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Okowa Criticises FG for Allowing Zamfara to Control Gold, Depriving South South Control of Oil
The governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, on Wednesday said criticised Buhari administration’s decision to allow some states like Zamfara mine and manage gold and other solid minerals in their domains, while stopping the Niger Delta states from managing their oil and gas resources.
The governor said the policy was “discriminatory”. He said all states in the South-South region were united in the quest for the restructuring of the country.
Mr Okowa stated this during his quarterly interaction with journalists on Wednesday in Asaba.
He said that there was need to restructure the country to pave the way for the devolution of more powers to states and local governments.
According to Mr Okowa, who is the Chairman, South-South Governors’ Forum, Nigeria is not making progress as it ought to because the issues of restructuring and resource control are yet to be addressed.
He disclosed that restructuring and resource control as well as security would form a major plank of the discussion at a meeting between a presidential delegation and leaders of the South-South billed for Port Harcourt on Friday.
“The South-South Governors have been in the forefront for the devolution of power to states and local governments.
“Restructuring, resource control and security of the country, especially in the Niger Delta will be a major topic of discussion at the Presidential parley coming up in Port Harcourt,” he said.
Responding to a question on the gold deposit in Zamfara State and the decision of the state government to control the resource, the governor said that there were Acts of the National Assembly that dealt with oil production and solid minerals.
“We cannot apply laws in such a manner that it becomes discriminatory because you cannot mine solid minerals somewhere in Zamfara and you can’t allow Niger Delta to manage their oil,’’ he said.
Under the Nigerian constitution, all mineral resources in the country are controlled by the federal government. Many have however argued that doing so opposes the idea of true federalism, in which component states are expected to manage their affairs and only contribute to the federal coffers through tax.
Calls for the implementation of true federalism and for the restructuring of the country have been rebuffed for years.
However, the federal government recently announced its support for artisanal mining of gold in some northern states, including Zamfara. President Muhammadu Buhari launched the Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Development Initiative, a comprehensive artisanal and small-scale gold mining development programme in 2019.
On complaints from oil-producing communities, Mr Okowa said that there was an ongoing process to ensure that what got to the communities became statutory and enshrined in the Constitution or in the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).
Mr Okowa said that governors in the South-South were doing well in managing the 13 per cent derivation fund to their states.
“The kind of money we spend, especially on road construction in the Niger Delta is very huge compared to what other states spend and we also spend lots of money securing oil facilities and keeping peace in the region.
“We have our DESOPADEC managing the derivation funds and I am convinced that they are doing their best to make life better for the oil-producing communities.
“We have been short-changed severally because we are not in control of how the funds are distributed. There is a lot of money being owed us on derivation and we are working very hard to get the Federal Government to pay us because it will help us so much in our budget to provide more for the oil producing communities.
“If every community rises up to control their resources then there will be chaos and anarchy,” he said.
The governor hinted that the state government may employ more teachers in the first quarter of 2021 to cater for newly established technical colleges being constructed across the state.
“In 2021 we will employ more teachers basically in Science and Technical Education. We will employ according to needs and not according to pressure.”
He said that his administration had completed many road projects, including the Ovwor-Effurun-Otor Bridge in Ughelli South Council Area, adding that the government had also awarded and mobilised contractors for two major storm drainage projects in Warri, Uvwie and environs.
“We have mobilised them and I hope they work well in this dry season because without tackling the drainage systems in Warri, any road constructed there will not last,’’ he stated.
On tourism, Mr Okowa stated that his administration was constructing Asaba Leisure and Film Village along Illah Road, adding that most movie producers will be headed to Asaba once the project was completed in May, 2021.
Premium Times
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has made changes in the hierarchy of the Service Chiefs in furtherance of the efforts of the federal government of Nigeria to strengthen the national security architecture.
The President appointed General Olufemi Oluyede to replace General Christopher Musa as the new Chief of Defence Staff.
The new Chief of Army Staff is Major-General W. Shaibu. Air Vice Marshall S.K Aneke is Chief of Air Staff while Rear Admiral I. Abbas is the new Chief of Naval Staff. Chief of Defence Intelligence Major-General E.A.P Undiendeye retains his position.
The President expressed appreciation to the outgoing Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa and the other Service Chiefs for their patriotic service, and dedicated leadership.
