Tuesday, January 24th, 2023 Edition

L-R: Ekiti state Governor, Mr Abiodun Oyebanji; Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun; President Muhammadu Buhari; Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Former Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, during the President Lagos visit to commission Lekki Deep Seaport,Rice Mill,other Iconic Projects in Lagos, yesterday.

Unlawful sack: NNPC’s SANs walk out of court in Ararume’s suit against Buhari

By Vivian Okejeme,Abuja

Two Senior Advocates of Nigeria(SAN)Professor, Kayinsola Ajayi and Etigwa Uwa, yesterday, staged a walkout in the Court, in the N100billion suit by Senator Ifeanyi Ararume against President Muhammadu Buhari.

Ararume had dragged Buhari before the Federal High Court, Abuja, praying it to declare his removal as Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Chief, illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional and that it is a total breach of CAMA law under which NNPCL was incorporated.

Apart from asking the court to issue order to return him to office, Ararume also demanded for N100billion as compensation for the damages he suffered nationally and internationally in the unlawful ways and manners his removal was carried out by President Buhari.

When the matter was called yesterday, the SANs had appeared as counsels to the

Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) in the suit by Ararume challenging his removal as the Chairman of the oil company.

Ajayi, a Professor of law, had sought to move three different applications comprising one asking the Court to stay proceedings pending the appeal against the ruling of the Federal High Court delivered on January 11, 2023.

Ajayi, after identifying the processes filed by NNPC against the suit, argued that the motion seeking stay of proceedings must be heard separately and ruling delivered by the Judge before any other motion should be entertained.

Reacting, counsel to Ararume, Chris Uche (SAN), claimed that the motion for stay of proceeding had not been served on him.

However, Professor Ajayi stood his ground to move the application separately and that the Judge must give separate rulings on it one way or the other before any other issue.

Responding, Justice Ekwo, asked the counsel to move all the three applications together, adding that he would deliver separate rulings in each of the applications so as to save judicial time of the court and in line with the provision of the Practice Direction of the court.

Consequent to the court ruling, Professor Ajayi and his fellow senior advocate, alongside their junior lawyers, announced their withdrawal from the suit and immediately staged a walkout on the court.

Earlier in the proceedings, counsel to Ararume, Chris Uche, while adopting his final brief of argument, urged the court to invoke the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) to nullify the removal of his client as the Chairman of the NNPCL.

Uche informed the Court that President Muhammadu Buhari acted outside the law to remove Ararume after incorporating the oil company in his name and was billed for inauguration in the capacity.

However, counsel to President Buhari, Abubakar Shuaib, prayed the court to dismiss the suit against his client on the grounds that it was statute barred at the time it was instituted.

Specifically, Shuaib argued that Ararume’s suit contradicted Section 2(a) of the Public Officers Act and as such was incompetent.

The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) through it’s counsel, Akeem Mustapha, SAN, asked the court to decline jurisdiction in entertaining the suit.

He submitted that CAC did not play any role in Ararume’s disputed removal apart from incorporating NNPCL as a limited liability company based on the document submitted to it.

Mustapha however said that Ararume’s appointment was political and that Buhari has the power to hire and fire, adding that the appointment has nothing to do with CAMA law.

Meantime, Justice Ekwo fixed 28 March for ruling and possible judgment in the suit.

Over 5,000 women ready to vote APC in Kebbi

L-R: Minister of Environment, Barr. Mohammed Abdullahi, Executive Secretary, Joint Tax Board, Mrs Nana- Aisha Obomeghie and the Implementation Engineer, National Vehicle Emission Control Programme, Engr. Adeyinka Adegbenro, during the official flag- off of the National Generator Emission Control Programme and the National Vehicular Emission Control Programme Organise by the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), held yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-owo From Ahmad

Governor Dr. Zainab Bagudu Shankafi said that the women in Kebbi State are ready to give APC over thousand votes.

Presidential campaign rally: Faulty public address system stalls Buhari, Tinubu’s speeches in Bauchi

•Investigating committee to unravel cause, masterminds

From Ahmad Muhammad, Bauchi

President Muhammadu Buhari, the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu were unable to deliver their speeches to the crowd at the Presidential campaign rally in Bauchi State yesterday due to technical hitches around the public address system.

A senior official of the party who pleaded not to be named said what happened was unfortunate, but that already, they have set up a committee to investigate the development. “We will make our position known after the investigation,” he said.

The official said they heard that an electric cable connected to the public address system was damaged, a situation that cut off power supply to the podium as the microphone went off, and it seemed the committee didn’t come with an alternative plan.

“It was unfortunate that neither the president nor the presidential candidate spoke to the mammoth crowd that came to listen to them,

L-R: Director Chemical Technology, Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (FMSTI), Mr. Mej Bassey, Permanent Secretary FMSTI, Mrs Monilola Udoh, Minister of State, Science Technology and Innovation, Chief Henry Ikechukwu Ikoh, Director, Science Technology and Innovation Promotion department FMSTI, Mr Umar Shuaib and the CEO Mirakon events, Expo event planner, Mr.Micheal Okokon, during the Minister’s media briefing and inspection of the venue of the 7th Edition of the Science, Technology and Innovation Expo 2023, theme: Actualizing Effective Diversification of Nigeria Economy through Science, Technology and innovation, held on Friday in Abuja.

but we will wait for the outcome of the committee in order to know if it was a sabotage or not,” the insider said.

President Muhammadu Buhari who was in Bauchi state for the APC presidential campaign could not address the mammoth crowd that gathered at the Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Memorial stadium due to the technical hiccup.

The President and the presidential candidate of the APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu as well as the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Adamu had mounted the podium to speak but the sound system went off, and all efforts to restore it proved abortive.

After waiting for about 10 minutes and the technical crew could not rectify the problem, President Muhammadu Buhari and the Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Adamu presented the flag to the gubernatorial candidate of the APC in Bauchi State, Amb Saddique Baba Abubakar, and raised the hands of Tinubu and Saddique.

President Muhammadu Buhari who simply went round the podium

and waved to the crowd before he left also endorsed the APC’s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for president, and Saddique for governor in the next election.

He asked the huge crowd and the people of Bauchi State to vote massively for Tinubu to emerge president in next month’s presidential election.

Our correspondent who was at the venue of the occasion reported that when all efforts to activate the Public address system failed, the dignitaries, led by President Muhammadu Buhari, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Tinubu’s running mate, Kashim Shettima and top officials of the party, left the podium to their vehicles.

Thousands of APC supporters had crowded the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium, Bauchi to drum support for Tinubu to emerge president.

Earlier before the public address problems , the Director General of Tinubu Campaign Council, Governor Simon Lalong, Senate President Ahmad lawan asked the electorate to vote for APC

candidates from top to Bottom.

The auchi State Governorship candidate of APC, Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar, retired, promised to enrol more children in school to roll back the high number of out-of-school children in the state. Sadique promised to reduce maternal and infant mortalities in the state.

He said he will use his experience in the military and the training he obtained while working with President Buhari as the Chief of Air Staff to improve the quality of life of the people in Bauchi.

“Under Buhari’s administration, we commissioned many Air force Bases and units for rapid response to improve security in various states in Nigeria including Bauchi.

“This shows the concern that President Muhammadu Buhari has for the security of Nigerians. I will replicate the discipline I learnt from working with the president to improve security in Bauchi State. If given the opportunity, I am assuring you the number of out-ofschool children in Bauchi state that are up to 1.4 million roaming the streets, we will take them back to

school God willing.

“I will initiate a program to help the large numbers of Bauchi unskilled youth who are roaming the streets unengaged. “Today in Bauchi’s hospitals 1,549 women are dying in every 100,000 live births. This shows that the government is negligent, we will address this problem by ensuring access to medical care across the state by building more facilities and services for health seekers.

“We are appealing to the people of Bauchi State to ensure that they vote for all the candidates of the APC in the state. “Bola Tinubu will sustain the good work initiated by President Buhari including the drilling of the crude oil found in Bauchi and Gombe if elected into office.

“I am appealing to the former governors in Bauchi and the party chieftains to join the campaign and work for the success of the party and the good of our people. I call on every one of us to join hands to serve our people from the misrule of the Peoples Democratic Party”, Sadiq Abubakar said.

A former governor of the state, Muhammad Abdullahi Abubakar, attended the rally and he endorsed the APC governorship and the presidential candidates.

Upon arrival, Buhari was received by the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, who is the Peoples Democratic Party’s governlrship candidate, and his opponent in the March 11 governorship election, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar.

Others at the airport to receive the President were the APC party chairman, Abdullahi Adamu; Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council and governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong; Senate President Ahmad Lawan; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abdulrahman Danbazzau; Mr Andy Ubah, Governors of Borno, Kebbi and Yobe states, Babagana Zulum, Abubakar Bagudu and Mai Mala Buni, respectively.

Buhari had proceeded to the Palace of the Emir of Bauchi, Dr Rilwanu Adamu, for a courtesy visit and thereafter headed to the Sir Tafawa Balewa stadium, venue for campaign rally.

Vote only candidates prioritising education, CODE urges Nigerians

Connected Development (CODE), a NonGovernmental Organisation (NGO), has inaugurated a Joint Action Girl-Child Education Campaign and tasked Nigerians on voting candidates prioritising education, especially for the girl-child.

The Chief Executive, CODE, Mr Hamzat Lawal, made the call at a news briefing to inaugurate the Girl-Child Education Campaign on Monday in Abuja.

According to Lawal, over the years , CODE observed low political will and commitment by state actors to provide gender-responsive education policies, programmes and budgeting.

He said that the 2023 general elections, therefore, provided an opportunity for important engagement with presidential candidates on their plans to ensure safe and inclusive education across the country.

Lawal added: “It is in this vein, in line with

the organisational objectives of Malala Fund, that we are launching an aggressive campaign to mobilise and educate citizens to ask critical questions from all the candidates that are running for the office of the president.

“We hope that the campaign, in line with the Girl-child Education Project of CODE, will work with and support Arewa social media influencers and prominent people in the north

“This is because when you look at the data by UNICEF, over 20 million children are outof-school mostly girls and over 90 per cent of that data shows that these kids are based in northern Nigeria.

“When you look at the manifestoes of these candidates, we have not seen strong commitment on education and particularly to girl-child and if you look at most of the data, a lot of Nigerians have not decided who they would vote for. ‘’

Lawal said the group would speak directly to the electorate, particularly the undecided voters, informing them that one thing that should inform their votes should be candidates prioritising education for the girl-child.

“Prioritising education would mean candidates’ plan for proper education budgeting, especially how it affects girls.

”It also includes their commitments to both international and local education policies and their plans to take the over 20 million children back to school among others,” he added.

Lawal said that the vote for girls’ education campaign, in collaboration with Malala Fund and CODE, was aimed at complimenting government’s initiative towards achieving inclusive education that is timely and with quality

The CODE coordinator also said the aim was to also achieve Nigeria’s universal basic

education act and sustainable development goal 4.

He added that the groups’ tasks included making senior secondary education free and compulsory for all just like the universal basic education act that stops at the junior secondary school level.

Lawal said: ”This was because after junior secondary school most children from poor households drop out of school due to fees payment.

”The group is searching for presidential candidates committing to work with the National Assembly to amend the UBEC Act and ensure that girls particularly get free 12 years compulsory education.”

Lawal said the group also tasked politicians on safe schools for girls devoid of bandits or insurgents attacks as well as sexual and gender based violence for them to continue to go to school.NAN

Photo: Justin Imo-owo

FRSC to issue certificate to drivers for election duties

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) will conduct the certification of drivers and vehicles to be used for the forthcoming elections across the the country, an official said on Monday.

“The responsibility is in line with the Standard Operating Procedures of Election in Nigeria”, Mr Oga Ochi, the Sector Commander, FCT command, said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

“We are already on board as far as this arrangement is concerned. So all the vehicles, whether they are engaged or temporarily used by INEC, will be fully certified by the FRSC.

“The checklist is already provided for every driver that is going to drive for the election.

“The driver must pass through that checklist and has to successfully pass the certification exercise before the driver can be used and the same thing with the vehicle.

“The vehicles must have met the standard that the checklist provided before they can be used for the election,” he said.

The FCT commander assured that the corps was fully prepared for any emergency before, during and after the elections.

“There are cases where people line up for election and collapsing as a result of the time they waited to cast their votes and things like that.

“We are going to deploy our ambulances to respond to such emergencies during the period.

“Our ambulances will be strategically located in the parts where we expect people to move en mass for voting in order to respond to any emergency.

“At the same time, our tow trucks will also be deployed to remove whatever obstruction that could be created during the period.

“This is to ensure that people move freely to their polling booths and all election materials are moved freely to their locations,” Ochi added.

Buhari to attend agric conference in Dakar

By Egena Sunday Ode

President Muhammadu Buhari will depart Lagos for Senegal on Tuesday where he will attend the 2nd edition of Dakar International Conference on Agriculture.

The high-level Dakar 2 Summit hosted by President Macky Sall of Senegal and the Chairperson of the African Union is holding under the theme “Feeding Africa: Food Sovereignty and Resilience.”

A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, on Monday said the conference, which sought to create favourable conditions toward achieving food security in Africa, is convened jointly by the government of Senegal and the African Development Bank.

It added that there would also be side meetings to discuss agreements on the delivery of food and agricultural products in some countries, including

Nigeria.

With Africa accounting for 249 million or a third of the 828 million hungry people in the world, the Summit, to be attended by African Heads of State and Government, Ministers of finance and agriculture, as well as several global development partners, is expected to make commitments on eradicating hunger in Africa by 2030, the statement noted.

The President’s delegation is made up of Ministers and top government officials including

the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar, National Security Adviser, Mohammed Babagana Monguno and Director-General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, according to the statement.

President Buhari is expected back in the country on Wednesday, January 25.

The Campaign Council of the gubernatorial election of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State has told the opposition New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) to stop counting itself as the winner of the governorship election, coming up in March in the state.

Spokesman of the campaign council, Malam Muhammad Garba, who is the Commissioner of Information and Culture, stated this during a chat with members of the Kano Correspondents’ Chapel at his office yesterday.

According to Garba, the NNPP’s governorship candidate,

Abba Kabir Yusuf, does not have the political mettle to defeat Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna of the APC in the state.

The Commissioner stated that NNPP in the state, which is the second most populous in Nigeria is sinking and becoming unpopular, saying “ the party should consider itself lucky if it comes 3rd or even 4th in the forthcoming election.”

He added that “APC will take NNPC by surprise. Even Kwankwaso will be taken by surprise because he will lose Kano. I will not say Kwankwaso will get zero vote, but I am telling you that he will be defeated with a landslide by Tinubu in Kano.

“APC is really on ground.

We are well prepared for the election and we shall win by landslide in the presidential and gubernatorial election,” the Campaign Council spokesman said.

Garba also stated that with the impressive turnout of supporters in the APC gubernatorial campaign rally in the Local Government areas the campaign train has visited so far, the party has got confidence that it would sweep all the elective positions from top to bottom in the coming elections.

He also said that the era of inconclusive election is over in the state as the party has set aside a mechanism to avoid repetition, noting that “we have

discovered the Kwankwaso-led PDP’s election manipulation and would not succeed this time around.”

The Commissioner also stated that in all the governorship candidates in Kano, Gawuna has an edge over them because of his political and administrative experiences as a politician who has held several public offices.

“Gawuna has been accepted by all sections in this state, be it business communities, elders, women groups and everybody. His maturity and experience is unmatched by other gubernatorial candidates. So, i am optimistic he will emerge as winner, God willing,” Garba said.

From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

yourself lucky if you come 3rd in Kano guber poll, APC tells NNPP

The FCTA Sensitization for collection of PVCs, Team led by Isaac David (SA on Youth Matters to FCT Minister) paid a partnership visit to INEC FCT REC, .Alh. Yahaya Bello (middle) yesterday in Abuja. Photo: AOIYEO

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control said it has destroyed unregistered pharmaceuticals and tramadol worth N95bn.

NAFDAC Director General, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, stated this on Monday in Abuja, during a press briefing.

She said the destruction which took place on the 21st of December 2022, in Cotonou, got the backing of the government of Benin Republic.

She added that the destruction took place after four and half years of careful monitoring.

Speaking further, NAFDAC boss said the products found in five containers were tramadol 200mg and higher strength, diclofenac tablets.

“Following an intelligence report from the Presidency, the Director-General of NAFDAC in August 2018 directed the Director of Ports Inspection Directorate, Prof Samson Adebayo on the intention of some unscrupulous importers to ship 31 containers of unregistered pharmaceutical products including tramadol 200mg and above from India. The containers were labelled building materials for bonded terminal.

“The Director, Ports Inspection Directorate, working with his Intelligence & Monitoring Unit commenced the surveillance and monitoring of the reported containers from the ports of loading to the successive ports where they were transloaded along the sea routes.

“The first approach was to collaborate with the Nigeria Customs Service. Eventually, twenty-one of the containers were discharged at the Apapa port in Lagos, Nigeria as manifested.

NAFDAC destroys unregistered pharmaceuticals worth N95bn

One container couldn’t be tracked because of a missing container number. Out of the 21 containers, only two had building materials.

“However, as the importers of the containers became aware that NAFDAC was tracking and monitoring the containers on arrival at the Apapa port and intercepting them, they decided to change their strategy by diverting the remaining away from the

Nigerian port. Four containers never got to Nigeria but were discharged at transhipment in Malaysia.

“Also, one container was transferred to the Cotonou port in the Republic of Benin while the remaining four were initially diverted to the Tema Port in Ghana but later diverted to Cotonou having met resistance from Ghana Food and Drug Agency

that NAFDAC already contacted for collaboration to stop the four containers.”

Adeyeye said the agency liaised with the former Ambassador of Nigeria to the Republic of Benin, Kayode Oguntuase, to ensure that the port authority in the Republic of Benin effected the seizure of the five containers.

“His successor, Olukayode Aluko never relented in his effort

at ensuring that all these five containers are released to NAFDAC for destruction. Meanwhile, for the other 24 containers, some entities took the case to court in Benin that the containers should be brought back to Nigeria.

“This took about one year plus but Ambassador Aluko stayed on the case until the court made the judgment that the containers can be destroyed in Benin.”

PDP presidential campaign council drags Tinubu to court, wants him disqualified from contesting

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential campaign council, PCC, has dragged the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to court, seeking his disqualification from the Saturday February 25 presidential election.

A spokesperson of the Atiku Abubakar/ Ifeanyi Okowa PCC, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan disclosed this while addressing journalists on Monday in Abuja.

The PDP pointed out that the presidential candidate of the APC was not eligible to contest the Presidential election by virtue of section 137 (1) (d) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended.

The PDP presidential campaign council is praying the court to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately delist Asiwaju Tinubu as Presidential candidate of the APC or any other political Party for that matter and expunge his name from all materials and documents related to the 2023 Presidential election.

The PCC of the PDP, which filed for accelerated hearing in this case in the interest of the nation, pointed out that the laws of the land do not permit a convict, let alone an individual convicted on account of international crime of trafficking in narcotic, to stand election at any level.

Nigeria, according to the PDP cannot afford the embarrassment of having a convict hold office at any level against our laws.

The Atiku/Okowa Campaign thus counseled

all those wasting their funds, time and energy on the APC Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to put their resources to better use as his Presidential ambition has practically come to the end of the road.

According to Ologbondiyan, “Consequently, our Campaign has proceeded to the Court demanding the Court to:

*Declare Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Presidential Candidate of the APC, having been convicted, as ineligible to contest the Presidential election by virtue of section 137 (1) (d) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

*Compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately delist Asiwaju Tinubu as Presidential candidate of the APC or any other political Party for that matter and expunge his name from all materials and documents related to the 2023 Presidential election.

Continuing, the former National Publicity Secretary of the PDP said, “Our Campaign is filing for accelerated hearing in this case in the interest of the nation as our laws do not permit a convict, let alone an individual convicted on account of international crime of trafficking in narcotic, to stand election at any level. Nigeria cannot afford the embarrassment of having a convict hold office at any level against our laws.

“The Atiku/Okowa Campaign counsels all those wasting their funds, time and energy on the APC Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to put their resources to better use as his gaffe infested, showboating Presidential ambition has practically come to the end of the road”, he said.

The PCC of the PDP stated that Nigerians are not unaware of the criminal matter concerning the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in respect of his criminal conviction and sentencing by a Court of competent jurisdiction in the United States over a criminal case of trafficking in narcotic for which Tinubu forfeited the sum of $460,000 to the State.

The council added, “For the avoidance of doubt, the United States Court in sentencing Asiwaju Tinubu ordered that the funds in the amount of $460,000 in account 263226700 held by First Heritage Bank in the name of Bola Tinubu represent proceeds of narcotics trafficking or were involved in financial transactions in violation of 18 U.S.C. S1956 and 1957 and therefore these funds are forfeited to the United States pursuant to 21 U.S.C. S881(a) (6) and 18 U.S.C S981”.

“From the declaration of the Court and the sentencing, it is clear that Asiwaju Tinubu was summarily convicted by the Court, he took no step to challenge the judgment but acceded to the forfeiture of the $460,000 found to be the proceeds of narcotics trafficking.

“It is already established that trafficking in narcotic is an international crime which all nations are obligated by international conventions and statutes to arrest, prosecute and implement any Court judgment imposed on offender anywhere in the world, as well as the consequential effects of such judgements.

“As you are all aware, Nigeria is a signatory to such international conventions and therefore is mandatorily obligated to implement the

consequential effect of the conviction imposed on Asiwaju Tinubu by a Court of Competent jurisdiction in the criminal case of trafficking in narcotic.

“You will further recall that as our great Party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had already established, the Presidential Candidate of the APC, having been convicted and having acceded to be guilty as charged by way of forfeiture of the $460,000, Nigeria being a signatory to International Convention is mandatorily obligated to execute the consequential effect of that conviction by virtue of Section 137 (1) (d) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

‘For clarity, Section 137 (1) (d) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) provides that:(1) A person shall not be qualified for election to the office of President if….(d) He is under a sentence of death imposed by any competent court of law or tribunal in Nigeria or a sentence of imprisonment or FINE for any offence involving dishonesty or fraud (by whatever name called) or for any other offence, imposed on him by ANY COURT or tribunal or substituted by a competent authority for any other sentence imposed on him by such a court or tribunal.

