Thursday, January 26th, 2023 Edition

L-R; President Muhammadu Buhari and President of Guinea

H.E

Sissoco Embalo on arrival ahead of the 2nd Dakar International Conference on Agriculture taking place in Senegal.

PHOTO; State House

Suspected ritualists kill 12 year old boy in Zaria

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

A12 year old boy has been butchered to death by unknown persons in Zaria City.

Abdulkadir who was a resident of Madarkaci was said to have met his untimely

death on Monday when his remains were discovered in an uncompleted building in the area.

According to his father Aminu Saleh Muhammad, the Late Abdulkadir was sent to collect handset from a nearby charging spot on Sunday evening but he didn’t return home.

He said, they tried all they could to trace him but to no avail until on Monday when his brother called him in the evening and informed him that Abdulkadir was found dead.

Aminu said the killers were suspected rituals because they butchered him by removing his eyes, private part, tongues and

broke his leg.

Confirming the incident, the Kaduna State Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSPP Muhammad Jalige said, the boy was butchered to death by unknown murderers.

He said the Police has commenced investigation in an effort to arrest the culprits.

Use of

currencies by ECOWAS members can hamper regional economic integration – Don

Prof. Jonathan Aremu, a don, said on Wednesday that the use of multiple currencies by ECOWAS member could hamper economic integration in the subregion.

Aremu, a professor of International Economic Relations at Covenant University, Nigeria, expressed the thought on Wednesday, while delivering a paper titled, “Conceptual Issues in ECOWAS Integration” at the First 2023 Parliamentary Seminar of the ECOWAS Parliament in Bissau, Guinea Bissau.

The university teacher, who is also a Consultant on ECOWAS Common Investment Market, said that the implementation of the ECO was a key vision on the ECOWAS integration agenda.

The seminar with the theme “ECOWAS Common Currency and the Inter-bank Payment System as Promoters of Regional Trade” was organised to provide a forum for discussions on ways to actualise the implementation of the region’s single currency, the “ECO”.

Aremu said the use of a common currency by ECOWAS countries would pave way towards achieving the Economic/Monetary Union.

“Economic/Monetary Union is the last step in an economic integration process; where in addition to a common market, it also requires integration of economic policies in both monetary and fiscal including common currency,” he said.

Aremu said that to harmonising the monetary policies of each

member state is also key to actualizing the ECOWAS economic integration to break trade barriers and the implementation of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS).

He explained that the ETLS was successfully implemented will make ECOWAS economically stronger and more attractive.

“As ETLS makes West Africa a more integrated market, that is attractive to investors both within and outside the region, the initiative indirectly creates a platform that increases Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises visibility.

“And, bargaining power when negotiating further agreements like on trade and investment across the continent into the global trading

arrangements under the World Trade Organisation.

“Effective implementation of ETLS will not only enhance trade between ECOWAS member states but create a web of positive interactions and interdependency that would build trust and reduce the risk of conflict between them,” Aremu added.

Aremu urged the bloc to learn from the experiences of other regions that have successfully integrated their regional economies.

The 15 members of ECOWAS are, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.

multiple

Vice chairman Joint National Association of Persons withdisability, Abubakar Adamu,- presenting his paper during the Association of Deaf in Collaboration of Disability Affairs Board and Sighters One day awareneas Seminer on Hearing Loss in kaduna on wednesday 25/1/22

Constitution Amendment: Reps transmit 35 bills to Buhari

By Christiana Ekpa

The House of Representatives, Wednesday, directed the Clerk to the National Assembly to transmit the 35 Bills to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent.

The bills were said to have fulfilled the provisions of Section 9(2) of the Constitution and have been considered by 27 State Houses of Assembly.

The House also received the approval 24 state assemblies.

The state houses of assemblies had rejected 9 bills including financial and administrative autonomy for local government councils.

The House also called on Gombe, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kwara, Oyo, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, and Zamfara State Houses of assembly yet to approve the bills to do the needful.

The resolutions of the House followed the consideration of a motion by Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, Hon. Ndudi Godwin Elumelu, Hon. Hassan Fulata and 68 other lawmakers.

Presenting the motion, Fulata

who is the House chairman, Rules and Business Community said that 68 Bills were seeking alterations before the House and the Senate as at February 23, 2022.

He added that only 44 bills eventually got approval by both chambers and we’re transmitted to the State Houses of Assembly for their resolutions on the 27 March, 2022.

Informing that 27 Houses forwarded their resolutions on the Bills, Fulata however the listed 35 Constitution Alteration Bills that have satisfied the provisions of Section 9 (2) of the Constitution, for passage into law, having been approved by not less than 24 State Houses of Assembly.

He said: “Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 3–(Change of Names of Afikpo North and Afikpo South Local Government Areas (Ebonyi State);

(b) Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 4–Change of Name of Kunchi Local Government Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 5–Change of Names of Egbado North and Egbado South Local Government

Areas (Ogun State);

Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 7–Correction of the name of Atigbo Local Government Area (Oyo State);

Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 8–Correction of Name of Obia/Akpor Local Government Area (Rivers State);

Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 9–Financial autonomy of State legislatures and State Judiciary; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 10–Enforcement of Legislative Summon; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 11–Inauguration of Members-Elect.

“Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 21–Deletion of reference in the Constitution to the provisions of the Criminal Code, Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Act, Criminal Procedure Code or Evidence Act; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 22–Provision for Intervening Events in the Computation of Time for the Determination of Pre-Election Petitions, Election Petitions and Appeals therefrom; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 24–Expansion of the

Interpretation of Judicial Office; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 25–Appointment of Secretary of the National Judicial Council; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 29–Devolution of Powers (Airports); Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 30–Devolution of Powers (Fingerprints, identification and criminal records); Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 31–Devolution of Powers (Correctional Services); Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 32–Devolution of Powers (Railways); Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 33–Devolution of Powers (National Grid System); Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 39–Power to enforce compliance of remittance of Accruals into the Federation Account and Review of Revenue Allocation Formula.

“Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No.40–Independence of Certain bodies; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No.41–Removal of Transitional Law-making Powers of the Executive;

Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 43–Domestication of Treaties; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 44–Timeline for the Presentation of Appropriation Bills; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 45–Timeframe for the Submission of the Names of Ministerial or Commissioner Nominees; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No.48–Power to summon the President and Governors; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 49 Authorization of Expenditure; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 50–Replacement of the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation with the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federal Government; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 51–Creation of the Office of Accountant-General of the Federal Government; Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 53–Separation of the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and of the State from the office of the Minister or Commissioner for Justice; and others.”

By Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

Aformer Bayelsa State Governor, currently the Senator representing Bayelsa West in the National Assembly, Seriake Dickson has called on Nigerians to support the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies to conduct free, fair, and peaceful elections.

Dickson disclose this at the bareit fellowship with Senator Henry Seriake Dickson with the theme “ Vocational diligence:From police post to government house -my story” organized by Rotary Club Abuja Maitama in Abuja yesterday.

He said, “The election is just about a month away, and let’s see how we work, support INEC, support the security services and all agencies concerned to deliver a free fair, and acceptable general election that will throw up a new class of leaders in our country.

“I know that we are not all on the same page and that is allowed. Democracy is a breeding ground and a marketplace of ideas. So ideas can differ, can vary, and perspectives need not be the same. But let us all bear in mind that in all of this, the political class should not commit class suicide, and should not lead the country toward destruction or crisis.

“We will find it difficult if there is a major crisis. Therefore, people should be temperate. People should be civil while disagreeing and while canvassing for votes.

Speaking further, he condemned every uncivil comment or attack on candidates generally, no one is justified in doing so. No supporter is justified in doing so. Nobody is justified in inciting by making statements that can create confusion or crisis.

By Christiana Ekpa

Abill for Act to federal fire act, to provide for safety measures in buildings, regulations, and penalty for default has scaled through a second reading at the House of Representatives.

