By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Borno State Government on Monday said that only N4.4 billion of the N13.1 billion donations for victims of the Maiduguri flood has been received.

The Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Prof. Usman Tar, disclosed this in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

He spoke while giving an update at the Borno State Government Flood Disaster Situation Room.

Tar said the available funds had been handed over to the newly-inaugurated Disaster Relief Disbursement Committee, made up of people of integrity for disbursement to the victims.

He said it is an all encompassing committee with members from federal and state agencies, technocrats, traditional and religious leaders as well as representatives from the military, police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Department of State Services, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, among others.

He said: “This morning, the governor launched cash support for the first batch of households for the commencement of rebuilding their homes.”

According to Tar, victims that received food items and cash support to last them for two weeks should be expecting another package of support.

The Commissioner said that many victims, particularly those that received cash and food in camps, had returned home, contrary to the claims that they were forced to leave the camps.

He said that nobody was forced to leave the camp or compelled to stay, if they felt like going home, given that the flood water had receded in most areas of the city.

He said that the government intended to merge some camps.

“About 40 percent of the camps are schools, so we want to merge some by moving those occupying the schools to other depopulated camps to enable the students to resume school,” he said.

Tar also spoke about many victims that refused to go to camp, but resorted to sleeping in the streets, filling stations and people’s business premises.

He said that the government had started registering and giving them support and would convince them to move to the camps.

He said that those on Baga Road would be encouraged to go to Gubio camp, while those in Custom area and Bama Road would be encouraged to go to Muna and Dalori camps respectively.

Tar called for patience and support for government and other partners engaged in various interventions to ameliorate the sufferings of the victims.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that organisations, groups and individuals have continued to donate funds to the State Government and one million victims of the September 10 flood that destroyed thousands of buildings in Maiduguri

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The President and Chief Executive of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has expressed his regrets for not buying Arsenal when his interest lies with owning a football club.

He said he wished he had bought the English side club when the team was valued at around $2 billion.

Speaking in an interview with Bloomberg’s Francine Lacqua in New York, the billionaire business mogul explained that he missed out on buying Arsenal by committing his resources to the refinery project.

He said, “I think that time has passed. The last time when we had this interview, I told you as soon as I finished with the refinery, I was going to try and buy Arsenal.

“But you know everything has gone up, and the club too is doing very well, Arsenal is doing extremely well right now. That time, Arsenal wasn’t doing well.

“I think I don’t have that kind of excess liquidity to go and buy a club for $4 billion, so to speak and use it as a promotional something.

“But what I will do is to continually be the biggest fan of Arsenal. I watch their games anytime they are playing. So, I will remain a major supporter of Arsenal, but I don’t think it makes sense today to buy Arsenal.’

When asked if he regretted not buying when Arsenal’s value was lower, he said, “Actually, I regret not buying it before but you know my money was more needed in completing my project (Dangote refinery) than buying Arsenal. I would have bought the club for $2 billion, but you know I wouldn’t have been able to finish my project. So, It was either I finish my project or go and buy Arsenal.”

Dangote had, in 2020, made known his intention to go for the North London club after his refinery project.

The richest man in Africa, who has now rested his ambition to take over at Emirates Stadium, founded the Dangote Group — the largest conglomerate in West Africa — in 1981

[With report by The Punch]

…as counsel prays Court not to recognize arbitral awards; property owner joins issues

An Arbitration Tribunal, headed by Miriam Kombo-Ezeh, Esq, has directed Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi to vacate a property he occupies in Maitama District of Abuja in the Federal Capital Territory.

The Tribunal also directed the former Senator to pay the sum of N11million being profit for the period he occupied the property without taking a new term of lease.

The Senator was further asked to refund all the Arbitration fees he failed or refused to pay at the Tribunal in his unsuccessful attempts and without just cause to frustrate the timely determination of the matter at the Tribunal.

But Afikuyomi, through his counsel, Seun Awoladi, has filed a suit before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Jabi area of Abuja, presided over by Justice Babangida Hassan for non-recognition of the arbitral awards.

The property owner, one Prince Samsom Ataiyero, through his counsel, M.I. Harrison and Christian Moleke, joined issues with Afikuyomi, praying the court for registration and recognition of the arbitral awards.