“The import of the foregoing is that under the 1999 Constitution (as amended), having been so convicted and fined and having acceded to the sentencing by way of forfeiture of $460,000 and having not received any State pardon or acquitted by any court of competent jurisdiction, Asiwaju Tinubu remains a convict and the consequential effect is that he cannot contest election at any level in Nigeria.

L-R: Director Human Resources National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Musa Zakari; Director General NEMA, Mustapha Habib and special assistant to DG Mohammed Idris during the international disaster management executive course for Nigerian Emergency management Stakeholders, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-owo

APC receives more defectors in Kano

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State on Sunday received more defectors ahead of the February and March general elections in the country.

The latest defection was another set of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) members from Minjibir and Ungogo local government areas of the state.

Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje received scores of the supporters who defected to the APC in Minjibir and Ungogo areas.

The defecting supporters removed their symbolic Kwankwasiyya red caps and threw them over to the campaign podium amid thunderous ovations from the crowd.

They said that they embraced the APC as the only party that would satisfy their yearnings and aspirations for a better Kano State and Nigeria.

Receiving the defectors, led by the leader of the Kwankwasiyya faithful in Minjibir, Ibrahim Hamza, Gov. Ganduje who is also the APC leader in the state, welcomed them into the party and congratulated them for taking such a wise decision.

He then commended the large turnout of people at the rally, describing it as unprecedented.

The governor, therefore, urged the people to vote massively for all the APC candidates in the forthcoming general elections.

He then presented the APC flags to the candidates for House of Representatives and the State Assembly from the area.

Earlier, the state Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Abbas, said the APC had always won elections in Minjibir and Ungogo, and would sustain the winning streak in the forthcoming general elections.

Abbas commended the mass turnout of APC supporters at the rally and urged the people of the area to continue to vote for the APC for their growth and development. Earlier, the state Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Abbas, said the APC had always won elections in Minjibir and Ungogo, and would sustain the winning streak in the forthcoming general elections.

Abbas commended the mass turnout of APC supporters at the rally and their growth and development. (NAN) (NAN)

Abuja lawyer sues Buhari over power to extend IGP’s tenure

By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja

An Abuja based legal practitioner, Mr. Maxwell Opara has asked the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division to restrain President Muhammadu Buhari from allowing the present Inspector General of Police(IGP), Usman Baba Alkali, to continue in that capacity as from March 1, 2023, pending the hearing and determination of a motion on notice on whether a person can stay in office as IGP after he is no longer a serving Police Officer.

Specifically, Opara is saying by March 1, 2023, the tenure of the present IGP would expire and will cease to be a serving Police Officer after then.

He is praying the court to stop the President to rescind the decision of extending the

tenure of IGP Usman Baba Alkali as whatever document he (Alkali) signs after March 1, would be a nullity.

In a motion exparte, he informed the court that he has a pending appeal on whether the President has the power to allow any occupant of the office of IGP to continue to stay in office after he is no longer a serving Police Officer.

Joined as respondents in the appeal numbered CA/A/ ABJ/CS/106/2021 along with the President are, Mohammed Adamu Lafia (the then IGP), the Attorney General of Police and Minister of Justice and the Nigeria Police Council.

According to him, while the appeal is pending and adjourned for hearing, the President announced his intention to allow the current occupant of the office of IGP to

continue to occupy the office after he is no longer a serving Police Officer.

While praying for urgent hearing of the matter by the appellate court to avoid destroying the subject matter, the lawyer said, in his affidavit in support of the motion for interlocutory injunction that he filed the suit that gave rise to the appeal at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

In the affidavit before the court, Opara said that the trial court dismissed his suit in a judgement delivered on June 18, 2021.

He submitted that the appeal has been adjourned to February 16 for hearing and while the appeal is still pending and adjourned for hearing, the 1st respondent, (Buhari), through the Minister for Police Affairs announced that he

intends to allow the current IGP, who will cease to be a serving Police Officer on March 2023 to continue to occupy the office of the IGP.

According to the lawyer, the crux of his matter is the legality or otherwise of allowing a non serving Police Officer to occupy the office of the IGP by the respondents.

He said Buhari’s decision to allow the current IGP to continue occupy the office after the March 1, 2023 is a continuous breach of the provisional of the 1999 constitution and the Nigeria Police Act, 2020.

Opara called for urgent intervention of the court to ensure that the subject matter of the case is not destroyed from March 1, when the present IGP would have retired from the Force.

ZLP presidential candidate promises free education, slash in petrol price, if elected

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

Presidential candidate of the Zenith Labour Party’s (ZLP ), Barrister Dan Nwanyanwu has vowed to return petrol price in Nigeria to less than 100 naira per litre if he is elected the next President of Nigeria.

This, Nwanyanwu explained, will be achieved through the rehabilitation of the country’s refineries and building modular refineries in all states.

He similarly pledged to deliver primary and secondary education free of tuition to all Nigerian children and provide the required municipal facilities for impactful teaching and learning.

The ZLP presidential flag bearer, who also doubles as the National Chairman of the party, spoke while unveiling his updated manifesto to Nigerians for the 2023 general elections in a 75-page document released in Abuja at the weekend.

Nwanyanwu, in the manifesto, equally proposed a new socio-political and economic order that represents a radical departure from a state system that serves the interest of a predatory governing elite.

He pledged to engender far reaching policies which include reintroduction of coin currency as well as a return to old national anthem which he says is a lot more meaningful than the current athem.

The ZLP presidential

standard bearer further promised to rebrand the Police Force by reviewing personnel salaries, giving them free accommodation and providing free for their children

He said: “This will reduce bribery and corruption in the Police Force.”

Nwanyanwu stressed further that his administration, if voted into office in the next month’s presidential election, will ensure that Nigeria reverts to the old National Anthem, because “both in content and essence, it is much more fitting and encompassing of our diversity and burning desire to achieve unity, integration and progress.” He said.

The presidential candidate further vowed to re-direct and re-invigorate the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Scheme by totally removing corps members from cities and other urban centres to the hinterland in order to make the service community-based.

He added, “Corps Members, both male and female, shall also be subjected to a 6-month compulsory military training, and subsequently most of them will be posted to policing and other law-enforcement/ security-related duties.

The ZLP presidential candidate said his government will reintroduce the coin to replace the 100, 200, 500 and 1000 Naira Notes.

This, according to him, “is aimed at curbing corruption

as the sheer weight of the coin will help to check primitive accumulation. This policy will be underpinned by a cashless economy for seamless transactions at the formal and informal sectors. A coin transaction will also protect the legal tender from fragility usually occasioned by abuse.”

On the issue of security bedevilling the nation, Nwanyanwu said his government will place a high premium on the urgent need to safeguard and protect the lives and property of citizens with the requisite political will and policies.

His words, “To this end, we will deploy both kinetic and nonkinetic approaches to urgently address the security concerns of the country in the immediate and long terms,” he stated.

“Our approach in this direction will lie in identifying the drivers of the various forms of insecurity in the country and taking necessary steps through legislations, policy decisions, programs, projects, dialogue, etc. to address them.

“We will immediately commence a total overhaul of the entire security architecture in the country to enable us to implement defence and strategic policies capable of addressing emergent security threats and challenges.

“This overhaul will lead to urgently needed reforms which previous governments have shied away from”, he said.

Speaking on education, he

noted that “We shall set up the Community School Enrolment Committee (CSEC) across the country with a mandate to help keep track of children not in school and ensure the implementation of 100% school enrollment for children.

According to him, “We shall aggressively promote girl-child education and children with special needs by initiating an Executive Bill to make girl-child education and children with special needs compulsory, and to criminalise the practice of street hawking and early child marriage.

“States in the Federation shall also be encouraged to domesticate the policy”, he disclosed

He pledged to deliver primary and secondary education free of tuition to all Nigerian children and provide the required municipal facilities for impactful teaching and learning.

“The ultimate goal of our government is to give education its place of pride, fund education at all levels, and make the services available to all Nigerians,” the ZLP presidential candidate said.

He also, among others, promised to improve healthcare by aggressively developing the rural healthcare system and expanding the health safety net to include free medical services to all vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with special needs.

2023: Ongoing Military operations across Nigeria will ensure peaceful polls —SEAG

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

Elated by the successes recorded by the Nigerian military in the country, a civil society organisation, the SocioEconomic Analysis Group (SEAG) said the ongoing military operation will ensure a peaceful 2023 polls.

The CSO in a statement issued on Monday indicated that its findings revealed that the military has significantly reduced the capacity of bandits, insurgents and other criminals to undermine the conduct of the general elections.

The statement issued by the Convener, Olatunde Morayo and Co-coveners, Hajara Abubakar and Obidi Ifuko said it embarked on the study after a promise by the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. LEO Irabor that the Armed Forces of Nigeria will work with the other security agencies to ensure peaceful conduct of the general elections.

“We discovered that the Armed Forces of Nigeria has continued to deepen its loyalty to the constitution of the country, while conducting in-house education for it’s personnel on the benefits of total respect and support for the democratic process.”

SEAG said it is now left for Nigerians to cooperate fully with the Armed Forces of Nigeria to ensure a peaceful transition process.

The statement said “SocioEconomic Analysis Group (SEAG) study of the situation was prompted by the promise made by the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. LEO Irabor that the Armed Forces of Nigeria will fully support the democratic process to a logical conclusion.

“Though some skeptics wanted to raise dust where there is none, our study reveal that the Armed Forces of Nigeria is fully prepared for the elections.

“A critical study of the security situation reveal that we are winning the war in all the troubled spots. Using kinetic and non-kinetic approach, normalcy is gradually returning.

“Though there are still traces of the security challenges, but we say the capacity of the military to deal with them is not in doubt.

“We must give kudos to the Chief of Defence Staff for constantly reminding Nigerians that the AFN has fully keyed into the democratic process. It is indeed a morale booster and an assurance.

“SEAG urge Nigerians to support and cooperate the AFN and other security agencies to ensure a peaceful general election.”

Father docked in Lagos over alleged rape of daughter

A35-year-old father, Temitayo Bamiro, was docked at an Ojo Magistrate’s Court, Lagos on Monday for allegedly defiling his 13-year-old daughter.

Bamiro pleaded not guilty to the one-count charge

preferred against him.

The prosecutor, Dr Simon Uche, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on Jan. 7, at the Iba New Site in Ojo, Lagos.

He said Bamiro was in the habit of sexually assaulting

his daughter and had forcefully penetrated her anus repeatedly in the past without her consent.

The offence, he added, contravened the Criminal Laws of Lagos State.

The presiding magistrate,

Mr L.J.K Layeni, referred the case file to the Directorate of Public Prosecution for legal advice and adjourned the case to Feb. 22 for mention.

He also ordered the remand of Bamiro at the Badagry Custodial Centre. (NAN)

HYPPADEC awards N1.6b contract for rehabilitation of Yauri water works

Yelwa

No PVC, NIN, no membership registration —Zabarkano association

The Zabarkano Association of Nigeria says any prospective member who refused to collect his Permanent Voters card (PVC) and National Identification Number (NIN) will not be registered by it.

The National leader of the association, Alhaji Munkaila Hassan-Tela (Jagabna),disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) on Monday in Abuja.

He said: ‘This is part of the plausible measures by the association to ensure the conduct of free, fair and transparent elections as appealed by the Federal Government.

”This invaluable move cannot come at a better time than now when the 2023 general elections are just around the corner.

”To this effect, we are mobilising no fewer than 20million of our members across Nigeria to ensure that they duly collet their PVCs and NINS.

”This is also to ensure that while non of our members is disenfranchising, we also contribute meaningfully contribute to the efficient growth of democracy in the country.”

Hassan-Tela also said that the association was working round the clock to ensure the

prevalence of sustainable peace, unity and national cohesion.

In a related development, the National Legal Adviser of the association, Mr Aliyu IshaqLolo said that it was aimed at fostering national unity and harmony, as well as the prosperity of the members.

”The association was formed in 1986 basically to create more awareness among its members and non-members alike about the need for peaceful coexistence, tolerance, industry and productivity.

”On one hand and the need to promote unity, progress and development of their members and the environments

in which they find themselves.

”It is also to preserve the rich Zarma/Zabarmawa sociocultural, educational, religious and linguistic values from extinction.

”This is with the ultimate mission and vision of making their motherland, Nigeria one of the greatest nation states in human history.”

Ishaq-Lolo, who is also the Legal Adviser to the Office of Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs ( OSSAPSDGs) said that the association was also building bridges of unity and giving all the members a sense of belonging.

(NAN)

From Ahmed Idris, Birnin Kebbi

The Hydro Power Producing Areas Development Commission

(HYPPADEC) has awarded over 1.6 billion naira contact for the rehabilitation of Yauri water works in Kebbi state.

This was disclosed yesterday

by the Managing Director of the Commission, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa while handling over the contract notes to the contractors in Yauri.

said that the contract was awarded to 12 contractors in order for them to complete the works at the stipulated time.

From L--R Wife of Cross River State governor,Dr. Mrs Linda Ayade, Gov Ayade at the flagg--off ceremony of Ayade’s Senatorial campaign at Ogoja Township stadium during the weekend ahead of Cross River North Senatorial district election

2023: How I’ll sustain security, education devt in Kano - Gawuna

From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

Kano State Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate, Dr.Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna has pledged to sustain and consolidate on the security and peace being enjoyed in the state when elected as governor in the forthcoming election.

Gawuna made the pledge at a townhall meeting with

governorship candidates, organised by the Bayero University Kano and other Non Governmental Organisations, held at the Sa’adu Zungur Auditorium, Mambayya House in Kano, according to statement by Hassan Musa Fagge, his Chief Press Secretary.

In the statement, Gawuna noted that security brings development and prosperity to the society, “therefore we would increase partnership with

the security agencies in order to ensure that Kano people continue to coexist in peace and harmony.”

Gawuna added that his administration would also sustain the development in education through provision of infrastructure, retraining of the teachers and strengthening of the curriculum with vocational skills, entrepreneurial programmes and community participation.

He further explained to tap

from the Solid Minerals Kano is endowed with as the effort would create jobs and increase Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

The Deputy Governor also promised to continue to support youths and women through empowerment programmes that will make them more productive.

He however assured to give attention to the health, water, agriculture and environmental sectors.

From left: Programme Coordinator, Stakeholders Forum on Regulations, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr Charles Nwachukwu; Executive Director, Economic Regulations and Strategic Planning, NMDPRA, Dr Zainab Gobir; Executive Director, Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure, NMDPRA, Mr Ogbugo Ukoha; Secretary and Legal Adviser, NMDPRA, Dr Joseph Tolorunse; and the Chairman, Regulations Drafting Committee, NMDPRA, Mr Joseph Musa, during the NMDPRA’s Stakeholders Consultation Forum on Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulations,, yesterday in Abuja . Photo,: Justin Imo-owo

Foundation inaugurates incentivised schools sewing championship project

The Ladi Memorial Foundation has commenced the Incentivised Schools Sewing Competition Project (SSCP) among schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to promote vocational education in the country.

At the inauguration in Abuja, the Executive Director of the Foundation, Mrs Rosemary Ojochenemi said the aim of the programme was to strengthen stakeholders’ collaboration for vocational education and training.

Ojochenemi said this would be done through the Incentivized Pilot Schools Sewing Championship Project.

“Extra-curricular activities and every education supporting activities help to bring young people together to learn through play and also bring in other values for productivity to achieve the goals of national policy on education.

“Education is the driver of any economy and so to bridge the disconnect between education and other sectors required that every individual stakeholder will contribute towards making

the school the centre of development,” she said.

According to Ojochenemi, the project is in three stages and every child between the age of 12 and 20 is eligible to contest and it is free.

She said that at the end of the competition, the school that won the first position would be given 15 sewing machines; second position would have 10 while third would be given five.

Ojochenemi said that the idea was to strengthen vocational training in schools.

“For individual contestant; the winner will have an industrial sewing and weaving machines, second position will have a manual sewing and manual weaving machines.

“The third position will get one manual weaving machine and they will also be certified,” she said.

Ojochenemi thanked all the stakeholders for their various support for the programme.

Prof. Idris Bugaje, the Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) while expressing the board’s support for the project towards promoting skills among

the young children, commended the Foundation.

“This is very remarkable, we are already directing every technical school to set up skills training centre.

“Also, we are trying to ensure that every graduate of National Diploma or Higher National Diploma has at least one certified skill.

“This is so that when they graduate, if their academic qualifications do not give them job, they will be able to earn with their skills qualifications,” Bugaje said.

He expressed hope that the project got to every school, not only in the FCT, but across Nigeria adding that sewing is one of the most important skills in human civilization.

On his part, the Minister of State for Education, Goodluck Opiah said that skills acquisition, vocational training and empowerment were top priorities of the present administration.

“The initiative is a project that is basic to building and sustaining individual and societal development, thereby leading to a new narrative or

productive, innovative and efficient functional citizens,” Opiah said.

He commended the efforts of management of the Foundation for its innovativeness in initiating the championship in public schools.

According to Opiah, Nigeria stands the risk of being left behind if the youths are not exposed to future opportunities in empowering their environment.

“Hence, a forum like this is for the discovery of creative skills, attitudes and competencies necessary in converting the abundance of non-oil resources into wealth, which is a sure way of turning the economy of our country around,” he said.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Masudur Rahman said that it was imperative to promote vocational training of the young ones because they are the future of the nation.

“Investing in children in the school to know the techniques of sewing will go a long way to revolutionize the garments and textile industry in the country,” Rahman said. (NAN)

Northeast secretary, supporters of NNPP defects to PDP in Gombe

The North east zonal secretary of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Dr. Babayo Liman alongside hundred supporters were said to have defected to People’s Democratic Party (PDP ).

Dr. Liman made the declaration at at the media briefing in Gombe at the weekend.

His defection into the Peoples Democratic Party was aimed at showing unalloyed loyalty for Atiku Abubakar.

Former member and Presidential Campaign Council of Kwamkwaso Liman said he resigned his appointment with the NNPP to enable him support Atiku Abubakar the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party.

According to him, no fewer than 3.6 million in the northeast were registered under NNPP and that Gombe is one of the state in his zone he have the mandate to inform his supporters that he have defected to PDP.

I tendered my resignation as the north east zonal secretary of the NNPP as a member of the Presidential Campaign Council of the NNPP as a coordinator of Kwamkwasiya in the zone.

We have nothing to do with NNPP and Kwamkwasiya again is not only me that defected I defected alongside the zonal Public Relations Officer Ibrahim Talk who also resigned to support Atiku Abubakar.

I will seized this opportunity to called on more than 600,000 supporters of NNPP members in Gombe to defect and obtained PDP membership cards.

He called on the Presidential candidate of NNPP Alh. Rabiu Kwamkwaso to withdraw from the race and support the candidature of Atiku Abubakar. I will seized this opportunity to called on more than 600,000 supporters of NNPP members in Gombe to defect and obtained PDP membership cards.

He called on the Presidential candidate of NNPP Alh. Rabiu Kwamkwaso to withdraw

From David Hassan, Gombe

From Ibrahim Sidi Muh’d, Gusau

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has in its continuous awareness campaign urged business communities of Gusau central market on the need to deposit old naira notes into their accounts before January 31.

Speaking at the event, the Branch Comptroller, Malam Buhari Abbas, said replacement of the old currency notes was

Zamfara: CBN advices business communities to deposit old Naira notes before Jan. 31

necessitated by the need of economic imprisonment in the country.

According to the Comptroller, it is the responsibility of the Central Bank of Nigeria on the review of the economic situation and other social factors to advice

government on the desirable policies necessary to address socioeconomic problems affecting the nation.

He further noted that, considering the technological development, inflationary rate, financial crimes, insecurity

among others were the factors that compelled the CBN to make some changes on the Nigerian legal tender.

The naira notes of 1000, 500 and 200 will facilitate the eradication of fake currency in circulation and achieve steady

transfer into cashless policy in the country.

Abbas called on the general public to accept the cashless policy as it bring more sanity to the economy, as security give higher contribution in the distraction of financial policies.

Buhari’s loans justifiable, not liability on Nigeria - Rep

From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

Amember of the House of Representatives, representing Tarauni Federal Constituency, Hafiz Kawu Tarauni has said that the loan profile of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is justifiable, insisting that it remains very healthy to the country’s economy.

Tarauni, who spoke at Kano NUJ Press Centre, yesterday, during the 2023 Dialogue Series with politicians, organized by Kano NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel, took a swipe at those criticizing Buhari’s quest for foreign loans.

The lawmaker, who was Personal Assistant on Economic Matters in the office of the Vice President between 2015 and 2019, said Buhari’s loans were meant to improve the nation’s economy through infrastructure, not liability on the government.

According to him, Buhari was not borrowing to pay salaries like the previous administration under the banner of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

He said that the Buhari’s administration had taken loans to execute critical infrastructural projects that have positive impacts on the economy.

“As a lawmaker, I know that most of the loans are taken to execute critical infrastructural projects. Some of these projects are done through build, operate and transfer. The Buhari adminsitartion is unlike the previous administrations who borrow to pay salaries,” he said.

The lawmaker who is seeking to represent his constituency for the second time at the House of Representatives on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC), also lauded Buhari’s administration for blocking leakages in the channels through which money flows in the system of governance, urging the incoming administration to maintain the tempo.

According to him, such steps by Buhari administration added value to the nation’s

economic growth, adding that diversification of the economy through boosting the agricultural sector and opening more windows to revenue generation was another plus to the nation’s economic development under the Buhari’s administration.

He further described nonoil revenue generation as key to economic development for a country like Nigeria which has depended so much on oil for survival over the years.

Hon. Hafiz who promised to dwell more on human capital development if given the chance by his people to represent

them at the lower chamber for the second time, said he has executed over 50 capital projects in his constituency ranging from road construction, education development, to primary healthcare.

According to him, these projects spread across the 10 Political Wards that made up Tarauni Federal Constituency.

Hon. Hafiz hinted that he has also sponsored a number of bills at the floor of the House, some of which include a bill to establish a Federal University of Agriculture in Tarauni, a bill to establish a Federal Medical Centre in Kano, a

bill for the establishment of Entrepreneurship College in Kano, among others.

The lawmaker said he is also enhancing security of lives and property within his constituency by constant provision of logistics to the local vigilante group and the Nigeria Police Force.

