FG Cancels Passport Printing Contract Abroad

President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered that the production and personalisation of all e-passports and related documentation to be the sole responsibility of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company (NSPMC). The Mint company was established in 1963 with the objective of producing the nation’s currency notes and coins for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as well as security documents for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government, banks and other blue chip companies. Femi Adesina, the special adviser on media and publicity to the president, in a statement isued on Thursday, July 11, said that with the new directive from the president, all existing memoranda of understanding and contracts on printing by other institutions/ companies would not be renewed. The statement read: “The Mint is the largest banknote and security documents specialist printing company in West Africa. However, its performance was rapidly dwindling in terms of both currency production and security documents prior to 2014.” He said under the chairmanship of the CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, the new targets were set and managing director/chief executive officer of The Mint, Abbas Umar Masanawa, recounted some of the achievements to include: zero importation of currency from 2014 to date, with attendant benefits of conservation of foreign reserve, revenue and employment generation, as well as safeguarding the nation’s sovereignty. According to the statement, Masanawa said: “The Mint has returned to profitability. From a moribund organisation with heavy losses, the company grew from a loss position of N14. 6 million in 2014 to a profit of N14. 3 billion in 2018. Turnover also grew from N17.8 billion in 2014 to N61. 4 billion in 2018. “Other achievements include enhanced production capacity, revenue diversification, reduced cost of production, institutionalization of corporate governance, improved staff welfare and industrial harmony, among others.” The managing director pledged that The Mint would justify the renewed confidence reposed in it by the president, adding that, “as we are moving to the Next Level, and poised to boost national security and integrity, we will conserve scarce foreign exchange, improve revenue generation, create job opportunities, and boost acquisition/transfer of technology.” Meanwhile,President Buhari wrote the Senate to confirm the Justice Tanko Muhammad as Nigeria's substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).

Mandla Maseko: 'Afronaut' Picked to Become First Black African in Space is Dead

"Mandla Maseko received training to go to space - but never made the trip'. Tributes have been paid to a South African man who was trained to become the first black African to go to space after he died in a motorbike crash. Mandla Maseko, 30, beat one million other contenders to win a place on the Axe Apollo Space Academy venture six years ago and spent a week in 2015 being put through his paces at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. He was killed in the accident on Saturday before he had the chance to fulfil his dream, his family said. The South African said he hoped his journey would inspire young people in Africa According to South African news agency Eyewitness News, Mr Maseko was in the South African Air Force and a public speaker, having grown up in a poor township in the city of Pretoria. He was known in his homeland as "Spaceboy" and "Afronaut". He was one of 23 people chosen to take part in the space expedition after completing a series of mental aptitude tests, combat training in a fighter jet, and zero-gravity training. Former NASA astronaut Buzz Aldrin was on the judging panel, and said at the time: "Going into space has been the biggest privilege of my life. More of you will see space in the next few years than at any other time in history." Buzz Aldrin was involved in choosing Mr Maseko and 22 others to take part Space.com reported that the 23 were due to travel aboard the XCOR Aerospace Lynx commercial spacecraft, which was expected to begin flying customers with tickets costing $95,000 (£75,820) in 2015. But XCOR Aerospace went bankrupt in 2017 and no firm plans for the trip have been made public since. The venture had been sponsored by the fragrance company Axe, known as Lynx in the UK. Mourners have been left devastated that Mr Maseko never made it into space before his death, with one hailing him for having been a "beacon of light" who had done "great things" for Africa. Mr Maseko said he was inspired by Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon Vezuchiy Fanashnikov tweeted: "#RIPMandlaMaseko. Didn't know the guy, but he was going to do great things for this proud land of Africa. One more beacon of light is gone. We salute you." Castro Ngobese added: "#RIPMandlaMaseko. The good die young, wherever you are in the nooks and crannies of the universe, you will always be missed, a life well lived, be a good ancestor to your family and nation at large!!" And Tuhla Thula wrote: "A testimony that our dreams are valid regardless of how far fetched they seem. #RIPAfronaut you're now in #PlanetHeaven, your final destination." Mr Maseko told the BBC in 2014 that he wanted to go to space to motivate and inspire young people in Africa and prove they could go far no matter their background. He said he hoped his trip would see him come up with "one line that will be used in years to come - like Neil Armstrong did".

