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OPL 245: Italian prosecutors drop $1.3 billion Eni Nigeria graft appeal | The Guardian Nigeria News

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Italian prosecutors on Tuesday dropped a legal challenge over the acquittal of Eni and Shell, as well as managers including Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi, in a corruption case linked to a deal in Nigeria.

Attorney General Celestina Gravina signalled the prosecution did not plan to pursue the case at the start of the appeal trial into the oil industry’s biggest corruption case involving the $1.3 billion acquisition of a Nigerian oilfield a decade ago.

The Appeal Court formally took note of the decision, meaning the criminal case will be closed and the acquittal of all defendants will become final. The appeal will now only concern civil proceedings, as Nigeria has sued for compensation.

While the General Prosecutor’s Office at the Appeals Court sometimes asks for the acquittal of defendants at the end of an appeal process, legal and judicial sources interviewed by Reuters say that the decision to withdraw at the start of a trial is unprecedented in Milan.

“This case must finish today because it has no basis, in fact it should have finished earlier,” Gravina told the court.

The Tribunal Prosecutor’s Office, which is a separate body, and the Nigerian government had sought to appeal a March 2021 ruling acquitting the two companies and defendants.

The next hearings for the civil case are scheduled for September.

Last November the Attorney General’s Office decided not to refer to the Supreme Court an appeal acquittal of two consultants in a separate case related to the Nigeria graft trial.

The main case revolved around a deal in which Eni and Shell acquired the OPL 245 offshore oilfield in 2011 to settle a long-standing dispute over ownership.

Prosecutors alleged that just under $1.1 billion of the total amount was siphoned off to politicians and middlemen.

The First Instance Court in Milan said in March 2021 there was no case to answer and acquitted the companies and all other defendants.

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July 19, 2022
US gun lobby hails ‘hero’ who shot dead gunman in mall attack | The Guardian Nigeria News

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The US gun lobby on Monday seized on the “heroic” acts of a civilian who used a pistol to shoot dead a young man who had opened fire in a shopping mall, pushing its case in the midst of a fierce debate over the regulation of firearms.

On Sunday evening, Jonathan Sapriman, a 20-year-old white man whose motives remain unknown, opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle in an Indiana shopping mall.

He killed a 30-year-old man and a couple seated in a restaurant space, and injured two more, before being shot dead by Elisjsha Dicken, a 22-year-old customer who was carrying an unlicensed pistol, as recently authorized under local laws.

“Many more people would have died last night if not for a responsibly armed citizen that took action very quickly within the first two minutes of the shooting,” said Greenwood police chief James Ison during a press briefing.

Ison said the shooter appeared to have prepared for his deadly assault by dropping his cell phone in a toilet and burning his computer in an oven before he set out. He also had a second assault rifle, a pistol and a large amount of ammunition, the police official said.

The powerful lobby group, the National Rifle Association (NRA), immediately seized on the tragedy to reassert its line that an armed public is good for public security.

“We will say it again: The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun,” the NRA said on Twitter.

Another group pushing against any restrictions on firearms ownership, the CCRKBA, echoed the NRA line.

“We carry guns to defend ourselves and others from criminals and crazy people in sudden emergencies,” its chief, Alan Gottlieb, said in a statement.

“That courageous young man is rightfully being hailed as a hero,” he said.

Kris Brown, president of the Brady Campaign, which is pushing for stricter gun-control laws, hit back on Twitter. “Let me be clear: If more guns made us safer, America would be the safest country in the WORLD,” he said.

In the same vein, Shannon Watts, founder of the organization Moms Demand Action, shared graphs placing the United States at the head of the developed countries in terms of weapons per capita but also for deaths by firearms.

Nearly 400 million guns were in circulation among the civilian population in the United States in 2017, or 120 guns for every 100 people, according to the Small Arms Survey project.

More than 24,000 people have been shot dead since the start of the year, including 13,000 by suicide, according to the Gun Violence Archives site.

