Wednesday, February 22nd, 2023 Edition

Akwa Ibom PDP Guber: Appeal court sacks Micheal Enyong

By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja

The Court of Appeal in Abuja, has sacked a House of representatives member, Hon Micheal Enyong as the Governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for Akwa Ibom State.

The judgement, the Court restored Mr Umo Eno, a former Commissioner for Land whose nomination by the party was set aside by a Federal High Court in Abuja on January 20, 2023.

Justice Hamma Akawu Barka voided the judgment of the Federal High Court and set it aside on the ground that it predicated on errors.

It held that the court below decision was delivered in error and that the court was mislead by the plaintiff in the matter to arrive at unjust conclusion.

The Appallate court held that the issue of statutory delegates who voted at the primary election is an internal affairs of the party and that the lower court ought not to have enquired into the issue.

Justice Barka also agreed with Usoro that only the National Working Committee NWC of a political party has power to conduct primary elections for the purpose of nomination of candidates for general election.

The appellate court further held that since the lower court has no jurisdiction to inquire into the internal affairs of PDP, the Judge has no discretion in law to exercise in the matter.

Justice Barka thereafter upheld the appeal of the PDP and vacated

all orders made by the Federal High Court judgment in favour of Michael Enyong.

Besides, the Court of Appeal ordered the House of Representatives member, representing Uyo Federal Constituency to pay a sum of one million naira to the appellant as cost of litigation.

Reacting to the judgment Mr Paul Usoro SAN, said that the Judiciary has done justice to the unlawful orders issued by the Federal High Court against PDP.

Oke-ero Federal Constituency: Supreme Court affirms Tunji Olawuyi as APC candidate

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the appeal filed by Mr Oluwasegun Adebayo, challenging the candidacy of Mr Tunji Olawuyi, as the authentic representative of the All Progressive Congress (APC) for Ekiti, Irepodun, Isin and Oke-ero Federal Constituency of Kwara State. A five man panel of justices led by Justice Kudirat KekereEkun, however, affirmed the

candidacy of Olawuyi who is currently representing the constituency. Kekere-Ekun, dismissed the appeal for having filled out of time and therefore is statue barred. Adebayo who had challenged the candidacy of Olawuyi was seeking to be recognisedd as the dully elected candidate of the party. Mr Adebayo Afeez, Counsel to the defendant, who spoke after the case said the appeal was defect in the

originating summon and subsequently dismissed. He said that the name of Olawuyi on the INEC list remains the recognised candidate by the party. In his reaction, Olawuyi described the rulling as a no victor, no vanquish, while commending the Governor of Kwara State, Malam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and leadership of his party in the state. He commended the doggedness of Adebayo,

describing him as a fighter and a warrior, while urging him to bury the hatchet and join hands with the party to victory in the Feb. 25 General Elections. Olawuyi thanked all the party stakeholders across the constituency and the state at large as well as his supporters, while expressing confidence in the party’s victory in the forthcoming elections.

(NAN)

L-R: Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Representative of the Inspector General of Police, AIG Bala Ciroma and Representative of the National Security Adviser, Alh. Sanusi Galadima, presenting the Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement for Security Personnel on Electoral Dirty, during the meeting of Inter Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), at the INEC headquarters, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

The Kano Central senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress ( APC), Abdussalam Abdulkarim Zaura, has awarded the sum of N200 million worth of scholarship to 10,000 students of tertiary institutions.

Speaking at the flag off of the scholarship at his campaign office in Kano yesterday, Zaura, popularly known as A.A. Zaura said the gesture was to

2023 Elections: Don, CCD urges adequate assistance, security for PWDs

Prof. Omololu Soyombo, a Professor of Sociology at University of Lagos, has stressed the need for INEC to ensure adequate provision of assistive devices to aid Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) during the 2023 general elections.

He made the call in a presentation on “The Pre-Election Assessment of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Provisions for Persons with Disabilities” on Monday in Lagos.

Soyombo, a Consultant to the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), said an assessment of INEC’s preparations for PWDs in the elections found that the people are ready and willing to exercise their voting right.

He added that thousands of PWDs registered and collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), “but they are skeptical about availability of assistive devices that would help them during the election.

“PWDs expect improved outcomes from the situation in 2019; they expect INEC to provide materials in accessible formats for them. Braille format, sign language interpreters, magnifying glasses and so on.

“They also want INEC and relevant authorities and agencies to provide adequate security to safeguard their mobility and lives during the exercise.’’

He said a review of the 2019 election was conducted and a cross section of PWDs identified challenges such as long distance, challenges with transportation and having to scale gutters, steps and other impediments,

They also expressed concern over their safety and security, harsh weather, having to join long queues, poor communication of voting instructions, voting cubicles not convenient for use by

APC Kano Senatorial candidate, A.A Zaura awards N200m scholarship to 10,000 students

ameliorate the present economic hardship experienced by them and their parents.

The scholarship, which is awarded in batches, began with N60 million for 3,000 students, N20,000 each, from the 44 local government areas who are from various tertiary institutions.

He said, arrangement is being put in place to ensure disbursement of the fund to the remaining 7,000 students in the near future.

He however promised to raise

the number of beneficiaries to 30,000 when elected as Senator.

“I wish to thank the Almighty God for giving me the opportunity to fulfil the promise i made to give scholarship of N200 million to 10,000 students.

“3,000 students are going to be given N20,000 each in the first batch, which will be disbursed from today after collection of their account details.

“My plan is to raise the number of beneficiaries to 30,000. This scholarship is

introduced because of my passion for educating our teeming youths.

“Let me tell you that the scholarship is not restricted to Kano Central senatorial zone, it is across the whole 44 Local Government areas of this state. The selection of the candidates was done after high scrutiny and transparently.

“I call on you all to join us in supporting you by doing the right thing with your votes,” he stated.

One of the beneficiaries, a Business Administration student of Kano state Polytechnic, Ismail Muhammad, expressed gratitude on behalf of other beneficiarie, calling on the senatorial candidate to keep on the good work.

He also called on other senators to emulate Zaura, even as he commended the candidate for awarding the scholarship while he is not holding political office.

Executive Director, Resource Centre for Human Rights Civil Education, Dr. Ibrahim M. Zikrullahi, Executive Director, Civil Society Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Auwal Musa (Rafsanjani), Director, Praxis Academy, Comrade Jaye Gaskiya and Director, Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), Dr. Tobi Oluwatola, during the press conference by Civil Society Organizations on the State of the Nation, yesterday in Abuja.

2023 Electios: Centre tasks INEC on timely deployment of materials, personnel

Savannah Centre for Diplomacy and Democracy (SCDDD) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure timely deployment of materials and personnel for the forthcoming 2023 elections.

Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, the Chairperson, Savannah Centre’s Council of the Wise and former President Court of Appeal, made the call at news conference on Tuesday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Bulkachuwa was represented by Amb. Brownson Dede, the Board of Directors Chair of the centre and member of the Council of the Wise.

She said that the integrity of the elections largely depended on its management by INEC who should be guided by the remarkable success so far

achieved from 2015 to date.

According to her, as a neutral and independent institution, INEC must be fair and just too all political parties, candidates and electorate.

She said that the use of electronic gadgets and other modern devices by INEC was a welcome development and must be properly managed in order to enhance the integrity of the elections and to fully reflect the choices of the people.

Bulkachuwa appreciated the Federal Government for providing the INEC with all the resources it requires for the conduct of the 2023 elections as declared by the INEC chairman few days ago.

“Mr President is kindly requested to complement his evident determination for a successful election by also providing all the Security Agencies with the resources and

leadership to enable them prevent any violence before, during and after the elections.

” While the council welcomes the promise made by President Muhammadu Buhari in his recent broadcast, it is important to emphasize that special attention is given to the open threats made by certain groups who are determined to formulate trouble in order to prevent the elections from taking place in some states.

“These threats should not be taken lightly or underestimated. The Council once again calls on all the Political parties to abide by their constitutions, the electoral laws and guidelines issued by INEC in order to prevent violence or any act that would adversely affect the integrity of the elections.”

She stressed the need for all political parties to discharge their responsibilities to their members

and the nation, without recourse to violence.

Bulkachuwa also enjoined the leadership of political parties to take steps to compel their members and officials to fully comply with the electoral laws and guidelines issued by INEC in order to develop a culture of integrity and trust.

“To the Presidential, Governorship, National and State Assemblies Candidates, the Council’s sincere advice is that they should desist from rancour, hate speech, inflammatory and unguided utterances capable of instigating violence.

“It is imperative that they demonstrate leadership and courage by accepting the results of the election and anyone who is not satisfied with the outcome should take up the matter as provided by the constitution, not through violence.”

L-R:

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Nigeria needs urgent restructuring for rapid developmentLawmaker

Rep. Adedeji Olajide (PDPIbadan South-West/ North-West Constituency) in Oyo State, says Nigeria is in dire need of restructuring for rapid development.

Olajide, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Ibadan, said that the country needed to be restructured for it to witness progress, adding that to overcome its current challenges, concentration of power at the centre should be decentralised.

He said that restructuring has nothing to do with being either Yoruba, Hausa or Igbo.

According to him, we must all make genuine efforts to change the current system, because it is ineffective in giving us a productive country.

“To achieve this, there must be religion tolerance and nobody should impose on one another; the North, South, East and West must sit down and agree on the way to go,” Olajide said.

He said that since the country prospered in the days of regionalisation, it would not be out of place to go back to those days by restructuring the country to reflect regional system.

“For instance, the Cocoa House and many of the Odu’a property were built with Cocoa money. If we can go back to that and forget about oil, because oil is no longer even environmental friendly.

“We have alternative sources of energy and we need to sit down as a nation and talk about restructuring and right now, we have the time to sit down and do so,” he said.

The lawmaker said he was interested in resource management, especially with the abundance of resources in the South that could be used to develop the region.

He was, however, optimistic that the restructuring of his dreams would soon come to pass, noting that it was one of the top agenda of the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku.

“Once, Atiku emerges the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the restructuring of country would become a reality,” Olajide said.

The lawmaker, seeking reelection, also said that he was not satisfied with the way and manner local government administration was being handled in the country.

“It is worrisome, because local governments don’t have autonomy, and this is affecting rapid development at the grassroots and in Nigeria as a whole,” Olajide said.NAN

2023: NSCDC deploys 102,000 personnel

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

The Commandant General of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi, has reechoed the readiness of the Corps in creating a secured environment for the successful conduct of the 2023 general elections nationwide.

He assured Nigerians that the forthcoming elections will be seamless despite pockets of security challenges in some parts of the country, and stated that the Corps has evolved comprehensive deployment plan to enhance general security coverage nationwide and ensure that electorates are not molested or intimidated by hoodlums or party thugs before, during and after the elections.

NSCDC in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Olusola Odumosu said Dr Audi, said the the Corps would be deploying a total number of One Hundred and two thousand (102,000) personnel for the Presidential/National

Assembly and Governorship/ State Assembly Elections coming up on February 25th and March 11th, 2023, respectively.

He stated that the NSCDC has activated a robust operational guideline that would ensure credible, hitch-free and successful elections, reiterating that, the massive deployment of personnel is to checkmate all forms of electoral violence and electoral fraud which includes vote buying.

“In addition, there would be the deployment of the Antivandalism Squad and Special Forces to all critical national assets and infrastructure, including flashpoints in the States and the Fct, to protect them against vandalism, damage or arson by criminal elements before, during and after the elections.

“To have a successful execution of this assignment, the Corps shall engage officers from the Special Forces, such as Arms Squad Unit, Counter Terrorism, Chemical, Biological Radiological and Explosives Unit (CBRNE), Female Squad, Rapid Response

Squad (RRR), K9 and SWAT Unit, different from the regular conventional personnel.

“Our specially trained undercover personnel have been dispatched from each Command to work effectively with other Security Agencies to maintain surveillance, and provide intelligence reports and updates on the security situation in different States, especially on flashpoints,” the CG said.

He also hinted that, State Commandant shall be responsible for field operations throughout the elections and a monitoring team made up of the DCG Operations and other DCGs, Zonal Commanders and other Senior Officers of the Corps have been constituted to effectively monitor and supervise the exercise nation wide.

The NSCDC boss further directed that, in addition to the unified ICESS code of conduct for Security Agencies, NSCDC Officers deployed to this assignment must comply with the Corps’ Operational Code and the

principles of Rule of Law must be applied in the discharge of their duties, as any conduct of NSCDC staff that negates or undermines the rule of law will be seriously sanctioned.

The CG urged personnel of the Corps to work in harmony with other security agencies by sustaining the synergy towards ensuring a hitch-free poll and guarantee a crime-free environment to enable eligible voters to exercise their voting rights.

He charged officers and men to display professionalism, be apolitical and maintain a high sense of discipline throughout the election period.

According to him, “Officers and men of the Corps have been well trained to operate with humility and integrity in delivering service to the nation, therefore, there will be no compromise.

“They are to acquaint themselves with the provisions of the Electoral Act as regards the Rules of Engagement for the overall success of the elections.”

NYSC Director General, Brigadier General Yusha’u Dogara Ahmed (Rtd) middle, with staff members of the newly created call centre for Corp members serving in different parts of the country especially those that will be deployed for the 2023 general election duties, held yesterday in Abuja.

2023 polls: Nnamani, Ojougboh task leaders on need for peace

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

Ahead of the forthcoming general election in the country, a former member of the House of Representatives and Convener/Secretary -General of National Coalition for Peace and Unity (NACOPU), Dr Cairo Ojougboh has tasked leaders of the various political parties and associations in the country to speak with their followers, particularly the youths, on the need to maintain peace before, during and after the polls.

Dr Ojougboh, who was at a time an Executive Director with the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, gave the advice on Tuesday at the inauguration of NACOPU in Abuja.

At the ceremony which was attended by former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnanani,

former Governor of old Anambra State, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife and former Permanent Secretary/ Ambassador Igali among others, maintained that it is imperative for the leaders begin to educate the youths and candidates who are the participants in the elections.

He specifically advised the candidates for the various political offices, especially the presidential election, to emulate what former President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan did in 2015 when he accepted defeat and congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari even before the final declaration of the results of the election.

Ojougboh, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, said, “We want our elders and leaders to begin to look at what is going to happen during the general election.

“We are looking at pre election, during the election and post election.

“The reason the leaders have decided to gather is to make sure that we begin to educate our youths and our leaders who are the participants in this coming elections.

“As leaders, we must advise them not to exit their followers. if leaders behave like former President Jonathan behaved, he was looking at the election, result has not even been announced and he threw in the towel, that was exceptional and after that election there was no crisis.

“If he had contested that result (of that of that election) the crisis would have started immediately and that was exemplary and that is the situation we expect.

“When this election is taking place leaders must be able to speak with their followers, the youths must

be made to understand that what you see on the social media might not be actually what it should be or what will be.

“After the election we must tell leaders and their followers that if you do not have peace, if there is problem, crisis, you will not be able to to make a Governor. If you are a governor you will not be able to govern. So the need for peace is sine qua non for the existence of the country”, he said.

Speaking at the ceremony, former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani lauded the formation of NACOPU, describing its birth at this period as very timely.

According to Nnanani, “We are going into a pivotal electoral process and the challenge will be much. A group like this should be in the position to speak up and lead with recommendations,

Photo: Justin Imo-owo.

•Ezeife harps on resource control

By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja

All eyes are on the highest court of the land, the Supreme Court, today to douse the tension raised by the new Naira policy, as the apex court is expected to hear, and possibly draw the cutton on the raging matter.

Expectation of Nigerians are really high as they are waiting on the Supreme Court, as the final adjudicator, to put to rest the disputes between the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN and the Federal Government on one hand, and the aggrieved Governors of states who initiated the suit on the other.

The dispute concerns the Federal Government and its agencies’ enforcement of the February 10 deadline for the use of the old 200, 500 and 1000 Naira notes.

Opinion shapers, economic watchers as well as political stakeholders have variously condemned the federal government and the Central Bank of Nigeria’s flagrant disobedient of the order of the supreme Court ostensibly on technical grounds.

The Apex court had on February, 8, halted the implementation of the dateline of the use of the old Naira notes pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice before it.

In disregard of the order, the CBN, on Feb 14 went ahead and declared the old Naira notes non legal tender, suggesting that the order of the court was not binding on the agency because it was not a party to the suit.

However, when the matter was called up on the 15 of Feb, the court couldn’t hear the matter as it went ahead and allowed the application to join the Attorneys General of Katsina Lagos, CR, Ondo, Ogun, Ekiti and Sokoto states as coplaintiffs in the earlier suit filed by Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara states.

The court also joined the Attorneys General of Edo and Bayelsa states as co-respondents. Both states elected to side with the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) originally listed

All set for Supreme Court verdict today over new Naira disputes

as the sole respondent. During the proceeding, counsel to Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara states, Abdulhakeem Mustapha (SAN) drew the attention of the court to it that the Fed Govt and its agencies had failed to comply with the order and had allegedly directed the rejection of the old notes.

Mustapha said the plaintiff filed a notice of non-compliance with the court order made on February 8, and demanded that the court took action against the respondent to protect the dignity of the court.

He added: “That order has been flouted by the government. We are talking of executive lawlessness here. We have filed an affidavit to that effect. We want the court to renew the order for parties to be properly guided.”

Justice John Okoro, who presided over a seven-member panel of the court, asked Mustapha

to file a proper application to put forward his complaints and to enable the respondent to respond appropriately.

Justice Okoro said there was no need for a renewal of the court’s order.

He noted that, since the order made by the court on February 8 was made pending the determination of the motion for injunctions filed by the plaintiff, the order still subsisted since the motion was not yet heard.

The court had, in the February 8 ruling, said: “after a careful consideration of this ex-parte application, and the grounds in support of same, this court finds that there is real urgency for this court to intervene by the grant of this application.

“Accordingly, this application is hereby granted as prayed.

“That is to say, an order of interim injunction restraining the Federal Government of

Nigeria, either by itself or acting through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and/or the commercial banks, its agents; agencies, corporations, ministries, parastatals, organizations or through any person or persons (natural and artificial) howsoever, from suspending or determining or ending on the 10th of February 2023 the timeframe within which the now older versions of the 200, 500 and 1000 denominations of the naira may no longer be legal tender, pending the hearing and determination of the plaintiffs/ applicants’ motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.”

The court ordered that the suits filed separately by Nasarawa, Rivers and Kano states on the same issue be consolidated with the one filed by Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara states.

The court had ordered parties to file all necessary documents before the hearing set for the next

Wednesday, which is today.

Justice Okoro, before adjourning, told lawyer to the AGF, Kanu Agabi (SAN) to advise his client to ensure the availability of currency for the people.

“Tell your client to let people have money. If they go to the ATM and the plaintiffs will come and withdraw the case. Make money available to the poor masses.

“You should know that a hungry man is an angry man. I say no more,” he said.

Responding, Agabi said Nigerians were only blaming the government for their poverty.

“Many people don’t have money. They blame it on the Fed Govt and the AGF. I don’t have money too.

“Things have been bad for long. It is not today that the problems started,” Agabi said.

After listening to their argument, the court fixed , today, February 22 for hearing of the suit.

Court dismisses suit seeking sack of IGP, Alkali Baba Usman

By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja

Justice James Omotoso of a Federal High Court Abuja, has discarded a suit seeking to sack Alkali Baba Usman as the Inspector General of Police IGP.

The Plaintiff in the suit, an Abuja activist, Micheal Sam Idoko dragged President Muhammadu Buhari to court over IG’s continues stay in office after retirement.

In his judgment, Justice

Omotoso invoked section 7 (6) of the Police Act 2020, that pegged the tenure of office of any Inspector General of Police at four years.

Justice Omotoso stated that the retirement of Alkali Baba Usman from the Nigeria Police Force has nothing to do with his appointment on the ground that the four years tenure is sacrosanct.

The court further held that the plaintiff who claimed to

be a social crusader has no jurisdiction in instituting the case under the guise of public interest.

He held that the plaintiff failed to establish having any peculiar or special interest over and above other Nigerians.

Specifically, Justice Omotoso described the plaintiff as a busy body and meddlesome interloper adding that he was not a serving police officer qualified for appointment or

ever applied for IGP’s position and denied adding that he has no legal in law in filing the suit.

Idoko, through his Counsel, Chief James Ogwu Onoja, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN, had filed the suit challenging the legality of the continuous stay of the IGP in office having served out his tenure.

The suit marked FHC/ CS/ 31/2023 was subsequently dismissed without any cost against the plaintiff.

Wheat production: We’ve cultivated 1,200 hectres this season in Kano -FMAN

From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

As part of its wheat development programme, the Flour Milling Association of Nigeria (FMAN) has said that it has cultivated about 1,200 hectres this season.

PEOPLES DAILY reports that FMAN is a consortium of flour millers in the country that develop a local wheat production as backward integration programme, to stimulate and catalyse local production that would guarantee the supply chain and to make sure the input required is secured in quality and quantity and are the right time.

The main role of the FMAN is to provide a market for wheat farmers in Nigeria thougg expansion of procurement as an industry across the wheat producing states via additional aggregation staff and warehouse capacity.

Aliyu Samaila, National Programme

Manager, Flour Milling Association of Nigeria, Wheat Development Programme, disclosed this at Wheat Farmers’ Green Field Day, held in Kadawa, Garun Mallam Local Government area of Kano State, yesterday.

