Thursday, March 2, 2023 Edition

Time to unify

Nigerians begins now, ACF tells Tinubu

Buhari: Election outcome means Tinubu is best person for the job

Let political competition give way to

Says he he walked long way to victory

Vows to work day and night to make Nigeria better As he collects certificate of return

Alleged N109bn fraud: Missing statement stalls exaccountant general’s trial

2023 polls: Seek redress in court, Shari’ah Council tells aggrieved parties

Police arrest kidnapper on wanted list 3 years after

2023 elections: Police ban celebrations, rallies in Kaduna

House Leader, Doguwa arraigned, remanded in prison

President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (middle), receiving the certificate of return from the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu (left). With them is wife of President-elect, Senator Oluremi Tinubu (right), during the presentation of certificate at the National Collation Centre, Wednesday in Abuja.

Says process free,

despite hitches Urges aggrieved parties

to go to

Alleged N109bn fraud: Missing statement stalls ex- accountant general’s trial

By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja

Missing statements of a former Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Ahmed Idris made to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) during investigation yesterday, stalled his trial.

The prosecution agency is trialing the ex-AG on a N109billion corruption charges before Justice Halihu Yusuf of the federal capital territory high court.

Others arraigned alongside are Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited.

The anti-graft agency also alleged that N84. 3billion from the Federal Government’s account was converted by the first and second defendants between

February and November. 2021.

According to the prosecution, the offence contravened sections 155 and 315 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990.

Meanwhile, the particular statement dated July 5, 2022, could not be located by EFCC in its own file, that of the High Court as well as that of the defence team.

When the matter was called up, counsel to the EFCC, Mr Oluwaleke Atolagbe had kick-started trial within trial, following the denial by the exAccountant General that some of the statements he made to EFCC in respect of the N109 billion alleged fraud were made voluntary.

The ex AG insisted that the statement the anti-graft agency proposed to be used against him in the alleged corruption charges

were made under duress.

Consequent to the above assertion, Justice Halilu Yusuf had ordered a trial within trial to authenticate the claim.

Although, the EFCC had presented its witness, Mr Hayatudeen Suleiman, EFCC operative for examination on 13 different statements obtained from Idris, trouble however arose when it was discovered that a statement dated July 5, 2022, and said to be vital to the trial could not be found in the bundles of documents uploaded to the court by EFCC.

Counsel to the former AG, Chief Chris Uche SAN, also told the court that the statement was not part of those supplied to him by EFCC.

He maintained that the prosecution had suppressed some documents and that the missing statement of the

defendant may be one of the suppressed documents.

“We came fully prepared for this case to be substantially dealt with but unfortunately, EFCC appears to be dragging us back by not putting its house in order.

“If it were a civil matter, I would have asked for a cost of N5M for our precious time wasted by the prosecution”.

Efforts by Justice Halilu Yusuf to salvage the situation were unsuccessful as the statement could also not be found in the court’s record.

However, the EFCC applied for an adjournment to enable him search for the missing statement and serve on the defendant as required by law.

Meantime, Justice Yusuf at the instance of the EFCC, fixed May 11, for continuation of trial within trial.

Police arrest kidnapper on wanted list 3 years after

The Anti Cultism and Kidnapping Squad (ACKS) of the Police Command in Cross River has arrested a notorious kidnap kingpin, three years after he was declared wanted.

The SP Ogini Chukwuma led ACKS, acting through intelligence, had stormed the hideout of the kingpin, Kufre Etim, also called Romance,

where he allegedly opened fire on sighting the team.

He was injured in the gun duel with the police and was subsequently arrested.

While he was arrested, other members of the gang escaped with various injuries.

The state Commissioner of Police, Sule Balarabe, described his arrest as a victory for the police and the people of Cross River.

“The notorious kidnapper has been terrorising the state and part of a neighbouring state for years, we are glad that he has been apprehended.

“He has been on the wanted list for three years and we finally picked him up today,” he stated.

Romance name has been linked with several kidnap cases, armed robbery and killings in the state.

He is said to be responsible for the abduction of several medical doctors, lecturers of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital as well as the University of Calabar.

He was also responsible for the abduction of the wife of a popular journalist in Calabar.

He was apprehended behind the University of Cross River.

(NAN)

From left, Director Programs Yiaga Africa, Cyntia Mbamalu; Board member, Yiaga Africa, Dr. Aisha Abdullahi and Executive director Yiaga Africa Samson Itodo during a press conference on the outcome of the 2023 general elections yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-owo

NPC trains journalists on effective population cencus reportage

By Uche F. Uche, Damaturu.

The national population commission, Yobe state, has organized a one-day capacity building workshop for journalists to prepare them towards effective dissemination of census news before, during and after the 2023 population and housing census.

Speaking during the occasion, the state federal commissioner of NPC, Alhaji Mai Aliyu Muhammad disclosed that the exercise would involve the use of a new technological device known as Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a method that excludes the use of paper and pen, to carry out building numbering, household listing and persons enumeration.

He therefore enjoined the journalists to assist the agency in the massive publicity of the exercise to create awareness among the populace to cooperate with the commission to achieve a functional census to be used for proper and efficient demographic and socioeconomic data for planning and national development.

During the workshop which took place at the conference hall of the Nigeria Union of Journalists secretariat in Damaturu, the state capital, papers were presented by chosen resource persons on area demarcation, processes and methodology for the census among others.

JAMB sacks two staff over gross misconduct

By Maryam Abeeb

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board(JAMB)has

dismmised two of its staff for gross misconduct. A statement by the Head Public Affairs and Protocol, Dr Fabian Benjamin,gave the names of the dismissed staff as Mr. Bilyaminu Ishaku and

Mr. Andrew Anebi Candidus, from JAMB Benue State Office, Markurdi.

The statement said their dismissal took effect from 27th February, 2023.

The statement said, “sequel to your appearance before the Senior Staff Disciplinary Committe and the subsequent recommendations of the committee, I am directed to

convey to you the approval of the Honourable Minister of Education of your dismissal from the service of the Board from 27th February, 2023 for serious misconduct.”

According to the statement, the dismissal was in line with the Public Service Rule 030401, which defined serious misconduct as a “specific act of very serious wrongdoing and improper

behaviour, which is inimical to the image of the service and which can be investigated and if proven, may lead to dismissal.”

It noted that the staff were directed to submit their identity cards and all other property of the Board in their possession to the State Coordinator, JAMB Office, Benue State, for onward submission to the Director, Human Resources, with immediate effect.

Nigeria 2023: Independent foreign observers commend conduct of polls

Independent Foreign Observers Mission in Nigeria has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the conduct of the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

The mission which gave the commendation in its preliminary report on the just concluded election in Abuja on Tuesday described the poll as peaceful and transparent.

Mr David Furnad of the United States read the report.

“The presidential elections in Nigeria recorded a high turnout of voters nationwide.

“It can also be regarded as one of the most transparent elections in the country’s history with the significant candidates recording victories and defeats.

“The presidential election witnessed a comparatively large turnout of voters in the various

geopolitical zones compared to other general elections in the country.

“The South-west and the South-east zones witnessed the highest number of voters turnout, with eligible voters demonstrating an uncommon level of patience to exercise their franchise”.

“INEC deployed both sensitive and non sensitive materials to voting points on time, even

though the report recorded some delays in some areas, which it said did not deter voters from performing their civic duties.

“There was minimal incidences of vote buying across the country. The reason adduced is that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) randomly visited polling units unannounced to arrest anyone involved in such acts.

“The country’s recent redesign

of currency reduced vote buying to the barest minimum.”

The Mission praised some political parties and their candidates for honouring the Peace Accord and not inciting their supporters.

Those present at the presentation of the report include: Messrs Rudolf Elmendorp, Stuart Young, Stuart Dyer, Francois DeRobaix and Jeffrey Fry.(NAN)

Members of Citizens Unite for Democracy (CUfD) in a peaceful protest against the irregularities in the just concluded 2003 Presidential elections, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

2023 polls: Seek redress in court, Shari’ah Council tells aggrieved parties

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

The Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria (SCSN), has sued for peace over the ongoing elections, while warning against any undemocratic alternative to the political transition, even as it urged politicians to either accept the election results or seek redress in court.

Addressing journalists on Tuesday in Kaduna, Secretary General, Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria, Malam Nafi’u Baba Ahmed, said the 2023 general elections are so far satisfactory, adding that no election is perfect all over the world. The council appeals to Nigerians to remain calm and respect the will of the majority, noting that the future of Nigeria can only be achieved through a stable and peaceful transition.

Niger Gov applauds Nigerlites over peaceful election

From Yakubu Mustapha Minna

Governor Abubakar Sani Bello has commended the people of Niger State across party lines for the peaceful conduct during the February 25, 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

A statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mary Noel Berje said despite the economy hardship, voters came out to vote in the 25 local government areas of and in a relatively peaceful atmosphere.

Governor Bello appreciated the people of Niger North Senatorial District and the entire All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters across the state for voting him as the Senator of the Zone and other candidates of the party that stood in for the last Saturday’s elections.

The scholars called on security agencies to be alert in maintaining public order, peace and security, in the face of unguarded, provocative and unpatriotic remarks and not to spare any group or individual, no matter his status, who seeks to stoke hatred, incitement to violence or otherwise engages in acts capable of creating disharmony, disruption of peace or compounding the delicate security situation of the country.

“The Supreme Council for Shari’a in Nigeria has been following the collation and intermittent announcements of the results of the recent presidential and National Assembly elections with keen interest and the prayerful hope of a peaceful outcome. The council expresses gratitude to Allah, the most exalted, who in His infinite wisdom and mercy granted us the opportunity to discharge our

basic civic duty and participate in the democratic transition that will inshaa Allah, usher in a new president and members of the National Assembly, with relative peace.

“The Council expresses satisfaction with the general conduct of the elections, in spite of unavoidable security and logistical challenges. We commend Nigerians for the unprecedented turnout, their patience and orderly conduct, generally, during the elections. We commend INEC and the security agencies for their professionalism and evidently, the fair discharge of their statutory responsibilities by enabling citizens to exercise their right to vote in relative peace and serenity.

“The council remind Nigerians and especially foreign observers that no democratic election is perfect, even in the so called advanced democracies, the

credibility of any election is predicated on the scale of fairness and the freedom of choice, which have incontrovertibly been substantially complied with. Remind Nigerians, especially the political class aspiring to lead, that in every election; there are bound to be winners and losers, but in the end, it is the future and the progress of the country that is paramount and this can only be achieved through a stable and peaceful transition. We urge all Nigerians to remain calm and hopeful of a greater and prosperous future.

“We call on the security agencies to be alert and alive to their responsibilities of maintaining public order, peace and security, in the face of unguarded, provocative and unpatriotic remarks and outbursts by some people who believe the outcome must reflect their

personal wishes or preferences. We are in total agreement with the reaction of General Akinrinade to the preposterous and unhelpful comments by former president Obasanjo. Nigerians will not accept any delusional contraption being mooted.

“We appeal to the gladiators to accept the outcome or seek to redress through the legal process, and avoid inflammatory remarks capable of inciting their supporters into any form of misconduct. We appeal to all Nigerians to remain calm and respect the will of the majority as expressed through the ballot box and embrace the emerging leaders for a brighter, more secure and prosperous Nigeria, for today and the future generations. We should all remember that there can never be progress and prosperity without peace, stability and security.”

2023: Adamawa Govt. suspends activities of local, international NGO’s for 3 weeks

From Umar Dankano,Yola

The Adamawa state government has suspended the activities of both local

and international humanitarian service providers in the state.

Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri announced the ban

Tuesday in Yola during a statewide broadcast in connection with the presidential and National Assembly elections, stressing that

the government has discovered most of the Non governmental organisations have dabbled in to politics.

Governor Fintiri also warned potential trouble makers with the intention to disrupt or cause the break down of law and order.

Senator elect promises to empower youths

From Gambo Ahmed lafia

Senator elect on the plàtform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Muhammed Ogoshi Onawo

has promised to empower the youths in his senatorial district in the areas of education and job opportunities through lobby.

Ogoshi who made the pledge

in an interview with newsmen in his country home Doma Local government council of Nasarawa state on Wednesday ,expressed delight for the support accorded to him by his people during the

last Saturday polls.

“My victory came from God. My people voted for quality representation. The senator elect also assured that while in the

senate, he would ensure that he lobby with the incoming administration for federal projects that will bring positive development to the people in his Senatorial District.

Cross section International Observers during a press conference by Yiaga Africa on the outcome of the 2023 General elections in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-owo

Time to unify Nigerians begins now, ACF tells Tinubu

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has reminded the President elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to redeem his pledge to become a leader and unifier of all Nigerians.

The Secretary General of the Forum Murtala Aliyu stated this in a statement made available to the media in Kaduna yesterday.

According to him, ACF welcomes his promise to run an inclusive government made in his acceptance speech,

saying to become a leader of all Nigerians requires him to ignore the voting pattern that brings him to power and treat the entire country as one big family.

Aliyu added that this is more so because no nation thrives through the victory of its factions but by ultimate reconciliation.

The Forum however, remembers candidates that are not victorious not to forget that disputed elections in Nigeria, as in much of Africa, have almost always proved to be deadly triggers for strife, violence and even bloodshed.

“Those who failed to win this time should know that they have several opportunities to try to do so in the future. They should therefore exhibit the spirit of sportsmanship.

“There is no doubt that all those involved with the elections either as organising officials or candidates intended to make a success of it.

“For the officials charged with running the process, the overriding objective would be to ensure its credibility and approval. For the candidates, the goal is obviously to win.

“ And in spite of the

generally positive comments by observers, this election exercise did not pass off without hitches.

“There were some errors, noticeable ineptitude and avoidable lapses, especially on the part of officials at all levels.

“That said, it has to be admitted no one in good conscience ever thought an exercise as gigantic as conducting a general election in a country of over 200 million people would go without hitches or setbacks.

“ No country under the sun has ever conducted elections that are perfect, without

errors. We are after all still early within our learning curve in this democratic experience.

“Anticipating shortcomings, our laws have already provided for judicial mechanisms for resolving or redressing possible disputes and disagreements among the contestants.

“Candidates or their political parties should feel free to use these channels if they believe they have sufficient evidence to prove non substantial compliance with any rules that had hindered their chances,” the statement reads.

House Leader, Doguwa arraigned, sent to prison

From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

The majority leader of the House of Representatives, Alhassan Ado Doguwa, has been arraigned before a magistrate’s court in Kano state for alleged culpable homicide, conspiracy, mischief, unlawful possession of fire arms and inciting disturbance.

Others charged at large are Nazifi Asnanic, Nafiu Musa, Hamisu Amadu and Abdulhadi Alaramma.

Doguwa was charged with burning a building that resulted to the burning of Alasan Mohammed and Aminu Malam Amadu to death, while Bashir Yani, Labaran Sule and one Amadu were injured by the fire.

The offences are contrary to Section 97, 114, 247, 336 and 221 of Penal Code.

The prosecution counsel prayed the court to remand the two defendants and set another day for arraignment to enable the office of the attorney general to review the case.

When charges were read before Doguwa, his counsel, Abdul Adamu, prayed for bail and assured the magistrate that the accused would not jump the bail.

He added that the accused would strictly abide by the bail conditions, in view of the fact that he is a serving member of House of Representatives and memberelect for Doguwa/Tudunwada Federal Constituency.

The prosecution counsel however argued that any person charged with culpable homicide

shall not be granted bail unless at High Court.

Citing Section 127 of Criminal Justice Law 2019, the prosecution counsel argued that the court lacks jurisdiction to try the offence and as such, it cannot grant bail to the accused.

In his ruling, Senior Magistrate Ibrahim Mansur ordered that the accused be ramanded in Goron Dutse Prison and adjourned the case until March 7 for hearing of the bail application.

Earlier, the Police in Kano arrested Doguwa at Mallam Aminu Kano Airport on Tuesday.

The police command, in a statement on Wednesday by its spokesman, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, said the arrewdt was made following complaints received on the gruesome murder of three persons, causing grievous injury to eight others in Tudun Wada Local Government Area on 26/02/2023 while the collation of election results was ongoing.

The statement added that an alleged viral video of some victims with suspected gunshots in the Social Media, the Commissioner of Police in charge of 2023 General Election, Kano State Command, CP Muhammad Yakubu directed the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Kano State Police Command to carry out a thorough investigation.

In continuation of the investigation, on 27th February 2023, the Department extended a formal invitation to Honorable Alhassan Ado Garba Doguwa, a member representing Doguwa/Tudun Wada Federal Constituency for his alleged

complicity in the incident.

“Sequel to his refusal to honour the invitation, the Command was left with no other option than to activate a motion that would lead to his arrest. He was subsequently arrested by detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Bompai Kano at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano.

“Investigation is ongoing, the suspects arrested will soon be charged to court for prosecution, and the effort to get others at large is being intensified.

“While the Commissioner of Police appreciates the good people of Kano State for their peaceful conduct in maintaining law and order during the concluded Presidential and National Assembly Elections and

its aftermath, the Command is reiterating its commitment to safeguarding lives and properties of the ‘’Kanawan Dabo’’.

“Accordingly, the CP demonstrated his willingness to tame any subversive element(s) or actor(s) no matter how highly placed, if they are out to disrupt the existing peaceful atmosphere being enjoyed in the State,” the statement added.

2023 elections: Police ban celebrations, rallies in Kaduna

The Police in Kaduna State announced a ban on celebrations or rallies by supporters of political parties on the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections.

The ban is contained in a statement on Wednesday in Kaduna by DSP Mohammed

Jalige, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), for the command.

”The command wishes to notify the general public that all forms of celebrations and rallies by political party supporters for or against winners/losers of the just concluded Presidential and

National Assembly elections has been banned in the state.

”Any deliberate act to violate the ban or cause breakdown of law and order under whatever guise would not be tolerated, as the full wrath of the law would be brought to bear,” the police said.

He disclosed that security

agencies have been deployed and directed to ensure full enforcement.

“All persons with intent to violate the order are warned to desist from that, as the command in collaboration with other sister agencies are fully prepared to deal decisively with such persons in

accordance with extant laws.

“The command uses this medium to call on the members of the public not to relent in supporting security agencies in delivering their mandates of securing lives and properties of the good people of Kaduna state, “Jalige said. (NAN)

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, addressing jubilant supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during a celebration dance to the Governor’s Office, Ado-Ekiti, yesterday.

NSCDC arrest 546 oil thieves in 14 months

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

The Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), said its personnel have arrested over 546 suspects from January 2022 till date.

He added that, 429 suspects are under prosecution.

The CG also said, 51 persons were convicted, 71 illegal refineries destroyed, 22 illegal oil bunkering sites destroyed, 134 trucks impounded, while 36 boats and other equipment used in perpetrating illegal oil bunkering were confiscated.

Speaking on Wednesday during the World Civil Defence Day, and his two years in office, Audi said, “We are determined to make the Corps a world-class organization, that is why we are not relenting, but working

hard to key into the global space and tapping from the experience of other members of the ICDO.

“Due to the appreciation of Modern Information and Communication Technology, the Corps under my watch has upgraded its ICT center with state of the art facilities to meet up with challenges of modern crime fighting and management.

“The Corps has designed, developed and deployed Integrated Electronic Arrest and Reporting system (i-Ears) for classified communication of intelligence, documentation of report from Divisional Commands to the Commandant General via State Commandants, Confidential InterAgency Data Sharing, Emergency Threat Reporting on real-time basis which was fully deployed to live stream and monitor security situation across

Wadada promises to sponsor lithium exploration bill for Nasarawa

TheNasarawa West SenatorElect, Ahmed Wadada, has promised to sponsor a bill aimed at exploring Lithium in the state.

Wadada made the pledge in an interview with newsmen in Keffi local government area of the state on Wednesday shortly after receiving numerous guests who came to congratulate him on his victory at the polls.

According to Wadada, lithium is in high abundance in the district, hence his desire to sponsor a bill for the exploration of the solid mineral after the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly.

He said exploration and exploitation of lithium in the area will go a long way in providing jobs for people of the area and also generating revenue for the federal, state and local government areas in possession of the solid mineral in the zone.

“It is our duty as legislators to make laws that will see to the betterment of our society. For Nasarawa West Senatorial District, we are endowed.

“That is why today, you see Chinese nationals all around the district because of lithium and a quite a number of natural resources in the district.

“Lithium is a very sensitive and important natural resource and we have it here and so it is for us to see how best we can put laws in place that will exploit, explore and unfold this natural resource and other potentials for the good of the people,” he said.

Wadada said aside the bill, he would be very responsive to other needs of his people in a bid to give them quality representation at the Senate.

“All I will tell the electorate is that those qualities of mine that they had experienced in the past during my sojourn at the national assembly for eight years is what they should expect and even beyond.

“From 2011 that I left the National Assembly till now, the dynamics have changed and so I am very responsive and will only respond to those changes and see how best we can use them for the betterment of our people,” he said.

Wadada, who described his victory at the polls as the Will of God, pledged to cooperate and work with opposition parties to offer the best representation to the people of Nasarawa West Senatorial District.

“I am a team player, so we will

the country during the first round of the 2023 General Elections.

“Within these 2 years of providing leadership to the Corps, our ICT and cyber experts have designed, developed and deployed Electronic Disaster Alert Monitoring Application to enable NSCDC receive and jointly respond to fire, flood and other emergencies and to enable us provide crowd control, crime prevention and protection for response officers and equipment during emergencies.”

He said the rapid spread of supporting digital infrastructure and devices has created the foundation for efforts to jointly design, develop, and about deploy Address Verification System (AVS) in collaboration with NIPOST for the prevention of indiscriminate use of fake address to acquire national identity such as

drivers licenses and many more.

“It also provides for the protection of private security guards and traveler against mistaken arrest and detention.

“We have facilitated the completion and implementation of Community and School Threat Alert and Broadcast System (C-STAB) as an early warning system to broadcast advancement of threats to the community and transmission of distress to security agencies.

