THE resumed probe of the former Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, by the Senate, is expected tomorrow. Lamorde will appear before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions tomorrow, to answer questions on the petition against him by Dr. George Uboh on allegations of diversion of funds. Chairman of the committee, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, who confirmed this, yesterday, said the committee’s schedule requires the former anti-graft agency boss to appear before it tomorrow. Lamorde was to appear before the committee last week, Tuesday, but the committee suspended it without explanation to its action. During the first meeting of the committee on the matter on August 26, when the petitioner, Dr. Uboh, made submissions on his petition, officials of the EFCC, led by the Director of Legal Services, Mr. Chile Okoroma, were asked to leave the hearing venue at the National Assembly, sequel to Lamorde’s request fo
The National Petroleum Investment Management Services, NAPIMS, has received the backing of the Niger Delta Indigenous Movement for Radical Change, NDIMRC, on the approval of $260 million contracts for ExxonMobil’s Usan Field. A statement by the group’s President, Nelly Emma, said that the contract award followed due process, adding that some elements were just out to tarnish the good image of NAPIMS. “Those behind the story that the contract was fraudulent are not telling the world the whole truth. This contract was managed by Total Upstream Nigeria Limited, TUPNI, for two years before it was taken over by ExxonMobil and it is not true that NAPIMS allegedly approved the $260 million contracts illegally. “To the best of our knowledge, due process was followed by NAPIMS in the award of the contracts. Without NAPIMS, it would have been very difficult for Nigerian local contractors to be awarded contracts. The allegation that NAPIMS approved the $260 million contracts il
South African telecoms giant MTN has won a respite on the payment of a massive $5.2 billion fine imposed on the company in Nigeria to allow for negotiations, the mobile phone operator said Monday. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) slapped the penalty on Africa’s largest telecoms firm for failing to deactivate 5.1 million unregistered SIM cards, sending its share price plummeting and leading to the resignation of chief executive Sifiso Dabengwa. The deadline for the fine to be paid was November 16, but the company announced that the NCC had agreed that it will not be payable until the end of negotiations entered into by acting executive chairman Phuthuma Nhleko, who has taken on Dabengwa’s role for six months. “Shareholders are advised that the executive chairman of the company, Mr Phuthuma Nhleko, has personally met with the Nigerian authorities to continue the ongoing discussions with them regarding the fine,” the statement said. “These discussions includ