Tribunal: It’s Wrong to say Results of Presidential Poll were not Transmitted —INEC technical officer

Petitioners’ second witness at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, Mr. Peter Uzioma Obi, on Monday, said it was wrong to say the results of the February 23, 2019 presidential election were not transmitted electronically. Obi took the witness stand at the instance of the Peoples Democratic Democratic Party and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who are by their petition challenging the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress. Obi, who said he functioned as Registration Area Technician at a ward level in Rivers State during the election, said the Independent National Electoral Commission trained him and others to transmit the results of the poll. Obi, who earlier adopted his witness statement on oath which he deposed to on April 26, as his evidence-in-chief, said this while fielding questions from INEC’s lawyer, Yunus Usman (SAN), under cross-examination. “You are not supposed to transmit results because you are not a presiding officer,” Usman asked. Responding, Obi said, “You are wrong sir. INEC trained us to transmit results. I was not a presiding officer. I was not a polling agent. I was a registration area technician appointed by INEC. I was trained by INEC.” Fielding questions from Buhari’s lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), he said he was not aware of the guidelines used by the INEC for the presidential election, but added that there was a specific guidelines booklet issued for his roles as a RATECH. “I was a RATECH in charge of the use of card reader,” he said. He said he was not aware of Olanipekun’s claim that there was no designation in the INEC’s guidelines as Registration Area Technician He said he operated at the ward level with the Local Government Technician and the State Technician as his superiors. He added that he was not stationed at any polling unit during the election but visited the ones where his attention was needed. He said he visited seven polling units in the course of the election. Fielding questions from APC’s lawyer, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Obi said the lawyer was not entirely correct to say that it was the duty of the Presiding Officer “to do accreditation, verification authentication, and collation at the Poling Units.” The witness said, “You are not entirely correct sir, because we were told at the training that the Assistant Polling Officer 1, was in charge of accreditation.” Fielding more questions, he said, “I did not serve as APO1 and I did not serve as the Presiding Officer.” He said he did not act on his own, contrary to Fagbemi’s suggestion. “I have a letter to show that I was shortlisted.”

DR Congo's Bosco Ntaganda convicted of war crimes by ICC

Bosco Ntaganda was convicted of leading a brutal campaign in eastern DR Congo A former Congolese rebel leader has been found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Fighters loyal to Bosco Ntaganda disembowelled babies and smashed their heads in, said judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC). In all, Ntaganda, nicknamed "Terminator", was convicted on 18 counts, including murder, rape, sexual slavery and using child soldiers. He becomes the first person convicted of sexual slavery by the ICC. His lawyers had argued that Ntaganda was a victim, having also been recruited as a child soldier. He is the fourth person convicted by the ICC since its creation in 2002. Ntaganda surrendered at the US embassy in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2013. Analysts said it was an act of self-preservation, motivated by the danger he was in after losing a power-struggle within his M23 rebel group. Who is Bosco Ntaganda? Born in 1973, grew up in Rwanda Fled to DR Congo as a teenager after attacks on fellow ethnic Tutsis At 17, he began his fighting days - alternating between being a rebel and a soldier, in both Rwanda and DR Congo 2006: Indicted by the ICC for allegedly recruiting child soldiers In charge of troops who carried out 2008 Kiwanji massacre of 150 people 2009: Integrated into Congolese national army and made a general 2012: Defects from the army, sparking a new rebellion which forces 800,000 from their homes 2013: Surrenders to US embassy in Kigali, after splits in his rebel group What did he do? A three-judge bench found Ntaganda guilty on all 18 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the mineral-rich eastern region of Ituri between 2002 and 2003. Ntaganda, 46, was a "key leader" who gave orders to "target and kill civilians" judge Robert Fremr said in the ruling. Prosecutors had said Ntaganda was key in planning and running operations for the Union of Congolese Patriots (UCP) rebels and its military wing, the Patriotic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (FPLC). The armed group conducted attacks against people perceived not to belong to the Hema ethnic group, the ICC found. In one attack, fighters killed 49 captured people in a banana field behind a village using "sticks and batons as well as knives and machetes". "Men, women and children and babies were found in the field. Some bodies were found naked, some had hands tied up, some had their heads crushed. Several bodies were disembowelled or otherwise mutilated," Judge Fremr said. The judges ruled that Ntaganda had personally killed a Catholic priest, while the fighters he commanded ran rampage in the region. The crimes took place when Ntaganda served as the deputy chief of general staff of Thomas Lubanga - who was the leader of the UCP. He was convicted by the ICC in 2012 and sentenced to 14 years. Ntaganda left the UCP to become a founding member of the M23 rebel group, which was eventually defeated by Congolese government forces in 2013. Forty-nine mutilated bodies strewn in a banana field. A pregnant woman killed while trying to shield herself from rape. Children under the age of 15 conscripted to fight - women and girls kept as sex slaves. In court, judges highlighted the horror brought by Bosco Ntaganda's rebel forces before finding the 46-year-old guilty of all 18 charges. His lawyers had argued he too was a victim, kidnapped as a child and trained as a soldier before becoming the first suspect to voluntarily surrender to the ICC - this was deemed no excuse for ruthless attacks committed in adulthood. More than 2,000 survivors were cleared to take part in this trial. Human rights groups said this judgment provided an important measure of justice. Source.AFP.