“The Corps has developed AgroRangers Secure Agric Produce Transport Corridor (SAT-C) and procurement of response monitoring devices. The SAT-C is aimed at protecting farmers, farmlands and farm produce from attack and provision of food right of way to control the damage of perishable goods due to traffic jams or illegal delays on the

road.”

He recalled that only recently, the Corps designed and developed the School Gender Base Violence Reporting Application (SGBV App) for the prevention of sex for grade, counter-cultism, and rape reporting in higher educational institutions in Nigeria.

“Additionally, a National School Security and Emergency Response Centre, located here at the National Headquarters of the Corps was flagged off as a timely intervention aimed at the protection of vulnerable school children in the country.

“In view of the above, my administration’s resilience to reposition the Corps seek the support of all and sundry to reposition the Corps to an enviable height.

work with relevant people and synergize and make live much easier for our people,” he said.

The Nasarawa West Senatorial District Senator-Elect also called on politicians to rebrand themselves for the people they want to serve if they want to emerge victorious at the polls.

He called on the electorate to vote for candidates who they think are suited for the position they are vying regardless of their political platform or parties.

“The era of adhering or getting magnetized to a political platform or party because you belong to a political party is gone. We can clearly see what happened in Nasarawa state.

“Today, Nasarawa state has no Senator-Elect of All Progressives Congress (APC) extraction because the people have shined their eyes. So let everybody shine his or her eyes for the good of the state,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Wadada, under the platform of Social Democratic Party (SDP), defeated the candidates of the ruling APC, and other parties at the just concluded National Assembly elections to emerge the Senator Elect.

Nasarawa West Senatorial District consists of Karu, Keffi, Kokona, Nasarawa and Toto local government areas. (NAN)

Flame TV will offer holistic progamme for family – Executive Director

By Ochiaka Ugwu

The Executive Director of Flame Television and Regional Director of Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) Africa, Anglophone West Africa, Dr. Felix O. Oisamoje has said that Flame TV was a channel that offers holistic programming for the whole family with extensive range of unconventional content which would make viewers to be assured of entertainment like never before.

Dr. Oisamoje who made this known in Abuja Wednesday during the launch of Flame TV, a family-themed, faith-based

TV channel that offers holistic programming for children, young people, and adults said that as an organization, Flame TV is a subsidiary of CBN Africa, which is popular for its family oriented and values-based TV programme that preaches hope to the hopeless.

He said Flame TV would present programs which include, but not limited to the 700 Club, Turning Point International, One Cubed Naija, 700 Club Nigeria, and Superbook. Oisamoje who informed that Flame TV Channel would be launched formally on March 3, 2023, and will be available on all free-to-air decoders and

the AVO TV app available on Google Playstore and iOS stores, said it can also be watched on their YouTube Channel-@ flametvonline or via our websitewww.flametv.tv.

His words, “It gives us immense joy to be here today to witness the launch of Flame TV, a family-themed, faith-based TV channel that offers holistic programming for children, young people, and adults.

“As a platform, Flame TV is a channel that offers holistic programming for the whole family. With an extensive range of unconventional content, viewers can be assured of entertainment like never before.

“As an organization, Flame TV is a subsidiary of CBN Africa, which is popular for its family oriented and values-based TV programming which preaches hope to the hopeless. Some of these programs include, but not limited to the 700 Club, Turning Point International, One Cubed Naija, 700 Club Nigeria, and Superbook.

The event was attended by Director of Production Services, Michael

Humanitarian and Disaster Relief Manager, Rev. John Kalma, Director of Programs: Comrade. Austin Ekanem, Director of Finance, Rev. Mali Audam, senior journalists and CBN Staffers.

Echoi,

Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya in a warm handshake with President- elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu while Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule and APC Deputy National financial secretary, Hamma Adama Ali Kumo look on during the presentation of the certificate of return to the former Lagos State Governor by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC at the international conference centre in Abuja, yesterday

2023: AA calls for election nullification over exclusion

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

As Nigerians are celebrating the successful conduct of the presidential election of February 25, 2023 and congratulating the declared winner of the poll, one of the registered political parties in the country, the Action Alliance (AA) feels differently as it insisted on going to court to seek nullification of the entire processes, alleging unlawful exclusion from the whole exercise.

In a telephone chat with the party’s authentic National Chairman, Hon. Adekunle Rufai Omo-Aje immediately after the declaration of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as winner of the presidential election, Omo-Aje advised Nigerians to tarry awhile because he would be heading to court to seek total nullification of the exercise.

Omo-Aje, who sounded very serious and determined, insisted his party has a good ground to pursue the case because there was no basis for excluding all his lawful candidates from the race, saying, since the court as an arbiter is there for the aggrieved people of the country, he is ready to approach it for succour.

Recalled the aggrieved AA chairman called on all the members of the party to boycott the presidential and National Assemblies polls of February 25, 2023 over alleged exclusion of the constitutionally recognised candidates of the party, adding that, “we have gone beyond the boycott as we have started preparations towards rigorous litigation for total nullification of the whole exercise since the authorities in charge of the election have refused to do the needful before embarking on the poll.”

Nonetheless, Omo-Aje has called on all members of the party, their loyalists and teeming supporters across the country and beyond to be calm and remain law-abiding, enthusing that, “at the end of the day, victory would be ascertained because of our belief and confidence in the Judiciary.”

We have record of hate speeches -NHRC

By Albert Akota

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has said that it has record of hate speeches recorded by the commission in the month of February.

Revealed this at the Commission ‘s headquarters, Abuja during it’s monthly review

Forum, NHRC MOVE Project Coordinator and Special Adviser to the Executive Secretary on Human Rights Hilary Ogbonna said, in the month of February several attacks were recorded across the country.

According to Ogbonna, “Ten law enforcement agents were killed in the month of February, Unknown gunmen/bandits

carried out twelve attacks, three bomb attacks and two attacks 9n INEC facilities.

“Also, seven NNPP supporters were killed in Kano, LP Senatorial Candidate was assassinated in Enugu,while three Vigilante were also killed in Enugu attack and a DPO and four others were killed in Niger State,” he said.

IBB congratulates Tinubu

From Yakubu Mustapha Minna

Former military president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) has congratulated the nation’s president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his election

as the 16th President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In a statement issued by his media office, IBB commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for midwifing an election, which he said would lead to a new Nigeria.

Babangida commended Nigerians for going out en masse to exercise their voting rights and electing someone like Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the next President of Nigeria.

According to him, “it’s a thing of joy that this is happening in my lifetime. I can confidently say

Meanwhile, he said all issues of intimidation, hate speech, vote buying, denying people access to vote and be voted for and voter suppression are to be investigated by the Commission as lots of such incidences were captured by the Commission’s monitors across the country, insisting that every violator must be held accountable.

that Tinubu is a good man for the job.

Babangida, said further that Tinubu is coming from the background of a performer, who loves his people with all his hearts and who knows how to put a round peg in a round hole.

Tinubu’s emergence, beginning of renewed hope for Nigeria -Benue Clerics

From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

Abody of Christian leaders under the aegis of Clerics Congress of Nigeria, CCON, has hailed and congratulated Nigerians on the emergence of Asiwaju Ahmed

Bola Tinubu as the president elect in the just concluded 2023 presidential election.

Leader of the group, Bishop Timothy Cheren said who spoke to our correspondent in Makurdi on Wednesday said Tinubu’s emergence is the beginning of a renewed hope for Nigeria.

While urging other contestants to take the result in good faith, Bishop Cheren averred that in every contest, there must be a winner and a loser.

“My advice to the winner is that he should be magnanimous in victory, he should not

cultivate the attitude of the winner takes it all. He should be willing to carry along all those that lost because in spite of all, if there was no contest, he wouldn’t have won.”

They also, endorsed the Alia /Ode ticket for Benue Governorship in March 11

election, describing them as the”most credible alternative.”

Rev. Fr Hyacinth Alia who was represented by Rev. Kennedy Ubwa appreciated the Clerics and urged them to continue to hold him and the president elect in prayers.

L-R: Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano state, Governor Hope Uzudunma of Imo State, APC Chieftain, Chief Bisi Akande, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State and the Wife of Vice President elect, Hajiya Nana Shettima, during the presentation of certificate of returns to President elect and the vice president elect, at the National Collation Centre, yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Association plans to ease Deejay’s business for membersAdeyemi

Tade Adeyemi, National President, Deejays Association of Nigeria (DJAN), says the association has created a network platform to ease Deejay’s business for its members in the country.

Adeyemi made this known on Tuesday in Abuja, while unveiling Karu branch of DJAN.

He called on Deejays to join the association, saying that they would benefit a lot from the association’s network platform.

Adeyemi said: “The reason for coming together is to assist ourselves in the entertainment industry, because you cannot know it all and have it all; you must learn from old hands.

“DJAN has created a platform where members will assist and ease Deejay’s business for each other.

“For instance, if a member of DJAN has been invited to come from Abuja and play in Benue, that member does not need to carry anything to Benue, except his laptop.

“What he needs to do is to talk to his coordinator here in Abuja to negotiate with any DJAN executive in Benue to provide relevant equipment in that state.

“So, tell your friends to be members of this great association because you will gain more as members.’’

According to him, it is very good that we are unveiling this branch today, that means you are a recognised body of the DJAN. So, anywhere you go, nobody can mess you up.

Adeyemi, describing Deejays as parasites, who fed on other people’s works in the entertainment industry, stressed the need for them to pay stipends to the Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria (MCSN).

He recalled that DJAN and MCSN had on Dec.19, signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to ensure that right owners benefited from the exploitation of their works.

While inaugurating Karu chapter of association, Isa Justice, the Chairman, DJAN in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), described the association as an avenue to take entertainment industry to the next level.

Justice said that over the years, Deejays were seen as drop out people who did not know what they were doing.

“But now, we are changing the narrative and we all have to change it together. It is time for us to package ourselves. It is time to turn a new leaf.

“When you go for an event, package yourselves because the world is now about packaging,’’ he said.

Justice, who is also known as DJ Smooth, said gone were the days when Deejays collected N20, 000 per play.

“We are above that level now. Very soon, there is going to be task force and it is coming very real. So, brace up as it comes,’’ he said.

Earlier, the Coordinator, DJAN Karu chapter, Sylvester Daniel, commended the FCT and National Executives for unveiling the chapter to be more recognised as body like before. (NAN)

Tinubu’s victory emergence of true democrat, says Ganduje

From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

Governor Abdullahi Umar

Ganduje of Kano State has described the victory of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in the just-concluded presidential election as the emergence of a true Democrat.

Ganduje’s swift reaction is contained in a statement issued this morning by his Chief Press Secretary,Malam Abba Anwar.

Anwar said in the statement that the Governor had applauded

“the hard political struggle and commitment of Tinubu’s political dynasty, which formed elements from across the nation, in making sure that the presidential candidate won the entire process.”

“Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s genuine investment in human, national development and national integration played some critical roles in endearing him to all sections of the country,” he observed.

Adding that, “Tinubu’s decades-long fight for the restoration of democracy in the

country, is well understood by Nigerians. Hence, we see wisdom and valid reason for entrusting our future to him.”

While assuring that, the President-elect would evolve strategies in facing problems plaguing the nation, Governor Ganduje commended the APC leadership and membership “for standing firm to this point.”

He also described Tinubu as “a master strategist, a builder of man and space, an acknowledged brilliant political leader, a leader with national spread, an

enduring and ensuring promoter of sustainable democracy and development and a skilful mover.”

Ganduje further said that “with our President-elect, Tinubu, leading the largest democracy in Africa, our continent will definitely benefit from his wealth of experience for the development of the continent.”

“Tinubu’s victory will not only benefit our motherland Nigeria, it will at the same time be a morale booster for Africa, as a continent and for the practice of global democracy,” the Governor added.

Nigeria’s security sector reform impactful to ECOWAS sub-region - Reps

By Christiana Ekpa

The Chairman of the House of Representatives committee on intelligence, Hon. Sha’aban Ibrahim Sharada has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for effective reforms in the nation’s security sector, which he said remain impactful to other to ECOWAS Sub-Region.

Sharada who disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja during the 7th extraordinary session of the Network of African Parliamentarians for Defence and Security Committees, said.

“The leadership of the network paid a special solidarity visit to Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR which was yesterday.

He said “Although the President was represented by the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, GCON, it has succeeded in commending the Buhari administration for remarkable performance in facilitating efficient national security sector reform that attracts the attention of sister African countries and the Network to commend.

“It is significant to note that

the Buhari administration has not only prioritised security on its governance agenda but has committed more time, logistics and resources to address the national security challenges than any regime in the history of democratic governance in Nigeria.

“It is important to mention the professionalisation of the military/ intelligence community, enhanced provision of capacity development services, improved international collaboration within ECOWAS states and consistent increase in annual budgetary allocations for the security sector over the years.

“This fantastic development has strengthened the national security agencies to address disturbing security threats from Boko Haram insurgents and other emerging crimes to ensure stability in governance and peaceful coexistence in the country.

“It has also propelled the image of Nigeria for setting exemplary leadership in fighting humanitarian crimes and ensuring sustainable Democratic governance within the ECOWAS sub-region and the continent.

“In support of this reality,

the Buhari administration has facilitated the enactment of laudable sector reform legislations that have a significant impact on national security and realisation of government agenda related to the development of political and socioeconomic rights of Nigerians.

“A few examples of such legal frameworks include the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021, Electoral Act, 2022, Police Act, 2020, the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act, the Terrorism (Amendment Act), 2015, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, the Cyber Crime Act and several Constitution Alterations Acts that largely beatified the national security sector reform in the present Democratic dispensation.”

Sharada, who is the Kano state gubernatorial candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) also vowed to dislodge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Kano state Government House saying he was solidly on ground.

“Come March 11, 2023, by the special grace of Allah, I will be elected as the next governor of Kano

state. Some of the stakeholders are working with us and in the next few days we shall have more on our side”, he stated.

Also speaking at the occasion, the chairman of the National Assembly of Liberia, Hon. Jimmy Smith and the chairman of the Committee on defence and intelligence of Kenyan Parliament, Richard Tongi in their brief remarks applauded Nigeria for her conduct of the 2023 presidential and National Assembly election, urging Nigerians to work with the new government for peace and unity of the nation.

Highlights of the extraordinary session was the investiture of the newly elected President General, Network of African Parliamentarians for Defence and Security Committees, Hon. Berting Mobanzi who is the chairman of Defence in the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of Congo. In his remark,

Yeo Fozie, a Parliamentarian from Cote De Ivoire, said Nigeria is a major player in the socio-political as well as economic spheres in Africa as such, it’s commitment to the security of the West African sub-region and the continent is crucial.

L-R: Member of Parliament/Representative of the Cameroon National Assembly on Security on Defence, Hon. Kumase Simon Powoh, Honorary President of REPAM of Cote D’Ivoire, Hon. YEO FOZIE, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Intelligence, Hon. Sha’aban Sharadda and Chairman, Committee on National Defence, Republic of Liberia, Hon. Jimmy W. Smith, during the 7 Extra Ordinary Session on Network of African Parliamentarians for Defence and Security Committees, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

Put agencies on alert against actors planning to truncate democracy —JNI urges FG

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III led Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), has asked the Federal Government to put its relevant agencies on alert against political and religious actors attempting to truncate the process of the last Saturday Presidential and National Assembly elections.

JNI in a statement issued on Tuesday said, it has noted with serious concern “how some politicians and even some religious figures are bent on scuttling the election process with their misguided inciting utterances and threat.”

The statement signed by its Secretary General, Sheikh Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu expressed worry that,

inflammatory statements and venomous commentaries being peddled, while collation of the Saturday elections is ongoing, are tantamount to overheating the polity.

It therefore asked the Federal Government and the security agencies not to lower their gourds or relaxed, due to the current apprehension done deliberately.

According to the statement, “Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) has observed with serious concern the most unfolding events arising from the collation of the 2023 General Election results and the resultant inflammatory statements and venomous commentaries being peddled, which tantamount to overheating the polity.

“We strongly believe that there are processes and procedures

provided by the constitution and the electoral act for those who disagree with the outcome of the election result process wholly or partly to seek for redress.

“We would equally like to remind all political gladiators that there must be a secured and peaceful Nigeria first and foremost before it is well-governed, which they all surprisingly aiming at.

“As a religious body we have noted with serious concern how some politicians and even some religious figures are bent on scuttling the process with their misguided inciting utterances and threat which are anti critical either bullies aren’t the way to go in a democratic setting.

“However, we call for caution and restraint from all stakeholders in the 2023 General Elections and that peace must not be

jeopardized for the selfish interest from which of self appointed messiah of Nigeria must therefore all rise to the occasion to avoid the breakdown of law and order, as it is often said, a stitch in time saves nine!

“Therefore, the federal government through its relevant agencies should be on an alert, be and swiftly act against all forms of actions and utterances capable of jeopardizing the fragile peace we are enjoying.

“Nevertheless, we would strongly call on all security outfits and the general public not to have their gourds lowered or relaxed, due to the current apprehension done deliberately. In addition, government must do everything possible to make categorical statements against any form of insurrection.

“On the other hand, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should go ahead with its statutory duties, with all sense of patriotism and due diligence until the electoral process is concluded. INEC should be reminded that its loyalty should be to the Federal Republic of Nigeria not any vested interests.

“Meanwhile, Muslims must not relent in fervent prayers to Allah, for His apt intervention with total calm, peace and security, while Nigerians are implored to ignore all those calling us to insurrections in disguise or any other subtle attempt to undermine the will of the people, as there would not be development without peace and security, which we all yearn for,” it said.

Kebbi APC to challenge centerial Senatorial Election results

From Ahmed Idris, Birnin Kebbi

The All Progressive Congress (APC) Kebbi State chapter has said it will challenge the Kebbi Central

Senatorial District election.

Addressing newsmen yesterday at the party office in Birnin Kebbi, the party public relations officers (PRO) Alhaji Issa Salafu said they discovered

Textile workers congratulate Oshiomhole on his election as Senator for Edo North

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN) has congratulated the Senator elect of Edo North Senatorial District Comrade Adams Oshiomhole on on his success at the polls.

This was contained in a statement by John Adaji and Ali Baba, President and General Secretary of the Union respectively.

The statement stated that his overwhelmed victory at the election is well deserved., saying his success is an open acknowledgement and appreciation of the close relationship he have maintained with the people as well as his remarkable achievements as former Governor of Edo State.

The (NUTGTWN) further stated that Comrade Adams Oshiomhole overwhelmed election is also a total victory for them in Textile workers Union and the global labour movement in general.

“We are indeed proud to associate with you as our former General Secretary and one of the most successful African labour leaders

“We have no doubt you will continue to further our struggle for social justice, industrial revival, job creation, living/ decent wage, transparency, accountability and good governance while in the red chambers.

“Kindly count on the renewed assurances of the co-operation and support of the union and the entire labour movement for a successful tenure.”

Niger youths protest at INEC office, want results uploaded

From Yakubu Mustapha Minna

Youths in their numbers under the auspices of ‘Aggrieved Nigerian Youths stormed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) State Office in Minna over non uploading of election and alleged irregularities

The youths led by Mr. Mike Junior marched to the INEC office in protest on what they described as ‘rigged’ result of the just concluded presidential election in the country.

Addressed the protesters in Minna, the Secretary of Administration, INEC Yakubu Doko who assured them of the Resident

Electoral Commissioner’s assurance that whatever the headquarters of INEC says will be communicated in due cause.

According to Doko who represented the State REC, Alhaji Ahmed Yusha’u Garki, reiterated that they are open and have nothing to hide, but for clarifications on the uploading of results, said they will wait to hear from the INEC headquarters in Abuja”.

The aggrieved youths requested from the Independent National Electoral Commission to tell them why the presidential election polling units results where not transmitted electronically to the INEC result viewing portal.

alot of irregularities in some areas where there was over voting in some polling units.

He added that the party is still waiting for Maiyama, Koko-Besse

federal constituency and also Kebbi North senatorial district results to be declared by INEC after the conduct of the bye election.

www.cbn.gov.ng

CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA ON BEHALF OF DMO OFFERS NIGERIAN TREASURY BILLS TENDER NOTICE

Notice is hereby given by the Central Bank of Nigeria on behalf of DMO that the Federal Government of Nigeria Treasury Bills of 91, 182 and 364-day tenors amounting to ₦1,028,893,000; ₦ 10,554,288,000 and ₦212,902,474,000 respectively would be issued by Dutch auction on Thursday, March 09, 2023.

All Money Market Dealers should submit bids through the CBN S4 WEB INTERFACE between 8.00 a.m. and 11.00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 08, 2023.

Each bid must be in multiple of N1,000 subject to a minimum of ₦50,001,000. Authorized Money Market Dealers can submit multiple bids. A bid may be for authorized Money Market Dealers own account, non–Money Market Dealers or interested members of the public. The result of the auction would be announced on Wednesday, March 08, 2023. The Bank reserves the right to reject any bid.

Allotment letters would be issued for successful bids on Thursday, March 09, 2023 while payment for the successful bids should be made to your account with Central Bank of Nigeria not later than 11.00 a.m. on Thursday, March 09, 2023.

The Bank reserves the right to vary the amount on offer in line with market realities prevailing as at the period of auction of the Nigerian Treasury Bills.

Kano APC guber candidate, Gawuna congratulates Tinubu

From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

Kano State Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) Gubernatorial Candidate, Dr. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna wishes to congratulate the presidentelect, Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Vice President-Elect Sen.Kashim Shettima on their resounding victory at the presidential election held on saturday, 25th of february 2023.

“My self and my runningmate Hon.Murtala Sule Garo are wishing you success as you take up the responsibility of renewing the hope and pray that Almighty Allah gives you more wisdom,strength,direction and guidance to deliver on your mandate”.

“Jagaban, you are the right man for the moment. Your victory is a win for the democracy,you have worked hard towards the success of our party,the APC.”

“You have proved to be a true democrat who showed commitment,zeal and dedication towards the service and development of our country.”

