Tuesday, February 14th, 2023 Edition

L-R: Sultan of Sokoto, Alh. Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, Governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, his Deputy, Dr. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna and the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, during the National Conference on Livestock Reforms and Mitigation of Associated Conflicts, organized by Kano state Government, held yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

New Naira: Use alternative payment methods, CBN tells Nigerians

From Abubakar Yunusa ABUJA

The Central Bank of Nigeria has implored Nigerians to make use of the eNaira and Internet banking as alternatives to the current naira scarcity.

The Director, Corporate Communications Department of the CBN, Mr. Osita Nwanusobi, who was represented by the Director, Capacity Development of CBN, Mohammed Abbah, disclosed this while speaking at the recently held

44th Kaduna International Trade Fair.

Osita disclosed that the payment system infrastructure could handle an increasing number of transaction volumes across all payment channels.

He said the new naira policy was not aimed at any individual as being insinuated in the public domain.

According to him, “The CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, has always said that the policy is not targeted at anyone or any

group of persons, rather, it derived from the Bank’s in-house analysis to strengthen our macroeconomic fundamentals and better our socioeconomic conditions.”

Speaking on the theme, “Promoting Value Addition for Economic Growth and Development”, he explained that promotion of value plays an important role to Nigeria’s economic growth and development.

He further said the apex bank was projected to boost financial

inclusion through reduction of the number of the unbanked population and to support the efforts of the security agencies in combating banditry and ransom-taking in Nigeria through this programme.

He added that the Produce, Add Value and Export option of the apex bank was similar to the export-led industrialisation policy South-East Asia, which elevated the economic fortunes of the Asian Tigers: Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan.

Supreme Court judgements: APC group calls for resignation of CJN, Ariwoola

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

Apro-All Progressives Congress (APC) group on the aiges of Progressive Minds Forum (PMF), on Friday, called for the resignation, suspension or sack of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kayode Ariwoola, over alleged compromised judgements that recently emanated from the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

The group lamented that the award of Senatorial tickets to Senate President Ahmad Lawan and Senator Godswill Akpabio by the apex court was a great embarrassment to Nigeria because they did not partake in the primary election of the All Progressives Congress won by the original holders of the tickets.

The Forum also insisted that Supreme Court’s ruling to extend the use of old Naira notes was not done in the interest of Nigerians but to please and aid certain political forces from the South-

west who have been clamouring for the extension because the CJN is from the South-west.

In a statement signed by the Forum’s national coordinator, Barrister Preye Johnson, said that the comportment of the CJN since assumption of office does not befit a man who occupies such an exalted position and saddled with the responsibility of determining the destiny of litigants that come before the Supreme Court.

The statement said: “The Supreme Court is the last hope of the common man, but under Justice Ariwoola, justice is now for the highest bidder.

“The whole world would want to know how failed presidential aspirants like Akpabio and Lawan were awarded Senatorial tickets by the Supreme Court when they never participated in the primary election for those positions in their Senatorial Districts.

“This is a man who recently attended a state dinner in Port Harcourt and apparently

after much champagne that are common in such high level political gatherings, made political statements that were unbecoming of his position as the number one jurist in the country.

“Besides only the CJN and Supreme Court Justices can tell if the recent ruling unbanning the use of old Naira notes was done in the overall interest of Nigerians or to enable the APC access enough cash to buy votes in the forthcoming elections.

“Even the Minister or Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, has kicked against the judgement and filed an appeal against it.

“The position of the AGF shows that the ruling lacks merit as it was apparently motivated by partisan motives and tribal sentiments which may likely plunge Nigeria into crisis if not immediately curbed.

“Needless to say that such highly compromised and spurious judgements now emanating from

the apex court, under Justice Ariwoola, represent a huge embarrassment to Nigeria both at home and abroad.

“They have also cast a pall of doubt over judgements on disputes that may emanate from the forthcoming general elections.

“Therefore, the need for Justice Ariwoola to either resign his position or be sacked in order to checkmate the gross danger the Supreme Court now poses to democracy and rule of law in Nigeria.

“It is clear that the Supreme Court under Justice Ariwoola’s watch lacks integrity therefore he has no basis to continue as CJN especially in view of the forthcoming general election.

The CJN must be seen to be above board and also must be blind to all parties in the dispensation of justice in order to display extreme neutrality for justice and fairness. However, this is not what we are seeing presently.

Kaduna Chamber of Comerce Industry mines and Agriculture (KADCCIMA),Chairman organising Committee, Hon. Ishaya Idi,Commissioner human Service, Hafsat Baba,- presenting a 2nd Runner Award to NIMASA Deputy director Shipping development, Rakiya Lamai,- (Middle) during the Closing Ceremony of 44th kaduna International trade fair in kaduna 13/2/23

FG berates U.S., UK over frivolous travel advisories

The Federal Government says three months after the U.S. and the UK embassies issued frivolous travel advisories warning their citizens to avoid Abuja, the city has remained safe.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed stated this on Monday in Abuja at the 25th edition of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s (PMB) Scorecard Series.

The two countries had warned their citizens to avoid the Nigerian capital due to risk of terrorist attacks.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the edition featured the Minister of Defence, retired Maj.-Gen. Bashir Magashi, who presented the scorecard of his ministry.

In his opening remarks, Mohammed recalled that the advisories issued by the U.S. and UK created much panic

and tension in the country and a number of Americans reportedly fled Abuja in the wake of the warning.

The minister noted that since the advisories were issued residents of Abuja had been going about their businesses without any threat.

He commended the country’s security agencies for their sacrifices to keep the country safe.

“We want to commend our

gallant troops, the police, the intelligence agencies and all other security agencies for their commitment and sacrifice to keep our country safe.

“We also call on Nigerians to continue to support the security agencies as they carry out their onerous task,” he said.

Mohammed re-echoed President Buhari’s call on Western countries to stop issuing frivolous travel advisories on Nigeria. (NAN)

From left: Deputy Director Voters’Education Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Mary Nkem, Acting Director Gender and Inclusivity

Department Lakunufa Dorothy Bello, National Commissioner and Chair Outreach and Partnership Committee

Professor Kunle Ajayi, Director of Programs YIAGA Africa

Cynthia Mbamalu, Program Director National Democratic Institute (NDI) Bem Aga and Deputy Director Gender Relations INEC Victoria EtaMessi, during the INEC National Youth Summit 2023, yesterday in Abuja Photo: Mahmud Isa

Kebbi Gov’s wife charges women to warn their wards against thuggery

From Ahmes Idris, Birnin Kebbi

Ahead of the February 2023 elections, the wife of the Kebbi State Governor Hajiya Aisha Bagudu Abubakar has charged women not to allow politician to used their children for political thuggery.

She made this call yesterday at the presentation of food items to the over 1000 widows and youths in the state, adding that the women are the brain of the house.

“If anyone of them meets you, tell them that they should bring their own children to do it together. I love women and am also a mother, so let us plan good future for our children.”

By Albert Akota

ASenator representing Anambra South Senatorial District, Dr Ifeanyi Ubah has lauded Sir, Emeka Offor for his upright and philanthropic gesture towards people around and

The Minister of Water Resources, Alhaji Suleiman

Adamu has said states’ attitude and poor governance culture in the water and sanitation sector may affect the attainment of an Open Defecation Free country by 2025.

Adamu said this at the Opening of the National Retreat for States on the ‘Clean Nigeria: Use The Toilet’ Campaign in Abuja on Monday.

He said there was the need for states to show more commitments by complementing the efforts of the Federal Government in meeting the national ODF targets by 2025.

“Some states are still upcoming. Katsina state is hopefully going to be the next one, But there are states where there’s virtually no progress at all, that’s why every time, we need to review the situation from time to time, and find a way to encourage the states.

“We have given every support

beyond.

The entrepreneur and businessman who is currently serving as Senator and CEO of Capital Oil, said “Sir Emeka Offor has touched a lot of lives in an extraordinary manner.

“If you go down to my Constituency where he is a

and we will continue to provide that support, but we need that political level, the highest level in the states, for the country to have a lot of traction.

“But I keep saying that once we have the political will as a people, take this campaign as ours, we own it, it’s going to go on autopilot.

“So what we are waiting for is for the nation, not only the state government, but the people themselves, to own this campaign, to understand that sanitation is a personal obligation”.

The minister noted the need to revisit all strategies and goals on ending open defecation and address the funding gaps, saying this would change the poor narrative.

According to him, ending open defecation is not just about access to tollets, but about generating demand for toilets and effecting behavioural change in favour of the use of toilets.

leader, you will see and hear of the many things he has done for the people and that’s why you can see the multitude of people here from different backgrounds.

“He is the man of the people and loves God and people and that’s the most important thing

“It is imperative that we strengthen our supply chain towards sanitation building and the creation of a sanitation market that will propel a new economy that will ensure better livelihood.

“Poverty reduction and job creation are all the benefits of the new economy, achieving this however, will require the involvement of all Stakeholders”.

Also speaking, Mr Oumar Doumbouya, UNICEF Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Specialist said it was impressive that Nigeria is able to attain over 100 ODF local governments.

This, he noted, is a huge achievement even for the West African region as Nigeria holds a critical part of the region.

He said closing the gaps and leveraging on current efforts was crucial if the nation would attain its target.

According to him, there is the

in life,” he said.

Also speaking, the wife of the celebrant who put everything together for her husband, Barrister Adaora Offor said, “The idea behind the event was to celebrate my husband. It’s a special day and an opportunity to honour an icon.

Senator, widows others extol Emema Offor’s virtue at 54th birthday States’ performance making 2025 Open Defecation- free target gloomy -Adamu

need for inclusion of everyone in interventions, adding that using innovation approaches was the key to achieving open defecation free target.

Ms. Evelyn Mere, Country Director, said Nigeria had the potential to excel in sanitation economy, through job creation, revenue generation and a healthier economy, with efficient provision of safely managed WASH services.

Mere hinted that the organised private sector in WASH would be announcing a few partnerships in the coming month, aimed at declaring 100 LGAs open defecation free.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the meeting had representatives from all state water agencies, and other partners.

The meeting was an avenue for cross-learning, discuss challenges and analyse opportunities in the water and sanitation sector. (NAN)

NDIC assures Bank Customers safety of deposit

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has assured Nigerians that their hard earned money in the custody of banks licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is safe.

The Managing Director of the Corporation, Dr. Bello Hassan asserted this during the NDIC special day at the ongoing 44 Kaduna International Trade Fair.

He advised against panic over money swap, saying that the NDIC has activated its crisis action management plan to prevent any negative impact on its operations and banks under its supervision.

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Prof. Mohammad Sani Haruna said the agency is training Nigerian youths in cutting edge technologies to prepare them for the fourth industrial revolution.

He said since the world is shifting to automation remote sensing, remote control and wireless operation, Nigerians cannot be left behind.

He said Nigerian professionals and artisans need regular update of skills to remain relevant, get employment, remain employed or even create jobs for others.

Haruna made the submissions at the opening of NASENI Skill Acquisition Training and Youth Empowerment for 100 candidates in Ilaro, Ogun State.

The EVC, who was represented by NASENI’s Coordinating Director, Finance and Account, Alh. Ibrahim Baba Dauda said Ogun State was chosen because by its location, it is the industrial corridor for innovations.

He said the state also shares borders with Lagos which is the West Africa’s most populous productive and manufacturing centre.

But he said the world was fast changing and Nigerian youths ought to be part of the fast pace.

He said: “Development in cutting edge technologies or frontier technologies are the innovations that are shaping the fourth industrial revolution. They are no doubt disrupting many things and introducing constant changes and standards.

“These technologies include Artificial Intelligence (AI); Robotics; the Internet of Things (IoT); Big Data; Block Chain; Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing); Autonomous Vehicles; Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Gene Editing; 5G Network; and even Smart Grid and agitations for wireless electricity. Every aspect of human endeavour,

Why we are training Nigerian youths in cutting edge technologies -NASENI

Agriculture, Health, Industry, Transports, Hospitality and others require electricity albeit well advanced Electric Energy.

“Therefore, electrical installation, repairs and maintenance will no longer be metre conduiting, piping or trunking of cable channel and streaming overhead conductors only. It is beyond provision of lighting points and socket outlets.

“Rather it is about automation remote sensing, remote control and wireless operation. The practitioners’ knowledge needs either regular update to remain relevant and be able to get employment, remain employed or even create jobs for others.

“This training is therefore to familiarise the trainees not only

on the current advances of new and emerging technologies in electrical installations, repairs and maintenance, but to also prepare, equip them and build adequate competencies to meet the challenges and opportunities of the development anticipated of the shape and nature of the next Industrial Revolution.

On the choice of Ogun State, he said: “By its location, the state is the industrial corridor for innovations because it bothers Lagos which is the West Africa’s most populous productive and manufacturing centre and a viable link to the outside economic worlds.

“Therefore, preparing the youths and their skills in modern methods is a veritable strategy to open them up to rare opportunities of being ahead

of others in this region in terms of skills, practical exposures to new tools, including trouble shooting which this training will give to them at the end or the one-week long exercise.

In his remarks, the National Vice President of Licensed Electrical Contractors Association of Nigeria (LECAN), Yinka Akintomide urged the participants to make use of the knowledge and tools given to them by the organisers of the training.

“Some people call you roadside electricians, but you will prove them wrong with this training you are getting here today.” he said.

The Olu of Ilaro and Paramount ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde Olugbele appealed to the beneficiaries not to sell the working

tools given to them.

He said the gadgets would be useful both in their trades and the training of other youths in the community.

On her part, a former Deputy Governor of the state, Alhaja Salimot Badru said lack of required skills has made youths to lose jobs to foreigners.

He said NASENI skill acquisition programme would address the dearth of skills among the youths.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Olamilekan Adeola (Yayi) said the programme was a product of the executive-legislative collaboration aimed at building cognate capacities and improvement in skill of the youths in the energy sector.

L-R: The Coordinating Director, Finance and Account of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Alhaji Ibrahim Baba Dauda; the Olu of Ilaro and paramount ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle; a former Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Alhaja Salimot Badru, a trainee and NASENI’s Director of Procurement, Dr. Mohammed Aminu Mohammed during the symbolic presentation of training/working tools to one of the beneficiaries of the NASENI skill acquisition training and youth empowerment programme held in Ilaro, Ogun State, on Monday. PHOTO:

Election: Eyes of the nation on you, Buhari tells Police

By Egena Sunday Ode

President Muhammadu Buhari Monday

reminded leadership of the Nigeria Police of the high expectations from them in relation to the provision of requisite security ahead of the 2023 General Elections.

The President spoke at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, as he commissioned Critical Operational Assets procured by the Nigeria Police Force.

Buhari, while commending the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba for advancing the Police Reform Agenda of this Administration and for the several initiatives he had brought to the Force reminded him of the expectations:

“ You should, however be reminded of my high expectations of your leadership, particularly, in relation to the provision of requisite security that will engender not just stable security space ahead of the General Elections, but guarantee the credibility of the exercise.

“In this task, I call on the Inspector General of Police and indeed, all law enforcement agencies that will be complementing the police in the election security process to note that the eyes of the nation and the global community will be on you all.”

President Buhari reiterated the centrality of an efficient and responsive police force in strengthening of democracy and the essence of the Police Reform and Re-equipping Agenda which this administration has vigorously pursued:

“We are running a democratic system which is guided by the rule of law and the Police worldwide is recognized as the most symbolic agency within the democratic governance and rule of law process. Therefore, any nation that is desirous of deepening her democratic credentials and advancing the course of rule of law must prioritize the efficiency of her police institution,” President Buhari declared.

He restated his pledge to bequeath a credible democratic culture to the nation, and expressed satisfaction with the brief by the IGP during the meeting of the Council of State on Friday, February 10.

“My pledge is to bequeath to the nation a democratic culture in which the Police will not only be apolitical and impartial during the 2023 General Elections, but also one in which the process will be peaceful and secure and the outcome truly reflective of the free will of the citizens.”

He added that he was delighted that the acquisition of the assets he was commissioning

was in tandem with his aspiration.

The President used the opportunity to commend successive leaderships of the Nigeria Police as well as the commitment of the current Inspector General of Police and his Management Team towards the Police Reform of this administration evidenced by notable activities and projects carried out including the recent commissioning of an ultra- modern Police Headquarters and a well equipped Hospital in Yobe State.

He charged the Police, in line with their service oaths and statutory obligation to the nation, not to disappoint:

“I renew the assurances of my firm trust in your leadership and unwavering support for police. It is indeed, in demonstration of this that I recently approved the release of requisite funds to the Nigeria Police Force towards the continuation of the next phase in the annual recruitment exercise of ten thousand (10,000) Constables in line with extant Presidential approvals.”

Welcoming Mr. President, the Inspector General of Police said that the critical assets being commissioned were procured from the Special Presidential Intervention Fund as part of a strategic plan towards stabilizing the security space before, during and after the 2023 General Elections and for the purpose of

boosting the capacity of the Nigeria Police to manage civil disorder, in line with acceptable national legal framework and international law enforcement protocols.

He acknowledged the commitment of the President to the uplift of the Nigeria Police, declaring that “President Buhari’s continued support and association during the commissioning of her infrastructure and operational assets presents a clear statement to the premium that Mr. President places on the Nigeria Police and policing issues in the country.”

Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, informed President Buhari that the Ministry of Police Affairs had in recent years rolled out robust logistical support and effective policy environment to complement the efforts of the Nigeria Police Force.

According to the Minister, the day’s event “was not an isolated initiative. It is part of the broad, well thought out and meticulously implemented policing strategy of the Inspector General of Police, which is built on his leadership vision that internal security can be stabilized on a sustainable basis only through a well-equipped, modernized, highly resourced and appropriately trained policing institution.”

NASENI

2023: Elections won’t hold in 240 polling units, says INEC Chairman

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

Less than two weeks to the forthcoming general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has revealed that there are 240 polling units where elections will not hold in the country.

The affected 240 polling units, according to the INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, are those without registered voters and are spread across 28 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The INEC Chairman made the disclosure on Monday at a meeting with leaders of the registered political parties in the country, held at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

He however pointed out that the Commission is concerned about violent attacks on supporters of political parties across the board, resulting in the loss of lives in some cases.

The INEC Chairman therefore appealed to Chairman and leaders of political parties to continue to call their candidates and supporters to order.

He also called on the security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies to arrest, investigate and prosecute anyone involved in violent conduct, including incendiary statements capable of inciting a breach of the peace.

The said 240 polling units, Yakubu explained, range from one polling unit to 12 polling units in each State and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, except Taraba and Imo States with 34 and 38 polling units respectively.

His words, “However, there are 240 polling units without registered voters spread across

28 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

“They range from one polling unit to 12 polling units in each State and the FCT, except Taraba and Imo States with 34 and 38 polling units respectively.

“No new registrants chose the polling units and no voters indicated interest to transfer to them during the last Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), mainly for security reasons.

“This means that no elections will hold in these polling units.

“In our avowed commitment to transparency, the Commission is making available to Nigerians a comprehensive list of these polling units by name, code number and their locations by State, Local

Government and Registration Area.

“With this development, the number of polling units where elections will hold nationwide on 25th February 2023 and 11th March 2023 is now 176,606.

“Above all, Nigerians deserve the right to know the locations of these polling units. Accordingly, the soft copy of the list has been uploaded to our website and social media platforms for public information and guidance”, he said.

Continuing, the INEC Chairman said, “Turning to the ongoing electioneering campaigns, the Commission is concerned about violent attacks on supporters of political parties across the

board, resulting in the loss of life in some cases.

“Let me once again appeal to Chairman and leaders of political parties to continue to call your candidates and supporters to order. I also call on the security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies to arrest, investigate and prosecute anyone involved in violent conduct, including incendiary statements capable of inciting a breach of the peace”, he said.

Prof Yakubu stressed that the Commission is finalising the issuance of 1,642,386 identification tags for the Polling and Collation Agents nominated by the 18 political parties, made up of 1,574,301 Polling Agents and

68,085 Collation Agents.

He urged the Chairmen and leaders of political parties to ensure that only agents accredited by the Commission and wearing the correct identification tags appear at polling units and collation centres during elections.

He however warned, “A situation where two or more agents claim to represent a political party, resulting in commotion at polling units or collation centres, is unacceptable.

“Only Identification tags issued by the Commission will be recognised on election day and violators are liable to arrest and prosecution for impersonation” he said.

No part of Nigeria under Boko Haram, say Defence Minister, CDS

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

The Minister of Defence, Major General

Bashir Salihi Magashi (retd), and the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor were unanimous, Monday in Abuja, that no part of Nigerian territory is under the control of the Boko Haram terrorists and other criminal elements.

They both spoke during the question and answer session at the 25th edition of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration Scorecard which featured the Ministry of Defence and all its services.

All the service chiefs accompanied the Defence Minister to the event.

