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Ibas rejects Assembly’s move to probe six-month spending

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The immediate past Rivers State Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), and the Rivers State House of Assembly may be gearing up for a showdown following the latter’s decision to probe the state’s expenditure over the last few months under the former.

Ibas ceased to be the administrator of the oil-rich state on September 17, following the end of the six-month emergency rule, after President Bola Tinubu directed the suspended state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and the state House of Assembly members to return to office from the previous Thursday.

The Rivers State House of Assembly, presided over by the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, during its first plenary after the end of emergency rule,  said it would investigate the state expenditure during the six months of emergency rule.

According to the resolutions of the House, “To explore the process of knowing what transpired during the emergency rule with regard to spending from the consolidated revenue fund for the award of contracts and other expenditure.”

Findings by The PUNCH showed that Rivers State received at least N254.37bn from the Federation Account Allocation Committee between March and August 2025 under the tenure of the sole administrator.

This figure is based on an analysis of FAAC data from the National Bureau of Statistics and other sources.

While the NBS has released official breakdowns up to June, the figures for July and August were collated from documents presented at FAAC meetings obtained and reviewed by The PUNCH.

In July, the state received about N38.42bn, while in August it collected N41.76bn, according to the documents analysed.

These brought total net allocations in the six months to N254.37bn, averaging N42.40bn per month.

If September follows the same trend, Rivers’ inflows could reach nearly N297bn in seven months.

However, the structure of these allocations highlights the state’s heavy dependence on the 13 per cent derivation from oil revenue.

A breakdown shows that the 13 per cent oil derivation remained the largest single source of income.

Between March and August, Rivers received N133.24bn in derivation, equivalent to about 52.4 per cent of its FAAC allocations.

In March, derivation amounted to N25.29bn, nearly five times the statutory allocation of N5.14bn, while in May it stood at N25.70bn against N6.05bn in statutory allocation.

Even in June, when derivation dropped to N20.94bn, it still surpassed all other components.

This dominance shows the risk of volatility, given that more than half of Rivers’ receipts hinge on oil-linked revenue streams.

Debt servicing has been a major burden on the state’s allocation. Between March and August, Rivers lost N26.31bn to external debt or foreign loan deductions.

This included a steady N4.56bn monthly from March through July and a reduced N3.54bn in August.

The deductions, which represent over 10 per cent of the state’s statutory allocation during the period, significantly eroded its gross receipts before other obligations such as contractual deductions, ecology transfers, and VAT adjustments were applied.

VAT receipts nonetheless provided an important cushion, with about N107.78bn received, which made up about 42.4 per cent of the total FAAC net allocation.

Rivers also benefited from inflows under the Electronic Money Transfer Levy, ecology funds, and exchange gains, which collectively lifted its net receipts despite heavy deductions.

Despite these large allocations, Rivers State has failed to publish its 2025 Budget Implementation Report, the statutory document that details revenues, internally generated revenue, and expenditure patterns.

The absence of this report has left residents and civil society unable to determine how the billions have been deployed on capital projects, salaries, pensions, or recurrent costs.

Rivers State had been engulfed in political turmoil for nearly two years, largely due to a power tussle between former Governor Nyesom Wike and his successor Fubara, which resulted in a prolonged governance deadlock.

In response to the crisis, President Bola Tinubu, on March 18, 2025, declared a state of emergency in Rivers State and suspended Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the state House of Assembly for six months.

This was following his declaration of emergency in the oil-rich South South state.

He said the decision was made to restore stability in the state, which has been experiencing political turmoil due to the disagreement between the state governor and the state lawmakers.

Citing Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, Tinubu said the emergency measure was necessary to restore peace.

He added that the proclamation had been published in the Federal Gazette and forwarded to the National Assembly.

Two days later, on March 20, both the House of Representatives and the Senate endorsed the President’s declaration, effectively suspending Fubara and the Rivers State House of Assembly for forced holidays, despite widespread public criticism.

Objecting to what they considered an unconstitutional move, 11 PDP governors filed a case at the Supreme Court, registered as SC/CV/329/2025. However, there has been no public update on the matter since then.

Following the reconciliation between Wike and Fubara, the political climate in Rivers has eased.

The state held its local government elections on August 30, with the ruling All Progressives Congress securing 20 seats and the PDP winning the remaining three.

The PUNCH last week Monday reported that as Rivers State prepares for the return of Fubara on September 18 following the six-month emergency rule in the state, the sole administrator defended his tenure, stating that he fulfilled President Bola Tinubu’s mandate and stabilised the oil-rich state.

However, the opposition parties and civil society organisations called for an investigation into Iba’s tenure, particularly his management of the state’s resources during his six-month stay in Brick House.