He said he has also used his influence and good office to secure employments for the people, particularly youths, within his constituency in various ministries, agencies and parastatals, including the Department of State Service (DSS), Nigeria Police Force, Army, Civil Defence, among

others.

The young politician who does not hide his admiration to President Buhari’s administration, urged Nigerians to appreciate Buhari’s modest achievements, insisting that, “so far, so good, you know you cannot say that everything is hundred percent done right.

“The President Muhammadu Buhari government has transformed Nigeria in the area of critical infrastructure. You can feel the presence of critical infrastructure across the country---from East, South, West to the North.”

L-R: Chairman Troyka group,Dr. Biodun Shobanjo; MD, AT3 Resources,Tosin Adefeko, and Founder, Nairametrics, Ugochukwu ObiChukwu, at the AT3 Resources Digital Marketing Bootcamp for SMEs organised by AT3 Resources to celebrate her 5th year Anniversary in Lagos,

Association seeks establishment of National Minority Tribes Devt. Commission

The Zabarkano Association of Nigeria has called for the establishment of a National Minority Tribes Development Commission (NMTDC).

“To this effect, we are urging that lets an executive bill be sent to the National Assembly for the immediate establishment of the proposed commission.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)reports that the National President of the association, Alhaji Isa Sahabi-Bankanu made the call on Saturday in Abuja at the inauguration of its national and state executives.

NAN also reports that the association is the umbrella of all Zarma/Zabarmawa associations in the country.

Zarma is one of the most spoken languages in Kebbi,

Sokoto, Zamfara and Niger States.

Isa-Bankanu said: “The proposed commission will help to preserve the national heritage of the country and foster sustainable harmony.

“It will also bolster national unity, cement the relationships between the various ethnic groups and boost socio-economic prosperity of Nigeria.”

Isa-Bankanu also commended the efforts of the Federal Government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III in keeping Nigeria as an indivisible nation.

He said that the association was formed 17 years ago to unite the Zabarma people and emble meaningfully contribute their quota to national development.

Isa-Bankanu urged the members of the association to united and work for its progress and facilitating peace and unity of Nigeria.

Also speaking, the Secretary General of the association, Dr Lawwal Sani-Kasgada said: “We are people that have been coexisting peacefully with our fellow citizens.

“The need for this association and the need for us to support the democratic values of our dear nation cannot come at a better time than now,” he said.

The Guest Speaker, Mr Aliyu Ishaq-Lolo urged the new leaders to build bridges of unity and give all the members a sense of belonging.

Ishaq-Lolo, who is also the Senior Special Assistant to the

President on SDGs said: “All hands must be on deck to ensure peace of love and patriotism.”

The Traditional Ruler of the Zabarma people in Abuja, Alhaji Aminu Maizinari described the members of the association as peace loving, industrious and patriotic.

The national leader of the association (Jagaban), Alhaji Murtala Hassan-Tela cautioned the members against involvement in criminal activities and any untoward activity.

NAN further reports that the event was attended by delegates from the 36 States and FCT, as well as Canada, Belgium, Sudan, Niger Republic, Ghana, Chad and Saudi Arabia, among others. (NAN)

From Umar Dankano,Yola

The United Progressives Farmers Association of Nigeria(UPFAN) has officially endorsed the gubernatorial candidate of the Social Democratic Party,SDP,Dr. Umar Ardo as its preferred governorship candidate for 2023 elections in Adamawa state.

Disclosing the resolution of the Association in Yola at the weekend after a crucial meeting.

National Chairman of the Association,Sheikh Muhammad Nurudeen Abubakar declared that the congress of the group had critically examined and deliberated on the political events.

Sheikh Abubakar said that the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri and Senator Aishatu Dahiru Binani of the All Progressives Congress,APC have consulted the Association for support but couldn’t meet the terms and conditions laid down by the Association.

SOKAPU expreses worry over selling of PVC

From:Oyelola,Kaduna

The Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) has raised the alarm that some members of their communities are selling their permanent voters cards to some unscrupulous politicians to unknown destinations.

SOKAPU, further alleged that the move is being perpetrated in order to deny the people voting rights in other political parties’ strongholds.

They called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to investigate the situation and punish those responsible.

It also called on voters in the area to stop selling their PVCs as it was tantamount to selling their future and destiny

This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen yesterday by the Acting President of SOKAPU, Comrade Elisha Rosi,who further noted that there are large uncollected

PVCs at certain collection centres, especially in the rural areas, urging INEC to make it easy for voters to collect their cards.

“The Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) has observed with concern very worrying issues concerning the collection of the Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) in Kaduna State.”

From David Hassan, Gombe

As part of the effort to ensure revenue generation, Gombe state Internal Revenue Service has generated N13.143billion in 2022.

The Executive chairman of the service Alhaji Salihu Baba Alkali made this known at the weekend in Gombe while fielding question from Journalists.

He said the remarkable achievement started from 2019 when Gombe state governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya took mantle of leadership.

The chairman while appreciating the good work of the governor Alh Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya said his style of leadership has improved Gombe state Internal Revenue Service which the internal revenue generation (IGR) in 2021 was increased to N13billion.

According to him, the tremendous achievement would have not be achieved without the foresight of the governor.

The Association of Former Female Athletes of Nigeria (AFFAN), says mentorship of young female athletes in the country is its top priority.

Esther Aluko, the association’s President, gave this indication in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of an Awards night, organised by AFFAN to honour former female athletes of the 60s and 70s on Saturday in Abuja.

Aluko noted that AFFAN was established in response to the yearnings of hundreds of former female athletes who had distinguished themselves in various spheres of life.

“We needed a platform through which we could come together as a body and give back to the society that gave us the platform in the first place, to be successful in life through sport participation.

“AFFAN is passionate about contributing to the peace and development of our nation by serving as role models, using our wealth of experience and exposure as former female athletes and as mothers.

“We want to positively impact the future leaders of our nation through sports participation at the primary and secondary school levels.

“We also discover and assist in nurturing future star athletes in schools and inculcate values that will make them useful to themselves and the society at large,” she said.

Aluko stressed that AFFAN was committed to sparking the interest of young girls in sports and teaching them to effectively combine sports and education.

“We help them to take advantage of the benefits of sports participation through coaching clinics, career seminars, sports workshops and competitions.

“Our strength lies in the spread of our members across the country; and with a little support and encouragement from the government, sports loving organisations and individuals,” she said.

She added that AFFAN was also committed to ensuring that the neglect of ex-athletes would soon become a thing of the past.

She said the association was poised to meaningfully engage them to do what they know how to do within their domain.

The president called on wellmeaning Nigerians, relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, philanthropists, private and corporate organisations to come on board and partner with AFFAN.

“This is so as to fulfill some of

our objectives such as: Construction and upgrading of schools’ sport facilities.

“Donation of sports equipment, talent identification programmes, training and retraining of schools’ sport coaches and teachers as well as the provision of scholarships to potential athletes,” she said.

NAN reports that some of the athletes recognised at the awards night were those who had done the country proud in their various sports in the 60s and 70s.

This was when there were only eight sports Associations, namely Athletics, Badminton, Swimming, Handball, Basketball, Volleyball, Hockey and Table Tennis.

The president explained that these group of special athletes had not been recognised and honoured by any organisation in the country.

“AFFAN believes that these sport ambassadors of the 60s and 70s richly deserve to be honoured; after all a line in our National Anthem states that “the labour of our hero’s past shall never be in vain.”

“It is for this reason that our Association decided to recognise and honour these unsung heros who had at various times in the 60s and 70s made the country proud through their outstanding sport performances.

“Though some of them are now deceased, we deem it fit to celebrate and put smiles on the faces of those who are still alive,” she said.

No fewer than 147 athletes were honoured during the Awards night, including 127 living and 20 deceased persons respectively.

The list include; Aluko (Handball), Anthonia Bamidele (Hockey), Essien Anwan (Volleyball), Gloria Ayanjala (Athletics), Modupe Oshikoya (Track and Field), Mary Akinkuowo (Athletics), Utitofon Nkantah (Athletics), Olufunke Ortoho (Swimming, Badminton and Squash).

Others include; Nnena Ekezie (Handball), Ngozi Mammah (Swimming), Grace Asagba (Badminton), Kate Oyoyo (Volleyball), Marian Donald (Netball, Handball and Basketball), Margareth Nzombato (Basketball), Juliet Abiose (Netball, Handball and Basketball).

The rest are; Joy Oliwe (Handball), Marhereth Porbeni (Basketball), Patricia Odion (Basketball), Roseline Adiole (Track and field), Rabi Egujie (Volleyball), Elizabeth Adada (Hockey), Udogu Virginia (Basketball), Bukky George (Badminton), Enofe Tinuke (Swimming), amongst others. (NAN)

L-R: Wura cast, Yomi Fash-Lanso; Olori Tobi Philips Ogunwusi; Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi; Olori Aderonke Ademiluyi Ogunwusi and Wura lead cast, Scarlet Gomez at the private screening of Showmax Original, Wura, at the Ooni’s palace, yesterday.

Obiozor’s unity flame goes out

The death of Professor George Obiozor, last year, eclipsed a flame of hope lit in 2020 and was burning very brightly. He was elected President of Ohanaeze Nd’Igbo in December of that year but died in December 2022.

Imo state governor Hope Uzodinma announced Obiozor’s death in a statement he personally signed. It read, “A renowned academic, an exceptional diplomat and statesman and a tenacious patriot, Prof George Obiozor passed on recently after a brief illness. The death of this foremost Igbo leader and former Nigeria’s ambassador to the United States and the State of Israel is a big loss to Imo state, the South-east and the entire Nigeria. I have no doubt that both Nigeria and the international community will miss his profound intellectual contributions and wise counsel on national and global issues.”

The governor is absolutely correct. Obiozor’s passing due to illness, we have been made to understand, is a calamitous loss to not only his immediate Igbo speaking people but also Nigeria as a country. The Igbos are striving at being reintegrated into mainstream Nigeria after a failed secession attempt. Obiozor, everybody thought and believed, held out that torch of reunion.

In an August 3, 2021 People’s Daily editorial, we said, “It is true, in Obiozor, a well respected diplomat, the Igbo have found the right man to sell their ambition to produce Nigeria’s next president in 2023. He is the right hand to reach across the Niger for Northern solidarity if that sentiment must sell. But first, a badly politically splintered homeland must be reconciled to itself. Will Obiozor be able to pull that off? Only time will tell.

lives in that failed attempt at breakaway.

“Ohanaeze and the Igbo political establishment were simply overwhelmed by the frenzy whipped up by a youngster called Nnamdi Kanu until the Buhari government applied the wedge by declaring it a terror group and banning it. Even so, the group still wields much influence in Igbo land through its reign of terror. Obiozor must stop it and push for greater Igbo involvement with the Nigeria Project.”

“Obiozor did push hard but the adversity against him was just as tenacious. Last year, masked gunmen attacked his house and burned down a half of the spatial compound. Luckily, the Professor was out of the country. Gov. Uzodinma described the attack as “cowardly and the height of desperation” on the part of some politicians. He said at the time that the government was working with security agencies to identify and punish the perpetrators. “The time of those who unleash this kind of mayhem in the state is over. We shall hunt them down to face the full weight of the law,” he said.

Our next editorial ( March 25, 2022) on Obiozor condemning the attack on his property, said he must not underestimate the enemy. That job he had taken on came with a huge risk to his personal life and family

“The significance of the Obiozor victory goes beyond that narrow Igbo unity. It lies in what President Muhammadu Buhari said in his congratulatory message to Obiozor. The message sent by presidential spokesman Garba Shehu, urged the ex diplomat to ‘deploy his immense experience within and outside to forge greater unity in the country.’” Our editorial continued: “The import of Buhari’s exhortation to Obiozor is in the background to his emergence as leader of Nd’Igbo. Under his predecessor, John Nwodo, Ohanaeze ceded its place to an ultra nationalist Igbo platform that stands to reenact the disastrous misadventure of Igbo secession that led to a civil war in 1967-70. Millions lost their

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Our next editorial ( March 25, 2022) on Obiozor condemning the attack on his property, said he must not underestimate the enemy. That job he had taken on came with a huge risk to his personal life and family. The attack on his house in his absence, we said in the editorial, was “a foretaste of the worst to come. Kanu, the leader of IPOB, made a show of condemning the attack but he was only shedding the proverbial crocodile’s tears. We know he had a hand in the burning of Obiozor’s home.”

However, we advised the Nd’Igbo President to not abandon the noble cause he had chosen to fight. “We implore the Nd’Igbo leader to stay the course, no matter what the enemy brings his way. His role is cast in that of the biblical voice in the wilderness, crying to prepare the “way of the Lord”. Obiozor, never you waver in your duty to your mother land.”

Yes, Obiozor did stay the course and paid with his life. But he hasn’t died in vain. His effort has put an Ibo man in the presidential race coming up in February. The greatest tribute Nd’Igbo will pay Obiozor is to complete the national reconciliation project he started.

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Climate change governance: Challenges and way-forward

By Muhammad Mumtaz

The issue of climate change is being tackled in short-term and only address the immediate effects of the crises. However, the ‘wicket’ problem of climate change demands proactive and concerted efforts where climate impacts must be anticipated and relevant actions should be initiated.

Climate change is real and its impacts will be severe. World is facing multiple challenges related to climate change such as floods, heatwaves, rise in temperature, unpredictable rainfall and storms among others. Martin Weitzman and Gernot Wagner in their book Climate Shock indicated that “Climate change is unlike . . . any other public policy problem. It’s almost uniquely global, uniquely long-term, uniquely irreversible, and uniquely uncertain—certainly unique in the combination of all four”.

Scientific evidences prove that the impacts of climate change will be more devastating and disruptive by 2050 than today. According to Germanwatch, it is estimated that about 500,000 people died and US$3.5 trillion was lost as a result of extreme weather event during last 2 decades. More floods, droughts, fires, and heat waves will likely to be occurred in upcoming times. However, these events may vary from region to region and country to country. These variations in impacts and uncertainties of climate change have complicated the situation and set complex challenges for global community to respond. These complexities of climate change demand proactive and long lasting sustainable governance initiatives from local to global level.

Climate change has recognized a global issue and efforts are being initiated to handle the devastating impacts of climate change. Global leaders from all over the world (almost 200 countries) gather annually in conference of parties events for climate talk, to keep the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C alive, discuss what has been achieved so far, what actions are needed to be taken and how to move forward in relation to handling climate change.

In 2015, governments adopted the Paris Agreement (PA), agreeing to hold global average temperature rise “well below 2°C” and, if possible, 1.5°C. However, according to United Nation Environment Programme, countries’ collective emission reduction pledges remain far from sufficient: if implemented, they would lead to a temperature increase of more than 3°C, with devastating consequences for both ecosystems and humans. In light of these global actions it is far to state that the world has launched a successful drive against climate change rather need to do much more. It is therefore imperative to examine the current structures and dynamics of global climate governance so as to uncover the key climate governance challenges.

At international level, the realistic scenario of international politics is unclear with respect to climate change due to diverse political and economic ambitions and it is uncertain whether all countries especially the developed countries who are the major emitters of global greenhouse gases will consistently hold the political will to engage in climate negotiations and climate actions. Distorted perceptions of the climate crisis still exist at the global level and climate forums do not always attract the required levels of urgency or multi-sectoral leadership. Enormous promises and wishful decisions are made in international negotiations on climate change but normally they are not materialized as such or partially operationalized.

Most decisions made at the global level are not mandatory and the implementation relies on good faith. However, it has seen that multilateral institutions are normally slow to act, jeopardizing the fast, ambitious, and concerted actions required to address climate change. Climate actions are taken around the world but with a slow pace and importance is given to the responses as per requirement of their own relevancy. However,

climate crisis demands aggressive, coordinated and a cross-cutting approach connecting, social, environmental, and economic efforts. The issue of climate change is being addressed on an ad hoc basis but it must be taken on planned and permanent basis in view the challenging nature of climate change.

The issue of climate change is being tackled in short-term and only address the immediate effects of the crises. However, the ‘wicket’ problem of climate change demands proactive and concerted efforts where climate impacts must be anticipated and relevant actions should be initiated. It is therefore, global community has to come out of the business as usual approach and it is high time to mobilize global resources considering the cruelty of climate change and the stakes of upcoming generations in order to produce effective climate governance.

The 2009 UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen has often been described as a turning point for global climate politics that paved the way to replace top-down universal approach to global climate governance to a much more decentralized climate policy architecture. This conference has set the ground for the ‘hybrid multilateralism’ which was institutionalized through the PA. The PA was crucial milestone in climate governance that has brought together the international community’s consensus to actively respond to climate change. The PA recognizes the role of nonParty stakeholders in addressing climate change, including cities, other subnational authorities, civil society, the private sector and others. The shift in climate governance from top-down to bottom-up promoting multi-level governance appears a promising way but it has also various challenges and hurdles that must be addressed.

The subject of climate change has been devolved to lower level of governments in many countries such as Pakistan. The formulation of climate change policies and action plans rest with subnational or local governments. However, these lower level of governments may not be fully in a position to devise comprehensive policies and plans due to lack of coordination and absence of experience dealing with such complex issue at subnational and local level. Climate change decision-making processes are complex and involve multiple actors.

Governments at local level also consist of multiple agencies, each with a defined portfolio of responsibilities. One department might work for managing water resources while other might provide sewerage services and others are engaged with other services. To manage the complex challenge of climate change, these all departments and institutions have to work in coordination. However, evidences show that there is limited coordination among the local departments while dealing with climate change. To be successful against climate drive, nations need to integrate coordination among different government levels and non-government actors must be involved.

The PA institutionalizes an intricate interplay between state and non-state, multilateral and transnational climate action. It is assumed that power and authority are drifting from sovereign states to non-state actors at reginal and local scale, making it complex climate regime changing mechanisms where national governments have limited power and influence in decision making. However, there is need to understand that local governments are in a better position to act against the local challenges but they need full supports from upper tiers of the governments. It is therefore highly desirable to align non-state and intergovernmental relations especially at horizontal and vertical level to produce robust climate governance and meaningful actions. Efforts are needed to accelerate climate actions by facilitating dialogue, knowledge exchange and cooperation among governmental institutions and state and non-state actors to shape effective climate governance.

The writer is working as Assistant Professor at the Department of Public Administration, Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. He can be reached at mumtaz86@ hotmail.com

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2023 elections, hopes and fears, Nigeria’s rebirth

By Abdu Abdullahi

The fiece assault on these mechanisms has resulted in institutional collapse, consummate decomposition of national development and the country has inevitably been rendered the republic of mass dislocations and destructions. And the eventual remnant of this is the evolution of two distinct nations within the same polity. But a country of two conflicting nations is not feasible and unfit for consistent sustainance.

Nigeria, this beloved country of tremendous endownments and resources, is passing through the worst turbulent times of its history. Like a dying patient, it is struggling very hard for survival after it had been injected with the vaccines of bad governance by the quack political doctors, who are incapable of diagnosing the symptoms let alone the deadly infection. The laughable thing is their demonstrated pomposity and notorious insistence on being the most crafty as the condition deteriorates!

This year’s elections, therefore, are like a clinical operation in a democratic theater for the convalescence of Nigeria or otherwise. Twisted emotions of hopes and fears are already and consistently hiked unabated as the day of political reckoning gathers momentum to finalise who will be the outstanding political therapists to recover and reposition Nigeria appropriately. The attractive stage we are about to observe must ensure eroding the scams of those who mix morality with factual lies and wrongful truths to attain the status of political lords.

It is this judgement day that is putting many politicians asunder and the voters watching with keen interest. It is this golden chance that the voters ought to manipulate and assert their arrogance, kingship and real power to bestow on Nigeria the journey of a fresh and healthy living. It is the right time to discontinue paying political subsidy to those politicians who are not passionate to subsidize our lives through selfless services for which they are mandated and will be accountable to both Allah and the people. It is the material time to save the next generations the dooms and ruins of poor selections of leaders.

We would have to be influenced by the more realistic word

‘select’ instead of ‘choose’ in matters of elections because the former is politically indispensible owing to the fact that it is more discerning, while the latter is contextually dormant and too mild that cannot invoke the required political spirit of thoughts and scrutiny. In this busy election era and process, voters should cunningly select between re-writing a new history for Nigeria or consolidating on the eerie and shocking narrative. In summing the protracted dooms, our dysfunctional systems that have inflicted untold hardships on the masses are the products of mainly corruption and unjingoism perpetuated with impunity overtly by the reactionary pundits.

The fiece assault on these mechanisms has resulted in institutional collapse, consummate decomposition of national development and the country has inevitably been rendered the republic of mass dislocations and destructions. And the eventual remnant of this is the evolution of two distinct nations within the same polity. But a country of two conflicting nations is not feasible and unfit for consistent sustainance.

We must fight those who facilitate and condone inimical disparities between the secured and the unsecured ; between ubiquitous deprivation and conspicuous ostentation; between a juggernaut political class conquering national vision and a systematic and overwhelming assail of the wretched of democracy. We must sack the political country where nothing is functioning except corruption, the only kingmaker that has remained unconquerable, the long time evil of the land albeit a loyal ally of millions of Nigerians. Who will not often find it unbelievable that we will stand on this despicable position?

Against this backdrop therefore, 2023 election is the father of all elections in the history of polls in Nigeria for obvious reasons. Nigeria is yearning a paradigm shift from adversity to prosperity. Nigerians, for the first time, are fervently praying for good leaders regardless of party affiliation. It is also a sign of protest that ethno religious and regional dichotomies will not be a catalyst for voting behavior. Some electorates have become politically wiser and will outrightly denounce the syndrome of ‘ stomach infrastructure’. It will also be to the credit of the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) that an improved technological devise for curtailing rigging is going to be operated to enhance election validity. But on the other hand, there are elated fears of rising

insecurity which may hamper the smooth conduct of the elections in some parts of the country. There will also be the danger of votes buying by unscrupulous Nigerians. There will be a demonstration of public apathy by some of the electorates as their yearnings and aspirations have been decimated. As usual, the menace of political thugs will not be a forgone conclusion.

We are already witnessing the highest climax of character defamation amongst most of the opposing sides. I find it extremely difficult to understand the political value of character assassination. It will also be a season of the merchants of religious chauvinism as they have started deploying their weapons of faith destructions that the presidential election will be a referendum between Muslims and Christians to establish numerical power and so on and so forth.