Responding to a question, the Defence Minister said as far as they were concerned, no part of Nigeria is controlled by Boko Haram.

The minister wished the questioner had cited any part of the country that is controlled by the terrorists, saying it could have helped to mention the states that were under Boko Haram, if at all there are any.

The minister then invited the CDS for comment on the matter in his capacity as the operational head of the armed forces.

The CDS, while acknowledging the basis of the question which is that the criminal

elements have not ceased to operate in the North East, even though they have been decimated heavily by the Nigerian troops, explained that there are only a few of the criminals, and that the final cleansing is ongoing.

“There is no territory of this country that is under Boko Haram”, the CDS reiterated.

He said that the military operation in the South East is to bring about sanity, to enable elections to be held, and that elections would indeed be held in the south east, and in all parts of the country.

The CDS said the armed forces are working with other security agencies to ensure elections are held in the South East and other parts of the country.

Earlier in his presentation of the Defence Scorecard under President Muhammadu Buhari administration, the Minister identified some of the challenges standing in the way of military operations in the country.

He cited some of them to include lack of interagency synergy, ineffective civilianmilitary relations, budgetary constraints and inadequate manpower due to over deployment of troops to internal security operations.

He said the troops are currently deployed

in different theatres performing such roles as roadblocks, security of infrastructure and guard duties for VIPs.

“This is in addition to their other commitments in CTCOIN and UN operations,” he said.

According to him, as of 2022, Nigeria with an estimated population of over 200 million, had a total military strength of about 223,000 personnel, representing a ratio of 1:1,000.

In comparison, he said, the Republic of Chad had at the time a ratio of 3.4:1,000, and South Africa 1.5:1,000.

He added that the recent approval for an increase in the recruitment of personnel in the armed forces boosted the manpower strength, but that there is need for sustenance of the recruitment drive to increase the ratio.

“MDAs have been noted to compete to emerge as the masses favourite, or the ones that are most effective in terms of discharging their responsibilities. They battle each other to assert superiority and dominance.

“This constitutes a major threat to internal security and national cohesion,” he said.

“It also accounts for budgetary wastage,

duplication of functions, mutual suspicion, and encroachment on each other’s constitutional mandates,” he added.

The armed forces, he said, face suspicion and distrust from members of the public and other key stakeholders during internal security operations. “This is attributable to poor public perception of the military.”

In respect of budgetary constraints, he said the Ministry of Defence, like other MDAs, is placed on the envelop system of budgeting in which a fixed amount is appropriated annually.

“The system limits the allocation to the Ministry and has hampered the acquisition of essential platforms, equipment and logistics required to boost operations in the Defence sector,” he said, and that it has also limited recruitment and essential training programs in the Ministry.

The future plans of the Ministry, as given by the Minister include consistent recruitment of about 19000 soldiers/ ratings and airmen bi-annually, expansion of the Military Industrial Complex, establishment of an Aviation Technology City, and establishment of a world-class Quatinery Hospital in Nigeria similar to the Walter Reed Hospital in the USA, among others.

•Expresses concerns over violent attacks on parties’ supporters •Issues 1,642,386 identification tags for Polling, Collation Agents

The Military on Monday assured Nigerians that the 2023 elections would hold peacefully in the SouthEast states and in all parts of the country in spite of threats by criminal elements.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, gave the assurance in Abuja at the 25th edition of the President Muhammadu Buhari’ Scorecard Series.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the edition featured the Minister of Defence, retired Gen. Bashir Magashi, who presented the

Elections will hold in SouthEast –Military assures

scorecard of the ministry.

Responding to a question on the threat by the Simon Ekpa led faction of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to stop the elections in the south east zone, Irabor said no person or group can stop the polls.

“The armed forces is working in concert with the Police and other security agencies to ensure that the menace of criminalities from IPOB and Eastern Security Network are eliminated,” he said.

Irabor also corroborated the position of the Defence Minister

that “no territory of Nigeria is under the control of the Boko Haram or any other terrorists group.”

He said all communities in the North-East zones of the country had been liberated from the criminal elements.

Irabor said the military

was on the mission for final cleansing of the North-East region from terrorists. He reiterated that the fact that the military had not ceased operation in the region did not mean that the terrorists were still occupying any portion of the nation’s territory. (NAN)

Don’t postpone forthcoming elections, 18 registered parties tell INEC

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has been cautioned against the postponement of the forthcoming general election.

The warning was sounded by the Inter Party Advisory Committee, IPAC, an umbrella body for the eighteen registered political parties in the country, at a meeting between INEC and the paries on Monday in Abuja.

Speaking on behalf of the registered political parties at a meeting with INEC on Monday in Abuja, the National Chairman of IPAC, Engineer Yabagi Yusuf Sani maintained that under no circumstance should the forthcoming general elections be postponed.

While the presidential and National Assembly elections are slated to hold on Saturday, February 25, the Governorship and State Assembly elections are billed for March 11, this year.

In his response, after listening to the remarks by the INEC Chairman, Engineer Sani said, ‘Mr. Chairman (Prof Mahmood Yakubu),under no circumstances should this election be postponed.

“The 2023 general elections seemingly will be a watershed in the history of elections in Nigeria. Today, the tide has changed, because an unknown Party could pull a surprise to the greatest chagrin of all.

“From this point of view, it is necessary to advise INEC to keep its date with history which must not be wasted.

“INEC should create a golden niche for herself especially the Chairman who has become the child of history, Nigerians are watching, the international community is watching and the Parties are palpitating:

“I therefore call on all Nigerians of good conscience to take credible results of the election the way it is.

“At worse, parties should resort to the law court for adjudication. Today it is an abhorrence and crudity if not

savagery to see States Governors denying campaign venues to political parties other than their own. This is crude, primitive and uncivilized”, he said.

He restated the continual commitment of IPAC to the long standing cooperation and mutually beneficial relationship

between it and INEC .

His words, “Going further, I wish to firstly reiterate the continual commitment of IPAC to the long standing cooperation and mutually beneficial relationship between us and INEC.

“I want to use this occasion

to also reaffirm the confidence of IPAC in the leadership of INEC for its consistent demonstration of diligence, uncommon zeal and patriotism in the pursuit of the agencies statutory mandate

“On the basis of our evaluation that INEC has been well on track, the leadership

of IPAC additionally wishes to use this occasion to commend, the efforts of INEC in confronting the extraordinary environmental challenges occasioned by naira redesign and fuel scarcity through Mr. Chairman’s visit to the relevant agencies”, he said.

Naira, fuel scarcity’ll not affect APC victory -Group

LikeMinds Initiative for Tinubu (LMI-T) says scarcity of naira notes and fuel in Nigeria will not affect the chances of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in the forthcoming elections.

Mariah Olasehinde, Director Media and Publicity, LMI-T, said this on Monday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja against the growing concern surrounding the scarcity.

According to her, this will not affect the chances of the APC in the forthcoming elections because Nigerians already know

the truth.

She said Tinubu had expressed the concern in Ogun State but many people faulted him without knowing that he was preempting the hardship Nigerians were about to go through.

She said, “We can see that Asiwaju got firsthand information that such crises will happen, and he simply said do not suffer the masses because of me.”

She urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to allow cash flow, adding that the hardship

was becoming unbearable for the people.

The LMI-T called on supporters of Tinubu not to despair and assured them that come Feb. 25, Tinubu would emerge victorious.

She described Asiwaju as strong and energetic, “I have attended some of our rallies and I have seen how resilient he is, pulling the crowd with his charisma, very agile.”

Olasehinde, who also doubles as the Assistant Director, Media Tinubu/Shetima Grassroots independent Campaign Council

(TSGICC), said the group had pledged to ensure holistic victory for Tinubu/Shetima ticket.

“All politics are local, we have large structures across the 36 States including FCT, we are working with other campaign organisations to facilitate landslide victory for Tinubu

“Our Media unit is working hard to publicise the electoral value of Tinubu in all parts of the country to harvest massive votes for the APC presidential candidate and all other candidates, ” she said. (NAN)

From L-R: Representing of Her Excellency Deputy Governor Kaduna State/Commissioner of Human Services and Social Development Kaduna, Hajiya Hafsat Baba, Commissioner Ministry of Business Innovation & Technology Kaduna, Prof. Kabir Mato and President of KADCCIMA, Alhaji. Suleiman Aliyu during the closing ceremony of 44th Kaduna International Trade Fair, yesterday in Kaduna, Photo: BASHIR BELLO

NDLEA intercepts 1,430kgs of cannabis enroute to C/River

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), says it has intercepted a consignment of 1,340 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa being conveyed from Ogbese in Ondo state to Odukpani in Cross River.

The Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi, disclosed this on Sunday in a statement issued in Abuja.

He said that the items were loaded in a truck belonging to the Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) and heading

to Okurikang Okoyong in Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River.

Babafemi said that following credible intelligence, the movement was monitored for three weeks and upon arrival, 130 bags of cannabis were seized.

The seized drugs, weighed 1.430 tons and were recovered from the LNG truck and 13 motorcycles which were hired by the cartel to convey the consignment deep into the Odukpani forest, were impounded.

Babafemi also said that in Kano, four suspects: Ado Shuaibu; Yahaya Shuaibu; Mamman Sani and Umar Musa Yakubu were arrested in connection with 229 blocks of skunk weighing 131.1kgs.

He said that Musa was arrested on Tuesday, Feb. 7, at Tumfafi village, Kano, while Ado, Yahaya and Mamman were nabbed on Saturday, Feb. 11, at Garin Balarabe, Maigatari, Jigawa state.

“Another suspect, Aisha Muhammad, was arrested in Koki area of Kano with 17kgs

cannabis,” he said.

According to him, no fewer than four members of a syndicate using dispatch motorcycles to distribute illicit drugs in Lekki area of Lagos were arrested on Sunday, Feb. 5.

“They include: Tijani Hakeem; Eric Maku; Ahmed Jubril and Adobi Chris.

“At the time of their arrest, 1.88kgs of Loud and assorted paraphernalia were recovered from them,” he said.

Babafemi quoted the NDLEA Chairman,

Retired, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, as commending the officers, men and women for their commitment and professionalism towards ridding Nigeria of the menace of illicit drugs.

Marwa said the agency would continue to target any one or group involved in the criminal trade without fear or favour.

He urged all NDLEA officers across the country to remain unrelenting in the pursuit of the corporate goal. (NAN)

Sitting front row: National Commissioner and Chair Outreach and Partnership Committee Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Professor Kunle Ajayi (5th right), Acting Director Gender and Inclusivity Department Lakunufa Dorothy Bello (4th right) Program Director National Democratic Institute (NDI) Bem Aga (3rd right) Director of Programs YIAGA Africa Cynthia Mbamalu (5th left), INEC Youth Ambassadors; Uti Nwachukwu (4th left), Dr Anto Lecky (3rd left), Taye Faniran (2nd left) Emmanuel Ikubese (left)

Catholic Bishops want FG to review cash policy

Most Rev. Lucius Ugorji, President Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) on Sunday urged the Federal Government to review the new cash policy to ease the hardships it has caused Nigerians.

Ugorji made the appeal at the opening of the 2023 First Plenary of CBCN held at the Catholic Secretariat in Abuja.

The meeting has the theme: ‘Citizens’ participation in good governance in Nigeria’.

While expressing sadness over the situation, Ugorji said that the policy had resulted into serious cash crunch, and anger and frustration among Nigerians.

The CBCN president advised

politicians

to stop engaging in mudslinging, acrimony, arson, buying and selling of votes, threats, intimidation and violence ahead of the general elections.

Ugorji said instead of dissipating energy on negativity, those aspiring for political offices should concentrate on marketing their manifestoes.

He also advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to live above board and ensure that the election process is beyond reproach.

“The elections, if well conducted, can be a turning point in our political and economic history.

”We, therefore, urge all to play their roles maturely and creditably during the period of the general elections,” he

added.

He said that political contest should never be perceived as a “do or die” affair.

“Any candidate who is prepared to shed blood or to spend huge sums of money to buy votes or to comprise INEC shows that he or she is seeking political office for pure self-aggrandizement.”

He reminded the faithful of their civic and moral responsibility of voting during elections.

On his part, the President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh commended the CBCN for always speaking truth to power no matter the situation.

Okoh said CAN had registered with INEC to observe the forthcoming elections and had trained 1, 200

observers.

He added that the international observers from the All African Conference of Churches would also observe the elections.

“This will be our modest contribution in ensuring a free, fair and credible election in Nigeria this year,” the CAN president said.

The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, in his homily advised Nigerians to make informed choices during the elections.

“With our votes in the coming weeks, we can either choose a reasonable and productive use of power towards unity, security, a good economy or just abandon our fate in the hands of people who have neither capacity nor conscience,” Kaigama said. (NAN)

in a group photograph with other members of Civil Society Organization, during the INEC National Youth Summit 2023, yesterday in Abuja

Photo: Mahmud Isa

By Egena Sunday Ode

The Federal Government has concluded plans to unveil a carbon tax policy and budgetary system for the country, in line with the recently approved Energy Transition Plan, as part of the Climate Change Act.

At the recent meeting in Abuja, President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the Energy Transition Plan, to be driven by the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), in accordance with the Climate Change Act 2021.

A Carbon tax or tax on greenhouse gases come in two broad forms, namely; an emissions tax, which is based on the quantity an entity produces; and a tax on goods or services that are generally greenhouse gas-intensive, such as a carbon tax on gasoline.

Under the arrangements, the federal government is expected to set a price which emitters pay for each ton of greenhouse gas emissions.

The tax, apart from helping to generate revenue for government, will encourage consumers to take steps to switch fuels, adopt new technologies and reduce emissions to avoid paying the tax.

The Director-General (DG) of NCCC, Salisu Dahiru, speaking with State House Journalists after meeting with President Buhari, said the agency sort and obtained approval to initiate key deliverables contained in the Climate Change Act, including establishing a carbon budget for the country

“ That is now going to provide allowances for every entity, whether government or private sector, in terms of how much emissions it may be allowed, and exceeding those emissions could also attract penalties.

“What will be the nature of these penalties, these penalties are going to be contained in another deliverable that the Climate Change Act has also requested the

Climate Change: FG set to unveil carbon tax system for Nigeria

council to do.

“That is to develop a framework for a carbon tax system in Nigeria. It will also look at where projects are being implemented in the country.

“ These projects are capable of reducing overall carbon or greenhouse gas emissions. The harvest of these emissions reductions are normally contained in what we call a emissions reduction certificate, which can be translated into carbon credit, and then sold to potential buyers within the country and outside.

He disclosed that the Council also instructed the Secretariat to develop the framework for carbon trading, and also to develop the framework for establishing the climate change fund for Nigeria, which will serve as the main source of revenue and inflow of funds that will be used for running of the council as well as to undertake projects that will help Nigeria to fulfill all his obligations under the nationally determined contributions, as well as under the net zero target of 2016.

“The President also endorsed the Council as the Designated National Authority for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the DG, NCCC as the UNFCCC National Focal Point, in line with the Climate Change Act 2021.

Dahiru noted that even though some of those things have already been mentioned in the Climate Change Act 2021, the council needed to sign off on those activities, to give the Secretariat the Go ahead, to start carrying them out. In essence, they include the operationalization of the office

itself.

“Because this is a climate change institution, we want to ensure that we comply with all the requirements of climate change compliance, as it is in the act, and also in Nigeria’s obligations under the NDCs.

On the net zero target, he stated that the institution must reflects its mandate, in terms of its outlook and in terms of the way that it runs its affairs, including where it is going to stay, as the structure should be as green as possible, and also to be a net zero building in terms of the carbon emissions that could be associated with it.

“This means that the office complex must be seen to clearly demonstrate our commitments to renewable energy compliance for the main building and also reduction on its overall operations. And limiting, for instance, the use of paper, which we know comes from trees that have been felled Speaking on gas flaring, the DG

said part of the Council’s mandate is the implementation of the energy transition plan.

“This Energy Transition Plan, which is the first among many African countries, is predicated on the use of natural gas as the transition foil for Nigeria as the transition energy source, and we know that what has been flared, is actually natural gas. So, we also know that one of the added advantages that the energy transition plan is going to have is to help to close the energy or power or electricity gap that we’re experiencing in the country.

“ We are going to use the energy transition plan as the main launchpad for capturing the gas needed, if you take the population of Nigeria, which is over 200 million, and we are already experiencing shortages in terms of electricity, and utilizing this gas for even domestic use alone is something that is going to be a big positive.

Yiaga Africa urges INEC to address challenges during mock accreditation exercise

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

Yiaga Africa has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to address challenges discovered during the mock accreditation exercise before elections.

INEC on Saturday, February 4, 2023, conducted a mock accreditation exercise in 436 polling units selected in each senatorial district in the 36 states and the FCT.

But Yiaga Africa said several challenges were discovered from the BVAS function and network failure, including transfer of voters to other polling units without their consent.

While reading the report on Friday in Abuja, Yiaga Africa said, INEC should make public its reports on the set-up and testing of the BVAS and mock accreditation and provide updates on the steps taken to address the challenges identified

during the BVAS testing and mock accreditation.

“INEC should investigate cases where the BVAS failed to authenticate the biometrics of voters, despite having the names on the register. This will inspire public confidence in the BVAS and IReV.

“As a matter of national emergency, INEC should notify all voters affected by the migration of polling units of changes to their polling units via text messages, emails, and phone calls if possible. In addition, a copy of the voter register should be posted across polling units for voter to confirm their polling unit. This should be backed by a national campaign on locate and confirm your polling units via online and offline platforms.”

The report urged INEC to replicate the transmission of the accreditation data on the BVAS to the IReV in the general election.

“Transmitting accreditation

figures enhances the transparency of elections as it gives citizens the opportunity to check the consistency of the number of accredited voters recorded on the BVAS and the accreditation figures entered on the result sheet by polling officials.

“INEC should educate polling officials on recording and documentation of election figures, to avoid discrepancies between the accreditation data uploaded by the BVAS to the IReV and the figures recorded on the polling unit result sheet.

“INEC should ensure all the BVAS devices deployed for the mock accreditation are reconfigured to read zero in the field for accreditation before they deployed for the general election. A monitoring team to supervise and monitor the reconfiguration is highly recommended.”

The report also called on registered voters to utilize

platforms provided by INEC to locate and confirm their polling units before election day, saying it will fast-track the process of voting on election day.

The report called on National Assembly to consider further amendments to the Electoral Act 2022 after the 2023 general elections to make the conduct of testing and mock exercises for electoral technologies mandatory including timelines for the conduct of these exercises

“Political parties should educate party agents on the process of accreditation and results management process to ensure effective oversight and avert undue interference with the process on election day.

“Civil society, media and international partners should undertake and support campaign initiatives aimed at assisting voters to locate and confirm their polling unit including inspiring confidence in the BVAS and IReV.”

Prof. Oba Abdulraheem, the Kwara’s New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) governorship candidate, has promised to embark on realistic, dynamic political and economic reforms if voted into power.

Oba, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said he would create a governable environment that promotes and supports socio-economic wellbeing of the people through his Strategic Actions to Change Kwara (SACK) strategy.

“We want a Kwara State that works for all, propped by a determined focus on shared prosperity for all, driven by a vibrant economy and underpinned by quality service based on equity and justice.

“The ultimate goal of Government and Governance is the welfare and security of the people,” the governorship candidate said.

He said his government would pursue vigorous valueorientation to minimise corrupt practices, reduce and, ultimately, eliminate waste and leakages in public financing.

Explaining his education agenda, Oba who was a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, said there would be a deliberate focus on educational infrastructural renewal, arresting and reversing the decay at the basic education level.

He added that there would be unhindered access to free, qualitative basic education for all in Kwara.

“There will be drastic reduction in out-of-school children population; progressive decongestion and expansion of instructional space and facilities, promoting ICT and e-learning.

“I will embark on capacity-building through reconceptualizing the teacher training education in order to match the goals of the Universal Basic Education.

“There will be improved conditions/incentives for trainee teachers, restoration of rural posting and incentives for basic education teachers,” he said.

Oba said the professional focus of the colleges of Education and polytechnics would remain sacrosanct, while there there would be enhanced conditions of service, including career opportunities for trained teachers.

Oba promises political, economic reforms if elected Kwara Gov

The Federal Government on Monday directed all Polytechnics in the country to shut down until after the forthcoming general elections.

The development came a week after issuing a similar directive for the closure of all Universities in the country.

The directive was contained in a circular issued by the Federal Ministry of Education, directing the Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Prof. Idris Bugaje to

Elections: FG directs closure of Polytechnics

communicate to Rectors and Provosts of polytechnics.

The letter, which was signed by Mr I. O Folorunsho, for the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu and dated Feb. 10, was obtained by newsmen

in Abuja on Monday.

” In view of concerns expressed on the security of staff, students and properties of our respective Institutions, the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, has, following

extensive consultations with the relevant security agencies, directed that all Polytechnics be shut down.

