Funso Doherty, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Lagos State in 2023, has faulted the federal government’s planned demolition of structures along the right of way of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway despite concerns raised on the cost and environmental impact assessment (EIA) of the project.

The federal controller of works in Lagos, Olukorede Kesha, at a press conference in Lagos announced the planned demolition, saying it will affect all structures within the first three kilometres of the highway whose owners have been served notice of demolition by the government.

Doherty, whose reaction was contained in an open letter to the federal government conveyed on his X (formerly Twitter), recalled that numerous concerns have been raised about the cost and lack of competitive bidding in the award of the highway contract that are yet to be remedied.

“A more relevant concern for the purpose of this letter is the fact that the environmental impact assessment for the coastal road project has not been completed or shared for public comments even though the project has commenced and the hugely consequential step of demolition appears imminent,” he said.

Doherty said that no serious government should undertake such a large project without a standard EIA document completed for discussion in public domain, stressing that the EIA is a legal requirement for highway projects under Nigerian EIA Act.

Omoyele Sowore, a prominent Nigerian activist, has called for the prosecution of the American International School (AIS) in Abuja for alleged money laundering involving former Kogi state governor Yahaya Bello and his former Chief of Staff, Ali Bello.

In a post on X, Sowore alleged that Bello and his aide laundered close to $1 million under the guise of paying “future school fees” for their children at AIS.

He argued that similar to the American justice system, the AIS should face charges instead of simply refunding the money.

He further urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to ensure that the school discloses all such payments made by Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs). Sowore believes that investigating such payments could reveal widespread financial misconduct and calls for AIS to be converted into a public school if found guilty.

His words: “The American International School @AISAbuja , where fugitive former Kogi state governor Yahaya Bello @OfficialGYBKogi and his former Chief of Staff, Ali Bello, laundered close to $ 1 million in the name of paying “future school fees” of their wards should be charged and prosecuted for money laundering instead of being allowed to refund the money.

“This is the way the American justice system treats such cases on US soil, the @officialEFCC must also ensure the school discloses all such school fees paid by Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs).

“I am sure there are a lot of discoveries that would be uncovered such that the school could be converted to a public school instead of its criminal connivance with financial criminals fleecing the Nigerian public across board, these must necessary apply to these ultra-expensive private schools in Nigeria.”

The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, has said the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) led government in Kano State is behind the various protests against him in Abuja.

But the state government has denied having a hand in the crisis.

There have been protests calling for Ganduje’s removal as national chairman of the party, with groups and party chieftains from the North Central leading the charge.

Ganduje in a statement on Friday by his Special Assistant on Civil Society and Support Groups, Comrade Okpokwu Ogenyi, alleged that the Kano State government had been hiring protesters from the streets, mostly Kwankwasiyya members, some of whom are from the North Central geo-political zone to demand Ganduje’s resignation.

The statement read in part, “We are privy to credible information that Governor Yusuf is working with some persons from the North Central zone and has doled out huge sum of money to some persons to sustain campaign against the Ganduje’s led working committee in his desperate but fruitless mission to remove Ganduje as the national chairman of the APC.

“They have now resorted to using some persons in the North Central geo-political zone to demand Ganduje’s removal after they failed woefully to achieve their satanic agenda in Kano State. What is of concern to us is the wastage of state resources badly in need in Kano State for the provision of basic amenities to our people. This is politics taken too far.”

While calling on security agents to be vigilant in order to ensure security of lives and property, the APC chieftain said, “Some of the hired protesters also forgot that they were dressed in Kwankwasiyya T-shirts and caps during the protest to the APC national secretariat, yet claimed to be members of the APC; what a dangerous move to scuttle peace of our party.”

The Spokesperson of Kano State governor, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, did not respond to calls and a text message put across to him.

But Dawakin Tofa had recently told Daily Trust that the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and the incumbent governor had nothing to do with anything happening outside their political party.