He said the FMAN was able to cultivate 500 hectres in Kano, but could not do it in Kadawa, one of the notable areas for large s ale wheat production due to rehabilitation of irrigation scheme that was going on.

According to Samaila, this season, part of the irrigation scheme rehabilitation had been completed, that is why FMAN was able to cultivate about 1,200 hectres of wheat.

He added that about 1,000 wheat farmers across Kano state had been engaged, adding that “we will continue to grow as the programme progresses.”

Samaila explained that the essence of the event is to bring stakeholders together to showcase what the FMAN had been

preaching as technology right from the beginning of the season in November.

“The essence of this programme is to bring stakeholders together to showcase what we have been preaching as technology right from the beginning of the season in November. Because when you bring something new is not every farmer that adopts. Some wait to see the outcome first. Others adopts one leg in one leg out until they are sure of the good outcome.

“We have gathered here today to hear from the farmers, to tell us what they have done, right from the inception of the programme to this level and what is expected to this crop. We are in 7th state.

The Programme Manager states that the Wheat Development Programme had started in 2021, adding that it would go on until it is satisfied that the benefitting local farmers could go on their own .

He further expressed hope that the programme, which started two years ago,

would progress up to the level of making local wheat production scaled up to stop important of the crop.

The Programme Manager explained that the programme was held in Bauchi, Kaduna, Sokoto and Kebbi states before Kano, disclosing that there would be a Brown Field Day programme in Jigawa next month to showcase the harvest of wheat.

He concluded that the FMAN’s focus had been on research and development, seed production, agronomic and input support and purchasing of local wheat from the farmers.

“Specifically, we are establishing procurement centers across 13 Northern States to offtake all wheat grain from up to 50,000 farmers. These states include Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Kebbi, Sokoto, Bauchi, Adamawa, Gombe, Plateau, Taraba, Zamfara, and Yobe,” he added.

We’ll explore options to enhance continent’s aviation industry – ECA

The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) will collaborate with partners in the aviation industry to explore all options to enhance the sustainability of the continent’s aviation industry.

Acting Executive Secretary of the ECA, Antonio Pedro, in a statement issued on ECA’s website, said this while speaking on the Sustainable Development of Air Transport in Africa.

Pedro spoke at a high-level side event on the margins of the 36th Ordinary Summit of the African Union in Addis Ababa.

According to him, for the air transport industry in Africa to recover from its various shocks and remain sustainable, partnership will be key.

The executive secretary said this partnership could be in the form of interlining, which allowed a passenger to travel on an itinerary involving multiple airlines using one travel document.

He said, “it can be in the form of code sharing, which allows an airline to market the seats flown on aircraft operated by a partner airline under its code.

“It can be by alliance membership; which may include code sharing, shared use of airport facilities and staff; Franchise, subsidiary, or joint ventures, which involves shared ownership.”

Pedro highlighted the various options which he said were vital in achieving sustainability in Africa’s air transport.

According to him, harnessing African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and access to finance is critical for the recovery and sustainability of the industry.

“We strongly believe that AfCFTA will provide the impetus for growth in the industry.

“The disproportionately low financial support to African airlines suggests their recovery process is more difficult, and they cannot compete favourably with airlines from other regions.

“African airlines need to consider other financing options for their survival and growth.

Presidential Polls: Ortom vows to sacrifice Senatorial ambition for Obi

From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has vowed to sacrifice his senatoriaI ambition to ensure the victory of Labor Party candidate Peter Obi as President of Nigeria in this Saturday 25th February, 2023 Presidential polls. Ortom last week rounded up his Senatorial campaigns in the seven local government areas that constituted Benue North West District.

The local governments include, Guma,Makurdi, Gboko, Tarka, Buruku, Gwer West and Gwer.

He also organized a town hall meeting where he publicly declared support for Obi’s presidency.

Speaking when the Igbo community in the State visited him at Government House, Makurdi on Monday, Ortom said though he has campaigned vigorously and the electorates have accepted to vote for him,

he will not hesitate to sacrifice his Senatorial ambition for Peter Obi to win the Presidency. According to him, “what matters now is not about PDP, APC or SDP but it is about Nigeria. Peter Obi is a specie that is not bonded by ethnicity. When I hear some prominent Igbo personalities berating him for contesting the Presidential election, I wonder. Is it not you Igbos that say you have been marginalized since after the civil war? An opportunity

has come today and you are still complaining, what do you want?

“The whole country North, South and West say it is Peter Obi and you say you do not want him. Those people saying that should be outcast. I was praying and one of my spiritual fathers told me something, he said Obi will win the election. He added that God does not want Obi to be Ibo president, he wants him to be Nigeria’s President”.

Group appeals to NASS for speedy passage of NBAIS Establishememt bill

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

The Concerned Northern Forum (CNF), has called on the National Assembly to hasten the process of the bill on the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS) to be presented for third reading and subsequent assent by President Muhammadu Buhari before the expiration of the present administration.

The Concerned Northern Forum, which is a coalition of over 73 Civil Society Organizations domiciled in Northern Nigeria, also called on the National Assembly to increase budgetary allocations to NBAIS to enable the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS)

effectively carry out constituted functions.

Addressing newsmen in Kaduna yesterday, the spokesman of the group, Comrade Abdulsalam Mohammed Kazeem, thanked President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of Education for their continuous support to the entire NBAIS management.

The group called on well meaning Nigerians especially members of the Civil Society, religious and political leaders across the country and northern Nigeria in particular to come to the aid of NBAIS, stressing that at a time like this that Nigeria is determined to reform the almajiri system of education, all hands must be on deck to make it a

success. According to him, “We therefore want to use this opportunity to call on the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency and national development look into the many challenges of the Board in the area of staffing, mobility and the procurement of furniture and comfortable office accommodations throughout the country. So far, the Board has offices in 26 States of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).”

He added, “The Tsangaya Centre will be a training and retraining Centre of Excellence for teachers and tutors of Tsangaya education all over the country. It combines conventional schooling with skill

acquisition and entrepreneurship education. This innovative agenda informed by the need to equip and empower Nigerian youths in a bid to taking them off the streets, especially amongst children from economically disadvantaged homes, who often end up destitute in the guise of acquiring Arabic and Islamic education.

“This is a legacy of Prof. Shafi’u Mohammad Abdullahi and his team. History will forever be kind to him for his revolutionary strides and noble innovation as he strives to reposition the Board for greater national productivity. It will not be out of place to honour him in this year National Productivity and Honours Award.”

L-R: Former APC Bayelsa State Secretary Barr. Marlin Daniel; APC Bayelsa State Governorship aspirant, Chief David Lyon; former member House of Representatives; Hon. Stella Dorgu and member Bayelsa state House of Assembly, Hon. Indutimi Komonobo when the aspirant submitted his expression of interest and nomination forms at the APC national secretariat, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

Shun overpricing of govt contracts, services, BPP

D-G urges procurement officials

The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Mr Mamman Ahmed has advised government officials to shun the idea of inflating and overpricing government contracts.

This is contained in a statement issued by BPP Head of Media, Janet McDickson in Abuja on Tuesday.

The statement said Ahmed made the call while receiving a delegation from Due Process Bureau in Bayelsa State.

He emphasised the need for due process in undertaking government contracts and services.

According to him, there should be no overpricing of contracts or services.

He urged the Bayelsa delegation to look into BPP’s structure and learn from its workings to improve theirs.

Ahmed said that the BPP was ready to share from their own experiences as no one had monopoly of knowledge.

“You are free to ask questions that can help improve your services,” the director-general said.

Earlier, the director-general, Due-Process Bureau of Bayelsa, Aaron Timiye said that the visit was to tap from the vast experience of the BPP boss and his team.

Timiye, who was represented by the Director, Price Intelligence, Mr Richard Afenfia, said that the visit would also help to improve procurement services to the Government of Bayelsa.

“We are encouraged by the achievements of the BPP and the direction the office is providing as a leading Public Procurement Regulatory Agency in Africa.

“This study tour falls in line with our corporate desire to achieve improved public processing practices in Bayelsa in the short run.

“We also intend to achieve increased transparency, accountability, value for money and public confidence participation,” he said.

He said that the study tour was also to enable his team take home advancements in Public Procurement Regulation and Identify possible areas of collaboration.

According to him, such collaboration will improve capacity, regulation processes, workflows and structures. (NAN)

Cashless policy’ll tackle corruption, insecurity – Rev Pam

Rev Yakubu Pam, Executive Secretary, Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), has said that the Naira Redesign/Cashless Policy of the Federal Government was targeted at tackling corruption and insecurity in the country.

Pam told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday that the policy was neither aimed at individuals or to cause hardship for Nigerians.

Pam said that all Nigerians

should rally round President Muhammadu Buhari as he stands his grounds to deliver a Nigeria free from insecurity and corruption as promised during his campaigns.

“This is the moment we need to rally round the President; we need to encourage him. Everybody has witnessed in the past few weeks how he has stood his ground on the new naira note to tackle corruption, especially among the elite. We should encourage him.

“Knowing that we are passing through a transition period where power will move from one government to another, the current administration must have witnessed a lot and want to deliver solutions to so many challenges, especially insecurity and corruption, that have been bedeviling the country,’’ he said.

The executive secretary called on Nigerians to be patient with the challenges accompanying the policy, saying that the CBN was doing everything possible to

cushion the pains.

According to him, there is no new policy that will not come with its challenges.

“The challenges are to be expected. We must endure some of these challenges so as to prepare for a better future.”

Pam charged religious and traditional leaders to engage citizens in their jurisdiction on the gains of the policy to prevent them from being misled by mischief makers.

(NAN)

Dattijo launches Education Support Program

In a bid to provide equal opportunities to indigent students, the Senatorial Candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Muhammad Sani Dattijo at the weekend launched ‘Education Financial Support Programme’ under the Dattijo Empowerment and Development Initiative (DEDI).

Under the first phase of the programme, students studying in higher institutions of learning across the country were given financial support of N50,000 each to ease their educational

pursuits.

Similarly, the Senatorial Candidate paid for the registration fees for JAMB and WAEC candidates across the 81 wards of Giwa, Birnin Gwari, Igabi, Kaduna North, Kaduna South, Chikun and Kajuru local government areas of Kaduna Central Senatorial District.

In an event held in Kaduna, the Senatorial Candidate said the gesture will help the beneficiaries pursue and achieve their educational dreams with hindrance.

“In line with our unveiled blueprint, we want to ensure every person gets the opportunity to study and accomplish their dreams and aspirations without hindrance.” Dattijo said.

Students Union Leaders who were at the event, expressed gratitude to the Senatorial Candidate for the kind gesture.

In her remarks, the Vice President, National Association of Kaduna State Students (NAKASS), Comrade Amatulla Saulawa said; “on behalf of the entire beneficiaries, we

thank Dattijo for the support to Students. This certainly reduces the burden on our parents. And it clearly shows that you have the genuine interest to give equal opportunities to children of the poor.”

It will be recalled that the Senatorial Candidate had voluntarily taught postgraduate students studying Masters Degree in Policy and Development Studies without pay at the Kaduna State University (KASU) in 2020 academic session.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (3rd-L ) ; Celebrant Rev. Yomi Kasali (4th L); His Wife, Funke and Other Clerics during Rev. Kasali’s 60th Birthday in Lagos on Monday Night

•Pays JAMB, WAEC fees across Kaduna Central

Kwara NNPP guber candidate to embark on urban renewal if elected

Prof. Oba Abdulraheem, Kwara State NNPP governorship candidate, says he will embark on urban and infrastructural renewal, if elected as Governor of the State.

Speaking on his agenda for the people of Kwara during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Oba said he would embark on massive rehabilitation and maintenance of major urban and sub-urban roads.

The NNPP governorship candidate said this would translate to increase in access to parts of the state through construction of strategic roads.

He said feeder roads which would facilitate ease of traffic flow, aiming at economic cost benefit, would also be constructed to link rural areas in the state with urban centres.

“My administration will embark on rehabilitation of bridges, culverts and drainages in anticipation of flooding during the rainy season.

“We will also ensure maintainance of the sanctity of set-backs on major highways to protect lives and create enough room for vehicles without hindrance,” Oba said.

The NNPP governorship candidate who holds the traditional title, Talba of Ilorin, also spoke on local government reform among his agenda.

“We will restore the structures, dignity and efficient operation of the local government authorities within the extant laws.

“This will include holding local government elections within six months from 29th May, 2023,” Oba said.

On security of lives and properties, he said this was a major concern and a very important agenda adding that all citizens have the inalienable right to life and property.

“The onus of supplementing/ complementing the Federal Government’s efforts rests on the state goverment to rise up to the incipient challenges of banditry and kidnapping.

“This is by recruiting unarmed volunteer community policing outfits and harmoniding/ regulating non-formal votunteer groups,” Oba said.

He reiterated his mission and vision for a better Kwara as creation of a governable environment, piloted by a vibrant economy and underpinned by quality service, equity and justice.

“I believe that our state is in

FGN savings bond records N45bn subscription, as DMO unveils subscription portal

The Debt Management Office (DMO), says the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) Savings Bond has received a total subscription of N45.135 billion between its inception in 2017 and 2022.

The Director-General of the DMO, Patience Oniha said this on Tuesday in Lagos, at the unveiling and demonstration of Securities subscription portal at a stakeholders meeting.

Oniha said that the FGN savings bond, which was specifically designed to encourage retail investors had done well across the six geo-political zones of the country, going by the numbers.

According to her, FGN Savings Bond is a product that the DMO introduced in March 2017 to enable retail investors participate in the FGN securities market and

promote financial inclusion.

She said that the stakeholders meeting was arranged to review the performance of the FGN Savings Bond and to present the portal.

She said that the DMO worked with the Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) to develop the portal.

“This explains why the Primary Dealers Market Makers, Central Bank of Nigeria, Securities and Exchange Commission, Nigeria Exchange Limited and stockbroking firms have been invited.

“The DMO believes that the product has more potential than what has been achieved so far, and has for now, identified two ways to achieve much higher volumes and numbers of investors,” she said.

According to the director-

general, in 2022 the DMO embarked on investor sensitisation programmes across a number of cities in Nigeria.

“This strategy proved successful as total subscription almost doubled from N8.396 billion in 2021 to N16.589 billion in 2022.

“Given this outcome, the DMO plans more of such sensitisation, as well as wider publicity.

“The other strategy is to deploy technology to the process to make the subscription fast, easy and overall, more convenient,” she said.

She said that the portal had been tested with distribution agents for the FGN Savings Bond, adding that the presentation was to expose it to a wider group of stakeholders.

In a paper presentation, Bose

Olafisoye from the DMO, said that the FGN Savings Bond was introduced as part of market development initiatives of the office.

According to Olafisoye, there is a higher and increasing investor appetite for the three-year FGN Savings Bond relative to the two-year bond, based on level of subscription.

“This could be due to the 100 basis points difference in the coupons and investors preference for longer maturities,” she said.

She said that there was the need to build on gains recorded over the years in the efforts to develop the retail segment of the bond market.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the highlight of the event was a demonstration of the portal to the delight of the stakeholders. (NAN)

Coalition seeks reinvestment of petrol subsidy into health sector

The Health Sector Reform Coalition (HSRC), on Monday called for the reinvestment of petroleum subsidies into the country’s health sector.

Its Chairperson, Mrs Chika Offor, said this in a press conference in Abuja, organised by the Coalition to analyze the health manifestos of the four front-running political parties in Nigeria.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the right to health is inextricably linked to the right to life, as Nigeria is bound by certain laws and charters to protect the right to health of its citizens.

Sustainable Development Goal 3 is to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all irrespective of age.

According to the official, Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and wellbeing of himself and his family,

including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services.

“They also have the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.”

Offor said that seeing the crosscutting commitment to the removal of petroleum subsidy which in 2022 gulped over 20 per cent of the country’s budget, the Coalition strongly suggests a substantial reinvestment of the subsidy package in the health sector.

She said that the idea is not only because the removal creates ample fiscal space to achieve the Abuja Declaration, but because health is one of the few sectors that can provide immediate dividends of productivity for the people and economic growth for the country.

She said it is necessary to inform Nigerians of the recent activities to

help shape the political conversation around healthcare in the build-up to the long-anticipated 2023 polls.

Offor said that HSRC is a coalition of more than 100 Civil Society Organizations and other non-government actors who came together to drive citizens-led health sector reforms in the country.

“Since this period, HSRC has continued to pursue the implementation of the Act and other sectoral reforms which have a strong potential for transforming the healthcare landscape in Nigeria through the provision of Primary Health Care (PHC) services to all Nigerians and providing a roadmap to th Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

“Effectively, the group, in line with its mandate of advancing the rights of Nigerians to UHC and health security, commissioned a scientific analysis of the plans of the top-contending political parties and candidates in the forthcoming

presidential elections.

“Beyond activating a culture of holding the political class accountable to their health promises, the overarching goal of this exercise was essentially to visualize to Nigerians the various health roadmaps of the top candidates to inform voter decisionmaking,” she explained.

Offor, however, congratulated the political parties and candidates for heeding citizens’ call for a more comprehensive health agenda to indeed earn their positions as frontrunning candidates in this election, since health is directly at the heart of human development.

NAN recalled that Chapter two of the 1999 Constitution, sec 17 (3), provides for the rights to health of Nigerians, which states “The health, safety and welfare of all persons in employment are safeguarded and not endangered or abused; there are adequate medical and health facilities for all persons.”NAN

L-R: National Commissioners of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu, Dr. Sam Oyemekun, Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and National Commissioner, Barr. Fetus Okoye, during the Chairman’s briefing of accredited local and International Observer on the preparedness of Presidential Elections, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

Niger Gov. Aide optimistic of APC victory

From Yakubu Mustapha Minna

Governor Abubakar Sani

Bello’s Special Adviser on Politics and Strategy, Alhaji Mohammed Nma Kolo has said the only way for the Northern part of the country to demonstrate and keep her image as a trustworthy region is to massively vote for All Progressives congress APC Presidential candidate Ahmed Bola Tinubu.

The Special Adviser in a statement issued in Minna, spoke on the backdrop of those who are scheming against southern presidency in the coming general election.

Kolo was emphatic about the desire of the party stakeholders in Niger state to work assiduously to ensure that all candidates of the party are voted massively for success in the general election.

He opined that politics in the Niger state over the years is hinged on good fate hence the state has maintained rotation of its Governorship seat for equity and fairness, hence he charge to massively vote for Tinubu and all APC candidates.

The Special Adviser said that the party has meticulously chosen her flag bearers in a competitive form, based on competence and capacity to deliver the desired development for the people.

APGA Chairmanship tussle: Supreme Court fixes March 24 for ruling

By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja

The Supreme Court, will on March 24, lay to rest the battle for the seat of the chairmanship seat rocking the All Progressives Grand Alliance(APGA).

A factional National Chairman of the party, Chief Edozie Njoku, had approached the court praying the court to correct a typographical error in its judgement.

According to the plaintiff, the Apex Court, had in the appeal that was presided over and delivered by Justice Mary Peter-Odili (Rtd),

on October 14, 2021, wrongly handed the leadership of the party to Chief Victor Oye instead of Edozie Njoku.

Njoku had in an application he filed through his team of lawyers led by Mr. Chike Onyemenam, SAN, noted that the Supreme Court had in a letter it wrote to him on January 19, addressed him as the National Chairman of APGA.

He told the court that in the letter the supreme court asked him to approach it by way of a motion to regularize the said judgement.

Consequently, relying on Order 8 Rule 16 of the Supreme Court Rules, Njoku re-approached the court to correct the typographical error and slip in the lead judgment of the Court in the appeal that was presided over and delivered by Justice Mary Peter-Odili (Rtd), on October 14, 2021.

Specifically, he urged the apex court to correct an accidental slip at Page 13, lines 3 to 4 of its judgment, where instead of writing the name of ‘Edozie Njoku’ who was unlawfully removed from his position as the person that was validly elected

as National Chairman of APGA at the convention the party held at Oweriri in 2019, mistakenly inserted the name of Victor Oye, who was not a party in the substantive suit that gave rise to the appeal.

It will be recalled that Police had earlier dragged the Appellant before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, alleging that he forged a judgement of the apex court.

The 5-man panel of the Apex court led by Justice Kukere Ekun adjourned to March 24 to rule on the matter.

Naira, fuel scarcity: Northern youths call for postponement of elections

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

Following the incessant fuel and Naira scarcity across the country, the Arewa Youth Assembly has called for the immediate

suspension of the 2023 general elections to enable Nigerians, especially menial workers from Northern region who are littered all over the country in search of greener pastures to return to where they registered

to vote.

The Speaker, Assembly Mohammed Salihu Danlami stated this in a statement made available to the media in Kaduna yesterday.

The statement stated that

the fuel and Naira scarcity has defied all known solutions proffered by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Committee on fuel scarcity and the recommendations by the National Council of State.

Ministry

Works

2023 polls: Journalists urged to calm tension in the land

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

In view of the political tension in the land, a few days to the presidential and National Assembly elections, a Non Governmental Organisation, Corporate Accountability & Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), has called on media practitioners in the country to help calm the tension through reportage. In his opening remarks to declare open a training programme for Journalists on the 2023 general elections, CAPPA Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi noted that the tension associated with the forthcoming elections has never been witnessed since the Second Republic.