“We thank you for your tenacity and steadfastness because we believe that you have the goodwill to deliver on your campaign promises,” Gawuna was quoted as saying in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Hassan Musa Fagge yesterday.

Gawuna also extends his appreciation to the people of Kano State for voting the APC during the recent polls.

“You have done it before and we believe you would do it again therefore we thank you for your continued support and cooperation,together we would reach greater heights Gawuna said”.

Prowess varsity postpones doctorate degree awards conferment

By Sunday Ode

The joint honorary doctorate award ceremony of prowess University, Deleware USA and Triune Biblical University Global Extension New York, USA initially billed for 4th March, 2023 at the University of Lagos by 11am has been postponed.

In a joint press statement released by Professor Prince Eze Nwuaba,African Representative of the Prowess University; Professor Adeleke D. Durojaiye, President of Triune Biblical University Global Extension, New-York, USA; Professor Buba S. Mshelia,Advisory Board Chairman of Leadtimes Africa magazine stated thus “the postponement of the event is due to the ongoing general elections and the naira-swap policy that have affected the participants of this program. It is therefore shifted ahead to another new date that will be announced soon when the elections are over; this would give room for more participants”, the University dons stated. in “Also, most of the nominees received their nomination letters too late due to the incessant cases of fuel scarcity and the naira-swap policy”, Professor Eze stated.

It will be recalled that outstanding

personalities in Leadership cycle across Nigeria have been nominated for the conferment of honorary doctorate degree award in various categories and the program is billed for the University of Lagos guest house.

Among those expected as Special guests at the summit include two immediate past Nigerian ambassadors to the Vatican (Rome) and Spain, Amb.Major General(rtd) Godwin George Umo and Amb. Chief Dr Mrs Susan Aderonke Folarin respectively. Also included as Special guest is Amb. Dr Mohammed Jibril Ahmed, Chairman/CEO of Shelter Construction Co. Limited. Professor Basil C. Nwankwo of the Kogi state University, Anyigba, is expected to serve as guest lecturer at the occasion. The theme of the summit is titled:Enhancing accelerated Capacity Building Through Entrepreneurship in Governancepathway to Sustainable Growth and Development in Nigeria. Selected professionals, technocrats, captains of Industries, traditional ruler’s, NGOs, credible politicians among others are expected to participate in the event.

Some nominees for the honorary doctorate degree award include Prince

Segun Ochuko Obayendo, Group Managing director of Temple Group Limited who also doubles as the current National President of the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration and Founder/President of Segun Obayendo Foundation;Mr Oyindamola Ogunojemite, a financial manager and a tax consultant as well as Mr Isaac Olugbenga Kole, the Managing Director/CEO of Tasty Time Nigeria Limited. Others to bag honorary doctorate degree award during the summit include the Managing director of Ist Properties Hub Limited, Franklin Igbochuba and Engr Simeon Alabi, Managing director/CEO of PRODECO Engineering Services Limited, among others.

Professor Buba S. Mshelia, the Advisory Board Chairman of Leadtimes Africa magazine, the Africa Regional media outfit that is anchoring this program in conjunction with the two US based institutions states that some of the participants will be conferred upon with the Prestigious Leadtimes Africa magazine Integrity award during the ceremony.This edition of the honorary doctorate degree award will be unique because the selections were done on merit and it transcends across different professions including the

Real Estate, entertainment industry, hospitality industry, Oil and Gas sector, entreprenurship, among others.

The summit on good Governance will precede the award session at the University of Lagos on the new date to be made known soon. In our last edition, some eminent Nigerians were honoured as honorary doctorate awardees of Prowess University, Delaware, USA. They Included Her Excellency Amb. Dr Mrs Olufolake Abdulrazaq, First Lady,Kwara State who bagged the Prowess University honorary doctorate in Public Policy and Administration;Chief Mike A. A. Ozekhome(SAN), a renowned constitutional lawyer and Human Rights Activist who bagged honorary doctorate in International Law and Diplomacy;Barrister Alecander Utieyin- Scott a renowned Barrister and Solicitor bagged honorary doctorate degree in International Law and Diplomacy as Engr Lara Sarat Braimah of National Inland Waterways Authority was honoured with honorary doctor of philosophy in Science while Engr Obinna Azonobi; Remi Olukoya; Isaac Chukwudi Ndupuechi were all honoured in Business Administration, among others.

L-R: Chairman, Arewa New Agenda(ANA), Sen. Ahmed Abubakar MoAllahyidi; Deputy Chairman of ANA, Prof. Ahmed Danfulani and Amb. Hassan Jika Ardo, during a press conference on the outcome of the 2023 Presidential election and congratulating the president elect Asiwaju Bola Tinubu on his victory in Abuja, yesterday.

Ashiru congratulates people of Kaduna State on peaceful election

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

The Kaduna State gubernatorial candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Rt Hon. Isa Mohammed Ashiru has congratulated the people of Kaduna State on the peaceful conduct of the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

According to a statement signed by the Deputy Director, Media and Publicity, PDP

State Campaign Directorate, Reuben Buhari, Ashiru further congratulated voters on turning out to vote, despite the scarcity of cash, fuel, and other challenges associated with the voting processes, adding that their patriotic sacrifices shows both the quest of people to have more qualified and genuine leaders leading them in 2023, and their faith in the democratic process.

In congratulating the winners of the just concluded elections, Ashiru tasked them to

be magnanimous in victory by accepting all theirs now.

He further identified with those who lost, saying that losing an election affords one the experience to try again.

While further analysing the outcome of the elections, Ashiru noted that: “With the Presidential and National Assembly elections concluded, the path has now become clearer for a unified approach toward the gubernatorial elections coming up in two weeks’ time. Now is the

time for us all Kaduna State to bury all differences, close ranks, and work together for the success of the PDP and for the benefit of the people of Kaduna State.

“The eight years of the APC has brought so much hardship and bloodletting to Kaduna State. It is now incumbent upon us all, no matter our differences, to come together and put an end to a government that is replete with a total lack of empathy, insensitive, and the most misplaced elitist approach to governance that

Kaduna has seen. So, I call on all people of Kaduna State to again, reject the APC in the coming gubernatorial and State Assembly elections. Let us not allow impunity to continue.”

He also called on the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to critically analyse and note all areas requiring improvement in the just concluded elections, so as to effect improvements in the coming elections.

Ukraine sympathizes with famine-stricken African countries

By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh

The global food security crisis is a core part of the peaceful plan suggested by Ukraine. The Zelenskiy administration is working to create stronger diplomatic, economic, and social ties with Africa, all of which will help ensure long-term prosperity and stability for both Ukraine and Africa.

Despite facing its hardest situation due to an extensive special military operation since February 24, 2022, Ukraine has tremendously been contributing to ensure food security in a number of African countries. Rising food prices, climate change and natural disasters have hit some parts of Africa, and Ukraine is steadfast expressing its sympaty by transporting fertilizers, wheat, grains and other agricultural products to the Horn and East Africa.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stressed the importance of deepening areas of trade and working to achieve representation in 30 countries across the continent, with ten states already identified where new Ukrainian embassies will open. Ukraine offers many opportunities for cooperation with Africa, from agriculture to some food products, which could help facilitate a stronger socio-economic tie between both countries, says Daria Zarivna, Head of Communication and Public Affairs at the Administration.

With Africa experiencing what some consider its worst drought in 40 years, the

Ukrainian government have come up with an ambitious plan to provide provide grain to five million people in Africa by delivering up to 60 ships of wheat by mid-2023.

According to her, the Ukraine government is very ambitious – we aim to provide grain to five million people in Africa by delivering up to 60 ships of wheat by mid-2023. The programme is in partnership with the UN World Food Programme (WFP) who are supporting us in finding out which countries need help and what kind of grain specification they need.

“We then assess the country’s readiness to receive the grain and its ability to distribute fairly and responsibly on the ground. The ships undergo a specific process of inspection, monitoring and surveillance from the beginning of the process (loading the grain) until the end of the trip (docking and distribution),” she underlined.

“Russia’s war in Ukraine has disrupted Africa’s development and recovery from the pandemic by

raising food and fuel prices, disrupting trade of goods, and reducing the flow of finance in the continent. The cooperation of African countries and the influence they may have over the Russia’s aggression in Ukraine will have long term positive consequences for all parties involve,” says Zarivna.

Ukraine is looking to strengthen its economic and diplomatic relations with Africa. Ukraine’s potential partnerships with African countries is so important to help increase international pressure on Russia and to allow Ukraine to continue to export its grain and support the continent’s ongoing battle with food security.

The global food security crisis is a core part of the peaceful plan suggested by Ukraine. The Zelenskiy administration is working to create stronger diplomatic, economic, and social ties with Africa, all of which will help ensure long-term prosperity and stability for both Ukraine and Africa.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has discussed with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah elSisi the fostering of food security and interaction in Ukraine’s opening of food hubs in Africa. Ukrainian media reported, citing a message from Zelenskiy posted on social media that the parties also noted the importance of extending the Black Sea Grain Initiative. The initiative specifically allows for significant volumes of commercial food exports from three key Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea, and this initiative is supported by the United Nations.

Kestér Kenn Klomegâh is an Int’l Affairs Analyst.

Sex for grades: A crime thriving in silence

By Promise Eze

Like an angry tornado sex for grades is effacing life away from Nigerian universities. Every year stories abound of how university professors and lecturers seduce and blackmail students. We all hear about it but it’s almost never proven. The malfeasance buried in silence is denying victims to speak up. A lot of female students are being abused but silence has buried their pain. Academic institutions are meant to nurture and groom students but they have become hunting grounds for the sexual gratification of men enstrusted to teach. Sex for grades has become a culture, a sturdy plant growing on the grounds of silence, fertilised by silence, trimmed by silence and this silence is deadly. Not only has it buried dreams, it has rendered lives useless.

The BBC Africa Eye recently aired a year-long investigation it conducted which was aimed at exposing the menace of sex for grades in two top West African Universities. One was UNILAG — an impressive tertiary institution in Nigeria smothered with an avalanche of seasoned lecturers and professors. In a sting operation undercover journalists disguised as students were able to expose randy lecturers who are keen on prepositioning sex to young female students in exchange for good grades.

No sooner than the documentary hit our screens did Nigerians of diverse calibre reacted angrily over the immorality of our lecturers. But this could be described as sheer hypocrisy. Sex for grades has been existing for decades. Why has the matter not been treated with seriousness all the while? Politicians reared up their heads to condemn the crime. Are they saying that they aren’t aware of the problem? Why did Nigerians had to wait for BBC to speak up before they could chip in a word about the issue?

Randy Nigerian lecturers have metamorphosed from varsity teachers into predators seeking for whom to devour. lounging furiously on the breasts of female students even without their consent just as a monkey would grab a banana by impulse, fiddling fingers into cleavages and soliciting for sex romps in exchange for good grades, they throw the ethics of their profession to the wind. One begins to wonder why knowledge givers should now begin to play the beast of no nation. This is not to argue that all lecturers are capable of such monstrosity.

Female students are between the devil and the deep blue sea and the academically weak ones are the most vulnerable.

With no official medium through which they can express their grievances they are forced to suffocate their sufferings on their pillow case. They are enveloped in a system that treat lecturers as demigods, a system that allegedly has accredited so much power to lecturers. Sex for marks won’t have been bad as it is if the powers of lecturers and professors were truly defined.

Silence is the lethal weapon used by these sex prone lecturers to torment their victims. They place them in a tight corner. “Shut up or keep failing my course ,” “talk and you would never graduate,” they would blurt into the ears of their preys. These are not empty threats. The young girls enclosed in this dilemma would be left with two choices: to give into their overtures or to speak up and get tormented for the rest of their academic years.

The problem is ubiquitous but unlike developed countries that has an effective and efficient means of tackling the menace, Nigerian female students are left to suffer and bear some squeezing of the breast, a romantic slap on the bottom, an unsolicited kiss, blandishments, a see-me-in-myoffice-alone proposal, inappropriate questions and sexual assaults. The victimized student has no one to run to. She is confused. The unwelcome affront leaves her traumatized and depressed. She is constantly attacked with suicidal thoughts. She feels dirty. The shame is too heavy to bear. She left home seeking for knowledge, to drink from the cisterns of wisdom —the university of course is a home of knowledge — but she encounters men wishing to dart into her skin more than they would want to instill knowledge into her brain. But despite the suffering, her degree being so important to her, she keeps quiet. Her predator uses silence to guage her, to censor her and to abuse her. She owns her body but an academic controls it. She has a will but that will has become a horse to be ridden upon by a learned sexual pervert. Even if she voices out her pain who would believe her? Who would listen? “Where is your evidence?,” the authorities would always quiz anytime she relates her experience.

The silence of the government is killing. A government that will wait until all the female students in Nigeria are harassed and victimized before responding decisively is not ready to fight. The Nigerian senate passed a bill criminalizing sexual harassment in tertiary institutions in October of 2016; a bill that is yet to see the light of the day. The flippant attitude of the government in making and enforcing laws to penalize victims is only adding muscles to the problem. How

worrying it is that the government only have to cough out a word or two concerning the matter when the BBC sex for marks documentary was released. As long as the problem is not dealt with on time it would continue to worsen and deteriorate.

Indisputably one can rightly posit that in some cases it is the students soliciting for sex in order to be awarded marks. There are lazy females who would rather prefer to use “bottom power” to pass a course than to bend their heads over their books. They would seduce lecturers by exposing their curvaceous frames. These seductresses would make their lecturers drool and to become inexorably horny. But banking on their desperate desire to pass by foul means, most lecturers only up exploiting the bodies of female students and enjoying the thrills. This too, is a crime thriving in silence. Only very few varsity teachers ever get to report improper advances by students towards them to the relevant authorities. Sex for grades is a heinous crime regardless of whoever initiated the deal.

Judging by the increased spate of the menace in Nigerian universities, most of which remain unreported due to fear of stigmatization, one can discipher that the system, like Boko Haram, won’t be able to get rid of easily. Just as culture is defined as a way of life, sex for grades has become a culture to some university professors and students alike. But breaking the silence would give the malfeasance a heavy blow. Avenues should be created where sexually harassed students can run to when threatened by lecturers. Official phone numbers and emails should be made available to students to make reporting the crime easier and faster.

Technology is a very fine way of breaking this silence. Now evidence can be gotten and facts can be proven by making judicious use of technological gadgets like secret body cameras and hidden audio recorders. All thanks to the social media that is granting many aggrieved victims the opportunity of expressing their pains and feelings.

We don’t need to wait for the BBC Africa Eye to spur us to our feet. Sex for grades is here with us, though cloaked in silence and garbed in secrecy. Female students are suffering and dying in silence. If we don’t strive to give their pain and frustration a voice and demand for justice our universities would become a 21st century definition of a brothel and our own daughters, sisters would be the next victims.

Promise Eze is a campus journalist, writer and a 200 Level student at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.

With Africa experiencing what some consider its worst drought in 40 years, the Ukrainian government have come up with an ambitious plan to provide provide grain to five million people in Africa by delivering up to 60 ships of wheat by mid-2023

The pains and gains of a deposit insurer at 30

By Joseph Olanrewaju

The story of the banking industry in Nigeria cannot be told without dedicating a strategic chapter to the role of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), whose regulatory sagacity has ensured the growth and sustainability of the nation’s financial system stability in the last 30 years. Through careful planning and diligent execution of its mandate, the agency has become a primus inter pares and a reference point on the implementation of the Deposit Insurance System (DIS) in the West African subregion and indeed the whole of Africa.

This is because the attainment of financial stability in any country is not a mean feat. That is why nations often pull their best resources together not only to generate but also safeguard the savings of their citizenry. Since no economy can thrive without the crucial role of banks, the NDIC has never spared any effort in ensuring that Nigerian banks are healthy enough to reciprocate the trust of depositors who daily entrust them with their hard-earned monetary resources.

As the corporation prepares to celebrate its 30th anniversary, one cannot but recognize the contributions of the pioneer Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Corporation and then Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Alh. Abdulkadir Ahmed as well as the pioneer Managing Director/CEO, Mr. J. U. Ebhodaghe to the success story.

As a result of the great work they did, Nigeria is today privileged, not only to have a functional deposit insurance system, but one which is the numero-uno in Africa and model to many other countries around the world. Now doubt the legacy they left has been tremendously improved upon by its successive chief executives and staff.

Attaining 30 years as an organization is not a tea party and celebrating monumental achievements like the ones the corporation has attained is a direct testimony to NDIC’s doggedness, resilience, focus, integrity, courage, and its penchant for thinking out of the box. Even though there have been liquidations, mergers and acquisitions by banks since 1989, Nigerians have the NDIC to thank for the smoothness of the exercises which did not encumbered depositors’ funds, or lead to intractable meltdown and attendant consequences in the banking sector.

Following the financial gloom that pervaded the system before it was set up, the NDIC immediately took control and ensured that the trend was reversed by focusing on its primary policy objectives which are to contribute to financial system stability as well as protect small, uninformed and less financially sophisticated depositors by providing an orderly means of resolution and compensation in the event of failure of their insured financial institutions. Depositors whose funds were trapped in the distressed banks later received some percentages of their balances after a thorough audit of the banks by the NDIC.

It must be said that this sad episode has since been turned to strength by the NDIC through proactiveness and discovering and redressing potential incidence of failures in banks. Guided by is vision: “To be one of the leading deposit insurers in the world”; and a clear Mission: “To protect depositors and contribute to the stability of the financial system through effective supervision of insured

institutions, provision of financial/technical assistance to eligible insured institutions, prompt payment of guaranteed sums and orderly resolution of failed insured financial institutions”, the corporation has continue to move from one level of success to another in uplifting Nigerian Banks and instilling the needed confidence in the financial system of the country.

The NDIC was established in 1989 as a risk-minimizer with the core mandate of deposit guarantee, banking supervision, distress resolution and bank liquidation. Added to its are its core values of honesty, respect and fairness, discipline, professionalism and teamwork, it has proved its mettle through the many knotty financial webs it has had to untangle.

On Deposit Guarantee, the NDIC provided unparalleled coverage to all deposit taking financial institutions approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). These include Deposit Money Banks (DMBs), Microfinance Banks (MFBs), Primary Mortgage Banks (PMBs), Non-Interest Banks (NIBs) and Mobile Money Operators (MMOs). At the moment, corporation extends deposit insurance cover to the 27 DMBs, 888 MFBs, 38 PMBs and one (1) NIB.

Another key achievement of the NDIC relates to the critical matter of financial inclusion. The corporation is a key stakeholder in the nation’s financial inclusion strategy as regulator of the deposit insurance system and supervisor of the nation’s banking system. The National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) which was initiated in 2012 was revised in 2018.

The major aim of the revised strategy is to reduce the proportion of financially excluded adult Nigerians from its baseline figure of 46.3% in 2010 to 20% by 2020. Consequently, the NDIC adopted various electronic and print media channels to educate the public on its activities and improve financial literacy.

Some of the channels employed in 2018 included: continued implementation of the pass-through deposit insurance; provision of financial and technical support for the introduction of deposit insurance courses in tertiary institutions and participation at major trade fairs to promote DIS and financial inclusion.

Other initiatives included: targeted financial inclusion activities for the youths such as sensitization of NYSC members; collaboration with the Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIBN) for the introduction of Deposit Insurance System (DIS), participation in World Savings Day for secondary schools nationwide and the development and critique of curriculum on financial education for primary and secondary schools nationwide.

In recognition of the fact that understanding of stakeholders and success of DIS depends on the effectiveness of the public awareness strategy, the NDIC promptly employed needed strategies in 2018 to enhance public understanding of its activities and these were: radio and television depositors awareness jingles in local languages; press conferences and briefings; monitoring and engagement through social media; and several in-house publications.

Other strategies adopted included: sponsorship of sensitization seminars and workshops such as the Annual Workshop for Business Editors and Finance Correspondents Association of Nigeria (FICAN) and sensitization seminar

for the Bar and Bench, as well as 24-hour toll-free help desk to guide the depositors and address their concerns.

The NDIC has continued to spread tentacles of expertise and experience through direct involvement in several international exchange and cooperation programmes geared towards effective experience-sharing and capacity building with both local and international partners. he NDIC hosted the 2018 IADI-Africa Regional Committee Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Technical Assistance Workshop, with the theme: “Financial Stability, System Wide Crises Preparedness and Effective Bank Resolution”, in Lagos, with both local and international delegates in attendance.

At that event, the NDIC’s Managing Director/Chief Executive, Umaru Ibrahim, FCIB, mni, was elected as the Chairman of ARC, Mohamud A. Mohamud, the Chief Executive Officer of Kenya Deposit Insurance Corporation (KDIC), was elected as the Vice Chairman. The election of the MD was in recognition of the leadership role of the agency in Africa. The NDIC also participated at several IADI Executive Council meetings and conferences held in 2018 as well as provided technical assistance to other African deposit insurance agencies. Also in 2018, the NDIC obtained full membership of the Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB).

One feature that has remained prominent in the management style of the NDIC over the years is the corporation’s readiness to give back to society. The agency had sponsored a number of projects in educational institutions nationwide as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) towards enhancing public awareness as well as making academic environments conducive for learning.

Last year alone, the NDIC expended the sum of ₦162.15 million on seven projects in various locations of the country. Its lofty achievements in the last 30 years notwithstanding, the NDIC has continue to project into the future by being an active financial safety net participant in the country and ensuring the effective discharge of its mandate.

Besides, it has pledged its commitment to strengthen all aspects of its supervisory functions, adopt the least costeffective method of failure resolution and ensure prompt depositor reimbursement in the event of bank failure. To sharpen its supervisory activities, the NDIC said it would focus on enhancing its skills in the following areas: Basel III and IV, recovery and resolution plan, stress testing, fintech, among others.