The bill seeks to put in place a legal framework for the establishment of requisite prevention mechanisms and global best practices and safety world standards of measures, regulations, and penalty for default.

Titled “A bill for an Act to Amend the Provisions of the the Fire Service Act, Cap.F29, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and Make Provisions for the Establishment of Building Safety Measures, Regulations and Penalty for Default”, it was sponsored by Hon. Unyime Idem, member representing Ukanafun/Oruk Anam Federal Constituency of Akwa Ibom State.

Leading the debate on the general principle of the bill at Wednesday plenary, Idem said that fire outbreaks have been on tbe increase and so, needed a new measure to adequately tackle it.

He said: “Fire outbreaks in Nigeria have risen to a worldwide attention in recent years causing great loss to both the environmental and economic lives and Nigerian government and people have continued to record high loses as a result of fire disasters and outbreak and critical sectors of the nation’s economy and infrastructure are consumed by fire leaving in their trail huge economic loses

to individuals and the nation at large.

Private homes, public buildings, markets, warehouses, sawmills, fuel tankers, educational establishments, shops, clubs, hotels, and restaurants are all victims of unpreparedness in management and fighting fire incidences.”

According to him, the bill has an amendment of about 6 sections, which were vital and significant to the management and prevention of fire disaster in the country.

He said: “In order for the innovation to be effective, Section 2 of the Principal Act is amended by adding the word “management. Section 5 of the Principal Act is amended by the introduction of fresh paragraph to read; “give approval for building after thorough perusal of the submitted building plan and compliance with provision of necessary fire services prevention and management kits and supervision protocols.

“Section 24 of the Principal Act is amended by inserting fresh sub-section to read: “Subsequent upon submission for an approval for a building compliance with the fire service protocol, the officials of the Fire service shall charge a particular fee to the intended developer and such funds shall be remitted to the covers of the Government of the Federation.

“Section 28 of the Principal Act is hereby amended by addition of fresh paragraph to read thus: “Any person who contravenes or fails to comply

with any of the provisions of this Act, or with any regulation or requirement made thereunder, for which no other penalty is specifically provided shall be guilty of an offence and on summary conviction thereof shall be liable to a fine not exceeding forty naira or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two months or to both such fine and imprisonment”.

“Section 28 of the Principal Act is hereby and further amended by inserting to read thus: “Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with the provisions of Section 5 (e) of this Bill, or with any regulation or requirement made thereunder shall be guilty of an offence and on summary conviction thereof shall be liable to a fine not exceeding One Million Naira or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five months or to both such fine and imprisonment”.

The bill when put to a voice vote got the support of the majority of the members.

In a related development, the House also urged the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, Director General of State Security Service, Yusuf Bichi and Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba to direct “Operation Save Heaven” to initiate a coordinated joint operation with other security agencies to flush out criminals within the system.

The House also mandated its Committees on Police Affairs, Interior, Defence and National Security to investigate the cases of extra-judicial

National President, Federation of Agricultural commodity Association of Nigeria, Dr. Victor Halim iyama (middle) flanked by the National President, National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN) Prince Ojo Joseph Ajanaku, and ,Dr. Babagana of Nexim bank and other stakeholders at the NIgeria Cashew day held recently in Benin

killings in Jos and environs.

The resolutions were sequel to the consideration of a motion sponsored by Hon. Muhammad Adam Alkali, at the plenary on Wednesday.

Presenting the motion, Alkali recalled the reported cases of extrajudicial killings of innocent Nigerians by security operatives, on the 21 September, 2022, when 16 year Usman Bala was shot dead, while two others were injured by a Police Officer attached to the Division C of the Nigeria Police Force Jos, Plateau State.

He said “Also notes that on 4 December 2022, security operatives allegedly shot and killed one Magaji Ahmad, a Keke NAPEP rider of Dutse Uku Area of Jos for exceeding the approved operations hours imposed by the State Government.

“Worried that if stringent security measures are not taken to safeguard the lives of the citizens in compliance with Chapter 2 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) particularly Section 14 (2)(b) which states that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government; it might constitute a threat to national security.”

Adopting the motion, the House gave the committee six weeks within which to do the assignment and report back to the House for further legislative action.

Let’s support INEC, security agencies for free, fair election- Senator Dickson

Fuel scarcity: NNPCL, others to face Reps Panel today

By Christiana Ekpa

The House of Representatives, Wednesday, summoned the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), and relevant regulatory authorities to appear before its leadership, to answer certain questions of the persisting scarcity of petrol across the country.

The meeting is expected to hold Thursday at the National Assembly at 2pm.

While urging the NNPC Limited as a sole importer to urgently ease off these queues in filling stations, the House also called on relevant Security

Ex-presidential aspirant asks Tinubu to sustain Nigeria-China economic ties if elected

From Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

MosesAyom, a former presidential aspirant under the All Progressives Congress (APC), has asked Bola Tinubu, to sustain the economic relationship that Nigeria has with China.

In 2016, Nigeria and China signed a number of agreements when President Muhammadu Buhari visited Xi Jinping, his Chinese counterpart.

In a statement , Ayom, also the chief executive officer (CEO) of Granite and Marble, said the agreements, if sustained, would reduce unemployment in the country.

“As a member of the president’s entourage to the historic business trip to broker the agreement, I recalled that on the same trip, the $6 billion currency swap deal was achieved,” Ayom said.

“Also, a mining company, Granite and Marble, signed a business deal with one of the biggest manufacturer of mining equipment in the world, SBM China Ltd.

“I am delighted about the commissioning of the Dangote owned $2.5 billion fertilizer equipment plant in Lagos early last year. I am hopeful that the SBM deal that is meant to be located in Abuja and supported by the central bank with RSSF, will soon take off.”

The former aspirant said Tinubu is the best candidate for the presidency.

Agencies to fish out the oil marketers and other economic saboteurs that may be responsible for the fuel scarcity across the Nigeria.

The resolution followed a motion brought under matters of urgent public importance on Wednesday, by Hon. Leke Abejide on the need for the concerned agencies to immediately end petrol scarcity across the country.

The lawmaker noted that the National Assembly has approved the money for the payment of subsidy on the petroleum products so as to mitigate against unforeseen circumstances in the areas of shortages of the product,

lamenting that for “over three months there has been persistent scarcity of PMS in many parts of the country and the situation appears to be getting worse”.

According to him, there are uneven pump prices being dispensed by the Filling Stations across the country which fuelled speculations that government may have begun to remove subsidy on petrol, adding that there is the allegation of drop in petrol supply to marketers by private depots which is creating a dangerous mindset in the country.

“The current fuel crisis across the country may worsen in the days ahead with the introduction

of a N16.00 per liter charge”, he stated, noting that another contributing factor to the scarcity of the product may be unconnected with the increased cost of hiring daughter vessels in the hike in liter charges which hitherto were paid in Naira but now being charged in US Dollar.

He said partly, “the scarcity is associated with saboteurs among some of the key stakeholders who deliberately manipulated the system”, and that due to the scarcity, Nigerians are exposed to all sorts of hardships which has resulted in a hike in transportation fares and high cost of some major food items.

“Also concerned that another contributing factor to the scarcity of the product may be unconnected with the increased cost of hiring daughter vessels in the hike in liter charges which hitherto were paid in Naira but now being charged in US Dollars;

“Further concerned that the scarcity is associated with saboteurs among some of the key stakeholders who deliberately manipulated the system;

Also worried that as a result of petrol scarcity Nigerians are not finding it easy in their day-to-day livelihood activities”, he said.

I did not send anyone to kill in Nasarawa — Ortom

Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

Governor Samuel Ortom has distanced himself from any attack on herders on Tuesday in Nasarawa State.

Reports emanated that over 43 persons were killed in an operation conducted by the military.

But fingers were pointed at the Governor as being behind the

operation.

He told stakeholders during a summit on the forthcoming Population Census organized by the National Population Commission (NPC) in conjunction with the ttate government that his attention was drawn to an operation carried out in Nasarawa State on Tuesday night where some persons said he sent soldiers to kill people.