2023 polls can be defined in terms of what Nigeria deserves and what certain aspiring politicians do not deserve in connection with power and its misuse. This paradoxical hypothesis best suits the general atmosphere of the elections vis-a-vis the rapid drifting of the country to an unknown destination. If Nigeria’s tomorrow is worth preserving and revering, then the next election will be a political bulldozer to wreak enormous havocs on the enemies of progress. If on the other hand, the country is surrendered to the politically unfitted rulers, there will definitely be a more complicated illness and Nigeria’s chance of survival cannot be guaranteed.

By historical revisitation to generate great lessons therefore, next elections will be a trial of political errors of the past to eschew the mistakes of tomorrow on the part of the voters. It is often said that machines never make mistakes, but they make errors. This is succinctly modelled in the sense that voters should not be liable to committing mistakes that they will regret forever in the next polls and they will be persecuted if they allow the ghost of yesterday’s errors to reincarnate, horrify and rob their constructive voting idiosyncracy in the next elections.

Nothwitstanding the encroaching agencies of hopes and fears on our political space, 2023 election stands as the rebirth of Nigeria through the effective utilisation of votes by Nigerians.

Abdu Abdullahi is a Public Policy Analyst.

The rubles after the storm: Our fuel scarcity sorry story

By Kareem Itunu Azeez

Payment of staff is also to be made promptly, to avoid strike actions by the marketers association as well, without forgetting the provision of security to all these people.

Going deep into the threshold of the average home in Nigeria, and how they have continued to trudge along amidst the various challenges and difficulties ascribed to the common man cannot be overemphasized, from the trouble of putting food on the table to getting basic health, and the challenge of having proper education if, at all the number of out of school, children are to go by. Somehow all these are affected by one essential commodity, the scarcity of the Premium Motor Spirit, (PMS). Something we never experience until the civil war, under the General Gowon administration, the first recorded fuel scarcity that had taken place.

Nigerians’ various challenges are like a tray of food, you pick yours and face your Goliath, however much more than these challenges is the daunting trouble that faces us all, it is the trouble of getting the premium motor spirit, otherwise known as fuel. While the problems are in their series, the first was the removal of subsidies, another time, it is oil theft, some other times, it will be due to strike actions by marketers, and the usual prospect of the devaluation of the naira. And these troubles affect the poor citizens of Nigeria who are hopeless in the selection process, of a system they hope would work

Let us take a journey into the problems of fuel scarcity in Nigeria, the Whys’ When’ and the Hows’ maybe these should tell us where we are headed in the closest of times.

Our country is largely on a mono-pedal, of sustenance, we run majorly on the proceeds of crude. But this crude is not even enough for the home, a country that has, and ship out to the foreign country for

refining. Hence the Genesis of our troubles. But don’t fret too long, this scarcity tale is as old as a man in the history of our country, and there have been various reasons from time to time.

As far back as 1973, when the fuel subsidy was introduced, it was seen as a welcome development to a country of this magnitude and a way to make sure it is readily available to all homes irrespective of status, especially considering the price hike of the early 1970s, which was the Why, of its introduction. The last estimate of our subsidy price is quoted to be around 3.9 billion dollars as per the International Centre for Tax and Development ICTD. yet the subsidy was never our solution to stop the waters of trouble we are in.

In 2012 under the Goodluck Jonathan administration, thousands of us who couldn’t bear the brunt stormed a nationwide protest notably at the #occupynigeria, the administration’s reason was that it needs these funds for another aspect of the nation’s development. A poor new year gift for many Nigerians, considering the time of its implementation. Moreover, it was a hardship walking hand in hand with over 80% of Nigerians. This ultimately proved too costly a mistake to the Jonathan administration, ushering 2015 said savior of Nigerian, President Muhammadu Buhari. It’s now a quarter to go, and the many hikes have refused to let us be.

Today, we are faced with the worst fuel scarcity in the country’s history, with no permanent solution in sight, various proclamations have been reported by the minister of state for petroleum, Ine kachikwu, and the NNPC chief, Maikanti Baru, without forgetting the Minister of Petroleum, himself, President Muhammad Buhari, which was a sign at the beginning that our woes would end, but the reverse is the case. Two months ago, the scarcity had hit home, with some depots and marketers selling for as high as #250 per liter, except for some places in Abuja which sell for #180 and #175 respectively, according to various reports. And this has

continued to wreak havoc in the average Nigerian home, like Bob Marley, it is a natural mystic going in the air.

Now, where are we headed with this trouble of fuel scarcity, the projections by various economists, and the bureau of statistics had predicted a troubled economy that hinges on a possible recession, we know the causes but are we ready to act on them for a better economy? There may be some lights ahead, due to the promise by the president that the Warri refinery would start operation in the first quarter of 2023, plus the possible completion of the Dangote refinery these will help in the reduction of the cost of processing crude away from home.

We should also hope that the value of the naira is stable or even gaining some ground against the dollar, these as well affect the price ranges, if the landing price of a liter is #350 without subsidy you can imagine what price a liter would be.

Secondly, we can only suffer to enjoy in the large sense, this means the fuel subsidy would be removed, and be replaced by general legislation indicating a universal pump price, in as much as the enabling environment is created. But this idea hangs on the level of the Nigeria naira status.

Payment of staff is also to be made promptly, to avoid strike actions by the marketers association as well, without forgetting the provision of security to all these people.

Without being the best economist or strategist the procedures aren’t the problem but the implantation process may be the issue, but as Nigerians, we believe in the power of hope and this is the only thing that is left of a man when all others are gone. There is light at the end of our PMS crisis, but only if the necessary routes are followed.

Kareem Itunu Azeez is a Public Policy Analyst.

Sergey Lavrov embarks on geopolitical lecturing tour to Africa

By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh

As Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov begins his four African nations tour, Russia’s future is what matters the most especially in the emerging multipolar world. Russia continues to enlist African leaders’ support for its ‘special military operation’ in the former Soviet republic of Ukraine, expresses overwhelming support against the growing neo-colonial tendencies in Africa and, at least, intensifying efforts to strengthen its hyperbolic political dialogue with Africa.

Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Egypt, Congo-Brazzaville, Uganda and Ethiopia last year and attempted to justify Russia’s correctness of waging war on Ukraine. As he embarks on another round of lecturing tour to Southern Africa (South Africa, Eswatini, Botswana and Angola), the popular focused themes include geopolitical changes, growing neo-colonialism and creating multipolar world order. After Southern Africa, Lavrov would return to North Africa in February to visit Tunisia, Mauritania, Algeria and Morocco.

Since his appointment on 9 March 2004 by President Vladimir Putin, Lavrov has occupied this position for nearly two decades (20 years). Throughout these several years of his official working visits to Africa, unlike his Chinese counterparts Lavrov hardly cut ribbons marking the completion of development projects in Africa. Most of his trips were characterized by impressive policy rhetorics full of many pledges and countless initiatives, and geopolitical lectures.

During his marathon three-hour media conference, summing up foreign policy achievements and way forward on 18 January, Africa only appeared at the bottom of the discussions. And yet Africa is considered as a priority in Russia’s policy. Lavrov made little response, reminding of the forthcoming summit planned for late July 2023. He mentioned that there were drafted documents to reset cooperation mechanisms in this environment of sanctions and threats, and in the context of geopolitical changes.

“There will be new trade and investment cooperation tools, logistics chains and payment arrangements. The change to transactions in national currencies is under way. This process is not a rapid one, but it is in progress and gaining momentum,” he told the gathering in closing the media conference that day.

Nevertheless, African leaders are consistently asked for support for Ukraine. Since the symbolic October 2019 gathering in Sochi, extremely little has happened. With high optimism and a high desire to strengthen its geopolitical influence, Russia has engaged in trading slogans, and many of its signed bilateral agreements have not been implemented, including all those from the first Russia-Africa summit. The fact-files show that 92 agreements and contracts worth a total of $12.5 billion were signed, and before that several pledges and promises still undelivered.

Since his appointment in 2004 as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergey Lavrov has succeeded in building high-level political dialogues in Africa. He will, during the first quarter 2023, engage in his geopolitical rhetoric and anti-Western slogans, often unremittingly smearing and attacking other countries especially the United States and France. His political lectures have largely overshadowed Russia’s achievements in Africa.

These three decades, hardly Lavrov cuts white-ribbons marking the handing over or completion of concrete development projects in

Africa. Of course, Russia could choose to maintain its state-centric approach since it is also an admirable foreign policy instrument to push for influence in Africa. While currently, Russia seems to be soliciting the support of Africa to lead the emerging new multipolar world, Russia does not still recognize that it needs to adopt more public outreach policies to win the minds and hearts of Africans. Its economic footprint on the continent is comparatively weak.

Historically Africa has attained its political independence and currently need to transform its economy to provide a better living conditions for the estimated 1.3 billion population. That’s the factual situation now for Africa. The fight against growing neo-colonialism requires investing in the critical sectors, building needed infrastructures, modernize agriculture, production facilities for manufacturing, and add a bit of value to products by industrializing. That’s the main reason and the conditions necessitated the creation of single continental market.

Our monitoring shows that the Russian business community hardly pays attention to the significance to, and makes little efforts in leveraging unto the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which provides a unique and valuable platform for businesses to access an integrated African market of over 1.3 billion people. Nevertheless, Russia brings little to the continent especially in the economic sectors that badly need investment. Undeniable fact is that many external players have also had long-term relations and continue bolstering political, economic and social ties in the continent.

Almost all African countries are looking for building and creating new incorporated economic situation that takes care of the growing young generation. These further involve the availability and accessibility to necessary technologies and innovations. In order to realize these novel transformations, African leaders need credible external partners with funds to invest, external partners to support large-scale projects in the continent. Days of political sloganeering are long ago gone.

It has taken three decades to finally make its return journey back to Africa. It is still at the crossroad, and worse thinking indecisively which way to turn in order to reach its the final destination. At the crossroad, there are truly four options: turn left, move ahead, choose right or go back especially this time, in the context of dramatic geopolitical changes.

Russia has to concretely design its comprehensive policy with Africa. It has to show, in practical terms, its great confidence, powering strength and clean determination in various ways to support economic sectors, to win the minds and hearts of Africans. Multipolar in its basic meaning, is creating an integrative conditions. Today’s Russia is a closed country in the world. For years, Africans have heard of ‘neo-colonialism’ and ‘Soviet-era assistance’ through lectures, speeches and official statements from Russia’s officialdom. These are archaic playing gamecards.

Russian International Affairs Council, non-government organization and policy think tank, published an opinion article authored by Kirill Babaev, Director of the Institute of Far Eastern Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Professor at the Financial University. He made an excellent analysis of the relations between Russia and Africa. The article highlighted future perspectives based on the existing successes cloaked in building political dialogues during the previous years. On the other hand,

he exposes for serious consideration by authorities some existing obstacles and weaknesses.

Going forward, Russian officials have to note: Russia’s return to Africa has been discussed in the media and at various levels of power for two decades. That the African elites, especially those who studied at Soviet institutes and universities, still have memories of the struggle for the freedom of Africa.

During the Soviet times, at the height of fighting against Western colonialism, there were economic offerings of the Soviet era. However, all these cards are a matter of the past, while in the present it has been difficult for Russia to offer Africa anything of value that could compete with large-scale Western investment or Chinese infrastructure projects (until recently), Professor Kirill Babaev wrote in his article.

Going forward, Russian officials have to note: That in another publication headlined “Russian Business in Africa: Missed Opportunities and Prospects” in the journal Russia in Global Affairs, Professor Alexei Vasilyev, former Special Representative of the Russian Federation to African Countries and Director of the Institute for African Studies, wrote in that article that Russian companies are pursuing their various economic interests in Africa.

But, Africa still accounts for just 1.5% of Russia’s investment which is a drop in the ocean. It must be admitted that Russia’s economic policy grossly lacks dynamism in Africa. “African countries have been waiting for us for far too long, we lost our positions in post-apartheid Africa and have largely missed new opportunities. Currently, Russia lags behind leading foreign countries in most economic parameters in this region,” he underlined in the article.

Going forward, Russian officials have to note: Federation Council Deputy Speaker Konstantin Kosachev said Russia’s Western opponents are trying to prevent African states from taking part in the second Russia-Africa summit, scheduled to take place in July 2023 in Russia’s second largest city of St. Petersburg.

Moreover in Senator Kosachev’s opinion, the first RussiaAfrica summit held three years ago was successful, “but, in many respects, its results remained within the dimension of politics” and were not translated into additional projects in trade, economic, scientific or humanitarian cooperation. “I’m sure it will be a very serious miscalculation on our part if the next year’s summit is not prepared in a drastically different fashion, providing each of its participants with a concise roadmap of our bilateral relations, with clear incentives to participate and conclude practical agreements,” argued Senator Kosachev.

In November 2021, the ‘Situation Analytical Report’ compiled by 25 Russian policy experts vividly highlighted some spectacular pitfalls and shortcomings in Russia’s approach towards Africa. The report noted Russia’s consistent failure in honouring its bilateral agreements and several pledges over the years. It decried the increased number of bilateral and highlevel meetings that yield little or bring to the fore no definitive results. In addition, insufficient and disorganized lobbying combined with a lack of “information hygiene” at all levels of public speaking.

Kestér Kenn Klomegâh is a Public Policy Analyst.

Let’s take care of government projects in our areas

By Ahamefula Israel

Hitherto, the heavens seemed to be shut against Abia in terms of provision of democracy dividends and development with particular reference to Aba, the commercial center of the state. Today, like students of history, we should know where we are coming from and where we are going.

The enthronement of Ukwa-Ngwa born Clinical Biochemist, Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, PhD, as Governor of Abia State, has relatively improved the aesthetic beauty of Aba in particular and the State in general.

Today, Aba, Umuahia and its environs now wear a new look with magnificent roads and street lights that shine like galaxy of stars at night. According to testimonies by scholars and technocrats, during the presentation of a book, The Scholar In Governance, written by Abia State University in honour of our Governor, under the watch of the Seventh Substantive Vice-Chancellor of the University, Eminent Professor Eleazar Uchenna Ikonne, “ Governor Ikpeazu has fixed his eyes on the ball which has triggered massive road construction and rehabilitation, Education, Agriculture, Health, Security, Youth Empowerment and above all Small and Medium Enterprise which has earned Abia, the capital of SME in Nigeria”.

In view of the commitment and diligence in the execution of the social contract and in the spirit of

Ahunanya Ekwe, Ndi Abia should join hands with the Governor in developing the state. We can achieve this by ensuring government projects sited in our communities are taken care of and even protected by the indigenes, especially since the community members are the direct beneficiaries of such facilities. It is also the responsibility of the communities to monitor ongoing projects in their domain to ensure compliance with specifications and report back to government.

Again, we must desist from our attitude of dumping refuse into the gutters and erecting structures on the water ways. We cannot continue to erect shanties that undermine environment aesthetics. If we consider ourselves partners in progress with government, we cannot leave our shops inside the market and engage in nauseating street trading, waiting for law enforcement agencies to whip us out of the street.

The Ministry of Trade and Environment as well as the Abia State Environmental protection Agency (ASEPA) have demonstrated in clear terms their penchant for a clean and aesthetically rich environment through demolition of shanties, desilting of drainage channels, and decongestion of traffic along the city centers for easy flow of traffic among other measures.

The issue of security cannot be seen as sole responsibility of government but should be a collective effort between the government and the governed.

To this end, traditional Rulers should play active roles in addressing the security challenges in their communities. Furthermore, people should report suspicious movements and suspects to security operatives or their community vigilante for prompt intervention.

If we go down the memory lane when kidnapping, armed robbery and other security challenges were the order of the day in the state, when people dared not to return home for festivities for the fear of being kidnapped or robbed, we will not hesitate to assist security operatives and government to maintain security in the state. We should supply them with the necessary information to work with so as to continue to safeguard our lives and properties.

Our dear Governor Ikpeazu has no doubt impacted positively on all the communities though a lot needs to be done. Posterity will not fail to judge us harshly if we fail to make these projects our jewel and ornaments of life by guarding them jealously.

Let us therefore, have a rethink by galvanizing families and the society at large, irrespective of sub-ethnic group, religion or party affiliation, to support government programmes and policies as partners in progress in the overall development of the state.

Ahamefula Israel, a Bureaucrat, sent in this piece from uturu, Abia State. Email- anyameleisrael@gmail.

2023: More women in politics key to peacebuilding –Jerusalem Dep. Mayor

The Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem, Ms Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, has called for the support of more women in political positions, saying women are critical decision makers and peace building advocates.

Hassan-Nahoum made the appeal while fielding questions from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jerusalem on women participation in Nigeria’s upcoming general elections.

This is also as she harped on the need for women to support each other, be good mentors to younger girls, the change of certain cultures and legislations

to encourage more women vie for political offices.

“We should be a sisterhood, we can achieve a lot if we work together, we can change the dynamics, for everyone.

“I believe that we do not have a balanced world because women are not 50 per cent of decision makers and the problems that keep perpetuating themselves are because of that.

“Decisions are better when

women are sitting on the table, not just for women but for everyone.

“What we have to make sure is that people should understand that it makes zero sense for half the population to be women and we do not have half the decisionmaking tables as women,” she said.

“And until women realise that and create solidarity groups, we are not going to move out of it.

“I myself have co-founded a number of women initiatives because I believe that if women are allowed to take the reigns in peace building in the middle east, we would have already had peace by now.

“So, I created two years ago with a woman friend who is very supportive, and we co-founded this women forum and we have a hundred and fifty women from around the world.

“From countries like Saudi Arabia who have not even made peace with Israel yet but this women have understood the importance of building bridges with other women leaders,” Hassan-Nahoum said.

The deputy mayor also urged men to support women, lauding the Mayor of Jerusalem who had been very supportive by giving her the opportunity to deputise him. (NAN)

Downsized Immigration

officers send SOS to Buhari

By Usman Shuaibu

The downsized immigration officers have sent Save Our Soul (SOS) to president Muhammadu Buhari for the payment of their wages.

Speaking on behalf of the downsized immigration officers on Saturday in Abuja, the retired DSI Arma Yau Ninge Mashi said they were suffering in silence since their retirement on the 31st of January, 2007.

His words: “The forms of payment on hold are severance package allowance, repatriation allowance, domestic servant allowance and monthly payment on the situation presented as a gross under payment between we staff of Immigration Service and the Customs service/ Correctional Service who were treated the same process of downsizing”.

He appealed to president Muhammadu Buhari to give directive to the comptrollerGeneral of Immigration to pay incidental arrears in short payment from the period of the exercise till date so as to redeem their trust in Nigeria.

Mashi, however, recalled that the former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun had given order for the payment of their arrears, as he said the order was emasculate.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo Council of Elders to hold peace summit

By Usman Shuaibu

The leadership of Ohana Eze Ndigbo Worldwide has concluded plan to hold peace summit this year in Abuja.

The Chairman of Ohanaeze Council of Elders, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu made the disclosure while briefing newsmen after an emergency meeting of Ohanaeze Ndigbo council of Elders at NICON Luxury Hotel in Abuja.

Iwuanyanwu said the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Council of Elders would deem it necessary to brainstorm on the security challenges facing the country

as well as South east during the peace summit.

He then appealed to the Federal Government to redouble its efforts to arrest the problem of insecurity confronting Nigerians for the overall development of he country.

He further called on the government of the day to release the indigenous leaders of Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu for the sake of peace to reign in the Igboland and the nation at large.

Speaking on the unemployment facing the youths in the country, Iwuanyanwu pleaded with the Federal Government to gear towards providing jobs for the

youths roaming about on the streets.

On education, he tasked the government to provide the needed facilities in the institutions of higher learning in order to encourage the students in their studies, and also charged the government of the day to give priority attention to the lecturers of the universities, so as to stop perpetual ASUU Strikes in our higher institutions.

He, however, informed that the Ohanaeze Council of Elders would engage the governors of south east on the need to bring back the annual cultural festival of the states to boost the cultural

heritage of Igbo

The chairman of Ohanaeze Council of Elders used the press briefing to describe the Igbo as peace-loving people, and warned those who are using negative utterances or words against the Igbo to desist from it in the interest of peace in the country.

Meanwhile, during the meeting of Ohanaeze Council of Elders, a committee on Niger cement factory was set up in order to bring back the factory alive for the socio-economic growth of southeast as the chief Iwuanyanwu said his leadership would work towards the industrialization of mining of coal in the southeast.

President Muhammadu Buhari, Apc Presidential Candidate, Sen Ahmed Bola Tinubu And Others Party Chieftains At The Bauchi Rally.

Photo; State House

By Christiana Ekpa

The Court of Appeal in Makurdi has ordered the All Progressives Congress (APC) to conduct a fresh primary election in 11 out of the 23 local government areas of Benue State for the nomination of its gubernatorial candidate.

The affected local governments are, Gboko, Gwer- East, GwerWest, Guma, Katsina-Ala, Logo, Makurdi, Otukpo, Ukum, Tarka and Vandeikya.

The court also asked that APC conduct the primaries within 14 days and that INEC recognize the winner after adding election results from the 12 local government areas.

The development is coming barely 33 days before the 2023

2023:

Court of Appeal nullifies APC guber primaries in Benue

general elections.

The judgement followed an appeal filed by one of the aspirants on the platform of the APC, Professor Terhemba Shija, arguing that there was no valid primary

election held on 27th May 2022 by APC for the nomination of its gubernatorial candidate to warrant Fr Alia emerging as the winner.

The court, after evaluating evidence submitted by Professor

will

members, votes for Peter Obi – NCP

By Musa Baba Adamu

Barely 33 days to the presidential election, the National Conscience Party, NCP, has said it will mobilize votes for the Labour Party, LP, presidential candidate Peter Obi.

This was disclosed in a statement on Monday by the National Chairman of the NCP, Yinusa Tanko.

Tanko said NCP members had studied the Labour Party’s manifesto and the characters of Obi and his running mate, Datti Baba Ahmed and believed both have what it takes to earn their trust and confidence.

He explained that Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, has all it takes to earn the trust and confidence of his party.

“We will mobilise our members and supporters nationwide to canvas and vote for the Labour Party candidate because we share their philosophy and manifesto.