Several of the recent gun rampages, including the shooting in a school in Texas and a supermarket frequented by African-Americans in Buffalo, caused particular shock across the country, prompting lawmakers to agree in June, for the first time in 30 years, to pass modest reform of gun laws.

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July 19, 2022
Kwankwaso unveils running mate, promises to rescue Nigeria

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The presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party and Kano State ex-governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, on Monday presented Edo State-born Bishop, Isaac Idahosa as his running mate for the 2023 elections.

Idahosa, the presiding Bishop and Senior Pastor of the God First Ministry, Lekki Light Centre, was unveiled at the International Conference Centre in Abuja on Monday.

During the event, Kwankwaso said Nigeria “is currently bleeding”, adding that the country is in need of people who can rescue it from total collapse.

He said the lack of understanding of how to govern a multi-cultural, multi-religious and multi-ethnic country like Nigeria by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has inflicted a severe wound on the country.

Kwankwaso said the choice of Idahosa as his running mate was made after careful consideration and screening of more than 20 persons.

“Ineptitude and lack of empathy have dealt a damaging blow to Nigerians, as even arrogance and sense of entitlement have further widening the fault lines in our country, and their attitudes toward the core functions of government are causing a dangerous escalation of insecurity, uncontrollable inflation, scandalous unemployment statistics, the collapse of the tertiary education system, and the general collapse of social services,” Kwankwaso said.

He added, “We live in a country where victims of insecurity are constantly being ignored while still being accused of exaggeration or lying or both.

“We live in a country where victims of unemployment are accused of laziness, where universities and other tertiary education institutions have frequently been shut down for months, and our children’s future is being jeopardised while leaders are busy throwing out hundreds of millions of Naira to purchase party forms.”

While accepting his nomination, Idahosa thanked Kwankwaso for the opportunity, saying Nigeria is at a critical moment where her unity and tenacity as a people are being tested.

The National Chairman of the NNPP, Prof. Rufai Alkali, said the team would rescue Nigeria from its present challenges.

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July 19, 2022
How NFTs affect the economy | The Guardian Nigeria News

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Some critics described the NFT market as a bubble that would soon halt. However, no signs show the NFT ecosystem will slow down anytime soon. One of the reasons behind the rapid explosion of NFTs is their ability to take different forms, representing digital and physical assets such as artworks, real estate, and video gaming resources. If you want to learn more about the history of NFTs, NFT Profit is here to help you make good decisions and develop your knowledge along the way.

Experts believe we will see the creation of many platforms to showcase NFTs and manage their transactions more efficiently. Perhaps, that is why they are increasingly gaining more traction among venture capital investors. However, NFTs also create robust economic opportunities for artists, content creators, collectors, and publishers globally. The following article discusses how NFTs impact the economy.

Monetization of Digital and Physical Assets
It was virtually impossible to collect digital art before the introduction of NFTs. The same applies to other digital objects and physical assets, including sports collectibles, plots of land, and even clothing. NFTs have enabled artists, creators, developers, and collectors to tokenize and monetize their works easily.

NFTs are created on a permanent digital blockchain ledger, with unique characteristics to distinguish one from another. That ensures an accurate and irrefutable record of every item’s origin, authenticity, and owner, allowing creators to benefit from their works. NFTs are also limited in supply, inducing scarcity in a market that counterfeits have plagued for decades.

NFTs also allow combining two items into a single entity, called a breed. That can help artists and creators to maximize their incomes from the sales of their works. Besides, NFTs generate value addition since the original creators can still receive a fraction of the proceeds each time the items change ownership.

Apart from independent creators and artists, companies can also use NFTs to create new products and services with unique properties for global consumers. NFTs can also help companies tokenize their existing high-value product offerings to attract higher prices. The tokenization of real-world assets improves the efficiency of buying, selling, and trading them on platforms. It also reduces the probability of risks such as fraud.

NFTs have enabled many artists and collectors to score huge profits from the sales of their works. NFT sellers can engage with buyers directly, without intermediaries, thanks to blockchain technology. That enables creators to reduce costs, enjoying the full benefits from their works.