Europe Migrant Crisis:Ship Docks in ltaly Despite Ban

Another migrant ship, called the Alex, docks at the Italian coastal town of Lampedusa A charity boat carrying 41 rescued migrants defied a ban on docking at Italian ports, but hours after arriving, no-one has been allowed to leave. As night fell in Lampedusa, the crew and passengers of the Alex remained aboard, watched by police. Despite warnings, it sailed to the port on Saturday because of "intolerable hygienic conditions" aboard. Matteo Salvini, Italy's interior minister, had vowed to block them. Last year, he closed Italian ports to rescue ships and Italy has introduced fines for anyone sailing into its waters without permission. The Alex is run by the Mediterranea charity, which tweeted that its exhausted crew were living through a "surreal situation", and prolonging the wait was "an unnecessary cruelty". "It's an unbelievable situation," spokeswoman Alessandra Sciurba said at the quayside. "There are people at risk of fainting, the toilets are not working. It's as though we are kidnapped." "Nothing is happening about disembarkation and nobody knows what will happen." Police waited next to the Alex before anyone disembarked Meanwhile, another NGO ship, the Alan Kurdi - operated by German charity Sea-Eye - is afloat in international waters just outside Lampedusa, carrying another 65 people. Why is Italy refusing permission to dock? Italy has been one of the main destinations for migrants attempting to reach Europe via the North Africa route, mostly from Libya. People smugglers often load inflatable dinghies and other craft unsuited to the journey with dozens of people, many of which end up adrift and in need of rescue. Mr Salvini, from the right-wing League party, takes a hardline stance against migrants and rescue ships - something that has seen both his and his party's popularity increase. In February, it was reported that Italy had rejected a record 24,800 asylum applications between October 2018 and January. And a poll published in the Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera on Saturday said 59% of Italians approved of Mr Salvini shutting Italy's ports off to NGO-run vessels. How this ship captain took on Italy's strongman Last month, new laws passed by his government by emergency decree created fines of up to €50,000 (£45,000; $56,000) for vessels that sail to Italian ports without permission. Yet just a week ago, a different ship, the Sea-Watch 3, forced a landing on Lampedusa after being stranded at sea for two weeks. Its captain, Carola Rackete, was arrested and accused of endangering the lives of police and trying to sink their boat. A judge ordered her freed, though she still faces separate charges of aiding people smugglers and resisting authorities. Italian police arrested captain Carola Rackete at the port of Lampedusa The interior minister insists that such boats be intercepted by the Libyan coast guard instead, which has received EU funding to boost its capabilities. However, the Italian judge in Ms Rackete's case ruled that neither Libya nor Tunisia were safe countries for migrants. When the Alex announced its intention to land at Lampedusa on Saturday, Mr Salvini took to Twitter to declare law enforcement agencies "ready to intervene". In an apparent reference to the court order which freed Ms Rackete, he added: "In a serious country, arrests and seizure... would be immediate: what will the judges do this time?" Why are ships heading to Italy specifically? Italy is often the closest EU country when migrants are rescued off the coast of Libya. Many rescue ships and organisations do not consider Libya a place of safety under applicable international law. When the Alan Kurdi announced it was following the Alex to Lampedusa despite the risk, it tweeted: "We are not intimidated by a Minister of Interior but instead head towards the nearest port of safety." "The law of the sea applies, even when some government representatives refuse to believe that." The so-called Libyan Coast Guard assigned us a Libyan port for the 65 persons on board. We have rejected this instruction. Earlier this week, migrants being held in a detention centre - which is where many returned migrants end up - were killed in an attack which hit the building they were in. Those who make the journey across the water are also at risk - with many boats sinking or ending up adrift. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that 681 people have died in the Mediterranean Sea so far in 2019 – 426 of them in the central region between Libya and Tunisia and Italy.

