Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has fined British American Tobacco Nigeria Limited (BATN) and other affiliated companies $110 million for “infractions” of several laws.

In a statement on Wednesday, FCCPC said the affiliated companies are British American Tobacco Marketing (Nigeria) Limited (BATMN), British American Tobacco Plc, and British American Tobacco (Holdings) Limited.

Describing the companies as BAT Parties, the commission said they contravened the FCCPC Act, and the National Tobacco Control Act, among others.

Following an investigation that began on August 28, 2020, the commission said it reached a final resolution with the companies in late 2023.

However, FCCPC did not mention the infractions linked to British American Tobacco Nigeria Limited and its affiliated companies.

FCCPC said it initiated the investigation based on credible intelligence, which called for a broader and deeper inquiry into the companies’ conduct. 

Upon satisfying the federal high court that there was probable cause and sufficient evidence to exercise advanced investigatory tools, FCCPC said “the court issued an Order and Warrant of Search and Seizure”. 

“In furtherance, and pursuant to the Order and Warrant, the Commission on January 25, 2021 executed simultaneous and contemporaneous searches and seizures at multiple BAT Parties locations and a location of a service provider,” the statement said. 

“The Commission gathered, received and procured substantial evidence from forensic analysis of electronic communications and other information/data obtained during the search, as well as other evidence procured during, and after the search from other legitimate sources.

“Additional investigation, including proffers, hearings, transcripts of sworn testimonies, and continuing analysis of evidence established and supported multiple violations of the FCCPA and other enactments.

“During the investigation and in furtherance of mutual engagements between the Commission and BAT Parties, BAT Parties in writing sought, and the Commission accepted BAT Parties into cooperation under the Commission’s Cooperation/Assistance Rules & Procedure, 2021 (CARP).

“The Cooperation/Assistance Framework (CAF) provides for benefits such as possible reduced monetary penalties (Rule 4.1); waiver of the application of the Commission’s Administrative Penalties Regulations 2020 (Rule 4.2); as well as prosecutorial discretion, particularly Rules 5.1 and 5.3 (subject to compliance with Rules 3 and 5.4).”

‘BAT PARTIES, FCCPC EXECUTE MUTUAL CONSENT AGREEMENT’

According to the commission, it mutually executed a consent order and notice with BAT parties, ending the investigation after considering “the record, evidence, and violations” under the law.

“BAT Parties shall pay a penalty of $110,000,000 (One Hundred and Ten Million Dollars) under and pursuant to Sections 155 of the FCCPA, Clause 11 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission’s Administrative Penalties Regulations, 2020 and Clause 4.2 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission’s Investigative Cooperation/Assistance Rules and Procedures, 2021,” the commission said. 

FCCPC said the order also mandates that BAT Parties are subject to monitoring under its supervision for 24 months to “ensure appropriate business practices modification to be more consistent with compliance with prevailing competition laws/regulations; and tobacco control efforts”. 

The commission said the companies would be required to conduct mandatory public health and tobacco control advocacy, compliant with legislation and regulations, to mitigate evidence of undermining national policies. 

According to FCCPC, “BAT Parties shall provide Written Assurances to the Commission pursuant to Section 153 of the FCCPA as required”.

“In exchange for BAT Parties fulfilling their obligations under the Consent Order, the Commission withdrew pending criminal charges against BATN and at least one employee with respect to obstructing the Commission by attempting to prevent execution of the search warrant and initial lack of cooperation/compliance with steps in the investigation,” FCCPC said. 

The commission expressed commitment to its mandate of promoting and ensuring fair markets and protecting consumer interests.

The Cable

Lucky Aiyedatiwa has been sworn in as the substantive governor of the state.

Aiyedatiwa was sworn in on Wednesday at the government house, Alagbaka, Akure, the state capital, after the death of Rotimi Akeredolu, the governor of Ondo.

In his acceptance speech, Aiyedatiwa asked the “people of Ondo State to continue to remember us in their prayers as we continue to emplace good governance in our dear State”.

Akeredolu died on Wednesday morning at the age of 67.

Before his death, the Ondo governor had been away from the state since June for medical treatment and returned on September 7.