“We have studied both the party’s manifesto and the characters of the ex-governor Peter Obi and Datti Baba Ahmed carefully, ” he stated.

Meanwhile,

NNPP: Collecting security votes as governor, pure stealing – Kwankwaso

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso on Monday faulted the collection of security votes by

state governors.

Kwankwaso said he never collected security votes while he was governor of Kano State for eight years because it would amount to stealing.

The NNPP presidential

candidate disclosed this during a town hall meeting in Abuja.

According to Kwankwaso: “Security vote is stealing, that was why we never took security votes the eight years I was a governor. security starts with you as a

person. I will do whatever it takes for our house to be in order in the area of foreign policy.

“Government must do better than what we have seen today with respect to the rule of law,” he insisted.

Ogun 2023: Appeal court reinstates Otegbeye, other ADC candidates

By Christiana Ekpa

The Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan, the Oyo State on Monday reinstated Biyi Otegbeye as the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in

Ogun State.

The court set aside the judgement of the Federal High Court in Abeokuta, which initially ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to expunge other 23 Ogun ADC Assembly candidates from its list.

The court, in a unanimous judgement delivered by Justice M. A. Adumein held that the lower court has no jurisdiction to adjudicate on the suit filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) before the trial court challenging the primaries conducted by the

ADC.

The court subsequently set aside the decision and all the orders made by the trial court for want of jurisdiction.

The court awarded the cost of N50,000 in favour of the appellants.

Abia 2023: APC guber candidate, Uche Ogah tasks citizens on PVC collection

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The All Progressives Congress, APC, gubernatorial candidate in Abia State, Dr Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah, on Sunday, called on eligible citizens and residents of the state to collect their Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, to enable them to exercise the civic rights and responsibilities in the forthcoming elections.

Ogah, a former minister, made the call on Sunday on the backdrops of the recent declaration of Monday and Tuesday as public holidays by the state government.

Recall that the government had, in a release by the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Barrister Chris Ezem, on Saturday, announced Monday

23rd and Tuesday 24th January 2023 as public holidays for PVC collection.

Dr Ogah tasked the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to ensure adequate logistics are provided to fasten all processes in achieving smooth collection of PVCs.

INEC has extended the deadline for registered voters to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) until Sunday, January 29, 2023, from the initial January 22.

The commission also vowed to punish any staff found to have extorted or discriminated against any registered voter in the issuance of the PVCs.

The National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr Festus Okoye, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja.

PDP left northeast to Boko Haram - Lawan tells campaign rally in Bauchi

By Musa Baba Adamu

The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan on Monday took a swipe again at the opposition People’s Democratic Party(PDP) alleging that while the party was in power, it abandoned the people in the northeast to Boko Haram insurgency. Lawan said it was not until President Muhammadu Buhari came into power before the region was eventually liberated from the clutches of Boko Haram.

The Senate President thanked President

Buhari for the many benefits which the northeast enjoyed from his government.

Speaking at the APC Presidential Campaign Rally which was attended by Buhari in Bauchi, the Senate President said: “Mr President, the PDP abandoned the northeast to Boko Haram, to insurgency.

“PDP abandoned us until you came into office. In 2015, when you were sworn in, your first task was to liberate us. Thank you very much that you did.

“Mr President, we in the northeast are probably the most beneficiaries of your

administration. Infact, we were the first to start enjoy your administration more than any other part of Nigeria because BoKo Haram was technically defeated immediately you came into office and you appointed our son Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai and of course Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar as Chief of Air Staff.

“They did so well that your government gave the security that we are enjoying today. The northeast, from 2015 particularly, enjoyed the most important appointments

in your administration. That is to say that you are a northeasterner.

“This crowd is a testimony. Everywhere you go is Buhari, in the northeast.”

Lawan made similar accusation about two weeks ago at a campaign rally in Yobe when he blasted PDP to have allowed Boko Haram insurgency to fester while it was in power.

He criticised PDP to have denied the existence of Boko Haram and allowed the insurgency to blossom instead of doing the needful and curb the menace.

Shija, agreed with his submissions. However, the Court agreed with APC on the rerun of 9th June 2022, which took part in 12 local governments of the states, saying it was valid and still stands.

the court dismissed Senator Barnabas Gemade’s appeal and upheld the judgement of the Federal High Court, which dismissed his suit against Fr Alia for being statute-barred.

Uche Ogah

We

mobilise our

POLITICS

By Musa Baba Adamu

The Labour Party (LP) senatorial candidate for Plateau Central Zone, Hon. Melchior Gowon, has given the party three days to publicly renounce and correct what he called ‘mischievous publication/ fake news’.

The candidate was particularly referring to the picture of Chief Garba Pwul (SAN), which appeared on the programme of event during the LP presidential campaign rally in Jos last Friday, as the purported senatorial candidate

Ganduje paid Kwankwaso’s N18bn scholarships debt – Kano commissioner

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The administration of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has paid the N18 billion scholarship debts incurred by the previous administration of Rabiu Kwankwaso.

Kano State Commissioner for Information, Mallam Mohammed Garba, made this assertion on the foreign scholarship programme initiated by Kwankwaso before leaving office in 2015.

“When we came into power in 2015, we met huge unpaid foreign and domestic scholarships left behind by the Government of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and this gave us a lot of problems. But we [have] settled about N18 billion so far,” Garba said.

He said there was over five million euro debt in Cyprus alone, leading to institutions in the country writing to Governor Ganduje.

According to him: “We have to sit down and negotiate a way out with Cyprus to reduce the debts. We [have] paid N600 million; N300 million in the beginning and another N300 million [now]. You can see how committed we are to settling all the scholarships [debts] left behind by the government of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.”

The commissioner insisted that the scholarship programme was haphazardly created and without due diligence.

“If Gawuna is elected as governor of Kano State, he will certainly look at the programme [and] fine-tune it,” he said, noting that beneficiaries would henceforth be those studying courses that will be beneficial to the state “like engineers, and other relevant courses, not historians and their likes.

Plateau LP senatorial candidate threatens to sue party over ‘fake publication’

for the party.

Gowon, while briefing journalists in Jos, the state capital, said he needed to protest and expressed his disenchantment over the development; describing it as “fraudulent”.

He said, “I am here to express my protest to the publication in the magazine of the Labour Party presidential campaign rally, Jos 2023, circulated at the Rwang Pam Township Stadium, Jos on the 20th January 2023, titled ‘A new Nigeria is possible’.

“This is a conspiracy against me and against the interest of the people of Plateau Central

Zone. It is my picture and name that is supposed to be in the magazine, not that of Chief Garba Pwul (SAN).

“This is simple; you journalists and let every Nigerian listening to this press briefing Google the INEC portal and see the INEC final list of candidates nominated by the 18 political parties for all elections published and posted on 4th October 2022 for the forthcoming 2023 general elections and you would notice that the senatorial candidate for the Labour Party for the Plateau Central Zone is Melchior Mukilama Gowon, that is me and not one Chief Garba

Pwul SAN.”

Gowon further stated that he has already discussed this with his legal team, stressing that he would take every legal step to “stop and correct the falsehood”.

“What they are doing is an attempt to mislead my teaming supporters”, he maintained.

“Consequently, I call on Labour Party Plateau State Chapter, the Mobilization Committee of the Labour Party presidential campaign rally 2023, and the National Headquarters of the party to take immediate step within three days from the day of this press briefing to come out

and renounce and correct this mischievous publication/fake news, particularly the picture and name of Chief Garba Pwul SAN on page 11 of the programme of the event which runs contrary to the INEC final list published on the 4th of October 2022 containing my name.

“Failure to do so will leave me with no alternative but to ask my lawyers to institute an action in the appropriate court in Nigeria.”

Efforts to get the reaction of the State Chairman of LP, Hon. Grace Zamfara, were unsuccessful.

2023 elections: I will implement restructuring – Atiku promises Bayelsans

By Christiana Ekpa

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, has assured the people of Bayelsa State and Nigeria that he will engage in efforts that will end insecurity in the country if elected as President of Nigeria in the forthcoming 2023 general elections.

He also promised that his government will focus on restructuring the country.

The former vice president made the promises at the presidential campaign rally of PDP on Monday, at the Oxbow Lake Pavilion, in Yenagoa, the state capital.

He reminded the people that from the beginning of democracy Bayelsa

State has been a bastion for PDP, and there was no need to leave the party for an opposition party because the state is one with the party.

He said: “The future of the state and Nigeria is tied to PDP. I will unify this country because we have never been this divided. I will give everyone a sense of belonging if elected.”

“I will restore security, tackle the economy of the country; if you recall, from 1999 to 2015, we were the biggest economy of Africa, but since the inception of the APC the country has suffered economically. There’ll be no more ASUU strikes when I am in power, and our students will continue to grow educationally like their peers in other countries.”

He further stated: “The people of the Niger Delta region need

more restructuring than any part of the country. You will not need any government assistance at all times. I will need your support, and I assure you that we will lift the living condition of the people in the country.”

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, reminded that the PDP has once produced a president of the country from the state, adding that the only candidate who has keyed into what the Ijaws and Bayelsans want is Atiku, who has always talked about resource control.

He said: “No other candidate has talked about the feelings of the people. Here in Bayelsa, they came with guns but today no more guns, it’s BVAS. We will defeat them all in the elections. The youths and

women are all with us and they can’t be deceived.”

Governor of Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom, who is the chairman of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, PCC, stated that all other voices apart in the Niger Delta region apart from PDP are strange voices. “We follow the voice of our leader, which is to follow PDP,” he stated.

Senator Seriake Dickson, also assured Atiku: “As you have all seen that Bayelsa State will continue to be a state ruled by PDP since 1999, it will not change.”

He added that Bayelsa represents the soul of the PDP. “Atiku is an original proponent of restructuring and he has been very supportive of this state,” he said.

Executive Director, Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr Ogbugo Ukoha (L) with the Secretary and Legal Adviser, NMDPRA, Dr Joseph Tolorunse, during the NMDPRA’s Stakeholders Consultation Forum on Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulations, yesterday in Abuja. Photo:

POLITICS

Shehu Abubakar, Maiduguri

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Borno State has complained of the persistent destruction of its campaign structures and attacks on its candidates in the state, allegedly by the governing All Progressives Congress (APC).

“The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Borno state chapter finds it highly imperative to draw the attention of the good people of Borno to the dangerous political trends capable of plunging our dear state into wanton violence and disruption of the emergent fragile peace that we have collectively fought for,” the party complained in a statement signed

I’ll return Kano to trade and industry hub if electedObi assures electorate

By Musa Baba Adamu

The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi and his campaign train arrived at the North’s commercial nerve center, Kano on Sunday, where he assured the people that Kano will regain its old enviable status in trade and industry.

Obi told the jubilant crowd in the ancient city that he drove round Kano before coming to address them and he found all the industries in the City shutdown, promising that if elected in February, he and Datti will restore them.

He said that the trading status of Kano will return and will remain the center of cash, adding “Before, if you want cash, you come to Kano, but what you see today is poverty everywhere. Datti and I will restore the old glory of Kano.

“We will secure and unite Nigeria where people will be proud to say I am a Nigerian. We will kill the sentiments of tribes and religions which they have been using to deceive us.”

The former Anambra Governor told the people amidst shouts of ‘Sai Obi’ that under the Presidency of he and Datti, there will be one Nigeria where the people will be free to move and do their business unmolested.

Obi said that they will be able to do what they are preaching because they have done it in public and private sectors and succeeded, referring to his record in Anambra state where he was governor for eight years and no kobo was missing.

“Datti and I will not allow wastages. We will do exactly what we are saying”, Obi stressed.

He told the people that this election is going to be about character you can trust not people who will come to talk about religion and tribe which they have been using to deceive us.

2023: Borno NNPP alleges APC destroying its campaign structures

by its State Chairman of the party, Barr. Mohammed Mustapha, and circulated to newsmen.

“On Friday, January 20, 2023, the campaign billboards of our Presidential candidate, His Excellency Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and that of the Borno Central Senatorial candidate, His Excellency Attom Magira Tom, were violently attacked and destroyed in strategic locations across the Maiduguri Metropolis and other major communities within the constituency,” the party said.

“This attack on our campaign structures was coming barely two weeks after similar destruction was

carried out on the same number of billboards,” the party complained further.

“As law-abiding members of a party whose principles have resonated with the electorates, we did not call for counter-violence,” saying, “Instead, we urged our teaming supporters to remain calm and law-abiding while the leadership of NNPP reported the matter to the concerned security agencies.”

The party expressed shock that “The Friday incident of an attack on our billboard was carried out in a coordinated fashion on the night of the very day we replaced our duly authorised billboards.”

The party alleged: “It is even more saddening to note that the APC and its thugs did not only destroy our billboards, but they also went ahead to replace the banners on them with those of some of their own APC candidates, even though we have paid the Borno state government all the required fees for the advertisement permit.”

The party listed some of the locations where its billboards were destroyed within the Maiduguri metropolis alone.

“For the avoidance of doubts, we want the public to fact-check our claims by visiting the WestEnd Roundabout, the Dandal

Police station Roundabout, the Post Office Roundabout, Opposite Metro Police Division, the Adjacent Government College Maiduguri, Adjacent FGC Monguno, Adjacent Umaru Shehu General Hospital, Airport Roundabout, LM Bakery Junction at GidanMadara, Bulunkutu YanNono, Bama Road/Lagos Street Junction, Adjacent UBA along Sir Kashim Road, and host of many other places to verify our claims.”

NNPP alleged further: “We want to kindly remind the general public that this attitude of violence by the APC and its government did not start today.”

2023 is time for North to repay Tinubu’s support – Shettima

By Musa Baba Adamu

The vice presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kashim Shettima said President Muhammadu Buhari would not have been the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria without the support of Bola Tinubu.

Shettima stated this while addressing supporters at the APC presidential rally in Dutse, the capital of Jigawa at the weekend.

He said 2023 is a payback time for the northern part of the country for what the APC

presidential candidate did to the region in the past.

Shettima explained that since 2007, Tinubu has been supporting northerners.

According to him: “Tinubu in 2007 backed Atiku; he also supported Nuhu Ribadu in 2011, and in 2015, if Bola Ahmed Tinubu didn’t support Buhari during the APC presidential primary election, he would have not been the president,” he said.

He said that 2023 is a payback time and northerners must prove that they are promisekeepers.

Shettima said Nigeria needs somebody who has vast experience and can solve all the problems of the country like Tinubu.

He said President Buhari has done remarkably well in the development of the country and Governor Mohammed Badaru Abubakar has also achieved a lot, therefore, they need somebody who will continue from where they stopped.

The APC vice presidential candidate urged the electorate in the state to vote for all APC candidates as a token of appreciation for what the APC administration has achieved in the last seven years.

The Acting Director General of NYSC, Mrs Christy Ifeyinwa Uba presenting a copy of NYSC publications to the Deputy Director, Information Technology Department, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Habib Yusuf when he led a delegation of some staff on a courtesy visit to the NYSC National Directorate Headquarters, yesterday in Maitama Abuja . Photo; NYSC

Passengers stranded at Lagos int’l airport as NAHCO embarks on strike

Abubakar Yunus Abuja

The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO) has embarked on a strike over salary increment, grounding international flights at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) on Monday.

NAHCO provides ground handling (cargo/ramp), passenger services and other services to several international airlines including Air France/ KLM, Qatar, Ethiopian Airlines, Delta Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, and Turkish Air.

In a video seen by Peoples Daily, several passengers were stranded at the international airport, moving about helplessly with their luggage.

The NAHCO staff members were said to have walked out of the international airport in the early hours of Monday, saying they were on strike.

The development grounded both arrival and departure flight schedules, leaving travellers frustrated as no prior communication was sent to passengers on the strike.

Reacting to the development in a tweet, Oluwatosin Oladeinde, chief executive officer (CEO), Money Africa, said: “Airlines ground handlers on strike at Lagos Airport. No departure check in and no arrival of flights for now departing passengers stranded.”

A source at NAHCO who craved anonymity told BusinessDay that the management had met with the staff on Sunday over the proposed strike but assured that the situation will be addressed soon.

Meanwhile, Air Peace, in an update by the management on Monday, said due to the industrial strike being embarked on by all staff of NAHCO, “flights across our network will be disrupted today”.

“The strike has affected the operations of all airlines being handled by the company,” the update said.

“While we monitor the situation and hope things return to normal soon, we regret the impact of the disruptions on your travel plans and plead for your understanding.”

FIRS Breaks Its 2021 Record, Collects N10.1 Trillion In 2022

By Abubakar Yunus Abuja

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has announced that it collected over N10 trillion in tax revenue in the year 2022, the highest tax collection ever recorded in its history.

The Service made this known in its “FIRS 2022 Performance Update,” report signed by its Executive Chairman, Mr. Muhammad Nami, and released to the public on Monday, after his briefing with President Muhammadu Buhari.

“The FIRS, in the year 2022 collected a total of N10.1 trillion in both oil (N4.09 trillion) and non-oil (N5.96 trillion) revenues as against a target of N10.44 trillion.

“Companies Income Tax contributed N2.83 trillion; Value Added Tax N2.51 trillion; Electronic Money Transfer Levy N125.67 billion and Earmarked Taxes N353.69 billion.

“Non-oil taxes contributed 59% of the total collection in the year, while oil tax collection stood at 41% of total collection,” the report noted.

It is the first time that the FIRS will cross the 10-trillion Naira mark in tax revenue collection.

The Performance Update Report further clarified that included in the total revenue sum is the sum of N146.27 billion which is the total value of certificates issued by the Service to private investors and NNPC for road infrastructure under the Road Infrastructure Development Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme created by Executive Order No. 007 of 2019.

The report also stated that the N10.1 trillion is exclusive of tax waived on account of various tax incentives granted under the respective laws, which amounted to N1,805,040,163,008.

Providing perspective to this unprecedented tax collection, the FIRS noted in the Performance

Update that the Muhammad Namiled management upon assumption of office came up with a four-point focus, namely: administrative and operational restructuring; making the service customer-focused; creating a data-centric institution; and automation of administrative and operational processes.

It further noted that over the period of 2020 to 2022, the management had introduced reforms bordering around these four-point focus which were producing results.

“The reforms introduced at different times from 2020 are gradually yielding fruits. By the close of 2022, the Service had fully restructured the administration of the Service for maximum efficiency and achieved internal cohesion such that all functional units are working in unison towards the achievement of set goals.

“As a result of conducive environment created for staff, officers of the Service are pulling their weight on the global stage with international recognitions and awards;

“The Service had also automated most of the administrative and operational processes. A major leap was the full deployment of the TaxPro Max for end-to-end administration of taxes in June 2021. The module for the automated TCC went live 1st January 2023 while taxpayers had already downloaded over 1,000 TCCs this year without having to visit FIRS office,” the report read.

It also noted that the Service had operationalised its data mining and analysis system thereby allowing for data-backed taxpayer profiling.

Other reforms the Service introduced in this period focused on the detoxification of the tax environment by ridding it of mutual mistrust, negative tax morale, and tax evasion, through effective taxpayer education, open engagement with stakeholders and

improved services.

It noted that it is courtesy these reforms, framed around the fourfocus points that the Service was able to achieve this collection.

Mr. Muhammad Nami, Executive Chairman of the FIRS, commenting on the N10.1 trillion record tax collection achieved under his leadership stated that this was made possible through “dogged implementation of strategic reforms over the past two years; a renewed commitment by officers of the Service, accompanied with a boosted morale; as well as the innovative deployment of technology for automation of both tax administration and operational processes.

“This collection was possible through collaboration with our stakeholders, from our colleagues at the Executive branch of government, to the members of the judiciary, to our brothers and sisters at the National Assembly, as well as the tax advisory committee, professional bodies, unions, and most crucially our taxpayers.”

Speaking on the outlook for 2023, Mr. Nami stated that the Service would build on the current reforms, achieve full automation and continue to establish a resilient Service that would continue to provide sustainable tax revenue to fund the government.

“We intend to maintain, and even improve on the momentum in 2023,” he stated.

“We have peaked, but this is not certainly our peak. In fact, my hope is that this would be the least sum the Service would ever collect going forward.

“Our goal is to identify more areas where we can improve on in the delivery and efficiency of our collection; and plug loopholes, while deploying innovative reforms in data and artificial intelligence.

“Ultimately, we believe that the FIRS can shoulder the responsibility

of providing revenue needed for the governments across the Federation to cater for the needs of the Nigerian people through taxes.

“This is feasible once we get the much-desired support from the three tiers and arms of government, as well as all stakeholders.”

The FIRS appreciated President Muhammadu Buhari for his support, as well as the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed and the Minister of State, Mr. Clem Agba.

“FIRS Management uses this medium to commend all patriotic taxpayers who paid their taxes correctly, stakeholders for their support, and officers of the Service for their dedication to duty.

“The Service equally owes its achievements in 2022 to effective leadership of the Honourable Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning – Mrs Zainab Ahmed, her brother, the Minister of State – Mr Clem Agba, members of the National Assembly and the fatherly support of the President and Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria – Muhammadu Buhari.”

This is the second consecutive year that the Service will be recording unprecedented tax collection.

In 2021, the Service achieved a record tax collection of N6.405 trillion, being over hundred percent of its collection target for the year, as well as the first time that the Service will cross the six trillion mark.

In 2022, building on the success of the preceding year, the Service achieved a record collection of N10.1 trillion, being over 96% of its collection target for the year, and the first time the Service will cross the ten trillion mark.

This collection represents an over one hundred percent leap from the tax collected by the Service in 2020—the first year of the current management of the Service.

Harvest plus seeks funding for Biofortification to halt micronutrients deficiency in Nigeria

By Abubakar Yunus Abuja

Aglobal movement to rapidly scaling up the production and consumption of biofortified staple crops and foods,

Harvest Plus has called on the government at all levels to fund the effective implementation of various programmes aimed at addressing micronutrient deficiency in the country.

Through a crop breeding process called biofortification, micronutrient-enriched, climate-smart varieties of common staples provide essential iron, zinc, and vitamin A to rural households to improve

nutritional status, health, and livelihoods.

Addressing newsmen on the sideline of the Biofortification policy roundtable in Abuja yesterday, Harvest Plus Country Manager, Nigeria, Yusuf Dollah Fu’ad said deficiencies in micronutrients account for the majority of the global health burden from hidden hunger affecting more than 2 billion people, mostly in low- and middle-income countries.