When the matter came up on Monday, September 23, 2024 for hearing, the court granted the oral application by counsel to Prince Ataiyero to withdraw a motion on notice for consolidation marked M/11059/2024 because it had been spent since their substantive application marked M11024/2024 was now properly before the court.

Afikuyomi’s counsel told the court that they were not objecting to the withdrawal of the motion on notice and that they would not be asking for cost. Justice Hassan in a bench ruling averred that the application was granted and the motion was deemed withdrawn.

Ataiyero’s counsel said that their substantive application was seeking recognition for the purpose of enforcement of the arbitral awards by the FCT Multi-door Courthouse on June 21, 2024, stating that all their prayers were contained on the face of the motion paper.

But Afikuyomi’s counsel interjected, saying the substantive suit was to set aside the arbitral awards and not a motion to enforce. According to him: “We filed our originating motions on July 8, marked CB/3139/24.”

Justice Hassan resolved the issue of first in service in favour of Afikuyomi since Ataiyero’s substantive suit before the court was dated July 9, 2024. Atayeiro’s counsel said: “we do not have any problem with that as long as both suits are before your lordship.”

At this point, Afikuyomi’s counsel asked the court for a short adjournment of two weeks to enable both parties to resolve the matter out of court, otherwise, they would proceed with the matter.

Ataiyero’s counsel urged the court to adopt their processes first and thereafter the other party could do whatever they wanted. But after much plea by Afikuyomi’s counsel and Justice Hassan’s avuncular intervention, urging Ataiyero’s counsel to agree to the out-of-court settlement overture, Ataiyero’s counsel agreed and the matter was adjourned until October 16, 2024.

It would be recalled that Afikuyomi, one-time member of Senate [1999-2007] had leased a three-bedroom duplex with two-bedroom bungalow guests chalet, two boys’ quarters (BQ), serviced with air conditioners and swimming pool, located at No. 33, Lake Chad Crescent, Maitama District from Prince Ataiyero, using the name of his law firm- Liberty Solicitors, for a period of five (5) years, serviceable annually.

The period for the lease was 1st September, 2018 – 31st August, 2023.

Trouble started in the middle of the term of the lease when the Senator started defaulting in his rent obligations and this continued after the expiration of the term of lease.

Our Correspondent learnt that the Lease Agreement contained an Arbitration Clause which encouraged parties to settle any of their disputes by way of arbitration instead of the usual litigation.

It was in keeping to this arbitration clause that Senator Afikuyomi’s landlord applied to the Abuja Multi-Door Courthouse in line with the principle of “pacta sunct servanda (sanctity of agreement must be kept)” for an arbitral proceeding which saw to the delivery of its decision otherwise called “Final Award” on 21st June, 2024.

Miriam Kombo-Ezeh, Esq., the erudite arbitrator had directed that the respondent, Sen. Tokunbo Afikuyomi, should comply with the arbitral awards on or before July 8, 2024.

It was further gathered that Senator Afikuyomi failed, neglected or refused to honour the decision of the Arbitration Tribunal, which by the Tenancy Agreement signed by parties during the life of the lease, ought to bind parties.

Afikuyomi had rather resorted to buying time in his efforts to continue in occupation of a house he didn’t build.

He had rather approached the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, to seek the setting aside of the decision of the Arbitration Tribunal on grounds that he didn’t have notice of the appointment of the Arbitrator and also on grounds of bias.

These grounds had been rebutted in the papers filed by the Landlord’ lawyers who even produced to the Court, evidence of consent form signed by the Senator’s lawyers for the appointment of the Sole Arbitrator.

While the rent on the property expired on August 31, 2023, the court papers indicated that Afikuyomi is still occupying the property without renewing his rent or taking steps to vacate the leased premises, about a year now after his rent expired since 31st August, 2023.

Available information showed that while Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi had gone to the High Court to set aside the Final Award, his landlord, Prince Ataiyero had filed his own motion before the same Court seeking the Court’s recognition and enforcement of the Award as was witnessed in court on Monday, September 23, 2024

From the Court processes filed both at the Tribunal and the High Court which were sighted by our correspondent, it was obvious that the key contention between parties is delivery of vacant possession of the property since the lease which was for a fixed period had long elapsed.