On December 12, Richard Olatunde, chief press secretary to the late governor, announced that his principal would embark on a medical leave on Wednesday, December 13 as a follow-up to his treatment.

Olatunde said in a statement that ”a formal letter regarding the medical leave and a notice formally transferring power in line with the Nigerian Constitution will be transmitted to the House of Assembly”.

“In the absence of Governor Akeredolu, the Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, will assume the responsibilities of the Governor in an acting capacity,” the statement reads.

POLITICAL CRISIS

On September 7, Akeredolu returned to Nigeria after a three-month medical leave in Germany and was operating from his residence in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.

His remote working scenario led to a political crisis in Ondo — one that pitted Akeredolu’s loyalists against his deputy.

There were also attempts to impeach the deputy governor before and after Akeredolu’s return to Nigeria.

On November 24, President Bola Tinubu waded into the the Cold war and rift between Akeredolu and Aiyedatiwa.

On November 28, Olamide Oladiji, speaker of the Ondo house of assembly, asked Aiyedatiwa to sign an undated letter of resignation as a pre-condition for a transfer of power to him.

There have also been allegations of Akeredolu’s signature being forged on official documents as the governor continued to work from Ibadan.

Akeredolu immediately refuted  the allegations.

The Cable

Governor of Ondo State, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (Aketi), passed away in the early hours of Wednesday in a German hospital after several months of battle with leukemia and prostrate cancer.

His death came at a time when hope rose for an improved medical situation.

Akeredolu, 67, was born on 21 July, 1957 in Owo to J. Ola Akeredolu of the Akeredolu family in Owo and Grace Akeredolu of Aderoyiju family of Igbotu, Ese Odo, Ondo State.

Akeredolu attended Aquinas College, Akure, Loyola College, Ibadan, Oyo State, and Comprehensive High School, Ayetoro, in Ogun State for his secondary and Higher School Education.

He also attended the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) to study law and he graduated in 1977.

He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1978 and became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) 20 years later. He was elected President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in 2008.

His leadership of the NBA was marked by vibrancy and activism. He was not only forthright, he was also sensitive to human rights abuses.

Aketi’s approach to governance and his commitment to the protection of the interest of the people made him one who could speak to power without fear or doubts. He was dogged in his political pursuit, not for self service, but for good governance.

Akeredolu was popular with his call for the transfer of power to Vice President Goodluck Jonathan in 2009 during the crisis arising from the ailment of late President Umar Yar’Adua.

Akeredolu was the the NBA President and was noted to have repeatedly called on the President to resign since he could not longer continue his responsibilities as President.

Ironically, his words calling for the hand over of power to Jonathan given the incapacitation of President Yar’Adua, was deployed by the opposition in calling on him to hand over power to his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, in the closing days of his battle with his ailment.

Politics

Akeredolu’s foray into active politics began when he was appointed Attorney General of Ondo State between 1997 and 1999, before he became Chairman of the the Legal Aid Council where he served between 2005 and 2006.

He contested the governorship election in Ondo State in 2012 on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria(ACN). That election returned Olusegun Mimiko of the Labour Party, for a second term in office.

Akeredolu was offered the ticket to run for governor in the 2016 governorship election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress. He won and became the governor of the state. He was fortunate to be returned for a second term in 2020, the tenure he could not complete due to his demise.

Political Activism

Akeredolu was one governor who did not mince words in faulting the current political and economic structure of the Nigerian Federation. His call for restructuring was seen as daring, which was not popular with most leaders within the APC.

“The need for restructuring has become undeniable. The federal government must relinquish its excessive control over the sub-national entities. It is imperative that security is decentralised to the states. There is no better time than now for the establishment of state police,” Akeredolu restated in June this year while marking the June 12 Celebrations.

Akeredolu did not only mouth the call, he activated it and made efforts to demonstrate the fact that devolving powers to states could ensure a better, richer and safer Nigerian society.

He rallied other states in the South-west to creat the Western Nigerian Security Network now known as Amotekun. This development was in the face of stringent opposition, especially from the northern axis.

Ondo State under Aketi witnessed an effective implementation of the security policy, largely checking the malady of herdsmen and farmers clashes.