A Rapidly Growing Market
NFT technology is rapidly growing into a lucrative market, attracting creators, content developers, collectors, and investors worldwide. NFT sales generated an estimated $13.7 million in the first half of 2020 but that number shot up to about $2.5 billion over the same period in 2021. NFT sales on some marketplaces had reached hundreds of millions as of 2021. Those statistics show the rapid growth of the NFT market.

While most NFT marketplaces have mainly focused on digital artworks, art accounts for just about a quarter of the total NFT sales. The market also comprises NFT fashion products such as the recently sold digital jacket by RTFKT for $125,000. Twitter founder Jack Dorsey sold his first tweet as an NFT for a whopping $2.9 million in 2021.

An NFT version of the New York Times column also recently sold for $560,000. Those are reminders of NFT’s unlimited economic opportunities. A recent report by PwC established that blockchain technology could add $1.76 trillion to the global economy, and NFTs will account for a larger share of that capital.

NFTs and their marketplaces are fast democratizing the production and exchange of digital assets. Non-fungible tokens have enabled independent developers, artists, entrepreneurs, and companies to seamlessly access vast and burgeoning global markets for various digital assets, driving inclusive economic growth.

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July 18, 2022
AfDB approves $134 million loan to Nigeria for local food production

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The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group on Friday approved a $134 million loan for the National Agriculture Growth Scheme – Agro Pocket program in Nigeria to scale up food production and boost livelihood resilience.

The programme will support fast-tracking of the implementation of key policy and institutional reforms and boost private sector participation in agriculture. This will help increase cereals and oil grains production by 7 million tonnes to 35 million tonnes. It will also increase average cereal yields from 1.42 tonnes to 2 tonnes per hectare during the September 2022-December 2023 implementation period.

The programme aligns with the Bank’s African Emergency Food Production Facility and will support Nigeria’s efforts to mitigate the impacts of the war in Ukraine. Food prices have been rising rapidly due to higher volatility caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, aggravated by the war.

The programme also aligns with the Bank’s Ten-Year Strategy as it promotes climate-resilient agriculture and targets the vulnerable population, including youth and women.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, is projected to hit 402 million by 2050 from 206 million people in 2020, making it the third-most populous country globally. The bulk of its rural population, representing 48% of the populace, produces up to 90% of the national output.

However, inadequate support for the farmers has confined them to traditional agronomic techniques, resulting in low productivity and limited opportunities for value addition. In 2020, the harvested cereals area and yields declined by 2.75% and 1.5%, respectively.

Lamin Barrow, Director General of the Bank’s Nigeria Country Department, said the program would prioritize support for five strategic crops: maize, rice, wheat, soya beans and sorghum, with a particular focus on wheat value chains.

He said National Agriculture Growth Scheme – Agro Pocket program is anchored in the National Agriculture Technology and Innovation Policy (2022-27) which aims to modernize Nigeria’s agriculture sector in line with changing global food systems and supply chains. The program will complement Bank-supported operations in the country, particularly the Special Agricultural Special Zones.

READ ALSO: Africa needs annual investment of $40 billion on energy for electricity – AfDB

“The Bank will support the Federal Government to put in place a robust institutional framework, including operationalization of the National Agriculture Growth Scheme – Agro Pocket program Secretariat as the administrative vehicle to oversee the implementation of the Agro-Pocket Scheme, whose precursor is the highly successful e-wallet scheme that was rolled out in Nigeria between 2012 and 2015,” he said.

The National Agriculture Growth Scheme – Agro Pocket program would help build the resilience of farming livelihoods, enhance farmers’ access to improved seeds, and strengthen the capacity of industry stakeholders, Barrow stressed.

Beth Dunford, the Bank’s Vice President, Agriculture, Human and Social Development, said: “Cushioning the poor from the effects of higher food, and energy costs, requires urgent and sustainable policy, such as increased public expenditure on agriculture.”

The African Development Bank led the mobilization of $538 million for the flagship Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones program to develop value chains for strategic agriculture commodities in Nigeria and transform rural areas into zones of economic prosperity.

