• DSS Summons Bawa Following President Tinubu’s Approval of Suspension
• Chef Dammy’s Cookathon Sparks Controversy, Guinness World Records Clarifies
• CBN Implements Major Changes to Unify Forex Market Operations
• Former Governor Ganduje Seeks Court Order to Halt EFCC Probe
• NBA Urges Police, ICPC to Investigate and Prosecute Senator Bulkachuwa

Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, these are the five top Nigerian news stories you shouldn’t miss

DSS Summons Bawa Following President Tinubu’s Approval of Suspension

The Department of State Services (DSS) has issued an invitation to Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, the suspended Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), as part of an ongoing investigation.

The DSS Public Relations Officer, Peter Afunanya, confirmed this development in a statement on Wednesday evening, stating that Bawa had arrived at their premises.

This invitation comes after President Bola Tinubu approved Bawa’s indefinite suspension in order to facilitate a thorough investigation into his conduct during his tenure.

According to a statement by Willie Bassey, the Director of Information at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the decision to suspend Bawa was prompted by “weighty” allegations of abuse of office against him.

As per the statement, Bawa has been instructed to immediately hand over the responsibilities of his office to the Director of Operations at the EFCC. The Director of Operations will oversee the affairs of the Chairman’s office until the investigation concludes.

Chef Dammy’s Cookathon Sparks Controversy, Guinness World Records Clarifies

In a recent development surrounding the cookathon held in Oye-Ekiti, the Guinness World Records has addressed inquiries regarding an application for the event. Chef Dammy, a courageous lady, commenced her cooking marathon on Friday, June 9, aiming to prepare meals continuously for 120 hours. While some Nigerians expressed skepticism about her intentions and adherence to the proper procedure, others rallied in support of her endeavor.

Critics raised concerns, drawing comparisons to Hilda Baci, and questioned Chef Dammy’s motivation to emulate her success. Amidst the controversy, an individual even offered a reward of N1 million to persuade Chef Dammy to halt her cooking marathon.

Online, some Nigerians accused her of interrupting the cooking process to pick beans, while others suggested she take a break and rest. However, Chef Dammy persevered and continued cooking until she reached the 120-hour mark.

To clarify the situation, Legit.ng reached out to the Guinness World Records on Tuesday, June 13, seeking confirmation of their awareness regarding the cookathon. In response, the organization stated that no application had been submitted for the event.

The Guinness World Records website serves as the designated platform for applicants to submit their records for review by the records management team. The organization emphasized that once an application is accepted, the record claimant receives a detailed set of guidelines specific to the record category, along with a list of evidence required for verification.

Addressing concerns about adherence to cooking rules, the Guinness World Records clarified that applicants attempting to break a record receive comprehensive guidelines upon acceptance of their application. These guidelines outline the specific rules and procedures to be followed. The organization maintains a stringent review process to ensure the integrity of each record.

Contrary to claims that Chef Dammy needed to wait for one year before attempting to break Hilda Baci’s record, the Guinness World Records stated that there is no mandatory waiting period to challenge an existing record. The organization explicitly stated, “There is no waiting time to attempt to break an existing record.”

As the dust settles around Chef Dammy’s cookathon in Oye-Ekiti, it becomes apparent that her initial intention may not have been to break a world record. Rather, her cooking marathon appears to be driven by her passion for cooking and the desire to showcase her culinary skills, which many have acknowledged and praised.

CBN Implements Major Changes to Unify Forex Market Operations

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) announced significant operational changes in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange (FX) Market, aimed at unifying all segments into a single entity. The Director of Financial Markets, Angela Sere-Ejembi, issued a statement on Wednesday informing authorized dealers and the general public about the immediate modifications.

One of the key changes involves eliminating the segmentation of the FX market, consolidating all previous windows into the Investors and Exporters (I&E) window.

Under the new framework, all transactions, including applications for medicals, school fees, Business Travel Allowance (BTA), Personal Travel Allowance (PTA), and transactions related to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), will be processed through deposit money banks.

The collapse of the market segments implies that applications for BTA and PTA will now be conducted at the official exchange rate determined by market forces at the I&E window.

The statement further outlined the reintroduction of the ‘Willing Buyer, Willing Seller’ model at the I&E window, allowing eligible transactions to access foreign exchange at their preferred rates. However, the CBN will establish the operational rate for government-related transactions. This rate will be calculated as the weighted average rate of the previous day’s executed transactions at the I&E window, rounded to two decimal places.

With these changes, market forces will become the primary determinants of exchange rates, shifting the currency price towards a floating exchange rate model.

Former Governor Ganduje Seeks Court Order to Halt EFCC Probe

Former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje has approached a High Court in Kano, seeking an injunction to prevent the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from investigating him. The request stems from videos that circulated allegedly showing the ex-governor receiving stacks of dollars from a contractor.

Following public outcry, the Kano House of Assembly established a committee to investigate the alleged bribery, but the committee is yet to submit its report.

Ganduje’s legal action aims to declare the EFCC’s interrogation of the former Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and ex-Accountant General, in relation to the video, as illegal. The lawsuit, filed by the Attorney General in Ganduje’s administration, relies on Section 1 (1) of the 1999 constitution.

The suit argues that since the state lawmakers have already conducted an investigation into the video based on their powers under Section 128 of the 1999 constitution, there is a pending case (No: CV/1598/2021) between Ganduje, Jaafar Jafaar & Anor before the FCT High Court. In this case, Ganduje challenges the authenticity of the video.

According to the suit, “The defendant cannot exercise its investigative powers under Sections 6, 7, and 13 of the EFCC (Establishment) Act 2004 (EFCC Act), until after the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja (Coram: Hon. Justice Y. Halilu), has decided the matter before it.”

The video in question was originally published by Daily Nigerian in 2018. In the face of threats of imprisonment, the publisher Jaafar Jaafar and his family fled to the United Kingdom.

NBA Urges Police, ICPC to Investigate and Prosecute Senator Bulkachuwa

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called on the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to invite and prosecute Senator Adamu Bulkachuwa based on his recent admissions made at the Senate on June 12, 2023.

During a valedictory session, Senator Bulkachuwa, who represented Bauchi South in the Ninth National Assembly, disclosed that he influenced judicial decisions in favor of certain senators while his wife, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, served as the President of the Court of Appeal.

The NBA President, Yakubu Maikyau, expressed his reaction after the 102nd meeting of the National Judicial Council, stating that Senator Bulkachuwa’s remarks made him liable to be investigated and prosecuted, even based on his own admission. Maikyau emphasized that the senator’s comments had a significant negative impact on the integrity and independence of the judiciary.

In a statement, Maikyau referred to a viral video clip where Senator Bulkachuwa mentioned “confidential dealings” he had with his colleagues in the Senate, indicating that he had assisted them while his wife held the judicial position. The senator’s statement also included gratitude towards his wife for tolerating his interference and extending her help to his colleagues.

The NBA President highlighted that if the Senate President had not interrupted Senator Bulkachuwa, more crucial revelations could have been made regarding the “confidential dealings” he allegedly had with his colleagues. These revelations would have provided specific details of his attempts to pervert the course of justice or interfere with due administration of justice.

Describing Senator Bulkachuwa’s conduct as “disgusting and despicable,” Maikyau called for the immediate invitation and interrogation of the senator by the Inspector General of Police and the Chairman of ICPC. He further urged the authorities to proceed with prosecuting him accordingly. Maikyau confirmed that he would personally write a letter to both the IGP and the ICPC Chairman to address this matter.

YNaija