Herders and their masters were forced to comply with the laws regulating grazing with Amotekun empowered to enforce the law to the letter. This legacy will not be forgotten by farmers who had continued to rely on the security outfit to help tame the marauding herdsmen.

Amotekun has also recorded significant achievements in the fight against kidnapping in Ondo State. several persons had been arrested and prosecuted for kidnapping and its response to distress calls have also been noted and commended.

Akeredolu’s cry to the Federal Government to allow the outfit handle automatic weapons to enable it tackle violent crimes has yet to be heeded and it was one of his aspirations before he breathed his last.

His leadership of the South-west Governor’s Forum gave a bite to the development drive of leaders of the region. The DAWN Commission received a boost and development plan for the region was begining to gain more attention.

Governance

When he first arrived the Alagbaka Government House, Akeredolu inherited a huge backlog of salary arrears. His predecessor ran into a serious problem of financial crisis when revenues from the Federation account dwindled.

However through frugal management of the state funds, Aketi managed to pay off the debts and ensured salaries were paid promptly to state workers.

Even the opposition could not fault him on his approach to prudent management of resources. Projects were gradually, duly executed across the state.

His approach to the retention of policies inherited from his predecessor was realistic. Akeredolu would not continue what he could not sustain. One of such examples is the free shuttle buses for students, which had to be ended due to its growing burden on the government. It was however reintroduced as palliatives following the removal of fuel subsidy.

Political battles

Aketi was a dogged fighter and would not be intimidated by any political figure if his convictions were challenged.

While he sought the ticket to run for governor in 2016, he had to contend with strong political forces following the controversies that attended the governorship primaries.

Olusola Oke, who was aggrieved at the outcome of the primaries, defected to the Alliance for Democracy and was rumoured to have received the blessing of Bola Tinubu, who was then the national leader of the APC.

The APC membership was torn between Akeredolu and Oke. Akeredolu eventually won the election, and after time went by, the animosity died down and Oke and his supporters returned to the party.

Akeredolu also had to grapple with his deputy, Agboola Ajayi, who wanted to replace him while he sought for a second term in office.

Ajayi eventually survived impeachment and went ahead to contest against Aketi on the platform of Zenith Labour Party. Aketi defeated him and the PDP candidate, Eyitayo Jegede to return to office.

His last battle with his deputy was clouded and hazy as his illness took a strong hold on him. It remains a mystery if Akeredolu actually moved against his deputy or the uproar was a product of the machinations of the “cabal.”

Former president, Muhammadu Buhari, in October 2022, conferred on Akeredolu the Nigerian national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), an honour well deserved of a man who came, fought and conquered.

PT

Nigeria Labour Congress on Wednesday mourned the death of a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na’Abba.

The late lawmaker, born on September 27, 1958, died in Abuja Wednesday morning.

According to family sources, the former Speaker of the lower house battled with an ailment for a long time before passing away.

The congress in a statement signed by its National President, Joe Ajaero, said Na’Abba will be remembered for his principled stance on national issues, asserting the independence of the Legislature, building strong institutions and championing the cause and course of our nascent democracy at great a cost to his person and office.

This was just as it noted that the late lawmaker will be remembered for his role in truncating the third-term agenda of individuals it described as “formidable anti-democratic forces.”

The statement read, “In particular, Na’Abba will be remembered for his heroic role in thwarting the third-term agenda of the then formidable anti-democratic forces.

“He paid dearly for his role and was not allowed to return to the parliament ever since but he lost nothing of his national status or relevance.

“But beyond thwarting the third term agenda, Na’Abba is on record to have repeatedly held the executive accountable for their actions almost culminating in the impeachment of the President.

“We at the Congress mourn this fine gentleman, principled politician and one of the greatest heroes of our democracy. Our condolences go to his family, his political associates and the leadership of the National Assembly.”

Na’Abba joined the Peoples Democratic Party, and became the party’s candidate for Kano Municipal Federal Constituency, a position he won during the April 1999 general elections.

He subsequently emerged as Speaker of the House of Representatives after the political crisis that led to the exit of the first Speaker of the Fourth Republic, Salisu Buhari.