” And academic activities will be suspended between Wednesday, Feb.22 and Tues.

March 14, 2023,” the letter reads.

The minister had urged the NBTE boss to communicate the above to all the institutions under his regulatory functions. (NAN)

Be change agents in anti-corruption campaigns -ANEEJ tasks CSOs

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, (ANEEJ) has urged Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to be responsible change agent in the anti-corruption crusade in Nigeria

The Executive Director of ANEEJ, Rev. David Ugolor, disclosed this during the anticorruption and Social Inclusive Reform Initiatives in Nigeria project mid-term review meeting, yesterday.

Rev. Ugolor, who explained that the Enhancing Anticorruption and Social Inclusive

2023: Convener for Atiku boast of victory

From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

Convener Zege Mule U Tiv Vision, Marti Acka has boasted that an Atiku Abubakar Presidency is what Nigeria needs at this time to return to the path of glory.

This is just as he insisted that Governor Samuel Ortom lacks the authority to decide who Benue electorates will vote for in the 2023 general election.

Hon. Acka said his group is the largest that is mobilizing support for Atiku in Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa,Taraba and Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

According to her, Nigerians are looking for a man who is competent and has experience to deliver.

Reform Initiatives in Nigeria project is being implemented by ANEEJ and eight partners as part of the Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local

Engagement, (SCALE) project, said it is designed to enhanced local civil society’s organizations’ ability to be positive and responsible change agents in the

country.

The ED further added that SCALE is a 5-year project implemented by Palladium and its resource partners with funds

from USAID, saying it is designed following the anchor cluster model adopted by Palladium to promote and engage in anticorruption policy reforms.

Kaduna LP guber candidate visits Emir of Zazzau, promises to unite, developed state

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

Ahead of the March 11 governorship election, the Labour Party candidate for Kaduna State, Hon Jonathan Asake has paid a courtesy visit to the emir of Zazzau and chairman of the state’s traditional council, Amb. Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli in his palace.

Asake who presented his campaign manifesto to the emir stated that the Labour Party had the most beautiful and realizable plan to unite and develop the state at this critical moment of its trajectory.

He said the 5-point blueprint

was carefully researched and put together to provide direction for the development of the state based on the social Philosophy of the Labour Party.

“We have beautiful plans stated in 5 pillars. The first is security of lives and property. The second is sports, women and youth empowerment. The third is human capital development. The fourth is inclusive economic & infrastructural development. The fifth is institutional reforms,” he said.

In a press release by his media aide, James Swam, the governorship candidate assured the emir and people of Zaria of his commitment to justice and

fairness.

He reiterated that when voted into office, the LP would ensure “the common man is protected from the menace of insecurity, hunger and poverty that has been deliberately allowed through bad policies to ravage the people.”

Asake expressed displeasure with the inability of the current government in the state to tackle insecurity, assuring that that would be the major focus once in office.

In his response, the emir bemoaned the spate of insecurity, especially kidnappings in Giwa local government. He said peace

was paramount for the development of the state and the country.

The emir of Zazzau also urged for mutual respect among different groups, saying the ultimate is that there should be sustainable peace at the end of the elections.

The LP governorship candidate also visited the chairman, Northern Elders Forum, NEF, and Magajin Rafin Zazzau, prof. Ango Abdullahi as well as the Madakin Zazzau Manir Jaafaru and the Dan Barhim Zazzau, Ahmad Bashir Aminu and other eminent sons and stakeholders in the ancient city of Zaria.

Nigerian Maritine administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Senior Director Rakiya Lamai,-(2nd R) Official Staff, with Trade Fair Entertainers Shows their award and certicate of participation, during the Closing Ceremony of 44th kaduna International trade fair in kaduna 13/2/23

Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos, has promised relief in areas of education, transport infrastructure, healthcare and the environment for residents and businesses across the EtiOsa corridor.

Sanwo-Olu made the pledge during an engagement with residents and stakeholders of Lekki, Etiosa, Ibeju Lekki and Epe, on Sunday in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was to discuss activities and plans of his administration for the community and the state in general.

The governor said that properties, businesses and tenants that might be affected once the building of the fourth mainland bridge starts would be fully compensated.

He explained that the bridge must be built to bring modern development to the state.

Sanwo-Olu also read “riot act” against noise pollution, lawlessness and other environmental degradation factors, endangering lives and properties in the axis.

He stated that when rebuilding the Ilasan area for a better health and environment status befitting the area, nobody would be left out.

“The slum, health hazards

Fulani group promises 7 million votes for Kola Abiola

From Abubakar Yunusa, Abuja

Fulani Group of Nigeria has assured that the People Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate, Kola Abiola, will fulfill his pledge to create inclusivity governance and has vowed to mobilize at least about seven million votes to enable him to win the 2023 election.

Speaking during the declaration for the late MKO Abiola’s son in Abuja on Sunday evening and its Leader, Ibrahim Abdullahi explained that before Fulani pastoral have about five million votes or three, but this time around, they have about seven million.

He said “ Fulani pastoral seemed to have about Five million vote or there about, but this time around when the opportunity was given for people to register online, we decided to generate data of young Fulani graduates whom we provided with phone device to go nomadic settlement and register those people so that we can be able to increase our voting capacity. “

Sanwo-Olu pledges relief for Lekki residents, businesses

and way of life is not fit for Ilasan area and in feeling the plight of the residents of the area, we are committed to addressing what must be done to result in a winwin situation for residents and the environment.

“Residents are advised to bring acts of lawlessness and bad behaviour along the corridor to the knowledge of government.

“For the youth, once the leaders approve of an area for us, we would build a stadium, more primary schools and other important facilities in this axis.

“We are also committed to rebuilding the hospital at the Ibeju Lekki axis and also build a General Hospital at Ajah this

year,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu reiterated his commitment to providing relief on the road transportation challenges experienced on the Lekki-Epe expressway.

He said that his administration would continue to build regional roads and ferry routes, to solve some of the issues.

The governor, however, stressed that the promised coastal road was not forgotten and would be built after the regional roads were finished.

“Also, the Jakande road would be rebuilt to address traffic situation and we shall also consider the beautification of the

Lekki-Epe expressway,” he said.

Earlier, Mr Gbemi Adelekan, Secretary, Lekki Estate Residents and Stakeholders Association (LERSA) and other residents highlighted several areas of concerns from 1004 to Epe.

According to him, they include building of coastal road to address the traffic situation on the Lekki-Epe expressway, and regeneration of Ilasan Housing Estate.

Other areas of concern, the residents pointed out, were the traffic situation at the Jakande junction, the flooding situation at Lafiaji, Orchid road, and others.

“We also call for more primary and secondary schools across the Lekki corridor, more functional healthcare centres and a youth facility for more inclusiveness,” he said.

Mrs Aramide Adeyoye, Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, reiterated the focus of the current administration to delivering critical infrastructure aimed at easing the lives and businesses of residents in the axis.

According to her, eight roads will be upgraded in Ikoyi, and focus was on Ado-Badore road, Orchid to Ogombo road and up to Abraham Adesanya would be rehabilitated. (NAN)

NDE trains 65 school leavers, artisans in Benue

From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

The National Directorate of Employment, NDE in Benue State at the weekend, commenced the training for 65 young people on various entrepreneurial skills.

The training which is domiciled under the Vocational Skill Department is targeted mainly at school leavers and

artisans drawn from across the 23 Local Government Areas of the state.

The NDE Director -General, Alhaji Abubakar Fikpo in his keynote address, noted that the Basic Business Training (BBT) was in tandem with the programmes of the Small Scale Enterprises (SSE) department of the NDE involved in the development of the entrepreneurial abilities

among youths.

Represented by the Benue State Co-ordinator, Akile Patrick, the DG said that the NDE is aware of the huge challenge of unemployment and the associated anti-social behaviour that currently prevails in the country.

The DG added that the training was part of efforts of the Directorate to address the menace of business failure

created as a result of managerial skills by new entrant into the informal sector, assuring that starter packs for a percentage of those trained would be provided in the end.

Also, the HOD of SSE in Benue, Mrs. Abeje Mfam, urged the participants to take advantage of the opportunity coming to them on a platter of gold and acquire their dream skills.

NGOs express concerns over difficulties to access grants

Some small NonGovernmental Organisations NGO) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) expressed concerns over difficulties experienced in accessing grants for humanitarian services.

They expressed their concerns in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) during a one-day training organized by West African Civil Society Forum (WACSOF), on Sunday in Abuja.

Mrs Ene Jonathan, Chief Executive Director (CEO), Global Integrity Crusade Network, said that sourcing for funds from donor organisations had been difficult for her foundation.

Jonathan said that her education and gender-based foundation has been in existence for five years and has never gotten financial assistance from external persons asides from family and friends.

She hoped that the training organised by WACSOF

which had in attendance representatives of some civil society grant donors would enlighten small and new humanitarian organisations on how to appropriately seek for grants.

“Applying for grants is not easy so we are here to know better on how to apply as well as what we are doing wrongly.

“Funds is a major challenge so we are here on capacity building to learn how to apply for funds,” she said.

Also speaking, Mrs Andrea Uwadiae ,CEO Pit to Peak, an NGO said that her organisation which has been in existence for four years is fully funded by herself and husband.

Uwadiae, who is also the Chairman of WACSOF said that it would be a great relief to the orgaisation to get assistance from local and international fund donors.

She described the training as prompt, adding that it would help NGOs know how to properly write fund proposals and network with important stakeholders and partners.

The Malala Fund, Advocacy Manager in Nigeria, Mr Femi Aderibigbe said that although funds are limited compared to demands and availability, there is need for NGOs to make use of the media in all humanitarian works.

“Your lack of fund could be attributed to your inability to effectively report through the media because it is through the media some grant donors will know and track events carried out by NGOs.

“Civil society budget less in communicating what they do. They say stories rather than communicate results and impact which will drive support from partners who believe in your course.

“It is also important to invite stakeholders for events as this will aid collaboration with international organizations and partners to access available opportunities.

“In the Malala Fund, our strategy in giving out grants is not to call for applications. We carry out researches and or bases on recommendation

from organisations that have implemented programmes similar to what we want to do.

“Before seeking for funds, do research and apply to places clearly in line with what you do and ensure proposals are properly written.

“Organisations should follow up on feedbacks as to why they miss out on opportunities even after writing proposals”.

WACSOF National Coordinator, Mr David Olatunji said that the forum was a coalition of all civil society that make up the Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS), serving as a vehicle to reach the grassroots.

He said that the programme is aimed at training members on how to get grants, discover the abilty to identify where funds are and requirements to assessing funds and to put ourselves in a way that funders will be willing to work with us.

“Organization should follow up on why they missed out,” he said.

(NAN)

Godwin Emefiele: Softly, softly

By Sheriffdeen Tella

The second basic function of the CBN according to the Act that established it is that it should maintain external reserves to safeguard the international value of the legal tender currency. The official exchange rate of naira to a dollar in 2014 just after Emefiele took over the CBN was N165.15; while the black market rate was N190. If there is a government official that should remain humble, it is the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. If we are to divide the economy into two namely the real and the monetary sectors, the governor carries half. It is a favour from God and a responsibility that must be carried out with utmost dexterity and humility. The CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, recognises the magnitude and the authority attached to the assignment but has yet to demonstrate the required humility for such position.

He feels the assignment has given him power over the country he is expected to serve. He is above the Nigerian institutions, constitution, and even the people. The National Assembly called him many times but he ignored it with flimsy excuses. The Nigerian citizens asked him to reconsider his stand on the deadline for currency swapping in view of the inadequacies surrounding the availability of the new currencies, he ignored them and instead was offering ATM cards for withdrawal of local currencies and foreign exchange. Does the public have accounts with the CBN?

Let us assess his execution of the monetary management of the Nigerian economy. The starting point is to present the traditional functions of the central bank and examine how he has performed. The traditional or basic functions are expected to be performed by any central bank in the world. The central bank is the only bank that can issue domestic currencies. It serves as an adviser and banker to the government just as it is the lender of last resort to other banks. The bank is the custodian of cash reserves and foreign currency or foreign exchange. It acts as the clearing house for interbank transactions among banks and the issuer of monetary policy.

It is within this general context that the four-core mandate of the CBN was formulated. In the Act establishing the bank, it is expected to issue legal tender currency in Nigeria; maintain external reserves to safeguard the international value of the legal tender currency; promote

a sound financial system in Nigeria; and, act as banker and provide economic and financial advice to the Federal Government.

The first primary and major goal of the CBN is to produce Nigeria’s money and distribute the same fairly across the country. It is not to produce Nigerian ATM cards. The distribution of the new currency is unfair. Most banks have been collecting old notes with no new currencies to replace them. I went to a bank’s ATM to withdraw money at the end of last week and also with the intention to snap the old currencies the bank has been dishing out before taking it from the ATM. Unfortunately, the machine has no money to dispense. And, that is common everywhere. A cashless economy does not mean no cash. The so-called cashless economies in advanced countries have millions of ATMs installed outside banks, in shopping malls, train stations, bus stations et cetera. What are the ATMs supposed to be dispensing and why were they installed if they are 100 per cent cashless? In those economies, ATMs work 24 hours a day and seven days a week. No internet problems and no electricity problems either. Forcing people to go cashless is a cover-up for inadequacy and inefficiency. To the extent that currencies are not easily available, the governor of the CBN has failed in the first function.

The second basic function of the CBN according to the Act that established it is that it should maintain external reserves to safeguard the international value of the legal tender currency. The official exchange rate of naira to a dollar in 2014 just after Emefiele took over the CBN was N165.15; while the black market rate was N190. What is the exchange rate today? The official rate is N440 and the black market rate hovers around N750. It can neither encourage foreign investment nor the repatriation of proceeds of exports.

It was under the leadership of the CBN Governor that, through a whistle-blower, large amounts of new foreign currencies were found in a flat in Ikoyi, Lagos. Who is legally responsible for the custody of foreign currencies? So, who should be queried for the Ikoyi foreign currency warehouse? During the intervention programmes of 2015, Emefiele was reported (never denied) to have distributed foreign currencies to some commercial banks for intervention in distressed businesses. There was no record of how the money was distributed or if it was returned. After some writeups by Late Henry Boyo and yours truly,

Buhari, you do not have 7 days!

By Victor Ikhatalor

President Buhari, you must take the conn! There is a raging tempest and you do not have the luxury of 7 days to chart a new course. Stir away from the storm now and let Nigerians have access to their money! It is the very least you can do.

I saw a video this morning (February 5th 2023), that jolted me. It was a moving video of a man, a naked man in a banking office in Nigeria. I have seen numerous videos of Nigerians distressed in these times, I could add mine too, but this man’s distress, compelled by forces outside of his power to strip himself of all human dignity was riveting and startling for I have seen it before.

It is of historical genre. It is the inadvertent, reactive act of an ordinary citizen’s resistance against oppression. It is of the kind, in it’s poignant, wretched appeal, that ignites a spark and moves other ordinary citizens. Empires, and yes government’s have been engulfed by such acts and across mother Nigeria by the minute, such acts are being replicated.

Nigerian kleptocratic misleaders, a subsisting plague on mother Nigeria, have left footprints of suffering in their wake, but none, no matter how rudderless, have ever bumbled into the uncharted waters of threatening the uniquely delicate balance of their self-preservative existential relationship with Nigerians.

Uniquely, the Nigerian, high or low, has over time, ignoring the fundamental societal social contract,

validating the very existence of government, taken upon himself/herself the mantle of government. It is suo motu for the Nigerian to be largely or wholly responsible for the personal and dependant provision of healthcare, education, electricity, water, shelter, local roads etc.

No class of ruling elite, constituting government, has at anytime in Nigeria’s chequered history, ever done anything to lift this unique mantle of the Nigerian’s shoulder. Indeed, they have thrived in decadent conspicuous consumption and glory in the unassuming nature of the Nigerian in this warped relationship.

So, unless this incumbent government has in “Houdini” fashion, overnight assumed government’s rightful roles in social contracts, and lifted over 133 million Nigerians out of multidimensional poverty, unless, wait! When trouble sleep. Yanga go wake am. Weting him dey find…(apologies to Fela Anikulapo Kuti). You get it!

We can suffer fuel scarcity without threatening government like in other places. We seem divinely gifted among nation’s in being able to suffer perennial ineptitude and thieving of our misleaders. The threshold of the Nigerian’s ability to suffer and smile is almost miraculously elastic. But, even in our darkest days, and we have had our fair share in this nation – we have never, ever faced the prospect of being unable to access and use our own money!

Shortage of the naira is exacerbating all other dire existential realities, fuel unavailability inclusive.

the House of Representatives set up a committee to look into the matter. Maybe a report will come out almost five years after.

The CBN governor turned himself into a commercial bank manager by going out to give money to farmers as intervention funds when the funds could have been channeled through the Bank of Agriculture that is equipped to perform such a function. He later complained that the farmers were not repaying the funds given to them. Yet, according to him, the farmers so liked him that they paid N100m for his botched presidential form! Have they not repaid the loans?

There was a display of massive branded campaign vehicles for the CBN Governor’s campaign when he was to contest the primary of the All Progressives Congress. Those vehicles were not produced in Nigeria and must have, therefore, been imported with hard-earned foreign exchange. The bank was more interested in funding foreign travels by government officials, and importing exotic drinks and food as well as encouraging round-tripping activities within the foreign exchange market than providing money for the importation of raw materials and spare parts for industries. Yet the governor would put the massive depreciation of the naira on one Aboki Bureau de Change or students going abroad to study. Given the exchange rate depreciation under his watch, it is clear that the governor has again failed in the second basic function of the central bank.

Has the CBN promoted a sound financial system? Instead of strengthening the financial system by encouraging them to be more innovative, the bank has been competing with commercial banks. As already alluded to, the CBN has been engaging in retail banking in the name of promoting CBN interventions. The introduction of ATM cards by the CBN for whatever transactions is an aberration; not innovation. Individuals do not bank directly with the CBN, so what do they need the CBN card for? Until recently, I have used my bank’s master card to collect foreign currencies whenever I travelled to other countries in Africa, Europe or elsewhere. So, why do I have to get a CBN card to do the same? I will have to transfer money to the card at a cost and withdraw at another cost. What a financial loss!

Sheriffdeen Tella is a Public Policy Analyst.

Nigerians are beginning to protest and it’s spreading everyday. Nigerians are besieging banks with naked displays of frustration assuming worrying dimensions. Lives and property are being lost!

There are looming dark clouds, portending stormy waters ahead and Nigeria must be steered away from any calamitous collision. For so long, absent a capable captain to chart the course, ship mates in ranking positions on the Nigerian ship have been left to run amok. In spite of their best efforts, the Nigerian ship, beleaguered, has somehow still been able to keep afloat. These ship mates, implacable and seemingly irredeemable continually seeking ways and means to inflict suffering on the people will see the Nigerian ship capsize come what may!

Banks and Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) all over the country are empty no matter what the jejune economist running the Central Bank of Nigeria says. Godwin Emefiele, the man under whose watch Nigeria continues to reach new milestones in economic woes is a ship mate running amok.

President Buhari, you must take the conn! There is a raging tempest and you do not have the luxury of 7 days to chart a new course. Stir away from the storm now and let Nigerians have access to their money! It is the very least you can do.

Victor Ikhatalor is a Human Rights Defender and Good Governance Advocate and can be reached at kingjvic7@gmail.com

Pope Francis against ethnic rivalries, corruption in Africa

By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh

Still in West Africa on the Atlantic coast, Guinea said it would prosecute former president Alpha Conde, who was toppled in a military coup last September, for mismanagement, misuse of power and corruption, for murder and other crimes committed during his time in office. Conde will be among 27 former senior officials to face prosecution.

Pope Francis’ unprecedented message during his African tour early February relates sustainable peace and unity, economic development and citizenry welfare. The messages also touch on social questions especially how to forge an illuminating future devoid of ethnic rivalries, corruption and distrust that have fueled so many bloody conflicts in Africa. The 86-year-old pope brilliant words were recieved with resonating applause, especially crowds consisting the youth, down-trodden and marginalized citizens during his tour to Africa.

Pope Francis was urged conflict-ridden African countries to work towards peace and reconciliation. For decades, many African countries still bear the scars of civil war. The political differences and horrific atrocities have affected much-needed Africa’s unity. It has further contributed to weak institutions, slowed down development, and the under-development consequently provides grounds for new conflicts. Across Africa, most of the civil wars leave thousands of people dead, million displaced, and deeply impoverished.

The Pope underlined the fact that lands in the great African continent have suffered greatly from lengthy conflicts, and these conflicts were driven by greed for resources at the expense of innocent victims, and denounced “economic colonialism” in the continent. Pope Francis demanded that foreign powers stop plundering Africa’s natural resources, and the multinational extraction industries. He recalled how many people arrive in north Africa hoping to cross the Mediterranean into Europe, only to find themselves “taken to camps, and suffering there. Let us pray for all those people.”