The NDIC had in the last three decades recorded notable achievements in the protection of depositors and promotion of safe, sound and stable banking system in the country. There is also ample evidence that with careful formulation and adoption of appropriate policies and strategies, the Board, Management and staff are committed to ensuring that the NDIC fulfills its statutory mandate. The NDIC has equally pledged its long-term commitment to safeguard the Nigerian financial system, particularly in the area of engendering public confidence and contributing to financial system stability. Therefore, it is only fitting that an agency that has given so much to the fatherland takes time off to count its successes and taking stock of its tortuous journey by marking its 30th anniversary Olanrewaju wrote from Lagos.

Witchcraft persecution and advocacy without borders in Africa

By Leo Igwe

African Christians and Muslims have been indoctrinated to demonize, occultize and witchcraftize religious others, especially traditional religions or any ritual forms that deviate from religion, as they know it. As this incident has illustrated, those who conduct prayers and rituals that depart from local norms are at The Advocacy for Alleged Witches urges Africans to campaign against abuses linked to witchcraft beliefs everywhere. This call follows the rescue of Nigerian nationals, who were accused of witchcraft in Kenya. As reported, the police rescued these Nigerians in Thika Town in Kiambu County. It was stated that an angry mob beat and almost lynched them while they were performing some rituals. These Nigerians claimed that they were conducting some prayers. It was not stated the kind of prayers that they was conducting. The police intervened, resisted the mob, and took these nationals, who sustained some

injuries, to a nearby hospital.

The Advocacy for Alleged Witches commends the Kenya police for intervening and rescuing these foreign nationals. As in many parts of Africa, witchcraft accusation is a killer phenomenon, and a death sentence. These foreign nationals were fortunate. Police rescued them. In many instances, the police arrive late, after the damage has been done.

Recently, Kenya recorded incidents of witch persecution and killing. Last week, two elderly women, accused of witchcraft, were lynched in Murang’a County. There is still no information regarding the arrest and prosecution of suspected perpetrators of this heinous crime. In other African countries, such as Ghana, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, accusations of witchcraft and witch persecution take place. Alleged witches have been attacked, killed, or banished. However, in most cases, locals are the target. People often accuse members of their neighbors, members of their family or community. This incident draws attention to the fact that foreigners are also at risk

of being accused. Africans should look beyond their borders in advocating against witchcraft-linked violations. People often demonize strange and unfamiliar prayer and ritual forms. They regard them as evil, as invocations of occult harm. African Christians and Muslims have been indoctrinated to demonize, occultize and witchcraftize religious others, especially traditional religions or any ritual forms that deviate from religion, as they know it. As this incident has illustrated, those who conduct prayers and rituals that depart from local norms are at risk of being accused of witchcraft and evil magic. Witchcraft accusation is a threat to the lives of Africans everywhere. Africans should not look the other way as alleged witches are attacked and killed in other countries. They should know that everyone is at risk of being accused or killed for witchcraft, whether you are a local or a foreigner. Africans should strive to advocate against witchcraft accusations and witch persecution without borders.

Leo Igwe directs the Advocacy for Alleged Witches

Ireti wins FCT Senate seat for LP

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Mrs Ireti Kingibe of the Labour Party (LP) as the winner of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Senate seat. INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Sanni Saka of the University of Abuja announced the result on Tuesday in Abuja.

Saka said that Ireti scored 202,175 votes to emerge winner, adding that Mr Philip Aduda of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came second with 100,544 votes, while Mr Angulu Dobi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) placed third with 78,905 votes. ” I Prof. Sanni Saka thereby certify that I am the Returning Officer for the 2023 FCT Senatorial district election held on Feb. 25.

“The election was contested and the candidates received the votes as announced. “That Ireti Kingibe having satisfied the requirement of the law has been declared the winner,” Saka said. He said that the problem with the Bwari result that was earlier canceled was rectified and the result certified as valid.

He however, said that the result for Abaji remained canceled because the problem had not been sorted out. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Sulieman Ango, the APC agent and that of PDP Mr Abdulrahman Mohammed refused to sign the result sheet saying it was not authentic.

(NAN)

Katsina Gov. reacts to Sen. Bola Tinubu’s victory

Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State said that the election of Sen. Ahmed Bola Tinubu as President-elect of Nigeria, is like putting a ‘square peg in a square hole’.

Masari stated this while briefing newsmen in Katsina shortly after Tinubu was declared winner of the Saturday, Feb. 25, Presidential election.

The result of the presidential election was announced by the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu at 4: 15 a.m. in Abuja.

According to him, Bola Tinubu is resouceful and has the brain and capacity to rule Nigeria.

He said that God had vindicated them by disappointing

those who doubted their ability to elect Tinubu as president.

“We have delivered because we turned out en-mass with our supporters and voted Bola Tinubu as our President.

“I am still appealing to our supporters to come out in large numbers, and elect Umar DikkoRadda, to succeed me as next Governor of Katsina State in the

Gubernatorial election slated for Match 11,” Masari said.

He said Dikko- Radda was a fine leader that would consolidate on the gains he had achieved in the the state.

While commending INEC for conducting a free and fair election, Masari urged the electoral body not to listen to unpatriotic individuals.(NAN)

Kogi SDP Reps candidate wants IGP to arrest, prosecute

Olamaboro council Chair for electoral offenses

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

The Social Democrats party (SDP) Candidate for House of Representatives for Ankpa, Olamaboro and Omala federal constituency in Kogi State

Hon. Ben Adaji has called on the Inspector General of police to urgently arrest and prosecute the Council Chairman of Olamaboro local government area Mr. Friday Adejoh for committing electoral offenses.

Hon. Adaji who made the call while speaking to journalists in Lokoja on Tuesday said Mr. Adejoh along with some policemen drove round polling units in a Sienna Bus in Imane ward one and two shot several guns to despach voters from polling units.

He added that the council

Chairman aided by the policemen snatched away several ballot boxes and later returned them to the collation centre in Imane after falsifying the results in favour of APC.

The House of Reps candidate wondered why a council Chairman would turn himself into a warlord and taking the law into his hands.

“I saw the council Chairman, Friday Adejoh along with some policemen and thugs heavily armed with guns and shouting round the polling units in Imane ward one and two. They carted away several ballot boxes to unknown destinations and later returned them to the collation centre after changing the results in favour of APC.

“ In fact this is not the first time Friday Adejoh is doing this, in the 2019 governorship election

that brought Yahaya Bello he and his gang of thugs in the same manner at gunpoint drove round Olamaboro local government and snatched ballot boxes.

“I urge the Inspector general of police to as a matter of urgency arrest and prosecute the council Chairman of Olamaboro, Friday Adejoh for committing electoral fraud to serve as deterrent”, Adaji said.

He described the February 25 Presidential and National assembly elections in Ankpa, Olamaboro and Omala as a charade and characterized with rigging, vote buying, falsification of results and snatching of ballot boxes.

He expressed disappointment with the entire exercise which he described as a day light robbery.

Adaji wondered why a serving

APC council chairman and his thugs would go about with guns snatching ballot boxes and molesting INEC officials.

The Reps candidate gave an instance where the Chairman and his thugs snatched ballot boxes from Abo-Ojoche and Ebuloko polling units in Imane ward 1 in Olamaboro local government and falsified the results in favour of APC.

According to the candidate, similar electoral fraud was carried out in Omala local government area where APC thugs destroyed ballot boxes in polling units 3, 4 and 8 in Abejukolo ward 2.

He said election was desrupted in Isheke ward while several ballot boxes were snatched by APC thugs in Omala local government area.

Adaji lamented that the election in Ankpa

local government was also characterized with falsification of results and snatching of ballot boxes.

According Adaji, results were not transmitted to the INEC server from the polling units as directed by the electoral body.

“All results in the federal constituency were taken to different hideouts with INEC officials at gunpoint and falsified by APC agents.”

osed that he has already submitted a protest letter to the INEC in Lokoja calling for the cancellation of the entire elections in Ankpa, Olamaboro and Omala federal constituency.

“I reject the entire results collated by INEC in the federal constituency and I want a fresh election to be conducted, “ he said.

L-R: Secretary, Arewa New Agenda(ANA), Hajiya Halima Idris; Prof. Adamu Kyuka Usman; ANA Chairman, Sen. Ahmed Abubakar MoAllahyidi; Deputy Chairman, Prof. Ahmed Danfulani and Amb. Hassan Jika Ardo, during a press conference on the outcome of the 2023 Presidential election and congratulating the president elect Asiwaju Bola Tinubu on his victory in Abuja, yesterday.

Project 774 coordinator, Senator Sabi congratulates president-elect, vice president-elect

By our correspondent

Senator

Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, Baraden Borgu, and National Coordinator, Project 774 for Tinubu/Shettima 2023 has congratulated the duo of presidentelect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and vice president-elect, Kashim Shettima on their emergence.

Sabi Abdullahi, also the Deputy Whip of the Senate made the comment in a statement yesterday on Abuja.

“I heartily congratulate Your Excellencies, President-elect of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the Vice President-elect, Senator Kashim Shettima on your victory at the just concluded presidential election,” he said in the statement. He said their emergence speaks so much about the unwavering confidence reposed in you as leaders with the distinct ability to take Nigeria on the next phase of its national journey.

Lawan congratulates President-elect Tinubu, APC

By Musa Baba Adamu

The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan has congratulated the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Vice Presidentelect, Kashim Shettima on their election victory.

Lawan, in a statement, said the victory affirmed the trust of the Nigerian people in the All Progressives Congress(APC) and its candidates.

The statement reads: “I congratulate the President-elect, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the Vice President-elect, His Excellency, Kashim Shettima, on their resounding victory in Saturday’s Presidential Election.

“The Election was hard-fought on all sides so this victory is very sweet and will be savoured for a long time by our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), our supporters throughout Nigeria and lovers of democracy across the world.

“This victory affirms the trust of the Nigerian people in our great party, the APC and its candidates. However, it is also a challenge to us to continue the progressive development of our dear nation, Nigeria, in line with the Agenda of our party.

“Nigerians have spoken

unequivocally with their votes in their endorsement of that Agenda and the Renewed Hope Compact that you, our flag bearers, presented during the campaigns. Because of your Sterling track records in public service, we are confident that you will competently and faithfully deliver on that Compact.

“The outcome of the election is a seal of approval by the Nigerian people of the performance of the Government of the APC in the last eight years under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“I commend President Buhari for sustaining confidence in our Party. We are also proud of him for his statesmanship in ensuring a level playing field for all the contestants and for fully respecting the indepence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“I also congratulate our great Party, the APC, for this election victory. I rejoice with my colleague senators-elect and Honourable members-elect of the House of Representatives over their triumph at the polls

“I wish to assure the President-elect of the full cooperation and support of the Ninth National Assembly in the transition process until the end of our tenure on 11th June, 2023.

“Furthermore, the outcome of the presidential poll attests to your democratic credentials which, suggest that under your watch, Nigerians need not worry about the independence of our institutions being compromised. They also need not worry about their freedoms and rights being suppressed,” he said.

“Without a doubt, your goodwill has endeared Nigerians to embrace our great party - the All Progressives Congress - which

insists on collective prosperity for all irrespective of ethnic or religious backgrounds,” the statement added.

“ It is my firm belief that your vision of “Renewed Hope” would consolidate and deliver on the policies of our great party already initiated by the administration of His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari.

“I commend the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for delivering on free and fair elections, and remaining

steadfast inspite of challenging moments that threatened to disrupt the peaceful conduct of the exercise. The commission has, indeed, lived up to expectation in terms of improving on Nigeria’s electoral process.

“Finally, I wish the Presidentelect and his Vice President-elect, a fruitful tenure that would bring about unrivaled development, peace and progress to the nation and its people,” he said in the statement.

Gov Yahaya Bello congratulates Tinubu over victory in presidential election

By Christiana Ekpa Kogi

State Governor, Yahaya

Bello has congratulated the President elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his victory at last Saturday presidential election.

In a statement he issued yesterday, Bello said 'I write to congratulate Your Excellency on your victory in the Nigerian Presidential Elections of February 25th, 2023. Your win is a testament to the faith of Nigerians in your leadership and a resounding affirmation of your vision for a better Nigeria.

"In my dual roles as the Governor of Kogi State and the National Youth Coordinator of the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, it is my unparalleled pleasure to felicitate with Your Excellency on this epochal victory.

"On behalf of The People and Government of Kogi State as well as the teeming youth demographic which stood with you and our great Party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in this contest,

I also extend our warmest congratulations to you and His Excellency, Vice President-elect Kashim Shettima on this historic triumph.

"Your election has renewed hope in the hearts of Nigerians, and we are confident that in your incoming Administration, we shall witness the sort of foresighted governance we saw you provide in Lagos State over the last two decades - and which fired our imaginations, not only to believe that the same is possible in Nigeria but to work assiduously with you to birth it today.

"Sir, you are coming to the Presidency at a time when Nigeria is facing numerous challenges of insecurity, corruption, unemployment, and economic instability, among others. The only answer we envisage is sustainable change, executed as a divine trust, that quickly improves the lives of all citizens while elevating our national standing in the Comity of Nations.

"We are excited about your vision for a prosperous Nigeria

built on a foundation of sustainable development, innovation, and inclusivity. Your commitment to revamping the economy, creating job opportunities for the teeming population of unemployed youths, eliminating insecurity and ensuring food security constitute the heart of our support. We hold them both irreducible and inviolable.

"Of course, we recognize that governing a diverse country like Nigeria is not an easy task, but we know that you have the experience, knowledge, and skills to navigate the complex challenges that you have so voluntarily assumed. We are therefore confident that you will leverage your wealth of experience in public service and your excellent track record in governance to uplift the Giant of Africa.

"Once again, congratulations on your well-deserved victory. May your tenure as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria be characterized by transformative leadership, renewed hope and prosperity for all Nigerians."

2023 elections: Don’t inflame passion - Arewa group cautions Obasanjo • Urges Tinubu to douse tension

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

Anorthern Socio-Political pressure group, Arewa New Agenda (ANA) has urged ex President Olusegun Obasanjo to exercise restraint and caution over the outcome of the 2023 presidential election, to avoid taking actions that can inflame passion and throw the country into anarchy.

This is just as the group enjoined the President elect, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, to take steps that will douse tension across the country by extending the olive branch and hand of fellowship to his fellow contestants who lost the presidential election.

Briefing journàlists yesterday in Abuja on the tension across the country, especially over the recent comments by ex President Obasanjo regarding the election, the national Convener of the Arewa

New Agenda, Senator Ahmad Abubakar Moallahyidi, said in the spirit of national cohesion, the North looks forward to a new beginning and urged Nigerians to close ranks and support the incoming administration to take the country to greater heights.

While expressing displeasure and calling for caution over the calls by Obasanjo that the election should be cancelled, senator Moallahyidi said such inciting utterances are at variance with peaceful coexistence among peace loving Nigerians.

According to him, “We read Chief Obasanjo’s press release calling on the INEC Chairman to bow to some of his (Obasanjo’s caprices) which as expected has gone viral as we believe that is one of the affects, he set out to achieve; in it, he shared his thoughts about how he thinks things should go in the electioneering process for the 2023 national elections.

“We are sure he is aware that his disposition has triggered a lot of debates and engendered mixed reactions nationwide; it has been perceived in different ways by different people depending on their political persuasions and the interests they represent.

“Of utmost importance is the centrality of his person in this discourse; let us explain for clarity: he was president on two terms in our current democratic dispensation (1999-2007); he is a retired general (A national veteran) and an elder Statesman.

“All these he has earned and we deeply respect and hold him in very high esteem.

We however depart from him in his penchant for fanning the embers of regionalism, ethnicity and sectionalism.

“On Jan 1st 2023 reports in the media had it that, after receiving in audience many presidential

candidates, he declared Mr. Peter Obi as his preferred choice and candidate as communicated in an open letter to young Nigerians then.”

This, he said, has thrown him in the ring as a partisan person in the affairs of the 2023 national elections, just as the group dismissed Obasanjo’s reference to unity, internal democracy and moral standing with regards to the 2023 elections.

To this end, ANA called on Nigerians to eschew actions that are capable of inciting the populace and undermine democracy, which it said forefathers have labored to build.

“We encourage all and sundry who have issues to seek redress through laid processes. How can you say a political electioneering process where Tinubu couldn’t deliver Lagos; Ganduje couldn’t deliver Kano, El-Rufai couldn’t

deliver Kaduna, Buhari couldn’t deliver Katsina; APC Chairman couldn’t deliver Nasarawa; Ahmed Lawan couldn’t deliver Yobe; Lalong couldn’t deliver Plateau and even lost his senatorial bid; Philip Aduda couldn’t deliver Abuja; South East Governors lost in South East, is this same election that you are vilifying as a corrupted process”, the Arewa group said.

Meanwhile, the group has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for opening up the space for everyone to exercise his/her franchise and discharge his responsibility to the nation by voting freely.

It also encouraged INEC Chairman and his staff to remain steadfast and undaunted in their national assignment, even as it commended security operatives for holding the country together, which led to a peaceful election of February 25th 2023.

Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc Seplat

From Abubakar Y Ojimaojo ABUJA

Seplat Energy Plc has announced its audited results for the full year ended 31 December 2022, growing its revenue by 29.8 per cent to N403.9bn from N293.6bn yearon-year.

Its gross profit also soared to N197.2bn from N114.2bn year-onyear, rising by 63 per cent.

Listed on both the Nigerian Exchange Limited and the London Stock Exchange, Seplat Energy recorded a rise in profit before tax by 15.3 per cent to N86.7bn from N71bn year-on-year.

The company also generated cash from its operations to the tune of N242.4bn from N150.9bn year-on-year, rising by 51.6 per cent.

According to a corporate notice, Seplat Energy is paying a US7.5 cent final dividend, despite the significantly disrupted production experienced in the second half of the year. “This amounts to a full-year dividend of US15 cents, representing a dividend yield of around 11 per cent at the current LSE share price.

Commenting on the results, Mr Roger Brown, Chief Executive Officer, of Seplat Energy Plc said the company’s strong financial performance will enable the payment of a US7.5 cent final dividend, despite the significantly disrupted production it experienced in the second half of the year.

“The full-year dividend of US15 cents represents a dividend yield of around 11% at the current LSE share price.

“As we enter 2023, new wells are coming onstream, encouraging appraisal drilling underway at Sibiri, and alternative export routes ensuring good export performance in January and February this year. Our gas business continues to develop, with the first gas expected from ANOH in Q4 this year, and we are now in the process of separating our Midstream Gas business from the Upstream unit to unlock new value for shareholders” said Brown, Seplat’s top official.

IMF: 76% of loans under CBN anchor borrowers’ programme unpaid

From Abubakar Y Ojimaojo

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says only 24 percent of loans collected by farmers under the anchor borrowers’ programme (ABP) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have been repaid.

This implies that 76 percent of the loans are yet to be paid.

This is contained in the international financial organisation’s latest country report titled ‘Nigeria: Selected Issues’.

The IMF said the report is based on the information available at the time it was completed on January 12, 2023.

The ABP was launched by President Muhammadu Buhari on November 17, 2015, to create a linkage between anchor companies involved in the processing and

small holder farmers (SHFs) of the required key agricultural commodities.

It was designed to provide farm inputs (in kind and cash) to SHFs to boost production of the key commodities, stabilise input supply to agro-processors and address Nigeria’s negative balance of payments on food.

Last year, the CBN said the ABP increased rice milling plants from 6 to 50 in the last six years.

In the report, the IMF said agricultural credit in the country has not significantly succeeded in increasing production due to the difficulty in targeting the correct recipients.

It said that although the CBN allows farmers to pay in cash or give the central bank his/her produce of same value under the ABP, repayments have been very low.

“For the Anchor Borrowing Program, repayment is also low at 24 percent, especially since repayment can be made in kind, thereby limiting the tenor of the loans to one year,” the report reads.

“Part of the problem is that the incentive structure for repayment is weak, the recipient loans are not always well targeted and occasionally the funding is used for other purchases (e.g., new agricultural input trading companies to elicit trading rents).”

The IMF also said recent data (November 2020) from the central bank indicate that the repayment rate for the commercial agriculture credit (CAC) scheme was at almost 66 percent.

It, however, said that since the loans started in 2009, the 66 percent repayment rate was not a particularly high outcome.

The IMF said its cross-country analysis identified four levers for raising food security levels: raising per capita consumption, raising production yields, limiting food price inflation, and reducing reliance on food imports.

It said per capita consumption was far below comparator countries in Nigeria, and it could be stimulated through increased diversification.

It said yields were also lower in Nigeria than in other countries due to scarcity of inputs (fertilizers, modern irrigation methods, and mechanisation).

It urged Nigeria to address challenges hindering access to timely, high quality, and price competitive inputs, saying that this would not only achieve optimal productivity of agricultural outcomes but also temper food inflation.

We didn’t give N500m to any politician, says GTBank on viral social media post

From Abubakar Y Ojimaojo ABUJA

Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) has denied giving N500 million new notes to any presidential candidate in Saturday’s election.

A Twitter user, @ifygold21, had earlier tweeted that the bank gave the sum to a presidential candidate on Friday due to an order from President Muhammadu Buhari.

The post was retweeted 6,442 times with 14,500 likes.

But in a statement on

Wednesday, GTBank described the claim as “completely false”.

The financial institution said the allegation was aimed at tarnishing the image of the bank and its officers.

‘The attention of Guaranty Trust Bank Ltd (the “Bank”) has been drawn to a spurious post on Twitter by @ifygold21 alleging that the bank gave the new naira notes in the total sum of ₦500 million to one of the leading presidential candidates in the ongoing general elections on the eve of the elections and at the order of a high-ranking government

official,” the statement reads.

“The bank wishes to refute this claim in its entirety and state categorically that it is completely false and is designed to bring the image of the bank and its officers to disrepute.

“The fact that the post refers to Segun Agbaje as managing director of the bank further exposes the sponsors of the content as uninformed and malicious. Accordingly, we would like to clarify that Miriam Olusanya is the managing director of the bank and has been at the helm of affairs of

the bank in that capacity since her appointment in August 2021.