CSO demands probe

Meanwhile, Civil Society Organisations in Rivers State have demanded accountability from the sole administrator over the money the state received from FAAC.

Chairman of the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Rivers State, Enefaa Georgewill, described the process that brought the sole administrator to power as illegal and insisted that the manner in which he has received and spent public funds since March was questionable.

Georgewill said the total amount the state got only deepened suspicion of mismanagement.

He explained that most major projects in the state, including the Rivers State House of Assembly Complex, remained stalled despite the heavy inflows.

Georgewill, therefore, called on Governor Fubara to set up a panel of inquiry to ascertain both federal allocations and internally generated revenue, and to investigate how the monies were expended.

He added that financial regulatory agencies must also play their part in interrogating the finances of the state under Ibas, stressing that civil society suspects corruption and will not relent in pressing for scrutiny.

Georgewill said, “We will be calling on the Rivers State Governor to set up a panel of inquiry to ascertain how much he received both in terms of federal allocation and Internally Generated Revenue and how he expended it. This is because we suspect corruption. The reason being that almost all the major projects are stalled, even the House of Assembly Complex, which he tried to touch; he couldn’t even finish it. So, we will be calling on the governor and financial regulatory agencies to make sure that they question how the funds of Rivers State were expended.”

Also, the spokesperson for the Civil Liberties Organisation in Rivers, Emma Obe, echoed similar concerns, insisting that the current arrangement in the state amounted to an illegal emergency government that failed to follow constitutional prescriptions.

Obe pointed out that the 2025 budget was passed by the National Assembly without going through the necessary processes, such as public hearings, denying Rivers people the opportunity to know what was being budgeted in their name.

Obe said, “It has always been our position that the government in Rivers State under this emergency rule has been operating illegally because it didn’t follow what the Constitution prescribes. And so whatever they have been doing is founded on this basis, and we have always asked for accountability.

“There is no government without accountability. We all know what has happened so far. The budget of the state, for instance, was passed by the National Assembly without them going through all the necessary processes, including public hearings, where the people ought to know what is going into the budget and all that.

“But this government must give an account of what they have received so far. It is not enough for them to come and stay for six months and go away without telling the people of the State what came in, how they spent the money, and all that. If this is not done, of course, the remedies are open to us and open to every citizen of Rivers State to ask for it. And whoever spends public money without accounting for it will pay for it, if not today, sometime to come. We are not just going to rest.”

The civil society leaders maintained that the administration has failed to demonstrate transparency despite the huge FAAC receipts, reinforcing calls for a full public inquiry into the state’s finances since March.

 Ibas kicks

Reacting to the House of Assembly’s move to probe expenditure under his tenure, Ibas said the lawmakers lacked the power to investigate him, pointing out that they didn’t appoint him as the Administrator of the State.

Ibas, while answering questions from our reporter through his Senior Special Adviser on Media, Hector Igbikiowubu, on Sunday, said it was understandable that, having been away from the business of legislation for a while, the lawmakers were merely trying to make an effort to discharge their functions.

He, however, described the lawmakers’ resolve as commentary, adding that the attempt to probe the former administrator was tantamount to probing the President, who appointed him, as well as the National Assembly, which supervised the activities of Ibas as the state administrator, as he then was.

According to Igbikiowubu, while nobody can prevent the Assembly from probing what they perceive to be their functions within the state, the attempt to probe the immediate past administrator of the state would be a “fool’s errand.”

“When you say they were going to probe the tenure of the administrator, was it the Assembly that appointed the administrator?

“You see, the point to note is that commentary is free. You can’t stop people from running commentary. The House of Assembly has been on break for a very long time, and you will appreciate that they have not been able to discharge their functions for such a long time,” Igbikiowubu told The PUNCH.

“Now that they have resumed, they have to make an effort to carry out their functions. So, it will seem their right to probe what has gone wrong in the state. Nobody can stop the lawmakers from carrying out a probe of what they perceive to be their functions within the state.

“But like I asked earlier, were they the ones that appointed the administrator? So, if you didn’t appoint the administrator, it goes to reason that you have certain limitations. When you also realise that the administrator was appointed by the President, it goes without reason that the administrator acted for and on behalf of the President.”

He added, “When you also reason that the administrator was supervised by the National Assembly, it goes without reason that when you decide to probe the administrator, you’re invariably saying that you will be probing the administrator and the National Assembly.

“So, I wish them good luck with their plan and their probe. But you and I know that such an enterprise amounts to a fool’s errand.”

Fubara

Meanwhile, Governor Fubara has called on the church and people of the state to remain steadfast in prayers as he resumes the journey of governance.