Across Africa, during political campaigns, almost all the potential candidates eyeing for the presidential position make skyline promises and pledges to uproot corruption. Military also use corruption as one of the reasons for overthrowing constitutionally elected governments. The practical reality is that corruption has become part and particle of African political culture, and politicians are always getting involved in flagrant violations of constitutions.

Transparency International, a Berlin-based global NGO that focuses on reducing graft, these past years, has attempted researching and documenting reports on corruption. It says corruption, in practice, is worldwide. It ran a survey in sub-Saharan Africa in 2022 to attempt to measure the level of corruption.

The latest survey report says only a few countries, though, stood out as remarkably clean across Africa. Its report for 2022,

indicated that there is a seated corruption in the majority of African countries, except few countries such as Botswana, Seychelles and Cape Verde. The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) reveals that 124 countries have stagnant corruption levels, while the number of countries in decline is increasing. This has the most serious consequences, as global peace is deteriorating and corruption is both a key cause and result of this.

It also show that corruption and conflict feed each other and threaten durable peace. On one hand, conflict creates a breeding ground for corruption. Political instability, increased pressure on resources and weakened oversight bodies create opportunities for crimes, such as bribery and embezzlement. Unsurprisingly, most countries at the bottom of the CPI are currently experiencing armed conflict or have recently done so.

On the other hand, even in peaceful societies, corruption and impunity can spill over into violence by fuelling social grievances. And siphoning off resources needed by security agencies leaves countries unable to protect the public and uphold the rule of law. Consequently, countries with higher levels of corruption are more likely to also exhibit higher levels of organized crime and increased security threats.

Corruption is also a threat to global security, and countries with high CPI scores play a role in this. For decades, they have welcomed dirty money from abroad, allowing kleptocrats to increase their wealth, power and geopolitical ambitions. The catastrophic consequences of the advanced economies’ complicity in transnational corruption became painfully clear following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In this complex environment, fighting corruption, promoting transparency and strengthening institutions are critical to avoid further conflict and sustain peace.

“Leaders can fight corruption and promote peace all at once. Governments must open up space to include the public in decisionmaking – from activists and business owners to marginalized communities and young people. In democratic societies, the people can raise their voices to help root out corruption and demand a safer world for us all,” explained Daniel Eriksson, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Transparency International.

Under the presidency of Jacob Zuma, who ruled South Africa from 2009 to 2018, corruption was at its highest. Zuma participated in anti-apartheid struggle until South Africa finally attained its independence in 27 April 1994. He held various positions in ruling African National Congress (ANC) until he was elected president of South Africa. Before that, he was the deputy to President Thabo Mbeki, but was dismissed of corruption over arm deals. There were multiple graft scandals, that he was forced to step down in February 2018, and currently spends time in prison, and faces corruption allegations in court.

In January 2018, as elected president of the African National Congress, Cyril Ramaphosa has raised hopes that he will stamp out corruption. “Corruption must be fought with the same intensity

and purpose that we fight poverty, unemployment and inequality. We must also act fearlessly against alleged corruption and abuse of office within our ranks,” Ramaphosa declared in his maiden speech after his election. “We must investigate without fear or favor the so-called ‘accounting irregularities’ that caused turmoil in the markets and wiped billions off the investments of ordinary South Africans,” he added.

Last May 2021, the South African commission investigating corruption and graft, Ramaphosa acknowledged that the ruling ANC party did little to prevent corruption, including by his predecessor Jacob Zuma. “State capture and corruption have taken a great toll on our society and indeed on our economy as well,” Ramaphosa said. “They have eroded the values of our constitution and undermined the rule of law. If allowed to continue they would threaten the achievement of growth, development and transformation of our country.”

South Africa is not an isolated case. It’s neighboring southern States including Mozambique and Angola have similar horrible cases. After 38 years of rule, in 2017 President dos Santos stepped down from MPLA leadership. in efforts to fight corruption, Angolan leader João Lourenço removed many of the country’s top politicians including Isabel dos Santos who were seriously corrupt under Jose Eduardo Dos Santos.

From the Maghreb coastline to Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia are all engulfed with corruption. Sudan, located in northeast Africa, has economic crisis, social problems despite its huge natural resources. Apparently, Omar al-Bashir, who had ruled the country for 30 years, did little for native country, his motherland, monopolized political power and ran deeply corrupt government. The New York Times wrote that Sudan’s economy was largely shattered due to political tyranny, deep-seated corruption and poor policies.

Peter Fabricius, Research Consultant from the South Africa’s Institute for Security Studies (ISS), cited corruption, poor policies and strategies quite recently in his article headlined – African Coups Are Making A Come Back – as some of the factors affecting sustainable development in Africa.

Nigeria has also experienced the worst and the highest levels of corruption. In an interview, Ambassador Uche Ajulu-Okeke with thirty-year achievements in the Nigerian Foreign Service spoke about the present-day Federal Republic of Nigeria, located in West Africa. Several years after its independence, the leaders have not succeeded in rebuilding the state institutions enough to reflect all-inclusive ethnic diversity, let alone in adopting Westernstyle democracy that takes cognizance of different public opinions on development issues in the country. The struggle for and misuse of power have brought the country into a stalemate, disrupting any efforts to overcome the deepening economic and multiple social crisis.

Kestér Kenn Klomegâh is a Public Policy Analyst.

Misdirections at the Central Bank of Nigeria

By Eze Onyekpere

In the final analysis, the solution to the current impasse is for the bank to make more money available. The allegations of diversion or not making the money available to Nigerians can only arise due to scarcity of the new money. No one was hoarding the old notes that were everywhere.

The redesign of the Nigerian currency by the Central Bank of Nigeria is raising fundamental questions on the domain and objectives of monetary policy. This is coming against the background of the difficulties and challenges which ordinary Nigerians have experienced while cooperating with the bank. This discourse reviews the implementation of the currency redesign within the context of the CBN Act and the overall imperative for a sound financial system.

S.2 of the CBN Act, 2007 states that the principal objects of the bank shall be to – (a) ensure monetary and price stability;

(b) issue legal tender currency in Nigeria; (c) maintain external reserves to safeguard the international value of the legal tender currency; (d) promote a sound financial system in Nigeria; and

(e) act as banker and provide economic and financial advice to the Federal Government. By S.18 of the Act, the bank is empowered to

(a) arrange for the printing of currency notes and the minting of coins; (b) issue, re-issue and exchange currency notes and coins at the bank’s offices and at such agencies as it may, from time to time, establish or appoint.

The bank also has a developmental banking role as envisaged in S.31 of the Act. This developmental banking role is for the purpose of promoting the development of money or capital markets in Nigeria or of stimulating financial or economic development so however that in any such case, the total value of the holdings of shares or, as the case may be, debentures to which this section applies shall not at any time exceed ten times the aggregate of the bank’s paid-up capital and the general reserve fund of the bank.

Furthermore, the bank in S.32 has omnibus incidental powers, subject as is expressly provided in the Act generally to conduct business as a bank, and do all such things as are incidental to or consequential upon the exercise of its power or the discharge of its duties under this Act.

These objectives, functions and powers do not suggest that the bank is set up as an alternative government that solves all Nigerian challenges within the street sense of money solving all challenges. But the CBN seems to be proceeding with this street sense. When the airlines were down, the bank pumped money; when the Federal Government thought we need to increase local food production, the bank responded with cash that was disbursed outside the bureaucracy of the Ministry of Agriculture which houses the technical skills and overall mandate for food production. Back to the currency redesign.

Essentially, the currency redesign and re-issue exercise comes under the broad powers of the bank to issue legal tender, re-issue and exchange currency notes and coins. In redesigning the currency and issuing the legal tender, it appears the Act envisages that the CBN should do so within the context of satisfying the other monetary policy objectives to wit; ensuring monetary and price stability and promoting a sound financial system in Nigeria. It will be recalled that the bank requested Nigerians to pay in the old currency to money deposit banks so that they would eventually get new notes when they need their money. This is a routine exercise that should be done seamlessly and without much noise. It does not require a high level of intelligence for the bank to print new money or for Nigerians to pay in old notes with the expectation of getting new notes.

But it was expected that for the bank to successfully redesign the currency while meeting other objectives and without exposing citizens to hardship, it would have done some level of research and surveys to understand the key issue and challenges as well as

undertake simulations across selected geographies and population groups before selecting the appropriate logistics arrangements for the redesign, deployment of new notes and general access by the populace. This would have also informed the timeframe for the exercise. Evidently, from the experience of Nigerians so far, the bank through its leadership pronounced the policy without thinking it through and was more interested in its dictatorial directions, with a “no going back” mindset even if the heavens are falling.

Furthermore, it appears that the street sense of money solving all challenges played a key role in the formulation and implementation of this policy. This led to a lack of strategic focus and took the attention of the bank away from the key monetary policy issues. Several justifications have emanated from the bank, which are not part of the monetary policy remit of the bank. These include inter alia fighting terrorism, money laundering, vote buying by politicians as we move towards the 2023 elections. Strictly speaking, these objectives stated by the bank in the currency redesign are not part of monetary policy provisions of the Act. The foregoing challenges are linked to agencies that have the primary mandate of fighting them. Terrorism and money laundering should be handled by law enforcement agencies and Nigeria has established a plethora of these agencies. Vote buying should be within the remit of the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission. This submission is not intended to deny the need for inter-agency collaboration where the bank should have intervened at the invitation of the lead agencies to deploy its functions and powers to assist in fighting these crimes. But the bank cannot be the lead agency in these interventions. Against the background of the foregoing scenario, the bank operating as a one size fits all intervener may be scratching the surface in non-monetary policy objectives by failing in its core mandate. This is exactly where we are.

Eze Onyekpere is an Abuja based Legal Practitioner.

NDDC Chairman assures Niger Delta people of transparency, fairness

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

The Chairman of the Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Mrs. Lauretta Onochie, has assured that the new leadership at the Commission under her watch will work to impact positively on the lives of the people of the Niger Delta region by making transparency and fairness the order of the day

Speaking during the Anticorruption and Social Inclusive Reform Initiatives in Nigeria project mid-term review meeting organised by the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), yesterday, she said it is imperative to chart a new course for the NDDC, different from what obtained in the past.

She added that the new NDDC leadership is there to do things differently, saying they will work with new ideas to be able to achieve the objective of fast-tracking the development of the Niger Delta region.

Mrs. Lauretta Onochie stressed that NDDC was established specifically for the people of the Niger Delta region as an interventionist agency, meant to bring prosperity to the Niger Delta region.

“We are here to serve the people of the region and by extension serve Nigeria. We are here to reposition the NDDC.

“Our interest is to improve the lives of Niger Delta people. The monies meant for the development of the Niger Delta must be used for the region. ” She said

The NDDC boss assured Person with disabilities, women and youths robust relationship during her tenure.

In his remarks, the Executive Director of ANEEJ, Rev. David Ugolor said Enhancing Anticorruption and Social Inclusive Reform Initiatives in Nigeria project is being implemented by ANEEJ and eight partners as part of the Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement (SCALE) project, saying that it is design to enhance local civil society’s organizations’ ability to be positive and responsible

Shehu of Borno wants politicians to adopt Waziri Ibrahim’s politics without bitterness

From: Shehu Abubakar, Maiduguri

Less than two weeks to the general elections, the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji

Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai

Al-Amin Al-Kanemi has urged politicians to borrow a leaf from the second republic leader and presidential candidate of the defunct Great Nigeria Peoples Party, the late Waziri Ibrahim’s politics without bitterness while contesting the elections.

He has also urged them to sustain a no-victor-novanquished relationship after the elections for the sake of the peace and progress of the country.

The monarch was speaking while the Peoples Democratic Party Borno Central senatorial candidate, Jibrin Mustapha Tatabe, paid him homage in his palace in Maiduguri.

“Whether APC or PDP or any other party, you are Nigerian politicians working for the peace

and progress of the country,” the monarch said, urging, “you should, therefore, play politics without bitterness, like the late Waziri Ibrahim.”

He urged the senatorial candidate to fight for the employment of the teeming Borno youths if he wins the election.

Tatabe, who launched his electioneering campaign after the homage to the Shehu, told newsmen PUNCH that he had always been a staunch advocate

of politics without bitterness. “My committment to politics without bitterness is unshaken,” he stressed, adding that he does not believe in any form of confrontation in the game of politics.

He said his main agenda is seeking jobs for the teeming youths, the empowerment of women and the vulnerable and the education of the massive population of the out-of-school children of the state if he wins the election.

Kawu Sumaila wants INEC, EFCC, ICPC arrest Kabiru Gaya for inducing voters with N5000

From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

Suleman Kawu Sumaila, Senatorial candidate for Kano South, under New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has accused his opponent in the All Progressives Congress (APC) Kabiru Gaya of vote buying, ahead of the general elections.

He made the allegation at a press conference held in Kano on Saturday.

Sumaila alleged that Gaya, who is the current Senator representing Kano South, has shared N5,000 to constituents under the guise of empowerment, just few days to general elections.

He therefore called on Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to arrest and prosecute him for vote buying.

“It seems that Senator Gaya

has taken people of Kano South for granted and is treating our people with utter disdain.

Having spent 16 years as a Senator, we expect Senator Gaya to give a detailed breakdown of his achievements.

“Instead, he has engaged in a desperate attempt to deceive, blindfold and cajole the people with just N5,000.00, only under the guise of empowerment

“Make the calculation: N5000 x 1000 = N5 million per LGA x16 LGAs = N80,000,000.00, only, in his four years from 2019-2023.

“So, he thinks he can buy our people with just N80 million? What a shame! we are men and women of dignity and integrity, we don’t sell our conscience for a loaf of bread.

“If the above mentioned money that he is disbursing is a constituency project, he should come out and tell us the agency that it is domiciled. If it is budgeted, how much is the total sum ? What is the code in the budget? Which

Federal government agency was responsible? Where were the representatives of the agency in question?

“If however, the money he is disbursing is his personal funds, why didn’t he do this since? Why now? this is a clear vote buying and as such we are calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest and prosecute him for vote buying,” Mr KawuSumaila appealed.

The former president Muhammadu Buhari’s aide also accused Gaya, a former governor of Kano State of failing to facilitate the completion of Wudil-Gaya section of KanoMaiduguri road awarded by President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2006.

According to Sumaila, the Shuwarin-Azare, AzarePotiskum , Potiskum- Damaturu

and Damaturu- Maiduguri sections of the project were completed, butr Gaya failed to facilitate the completion of Wudil-Gaya, a 20km long in his Senatorial District.

He also alleged that the said road has become a death trap to motorists, killing over 300 people playing the highway.

“Again, let me also remind us that Senator Gaya was the Chairman Senate Committee on Works from June 2015 to June 2019. For good four years he supervised and over sighted the Federal Ministry of Works but failed to ensure that the road is dualised and completed as the other four sections that run into hundreds of kilometres.

“How Senator Gaya’s Misrepresentation led to death of over 300 people in four years from 2019-2023. On a daily basis, people are being killed in accidents on Wudil-Gaya road due to the negligence, incompetence and misrepresentation of Senator Gaya,” he said.

Nigerian Maritine administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Deputy director Shipping development, Rakiya Lamai,Chiroman kawo, Shehu Tijjani,-and Kaduna Chamber of Comerce Chairman organising Committe, Hon. Ishaya Idi,- during the Closing Ceremony of 44th kaduna International trade fair in kaduna 13/2/23

From Abubakar Yunusa

Fulani Group of Nigeria has assured that the People Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate, Kola Abiola, will fulfill his pledge to create inclusivity in governance and has therefore, vowed to mobilize at least about Seven million votes to enable him to win the 2023 election.

Speaking during the declaration for the late MKO Abiola son in Abuja on Sunday evening and its Leader, Ibrahim Abdullahi explained that before Fulani pastoral have about five million votes or three, but this time around, we have about Seven million.

He said “ Fulani pastoral seemed to have about Five million vote or there about, but this time around when the opportunity was given for people to register online, we decided to generate data of young Fulani graduates whom we provided with phone device to go nomadic settlement and register those people so that we can be able to increase our voting capacity.

“We are happy to inform the general public, the Nigerians that we can be able to produce Seven Million votes now confidently. What form our decision to identify with PRP is very simple.

“We have not seen any difference between the ruling All Progressive Congress APC and Peoples Democratic Party PDP, is it the same people, same culture, and the same injustice if Nigerians make mistake this time around by voting same people, then we don’t have future for our children and generation yet to come.

What we are hoping for is a complete change and in Kola Abiola, we have seen a gentleman that can drive Nigerians forward and it is natural if Nigerians have what is called morality.

“We should just go and plead with Kola Abiola to come and run for the position of the president in this country and all other candidates and political parties should come and rally around and support him because of what happened to his father and his contribution to this nation in so many spheres of life like sport, education, politics, commerce and so on”, he said

While speaking on his father’s legacy, Ibrahim believes that Nigerians should go and beg Kola Abiola to come and rule this country and that is justice, adding that “Like in America, many Bushes and Kennedys have ruled as a result of their family legacy. In Nigeria, we need to have the spirit of reciprocating.

“What we are saying this time around is that l, the Fulani man has seen the worse of the PDP and APC government and therefore, nobody would come and tell us to vote because somebody is a Northerner, Fulani or Muslim, we are going to

Fulani group pledges seven million votes for PRP presidential candidate, Abiola

vote based on capacity, patriotism, and justice, and in Kola Abiola, we have seen a man that can provide to that kind of leadership.”

Speaking also, PRP presidential candidate, Kola Abiola said the endorsement is fantastic for us and for the party that everybody cannot see coming, that is when they

would see us coming when they see a group like this endorse us and this endorsement shows that we are very inclusive in our party and we are truly national party.

“Abiola always explained that we have 719 candidates in this election, 23 Governors, 44 senators, and the rest and by doing

this, it would be got to show you that we are truly national. I’m from the southwest, Aro is from Kaduna South, and his a Christian, and for us to have that kind of support is an absolutely good thing for Nigeria and the party.

Earlier in his remarks, the Vice Presidential Candidate, Hargo

Zergo said “We must identify ourselves and know where we are coming from and that would mark the beginning of our solution. He said” Fulani man to Jeba man always see each other as a brother. Fulani is my brother and friends and we would continue to live in harmony”, he said.

Atiku support groups dump candidate, join APC

By Abubakar Yunusa

Several support groups for the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar in Gombe yesterday publicly tore their membership cards as they shited support to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress.

The decampees in their thousands, across gender, held an impressive procession across Gombe town raising their membership cards of the Atiku campaign and tearing them to pieces.

In a public address at the end of the procession, leader of the angry former Atiku campaigners, Ibrahim Muhammad said they have realized the futility of pushing for an Atiku presidency at a time Nigeria is in dire need for national reintegration.

Mohammed pointed out that

it will be unrealistic for Nigerians to be expected to forget so soon, the 16 hectic years of PDP administration in which Atiku was a major player.

And as an individual, Mohammed said, Atiku has refused to change from his elitist contradictions which have along proved detrimental to the ordinary people.

“Besides, at no time has Atiku ever shown any genuine interest in matters coming from or happening to northern Nigeria a place he remembers as home only when he needs votes.

“After diligent consultations therefore, we are here today to publicly renounce our membership of both the PDP and the Atiku presidential campaign.

“We also wish to publicly announce the shift of our support to the APC and its presidential candidate and commit to

vigorously work for its victory in the coming elections.

“Our decision is informed by the genuine conviction that Asiwaju possesses the credentials

We’ll deny PDP 25% of Yobe votes

By Musa Baba Adamu

The Director General, Yobe State APC Campaign Council, Senator Mohammed Hassan has vowed that the ruling party will not allow PDP to secure the proposed 25% of votes in the state in the upcoming presidential election.

Hassan made the declaration at a media briefing held to

– APC

debunk the alleged attack on Gov Mai Mala Buni during the flag-off of the party’s campaign rally in Gashu’a recently.

“I can confirm to you that, the presidential candidate of PDP, Atiku Abubakar is so desperate to get 25% of votes in Yobe; he is not going to get that, because we are not going to allow that to happen,” he vowed.

On the alleged attack on

Governor Buni in Gashu’a, Sen. Mohammed Hassan insisted that no such thing has happened during the campaign rally.

“The rally as far as we are concerned―and all those who attended the rally can confirm that―the gathering was successful with a very large turnout of our members,” he said.

He accused opposition

of integrity, concern for the people and becessary foresight to lift Nigeria up the way he din Lagos when he was governor, “ Mohammed said.

parties in the state of sponsoring fake news to gain popularity.

“I can tell you that, we feel there is a hand of opposition in such things, in terms of spreading fake news,” he alleged.

According to the Director General, as the campaign train moves to Potiskum for Zone B rally, the party is re-strategizing to ensure another peaceful and successful out.