According to him, the Operation was from Defense headquarters, adding that no one sought his consent even when Benue people were found there.

He accused the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, of diverting attention after losing their case at the Appeal Court.

“I did not send anyone to Nasarawa State to create problem.

In the same vein, the Governor

through his Special Adviser on Media and ICT Terver Akase accused the APC of colluding with militia herdsmen to set the state in flames.

“By their outing, the APC in Benue State has left no one in doubt that they are working closely with those who invade communities of the state and attack innocent people. This is not the first time that leaders of

the party have come out to take sides with killer herders. The APC in Benue State has often accused Benue people of attacking and killing themselves. Not too long ago, the governorship candidate of the party re-echoed the accusation which the party’s leader first made four years ago absolving herdsmen of any responsibility in the series of attacks on Benue people.

“

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Modion Communications, Odion Aleobua; Assistant Director, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Isolo, Lagos, Yusuf Sanni; Secretary, Organisation for Technology Advancement of Cold Chain in West Africa (OTACCWA), Chinedu Allison; Representative of the President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ogo Adesanya; Project Manager, fairtrade Messe GmbH & Co. KG, Freyja Detjen and National Advisor on Investment and Technology, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, Adekunle Olusile, during the Stakeholders Meet-up and Press Conference for the 8th edition of agrofood & plastprintpack Nigeria,in Lagos, yesterday.

From

How Africa can feed itself, produce surplus for export— Buhari

By Sunday Ode

PresidentMuhammadu Buhari

on Wednesday in Dakar urged African leaders to demonstrate political will and re-commit themselves to transformation of agriculture in the continent.

In his goodwill message to the Feed Africa Summit of Heads of State and Government, the President called on his counterparts to embrace innovative policies that ensure the continent’s citizens eat what they produce as well as export the surplus.

President Buhari also welcomed the provision of $538.05 million by the African Development Bank, the Islamic Development Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development for the first phase of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) for Nigeria programme.

With rising inflation globally and the effects of the RussiaUkraine conflict that have driven up food prices, especially for basic staples such as wheat and maize, the Nigerian leader listed measures that African leaders must take to change the status quo.

‘‘Feeding Africa is an imperative.

‘‘We must ensure that we feed ourselves today, tomorrow, and well into the future. The starting point is to raise agricultural productivity. This requires the access of farmers to quality farm inputs, especially improved seeds, and fertilizers and mechanization.

‘‘To succeed, we must strongly support farmers.

‘‘There is no doubt that we need to subsidize our farmers, but we must do so in ways that are transparent, remove rent seeking behavior and effectively deliver support to farmers.

‘‘The share of budget allocation to agriculture should be increased across Africa, especially for investments in critical public goods, such as research and development, infrastructure, especially roads, irrigation, and energy.

‘‘As leaders, let us decisively ensure that we meet the 10% allocation of our budgets to agriculture as agreed in the Malabo Declaration of the African Heads of State and Government.

‘‘We must reduce the rate of rural to urban migration through the development of rural areas,’’ he said.

President Buhari noted that the future of agriculture in Africa would depend on getting more youth into agriculture, which means making agriculture attractive for them.

‘‘To feed Africa, we need younger male and female farmers. We must also ensure that they get access to land, finance, technologies, information, and markets.’’

The Nigerian leader therefore requested that the Food and Agriculture Delivery Compacts arising from the Summit must address ways to improve empowerment of the youth and women in agriculture.

‘‘We must take into consideration climate change and ensure that agricultural systems are climate-smart and climate-resilient.

‘‘We must invest heavily in irrigation to help address increasing frequency of droughts that are leading to decline in crop yields.

‘‘I am convinced that the very targeted and bold approach of using the Food and Agriculture Delivery Compacts will allow Africa to finally break through and feed itself.

‘‘Feeding Africa is not

negotiable. Africa must grow what her citizens eat. As leaders, we must demonstrate political will and recommit ourselves to producing for the continent’s needs, including surpluses for export,’’ he said.

The President applauded the efforts of the African Development Bank to launch SAPZ, recounting that he had launched the scheme in Nigeria in October 2022.

‘‘The Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones for Nigeria, which is in the first phase will cover seven States in the Federation.

‘‘These very innovative publicprivate partnership models will help us to transform the agriculture sector much faster and use it to generate wealth.

‘‘They will also allow our countries to develop integrated infrastructure around our agricultural processes and add value to the production of crops, livestock, and fisheries,’’ he said.

On SAPZ funding for Nigeria, President Buhari said:

‘I am pleased with the partnership approach used for Nigeria by the multilateral financing

institutions, with the African Development Bank providing $210 million, the Islamic Development Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development providing $310 million, and the Government of Nigeria providing $18.05 million.

‘‘The Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones are game changers for the structural transformation of the agricultural sector.

‘‘I therefore urge that as we develop the Food and Agriculture Delivery Compacts from this Summit, special attention should be placed on the development of Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones.’’

President Buhari also used the occasion to call for affordable financing to support smallholder and commercial farmers, underscoring the need for dedicated financing windows from the central banks.

‘‘Access to affordable finance is critical for the success of efforts to support smallholder farmers and commercial farmers. Commercial banks do not lend much to agriculture due to the perception of

high risks.

‘‘Generally, less than 3% of total financing by commercial banks in Africa go into agriculture. We must therefore reduce the risks of lending faced by commercial banks. But we must go beyond commercial lending.

‘‘Where possible and countries can afford to, the central banks can also dedicate significant resources to complement lending from commercial banks.

‘‘Such dedicated financing windows from the central bank must be well monitored, to ensure that they reach the intended beneficiaries, must be transparent and must not crowd out the commercial lending sectors, or the private sector.”

President Buhari commended Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank for the vision to drive the Summit, together with the African Union Commission.

‘‘Dr. Adesina has continued to do an excellent job at the helm of the African Development Bank,’’ he said.

Several vigilantes killed in Niger bomb attack

An unidentified numbers of local vigilantes were reportedly killed by yet to be identified aircraft in Galadima Kogo community of Shiroro local government area of Niger state.

It was reliably gathered that unknown number of the vigilant men including their commanders were also reportedly to have been seriously injured in the incident.

According to findings, the incident occurred when the said aircraft bombed the camp of the

vigilantes who were preparing for a counter attack against bandits who raided their community on Monday.

Sources told our reporter that during the said attack, several villagers were kidnapped and made away with large number of

cattle in the process.

When contacted, the Commissioner for Internal Security and Humanitarian Affairs, Mr Emmanuel Umar confirmed the incident but was not clear about the casualty.

He said government is battling

with the survivors and injured as well on how to restore peace in the area.

Meanwhile, Concerned Shiroro Youths have raised an alarm on the invasion of three local government areas of Shiroro, Munya and Paikoro.

Governor Buni approves employment for 2,670 graduates

From Uche Uche, Damaturu.

The Executive Governor of Yobe state, His Excellency, Hon. Mai Mala Buni CON, has approved the employment of 2,670 degree, Diploma and NCE holders.

In a press release by his director

general on press and media affairs, Mamman Mohammed, the governor said the employment was meant to provide graduates with job opportunities, and to fill existing gaps required for efficient service delivery in the state.

A breakdown of the beneficiaries include 890

University Degree graduates, 890 Higher National Diploma and National Diploma holders, and 890 National Certificate of Education graduates who were drawn from the 178 political wards of the 17 local government councils in the state.

The governor has therefore

enjoined the beneficiaries to justify their appointment with high sense of commitment and dedication to duty to enhance service delivery.

“Government has provided all parts of the state with equal opportunity and sense of belonging and ownership of governance.

“We are all stakeholders that have contributions to make to the development of our dear state” Governor Buni said.

He assured that his administration would continue to provide opportunities to the people to fastrack growth and development of the state.