“Our preliminary findings show that the post was made using a faceless bot account evidently operated by unscrupulous persons intent on propagating falsehood and inciting well-meaning Nigerians to their malicious ends.

“This is clearly unwarranted and poses a serious threat to our continuing operations, with incalculable risks to lives and property.”

GTB said that the post has been brought to the attention of

all concerned parties including Twitter, for the identification of the owner of the fake account and consequent legal action.

It urged its customers to disregard the unsubstantiated claim in its entirety.

“Guaranty Trust Bank hereby restates its commitment to being a responsible, non-partisan corporate citizen with strict adherence to the highest standards of global best practice as well as sound corporate governance in all aspects of our business operations,” the bank added.

President Buhari with President-Elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed TInubu and Vice President-Elect Senator Kashim Shettima in Daura, Katsina State on 1st Mar 2023

BU$IN€SS

Polls controversy: Fuel hits N300/litre as marketers halt loading

Oil marketers, said many depots had stopped loading Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, due to the apprehension caused by the collation of results of the general elections across the country.

It was also gathered that while filling stations operated by major marketers and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited were selling petrol between N194 and N200/litre, other outlets operated by independent marketers dispensed the product between N250 and N340/litre.

This was despite the insistence of the Federal Government that there was no approval for an increase in the pump price of petrol, coupled with the government’s demand that PMS should not be dispensed above the approved rate.

“Government will not approve any increase of PMS (price) secretly without due consultations with the relevant stakeholders.

Lagos-Ibadan train service generated N5bn in 2022 –Report

From Abubakar Y Ojimaojo ABUJA

The Federal Government through the Nigerian Railway Corporation generated about N5bn revenue from the Lagos-Ibadan train services in 2022

The findings showed that the coaches in the train which operates on the LagosIbadan rail line have a passenger capacity of about 900/1000 passengers per trip.

According to Punch,the findings shows that between January 1 and August 10, 2022, the Lagos-Ibadan train operated six trips daily, generating a total of N18,000,000 daily.

Further analysis revealed that for 221 days, the NRC recorded a total of N3.978bn on the Lagos-Ibadan train services.

In August 2022, the NRC reduced the trips on the route by 67 per cent due to the hike in the price of diesel.

The diesel price had risen by over 300 per cent in a few months, forcing transporters of petrol who power their trucks with diesel to threaten strike before the intervention of the Federal Government.

Also, in August 2022, the NRC reduced the number of trips on the Lagos-Ibadan train route from six trips to two trips per day due to the hike in the price of the automotive gas oil, popularly known as diesel.

Buhari inaugurates Lagos-Ibadan train service, security facilities today.

On December 8, 2022, the Managing Director of NRC, Fidet Okhiria, announced an increase in the train fare on the LagosIbadan route.

This development came four days after the resumption of the Abuja-Kaduna train services.

After the increment, an average economy ticket sold for N3600, business class N6,500 while the VIP ticket sold for N9,000.

A breakdown of the daily ticket by our correspondent showed that NRC recorded a minimum of N3.6m per trip for a train conveying 1,000 passengers at a ticket price of N3,600 on the Lagos-Ibadan route. Further breakdown showed that the sum of about N7.2m was recorded for two trips daily on the Lagos-Ibadan train.

The NRC raked in the sum of N1.029bn in 143 days.

“The President has not directed the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority or any agency for that matter to increase the price of fuel. This is not the time for any increase in pump price of PMS,” the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, had stated recently.

NNPCL retail stations are believed to be selling PMS at the approved price. Many of them sell the commodity at N194 or N195/ litre, but independent marketers dispense the product far higher than this rate.

This, dealers said, was due to the fact that many depots had stopped loading PMS because of the apprehension being caused by the general elections and the collation of results from the process by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

“As it is now, the depots are not loading and there no receptions. If you watch, so many stations across the country

are not open for service. This is due to apprehension caused by the elections,” the Secretary, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, AbujaSuleja, Mohammed Shuaibu, stated.

He added, “People want to wait for the announcement of these results, because of the fear of possible crisis that might affect their stations or trucks. However, as it is now, since the depots are not loading as expected, people will want to take advantage of the situation to profiteer.”

Shuaibu explained that the trucks of major marketers had not been moving products out of Lagos to other locations across the country as they used to, prior to the elections.

“Trucks that move PMS, belonging to major marketers, are not coming into Abuja and many other locations as expected. I enquired from them and they said it is because of the elections, and that they are afraid. So they want to see the outcome of

the elections,” the IPMAN official stated.

On his part, the President, Petroleum Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria, Billy Gillis-Harry, said marketers were currently finding it tough to get products to dispense, which was why private depots were selling above the approved price stipulated by the government.

“The question now is, are there even products? Are marketers seeing the products to buy, before talking about dispensing it to consumers?” he stated.

When told that the NNPCL recently announced that it had enough products to keep the country wet till March 2023, Gillis-Harry replied, “Has NNPCL ever told you that it doesn’t have enough products?”

On the high cost of petrol by independent filling stations, he said, “What we have done as PETROAN is that you must submit the document with which you used to buy the product, so that we’ll know what band rate that you are supposed to sell.

Private sector gets N42tn bank loans – Report

From Abubakar Y Ojimaojo ABUJA

Banks credit to the private sector rose from N35.18tn recorded at the end of January 2022 to N42.25tn in the corresponding period of 2023, figures obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria have shown.

The CBN’s money and credit statistics indicated this amounts to a rise of N7.07tn in the one-year period.

The figures also showed that total credit rose to N30.41tn as of the end of January 2021 from N26.65tn at the end of January 2022.

While delivering the Monetary Policy Committee report in January, the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, said the committee reviewed the performance of the bank’s various interventions aimed at stimulating production and productivity across the real sector.

He said, “Between September and October 2022, under the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme, the bank disbursed N41.02bn to several agricultural projects, bringing the cumulative disbursements under the

programme to N1.07tn to over 4.6 million smallholder farmers cultivating or rearing 21 commodities across the country.

“The bank also released N300m to finance large-scale agricultural projects under the Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme, bringing the total disbursements under the scheme to N745.31bn for 680 projects in agro-production and agroprocessing.

“In addition, the bank released the sum of N48.30bn under the N1.0tn real sector facility to seven new real sector projects in agriculture, manufacturing, and services.

He said the cumulative disbursements under the real sector facility currently stood at N2.15tn, disbursed to 437 projects across the country, comprising 240 in manufacturing, 91 in agriculture, 93 in services and 13 mining sector projects.

Under the 100for100 Policy on Production and Productivity, he said the bank had disbursed N20.78bn to nine projects in healthcare, manufacturing, and services.

This brought the cumulative

adisbursements under the facility to N114.17bn, disbursed to 71 projects across healthcare, manufacturing, services and agriculture.

Emefiele added, “The bank released N4bn under the Intervention Facility for the National Gas Expansion Programme to promote the adoption of compressed natural gas as the preferred fuel for transportation and liquefied petroleum gas as the preferred cooking fuel.

“In the MSME sector, the bank supported entrepreneurship development with the disbursement of the sums of N1.33bn and N10m under the Agribusiness/Small and Medium Enterprise Investment Scheme and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise Development Fund, respectively, to support entrepreneurship development in the country, bringing the total disbursement under the interventions to N150.22bn and N96.08bn, respectively.”

Under the Export Facilitation Initiative, he said, the bank funded export-oriented projects with N5.34bn, bringing the cumulative disbursement under the intervention to N44.58bn.

President Buhari with President-Elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed TInubu and Vice President-Elect Senator Kashim Shettima in Daura, Katsina State on 1st Mar 2023

Attack on Adamawa APC deputy chairman pits party against Senator Abbo

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

An attack on the acting Deputy Chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Adamawa State, Alhaji Saidu Naira, has pitted the party against one of the senators in its fold, Ishaku Abbo.

Abbo, accused by the executives of the party of masterminding the attack, dismissed the accusation, saying he could not stoop that low to commit such an act.

The Adamawa State APC executives in a press statement in Yola on Wednesday said Naira was brutally savaged with a knife in the night last Friday during a stakeholder meeting in Mubi North LGA.

“He (Naira) was later bundled into the booth of a vehicle and taken away, with his car ransacked and his personal belongings taken away. It took the intervention of the military before he was dropped unconscious at the Mubi police station,” the APC said in the statement signed by its chairman, Hon Samaila Tadawus.

The party leadership said the incident was perpetuated by Senator Ishaku Abbo and his thugs, as attested to by Naira himself and the Mubi North local government party chairman, Alhaji Usman Isah.

The party had urged the relevant security agencies to arrest and prosecute Abbo for kidnapping and attempted murder.

Reacting to the charge, however, Ishaku Abbo said he could not descend so low to attack people just because they disagree on certain issues.

Making his point through his Media Aide, Micheal Bolgent, Abbo said he had no hand in the attack in whatever form, stressing that he did not sponsor anybody to attack the state party deputy chairman or anyone.

Senator Abbo won the Adamawa North Senatorial election last Saturday, but he travelled a rough road to victory.

He had been in court fighting off a suspension slammed on him by the Mubi North executives of the party. It took the Court of Appeal just last week to lift the suspension and grant him the right to participate in the election on Saturday.

Battle continues over 2023 election results – Dino vows Tinubu must be sacked

By Musa Baba Adamu

The Spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Campaign Council (PCC), Dino Melaye, has said there is no retreat in the party’s search for justice following the outcome of the 2023 presidential election.

Melaye, who also served as the presidential election collation

agent of the PDP, had during the collation of results accused the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu of having rigged the presidential election.

Melaye had led eight other party agents, including the Labour Party to stage a walk out at the national Collation Centre.

He pointed out that the BVAS

was not used at various areas during the elections, alleging mass thumb-printing by the All Progressives Congress APC, at different polling units with the help of INEC.

He also lamented that the electoral umpire has failed to upload results on its server since after the conduct of the election on Saturday.

The PDP chieftain, in a tweet

on Wednesday said the party must get justice, calling on supporters to be calm and maintain peace.

“A clarion call on all Atiku’s supporters all over the world not to be perturbed. Weeping may tarry till night but joy cometh in the morning,” he wrote.

“This grave injustice shall not stand. The battle to retrieve our stolen mandate is a battle of no retreat, no surrender.”

Delta governorship poll: Ayirimi Emami calls for synergy between APC, LP

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

Ahead of the March 11 governorship and House of Assembly polls, a leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Delta State and the Ologbotsere of Warri Kingdom, Chief Ayirimi Emami, has called for collaboration between supporters of the APC and Labour Party, LP to enable Delta State’s APC governorship candidate, Senator Ovie OmoAgege, emerge victorious at the Polls and ultimately wipe out Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s political hegemony.

Chief Emami made the call on Wednesday, March 1, at the Ologbotsere Hall in his palatial home in Warri, Delta State, during a special traditional thanksgiving held by the Ologbotsere Descendants, to appreciate God and the ancestors for the victory of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Nigeria’s President-elect.

He said the thanksgiving became necessary because they sought the blessings of the ancestors to grant Tinubu victory, before the presidential election held on Saturday, February 25, assuring that the Itsekiri nation would recover everything it lost

with Tinubu as president.

Whilst stating that Tinubu’s emergence as President-elect has brought blessing to the Itsekiri nation, Chief Emami expressed optimism that his Presidency, would lead to the actualization of the much talked about KokoOgheye Road, Warri to Ugborodo Road and completion of the Trans-Warri Ode-Itsekiri bridges and access roads.

He thanked members of the respected Itsekiri Leaders of Thought, ILOT, led by Chief Edward Ekpoko, a former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Daniel

Reyenieju, Delta South APC chieftain, Prince Yemi Emiko, a leader of the party in Warri South-West Local Government Area, Engr. Tuoyo Omatsuli, MessrsCanaan Ajagbawa and Billy Emami as well as the people of Itsekiri communities such as Orugbo, Okere, Ugborodo, Ubeji, Ifie, Jakpa, Ebrohimi, Bowen Avenue and Odion Road, for working assiduously towards the triumph of Tinubu/Shettima just as he urged them to do the same for Senator Ovie OmoAgege and APC state House of Assembly candidates on Saturday, March 11.

2023 gubernatorial: Let’s retire PDP in Abia – Onyenucheya urges voters

By Christiana Ekpa

As the preparation for the 2023 governorship elections

heightens, a former aspirant for the Ikwuano State House of Assembly, Dr Chukwuemeka Onyenucheya, has stressed the need for Abians to retire the leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

He disclosed this on his Twitter

handle on Wednesday while reacting to the new wave of Political leadership sweeping through the South East.

He said,”There is finally hope for the people of Abia Central..

Kudos to you for voting rightly for a power shift to #LabourParty. This new political wave will help us save our people from the hands of the wicked that left our communities underdeveloped for donkey years”.

Abians having voted for Labour party candidates Peter Obi in the Presidential, Hon. Darlington Nwokocha for Senatorial, must replicate the same during the forthcoming gubernatorial election.

“With the emergence of Darlington Nwokocha as the Senatorial representative of Isiala Ngwa North and South Federal constituency, we are optimistic that Abia central will get quality

representation at the senate.

“In the future, he said there is a need for the electorate to vote for the Labour Party in the governorship and state house of assembly election to form a new government in Abia to dethrone the wicked leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party.

“It’s time for Abians to shun politics of selfish interests and focus on the development of our dear state, as we need a governor

with exceptional leadership, administrative skill and national pedigree. Abia State doesn’t belong to any family or sect of people”.

Until recently, Dr Onyenucheya had been with the People’s Democratic Party, an aspirant of the house of assembly but withdrew from the primaries due to the People’s Democratic Party’s inability to follow and respect her constitution.

Supporters of All Progressives Congress (APC) jubilating after the announcement of result, at the Collation Centre yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

METRO

Board harps on revitalising School Mgmt Committee in FCT

By Stanley Onyekwere

Director, Secondary Education Board (SEB) of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr. Sani Mohammed Ladan has stressed the urgent need to revitalise School Based Management Committee (SBMC) in every Senior Secondary School across the Abuja, the nation’s capital, for profitable educational development.

Ladan, who made this point during a sensitisation workshop in Bwari, had observed with dismay the redundancy of the Committee, noting that the functionality of the SBMC would enhance community

relations with educational institutions in the Territory.

He added that the SBMC is an important bridge connecting schools and communities towards improving relationships and also positively impact school operations.

According to him, the sensitisation workshop, is one of the first step towards achieving the Board’s mandate of providing quality education to residents.

While noting that quality education services is the responsibility of all and should not be left alone with the government, the Director opined that the programme was also aimed at

improving learning outcomes through effective and efficient collaborations and partnerships with the host communities where the various schools are located.

He also pointed out that everybody in the community has a critical role to play towards ensuring that the school in their community is not lacking behind both in academic performance of students and infrastructure; emphasizing that collaboration with the community should remain productive and continuous in order to foster unity and attract immense support . He therefore commended

the participants for turning up in their numbers, and enjoined them to ensure the complete implementation of the programme in their various schools.

Not left out, in their separate remarks, the Director, Mobilization and Sensitisation Unit, Mrs. Evelyn Ebiai-lsah and Ag. Director, School Services, Hajia Aisha Ladidi reiterated that the programme was to create awareness for effective SBMC in schools.

According to them, it will offer improved management, sense of belonging and effective participation of communities and schools leading to their overall

development.

They added that interest is key in the discharge of SBMC functions, which will help bolster creativity and peaceful co- existence of all stakeholders while boosting the morale of teachers respectively. Also, in their various submissions, some of participants which include vice principals, academics, artisans, community leaders and parents commended the Board for the awareness, which they say was an eye opener to the vital roles SBMC plays in communities, assuring that they are well equipped for the task ahead of them.

L-R: President Albino Foundation, Jake Eplle; CoConvener, Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room (NCSSR), James Ugochukwu; Convener, NCSSR and Country Director Action Aid, Ene Obe and Executive Director, PLAC, Mr. Clement Nwankwo during a press conference on the outcome of the 2023 general elections yesterday in Abuja. Photo; Justin Imo-owo

Trade unions, residents urged to help combat vandalism

By Stanley Onyekwere

Trade unions and other residents of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are admonished to as a matter of urgency to be involved in securing public facilities, by joining in the fight against the destruction of critical public infrastructure in the society.

This charge was handed down by the Minister of the FCT, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, disclosed that the FCTA had expended huge financial resources to improve the security of the city through the provision of streetlights and other city infrastructure but the activities of vandals have

continued to mitigate its efforts, hence the need for trade unions and other residents to get involved in tackling the menace.

Bello, who spoke while receiving the new Chairman and Executive Committee members of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), FCT Council, on a recent courtesy visit to the FCTA, urged them to join in the fight against the vandals by reporting the activities of the criminals to the relevant authorities and encourage other members of the public to do the same.

While reiterating the FCT Administration’s support for the trade union, he said the relationship between the

Administration and the union will remain cordial.

The Minister, who also noted the invaluable services that members of the TUC provide to Nigerians, said it was through collaborative efforts and partnership with the trade unions and other organisations that the FCTA is able to achieve its mandate of providing excellent services to residents.

According to him: “If for any reason public servants fail in their delivery of public service across board, the nation suffers. That is why it is very important for any government to appreciate the leaders of the public service sector.

“Which is what we have been doing here in the FCT and I assure you that with this new team we will continue with that.

“Because it is only through these collaborative engagements that we are able to achieve our respective mandate. And what are our mandates but to provide good governance and good services to the Nigerian people. That is it, and I think our objectives are the same”.

Furthermore, the Minister enjoined the new executives to always prioritise members welfare, especially issues relating to pension, saying that each of them would eventually become pensioners upon retirement.

Earlier, the leader of the delegation and past chairman of the TUC, FCT Council, Comrade Amodu, Olayinka Isiaka, commended the Minister for the great strides he had made in infrastructural development of the FCT, describing him as a silent achiever.

On his part, the new Chairman, Comrade Audu Paul Akogwu, also praised the Minister for supporting TUC in its activities to improve the welfare of workers. He said the visit was to identify with the efforts of the Minister in the development of the nation’s capital as well as seek for areas of possible collaboration with the FCTA.

Constance Marten arrest: Police fear baby has come to ‘serious harm’

Police fear a baby at the centre of a massive search operation has come to “serious harm”.

Hundreds of officers using sniffer dogs, drones and thermal cameras are scouring woodland in Brighton.

Police have asked for more time to question Constance Marten and Mark Gordon who were arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.

Police had been looking for them for 53 days. They were reported missing when their car was found alight near Bolton.

Police say Ms Marten had recently given birth and believe the baby may have been born in the back of the vehicle, without a midwife or medical attention.

Ms Marten, 35, and Gordona convicted rapist and registered sex offender - were arrested on Monday after a member of the public spotted them in a shop and alerted police.

The couple remain in custody, but police said they had not provided any further information about the condition or whereabouts of the child.

Police do not know the sex of the baby.

They were initially arrested on suspicion of child neglect but were re-arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Det Supt Lewis Basford from the Metropolitan Police said a huge search had continued throughout the night.

Members of the public have been asked to “remain vigilant” and report any unusual activity or “suspicious items” they may have seen in recent weeks.

Inquiries are also being carried out in the South Downs and in Newhaven, where the couple were spotted with their baby on January 8, the last confirmed sighting prior to the arrest.

It is believed they were sleeping rough outdoors and were previously spotted carrying a blue tent.

Teams were seen working in Moulsecoomb Wild Park, around a mile from Stanmer Villas in Brighton where the couple were

arrested, earlier on Wednesday. The officers searched under sticks and logs close to where the area meets Hollingbury Golf Course.

Volunteers from London Search and Rescue have been drafted in to bolster efforts.

Allotments and the golf course were searched on Tuesday. A Facebook Group for the Roedale Valley allotments were told police had broken into every shed on the site in their search for the baby.

People charged with gross negligence manslaughter could face up to 18 years in prison if found guilty over a death caused by negligent behaviour.

This is different to unlawful act manslaughter, where a prison term can be up to 24 years if someone is proven to have intentionally done something unlawful or dangerous that inadvertently caused death.

A car belonging to Ms Marten and Gordon, 48, was found on fire on the side of the M61 motorway in Bolton on 5 January.

After their car was found on fire, police said the family left the scene and travelled to Liverpool, Essex, London and East Sussex.

They appeared to have covered their faces when in public, travelling at night and using cash to purchase supplies, in order to

avoid being found.

Their home is in Eltham, in south-east London, but they have been living nomadically since September last year - when Ms Marten first started to show signs of pregnancy.

Police have not ruled out that someone could be looking after the baby - though they added this was unlikely.

Det Supt Lewis Basford said the risk to the baby - who is now thought to be about two months old - increased as time went on, particularly while the weather is cold.

He said that police must now “be open to the fact this may not end in the way we would like”.

Police previously said Ms Marten’s inherited wealth may have allowed the couple to remain at large for an extended period.

She is from a privileged background, having lived in a stately home growing up.

She became estranged from her family after meeting 48-yearold Gordon at drama school in 2016.

They believe the baby was alive at the time of the last previous sighting of the family in Newhaven, but little more is known about the family’s movements in the weeks since.

After the pair were found on Monday, Ms Marten’s estranged father Napier Marten told the Independent he felt “immense relief”, though this was “tempered by the very alarming news [her] baby has yet to be found”

Harry and Meghan residence Frogmore Cottage offered to Andrew - reports

Harry and Meghan have been issued with an eviction notice by Buckingham Palace, the Sun newspaper reported.

Buckingham Palace has not commented and the BBC understands any discussions would be a private family matter.

The duke and duchess - who are based in the US - have been approached by the BBC via their foundation, Archewell.

Frogmore Cottage, a GradeII listed 10-bedroom property in the grounds of Windsor Castle in Berkshire, was a gift to the royal couple from the late Queen.

They refurbished the property, owned by the Crown Estate, at an estimated cost of £2.4m in 2018-19. The cost was initially covered by taxpayers through the Sovereign Grant before being repaid in full by Prince Harry.

The duke and duchess now live in California with their two children, Archie and Lilibet, after quitting life as working royals in

2020.