Omotoso has been stacked - LP waves off Southwest chapter defection to APC

By Christiana Ekpa

The Labour Party, LP, has reacted to the purported defection of some of its members and supporters to the All Progressives Congress, APC, at a ceremony held in Adegbemile Hall in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

A statement by Mrs Remilekun Ojo, Ondo State

Chairman of the Labour Party, said the event was attended by “a few dozen people” who claimed to be the South-West chapter of the party.

The politicians on Monday announced they were “collapsing” the Labour Party in the region into the All Progressive Congress (APC) immediately.

“As expected, the meeting was

chaired by an expelled member [of LP], Mr Banji Omotoso, who was the then Caretaker State Chairman in Ekiti State from 2017 to 2019,” Ojo noted.

The statement stressed that the LP in the South-West and in the six geopolitical regions “remains one and indivisible.”

Under no circumstances will the party think of merging with any party, “not even the APC that

has brought untold hardship and suffering to the nation,” she stated.

As for Omotoso, the so-called “Southwest coordinator,” Ojo avowed that he was sacked for “gross malfeasance and antiparty activities” in January 2020 and ceased to have anything to do with the party and therefore has no authority to speak for or on behalf of the LP.

Atiku Abubakar

Eno is party’s guber candidate –

A’Ibom PDP

By Musa Baba Adamu

The legal team of Umo Eno, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the March 11, 2023 elections in Akwa Ibom State has insisted that Micheal Enyong is not the governorship candidate of the party as speculated.

Enyong, currently a House of Representative member for Uyo Federal Constituency, obtained a judgement at the Federal High Court in Abuja declaring him the governorship candidate of PDP in the state.

Prior to the judgement, Enyong who never participated in the primary conducted by his party allegedly held a parallel primary at his residence where he reportedly polled 2,448 out of the 2,776 total accredited votes.

In a press briefing by the former Attorney General of the state, Uwemedimo Nwoko, SAN, who is the legal team lead of Umo Eno Campaign Council, he affirmed that Eno remained the candidate of the party as there is a pending application for stay of execution at both the Appeal Court and the High Court filed by PDP and it’s candidate, Eno, respectively.

Nwoko who addressed journalists in Uyo added that based on three grounds―of fraud, lack of due service to parties listed and lack of jurisdiction―”the purported judgement obtained by Mike Enyong was not tenable anywhere.”

He further claimed that Enyong reportedly forged the signatures of the National Chairman of the PDP, National Organizing Secretary of the PDP and other officials, and even went as far as forging the official letterhead paper of the PDP and presented same before the court, “where he obtained the fraudulent judgment.”

Nwoko who said he has conducted his investigations challenged Enyong to present the said judgement to INEC(which he is yet to do) or to the public for scrutiny even as he (Nwoko) said he had visited INEC website and found that Umo Eno’s name is still retained there as the PDP candidate.

His words: “He (Enyong) has not gotten the courage to present his fraudulently obtained judgement to INEC up till now. Even if he approaches INEC, it will not be executed. PDP through its representative, Paul Usoro, SAN, had filed a stay of execution. There is a stay-of-execution motion at the Court of Appeal. Mike Enyong is not and cannot be the candidate of the PDP in Akwa Ibom State, because the purported judgement he has is not valid. The judgement he is holding was obtained by fraud.”

Fani-Kayode regrets coup allegation tweet that landed him in DSS detention

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The Director of Special Projects and New Media for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Femi Fani-Kayode, yesterday admitted that he was not cautious enough to have tweeted an alleged coup plot, which landed him in the detention of the Department of States Services (DSS) in Abuja.

Briefing journàlists in the APC National Secretariat after being subjected to a five hours excruciating grilling according to him, Fani-Kayode, flanked on both sides by the men of DSS, sounded remorseful, regretting that he was overtaken by emotions, having seen the upcoming presidential election as war by other means.

Apparently compelled and escorted by the DSS operatives to address the press conference immediately from the DSS headquarters, Fani-Kayode said he was not intending to overheat the polity but to call the attention of the DSS to the report in the social media alleging that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, was plotting with some military generals to scuttle the forthcoming general election.

He said the experience he had in the DSS custody was the one he would wish his enemy said: “I spent about five hours. I was subjected to thorough grilling; they were very thorough and highly professional in their interrogation.

“I was asked to go back on Wednesday for further interrogation. The place anybody wouldn’t want to go, I think is the DSS. If I were to do it a second time, I won’t tweet this same way.”

The APC campaign spokesperson while taunting some of his opponents who he refused to name said: “My inclination as a responsible, decent, civilised person, and a patriotic Nigerian is to respond by going, unlike others who were invited and who refused to go.

“We know who those people are. I believe if you have nothing to hide, you go. As long as you have confidence in the system, and I have absolute confidence in the system. I have absolute

confidence in the fact that the DSS is impartial.”

Reacting to a statement by Atiku’s Special Assistant on Public Communications, Phrank Shaibu, calling on the DSS not to leave any stone unturned in the course of investigation, Kayode said it was “a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying absolutely nothing”, in the words of Shakespeare.

“I would suggest that they focus on the real issues, focus on their candidate or whatever they believe their candidate has to offer. They do not control the security of this country. They are not in charge and it’s not for them to dictate anything.

“If anybody should be investigated, arrested, prosecuted and jailed, it should be their presidential candidate. Why? Because he confessed in a tape, which we all heard about how he defrauded the whole country and stole public funds through SPVs. We’ve discussed this before.”

Also, speaking during the press conference, the Director Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Bayo Onanuga said, the council

and the party was monitoring the situation to take appropriate action.

He said: “We were worried when we heard that FFK was invited by the DSS. So we contacted our lawyers and our lawyers followed him to the DSS headquarters.

“If he was detained beyond today, we would have challenged it. We would have taken further steps. But he said the DSS officials were very professional.”

Peter Obi, Gani Adams meet in Lagos

By Christiana Ekpa

Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi on Monday met with the Aare Onakakanfo of Yoruba land, Iba Gani Adams in Lagos.

The former Anambra governor presented his blueprint to the traditional leader at the latter’s residence in Omole Phase 2.

Obi, who confirmed he has embraced restructuring, said his plans on the economy, tourism, security and agriculture, among others, remain pivotal to pulling the nation out of the political quagmire.

He submitted that the agenda of his administration was allinclusive, with a prominent focus on the unity of Nigeria as well as a robust economy.

The frontrunner highlighted the economic potentials of the Northern and Southern regions, noting that his visit to Adams was part of the ongoing consultations.

Obi said prominent leaders like former president Olusegun Obasanjo, Pa Ayo Adebanjo and Chief Edwin Clark would not be supporting his ambition if it were about money.

“There are others who can give billions to the elders and leaders, but I have no money to give. I have a strong desire to change the country,” he stated.

The LP flagbearer restated his commitment to making Nigeria work for everybody, assuring his government would do things differently.

Obi made reference to how the Philippines, Vietnam, India and China, with their huge population, succeeded in ensuring food and human security, saying: “I will make Sambisa Forest an Agric village and also explore the tourism sector and address the spate of insecurity.”

In his response, Adams pointed out that the visit was not an endorsement but a show of respect to the revered stool that had been in existence since 1587.

The Aare said by virtue of his title as well as leadership of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) and Oodua Progressives Union (OPU), he is a major player and stakeholder in the South-West and Nigeria.

Adams pointed out that Obi’s respect for the stool he occupies is a reflection of his understanding of Nigeria’s problems.

“I appreciate your gesture and respect. You gave us short notice on your visit; I appreciate the fact that you keep to time. It is a show of your passion and dedication,” he said.

He added: “Anybody that wants to be the Nigerian president should restructure the country into federating units where each region will develop at their own pace.”

He recalled that the nation’s founding fathers agreed on an

enduring template of federalism based on the Independence constitution of 1960.

The Yoruba leader lamented how the military came and thwarted the polity by changing federalism to unitary system.

Stressing that Obi’s “beautiful ideas” will be difficult to implement if Nigeria is not restructured to regionalism, the Aare wished him well ahead of the February 25 presidential poll.

Fani-Kayode

Peter Obi and Gani Adams meet in Lagos

POLITICS

Labour Party asks INEC to remove Lagos REC Agbaje before elections

By Christiana Ekpa

The Labour Party (LP) has called for the removal of Olusegun Agbaje, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Lagos State.

The party urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to do so before the general elections

2023: Real reason Atiku’s campaign rally in Rivers was cancelled –Gov Wike

By Musa Baba Adamu

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has given a reason the campaign rally of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, was cancelled in his state.

Recall that the rally was scheduled for Tuesday.

Wike said that Atiku’s rally in Rivers was annulled because they lacked the numbers to fill the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium he approved for the event.

The governor also described the claim by the PDP Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) that the campaign was put off because of fear of bloodshed as untrue.

He spoke at Nyemoni Secondary School field in Abonnema town, the venue of the PDP campaign for AkukuToru Local Government Area, on Monday.

Wike said, “I gave them the stadium, they know they’ve no capacity to fill the stadium, they’re looking for excuses.

“They went and forced themselves to use government land at Trans Amadi. I said no, that wasn’t where I gave you. Where I gave you was Adokiye Amiesimaka, go and fill that place.”

He added, “They now said no, we won’t go there again. We don’t want people to die. Who is killing who? Is anybody killing anybody? I said don’t pay money, I’ll buy the diesel for you. I’ll do everything for you. Mobilise, go, and fill that stadium. They ran away.”

starting on February 25.

A spokesperson for Peter Obi Campaign Organisation, Kenneth Okonkwo made the demand in a Twitter post on Monday.

“If Prof Mahmood Yakubu doesn’t sack Olusegun Agbaje now, then Nigerians must realise that Prof Mahmood has decided to rig the election of 2023 in

favour of APC,” he tweeted. Okonkwo accused Agbaje of referring to the people of SouthEast origin based in Lagos as immigrants in their country.

He said the REC denied Igbos the collection of their Permanent Voter’s Cards, PVCs, “while foreigners from Niger Republic, Chad, etc were given PVCs and

NINs in El-Rufai’s Kaduna State”.

The Nollywood veteran stated that “Nigerians have lost confidence in any election that will be conducted by this ethnic and confused bigot”.

Okonkwo said Agbaje is “suffering from impaired reasoning like the principal he is working for who has commanded

his followers to snatch power at all costs”.

The LP chieftain further charged Nigerians to insist the right thing is done “starting with the firing of Olusegun Agbaje.”

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar last week asked INEC to remove Agbaje.

Presidency: Group endorses Tinubu/ Shettima ticket

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

Eleven days to the Presidential election, the Asiwaju Bola Tinubu/Kashim Shettima ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) got endorsement by a group, Clerics Congress of Nigeria.

Endorsements of the Tinubu/ Shettima ticket by the group took place at Stakeholders Conference held at Nicon Luxury Hotel attended by representatives of both the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates of APC.

The Clerics led by Ali John Ali and Timothy Cheren, premised their endorsements of Tinubu / Shettima ticket on competence , capacity and required vision for progressive leadership and Nation building.

The speech reads in part "After a cursory look at all the presidential aspirants, and without any dint of sentiment attached, we have found one candidate suitable to deliver the required result needed to

take our nation out of our present predicament and usher in the required development needed to take us to the next level.

"That candidate without any shadow of a doubt is Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Our decision has been predicated on the indices of track record of past performance, ability to unite the country and fight insecurity, economic programme of development and the ability to build a sterling leadership succession.

"In all of these, Asiwaju towers high above the pack of other presidential candidates .

Looking at his track record in Lagos where he held sway as governor for eight years, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu succeeded immensely in turning Lagos into a mega city and an economic giant not just in Nigeria but Africa and the rest of the world.

"On the issues of Muslim and Muslim ticket which has engendered so much debate, we have carefully considered the issues

that gave birth to the decision to select a Muslim as his Vice and came to the conclusion that the reasons were more about the

strategy to win elections and have somebody he can be comfortable to work with, than of religious discrimination."

2023 polls: Atiku Abubakar will garner 64% from three zones in north – New report claims

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is projected to win the Nigerian 2023 election scheduled for February 25, 2023. The interim report from nine months study led by Dr. Oludare Ogunlana of June Group Research and Council for African Security Affairs (CASA) with other Intelligence practitioners in the United States, Europe, and Nigeria pointed to the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party of Nigeria as a potential winner.

Atiku was rated higher than other candidates from All Progressive Congress (APC) and Labour Party (LP), and New Nigeria Peoples’ Party (NNPP), using four key variables: political geography, Religion, Resources, and Class.

According to the group, “The study’s scope is limited to observing political actors and

interviews with stakeholders in organizations from across six zones of Nigeria and the Nigerians in the Diaspora: political leaders, women groups, religious organizations, civil societies, trade unions, and youth organizations.

“In each interview, we focused on five areas: the personality of the candidates, ethnic influence, religion, power of incumbency, voters’ behavior, emotions’ role, political socialization, and tolerance of diversity of political views. The study that started in May 2022 accurately predicted the outcome of the PDP and APC primaries and the emergence of Alh Atiku Abubakar and Senator Bola Tinubu as candidates for their respective parties.

“We identified where the political influencers, religious leaders, organizations, and Nigerians in the Diaspora stood with voting President in February 2023 and how it aligned to victory

for each candidate. In addition, we gathered data from facilitated workshops and interactive survey sessions with Nigerian political thought leaders, which include lawyers, political activists, and former and current serving political office holders.

“While we respect various polls that have put a particular candidate as the preferred candidate to win the election, we state that data alone does not speak for itself significantly when such data is based on manipulation and sectional polling. The result of every data must be put into context, including understanding the people, culture, pattern, geographical spread of the platform, and historical antecedents.

“In conclusion, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is expected to garner 64% from the three zones in the North, rake 45% from the South-South

region where his running mates come from, acquire 37 % from the South-East with 27% from the South-West, which is the stronghold of the APC candidate.”

Atiku Abubkar

Tinubu/ Shettima

From Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

Nigerians are still transacting in old Naira notes, ignoring the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the money deposit banks after the February 10, 2023 deadline.

Most of the Nigerian public believes that the deadline is February 17, 2023, which is the seven days grace given by the CBN after the February 10 deadline.

CBN had on Friday removed the countdown to February 10, 2023, live chart from its website, as the deadline expires.

Peoples Daily visited some open markets, and motor parks across Abuja to interview several traders and found that the traders and commuters were confidently collecting the old notes for various reasons.

Some are still collecting owing to the Supreme Court ruling while others believe that the official deadline by CBN is on February 17.

Amina Sule, a wholesale seller of onions in Mile 12 Market said she is still accepting the old naira notes because she believes that the Supreme Court order overshadows that of the Central Bank.

“The Supreme Court has asked the CBN not to ban the use of the old naira notes and its ruling supersedes that of CBN,” Kazeem said.

“I will continue to collect the new naira notes until the Supreme Court says otherwise,” she added.

According to her, the apex bank has not come out to say anything since the ruling, noting that it implies that it is giving in to the restraining order by the Court.

Isa Suleiman, a yam seller in Karu market said he still collects the old notes because the deadline is February 17 and not 10 as many people taught.

“CBN added an extra one week to the deadline after announcing February 10 but many people are still not aware and that is why they were thinking the old notes are no longer legal tender,” Hassan said.

Adam Maria, a dealer in Black market Fuel in Abacha road said that he still receives the old note because the CBN has moved the deadline by seven days.

Nigerians ignore CBN, banks transact with old Naira after deadline

“When I have excess cash I give it to a PoS guy who is my friend at no cost. I have not been to the bank in the last two months.

“There are a lot of people in need of cash so there’s no need to go to the bank.

“It is hard to reject old notes because the market is slow so if the customer you get brings old notes you will have no choice but to accept them. I have a stash of new notes I have not touched too,” he said.

Point Of Service (POS) operator,Dalhatu Sani said he has not gone to the bank in the last two weeks, saying that people bring their money for deposit and give it to people.

One of the traders who deal in wholesale shoes didn’t want to collect old notes saying he prefers transfer to old notes because the deadline was yesterday.

•CBN removes countdown live chart from website

At Mararaba market a PoS operator was going around helping those who needed cash to buy food items but at a cost. It costs N700 to withdraw N5,000 (old notes).

“I just bought fuel for N7,000 at the petrol station. I paid with old notes. Where do you see the new Naira,” Hamza Muhammed said

Check by our correspondence, Zenith Bank,Polaris Bank, First Bank, FCMB are open while access bank was not operational Peoples Daily also gathered that Some people now rely on traders to get cash.

Meanwhile,the CBN had given February 10, 2023 as the deadline for the phasing out of high-value naira notes, after which it ceases to be a legal tender.

This has been criticized by some Nigerians who have called for further extension of the deadline.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that the old 1000, 500 and 200 naira notes can still be used as legal tender in Nigeria.

The CBN had clarified its position on February 10, 2023, deadline for phasing out of Nigeria’s higher denomination of the banknotes, saying that the old notes would cease to be legal tender after the set date, and can no longer be used for any form of transaction afterward.

Osita Nwanisobi, director of the corporate communications department at the CBN, who clarified at the end of the earlier deadline of January 31, 2023, said

in line with the provision of Section 20(3) of the CBN Act, Nigerians would have the opportunity to redeem the face value of the Naira only at the Central Bank, after the currency has lost its legal tender status, subject to meeting certain conditions.

Reiterating the pledge of the CBN governor Godwin Emefiele at the meeting with the House of Representatives Ad-hoc committee on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, Nwanisobi said Nigerians would not lose their money, even as he urged citizens to take advantage of the extended deadline of February 10, 2023 to deposit the old banknotes currently in their possession at their banks or through mobile money agents.

Naira redesign: Ekiti seeks to be joined in suit against FG

From Abubakar Yunusa ABUJA

The Ekiti state government has applied to be joined as a co-plaintiff in a suit filed by Kaduna, Kogi, and Zamfara states against the federal government over the naira redesign policy by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

In a motion ex parte filed before the supreme court, the three states had prayed the court to grant an interim injunction stopping the CBN from ending the

timeframe within which the old N200, N500, and N1,000 notes will cease to be legal tender.

On February 8, the court restrained the CBN from giving effect to the February 10 deadline.

In the application filed on Friday, Ekiti through its attorney-general is seeking to be joined a plaintiff in the suit.

Ekiti submits that “since the announcement of the new naira note policy, there has been an acute shortage in

the supply of the new naira notes”.

“The directive of the federal government of Nigeria has affected the livelihood and has created excruciating pain and hardship on all Nigerians, including citizens of the applicant’s state,” the document reads.

“The directive of the federal government of Nigeria has also adversely affected the revenue, levies and taxes accruable to the coffer of the applicant’s state government as economic activities in the applicant’s

state are now completely paralysed.

“The directive of the federal government of Nigeria has also created palpable anxiety amongst the citizens in the state of the applicant.

“The applicant’s state is a federating state of the federal republic of Nigeria and therefore has interest in the determination of the originating summon in this suit.”

Kano and Niger states have also filed separate suits to stop the policy’s implementation.

Newly elected North Central CAN Executives on Monday 12th February 2023 at the National Christian Center, FCT

Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) says it plans to set up a reliable database for determining the appropriate methodology for the transportation and bulk storage of crude oil and natural gas in Nigeria.

Farouk Ahmed, NMDPRA’s chief executive officer (CEO), spoke at the 2022 petroleum liquid inventory reconciliation exercise, according to a statement issued by the agency in Abuja on Sunday.

BU$IN€SS

NMDPRA to set up database on crude oil, natural gas distribution

He said the exercise involved the NMDPRA, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), crude oil and gas export companies, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).

Ahmed, who was represented by Ogbugo Ukoha, executive director, distribution systems,

storage, retailing infrastructure (DSSRI), said the expanded data ecosystem would cover petroleum liquid volumes evacuated by trucking, barging and pipelines.

“It will include a data system on terminal receipt volumes and terminal stock records, crude oil inventory records per company, per terminal, quantities delivered to and received into refineries,”

Ahmed said. “It will also include quantities evacuated to other midstream storage facilities, export permit volumes as well as actual export volumes per company, per terminal.”

The NMDPRA CEO also said the reconciliation exercise was scheduled to establish and authenticate common data on midstream statistics relating to

crude oil, condensates, natural gas and its derivatives.

He added that the reconciled data will provide the basis for the administration of petroleum liquid supply license and “guide the appraisal of licenses, authorisations, and approvals issued in the midstream sector relating to petroleum transportation, storage and exports”.

Agusto: Naira likely to appreciate to N650/$ at parallel market in 2023

From Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

Agusto & Co, Pan-African credit rating agency, projects three percent economic growth for Nigeria in 2023.

The agency’s projection is contained in its recently released report titled ‘2023 Outlook: Nigeria, a Nation on the Precipice’.

This projection is higher than the 2.9 percent growth estimated by the World Bank but lower than the International Monetary Fund (IMF’s) 3.2 percent.