Lamenting that Nigerians have nutritional challenges, he said biofortification has been in Nigeria for 10 years now.

“What we are doing today is to stress the need for policymakers

to see the need for budgetary allocation to seed production, saying in the past three years it is either growing or shrinking.

“If it is growing, we can ask the government to do more because we need to create access so that every man, woman, and child in the rural community should able to have access,” he said.

On the goal of Harvest Plus in Nigeria, the head of National policy, Rewa Misrad said the organisation wants to eradicate hidden hunger in Nigeria.

“We also want women, men, and children who have been suffering from micronutrient deficiencies for years be to live a

good life,” she said.

The director, Macro Nutrient Deficiency Control, Federal Ministry of Health, Uruakpa John said the government has been very positive on biofortification not just within Nigeria but globally, there has been increased recognition by policymakers that biofortification is an important solution.

On links between biofortification and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) he clarified that biofortification has been developed through conventional breeding and there are no links between GMOs and biofortification.

By Abubakar Yunus Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari will on Tuesday depart Lagos to attend the second edition of the Dakar International Conference on Agriculture in Senegal.

Femi Adesina, presidential spokesperson, announced the development in a statement on Monday.

Buhari is expected to be in Lagos from January 23-24 on a working visit to inaugurate projects in the state.

The president will subsequently fly out to Dakar from Lagos.

“The high-level Dakar 2 Summit hosted by President Macky Sall of

Buhari to depart Lagos today for agriculture conference in Senegal

Senegal and the Chairperson of the African Union is holding under the theme “Feeding Africa: Food Sovereignty and Resilience,” the statement reads.

“The conference, which seeks to create favourable conditions toward achieving food security in Africa, is convened jointly by the government of

Senegal and the African Development Bank.

“There will also be side meetings to discuss agreements on the delivery of food and agricultural products in some countries, including Nigeria.

“With Africa accounting for 249 million or a third of the 828 million hungry people in the world, the Summit,

to be attended by African Heads of State and Government, Ministers of finance and agriculture, as well as several global development partners, is expected to make commitments on eradicating hunger in Africa by 2030.”

Adesina said Buhari would be accompanied on the trip by top government officials including Geoffrey

Onyeama, minister of foreign affairs; Mohammad Abubakar, minister of agriculture and rural development; Babagana Monguno, national security adviser, and Ahmed Abubakar, director-general, National Intelligence Agency (NIA).

Buhari is expected back in the country on January 25.

BDCs: CBN currency redesign policy boosting Naira stability at parallel market

By Abubakar Yunus Abuja

The Association of Bureaux De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON) says the currency redesign policy has stimulated the stability of the naira at the parallel market.

Aminu Gwadabe, ABCON president, disclosed this on Sunday in an interview with NAN in Lagos.

Over the past few weeks, the naira has been largely stable against the dollar — exchanging between N740/$ and N750/$ at the parallel market.

He spoke on the outlook of the naira as the January 31 deadline for the demonetisation of old naira notes approaches.

“The naira redesign and the security surveillance of the financial system have stemmed the volatile demand pressure in the parallel market,” Gwadabe said.

“This explains the stability witnessed at the retail end of the parallel market.”

The ABCON president said the local currency had traded within a

stable band of N750 to the dollar since the introduction of the policy till date.

He said the exchange rate had remained stable in the face of the shortage of supply of the

greenback in the market.

According to Gwadabe, the unavailability of the new naira notes have continued to raise fears and concerns among average Nigerians.

He urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to continue its advocacy and stakeholders’ engagement to ensure a seamless transition of old notes to the new ones.

Yesterday, Mai Mala Buni, governor of Yobe state, appealed to the CBN to grant special concession to residents to enable them exchange their old naira notes for the redesigned notes.

Financial experts: Why CBN may retain 16.5% interest rate at MPC meeting

As the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) commences its two-day monetary policy committee (MPC) meeting on Monday, some financial experts have projected that the apex bank would retain the current policy rates.

Speaking in separate interviews with NAN, the experts said such a policy stance would allow for market stability in the new year.

The committee had raised the monetary policy rate (MPR) to a record high of 16.5 percent in its last meeting in November 2022, in an effort to tackle rising inflation.

The MPR is the baseline interest rate in an economy, every other interest rate used within the economy is built on it.

Uche Uwaleke, a professor of finance and capital market at the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, explained that increasing the MPR could jeopardise economic growth.

Uwaleke said the MPC is likely to

hold all existing parameters.

“One, historical evidence suggests that the MPC seldom adjusts policy rates in January due to the need to allow the markets to stabilise in the new year,” Uwaleke said.

“Secondly, inflationary pressure is beginning to reduce as seen in headline inflation numbers for Dec. 2022, not only in Nigeria but also in the United States.

“I do not advise a further hike in MPR, as doing so beyond the current high rate of 16.5 percent is capable of jeopardising economic growth.”

Also speaking, Tope Fasua, an economist, urged the CBN to shun the temptation to further increase the rates.

Fasua suggested that the rates should be retained and be guided by market trends.

He added that constantly increasing interest rate could spur recession.

“I hope they hold rates as is and watch what happens,” Fasua said.

“Already, inflation trended down 0.14 percent, they may be tempted to further increase rate to accelerate the fall.

“But they need to now think about the fact that constant raising of interest rate could spur recession as life becomes harder for manufacturers.”

On his part, Muda Yusuf, chief executive officer, Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), said Nigeria’s cash reserve ratio (CRR) and MPR are among the highest in the world.

CRR is the share of a bank’s total customer deposit that must be kept with the central bank in the form of liquid cash.

“The CRR of 32.5 percent and MPR of 16.5 percent are among the highest globally. High CRR in particular has become a key impediment to financial intermediation by the banks,” Yusuf said.

“There is need for the CBN to ease up on its tightening stance and cut some slack on some of its liquidity mopping

measures.”

Analysts at Financial Derivatives Company (FDC) also said inflation is expected to ease further in January.

However, they projected that high interest rates would have to be retained if the CBN intends to continue to tackle inflation.

“As long as the CBN remains committed to tackling inflation, the high interest rate environment will persist in 2023,” the analysts said.

Meanwhile, analysts at Cowry Assets Limited, said the MPC may be tempted to pedal softly on its tightening stance by a token hike of 25 basis points.

“We believe that a moderate reversal in the headline numbers will skew the voting pattern of the committee members in favour of maintaining a tightening stance,” they said.

“Regardless, the lag-effect from the policy tightening may take longer in reality as Nigeria has a weak policy transmission system.”

Directors of Department of State Service (DSS) in a group photograph, during the four days Strategic workshop on preparedness of the 2023 general Elections, yesterday in Abuja.

CBN takes sensitisation drive on new redesigned Naira notes to Jimeta ultra-modern market

From Umar Dankano,Yola.

With a view to ensure compliance by commercial banks on the dispensing of new redesigned Naira notes, officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN have conducted a sensitisation campaign to the public and on the spot assessment tour in Adamawa state.

The CBN officials led by a Director,Internal Audit department, Mrs Alfa Lydia Ifeanyichukwu urged Nigerians to report any commercial bank that does not dispense the new redesigned Naira notes at its business outlets for sanctioning.

Mrs Ifeanyichukwu stressed that the New Naira Redesign

policy came at a time all Nigerians are in dare need and its economy faced with many challenges.

Ifeanyichukwu said some of these constraints are averting the goal and objectives of achieving a decisive growth calling on Nigerians to support and contribute toward a successful implementation of the policy.

She told the gathering that the current series withdrawn from circulation will cease to be legal Tender after January 31,2023 noting that the new design and current series (old notes) are to circulate side by side until same date.

“We advise members of the public to ensure that they deposit cash holdings in

these denominations at their commercial banks.

“There is no limit to how much a customer can deposit between now and January 31,2023,as the CBN has suspended bank charges and we encourage the public to explore other payment channels such as eNaira,POS,electronic transfer,USSD,internet banking and mobile operators and agents for their economic activities”. Ifeanyichukwu stated.

In his remarks, state Branch Controller of the CBN,Mr. Sanusi Sah Nyashi announced that any commercial bank found not dispensing the new notes would be sanctioned noting that the CBN has directed all commercial banks to reintroduce Saturday’s

banking to meet up with the high demand by Nigerians.

Mr.Nyashi said that apex bank will be keenly monitoring the full implementation of the policy with a view to satisfy the economic demand of Nigerians.

Also speaking at the sensitisation lecture held at the famous Jimeta Ultra Modern Market,Chairman of the traders Union of the Market,Alhaji Musa Yaro (Sarkin Kasuwa) advised that the CBN need to do more in ensuring the availability of the new notes in the banks.

Yaro said that many of their members (traders) have been coming to them as leaders complaining that the banks are not dispensing the new Naira notes noting that something urgent need to be done.

Yaro advised the Apex bank to do more sensitisation work that can reach the larger population at the grass root areas where he said do not use banks for the commercial activities.

Some of the traders at the occasion expressed satisfaction with the awareness campaign taken to them at their business premises pledging to support the Apex bank to succeed in its currency policy.

Our correspondent in Yola Thursday reported that the CBN team,stakeholders and journalists visited some commercial banks including GTB,ZENITH and JAIZ Banks where customers were monitored cashing the new Naira notes respectively

The Lekki Deep Seaport inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Lekki Free Trade Zone in Lagos,Inset (l-r): President Muhammadu Buhari;

State

Mr Babajide

NAHCO workers suspend strike

The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO) staff members have suspended their industrial action embarked on in a bid to demand for salary increases.

The aviation workers, under the aegis of the national union of air transport employees (NUATE) and air transport services senior staff association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), said the management of NAHCO had commenced negotiations with its workers.

Frances Akinjole, deputy general secretary, ATSSSAN, disclosed this to journalists on Monday.

“It has been suspended, and they have agreed to commence negotiation on the salary issue with us,” Akinjole said, giving updates on the strike.

Peoples Daily had reported that flights at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport were disrupted earlier today when the NAHCO staff members walked out of the international airport.

In a video seen by TheCable, several passengers were stranded at the international airport, moving about helplessly with their luggage.

The development grounded both inbound and outbound flight schedules.

Prior to the suspension, Peoples Daily also understood that the management of

NAHCO had held an emergency meeting to work out a payment plan for the striking staff members.

The company later confirmed that it was engaging with the striking aviation unions to end the flight disruptions experienced by passengers.

In a statement, Olusola Obabori, group executive director, NAHCO, expressed “regret [for] all the inconveniences”.

He said some of its clients were being put through a difficult situation by the “insistence of some staff to embark on a strike action despite a subsisting order of court which restrained them from doing so”.

Obabori added that the company

was already engaging the unions and other stakeholders and was positive the situation would be resolved within hours.

“We understand the power of negotiation. The company which has arguably the best welfare package among the local players in the aviation industry will do all that is absolutely necessary to make its workforce happy even as it delights its customers,” he said.

“This situation would be resolved speedily as it is detrimental to the staff, the company and its esteemed clients.”

Last week, NUATE and ATSSSAN gave a five-day notice of strike to NAHCO management citing slow progress in negotiation for salary review.

From Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

Lagos

Governor,

Sanwo-Olu; Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Cui Jian Chun; former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi and Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State during the unveiling of the plaque to inaugurate the Lekki Deep Seaport.

METRO

Kwali: AEIG takes anti-SGBV awareness to students at GSS Yangoji

By Stanley Onyekwere

ANon-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Abiodun Essiet Initiative for Girls(AEIG), yesterday took anti Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) sensitisation campaign to students of Government Secondary School (GSS) in Yangoji community, in Kwali Area Council of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), in order to further strengthen efforts at mitigating the menace in the Territory. In particular, the NGO during the

programme tagged: “SGBV awareness programme in high schools in Abuja”, sensitised no fewer than 200 students on the various forms of SGBV and how to effectively assist tackle SGBV cases emanating from the learning environment or their homes.

Explaining the awareness initiative, AEIG Project Officer, Josephine Emeghoghena, who represented the Founder of the NGO, Mrs. Abiodun Essiet, said it aims at curbing school related sexual and genderbased violence and raising anti-GBV

Ambassadors.

Emeghoghena added that the GSS Yangoji, is part of the 6 schools approved by the FCT Secondary Education Board (SEB) for the NGO to cover across the six area councils, as part of AEIG’s empowerment project for the promotion of the rights FCT Original Inhabitants, which started in 2022, is being powered by the MacArthur Foundation, through Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED).

According to her, it is very necessary to sensitise students on SGBV, so as to

help them know their rights and the importance of speaking up against the menace.

On her part, the school Principal, A. Rukayyat, commended the NGO for bringing the sensitisation campaign to the students within their learning environment, as it will no doubt empower and reposition them to help combat the menace.

Highlight of the event was the nomination and inauguration of five students as the NGO’s Anti-GBV Ambassadors in the school.

Rice production: Investors visit farms in Yaba community

By Stanley Onyekwere

The Director, Department of Agric Services of the FCT Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat (ARDS), Mrs. Francisca Ihekandu has lead a team of private investors from G-Consulting International ltd, interested in rice production to Yaba community, in Abaji Area Council of the FCT.

According to a statement from Deputy Director, Information & Communications, ARDS, Zakari Aliyu, the visit to Yaba which is blessed with abundant water bodies and suitable for rice production is to give the investors an opportunity to have a first-hand assessment with the view of adding value to rice production.

The statement read: “Part of the responsibilities of the Committee is to showcase our potentials to attract potential investors and we have brought the team from GConsulting in order for them to see for themselves what we have on ground here in Yaba.

“And I want to assure you that with the support of well-meaning investors, FCT will be able to meet its food and nutrition needs and even beyond the FCT.

“At the moment we have began the process of collecting a database of rice farmers not just here in Yaba, but all the Area Councils to give us an idea of the specific areas of need of the farmers”.

It added that Ihekandu commended the ARDS Secretary, Mallam Abubakar Ibrahim, for conceiving the idea of setting up the Committee which she noted will reach out to Donor Agencies, Development Partners, Non-

Governmental Organizations and other stakeholders to develop FCT irrigation potentials.

“Hon. Minister of State, FCT Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu assisted by Secretary, Agriculture & Rural

Development Mallam Abubakar Ibrahim at an event to distribute inputs to farmers in FCT.

“In rounding up the assessment visit, the committed along with the team from G Consult paid a visit

to the Etsu of Yaba, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu who thanked the Honourable Minister of State FCT, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu for the various Agric developmental programmes that

she has put in place through the Agric Secretariat.

“He pledged support of the Yaba community to ensure the success of the work of the Committee”, the statement added.

Taxation: No extension of deadline for annual returns - FCT-IRS warns

By Stanley Onyekwere

The Federal Capital TerritoryInternal Revenue Service (FCTIRS) has warned that there is no plan for extension of January 31, 2023 deadline for taxpayers particularly employers or agents in the FCT to file their annual returns.

To this end, the FCT-IRS said it will not hesitate to apply the laws where necessary to penalise or punish any organisations, employers or agents who fail to meet up and file within this stipulated period.

In a statement from Head, Corporate communications, FCT-IRS, Mustapha Sumaila, yesterday, the Service explained that the exercise is in compliance with

Section 41 of the Personal Income Tax Act (PITA) 2011 (as amended) provides that all employers of labour in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are required to file annual returns of income from All sources for the year ended, (31st December, 2022) on or before the 31st of January 2023 using the prescribed forms i.e Form G and Form H1 respectively.

It reads: “Sections 94, 95 and 96 of the Personal Income Tax Act (PITA) stipulate penalties for non-filing, incorrect or false declaration and late submission.

“Copies of the forms (Form G and Form H1) can be obtained from any of the FCT-IRS Tax Offices across the territory or downloaded from the website at https://www.fctirs.gov.ng/downloads”.

AEIG Project Officer, Josephine Emeghoghena, who represented the Founder of the NGO, Mrs. Abiodun Essiet, sensitising students of Government Secondary School (GSS) in Yangoji community, in Kwali Area Council of the FCT, on tackling the menace of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in learning environment

Japan PM says country on the brink over falling birth rate

Japan’s prime minister says his country is on the brink of not being able to function as a society because of its falling birth rate.

Fumio Kishida said it was a case of “now or never.”

Japan - population 125 million - is estimated to have had fewer than 800,000 births last year. In the 1970s, that figure was more than two million.

Birth rates are slowing in many countries, including Japan’s neighbours.

But the issue is particularly acute in Japan as life expectancy has risen in recent decades, meaning there are a growing number of older people, and a declining numbers of workers to support them.

Japan now has the world’s secondhighest proportion of people aged 65 and over - about 28% - after the tiny state of Monaco, according to World Bank data.

“Japan is standing on the verge of whether we can continue to function as a society,” Mr Kishida told lawmakers.

“Focusing attention on policies regarding children and child-rearing is an issue that cannot wait and cannot be postponed.”

He said that he eventually wants the government to double its spending on childrelated programmes. A new government agency to focus on the issue would be set up in April, he added.

However, Japanese governments have tried to promote similar strategies before, without success.

In 2020, researchers projected Japan’s population to fall from a peak of 128 million in 2017 to less than 53 million by the end of the century. The population is currently just under 125 million, according to official data.

Japan has continued implementing strict immigration laws despite some relaxations, but some experts are now saying that the rules should be loosened further to help tackle its ageing society.

Falling birth rates are driven by a range of factors, including rising living costs, more women in education and work, as well as greater access to contraception, leading to women choosing to have fewer children.

Last week, China reported its first drop in population for 60 years.

‘Hostility to immigration has not wavered’

Japan is home to the oldest population in the world, after tiny Monaco. It is recording fewer births than ever before. By 2050, it could lose a fifth of its current population.

Yet its hostility to immigration has not wavered. Only about 3% of Japan’s population is foreign-born, compared to 15% in the UK. In Europe and America, right-wing movements point to it as a shining example of racial purity and social harmony.

But Japan is not as ethnically pure as those admirers might think. There are the Ainu of Hokkaido, Okinawans in the south, half a million ethnic Koreans, and close to a

million Chinese.

Then there are Japanese children with one foreign parent, which include my own three.

These bi-cultural kids are known as “hafu” or halves - a pejorative term that’s normal here. They include celebrities and sports icons, such as tennis star Naomi Osaka. Popular culture idolises them as “more beautiful and talented”. But it’s one thing to be idolised and quite another to be

accepted.

If you want to see what happens to a country that rejects immigration as a solution to falling fertility, Japan is a good place to start.

Real wages haven’t grown here in 30 years. Incomes in South Korea and Taiwan have caught up and even overtaken Japan.

But change feels distant. In part it’s because of a rigid hierarchy that determines who holds the levers of power.

Ukraine war: Germany won’t block export of its Leopard 2 tanks, foreign minister

Germany’s foreign minister Anna Baerbock has said she “would not stand in the way” of Poland if it were to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

Ukraine has called on the West to provide the German-made tanks which they say will help them defeat Russia.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told the BBC that Germany had the power to “save the lives of many Ukrainian soldiers”.

But Germany is yet to agree and its export laws have stood in Poland’s way.

On Sunday, Ms Baerbock said Poland had not yet asked for export permission.

“For the moment the question has not been asked, but if we were asked we would not stand in the way,” she told France’s LCI TV.

Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Monday the government would request authorisation from Berlin. But he said Poland would send the tanks to Ukraine, even if it was not granted.

“Even if, ultimately we did not get this consent, within the framework of a small coalition….we will still hand over our tanks, together with others, to Ukraine,” Mr Morawiecki said.

In a BBC interview on Monday, Ukraine’s Mr Kuleba appealed to all countries willing to send Leopard 2 tanks to “immediately, officially request the German government to allow delivery of these tanks to Ukraine”.

“This is the move that will make the whole situation crystal clear and we will see where it takes Germany. This is something

that needs to be done right away and everything will become obvious,” he added.

A spokesperson for the German government said on Monday it had not yet received any requests to authorise the delivery of the Leopard 2 tanks.

Last week, Mr Morawiecki said Poland was ready to provide 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv.

On Monday, the Polish president’s foreign policy adviser, Marcin Przydacz, said he welcomed Ms Baerbock’s announcement, but would prefer to hear Germany’s position confirmed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

“It turns out that through talks and diplomatic actions, Poland is able to change the German position,” Mr Przydacz told Polish Radio.

However, Warsaw ultimately wants Berlin and Nato allies to also send their own Leopards because government officials admit that 14 tanks will have a limited impact on Ukraine’s fighting capacity.

The Leopard 2 tanks were specifically designed to compete with the Russian T-90 tanks, which are being used in the invasion.

There are believed to be more than 2,000 of them worldwide and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said about 300 of them would help ensure a Russian defeat.

Many allied countries have become frustrated with Germany over its reluctance to send its own Leopard 2 tanks.

Under current regulations, Germany must also sanction any re-export of its tanks by other countries, such as Poland.

Following a meeting of more than 50 allied countries on Friday, Germany had not yet committed to supplying the tanks nor releasing their export licence. But it denied unilaterally blocking the tanks’ export.

In a joint statement on Saturday the foreign ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania told Germany “to provide Leopard tanks to Ukraine now”.

Why are Leopard tanks so in demand?

The Leopard 2 tank is a world-class weapon used by more than a dozen countries.

Ukraine sees tanks as another vital

says

What makes them particularly attractive to Kyiv is that nearly two-thirds of all Leopards produced are still in Europe. So physically getting Leopards to the fight is relatively straightforward. That also makes maintenance and repair - vital aspects of any weapons system - easier too.

It is worth remembering in all this that Germany is giving Ukraine vital air defence systems, such as IRIS-T and Patriot surface-to-air missiles, as well as armoured personnel carriers.BBC

part of its defence against Russian forces and Leopards have seen combat action in Afghanistan and Syria.

Japan is estimated to have had fewer than 800,000 births last year, down from more than two million a year in the 1970s

F rom A F ric A

Lavrov visit to South Africa: Pandor defends joint Russia-China military exercise

South Africa has defended its decision to hold a joint military exercise with Russia and China next month.

Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor condemned the “double-standard” which says some countries can perform such exercises but others are not.

“All countries conduct military exercises with friends worldwide,” Dr Pandor added.

The comments came at a press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Pretoria.

The event attracted a small group of protesters outside the venue, waiving Ukrainian flags.