The President charges the newly appointed Service Chiefs to justify the confidence reposed in them to further enhance the professionalism, vigilance and comradeship that define the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
All appointments take immediate effect, Special Adviser to the President
Media and Public Communication, Mr Sunday Dare, said in a statement in Abuja.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned the trial of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, till Monday, October 27, to enable him to open his defence in the terrorism charges filed against him.
Justice James Omotosho fixed the new date on Friday, after Kanu informed the court that his former legal team, led by former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), had yet to release his case file to him.
At the resumed hearing, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) appeared for the Federal Government and reminded the court that the matter was fixed for Kanu to begin his defence as earlier directed.
However, no counsel represented Kanu.
He pleaded for an adjournment to allow him to retrieve and study the file to prepare adequately for his defence.
He said, “My lord, my counsel left the case yesterday, and I have not received the file from them.”
He also informed the court of his intention to call 23 witnesses, both local and foreign, and requested an order directing the Department of State Services to allow his foreign witnesses access to him.
Additionally, he sought permission for his lawyers to visit him on non-working days — a request Omotosho granted.
Counsel to the Federal Government, Awomolo, however, described Kanu’s complaint as “strange”, noting that the defendant had spent hours in court with his former lawyers. He further urged the court to strictly enforce its earlier directive giving Kanu six days to open and close his defence.
The prosecution said, “I’m aware that there is a standing order for the defendant to defend himself within six days. The defendant wasted yesterday. This is the second day, my lord. I urge your lordship to keep to the standing order of the number of days given to the defendant,” Awomolo said.
In his ruling, Omotosho said while Kanu’s claim about the withheld case file was “strange and difficult to believe”, he would still grant a short adjournment in the interest of justice.
The judge cautioned against unnecessary delays, stressing that several other cases had been affected by the protracted proceedings.
The matter was subsequently adjourned to Monday, October 27, for Kanu to open his defence.
US President, Donald Trump, has pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, the billionaire who built the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange and later served prison time for compliance failures linked to money laundering and illicit activity.
The decision ends a months-long push by Zhao, known widely in the crypto world as “CZ”, to clear his record. The Binance founder has long been seen as one of the most influential figures in the digital asset space and a key supporter of the Trump family’s crypto ventures.
“Deeply grateful for today’s pardon and to President Trump for upholding America’s commitment to fairness, innovation, and justice,” Zhao wrote on social media on Thursday.
The case against Zhao
Zhao served a four-month sentence for violating the Bank Secrecy Act, becoming the first person ever jailed under the law, which requires financial institutions to verify customers’ identities and report suspicious transactions.
Prosecutors said Zhao’s violations were unprecedented, accusing Binance of facilitating more than 1.5 million illegal crypto trades worth nearly $900 million. Those transactions allegedly included dealings with sanctioned groups such as Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades, al-Qaida, and Iran.
Judge Richard Jones, who oversaw the case, said Zhao’s refusal to comply with US banking rules allowed Binance’s explosive growth. Prosecutors cited Zhao telling employees, Better to ask for forgiveness than permission, when referring to the company’s approach to regulation.
“I failed here,” Zhao told the court during sentencing. “I deeply regret my failure, and I am sorry.”
Zhao’s rise is one of tech’s most striking rags-to-riches stories.
Born in rural China, he immigrated to Canada with his family after the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. As a teen, he worked at McDonald’s before turning to tech in college.
He launched Binance in 2017, and within a few years, it had become a global powerhouse in digital finance.
White House defends pardon
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the pardon, saying the counsel’s office had thoroughly reviewed the request.
She accused the previous Biden administration of pursuing “an egregious oversentencing” and adopting a very hostile stance toward the crypto industry.
“President Trump wants to correct this overreach,” Leavitt said, drawing a clear contrast between the two administrations’ approaches to digital finance.
Trump’s move continues his pattern of using presidential clemency to aid political allies, public figures, and others convicted of controversial crimes.
Since taking office, the Trump administration has dropped several enforcement actions against crypto firms initiated under Biden and even dissolved a Justice Department unit focused on crypto-related crimes.
Trump and his sons have also embraced crypto. Their venture, World Liberty Financial, launched a dollar-backed stablecoin that gained early traction after an Abu Dhabi investment fund used $2 billion worth of the token to buy a stake in Binance.
Following news of Zhao’s pardon, the value of another Trump-linked token, World Liberty Finance’s secondary coin, surged sharply, outperforming every major cryptocurrency on Thursday, according to CoinMarketCap.
