Doyin Okupe, a former presidential aide, says President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima are entitled to travel out of the country simultaneously.

Tinubu is on a two-week vacation in the United Kingdom (UK) and has recently visited France, while Shettima is in Sweden for a two-day official visit.

Nigerians have raised concerns over their absence, claiming that no one is in charge of the country’s affairs.

Speaking with NAN on Friday, Okupe said the impression that no one is in charge of governance due to Tinubu and Shettima’s absence is “false and preposterous”.

“Presidents and chief executives, globally, do take time off to rest for a little while,” he said.

“Even in war situations, field commanders go off duty to cool off from war theatres.

“Whether the president is in Abuja, Kaura Namoda, Pankshin, Oguta, Ilesha, Yenagoa, London, or Paris, all instruments of command and control are accessible and available to him 24/7.”

Okupe said critics of the president’s absence are exposing their “crass ignorance” and do not appreciate the “overriding influence of modern information management on contemporary governance”.

On Wednesday, the presidency said the absence of both Tinubu and Shettima would not create a leadership vacuum in the country.

Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, said Tinubu and Shettima “are fully engaged with the nation’s affairs, even while they are away”.

“All state organs are functioning as usual — the senate president, the secretary to the government of the federation, ministers, and service chiefs are all in their respective positions, ensuring the smooth operation of the government,” Onanuga had said.

Jigawa Commissioner of Special Duties, Auwal Danladi Sankara, has been nabbed and detained by the Kano State Hisbah Board for allegedly engaging in an extramarital affair with a married woman, Tasleem Baba Nabegu.

The commissioner was caught red-handed with Nabegu in an uncompleted building owned by him.

According to Hisbah Director General, Abba Sufi, Sankara’s arrest followed a series of complaints from Nabegu’s husband’s younger brother, alleging the commissioner’s involvement in nefarious activities.

“Yes, it is true we have arrested Auwal Danladi Sankara, the Jigawa Commissioner, with a married woman in an uncompleted building that belongs to him.

“Unknown to him, we were tracking him based on reports we received against him,” Sufi said.

Nasiru Bulama, Nabegu’s husband, had filed a complaint accusing Sankara of engaging in an illicit affair with his wife, the mother of his two children.

According to the Hisbah boss, Bulama reported the incident to the Kano State Police Command, Department of State Services (DSS), and the Hisbah Board.

“Nasiru Bulama filed the complaint with the Kano State Police Command, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Hisbah Board, alleging Sankara’s involvement in illicit sexual activities with his wife,” the official added.

Sankara will face prosecution on Monday for multiple cases, including engaging in an extramarital affair with a married woman, operating illicit drug centres (with names Picklock, 360 and three other areas) disguised as hotels as well as promoting prostitution and drug addiction.

Reinstated deputy governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, has offered N1million bounty to anyone who has information concerning alleged looting of government property as the administration winds down.

Shaibu in a press briefing in Benin City on Friday said he has evidence to back the alleged looting in some quarters and last minute borrowing from financial institutions.

He also called on the Economic Financial Crimes Commission, the Department of State Services and other relevant agencies to look into the alleged misappropriation of funds meant for projects in the ministry of roads and bridges, ongoing Radisson Hotel project and last minute appointments by the outgoing administration.

He said, “I have received disturbing reports of banks and other financial institutions, granting last-minute loans to Governor Godwin Obaseki. This is alarming, and not in good faith. Against that backdrop, I am issuing a strong warning to banks and financial institutions not to grant any loans or issue financial instruments to Governor Obaseki or any official of the state government in whatever capacity or office.

Also, information at my disposal shows there are last-minute plans to siphon state’s fund using NGOs as a decoy, under the guise of supporting such organisations’ projects and activities.

These actions undermine our state’s financial stability and potential mortgage of the future of Edo State. I dissociate myself and my office from any such dealings.”

He said there were reports of indiscriminate and clandestine appointments into the civil and public service with outrageous grade levels.

He added, “I condemn these actions and dissociate myself and my office from any involvement. These appointments have not only undermined the civil service’s integrity but also perpetuated a culture of cronyism.”

He also alleged that consultants were being appointed and their date of engagement being backdated, allegedly to justify outrageous expenditures.

“As the Deputy Governor of Edo State, I am inviting the EFCC and ICPC to look into the massive contract fraud that has taken place under the supervision of Ferguson Enabulele and the entire government.

“Investigation is equally ongoing to unravel the alleged involvement of some engineers in the ministry, who agreed to assist the permanent secretary to keep such funds with their registered company accounts with banks and later convert such to US dollars.”

A government official who pleaded anonymity said that the state government would not dignify the Shaibu with a response, noting that if he was important in the All Progressives Congress, he would have been included in Okpebholo’s transition committee.