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July 18, 2022
Biden nominates new US ambassador to Nigeria

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United States President Joe Biden has nominated Richard Mills Jr. as the US Ambassador to Nigeria.

He replaces Mary Beth Leonard who was appointed the envoy to Nigeria by President Donald Trump on June 24, 2019.

A statement published on the White House website said Mills currently serves as the US Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations and a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor.

Prior to his nomination, he served as the US Ambassador to Armenia. He was also Deputy Chief of Mission and then Chargé d’Affaires at the US Mission to Canada.

The new nominee for the position of US Ambassador to Nigeria has also served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon and as Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d’Affaires ad interim at the US Embassy Valetta, Malta.

Other assignments include Senior Democracy Advisor at US Embassy Baghdad, Political Counselor at US Embassy London, and Political Officer at the US Mission to the United Nations.

Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Mills was an Associate Attorney with the firm of Duncan, Allen and Mitchell in Washington, D.C.

A native of Louisiana, Mills earned a Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, a Juris Doctor from the University of Texas School of Law and a Master’s in National Security Policy from the National Defense University.

He is the recipient of multiple State Department awards and speaks French and Russian.

All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.

Contact: theeditor[at]punchng.com

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July 18, 2022
Russia fines Google $360 mn over Ukraine content — World — The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News

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A Moscow court has fined Google 21 billion rubles ($360 million) for failing to remove content concerning Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine, the nation’s telecommunications regulator said Monday.

Roskomnadzor said the Google-owned video platform YouTube had failed to block “false information” on the offensive in Ukraine, “extremist and terrorist propaganda” and content “calling on minors to participate in unauthorised demonstrations”.

The regulator said that as this was a repeat conviction for Google the fine was based on its annual revenue in Russia.

Russian authorities have been dialling up their pressure on Western social media firms in recent years with repeated fines and threats in a bid to remove criticism from the internet, one of the last bastions of free speech in Russia.

Like most of its Western rivals, Google recently quit the Russian market to denounce Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine.

According to Vladimir Zykov, an expert cited by Russian news agency Ria-Novosti, the fine is the largest ever imposed on a Western tech firm by a Russian court.

Russian authorities can impose on Google “as many fines as they wish, they won’t receive the money” as the firm has pulled out of the country, he added.

Google had no immediate comment concerning the fine.

Roskomnadzor branded the activities of Google and YouTube with the “terrorist” label in March, opening up the possibility they would be blocked in Russia, as have Twitter, Instagram and many independent medias following the start of the military operation.

Russian authorities have increased the legal penalties for speaking out against the conflict. Those found guilty of spreading “false information” about the Russian military face up to 15 years in jail.

Several people have already been jailed on such charges.

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July 18, 2022
Tigray rebels set up team to negotiate with govt — World — The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News

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Tigrayan rebels have set up a team to negotiate with the Ethiopian government, a spokesman for the Tigray People’s Liberation Front told AFP on Monday, 20 months after war broke out in the northern region.

The announcement comes less than a week after an Ethiopian government body tasked with examining the possibility of peace talks with the TPLF held its first meeting.

But in a sign of the challenges dogging the process, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party has insisted any negotiations could only be led by the African Union (AU), a stance rejected by the rebels.

The TPLF has voiced concerns about the “proximity” of the AU’s envoy, former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo, to Abiy and said it wants any talks to be held under the auspices of Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.

“We will be ready to send a delegation to Nairobi… and have established a team with high-ranking members,” TPLF spokesman Getachew Reda told AFP, without offering further details.

“It would be very irresponsible for us to submit all negotiating processes to the AU,” he said, adding that any talks would have to involve Kenyatta, who has played an active role in peace efforts.

The government’s committee is headed by Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonen, who also serves as foreign minister.

The conflict has driven hundreds of thousands of people to the brink of famine, displaced more than two million and left more than nine million in need of food aid, according to the United Nations.

Fighting has eased since a humanitarian truce was declared at the end of March.

But Tigray continues to face dire shortages of food and fuel while lacking access to essential services such as electricity and banking, according to aid agencies.