Punch

On foot and by donkey cart, thousands flee widening Israeli assault in central Gaza

Thousands of Palestinian families fled Wednesday from the brunt of Israel’s expanding ground offensive into Gaza’s few remaining, overcrowded refuges, as the military launched heavy strikes across the center and south of the territory, killing dozens, Palestinian health officials said.

On foot or riding donkey carts loaded with belongings, a stream of people flowed into Deir al-Balah — a town that normally has a population of around 75,000. It has been overwhelmed by several hundred thousand people driven from northern Gaza as the region was pounded to rubble.

Because U.N. shelters are packed many times over capacity, the new arrivals set up tents on sidewalks for the cold winter night. Most crowded onto streets around the town’s main hospital, Al-Aqsa Martyrs, hoping it would be safer from Israeli strikes.

Still, no place is safe in Gaza. Israeli offensives are crowding most of the population into Deir al-Balah and Rafah at the territory’s southern edge as well as a tiny rural area by the southern coastline. Those areas continue to be hit by Israeli strikes that regularly crush homes full of people.

Israel has said its campaign in Gaza is likely to last for months, vowing to dismantle Hamas across the territory and prevent a repeat of its Oct. 7 attack into southern Israel. Benny Gantz, a member of the country’s three-man War Cabinet, said the fighting ”will be expanded, according to need, to additional centers and additional fronts.”

He and other Israeli officials also threatened greater military action against Lebanon’s Hezbollah, hiking fears of an all-out war on that front.

The two sides have exchanged fire almost daily across the border. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen warned Wednesday that “all options are on the table” if Hezbollah does not withdraw from the border area, as called for under a 2006 U.N. cease-fire.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah “must understand that he’s next,” Cohen said.

DEATH, DISPLACEMENT AND STARVATION

Israel’s offensive in Gaza has already been one of the most devastating military campaigns in recent history. More than 21,100 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza. The count doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants.

Some 85% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million people have fled their homes. U.N. officials say a quarter of Gaza’s population is starving under Israel’s siege, which allows in only a trickle of food, water, fuel and other supplies.

The latest people to be displaced fled from several built-up refugee camps in central Gaza targeted in the latest phase of Israel’s ground assault. One of the camps, Bureij, came under heavy bombardment throughout the night as Israeli troops moved in.

“It was a night of hell. We haven’t seen such bombing since the start of the war,” said Rami Abu Mosab, speaking from Bureij, where he has sheltered since fleeing his home in northern Gaza.

The Israeli military issued evacuation orders for Bureij and neighboring areas Tuesday. The area was home to nearly 90,000 people before the war and now shelters more than 61,000 displaced people, mostly from the north, according to the U.N. Bureij camp, like others in Gaza, houses refugees from the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation and their descendants and now resembles other densely populated neighborhoods.

It was not known how many were evacuating. In Deir al-Balah over the past two days, empty lots have filled up with families in tents or sleeping on blankets on the ground.

This was the third move further south for Ibrahim al-Zatari, a daily laborer. First he, his wife and four children moved in with relatives in Gaza City after a strike flattened their home in northern Gaza. Later, they fled to Bureij to escape fighting in the city. On Wednesday morning, they made an hourslong journey on foot to Deir al-Balah, where — like many others — they wandered the streets looking for an empty spot to lie down.

“There is no foothold here,” he said. “Where should we go?”

With much of northern Gaza leveled, Palestinians fear a similar fate awaits other areas, including Khan Younis, where Israeli forces launched ground operations in early December. The Israeli military said Wednesday it deployed another brigade in the city, a sign of the tough fighting.

Israeli shelling Wednesday struck a residential building in Khan Younis next to Al-Amal Hospital, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent, which runs the facility.

Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said at least 20 people were killed and dozens more wounded. Footage from the scene showed several torn bodies lying in the street as rescue workers loaded a man whose legs had been severed onto a stretcher.

Despite U.S. calls for Israel to shift to a more precise assault, the military so far appears to be following the same pattern used in earlier phases of the ground offensive in northern Gaza and Khan Younis. Before troops move in, heavy bombardment targets what Israel says is Hamas’ tunnels and military infrastructure. Fierce urban fighting follows as troops move block to block, backed by airstrikes and shelling that the military says aim to force out pockets of militants. The resulting devastation has been massive.