The governor, who resumed official duties following the expiration of the six-month emergency rule, said prayers and intercessions have been the pillar of his strength and will remain critical as he works to fulfil his mandate to the people.

Fubara made the appeal on Sunday at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Opobo Town, headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area of the state, where he attended a thanksgiving service, which was his first public outing since resumption of duties.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Nelson Chukwudi.

Fubara stated, “I am here together with my wife this first Sunday after the suspension of the state of emergency. We cannot thank God enough as a family. Our being here is private; we came simply to worship in our home church. When my story ends, this church will lead me to my next journey.

“So, it is important that I come here to say thank you quietly before the Almighty God for what He has done, what He is doing, and what He will continue to do, not just for me and my family, but for this state and Nigeria,” he said.

Fubara thanked the people of Opobo for years of fasting and intercession on his behalf, stressing that their prayers had been answered. He likened prayers to deposits in a bank, whose dividends manifested in due season.

The Governor further underscored the importance of peace in fostering unity and development, aligning his remarks with the commemoration of the International Day of Peace.

Fubara reaffirmed his rededication to the service of Rivers people, urging continued prayers and support for his administration as it charts a renewed course of leadership.

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UK Charity Commission freezes over 100 bank accounts linked to MFM

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On Tuesday, the UK’s Charity Commission announced it had frozen the assets of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries International (MFM), a Nigerian-founded church.

On its website, the UK government concluded that its trustees failed to manage the organisation’s finances properly across its UK branches.

The UK Charity Commission is a non-ministerial department that registers and regulates charities in England and Wales, to ensure that the public can confidently support charities.

MFM, founded by Nigerian cleric Daniel Olukoya, is one of Nigeria’s most influential Pentecostal churches. It has a strong global presence, particularly in the United Kingdom, where many Nigerian diaspora communities worship.

MFM is not the first Nigerian-founded church to face scrutiny in the UK. In recent years, other Nigerian-origin churches, including SPAC Nation in December 2024 and Christ Embassy in November 2019, have been investigated regarding governance and financial accountability concerns.

The incident raises broader questions about how rapidly expanding churches adapt their internal systems when moving into regulated environments like the UK, where religious organisations registered as charities must meet strict financial reporting standards.

The case has, therefore, sparked wider conversations about financial transparency and governance among fast-growing African churches operating overseas.

How the investigation began

On 27 March 2018, the Charity Commission opened a statutory inquiry into MFM under Section 46 of the UK’s Charities Act 2011. Concerns have been raised regarding the possible misappropriation of charity funds and weak internal financial controls.

The Commission discovered that the church had expanded rapidly in the UK, growing from a few branches to more than 90 locations nationwide, without developing a solid financial governance structure to match its growth.

According to the final report, the Commission found that trustees did not properly oversee more than 100 separate bank accounts operated by different church branches. These accounts were opened and managed autonomously, often without informing central leadership or providing timely income reports.

Commission’s report

The commission reported that the church’s branches operated independently without central approval and that Major financial decisions, such as property purchases and lease agreements, were made without trustee authorisation.

Additionally, some branches used properties without securing planning permissions, leading to costly legal actions. It highlighted that Poor employment contract management resulted in financial settlements for employment disputes, and the lack of a unified monetary system created serious risks to charitable funds.

As a result, the regulator concluded that donor money was at risk due to weak financial oversight and poor governance.

Interim Manager Appointed to Restore Control

On 1 August 2019, following serious concerns about the trustees’ ability to manage the charity effectively, the Commission appointed an interim manager under Section 76(3)(g) of the Charities Act. The interim manager worked alongside the trustees to implement critical financial controls.

This oversight continued until 13 September 2024, when the interim manager was discharged after making progress.

Following the conclusion of the investigation, the Charity Commission announced that it had frozen the charity’s assets to prevent further financial risk while strengthening accountability structures.

Amy Spiller, Head of Investigations at the Charity Commission, said:

“The rapid growth of a charity comes with correspondingly larger potential risks, as our inquiry clearly shows. In this case, the trustees’ fundamental failure to maintain financial controls meant donor funds were at serious risk across their entire network.”

She added that the trustees are better positioned to ensure financial responsibility and compliance following regulatory intervention.

Regulatory Action

Upon completing its review, the Commission issued a regulatory action plan that required MFM to strengthen its governance policies and improve financial transparency. The Commission has confirmed that trustees have complied with the action plan, and the charity is now expected to operate under stricter financial controls going forward.

When this report was filed, neither MFM International nor its founder, Daniel Olukoya, had issued a public statement in response to the Charity Commission’s findings.