“Agusto & Co has a slightly more optimistic forecast, at 3%, and believes GDP growth will be supported by election spending, improved oil output (to 1.3-1.4mbpd) and still high oil prices ($88pb) but will be constrained by low investment and productivity,” the report reads.

“How quickly Nigeria can stem rampant oil theft and vandalism will be crucial to boosting foreign exchange earnings and providing the CBN with enough ammunition to

intensify its interventions in the forex market.

“However, we expect high global interest rates to continue to limit capital inflows and add to currency pressures in 2023.”

The agency said that Nigeria’s insecurity challenge is expected to continue to be a major issue in 2023.

It said the problem would require a two-pronged approach – deploying resources to military artillery, personnel and intelligence; while also confronting the more deepseated problems of pervasive poverty, high unemployment and extreme levels of inequality.

In the report, Agusto said that all three leading presidential candidates, on the surface, appear willing to ‘allow’ for a more market-determined exchange rate.

It said a successful election would ease frayed nerves and bolster investor confidence.

The agency forecasted a gradual downward adjustment of the official exchange rate to N480-N500/$ and a simultaneous increase in FX

supply, which would signal a willingness to shift ground and would likely trigger an appreciation of the naira in the parallel market to N650-N680/$.

Agusto projected that inflation would reduce in 2023 to 15 percent-17 percent because of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s monetary policy pragmatism as well as the easing of global commodity prices from their

peak in 2022.

“This is despite the impact of predicted floods and widespread insecurity on food production, as well as elevated energy prices, election-related spending, exchange rate pressures, and cost-reflective rates (petrol and electricity),” the agency said.

Agusto forecasted that Nigeria’s total subsidy bill would reach N5 trillion in 2023, thereby limiting expenditure on

crucial infrastructure needed to galvanise economic growth in the medium to long term.

It said that doing away with subsidy would be inflationary and is likely to trigger severe backlash from unions and many sections of the wider public.

It, however, encouraged the outgoing administration to eliminate subsidy as it would make way for further and more fundamental fiscal reforms.

NECA proffers solutions to naira scarcity new naira notes

From Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has advised the federal government to look beyond the politics of the naira redesign policy and focus on its damaging effects on businesses and the economy.

In a statement , Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, NECA director-general, said the ongoing cash crunch has had a devastating impact on the formal and informal economy.

‘’In the last few weeks, with the cash squeeze and the purchasing ability of Nigerians greatly impaired by the poor implementation of the policy, the economy has witnessed a significant bashing,” the statement reads.

‘’This is so, with a report stating that the real sector witnessed about 40 percent

drop in productive activities.

‘’As the cash crush continues, thousands of productive hours are lost daily on queues by employees and many cannot even get to work.

‘’The value chain in the formal and informal sector with over N10 billion cash transactions daily is almost destroyed with consequences for employment, business sustainability and national development.”

The NECA DG called for critical and immediate efforts to be made to improve or upgrade alternative routes to cash.

He said the measure would ensure seamless transactions in the country before the transition to digital channels.

Oyerinde described the series of actions being taken by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), such as the cash swap programme, as an “afterthought” after the reality of resistance by Nigerians.

‘’It is callous to deprive citizens of the new naira notes after cajoling them to deposit the old ones in the banks,” the statement reads.

‘’We urge the CBN to sanction the commercial banks that have been found to be complicit in the whole show of shame, even as the CBN cannot extricate itself from being complicit.

‘’As an immediate action, we align with the position of the Council of State that the CBN should release more new naira notes into the economy or allow the use of the old ones, pending a time when it will demonstrate competence by not always putting the cart before the horse in the implementation of monetary policies.”

The NECA boss said the naira redesign policy with its objectives as listed by the CBN was laudable.

He, however, said that like many of

the CBN’s initiatives, it was flawed by shortsightedness in implementation.

‘’For a definitive monetary policy as the naira design, it is expected that the CBN will not only take lessons from other countries like India, Myanmar, Australia, Venezuela, Zimbabwe and the European Union, which witnessed various degrees of successes and failures when they implemented their currency redesign,” the statement adds.

‘’However, CBN will also do a thorough analysis and simulation of likely social and economic challenges that might arise and a definitive response to those challenges.

‘’Thus far, it does not seem that the CBN understands the challenges, nor have solutions to the economic issues, thereby allowing speculators and economic saboteurs to have a field day at the expense of legitimate businesses and the economy.”

BU$IN€SS

L-R: United States Assistant Secretary of State for Bureau of Africa Affairs, Molly Phee with Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, during the USA assistant secretary’s visit to INEC headquarters, yesterday in Abuja.

Dangote creating investment opportunities in Africa - Economists

Pan-African conglomerate, the Dangote Group, is not relenting in buoying investment opportunities across Africa through numerous businesses and philanthropic forays on the continent.

This is the consensus of economists and stakeholders who participated in the just concluded 44th Kaduna International Trade Fair.

Dangote Group also bagged the First Runner-Up award at the annual event.

Speaking to newsmen on the sideline of the company’s Special Day, Professor of Economics, Umar Dantsoho, said Dangote Industries Limited has been creating investment and job opportunities for Africans through its cement establishments in Nigeria and in Africa.

He said the key to developing the African economy is through the growth of the manufacturing sector, which is a major preoccupation of the company.

Only recently, Dangote Industries

Limited sealed a fresh deal of six million tons per annum with China Sinoma International Engineering which will strengthen local and African production to 57.6 million tons per annum.

Aside government, Dangote Group is adjudged the biggest employer of labor in Nigeria.

Speaking also Second Vice President of the Kaduna Chamber of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture(KADCCIMA). Alhaji Faruk Suleiman, commended the company for creating opportunities across Africa, adding that the upcoming Dangote petrochemical refinery will change the face of the African economy.

General Manager, Sales, Dangote Sugar Refinery (DSR) North-West, Alhaji Abdulsalam Waya said the conglomerate would continue to provide opportunities for all willing Nigeria to invest as distributors or as investors in the stock market.

He added that the theme for this year’s

Trade Fare: Value Addition for Sustainable Growth and Development is apt, as Dangote Cement exports its product to several African countries, thereby creating jobs and opportunities across the value chain.

The company is the major sponsor of the 44th annual event.

Speaking, President of KADCCIMA Alhaji Suleiman Aliyu described the partnership with Dangote as very important for deepening commercial activities in the country.

He said the support of the Dangote Group towards the success of the Fair cannot be quantified.

Speaking to newsmen, the Director General of the Chamber Mr. Usman Saulawa said the Dangote Group is a major sponsor of this year’s Trade Fair and has been sponsoring the annual event.

He said: “Dangote Group has been playing the role of supporter and partner

for many years. It participation has been adding value to the Chamber.”

The DG described this year’s fair as unique as there would be a Business Roundtable session that will further help deepens business opportunities for participants.

The companies that participated under Dangote Industries Limited are Dangote Cement, Dangote Sugar, NASCON, Dangote Fertiliser, and Dangote Sinotruk West Africa Limited.

A statement from the Corporate Communication Department of the Dangote Group said participants who seek to do business with any of the company’s subsidiaries can avail themselves of such opportunity through a special help desk at the pavilion.

It described Kaduna State as one of the biggest markets in the country, given its historical position as the political capital of Northern Nigeria.

Miners demand speedy compensation from FG

By Albert Akota

Mining Entrepreneurship

Stakeholders (MES) has appealed to the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Interior and Nigeria

Inuwa stated that the invasion of the premises has really disrupted production and crippled the business activities on the site thereby putting all the investments, including bank loans whose interest have continued to grow by the day, at the highest risk.

Correctional Service to expedite action on the request for payment of compensations to mining operators for taking over their land and business premises at Karshi, Nasarawa state.

The chairman of the group, Alhaji Aminu

Sani Inuwa, made the call yesterday at a press conference in Abuja while briefing journalists on the suffering their members have been passing through since the invasion of the site in 2018 by the Federal Government.

Photo: Mahmud Isa

METRO

Rotary club renovates emergency unit, donates 100 birthing kits to Maitama Hospital

By Stanley Onyekwere

The Rotary Club of Maitama

yesterday handed over the renovated Accident and Emergency Unit, and Matrons’ compound to Maitama District Hospital in Abuja.

It also donated 100 birthing kits, two wheelchairs, a stretcher, and nebulizers to the hospital to promote healthy maternal and child health.

The District Governor, District 9125 of Rotary International, Dr. Goddy Nnadi, who handed over the medical items to the Chief Medical Director of the hospital. Dr. Imuetinyan Igbinovia said the donations were in line with humanitarian service which his organization does.

He said Rotary International places premium on maternal and child health in order to save the lives of mothers and unborn children.

Nnadi said: “This is in fulfillment of one of the areas of focus of Rotary International. We have seven areas of focus, and one of them is maternal and child health and another one is about disease prevention and treatment. These are parts of the programmes of Rotary at the international level, such that when you do your projects, you make sure that they

feed in within the realms of these areas. This is what Rotary Club of Abuja has done today.

“These are multiple projects in one. For some clubs, it could be only one project, but here there are so many of them that they put together. One is the remodeling of the offices of the Matron and nurses, renovation of the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Unit, donation of 100 birthing kits, two wheelchairs for the use of the A&E department, a stretcher, and nebulizers and other consumables they will need in case of an emergency.

“The birthing kits reduce the rate of accidents during births. Not everybody can afford the birthing kits, and in some areas we provide them meals through our economic programmes. Asides the consumables donated, the expectant mothers were also taught about how to take care of themselves in terms of hygiene.”

In his remarks, the President of the Rotary Club of Abuja Maitama, Yusuf Alli, said: “What we do is to serve the society by filling a few gaps to make life better for our citizens.

“We complement what the government does in any environment or country. In our own case this year, we

chose to renovate Accident and Emergency Units of this hospital. We have also given birthing kits to pregnant women in order to assist them for safe delivery. We

are making a token contribution to prevent maternal mortality.

“Globally, we are in need of emergencies. Drawing from the lessons of COVID-19 and what is

happening in Turkey and Syria now, you don’t need a soothsayer to know that emergency service is a vital component of hospital services.”

L-R: The Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee(CMAC), Dr. Emmanuel Musa; the President of the Rotary Club of Abuja Maitama, Rtn. Yusuf Alli; Assistant Governor Sylvester Chuka Okoye; the District Governor, District 9125 of Rotary International, Dr. Goddy Nnadi; the Chief Medical Director of the Maitama District Hospital in Abuja, Dr. Imuetinyan Igbinovia; HOU Nursing,Mrs. Josephine Oteri; the Compound Officer, Mrs. Sanni-Balogun Abidemi; and the Accident and Emergency(A&E) Unit In-Charge, Mrs. Habiba Musa at the handing over of newly-renovated emergency unit of the hospital by the Rotary

Maikalangu proposes N12.3 billion budget for 2023

By Laraba MUREY

The Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC, Christopher Maikalangu, has presented a budget proposal of N12,393,587,671 billion for the 2023 fiscal year.

Maikalangu while presenting the budget to the council’s legislative chambers on Friday in Abuja, said this year's budget represents a nominal increase of

1.88 per cent above the previous estimates.

He said the budget tagged, "the people's budget" is meant to uplift the living standards of the common man.

According to him, the budget estimate was expected to be funded from Net statutory allocation of N6,993,587,671,10 per cent FCT IGR, N1,500,000,000, AMAC IGR, N3,000,000,000, DOAS, N 500,000,000 TERM LOAN, N400,000,000 respectively.

He added that the proposed N12,393,587,671 billion was apportioned according to the budget formula with recurrent expenditure gulping, N4,685,848,878.00 representing 37.81 percent and Capital Expenditure N7,707,738,792.00 representing 62.19 per cent.

Maikalangu, who gave the breakdown, said, 37.81 percent recurrent expenditure for personnel cost, N2,861,390,487.00 representing 61.07 per cent and

overhead cost N1,819,458,391.00 representing 38.63 per cent, totaling N4,685,848,878.00.

He noted that the 62.19 per cent capital expenditure N3,333,878,614.00 represents 43.25 per cent for ongoing projects, N3,878,860,178.00, represents 50.33 per cent for new projects N495,000,000.006 represents 42 per cent for debt servicing, totaling N7,707,738,792.00

He said the personnel cost estimate will increase to 3.71 per

cent in 2023, adding that the increase is a result of expected staff promotion and proposed minimum wage increase as well as areas.

"I envisage that the budget shall in no distant time, produce a longlasting document that will match the yearnings of the electorate even as we remain committed to using the budget estimates in positively responding to their craving for good governance and quality representation," he said.

AMAC proposes N12.3 Bn budget for 2023

The Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Christopher Maikalangu, has presented a budget proposal of N12,393,587,671 billion for the 2023 fiscal year.

Maikalangu while presenting the budget to the council’s legislative chambers on Friday in Abuja, said this year’s budget represents a nominal increase of 1.88 per cent above the previous estimates.

He said the budget tagged, “the people’s budget” is meant to uplift the living standards of the common man.

According to him, the budget estimate was expected to be funded from Net statutory allocation of N6,993,587,671,10 per cent FCT IGR, N1,500,000,000, AMAC IGR, N3,000,000,000, DOAS, N 500,000,000 TERM LOAN, N400,000,000 respectively.

He added that the proposed N12,393,587,671 billion was apportioned according to the budget formula with recurrent expenditure gulping, N4,685,848,878.00 representing 37.81 percent and Capital Expenditure N7,707,738,792.00 representing 62.19

per cent.

Maikalangu, who gave the breakdown, said, 37.81 percent recurrent expenditure for personnel cost, N2,861,390,487.00 representing 61.07 per cent and overhead cost N1,819,458,391.00 representing 38.63 per cent, totaling N4,685,848,878.00.

He noted that the 62.19 per cent capital expenditure N3,333,878,614.00 represents 43.25 per cent for ongoing projects, N3,878,860,178.00, represents 50.33 per cent for new projects N495,000,000.006 represents 42 per cent for debt servicing, totaling

N7,707,738,792.00

He said the personnel cost estimate will increase to 3.71 per cent in 2023, adding that the increase is a result of expected staff promotion and proposed minimum wage increase as well as areas.

“I envisage that the budget shall in no distant time, produce a longlasting document that will match the yearnings of the electorate even as we remain committed to using the budget estimates in positively responding to their craving for good governance and quality representation,” he said.

Club of Abuja Maitama yesterday

Ukraine war: Russians slowly take ground around Bakhmut

The staccato instructions come from the Ukrainian army escort taking us to a military position in battlescarred Bakhmut, a city once famed for its sparkling wines.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has called the eastern city “our fortress”. Russian forces have spent the past six months trying to capture Bakhmut. Now they have intensified their onslaught - Ukraine believes - to tear it down ahead of the anniversary of the invasion.

We follow orders, darting down an icy rubble-strewn street, with a clear blue sky overhead - ideal for Russian drones.

Just after we cross the road, two Russian shells come slamming down behind us on the other side. We turn around to see black smoke rising and keep on running.

Was the shelling random or aimed at us? We can’t be sure, but everything that moves in Bakhmut is a target - soldier or civilian.

For hours there is no let-up in the shelling, incoming and outgoing. A Russian fighter jet roars overhead. The nearest Russian troops are just two kilometres away.

There is street fighting in some areas, but Ukrainian forces still hold the city - despite sub-zero temperatures and dwindling ammunition.

“We have some shortages of ammunition of all kinds, especially artillery rounds,” says Capt Mykhailo from the 93rd Mechanised Brigade, whose call sign is ‘Polyglot’. “We also need encrypted communication devices from our Western allies, and some armoured personnel carriers to move troops around. But we still manage. One of the main lessons of this war is how to fight with limited resources.”

We get an insight into the ammunition problems as Ukrainian troops target a Russian position with 60mm mortars. The first mortar round flies from the tube with a loud bang. The second round doesn’t eject.

There’s a hiss of smoke and a shout of “misfire” sending the mortar unit scrambling for cover. Troops tell us the ammunition is old stock, sent from abroad.

The battle for Bakhmut is a war within a war. Some of the fiercest fighting of the invasion has happened here. And now the Kremlin’s forces are gaining ground, metre by metre, body by body. Wave after wave of mercenaries from the notorious Wagner group have been sent into battle here. There are reports of fields of Russian corpses.

Moscow now has effective control of both main roads into the city, leaving just one back route left - a slender supply line.

“They have been trying to take the city since July,” says Iryna, press officer of the 93rd Brigade. “Little by little they are winning now. They have more resources, so if they play the long game they will win. I can’t say how long it will take.

“Maybe they will run out of resources. I really hope so.”

We move from carefully concealed firing positions to bunkers humming with generators and warmed by stoves. But troops take care to conceal any smoke which could give away their location - part of the housekeeping of war. Among those we meet there is calm determination to fight on.

“They are trying to encircle us so that we leave the city, but it’s not working,” says Ihor, a camouflage-clad commander, with a battle-hardened edge. “The city is under control. Transport moves, despite constant artillery strikes. Of course, we have losses from our side, but we are holding on. We only have one option - to

keep going to victory.”

There is another option - to withdraw from Bakhmut before it’s too late. But among the defenders on the ground there seems little appetite for that. “If we have such an order from our HQ, OK, order is order,” says Captain Myhailo. “But what sense to hold all these months if you need to retreat from this city? No, we don’t want to do this.”

He recalls those who have given their lives for Bakhmut - “a lot of good brave men who just love this country.”

And if the defenders of Bakhmut were to withdraw, it would pave the way for Russia to push towards bigger cities in eastern Ukraine like Kramatorsk and Slovyansk.

Moscow has stepped up its attacks in other front-line areas in the Donbas region in the east, and in the south. Ukrainian officials say a new Russian offensive is already under way.

The Kremlin is on a clock, as it counts down to the anniversary on 24 February. “They are mad about dates and so-called ‘victory days’,” says Capt Mykhailo.

But the battle of attrition for Bakhmut could wear out the Russians, according to Viktor, a tall, lean Ukrainian commander who has captured Russian magazines on a shelf in his bunker.

“They don’t defend now,” he says, “they just attack. They continue taking some metres, but we are trying to make sure they take as little of our land as

possible. We are holding the enemy here and wearing them out.”

There is still some life in Bakhmut if you know where to find it.

A blast of heat and light hits you when you walk through the door of the “invincibility hub”, past boxes of donated food supplies. It’s a boxing club turned life-support system where local people can recharge their phones and themselves, with hot food and companionship.

It was crowded when we visited, with elderly women clustered around a stove, and two young boys sitting in the boxing ring, glued to a TV screen, and playing war games.

Around 5,000 civilians remain in Bakhmut without running water or power - many are elderly and poor. “Some are pro-Moscow. They are waiting for the Russians,” a Ukrainian colleague mutters darkly.

All here are fighting their own battles says Tetiana, a 23-year-old psychologist who is at the hub watching over her young brother and sister. She’s still in Bakhmut because her 86-year-old grandmother can’t move and relies on her.

“Most people deal with it by praying to God,” she says. “Faith helps. Some forget that they are people. Some show aggression. They start behaving worse than animals.”

Back outside the battle for this broken city rages on, with a drum beat of shelling as we leave.

US warns that dual citizens face Russian conscription

The US has warned its citizens to leave Russia immediately or risk wrongful detention or conscription to fight in Ukraine.

In a new travel warning, the State Department said Russia may refuse to acknowledge US-Russian dual citizenship.

The warning added that US citizens had already “been interrogated without cause and threatened”.

Russian officials have downplayed the updated travel advisory.

It is unclear how many US citizens are travelling or living in Russia. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, several thousand reportedly fled the

country.

In its newly updated travel warning, the State Department said those still in Russia face the potential for “harassment and singling out”.

Dual citizens also face the prospect of being conscripted as part of a wider Russia military mobilisation to support operations in Ukraine, it said.

“Russia may refuse to acknowledge dual nationals’ US citizenship, deny their access to US consular assistance, subject them to mobilisation, prevent their departure from Russia, and/or conscript them,” the warning reads.

A number of US citizens - including

former and current government personnel and private business people - have already been taken into custody, interrogated and harassed, according to the State Department.

“Russian security services may fail to notify the US Embassy of the detention of a US citizen and unreasonably delay US consular assistance,” the warning reads.

“Russian security services are increasing the arbitrary enforcement of local laws to target foreign and international organisations they consider ‘undesirable’.”

In a statement quoted by Russian news agency TASS, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the US had issued

similar warnings “many times”.

“This is not the first time we have heard this,” he said.

The last US warning for its citizens to leave came in September, when Russian authorities announced a partial mobilisation of military reservists.

Mr Peskov also said that any dual USRussian citizens “are primarily Russian citizens, regardless of what citizenship they have”.

Besides Russia, the State Department has “do not travel” advisories for 18 other countries including Afghanistan, Syria, Haiti, North Korea, Somalia, Ukraine and Yemen. Source: BBC

Ukrainian troops are doggedly holding onto Bakhmut amid fierce Russian attacks

Equatorial Guinea vice-president’s superyacht and homes seized in South Africa

South African officials have seized a superyacht and two palatial homes owned by Equatorial Guinea’s VicePresident Teodoro Nguema Obiang.