Dr Pandor went on to slam the suggestion that South Africa cannot conduct the military exercises it wants to as an “abuse of international practice”.

“This is just a natural set of exercises that occur between countries,” she said.

Last week South Africa’s military announced it would hold joint naval drills with Russia and China off its coast next month.

But there has been some criticism that the exercise is not appropriate, given that it coincides with the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Not much information has been given about the exercises, but the state-owned Tass news agency reports that a Russian warship armed with hypersonic cruise weapons will take part.

The Ministry of Defence has also defended the planned drills, saying that

Raila refuses to recognise Ruto’s presidency in Kenya

Mr Ruto beat him in last August’s poll, but Mr Odinga - who appeared at Nairobi’s Kamukunji Stadium along with his running mate Martha Karua, and other allies - repeated claims that the results were manipulated. Claims that had already been rejected in court.

He declared that he and his movement “reject the 2022 election result totally”, which was received with great cheers and applause from an adoring crowd.

“We cannot and we don’t recognise the Kenya Kwanza regime,” he continued.

The 2022 election was Mr Odinga’s fifth attempt at the presidency, but he was beaten by Mr Ruto who was declared winner in the absence of four election commissioners who dissented and accused the commission chairman of delivering what they called “opaque” results.

Mr Raila then rejected the results and took the case to court .

But the Supreme Court upheld Mr Ruto’s victory. The aftermath has been dramatic with accusations and counter accusations.

Election chief Wafula Chebukati has claimed he was under intense pressure from unspecified forces to announce different results, and most recently, President Ruto sensationally said there had been an assassination plot against Mr Chebukati.

Some of Mr Odinga’s partners in his Azimio Coalition have since decamped and declared their support for the Kenya Kwanza administration.

Others have remained steadfast with him in this renewed fight for what they call electoral justice.

South Africa has in the past hosted similar exercises with France, the US and countries from the Western Nato military alliance.

The drills will run for 10 days from 17 February to 27 February in the port city of Durban, and Richards Bay.

The aim is to share operational skills and knowledge, the South African National Defence Force said.

Despite pressure from Western countries to condemn the Russian invasion, South Africa has remained neutral - to the disappointment of Ukraine.

Speaking at the conference, Mr Lavrov said he appreciated the “well balanced” and “considerate” approach of South Africa to the Ukraine war, which South Africa’s Dr Pandor said must be resolved diplomatically and through negotiation.

Officials in South Africa have repeatedly said they do not condone the invasion but will not be forced into choosing sides and are continuing to engage with both countries in a business-as-usual manner.

Critics of South Africa’s stance have accused the country of playing coy.

South Africa’s leaders have a connection to Russian dating back to the fight against white-minority rule, or apartheid, when some members of the country’s liberation movement received military training in Russia.

In recent years that relationship has grown into business ties through the Brics bloc of emerging economies - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Arsenal fans arrested in Uganda after celebrating Manchester United victory

By Jacobs Odongo Seaman

At least eight Arsenal fans have been arrested in the Ugandan city of Jinja after celebrating the club’s win against Manchester United in the English Premier League.

The fans were wearing the club’s red jersey and carrying a symbolic trophy.

Police said they didn’t have a permit to hold the procession which is a public order offence.

Arsenal scored a dramatic last-minute goal to win 3-2 in Sunday’s match against a fierce rival.

The result gave the Gunners a five-point cushion at the top of the table, giving hope to fans around the world that the club could end its 19-year wait to win the English Premier League.

The Arsenal fans were travelling in a convoy of five vehicles on Monday morning when they were intercepted by police. One of them was carrying a trophy they had bought at a local store.

“I don’t know what we have done but we were simply celebrating our victory over rivals Manchester United,” Arsenal fan Baker Kasule is quoted as saying by the local Daily Monitor news site.

James Mubi, the regional police boss and a self-declared Arsenal fan, told the BBC he had not reviewed the fans’ charges but wondered why they were celebrating when only half of the matches in the season had been played.

“What would happen if an altercation with rival fans broke out? They did not inform police to provide security for their procession,” Mr Mubi said, dismissing

the suggestion that the arrest was linked to the frequent arrest of members of an opposition party who also wear red.

Rights groups say the Public Order Management Act has given police discretionary powers that have been used to stifle citizens’ rights.

Agather Atuhaire, a lawyer and rights activist, told the BBC that Uganda’s police continue “to be high-handed even after the Constitutional Court nullified all the draconian provisions that gave them unfettered powers to restrict the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of association and assembly”.

Arsenal and Manchester United enjoy huge support in Uganda, and across Africa, and when they play makeshift video halls in Uganda are always packed to the rafters.

Source;BBC

Mr Lavrov was also in Africa in July 2022, when he visited Egypt, Ethiopia, Uganda and Congo-Brazzaville, and South Africa is not alone in refusing to take sides in the war in Ukraine.

Many African nations - including Nigeria

and Kenya, the economic powerhouses of West and East Africa respectively - voted in favour of a UN general assembly resolution in March last year, condemning Russian “aggression” and demanding its withdrawal from Ukraine.

Both parties described the other as a friend, with Naledi Pandor describing their talks as “wonderful”

One fan was carrying a symbolic trophy which they had bought at a store

Andrey Medvedev: Russian Wagner mercenary who fled to Norway arrested

Aformer Russian paramilitary commander who claimed asylum in Norway earlier this month has been arrested by police.

Andrey Medvedev is being held under the Immigration Act, police spokesperson Jon Andreas Johansen told the BBC.

His lawyer, Brynjulf Risnes, told the BBC that the 26-year-old had been moved to a detention centre in the Oslo area.

Mr Medvedev, who crossed into Norway from Russia’s far north two weeks ago, is believed to be the first member of the Wagner Group to defect to the West.

The mercenary group - which is believed to have close ties to the Kremlin - has been used in many Russian operations. UK officials estimate it makes up 10% of Moscow’s forces in Ukraine.

The move came after “police concluded his situation was very dangerous,” Mr Risnes told the BBC. “This is what everyone

wanted to avoid, but we are looking for solutions.”

Previously, he had been staying at a safe house.

Mr Medvedev’s arrest meant he would be under increased security, the lawyer added. But he emphasised that the former mercenary was still being treated as a witness.

Mr Medvedev claims to have witnessed a host of war crimesincluding seeing “deserters being executed” by the Wagner Group’s internal security service - while fighting in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region.

Vladimir Osechkin, founder of the exiled Russian Gulagu. net rights group, said the excommander decided to leave after being informed that his contract would be extended indefinitely, and witnessing the group’s “terroristic methods”.

Mr Medvedev has indicated he is willing to testify against senior figures in the mercenary group.

In a statement seen by NRK, a special Norwegian police unit which interviewed Mr Medvedev said it was interested in his history in the group, which is believed to be heavily involved in two of Ukraine’s bloodiest recent battles - in Soledar and Bakhmut.

After news of Mr Medvedev’s arrest broke on Monday, Gulagu. net wrote on social media that the ex-commander had been told he would be deported from the country.

He feared being “brutally murdered” if returned to Russia, the founder of the rights group added. But the Norwegian authorities have not suggested Mr Medvedev would be deported.

Mr Risnes told the BBC that it was “absolutely not true” that his client was facing deportation, but said there may have been a misunderstanding between Mr Medvedev and Norwegian police.

Mr Osechkin did not immediately reply to a BBC

request for comment, instead directing reporters to the group’s statement on social media.

“We are not looking to whitewash Medvedev. He has done many bad things in his life,” Mr Osechkin wrote on Facebook.

“But he has seen the light and is willing to cooperate with Norwegian and international authorities regarding the Wagner Group and its founder Yevgeny Prigozhin,” he added.

Monterey Park shooting: Hero who disarmed gunman had never seen a real gun

The 26-year-old man credited with disarming the California shooting suspect had never seen a real gun before.

Late on Saturday evening, working at his family-run dance hall in Alhambra, Brandon Tsay found himself staring at one pointed directly at him.

“My heart sank, I knew I was going to die,” Mr Tsay told the New York Times.

He did not know the gunman was believed to have killed 10 people just minutes earlier at another dance hall.

Mr Tsay lunged at the man and eventually disarmed him, averting another tragedy.

The gunman, identified as 72-year-old Huu Can Tran, later died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a van, according to police.

The mass shooting is one of the deadliest in California’s history. It began at around 22:22 local time on Saturday (06:22 GMT on Sunday) at the popular Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park, about seven miles (11km) east of central Los Angeles.

Celebrations for Lunar New Year had been under way in the area, known for its large Asian population.

About 30 minutes after the shooting, the gunman arrived at a second location - the Lai Lai Ballroom & Studio in the nearby town of Alhambra - which is where Mr Tsay confronted him.

He was in the office near the lobby when he saw the gunman’s semi-automatic assault pistol pointed at him.

Mr Tsay, a computer coder, told ABC’s Good Morning

America he did not recognise the man.

“It looked like he was looking for targets, people to harm,” Mr Tsay said.

When the gunman started prepping his weapon, Mr Tsay said “something came over him” and he knew he had to “disarm him otherwise everyone would have died”.

“When I got the courage, I lunged at him with both my hands,” he said.

When Mr Tsay finally wrestled away the weapon, he pointed it at the man and yelled: “Go, get the hell out of here!” After a moment, Mr Tsay said the man left and jogged to his van.

“Immediately I called police with the gun still in my hand,” he added.

Initially, Sheriff Robert Luna of Los Angeles County said it had been two people who wrestled the gun away, but CCTV shows only one person - Mr Tsay.

The Lai Lai Ballroom & Studio was closed on Sunday in the wake of the tragedy, but will reopen for classes on Monday.

Afghanistan professor on girls’ education: ‘Men must stand up for women’

“I call on fathers to take the hands of their daughters and walk them to school, even if the

gates are shut.”

Professor Ismail Mashal, who runs a private university in Kabul, says he has had enough of the restrictions women face in Afghanistan.

Slender and well dressed, he is a mixture of defiance and raw emotion.

“Even if they’re not allowed in - they should do this daily. It’s the least they can do to prove they are men,” he tells me, holding back tears.

“This is not me being emotional - this is pain. Men must stand up and defend the rights of Afghan women and girls.”

In December the Taliban government announced female students at universities would

no longer be allowed back - until further notice.

They said they were doing this to enable them to create an Islamic learning environment aligned with Sharia law practices, including changes to the curriculum.

Not long after the ban was announced, Prof Mashal went viral on social media after tearing up his academic records live on television, saying there was no point in gaining an education in today’s Afghanistan.

He says he won’t stay silent.

“The only power I have is my pen, even if they kill me, even if they tear me to pieces, I won’t stay silent now,” Prof Mashal says.

“I know what I am doing

is risky. Every morning, I say goodbye to my mother and wife and tell them I may not return. But I am ready and willing to sacrifice my life for 20 million Afghan women and girls and for the future of my two children.”

Prof Mashal’s university had 450 female students studying there and they took courses in journalism, engineering, economics and computer science. The Taliban’s education minister says these degrees should not be taught to women because they are against Islam and Afghan culture.

Prof Mashal says he could have kept his institution open for male students only - but instead decided to shut it completely.

“Education is either offered

Andrey Medvedev in uniform before defecting from Wagner

Brandon Tsay, 26, came face to face with the gunman before disarming him.

Inside the world of organised crime and extreme dog breeding

Organised crime is moving into the lucrative market of extreme dog breeding, a BBC investigation has found.

Bulldogs, including the new American Bully breed, are being bred with hugely exaggerated characteristics - such as excessive skin folds or large, muscular frames.

The RSPCA warns criminals are breeding and selling these dogs to launder money and make huge sums, often at the expense of animal welfare.

Reporter Sam Poling went undercover to investigate the extreme dog breeding trade.

I’m shocked when my phone pings with a message from the Facebook account of Thomas Rayment - a convicted county lines drug dealer I know to be in prison.

“Hi. Is it a male or female you are wanting. We have some pups available.”

For months, I’d been using a false name, pretending to be bulldog-loving businessman Stefan Delaney, hanging out in Facebook groups dedicated to bulldogs and American bullies.

My goal was to find out who the main players were in the world of extreme dog breeding.

Now it looked like it was beginning to pay off.

Rayment has been in prison since 2021, serving six years for running a prolific county lines drugs gang, supplying heroin and crack cocaine to the north of England.

But could he really be brokering dog deals from behind bars?

Rayment claims to run the UK arm of a big international dog breeding business called Muscletone Bullys UK. He’s frequently tagged in posts by other prominent figures in the American Bully network.

From his Facebook account I’m sent photos of two extreme American bullies - Brandon Blockhead and Kleo - who have just had a litter of puppies.

“This boned-up Gorilla is no joke he’s extreme as they come,” reads the description of Brandon Blockhead on Rayment’s website. He has “one of the best headpieces we have ever seen all on a super short compact frame”.

The tops of his ears have been cut off - an illegal practice in the UK called ear cropping.

The penalty for doing this can be up to five years in prison for causing suffering to an animal. It’s a practice I see time and time again during my months of investigating.

Reporter Sam Poling goes undercover to reveal the increasingly close relationship between organised crime and dog dealing.

In the past three years, more

than 1,000 incidents of illegal ear cropping have been reported to the RSPCA. Some dealers do the cropping themselves, without using anaesthetic on the dogs. Most cases involve American bullies.

This kind of extreme dog breeding is big business. On the Muscletone Bullys UK website, pups are on sale for tens of thousands of pounds.

After some back and forth with Rayment’s account, I finally receive the message to my fake Facebook profile that I’ve been desperately waiting for. My alter ego Stefan Delaney is invited to a meeting in Wigan to discuss a deal.

My plan is to pose as Stefan’s girlfriend and say he’s running late.

I arrive at the address. It’s a dog fertility clinic. A man lets me in and shows me around. He’s called Ryan Howard. He tells me he’s Rayment’s business partner.

I feign confusion about Rayment and that’s when Howard breaks the news.

“Tom’s not here because he’s in jail,” he tells me.

“I don’t tell everybody but you lot know who he is so I’m not going to lie to you. You have been speaking to Tommy.”

Howard tells me he has about 120 dogs in his business but he only looks after 15 of them.

The other dogs are housed through a network of what’s known as “co-owns”.

In a co-own, a dealer gets someone else to house the dog. That person then gets paid a percentage from the sale of any pups.

It means the dealer can have a massive network of dogs which they can continue to profit from without the authorities having any idea how many they have.

In a statement to the BBC, Muscletone Bullys UK said:

“We are well-known for breeding the highest quality extreme American bullies without compromising the dogs’ health or well-being. Thomas Rayment does not communicate with anyone illegally and has others running his socials. We do not condone or take part in illegal ear cropping.”

The statement added that the business has “never co-owned a dog as a deliberate ploy to… escape the scrutiny of the licensing authorities.”

Ian Muttitt, a chief inspector with the RSPCA’s Special Operations Unit, says over the past five years organised crime gangs have become increasingly involved in the extreme dog breeding trade.

But what is the appeal of dog dealing to criminals? First, he says, it’s lucrative. Second, it’s useful for money laundering.

“It’s anything where illegal money has been obtained. So drugs, firearms, other organised crime.

“It can then be laundered through the sale of these dogs or vice versa.”

The legal risks are also far less serious. Muttitt explains that dealing drugs, for example, carries much higher penalties than animal cruelty offences.

I logout of Stefan Delaney’s fake Facebook profile one last time. It’s clear the network I’ve uncovered is

Howard tells me he has about 120 dogs in his business but he only looks after 15 of them.

The other dogs are housed through a network of what’s known as “co-owns”.

In a co-own, a dealer gets someone else to house the dog. That person then gets paid a percentage from the sale of any pups. It means the dealer can have a massive network of dogs which they can continue to profit from without the authorities having any idea how many they have.

not only huge, but sophisticated. That’s going to make cleaning up this trade very difficult for the authorities as profit-driven dealers

continue to put wealth over health at all costs.

Source: BBC

Reporter Sam Poling posed as a bulldog-loving businessman on social media

Ryan Howard said he has about 120 dogs in his business

620,300.00 392,100.00 245,150.00 540,500.00 360,100.00 295,500.00 482,350.00 360,000.00 260,000.00 390,600.00 310,300.00 220,200.00 345,100.00 270,800.00 290,000.00 240,000.00 180,000.00 102,100.00 240,000.00 191,300.00 150,600.00 90,000.00 190,000.00 158,500.00 120,000.00 70,000.00 55,000.00 82,600.00 37,000.00 8,500.00

46,522.50 29,407.50 18,386.25 40,537.50 27,007.50 22,162.50 36,176.25 27,000.00 19,500.00 29,295.00 23,272.50 16,515.00 25,882.50 20,310.00 21,750.00 18,000.00 13,500.00 7,657.50 18,000.00 14,347.50 11,295.00 6,750.00 14,250.00 11,887.50 9,000.00 5,250.00 4,125.00 6,195.00 2,775.00 637.00

666,822.50 421,507.50 263,536.25 581,037.50 387,107.50 317,662.50 518,526.25 387,000.00 279,500.00 419,895.00 333,572.50 236,715.00 370,982.50 291,110.00 311,750.00 258,000.00 193,500.00 109,757.50 258,000.00 205,647.50 161,895.00 96,750.00 204,250.00 170,387.50 129,000.00 75,250.00 59,125.00 88,795.00 39,775.00 9,137.50

475,200.00 310,300.00 152,500.00 312,150.00 286,500.00 252,400.00 301,000.00 240,600.00 225,500.00 265,650.00 235,550.00 191,350.00 220,450.00 180,000.00 190,650.00 160,100.00 140,000.00 80,650.00 152,600.00 125,500.00 95,000.00 65,000.00 132,500.00 102,300.00 80,000.00 50,000.00 60,000.00 38,000.00 27,100.00 6,100.00

35,640.00 23,272.5 11,437.5 23,411.25 21,487.5 18,930.00 22,575.00 18,045.00 16,912.5 19,923.5 17,666.25 14,351.25 16,533.75 13,500.00 14,298.75 12,007.5 10,500.00 6,048.75 11,445.00 9,412.5 7,125.00 4,875.00 9,937.00 6,000.00 6,000.00 3,750.00 4,500.00 2,850.00 2,032.5 457.5

510,840.00 333,572.5 163,937.5 335,561.25 307,987.5 271,330.00 323,575.00 258,645.00 242,412.50 285,573.75 253,216.25 205,701.25 236,983.75 193,500.00 204,948.75 172,107.50 150,500.00 86,698.75 164,045.00 134,912.50 102,125.00 69,875.00 142,437.50 109,972.50 86,000.00 53,750.00 64,500.00 40,850.00 29,132.50 6,557.50

SIZE 3 x 2 Cols 2 x 2 Cols Per World

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Terminate my contract if I am Rangers problem -Maikaba

By Amaechi Agbo

The midweek matchday 4 clash in the 2023 Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL between Niger Tornadoes of Minna and Rangers International FC of Enugu will be a critical encounter as the “Flying Antelopes” will battle not just to claim the three points at stake, but also the technical crew will preserve their jobs with a victory.

Any result outside victory could see the entire technical crew headed by Abdul Maikaba, sacked.

This is coming after the former Plateau United and Enyimba FC gaffer made an appeal to meet the Rangers owners to “terminate his contract” with the seventime NPFL winners, if he is the problem of the team.

Speaking after the team were forced to play a one-one draw with visiting Sunshine Stars in Awka on Sunday, an emotional Maikaba said he needs to meet the state government to terminate his contract mutually since he has done everything possible to improve the team’s performance but results are not coming.

“We have worked so hard to make sure we improve the fortunes of Rangers, unfortunately, things are not going the way we want.

“I will like, before our next game, if it is going to be possible, to meet the representatives of the Government of Enugu State to terminate my contract with Rangers if I am the problem of the team,” he said.

He added that the problem of the team is beyond “technical” stress his willingness to leave the club if he is the cog in the wheels of Rangers progress

“I really love this team, they have treated me so well but if I am the problem, I will like the contract to be terminated on mutual consent. I will like to do that.

“The problem of Rangers, I don’t think it is purely technical and (this) is not the forum to discuss the whole problem. But to make it better for the team, if really I am the problem, it’s better I leave so that the team will progress.”

Our Two-match Ultimatum Is Wake Up Call - Commissioner

However, the commissioner for youth and sports, Enugu State, Manfred Nzekwe has stated that the government will not be in a hurry to ring changes in Rangers technical crew even as they have played one out of their two-match ultimatum.

Speaking with journalists on Saturday, the commissioner said that in an event the technical

crew failed to lead the team to two victories in their next two games, a decision will have to be made.

“We don’t have a problem with Rangers. that (the letter of ultimatum) is a wake up call and we believe that they are going to win the two matches and more others. It has not come to the situation of whether if you don’t win the two matches you will be sacked,” Nzekwe said when asked if the technical crew would be sacked if they fail to win their next two matches.

“But when we get to that

bridge, we are going to cross it. We have the confidence and belief that after that letter and discussion, there is going to be a great improvement because this is the first session that Maikaba is taking full charge.

“He came almost at the start of last year’s league, when the formation is already on ground, but this period, he is the one in charge. We just want to remind him that he is the one in charge as a coach. We believe, we have confidence and trust what he is going to do. He is not a new coach,

he is an experienced Coach.

“The letter we gave is a wake up call not only to Maikaba (Abdul) but also to all the members of the technical crew and the players,” he concluded

Rangers are 9th in Group B of the abridged 2022 NPFL league table with one point from three matches.

The three best team in each Group A and B will qualify for the Super 6 final where the champion will be decided while the two bottom teams each will be relegated.

Avani Goel emerges best gymnast In Lagos Gymnastics competition

By Amaechi Agbo

National Youth Games (NYG) and National Sports Festival (NSF) gold medalist, Avani Goel emerged best overall gymnast at the 2023 Body Language Gymnastics competition in Lagos with 5 gold medals

She won gold in floor exercise, balance beam, on vault, uneven bars to beat other contestants to award.

The competition which is in its third edition took place in the city of Lagos last weekend with medallists going home with cash rewards and trophies.

The competition which began on Saturday ended on Sunday

No fewer than 98 gymnasts participated in the 3rd edition of the competition held in Ilupeju, Lagos.

