The senate has confirmed Emomotimi Agama as the director-general of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other SEC appointments confirmed by the senate were Frank Chukwuogor, executive commissioner (legal and enforcement); Abimbola Ajomale, executive commissioner (operations); and Samiya Usman, executive commissioner (corporate services).

The upper legislative chamber confirmed the appointments after Osita Izunaso, chair of the senate committee on capital markets, presented a report.

Izunaso, senator representing Imo west, said the nominees met the requirements to be appointed by President Bola Tinubu.

“That they were eminently qualified for the positions. They passed all security checks and answered relevant questions during the screening,” Izunaso said.

After his presentation, the senate voted and confirmed the nominees.

Barau Jibrin, deputy senate president, asked the appointees to carry out their jobs diligently for the betterment of the country.

“They should do their work in the best way they can to turn around the economy of Nigeria,” he said.

“They should try not to let Mr President down or the nation. They should do their best to use that institution to promote the wellbeing of this country.”

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) says the federal government has not allocated funds for the promotion of the new national anthem, contrary to reports on social media.

Lanre Issa-Onilu, the director-general of the agency, spoke on Wednesday at the presentation of the official version of the new national anthem in Abuja.

On May 29, President Bola Tinubu signed a bill reintroducing the old national anthem.

However, there have been criticisms against the reintroduction of the anthem.

There have been reports on social media that Atiku Bagudu, minister of budget, said the federal government spent N814 billion on the new national anthem.

Reacting to the claim, the director-general said the agency has not received any funds for the national anthem.

“The NOA is a custodian for national symbols, which include the constitution, the currency, the national anthem, the national pledge, the flag, the coat of arms, and the seal of the president,” he said.

“So if there is any agency that would have received that money, it would be NOA.

“I can assure you, as I speak to you, that the federal government has not spent one naira or allocated one naira for the national anthem. There has been no allocation of N814 billion.

“What we have done so far as the NOA is to rely on our structure. With or without the national anthem, we work on a daily basis.”

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has invited Emmanuel Agbo, a reporter with Premium Times, over a land dispute story he is working on.

On Monday, Agbo received an invitation letter dated May 31 from the office of the deputy inspector-general of police intelligence response team (NPF-IRT), via WhatsApp.

On May 30, the reporter was first contacted over the phone by a man who identified himself as a police officer named Ezemba Ezekiel.

The officer asked the journalist to come over to the office of IRT in Guzape, Abuja to “clarify a petition”.

“I am Ezemba Ezekiel from the Intelligence Response Team. I am calling you on behalf of Homadils. You are expected to come over to our office at Abattoir in Guzape to clarify a petition,” he said via phone.

A formal written invitation was sent after the journalist requested for one.

During the phone conversation, the officer mentioned the name of Homadils Realty Limited, a real estate firm and a major party to a land dispute which the reporter is currently focusing on.

Prior to the police invitation, the journalist had reached out to Bilkisu Aliu, the chief executive officer of Homadils.

The CEO later exchanged WhatsApp messages with the journalist on the allegations against her by a family laying claim to the disputed land.

‘WE’RE READY TO ASSIST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES’

In a letter delivered to the office of the deputy commissioner of police at IRT, Idris Akinbajo, managing editor of Premium Times, said the platform is ready to work with law enforcement agencies in the course of their professional duties.

Akinbajo asked the police to provide more details of the petition since its invitation only mentioned receipt of a petition

“We, Premium Times, are an online newspaper dedicated to using investigative journalism to hold power accountable and deepen democracy as enshrined in Section 22 of the Nigerian Constitution,” the managing editor said.

“We are thus always ready to assist law enforcement agencies in the course of their professional duties.

“However, in your letter to Mr Emmanuel Agbo, you only stated that your ‘office is in receipt of petition…’ but did not provide any details of the petition.

“We ask that you provide more details of the petition to enable our reporter, Mr Agbo, to make adequate preparations and bring along relevant materials when he appears in your office.

“We trust that you will treat this promptly so we and Mr Emmanuel Agbo can prepare adequately and assist you in the course of your work.”