GLOBACOM SACKS 54 ENGINEERS

Globacom on Friday sacked 54 of its power engineers across the country and gave no official reason for the action.

We learnt that the affected workers received official notification from the company that it no longer needed their services.

The notice of disengagement, it was gathered, also instructed them to submit their staff identification cards and customised Subscriber Identification Module cards with immediate effect.

The letter read in part, “This serves to inform you that your services are no longer required by Globacom Limited.

“Consequently, you are advised to report to the Human Resources Manager, Globacom Manpower Services Limited, the outsourcing company, with immediate effect.

“You are also expected to hand over all company property (including SIM card, company ID, etc) issued to you during the course of your services with us.

“We wish you all the best in your future endeavours.”

One of the affected engineers described the sacking as a “huge shock.”

He said, “I can’t believe it is real… being told that my services are no longer required without explicit reason. I am still in shock.

“For someone like me who has been working at Globacom for seven years and has been managing about 150 power stations for more than two years now, to be sacked in this manner is unacceptable.”

He dismissed speculations that the sacking might be connected to professional misconduct, especially related to theft of equipment or over-costing of generator maintenance or fuelling fee.

“Using myself as an example, I have been in charge of over 150 sites, operating them without official vehicle or basic transport allowance, yet there has been no case of stealing or anything else under my area of operation,” he said.

He described his ordeal and that of his colleagues as “part of the oppressive and exploitative system in Globacom,” adding, “They just decided to drop us to cover up their mess.”

He said, “Globacom has gained notoriety in the industry over cases of poor remuneration, slaving working conditions and arbitrary rewards and punishment systems or procedures.

“Globacom is a place where the bosses are involved in all kinds of deals to make money and sacrifice the junior staff to cover up their tracks,” another staff who pleaded not to be named for fear of being sacked disclosd.”

He added that following the sudden purge of power eng

ineers, those spared in the affected department had begun running double shifts to cover up for the loss of workforce.

“As a result of this sacking, most of us remaining now work day and night to cover up and it has really made things very difficult,” he said.

When approached, employees at the Public Relations Department of the telecommunications firm declined reacting to the development.

OBANIKORO’S DAUGHTER DRILLED BY THE EFCC OVER N800M TRANSACTION

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Friday quizzed Shalewa Obanikoro, the daughter of a former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, over a transaction of N800m she allegedly made.

Investigators said that Shalewa was grilled at the Lagos office of the EFCC for several hours alongside her mother, Moroophat.

An impeccable source at the anti-graft agency said as part of investigations into the N4.7bn allegedly paid into the company account of Obanikoro’s sons – Babajide and Gbolahan – by the Office of the National Security Adviser, the commission started investigating some other members of the family.

The detective said, “Obanikoro’s wife came to our office on Friday morning as part of investigations into the N4.7bn paid into Sylvan McNamara, a company owned by her sons. During investigation, we stumbled on the account of an oil company. We then discovered that Obanikoro’s daughter was a signatory to the account of the oil company and that millions of naira was paid into the account at different times.

“We then invited the daughter and she came to meet us at the office. During investigations, we found out that the daughter gave a standing order to the bank that N800m should be moved into another account. We wondered why such a young girl would have access to such funds so we started quizzing her.

“This is a whole new dimension to the case and we will continue to investigate to find out if it is related to the arms probe or not.”

Obanikoro and his sons, who are citizens of the United States, have remained in the US for over a year.

However, the EFCC swiftly seized the US passport of Shalewa to prevent her from towing the path of her father and brothers.

The investigator said, “We were told that she was planning on travelling to the US soon so we swiftly seized her passport because she is vital to our investigation. However, we told her to be coming from home.”

Apart from the N4.7bn arms scam rocking the Obanikoro family, it will be recalled that MOB Integrated Services Ltd, a company headed by Obanikoro’s second son, Gbolahan, was implicated by the Aigboje Imokhuede-led Presidential Committee on Verification and Reconciliation in 2012.

The company was said to have made three transactions valued at N5, 393, 592,906.62. However, investigations revealed that the company only made one transaction valued at N3, 261,263,992.52 verified as legitimate.

The difference of over N2bn was said to have been embezzled as MOB did not make the needed oil supply.

However, sources at the commission said that after Obanikoro was appointed the Minister of State for Defence, the case was mysteriously suspended indefinitely.

The latest revelation may be the missing piece of the puzzle, detectives believe.

However, the former minister said in a statement that his wife had high blood pressure and other heart-related ailments and asked security agents not to drag her into the arms probe as she knew nothing about the case.

He said, “We are using this medium to call on the officials of the EFCC to desist from persecuting an innocent woman who has no dealings at all with any of the businesses that they are investigating and totally unaware of the alleged transactions.

“For emphasis, the innocent woman has a history of high blood pressure and heart-related ailments and as such should not be dragged into their biased and politicized investigations.”

Obanikoro also denied media reports that his wife was arrested with incriminating evidence.