They retained the cottage as their UK residence, and last year

celebrated their daughter’s first birthday there.

The couple were reportedly

told to leave the property by Buckingham Palace in January, days after Harry published his

explosive memoir, Spare.

The Duke of York, the late Queen’s second son, lives in the nearby 31-bedroom Royal Lodge, in Windsor Great Park, Berkshire.

Andrew stepped down as a working royal in 2019 after a controversial Newsnight interview about allegations that he had sexually assaulted Virginia Giuffre.

In February 2022, he paid an undisclosed sum to settle the civil sexual assault case Ms Giuffre brought against him in the US.

He has repeatedly denied the allegations.

Reports in recent weeks, not confirmed by the BBC, suggested the King is to cut Andrew’s annual grant which could leave him unable to afford his home’s running costs.

He is said to be resisting the offer of the smaller property, according to a source quoted by the Sun.

Source: BBC

Officers from London Search and Rescue (LONSAR) search the area in Wild Park Local Nature Reserve in Brighton on Wednesday

Frogmore Cottage, the UK home of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, has been offered to Prince Andrew, according to reports.

Buhari congratulates Tinubu, urges aggrieved parties to go to court

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the winner of the last Saturday’s Presidential Election and candidate of the AllProgressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Buhari, according to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, in his message of felicitation, said:

“I congratulate His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his victory. Elected by the people, he is the best person for the job. I shall now work with him and his team to ensure an orderly handover of power.

“The election was Africa’s largest democratic exercise. In a region that has undergone backsliding and military coups in recent years, this election demonstrates democracy’s continued relevance and capability to deliver for the people it serves.

“Within Nigeria, the results reveal democracy’s ripening in our country. Never has the electoral map shifted so drastically in one cycle.

“In the presidential elections, states in all regions across the nation changed colour. Some amongst you may have noticed my home state amongst them.

“The winning candidate did not carry his own home state either. That happens during a competitive election. Votes and those that cast them cannot be taken for granted. Each must be earned.

“Competition is good for our democracy. There is no doubt the people’s decision has been rendered in the results we look at today.

“That is not to say the exercise was without fault. For instance, there were technical problems with electronic transmission of the results.

“Of course, there will be areas that need work to bring further transparency and credibility to the voting procedure. “However, none of the issues registered represent a challenge to the freeness and fairness of the elections.

“I know some politicians and candidates may not agree with this view. That too is fine. If any candidate believes they can prove the fraud they claim is committed against them, then bring forward the evidence.

“If they cannot, then we must conclude that the election was indeed the people’s will-no matter how hard that may be for the losers to accept. If they feel the need to challenge, please take it to the courts, not to the streets.

“However, to do the latter means they are not doing it in the interest of the people, but rather to inflame, to put people in harm’s way and all for personal, selfish gains.

“After a degree of polarization that necessarily accompanies any election, it is now time to come together and act responsibly.

“I call on all candidates to remember the peace pledge they signed just days before the election.

“Do not undermine the credibility of INEC. Let us now move forward as one. The people have spoken”, he said.

Let political competition give way to reconciliation, Tinubu urges Atiku, Obi, others • Commends INEC for free, fair election

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

President-elect, Asiwaju Bola

Ahmed Tinubu has appealed to his co-contestants in the last Saturday’s presidential election to allow political competition to give way to political conciliation and inclusive governance.

Tinubu made the appeal on Wednesday morning shortly after he was declared president-elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC ,in Abuja.

This is as he commended INEC for running a free and fair election.

Tinubu noted that the lapses that did occur during the election were relatively few in number and were immaterial to the final outcome.

The President-elect told his co-contestants that they may have been opponents during the election, but that they were,indeed, never his enemies.

His words, “To my fellow

candidates, former VP Atiku, former governor Kwankwaso, former governor Obi and all others, I extend the hand of friendship. This was a competitive, high-spirited campaign.

“You have my utmost respect.

“Political competition must now give way to political conciliation and inclusive governance.

“During the election, you may have been my opponent, but you were never my enemy. In my heart, you are my brothers.

“Still, I know some candidates will be hard put to accept the election results. It is your right to seek legal recourse. “What is neither right nor defensible is for anybody to resort to violence.

“Any challenge to the electoral outcome should be made in a court of law, and not in the streets”, he said.

Continuing, Tinubu added, “I also ask my supporters to let peace reign and tensions fade.

“We ran a principled, peaceful and progressive campaign. The

aftermath of our campaign must be as benign.

“Yes, there are divisions amongst us that should not exist. Many people are uncertain, angry and hurt; I reach out to every one of you.

“Let the better aspects of our humanity step forward at this fateful moment. Let us begin to heal and bring calm to our nation.

“Now, to you, the young people of this country, I hear you loud and clear. I understand your pains, your yearnings for good governance, a functional economy and a safe nation that protects you and your future.

“I am aware that for many of you Nigeria has become a place of abiding challenges limiting your ability to see a bright future for yourselves.

“Remodeling our precious national home requires the harmonious efforts of all of us, especially the youth. Working together, we shall move this nation as never before.

“My running mate, Vice

President-elect Shettima, and I understand the challenges ahead. More importantly, we also understand and deeply value the talent and innate goodness of you, the Nigerian people.

“We pledge to listen and to do the difficult things, the big deeds, that put us on the path of irreversible progress. Hold us firmly to account, but please give us a chance first.

“Together, we shall build a brighter and more productive society for today, tomorrow and for years to come.

“Today, you have given me the greatest honor you can bestow on one man.

“In return, I will give you my utmost as your next president and commander-in-chief.

“Peace, unity and prosperity shall be the cornerstones of the society we intend to build.

“When you gaze upon what we shall accomplish in the coming years, you shall speak with pride at being a Nigerian.

Tinubu vows to work day and night to make Nigeria better

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

President-elect, Asiwaju

Bola Ahmed Tinubu has expressed his commitment to the progress and development of the country, with a promise of renewed hope for all citizens.

Tinubu made the commitment shortly after receiving his certificate of returns from the National Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu at a colorful ceremony held at the African hall of the International Conference Centre, ICC, Abuja.

At the event attended by the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President, Senator Ahmed Lawan, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and APC State Governors among others, the President-elect vowed to work day and night with all his energy to make Nigeria better.

He extended olive branch to those in opposition to join him to move Nigeria forward.

Dressed in a white flowing agbada (complete native dress) with an embroidered red cap to match, the erstwhile Lagos State Governor between 1999 and 2007, made it succinctly clear that Nigeria is bigger and more important than any partiisan or line of divide.

At exactly 3:43pm, the President-elect was invited to the podium, where he was presented with his certificate of returns by the INEC Chairman, Prof Yakubu. Upon collecting the

certificate of returns, Tinubu, at exactly 3:34pm, accompanied by his wife, Senator Oluremi, raised it up with both hands to the admiration of everybody at the expansive African hall of the ICC and this was immediately followed by the chanting of “On your mandate we shall stand” by his admirers. The whole hall became electrifying, while the barrage of cameras, available, were clicking away.

After that, Tinubu went round to shake hands with the INEC Chairman and National Commissioners of the electoral body, beaming with smile.

At exactly 3:37pm, the Vice President-elect, Senator Kashim Shettina was similarly invited to the podium to collect his own certificate of returns. He was accompanied by his wife. Shettina did not however raise up his own certificate of returns.

The President-elect, in his speech, stated that his victory is for all Nigerians who are committed to the greatness of the country.

In the speech entitled, “To Serve The People”, Tinubu said, “Our destiny as a people and nation depends on our ability to shed the artificial restrictions of bias and prejudice so that we live fully unto our democratic creed that no one is innately superior or entitled to greater rights and opportunities than any other Nigeria.

“Very soon, this nation shall witness a young person standing before you holding this great symbol of democracy and

national leadership.

“We shall see a woman standing before you, holding this certificate as its owner. We shall experience someone from a tribe that many people have tried to dismiss as somehow beginning disqualified for this high office.

“By dint of hard work, determination and unyielding belief in a noble endeavor, you can achieve the best of things.

“There are young people listening to me right now, who shall one day, be the leaders of our precious and exceptional democratic republic.

“Thus, by taking this certificate, I assume a sacred duty I shall never ignore.

“To you the people, especially the youths, I will work day and night. I will work to the utmost of my ability to make Nigeria better.

“For this to be a victory at all, it cannot simply be a victory for one man or even one party. It must become a victory for all Nigerians who are committed to a greater society.

“I know many did not vote for me and you are disappointed that your candidate is not where I now stand.

“I understand your hurt. To you, I extend the embrace and comfort of one family member to another.

“This great project called Nigeria beckons to us all. It is bigger and more important than any partisan divide.

“To my supporters, I ask you to continue to have faith in the mission that we have articulated.

“To those who didn’t support me, I ask that you not allow the disappointment of this moment to keep you from realizing the historic national progress we can make by joining hands and hearts in common endeavor to pull this nation through.

“In a phrase, I am asking you to work with me. I may be the president elect, but I need you. More importantly, Nigeria needs you.

“My heart and my door are open to you.

“I ask you to come in so that we may begin the task of rebuilding our national home together, day by day, brick by brick.

“Where there is poverty. Let us create prosperity and jobs.

“Where there is hunger. Let us feed the people, chasing hunger from their midst.

“Where there is now scarcity, let us rediscover abundance.

“Where there is brutality, may we replace it with brotherhood.

“Where violence stalks the land, may we establish peace.

“Where others have erected temples to hatred and bias, may we construct permanent monuments to compassion and abiding affection.

“History will record this day as the moment when I officially stood before you as president elect.

“However, I would like to dedicate this day and record it as the moment that we vowed to come together to make Nigeria stand and shine forth at the beloved and brave republic God intended it to be”, he said.

• Extends olive branch to opposition Says he walked long way to victory

• Collects certificate of return

Covid origin: Why the Wuhan lab-leak theory is so disputed

Morethan three years after Covid-19 was detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the question of how the virus first emerged remains a mystery.

But on 28 February 2023 the controversial claim that the pandemic might have leaked from a Chinese laboratory - once dismissed by many as a fringe conspiracy theory - resurfaced with FBI Director Christopher Wray’s comments that the bureau believes Covid-19 “most likely” originated in a “Chinese government-controlled lab”.

It is the first public confirmation of the FBI’s classified judgement of how the pandemic virus emerged.

In response, Beijing accused Washington of “political manipulation”.

So what do we know about the competing theories - and why does the debate matter?

What is the lab-leak theory?

It’s a suspicion that the coronavirus may have escaped, accidentally or otherwise, from a laboratory in the central Chinese city of Wuhan where the virus was first recorded.

Its supporters point to the presence of a major biological research facility in the city. The Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) has been studying coronaviruses in bats for over a decade.

The institute is a 40-minute drive from the Huanan wet market where the first cluster of infections emerged.

Those who entertain the theory say it could have leaked from a WIV lab and spread to the wet market. Most argue it would have been an unaltered virus collected from the wild, rather than engineered.

The controversial theory first emerged early on in the pandemic, and was promoted by then-US President Donald Trump. Some even suggested it could have been engineered as a possible biological weapon.

While many in the media and politics dismissed these as conspiracy theories at the time, others called for more consideration of the possibility. The idea has persisted, despite many scientists pointing out there is no evidence to back it up.

A classified US intelligence report - saying three researchers at the Wuhan laboratory were treated in hospital in November 2019, just before the virus began infecting humans in the city - began circulating in US media in 2021.

But it was reported the Biden administration had shut down a state department investigation, set up by President Trump, into the lab-leak theory.

“That possibility certainly exists, and I am totally in favour of a full investigation of whether that could have happened,” Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s chief medical adviser, told a US Senate committee hearing in May 2021.

President Biden says he asked for a report on the origins of Covid-19 after taking office in 2020, “including whether it emerged from human

contact with an infected animal or from a laboratory accident”.

In May 2021, Mr Biden ordered intelligence officials to “redouble” their efforts on this.

What do scientists think?

The issue is still hotly contested.

A World Health Organization (WHO) investigation was supposed to get to the bottom of it, but many experts believed it produced more questions than answers.

A team of WHO-appointed scientists flew to Wuhan in early 2021 on a mission to investigate the source of the pandemic. After spending 12 days there, which included a visit to the laboratory, the team concluded the lab-leak theory was “extremely unlikely”.

But many have since questioned their findings.

A prominent group of scientists criticised the WHO report for not taking the lab-leak theory seriously enough - it was dismissed in a few pages of a several-hundred-page report.

“We must take hypotheses about both natural and laboratory spillovers seriously until we have sufficient data,” the scientists wrote in Science Magazine.

They’re not the only experts who called for the laboratory leak to be looked at more closely.

Even the WHO’s own directorgeneral, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, called for a new investigation, saying: “All hypotheses remain open and require further study.”

And Dr Fauci said in 2021 he was “not convinced” the virus originated naturally. That was a shift from a year earlier, when he thought it most likely Covid had spread from animals to humans.

What does China say?

China has hit back at suggestions the virus may have escaped from a laboratory by calling it a smear. State media have consistently accused the US government and Western media of spreading rumours about the source of the pandemic.

Responding to Mr Wray’s remarks, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson accused US intelligence agencies of politicising the investigation into the origins of the virus.

The US intelligence community had a history of “misdeeds” involving “fraud and deception”, Mao Ning told a press briefing. As such, she said, their conclusions regarding the origins of Covid-19 had no credibility.

China has pushed another theory, suggesting the coronavirus may have entered Wuhan in food shipments of frozen meat from elsewhere in China or South-East Asia.

The Chinese government has also pointed to research published by one of its leading virologists into samples collected from bats in a remote, abandoned mine.

Prof Shi Zhengli - often referred to as “China’s Batwoman” - a researcher at the Wuhan Institute, published

a report in 2021 revealing that her team had identified eight coronavirus strains found on bats in the mine in China in 2015. The paper says that coronaviruses from pangolins pose more of an immediate threat to human health than the ones her team found in the mine.

Added to this is an unsubstantiated conspiracy theory long pushed by Chinese propagandists - and repeated by Mao Ning at the foreign ministry briefing on 1 March 2023 - suggesting the coronavirus was made and leaked from Fort Detrick in Frederick, Maryland, about 80km (50 miles) north of Washington DC.

Once the centre of the US biological weapons programme, Fort Detrick currently houses biomedical labs researching viruses including Ebola and smallpox.

Is there another theory?

Yes, and it’s called the “natural origin” theory.

This argues the virus spread naturally from animals, without the involvement of any scientists or laboratories.

Supporters of the natural origin hypothesis say Covid-19 emerged in bats and then jumped to humans, most likely through another animal, or “intermediary host”.

That idea was backed by the WHO report, which said it was “likely to very likely” that Covid had made it to humans through an intermediate host.

This hypothesis was widely

accepted at the start of the pandemic, but as time has worn on, scientists have not found a virus in either bats or another animal that matches the genetic make-up of Covid-19, leading some to doubt the theory.

Nevertheless, following FBI Director Wray’s remarks, many scientists who have studied the virus have stressed there is no new scientific evidence pointing to a lab leak.

A natural origin is still the more likely theory, said Professor David Robertson, head of viral genomics and bioinformatics at the University of Glasgow.

“There’s been an accumulation of evidence (what we know about the viruses biology, the close variants circulating in bats and locations of early human cases) that firmly points to a natural origin centred on the Huanan market in Wuhan city,” he said.

Prof Alice Hughes from the University of Hong Kong agreed. She said the US Department of Energy’s conclusion that the virus was most likely the result of a lab leak in Wuhan “appears not to be based on new evidence, and remains the weaker of the two main hypothesis of the origin of the virus”.

Why does this matter?

Given the massive human toll of the pandemic - with the recorded deaths of about 6.9 million people worldwide - most scientists think understanding how and where the

virus originated is crucial to prevent it happening again.

If the “zoonotic” theory is proved correct, it could affect activities such as farming and wildlife exploitation. In Denmark, fears about the spread of the virus through mink farming led to millions of mink being culled.

But there would also be big implications for scientific research and international trade if theories related to a laboratory leak or frozen food chains were confirmed.

Any confirmation of a leak may also affect how the world views China, which has already been accused of hiding crucial early information about the pandemic, and place further strain on US-China relations.

“From day one China has been engaged in a massive cover-up,” Jamie Metzl, a fellow at the Washingtonbased Atlantic Council who has been pushing for the lab-leak theory to be looked into, told the BBC in 2021 “We should be demanding the full investigation of all origin hypotheses that’s required.”

But others have cautioned against pointing the finger at China too quickly.

“We do need to be a bit patient but we also need to be diplomatic. We can’t do this without support from China. It needs to be a no-blame environment,” Prof Dale Fisher, of Singapore’s National University Hospital, told the BBC.

Source: BBC

“ Nevertheless, following FBI Director Wray’s remarks, many scientists who have studied the virus have stressed there is no new scientific evidence pointing to a lab leak. A natural origin is still the more likely theory, said Professor David Robertson, head of viral genomics and bioinformatics at the University of Glasgow.

The lab-leak theory has been strongly rejected by China

President Biden asked intelligence agencies to report back to him on the virus’s origin

The CBN Gov and his declaration of allegiance (I)

By Eric Teniola

Iattended an event recently in Lagos and Chief Joseph Oladele Sanusi(84) from Ogbagi in Akoko North West Local Government of Ondo state, entered quietly, unannounced. The Master of Ceremony (MC) at the event did not even recognize him. I had to tell a friend of mine who sat next to me that, that is the eighth governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). My friend then asked me “was he governor under the military” and I replied negative, but that he was the Central Bank governor between 1999 and 2004 under President Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR.

By the way Ogbagi is home to other prominent people including Chief Jibola Aribisala SAN, Dr. Olu Ibukun, retired UN Diplomat, Professor Soji Adesugba, current Managing Director of Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA), a parastatal under the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment and others too numerous to mention.

Chief Joseph Sanusi attended the United School, Ogbagi-Irun from 1944-1950, Jubilee Central School, Ikare, 1951(his classmates then were the late Owa Ale of Ikare, Sir S.K. Adedoyin(1924-2021),the late Akoko leader, Chief Felix Idowu Ayegbusi(1935-2018) and the present Olukare of Ikare, Oba Saliu Akadiri Momoh(89). He later proceeded to St. John’s College, Owo, 1953-1954, St Peter’s College, Kaduna, 1957-1958, South West London College, England, 1961-1966;he joined the Central Bank of Nigeria in 1966 as an account manager, later assistant Chief Internal Auditor, deputy Chief of Banking Operations, departmental director, executive director, Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission, Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN, later Chairman, First Bank of Nigeria, appointed deputy governor, CBN, 1988; associate, Corporation of Chartered Accountants and fellow, Institute of Chartered Accountants.

When President Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR became the President on May 29 1999, he appointed Chief Sanusi as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. President Obasanjo made the appointment over his Egba born close friend, Chief Oluwole Alani Adeosun(1938-2012), former Managing Director of NAL Merchant Bank, also Managing Director of First Bank of Nigeria, who also served as the Minister of Transport in the Interim Transitional Government headed by Chief Ernest Adegunle Oladeinde Shonekan GCFR (9 May 1936 – 11 January 2022).

The Central Bank of Nigeria is the apex monetary authority of Nigeria established by the CBN Act of 1958 and commenced operations on 1 July 1959.

The major regulatory objectives of the bank as stated in the CBN Act are to: maintain the external reserves of the country, promote monetary stability and a sound financial environment, and act as a banker of last resort and financial adviser to the federal government. The central bank’s role as lender of last resort and adviser to the federal government has sometimes pushed it into murky regulatory waters. After the end of British imperial rule the desire of the government to become proactive in the development of the economy became visible especially after the end of the Nigerian civil war, the bank followed the government’s desire and took a determined effort to supplement any show shortfalls, credit allocations to the real sector. The bank became involved in lending directly to consumers, contravening its original intention to work through commercial banks in activities involving consumer lending.

During the tenure of Chief Sanusi as Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, he embraced collaboration with his deputy governors—Mr Oluwole S. Oduyemi, Alhaji Mahey R. Rasheed, Mrs Wahir Msheila, Dr. Shamsudeen Usman and Mr. Ernest C. Ebi. He never acted like an alpha and omega. He quickly introduced foreign exchange controls in an effort to reduce the drain on foreign reserves which had fallen from over $7 billion to under $4 billion in the last two years, during the tenure of the then Head of States,

General Sani Abacha GCFR (20 September 1943 – 8 June 1998) and General Abdusalam Abubakar (80) GCFR and to defend the naira. Oil revenues, the primary source of foreign exchange, had dropped below the level needed to cover basic requirements. The business community was hostile to the efforts to prop up the currency, believing that devaluation coupled with exchange market reform was necessary.

On Saturday, May 29, 2004, Chief Sanusi’s tenure as the governor of Central Bank of Nigeria was to end. His term was qualified for a renewal. Few weeks before that date, he had an audience with President Obasanjo in THE VILLA during which he told the President emphatically that he would not serve another term. He elaborated to the President that he would want to spend more time with his wife, Adunke Sanusi alias MAMA TOYIN, who is from Imesi Ile in Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State. Chief Sanusi tendered his resignation to President Obasanjo, who said he was shocked by Chief Sanusi’s decision. He later instructed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Ufot Ekaette, to write a letter of appreciation on behalf of the Federal Government to Chief Sanusi for his long and rewarding service to the nation.

On Monday, May 31, 2004, my boss, Chief Ufot Ekaette (1939-2019) CFR, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, handed to me, for distribution, a press release on the new appointment of Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo as the new Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria by President Olusegun Obasanjo. It was a two paragraph press statement.

I had to convince Chief Ekaette to let us delay the announcement until we could get fully, the biography of Professor Soludo. He obliged and directed me to contact Dr Obiageli Katryn Ezekwesili (59), who was then head of the Budget Monitoring and Price Intelligence Unit in the Presidency and who introduced Professor Soludo to President Obasanjo for the appointment. An hour later, Professor Soludo entered my office with his Curriculum Vitae (CV), which I added to the press release and I congratulated him. That was the last time he ever visited the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

Chief Joseph Sanusi’s tenure as the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria was indeed low profile.

