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N3.5bn Accusation: Obi says Labour Party Will Hire Independent Auditor  For Accounts 

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…N744.5m spent on litigation after 2023 general elections 

By Gloria Ikibah 

Amid the fresh crisis rocking the Labour Party over the sale of forms and fundraising activities for the 2023 General Elections, the Presidential Candidate of the party, H.E Peter Obi has said that an independent audit firm will audit the accounts of the party.

Obi stated this in Abuja on Thursday at a press briefing organised by the Obi/Baba-Ahmed Campaign Group to present the report of its fundraising during the 2023 General elections.

He stated that the allegations and counter allegations in the party must be thoroughly investigated and reconciled 

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He stated: ‘There has been all sorts of comments and allegations, like one of the people said about $150 million, let me categorically state it that all the funds received directly or indirectly from the diaspora is not up to 1 percent of the money mentioned, and this, some of it is changed and given to Aisha. 

“We were actually going to go to the various people who supported us in diaspora to say thank you and tell them what was realised. And we are also going to put an information out there that whoever knows where funds were supposed to have been remitted to help us trace and get back. But know that people are claiming we receive 150 million dollars and I state here, we haven’t seen 1 percent and I stand here to dispute and prove that. 

Responding to questions on the many allegations at the party level,  the National Chairman of LP, Julius Abure been called by the party’s National Treasurer, Oluchi Opara, to account for N3 5bn raised from sale of forms and fundraising activities before and during the General elections. Obi said the party will give a transparent account of funds realised during the campaign process. 

“What we are doing today is distinct and completely separate from the party and the party fund. We are just dealing with Obi-Datti campaign funds and I ahve told everybody if what ever we received directly, indirectly will be accounted for transparently. For the party, I am a member of the party and they have chosen to say I am the leader. 

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“What we need to do in the party and I discussed it with the leadership, is that we must now appoint a reputable audit firm to audit and be able to deal with the accounting of the party. When I am involve in anywhere money is, it must be transparent. 

“So there is the allegation and counter allegation now that must be thoroughly investigated and verified,and we will reconcile it and know exactly what we are doing. Within here is accounting for the campaign and I am using the opportunity also to appeal to the various support groups or individuals and parties that received some form of funding to support what we are doing, which we are very grateful to account to those they received it from. Because there are some people who supported some supported groups, there some people even abroad who collected money and said they are going to use it to work in the North and everything. We were not stringent that anything you collect must come to us but we want whatever is collected to be accounted for. That’s why we appeal to the public, if you think this happened here and everything,let us know”, Obi stated. 

Briefing newsmen on the aftermath of the 2023 elections after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the then All Progressives Congress (INEC) candidate Bola Tinubu as the winner of the election.

Chairman of the Fundraising Team of the Campaign Organisation, Aisha Yesufu, said that the LP went to court as lawyers were hired to pursue legal cases from the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal (PEPT) all through the Supreme Court.

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She disclosed that the campaign Organisation spent over N744,500,000 in litigation in courts over the 2023 presidential election.

The Chairman of the Fundraising Team of the Campaign Organisation, Aisha Yesufu, who disclosed this, also stated that the LP received donations totalling N595,976,994.00 from Nigerians.

“Accountability and transparency are very critical and important; that is why we asked people to donate so that we could come back to them to explain how their money was judiciously used.

“We thank everyone who donated in cash and kindness. From the donations from citizens, we received N595,976,994. This is the money we raised from the four accounts that we have talked about. We also received N8,000,00.00 from the candidate himself (Peter Obi),” she said.

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PHOTO: Courtesy visit to Priesthood Orphanage by Just Friends Club of Nigeria Founder

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Dr. (Mrs) Blessing Echenwo, left, founder of Priesthood Orphanage, Karamajiji, Abuja and Mrs. Maria Cardillo, a member of Just Friends Club of Nigeria, during the visit of the club to the orphanage in Abuja…recently

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Just in: NYSC Releases Batch ‘C’ Corps Members Call Up Letters

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The National Youth Service Corps has announced the release of the 2024 Batch ‘C’ Stream I call-up letters for prospective corps members.

The corps made the announcement in a series of post on its official X (former Twitter) handle on Monday.

It said orientation camp for the stream is expected to start on November 27, 2024 and closes on December 17, 2024.

According to the post, “some prospective corp members posted to Lagos will have orientation in Ogun and Osun.