Oluwafemi noted that the training was organized by CAPPA in partnership with European Union Support for Democratic Governance in Nigeria for the 2023 elections.

He, however, tasked journalists to focus their reports on rural settings in order to draw the attention of relevant authorities for development.

According to him, “There is extremely high tension in the land over the election. I witnessed Shagari/ Awolowo election. There is never a time the country has been on edge like this time. We are in a time that is extremely very difficult to make comments about elections because it could be interpreted or misread

otherwise.

“So we are here at this training programme on how to use our reportage to promote peace during the election. The happening in the last two weeks is not healthy for us. People are queuing at banks to access money, but very difficult.

“There is fuel scarcity and the available ones are sold at high prices after many hours on the queue. We need to calm down the tension because the job at hands need national peace.

“Five days to the election we are still trying to see how we can find cash. In villages people cannot assess cash. The tension is too high, so we need to do our work to calm down the tension at this

critical period of our national life.

“In conjunction with the European Union, we are working on how to promote peace during the election. We are doing this in six States. We started late due to some circumstances. People should not see the election as arm struggle. The election is like a football match, a winner must emerge and a loser must emerge.

“Also, as journalists, we should be able to promote rural development and draw the attention of leaders in that direction. We need a leader who can serve the interests of the people across the country, not necessarily your ethnic or regional person”.

From left: Representative of Head of Station, Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service, Moore Plantation, Ibadan, Dr Shakiru Kazeem; Director of National Cereals Research Institute Dr. Danbaba Nehemiah; Zonal Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs Omolara Oguntoye-Abimbola; representative of Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Kayode Ibrahim, representative of Acting Director, National Centre for Genetic and Biotechnology (NACGRAB), Dr Abisoye Ojo and representative of Director of Press Federal

of

and Housing, Mrs Maryam Yusuf, during the handing over of Internal Roads to the NACGRAB, yesterday in Ibadan

By Egena Sunday Ode

Nigeria has been chosen by the Heads of State and Government of the Sahel Region Climate Commission (SRCC) to host the Secretariat of the Sahel Climate Fund.

A communiqué issued at the end of the second conference of Heads of State and Government

Buhari meets Board Chair of Ethiopian Airline, speaks on Nigeria Air

By Egena Sunday Ode

President Muhammadu

Buhari on Sunday in

Addis Ababa met with Girma Wake, Ethiopian Airlines Board Chairman, during which they exchanged views on the operationalization of Nigeria Air.

Wake had requested a resolution of the legal obstacle halting Nigeria Air, which Ethiopian Airlines has 49% stake, from commencing operations, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said in a statement.

The president, the statement said, also requested the repatriation of the airline funds trapped in the country over foreign exchange challenges.

On Nigeria Air, President Buhari told the Board Chairman that it was a ‘weighty decision’ by the Nigerian government to re-launch a national carrier, expressing confidence that ‘‘things will be alright.’’

Wake , who met with President Buhari on the margins of the 36th AU Summit, said the airline has been treated very well in Nigeria since it started operations 60 years ago in the country.

‘‘Nigeria is not just a market but a hub for aviation in Africa. Nigeria is a special country and nobody travels more around the globe than Nigerians,’’ he said.

The aviation chief, who was accompanied on the visit by Mesfin Tasswe, Group Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Airlines and Daniel Abebe, Group Vice President Strategic Planning and Alliances, hinted that the airline had plans to expand operations in the country, with additional daily flight services to Lagos from Addis Ababa, as well as AbujaAddis Ababa.

He said the airline and its partners are ready to commence operations on Nigeria Air as soon as all the court matters are resolved.

Nigeria to host Sahel climate fund secretariat

of SRCC, held on the margins of 36th AU Summit, also approved the appointment of Issifi Boureim of Niger Republic as the Executive Secretary of the Commission.

Boureim, until his appointment, was the Coordinator of the Transitory Operational Framework of the Commission, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said in a statement. His appointment is for a non-renewable period of three years, without the possibility of candidacy for future terms of office.

It would be recalled that

President Muhammadu Buhari had declared Nigeria’s interest to host the headquarters of the Sahel Climate Fund and readiness to provide all necessary amenities.

The “Sahel Climate Fund” is the financial body of the Sahel Region Climate Commission (SRCC).

The body is one of the three climate Commissions for Africa created in Marrakech, Morocco in 2016 at the Summit of African Heads of State and Government, organised at the initiative of King of Morocco, on the sidelines of the 22nd Conference of the Parties (COP22) to the UN Framework Convention on

Climate Change.

Among other decisions by leaders of member countries during the mini-summit in Addis Ababa include the adoption of the methods of contributions from the States for the financing of the operations of the Executive Secretariat and the Sahel Climate Fund as well as for the participation in the 1st recapitalization of the said Fund.

A panel of Heads of State comprising President Buhari, King Mohammed VI of Morocco, President Alassane Quattara of Cote d’Ivoire and General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno of Chad was established to support

the work of the President of the Commission.

The communique also named eminent personalities as Ambassadors for advocacy and the mobilization of resources for the financing of climate related programmes and actions in the region.

The Ambassadors are Issoufou Mahamadou, former President of the Republic of Niger and first president of the Commission, Amina Mohammed, the UN Deputy Secretary-General, Tidjane Thiam, Ibrahim Hassane Mayaki, MO Ibrahim, Aliko Dangote, Ibrahima Thiaw, Paul Kammogne Fokam and Mossadeck Bally.

IBB mourns death of Hilda Adefarasin

By Hameed M Bello

Former military leader, General Ibrahim Babangida (IBB) has expressed sorrow over the death of Mrs Hilda Adefarasin.

A tribute by IBB yesterday said with the passing of Mrs. Adefarasin, “our nation has lost yet another great leader and trail blazer.”

He said Adefarasin will be remembered as a courageous women’s rights activist and leader, adding that with a career that spans healthcare and civil

society activism, Adefarasin dedicated her life to the pursuit of the enlightened best interests of Nigerian womenfolk.

He noted that quite early in her life, Hilda had quit a promising career as one of Nigeria’s pioneer nurses to join in the foundation of the National Council of Women’s Societies.

“Her vision and dedication to the cause of Nigerian womanhood transformed that body into a veritable instrument for the pursuit of gender equity and rights.

“As the longest serving

chairperson of the NCWS, Mrs Adefarasin led the organisation in very active women empowerment roles during our tenure in national leadership. I can confidently testify to her integrity and wholehearted dedication to national service. I am sure that her footprints as evidenced in the establishment of a Ministry of Women’s Affairs at the federal level will remain eternal,” IBB said.

He noted that Mrs. Adefarasin was able to combine her illustrious public service career with an unmatched commitment to exemplary family life and

commendable values.

“As it pleased the Almighty, Hilda lived up to the phenomenal and enviable age of 98 in reasonable good health. She was blessed with a wonderful family and is survived by equally illustrious offspring.

I join his family, friends and indeed the entire Nigerian family in paying tribute to this exemplary woman and illustrious citizen. I am confident that her life will continue to serve as a worthy model for the younger generations,” the former military president said.

Representative of Governor of Plateau, Prof. Sonni Tyoden (M), presenting a startup packs to one of the grandaunt, with them are: Director General, Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Mr Joseph Ari (L), during the graduating ceremony of the 2022 National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP), yesterday in Jos

Tinubu as praxis, and inevitable president

By Danladi Bako, PhD.

Without doubt , the impending general elections for various positions in our political space can easily be ranked as the most discussed, most strategized and most anticipated political battle in our national life in the recent past.

The days of yore had mainly two frontrunners like the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) and Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) and a smaller party Nigeria People’s Party(NPP) trailing the duo. The voting behaviour in the past were influenced by god-fathers , quite frequently votes were discountenanced and results sheets written in government houses , in quite a few cases ballot boxes were snatched ,stuffed with thumbprinted ballots and returned for declaration.

Decades later came the era of manipulation at collation centres or tampering with ballot boxes while in transit between polling booth and collation centres. Nigeria’s electoral evolution has seen drastic change for the better through the maturation of civil society organizations like PLAC , CDD and ACE , the introduction of technology in the pre- voting process and the deliberate political will decidedly propagated by the Umaru Yar Adua , Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari regimes of the fourth republic.

Along with the above factors , the inevitable advent of digital technology into our daily lives has witnessed the growth of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and it’s predecessor the card reader. Another highly undervalued catalyst for the growth in confidence of our electoral process is the incredible cross- fertilization of opinions and ideas as well as increased awareness and advocacy the 740 active radio and television stations across the country created over the last twenty years of private ownership of the media. Phone in programs, access to information, feedback to government and the opportunity for horizontal

communication as against the top-down one-way model has been a huge impetus.

The omnipresent and continually impactful social media and internet platforms have also generated further intense engagement on political issues especially among the millennials.

Tangentially, all these factors influence and propound the inevitability of a new strategy to win the next general elections, since the arsenals required for the old battle have changed. The templates in the days of yore included more of vote buying , manipulation of results , intimidation of voters and other such maladies.

As we evolve our electoral process with more defined and stricter entrapments, it is obvious now that it is the candidate that has built his candidacy on mentorship capacity , records of past high grade performance quotient in public life , huge human capital development index as well as unrivalled vision that will eventually coast home to victory, in the next elections in few days time. These are the pragmatic realities on ground , this is the praxis of Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s candidacy as the frontrunner in Nigeria’s 2023 Presidential race. Circumstances of the hardships , world economic challenges, global health challenges like COViD , the Russian - Ukraine war , the earthquakes and natural disasters in Turkey and Syria have forcibly not only demanded more from our leaders but also compelled us as a people to search for our best materials, our first eleven and put them in position of leadership.

As Plato the philosopher once said “one of the penalties for not participating in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors”.

Contextually we the electorate had given our power of selection of political parties candidacy to delegates numbering less than ten thousand , who decided our party representatives through indirect primaries so having outsourced our mandate , we are obliged to restrict our

choices for the seat of the President to eighteen odd candidates out of which four have emerged as frontrunners. Ashiwaju Atiku , Obi and Kwankwaso lead the pack as we tilt the minds of the undecided voters. I daresay by the beginning of the year a large number of party faithfuls and about half of our 93 million registered voters had made their choices . The imperative of an Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as president is predicated on the plethora of issues being considered by undecided voters . The debate today has swept away the Muslim- Muslim ticket distraction, the parochial consideration of ethnicity in favour of competence , the trivia about health and age being dusted by a robust physically enduring campaign tour schedule at home and abroad have all proven Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the inevitable choice as President for the federal republic of Nigeria at this auspicious time of our history. If intellectual prowess was sole criterion for choice of President, then Soyinka would have been in Nigeria and Al Gore in the United States. If physical strength was sole criterion , may be late Power Mike would make the seat , if popularity and pop culture were sole criteria then the late legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti or Gani Fawehinmi would have been President. But the visisitudes of time and the unflappable change of fortune within the political , socio- economic as well as the unmistakable genealogy of Nigerians “can-do” spirit demand that we move from idealism and theorisation of our unsavoury situation to a pragmatic expression of our choices on election day.

For today , this country could do well with a realist , a pragmatist , a leader , a fisher of men and a consummate patriot to lead this great nation to even greater heights. I present to you Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for President come Saturday.

Dr Danladi Bako, (OON), Kogunan Sokoto, is Member of the APC PCC Media Directorate.

2023 International Mother Language Day: Any prospect?

By Reuben Omotayo Hopo

The concept of “endangered language” to the Englishman given his worldview sees a situation of a possible loss, death or language disappearance. What a Yoruba person sees from his worldview compresses the various synonyms together by just one word “death” of a language and this guides his usage.

The United Nations set aside February 21 annually to re-awaken people’s consciousness, especially the African continent due to its multi-language diversity, to look inward and promote their mother-tongue to strengthen individual identity, culture, belief and the possibility of relating with their environment in a world that is increasingly becoming a global village.

The 2023 celebration which falls on Tuesday (today) as championed by its affiliate agency, the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in its earlier publication with the theme: “Born To Learn” discovered that “one out of five children only” are thought in their mother-tongue in and the learning outcomes have shown that only one pupil out of the five masters the basics of reading, writing and mathematics after the completion of primary education.

The international day celebration serves a timely warning to safeguard indigenous languages from extinction, as available data confirms that at least forty percent of world languages ate endangered due to lack of speakers. To combat the incident, UNESCO has rolled out a ten year action plan (2022-2032) to project attention to the imminent loss of many indigenous languages which affects global learning of school children from their early childhood, and recommended that multilingual education be built as a school based curriculum.

This approach no doubt would solve the perennial problems encounter during translation among different indigenous language users in their contact with different indigenous languages which subconsciously create the tendency of one language interfering with others in conversation, writing and translation. Only language learners are quick to observe this deficiency among indigenous language users.

It is not accidental that many adults missed the

opportunity to acquire indigenous languages during their childhood, and the fault is neither may not be personal, but a combined effects of globalization, inordinate preference for language of a majority speakers and the influence of the political class are some of the cases that endangered indigenous languages of minority speakers who ought to raise their level of language use above the hook, line and sinker to preserve posterity.

In Nigeria, translation is a common activity among the citizens because of the multiplicity of the environment and the need to promote shared understand among one another is constantly required to attain a common goal beneficial to everyone in all communities and to maintain peaceful and secure communities across a state or nation. Hence, the importance of a people’s world view is a learning process that is gradually acquired by the learners of multilanguage education to understand the imperative of usage across communities. Below are some examples.

The concept of “endangered language” to the Englishman given his worldview sees a situation of a possible loss, death or language disappearance. What a Yoruba person sees from his worldview compresses the various synonyms together by just one word “death” of a language and this guides his usage. Going further, the Ogu speaker (fondly mispronounced as Egun) due to his worldview in the mastery of usage of the older generation only sees the last part of the three synonyms, “disappear” and express this belief as heard from thorough bred speakers to guide appropriate usage without any form of interference from other language(s) in contact.

Further popular belief in Yoruba land held about death reveals that, only the man or woman who is survived by a biological child/ren truly attained a parenthood (Eni omo sin, lo bi ‘mo.) Whereas, the belief of the Ogu speaking community has a different way of expressing the same meaning. This community as seen in its culture believes that a biological child/ren are more promising on the burial day of their deceased parents (Thoyigbe, ‘vi noyon te).

Early exposure to linguistic and culture diversity and multilingual education are necessary to curb errors of translation between two or more languages in contact and so, the 2023 international mother language day is calling for a more determined effort by different stakeholders to

increase the knowledge of indigenous speakers in the use of either Awori, Ogu, Egba, Oyo, Ife, Anago, Ijebu, Ijesha, Ekiti, Igbo, Efik, Ibibio, Fulani, Hausa, Kanuri, egede, Ebira, Igala, Tiv and whole lots of others.

The Lagos State Government has made frantic efforts to achieve balancing between indigenous languages and other languages of international prestige in the curriculum of its public schools to ensure that every student learn at least one indigenous language of his or her choice to forestall a situation where children are completely alien to their environment as they grow up. The State’s policy is committed to impacting multi-language education on students and the effort has yielded more results with the creation of a multi-language center to deepen the use of indigenous languages in the State and two community’s newspapers version for translating the Alausa Alert Newspaper (a monthly publication of the State Government) to “Iroyin Igberiko” and “Linlin Miton” to further the use of indigenous languages by indigenes of the State.

Parents, community groups, traditional rulers NGOs, religious organizations and governments should heed the alarm of UNESCO in preserving the linguistic diversity as an essential cultural element for solving the current global learning crisis. UNESCO urges governments to embrace multilingual education based on the mother tongue from the early years of schooling is affirmative in its conviction, “we know it works-there is empirical evidence to prove it helps children to learn.”

Therefore, children with opportunity of multilanguage education will be more exposed to understand the importance of cultural element that makes meaning contextual as a guide for translating the proper usage when interpreting an indigenous language by being at home from the standpoint of a particular culture. The likelihood of many indigenous languages losing a sizable number of lexicon as observed with one indigenous language is visible to warrant unnecessary borrowing by users of minority language to always make transfer from their closest neighbour in the use of their mother tongue.

Reuben Omotayo Hopo studies linguistics and communication

#NigeriaDecides2023: An opportunity to reverse the trend of democratic decline in Africa

By Tope Shola Akinyetun

To reverse the democratic decline in Nigeria and beyond, the incoming government must focus on ensuring food security, increased investment, and poverty reduction. This will reduce youth vulnerability to violence and encourage innovation and development expected of a youthful continent.

Since the post-Cold War era of the transition to democratic rule, many African countries, including Nigeria, have faced challenges that threaten democratic governance. In addition to weakening the democratic system, these challenges have created a poor governance culture that has exerted a debilitating effect on the political system.

As I argue in my research, good governance is a key element of democratic growth; thus, its corrosion drives democratic decline and the spread of autocratisation in Africa. With most African countries recording deterioration in governance, citizens’ role in contributing to democratic growth is impaired.

This is particularly true for Nigeria, which is the most populous country in Africa. Nigeria’s experience with democratic rule in the fourth republic has produced six uninterrupted quadrennial elections, albeit characterised by various challenges including voter intimidation, harassment, rigging, and ballot box snatching. These electoral hurdles engender a corrupt system that rewards ‘stakeholders’ of electoral ‘victory,’ thus making service delivery and good governance difficult.

As Nigeria prepares for its general elections in February 2023, the stakes are high, and the anxiety it commands is overwhelming. The elections hold great significance considering that Nigeria is the largest democracy in Africa, and the results of the election will have a regional effect, as it could either reverse or intensify the trend of democratic decline on the continent. The election is also an opportunity for Nigerian youths to play an informed role in deciding on their future and entrenching democratic growth.

This notwithstanding, as a country with a burgeoning youth population, it is pertinent to underscore expectations ahead of the 2023 election and beyond.

Free and fair elections, Elections are integral to democratic success, whereas the entrenchment of violence is inimical to democratic consolidation. As reported in the above-cited research, the quality of elections in Africa is deteriorating, with the majority of African countries witnessing a high incidence of violence during the electoral process.

The elections in Niger, Uganda, Senegal, and

Ethiopia have been fraught with violence, and fierce opposition has led to the loss of lives and property. In Nigeria, various elections have been marred by a winner-take-all mentality, increasing the chances of routinised electoral violence and rigging. In most cases, the complicity of the electoral umpire and security agents has been cited. In the first instance, lack of preparedness, poor logistics, corruption, lack of efficiency, and poor training have been identified, while partisanship and corruption of security agents have become popular.

In the 2023 general elections, it is expected that the Nigerian government will rise to the occasion and guarantee credible polls. The use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) by the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) is billed to restore the integrity of the election management body and reduce the chances of rigging. The ability to organise a violence-free election will restore the confidence of Nigerians and, by extension, Africans in the sanctity of elections and enhance democratic growth.

Good governance, Another major factor that necessitates the decline of democracy is poor

To sum up, the 2023 election holds the key to reversing democratic decline in Africa. It provides Nigeria with an opportunity to reassert its influence on the continent as the most populous country and largest democracy. The conduct of a peaceful election will not only signal an atmosphere of democratic growth but will also place Nigeria in an advantaged position to negotiate peace in African countries under military rule and authoritarian regimes

governance. Africa is presently experiencing a decline in governance, with over 13 countries recording an increasing deterioration in a ten-year trend (i.e 2010–2020). The incidence of political instability, armed conflict, and weak state legitimacy pervades the African continent.

For instance, the Boko Haram insurgency, which constitutes a major security threat to countries in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin, and pastoralist

conflicts in agricultural communities have led to unprecedented displacement, poverty, forced migration, and humanitarian crises in the region. To this end, the incoming government is expected to prioritise security, as this will create a peaceful climate conducive to democratic and economic growth in Nigeria and its neighbouring countries.

State capture and corruption,The ingrained challenge of state capture and corruption also weakens democracy in Africa. In DR Congo, Guinea, and South Africa, the elite has taken over state institutions for private and partisan gains. Nigeria is a classic example of a country in which governance and democratic growth are impeded by the kleptocratic inclinations of political actors.

For instance, billions of dollars have been lost to corruption, embezzlement, contract fraud, and kickback. The incoming government is, therefore, expected to prioritise the equitable distribution of resources and citizen participation in governance. This will improve democratic practices in the country and will serve as a model for other African countries.

Economic performance, Poor economic performance also entrenches democratic recession. Many African countries have experienced debt crises and inflation. This is exemplified by the economic decline recorded in the largest economies in Africa –Nigeria, Egypt, and South Africa – in 2022.

To reverse the democratic decline in Nigeria and beyond, the incoming government must focus on ensuring food security, increased investment, and poverty reduction. This will reduce youth vulnerability to violence and encourage innovation and development expected of a youthful continent.

To sum up, the 2023 election holds the key to reversing democratic decline in Africa. It provides Nigeria with an opportunity to reassert its influence on the continent as the most populous country and largest democracy. The conduct of a peaceful election will not only signal an atmosphere of democratic growth but will also place Nigeria in an advantaged position to negotiate peace in African countries under military rule and authoritarian regimes.

