NEWS
Abuja Indigenes Demand Probe of Alleged Compensation Fraud Linked to FCDA Boss

Some indigenes of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have called for a thorough investigation into the alleged fraud in the compensation and relocation of victims of demolition in Gishiri Village, Abuja.
A total of 455 houses and structures standing on a road corridor in the village were demolished to give way for a road project.
However, media reports alleged that victims of the demolished houses and structures, were being defrauded by officials of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).
The reports, which emanated from a meeting between the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike and leaders of the community, particularly identified Mr Richard Dauda, the acting Executive Secretary of the authority as the culprit.
Reacting to the development, the indigenes, under different civil society organisations, in a joint statement in Abuja on Tuesday, called on the FCT Minister to investigate the claim.
According to them, the full investigation of the alleged fraud is necessary to determine the veracity of the claim and bring the culprit to book.
The statement was jointly signed by the President of Abuja Original Inhabitants Youths Empowerment Organisation, Isaac Isaac, and Youths Leader, FCT Youths Network, Mr Umar Makeri.
Others are the Women Leader, Abuja Original Inhabitants Women Association, Sarki Yemi and Chief Ambassador, Abuja Grassroots Ambassadors and Coalition of Nigeria Youth on Security and Safety Affairs, Mr Yunusa Yusuf.
The group called for a probe into the fraud allegations, insisting that the FCDA Executive Secretary was wrongfully accused.
They called for fair hearing to enable Dauda to exonerate himself from the alleged fraud linked to him.
The group argued that a press release from the Director of Press, Office of the Minister, had completely absolved the FCDA boss of any fraud.
According to the group, the emphasis was on fair compensation for owners of demolished structures in Gishiri Village, irrespective of their indigenisation status.
“We the civil society organisations in the FCT have taken interest in the demolition, compensation and relocation of affected persons from Gishiri Village.
“We have done our investigations and can tell you that nobody was paid before demolition was carried out.
“While we believe that the media has the responsibility of holding government officials accountable, they also owe it to the people to present the facts as they are.”
The group commended the FCT minister for increasing the compensation funds from N655 million to N1.3 billion, stressing the need for social justice and equity.
They, however, said that they would not stand by and watch while an innocent person was being wrongfully accused.
“Is the Executive Secretary responsible for paying compensation? Is that not the responsibility of the Department of Resettlement and Compensation?
“Why then is the Executive Secretary of FCDA dragged for what he is not directly responsible for?
“We, therefore, call for a thorough investigation of all those involved in the compensation payment, where everyone involved will be given an opportunity to present their own case,” the statement said. (NAN)
NEWS
Tinubu to Meet GenCos Leadership over 4trn Debt-Minister

The Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu on Sunday said that a meeting has been scheduled between President Bola Tinubu and the leadership of the Power Generation Companies(GenCos) over a N4-trillion debt.Mr Bolaji Tunji, Special Adviser, Strategic Communications and Media Relations to the minister of power said this in a statement in Abuja on Sunday.
According to Adelabu, the planned meeting with President Tinubu aims to chart a viable course for resolving the debtAdelabu assured that the Federal Government would immediately pay a significant portion of the debt, while the balance would be settled using financial instruments such as promissory notes within six months. “We recognise the urgency of this matter. The government is committed to resolving this debt to stabilise the sector and prevent further crisis,” Adelabu said.Acknowledging the government’s own role in the sector’s challenges, Adelabu pledged not only to clear the debt backlog but also to implement structural reforms that would remove operational bottlenecks.He emphasised the need for full liberalisation of the power sector and called for the adoption of cost-reflective tariffs.“Citizens must pay the appropriate price for the energy consumed.“The Federal Government will continue to provide targeted subsidies for economically disadvantaged Nigerians, but we must realise that our economy cannot sustain blanket subsidies indefinitely,” he said.The minister also unveiled plans to review existing regulations to lower levies and enhance market stability.He urged GenCos to partner with the government in raising public awareness on efficient electricity use and tariff realities.The GenCos were led by Col. Sani Bello(Rtd), Chairman of Mainstream Energy Solutions, and who is also the Chairman of Association of Power Generating Companies.Bello warned that persistent liquidity challenges had left GenCos unable to service loans or maintain critical infrastructure.“Without urgent intervention, the entire power ecosystem could collapse,” he said.Mr Kola Adesina, Chairman of Egbin Power and First Independent Power Limited, described the situation as a national emergency.He said that reliable power supply was fundamental to the survival of industries, homes, and health facilities.Mrs Joy Ogaji, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Association of Power Generation Companies, listed the systemic challenges undermining GenCos, including chronic payment defaults, erratic gas supply, and forex instability.She lamented the steep depreciation of the naira—from ₦157/$1 in 2013 to ₦1,600/$1 in 2024. saying it had devastated GenCos’ ability to meet maintenance obligations and repay loans.“GenCos have borne unsustainable risks from grid failures to unproductive taxes while remaining patriotic,” she said.(NAN)NEWS
Youth Assembly Denounces Attacks on Seyi Tinubu