“While some of those posted to Zamfara will have in Kebbi and Sokoto etc”

The corps, however, advised prospective corps members to print and sign an addendum, which will be submitted during registration at the orientation camp.

Tips to guide Deployed Prospective Corps Members

Do not travel to the Orientation Camps at night. Break your journey when necessary.
Report on your scheduled reporting date.
Apply for spelling error and name rearrangement on your dashboard.
After documentation in the Camp, you cannot change your Date of Birth, Date of Graduation, Course of Study and Passport Photograph.
Do not report to the Camp if there is any discrepancies in your course of study or with the Date of Graduation on your Statement of Result and your Call-up Letter. Contact your Institution to sort it out.
ATTENTION TO ALL 2024 BATCH ”C” STREAM I MARRIED FEMALE PROSPECTIVE CORPS MEMBERS

All married female Prospective Corps members (PCMs) who are deployed to States where their husbands are not domiciled should report to the nearest NYSC Orientation Camp for their State of Deployment to be changed.

They are to report during the period of Registration at the Orientation Camps with the copies of their marital and other relevant documents as evidence. Once the change is made it will reflect on theirM dashboard for reprinting.

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Oba of Benin to withdraw suit as Okpebholo restores rights

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The Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, and the Benin Traditional Council may withdraw the suits they filed against the state government as Governor Monday Okpebholo, on Sunday, restored the full statutory rights of the Oba and reversed the policies of the previous administration that impacted the Benin Traditional Council.

A statement on Sunday by Okepebholo’s Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, said the governor abolished the new traditional councils in Edo South created by the immediate-past governor, Godwin Obaseki.

Okpebholo also backed the Federal Government’s recognition of the Oba’s palace as the custodian of repatriated Benin artefacts looted during the 1897 British colonial expedition.

Providing an insight into the governor’s gesture, the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Samson Osagie, said it signaled the resolution of the crisis between the Oba of Benin and the Edo State government leading to lawsuits duringt the Obaseki’s administration.

Osagies said, “The cases in court are cases which the Oba of Benin himself and the Benin Traditional Council instituted against the state government, and they are all civil matters. And you know that in civil suit or in any suit, parties are encouraged to settle amicably.

“So, if the parties are already settling and one side is already meeting the condition of settlement, the next step you are going to hear is that the party who went to court, which is the Oba of Benin, and the Benin Traditional Council, will instruct their counsel to withdraw the cases from court and that will be the end of the matter.

“The two parties are now settling for harmony and peace to reign, so the government is doing its own side of it.

“This statement is a prelude to discontinuing all legal proceedings with respect to the twin issues of the concession of the Oba Akenzua Cultural Centre by government to the Benin Traditional Council for 30 years and the creation of additional councils.”

The statement by Okepebholo’s Chief Press Secretary outlined the administration’s commitment to restoring the dignity and authority of the Benin monarch.

“This administration also hereby abolishes the new traditional councils in Edo South, created by the last administration,” the statement noted.

Additionally, Governor Okpebhol revoked the decision of the Obaseki’s administration to convert the Oba Akenzua II Cultural Centre into a motor park.

The government announced plans to restore the cultural centre to its original purpose.

“This administration is restoring the Oba Akenzua Centre to a suitable condition for its original purpose,” the statement added.

The governor also reinstated the financial entitlements of the Benin Traditional Council, ordering that the status quo before the creation of the abolished councils be maintained.

According to the statement, Okpebholo affirmed support for the Federal Government’s official gazette, which recognizes the Oba of Benin as the rightful owner and custodian of the repatriated Benin artefacts.

He also distanced his administration from the Museum of West Africa Art, instead backing the Benin Royal Museum project to house the artefacts.

“The Federal Government has also issued a gazette for the recognition of ownership and custody of the repatriated Benin artefacts to the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II,” the statement explained. “Governor Okpebholo respects the rights and privileges of the traditional ruler of Benin kingdom… and pledges the support of his administration to ensure the monarch plays his role as the custodian of the rich cultural heritage of the Benin people.”

Okpebholo reiterated his administration’s respect for traditional institutions and vowed to avoid interference in the internal affairs of the Benin Traditional Council. “The Oba of Benin, as the father of all Benin people, is the sole custodian of the customs and traditions of the Benin people, and my administration respects customs and traditions in the land,” he stated, emphasising the government’s efforts to uphold the cultural and historical integrity of the Benin Kingdom.

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