In addition to ensuring a free and fair election, promoting good governance and combating state capture and corrupt practices will improve Nigeria’s economic performance and improve its democratic experience. These are important in discouraging a wave of autocratisation and military coups on the continent. Nigerian youths are expected to continue to leverage their awakened consciousness as valuable stakeholders in the electoral process and democratic progress in Africa.

Tope Shola Akinyetun is a Public

Hichilema, Chikondo, and witch hunting in Zambia

By Leo Igwe

The government of Zambia should step up efforts to combat this harmful traditional practice. As the case of Mr Nduati has vividly illustrated the Chikondo practice motivate people to commit heinous crimes. There should be a significant police presence in areas that are notorious for Chikondo practices.

The Advocacy for Alleged Witches calls on the president of Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema, to take necessary measures to stop the attack and persecution of persons accused of witchcraft in the country. This call has become necessary following a recent case where an accused person was attacked and buried alive at a funeral. According to a news report, a mob severely beat a village head, Mr. Ndauti, after accusing him of bewitching the son-in-law who died last year. Following the death of his son-in-law, the family decided to conduct a local ritual known as Chikondo or magical moving coffin. People believe that through this ritual, the coffin that contains the dead body, would move and identify the person responsible for the death. In this

case, some people performed the Chikondo ritual, and the coffin led the mourners to the home of the village head, Nduati. According to the report, Nduati was beaten and pushed into the grave. He was buried, along with the man that they said he killed through witchcraft. They described area that this incident happened as lawless due to a lack of police presence. There have been reports of other deaths and mob attacks linked to the Chikondo ritual in Zambia before now.

In 2017, Chikondo ritualists assaulted two elders on the suspicion that they killed a young man through witchcraft in the Northwestern province. The elders sustained injuries, one of them was hospitalized. In 2018, the police launched a manhunt for a witch doctor in Kaoma who charged exorbitant fees for magically moving coffins during funerals. A media source says that the Chikondo ritual practice is pervasive in Chikankata, Neganega, and Mazabuka districts in the Southern Province. It explains that during a funeral procession, charms that was placed in the coffin would lead the pallbearers to the person responsible for the death. The persons indicted are attacked

Policy Analyst.

or killed, if they could not escape. The homes are burnt, and the livestock and any other possessions, are destroyed. The police said that since last year at least nine persons had been killed during the Chikondo witch hunting in the country.

The Advocacy for Alleged Witches calls for an end to the Chikondo ritual practice in Zambia. Coffins cannot move, manually or magically, unless by human beings. Dead people cannot identify those who killed them during funerals. The government of Zambia should step up efforts to combat this harmful traditional practice. As the case of Mr Nduati has vividly illustrated the Chikondo practice motivate people to commit heinous crimes. There should be a significant police presence in areas that are notorious for Chikondo practices. All suspected Chikondo ritualists should be placed on a watch list. All those implicated in past incidents of Chikondo witch hunting, including those who buried Mr. Nduati alive, should be arrested, prosecuted, and punished. Hichilema, please help end witch-hunting in Zambia.

Leo Igwe directs the Advocacy for Alleged Witches.

Rev. Yakubu Pam, Executive Secretary, Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), has urged political parties to accept results of the 2023 general elections and refrain from actions that could trigger violence.

He made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja ahead of the general elections commencing Saturday, Feb. 25.

Pam urged candidates or political parties disatisfied with election outcome to pursue their case in courts instead of taking the law into their hands.

“We must remember that the world’s eyes will be on

Polls: NCPC boss urges Nigerians to accept results, avoid violence

Nigerians; what happens here will send a very strong signal to the world about our readiness to grow as a nation.

“I am advising Nigerians to know that the hour has come for us to behave in a matured manner.

“Let us remember that leaders that will lead us are not regional leaders, ethnic leaders

or religious leaders; we need a leader with a heart that will lead us regardless of our background, whether you are from the south or north.

“A leader that will look at you as a Nigerian first, and a leader that will hear the cry of the needy and the poor, leaders that will look at our major challenges in terms of insecurity and in

terms of economy.

“The greatest of them all, is a leader that will work to unite us, finding common grounds that make us one in whatever we are doing as a country,” he said.

The executive secretary further said that Nigerians should bear in mind that the will of God would prevail.

“Whatever we are doing now,

the will of God is bigger than everyone, at the end, whoever emerges, we should rally round the person to make sure we have a new Nigeria.

“As we move toward installing a new administration, we must make sure that we have our country standing and to work together with the person,” he added(NAN)

Akwa Ibom PDP Guber: Lawyer accuses INEC of judgment forgery

By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been accused of doctoring the judgment of a Federal High Court which declared Hon. Michael Enyong as the lawful governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State for the 2023 Governorship election.

The Appallant in the matter is challenging the Federal High Court judgment that recognized Michael Enyong as PDP gubernatorial candidate.

Mr. Uwemedimo Nwoko a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) specifically alleged that INEC fraudulently imported strange words into the judgment delivered by Justice Fadima Murtala Aminu in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/ CS/1295/2022 delivered on 20 January 2023, in Abuja to favour a particular candidate.

Speaking, after the mention of the matter at the Court of Appeal, Nwoko explained that the electoral body, in a letter to the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) twisted the judgment of Justice Aminu to the effect that the Court found as a fact that INEC monitored the primary election that produced Michael Enyong.

The letter written by INEC Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, dated February 1, 2023, marked INEC/LD&C/C&J/2022/T/359 entitled Re: Suit No. FHC/ABJ/ CS/1295/2022 between Hon. Michael Enyong vs INEC and others.

In the letter, the Secretary quoted the judgment as ordering INEC to recognize and publish the name and details of Enyong as the lawful candidate validly sponsored by the PDP having emerged as winner of the party’s primary election of May 25, 2022 “monitored by INEC for the Akwa Ibom State gubernatorial candidate for the forthcoming general elections.”

However, the Senior Lawyer

who exhibited certified true copies of the judgment said that there was no where in the judgment that the issue of monitoring of the primary election by INEC was mentioned.

He said that a petition had already been written to the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahood Yakubu, protesting importation of

strange words into the judgment with a view to getting those who twisted the judgment for fraudulent reasons be fished out for punishment.

Nwoko who represented Mr Umo Eno who is contesting the governorship ticket with Enyong expressed optimism that justice will be done in the alleged

judgment forgery.

Earlier at the Monday’s proceedings, counsel to Enyong Mr. Seperibo Peters had sought to move an application to stay proceedings in a matter before a Federal High Court but later withdrew the application following the discovery that an appeal had been entered at

the Court of Appeal in Abuja in respect of the same matter.

Justice Olubunmi Oyewole who presided over a three-man panel of the Appellate Court in a short ruling on the withdrawal of the application subsequently struck it out. Meanwhile, no date has been fixed for hearing of the appeal.

Forum takes election sensitisation to FCT IDP camp

By Albert Akota

West African Civil Society Forum (WACSOF), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has sensitised Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on electoral activities.

WACSOF National Coordinator, Mr David Olatunji, addressing IDPs at Durumi area on Tuesday in Abuja, said that the programme is structured to encourage youth to come out enmasse to vote for their preferred presidential candidate.

Olatunji advised the residents who he described as violenceprone people to avoid being used as tools by politicians to disrupt the

electoral process.

“We know that people will come with their money and resources to bribe the less-privileged and uneducated ones to influence their choice of votes, hence the need for this sensitisation,” he said.

According to him, Durumi and Area 1 of the FCT are hot spot areas, based on past experiences during elections.

“We have youth representatives from Area 1 and nearby communities here and hope they serve as ambassadors to promote peace as that’s what we seek to achieve during this programme,” he said.

Mr Oluwasegun Oyedijo, WACSOF Youth Team Lead, said that there was the need to sensitise those at the grassroots on how to

properly vote.

“We have decided not to stay in the heart of town for this sensitisation but to come to the grassroots to ensure they shun violence.

“It is wrong for someone to be used negatively as long as election is concerned, so we expect them to be positive and embrace peace,” he said.

Oyedijo educated the participants on the right finger to use in voting as he urged them to vote for the candidate of their choice with the aim of having a better Nigeria.

An IDP, Thomas Yakubu, said that the programme has educated participants on the right finger to use in voting.

Yakubu said that many were

unaware of the voting process but knew that all they needed to vote was their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

“We have been advised to vote freely for those we want to lead us as a nation.

“Most people know who they want to vote for in their minds, so we will stay away from trouble during the election,” he said.

Gloria Isah, a resident at the camp, said that she is sure that the turnout for this year’s election would be massive.

Isah said that the major topic of discussion within her community was how determined everyone was to exercise their voting rights.

She said that the sensitisation programme was apt to avoid violence.

Cross-section of the graduating students, during the graduation ceremony of the 2022 National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP), yesterday in Jos

By Musa Baba Adamu

The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Tuesday evening removed a House of Representatives member, Micheal Enyong, as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for Akwa Ibom State.

In his place, the court restored Umo Eno, a former Commissioner for Land whose nomination by the party was set aside by a Federal High Court in Abuja on January 20, 2023.

In a judgment delivered in an appeal filed by PDP against the

Appeal Court sacks Akwa Ibom PDP guber candidate, Micheal Enyong

Federal High Court judgement, Justice Hamma Akawu Barka voided the judgment of the Federal High Court and set it aside on the ground that it was predicated on errors.

Justice Barka agreed with counsel to the PDP, Mr Paul Usoro and Uwemedimo Nwoko that the Federal High Court

judgment was delivered in error and that the court was misled by the plaintiff in the matter to arrive at an unjust conclusion. The appellate court held that the issue of statutory delegates who voted at the primary election is an internal affair of the party and that the lower court ought not to have

inquired into the issue.

Justice Barka also agreed with Usoro that only the National Working Committee, NWC, of a political party has the power to conduct primary elections for the purpose of nominating candidates for the general election.

The appellate court further

held that since the lower court has no jurisdiction to inquire into the internal affairs of PDP, the judge has no discretion in law to exercise in the matter. Justice Barka thereafter upheld the appeal of the PDP and vacated all orders made by the Federal High Court in favour of Michael Enyong.

2023 elections: Osun APC declares 3 days of prayer, fasting

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

Five days before the general elections, the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Osun State has tasked members and supporters of the party to observe a three-day fasting and prayer.

The aim of the exercise according to Tajudeen Lawal,

the acting chairman of the party in the state, is to seek the favour of God for the smooth conduct of the elections.

Lawal in the statement issued by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi on Tuesday in Osogbo hinted that APC does not joke with the potency of fasting and prayer as there is no logjam that cannot be remedied by the all-

knowing God, especially when communicated to Him through fasting and prayer.

“The fasting and prayer session should be held between tomorrow (Wednesday) and Friday which is the eve of the conduct of the presidential and National Assembly elections.

“The prayer point of the APC members and supporters should be that God Almighty

should finish His work which He had started a long time ago on the presidential candidate of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and all the party’s national and state assemblies’ candidates.”

Lawal also enjoined party members to, in their supplications to God, pray for a crisis-free election and subsequent victory of all the

party’s candidates. While reminding the members and supporters of the party that their permanent voter cards should be within reach to enable them to participate actively in the elections, he pleaded with them to observe all the INEC directives to the letter to avoid voids and cancellations of their votes.

L-R: National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu; APC Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; President Muhammadu Buhari; Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Director General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council/ Governor of Plateau State, Barr Simon Lalong and Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahya Bello, during the grand finale of the APC Presidential Campaign at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos on Tuesday, 21 February 2023.

2023 elections: ADC, APM guber candidates decamp to APC in Jigawa

By Christiana Ekpa

The governorship candidates of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Jigawa State have decamped to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC). This was contained in a statement by Habibu Nuhu Kila, Special Adviser on

Media and Public Relations to Governor Muhammad Badaru Abubakar.

While receiving the decamped candidates at Government House, Governor Badaru Abubakar assured them that they will be accorded all the rights and privileges enjoyed by all members of the APC.

The chairman of APM in Jigawa

State, Alhaji Shehu Ibrahim said all the candidates of various offices of the party, from the governorship to the state assembly, had resolved to support APC candidates in the coming general election. Also, ADC chairman, Dr Sani Gumel said they resolved, too, to align with the leadership of the APC in the state and, therefore, offered their loyalty and

support to the party.

The parties’ chairmen disclosed that their decisions were arrived at after meeting with the state and local government executives of the party.

The supporters of the parties, according to them, have been directed to vote for APC candidates at all elective positions.

Old naira: Buhari, Emefiele not relevant after presidential election – Oshiomole

By Christiana Ekpa

Adams Oshiomhole, a former National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has kicked against President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision on the naira redesign policy.

Oshiomhole, who said Buhari is on his own following his recent

2023: I’m the senatorial candidate for Enugu EastNnamani

By Christiana Ekpa

Former Governor of Enugu state and Senator representing Enugu East in the Senate, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani has told his constituents to come out en masse to vote for him in the Saturday’s Senatorial election.

The former Governor also made the final list of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) final list of Senatorial candidates cleared for the Saturday’s election .

Senator Nnamani therefore affirmed that his candidature for the election is neither threatened nor shaken submitting that “ in Enugu East Senatorial zone , there is no vacancy”.

He told his people to ignore any insinuation to the contrary assuring that he is mentally and psychologically prepared for Saturday’s election.

The Federal Lawmaker assured his constituents of continued effective and quality representation in the Senate, saying that Enugu East will get her fair share of dividends of democracy.

He added that he will be fair and just to all adding “whatever be your interest and concerns will always be my mission and purpose in the Senate”.

comment on the naira redesign policy last Thursday, also insisted that Godwin Emefiele, the Central Bank Governor, will expire after Saturday’s presidential election.

The former Edo State governor, who stated this at Jattu market in Auchi, Edo North, also urged Buhari to obey the Supreme Court verdict on the naira notes.

Speaking in pidgin,

Oshiomhole said: “All this wahala wey Buhari put for currency change, my hand no dey inside. Our party don tell Buhari, wait if you wan change currency, you shouldn’t change am during election. Wetin you no change during your time, you wan make am spoil another pesin time, e no good.

“He has to obey the Supreme

Court. Supreme Court judgement is superior to the pronouncement of the president. That’s the Nigerian law. I disassociate myself.”

He continued: “Nah them choose ham. If they say dey want to change it, make them give you the new ones. Now they want to remove the old ones, they no give you the new ones. On this

matter, President Buhari is on his own. Your naira will remain valid according to the Supreme Court. Don’t throw away your naira, keep it.”

He added: “By the time you finish voting on Saturday, Emefiele, the Central Bank Governor, will expire. Your money will not expire. But the president will expire.”

Kano APC senatorial candidate disburses N60m scholarship to students

By Musa Baba Adamu

The senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for Kano Central senatorial zone, Abdussalam Abdulkadir Zaura announced a scholarship scheme for 10,000 students in tertiary institutions.

Zaura announced the N200 million scholarship scheme on

Monday at a rally.

According to him, the scholarship, to be awarded in batches, will take off with N60 million for 3, 000 students of tertiary institutions from the state’s 44 local government areas.

Speaking at the event, the APC senatorial candidate promised to raise the number of beneficiaries to 30,000 when

elected as a senator.

He said “I wish to thank the Almighty God for giving me the opportunity to fulfil the promise I made to give scholarship of N200 million to 10,000 students [of which] 3,000 students are going to benefit N20,000 each in the first batch which will be disbursed today.

“My plan is to raise the number of beneficiaries to

30,000. I call on you all to join us in supporting you by doing the right thing with your votes.” One of the beneficiaries, a Business Administration student of Kano State Polytechnic, Ismail Muhammad expressed gratitude on behalf of other beneficiaries, while calling on the senatorial candidate to “keep up the good work.”

National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer AUDA-NEPAD Nigeria, Princess Gloria Akobundu, fsi (middle), the Directors and Stàff of the Agency with other stakeholders, after the world Press conference on the Commencement of the Nation wide zonal sensitization on violence free election in actualization of African Union Agenda 2063 `Africa We Want’ and United Nations Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDG) 2030, Organise by AUDA-NEPAD Nigeria, held yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-owo

I deserve right of first refusal on Bayelsa APC guber primaries - David Lyon

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

Former Governor elect of Bayelsa State, David Lyon yesterday asked the National Working Committee (NWC) of All Progressive Congress (APC) to grant him the right of first refusal on the State governorship primaries coming up soon in the State.

Speaking to journàlists at the party Secretariat yesterday after submitting his nomination and expression of interest forms, Lyon said “Allow me to request our great party APC to grant me the right of first refusal regarding our party primaries date as outlined by the national headquarters”.

He also called on all Nigerians

and well-meaning Bayelsans to come out in mass and vote for the APC candidates across the board, especially the presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom he said his track records in human capacity development is equal to non contesting for the office of the President.

“With profound gratitude and great humility, I just submitted

my nomination and intent form to contest the primaries for the governorship election of Bayelsa state under the platform of our great party All progressives Congress (APC).

“I want to use this medium to thank especially the state and National executives of our party that gave me the privilege to be the party candidate in the 2019

governorship elections, which I won but God knows the best I wasn’t sworn in as Governor. In the same light I want to thank the good people of Bayelsa state who voted massively for me in that election also.

“Equally, I want to appreciate everybody that has traveled far and wide to join me in this historic moment”, he said.

Fashola tells MC Oluomo, INEC to obey Court ban on delivery of election materials

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The Director of Election Planning and Monitoring Directorate, Babatunde Fashola, has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Managing Director of Lagos Parks Management Committee, Musiliu Akinsanya, alias MC Oluomo, to obey Lagos High Court ruling which banned his company from being used to convey electoral materials for the 2023 general election in Lagos State.

Fielding questions from journàlists yesterday in Abuja, Fashola, who is also the Minister of Works and Housing, said obedience to the court is synonymous with rule of law, adding that until Court ruling is challenged in court of law, it must be obeyed.

Fashola said “I think that by now, from my own public service records, where I stand on rule of law is no longer a matter for debate. I have been a public servant for 21 years and it is not what I say now that matters or what I do. It is the consistency of my conduct.

“For me, there is no choice between the rule of law and my life. It is a forced choice because my life really means nothing if it is not lived with the rule of law, that is what protects all of us.

“So, anybody who is faced with an order of court, whether it be INEC, whether it be anybody, is bound to comply. Whether you like the court order or not, if you don’t like the court order, the rule

has been set down from centuries ago, that you must go back to the same court to say I am challenging this order. The person to whom the order is made should simply comply. There is no choice, it is the rule of law or nothing.

He also asked INEC to release the data on the number of PVC

collection State by state, adding that the party is set for the Saturday elections.

“I think it is very important for the credibility of the results and the credibility of the elections. We have been acquainted with how many people registered, but we don’t have the numbers of

how many people collected PVCs and that is a very important ask.

“And I think I speak the minds of all the parties by saying, ‘How many people collected PVCs, the breakdown of the PVCs collection per state and per local government and to every unit of electoral activity that INEC can

provide that information.

“We think it is a very important piece of information that will help INEC reinforce the credibility of the exercise that it is undertaking”, he said.

Meanwhile, he expressed optimism that his Party, APC will win the election landslide.

Kogi: Ex ED Rural Electrification Agency, Ohiare vows to sustain Bello legacies

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

Immediate past Executive Director of Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Sanusi Ohiare, has said his mission is to sustain and build on the legacies achieved by the incumbent Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, whom he said has achieved a lot of meaningful development in the history of Kogi.

During his formal declaration of intention to contest the Kogi guber, Ohiare, who resigned his position to contest the governorship election, said given his age, experience and exposure, he is most qualified to succeed Governor Bello.

“Kogi has made tremendous progress under the dexterous leadership of H.E. Yahaya Adoza Bello, who became governor of Kogi at the age of 40, and widely opened the doors for youth and women emancipation in politics and

governance over the last 7 years.

“Under Alhaji Yahaya Bello, Kogi state has inched closer to a more perfect union, given the prevalence of ethnic divides before he assumed office in 2016; which is evidenced in the current dimension of the Kogi race for governorship, where voters are no longer considering your ethnicity or religion, but researching on your person, character, antecedents and capacity to deliver.

“Kogi has also witnessed relative peace, stability and massive infrastructural development in the areas of Education, Health, Roads, Bridges and Power, to mention a few, under our amiable leader, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.

“Therefore, the challenge before us is how to sustain and build on the great works of his Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, and who’s best equipped to succeed him”, he said.

He called on Nigerian youths to

be a generation that reshapes Kogi to compete favourably, through digital innovation, amongst the committee of states in Nigeria.

While charging the youths to rise up and join him in sustaining and build on the legacy of Governor Yahaya Bello in Education, Healthcare, infrastructure and security, he said “Let us create the enabling environment for Kogi to attract huge investments like we did at the Rural Electrification Agency.

“Let us partner with the private sector and welcome them to Kogi, to help us create jobs with better pay for our youths.

Let us make education more affordable and skill acquisition readily available for our youths.

“Let us partner with the Federal Government to build an inland port in Lokoja build rain lines connecting the North, build an airport, rehabilitate more roads and build newer ones, and

effectively, make Kogi the Logistics hub of this nation.

“Let us democratize prosperity, by creating an environment where hardwork and innovation is rewarded, and indolence and rent seeking has no place. Let us be the generation that ends poverty in Kogi State. Let us be the generation that puts Kogi on the map for clean, renewable energy and alternative fuels.

“Let us turn our perennial flooding and other associated global warming crisis into an opportunity for innovation, tourism, job creation, and an incentive for businesses.

