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Grace Taiga, Nigerian official at the centre of P&ID scandal, is dead

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Grace Taiga, the former director of legal services at the petroleum ministry accused of collecting bribes from P&ID, has died.

TheCable confirmed from multiple sources that Taiga died in September 2023 after battling kidney issues — but the development was not made public by the family.

She will be buried in December in Delta state, sources in the know told TheCable without giving any further details.

Taiga served in the ministries of petroleum resources and defence before retiring in September 1, 2010.

TheCable could not confirm her exact age but she died in her mid-70s.

She was arrested and charged to court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of receiving payments from P&ID to skew the controversial gas supply and processing agreement (GSPA) against Nigeria.

The London Court of International Arbitration had awarded $6.6 billion plus seven percent interest against Nigeria in January 2017 for breach of contract.

The EFCC alleged that Taiga received illegal payments from Marshpearl Limited, a company controlled by the owners of P&ID, through her daughter.

After retirement, she reportedly continued receiving payments from P&ID directors.

She was also accused of failing to follow due process in giving legal advice on the GSPA.

In September 20, 2019, a federal high court in Abuja remanded her at the Suleja prison after she pleaded “not guilty” to an eight-count charge of fraud levelled against her by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Days later, she was granted a N10 million bail by the court.

‘TAIGA RECEIVED CORRUPT PAYMENTS’

On Monday, Robin Knowles, justice of the Commercial Courts of England and Wales, upheld Nigeria’s request to set aside the $11 billion arbitration award on the ground that it was obtained by fraud.

Taiga had appeared as a witness of P&ID in the proceedings before Knowles and was cross-examined by Nigeria.

In his ruling, Knowles said Taiga “certainly had a role in bringing about” the controversial gas agreement.

The judge said he is “quite satisfied that Nigeria is correct in its allegations” that bribes were paid to Taiga before and after the contract on behalf of P&ID.

“Shortly after the GSPA was entered into, on 29 March 2010, Ms Vera Taiga was paid £5,000 by Hobson Industries,” the judge ruled.

“The payment instruction was again signed by Mr Cahill. The pdf schedule ‘Taiga G – Sept 2019’ showed this payment against the name “Grace Taiga” and marked with the narrative “Gas Contract”.

“The timing of the payments is highly material, just before and just after the entry into the GSPA.

“The fact that, within the ICIL Group, they came from accounts of Marshpear and Hobson Industries and not P&ID is neither here nor there; ICIL Group was not run rigorously between companies.

“In authorising the payments Mr Cahill was, I find, acting for P&ID to incentivise and reward Ms Taiga in connection with the entry of the GSPA.

“They were deliberately kept secret from Nigeria. I am quite satisfied that Nigeria is correct in its allegation that these payments in December 2009 and March 2010 were bribes paid on behalf of P&ID to Mrs Grace Taiga’s benefit in connection with the entry into the GSPA.

“I reject as untrue the evidence of Mrs Grace Taiga and Mr Cahill, in particular, to the contrary.

“By some standards the sums received were not large in absolute terms, but they were in context: US$5,000 was, on her account, an amount equal to the annual salary of Mrs Grace Taiga before allowance and entitlements.

“The payments I have described were not disclosed to Nigeria, her employer, by Mrs Grace Taiga, or by P&ID and ICIL Group, and this was deliberate.”

The judge rejected the claim that the money sent to Taiga on behalf of P&ID was for medical expenses, adding that the lawyer knows that the “payments were corrupt”.

“But keeping these and other payments secret from her employer, Nigeria, was deliberate and the reason for this was that she knew the payments were corrupt rather than because she believed they were a private matter that was irrelevant to her employment,” the judge ruled.

BODY COUNT MOUNTING

Taiga’s death has added to the number of mortalities in the P&ID case.

Michael Quinn, co-founder of P&ID, died in 2015, a year after Lloyd, his son who was also involved in the company, passed.

Rilwanu Lukman, Nigeria’s minister of petroleum resources who signed the GSPA with P&ID in January 2010, died in July 2014 at 75.

Neil Hitchcock, an engineer who acted as P&ID’s project director on the GSPA, died in December 2015.

Taofik Tijani, senior technical assistant to Lukman who also worked on the GSPA, died in March 2021.

There is no suggestion that the deaths are linked.