Israel has said Hamas must be destroyed after its attacks on Israel killed some 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and abducted around 240. An estimated 129 remain in captivity after dozens were freed.

Israel blames Hamas for the high civilian death toll in Gaza because the militants operate in residential areas. Late Wednesday, the army said it destroyed a network of tunnels that stretched for several kilometers in Gaza City and served as a command and control center. Part of it ran under a hospital and had an exit inside a neighboring school, it said.

The military says it has killed thousands of militants, without presenting evidence, and that 164 of its soldiers have been killed in the ground offensive.

WARNING OVER LEBANON

Cross-border exchanges of fire have escalated between Hezbollah and the Israeli military.

An Israeli strike on a family home in Lebanon overnight killed a Hezbollah fighter, his brother and his sister-in-law, local officials and state media said Wednesday. A day earlier, a Hezbollah strike wounded 11 people in northern Israel.

Since the Gaza war began, the near daily battles have forced tens of thousands of Israelis to evacuate their homes from nearby communities. At least nine soldiers and four civilians have been killed on the Israeli side, and around 150 people on the Lebanese side, mostly fighters from Hezbollah and other groups, but also 17 civilians.

Gantz warned that time for diplomatic pressure was “running out.”

“If the world and the Lebanese government will not act to stop the firing on the northern settlements and keep Hezbollah away from the border, the IDF will do so,” he said, referring to the Israeli military.

In the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces killed at least six Palestinians during an overnight raid in the refugee neighborhood of Nur Shams, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. More than 300 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the start of the war, mostly in confrontations with Israeli forces during raids and protests.

AP

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

West ‘quietly shifting’ Ukraine strategy – Politico

The US and the EU have abandoned their objective of “total victory” of Ukraine over Russia in favor of a negotiated settlement that might cede some territory to Moscow, Politico reported on Wednesday citing several anonymous insiders.

Publicly, both the White House and the Pentagon insist there has been no official change in policy. Two unnamed US administration officials – including a White House spokesman – and an European diplomat have told Politico’s Michael Hirsh otherwise.

American and European officials are now “discussing the redeployment” of Ukrainian troops away from the “mostly failed” counteroffensive and into a defensive posture, according to Hirsh’s sources.

Hirsh also highlighted that US President Joe Biden used to promise to support Ukraine for “as long as it takes,” but is now saying “as long as we can” instead. With the additional aid funding stuck in Congress, the US government is pushing for “rapidly resurrecting” Ukraine’s own military industry.

The anonymous White House spokesman told Politico that negotiations have always been the US endgame in Ukraine, and that all the aid to Kiev has been intended to give it “the strongest hand possible when that comes.”

According to Politico, Biden wants a ceasefire in both Ukraine and the Middle East, as his endorsement of Israel’s offensive in Gaza is “costing him support” among the progressive Democrats, and he wants to “avoid bad headlines in an election year.”

Biden “can’t appear to be handing the advantage” to Russia after spending almost two years proclaiming its full backing of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s objective of total victory, Hirsh noted. 

The White House “can’t back down publicly because of the political risk”to Biden, said a congressional official described as familiar with the administration’s thinking, who acknowledged that discussions about peace talks “are starting.”

Last week, the New York Times reported that Moscow might be willing to accept a ceasefire freezing the current frontline. The Kremlin dismissed the story as “incorrect” while Kiev denounced the US newspaper of record as working for Russia.

What the White House fears now is that Russia may not be willing to negotiate until after the November 2024 election, while its forces might go on the offensive in the spring, according to Hirsh.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

US to provide up to $250 mln in arms, equipment to Ukraine -Blinken

The U.S. will provide up to $250 million in arms and equipment to Ukraine in the final package of aid this year to help Kyiv in its war with Russia, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday.

President Joe Biden has asked Congress to provide another $61 billion in aid to Ukraine, but Republicans are refusing to approve the assistance without an agreement with Democrats to tighten security along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The White House has warned that without the additional appropriation U.S. aid will run out by the end of the year for Ukraine's fight to retake territory occupied by Russian forces since it invaded in February 2022.