Let us join hands, rise up to the occasion and Vote for me as Governor of Kogi State to lead this transformational leadership for the next generation, and I assure you that together, we would make future generations proud of all we would achieve”, he said.

L-R: Deputy Governor of Sokoto State, Hon. Minir Muhammad Dan’Iya, Gov. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Sokoto PDP Gubernatorial Candidate, Mallam Saidu Umar, his running mate, Hon. Sagir Bafarawa and Others, during the PDP Governorship campaign rally in Gada Local Government Area of the State, yesterday.

GTBank ‘violating court judgements in favour of Stallion Nigeria’

The federal high court on Monday held that Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) was in violation of the consent judgment entered by the court on December 17, 2019.

The court proceeded to set aside the purported execution carried out by the bank February 1, 2023.

Ruling on an application filed by the Law Firms of Kanu Agabi & Associates, Wahab Shittu SAN and Bonajo Badejo & Co., on behalf of Stallion, Justice Allagoa of the Lagos division of the court held that the execution, which was purportedly done while the court was yet to determine the timeline for the completion of the forensic audit pursuant to the consent judgment, was wrongful and done with the intention to undermine the proceedings.

The court of appeal presided over by justices Daniel-Kalio, Sirajo and Banjoko, had previously delivered judgment in favour of Stallion Nigeria against GTB on February 24, 2022 and set aside the ruling of Saidu in favour of GTB.

The court held that GTB could not rely on its own breach of the judgment to act or levy execution against the assets of Stallion Nigeria.

The court also held that it did not authorise the execution and subsequent steps by the bank.

It proceeded to set aside “any and every step taken by Guaranty Trust Bank Plc before, on or after 1 February 2023 in purported execution of the Consent Judgment of the Court dated 17 December 2019, in the light of the Judgment of the Court of Appeal delivered on 24 February 2022 in favour of Stallion Nigeria.”

The bank had on February 1, relying on the ex-parte order granted by Saidu on December 2, 2019, which had expired, and the subsequent consent judgment, which GTB had breached, tried to enter one of Stallion’s properties in Victoria Island, Lagos.

Stallion Nigeria, in its application granted by the court, had contended that the preliminary KPMG forensic audit report had established that GTB overcharged Stallion N4,693,625,637.49. GTB accepted the finding by the auditors.

Stallion Nigeria is contending that it is not owing GTB any longer and that to the contrary, it is on record that it has paid more than what was outstanding to GTB by N6,423,700,000, a fact the company said is GTB is fully aware of but continues to violate its own agreement, the court orders, and judgment of the courts.

CBN disowns statement shared by ‘Aisha Buhari’ on Naira notes deadline

From Abubakar Yunusa ABUJA

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had said it did not extend the validity of old naira notes till May 1, 2023.

On Tuesday, a statement, which is said to have been signed by Osita Nwanisobi, CBN spokesperson, began to circulate on social media platforms.

The statement claimed that

the apex bank has been directed to recirculate the old naira notes, adding that they would remain legal tender till May.

The statement in question reads: “Due to the current and unpleasant situation happening in Nigeria, In line with Mr. President. After having a closed meeting with him on the 20th of February, 2023, the Central Bank Of Nigeria (CBN) has been

directed to ONLY reissue and recirculate the old N200, N500 and N1000 banknotes and this is expected to circulate as legal tender for 70 days up to May 1, 2023.”

“Members of the public should therefore continue to spend the old notes.

“Media practitioners are advised to PLEASE spread out this helpful information to the public.”

The misleading statement which has now been deleted was also shared by Aisha Buhari, wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, on her official Facebook and Instagram page.

Through a post via its Twitter handle, the CBN described the viral statement as “fake news”.

The apex bank advised members of the public to be wary of false information.

NBS: Imo, Rivers residents paid above N300 per litre for petrol in January

From Abubakar Y Ojimaojo, ABUJA

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says residents of Imo, Rivers and Akwa Ibom states paid the highest amount for premium motor spirit (PMS), better known as petrol, in January 2022.

In the PMS report for the month, the NBS said the average petrol price was N257.12 per

litre.

Despite the regulation of petrol price and the high cost of subsidy, some states still pay more than the average.

The lingering fuel shortage which is happening at the same time as cash scarcity has had a ripple effect on citizens. From hiked fares to an increase in the cost of living, Nigerians are lamenting the harsh realities imposed by both situations.

According to the NBS report,

the average retail price paid by consumers represented a 54.52 percent increase compared to the value recorded in January 2022 (N166.40).

It also increased monthon-month from N206.19 in December 2022, representing a spike of 24.70 percent.

“On state profile analysis, Imo state had the highest average retail price for Premium Motor Spirit (Petrol), with N332.14, followed by Rivers with N327.14

and Akwa Ibom with N319.00,” the report reads.

“On the other hand, Sokoto recorded the lowest average retail price for Premium Motor Spirit (Petrol) with N191.43, Plateau with N192.14 and Borno with N193.91.”

Across the geopolitical zones, the report showed that the highest average retail price was recorded in the south-east with N307.85, while the north-central had the least with N217.15.

From left: Chairman, Committee , 2023 Rivers State Governorship Debate ,Mr. Ignatius Chukwu; Chairman Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ), Rivers State council, Mr. Stanley Job and Secretary NUJ, Rivers State council, Mr Ike Nwaigodo during a news conference on the forth coming Rivers State Governorship Debate organised by NUJ Rivers State council and News Africa London in Port Harcourt on

NNPC assures Nigerians of availability of petrol

From Abubakar Y Ojimaojo

ABUJA

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited says it has 1.805 billion litres of petrol in stock.

Garba Deen Muhammad, NNPC spokesperson, made this known in a statement on Monday.

Muhammad said the volume of petrol in stock would last for 30 days.

He said 805.35 million litres of the product were in depots nationwide, while 1 billion litres were on marine vessels.

The NNPC spokesperson said the oil firm has initiated plans for the supply of petrol from mid-February to March 2023 to ensure availability of the commodity.

“In its concerted efforts to sustain the supply of petroleum products nationwide, NNPC limited has emplaced a robust plan for the supply of premium

motor spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, from mid-February to March 2023,” Muhammad said.

“Latest updates released on Monday show that NNPC Limited has a total of 1.805 billion litres of PMS stock, representing 805.35 million litres in all the land depots nationwide and 1,000.20 billion litres on marine vessels, which is equivalent to 30.09 days sufficiency.

“An additional PMS supply of 884 million liters is also expected into the country by

28th February, 2023.

“For March 2023, a total of 2.3 billion litres of PMS is expected into the country, while about 2.5 billion litres, which is equivalent to 42 days sufficiency, will be the closing stock for the month under review.”

While assuring motorists that it has adequate and sufficient volumes on both land (all the depots) and marine vessels, NNPC said it will continue to sustain availability of petroleum products across the country.

Nigeria’s inflation index severely outdated, says IMF

From Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says the weights used by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) to calculate the monthly consumer price index (CPI) are “severely outdated”.

The CPI is used to measure inflation by tracking the changes over time in the prices paid by consumers for a basket of goods and services.

From right, Executive Officer, Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI), Chief Dr Armstrong Takang with Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika during a courtesy visit to the minister in Abuja to Seek Partnership on Airport Development and Expansion of Airlines Yesterday, in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa

FAAC: FG, states, LGAs shared N750bn in January

From Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) says it shared N750.174 billion among the three tiers of government in January 2023.

The figure represents a decrease of N240.015 billion compared to December’s allocation of N990.189 billion.

The committee disclosed this in a communique issued at the end of its latest meeting in Abuja .The figure comprised gross statutory revenue, valueadded tax (VAT), electronic money transfer levies (EMTL), augmentation from non-mineral

•Down by N240bn

revenue, and an additional sum of N15 billion from savings.

A breakdown of the N750.174 billion for the month of January shows that N277.334 billion was for federal government, N244.975 billion for states, and N180.135 billion for local governments, while mineralproducing states received N32.730 billion as derivation, (13 percent of mineral revenue).

FAAC further said the gross revenue available from the value-added tax was N250.009 billion for the month in review.

A gross statutory revenue of

N653.703 billion was received for the month — lower than the sum of N1.136 trillion received in the previous month by N482.479 billion.

Out of the gross statutory revenue, N23.494 billion was allotted to the cost of collection and a total of N241.091 billion to transfers, savings, and refunds.

From the balance of N389.118 billion, the federal government received N189.745 billion, states got N95.227 billion, local governments received N73.416 billion, while derivation (13 percent to mineral producing

states) stood at N32.730 billion.

FAAC added that from the electronic money transfer levies (EMTL) of N13.799 billion, the federal government got N1.987 billion, states received N6.624 billion, local governments received N4.636 billion, while the sum of N0.552 billion was allocated to cost of collection.

The commission further disclosed that the augmentation of the sum of N100.000 billion from non-mineral revenue was shared as follows: federal government received N52.680 billion, states N26.720 billion, while N20.600 billion was earmarked for the local government.

The basket’s composition and weighting are usually based on surveys of household or family expenditure habits.

In January, Nigeria’s inflation rate surged to 21.82 percent, up from 21.34 percent in the previous month.

In its recently released 2022 Article IV consultation report on Nigeria, the IMF said the NBS inflation index does not provide a true representation of current expenditure patterns.

It warned that outdated weights can lead to bias in the inflation index.

“The official monthly consumer price index (CPI), a composite of urban and rural price data, is available on a timely basis. However, the index weights and basket are based on expenditures derived from the 2003/04 National Consumer Expenditure Survey,” IMF said.

“The weights are severely outdated and are not representative of current expenditure patterns. Outdated weights can introduce a bias into the index.”

The international financial organisation urged the NBS to use new weights from the 2018 National Household Living Standards Survey rather than from the 2003/04 National Consumer Expenditure Survey.

It said the collection of an updated producer price index is ongoing but the funding for it is uncertain.

The IMF assured that it would support Nigeria in updating its CPI.

“The update of the CPI— using new weights from the 2018 National Household Livings Standards Survey—is still ongoing,” the organisation said.

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

The National Security Adviser (NSA) to the President, Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (retd), has warned against plot to exploit current social-economy situation in Nigeria to ignite civil unrest before, during and after the general election.

Monguno, represented by Sanusi Galadima, gave the warning during an Interagency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) meeting held by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja on Tuesday.

Gen. Monguno pointed out that government was aware of plots by domestic subversive groups and their external collaborators to exploit the current socio-economic climate in the country occasioned by well-intended government policies to ignite civil arrest.

According to him, “In this vein and in line with Mr President’s commitment to ensure a peaceful transition of political power to a democratically elected next president through free fire and credible elections; Security agencies have been charged to ensure a robust deployment to deal decisively with any individual or group no matter how highly placed.

“Consequently, the NSA emphasized that strong commitment among critical

2023: NSA warns against civil unrest during election

stakeholders in the electoral process, strict adherence to the rules of the game by the political actors and the security personnel exhibiting high level of professionalism are critical toward achieving a successful and credible election.’’

He assured Nigeria of his undeterred determination to coordinate the effort of all security and intelligence agencies toward the successful conduct of 2023 general elections

The NSA, however, observed with serious concern the escalation of violent electioneering campaign across the country in site the peace accord endorsed by all the presidential flag bears.

According to him, “This ugly trend is played catered largely on the attitude of political actors, their sponsored thugs and other unpatriotic elements through unguarded utterances.

“Apparently the above has further impeached the concerted effort of security and intelligence agencies to effectively neutralize the prevailing security challenges

associated with the insurgency, terrorism, kidnapping, and separates agitations resourcebased and communal conflict, among others”, he said.

Monguno urged INEC to reiterate the need for presidential candidates to uphold their commitment to peaceful upcoming elections and the next round of national peace accord.

He commended INEC security agencies and National Peace Committee toward the de-escalating the usual anxieties that characterize build to Nigeria general elections cycles.

Monguno also applauded the revised Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement for Security Agencies on Electoral Duties released at the meeting.

His words, ‘The Foregoing will undoubtedly enhance synergy and collaboration among member agencies to effectively mitigate in envisage threat to during and postelection phases.’’

In his remarks, INEC Chairman, Yakubu said that

INEC was encouraged by the assurances of security in all locations, where elections and electoral activities will be conducted.

Yakubu said that the meeting was to fine-tune the committee operation plan for the election forthcoming elections, to guarantee safety of all.

According to him, “The commission is aware that security agencies are going to protect not only our officials and facilities, but also accredited observers, journalists, service providers, and above all the voters themselves.

“So this meeting is rarely an opportunity for us to fine-tune our operations, not only for the protection of the environment or the security of the environment in which election will be conducted.

“Also the security of all those involved in the process, ranging from INEC officials, the facilities we are going to use for the election, as well as all those who have legitimate business to be part of the electoral process

“From the observers to journalists representing various national and international media organizations to service providers like transporters, and others, but above all, the voters will cast their votes in about 177,000 locations nationwide on Saturday,’’ Yakubu said.

The highlight of the meeting including the presentation of the reviewed Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement for Security Agencies on Electoral Duties.

Sylva counters NUPRC, says theft is major cause of crude oil losses

From Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

Timipre Sylva, minister of state for petroleum resources, says the major sources of crude oil losses are theft, pipeline vandalism, and decayed infrastructure.

Sylva, in a statement on Monday, said despite the challenges, the federal government was determined to end the trend.

The minister said the FG planned to halt the menace through improved investments and security along the major oil and gas pipelines in the Niger Delta region.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory

Commission (NUPRC) had said 40 percent of crude oil losses was due to measurement inaccuracies.

Speaking on the matter, Sylva said contrary to reports that about 40 percent of the volumes of crude losses are due to measurement inaccuracies; lack of investments and a push towards renewable energy were some of the causes of crude oil losses.

“It is a known fact that the major losses of crude oil in the country have been through theft and destruction of oil pipelines,” he said in the statement signed by Horatius Egua, his senior adviser, media and communications.

“Again, we also know that

some of the oil infrastructure are old and decayed and cannot perform at maximum capacity.

“And there is also the issue of lack of investments in fossil fuel in the country and the drive towards renewable energy has really hampered new investments in this sector.”

Sylva said the government had put measures in place to restore sanity in the sector, adding that the problems associated with crude oil losses are systemic issues that are already being addressed in an effort to find long-term solutions.

The minister, Sylva therefore, urged the NUPRC and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum

Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to harmoniously work together.

He said the federal government cannot continue to lose revenue through perceived lapses in crude oil production, especially at this very critical period of scarce revenue for the country.

The collaborative efforts, according to Sylva, will ensure that the constraints and impeding challenges in the optimal crude oil production volume are speedily addressed to boost national revenue.

The minister said now was not the time to dwell on the mistakes of the past or engage in needless blame games, but a time to work to close all existing

leakages.

This, he said, will enable the government to get maximum benefits from its crude oil and gas assets.

While expressing satisfaction at the improved security along the major oil pipelines in the Niger Delta region, Sylva called for sustained efforts by all concerned to maintain maximum crude oil production.

“We are very confident that Nigeria will achieve two million barrel per day crude oil production target very soon,” he said.

“The government is doing everything possible to get to where we should be and everyone is working hard to achieve this.”

JAMB suspends 2023 Direct entry registration

By Maryam Abeeb, Abuja.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has suspended until further notice the ongoing 2023 Direct Entry registration exercise, which commenced on Monday, 20th February, 2023,

with effect from Tuesday, 21st February, 2023.

The suspension, according to a statement issued by the Board, is to enable the deployment of certain measures, which are designed to better serve prospective candidates.

The statement was signed by

Fabian Benjamin, Head, Public Affairs and Protocol at JAMB.

Consequently, the Board stated that a new date and fresh registration procedures, which will include Upload of JAMB Admission Letter in the case of OND and NCE, Admission Letter issued by universities in

the case of University Diploma, and Admission Letter issued by A’ Level examination bodies (IJMBE, JUPEB, etc.), would be announced in due course so that candidates could proceed to JAMB offices nationwide to register.

It would be recalled that

the Board had commenced DE registration on Monday, 20th February, 2023, and had slated it to end on Thursday, 20th April, 2023.

Candidates are also to note that only JAMB offices are approved to register them for Direct Entry.

Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (retd)

Minister presents gifts to award winning students, teachers

By Stanley Onyekwere

In recognition of excellent performance at various national and international competitions, including essays, quizzes and debates, in the year 2022, the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Muss Bello hosted and presented laptop gifts to over 100 students and teachers in FCT schools.

Malam Bello while presenting the gifts on behalf of the FCT Administration, expressed delight that the awardees cut across different schools, age grades and all the Area Councils in the Territory.

Represented by the FCTA

Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olusade Adesola, the Minister commended the students and teachers for their achievements, saying their successes at these competitions could not have come without hard work and dedication while also commending the teachers for their commitment to duty.

In his words: “We have the awardees cutting across all the age brackets in the school system. This speaks volume as to the capability of our teachers and the good work you are doing.

“That is why some of our teachers also received awards because the system has come to realize and appreciate the

fact that the students did not become what they are without the teacher.

“You’ve had handshakes with the Minister, you were received by the Chief of Staff of the Minister, by the Mandate Secretary of Education and very senior officials of the Ministry.

“Always remember that you could not have benefited from this if you did not work hard and it always pays to work hard.”

Earlier in his address, the Secretary, for Education , FCTA, Malam Sani Dahir ElKatazu, who thanked the FCT Administration for providing unfettered support for the Education Secretariat, said the

achievements were possible because the administration prioritized the welfare of teachers and provided the needed support for the growth and development of education in the FCT.

El-Katazu explained that the awards were won by over 100 students and teachers in various fields of academics, social and sporting activities, adding that the award winners emanated from both public and private schools in both senior and junior categories.

“We felt it is our duty to bring them up to the leadership of the FCT for recognition so that we may get the encouragement for them to do better in future

competitions”, he said.

Speaking on behalf of the awardees, Master Anyanwu Lofty John from Loyola Jesuit College, first prize winner of the 774 Young Nigerian Scientist Presidential Award, also attributed their successes to the efforts of their teachers, parents and other support systems within the FCT that have helped to raise their potential.

Also present at the event were the Chief of Staff to the FCT minister, Malam Bashir Mai-Bornu, the Director, Department of Human Resources Management, Dr Bashir Muhammed and other senior officials of the FCTA.

FCTA investing heavily in youth development projects - Perm Sec

By Stanley Onyekwere

The FCT Administration said it was prioritising young entrepreneurs skills development, as a measure to bridge the gap and espouse economic growth in Nigeria.

FCTA’s Permanent Secretary, Adesola Olusade made this disclosure yesterday, when he officially launched the 4th Edition of Abuja Business Plan Competition(ABPC).

Olusade said the Abuja Business Plan Competition was one of the innovative platforms the administration designed to foster youths participation in harnessing their potentials and also generating wealth.

He explained that the previous Competitions had produced young entrepreneurs who have become emerging leaders in the business world through their skills, products and services, which they are already exporting outside Nigeria.

According to him: “The FCT Administration believes firmly in the huge potentials of young Nigerians in producing the future business leaders and innovators who will rejuvenate the economic growth of our nation.

“ That is why we are investing heavily in youth development projects, programs and interventions like the Abuja Business Plan Competition which has the potentials of creating jobs, generating wealth and building the next generation of business leaders”.

Also Speaking, the Managing Director, Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA), Shehu Abdulkadir said the agency was partnering with several organisations to deepen the impact of Competition, while strengthening the achievements of the past.

Earlier in his remarks, the Director General, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency ( SMEDAN) , Wale Fasanya hinted on donating an award to the winners of the competition.

Fasanya also noted his agency

was collaborating with some financial Institutions to give interest free loans to the young entrepreneurs.

On his part, the Chief Representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency ( JICA), Yuzurio Susumiu , said

his country was interested in the youths entrepreneurial skills development, because of its belief in that the future lies with them.

Susumiu acknowledged that Nigerian youths were already doing well in the area of innovative ideas and business development.

L-R: (sitting) Founder, Islamic Research and Da’awah Foundation Ambassador of Peace, Sheikh Mohammad Khalid and the Founder, Cardinal Onaiyekan Foundation for Peace (COFP), John Cardinal Onaiyekan, (standing) Participant, Abdullahi Hussein, National President Catholic Women Organisation of Nigeria (CWON), Dame Mary Asibi , Women Leader Bachama kingdom of Adamawa State, Eucharia Solomon, Executive Director COFP, Rev. Sister Agatha Chikelue and the Dean Faculty of Agriculture University of Ilorin Kwara State, Prof. Olayinka Karim, during the COFP National Training Workshop on 2023 Election Observation / Monitoring in Nigeria, Theme: “Arise, O Compatriots, Nigeria’s call obey”, held on Monday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-owo

2023 Polls: Abuja residents sensitised on peaceful, active participation

By Stanley Onyekwere

Just few days to the 2023 Presidential Elections scheduled this weekend, FCTA commenced massive sensitisation of Abuja residents on the need to come out and exercise their franchise in a peaceful and orderly manner.

In particular, the Sensitisation Team enjoined residents to take advantage of the peaceful and friendly atmosphere created by the Hon. Minister of FCT, Mal.

Muhammad Musa Bello to vote for candidates of their choice.

