The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has taken exception to unsavoury assertions by certain prejudiced individuals over the landmark recovery of 753 duplexes.

This was contained in a statement on Tuesday by its Head, Media & Publicity, Dele Oyewale.

While welcoming the thoughts of well meaning Nigerians on the matter, the anti graft agency made it clear that “the denigration of such efforts by Omowole Sowore and his think-same and act-same, is unacceptable and grossly un-charitable.”

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Oyewale stated, “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is following with keen interest, the flurry of reactions to its record-breaking recovery of 753 duplexes and other apartments on Plot 109 Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, Abuja.

“The commentaries of reform-minded Nigerians to the Commission’s painstaking efforts in securing the final forfeiture of the Estate to the Federal Government of Nigeria, are appreciated. However, the denigration of such efforts by Omowole Sowore and his think-same and act-same, is unacceptable and grossly un-charitable.

“The allegation of a cover up of the identity of the promoters of the Estate stands logic on the head in the sense that the proceedings for the forfeiture of the Estate were in line with Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud Act which is a civil proceeding that allows for action-in-rem rather than action-in-personam. The latter allows legal actions against a property and not an individual, especially in a situation of an unclaimed property. This Act allows you to take up a forfeiture proceeding against a chattel that is not a juristic person. This is exactly what the Commission did in respect of the Estate.

“The proceedings that yielded the final forfeiture of the Estate were products of actionable intelligence available to the Commission. The company flagged by our investigations denied ownership of the Estate following publications made in leading national newspapers. On the basis of this, the Commission approached the court for an order of final forfeiture which Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court granted on Monday, December 2, 2024.

“The expectation of the EFCC from citizen Sowore is a patriotic appreciation of its efforts in securing such a landmark forfeiture. It is shocking that the activist is not concerned about the systemic lassitude and unhelpful permissiveness that allowed such a monstrous corrupt act in the first instance. Nigerians should gear up more against lapses and loopholes in our system that continue to make the nation vulnerable to corrupt tendencies. The EFCC will continue to safeguard the financial space of the nation against manipulators and organised brigandage.

“It is important to note that the substantive criminal investigation on the matter still continues. It will be unprofessional of the EFCC to go to town by mentioning names of individuals whose identities were not directly linked to any title document of the properties. The EFCC is unwavering in its no-sacred-cow approach to every matter and together we will make Nigeria greater.”

The Kaduna State chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has suspended its strike over the state government’s failure to fully implement the N72,000 minimum wage for all workers.

The strike, which began on Monday, was halted for seven days following late-night negotiations with government officials.

Speaking to reporters in Kaduna on Tuesday, NLC State Chairman Ayuba Suleiman explained the union’s decision to suspend the industrial action.

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He said, “We met with the government representatives and agreed to suspend the strike for seven days to give them space to revisit their payment template. We rejected the payment because it exempted some workers, paid others less, and paid some more. We want a uniform payment template that reflects the new minimum wage.”

Suleiman expressed appreciation to workers for their support during the strike and urged them to resume work immediately.

“We thank you for your compliance, and we assure you that your interests are our priority. You can now return to work tomorrow morning, and we will continue to fight for your rights,” he added.

The NLC chairman also noted that the suspension followed consultations with the National Monitoring Committee, which gave the union the green light to pause the action temporarily.

“We contacted the NLC’s National Monitoring Committee, and they gave us the go-ahead to suspend the strike. We are confident that the state government will revisit its payment template and come up with a uniform payment structure that reflects the new minimum wage,” Suleiman stated.

The strike was triggered by what the union described as inconsistencies in the state government’s salary adjustments, despite an official minimum wage of N72,000.

The NLC insisted that the payment structure must comply with consequential adjustments to ensure equity among all workers.

However, the Kaduna State government has defended its position, clarifying that the dispute is not about the minimum wage but about salary adjustments.

“The least-paid worker in Kaduna state received N72,000 in November,” said Ibraheem Musa, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Uba Sani.

“The issue is not about the minimum wage, but about the consequential adjustments. We urge patience, as the state’s limited revenue, which comprises an average monthly allocation of N8 billion from the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) and N4 billion in internally generated revenue, makes it difficult to implement the adjustments immediately.”

President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Ministry of Justice and the National Assembly to address concerns raised over the proposed Tax Reform Bills.

The bills, which aim to reshape Nigeria’s fiscal policies, have faced criticism from various quarters, particularly northern governors who claim the reforms could harm their region.

The reforms have been described by some critics as potentially impoverishing Nigerians and targeting the northern region.

However, the presidency has dismissed these allegations as unfounded.

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Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, assured Nigerians that the government is committed to transparency and fairness.

“The government has nothing sinister to warrant the suggestion that the process is being rushed. In line with the established legislative procedure, the Federal Government welcomes meaningful inputs that can address whatever grey areas there may be in the bills,” Idris said in a statement on Tuesday.

He added that President Tinubu has mandated the Justice Ministry and relevant officials to work closely with the National Assembly to resolve any concerns before the bills are passed into law.

Idris lauded the public engagement on the issue, describing the debates as “commendable” and in line with democratic principles.

“It is very inspiring to see Nigerians from all walks of life coming out to express their views and opinions on these matters of critical national importance.

“In the spirit of democratic engagement, there should be no room for name-calling or the injection of unnecessary ethnic and regional slurs into this important national conversation.”

Addressing allegations that the bills are anti-north, Idris dismissed the claims as “fake news” and “misinformation.” He emphasized that the reforms are designed to benefit all Nigerians and would not marginalize any region.

“These fiscal reforms will not impoverish any state or region of the country, neither will they lead to the scrapping or weakening of any federal agencies,” he said.

The Tax Reform Bills were the focus of a recent town hall event hosted by Channels Television, where experts weighed in on the controversy.

Among the panelists were Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee; Yakubu Dogara, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives; and Governor Sule Abdullahi of Nasarawa State.

Oyedele defended the bills, highlighting their potential to transform the country’s fiscal system.

“These bills have more than 200 transformative provisions to fix our country and set us on the right path to prosperity,” he said.

“We should not allow one or two provisions that we can easily discuss and agree on to become the pain or the bottleneck.”

Dogara urged critics, particularly from the northern region, to avoid politicizing the issue. “I want to talk to my brothers in the North. I don’t think this is the time for us to begin to condemn the president and to begin to say that on account of these bills, he is anti-north,” he said.

Despite calls for the bills to be withdrawn, the Senate has already passed them through a second reading.

Stakeholders hope that Tinubu’s directive for a review will ensure that all concerns are addressed and the final legislation promotes equitable economic reforms.