Meanwhile, the organiser and founder of Body Language

Gymnastics Club, Coach Michael Ocheke stated that more of such competition will be staged to discover young talented gymnasts will continue come up through his organization adding that the cash rewards and trophies are to encourage and spur the athletes to do more.

He reiterated the plans to use Body language Gymnastics Club as a platform to discover and develop grassroots talents in

gymnastics across the country.

“Raw talents can be discovered in a competition like this and we are committed to doing more of this. This is the Third edition and we are hopeful that it continues every year.

“The essence of the competition is to discover promising young gymnasts who would fly the nation’s flag in future international competitions.

“We are already moulding one with some others. Avani Goal at her tender age has won gold medals at the National Youth Games and last two National Sports Festival. While others who will represent different states from our club are preparing and ready to beat their contestants to the podium.”

The fourth edition according to coach Michael will come in 2024.

Under pressure Rangers International FC coach, Abdul Maikaba

Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium will be ready in February -Contractor Assures

By Amaechi Agbo

The construction company handling the renovation of the playing pitch of Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu, Reform Sports West Africa Limited has promised that the work will be completed next month and Rangers International FC will return to their home base.

Speaking in an exclusive interview in Abuja, the Project Manager, Architect Sani Mohammed regretted the delay in completion of the project and disclosed that the “Flying Antelopes” will return to the stadium to conclude their 2023 Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL season.

Arch Mohammed explained that the delay in completion of the project was due to technical and logistical issues.

“We appreciate you for reaching us to get our side of the story.ñ on the remodeling of Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu. We are a construction company, Reform Sports West Africa Limited. We remodelled the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, built UNEC (University of Nigeria Enugu Campus) Stadium as well as Rangers Camp/ training pitch all in Enugu in 2009. Specifically, during the FIFA U-17 World Cup which Nigeria hosted and Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium was selected as one of the stadiums to host matches.

“We built the UNEC Stadium and Rangers Training Camp to global standard. And we delivered these projects within the time limit.

“It is unfortunate that the remodelling of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium is taking this long, and the delay is not our making. We encountered technical and logistical issues along the line and we appealed to the Enugu State Government

for extension of time, which they graciously granted.

“We apologise to the good people of the state for the delay in the completion of the project but I want to assure you that Rangers will return back home in February to finish their league season.

“The astro turf arrived in Lagos inFebruary and we have made concerted effort to clear them. We are grateful that our effort is yielding results because the turf will arrive Enugu this week. The stadium is 98% completed.

“Reform Group West Africa is not new name in construction ND renovation of sports facilities in the country. We renovated Dan Ayiam Stadium in Owerri, we are renovating Lafia City Stadium in Nasarawa State. The score boards in Enugu, Calabar are our works. Our works ate numerous in Nigeria football/sports ecosystem,” he said.

Other stadium renovated by the Reform Sports West Africa Limited include Tafawa Balewa Stadium, Bauchi Abacha Barrack Abuja military formation pitch, Akure Township Stadium, Ondo State

Similarly, the Enugu State Government has assured that the renovation of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium pitch will be completed in no distant time.

The commissioner for youth and sports in the state, Manfred Nzekwe gave the assurance in a press briefing on Saturday.

Mr Nzekwe who regretted the delay in completion of the project and appealed the good people of the state and Rangers supporters for more patience. Adding that the project will not go into litigation and as they are exploring every necessary means the

get the remodeling completed before the end if the 2022 Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL season.

“The stadium will be completed, I assure you. Our people should have confidence in the government. We have done our part as a government and this will not go into litigation. But we are going to use all the apparatus of government to get this job completed so that both government and the people will be happy as we are winding up.

“The government is not sleeping. There are activities that even government is supposed to be holding

here (in the stadium) not just the foot all alone. But because of this, they are not holding. It is affecting everybody and the government of his Excellency, (Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi) is not sleeping.

“I reassure you that this whole thing will be addressed. I want to appeal that the situation we find ourselves, mostly our darling team that is playing outside, if there is anything we can do to support them and come out of that situation because they are playing outside, I know that one day, they will be playing at home: let us encourage and support them,” he said

CSED trains 104 Game Masters, students on basic badminton in Taraba State

By Amaechi Agbo

Community Sports and Educational Development CSED Initiative, a Nongovernmental Organisation with core mandate in sports development, has carried out a three-day basic badminton training for game masters/mistresses and secondary schools students in Jalingo, the Taraba state capital with a call on young talents to combine education with sports to enable them excel in the sporting world.

The State’s Director of Sports Council, George Shitta who is also a board member of Badminton Federation of Nigeria and a national coach threw the challenge during the closing ceremony which took place at the Jolly Nyame Indoor Sports hall on Thursday.

Eighty students from eighteen various secondary schools of both federal, state, and private within the state capital participated in the training with twentyfour game masters and game mistresses,

as well as six instructors.

Shitta told sports journalists that the training was powered by a nongovernmental organization, Community Sports and Educational Development Initiative (CSED) in conjunction with Taraba Badminton.

He said it was aimed at equipping the young talents with basic knowledge of the game for them to build on, to enable them become national and international players like the former Africa number one badminton player who is from Taraba State and also participated in the event, Jimkan Ephraim.

The Director also appreciated the gesture by the CSED for selecting Taraba as one of the states that will benefit from its project for reintroducing the netball that will take place soon.

George Shitta further revealed the CSED has donated 60 rackets, 18 tubes of shuttlecocks, and 17 nets where each school goes with a 2 set of two rackets

(4 inside) to be use for doubles mix, and doubles singles.

He explained that the remaining 6 rackets were given to the Director of Sports, state ministry for Basic and secondary education for him to also continue praying the game and not to forget badminton.

Shitta, however, promised to complement the gesture by the CSED by organizing an inter-school badminton tournament for the schools that participated in the training where prizes would be won.

In an interview, the Director of Sports, Taraba state ministry for Basic and secondary education, Mr. Affos Musa Emmanuel promised to lias with the Director of Sports Council, George Shitta to get some coaches to go round with them to various schools that participated in the training for them to erect badminton cut to encourage them.

Some of the pupils who participated in the training, Ruth Andoor (13 years

old) from Government Technical Training School (GTTS) Jalingo, Emmanuel George Shitta (11 years old) from Destiny Success Academy, and Anna Sylvester Jabire (15 years old) from Raddar Metropolitan School Jalingo all affirmed that they have gained more knowledge of the game.

Also Victoria Edoche (13 years old) from Our Lady of Consolation, Telltuly Calib Jibril (13 years old), and Ayaungwa Wisdom (13 years old) from H. Heritage Academy described the training as impactful and promised to be committed and focus on the game unlike before.

However, one of the instructors, Emmanuel Sambo said the training will go a long way in encouraging the young talents to become champions in badminton, and urged the Taraba State government to pay attention to the sports sector to improve its internally revenue generation.

Highlights of the training were presentation of rackets, tubes of shuttlecocks, nets, and a group photograph.

Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium Enugu pitch under renovation

Lampard Sacked As Everton Manager

By Amaechi Agbo

Chelsea legend, Frank Lampard has been relieved of his duties as Everton manager after West Ham 2-0 defeat

Former England midfielder Lampard, 44, replaced Rafael Benitez in January 2022 with the team 16th in the table and helped Everton avoid relegation.

Everton are now looking for their sixth permanent manager in five years.

Lampard’s dismissal follows Everton owner Farhad Moshiri attending his first match since October 2021 as the Toffees succumbed to defeat at the London Stadium - their third consecutive defeat in the league.

The former Chelsea boss arrived at Goodison Park in January 2022, and although he helped the club avoid the drop last season, he leaves Everton with 15 points from 20 games and three wins this term - the worst victory record in the division. Everton are 19th in the table, with only Southampton below them on goal difference.

Everton fans protested against the club’s hierarchy as Jarrod Bowen’s double condemned their team to defeat but the board have instead responded by dismissing Lampard.

After a 1-1 draw at reigning champions Manchester City on 31 December, Everton have lost 4-1 to Brighton at Goodison Park, were knocked out of the FA Cup with a 3-1 defeat at Manchester United and were then beaten by Southampton despite taking the lead, before the latest defeat by West Ham.

They have managed only

three wins all season.

There have been widespread and vocal protests from fans against the board in recent games, and supporters staged a sit-in demonstration after the loss to Southampton.

Everton’s board of directors missed that game because of what the club claimed was a “real and credible threat to their safety”.

Lampard took over at Goodison with Everton 16th in

the table, six points above the relegation zone last season

Everton had 10 defeats in the remaining 18 games of the season, but secured their survival with a 3-2 comeback victory against Crystal Palace on what Lampard called “one of the greatest nights” of his career.

Lampard won only 12 of his 44 matches in charge in all competitions, a win percentage of 27.27 that is far worse than his record at Derby (42.1%) and

Chelsea (52.4%).

As a player, Lampard made 648 appearances and won 11 major trophies during 13 seasons with Chelsea after joining from boyhood club West Ham in 2001.

He left Stamford Bridge in June 2014 as the club’s all-time leading scorer with 211 goals and had stints at Manchester City and New York City before ending his 21-year professional playing career in 2017.

Novak Djokovic defeats Minaur to reach Australia Open quarter-final N

ovak Djokovic made light work of home hope Alex de Minaur as he continued his pursuit of a record-extending 10th men’s title at the Australian Open.

Serbia’s Djokovic, 35, still had his left thigh strapped but he looked in no trouble as he won 6-2 6-1 6-2.

The fourth seed will play Russian Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals.

Rublev, seeded fifth, saved two match points - and fought back from 5-0 down in a final-set tiebreak - to beat Danish teenager Holger Rune.

Later on Monday, the 25-yearold discovered he would face Djokovic after the former world number one had too much quality for 22nd seed De Minaur.

On the prospect of facing Djokovic, Rublev joked: “No-one wants to face Novak, I want to be in the other half of the draw.”

Djokovic has been wearing strapping all tournament to protect a hamstring injury and asked for treatment in a medical timeout during his third-round win over Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov.

But, despite the concerns of his fans, he moved freely in a confident win against De Minaur, which took two hours and six minutes.

“I kept my focus all the way through to play my best match of this year so far,” Djokovic.told BBC Sports

“Tonight it wasn’t obvious I was dealing with an injury. I didn’t feel anything today, today was great.”

Over two thousand international Elite athletes from across the world have registered for the Gold-Label Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, setting a record of entries for any Marathon race on the continent of Africa.

The General Manager of the race, Yussuf Alli, said at the weekend that: “The Elite entries would have been more, if the organisers had not regulated it to a barest size over a week ago. Towards effective and efficient management of the race. The large size was expected at it’s one of the effects of a Gold-Label race. And Nilayo Sports Management is ready for it.”

Yussuf revealed that majority of the Elite athletes are from Europe, East Africa, North Africa,

West Africa, Asia and South America.

“And out of the pool of registered international Elite athletes, the organisers have officially invited 47 male and 29 female world class athletes that will lead the bunch of first class athletes in the race. While the rest will compete to chase the GoldLabel status as they continue in their quest to garner requisite international points to attain first-class Elite status as they grow professionally.”

He noted that; “The Lagos City Marathon’s quest to attain to the Platinum Label race status, which is uppermost in the desires of the organisers, Nilayo Sports Management Ltd, will be boosted if two male Elite athletes can finish the race under 2 hours 10minutes

and three female athletes finish under 2 hours 12 minutes.”

Yussuf, a former African record holder in the Long Jump, noted that, for the 8th edition of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon Gold-Label race, the athletes would have their running numbers in front and their names at the back of their competition jerseys.

“And to avoid any form of controversy, as clearly stipulated by World Athletics, there will be the photo finish device at the finish line of the race at the Eko Atlantic City, Victoria Island.

Meanwhile, in preparation for the first ever Gold-Label race in Nigeria, the Expo for the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon will begin this morning at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere Lagos

The Expo would see registered runners pick up their running kits and numbers. The organisers will also have series of exhibitions towards the success of the Gold-Label race. Health talks and several other events geared towards the sucessful organisation of the race.

The Expo will run from today January 23 to February 2, two days to the race on February 4. The start line for the Gold-Label Access Bank Lagos City Marathon has been slated for the National Stadium, Surulere, for the full Marathon.

There will also be the 10km race, which for the first time in Nigeria would see Elite athletes compete, as the organisers will be using the race to apply for a GoldLabel race status for 10km.

De Minaur, who became the final Australian player to fall in the singles, was unable to cope with Djokovic’s quality and precision from the baseline.

Rublev should provide a sterner examination - of Djokovic’s fitness and his incredible record at Melbourne Park - when the pair meet on Wednesday.

Djokovic infamously did not play last year after a row about his vaccination status which led to court hearings and his eventual deportation.

On his return, he has continued from where he left off at what he calls his “second home”, extending his winning streak there to 25 matches.

As well as a 10th Australian Open, Djokovic is going for a record-equalling 22nd men’s Grand Slam title.

Frank Lampard

NPFL23: Mizo’s Brace earn Bayelsa United first league victory

Abrace from Robert Mizo in each half gave Aiteo cup champions Bayelsa United a 2-1 victory over visitors Wikki Tourist of Bauchi in match day three of the Nigeria Premier Football League decided at the Samson Siasia Stadium, Yenagoa.

Mizo drew the first blood just before the halftime mark from Endurance Ebedebiri’s harder having failed to take advantage of the 37 minute from Daniel Ekpo long range shot that was saved by the visitors goalkeeper Emeka Anyia.

Taiwo Abdulrafiu immediately initiated a counter attack that would have resulted to a goal but was blocked by Ogene Elijah abbreviating the celebration of the jubilant fans at the Samson Siasia Stadium.

Apparently not satisfied with the performance of his side, coach Diepreye Teibowei introduced Loveday Saro for Chizoba Emaefule and Uge Joshua in place of Daniel Ekpo in search for the security goal.

Isreal consul almost made it 2-0 for the Prosperity Boys on resumption after a one on one with the visitors shot stopper but wasted it as Wikki Tourist continued to dominate proceedings having injected new legs in the game.

Man of the moment Robert Mizo on 70 minute completed his brace through Stephen Wisdom to increase his goal tally to three after three games in the season.

When it seemed the Prosperity Boys were going to end 2-0 Prince John reduced the deficit for Wikki from a spot kick on 89 minute.

The victory leaves United with four points from three games and will next travel to Jos to face Lobi Stars while Wikki Tourist will be at home against Doma United.

In a post match interview, Technical Adviser of Bayelsa United Diepreye Teibowei, said the his lads gave their best, pointing out that the victory has brought relief to the team

Technical Adviser of Wikki Tourist Kabiru Dogo, noted that his team played according to their game plan, stating that the pressure was on his side because they were yet to record a win in the league this season.

Coach Dogo, asserted that the team will bounce back from their poor run of form as the league progresses.

Peter OBI: Option for G - 5 Governors

With Presidential and National Assembly elections slated for February 25, 2023, Nigeria’s political arena is heating up as the nation enters the last lap of election campaigns. The stakes are high, both for the candidates and the nation. The presidential candidates are combatants primed for the final showdown. Three major candidates have emerged from a crowded field of 16 - Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) , Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party ( PDP ) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party. Rabiu Kwakwanso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has turned out just a add on, his efforts at being of reckoning having no significant impact. He must be wondering how a former governor of a major state like Kano and a former minister has become a yawn in this presidential contest.

On the contrary, the presidential candidate of Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has become a phenomenon in Nigeria’s presidential election campaign, a sort of discovery. From the undercard, he has transformed into top billing among the presidential candidates. He is now ranked among the top three contenders, an incredible leap within an eight month period, while many polls now even accord him the front runner status. However, front runner status can be a tough burden , accompanied sometime with unrealistic expectations of the front runner and which can induce counter-productive complacency. It can be a banana peel that Obi must avoid stepping on, lest he falters. So, for him, front runner status is more of a challenge that demands a punishing schedule of grassroots mobilisation such that the status does not become a fluke.

The burden of the front runner manifested in the 1988 American presidential election cycle when Senator Bob Dole, U.S. Senate Majority Leader, suffered irreversible political eclipse as a result of apparent complacency induced by the front runner status accorded him by the media and the opinion polls after he thrashed incumbent Vice -President George H. W. Bush in the opening rounds of the Republican Presidential primaries. In fact, TIME magazine had a resplendent Senator Bob Dole on its cover:

Dole on the Roll. However, an unfazed, undaunted Bush had doggedly carried the campaign to the doorsteps of Republican constituents in states in the next round of primaries, making incremental gains. Bush eventually wiped out Dole in the Super Tuesday primaries when several states simultaneously held their primaries. That is the burden of the front runner status for the unwary, as Dole rolled into political irrelevance, thereafter.

A second example, also in the United States, was the 2016 American presidential election which pitted Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton, a former U.S. Secretary of State and

Columnist By Dr. Bisi Olawunmi

wife of former American president, Bill Clinton, against billionaire businessman, Donald Trump of the Republican Party. All the polls gave victory to Hillary and all the major American media, including the CNN, New York Times and Washington Post endorsed Hillary. Hillary Clinton started acting magisterialy on the campaign stump, believing, or rather induced by the polls and endorsements into believing, that election day was to be the coronation of the first female president of the United States !!! But election day turned out Knock-out day for Hillary as combative Trump romped to victory and into the White House on coronation day on January 20, 2017 !! So much for polls and media endorsements of Hillary Clinton, as she sulks into political nightfall. Trump’s victory was a shock to the world, already sold, induced and misled by the media on the inevitability of a Hillary Clinton victory.

These instances serve as a cautionary note to the Obi/Datti Ticket that much work is required in the last lap of this presidential election contest to make the polls a self-fulfilling prophesy, in the Nigerian context. It is this possibility, as coined by the Peter Obi campaign, stemming from the surge of support for an Obi mandate, that is giving the jitters to Nigeria’s political landlords in the APC and the PDP.

Before the Obi/Datti Mass Movement, the presidential contest was to be a straight battle between Alhaji Ahmed Bola Tinubu of the ruling APC and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, each of who claim front runner status. Atiku, as a former Vice -President, claims leadership experience at the federal level as his advantage while Tinubu claims that his transformation of Lagos State to a Centre of Excellence, a feat to be replicated at the federal level, gives him a leg up. They both have formidable war chests and command structures - in terms of state governments controlled by the two parties and legislators elected on their party platforms. They project Labour Party as non starter for lacking control of any state government and elected legislators. However, Labour Party counters by stating that it has Mass followers to make up for its deficit in structures. Prof. Pat Utomi says Labour Party has metamorphosed into a ‘ Movement of the People ‘ , poised to birth a revolution in Nigerian politics by upturning the applecart of the

rapacious political oligarchy of the APC and PDP that has held the nation down. However, in spite of the bravado and gung-ho posture of both Alhaji Tinubu and Alhaji Atiku, both carry heavy personal baggage and negative perceptions among the people which won’t go away despite strenuous efforts by their propagandists. Atiku has a corruption-tainted public perception as acquiring wealth by stealth, cornering the common wealth at the federal level during his tenure as Vice-President while Tinubu, his co-traveller, is similarly seen as appropriating Lagos State resources for the past 23 years to create a stupendous personal wealth. Atiku battles a notion of him as a serial presidential election loser making a doomed last stand while Tinubu, the ‘Emilokan’ exponent’s bulldog courage to snatch the APC presidential ticket is seen headed to grief on the whiff of reef. There is the notion of him as drug -tainted. He disputes the label. But the poser is : How can someone forfeit a whooping $460,000 in connection to drug trafficking investigations in the United States and want to convince people that it is no big deal ? So, there are those who feel that mere contemplation of having a Capo - The Godfather - in Aso Rock is scary. Atiku and Tinubu, therefore, carry a heavy load of baggage. So far, no serious baggage has been established against Peter Obi. For ‘ Emilokan’, it should be troubling that President Muhammadu Buhari had to be literally blackmailed into publicly campaigning for Tinubu, his party’s presidential candidate.

Now, given the fluid state of the presidential election contest, particularly among the three top contenders, the Nyesom Wike-led Group of Five Governors - The G-5 - as popularly known, may become a decisive factor in the presidential election outcome. Governor Wike (PDP) of Rivers state has managed to corral four other PDP governorsOkezie Ikpeazu of Abia state, Samuel Ortom of Benue state, Ifeanyi Ugwuayi of Enugu state and Seyi Makinde of Oyo state to protest the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the PDP in breach of the understanding that the presidential ticket be zoned to the south. Atiku had defeated Wike to clinch the PDP ticket. Dr. Iyorchia Ayu of Benue state has remained as party chairman against arrangement that the party chairman and presidential candidate cannot be from the same zone, and apparently to

rub it in, governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto state was appointed the DirectorGeneral of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, concentrating the top three party positions in the north. This apparent winner-takes-all stance is seen not only as being insensitive to Nigeria’s political pluralism, but as a reflection of the immobilist, avaricious political and economic greed in Atiku’s DNA. This stance is dismissive of the G-5. But the reality is that Atiku and the PDP are hurting, in fact bleeding, and if the political hemorrhage inflicted by the G-5 persists, it is sunset for Atiku’s political odyssey.

The G-5 ‘s insinuated romance with the APC may amount to seeking straws to hold . Tinubu’s men in the APC PCC had pompously indicated that the G-5 governors were seeking refuge under the party. This reflects the bloated arrogance of Tinubu as a Hurricane on its unstoppable blitz to the Presidency - the invincibility, inevitability of the ‘Emilokan’ Doctrine !!!

Given this scenario, the five PDP governors seem to be in a quandary. Going back to support Atiku’s presidential bid will project them as chicken hearts, fickle-minded charlatans, not averse to going back to their vomit while aligning with Tinubu will confirm their status as displaced persons - political refugees - being magnanimously accommodated by Tinubu.

So, if PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku, and APC’s Tinubu are not lolfeasible, credible options for G-5 governors’ support, the only option left for them is to align with Peter Obi’s presidential bid where their impact can decisively swing the pendulum of the presidential election in favour of the Labour Party candidate, affirm the G-5 electoral value and earn recognition as a strategic factor in bringing about a political revolution in Nigeria.

Dr. Bisi Olawunmi, a Mass Communication scholar and Public Affairs Analyst, is a former Washington Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria.

Phone (SMS ONLY) 0803 364 7571

Email: olawunmibisi@yahoo.com

Politicians annoy God by turning grace into entitlement, grace period over - Peter Obi