Former Governor of imo state,Sen Rochas Okorocha(M); Commiserating with Hon.Uju Kingsley Member Representing, Ohaji/ Egbema/Oru west Federal constituency Imo state (2nd left) over the death of his late mother Mrs Caroline Uju with them, Hon Jone Anyeriri and other dignitaries during the burial ceremony in lmo state recently .

From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna

NJC seeks appointment of 84 Judges, 9 Heads of Courts

By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended appointment of nine Heads of Courts and 84 other judicial officers as parts of concerted efforts to prepare for challenges that may arise for Judiciary in the coming general elections.

The recommended persons would after appointments serve at the Federal and State Courts in the country.

A statement from the Council in Abuja said that the candidates were presented for recommendations by its panel of interview during its 100th Meeting presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola.

The statement by NJC’S Director of Information Mr Soji Oye listed those recommended for posts of Chief Judges to include Justice Muhammad Tukur Mu’azu Aliyu for Kaduna, Justice Majebi Josiah Joe for Kogi, Justice Odusola Aiyedun Olusegun for Ondo, Justice Halima Sa’addiya Mohammed for Gombe and Justice Lilian Abai for Abia State.

Others are Justice Abdulateef Kamaldeen as Grand Kadi, Kwara

State, Justice Stanley Adekunle Lawal, President, Customary Court of Appeal, FCT, Justice Monisola Oluwatoyin Abodunde as President, Customary Court of Appeal in Ekiti and Justice Uhuo Patrick Uchenna as President, Customary Court of Appeal, Ebonyi State.

A breakdown of the recommended 84 Judicial officers showed that four are for Ondo High Court and they are Akinbinu Sylvester Femi, Leonard Boyede Ologun, Bolatito Florence Ajibade and Akinwumi Bankole Jacob.

The Customary Court of Appeal in Ekiti has three nominees and they are Lawrence Babatope Ojo, Adegboye Rotimi Adesoji and Ogundele Olufolakemi Olufunke.

Borno State has five for appointment as Judges and they include Amina Mustapha, Ibrahim Mohammed Maina, Hafsatu Isah Bappah, Bukar Malgwi Umar and Mallam Buna Makinta while Anambra has two comprising Etomike Innocent Ndigwe and Tagbo Chinwuba Anieto.

The five nominated for Sokoto High Court bench are Bashar Ibrahim, Fatima Ahmadu Suka, Abubakar Adamu, Kabiru Muhammad and Amina Modi Yabo while the Sharia Court

Foundation offers scholarship to 92 students in Kogi

The Richard Osaeyi Foundation says it has offered scholarships to 92 students from OkoroGbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the beneficiaries of the scheme cut across polytechnics, Colleges of Education and universities.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the foundation, Mr. Richard Osaseyi, stated this in a statement on Wednesday, in Abuja.

He said that the foundation decided to extend the gesture to university students to help them acquire skills that would help them in future.

“We have decided to take the initiative to tertiary institutions so that they will round off from the university at the age of 20 to 21 and 50 per cent of their problems will be solved.

“By investing in the educational development of the younger generation, the future of the communities will be secured and assured.

“I decided to extend the scheme to tertiary institutions because of the overdriving passion of the foundation to reach everywhere possible.

“By investing in our students who have great potential and by

Anew regional economic renewal movement, Arewa Economic Renewal Forum (AERF) has called on politicians to develop a blueprint for the development of the North and the nation.

The Chairman of AERF, Ibrahim Yahaya, made the call at the maiden press conference of the group in Abuja on Tuesday.

According to Yahaya, 2023 is the time for the North to restore its lost glory by throwing its

of Appeal in the state has two nominees as Kadi and are Idris Adamu and Mustapha Abdullahi Ahmad.

Ogun State High Court has 8 nominees comprising Oluwafunke Omolara Odubanjo, Adelaja Adeola Ireti, Basirat Bolanle Adebowale, Adebayo Bamidele Adedapo, Ayodele Adebayo Omoniyi, Sunday Olufemi Adeniyi, Awofeso IretiOlu Babatunde and Abimola Christopher Shokunbi.

The two nominees for Bayelsa State High Court are Charlie Ebiyon Duke and Ekadi Amadise Michael while the six for Ebonyi State are Esther Awo Ota, BUkeni Ogoke Stella Ejituruchi, Ruth Obaji Okeh, Blessing Ibeabuchi Chukwu, Christopher Ofoke Mbam and Francis-Abba Solange Amaka.

The National Industrial Court of Nigeria has six nominees including Buhari Sani, DamachiOnugba Agede Joyce, Hassan Muhammed Yakubu, Sandra Audu Yelwa, Subilim Emmanuel Danjuma and Muhammad Adamu Hamza.

Cross Rivers High Court has two nominees in persons of Okokon Edem Nyong and Amajama Jacob Eneji while the

four for Adamawa High Court are Christopher Dominic Mapeo, Ahmed Isa, Mohammed Ibrahim Tola and Benjamin Lawan Manji.

Besides, Adamawa has one Kadi nominee for its Sharia Court of Appeal in person of Isa Yusuf khalid while its Customary Court of Appeal has another one Judge nominee in person of Adabala Nicholas.

The breakdown showed that Rivers State High Court has five candidates comprising Asivosuo Maccarthy Oriye, Omonigho Nwibani, Comfort Ifikmotu- Awaji Adangor, Prince Chika Mini and Beauty Ihuoma Emmanuel-Okere while its Customary Court of Appeal has two Judges nominees, Odiki Daniel- Kalio and Tetenwi Ngeli Elerabari.

Zamfara High Court has four and they are Abdullahi Muhammad Gusau, Umar Adulnasir, Saad Garba GurbinBore and Muntaka Ahmad Ya’akubu.

Osun State High Court has four nominees comprising Lasisi Muhammmed Adebayo, Awe Micheal Oludare, Fatimah Adejoke Sodamade and Owolawi Joseph Olukunle while has one and is Adamu Mohammed Jajere as well as one Kadi for its Sharia

Court of Appeal in person of Kasim Mohammed Kasim.

Kaduna State High Court bench has seven candidates and they are Yakubu Bodamasi, Abdullahi Isiaka, Buhari Mohammed Balarabe Bashir Shitu Yusuf, Nana Fatima Mohammed John Aku Ambi and Joyce Asabe Akaa’ahs.

Apart from the recommended seven high court Judges, NJC also sought for appointment of five Kadis for Kaduna Sharia Court of Appeal and they are Aminu Ahmad Jumare, Nuhu Mahmud, Murtala Nasir, Abdulrahman Ibrahim and Mahdi Muhammad Suraj.

In the same vein, Kaduna Customary Court of Appeal is to have three Judges and they are Dorothy Sim Inwulale, Atung Dorcaas Tabitta and Yusuf Yakubu.

The breakdown also showed that Plateau State Customary Court of Appeal has only one Judge nominee in person of Jettei T. Pekun.

The NJC statement indicated that all recommended candidates would be sworn- in upon approval of their recommendations by their respective state governors and State Houses of Assembly.

investing in their educational development, we won’t be bothered about what the future holds,” he said.

He said that plans were also underway to impact over 2,000 students in communities in the state through the scholarship scheme.

Mr Pedro Adewale, National President, Okoro-Gbede Development Association, who commended the foundation, said God had used Osaseyi to better the lives of the people in the community.

He urged other well-meaning individuals and corporate organisations to emulate the gesture of the foundation.

Mr Ologedemi Temitope, a beneficiary of the scheme, said “I have never seen where a sponsor will take care of pupils in primary and students in secondary schools and tertiary institutions,“ he said.

NAN also reports that 108 students in public schools across Kabba/Bunu and Ijumu LGAs of Kogi, benefited from the Foundation scholarship scheme.

The foundation was established in 2013 to organise programme to facilitate the development of the society through social work, education and health, assisting widows and orphans among others.

(NAN)

weight behind any presidential, governorship and other candidates with viable economic blueprint for restoration of the region.

