to show why bail should be refused. More so, under the Act, all offences can be compounded by plea bargain. So, it is not about imprisonment any longer.”

He further argued that one of the co-accused in the charge, a former Min­ister of Finance, Senator Nenadi Usman, who alleg­edly received the money from government and paid Fani-Kayode, wrote that she did not know the money was from govern­ment. So, how would Fani- Kayode know?

EFCC slammed Fani- Kayode and Usman with a 17-count charge for fraud and money laundering.

Fani-Kayode was arrest­ed for allegedly receiving N840 million during the presidential campaign of former president Good­luck Jonathan.

In the motion dated June 15, 2016, Raji argued that the offences, for which his client is charged, are bail­able.

“The Defendant/Appli­cant has never been con­victed of any offence in Nigeria or any other juris­diction.

By Section 36 (5) of the Constitution of the Fed­eral Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the Defendant/Applicant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

“The reputation and past credible record of the Defendant/Applicant at­test to the fact that he will not jump bail if he is grant­ed same. The Defendant/ Applicant will not inter­fere with the investigation or further investigation of the charges preferred against him.”

Credit: Sun

Enugu Legislatures Seek Refund Of Over 25bn Naira From FG

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Members of the Enugu State House of Assembly have called on the Federal Government to reimburse the State Government 25.9 billion Naira used to rehabilitate federal roads across the state.

The legislatures moved the motion in a plenary session at the Legislative Complex in Enugu on Monday.

A member representing Nsukka East Constituency, Honourable Chinedu Nwamba, moved the motion explaining that the immediate past administration of Governor Sullivan Chime, two years ago, carried out reconstruction and rehabilitation of over 10 federal roads.

He said the decision to reconstruct the road was taken due to the daily loss of lives, decreasing economic activities and untold hardship citizens faced plying the route.

Mr Nwamba said that the reimbursement would go a long way in assisting the present administration to enhance development in several other sectors of development including agriculture, commerce, education and tourism.

Other members of the House also contributed in the appeal, explaining that the state needed the money to remain afloat in developmental activities.

With the house having a unanimous voice in the appeal, it is clear that the situation is critical.

Urgent reimbursement of the money owed the State Government would help keep hope alive in the various communities of the state, the lawmakers believe.

Credit: ChannelsTV

No More Bride Price Refund After Divorce In Uganda

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In Uganda, as in many other countries such as China, India, and Nigeria—it is customary for the groom to give money or property to the bride’s family as a token of goodwill before marriage. This dowry is called a bride price in Uganda. But what happens if you get divorced?

Uganda’s highest court has now ruled that it is unconstitutional for men to ask for a refund on the bride price upon divorce in a “customary marriage,” which is one takes place under traditional law. The court ruled that refunding bride prices infringes on the rights of women to divorce, instead making it seem as if they are things to be bought and sold.

It was the MIFUMI Project—a women’s rights organization based in Uganda—that brought the case before the court. The organization argued that allowing men to ask for a mandatory refund from the bride’s family implies that women are property, and that women in abusive relationships seeking a divorce are likely to be trapped if they have no funds to pay back the bride price.

Read More: qz

 

Niger Govt. Asks Babangida Aliyu To Refund N2.9bn

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The Niger State Government has asked former Gov Babangida Aliyu to refund N2.9 billion. A statement by Dr Ibrahim Dooba, Chief Press Secretary to the State Governor, indicated that the money was taken as loan on the eve of Aliyu’s departure.

It stated that although the new administration of Gov. Abubakar Bello would not witch-hunt any past leader, “but the misappropriated money belongs to the people. “They took this loan on the eve of their departure. And as was customary with that administration, they did nothing with the money.

“You can’t collect a loan on behalf of the people and share it among yourselves. That’s literally what they did. They simply raised a list and allocated money to those on the list.

”The office of the SSG for example, was given N600 million. The records did not say what he would do with the money. Well, we want our money back. The money belongs to the people”, it said.

The statement added that the present administration had prioritised the needs of the people, stressing that such looted but recovered funds would be expended on projects. ”Our people need food, shelter, security, roads, water and so forth. For example, the governor wants to start with the provision of potable water and in the coming weeks, we’ll provide water at predictable intervals to Nigerlites.

“On the problem of electricity, we have started an arrangement to rent a power plant from overseas to provide regular electricity before a permanent solution is found.

“Also, Minna-Kataeregi road, Kontagora-Tegina, Minna-Suleja, Bakeko-Katcha, Kaffin-koro, Kuta-Sabon Gari and Maitumbi-Maikunkele roads among others, are receiving urgent attention”, it said.

Credit: vanguardngr

Unhappy Jonathan Demands N2tr Election Funds Audit & Refund, Sets Up 5-Man Commitee

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Following the defeat suffered by President Goodluck Jonathan and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, during the March 28 and April 11 elections, the President has asked the party and government officials, who handled campaign funds, to refund unspent monies, or those not judiciously expended, SUNDAY PUNCH can authoritatively report.

Jonathan, credible sources said, has also set up a committee of five to get those with the funds to return them.

Sources within the party and the government told our correspondents that Jonathan was disturbed that despite giving campaign coordinators, ministers, special advisers, close aides and friends, support groups and traditional rulers over N2tr in cash, most of them could not deliver their polling booths and local governments.

The President was said to have been further irked by the results of an investigation he ordered.

The probe showed that some coordinators used campaign funds to buy very expensive properties, especially in Abuja, and luxury cars.

Some of the funds have also been traced to the bank accounts of senior party and government officials, who were charged with the disbursement of funds to voters and groups.

A reliable source in the Presidency told our correspondents that one of the President’s men, who recently admitted to a few close aides that it would be difficult to retrieve all the funds, was bent on getting senior party and government officials, who received funds to account for all monies collected.

The source, who is a close associate of the President, said monies given to traditional rulers in different parts of the country, for example, would not be demanded, but added that the President was determined to get his ministers, close aides and special advisers to make refunds.

He said, “Some ministers did not get less than N20bn each. None of them can deny it because this fact isn’t hidden within government circles. The only problem with such monies is that there is no receipt to show that they collected money. The sad part is that almost all of them performed woefully. Even in the states where the PDP won, some ministers could not deliver 100,000 votes. They could not mobilise their people to come out.

“The President is not happy. They all went on property and car-shopping. This was the most expensive election in the history of this country, yet there was no result.

“The sad part was that even after the President lost on March 28, more money was given to all of them to make up for the dismal outing by winning their states during the April 11 elections. But that turned out to be a bad decision because apart from losing the governorship election, we didn’t perform well in the other elections.

“They must give an account of the money since they didn’t use it for the election. The President is not particular about the funds spent on genuine campaign needs like the hiring of jets, advertisements and the rest that also cost billions of naira. His focus is on the individuals that collected billions to deliver their states but couldn’t even win their polling booths.”

Read More: punchng