A court ordered the seizures after local businessman Daniel Janse van Rensburg won a law suit against Obiang for unlawful arrest and torture.

He has demanded compensation of about $2.2m (£1.8m).

He says he was unlawfully detained in Equatorial Guinea for about 500 days after a business deal went wrong.

The vice-president, the son of the world’s longest-serving ruler, has not yet commented on the case.

He and President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo have long been accused of seeing oil-rich Equatorial Guinea as their personal fiefdom, and of abusing its wealth and resources.

This is the latest in a string of rulings issued against him by courts around the world.

“We attached two houses... in Cape Town in a formal application two weeks ago and the superyacht last Tuesday,” lawyer Errol Eldson, who is representing the businessman, told AFP news agency.

An application to auction the assets had been filed, he added.

Mr Van Rensburg has waged a lengthy legal battle against the vice-president in the South African courts, and published a book last year on how a business trip to Equatorial Guinea in 2013 “turned into

a journey to the depths of hell” following his “harrowing incarceration” at the notorious Black Beach prison

Mr Eldson told AFP that his client had set up an airline in Equatorial Guinea with a local politician who withdrew from the venture at the last minute and demanded a financial refund.

The dispute led to the politician phoning Vice-President Obiang and “within 10 minutes” an elite security force unit “picked Daniel up and threw him into Black Beach prison”, the lawyer was quoted as saying.

Obiang is widely seen as being groomed by his father - who has been in power for 43 years - to succeed him.

Last month, he ordered his halfbrother’s arrest over the sale of a jet.

His half-brother was alleged to have pocketed the proceeds of the sale. He has not publicly commented on the allegations.

The vice-president - known for his lavish lifestyle - has also had his own brushes with the law.

In 2014, US authorities seized a $30m mansion in Malibu and other assets, included a Ferrari car, saying they had been bought with the proceeds of corruption.

Two years later, Swiss prosecutors seized 11 luxury cars belonging to him. The cars - among them a Bugatti, Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Bentleys and Rolls Royce - were sold at an auction for

about $27m.

He was also fined and handed a suspended sentence by a French court in 2021 for using public money to fund a luxurious lifestyle in the European nation.

He denied wrongdoing.

In the same year, the UK imposed “anti-corruption” sanctions on him.

Officials said he had a collection of Michael Jackson memorabilia, including a $275,000 crystal-covered glove which the late singer had worn on his 1980s Bad tour.

The UK said the new sanctions targeted individuals who had “lined their own pockets at the expense of their citizens”.

South Sudanese urge leaders to act on Pope’s message

South Sudan’s leaders have been urged to act on Pope Francis’ plea for peace in the war-torn country.

Media tycoon arrested over Cameroon journalist’s death

Amedia tycoon in Cameroon has been arrested in connection with the killing of the prominent radio journalist, Martinez Zogo.

The businessman Jean-Pierre Amougou Belinga, the owner of L’Anecdote media group, was arrested just before dawn.

Zogo was abducted three weeks ago outside a police station in Yaoundé. His body was found heavily mutilated five days later.

The authorities announced last week that they had made several arrests in connection with the killing.

Three years ago another Cameroonian journalist, Samuel Wazizi, disappeared then died in state detention and an investigation into his death was not made public.

Cameroon ranks 118th out of 180 countries on the Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders.

“Although Cameroon has one of the richest media landscapes in Africa, it is one of the continent’s most dangerous countries for journalists, who operate in a hostile and precarious environment,” says the watchdog. BBC

The Pope made a “peace pilgrimage” to the country over the weekend with the heads of the churches in England and Scotland.

In his sermon on Sunday during a mass in the capital, Juba, the Pope urged the country to reject the “venom of hatred”.

Man South Sudanese are hoping their leaders will heed the advice.

“I expect our leaders to change their hearts and implement the message of peace brought by Pope Francis so that the people of South Sudan can have a lasting peace,” Imma Lasu told the BBC after the mass.

Rose Adao, a member of the Pentecostal Church, said she wants the leaders of South Sudan to repent and carry out the message of peace brought by Pope Francis.

Elisabeth Mayak Thomas, 20, was among the volunteers in preparations to host the Pope. She said she expected the leaders to “implement the peace agreement and reconcile our people”.

Peacekeeper killed in attack on UN helicopter in DR Congo

AUnited Nations peacekeeper from South Africa was killed and another wounded in an attack on their helicopter in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday.

The UN mission in the country, Monusco, said the helicopter came under fire in the afternoon while heading to Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, where it managed to land.

It said another peacekeeper was wounded in the attack.

“Monusco strongly condemns this cowardly attack against an aircraft bearing the United Nations emblem,” it said in a statement.

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) also confirmed the attack.

“An Oryx helicopter came under fire in Goma, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Sunday February 5, 2023,” it said in a statement

.“The SANDF is in the process of informing family members of the soldiers who were involved.”

Media tycoon arrested over Cameroon journalist’s death

A media tycoon in Cameroon has been arrested in connection with the killing of the prominent radio journalist, Martinez Zogo.

The businessman Jean-Pierre Amougou Belinga, the owner of L’Anecdote media group, was arrested just before dawn.

Zogo was abducted three weeks ago outside a police station in Yaoundé. His body was found heavily mutilated five days later.

The authorities announced last week that they had made several arrests in connection with the killing.

Three years ago another Cameroonian journalist, Samuel Wazizi, disappeared then died in state detention and an investigation into his death was not made public.

Cameroon ranks 118th out of 180 countries on the Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders.

“Although Cameroon has one of the richest media landscapes in Africa, it is one of the continent’s most dangerous countries for journalists, who operate in a hostile and precarious environment,” says the watchdog.

Russia’s Lavrov to meet junta leader in Mali visit

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is expected to arrive in Mali’s capital, Bamako, on Monday for his second trip to Africa in two weeks.

Mali’s foreign ministry said Mr Lavrov will hold a meeting with junta leader, Col Assimi Goïta, and other officials during the two-day visit.

The Yerewolo movement, which advocates for closer ties between Mali and Russia, welcomed Mr Lavrov’s visit and called for the installation of a Russian military base in the northern Gao Region, aBamako website reports.

Mr Lavrov was expected to visit Mali during his trip to the continent in January, but instead toured South Africa, Angola, Eswatini and Eritrea.

Russia’s influence in Mali has steadily increased since the deployment of Wagner Group mercenaries in December 2021.

Mr Lavrov said France had created a security void by withdrawing its troops from the Sahel nation, which Mali had asked Russia to help fill.

Israeli envoy to Zambia mugged in Lusaka

Israel’s ambassador to Zambia, Ofra Farhi, was mugged in front of her bodyguards on a street in the capital Lusaka last week, with robbers taking her diplomatic passport and mobile phone.

Local media said Ms Farhi was crossing a busy street on Friday when a car pulled up alongside her and the occupants grabbed her bag, which had an unspecified amount of cash.

She was treated at a local clinic and continued on to her scheduled meetings with local officials.

The ambassador said in a statement that though it is the kind of incident that can

Vice-President Teodoro “Theodorin” Nguema Obiang is known for his lavish lifestyle

N ews F rom A si A

Turkey-Syria earthquake: Mother and baby rescued twice in three days

ASyrian mother and her newborn baby are recovering after being rescued from the rubble of her earthquake-hit home twice in a week, a charity says.

Dima was seven months pregnant when last Monday’s earthquake caused part of her house in Jindayris to fall down.

She suffered minor injuries and later gave birth to a boy, Adnan, at a hospital in Afrin supported by the Syrian American Medical Society (Sams).

They returned to the house, only for it to collapse fully three days later.

Adnan was brought back to Afrin’s al-Shifa Hospital by rescuers in a critical condition, suffering from severe dehydration and jaundice, while Dima was treated for a serious lower limb injury.

Dr Abdulkarim Hussein alIbrahim, a paediatrician, told the BBC via WhatsApp on Monday that the baby was responding well to treatment.

“Adnan’s condition... has significantly improved,” he said.

“We are just feeding him and [providing] the rest of his needs through intravenous drips.”

Video footage released by Sams showed Adnan sleeping peacefully inside an incubator with his wrist hooked up to a drip.

Dima and her husband Abdul Majid stand in their earthquakedestroyed home in Jindayris, Syria

Dima has been discharged from hospital once again and is living in a tent along with her husband, Abdul Majid, and their nine other children. She has been travelling to Afrin to visit Adnan in hospital every day.

Her family was forced to return to her partially destroyed home after she gave birth because there was no alternative shelter available in Jindayris, one of the worst-hit towns in oppositionheld north-western Syria.

They have also not received any other aid since the earthquake, like thousands of others who have been affected.

Even before the disaster, 4.1 million people - most of them women and children - were relying

on humanitarian assistance to survive in the region, which is the last bastion of the jihadists and rebels who have been fighting forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad for 12 years.

But as of Sunday, only 52 lorries carrying aid from UN agencies had arrived from Turkey via Bab al-Hawa in Idlib province - the sole border crossing that the UN is authorised to use to deliver humanitarian assistance.

The deliveries had been scheduled before the earthquake and were delayed by damaged roads and other logistical issues, which meant they have not included the heavy machinery and other specialist equipment needed by the White Helmets, whose first responders operate in opposition-held areas.

Dr Ibrahim said there was an acute shortage of the medicines, other medical supplies, beds and blankets needed to treat the many injured people still being pulled from the rubble.

“No hospital has the capacity to accommodate this large number of injuries,” he warned.

Sams said the lack of shelter and access to water, sanitation and hygiene was a major concern in earthquake-affected areas

“[Everywhere] is full.”

The chairman of the Sams Foundation, Dr Basel Termanini, said the lack of shelter and access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services was also a major concern for the medical relief organisation, whose facilities in the region have helped more than 2,000 earthquake victims.

“We can treat the women after trauma or after delivery, but they need to go back to a

safe environment with minimum housing, nutrition and clean water,” he told the BBC.

“Unfortunately, this is in general lacking in north-western Syria, due to limited resources and the markedly delayed aid coming from the only lifeline of Bab al-Hawa crossing.”

Dr Termanini accused the UN and the international community of being “quite guilty of poor planning and failed execution”.

China says US balloons breached airspace at least 10 times

China’s foreign ministry says the US has flown balloons into its airspace more than 10 times in the past year.

It comes after the US on 4 February shot down a suspected spy balloon over its airspacewhich China said was one of its weather balloons gone astray.

Relations between the two countries have since deteriorated. In recent days, the US has also shot down a number of other unidentified objects.

Questioned on Monday, Beijing said the US had made many airspace breaches.

“It’s not uncommon as well for the US to illegally enter the airspace of other countries,” said foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin at a regular press briefing.

“Since last year alone, US balloons have illegally flown above China more than 10 times

without any approval from Chinese authorities.”

“The first thing the US side should do is start with a clean slate, undergo some selfreflection, instead of smearing and accusing China,” he added.

He said Beijing had responded to the incursions in a “responsible and professional” manner.

“If you want to know more about US high-altitude balloons illegally entering China’s airspace, I suggest you refer to the US side,” he said.

Chinese state-affiliated media reported over the weekend that an unidentified flying object had been spotted off the country’s east coast, with the military preparing to shoot it down.

The White House denied Beijing’s accusation that it sent balloons over China to conduct surveillance, with National

Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson calling the claims “false” on Twitter.

The first balloon incident led US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to cancel a planned trip to Beijing. The top diplomat called China’s alleged highaltitude spying “unacceptable and irresponsible”.

On Sunday, the US ordered an unmanned “octagonal structure” to be downed in Michigan near the Canadian border - the fourth object to be taken out in eight days.

Fighter pilots also shot down smaller unidentified objects over Alaska on 10 February and northern Canada on 11 February.

Mr Wang said he had “no understanding of [these other objects]”.

“But what we want to tell everyone here is that the US’ frequent firing of advanced

missiles used to strike down unidentified flying objects is an overreaction of excessive force,” he said.

A US military commander, General Glen VanHerck, said that there was no indication of any threat from the latest object.

He said it could be a “gaseous type of balloon” or “some type of a propulsion system” - adding he could not rule out that the objects were extra-terrestrials.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the government would do “whatever it takes” to

Hong Kong: Largest national security trial begins

The trial for the largest national security case in Hong Kong has begun, with some 47 people accused of “subversion” for holding an unofficial primary election.

They include some of the city’s most prominent pro-democracy figures, such as activists Joshua Wong and Benny Tai.

Most of them have been detained for the past two years

on security grounds.

Critics say the city’s controversial national security law is used as a tool to crush dissent.

But Chinese and Hong Kong authorities maintain it is needed to curb unrest.

On Monday long queues of supporters were seen outside the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Court, where the hearing is

taking place.

A small group of protesters also gathered outside the court. “Crackdown is shameless,” read one banner which added: “Immediately release all political prisoners.”

Prosecutors charge that the unofficial primary election - held to select candidates to contest a legislative election - was a “vicious plot” to subvert the

government.

The accused had a “massive and well-organised scheme” to gain a legislative majority and cripple the government by blocking the passage of laws, with the ultimate aim of overthrowing the Beijing-appointed chief executive.

The group, which has been charged with conspiracy to commit subversion, has

maintained they were merely practising normal opposition politics.

Supporters are surrounded by police outside the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts building during a hearing for the 47 prodemocracy activists on trial.

Dubbed “The 47” by local media, those connected to the case include: BBC

Map showing objects shot down over North American airspace

Why the human genome was never completed

Before the end of 2023, you should be able to read something remarkable. It will be the story of a single individual, who they are and where they come from – and it will offer hints about what their future holds. It probably won’t be the most entertaining read on first glance, and it will be very, very long. But it will be a seminal moment – the publication online of the entire genome of a human being, end to end with no gaps.

At this point you may feel that you have heard this before. Surely the human genome was published decades ago? Isn’t that all done?

It was, in fact, never finished. The first draft of the human genome was released in 2001, before a consortium of international scientists of the Human Genome Project announced that they had “completed” the job with a finished sequence in 2003. Assembled from chunks of various people’s DNA, this became the “reference” sequence against which all other human DNA could be compared.

It was certainly the best that could be done at the time, but had major gaps and errors. Later releases improved on it, but many of the problems persisted. Only in the last few years has technology advanced to the point that it is possible to read the entire human genome, without gaps and with minimal errors. But these have all been composites, using DNA drawn from multiple individuals. This year, for the first time, the entire genome of a single human being – a man named Leon Peshkin – is due to be released.

This complete, single human genome will be a monumental technical achievement. Only 70 years have passed since the doublehelix structure of DNA was first revealed, thanks in part to a grainy black and white image taken by Rosalind Franklin, transforming our understanding of how genetic information is stored. Today we have the capability to read the entire genetic ‘textbook’ that makes a person unique.

But the geneticists involved say it is also a beginning, not an end. They now want to sequence the genomes of people from around the world, to build up a true picture of our species’ genetic diversity. They want to understand what the previously unsequenced sections of DNA are doing. And they want to roll out end-to-end genome sequencing in clinics, to help doctors diagnose and treat us when we get sick.

In short, the human genome will never be complete. We will never be done reading it.

The first human genome

The original Human Genome

Project (HGP) was one of the biggest scientific projects ever attempted, costing about $3bn (£2.5bn) . Launched in 1990, its aim was to read all the DNA the average human carries in their cells. The first draft sequence was published just over a decade later, in 2001. Simultaneously, another version of the genome was published by Celera Genomics.

Leon Peshkin, a biologist at Harvard Medical School, will be the first person to have this whole genome sequenced without gaps

(Credit: Virginia Savova)

Leon Peshkin, a biologist at Harvard Medical School, will be the first person to have this whole genome sequenced without gaps

(Credit: Virginia Savova)

WHAT IS A GENOME?

The genome is often compared to a kind of book, written in the alphabet of DNA rather than English. The DNA alphabet only has four letters: A, C, G and T. They each represent different molecules called bases that are strung along the length of the DNA molecule. When read correctly, a particular sequence of these letters forms a gene.

The job of translating this information falls to the molecular machinery inside our cells. Some genes provide the information needed to make an enormous variety of different proteins that perform assorted functions important to life, while other sections of DNA have regulatory functions. What the Human Genome Project team figured out was the exact order of the bases along the DNA, something like CGATTTCCGAAAA – and so on for over three billion letters.

The human genome promised many things. We would discover what the genes were doing, especially those involved in diseases. This would enable a future of personalised medicine, in which we all received treatments shaped around our genetic makeups. The genome also promised insights into our evolutionary origins: exactly how are we different from our closest living relatives, chimpanzees and bonobos?

Some of this has happened, some of it hasn’t. We certainly know a lot more about the functions of many genes and their roles in diseases ranging from breast cancer to schizophrenia. However, in practice it has turned out that most diseases are affected by hundreds of genes, so genomic medicine hasn’t got very far. Few inherited diseases are caused by a single faulty gene, and the use of genetic screening to detect those at risk of rare conditions is largely only used for those considered at the highest risk.

In contrast, genetics has reshaped our understanding of human evolution, for instance revealing that our ancestors interbred with other hominins like Neanderthals.

Meanwhile, lurking in the background has been the awkward fact that the human genome was never actually finished. While geneticists have been cleaning it up ever since the first draft was published, most recently in February 2022, some parts of the genome remained out of reach. Repeats, repeats and more repeats

The problem is that some DNA is extremely repetitive. Certain stretches of the genome repeat the same sequences over and over, sometimes for thousands of bases.

DNA

The repetitive DNA often turns up in the same bits of the genome. Our DNA isn’t stored in one long continuous rope, but is instead split into smaller chunks called chromosomes. These are X-shaped (apart from one Y-shaped chromosome carried by men) and there are 23 pairs of them in humans. Each has repetitive DNA at the tips of its four arms – the telomeres – and at the central cross, the centromere. Both are important.

Eight per cent was missing from the officially finished version in 2003 – Adam Phillippy

The telomeres are thought to act as protective caps, and damage to them has been linked to ageing. Meanwhile, the centromeres are crucial to the process of cell division that underlies growth

and reproduction, and which goes wrong in cancer. Reshuffling of the DNA in the centromeres has been implicated in the development of some cancers.

However, the Human Genome Project could not sequence the repetitive DNA, and didn’t try. Their method was not up to the challenge. They did not read the entire genome in one go, but instead cut it up into small chunks a few hundred bases long, read those, then stitched them back together with a computer. This would not work for repetitive sections, because the computer had

no way to figure out what order the segments fitted together. It would be like trying to do a jigsaw that was all cloudless blue sky.

“Eight per cent was missing from the officially finished version in 2003,” says Adam Phillippy, head of genome informatics at the National Human Genome Research Institute in Bethesda, Maryland.

And so our repetitive DNA sat, almost entirely unread, for 20 years. Then in 2021 Phillippy and his colleagues announced they had read it all.

Source; BBC

Some of this has happened, some of it hasn’t. We certainly know a lot more about the functions of many genes and their roles in diseases ranging from breast cancer to schizophrenia. However, in practice it has turned out that most diseases are affected by hundreds of genes, so genomic medicine hasn’t got very far.

Leon Peshkin, a biologist at Harvard Medical School, will be the first person to have this whole genome sequenced without gaps (Credit: Virginia Savova)

sequencing has made it possible to conduct genetic diagnosis of inherited, although often rare, diseases

(Credit: Dickson Lee/Getty Images)

Scientists have been trying to fill in various gaps in the human genome for the past two decades (Credit: Greg Baker/Getty Images)

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Victor Osimhen rated nest striker in the world ahead of Haaland

By Amaechi Agbo

Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen has been rated as the best striker in the world. Even better that Manchester City forward, Erling Haaland, according to English newspaper, Daily Mail.

Osimhen who scored his 17th Serie A goal of the season in Napoli’s 3-0 humiliation of Cremonsese on Sunday is seeking to become the first African player to win the Serie Golden Boot award.

Erling Haaland will be seeking to hunt down Arsenal on Wednesday when both teams clash in a heavyweight top-of-the-table EPL clash as Arsenal currently lead City with three points on the log.

However, the rives is the case for Osimhen whose 7 goals in six consecutive matches have helped Napoli to establish a sixteen-point lead ahead of their closet rival Inter Milan.

Although not every Premier League follower is familiar with Victor Osimhen but they soon will be. The Nigerian is driving Napoli towards only the third Serie A title in their history, and their first since the days of Diego Maradona. They are 13 points clear at the top ahead of Sunday’s meeting with struggling Cremonese.

Maradona’s status in Naples has to be seen to be believed. Walk through the city centre and you will

find shrines to him. In the Spanish Quarter, the murals depicting the great Argentine take the breath away.

No footballer will be idolised in Naples quite as Maradona was but if Napoli win the league this season, Osimhen will come pretty close.