“Over the years, Nigeria, and especially the North, has suffered epileptic form of leadership, borne out of lacklustre attitude of elected persons to engineer the much-desired economic prosperity.

“The resultant consequence for our region is poverty,

substandard education, lack of access to credit financing and other negative underdevelopment indicators,’” he said.

According to the chairman, the North accounts for 70 per cent of total arable landmass in Nigeria.

“It is geologically created in such an advantageous way that it can allow for 12 months of agriculture, yet only 23 per cent of the landmass is fully utilised for agricultural purposes.

“The inability of successive

administration to exploit these resources in mainstreaming human development has remained our greatest albatross.

“Consequently, we have the worst human development index, with an estimated 87 million people living on 1.9 dollar a day,” he said.

He added that the region had also been shortchanged in terms of access to finance and credit for investment and development from the national financial

system.

“Against this backdrop, we demand a strategic blueprint for rapid renewal and economic transformation of Northern Nigeria from all aspirants gunning for the nation’s top job.

“The plan must entail visible roadmap to reviving comatose Northern industries, harnessing virgin resources and utilisation of demographic advantages for the empowerment of our people,” he said. (NAN

Group advocates blueprint, optimum utilisation of resources for national devt.

L-R; Senegal Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Country’s Seal, H.E Sidiki Kaba, President Muhammadu Buhari and President of Guinea Bissau, H.E Umaro Sissoco Embalo on arrival ahead of the 2nd Dakar International Conference on Agriculture taking Senegal.

PHOTO; State House

SCI expresses concern over increasing out-of-school children.

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

As the world commemorates the 5th International Day of Education (IDE), Save the Children International has expressed concerned about the increasing number of out-ofschool children in Nigeria.

The Media and Communication Manager Save the Children International Nigeria, Kunle Olawoyin, asserted this in a statement made available to the media in Kaduna yesterday.

Olawoyin noted that according to the UNICEF, the number of out of school children has increased from 10.5 million to 18.5 million in 2022, meaning there are millions of good reasons to step up investment in education.

He said access to school is not only essential for children’s wellbeing and ability to thrive here and now. “It is also a prerequisite for children to acquire the knowledge and skills that are central to building a life of opportunities.”

SCI urged Nigerian government to ensure accessible, inclusiveness, safe quality and free primary and secondary education that promotes lifelong learning opportunities for all children to realize and release their full potentials.

“To this end, we reiterate our demands for the Nigerian government’s fulfilment of President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment at the GPE Global Education Summit to increase education funding to 14% by 2022, 16.7% in 2023, 20% by 2024, and 22.5% by 2025.

“SCI calls upon governments, donors, partners, the international community and key stakeholders to stand by their commitments to prioritize investment in education and educational transformation towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.”

Olawoyin stressed that SCI has been supporting the Government of Nigeria to implement the Safe Schools Declaration (SSD) and its guidelines to protect education from attack. In 2021, Nigeria hosted the 4th International Conference on Safe Schools in Abuja, with 400 delegates from 27 different countries attended in-person while 1,936 delegates from 124 countries participated virtually.

According to him education has been recognized globally as a veritable and strategic venture to the economic transformation of any nation.

“Save the Children urges for the prioritization of girl child education and more investment.”

2023: NSCDC boss warns against further attack on INEC offices

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

The Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Abubakar Audi, has warned against further attack on facilities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Audi gave the warning while speaking at a 2-day capacity building workshop for all State Commandants and the Corps’ strategic managers ahead of the 2023 general elections.

He tasked the State Commandants to ensure that safety of INEC office in their territories, warning that his leadership won’t tolerate any attack again.

“We must protect INEC offices nationwide. We must give both

physical and otherwise to all the INEC offices in your care. We will not take it lightly if we hear of any attack on INEC facilities around your command again.

“With less than five weeks to the general elections, the Corps will release very soon, a revised standard operational guidelines on election duties, and other salient election security rules for personnel, which is aimed at ensuring safe and secured electoral processes nationwide.

“In addition to physical security, this strategic management workshop will also develop common policy guidelines that can be used in deepening the capacity of Corps personnel, assist officers and men to comply with global standards of election security management.

“It is my earnest expectation

that this workshop will further strengthen our capacity in our preparations ahead of the general elections, build our confidence as strategic commanders, while ensuring that voters, domestic observers, election sensitive materials and electoral officers’ safety and security are well coordinated.”

In her welcome address, the Country Representative of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), Mariga Peran, said the present fear for safety amid the rate of attacks on lives and property across the country poses a significant threat to the success of the 2023 general elections, compounded by several security-relevant incidents last year like the series of prison breaks with the successful release of terrorists around the country.

Peran said the NSCDC plays

a vital role among the security agencies engaged with securing the election, hence the training.

“With a good reputation among the citizens, NSCDC enjoys public confidence like hardly any other security agency in Nigeria. Not only the NSCDC committed to advance their skill sets and deliver quality services constantly, you have also early on understood the importance of inter-agency collaboration for the greater good of Nigeria.

The KAS Country Representative said: “there is need to identify security lapses, hence enabling personnel of security agencies to strengthen their skills and operations for the good electoral conduct, investigation, arrest and prosecution of offenders.”

Infant mortality rate drops in Kaduna State -Official

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

Kaduna State government said neonatal and infant mortality rate has reduced in the state.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina MohammedBaloni said neonatal mortality rate dropped from 63 per 1,000 live births in 2018 to 47 per 1,000 births in 2021.

She made the declaration while addressing the 12th Kaduna State Council on Health meeting in Kaduna on Tuesday.

Mohammed-Baloni also said that Under-five mortality rate dropped from 187 per 1,000 births in 2018 to 127 per 1,000 births in 2021.

The Under-five mortality rate for Kaduna State at 127 per 1,000 births in 2021 was the lowest in the Northwest geopolitical zone, she said.

The commissioner noted that the rate was, however, slightly higher than the national average rate of 102 per 1,000 births.

“There was a general improvement in most of the reproductive, maternal and child indicators and Kaduna State performed better than all the states in the Northwest zone in Under-five mortality rate.

“Percentage of one-year-olds who had received three doses of the combined diphtheria, tetanus toxoid and pertussis vaccine (Penta3) in Kaduna State improved from 26.5 per cent in 2017 to 60 per cent in 2021.

“Kaduna State was recognised as the most improved state in the Northwest zone in immunisation against diphtheria, tetanus toxoid and pertussis (Penta-3) in 2021,’’ she said

The National Bureau of Statistics conducted a Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) in 2021 as part of the Global MICS Programme where it rated immunisation coverage in the states of the federation and the FCT.

The commissioner said council members would approve

various strategies to facilitate the attainment of the state’s goal of ensuring that residents have access to quality and affordable health care without financial catastrophes.

Mohammed-Baloni also told the meeting that the health system assessment in the state showed that there were still concerns about service delivery, medicines and vaccines and health financing.

“The inventory assessment and the workforce productivity assessment all revealed gaps in the availability of modern equipment and human resource productivity.

“These have guided the development of the 2022 and the 2023 annual operation and sector implementation plans and will also guide the development of the third strategic health development plan,’’ she said.

She noted that the state government established the Health Management Authority to ease the burden of payment for health services in the state.

“The state earmarked 1 per cent of its Consolidated Revenue Fund to cater to vulnerable population and so far, 496,752 residents have been enrolled into the scheme.

“The state has also been allocated above 15 per cent of its budget to health since 2017 in line with the 2001 Abuja declaration with an average of 67 percent budget performance over the last six years,’’ she said.

Mohammed-Baloni urged health sector actors and managers to critically reflect on how to re-strategise, re-programme, refocus and re-energise to achieve universal health coverage in the state.

The Kaduna State Council on Health has the responsibility to guide and advise government on matters relating to health.

It meets annually to review the sector’s performance, identify challenges and proffer corrective actions that would ensure the provision of quality healthcare services.