Those who succeeded him, Professor Soludo(29 May 2004-29 May 2009), Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi(June 4, 2009-June 2, 2014) and Mr Godwin Emefiele(June 3, 2014 to date) took a different route.

Past Governors of the bank--Roy Pentelow Fenton, 24 July 1958 to 24 July, 1963, Alhaji Aliyu Mai-Bornu, 25 July 1963 to 22 June 1967, Dr. Clement Nyong Isong, 15 August 1972 to

24 September, 1975, Mallam Adamu Ciroma, 24 September 1975 to 28 June 1977, Mr. O. Ola Vincent, 28 June 1977 to 28 June 1982, Alhaji Abdulkadir Ahmed, 28 June 1982 to 30 September 1993 and Dr. Paul Agbai Ogwuma, 1 October 1993 to 29 May 1999, all avoided notoriety while in office.

In 1975, the members of the Constitution Drafting Committee argued among themselves on the exact role of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria especially on monetary matters.

The members of the subcommittee on the Economy, Finance and Division of Powers headed by Dr. Pius Nwabufo Charles Okigbo(1924-2000) from Ojoto Village in Idemili Local Government Area of Anambra State, never wanted a conflict between the Governor of the Central Bank and the Minister of Finance. Other members of the subcommittee were Dr. Bala Usman, Senior Lecturer in History at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Dr. Segun Osoba, then Senior lecturer in history at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife), Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi, pioneer Commissioner of Economic Development in Lagos State, Dr. O. Oyediran, then Senior lecturer in Political Science at the University of Ibadan, Dr Ali Alhakeem, an Economist and former deputy General Manager, Bank of the North, later full time Chairman Nigerian Indigenisation Board, Chief I.I. Murphy, former Parliamentarian in the first republic and Commissioner in the Old South Eastern State, Dr. E.C. Edozien, Senior Lecturer in Economics at the University of Ibadan, Professor Sam Aluko, Professor of Economics at the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University,Ile Ife and Dr. V.P. Diejomaoh, Professor of Economics at the University of Lagos.

The only schedule recommended for the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria by the subcommittee was the membership of the National Economic Council. In paragraph 4 of their submission, the subcommittee recommended that “the National Economic Council should have the following members: the Vice President as the Chairman, the nineteen governors, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and Chairman of the Economic Planning Commission”.

In May 1976, General Olusegun Obasanjo, the then Head of State, appointed a nine-man committee headed by Dr. Okigbo, who was then the Economic Adviser to the Federal Government. The Committee submitted its report to the Government in December, 1976; its findings and recommendations have since then greatly influenced the growth and direction of the Nigerian financial system. At the time of the Okigbo Committee on the Review of Nigerian Financial System in 1977, there were a total of

21 banks in Nigeria comprising 18 commercial and cooperative banks and 3 merchant banks. These 21 banks had a total of 487 branches across branches across the country. By the end of March, 1991 the number of banks had shot up to a total of 115 comprising 62 commercial and cooperative banks and 53 merchant banks with a total branch office network of 2,021. Banking programme was established as a result of the recommendations made by the Okigbo Review Committee in recognition of the vital role which the banking system could play in the transformation of the rural areas of the country.

Furthermore, as a result of the Okigbo Review Committee recommendation, the Federal Government decided to intervene massively in the ownership structure of the erstwhile foreign banks and, in promulgation the Nigerian Enterprises Promotion Decree 1977, banking was classified as a Schedule enterprise requiring mandatory minimum Nigerian participation of 60% of equity share holding.

In the third schedule of the 1979 Constitution it ruled that “the National Economic Council shall comprise the following members, namely---(a) the Vice President who shall be Chairman (b) the Governor of each State; and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria established under the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, or any enact replacing the Act.

The National Economic Council shall have power to advise the President concerning the economic affairs of the Federation, and in particular on measures necessary for the coordination of the economic planning efforts or economic programmes of the various Governments of the Federation”.

Also in the third schedule of the 1999 Constitution, it states that “ the National Economic Council shall comprise the following members—the Vice-President who shall be Chairman (b) the Governor of each State of the Federation; and (c) the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria established under the Central Bank of Nigeria Decree 1991, or any enactment replacing that Decree”.

Until August 20, 1991, the Central Bank was one of the parastatals under the Ministry of Finance. It was General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida(81) GCFR, the then Head of State, that promulgated two decrees on that day. The decrees gave full independence to the Central Bank of Nigeria and removed it from the shackles of the Ministry of Finance.

That was during the tenure of Prince Bolasodun Adesunmbo Ajibola (88), former President of the Nigerian Bar Association between 1984 and 1985 and Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice from 1985-1991.

The Decrees were, Central Bank of Nigeria Decree 24 and Bank and other Financial Institutions Decree 25 of 1991.

Decree 24 gave sole authority to the Central Bank of Nigeria to be responsible for the regulation of banking and other related financial services in Nigeria.

Speaking at a workshop in Lagos in December 1991, Prince Ajibola said “the bank now has the power to set guidelines for any person or institution that engages in the provision of financial services - including commercial and development banks, bureau de change, discount houses, finance houses and even insurance companies. The new powers conferred on the Central Bank of Nigeria have clearly introduced some noteworthy changes in the relationship between several sectors of the country’s financial services which hitherto had been regulated by other functionaries and bodies such as the Director of lnsurance in the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Securities and Exchange Commission to name only two, Furthermore, Central Bank of Nigeria is now the sole authority for the determination of the exchange of rate of the naira from to time, using any mechanism it deems appropriate. The formulation of the country’s monetary policy is the prerogative of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the policies may only be modified by the President of Nigeria in writing whenever he so decides”.

Mr. Godwin Emefiele, CBN Governor

LOSS OF DOCUMENTS

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2. TO PRESENT A SIMPLE AND CORRECT IMAGE OF ISLAM TO THE WORLD, WITHOUT EXTREMISM OR RELIGIOUSLY CONDEMNED INNOVATION.

3. TO EDUCATE AND DEVELOP THE MUSLIMS FOR THE SPIRITUAL UPLIFTMENT AND WELFARE OF MANKIND.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : SECRETARY

PUBLIC NOTICE

DALLARS OBIORA FOUNDATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1) OBIORA IFEANYI DALLARS

2) AMOS NIMSI JOHN

3) OBIORA ABUCHI ELVIS

4) OBIEKEZIE PRECIOUS CHINECHEREM

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1. TO BRING HOPE TO UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN.

2. TO PROVIDE UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN WITH A WELL-ROUNDED EDUCATION.

3. TO INCREASE THE AWARENESS OF PRIVILEGED CHILDREN OF THE NEED TO PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNITY.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION

PLOT 420, TIGRESS CRESCENT OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED: TRUSTEES.

PUBLIC NOTICE

BAM ESTATES MUSLIM COMMUNITY

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1.AHMAD AMINU NASIDI

2.AUDU MUHAMMAD SHAKIR

3.UMAR MANIR

4.SAMBO SHEHULUQMAN BOLAJI

5.IBRAHIM ADAMU HARUNA

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1.TO IDENTIFY AND PROMOTE UNITY AMONG MUSLIM RESIDENTS OF BAM ESTATES KARSANA, ABUJA.

2.TO ENCOURAGE ITS MEMEBERS INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY TOWARDS THE IMPROVEMENT OF THEIR TAQWAH. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : SECRETARY.

PUBLIC NOTICE

INNER CHAMBER BIBLE CHURCH

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. FALODE OLUGBENGA ADEBANJO - CHAIRMAN

2. FALODE IYABODE ADEDOJA

3. FALOBI EMMANUEL OMONIYI

4. OVUON FESTUS JACKSON

5. OGUNFOLAKAN JULIUS AREMU

6. FALODE JESUBAMISE OLUWADAMILARE - SECRETARY

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1.TO PREACH AND PROPAGATE THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : SECRETARY.

PUBLIC NOTICE

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. PARIYA MARYAM UMAR (CHAIRMAN)

2. UMAR AISHATU PARIYA (SECRETARY)

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1. TO ENGAGE IN CHARITY WORK AND CARE FOR THE LESS PRIVILEGE IN THE SOCIETY.

2. TO ASSIST THE NEEDY, ORPHANS AND THE DOWN TRODDEN IN THE SOCIETY.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : BARR. ABUBAKAR BALA DANMAMMAN 08033517792.

PUBLIC NOTICE

YELWA GSS YOLA CLASS OF 76 LEGACY FOUNDATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. AHMADU SULEIMAN RIBADU - CHAIRMAN

2. BALA ABDULSALAM MALSHI - SECRETARY

3. IBRAHIM USMAN WAKILI

4. INUWA PARIS SULEIMAN

5.ABDULLAHI AHMED

6. IBRAHIM MUHAMMED ARABI

7.AMINU MOHAMMADU MAI.

THE AIS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1. TO FOSTER UNITY AND COOPERATION AMONGST THE CLASS MEMBERS OF 1976 GRADUATES OF YELWA GOVERNMENT SECONDARY SCHOOL/ALIYU MUSTAPHA SECONDARY SCHOOL, THEIR OFFSPRINGS AND ADAMAWA COMMUNITIES

2. TO PROMOTE QUALITY AND AFFORDABLE ACCESS TO EDUCATION, HEALTH AND SOCIAL WELLBEING IN THE IMMEDIATE AND ADJOINING COMMUNITIES.

3. TO SOLICIT FOR LOCAL OR INTERNATIONAL FUNDING TO ACHIEVE OUR NOBLE OBJECTIVES

4. TO PARTICIPATE IN CHARITY AND CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES FOR THE SOCIAL WELLBEING OF OUR MEMBERS AND THE COMMUNITY. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : SECRETARY.

PUBLIC NOTICE

MARION APARTMENTS HOME OWNERS AND RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION. (MAHORA)

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. ADOGHE ALETOR(CHAIRMAN)

2. ADENIYI ADENUBI

3. TEMITAYO AYINLA-OMOTOLA

4. CHUKA UDOJI 5.ADELEKE SANNI

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1. PROVIDE OR SECURE THE PROVISION OF SOCIAL SERVICES, EDUCATIONAL AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES AND MAKE REGULATIONS, MANUALS AND/OR GUIDELINES FOR THE USE AND MANAGEMENT OF SUCH FACILITIES WITHIN THE ESTATE.

2. PROVIDE, MAINTAIN AND EQUIP, OR ASSIST IN THE PROVISION, MAINTENANCE AND EQUIPMENT OF, PREMISES AND FACILITIES DESIGNED TO CARRY OUT THE OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSOCIATION

3. EMPLOY AND MANAGE COMPETENT AND DEPENDABLE PROFESSIONAL OUTFITS TO MANAGE SECURITY, LIQUID AND WASTE MANAGEMENT AND PUBLIC UTILITIES AND FACILITIES.

4. REGULATE THE RUNNING AND OPERATIONS OF SCHOOLS IN THE ESTATE IN A WAY THAT WILL ENSURE THAT THEY RESPECT THE FREEDOMS AND LIBERTIES OF THE RESIDENTS AS ENSHRINED IN THE CONSTITUTION OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRARGENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : NAFISAT YUSUFU - SECRETARY.

PUBLIC NOTICE

AMUWO ODOFIN HIGH SCHOOL OLD STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION (AOHSOSA), CLASS OF 89

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. AMAEFULE MIKE CHIDI (CHAIRMAN)

2. RASAK BAMIDELE (SECRETARY)

3. OJIMBA PAULINE ENE

4. OLARINOYE EZEKIEL KOLAWOLE

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1. TO PROVIDE A FORUM FOR SOCIAL, AND INTELLECTUAL EXCHANGE OF IDEAS, IDEALS AND EXPERIENCES AS A MEANS OF PROMOTING THE TRUE SPIRIT OF UNITY AMONGST THE MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : BARR. AGUGOESI VICTOR TEL: 08035757908.

PUBLIC NOTICE

BLESSED SAVED BY GRACE HUMANITARIAN FOUNDATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. IGWE EMMANUEL OKWUDIRI - CHAIRMAN

2. IGWE PATRICK OBINNA - SECRETARY

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1.HELP THE LESS PRIVILEGED

2.FEED THE HUNGRY

3.SHARING LOVE

4.CARING FOR THE NEEDY

5.HELPING HUMANITY

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY.

PUBLIC NOTICE

IGBOEBISI EMPOWERMENT FOUNDATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. MRS . IGBOEBISI NONYELUM JOY

2. IGBOEBISI KENECHUKWU AMALACHUKWU

3. EZEANI CHIJIOKE MOSES.

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1.TO SUPPORT IN PROVIDING FOR THE WELFARE OF THE NEEDY THROUGH DONATION OF FOODS, CLOTHINGS AND HOUSING OR OTHER BASIC NECESSITIES.

2.TO PROMOTE AWARENESS ON ANY ARISING OR TOPICAL ISUES IN THE SOCIETY AND ASSIST IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : AMUSI NATHANIEL OBINNA - SECRETARY.

PUBLIC NOTICE

SOTERIA HEALTH INITIATIVE FOR EMPOWERMENT, LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1.TENDE JOSHUA ADAMU - CHAIRMAN

2.MAINA MUSTAPHA GIWA - SECRETARY

3.MAINA TESSY NONGO - MEMBER

4.GODWIN FAITH ONYEMOWO - MEMBER

5.OKOJOKU MARGARET - MEMBER

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1.TRAINING, CAPACITY BUILDING, CONSULTANCY, COUNSELLING, YOUTH AND TEENAGERS, PSYCHO-SOCIAL SUPPORT, MARRIAGE COUNSELLING, EMPOWERMENT, WORKSHOPS. HUMANITARIAN SUPPORT.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : SECRETARY.

PUBLIC NOTICE

BLUE-LILY HUMANITARIAN EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVE

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1.OLASIMBO YESIDE AMINAT

2.DIOLU TOBECHUKWU PROSPER

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

TO CREAT SYSTEMS AND STRUCTURES TO MITIGATE THE EFFECT OF POVERTY AND HUMAN RIGHT VIOLATION TO PROVIDE HELP AND RELIEVE MATERIALS TO VULNERABLE PEOPLE AFFECTED BY CLIMATE CHANGE

TO EDUCATE AND PREPARE PEOPLE ON THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : SECRETARY.

CHARITY FOR ALL FOUNDATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. OJOTU ERINAYO OMOLADE - CHAIRPERSON

2. SOBOWALE OLUBUNMI OMOLOLA

2. AGUNBIADE OLUFUNMIKE ABOSEDE - SECRETARY

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1. TO ALLEVIATE SOCIAL, EDUCATIONAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND FINANCIAL LIFE OF WOMEN AND YOUTHS REGARDLESS OF THEIR REGION, AGE, RELIGION OR POLITICAL AFFILIATION.

2. TO BUILD THEIR CONFIDENCE AND ESTABLISH RESPECTABLE PRESENCE IN THE COMMUNITIES.

3. TO GIVE FINANCIAL AND MORAL SUPPORT TO WOMEN AND YOUTHS IN MEDICAL AND EDUCATIONAL AREAS.

4. TO ORGANIZE FREE ENTREPRENEURIAL SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS FOR WOMEN, YOUTHS, WIDOWS, LESS PRIVILEGED AND MEMBERS.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : SECRETARY.

ENEWA CHARITY FOUNDATION

PUBLIC NOTICE

EUCHARIA CLIFFORD CONCERNED FRIENDS INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1)EUCHARIA CHINENYE CLIFFORD

2) CLIFFORD OSIGWE NLEM.

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1.SERVICE TO HUMANITY

2.WE VALUE HUMANITY

3.REACHING THE LESS PRIVILEGE.

4.TO PROMOTE LOVE, PEACE AND UNITY.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : SECRETARY.

PUBLIC NOTICE

AKE CLAN DESCENDANT ASSOCIATION PUBLIC

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1.AUDU-WAR GRACEJOY EGBI - CHAIRMAN

2.AUDU-WAR VERA EKONDU - SECRETARY

3.ANTHONY WILLIAMS

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1. TO BRING HOPE TO THE FORGOTTEN

2. TO SURPRISE THE ORPHANS, WIDOWS, WIDOWER’S AND THE AGED THAT WE CARE

3. TO RAISE A NEW GENERATION OF CHANGE AGENTS/NATION RENEWER

4. TO MOBILIZE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL RECOURSE (HUMAN, PHYSICAL AND FINANCIAL) FOR SUPPORTING THE PEOPLE AND THE MEMBER OF THE FOUNDATION

SO WE ACHIEVE THE OBJECTIVE OF THE FOUNDATION

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : SECRETARY.

HOPE FOR HER CHARITY FOUNDATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1.ASMA’U ABDULLAHI RIBADU -CHAIRMAN

2.HADIZA ABDULLAHI RIBADU- TRUSTEE/SECRETARY

3.AISHA ABDULLAHI RIBADU- TRUSTEE

4.PROF. ABDULLAHI YUSUFU RIBADU- TRUSTEE

5.ABUBAKAR SADIQ MOHAMMED- TRUSTEE

6.MUKHTAR H MODIBBO- TRUSTEE

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1.ELIMINATING PERIOD POVERTY

2. CREATING AWARENESS AND REDUCING THE BURDEN OF CERVICAL CANCER .

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : SECRETARY.

PUBLIC NOTICE

STONEWALL AND CHILD SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ORGANIZATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACTS, (CAMA) 2020.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES ARE:

1. SIMON MAFWALAL MAJU

2. NENFWOTMWA GOYOL MAFWALAL

3. CHADIRWE BITRUS GOYOL

4. COMFORT USMAN

AIMS & OBJECTIVES:

1. TO IDENTIFY DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS OF CHILDREN AGE 0 TO 18 YEARS

IN NIGERIA

2. TO WORK WITH PARENTS, TEACHERS AND THE COMMUNITIES IN ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENCE ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420 TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED: TRUSTEES

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. ALHASSAN YAKUBU --------- CHAIRMAN

2. OGANGWU GLORY ALADI

3. ONUCHE SUNDAY

4. IKWUJE GABRIEL OCHEUGWU

5. DANIEL GODWIN ENEMONA ------- SECRETARY.

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1. THE MEETING SHALL FOSTER LOVE, PEACE AND UNDERSTANDING AMONG REGISTERED MEMBERS.

2.THE MEETING SHALL GIVE BOTH MORAL AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AKE CLAN. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : BARR. ANDREW PIUS ACHIMI. 08059830577.

EBOSE

AREWA MADALLA MARKET TRADERS ASSOCIATION

- P.R.O 8.HAMZA DAUDA YAHAYA - ASSISTANT P.R.O 9.SABO SAMINU ISAH - AUDITOR 10.IBRAHIM SAMINU - MEMBER

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1.TO FOSTER PEACE, UNITY, LOVE, HARMONY AND PROGRESS AMONGST MEMBERS IT’S MEMBERS.

2.TO PROMOTE THE INTEREST AND WELFARE OF MEMBERS

3.TO BE A VOICE FOR THE MEMBERS

PUBLIC

DIADEM MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. ADEDIRAN MAYOKUN ADEBAYO TRUSTEE- CHAIRMAN

2. ADEDIRAN OLUWATOBI DIADEM- TRUSTEE SECRETARY

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE FOUNDATION ARE :

1. TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL AID FOR VULNERABLE NIGERIANS LIVING WITH MENTAL ILLNESSES.

2. TO PROVIDE MATERIAL AND MEDICAL RELIEFS FOR NIGERIANS WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.

3. TO SERVE AS A LINK BETWEEN NIGERIANS LIVING WITH MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES AND FINANCIAL DONORS.

4.TO SUPPORT SOCIAL WELFARE OFFICERS AND OTHER RELEVANT SERVICE PROVIDERS IN PROVIDING FINANCIAL AID TO NIGERIANS LIVING WITH MENTAL HEALTH ILLNESSES.

5. TO CARRY OUT EVERY OTHER ACTIVITY INCIDENTAL TO THE ABOVE OBJECTIVES.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : SECRETARY.

PUBLIC NOTICE

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1.OBASUYI ERIC - CHAIRMAN

2.MICHEAL CHIMEZIE AHAMEFULE- TRUSTEE/SECRETARY

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1.TO AFFECT LIVES OF THE YOUNGER GENERATION, AND TO HELP CREATE A BETTER FUTURE.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : SECRETARY.

RAULA

I FORMERLY KNOWN AS RAULA MOHAMMED IDRIS NOW WANT TO BE CALLED AS RAULA HARUNA. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. ALL AUTHORITIES CONCERNED AND GENERAL PUBLIC PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

I FORMERLY KNOWN AS AGENES NWOBODO AND AGNESS NWODOBO NOW WANT TO BE CALLED AS AGNESS NWOBODO. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. ALL AUTHORITIES CONCERNED AND GENERAL PUBLIC PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

IDRIS

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS IDRIS MUHD NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MUHAMMAD IDRIS. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. AUTHORITIES CONCERNED AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE NOTE.

PUBLIC NOTICE

TABERNACLE OF FIRE AND SWEET JESUS OUTREACH MINISTRY

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. OGAR INEMESIT FIDELIS

2. OGAR FIDELIS ODEY

3. OKOLI CHIZOBA MIRACLE

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1. TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.

2. TO ENGAGE IN PRAYER MINISTRATION. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY.

UDOCHUKWU

I FORMERLY KNOWN AS OKAFOR AUGUSTINE NDUKA NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND CALLED UDOCHUKWU SUNDAY NDUKA. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. AUTHORITIES CONCERNED AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE NOTE.

AZIKIWE

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT AZIKIWE JULIET IJEOMA AND AZIKIWE JULIET IJEOMA AGATHA IS ONE AND SAME PERSON. HOWEVER, I WISH TO RETAIN MY NAME AS AZIKIWE JULIET IJEOMA. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID AS AUTHORITIES CONCERNED AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE NOTE.