Also, residents especially

artisans and other informal sector workers such as Okada and Keke riders were advised to ensure they confirmed their Polling Units and voting locations ahead of the Elections to avoid last minute rush.

Addressing residents in Kugbo, Nyanyan and Gbagalape suburbs in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Director of Department of Information and Communication, Mal. Sule Hazat, noted it is only when residents exercise their franchise in a violence-free that they can demand for good governance and accountability from those

elected.

Sule, who was represented by Deputy Director of Information, Mrs Josie Mudasiru, also cautioned those intending to sell their votes to look elsewhere as the redesigned and cashless policies of government had eliminated such malpractices from taking place.

At the Federal Secretariat and UTC in the Central Business District and Area 10 respectively, the Sensitisation Team told workers to ensure they played their part well by coming out to vote enmass for candidates of their choice.

It was observed that some workers, who made inquiries regarding the elections were also promptly clarified and attended to by the Sensitisation Team comprising of FCTA staff and serving Corps Members in the Department.

Highlight of the event was the dishing out of audio messages through jingles in Pidgin and English Languages to enthusiastic passersby relayed through the Outside Broadcasting (OB) Van of the Department. The Team is scheduled to visit other areas like Kubwa, Dei-Dei and Dutse Satellite Towns amongst others.

Ukraine war: President Putin speech fact-checked

President Vladimir Putin addressed the Russian public in a national address which lasted for almost two hours.

In the speech, he made a series of claims about the war in Ukraine and was highly critical of Western countries.

We’ve looked into some of his statements.

‘The neo-Nazi regime that set up in Ukraine after 2014’

Mr Putin has repeatedly made baseless claims about a “neo-Nazi regime” in Ukraine as a justification for Russia’s invasion of the country.

In Ukraine’s last parliamentary election in 2019, support for far-right candidates was 2%, far lower than in many other European countries.

It should also be noted that President Volodymyr Zelensky is Jewish and members of his family died in the Holocaust.

But there have been far-right groups in Ukraine - the most high-profile is the Azov regiment - elements of which have expressed support for Nazi ideology.

Media caption,

From 2022: Ros Atkins on... Putin’s false Nazi claims about Ukraine

It was formed to resist Russian-backed separatists, who seized areas of eastern Ukraine in 2014, and was subsequently absorbed as a unit within the Ukrainian military.

‘One of the brigades of the Ukrainian armed forces... was awarded the name Edelweiss, like the Hitler division’

Here, Mr Putin drew a comparison between a Ukrainian army unit and the Nazis’ 1st Mountain Division - which had

the Edelweiss flower on its insignia and committed war crimes in the Second World War.

On 14 February, President Zelensky gave the 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade the honorary title: Edelweiss.

The next day, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlighted this as “evidence” of Nazis in Ukraine in a tweet.

But the Edelweiss flower - which grows in Alpine regions - has been used as a symbol by other European mountain military divisions, including the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service, Swiss Army generals and the 21st Rifles Brigade of Poland.

Even Russia had a special unit called Edelweiss. The 17th special purpose detachment of Rosgvardia was given this title in 2011. The name was changed to Avanguard in 2016.

‘We also remember the attempts of the Kyiv regime to acquire nuclear weapons, because they talked about it publicly’

There is no evidence that Ukraine has attempted to acquire nuclear weapons, and Mr Putin - who has made this claim beforedid not provide any.

When it was part of the former Soviet Union, nuclear weapons were based in Ukraine, but in 1994 Ukraine signed up to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and gave them up, in return for security guarantees.

In 2021, the Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Andriy Melnyk, suggested that if Ukraine couldn’t join Nato, it might have to reconsider its nuclear-free status.

In 2022, President Zelensky said that

although Ukraine had “abandoned” its nuclear capabilities, it had “no security”.

But the Ukrainian government has not expressed an intention to acquire nuclear weapons and a military strategy document published in 2021 did not refer to them.

The UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), says it has seen no signs in Ukraine “of the diversion of nuclear material, intended for peaceful activities, for other purposes.”

‘GDP in 2022 has decreased by only 2.1% and I’ll remind you that in February or March they predicted a collapse of the Russian economy’

Mr Putin is right that the Russian economy has shrunk by less than expected.

Russia’s statistics agency says the economy measured by GDP contracted by 2.1%, which is close to the 2.2% estimate in the latest report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

That contraction still makes it the worst-performing country on the IMF’s list, but the organisation confirms that it has contracted by less than expected.

The IMF said that Russian trade was being redirected to countries not applying sanctions against it.

India and China have become the largest buyers of Russian oil, for example, as Western nations restrict purchases and impose sanctions.

In July 2022, the IMF was predicting a 6% contraction in Russian GDP for the year.

...Putin promotes Russian escalation in annual speech

Escalation. It’s become President Putin’s watchword.

And we saw more of it today.

“Russia suspends its participation in the New Start treaty,” announced the Kremlin leader in his state of the nation address. As usual he blamed the West.

New Start is the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty between Russia and America. It limits the nuclear arsenals of the two countries.

But there was more.

The Russian president announced that he had signed a decree on “putting new ground-based strategic complexes on combat standby duty”.

He warned that Russia was ready to resume nuclear weapons testing.

“Of course, we will not do it first,” President Putin added. “But if the US conducts tests, we will do it as well.”

New Start had been in trouble. Last month Washington had accused Moscow of violating the agreement by refusing to allow inspection activities on its territory.

Moscow’s suspension of its participation in the treaty raises the stakes.

“This is more about nuclear blackmail, but it is extremely dangerous,” believes Andrei Kolesnikov of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, “because we cannot predict how Putin will behave in the future and what is in his mind.

“In order to avoid nuclear war, it’s better to have a framework,” he added.

“By losing this framework we are witnessing the real threat of a nuclear war.”

What is the New Start treaty?

A Russian RS-24 Yars strategic nuclear missile

Signed in 2010 by two then presidentsBarack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev - the New Start treaty was designed to prevent nuclear war. It limits the number of strategic nuclear warheads that both sides can deploy, and gives each country the power to inspect the other.

The arrangement came into force in 2011 and was extended 10 years later - although weapons inspections were disrupted by the Covid pandemic.

Each side’s limit is 1,550 long-range nuclear warheads, a lower number than under the previous Start deal.

Between them, the two former Cold War rivals account for almost all of the world’s nuclear weapons. Russia had previously said it wanted to keep the treaty running - despite hostile rhetoric on both sides during the Ukraine war.

We’re also witnessing a Kremlin leader who expresses no remorse or regret for his decision to invade Ukraine.

His “special military operation” has not gone at all according to plan, bringing misery to Ukraine, heavy military casualties for

Russia and forcing President Putin to draft hundreds of thousands of Russians into the army.

So, was the invasion a huge mistake? A giant miscalculation? You won’t hear Putin admit to one of those. He continues to push the false narrative that the West is to blame for the war.

“I want to repeat,” he said. “They [the West] started the war. And we used force and are using force to stop it.”

“The Western elites do not conceal their goals to bring Russia a strategic defeat. What does it mean? It means to end us, once and for all.

It means they plan to turn a local conflict

into a global confrontation. We understand it exactly like that. We will react to it accordingly. This is because in this case it is about the very existence of our country.”

President Putin exuded confidence that Russia could survive international sanctions and - despite Western support for Ukraineemerge victorious. No hint of compromise. No sign he’s looking for an off-ramp.

“He thinks he has reserves for continuing the war and confrontation. It’s a bad sign,” Mr Kolesnikov concludes.” He has disrupted any connection with Western countries. He is not ready to finish this disaster right now. He will continue.”

Source: BBC

President Puti

Vladimir Putin has said Russia is ready to resume nuclear weapons testing during his annual state of the nation address

Algeria jails journalist Ihsane el-Kadi as old guard asserts power

In our series of letters from African journalists, Magdi Abdelhadi looks at what the jailing of a prominent journalist says about where power really lies in Algeria.

It was almost midnight Christmas Eve when veteran Algerian journalist Ihsane elKadi was taken by plain-clothes police officers from his home and driven to the headquarters of the political police in the capital, Algiers.

The circumstances of his arrest as recounted by his daughter are hauntingly familiar to independent journalists and rights activists in authoritarian states around the world.

It started with a phone call around midnight and was quickly followed by a knock at the door on 24 December, Tin-Hinane elKadi told the BBC’s Focus on Africa radio programme.

The six policemen had no arrest warrant and mentioned no charges, she said.

He was then handcuffed and bundled into a police car and taken to witness the shutting down of the offices of his media enterprise. Staff were sent home, the equipment confiscated and the premises sealed.

Mr El-Kadi had established Maghreb Emergent and Radio M some 10 years ago. They are known to be among the diminishingly small number of independent media outlets in the country.

Six days later he appeared before an investigating magistrate who ordered his “preventative detention”.

His lawyers were unable to submit their objection to his arrest and the shuttering of his media company because the date of the session had been changed without them being informed.

The charges against him bear the hallmark

of a repressive state - undermining national unity and stability, spreading fake news and receiving funds without permit.

Lawyers denied

International rights groups have denounced the arrest of Mr El-Kadi as a gross violation of his human rights and called for his immediate release as well as the reinstatement of his media business.

His lawyers have blasted the action as a flagrant violation of the Algerian constitution and denial of his basic right to a fair trial, after they were denied the chance to question his arrest before the investigating judge.

This was not the first time Mr El-Kadi has faced the full force of the Algerian state.

But the immediate trigger for this arrest appears to have been an opinion piece he had published on his website - Maghreb Emergent - in which he speculated that President Abdelmadjid Tebboune , who is 77 years old, would like another term in office and discussed whether the military would approve of that.

That clearly outraged both the president and the military.

All Algeria-watchers agree that the country has never been a democracy since it gained independence in 1962.

Elections in Algeria are only for show, the sole purpose of which is to bestow a veneer of democratic legitimacy on the man anointed by the men in uniform behind closed doors.

That’s precisely what the Algerians wanted to change when they took to the streets in 2019.

The protests erupted when the severely ill and wheelchair-bound former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika looked set to run for a fifth term after 20 years in power.

The protest movement, which came to be known as Hirak, succeeded in thwarting

Bouteflika, who was forced to resign, and has since died.

A few of those around him were put on trial. But that was the end of it.

The Hirak wanted much more than the removal of the head of the state. They didn’t want another choreographed election and window dressing.

They wanted a new political order with full

democratic rights and rule of law enshrined not just in the constitution but also in practice. They knew that to achieve that they would have to dismantle what the Algerians have come to call “le Pouvoir” - the network of complex web of ties between the security agencies and the business elite with the army at the centre. The system has been in place since independence.

Wildfires ravage Kenyan mountain forests

More than 40,000 acres (16,000 hectares) of forest have been destroyed by wildfires in the Aberdare Mountain Range in central Kenya.

The fires, first reported in forests of the Aberdare National Park two weeks ago, have persisted despite hundreds of firefighters being deployed to the region to try and contain them.

Two rangers from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) were killed when their vehicle rolled as they rushed to the scene on the second day.

Bakari Mungumi, from KWS’s Mountain Conservation, told the BBC an investigation into the cause of the fire was still ongoing.

Long periods of drought on the moorlands and forests leads to dry brush, which is a risk if a fire starts.

“Rising temperatures and dry matter are causing flare-ups on the moorlands, hence making it difficult to put out the fires,” Mr Mungumi said.

This is not the first fire in the region. In 2012, a fire destroyed more than 70,000 acres of the forest.

Aberdare is the third highest mountain range in Kenya, reaching a summit of around 4,000m (13,100ft).

Soldiers hit by jihadist ambush in Burkina Faso

At least 15 soldiers are reported to have been killed and more are missing after another attack in the north of Burkina Faso.

Earlier, the head of the military government, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, promised to defeat the Islamist insurgency after the loss of more than 50 soldiers in the same northern region on Friday.

The latest clash came late on Monday in the town of Tin-Akoff where a Burkinabe detachment was ambushed by militants. Some civilians are also reported to have been killed.

Since the Islamist insurgency began in 2015 almost two million people have been displaced by the conflict.

South Sudan scraps power to arrest without a warrant

South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and his deputy Riek Machar have agreed to scrap a controversial law that allows the National Security Services (NSS) to arrest people without an arrest warrant.

This is a significant part of reforms agreed in a peace agreement to end a brutal six-year civil war.

Rights groups have described the NSS as a feared agency used to silence dissent and which has been accused of widespread human rights abuses.

The peace deal was signed by Mr Kiir and Mr Machar in September 2018, but it took another 17 months for the two to agree to form a unity government.

Now the pair say a three-year transitional period has been completed and they are moving into a new phase that will see elections in December next year and a formal transition of power by February 2025.

More than 400,000 people are thought to have died as a result of the conflict and violence continues in parts of the country.

Nigeria first lady condemns her social

media hacker

Nigerian First Lady Aisha Buhari says she ordered fake news posts that appeared on her social media accounts to be deleted.

Earlier on Tuesday the Central Bank of Nigeria issued a warning about a fake press release that was shared by her accounts with incorrect information about the phasing out of old naira notes.

Mrs Buhari said in an Instagram post that this was not the first time her accounts had been tampered with:

“This person is a hacker, criminally minded with the intention to continue attacking my reputation through my social media platforms,” the wife of outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari said.

“But I am assuring you that this is the first and last I am disclaiming fake news on my handle.

“It is the responsibility of the security agencies to find out who am I sharing my social media handles with, despite being verified accounts, and take all necessary actions.”

Concerns have also been raised about the spread of disinformation ahead of Saturday’s presidential election.

Thousands cheer on ‘godfather of Nigerian politics’

The presidential candidate for Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has held his final rally in Lagos.

Thousands gathered at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, where the veteran politician - one of the three main candidates in Saturday’s poll - was joined by outgoing

President Muhammadu Buhari and other party dignitaries.

Mr Tinubu very much views Lagos as his stronghold: he was governor here from 1999 to 2007, and in many ways helped shape Nigeria’s economic hub into its current form.

Often referred to as “the godfather of Nigerian politics”, he has claimed he was instrumental in securing President Buhari’s two victories at the ballot box.

The Lagos governors who have succeeded him have been his proteges.

His critics say a campaign phrase he has used “emi lo kan”, which means “it’s my turn” in Yoruba, represents the worse aspects of Nigerian politics.

But many people in Lagos believe Mr Tinubu is a savvy political operator who could help turn the country’s fortunes around.

The Nigerian economy has taken a nosedive since the election of President Buhari eight years ago, inflation is at more than 20% and unemployment has quadrupled.

Mr Tinubu, who is one of Nigeria’s richest politicians, says he made his wealth through sound investments and can improve the country’s economic fortunes.

His main rival is Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party. But many young Lagosians, galvanised by antipolice brutality protests in 2020, known as EndSars, say they prefer to back Peter Obi of the lesser-known Labour Party.

The way young Nigerians vote in this elections could be decisive: a record 10 million new people have registered to vote, 40% of whom are under 35.

Source: BBC

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune replaced long-time leader Abdelaziz Bouteflika in 2019

Turkey-Syria earthquake: Baby pulled from the rubble reunited with aunt and uncle

Ababy born under the rubble of a collapsed building in Syria, and the only member of her immediate family to survive a massive earthquake, has been adopted by her aunt and uncle.

Thousands of people had offered to adopt the newborn, who was still connected to her mother by her umbilical cord when she was rescued.

She was discharged from hospital after a DNA test confirmed her aunt was a blood relative.

Doctors said she was in good health.

“She is one of my children now,” her uncle by marriage Khalil al-Sawadi told the Associated Press news agency.” I will not differentiate between her and my children.”

The baby has now been named after her late mother Afraa. Shortly after she was rescued, officials had named her Aya, which means miracle in Arabic.

A video of her rescue shortly after the tremor went viral on social media.

Dramatic footage showed a man sprinting away from the debris as he carried her covered in dust in his arms. She

had reportedly been under the collapsed building for more than 10 hours and doctors said she had arrived to hospital in a bad condition, with bruises and cuts all over her body.

Afraa’s (right) aunt and uncle also welcomed a baby girl (left) of their own three days after the quake.

The building in which her family lived was one of about 50 reportedly destroyed by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Jindayris, an opposition-held town in Idlib province that is close to the Turkish border.

Her mother went into labour soon after the disaster and gave birth before she died, a relative said. Her father, four siblings and an aunt were also killed.

“This girl means so much to us because there’s no-one left of her family besides this baby,” Mr Sawadi told Reuters news agency. “She’ll be a memory for me, for her aunt and for all of our relatives in the village of her mother and father.”

Mr Sawadi, who was present when she was rescued, told the Associated Press he had been worried someone might kidnap Afraa during her two weeks in

hospital as offers to adopt her flooded in.

Her family who took her in said that the best place for Afraa

was with family, however difficult their situation. Mr Sawadi and his wife Hala’s home was also destroyed in the earthquake and

they are staying with cousins. They both welcomed a baby girl born to Hala three days after the earthquake.

Iran sentences German-Iranian dissident to death

Acourt in Iran has sentenced German-Iranian dissident Jamshid Sharmahd to death on the charge of “corruption on Earth”, the judiciary has said.

Sharmahd, 67, who lived in the US, is believed to have been kidnapped by Iranian agents in Dubai in 2020 and then forcibly taken to Iran via Oman.

Iran accused him of being the leader of a pro-monarchist terrorist group.

He denied the claim and a human rights group said he faced a grossly unfair trial based on forced “confessions”.

Germany’s Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, condemned the sentence as “absolutely unacceptable”.

“We call on Iran to remedy these shortcomings in the appeals process, correct the verdict accordingly and refrain from the death penalty,” a statment said.

“Imposing the death penalty on Mr Sharmahd will provoke a strong reaction.”

It comes just over a month after Iran executed British-Iranian dual national Alireza Akbari, a former deputy Iranian defence minister who was convicted of spying for the UK.

The Iranian judiciary’s Mizan news agency reported that a Revolutionary Court in Tehran had found Jamshid Sharmahd guilty of “spreading corruption

on Earth through planning and leading terror operations”.

It alleged that he was the leader of a terrorist group known as Tondar and that he had “planned 23 terror attacks”, of which “five were successful”, including the 2008 bombing of a mosque in Shiraz in that killed 14 people. Tondar - which means “thunder” in Persian - is another name of the Kingdom Assembly of Iran (KAI), a little-known US-based opposition group that seeks to restore the monarchy overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

According to Amnesty International, Sharmahd created a website to publish statements from the KAI, including claims of explosions inside Iran. He also read out statements in radio and video broadcasts.

However, he denied his involvement in the attacks attributed to him by Iranian authorities, saying he was only a spokesman, and rejected all accusations during his trial, which began earlier this month.

Amnesty International said Sharmahd alleged in two telephone calls with his family last year that he had been tortured and subjected to other ill-treatment in detention, including by being held in prolonged solitary confinement.

He also said he had been denied adequate healthcare, with

access to medications required for his Parkinson’s disease delayed routinely.

In August 2020, Iran’s intelligence ministry announced that it had arrested Sharmahd following a “complex operation”, without providing any details.

The previous month, Sharmahd had arrived in the United Arab Emirates on a flight from Germany. He was staying at a hotel in Dubai, awaiting a connecting flight to India, when his family lost contact.

They were able to track his

mobile phone’s location, however, and noticed that it had crossed the border with Oman, despite it being closed for travel because of coronavirus-related restrictions, an unnamed source told the UN Human Rights Council’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.

The source said the family had received a message from Sharmahd’s phone saying that he was well a day before Iran had published a video in which he appeared blindfolded and confessed to various crimes.

The UN working group said

the UAE did not contest the claim that Sharmahd was kidnapped and transferred to Oman by Iranian agents. Oman meanwhile concluded that he infiltrated the country with the help of a group of facilitators and illegally left for Iran by sea “of his own free will”.

In 2019, dissident journalist Ruhollah Zam was reportedly abducted by Revolutionary Guards during a visit to Iraq and forcibly returned to Iran. He was executed the next year after being convicted of “corruption on Earth”.

Source: BBC

“She is one of my children now,” Afraa’s uncle Khalil Al-Sawadi said

Jamshid Sharmahd rejected all accusations made by Iranian prosecutors during his trial

There are risks involved in property acquisition -ESV. Tochukwu Agu

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

An Estate Surveyor and Valuer ESV Tochukwu

Emmanuel Agu said there are risk factors involved in acquiring property in Nigeria

He said risk associated with property acquisition are many.

He said some are foreseable and some cannot be foreseen.

The Estate Surveyor made this known to Peoples Daily during a chat in Abuja.

According to ESV. Agu, “Property is a thing or things that someone owns like, piece of land, building or both together, vehicle and knowledge otherwise known or referred to as intellectual property.

“It has quality, power that belongs naturally to something”.

He said there are several ways of acquiring landed property, we are going to focus on land and building

He emphasized that the most common way to acquire property is by direct purchase from the previous owner, other ways are through auction sale, mortgage, sale by treaty private and public and compulsory acquisition among others .

ESV. Agu further explained that acquisition of landed property direct purchase could be from the land or building owner.

“This is purchased directly from the owner of the property”.

He said there are steps to following when purchasing such property from the owner .

“Ascertaining the title document which includes: Occupancy, Right of Occupancy, Customary Right of occupancy, Land Title Certificate, Land Agreement”.

