NEWS
Anxiety: House C’tee Orders Tinubu’s Appointees’ Arrest
Total disregard of the House of Representatives by the highly placed, including key figures in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has moved the hand of the House’s Committee on Public Petition to order their arrest.
The committee passed the resolution on Tuesday, by adopting a motion by Hon Fred Agbedi (PDP-Bayelsa) at the committee’s hearing in Abuja.
The warrant of the arrest was issued against some top appointees of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, mostly Chief Executives of Federal Government Agencies and Departments as well as CEO of top oil majors.
Prominent among the 19 functionaries of the Federal Government listed for refusing to honour the committee’s invitation are the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, and the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Oluwatoyin Madein.
According to Hon Agbedi, the arrest warrant became inevitable following the attitude of the invitees.
He maintained that the legislators’ duties were time-sensitive and the CEOs having been invited four times and neglecting to honour the invitation, left the committee with no other choice.
The warrant of arrest meant that the CEOs would be brought before the committee by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) after due diligence by the Speaker, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas.
Committee Chairman, Hon Michael Irom (APC-Cross River) said that the IGP should ensure the CEOs were brought before the committee on December 14.
The petitioner, Fidelis Uzowanem, had said the petition was anchored on the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) report of 2021.
According to him, the report was a summary of the transactions in the oil and gas industry for 2021 which NEITI put together could be challenged.
In his words, “We took up the challenge to examine the report and discovered that what NEITI put together as a report is only consolidation of fraud that has been going on in the oil and gas industry.
“It dates back to 2016 because we have been following and we put up a petition to this committee to examine what has happened.
“The 2024 budget of 27.5 trillion that has been proposed can be confidently be funded from the recoverable amount that we identified in the NEITI report.
“It is basically a concealment of illegal transactions that took place in NNPCL, they have been in sync with some oil companies where some companies that did not produce crude were paid cash core, an amount paid for crude oil production.”
Uzowanem also pointed out that the cash core payment was being used as a conduit to defraud Nigeria, by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited in concert with oil majors.
“We also found that the cash core payment was used as a channel for laundering funds by NNPCL and we found out that NEITI was able to conceal it in its report.
“In 2021 NEITI reported that Total Exploration and Production Nigeria-Ltd was paid 168 million dollars but examination of submission by the company shows that it received 292 million dollars.
“In other words, 124 million dollars was laundered by NNPCL through Total because monies that have been officially paid to Total could not have been concealed if it were not meant for fraudulent purposes.
“Also for Chevron, the dollar payment NEITI puts forward in its report was 76 million dollars but document emanating from Chevron showed that they received as much as 267 million dollars.
“In other words, 191 million was laundered under the cover of Chevron and NEITI concealed that; also, Nigeria Agip Company received 188milliom dollars but none of it was reported by NEITI,” he pointed out.
Some others affected by the warrant of arrest are, the Chief Executive Officer, National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), that of Ethiop Eastern Exploration and Production Company Ltd, as well as the CEO of the Western Africa Exploration and Production.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu expresses deep sadness over the sudden death of Mr Dotun Oladipo, former Political Editor of The Punch newspaper and Publisher of The Eagle Online, describing his death as a painful loss to Nigeria’s media industry and the nation at large.
President Tinubu acknowledges the deceased’s contributions to journalism, particularly his years of dedicated service in political reporting and his commitment to providing Nigerians with credible information through both traditional and digital media platforms.
The President says Oladipo’s professional career reflected the important role journalists play in strengthening democracy by informing citizens, holding public officials accountable and providing platforms for robust public discourse.
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He recalls the deceased’s passion for his profession and his contributions to the growth of digital journalism through The Eagle Online, which he founded after his remarkable career at Punch Newspaper.
“Dotun Oladipo’s death at the age of 56 is a painful loss to the Nigerian media community and to our nation. He was a committed journalist who devoted significant years of his life to informing the public and contributing to the development of our democracy.
“His contributions to political journalism and the digital media space will not be forgotten. I extend my heartfelt condolences to his family, colleagues in GOCOP and friends. I pray that Almighty God will grant him eternal rest and give his loved ones the strength to bear this irreparable loss,” President Tinubu notes.
The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, has expressed profound sadness over the death of veteran journalist and publisher of The Eagle Online, Dotun Oladipo.
Akpabio described Oladipo’s passing as a painful loss to the Nigerian media industry and the nation, noting his significant contributions to journalism, public discourse and the growth of online media in Nigeria.
The President of the Senate commiserated with the family, friends, colleagues and professional associates of the deceased, particularly members of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), where Oladipo served as Emeritus President.
“Dotun Oladipo was a courageous, principled and dedicated journalist who devoted a significant part of his life to the pursuit of truth, responsible journalism and the advancement of society.
“His sudden passing is a profound loss to his family, the journalism profession and Nigeria as a whole. His immense contributions to the development of online journalism, as well as his commitment to professional excellence, integrity and public interest, will remain indelible.
“As the philosopher John Stuart Mill reminded us, ‘He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that.’ Dotun understood that a free and responsible press must listen, question and speak truth to power. His life demonstrated that journalism, when guided by courage and conscience, can illuminate society and strengthen democracy.
“His legacy will continue to inspire journalists and media professionals who believe in the power of responsible journalism to strengthen democracy and contribute to national development,” Akpabio said.
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The Senate President prayed that God Almighty would grant the deceased eternal rest and give his family, friends, colleagues and loved ones the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
Akpabio also urged members of the media to uphold and build upon Oladipo’s legacy of professionalism, integrity, courage and unwavering commitment to the public interest.
“May God acquaint his soul with the compass of His course” he added.
Norway’s King Harald V has died at the age of 89, bringing an end to his more than three-decade reign and ushering in a new era for the Norwegian monarchy.
The Royal Palace announced on Friday, August 28, 2026, that the monarch died peacefully at Oslo University Hospital at 6:35am local time.
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“It is with deep sadness that we announce that His Majesty King Harald passed away today. King Harald passed away peacefully at Oslo University Hospital on Friday, August 28 at 6:35 am,” the palace said in a statement.
King Harald, who ascended the throne in 1991, had been hospitalised in Oslo since August 17 while receiving treatment for haemolytic anaemia.
His condition became “extremely serious” on Thursday, prompting members of the royal family to gather at his bedside.
His 53-year-old son, Crown Prince Haakon, has automatically succeeded him as monarch under Norway’s constitutional succession rules. He is expected to take the name King Haakon VIII.
Following the announcement of Harald’s death, the flag at the Royal Palace in Oslo was lowered to half-mast, while members of the public gathered outside the palace to lay flowers and mourn the late monarch.
Harald was widely regarded as a popular and unifying figure during his 35 years on the throne. He was also known for his modest lifestyle and efforts to modernise the monarchy.
Kaspara Bolstad, 24, described him as “a very steady and warm king.”
“I think the entire Norwegian people see him as a role model and as someone who brings people together. Whether you’re for or against the monarchy, I think he’s well-liked across the board,” she said.
Magnus Skaugseth, 27, also praised the late King’s inclusive approach.
“He was so inclusive and committed to having values that are inclusive in the society we live in today. When there is so much division and polarisation, he was a pillar pointing in the opposite direction,” Skaugseth said.
Harald had experienced several health challenges in recent years and had undergone procedures including the fitting of a pacemaker. Despite his declining health, he repeatedly ruled out abdication, maintaining that his oath to serve Norway was lifelong.
His death comes during a turbulent period for the Norwegian royal family, which has faced a series of health and personal controversies in recent months.
With Harald’s death, Crown Prince Haakon now takes over the Norwegian throne, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the country’s monarchy.
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