L-R, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning , Zainab Ahmed during the Federal Executive Council Meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja yesterday

Over 5,000 women ready to vote APC in Kebbi

From Ahmad Idris, Birnin Kebbi

No fewer than 5,000 women from different parts of the State have said they will use their PVC to vote All Progressive Congress (APC).

This was disclosed yesterday at the women wing governorship campaign flag off in Arugungu Local Government area of the state.

The leaders of the movement and the wife of the Kebbi State Governor Dr. Zainab Bagudu Shankafi said that the women in Kebbi State are ready to give APC over thousand votes.

Joint states, LGs account fraudulent –Kwara NNPP governorship candidate

Prof. Abdulraheem Oba the governorship candidate of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in Kwara State, has described the Joint Account System (JAS) between states and local governments in the country as fraudulent.

Oba a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday, said that until 100 per cent autonomy is granted to local government administration in the country, development at the grassroots will remain a mirage.

“The first step in the theft of the people’s commonwealth begins with the Joint Account System while full visible autonomy of the local government is the first step towards dismantling this fraudulent arrangement that is

being perpetuated relentlessly over the years.

“The state government should accept its supervisory role to the Local Government Areas.

“Each arm should be separately accountable for what it does. I think that is what the law of the land says,” the governorship candidate reiterated.

Oba alleged that there was rot in Kwara State and he was determined to stop it.

According to him, good people of conscience can not afford to close their eyes to rot in governance.

“We have systematic corruption going on here. Bad government is what is expensive, not good government. There is an urgent need for the true government of the people by the

people and for the people,” Oba said.

He expressed his determination to block all existing loopholes in the administration of finance in the state and invest savings in sustainable development initiatives that will improve the GDP of the state.

Oba assured the youths of Kwara that one of his priorities, if voted into office, is private sector-friendly policies enabling an environment for corporates to set up in the state. If elected into office.

“I will also utilise my global network to attract global companies in ICT, the mining value chain and customer service that will create meaningful employment for the youths, women and professionals as major beneficiaries.

“Infrastructural development at the local government level is also a compulsory agenda if I am made the governor as with good governance, human capital development will be automatically arrested,” he asserted.

Oba promised that he would immediately put into effect modalities to ensure total autonomy for Kwara local governments if voted as the next governor.

NAN reports that the vexed issue of full autonomy for local government administration has been on the front burner of national discussion in the country for a long time, with concerned stakeholders accusing state governments of being the stumbling blocks.

Labour unions have been open in their condemnation of

state governments on the issue with Tommy Etim, Deputy President of Trade Union Congress recently describing the development as saddening, and labelling governors as enemies of the country.

NAN also reports that the State and Local Government Joint Account system as a financial policy of the local government was introduced in Nigeria’s 1979 constitution following the nation-wide local government reforms of 1976.

The system was later abolished in 1989 during the regime of General Ibrahim Babangida because of its wrong implementation by state governments.

In 1999, following the restoration of civil rule, it was reintroduced into the constitution. (NAN)

2023: No shaking, Gov Yahaya tells supporters

From David Hassan, Gombe

Governor Muhammadu

Inuwa Yahaya has assured his supporters of winning

the 2023 general elections without hitches.

He gave the assurance in Billiri east and west on Tuesday when he went

for second round of his campaign.

He said time has come where his supporters will come out and vote for his re-

election in the forthcoming general elections.

While addressing them, he said the campaign train which landed at Billiri for

the second time was aimed at giving APC flag to candidates vying for political offices in the area.

Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, Sharon Ikeazor; Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen; Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari; Minister of Transportation, Muazu Sambo and Minister of State for Power, Goddy Jedy Agba during the Federal Executive Council Meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja yesterday

Leave Naira redesign to next government, says ex-Governor Dickson

By Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

AformerGovernor of Bayelsa State, Sen. Henry Seriake

Dickson yesterday said Naira redesign should be left to the next government to avoid any effect on the forthcoming poll.

He also asked political actors to avoid inciting comments which can cause confusion or crisis.

He pleaded with Nigerians to avoid sliding into ethnic and religious tendencies.

Dickson, currently the Senator representing Bayelsa West in the National Assembly, has called on Nigerians to support the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies to conduct free, fair, and peaceful elections.

Dickson disclosed this at the bare-it fellowship with Senator Henry Seriake Dickson with the theme "Vocational diligence: From police post to government HouseMy story" organized by Rotary Club of Maitama in Abuja yesterday.

He said: "The election is just about a month away, and let's see how we work, support INEC, support the security services and all agencies concerned to deliver a free fair, and acceptable general election that will throw up a new class of leaders in our country.

"I know that we are not all on the same page and that is allowed. Democracy is a breeding ground and a marketplace of ideas. So ideas can differ, can vary, and perspectives need not be the same. But let us all bear in mind that in all of this, the political class should not commit class suicide, and should not lead the country toward

Literacy: Group organises spelling bees competitions for northern schools

By Maryam Abeeb

In a bid to promote literacy in the northern part of the country, a group known as Educand Education Initiative, EEI has organised a North central and Northeast regional SPELL and THRILL Intervention competition.

The President of EEI, Ayotunde Ikulamberu , explained that the spelling competition started in 2012 in Ondo is for primary and secondary schools in Nigeria.

According to him, the competition has increased to 25 states and FCT across the South East, South South and North Central and Northeast.

While addressing journalists in an interview at the event, he said that the competition is aimed at refocusing and encourage students to showcase their hard work outside the classrooms environments.

destruction or crisis.

"We will find it difficult if there is a major crisis. Therefore, people should be temperate. People should be civil while disagreeing and while canvassing for votes."

Speaking further, he condemned every uncivil comment or attack on candidates generally." No one is justified in doing so. No supporter is justified in doing so. Nobody is justified in inciting by making statements that can create confusion or crisis," he said.

According to him, "Political leaders should bear in mind the primacy of preserving peace, stability, and unity of our country. While we sought out issues, we disagree that political actors should not make themselves disagreeable, you can disagree without being disagreeable and we should realize that every word, every action has consequences and repercussions."

Speaking on the new Naira Notes deadline, he said he has already made his personal views

known."I am one of those who feel that the policy no matter how well intended is such that the timing for me gives me a problem. And I feel also that this comes from the twilight zone," he said.

On his part, the President of Rotary Club Abuja Maitama, Yusuf Ali said "the essence of the fourway test of Rotary is to be fair," adding that Senator Dickson is a role model, a model of leadership, and that's why Rotary decided to invite him to share fellowship with

them, and tell the story of his grass to grace.

"We are trying to lay a foundation to encourage members not to give up and also to know that it is not over and it is over and that a journey of 1000 miles begins with a step.

"We undergoing a lot in this country. We need inspiration we need motivation. We need encouragement, and it is a leader like this, who can inspire and encourage and who can motivate".

Reps vow to pressure CBN to withdraw or extend deadline on old notes

From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

The House of Representatives has vowed to pile pressure on Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN to either extend that January 31 deadline to stop using old naira notes or withdraw it at all.

A member representing Tarauni Federal Constituency at House of Representatives, Hafizu Kawu Tarauni made the pledge while addressing newsmen on the matter.

According to the lawmaker, the entire National Assembly is

not in support of the January 31 deadline on old naira notes as the decision has inflicted hardship on common Nigerians.

He said the House of Representatives bad formed a committee, under the chairmanship of the House Leader, Alhassan Ado Doguwa, to summon the governor of CBN and chairmen of commercial banks to discuss on how to extend the deadline.

Kawu argued that even developed countries like UK and USA had redesigned their currency many times, but had a

good system that eases the whole policy for the common citizen.

“Our demand and suggestions are that the CBN should either extend the January 31 deadline by at least 3 more months or 4, or the deadline should completely be removed to allow the citizens deposit the old notes gradually with ease as it is practiced in developed countries.

“But this decision has inflicted hardship on citizens. We are concerned about the plight of the citizens in this situation.