The Yoruba Youth Assembly (YYA), umbrella body of all Yoruba youth groups, has condemned recent misinformation and character attacks against Mr Seyi Tinubu, President Bola Tinubu’s son. This is contained in a communiqué issued on Sunday following a meeting held in Ibadan with 38 affiliated sister unions in attendance.
The communiqué was signed by the group’s President, Mr Thomas Olarinde, and Spokesperson, Mr Jide Alofe. Daily Asset recalls a factional National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) President, Atiku Isah, accused Seyi Tinubu of disrupting his Abuja inauguration and locking the venue. The communiqué partly read: “We strongly condemn the baseless allegations by Atiku Isah, claiming thugs linked to Mr Seyi Tinubu assaulted him. “These claims are unfounded, malicious, and politically driven. “His claim of being offered a N100 million bribe is a deliberate falsehood aimed at discrediting reputable individuals like Mr Sunday Asefon.” Olarinde said opposition forces are using Atiku Isah to destabilise the student movement and tarnish dedicated youth advocates’ reputations. The YYA president urged Isah to stop spreading misinformation and stirring confusion, adding that he never participated in the official NANS convention or elections. Olarinde added, “As such, he lacks legitimacy to speak or act as NANS President. “His continued impersonation is deceitful and a calculated move to mislead the student body and general public.” He urged Isah to desist from his actions and stop dragging the Minister of Youth’s office into political controversy. He also asked him to respect Seyi Tinubu, who supports youth development initiatives across Nigeria. Olarinde affirmed Mr Olusola Oladoja as the legitimate NANS President, calling all other claims fraudulent and misleading. He warned that the matter now affects the integrity of student representation across the country. “YYA vowed not to allow impostors to hijack student platforms for selfish political purposes. “We will resist any effort to distort facts or misuse student platforms for manipulation,” he said. (NANNEWS
NDDC Warns Nigerians Against Scammers Offering Fake Scholarships

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has warned the public regarding the activities of fraudsters offering non-existent postgraduate scholarships to unsuspecting victims.Mrs Seledi Thompson-Wakama, Director of Corporate Affairs at the NDDC, issued the warning in a statement released in Port Harcourt on Sunday.
She disclosed that the scammers had been soliciting money from members of the public under the pretext of securing scholarship placements. “The attention of the NDDC has been drawn to fraudulent emails and messages sent to applicants of the commission’s Postgraduate Foreign Scholarship Programme,” she said.Thompson-Wakama revealed that the fraudulent emails, purportedly sent from nddcregistry@gmail.com and claiming to be from the NDDC’s ‘Board Registry,’ invite recipients to a fictitious document verification and authentication exercise.According to her, the purported exercise is scheduled to take place from May 19 to May 21 at Bishop Oluwole Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.“Members of the public are hereby advised that the NDDC has no affiliation with this fraudulent selection process,” she stressed.She further clarified that all official communication concerning the commission’s scholarship programme are conducted exclusively through the official NDDC portal: www.scholarship.nddc.gov.ng.“Applicants are strongly advised to disregard any unsolicited messages requesting money, invitation, sensitive information, or offering scholarship placements outside of the official NDDC procedures,” she added.Thompson-Wakama urged anyone who receives such fraudulent emails to report them immediately to the appropriate law enforcement authorities for prompt investigation and action.She encouraged Nigerians interested in the NDDC’s programmes to utilise only the official NDDC communication channels.“We also advise former beneficiaries of the commission’s programmes and prospective applicants to verify all information through the NDDC’s official website official: www.nddc.gov.ng,” she concluded. (NAN)