Collins Edomaruse, the media aide to Mr Olukoya, did not respond to calls or text messages.

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MDAs under fire as FG probes TSA violations

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The Federal Government, through the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, has ordered all Ministries, Departments and Agencies to submit their statements of accounts in commercial banks.

The government said the move was part of its plans to maintain financial discipline.

This was disclosed in a memo signed by the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, which was obtained by our correspondent on Tuesday.

Ogunjimi in the memo expressed grievance over the continuous usage of commercial banks by MDAs despite an earlier directive ordering MDAs to close such accounts and focus on the use of the Treasury Single Account domiciled in the Central Bank.

Recall that the government in February mandated MDAs to stop the use of commercial banks, as it opposes the framework of the TSA.

While reiterating the Federal Government’s commitment to the Treasury Single Account policy, the Accountant-General of the Federation urged the Federal Pay Officers to monitor and ensure that Ministries, Departments, and Agencies in the States do not operate any account with the commercial banks or circumvent any provision of the TSA policy,” the statement by the OSGF said in February.

Reacting to the new memo, Ogunniyi said, “It has been observed with dismay that funds belonging to the Federal Government are still domiciled in several accounts held with commercial banks, contrary to Federal Government Circulars and the operational framework of the Treasury Single Account, which mandates the consolidation of all Federal Government revenues and receipts into the TSA domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria.

“In view of the above and following the Honourable Minister of Finance directive, all Directors/Heads of Finance and Accounts in Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies and Federal Government-owned Enterprises are immediately required to submit Statements of all Bank Accounts (active, dormant and closed) maintained in all commercial banks over the last six (6) months, clearly indicating account names, account numbers, bank branches and current balances.”

“This directive takes immediate effect and must be treated with the utmost urgency, as it is part of the ongoing efforts to strengthen fiscal discipline and uphold the integrity of the Treasury Single Account Framework.”

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Kanu to defend self, lists Danjuma, Wike, Sanwo-Olu as witnesses

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The detained leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, made a dramatic turn on Tuesday by informing the Federal High Court in Abuja that he was ready to open his defence.

This came just hours after Omoyele Sowore, the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, led protests in parts of Abuja demanding Kanu’s release.

Kanu had, last Thursday, filed a preliminary objection challenging the court’s jurisdiction to continue his trial.

The objection came on the same day a team of medical experts appointed by the court declared him medically fit to stand trial, Channels reports.

In a fresh motion personally filed on Tuesday, October 21, Kanu told the court that he was prepared to begin his defence “pursuant to the order of this honourable court made on the 16th day of October 2015, directing the defendant to commence his defence on the 24th day of October 2025.”

He disclosed plans to call 23 witnesses divided into two categories, “ordinary but material witnesses” and “vital and compellable witnesses”, the latter to be summoned under Section 232 of the Evidence Act, 2011.

The motion, which Kanu personally signed, suggested that he may have disengaged his legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Kanu Agabi.

He also requested 90 days to conclude his defence due to the number of witnesses he intends to call.

Kanu stated that he would testify on his own behalf, “providing a sworn account of the facts, denying the allegations, and explaining the political context of his statements and actions.”

Among those listed as “compellable witnesses” were former Minister of Defence, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (retd); former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd); Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma.

Others include the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike; Minister of Works, Dave Umahi; and former Abia State governor, Okezie Ikpeazu.

Kanu also listed former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN); former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Rufai Abubakar; and Director-General of the Department of State Services, Yusuf Magaji Bichi, among others whose identities he withheld.

Kanu pledged to submit sworn statements from all voluntary witnesses and to notify the prosecution within a reasonable time.

He assured the court that “no precious time of the honourable court would be delayed,” adding that “justice must not only be done but be manifestly seen to have been done.”

Meanwhile, on the same day Kanu filed his motion, a magistrate court in Abuja ordered the remand of his special counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, and 12 others arrested during protests demanding his release.

The police charged the 13 defendants with criminal conspiracy, disobedience of a lawful order, inciting disturbance, and disturbance of public peace — offences contrary to sections 152, 114, and 113 of the Penal Code Law.

Those named in the first two information reports include Ejimakor, Kanu’s brother Emmanuel, Joshua Emmanuel, Wilson Anyalewechi, Okere Kingdom Nnamdi, Clinton Chimeneze, Gabriel Joshua, Isiaka Husseini, Onyekachi Ferdinand, Amadi Prince, Edison Ojisom, Godwill Obioma, and Chima Onuchukwu.

The magistrate, after briefly standing down the case, ordered their remand at Kuje Correctional Centre and adjourned the matter till October 24 for arraignment.

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