“I am personally concerned about the plight of my people

in Kano state and the Nation as a whole. We will not allow this situation continue. We must do something,” he assured.

The lawmaker urges the citizens to remain calm as the National Assembly is up and doing to esnure the policy is reviewed in such a way that it favours the citizens.

“We will do all we can, within the purview of law to ensure the CBN review with policy by coming up with a system that will ease the suffering of Nigerians,” he said.

Benue

The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO) staff members have suspended their industrial action.

The aviation workers, under the

The Governor stated this during a courtesy call on him by the Pro-Chancellor, Joseph Saarwuan Tarka University, formerly known as University of Agriculture, Makurdi UAM Hon. Edith Chidinma Uwajumogu and

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.

management staff on Wednesday.

Ortom fumed at the poor circulation of the new notes for transactions especially in markets and the rural areas.

He urged the Presidency and the Apex bank to look at the

Ortom frowns at CBN new redesigned notes circulation, deadline NAHCO workers suspend strike

policy critically so as not to throw the people into further distress.

The Central Bank had last year redesigned the 1000,500 and 200 naira notes and issued a deadline of January 31st,2023 for the old notes to be deposited in the bank.

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.

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

From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

State Governor Samuel Ortom has frowned at the new policy on the new currency by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

From Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

L-R: The President-Elect, Ijeoma Joyce Agwu, the Immediate Past President, Victoria Unoarumi, the President, Yusuf Alli, former Bayelsa State Governor, Sen. Henry Seriake Dickson, Past Rotary Assistant Governor, Winny Fonaka, Charter President, Princess Joy Nkiru Okoro, Assistant Governor, Eucheria Ekweozoh and Past President, Dinah Akuh presenting Rotary’s Four-Way Test to the ex-governor after a talk at the Fellowship of the Rotary Club of Abuja Maitama yesterday. PHOTO: RC Abuja Maitama

Bauchi Governor, Sadique, Gwadabe participate in Bauchi gubernatorial debate

From Ahmad Muhammad, Bauchi

Gubernatorial Candidates of three major political parties in Bauchi State out of 15 contestants have participated in a debate where they unveiled their respective manifestos on how to make the state more better if given the mandate.

They include the state incumbent Governor Bala Mohammed of People’s Democratic Party PDP, Air Marshal Sadiq Baba Abubakar of All Progressives Congress APC and Barr. Umar Faruq of People’s Redemption Party, PRP.

The debate was aimed at promoting issue based politics and discouraging personality attacks through provision of a better platform for the candidates to convince electorates with their proposed policies and programmes.

The event was organized by the State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists NUJ in collaboration with Nigeria Institute of Public Relations NIPR, Nigeria Bar Association NBA and Nigeria Medical Association NMA.

Presenting his manifestos, the APC candidate Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar pledged to revisit what he described as lack of accessibility to education and healthcare facilities in the state if given the mandate, arguing that the incumbent government has failed to address challenges in the sectors.

Also in his presentations, the candidate of People’s Redemption Party PRP Barr.

Umar Faruq who blamed both the incumbent PDP government and previous APC administration on mismanaging public funds, promised to be transparent and accountable if emerged victorious in forthcoming election.

On his part the state Governor Bala Mohammed said his administration has succeeded in executing laudable projects that have direct bearings on the lives citizens and corrected the ills of the previous APC administration.

Bala Mohammed who disagreed that a single tenure is not enough to provide all the needed development socilited for a second term to enable him consolidate the achievements recorded.

Speaking after the debate, Chairman of the occasion professor Shuaibu Musa of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi commended the candidates and their supporters for conducting themselves towards peaceful conduct of the debate.

IED: Kano govt tasks teachers to move education to international standard

From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

Kano state Commissioner for Education, Alhaji Ya’u Abdullahi Yan’shana, has charged teachers to redouble their efforts in discharging their responsibilities to move education to international standards in the state.

He made the assertion during an occasion to commemorate International Day of Education (IED), organized by Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project, Ministry of Education, Kano state.

Represented by the Executive Secretary, Kano state Senior

Secondary Schools Management Board (KSSMB), Dr. Bello Shehu, Yan’shana said the state government had mapped out policies and programs aimed at boosting education, which includes free and compulsory education, inclusive education, teacher policy, among others.

He described AGILE as an initiative that had boosted students academic performance, and charged them to be good ambassadors by utilizing their potentials to become journalists, teachers, medical doctors, engineers and professionals.

Alhaji Ya’u Abdullahi Yan’shana commended World Bank for the initiative which had

yielded positive results to the state’s education sector.

“A lot has been done by the state government and we are going to record more achievements in Kano”.

In her remarks, the lead person social norms component, concerned with promoting social behavioral change, Hajiya Halima Sadiya Tukur, maintained that, over 130 schools would be built in Kano State under the AGILE project.

She highlighted that, the state government had provided all the necessary assistance to ensure success of the project on girl’s education, and had organized the event to emphasize

the importance of GE to the development of a society.

”No sane society would progress without education and AGILE is here to make a change”.

Also speaking, chairman State Based Management Committee (SBMC), Kano state, Alhaji Tijjani Haladu Baraya pointed out that, the committee had sourced interventions of almost one billion naira in the state.

He appealed to the state government, to ensure timely release of funds budgeted to the education sector, to achieve the desired objectives.

”UBEC act 2004 states that each child is entitled to education in Nigeria”.

Lagos PDP guber candidate laments incessant attacks on campaign train

The Lagos PDP Governorship Candidate, Dr Abdul-Azeez Adediran (Jandor) has again decried incessant attacks on his campaign train by political thugs.

Adediran reiterated the concern at a meeting with council of Chief Imam at the Ketu Central Mosque in Kosofe Local Government area during his campaign tour of the council.

The candidate said that earlier in the day, his campaign train had come under attack in the council by hoodlums in which one member of his security team was stabbed.

He said that similar situations had happened repeatedly in various local governments areas since he kicked off his tour to 245

wards on Oct. 19, 2022.

He added that some.of his followers including journalists were also wounded.

Adediran, who said that his campaign train had been attacked in Badagry and Agege and some other places, said the development would not dissuade him to rescuing the state from the ruling APC.

According to him, his resolve to relieve residents of the state of their numerous pains and to bring in breath of fresh air is unstoppable.

The PDP candidate also decried that his running mate, Ms Funke Akindele, was also chased out of Kosofe Fruit Markets in the council earlier in the day.

He also said that such trend

was not healthy for democracy in the country, stressing that he would however not going to be deterred.

According to him, the desire to free the state from bondage, rescue it by allowing the wealth in the state work for all rather than few necessitated his coming into the race.

Commending the league of Imams for their courage to agree to honour his call for an interactive session with them, Adediran said some turned such an overture done out of fear of the ruling party.

The candidate, who sought partnership from the Islamic clerics, urged them to offer prayers to God for him.

“What is happening we do

not want it again. It is not good for democracy, but despite the attacks we are moving and still motivated to rescue our people.

“I know it is only God that can give and take, if God gives you no one can take,” he said.

Responding, leader of the league, Imam Ismaheel Kajola, said that it was imperative as religious leaders to give audience and prayers for all candidates who come to seek their blessings.

Kajola prayed that God would grant Jandor his heart desire.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that while Akindele left the campaign after she was chased by hoodlums in the market, Adediran’s campaign train and covey moved round some streets in the council. (NAN)

Perticipant Deaf officials and Persons withdisability, during the Association of Deaf in Collaboration of Disability Affairs Board and Sighters One day awareneas Seminer on Hearing Loss in kaduna on wednesday 25/1/22

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

National healing and the place of Tinubu

By Fredrick Nwabufo

Welding the sundered parts of Nigeria into an organic whole has remained a willo-the-wisp. Since 1960, Nigeria has struggled with the possibilities and importunities of unity. The founding fathers of the country longed for a time when a variegated people will become an unbroken, congealed composite. They did not live to see this happen; yet, many years after Nigeria is still far from what the good progenitors envisioned.