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Internal Security: Police EOD Recovers Explosives, Prevents Calamity In Borno

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As IGP Commends Officers, Assures of Continuous Strides in Ensuring Safety, Security

The Nigeria Police Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit has again successfully recovered unexploded military ordnances in Maiduguri on 22nd November 2024, following reports from vigilant residents.

Acting swiftly, the Explosive Ordnance Disposal – Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (EOD-CBRN) team was deployed to secure the affected areas.

All ordnances were safely evacuated without any loss of life, injury, or property damage, and normalcy has been restored.

In the Dala Kacchallah area, the operatives recovered six (6) unexploded projectiles and one (1) mortar bomb near an uncompleted building.

Reports indicate that the items, washed ashore by recent flooding, were abandoned by local scavengers. Similarly, at the Gwange Riverbank, a military hand grenade was discovered.

In both instances, the EOD-CBRN team safely removed the ordnances, declared the areas safe, and conducted explosive risk awareness campaigns to sensitize residents.

Commending the professionalism and prompt response of the EOD-CBRN Unit, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D, NPM has assured Nigerians of the Force’s commitment to ensuring public safety and security.

The IGP also noted that the EOD team in Borno State has been consistent in responsiveness and professionalism in preventing series of calamities as many IEDs have been safely recovered in many instances within the state. Investigations are ongoing to trace the origins of the recovered items and to prevent future occurrences.

The Inspector-General of Police urges members of the public to refrain from handling suspicious objects and to promptly report such discoveries to the police.

The Nigeria Police Force remains steadfast in its mandate to protect lives and property across Maiduguri and its environs.

ACP OLUMUYIWA ADEJOBI, mnipr, mipra, fCAI
FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER
FORCE HEADQUARTERS, ABUJA

23RD NOVEMBER, 2024

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Fire guts LAUTECH teaching hospital

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Property worth millions of naira were on Saturday destroyed at the Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, as a result of a fire incident.

The incident, which happened around 5 am in a paediatric consultant’s office, affected electronic gadgets, engines, books, office equipment, roofs, and others worth millions of naira.

A credible source told our correspondent that the fire incident was suspected to have started from an electric spark.

It was learnt that about 16 patients had to be quickly rushed out of the ward.

However, in a statement sent to PUNCH Online in Ibadan, the state capital, on Saturday, the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Ogunleye Omotayo, said no life was lost in the fire incident.

The statement read, “The management of the institution wishes to state that the fire incident that occurred early this morning (Saturday), as carried by some news media, was put out without any remarkable damage to the hospital.

“Noting that no human damage was recorded in the incident, the management wishes to state that Investigation is still ongoing with regard to the cause of the incident.

“At the moment, light has been restored, and work activities have resumed in the section where the fire incident took place.

“The management wishes to thank all staff, the state Fire Service, and all other well-wishers for their concerns and prompt response. The fire incident raised no cause for alarm. Everyone is advised to go about their normal daily activities without fear.”

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Nothing wrong having a Christian as Alaafin of Oyo, says Oladigbolu

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Rahman Oladigbolu, a Nigerian filmmaker, says he sees no reason why the Alaafin of Oyo cannot be a Christian.

Two years ago, Lamidi Adeyemi, Alaafin of Oyo, died at the Afe Babalola Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, after battling an undisclosed illness.

He was 83 years old and had been on the throne for 52 years — the longest-reigning Nigerian monarch at the time.

Since his death, the throne has been vacant.

Speaking in an interview with Rudolf Okonkwo, Oladigbolu, a prince in the Oyo kingdom, said religion should not be a factor in the selection of the next Alaafin.

“In Oyo, where I came from, we are trying to select a new king. It has been the tradition for some decades that the Alaafin of Oyo will be a Muslim,” he said.

“Now, we have some Christians among the people vying for the position, and there are discussions about whether Oyo can have a Christian Oba. Of course, if you can have a Muslim Alaafin, I see no reason you can’t have a Christian Alaafin.

“The whole point should be to ensure that people would not be talking about religion in issues like this, but it is difficult because of the agenda of people wanting to impose their religion on others.

“So these are where all the problems still lie, and until we’re able to understand it, I don’t see how we can move forward.”

Oladigbolu said education and enlightenment are necessary to solve division caused by religion.

“It is only enlightenment that can carry people to the point where religious considerations no longer matter in societal affairs,” he said.

“When people are enlightened to the point where it doesn’t, then it won’t.

“But today, they still see each other from their religious prism because even the behavior of people that occupy positions in society gets influenced by religion.”

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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