Blinken said the latest aid package included air defense munitions, additional ammunition for high-mobility artillery rocket systems, artillery ammunition, anti-armor munitions and over 15 million rounds of ammunition.

Congress has approved more than $110 billion for Ukraine since Russia's invasion, but it has not approved any funds since Republicans took control of the House of Representatives from Democrats in January 2023.

RT/Reuters

For eight years, Bronnie Ware was an in-home caregiver who looked after people who were dying. Her clients knew they were severely ill, and most were in the last three to 12 weeks of their lives.

But Ware gradually realized that the most important role she was playing was not physical, but emotional. She was there to listen, and she catalogued those intimate reflections her book, “The Top Five Regrets of the Dying.”

In their last days, many of her patients shared with her their regrets. The most common answer, according to Ware, was: “I wish I had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”

“It is very important to try and honor at least some of your dreams along the way before it is too late,” she writes. “Health brings a freedom very few realize, until they no longer have it.”

As a psychologist, this is something I see all the time with my patients. I always tell them that to boost my happiness and stop the clock on regret, I work on developing an appreciation for time.

Why time is the most valuable resource we have

In the daily grind, it’s easy to fall out of alignment with what is most important to you.

But living with an awareness of our own mortality fundamentally changes what we value and how we choose to use our time. It unmasks the frivolous, empty pursuits our culture often validates.

Does the response to your social media post really matter? Does it matter what car you drive? Does it matter that a friend group boxes you out of their social circle? If they let you in, do you really want to spend your precious time with them?

Fully embracing the fact that we are not going to live forever brings our values into sharp focus. When the dermatologist tells you she wants to biopsy an irregular-shaped mark because it looks precancerous, you are likely are not thinking about the high-achieving image you have carefully constructed to present to your colleagues.

Once you recognize that time is the most precious of all commodities, there will no longer be a disconnect between the choices you want to make and the choices you actually make.

What will you regret at the end of your life?

You don’t need to wait and then look back and wish you had done things differently. You can start with a clean slate today. Simply ask yourself what you regret at this exact moment.

If you wish you were more present for your two-year-old daughter, you are likely going to have that same regret four decades from now. If you regret opting for the comfort and familiarity of your current job rather than reaching for the stars, you will likely have a similar regret down the road.

The big difference between now and then is that you have the ability to do something about it today.

Here’s another simple exercise that I love: When you say goodbye to someone, say it as if you might not ever see them again. Say goodbye in a way that you demonstrate the gratitude you have for the time you have spent together.

Start with one person today. Tomorrow, two. Work your way until it becomes part of your everyday routine.

** Michael Gervais is a high-performance psychologist and author

CNBC

Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, is dead.

Sources said the governor died on Wednesday at 67.

A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress in the state said arrangements were being concluded to swear in his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

The state government has yet to speak on the matter.

Efforts to get confirmation from the Alagbaka Government House proved abortive as of the time of filing this report.

When contacted, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Richard Olabode, did not take his calls nor respond to text messages sent to his phone by one of our correspondents.

Also, the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mrs Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, did not take her calls when our correspondent contacted her on the matter.

Punch

Ghali Umar Na’Abba, a former speaker of the house of representatives, is dead. He was aged 65. 

The 4th speaker of Nigeria’s green chamber died at the National Hospital in Abuja around 3 am on Wednesday.

Na’Abba was born on September 27, 1958 in Tudun Wada, Kano state.

He was speaker of the house representatives, as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), from 1999 to 2003.

He obtained a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1979 and completed a postgraduate programme on Leadership and Good Governance at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University in the US in 2004. 

He lost his re-election bid to the house in 2003 after falling out with the presidency. As house speaker, Na’Abba was a constant thorn in the flesh of Olusegun Obasanjo, who was Nigeria’s president from 1999 to 2007.

In 2014, Na’Abba defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and remained a political and public commentator until his passing.

The Cable

The special investigator panel on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and related entities has summoned Babatunde Lemo, chairman of Titan Trust Bank (TTB), over the institution’s acquisition of Union Bank of Nigeria (UBN).

