Wednesday brief: Atiku Bagudu's secret millions
+ Teachers get new promises
* The Naira/Dollar rate was calculated by averaging buying rates from several Nigerian FinTech startups.
Good morning.
Welcome to the Wednesday briefing. This newsletter keeps you updated with the latest news from Nigeria. Don’t forget to subscribe to receive it in your email before 7 am (WAT) every weekday.
South-East Governors join voices
After meeting in Enugu on Tuesday, the five Governors of the South-East resolved to condemn the sit-at-home orders and attendant killings allegedly sanctioned by the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB).
According to the Governors, the sit-at-home orders are “mostly issued by our people in the diaspora who do not feel the pains.”
They determined to “do everything within the law to ensure that there is no further sit-at-home in the South-East and that people are allowed to freely move about in the zone.”
Ebube Agu: The Governors also said the regional security outfit which was launched in April, will become operational in all five states before the end of 2021.
INEC: Due to the recent attacks in Anambra state, the electoral agency has expressed worry over the conduct of the November 6 governorship election. But Chairman Mahmood Yakubu said INEC “is determined to proceed with the election as scheduled.”
Related: To boost security in Anambra, the Inspector-General of Police has ordered a new police commissioner for the state and the deployment of special forces.
Grand promises for Nigerian teachers
Teaching is one of the oldest, most noble professions in the world and perhaps also the least financially rewarding, especially in emerging markets like Nigeria. But the federal government is attempting to change that.
To mark World Teachers’ Day on Tuesday, the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, announced that university undergraduates studying Education in public universities are entitled to N75,000 per semester.
College of Education students are also billed to receive N50,000.
However, beneficiaries must sign a bond to serve their state for five years after graduation,
The payments are expected to commence in 2022.
Finding the money: In 2020, the federal government promised it would implement a new salary scale for teachers, but according to a Punch report, state governments say that will only be possible based on the availability of funds.
Atiku Bagudu’s secret millions
In continuation of its Pandora Papers-led series of exposé, Premium Times has detailed how Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu concealed huge, controversial funds in secret, offshore accounts.
Mr. Bagudu has long been accused of helping the Sani Abacha family steal billions of dollars from Nigeria in the 1990s.
According to Premium Times, to conceal the suspected illicit wealth, Mr. Bagudu turned to Singapore’s Asiaciti Trust, “an entity notorious for helping clients hide behind opaque offshore trusts to launder dirty money across borders.”
Mr. Bagudu didn’t respond to a comment from Premium Times before publication.
What else is happening?
Babajide Sanwo-Olu: The Lagos State Governor has signed into law the Lagos State Administration of Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill, which prevents the police from parading suspects before the media.
2022 Budget: President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to present the expenditure document to the National Assembly on Thursday. The budget has been raised by N2.47 trillion, bringing the total to N16.45 trillion.
Terrorism: The House of Representatives has asked President Buhari to expose the lawmaker he alleged was sponsoring violent separatists across the country.
Sunday Igboho: Still detained in the Republic of Benin, the Yoruba Nation agitator is in need of urgent medical attention, according to his spokesperson.
Businesses built: Founder of crypto and gift cards platform Patricia, Hanu Fejiro Abodje, tells the story of how he built a multi-million dollar tech startup from Whatsapp.
Sickle cell disease: The United Kingdom has announced what it described as a “life-changing treatment” for the genetic disease, which affects millions of Nigerians.
Window on America: The US Consulate has opened an information resource centre in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.
That’s it for this morning. Have a fantastic day!