FATIMA

I, FORMERLY KNOWN AS FATIMA MOHAMMED BANKA NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS FATIMA ALIYU SHEHU. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. AUTHORITIES CONCERNED AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE NOTE.

PEOPLES DAILY , THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2023

Jose Mourinho seeks Legal action after two-match ban, £8, 800 fine in Serie A

By Amaechi Agbo

Roma Coach, Jose Mourinho has disclosed he would seek a legal action following a two-match touchline nam and another £8, 800 fine as a result of his sending off during Roma’s 2-1 defeat by Cremonese on Tuesday I. The Italian Serie A.

The Portuguese were not happy about a decision that was taken against his team during the first half of the game and he vented his anger towards the assistant referee.

Italy left-back Leonardo Spinazzola fired Roma level from Gianluca Mancini’s long pass as Mourinho watched from the stands.

But Tsadjout’s strike-partner Daniel Ciofani fired an 83rd-minute penalty winner - following a foul by keeper Rui Patricio - to lift the home side over Sampdoria at the bottom.

After the fiery clash, Mourinho was still raging, particularly with fourth official Marco Serra.

Serie A confirmed that Mourinho entered the referee’s dressing room and used offensive language against the fourth official. The governing body of the league has confirmed that he will not be on the touchline for two games and has also been fined £8,800.

However, he is looking to seek redress against the decision.

The Portuguese coach said: “I am emotional, but not crazy. In order to react the way I did, something had to happen first.

“I need to understand if I can take any legal action. [Referee Marco] Piccinini gave me a red card, because unfortunately the fourth official does not have the capacity to understand what he said to me.

“I want to find out if there is an audio recording. I don’t want to get into the fact that Serra is from Turin and on Sunday we are playing against Juventus.”

Mourinho continued: “For the first time in my career, a fourth official spoke to me in the most incredible way. It was unjustifiable.

“At the end of the game, I went to speak

to them. Piccinini, who was the fourth official in the last game when I was sent off, told me to apologise to Serra.

“I told Serra he should have the courage to explain what happened, but he had memory problems.”

When pressed to reveal what Serra had said, Mourinho refused, saying: “I prefer for everything to be done in public.”

Victory over a Cremonese, who had also dumped them out of the Italian Cup, would have put Roma back in the four Champions League spots.

However, Cremonese, celebrated their first Serie A triumph over Roma since March 1996.

This decision means he will not be available for the game against Juventus

and Sassuolo on March 5th and 12th respectively.

They returned to the top-flight this season as Serie B runners-up.

But promotion-winning boss Fabio Pecchia quit for Parma in the summer, with former Lazio and Genoa chief Davide Ballardini replacing him but struggling since.

PSG Join Manchester United, Chelsea In Victor Osimhen’s Transfer Pursuit

Victor Osimhen’s suitors ha e continued to grow following his consistent exhilarating performance for Napoli this season with French Lig 1 giants, PSG joining Premier League outfits, Manchester United and Chelsea in pursuit of his signature.

Italian journalist, Ciro Venerato disclosed that French giant, PSG is interested in signing the Super Eagles striker from Napoli in the summer transfer

Although Napoli president, Aurelio De

Laurentiis has maintained that his primed hitman, or any other players in the team “is not for sale”

Osimhen has been one of the best players in Italy in the last 18 months. The Super Eagles striker ended last season with 18 goals and six assists in all competitions.

This season, the former Lille man has performed beyond expectations. He has outdone his personal best and sits on 21 goals and four assists in 25 appearances

in all competitions.

Osimhen’s displays have not gone unnoticed, as many top clubs have their sights set on him. Manchester United, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Newcastle, and Arsenal have been heavily linked with the 24-year-old goal poacher since last summer.

Also, Italian transfer market expert Venerato per Napoli Magazine has revealed that PSG are interested in signing Osimhen.

The French have a lot of quality in the final third, but they lack adequate backup. As such, Osimhen is an enticing option.

However, Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis may only let Osimhen go if he gets a very good offer.

Nonetheless, Osimhen still has two years left on his contract and there have been no concrete extension talks yet. Napoli may hold out for over €120million fee for the striker who is propelling Napoli to their first Serie A titles since 1990.

Photo: Jose Mourinho shown a red card on Tuesday as Roma lose against Cremonese

S P R T

U-20 AFCON: Uganda coach, captain vow to upstage Nigeria in Quarter-final

...We have our strategy - Bosso

By Amaechi Agbo

As the quarter-final if the 2023 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations AFCON begin in Egypt on Thursday, Uganda Coach and the captain have vowed to upstage Nigeria in the quest for 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup ticket in Indonesia later in the year.

Both teams will clash in the second quarter-final match after Senegal and Benin match, Jackson Mayanja said their objective bis to pick the World Cup ticket ahead of Nigeria, a view reechoed by his captain, Isma Mugulusi.

“It’s a new month and we hope we can enter the new month and go to the quarter-finals,” Mayanja said.

“We’re very prepared as a team and this is the most important time for my team to make sure we achieve our goal and all the players are in good condition they’re very fine.

“I have always said it and I will say it again here. What I want to achieve with this team is to qualify for the World Cup,’ he told the media.

His captain, Isma Mugulusi opined “We are ready, everyone is in shape, we’re mentally good. We’ve tried to put what the coach wants in practice. I think we can overcome Nigeria in the quarterfinals.

“Nigeria has been good but now we’re also good and we can compete,” Isma told journalists.

“If we manage to qualify for the quarter-finals that means we can also qualify to the semi-finals and go to the World Cup.

“Tomorrow is the day we will write history in Ugandan football.” the Makedonikos FC attacker said.

...We Have Our StrategyBosso

However, his opposing number, Ladan Bosso has

stated that that their aim in the tournament remains to pick the World Cup ticket adding that his boys have strategy to overcome Uganda’s threat.

The record champions are back in the quarter-finals of the tournament after failing to make the last edition in Mauritania.

Nigeria finished second in Group A behind Senegal and will be going into Thursday’s match with a lot of confidence following their back to back win in the group stage.

“We all know that Nigeria has qualified to the quarter-final stage and knowing fully that we have an objective of coming out of this place and the least task ahead of us is to pick one of the slots to the FIFA U-20 World Cup,” said coach Ladan Bosso.

“We’re almost there but it is not yet sealed. We believe and hope that at the end of the regulation time tomorrow we

should be celebrating.”

The experienced Bosso says the Flying Eagles will not underestimate the Hippos who reached the final on their debut two years ago.

“The Ugandan team is equally qualified and they’re our next opponents and we cannot underrate any team.”

“The knockout stage if you don’t squeeze through it’s as if you didn’t qualify so we will do all we can do to make sure we go through to the World Cup.

“We have our strategy and we hope our plan will work accordingly.”

Goalkeeper Chijioke Aniagboso joined the Flying Eagles boss at the pre-match press conference for the big clash on Thursday.

The Giant Brillars FC custodian says they need to work even harder to beat the Hippos of Uganda.

“We will continue from where

we stopped improving our game but we’re happy to get to this stage,” Chijioke said.

“We need to work so much harder than how we started like my coach said losing this match is like not even qualifying at all so I think we’re prepared with the coaches and by god grace we will go through.

“We are in a confident mood because we started this and we have to end it. There’s no feeling or anything. Our job is to go to the field and up our game and book our ticket.”

Both teams clash at the 22,000 -capacity Suez Canal Authority Stadium in Ismailia as from 7pm Egypt time (6pm Nigeria time) on Thursday.

A win against the Hippos will qualify the Flying Eagles for their 13th appearance at the FIFA U20 World Cup finals, with this year’s tournament billed for Indonesia 20th May – 11th June.

CAF Appoints Egyptian Referees To Oversee Nigeria/Uganda U-20 AFCON Quarter-final clash

By Amaechi Agbo

The Confederation of African Football has appointed Egyptian referee Ahmed Nagy Mosa as referee for Thursday’s Africa

U20 Cup of Nations between Nigeria and Uganda at the Suez

Canal Authority Stadium in Ismailia.

Mosa will be supported by compatriots Mohamed Abouzid Halhal (assistant referee 1) and Yara Atef (assistant referee 2), as well as Libyan official Abdulrazg Ahmed (fourth official).

Justin Mumba from Zambia

will be the match commissioner while Rosalie N’dah from Benin Republic will serve as referee assessor and Namibian Titus Kunamuene will be in the role of general coordinator. Meanwhile, the Flying Eagles on Wednesday intensified their training ahead of Thursday’s

clash, which will be on the same turf on which they defeated Mozambique 2-0 on Saturday, with goals from Samson Lawal and Ibrahim Muhammad.

Head Coach Ladan Bosso and his assistants supervised the training session at the Tolip El Forsan Resort training ground,

with emphasis on tactical and endurance drilling.

A win against the Hippos will qualify the Flying Eagles for their 13th appearance at the FIFA U20 World Cup finals, with this year’s tournament billed for Indonesia 20th May –11th June.

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FIFA Launches Fan Festivals For 2023 Women’s World Cup

By Amaechi Agbo

Ahead if the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, world football governing body FIFA has launched “FIFA Fan Festivals” in keeping with the tournament’s theme.

The objective of FIFA Fans Festivals is to make football truly global, accessible and inclusive, and these exciting events provide an opportunity to experience football in new ways in a fun festival environment.

“The FIFA Fan Festival will be rolled out in Australia & Aotearoa New Zealand this year for the first time ever at a FIFA Women’s World Cup.

“All nine Host Cities across the two countries will offer a FIFA Fan Festivals, all of which will be free to enter; the FIFA Fan Festival goes beyond football, offering fans a vibrant setting to enjoy the best in football, music, entertainment, local culture, food and games

FIFA has today confirmed that all nine Host Cities will have a FIFA Fan Festival during the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023,” FIFA said in statement on Wednesday

This is the first time that FIFA Fan Festivals will be rolled out at a FIFA Women’s World Cup, in keeping with the tournament’s theme of firsts.

All FIFA Fan Festivals will offer free entry to people of all ages, providing a vibrant destination to celebrate the global game and experience the best in football, music, entertainment, local culture, food and games. Fans will be able to watch the tournament drama unfold on big screens at each venue.

FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura explained the mission of the festivals:

“Whether you are an avid fan or a football newcomer, the FIFA Fan Festival provides an exciting entertainment space that brings people together beyond football.”

“Our mission is to make football truly global, accessible and inclusive, and these exciting events provide an opportunity to experience football in new ways

in a fun festival environment.”

There will be a FIFA Fan Festival in every Host City at various times during the tournament, which will run from 20 July to 20 August 2023. To provide the best possible experience for visitors, the events at each venue will be tailored to the local climate,

matchdays and kick-off times.

While Australia will have five venues for the Fans Festivals which include - Adelaide/ Tarntanya – Festival Plaza; Brisbane/Meaanjin – South Bank Parklands; Melbourne/ Naarm – Federation Square; Perth/Boorloo – Forrest Place and Sydney/Gadigal –

Tumbalong Park: New Zealand has four venuesAuckland/Tāmaki Makaurau – The Cloud; Hamilton/Kirikiriroa –Claudelands Event Centre; Wellington/Te Whanganui-aTara – Shed 6 and Dunedin/ Ōtepoti – Dunedin Town Hall & Glenroy Auditorium

Formerly known as the FIFA Fan Fest, this onestop destination for fans had previously appeared at four editions of the FIFA World Cup, starting with the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany. It debuted in its new form as the FIFA Fan Festival at last year’s FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

Morocco star Achraf Hakimi accused of rape

Morocco & PSG defender football player, Achraf Hakimi has been accused of Rape and under investigation

French prosecutors have opened a preliminary investigation into an alleged rape by Morocco defender Achraf Hakimi per report

A 24-year-old woman has accused the Paris St-Germain full-back of raping her at his home in the French capital on 25 February.

Hakimi denies the allegations.

The woman reported the incident at a police station on

Sunday but did not file charges. The public prosecutor’s office handling the case in Nanterre, in the western suburbs of Paris, declined to comment but confirmed an investigation had begun.

“The club supports the player, who has firmly denied the accusations and trusts the

justice system,” PSG said in a statement. “Paris St-Germain is an institution that promotes respect on and off the pitch.”

Born in Spain, Hakimi was a key player as Morocco made history by reaching the semifinals of the World Cup in Qatar, the first African side to do so.

His performances saw him

honoured at the Best Fifa Football Awards ceremony held in Paris on Monday evening, where he was named in the FIFPro men’s world team of the year.

The 24-year-old stood on stage to collect the award alongside other winners including his PSG team-mates Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi.

Photo: Argentina Football fans at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar last year

Victor Osimhen Cake Sold In Italy As Napoli Move Closer To First Serie

Title In 33 Years

Itdoes appear that there is no crescendo yet in the growing fame and popularity of SC Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen as fans and admirers continued to associate and reckon with the Serie A top scorer.

The Nigerian international and Napoli hero has inspired a new cake in Italy designed after his masked face and hair style

The Nigerian striker has been in unstoppable form all season. He’s netted an astonishing 19 goals in 20 Serie A appearances, including one at the weekend against Empoli.

Now 18 points clear of their secondplaced rivals in the league, Gli Azzurri have all but clinched their first Scudetto in 33 years.

And while fans wait anxiously for the glorious day, one bakery in Naples sought to commemorate Osimhen’s role in that with a cake intended to resemble the 24-year-old.

The cake – complete with Osimhen’s iconic protective face mask and chopped hazelnuts representing his bleached hair – was made by the Fresco Forno bakery in the Scampia district of Naples.

Pastry chef Salvatore Mellone’s creation has reportedly flown off the shelves in Naples’ supermarkets, and he was even able to hand one directly to this season’s runaway Capocannoniere leader personally.

Osimhen appeared delighted as he posed with the dessert and said: “This is nice!” while the bizarre cakes went viral on social media.

One Twitter user wrote: “Who wouldn’t eat Osimhen’s cakes?” while another tweeted: “These Osimhen cakes are killing me.”

A third added: “Imagine getting a cake for your birthday and it’s just Osimhen’s head,” and a fourth commented: “Babe what’s wrong? You’ve barely touched your Osimhen cake.”

Yet not all were impressed by the gesture, with one person tweeting: “Italy is a wild place to live for black people,” and another adding: “Italy is a very scary place,” referencing the caricaturised representation.

It comes after young Napoli fans were accused of racism for wearing black face paint to resemble the player, sparking a debate surrounding how Italian football celebrates its black stars.

. . . putting the people first

Emilokan... From Bla Ba Blue to Bla Ba Blue Villa!

TheFebruary 25th presidential election was a fiercely contested battle between the three or four as some may argue, major contestants. They all respectively had high hopes of emerging as winners based on their calculations and permutations. Alas! A winner has emerged in the Emilokan, Asiwaju Bola Ahmad Tinubu of the ruling APC. Despite all the attempts at collusion and conspiracy to scuttle the election by other contestants and the puppets - the cabals, endorsers, political clergies, partisan statesmen, name it - behind them, INEC doggedly stuck to its guns to conclude its postelection treatment of the election results, announced the results, and issued a certificate of return to the winner of the keenly contested presidential election.

Victory is sweet, and much sweeter when you deserve and fight for it. The journey to the 2023 presidential election victory for APC and its candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Presidentelect wasn’t at the least sweet or smooth. As a student of politics and in life, I cannot but stop to learn from the master class strategies and doggedness that delivered the presidency to the hands of the president-elect. The opposition was real, acute and powerful; public analysis had begun to rule him out, opposition parties already jubilating at the prospect of not having to contest against the political colossal the man represented in all ramifications.

And then suddenly, the outburst at Ogun State began the success of today. Why the choice of Ogun State, the home state of the turncoat who represents the core betrayal to the age long aspiration. We may not know for sure, but we saw and heard the lion roar in the daylight; “Emilokan,” a slang that would remain with us in this country for decades to come. It simply translates to, “it is my turn.” The table was rattled, many of us became grossly afraid, waiting for the response from the masked cabal that were bent on scuttling the great aspiration for all the selfish reasons. We were waiting for President Muhammadu Buhari to get angry and respond in kind, but no; what we saw was the system reorganising itself to do the bidding of a great lion.

A lion roars with confidence; and the jungle does its bidding. From that day forward, I knew it would take more than any politician in our current dispensation to stop the man Tinubu represents. The nature and composition of the opposition to the Tinubu candidacy is complex both in size and number and cut across spaces, even the unbelievable.

It started with the choice of his running mate; the opposition took it up as the first line of attack, the church community became a readily available tool in the hands of the politicians and once again, we married religion with our politicking and deepened the religious animosities in the country. Definitely, rather than healing the

wounds of religious lines we have created over time, we were again condemned to continue with the animosity. The roles of the clergies, most especially the “new generation pastors” would not and cannot be forgotten in a jiffy. Church pulpits were roundly converted to campaign platforms for political contestants.

Then, the cabalistic onslaught began, the opposition from within the party to decimate the strength of the campaign and supporting a preferred candidate from among the opposition came with full force. All of a sudden, some government officials that were sitting on top of the PMS availability and supply situation for over six years and already setting up adequate product availability to prevent further scarcity suddenly lost control, plunged the country into a lingering fuel scarcity problem without any concerted effort to address the problem. Why? To set Nigerians against the ruling APC and create stumbling blocks for the party presidential candidate.

While it appeared, they were achieving their objective and the citizens reeling in anger, they stepped up the gear, and the currency redesign policy came up on us. For the first time a name and face is attached to the cabal; Emefiele showed his face and it became obvious Atiku Abubakar was the beneficiary of the cabalistic attacks on Tinubu’s candidacy. The grand objective was to strip the APC candidate of access to logistic fluidity to consummate the election and place him at a disadvantage in comparison to his co-contestant and their preferred candidate. Did it work? No, because Tinubu has gone all the way, defying all odds to win the election; but Nigerians weren’t so lucky as the naira crunch created a bite too hard and it still does.

Then, the opposition from his kinsmen; just like the popular adage that says the enemy of a man are those of his household. The Obasanjos, the Afeniferes and a lot of them vowed to make sure the man Tinubu does not become the president of Nigeria. His offense, we don’t know till now. Endorsement after endorsement of his rivals saturated the Southwest.

The question then was, was the man perturbed? Is the weight of the opposition getting to him? We may not know for certainty, but his words were huge strength to his followers; he said he was prepared for the betrayers, for the attacks, he said his followers shouldn’t be bothered; he said he would win. They should just do their part; vote.

Then the election came, the people voted and results began to

file in; and the path to an Emilokan presidency began, state after state, the figures were coming in his favour, the cabal wouldn’t believe it, the endorsements had failed and hope of the enemies translated to worries, and then to anger, desire to consume. The clergies lost their cool, they couldn’t hold the disappointment of the failure that beckons; the many campaigns from the pulpits did not deliver; and now, they chose to tow the path of the spoiler, instigating the citizens to anger and an uprising against the system.

Another Orubebe emerged; Senator or is it DJ Dino wouldn’t swallow the pain of defeat like a sportsman or a great democrat would do; and he spoke for his principal, Atiku Abubakar that INEC must mobilise electronic transmission of results before the final collation proceeding can continue. And we know why; PDP needs access to upload its already prepared results to create integrity issues to the process and the election umpire. It is not new; we all remember how there was an election result flying around immediately after the postponement of the 2019 presidential election. PDP miscalculated and could not pause its auto set INEC infrastructure infiltration process. Unfortunately for PDP, INEC has decided to manually collate its result in 2023 and had informed Nigerians of the same sometimes in August 2022.

Then, the self-appointed postmaster sent another letter; he is appealing to the same President Buhari he had already taken to the cleaners to do something to stop the election. From any other person, we would have gotten irritated but counted it the joke of the season, but from Obasanjo, we know the letter expresses hurt, his anger and derision of the man who is to become his commander-in-chief pretty soon, and the man would leave no stone untouched to scuttle the election process. The valueless Obasanjo, who oversaw the worst series of elections in this country; the man who forced the election umpire to release result while counting was still underway during his administration; the man who would boldly declare before election that it is ‘a do or die election,’ now suddenly wants to preach the message of election sanctity to Nigerians.

Then, the unexpected gang up; the dysfunctional family attempted to reunite to fight their common foe. PDP, LP, and NNPP want the election process halted. What are their reasons? APC is rigging and

manipulating the election, yet, the Labour Party has just beaten the ruling party in Lagos, PDP has just beaten the ruling party in the president’s home state of Katsina, APC has just lost Kano to NNPP, lost Kaduna to PDP. APC was only leading in 12 states, PDP was leading in 12 states, and the labour party also leading in 12 states, and yet APC rigged to win the states it won but the elections were free and fair in the states PDP and Labour Party won. What hypocrisy? Crop of bad losers!

There would be time for the full analysis of what happened in Lagos and other states APC had projected to win but got embarrassed by the defeats it met; most importantly, Lagos state, but for now, the loses have become a blessing in disguise for the party; APC’s loss in Lagos and other critical places have put to rest all election rigging conspiracy theories against the party, especially from all rational thinking persons and groups. Or how does a party perfect rigging to lose its bases and strongholds? That would be absurd by any stretch. Before the election, we have told them that elections are not done on social media. We told them the real voters would be surfacing to vote on Saturday. They can’t imagine where the APC figures were coming from. They assume in their irrationality that all Nigerians are emotionally attached to their religions and tribes to the point of flying with their conspiracies. One commenter, Umezurike Austin put it best about Tinubu when states ‘Just one man! The rays of negativity, the magnitude of treacherous forces deployed, churches in Nigeria, uninformed Nigeria young people, his party, his kinsmen, other tribes he gave comfort, all against this one man but he defeated them all.’

Truly, EMILOKAN, THE BLA BA BLU is miles ahead of them, and once again he has taught them how politics is played in a plural nation as ours. From BLA BA BLU to BLA BA BLU VILLA!

Congratulations to the APC family.

*GOD BLESS THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA!*

Time to unify Nigerians begins now, ACF tells Tinubu