In a letter dated December 24, 2023, and signed by Eloho Okpoziakpo, head of operations at the office of the special investigator team, Cornelius Vink and Rahul Savara, the major shareholders in TTB, were also invited.

The letter, addressed to Lemo by Jim Obazee, head of the special investigator team, said the invited officials must present themselves by 2 pm on December 28, 2023, to the Department of Force Intelligence (DFI).

The panel’s recent report had disclosed how Godwin Emefiele, the former CBN governor, allegedly used two Dubai-based companies (Luxis International and Magna International) to set up Titan Trust Bank (TTB) as proxies for the acquisition of UBN.

Denying the claims, TTB said the transaction followed due process and met all regulatory requirements, including that of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the CBN.

‘OFFENSIVE DEFENCE’

But emphasising its findings, the probe panel labelled the bank’s rebuttal as an “offensive defence”.

Following TTB’s denial, the special investigator team said Lemo discussed with Obazee as well as sent an email “wherein you tried to provide clarification on your reaction to the report on TTB”.

“The defence seems contrary to the statements, made under caution, by the persons connected with these transactions, including your good self, before the Special Investigator at the Department of State Service (DSS) in August 2023,” the letter reads. 

According to a letter dated August 28, 2023, addressed to Vink, UBN’s managing director (MD), and TTB’s MD, the special investigator team had requested requisite documents regarding the two Dubai-based companies.

The panel further said details of the companies should include documentation “that led to the licensing of Titan Trust Bank and the acquisition of controlling shareholding of Union Bank of Nigeria by these entities”.

The panel also requested the companies’ proof of funds, internationally verifiable bank statements (from incorporation of the entities to date), and the shareholder that gave interest-free loans to the two entities separately (names, nationality, source of the fund, proof of such funds, bank statements).

Also, the special investigator team requested information regarding the entities’ relationship with Emefiele, Lemo, Andrew Ojei, and others.

However, in its response to the panel’s letter on September 1, 2023, UBN requested that “we submit the documents/information requested for in printed and electronic formats for ease of your review and analysis”.

The bank also said Vink and Savara would be unavailable for the meeting, noting that “they will be available for the meeting as soon as they are in Nigeria which we hope will be soon”.

‘TTB SUGGESTED VINK, SAVARA CLARIFY INVOLVEMENT IN THE COMPANY’

According to the special investigator team, based on earlier discussions with the entities, TTB suggested that Savara and Vink be invited to provide clarification on their share ownership and given seven days to make such clarification — “failure which they will forfeit their shares to the federal government”.

The special investigator team said it was shocked at the bank’s request with regard to the two shareholders, who were given the opportunity to appear before the panel since August 28, 2023, according to the letter.

The panel said instead of honouring the invitation and providing the requested documents, UBN informed the special investigator in its letter that “Mr. Cornelius Vink was out of the country on medical grounds” and that both “Messrs Vink and Savara will be available for the meeting as soon as they are in Nigeria which will be soon”. 

Until the defence in the public domain, the special investigator team said it has “neither heard from them nor received the requested documents”.

“Accordingly, you are hereby invited to come along with Messrs Cornelius Vink and Mr. Rahul Savara to meet with the Team of Special Investigators by 2pm on 28th December 2023 at the Department of Force Intelligence DFI), Opposite Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, Shehu Shagari Way, Area 11, Garki, Abuja; without fail or excuse,” the panel said.

“Please inform them to come along with all the documents/information requested from them by the letter to Mr. Cornelius Vink dated 28th August 2023 (attached herewith as Appendix 1). You will also be required to make additional statements to your earlier statement on that day.

“Kindly note that if Messrs Cornelius Vink and Rahul Savara refused to attend this meeting and provide/defend the requested documents/information, it will be construed that they have decided to forfeit their purported shareholdings in TTB and Union Bank of Nigeria; irrespective of which vehicle that they are using to own the purported shares.

The panel warned that if Lemo also refuses to attend the meeting to provide additional statement to his earlier statement made in August 2023, “it will be construed that you misled the Nigerian public with your reaction” in the newspapers “which has gained wide publicity in both electronic and print media”. 

The invitation, according to the special investigator team, is to further ensure that it is beyond reasonable doubt, “the federal government has given the company a fair hearing”.

The Cable