Getachew reiterated the rebels’ stance that the status of western Tigray — claimed by both Amharas and Tigrayans and currently occupied by Amhara forces — was not up for negotiation.

The conflict erupted in November 2020 when the government sent federal troops into Tigray to topple the TPLF, the region’s former ruling party, saying it was in response to rebel attacks on army camps.

After the TPLF mounted a shock comeback in June, retaking Tigray and then expanding into the neighbouring regions of Afar and Amhara, fighting intensified in the second half of 2021, before reaching a stalemate.

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July 18, 2022
Jury selection begins in trial of Trump aide Bannon | The Guardian Nigeria News

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Jury selection begins Monday in the trial of former Donald Trump advisor Steve Bannon for defying a subpoena to testify before lawmakers investigating the attack on the US Capitol.

Bannon, who led Trump’s successful 2016 presidential election campaign, was among dozens of people called to testify about the storming of Congress by Trump supporters.

Bannon was indicted on two charges of contempt of Congress after refusing to testify to a House of Representatives committee probing the violence.

His lawyers sought to delay the start of the trial so that it would not take place at the same time as the committee’s public hearings, but the judge refused last week.

Thousands of Trump supporters, many associated with ultra-nationalist and white supremacist groups, stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021 in an effort to block the certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s election victory.

They had been egged on by Trump in a fiery speech during which he repeated his false claims of election fraud.

According to the House committee probing the riot, Bannon spoke to Trump the previous day.

Investigators believe Bannon and other Trump advisors could have information on links between the White House and the rioters.

After refusing to testify for months, Bannon finally agreed to cooperate with the investigation, a move prosecutors said was a “last-ditch attempt to avoid accountability” by stalling his trial for contempt.

Judge Carl Nichols ruled it should go ahead anyway, saying “I see no reason for extending this case any longer.”

If convicted of contempt, Bannon, 68, faces a minimum sentence of 30 days and a maximum of one year in prison on each count.

He was Trump’s strategy chief at the White House before being sacked in 2017.

Bannon was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering after allegedly defrauding thousands of donors to a campaign to fund Trump’s anti-migrant wall along the southern border.

In Trump’s final hours in office, he pardoned Bannon.

More than 850 people have been arrested in connection with the attack on Congress. The assault left at least five people dead and 140 police officers injured.

Trump was impeached for a historic second time by the House after the riot — he was charged with inciting an insurrection — but was acquitted by the Senate.

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July 18, 2022
Troubles as APC legal adviser says 30 cases filed against party in N’west — Politics — The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News

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The road to 2023 appears to be rough for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as its legal field operations committee from the Northwest disclosed that no fewer than 30 cases have been instituted against the party at the end of the various primary elections held in the zone.

This was disclosed by the national legal adviser of APC, Ahmed Usman El-Marzuq, while addressing newsmen after a maiden visit to Kaduna. He also assured that the cases will not affect the party in next year’s general elections.

He said the committee will carry out a similar visit to the remaining five political zones across the country to address any legal issues within the party.

“Today the zonal Legal field operations committee met in Kaduna. In attendance were legal advisers from Kano, Kebbi, Kaduna, Sokoto, as well as legal advisers from the National headquarters,” El-Marzuq said.

According to him, the purpose of the meeting was to address legal issues that have emanated from the primary elections during the state Assemblies, Governorship, House of Representatives, Senate and Presidential elections.

“During such exercises, issues of complaints and petitions are usually received. The law has provided remedies for such complaints to be pursued in the various courts in the land.”

El- Marzuq noted that, at this stage, other parties as well as aggrieved party members will employ legal representation, hence, the meeting was intended to strategize ahead of the 2023 elections.

The legal adviser explained that, the maiden meeting availed them the opportunity to know the number of cases filed in the various courts, saying, they have so far recorded 30 cases in the Northwest zone.

Highlighting on the cases, he said some are coming from even the opposition parties, but was quick to add that, the cases will not affect the fortunes of the party in next year’s general elections.

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July 18, 2022