Others are, the survey plan attached to the title document is important in assisting you to identify the actual location of the land where same is not within a developed area.

Where there is a land agreement, you must examine what we call “recital”.

“This deals with historical analogy or background of the title holder and consequently confer some authenticity of whosoever claim to be the owner”,he said .

Speaking on auction sales,He said this type of sales are mostly concerned buildings.

He said one of the major things that must be looked in an auction is the method of instruction.

“If it is a liquidated property, then one must exercise caution and price it low in case there is litigation”.

Similarly,he said mortgage properties are mortgaged for loans as securities could be acquired after foreclosure of the mortgage.

He stated that, in having a mortgaged property, “There are documents one would look for here are such as, deed of Mortgage empowering the Bank or Institution to take over and sell the building, registration of such deed and

to examine whether its seller ought to obtain court order or nor before selling, If he ought to, the court order must be obtained”.

Others includes,Whether there was a consent to the transaction by the appropriate authority. You can also find out if there was any valuation exercise done shortly before the sale.

“You request whether the current seller now has all it takes to do perfection of title i.e. to change the name of the former owner to new owner. It is believed that a surveyor should strive to find out all these information.”

Similarly, “if the property is occupied, you need to find out the terms of occupation that’s

whether they are monthly tenant or yearly tenant and outstanding rent, if any”.

He also explained, compulsory acquisition saying that, the democratic republic nature of governance which we operate in Nigeria allows for compulsory acquisition of a person’s property or extinguishments of his or her right to property.

“Compulsory acquisition can only be done by government and there are laid down procedures the procedure is that after identifying the areas to be acquired, such must be published in Gazzette and the Air to enable those who have interest in such areas to be aware.

“Then enumeration of the

area to determine the quantum of compensation to be paid and prompt and adequate payment thereafter”, he said .

Giving more insight on the risks involved in property acquisition,he explained that where you’re given a property to sell or you want to purchase property on behalf of your client.

“The following is very key to check confirmation of the house to be sold to correspond with the description, visit the site and location.

Ask for copies of tittle Deed or Certificate and history of the ownership of the property. Conduct search at Land Registry.

“Where the house being sold belongs to a limited liability company conduct search at CAC to determine the quantum of debt if any.

If you’re satisfied with the above, you can now go into negotiation as to the price and modality of payment”.

According to him, payment is done, take the following steps.

“Ask for sighting the originals of the document, inclusive of the document, inclusive of building approved plan. Discuss how to take over possession n case some occupants are in the premises. By doing the above or going through the procedures, you would have taken enough caution”, ESV Agu stated .

Works ministry handsover 2km rehabilitation Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

The Federal Ministry of Works and Housing has rehabilitated and handed over a 2-kilometre internal road to Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Unwana Afikpo in Ebonyi State, to ease movement and make teaching and learning conducive for lecturers and students on campus.

This was contained in a statement signed and issued by Press and Public Relations Blessing Lere-Adams Director.

Speaking at the official handover ceremony of the rehabilitated road to the school management in Afikpor,Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, revealed that the ministry had successfully intervened in 64 internal road projects in various federal tertiary

institutions across the nation as at January 2023 and a total of 38 numbers still on going and at different stages of completion.

Fashola who was represented by the Federal Controller of Works Ebonyi State, Engr. Steve Oluwadum said that the intervention work aimed at improving quality of education was gradually bridging the gap of our infrastructure needs in our tertiary institutions.

‘’ The gap of our infrastructure needs is steadily being bridged by a gradual process of repairs, renewal and construction on major highways and it has reached the school”, he said.

The Minister described the project as an investment in education and noted that over 46 of such internal road projects

have been handed over in some other universities and tertiary institutions across the nation.

“The quality of education will be impacted by the quality of infrastructure and the learning environment and those who doubt it should simply listen to some of the feedbacks from students in the schools where these type of intervention has taken place.

He disclosed that during the reconstruction of the road at Akanu Ibiam Federal Ploy, 35 persons were employed, thus contributing to the job creation initiative of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

Fashola urged the institution’s authorities to ensure proper use of the road, while embracing a proper maintenance culture.

Earlier in his address, the Rector Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Uwana Afikpo, Dr. Felix Attah, expressed appreciation to the Federal Government and described the road intervention as laudable and commendable.

The Rector added that it would ameliorate the suffering of staff and students, improve the quality of education, moreso the learning environment.

Represented by the Deputy Rector Academics, Dr. Ezichi Kalu also requested for more interventions on the deplorable roads in the campus and pledged to provide the needed co-operation and environment during such intervention works to accelerate the smooth movement of people as well as reduce accidents rate within the polytechnic community.

An Estate Surveyor and Valuer ESV Tochukwu Agu Emmanuel.

Aziz Abdullah: Uyghur asylum-seeker death heaps pressure on Thailand

The death of a 49-year-old Uyghur asylum-seeker in Thailand has prompted pleas from rights groups to find a humane solution to the plight of around 50 Uyghur men who have been detained for nine years.

Aziz Abdullah died after he collapsed in the Immigration Detention Centre in Bangkok where he was being held.

He was part of a wave of more than 350 Uyghur asylum-seekers who fled from Xinjiang in western China in 2013, and were detained in Thailand.

China has been accused of committing crimes against humanity against Uyghur Muslims and other minorities in Xinjiang, where human rights groups believe more than a million people have been held in a vast network of detention camps in recent years. Beijing, which calls them “re-education camps”, denies all allegations of abuse.

Aziz Abdullah had been a farmer in a remote part of south-western Xinjiang, and arrived in Thailand with his pregnant wife, his brother and seven children sometime in late 2013.

Activists who have been in touch with inmates at the Immigration Detention Centre say he had been seriously ill for more than three weeks, but that the Thai authorities had refused to send him to hospital until he collapsed.

“He was coughing and vomiting blood - he could not eat,” says Polat Sayim, the Australia-based director of the Refugees Centre of the World Uyghur Congress.

“A doctor at the IDC examined him and said it was not a real sickness, that his condition was normal.”

He was finally taken to hospital after his collapse, but pronounced dead soon afterwards. The death certificate issued by the hospital specifies a lung infection as the cause of death.

Activists say his group was trying to reach Malaysia, and eventually Turkey, when they were intercepted in southern Thailand.

At the time, most Uyghurs claimed to be Turkish to avoid being repatriated to China, and Turkey was giving some of them citizenship. In early July 2015 the Thai authorities allowed 173 of them, including Aziz Abdullah’s wife and children, to be flown to Turkey.

However, China objected strongly to this, accusing Turkey of interfering in a bilateral issue and of “conniving in illegal immigration activities”.

The Thai government had also allowed Chinese embassy officials to visit and assess the asylum-seekers, and on 8 July 2015, in defiance of pleas from the UN’s refugee agency UNHCR and several governments, Thailand forcibly repatriated at least

109 Uyghur men, putting them on a plane, handcuffed and hooded, back to China.

They included Aziz Abdullah’s brother.

They were described by Chinese state media as being members of people-smuggling gangs, with some accused of involvement in terrorism. There has been no information about the fate of the men after their arrival in China.

The Thai government defended its decision, saying the Chinese had asked for all the Uyghurs to be repatriated, but that it had only sent some.

Six weeks later, a powerful bomb exploded at a shrine in central Bangkok that was popular with Chinese visitors, killing 20 and injuring many others. The Thai government insisted that it was a consequence of rivalry among people-smuggling groups, but evidence that emerged afterwards pointed to Uyghur militant groups as the likely perpetrators.

Two Uyghur men were detained and charged with the bombing, although one of them, who insists he is innocent, may just have been another asylum-seeker, caught when Thai police raided a house thought to have been used by the bomb-makers.

Their trial has been repeatedly postponed, more than eight years after they were arrested; the Thai authorities seem in no hurry to finish it, and the two men are languishing in custody.

Until last year the remaining 50 or so Uyghur detainees were being held in detention centres in different parts of Thailand, but after three of them managed to escape they were all moved to the notoriously overcrowded Immigration Detention Centre in Bangkok.

Conditions are poor, say activists trying to help them, and the Uyghurs are kept separated from each other, with almost no contact with the outside world.

“It is even worse than regular Thai prisons,” says Chalida Tacharoensuk, from the People’s Empowerment Foundation, which has been pushing for better treatment of the Uyghurs.

“It is very crowded. There is a lack of food, and the food provided is not healthy. There is no halal food for Muslim detainees. The drinks are not clean either - they have to drink tap water. There is barely any healthcare. If they get sick, they only get painkillers or similar medications.”

Phil Robertson from Human Rights Watch said: “This death is an entirely predictable outcome of a Thai policy decision to lock away these Uyghurs and, essentially, to throw away the key.

“Clearly no thought was given to the health implications of indefinite detention in cramped, unsanitary immigration cells with wholly inadequate healthcare and nutrition.”

The BBC tried calling a spokesman for the Bangkok IDC but was unable to get a response. A spokesman for the Thai police had no comment.

The UNHCR says it has been allowed no access to the detainees. The Thai National Human Rights Commission has also been seeking permission to visit the Uyghurs in the IDC for several months.

It was finally given a date this month, and will go in later this week.

The Thai government has promised to work with the UN to improve the screening and treatment of the tens of thousands of refugees and asylum-seekers who are inside the country, but this has yet to bring any significant improvements to conditions inside the Bangkok IDC.

Campaigners believe the Uyghurs would be very likely to get third

country resettlement if Thailand was willing to release them. But, according to a well-placed Thai source, the government’s concern over upsetting China is too great.

Aziz Abdullah’s body was eventually released to members of the Thai Muslim community, and he was buried in a cemetery at a mosque close to the Chao Phraya River in central Bangkok.

Source: BBC

Six weeks later, a powerful bomb exploded at a shrine in central Bangkok that was popular with Chinese visitors, killing 20 and injuring many others. The Thai government insisted that it was a consequence of rivalry among people-smuggling groups, but evidence that emerged afterwards pointed to Uyghur militant groups as the likely perpetrators.

Aziz Abdullah (right) and family before they fled to Thailand

Thailand decided to repatriate 109 Uyghurs to China in 2015, despite pleas from the UN

Adem Karadag , front, and Yusufu Mieraili arrive at a military court in Bangkok in 2016

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2023 presidential election is finally here

Cont. from back page

as procuring the service of the Nigerian Military for a 24-hours protection. Nevertheless, the DSS is still relentless in its investigation of Emefiele over suspicion of terrorism financing. The currency change provides a distraction for him and to weep up public sympathy in his favour. This particularly serves him in obtaining a restraining order against DSS. And this is not to say the policy is not favouring his cronies in the financial sector, particularly the payment service providers despite the weak infrastructure to carry out a decent cashless transaction. You are charged for transferring your money and for receiving money even if it is N100 and for even attempting the service with all the associated troubles which by now all those who are compelled to use the service can attest to. This policy, so far, affects the masses the most.

However, APC governors should not have bothered to be the one speaking out against the controversial policy, but they are voicing the same concern as all; including international voices on the issue.

APC is not at war with itself; PDP is the problem of Nigeria and Nigerians. PDP is behind it all; the fuel scarcity, the currency redesign and mopping

out; working through the party mole left behind in APC in 2015 - Emefiele. No wonder all the loudest support for the policy came from PDP, all the way from Atiku Abubakar to the minnows down the ladder. It is their policy and designed pathway to electoral victory. But, it is already backfiring. The same Atiku Abubakar, who in the ecstasy of seeing the policy achieving his purpose, by vocally telling CBN and the presidency not to back down on the policy implementation even when Nigerians were grossly suffering and looking up to them to speak out for the masses. Now, suddenly after realising his position will hurt his chances, has suddenly turned around to calling for the same actions he has been objecting to; now, he wants CBN to react, make new currency available. He now wants commercial banks to collect old notes from the people. Is it because he loves them? No, the sudden realisation that his antics are backfiring has once again brought out the instability and inconsistency in him.

Part three:

There have been palpable fears within the APC fold about the party presidential candidate’s path to victory. This concern is justified given the intensity of media work, fake news and propaganda coming from the opposition

and the activities of the cabal mounting pressure on the campaign, but I do not share in these fears nor the worries that the election may not go our way; why? Firstly, the election would be held this Saturday physically and not on social media, real men and women who are rational enough to know the origin of the difficulties the country is plunged into in the last few months would constitute the bulk of voters on Saturday. Capacity and antecedents would top the table when the final decisions would be made, Nigerians would follow Tinubu because unlike Atiku Abubakar, who is totally alienated from reality of Nigeria problems and the pathways to solutions, and a Peter Obi who knows all our challenges because they are in the public domain, but is full of numerical gyration, comparing us with nations after nations without presenting any local antidote; we will follow a man who knows the problem, and readily presents the practical responses along with historical antecedents to marshal the implementation. The latest opinion poll from the Daily Sun of 21st February 2023 has projected Tinubu to win 19 of the states in the coming presidential election and that he stands a better chance than the rest of the contestants. Another favourable poll for the APC presidential candidate is from Daily

Trust of 21st February 2023 which projects him to win 2023 presidential election.

This Saturday, the self-centered clergies would once again receive the same shame they got in 2015 and 2019. Proponents of ethnic colouration to the election would receive their portions of the shame too; believe me, the silent soldiers, the voters who stayed off the media to evade attacks would show their faces this Saturday for the hope that Nigeria needs; the RENEWED HOPE.

GOD BLESS THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA;

As someone rightly said, Nigerians know the difference between the man who talks of refineries, conglomerates, railways, ports, export processing zones, cement factories, new cities, and power plants he attracted to Lagos as governor, and another who boasts of bringing a brewery and saving state resources in self-owned banks when the same state is suffering; or of another who mistakenly sold off state-owned businesses for peanuts as he later confessed to Kadri, a journalist during the 2019 presidential election debates.

Fuel scarcity, currentcy scarcity, or whatever, would not decide the 2023 election. They are all strategies that fail at source.

CHINA

Chinese

Chinese President Xi Jinping extends festive greetings to Chinese people ahead Spring Festival - Chinese New Year

a forestry worker to learn about his difficulties. In 2018, after venturing deep into the mountains of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province, Xi said: “Not a single ethnic group or family should be left behind in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.” In 2020, Xi went to Simola Wa Village in Yunnan Province and joined locals in beating a wooden drum of the Wa ethnic group, a local ritual activity to bless the coming year.

workers at a hospital, senior citizens in a welfare home, workers on an outlying oilfield, travelers and staff members at a high-speed railway station, vendors and customers at a wholesale market, and people in an ethnic minority village.

Chinese New Year is an occasion for family reunions, which sees people travel across the country -- some even from abroad -- to celebrate with their families and friends. After three years of fight against COVID-19, this year’s festival is of particular significance for many.

Over the past decade, Xi has spent time with ordinary

family member,” Zhu said.

Around this time of year, people in another part of the country are busy making a different festive snack known as “ciba,” a glutinous rice cake. In 2016, Xi visited Shenshan Village in Jiangxi Province and joined the villagers in making ciba, quipping that pounding the snack with a mallet was a good workout.

Xi has also trekked to some of the country’s most remote areas on his pre-Chinese New Year inspection tour. In 2014, braving the cold of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in the north, Xi visited the home of

Poor families and those who have encountered difficulties are always in Xi’s thoughts, and he has taken this time of year to reach out and meet with them. In 2013, when visiting underprivileged villagers in Yuangudui Village, Gansu Province, Xi delivered New Year essentials like cooking oil and pork to them, and stationery for students.

On another occasion, Xi visited the home of an impoverished villager in Hebei Province in 2017 and helped him sort out his household budget. In conversations with village officials and residents, Xi said that poverty eradication is the “bottom-line task” in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

By 2020, all of the country’s nearly 100 million rural

residents living below the poverty line had shaken off poverty thanks to an eight-year anti-poverty campaign led by Xi, and all 832 poor counties had been lifted out of poverty.

In October 2021, north China’s Shanxi Province was hit by heavy flooding, leaving millions of people’s lives affected. Xi visited one of the most hard-hit villages, Fengnanyuan, a few days before the Spring Festival. Shi Hongbing invited Xi into his new house, which had been rebuilt with government subsidy and other assistance distributed after the floods.

Highlight of Chinese Foreign Minister, Qin Gang’s visit to Africa

To deepen the China-Africa comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership and boost friendly cooperation between China and Africa, Foreign Minister Qin Gang visited Ethiopia, Gabon, Angola, Benin, Egypt, the African Union Headquarters and the League of Arab States Headquarters upon invitation from January 9 to 16, 2023. This is the 33rd consecutive year that Africa has been the destination of Chinese foreign ministers’ annual first overseas visit.

Less than two weeks after his appointment, China’s new Foreign Minister Qin Gang visited Africa on his first official overseas trip with five countries and two regional organizations on his busy eight-day schedule.

Qin followed his predecessors’ footsteps. For the past 32 years, all Chinese foreign ministers started their new year overseas tours in Africa, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, which testifies to the longlasting friendship between China and Africa.

In a remark by the Foreign Minister Qin Gang at the Completion Ceremony for the China-aided Project of the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention Headquarters in Addis Ababa on January 11, 2023, he expressed delight in the closing ceremony for the Africa CDC headquarters, a flagship project of China-Africa cooperation announced by President Xi Jinping at the FOCAC Beijing Summit in 2018.

His words read in part: “Like the AU Conference Center, it is yet another landmark of China-Africa cooperation. At the outset, I wish to extend warm congratulations to the AU, and to the African countries and peoples. I also want to thank the AU Commission and the Ethiopian government for their strong support, and pay high tribute to the Chinese and African engineers and workers who have participated in the project.

“I learned from my colleagues about the many challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to the project during construction. But our two sides have surmounted the difficulties and topped out the buildings ahead of schedule. This is indeed a new miracle in ChinaAfrica cooperation. I believe with the joint efforts of our two sides, the Africa CDC will make greater contribution to public health in Africa and the health and wellbeing of the African people. It will also write a new, splendid chapter in the history of China-Africa relations.

“This is my first overseas trip, and my first visit to Africa and the AU headquarters as the Chinese Foreign Minister. This is also the 33rd consecutive year that the Chinese Foreign Minister visits Africa on the first overseas trip of the new year, which is a fine tradition of China’s diplomacy. With this opportunity, I wish to reiterate that strengthening solidarity and cooperation with African countries will always be a diplomatic priority for China. No matter how the international environment changes, China and Africa will always be a community with a shared future.

“We are in the 10th year since President Xi Jinping put forth, in 2013, the principles of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith, and of pursuing the greater good and shared interests for China’s relations with Africa. Over the past decade, with the joint guidance and commitment of Chinese and African leaders, China-Africa relations have made historic achievements that impressed the whole world, and entered a new era of building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future.

President Xi Jinping has visited Africa four times. The FOCAC Summit has been held twice. Our two sides have worked together to advance the ten cooperation plans, eight major initiatives and nine programs.

Significance of Chinese Spring Festival/Lunar New Year

Ahead the 22 of January 2023, just it occurs every year, people celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday across China other wise called the Spring Festival.

As the unleashed pent-up travel demand has brought back a Spring Festival travel rush unseen for three years, China’s transport sectors have make all-out efforts to ensure smooth and safe journeys amid optimized COVID-19 response.

The total number of passenger trips for the year’s travel rush, or “Chunyun,” is expected to reach 2.1 billion, almost twice as much as last year or 70.3 percent of the 2019 reading, according to the Ministry of Transport.

Of the total, about 55 percent of the trips will were driven by family reunions, 24 percent involve people migrating for work, and leisure, and businesses account for roughly 10 percent, respectively.

The latest data from the ministry showed that between Jan. 7 and 12, or the first week of the travel rush, some 221 million passenger trips were made nationwide.

The growing travel demand is a result of China’s recent downgrading of COVID-19

management from Class A to Class B. Under Class B management, travelers no longer need to present health codes and negative nucleic acid test results or undergo temperature checks when entering railway stations and airports.

“As the first travel rush after the country optimized its COVID-19 response, this year’s Spring Festival travel rush will be the most challenging in recent years, with a surge in both passenger flows and virus infections,” Vice Minister of Transport Xu Chengguang said.

Three China-invested Nigerian projects were inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari who was accompanied by Chinese Ambassador Cui Jianchun.

Project 1: The Nigeria Lekki Deep Sea Port, China-invested PPP project, was officially inaugurated on 23 January 2023 in Lagos by President Muhammadu Buhari accompanied by Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria Mr. Cui Jianchun.

The project, an investment in excess of $1.5 billion, is a joint venture between the federal government, through the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Lagos State Government, Tolarams Group (owners of the Lagos Free Zone), and China Harbour Engineering Company.

Lekki Deep Sea Port, operational, but still partly under construction, is a multi-purpose, deep sea port in the Lagos Free Zone.It is the first, deepest, largest and most modern port in Nigeria and one of the biggest in West Africa,with a depth of about 16.5 meters, adding that it would be able to bring in bigger vessels and more cargoes.. Lekki port is to be expanded to have a capacity of handling around 6 million TEUs of containers and a significant volume of liquid and dry bulk uncontainerized cargoes. The port is to be equipped with ships able to transport over 14,500 containers.

Project 2: The historic first phase of the

China’s GDP hits 121.0207 trln yuan in 2022

China’s economy posted steady growth in 2022 despite pressures including epidemic resurgences and a complicated external environment.