Ex ministers Udoma, Enelamah reportedly interrogated over alleged $2bn fraud

The federal government has begun interrogation of those implicated in the alleged fraud that left over 65,000 Nigerian shareholders losing $2 billion worth of shares. Those invited for interrogation were former minister of budget and national planning, Senator Udo Udoma and his counterpart in the Ministry of Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah. Chukwuemeka Obasi, the legal representative of the whistle-blower disclosed this to newsmen on Wednesday, July 3 in Abuja. According to him, the various representatives of all private and public institutions linked with the fraud were also invited and quizzed. Obasi said the establishments mentioned in the petition included the Chapel Hill, National Security Exchange (NSE), Security Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The interrogation hinged on a petition reporting the alleged fraud submitted to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and dated April 3, 2019. The petition is titled “Official corruption, misuse of FGN USD two billion, fraud and unjust enrichment of persons who dispossessed more than 65,000 Nigerians and conferred ownership of the Bank on few Nigerians and their foreign accomplices.” The petition did finger former Central Bank Governor, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Sanusi II, under whose watch the alleged fraud was perpetuated. Also accused of alleged complexities in the transactions were the two former ministers. Enelamah was particularly fingered as the mastermind of the transaction by allegedly leading Africa Capital Alliance to form the Mauritius shell company to house Nigerians pretending to be foreign investors. The transactions allegedly dispossessed Nigerian shareholders and investors in order to transfer ownership of the bank to a few persons including insiders, chieftains of competitor banks and others who would not pass CBN’s “fit and proper’’ test for bank ownership. The petition claimed that Enelamah allegedly organised the registration of the offshore shell company in Mauritius called Union Global Partners Limited for the purpose of disguising the true majority ownership of Union Bank shares concealed in the offshore company. The petition also alleged that the transactions commenced under Udoma’s supervision as chairman of Security and Exchange Commission and sealed up when he became the chairman of Union Bank of Nigeria Plc. “The circumstances can best be described as official corruption and insider trading’’, the petition alleged. The petition further alleged that Udoma and other officials illicitly granted a renewable five year waiver to Union Bank of Nigeria to remain listed on the exchange in spite of being owned by a few private equity firms till today. According to the petition, the alleged unlawful action is to ensure the more than 65,000 Nigeria former shareholders whose shares were diluted from 85 per cent to less than 15 per cent of public float to still be listed on Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). “It is to be recalled that 49% shares of Union Bank of Nigeria plc is now majority owned and controlled by London listed Atlas Mara, the investment company led by Robert Diamond Jr. “Mr Diamond is a former chief executive officer of Barclays Bank who was sacked for his involvement in manipulating Libor. “Not only is Mr Diamond not a fit and proper person to own a bank according to the rules of Nigeria, he had also been blacklisted by the Bank of England as a result of the Libor manipulation. “One wonders how the former CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi authorised the Union Bank change of ownership transaction and bridged it with USD two billion national patrimony, in spite of glaring evidence of fraud and the nature of the ultimate foreign owner who was already known and waiting in the wings. “There are evidence that Atlas Mara has visions of owning 100% of Union Bank of Nigeria plc which they can only achieve by buying shares warehoused by the few privileged Nigerians that acquired the bank in apparently unwholesome circumstances. “Those few privileged Nigerians are now cashing in on their loot in transactions with Atlas Mara, at the expense of dispossessed Nigerians,’’ the petition said. News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the alleged fraud has international dimensions reaching United Kingdom, Canada, USA, Netherlands and Mauritius. NAN further reports that official record has it that Atlas Mara controls 49 per cent control share of the bank which is in turn controlled by Fairfax Africa based in Canada and United States. According to the petition, Mauritius equally has a significant control right, because the offshore shell company called Union Global Partners Limited (UGPL) is another significant owner that has sold and continues to offload its shares to Atlas Mara. Nigerians who were former shareholders of Union Bank of Nigeria eagerly await the outcome of this investigation. NAN reports that UGPL acquired 65 per cent of the bank in the odious transaction that dispossessed Nigerians. NAN further reports that the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) was also compelled to divest its 20 per cent shares to Atlas Mara which the UGPL consortium was unable to pay for. Meanwhile, judgment of the Federal High Court in Lagos which ordered the permanent forfeiture of the sum of $8.4 million and another N9.2 billion belonging to Patience Jonathan to the federal government has been challenged. The former first lady while challenging the ruling asked the Court of Appeal in Lagos to set aside the judgment of Justice Mojisola Olatoregun on six grounds.

