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Edo Assembly Report Implicates Obaseki In N32 Billion Controversial Projects.
The Edo State House of Assembly has released the findings of its investigation into the Museum of West African Arts (MOWAA) and the Radisson Blu Hotel projects, implicating former Governor Godwin Obaseki and raising the possibility of a 2026 probe by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The investigation followed weeks of legislative scrutiny into what the Assembly described as controversial legacy projects of the Obaseki administration, which allegedly consumed substantial public funds. Edo State’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Prince Kassim Afegbua, indicated that the state government plans to formally petition the EFCC regarding the projects.
Tensions surrounding the MOWAA project escalated in November when an attempted public opening was disrupted by hoodlums who reportedly chased away diplomats and tourists. Governor Monday Okpebholo had requested the Assembly investigate the ownership and funding of both MOWAA and the Radisson Blu Hotel, citing a reported N3.8 billion state investment in MOWAA and N28 billion in the Radisson Blu project.
Following consultations with relevant stakeholders, the Assembly adopted the findings of its investigative committees. Key figures, including former Governor Obaseki, MOWAA management, former Commissioner for Finance Joseph Eboigbe, former Attorney-General Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, and the Managing Director of Tilbury House Nigeria Limited, boycotted the hearings. Obaseki, through his media adviser Crusoe Osagie, dismissed the summons as “offensive and laughable,” arguing that the matters were already sub judice.
The report recommended collaboration with anti-graft agencies to recover N17.5 billion from two escrow agents, representing the remaining funds from the N25 billion raised for the Radisson Blu project. The Assembly claimed the escrow agreement was invalid due to non-compliance by both the agents and the investor, adding that N10 billion reportedly paid by investors never reached the state’s coffers. The Assembly further called for the revocation of what it described as a fraudulent Certificate of Occupancy issued to Hospitality Investment and Management Company Limited, renovation of the hotel, and its use for public benefit.
Regarding MOWAA, the Assembly revealed that the land remained registered in the name of the demolished Central Hospital and had not been formally revoked. Findings showed that over N3 billion was spent by the state government on the project, with no evidence of donations from foreign or local sources. The report urged the government to take full possession of the property and put it to productive use for Edo residents.
Governor Okpebholo assured that the recommendations would be implemented and that the EFCC would be invited to investigate further. He emphasized that N3.8 billion had been spent on MOWAA and over N28 billion on the Radisson Blu project, insisting that the EFCC’s involvement was necessary to ensure accountability.
The Governor also suggested the possibility of a Commission of Inquiry into alleged abuses of land allocations under the Obaseki administration. He called for Obaseki’s return to Nigeria to answer questions regarding MOWAA and ensure proper management of public funds, stating, “Edo is not a place for fraud, and the government has been defrauded.”
Meanwhile, Obaseki has been engaging Edo indigenes in the diaspora through ‘Meet and Greet’ sessions across the United States, Canada, and Europe, during which he denied personal ownership or vested interest in the legacy projects while expressing regret over abandoned initiatives. He insisted that his administration supported projects that would boost Edo’s economy, including tourism revenue from MOWAA, arguing that government funds alone cannot drive state development.
The administration of President Bola Tinubu has approved an upward review of peculiar allowances, welfare benefits, and exit packages for civil servants across Nigeria.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
This was disclosed on Friday in Abuja by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, during a press briefing.
She explained that the adjustment applies to workers under the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure (CONPSS) as well as the Consolidated Research and Allied Institutions Salary Structure (CONRAISS).
According to her, the revised allowances have been designed to cut across all grade levels, ensuring improved earnings for both senior and junior officers.
Further details are expected to be released later.
Taiwo Oyedele has officially taken over as Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy following a formal handover from his predecessor, Wale Edun.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The transition, which reportedly took place on Thursday evening, was confirmed in a statement issued by the Ministry’s Head of Information and Public Relations, Efe Ovuakporie.
According to the statement, the handover was concluded within the timeframe set by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In his inaugural address, Oyedele pledged to consolidate ongoing reforms while delivering measurable economic outcomes.
He said his administration would prioritise fiscal discipline, transparency, and improved performance across key sectors of the economy.
He also expressed his readiness to work closely with staff of the ministry to strengthen efficiency and service delivery.
Oyedele commended his predecessor, Wale Edun, for his role in advancing Nigeria’s economic reform agenda, and thanked President Tinubu for entrusting him with the responsibility.
The Permanent Secretary, Raymond Omachi, alongside the Permanent Secretary (Special Duties), Mohammed Danjuma, welcomed the new minister and assured him of the full support and cooperation of the ministry’s workforce.
During Edun’s tenure, the ministry implemented several fiscal reforms aimed at improving revenue generation and economic coordination. However, the period also faced challenges, including budget implementation constraints that affected ministries, departments, and agencies.
There were also concerns over outstanding payments owed to pensioners and contractors during the same period.
A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sitting in Maitama, has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of an Abuja-based lawyer, Victor Giwa, and a police officer, Edith Erhunmuuse, after they failed to appear in court.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The two defendants were scheduled to be arraigned alongside another accused person, Cecil Osakwe, on a nine-count charge marked FCT/HC/CR/222/2023, filed by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
They are accused of criminal conspiracy involving the alleged forceful eviction of occupants and damage to property valued at about N300 million.
When the matter was called on Friday, the prosecution counsel, Aderonke Imana, told the court that although the charge was filed in January 2023, arraignment had repeatedly stalled due to what she described as a consistent pattern of absence by the defendants.
She argued that neither the first nor second defendant had consistently appeared in court or informed the prosecution of their absence, insisting that a bench warrant was necessary to compel attendance.
However, counsel to Victor Giwa, Ogbu Aboje, opposed the application, informing the court that his client was absent due to illness and had submitted medical documentation to support his condition. He also urged the court to hear a pending application before proceeding further.
He asked the court to excuse Giwa’s absence, citing health challenges as the reason for his non-attendance.
In response, the prosecution maintained that arraignment is the proper starting point of any criminal trial, adding that any proceedings before it would be invalid.
The prosecution therefore urged the court to issue a bench warrant to ensure the defendants appear for arraignment.
The third defendant, Cecil Osakwe, was present in court with his lawyer, Farouk Akanbi.
Delivering her ruling, Justice Samira Bature granted the prosecution’s request and ordered the arrest of Victor Giwa, stating that the explanations and medical documents presented amounted to deliberate delay tactics.
The judge noted that the case had suffered repeated delays since it was first filed in 2023 and commenced before her court in July 2024, lamenting that arraignment had still not taken place nearly two years later.
Justice Bature stressed that courts are not venues for delay tactics, adding that the defendants had shown disregard for the judicial process by failing to appear for arraignment.
She further ruled that all pending applications could only be considered after proper arraignment, stating that the court’s jurisdiction in criminal matters becomes fully activated only after that stage.
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