China’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew 3 percent year on year to a record high of 121.0207 trillion yuan (about 17.95 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2022, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed Tuesday.

In the fourth quarter, the country’s GDP expanded 2.9 percent year on year.

“The national economy continued to develop despite downward pressure, the economic output reached a new level, the employment and prices were generally stable, people’s lives were continuously improved, new achievements were secured in high-quality development, and the overall economic and social development was

Our cooperation against COVID-19 has delivered good results. All this embodies the vibrant spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation.

“China has remained Africa’s largest trading partner for 13 years in a row. Two-way trade in 2022 is expected to exceed 260 billion US dollars. Once again, China’s imports from Africa grow faster than its exports to Africa. Fifty-two African countries and the AU Commission have signed Belt and Road cooperation documents with China. Landmark projects like the AU Conference Center, the Africa CDC headquarters, the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway and the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway keep emerging. Joint projects of highways, electricity, communications and ports span across Africa. Such cooperation has helped enhance Africa’s capacity for independent and sustainable development.

Three China-invested Nigerian projects

Blue Line of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit was inaugurated in Marina on 24 January 2023 by Nigerian President Buhari accompanied by Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria Mr. Cui Jianchun. The Blue Line was duly kicked off in 2009 by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corp (CCECC).

The whole Blue Line is a 27-Kilometre Raul route that will run from Marina to Okokomaiko when completed.It is one of the six metro lines identified in the Lagos Rail Mass Transit, LRMT, master plan as contained in the Lagos State Strategic Transport Master Plan, STMP. The blue line phase one is 13 kilometre stretch from Marina to Mile-2. The phase 1 corridor services five stations: The Marina iconic station, National Theatre, Igamu, Alana and Orile. It is the 1st electrified light rail system in West Africa and expected to carry 250,000 passengers daily.

Project 3: The 41-terabyte national tier4 Data Center was commissioned in Kano on January 30, 2023 by President Buhari accompanied by Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria Mr. Cui Jianchun.The project was executed by Galaxy Backbone Limited Chinese Huawei company.

Speaking during the ceremony, the Minister of Communication and Digital

stable and healthy,” said Kang Yi, head of the NBS, at a press conference.

However, the foundation of domestic economic recovery is not solid as the international situation is still complicated and severe while the domestic triple pressure of demand contraction, supply shock and weakening expectations is still looming, Kang said.

China will make economic stability its top priority and pursue progress while ensuring stability this year, he said.The main economic indicators of 2022 are as

Economy, Prof. Ali Isa Pantami said the data centre was the first of its kind in northern Nigeria and the best so far in the country.“The reliability of data collection of the facility is 99.99% so it is almost a hundred per cent reliable,”

The centre would improve the digital economy, provide job opportunities and enhance cybersecurity while supporting the country to consolidate the gains of the digital economy.The centre, which Pantami described as a technology-upgraded facility, is, according to him, built to provide more storage facilities for both public and private sectors across the country, with its 41 terabytes of memory capacity and 2.2-petabyte storage capacity.

follows:

1.A deeper resident pocket: per capita disposable income is 36,883 yuan, up 5% over 2021 in nominal terms (1USD=6.7222RMB).

2.A bumper grain harvest: grain output is 686.53 billion kg, up 0.5% over 2021, a record high.

3.A clean energy boom: newly installed capacity of solar and wind energy is 120 million kW, a record high.

4.A huge tax relief: value-added tax credit refund is 2.4 trillion yuan, a record high.

China's Dragon Boat Festival

Quotes of Inspiration: Confucius says: “The most important thing in courtesy is harmony and peacefulness”

CAF Confederation Cup: Rivers United humble ASEC Mimosas in Uyo

By Amaechi Agbo

Goals from Malachi Ohawume, Ukeme Williams and Denis Ndasi saw Rivers United claim victory against ASEC Mimosa to register their first win out of two matches in the CAF Confederation Cup and move to the second place on the Group B table.

Two strikes in the first half did the damage as Malachi Ohawume netted in the first minute before Ukeme Williams followed up with superb second just before halftime to stun the Les Mimos.

Three minutes after the restart, Denis Ndasi netted his first CAF Confederation Cup goal for the Pride of Rivers to clinch the three points and complete a good night’s work for Stanley Eguma’s men.

Having made four changes from the side that lost in Brazzaville Congo on Sunday, Coach Stanley Eguma this time claimed the spoils in Uyo on Sunday to remember. Eguma’s new-look team were like wounded lion who wasted no time in feasting on it’s prey.

Atule,

Malachi Ohawume showed excellent reaction to finish off a beautiful team play 60 seconds into the first half.

Nyima Nwagua was the orchestrator of the second goal in the 42nd minute as he produced a wonderful bit of skill and turn that was begging to be dispatched into the net, and Ukeme Williams was on hand to do just that to double United’s advantage.

With just three minutes into the second half, the third goal did arrive thanks to some Cameroonian magic. Denis Ndasi was well positioned to head in a well taken corner kick from Ebube Duru to complete an emphatic win.

Rivers United move into second position in group B with 3 points, one point behind Diables Noirs after 2 matches played.

Rivers United are guest to Bayelsa United in a rescheduled NPFL matchday 7 fixture at the Samson Siasia stadium on Wednesday 22nd February 2023, before a CAF Confederation Cup group B tie against Daring Club Motema Pembe of Congo DR on Sunday 26th February, 2023

Umar’s goals hand Lobi Stars 2-0 Victory Against Doma United In NPFL23 MD 9 Clash

Lobi Stars continued their incredible home record following a 2-0 defeat of NPFL newcomers, Doma United at the new Jos Stadium, as a goal each from Joseph Atule and Umar Abba ensured the home team’s grip at the top of Group B table, going into the break.

The Makurdi-based side returned to winning ways once again after a temporary setback on matchday 8 against Wikki Tourists in Bauchi.

Interestingly, the host started the clash with great intent but it took the “Shoe get Size” boys less than ten minutes into the first half to seal the important points against the Savannah Tigers who came with a lot of intimidation.

In the 6th minute, Lobi Stars midfielder, Francis Odinaka maneuvered his way into the 18-yard box, skipping past the opponent’s defense, however, he was stripped from behind by Doma United’s Saifullahi Yusuf, leaving the center referee with an easy decision to point to the penalty spot.

Lobi Star’s winger, Atule, stepped up on the big occasion to give his side the lead in the 7th minute, sending goalkeeper Kingdom Osayi the wrong way to score his 4th goal of the season.

Two minutes after the first goal, former Kastina United attacking midfielder, Umar Abba, having received a clever pass from Terdoo Shimagande, doubled the lead for the host with a fierce shot that was well taken 26 yards away from goal, leaving goalkeeper Osayi with no attempt, increasing his tally for the season to 4.

The visitors tried to regroup to fix things right after going down in quick succession, but they failed to create any meaningful chance as the Lobi Stars duo of Sunday Chinedu and Orji Kalu ensured the trio of Samuel Enefiok, Usman Musa, and Emmanuel Ogwuche had no threat on Goalkeeper Emmanuel Daniel as the first 45 minutes ended 2-0.

Upon resumption from the interval, Coach Onigbinde Akinade of Doma United made some tactical changes. He replaced

Emmanuel Ogwuche with Bidemi Owoku in 45 minutes and Samuel Enefiok with Chibuke Charles in the 48th minute, but it was efforts in futility as the solidity of Lobi Stars’ back four gave no room for the visitors to exploit.

The host team, on the other hand had some opportunities to score more goals after the interval but Atule and Shimgande spurned many chances that would have seen the Makurdi-based side increase their goal difference, going into the second half of the season.

Overall, Lobi Stars displayed quality football to secure the maximum points at the final whistle of regulation time.

With the result, Lobi Stars have secured 19 points to end the first round on position 1, after 9 matches played.

Second-placed Sunshine Stars have 15 points from 9 matches. Rivers United is in position 4 in the group with 13 points, with three outstanding games due to their Continental engagements.

Speaking to newsmen shortly after the

match, Lobi Stars head Coach, Muhammed Baba Ganaru thanked God for the victory and appreciated the good character of players which made the result possible.

“We thank God for the match, a very good result...as usual, our boys were very disciplined, showing good character working in the defense and attack which gave birth to the result “, he said.

On his part, the Technical Adviser of Doma United, Onigbinde Akinade said in football, when you make unnecessary mistakes, you pay for it.

“First, we conceded too early, the penalty kick was a true one, and then the second goal which came after 2 minutes from the first and so we ended up with the result”, says Doma United gaffer.

With this game, Lobi Stars will join the rest of the NPFL team to embark on an election break and will resume back for the remainder of the matches on the 25th of March, 2023, and they will be hosted by the Savannah Tigers, Doma United, in Gombe State.

Nigeria’s Anuoluwa Opeyori retains Africa’s badminton Championship crown

Nigeria’s number 1 badminton player, Anuoluwa Opeyori has won his third African title in a space of five years to assert himself as Africa’s undisputable champion.

His latest victory came in South Africa at the weekend as he beat Mauritius Julien Paul 18-21, 2113, 21-18 to win the gold medal of the Men’s singles of the All Africa Senior Championships.

It was not an easy feat as the Nigerian delegation was psychologically drained even before the championship owing to nonissuance of travel visa to four of the ten-man team.

With his latest win, Opeyori has added to earlier titles won in Port Harcourt, Nigeria in 2019 and Kampala, Uganda in 2022.

He had also won the Men’s Singles title at the African Games in Morocco in 2019 to make it four titles in five years! His spirit was initially dampened following the inability of four of his teammates to obtain entry visa into South Africa for the competition.

The affected players were:

Aliyu Alhaji Shehu, Dorcas Ajoke Adesokan, Sofiyat Arinola Obanishola and Ramatu Yakubu.

That reduced the Nigerian field and narrowed the possibility of the

country making a good impact.

It is worthy of note that this is the second time in recent years that a Nigerian contingent to the All Africa Senior Championships will have serious and demoralizing problems regarding their visas. The first was when the Team was traveling to Egypt for the All Africa Senior championships in 2020.

Anuoluwapo Opeyori in the 2022 edition arrived Uganda as the sole participant from Nigeria and went all the way up to clinch the Men’s Singles gold medal, thereby becoming King of African badminton for the second time after his feat in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

His form was devastating to all that came his way. He easily dispatched his opponents with ruthless efficiency. They fell like packs of cards blown by the huricane.

Opeyori began the individual event easily outstroking Trinity Chimpumho of Zimbabwe 21-8, 219. Next to succumb to his firepower was homeboy, Ruan Snyman who also fell in two straight sets of 21-11 and 21-16 at the Round of 16.

Only Zambia’s Kalombo Mulenga showed a little resistance. But ‘Huricane Opeyori’ blew him away after the Zambian narrowly took the first set at 19-21.

Opeyori with fury of thunder smashed out the Zambian 21-10 in the next set and 21-19 in the third set of the quarter-final duel to win the match.

With the games getting tougher as the championship tie beckoned, Opeyori won the semi-finals against another homeboy, Robert Summers, 21-19 and 21-15 before his title match with the Mauritian.

It’s a new begining, remarked the Badminton Federation of Nigeria president, Francis Orbih who admitted that the sport in Nigeria suffered a setback following an initial internal wrangling that was only resolved last year.

Rivers United players (in blue) battle to dispossess ASEC Memosas player on Sunday

Chelsea Board backs Potter despite poor run of form

Graham Potter still has the support of Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly and the club’s board despite their poor run of form in the Premier League

The Blues have won just two of their past 14 games in all competitions and were beaten 1-0 by Premier League strugglers Southampton on Saturday.

Potter was appointed in September following the sacking of Thomas Tuchel.

However, Chelsea’s owners have made it clear that hiring Potter was part of a long-term project.

It is felt the team needs an opportunity to gel after a rebuild that has seen £583m spent on new players in the past two transfer windows, with eight new signings arriving in January alone.

It is also recognised the unprecedented injury crisis has also contributed to difficult circumstances for Potter.

A head injury to Cesar Azpilicueta in Saturday’s match adds another name to Chelsea’s lengthy injury list, which includes Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly, N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Christian Pulisic, Wesley Fofana, Edouard Mendy, Denis Zakaria and Armando Broja.

Potter’s future at Stamford Bridge will not be determined by success in the Champions League this season or the team’s ability to qualify for European football next season.

Although it is accepted Saturday’s result was not good enough - Southampton are bottom of the Premier League table - it is felt there are encouraging signs at the club.

Potter left Brighton and

U-20 AFCON: ‘I’m confident in my team’s abilities’ –Bosso

Nigeria coach Ladan Bosso says he is confident of his team’s abilities despite going down to Senegal in their opening match of the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Cairo on Sunday night.

Sulaymane Faye scored five minutes before half-time to secure all three points for coach Malick Daf’s Cubs in the Egyptian capital in their Group A clash with the Flying Eagles.

The seven-time champions had to play the closing stages with a man down following Ahmed Abdullahi’s sending off for a dangerous challenge.

Despite the setback the Nigerian trainer insists they will recover to excel in the tournament being played in Egypt.

“We take advantage of tournaments like this in order to develop our level and work to fix our mistakes. In the end, I trust the team and their ability to qualify fto the next round, and that we will achieve our biggest goal, which is to reach the World Cup,’ said Bosso.

Bossu and his charges will be seeking to make up for Sunday’s loss in order to maintain a chances of reaching the quarter final.

The WAFU-A champions will battle against the hosts who were held to a goalless draw by Mozambique.

“The next match is very difficult, especially since it will be against Egypt, the host country,” Bossu told reporters.

signed a five-year deal with Chelsea following Tuchel’s sacking.

Chelsea have won nine of

their 25 games under Potter and sit 10th in the Premier League, 10 points off the Champions League places.

The Blues are next in action on Sunday at fourth-placed Tottenham (13:30 GMT).

Greenwood ‘meets’ with Man United team-mates

Suspended Manchester United striker Mason Greenwood has been in touch with some of his teammates while the club’s internal investigation continues.

Manchester United striker Mason Greenwood has caught up with some of his team-mates at the club after criminal charges against the 21-year-old were dropped.

Greenwood has met up

privately with some players and has also contacted others on social media in a bid to rekindle bonds, according to The Sun.

It is claimed the forward has reached out to some of those he’s known the longest at the club, and they met him to ‘hear him out’ so they can draw their own conclusions after the charges were dropped.

Greenwood remains

suspended while the club conducts its own process to determine whether he can continue his career at Old Trafford.

Manager Erik ten Hag is believed to have spoken with Greenwood already on the telephone to check on his physical and mental wellbeing.

Manchester United will discuss the possibility of Greenwood’s comeback with players from the

men’s and women’s teams to gauge opinion on his return as part of their ongoing process.

Goal claims players from the women’s team are said to feel “deeply uncomfortable” at the prospect of Greenwood wearing the famous red shirt again, while staff at the club are thought to be split on whether the striker should be allowed to resurrect his Manchester United career.

“Egypt’s the draw against Mozambique will make it more difficult because their desire to win will multiply.”

Chelsea manager, Graham Potter

Bosso

I want to win titles with MoroccoAchraf Hakimi

Finally, we are here. It has been months of intricate gaming; months of election campaigns characterised by sentimental rhetoric across the board, games of betrayals, activations of delicate lines of religion and ethnicity to divide the citizens to an end; the unleashing of the fullest power of the cabals to stop some certain individuals from attaining power; and summarily, a time, Nigeria and Nigerians would forever live to remember.

This week, I have a threepart piece, courtesy of multievents dictating the pace of the moment in the country, and the exigency of time to relate with them all, in and timely.

Part one:

across the region to use the last Friday prayer before the election to preach his candidacy and employ their people to cast their votes for him. It wasn’t all about capacity nor of recorded antecedents, but religion and ethnicity.

with needed funds for election day financing. Nigerians are suffering today because these people are hell bent on stopping Tinubu and would not care if anarchy is let loose on the streets, as long as their goal is achieved.

Moroccan international Achraf Hakimi, who plays as a right-back for French club Paris Saint-Germain, says his dream is to win titles with the Moroccan national team.

Speaking to Prime Video Sport France, Hakimi said he also desires to win the UEFA Champions League with his club.

When asked about his favorite moments throughout his career so far, the right-back mentioned Morocco’s run at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where the team finished in fourth place.

The player also mentioned his winning the Champions League title with Real Madrid, despite not playing much for the team.

“I’d also like to thank my coach, Herve Renard, who gave me the opportunity to play for Morocco’s team the first time he called me up,” Hakimi said, also thanking Real Madrid ex-head coach Zineddine Zidane for also giving him the opportunity to play.

Speaking about his personal relationships in football, Hakimi mentioned Moroccan goalkeeper Munir Mohamedi, who also plays for the national team, mentioning him as one of the friends he was able to make through football, alongside French superstar Kylian Mbappe.

Considered one of the best right-backs in the world, Hakimi is known for his speed and technical versatility.

Whatever happens in the next few days; whatever the outcome of the presidential election, Nigeria would still be the ultimate loser of the process, from the beginning to the end. From independence, and till now, the most potent weapon that has been used against this country and its people to keep us in perpetual slavery under a few among us has been the twin elements of ethnicity and religious affiliations; again and again, we had failed to get it right, failed to do the right thing for the country because the hunger to maintain allegiances to both our ethnic affiliation and, or religious beliefs drives us far more than patriotism to the cause of the nation and state of Nigeria. We would speak of deep concerns for the wellness of the country, but we will act to decimate it with our eventual toxic actions and wordings.

The candidates do not hide their readiness to weaponise these elements once again to win the election. Atiku Abubakar of PDP made it clear from the outset (at the Arewa House)that the northerners must vote their own; he did not mince word across the northern states and at every possible fora, to remind the northerners that they must vote for him because he is one of them; summarily, the PDP game strategy is presenting the party candidate as the northern candidate, ultimately pitching the regions against each other. And of course, Atiku spent the last three weeks to this day organising and convincing some Islamic clerics and imams

It is even worse with the Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi. A staunch Catholics, who used the machinery of state power in Anambra to victimise every other Christian denominations and did not at any time hide his absolute disdain for the other denominations or religion, suddenly pushes himself to become the church man; appearing beside clergies and occupying pulpits at every presented opportunities to appear as the church man and candidate. It is obvious the target of Peter Obi is the bulk Christian population across the North Central, North East and the entire South; though infeasible, but that has been the dream permutation.

Another worrisome element of the Peter Obi candidacy and campaign strategy is the tribal colouration written all over the campaign. Peter Obi is undoubtedly the Igbo candidate; his presidency is not a Nigeria project but the South East Project and by extension Christians candidate. The region has put everything on hold to ascend the exalted throne, including halting the Biafra agitation and suspending the IPOB activities to some extent, and winding all the resources into Peter Obi campaign. That is the truth; even for the first time in a long time, they rejected the customary sit-at-home, all to make sure they deliver. The subtle message to all South Easterners across the states of the country is to vote their own. A vote for Peter Obi will be a vote for Biafra.

How then can we dream of a united Nigeria after the elections? How will candidates who are busy segregating the

people around religious and tribal lines ever be able to organise a united Nigeria after the seed they have sown and nurtured to germination. PDP did the same in 2015 and again in 2019 against Buhari; the party turned the Christian community against the Muslims on the back of a non-existing islamisation agenda; and also went ahead to turn the rest of the country against the Fulani nation within the country, claiming the existence of a fulanisation agenda. We have spent the last eight years propagating the same divisions, and living with the consequences of the divisions, and yet we have not learnt our lesson.

The candidacy of the APC flag bearer is unique; a Yoruba man from the West, is expecting his bulk votes from the North, with the real support for his candidacy all the way from the primary elections coming from the North. The same man has his major opposition coming from within the West; from among his people, who are rooting for candidates from other regions without hiding it. In the coming 2023 elections, there may be a South West candidate, a Yoruba candidate on paper, but in reality, there is no such. Tinubu is a Yoruba man leaning on the North and the South to win the presidential election, because his greatest opposition is from among his own people.

Part two

The opposition to the APC candidate is at full throttle with the unmasking of the cabal’s final onslaughts to truncate his campaign and eventual emergence as the winner of the 2023 presidential election. All hell broke loose, not just on the target candidate but all Nigerians, with the hard biting masked attempt to starve the campaign of liquidity and place it at a disadvantage with respect to other contestants, and especially, their preferred candidate whom they have fed

We are seeing betrayal at its rawest form; the same people who were lifted by Tinubu’s political sagaciousness and magnanimous disposition to contribute immensely to the enthronement of President Buhari in 2015 and still refuse to, succumb to pressure from the main opposition, PDP, in 2019, to work against Buhari to benefit their candidate, are all out to prevent the emergence of the same Tinubu.

Emefiele, working with his cabal team, there Agbor conspiracy include Elumelu of UBA bank and Ovia of Zenith bank; and doing the bidding of their preferred candidate Okowa, (the Vice Presidential candidate of Atiku Abubakar), would want Nigerians to think APC is at war with itself. No, there is no war in APC. The president has been ill-advised that he could round up his anti-corruption fight with the currency redesign and demonetisation policy, while the main intention of the originators of the policy is to use it as an election winning strategy. The policy also serves as a ploy for him to distract the general public from the heavy cases hanging over him as he keeps dodging prosecution, including securing court order for protection and even going as far