House of Representatives reintroduce Nigerian Peace Corps Bill

The House of Representatives, on Wednesday, July 3, reintroduced a bill seeking to establish the Nigerian Peace Corps. The bill titled 'Nigerian Peace Corps (Establishment) Bill, 2019 HB 17', being sponsored by a lawmaker, Mohammed Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno), passed the first reading on Wednesday during the plenary. Recall that both the House and the Senate, had in 2016, passed the Nigerian Peace Corps Establishment Bill 2016 rejected by President Muhammad Buhari. The president had cited paucity of funds and duplication of functions of other security agencies as the main reasons for the rejection of the bill. It was gathered that the House of Representatives reintroduced the bill as a revised version of the rejected Bill. A source within the House of Representatives said the grey areas pointed out by the Presidency have been taken care of, in the new bill. "The Bill introduces more avenues for funding and there is none of its functions that overlaps with any existing security agency. "I'm sure the President, in line with his resolve to empower the Nigerian youth and also strengthen the intelligence gathering and neighborhood watch in Nigeria, will gladly welcome this Bill," the source said. The Bill seeks to give legal backing to the already existing Peace Corps of Nigeria, which was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission as a Non-Governmental Organization, with a consultative status with the United Nations and the African Union. The core mandates of the Corps is to develop, empower and provide gainful employment to the youths, in order to facilitate Peace, Volunteerism, Community Services, Neighbourhood Watch, nation-building and other related matters. Meanwhile,an Abuja-based human rights lawyer, Ahmed Jimoh, had petitioned vice president Yemi Osinbajo over the sealing of the Nigerian Peace Corps building in Abuja. The human rights lawyer in his petition called on Osinbajo to mandate the inspector general of the police and the Nigeria Police Force in general to unseal the corporate office of the Peace Corps. Jimoh also urged the presidency to direct police authorities to respect the rule of law and obey court orders directing them to vacate the office located at 57, Iya Abubakar Crescent, Abuja.

Buhari's in-law regains freedom

Musa Umar Uba, the kidnapped in-law to President Muhammadu Buhari, has regained his freedom, a security source within the presidency has disclosed. Recall that Uba who is said to be the Magajin Garin Daura was whisked away by his abductors in his Daura residence, Katsina North, shortly after observing Maghrib prayer on Wednesday, May 1, Channels reports. The security source who craved anonymity said the Magajin Garin Daura was rescued in Kano. The Magajin Garin Daura is married to Hajiya Bilki, a niece to President Muhammadu Buhari, being the daughter of his elder sister, Hajiya Rakiya. He is also the father of Fatima, who is married to the president’s Aide De Camp (ADC), Colonel Mohammed Abubakar. Legit.ng previously reported that the presidency reacted to the abduction of the district head of Daura, Alhaji Musa Uba, who is also President Muhammadu Buhari’s in-law. The senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, said the abduction of the president's in-law showed that security agencies were not giving any town preferential treatment. Responding to a question on the increasing cases of banditry as evidenced by the abduction of the head of the president’s township, Shehu said: “Well, that has happened but I think that brings the message home that it is a national problem and that because the president comes from Daura, that is not to say there cannot be crime in Daura or Daura will be specially treated. “The army said two days ago that there are clear pointers that these problems are beyond criminality.” Also previously reported by Legit.ng was that Nigeria’s Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Rear Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas, gave an update concerning the kidnap of President Muhammadu Buhari’s in-law, Magajin Garin Daura, Alhaji Musa Umar Uba. Magajin Uba, a traditional ruler in the Daura emirate council and husband to the president’s niece, Hajiya Bilki, was kidnapped was kidnapped on May 1.