THE TRUTH ABOUT BURATAI’S $1.5M MANSIONS IN DUBAI – CCB

The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has disclosed details about Chief of Army Staff, Major General Tukur Buratai’s $1.5m mansions in Dubai. The bureau stated that army boss declared the mansions in his wife’s name, The Nation reports.
It said in reply to an FOI request: “Tukur Yusuf Buratai, after his appointment as the Chief of Army Staff, declared his assets as required by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” The request inquired if Buratai declared the mansions or not. The CCB added that Buratai was served the Form CCB-I on July 21, 2015, which he returned on August 21, 2015.
“We also wish to confirm that his property at Dubai was declared in the wife’s name. Please, accept the warmest regards of the chairman,” it added. On June 29 letter of the chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau, Osuagwu sought explanation on whether or not army boss declared the controversial houses. The letter said: “We request that the CCB, pursuant to the FOI Act 2011, avail us the following concerning the declarations of Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai. “On July 13, 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Gen. Buratai as Chief of Army Staff. The newspapers are awash that Gen. Buratai and his two wives in 2013 paid 1,498,534.00 AED (N120 million/ $419,000) for a Dubai property, Project TFG Marina Hotel, Unit 2711.” Nigeria’s anti-graft commission has been under pressure to begin probe into how Tuku Buratai bought the Dubai mansions. Some prominent Nigerians have begun to pressure President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the chief army staff after the revelation that he bought two houses in Dubai, worth $1.5m.

IYANYA RESPONDS TO RUMOURS HE IS LEAVING MMMG RECORDS

Following claims made that Iyanya was leaving MMMG records (Made Men Music And Management Limited) due to fights over financial decisions and other clashes with its CEO, Ubi Franklin.
Late night on July 13, Iyanya was forced to speak out against them claiming he is not fighting with Ubi and Ubi’s wife, Lilian is a great woman. The rumours started when he announced on Instagram that he would be a new record label and new album three days ago. And it was further sparked by the ‘Kukure’ singer’s new song, Ayaya. Fans noted that the MMMG logo was missing from the singles cover.

FG MOVES TO ENSURE SUSTAINABLE POWER SUPPLY

The federal government yesterday restated its commitment to sustainable power supply in the country.

This is just as the minister of state for Works, Power and Housing, Mustapha Baba Shehuri tasked stakeholders in the sector to come up with the right energy mix among the volumes of energy resources in the country that will serve the best interest in delivering power to all Nigerians.

Addressing participants at the second edition of the National Council on Power organised by his ministry in Kaduna, Shehuri said, the power industry is currently going through specific challenges and it is important the council deliberate on them especially as the industry is in transition.

Represented by Louis Edozien , permanent secretary, Power in the ministry, he said committees will be established and saddled with the specific issues that need attention , adding that all stakeholders need to be on board in moving the sector forward.

The minister said, “We are here to discuss gas to power and the current constraints that we have and the gas resources that we have and the prospect of better utilization of the resources, the key actors in the sector, int

ernational oil companies, NNPC, others and what they need to do to get a better result , the pricing issues , commercial issues and security which is at the centre of the challenges that we now face.

“How to align gas infrastructural development with the generation capabilities, how to use gas resources more creatively in terms of LPG, LNG and other ways of better utilizing our rich gas resources.

“The first committee will be looking at issues like on the ideal energy mix for the country, yes we are abundantly blessed with gas. But we also have extensive hydro resources. Nigeria also has coal, we have wind, we have abundant solar, one committee is going to focus on how to effectively harness these energy resources and develop energy target and mix that will better serve the country.”

BANKY W TURNS TRUCK PUSHER (PHOTOS)

Popular Nigerian RnB singer and EME record label boss, Bankole Wellington also known as Banky W has turned truck pusher in Lagos.
Banky W was on Tuesday, July 12, seen on the streets of Lagos, wearing torn clothes as he pushed a truck carrying dirty items. However, the music star made this heavy transformation for a photo shoot which he tagged “The W Transformation” with creative photographer, Kelechi Amadi-Obi. Happy about his new look, Banky W took to his Snapchat handle to post several pictures of him on the street of Lagos pushing a dirt-truck.
Banky ride on, it really fits you lol, just imagine say your destiny na to push truck, how e for be? those your yellow skin wey fresh for don turn roasted yam colour.. lol

I WAS TOLD TO FOLLOW RITA DOMINIC’S FOOTSTEPS – YUL EDOCHIE

Talented Nollywood actor, Yul Edochie has described how his lecturers at University of Port Harcourt instructed him to follow the footsteps of Rita Dominic, who graduated from the same department (Theatre Arts) years ahead of him.

According to him, immediately he arrived at the department, his lecturers, Sam Dede and others told him that he should do like Ms. Dominic was exceptional and the best. He said this in his birthday message to ‘The Meeting’ star.

“When I got into The University of Port Harcourt to study Theatre Arts, my acting lecturers(Dr. Sam Dede, Aunty Amatu Braide, Mr. Columbus Irisoanga) will always tell me ‘Rita Dominic just left this

department. She was the best. Do it like her, be like her. “Be dedicated like Rita. She’s exceptional’. So I made sure I watched all your movies. And vowed to work hard to be like you. You inspired me to be who I am today. I thank God for you and I celebrate you this day.

Happy birthday to you big sis@ritadominic. Wish you many more successful yrs. God be with you,” he wrote on Instagram.