Daily Mail noted that Osimhen may not be quite as prolific as Haaland - who is? - but Osimhen is a more complete No 9. Sporting a protective mask after breaking his cheekbone and eye socket in November 2021, the 24-year-old even looks like a superhero.

He has 16 goals in 17 Serie A appearances this term but there is so much more to his game. His speed terrifies defenders, as does his strength.

Unlike Haaland, he links play superbly and has developed a deadly understanding with fellow attacker Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, another of Europe’s top players this season.

Roaring his team on from sidelines after he had been substituted during a recent win over Roma, Osimhen showed himself to be natural leader.

His goal in that gamecontrolling the ball on his chest and knee before despatching a sweet volley - was one of the best in Europe’s top five leagues this season.

Osimhen’s qualities make him the ideal Premier League No 9 but he would not come cheap.

Aurelio De Laurentiis insisted this week that Osimhen was not for sale and the Napoli owner, with his impressive sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli at his side, is known as one of the game’s most ferocious negotiators.

Agents and sporting directors who tried - and failed - to sign stars like Kalidou Koulibaly and Dries Mertens in their prime break out in a cold sweat when recalling talks with Napoli.

It will be no different when they come for Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia this summer.

Nigerian has plenty of admirers across Europe but Napoli have made it clear he is not for sale

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis insisted he does not have to sell his star players

Given Chelsea’s brashness in the market, De Laurentiis and Giuntoli will probably be thinking they can get half a billion for the pair of them. They will certainly be looking to double the £75million paid to Lille for Osimhen in July

2020.

‘I can tell you that Osimhen is not for sale,’ De Laurentiis told German publication Bild. ‘Our players are in demand, but I don’t have to sell anyone. We don’t have any debts.’

Expect Osimhen, whose contract expires in two years, to come under serious pressure from supporters to sign a new deal.

Yet nearly every elite player today craves the challenge of the Premier League. With United and Chelsea badly lacking a No9, it promises to be a busy summer.

CSED trains 34 coaches on netball in Taraba State, donates equipment

By Amaechi Agbo

Jalingo, the Taraba State capital was the center last week as the train of Community Sports and Educational Development, CSED Initiative arrived the state and trained 34 coaches in netball and also donated the sport equipment to the people.

The training which was jointly organized by Taraba Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and the Ministry of Education, was powered by CSED Initiative a leading sport for change NGO in Nigeria.

The two-day training which held from 9-10 February, was part of the CSED’s mandate in actualizing the “Project 2027” set target

“PROJECT 2027” is a grassroots netball development programme that aim to promote the right of Nigerian girls to play the game of netball in the country. Netball could have died “unnaturally in Nigeria,” if not for the consistent efforts of CSED Initiative and the Naija

Netball Stakeholders who have strongly resisted the nonchallant attitude of the NOC (Nigeria Olympic Committee) and some top civil servants in the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports in developing netball in Nigeria.

The ultimate goal of the project is to bring the game of netball to the attention of one million Nigerian school girls before the end of 2027, by training one thousand two hundred Physical Education (PE) teachers in schools all over Nigeria. These trained P.E. teachers will be expected to impart the knowledge gained from attending the free netball training into their students.

The two-day basic netball training for P.E. teachers in Taraba State led to the certification of 34 (thirty-four) new netball coaches. The training was conducted by two Netball Africa certified instructors, Dr Grace Ataha and Godwin Edema Fuludu.

The two instructors made use of the training pack that was developed by the current World

Netball Ambassador, Mary Waya, who is the former coach of Tanzania and Malawi national netball teams. The two instructors stressed the importance of the P.E. Teachers ensuring they promote the safety and welfare of their students by ensuring that they implement the safeguarding advice that they have received during the netball training. Furthermore, the teachers will be provided with access to develop themselves by doing online safeguarding training and other online sports for change training that would be made available to them in future.As part of the netball training curriculum, the new coaches were trained in the theory and practical aspects of netball, which is the only sport in the world that is specifically designed for girls and women.

The attendees at this free training course were intrigued by the unique rules of the game of netball. These rules require players to stay in specific parts of the netball court that is divided into three parts.

The position of a player in this team sport (netball) determines the area of the court that they can operate in. Netball has seven different positions and the players have to pass and move the ball from one end of the court to the other end, and they can only score a point when their goal scorer (GS) successfully shoots the ball into their opponent rim that has an internal diameter of 38cm or 380mm. The two netball rims are placed on vertical poles that is 10 feet tall (for adult players).

However, the poles could be adjusted to 9 feet for U-12 players and 8 feet for U-9 players. Netball is played in four intervals of 15 minutes each. The Netball World Cup will be held from 28th July to 6th August 2023 in Cape Town (South Africa).

During his welcome address to the participants at the opening ceremony of the training event, the Director of Sports, Mr George Shitta urged the participants to carefully listen to the teachings of the instructors, who have held

similar basic netball training events in five other states (Edo, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Enugu and Bayelsa) in Nigeria.

Mr Shitta thanked CSED for coming to Taraba State again, just after less than a month of holding a grassroots badminton training event in Taraba State. Given the important role sports play in unifying Nigerians, Mr Shitta urged private organizations and individuals to complement government efforts by investing more in grassroots sports development with a view of engaging the youths in pro-social activities that would be beneficial to them and the society in future.

Mr Shitta stated that the Sport Council will consolidate on the gains of the training through proper monitoring in order to ensure the effective utilization of the free starter packs (netball balls, fingerheld whistles, rims/nets and two sets of netball training bibs) that were distributed to the P.E. teachers of the schools and staff of the Sport Council.

Erling Haaland and Victor Osimhen

S P R T

Ex Arsenal Coach Marcello carpets Mountain of Fire Church hierarchy over MFM disbandment

By Amaechi Agbo

Former coach of Mountain of Fire and Miracle Football Club of Lagos, Marcello Anyanwu has frowned at the authorities of the owners of the club, Mountain of Fire and Miracle Church for disbandment of the club.

The MFM FC was relegated from the Nigeria topflight league, Nigeria Premier Football League NPFL last season and wete to begin life at the lower league, Nigeria National League, NNL this season.

But the church decided to sell the club’s NNL slot and returned the club to its former owner, Toyin Gafaar’s Bolowatan, a decision that did not go down well with Mr Marcello

Speaking to our correspondence over the church’s decision from his base in United Arab Emirate, the Head Scout of Gulf United Football Club, Dubai 2nd division league, described the decision as an unfortunate one.

“MFM was established for evangelism and youth empowerment. And engaging in and sponsorship of a football club to play in the highest Nigeria football league was one of the ways the church has empowered the youths and contributed to the development of football in the country.

“It’s true that the club has been

struggling for the past two seasons in the Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL which lead to its relegation to the lower league last season. But this shouldn’t have warranted throwing away the baby with the bathing water,” he started.

The former Nigeria Football Federation Presidential aspirant is of the opinion that what the club needs is restructuring and not outright disbandment.

“What is needed at this point in time is restructuring. Every club, like any organisation, experiences its worst moment at a time. But instead of winding up such enterprise, the owners rather would look inward to find a solution to their problems. I had expected the church authority to have put on their thinking cap and fixes whatever are the problems with the team.

“The church authority has enough resources, material and human, to resuscitate the fortunes of the club and and restore its past glory,” the former Arsenal youth team trainer said.

The ‘Olukoya Boys ‘was wholly owned by Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, a Pentecostal Christian organization which came into existence in 2007.

In 2013, MFM participated in the Nigeria National League after they took over Toyin Gafaar’s Bolowatan FC’s slot for

free.

MFM then made their debut in the Nigeria Professional Football League in 2016 and as newcomers, they narrowly escaped relegation.

The following season, they finished in the second position and qualified for the 2018 CAF Champions League, a record feat achieved in relative time.

In the 2020 and 2021 seasons, they finished 14th and 10th respectively.

However, after six years of top flight football, MFM were relegated from the

NPFL in 2022 and were to begin a new life in the NNL alongside Kano Pillars, Katsina United and Heartland FC.

But ahead of the 2022/23 abridged NNL season scheduled to kickoff on March 3, MFM as a church has decided to discontinue funding the club and returned it to the owner who gave them the slot for free over a decade ago.

Meanwhile, Henserd FC of Sagbama, Bayelsa State will replace MFM ahead the 2022/2023 NNL season after the former bought over the latter’s slot in the league.

Egypt 2023: Gusau charges Flying Eagles to go for FIFA World Cup ticket

By Amaechi Agbo

President of Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau has assured the Flying Eagles of all necessary support and attention from the football-ruling body as the team continues its build-up to the Africa U20 Cup of Nations finals in Egypt.

The NFF President gave the assurance on Sunday evening while visiting the Flying Eagles at their training tour base, Hotel Novotel in Mohammedia, Morocco shortly after the team’s 2-1 victory over their Congolese counterparts in a friendly at the Complexe Sportif Sidi Mohammed.

“Let me use this opportunity to congratulate you all for emerging victorious against the Congolese team. It was a well-deserved victory because you played well. I believe there are a lot of good players here that will make the generality of Nigerians proud.

“The NFF under my leadership is working assiduously to ensure that you get all the support necessary for you to excel and that’s why I directed the secretariat to settle all your camping allowances which was done before your departure. I assure you that we are now working on how to motivate you in an extra way when you get to Cairo. All you have to do is go out there and make

NFF President Gusau in a group photo with the Flying Eagles at their Hotel Novotel in Mohammedia on Sunday.

Nigerians proud.

“Getting to the semi-finals is paramount because that guarantees us a place in the FIFA U20 World Cup in Indonesia; so I urge you to seal that ticket and then get to the final and win the trophy.”

Responding on behalf of the team, Captain Daniel Bameyi thanked the President for the visit while reassuring him the players are battle-ready for the

task ahead, and will do the needful by ensuring the team not only wins a World Cup ticket but goes all out for the trophy.

The Flying Eagles are expected to play U20 boys of Central African Republic on Wednesday before the team’s departure to Cairo on Thursday.

Against the Congolese, Nigeria dominated for large swathes of the first period but fell behind when Solomon Oniangue scored for the boys from

Brazzaville in the 21st minute. Haliru Sarki, Francis Ayuba and Mohammed Ibrahim all missed good opportunities to draw the Flying Eagles level.

However, Emmanuel Uchegbu and Adams Olamilekan turned the game around for Nigeria with goals in the 66th and 74th minute to maintain the unbeaten run of this set of Flying Eagles in all matches and competitions.

CAF Confederation Cup: Rivers United thrashed 3-0 in Congo

By Amaechi Agbo

Nigeria champions, Rivers United were on Sunday humbled 3-0 by Diables

Noirs of Congo in Group B of the

CAF Confederation Cup

The Nigeria Premier Football League winners conceded three goals in 7 minutes in the first half to set the tone on their losing opening Group B match.

Carl Wunda scored the opening goal in the 30th minute before Jaures Ngombe made it 2-0 two minutes later for the host.

Domi Massoumou made it three-nil on the dot of 37th

minute.

The defeat leaves Rivers United rock bottom of Group B after the other match between ASEC Mimosas and Motema Pembe ended goalless.

Rivers United will take on ASEC Mimosas on Sunday February 19, at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on matchday 2.

MFM FC was disbanded after their relegation from the NPFL last season.

NPFL23: Sunday Akinmoladun charges teammates to up their game ahead of Bayelsa United visit

Niger Tornadoes defender

Sunday Akinmoladun has called on his colleagues to brace up for victory ahead of the mid-week visit of Bayelsa United and the weekend game against Dakkada FC in Kaduna.

The Tornadoes skipper who speaks on the heels of the weekend defeat to Sunshine Stars of Akure in a match-day 7 encounter said...

“Winning our next two matches before the break is a must, starting from the visit of Bayelsa United on wednesday”.

“It is everyone’s knowledge that we started the season very well with victory in Bauchi which was followed by a home win against Doma United, but since then, we have been struggling to regain back our form”. “The coaches are doing their best; the players too, but this time around we must be up and doing to avoid last season’s scenario when the battled for safety up till the last couple of games to end the season”.

“The two scoreless home draws against Rangers Int’l and Lobi Stars have no doubts affected our standing on the group ‘B’ log, but

not withstanding, we must get back to winning ways, starting from the mid-week game”.

“We must not allow this dwindling form affect our

performance, hope is not lost, even though it is an abridged season with few number of matches”.

The Ikon Allah Boys have scored 4 goals and conceded 5, a return that

IOC Donates One Million Dollars To Turkey-Syria Earthquake Rescue Mission

By Amaechi Agbo

The International Olympic Committee, IOC has donated the sum of one million USD to help those affected by the twin Monday earthquake that ravaged Turkey and Syria on Monday.

The world Olympic Movement umpire said it had created an emergency fund an will donate the sum to help cushion the impact of the quake on the victims

The IOC, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), the European Olympic Committees (EOC) and the Olympic Refuge Foundation (ORF) will donate a total of USD one million to help the Olympic community in the areas affected by the natural disaster.

is not impressive, after a brilliant start to the season.

Tornadoes occupies the 6th place on the log with 8 points after 7 matches.

2023 AFCON Qualifier: Guinea Bissau To Host Super Eagles In Morocco

Nigeria’s opponents, Guinea Bissau will host the Super Eagles in Morocco in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON qualifier between the two countries next month.

In the matchday 3 of the qualifiers, Nigeria will first host Guinea Bissau on March 20 before a reverse on 27 which the Guinea football authorities have secured a Moroccan venue for

The two-legged matches are the match days three and four of the qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations slated slated for January 2024.

No host have been selected yet for the 34th edition of the continental showpiece after initial host, Ivory Coast was stripped of the hosting rights due to infrastructure deficit.

Africa’s football ruling body, CAF failed to approve any stadium venue in Guinea Bissau for the reversed fixture, warranting the country to make a frantic search for the alternative venue before the February 7 deadline stipulated by CAF

Guinea Bissau football federation approached the Federation of Morocco Football to have its home game in the North African country and the approval has been secured.

Guinea-Bissau is placed second behind Nigeria with four points and Super Eagles maintained the top spot with a maximum of six points from two games.

The IOC and OCA will each give USD 250,000, EOC will give EUR 250,000, while the ORF will make available an additional amount of USD 260,000 for immediate emergency assistance to the local population and refugees in Turkey and Syria

“It is with great sadness that we have learnt of the tragic loss of life and devastation caused by the earthquake that has struck the south-eastern region of Türkiye and Syria.

“I have spoken to the NOC President of Türkiye and the NOC President of Syria, and have heard from them about the impact the earthquake has had on many members of the Olympic community. Unfortunately there are a number of athletes and members of the Olympic community among the victims, while many others have lost their homes and sports infrastructure has been heavily damaged,” said IOC President, Thomas Bach.

“We discussed how best to support the members of the Olympic community. As a result of the conversations, we have agreed with the OCA, the EOC and the ORF to take immediate action,” the IOC President added.

“Our first-response emergency assistance in Türkiye will channelled through the Olympic Refuge Foundation and their partners on site. In Syria, we will work with international NGOs and UN agencies that are able to access the affected areas. We have learnt that the biggest need at the moment is for food, medicine and tents.”

Also, the European football body UEFA are among the sporting federations providing financial aid for those affected by the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.

UEFA and its Foundation for Children will donate an initial 200,000 euros ($214,000) to support the humanitarian operation in Turkey and Syria.

The English Premier League said it will be donating one million pounds ($1.2m) in response to the tragedies

Niger Tornadoes Sunday Akinmoladun

Rescuers at the Turkey Earthquake scene

Napoli fans queue to o buy Victor Osimhen’s mask

Raging, combustible, toxic February

Ordinarily, having been away on break (a break that lingered for more than expected due to situation in our country, one should start with some salutation to, at least, formally wish readers and followers of this column a happy new year, 2023. Unfortunately, I have no time for such niceties for, current happenings in our country stoked by vituperations from our political class portend danger for our country. Since start of political campaigns for the general elections, many of had been wishing that the month of February 2023 arrive and end speedily so that the pernicious air that is enveloping our country would disperse with conclusion of the presidential poll. For, the tension in our land is rooted in the pending polls and it is believed that once the presidential election (the most anticipated one is over) some semblance of normality would return to our country and that we would be able to begin to breathe some fresh air from March.

By VICTORIA NGOZI IKEANO

nation is now deeply divided down the middle politically. Unlike before when Nigerians are generally indifferent to elections, far more Nigerians than ever before are interested in outcome of especially the presidential poll, each Nigerian of voting age believes he/she has a stake in it. And although the leading gladiators have said that they are not desperate about becoming president, fact of the matter is that this is perhaps the last opportunity for each of the two notable candidates to vie for this position.

Napoli fans now look forward to buying replicas of Victor Osimhen’s mask on matchdays according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Replicas of Osimhen’s mask were on sale in the stalls outside the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium and hundreds of fans were seen queueing to buy the gadget on Sunday, before their game with Cremonese.

Majority of the fans also bought his shirt to go with the mask.

The Nigeria international is Serie A’s leading scorer with 17 goals in 18 matches, including eight in the last six appearances Napoli are on course to win their first Scudetto in 33 years.

Luciano Spalletti’s side are enjoying a 16-point lead over second-placed Inter who have a game in hand.

Alas, the combustible nature, rage and toxicity of February, 2023 has continued to evince itself with passing of each day of the month. It is threatening to boil over. Indications are that the high wire politicking by our political class, characterised by unmitigated intrigues, blackmail, betrayals, high handedness, etc., would continue well after the general elections until the new government takes over in May. The back biting, intrigues in high places are becoming bare faced and those behind them are no longer masking their intentions. The battle line is drawn, positions are hardening. It is a battle to finish with each side of the political divide literally vowing not to retreat nor surrender.

It is as though from all angles, fires are being stoked hither and thither, they are increasing in intensity as the elections draw nearer day by day, threatening to consume the masses and the nation itself. While we ordinary folks are watching helplessly, those who are in a position to do something, take action to dispel the raging storm somehow, are seemingly unconcerned, watching hands akimbo. The

So, they are lining up their arsenals, covertly and overtly; they are making use of both conventional and unconventional methods, fighting a battle for which all methods are seemingly fair –blackmail, bullying, resort to primordial sentiments, etc, etc. Their supporters both within and without, online and offline, highly placed and lowly placed, are becoming unhinged, saying and doing things that are to say the least, provocative, inciting, to decent people. Am afraid that even if the elections are free and fair, the losing candidate would cry foul and their might be some crisis.

‘Elder statesman’, Chief Ayo Adebanjo is urging us to prepare for war, adding that a particular presidential candidate “ must win”, otherwise we should “forget

about Nigeria”. The political parties, especially the two big ones are engaged in insidious accusations and counter accusations against each other. And the Nigeria Broadcast Commission (NBC) has fined some television stations for reechoing what it termed “hate speeches” in the course of the campaign. Indeed, FFK and DM are notorious for dishing out slanderous statements on each other’s candidate. Their no holds barred spiteful effusions full of bile easily qualify for at least a page in the infamous ‘Book of Insults’. And each has its supporters cheering. In fact campaigns for the 2023 political race is about the most toxic since birth of this fourth republic in 1999. It is a fall out from the cantankerous, bitter primaries.

The ruling APC now has powerful elements within the seat of power who, we are told, are opposed to its presidential candidate and are constructing stumbling blocks for him. Ditto the main opposition PDP presidential candidate. There are some former high ranking officials of the party as well as some sitting governors that have literally vowed that their party’s presidential flag bearer would be president over their dead bodies. You can then picture the combustible nature of our current political terrain and what we are witnessing. Peter Obi parted ways with his

former party, PDP in a rather acrimonious manner to go pitch his tent with Labour party; snatched its presidential ticket by prodding its already emerged candidate to step down for him. Although he is considered to be mild in character and has generally not engaged in any foul language as such, his supporters are just as toxic online, literally bullying and insulting anyone that disagrees or says anything disagreeable about their candidate online. They are kings of the cyberspace so to speak.

Yet another factor that has contributed to the political conflagration is so-called spilling of beans by those that had once worked with the presidential candidates. First was a former aide of Atiku Abubakar, named Michael who regaled us with ‘misdeeds’ of his former boss while he was vice president. Then came Najaatu who went roaring after resigning as a director in the APC presidential campaign council, dishing out information about the personality of Bola Tinubu. What they said were like sour grapes and they set tongues wagging. In sum the clouds are gathering , the storm is raging. Hatred has been planted into the hearts of the citizenry. Peacemakers are needed to wade in and help douse the tension in our land. Let it not be said that men and women of goodwill fiddled while our country boils. The ardent longing and prayer of all genuine peace lovers is first for a peaceful poll and peaceful transition thereafter.

The ruling APC now has powerful elements within the seat of power who, we are told, are opposed to its presidential candidate and are constructing stumbling blocks for him. Ditto the main opposition PDP presidential candidate