Over the years, threats of secession, insurgency, and naked intolerance have become more prominent. The falcon can no longer hear the falconer. There seems to be a general lack of consensus on any matter. But to what do we owe this jeopardous state of things? I believe, there is the place of leadership; there is the place of our predatory politics, and there is the place of atavistic proclivities – in the Nigeria quandary.

Nigerian president in 2023 – not Igbo, Hausa or Yoruba,” the country needs a doctor to heal the country, and it needs a carpenter. It also needs a builder and an architect to build the country back better. It needs an all-in-one president. Yes, Nigeria needs healing from seven years of hate-slinging, recriminations, and animosity. I believe Nigeria needs Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Tinubu is Nigeria’s best shot at evolving into an organic whole. He is well-versed in politics and understands the intricacies of dealing with a house of bedlam. His political trajectory makes him the finest breed of statesmen to manage Nigeria. Lagos where he was governor for eight years is a facsimile of Nigeria with its complexities and diversity. So, naturally, he has the requisite experience to manage Nigeria’s diversity. He has lived the experience.

“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

OUR MISSION

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.

OUR PEOPLE

OUR VISION

The chequered experience of the past seven years has shown that politics is the material provenance of strife in Nigeria. Our politics is besmirched with vile, sinister undercuts, machinations, and devilry. Not long after President Muhammadu Buhari came to power did conspiracy theories springing from his ethnicity and religion pervade and dominate public discourse.

One notorious conspiracy theory was that banditry was the surreptitious agenda of a powerful clique in government who were working at conquering territories and forcibly converting Nigerian locals to Islam. Another was that the government was contriving how to take over lands of citizens and hand them over to the Fulani by stoking the crisis.

Doctored videos and phony photos rippled on social media purportedly showing the military dropping arms and supplies from helicopters to bandits. Bandits were alleged to be enjoying protection as ancillaries of the government. Lies! Fallacies! But all for what? Politics. It was all politics.

The reality is that those who lost the 2015 elections, retreated into covens, and deployed propaganda as a way of getting back at the government, bewitching the nation.

Today, no Nigerian has been Islamised. And no part of the country has been Fulanised or annexed by any so-called ethnic militia. Conspiracy theories are the palm oil of Nigeria’s politics. They give taste to falsehood, tension, fear, and unrest. And often, they are ignorantly eaten, regurgitated and spewed by the unwary.

Nigeria needs to heal; it needs to heal from the corollaries of grimy politics; and it needs to heal from ethnic and religious antagonism. 2023 is for national healing, for closing the chasm and forging new bonds.

As I said in: “Nigeria needs a

Tinubu had a diverse cabinet as governor; in fact, he is reputed to be one of the few governors who appointed non-natives into state cabinets at the time – when it was unsexy to do so. This expansive quality should not in any way be taken for granted. It is worth restating over and over -- knowing Nigeria for what it is where ethnic prejudices trounce reason.

In the course of the campaigns, the APC presidential candidate has shown that he is attuned to the complexities of Nigeria, and he has invested himself in addressing the specific needs of Nigerians across the zones.

Speaking to the need of the southeast zone, for example, Tinubu said: “We will build an ecosystem where traders will have access to credit facilities and create more and better jobs for our youths, as well as support more high-quality home-grown goods. My government will build new industrial hubs in Aba and Owerri. We will establish policies that would widen horizons and expand business reach, while ensuring Owerri-Port Harcourt and Aba-Port Harcourt corridors becoming more active and lucrative trade and manufacturing corridors.”

I believe ‘’a change is gonna come” for inter-ethnic behaviour and relationship in Nigeria. It will happen. If change could come to Rwanda after that hellish episode in its history, it will come to Nigeria. It takes a bold leadership to remove the contours which accent ethnic differences.

We must imbibe and live by the truths of One-Nigeria. We are all connected in the same loop of challenges -- whether political, economic or security. We are one nation with a common destiny. Nigeria will heal – with Tinubu.

By Fredrick Nwabufo; Nwabufo aka Mr One-Nigeria is a writer and journalist.

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Expediency of extending deadline for return of old N200, N500, and N1,000 banknotes to banks

By Isaac Asabor

Against the foregoing backdrop, it is expedient to urge the leadership of the CBN to reconsider its position and extend the date of return of old banknotes to banks as a way of avoiding chaos, particularly across consumer markets.

It is sad to note that barely a few days before the deadline issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the return of the old N200, N500, and N1, 000 banknotes to the banks, following the currency redesign program, only a few bank customers were able to make withdrawals from various Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) of various commercial banks that are operational all over the nooks and crannies of the country going by reportages availed to the reading public by various newspapers across the country.

The situation, no doubt, has triggered mounting pressure on the leadership of the CBN to extend the January 31 deadline for the withdrawal of old naira notes.

However, Godwin Emefiele, the CBN governor, at the postMonetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting briefing held on Tuesday, January 24, 2023, said that he did not see any need for a change in the deadline as there were no indications that customers had issues returning the old naira notes.

He said that the 100-day window for the return of old naira notes is more than enough to deposit all old naira notes in circulation to the banks, and claimed that he did not see any rush to deposit any money at the bank and as such there was no need to extend the deadline.

“I don’t have good news for those who want the deadline of the old naira to be changed because we will not move it.

“People are holding and vaulting the naira in their houses and they don’t have the license to do that, because they use it to speculate on the naira.

“We have pleaded with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offenses Commission (ICPC) not to harass anybody, and on my honor, they will not do that.”

He also mentioned that about N1.5 trillion currency outside circulation has found its way back into the banking system and that he expected more deposits as the deadline approaches.

Against the foregoing backdrop, it is didactic to recall in this context that in my effort to withdraw money from UBA’s POS located at one of its branches on Joel Ogunaike Street at GRA, Ikeja, Lagos, on Tuesday, in order to facilitate my transport back to the office after gathering stories

from the flag off of the celebration of the 50th anniversary Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), and the unveiling of its logo. The effort made to withdraw money from the ATM was frustrating as it was not loaded with money. Hence, I proceeded to Access Bank located on the same street where I had the same challenge, and then to GTB on Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, beside Sheraton Hotel.

Still, in the same nexus, I went to the “Ikeja under bridge” axis and encountered the same challenge together with other bank customers.

As gathered, the banks deliberately decided not to load their ATMs with old banknotes as they have been warned by the CBN that they would be sanctioned for doing that. It will be recalled that the CBN had directed banks to load their ATMs with the redesigned naira notes, and that failure to comply with the directive will lead

to N1m fine per day.

In fact, given the situation, not a few bank customers, particularly traders across the country have continued to lament the impact of the unavailability of new naira notes as well as the challenges they are facing in getting their old naira notes into the banking system even as the collection of old naira notes draws nearer.

As of yesterday, Tuesday, January 24, 2023, not a few Nigerians that interacted with this writer said they have not even sighted the new naira notes since its release.

Against the foregoing backdrop, it is expedient to urge the leadership of the CBN to reconsider its position and extend the date of return of old banknotes to banks as a way of avoiding chaos, particularly across consumer markets.

Isaac Asabor is a Public Policy Analyst.

Stop the procrastination: Collect your PVC and return the old currency

By Matthew Ma

Procrastination

is also a habit.

We must learn to replace this habit with creativity, innovation, and hard work. Just as some state governments have declared work-free days to enable public servants to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVC), they must also do the same for people to deposit their money in banks.

“I am not a prophet of doom, but I foresee a situation where people will get into the Owambe mood and forget to collect their PVCs or return the old currency notes. Then when the deadline approached, they would start shouting, accusing INEC and CBN of plotting to strip them of their rights. Some will call for the deadline to be extended and even suggest that people should be allowed to pick up their PVC at polling places and vote on the same day.”

Have you ever put off an important task to do it later? If you find yourself putting off important tasks over and over again, it means you are not alone. Many procrastinate, but some are so chronically affected by procrastination that it becomes a persistent behavioral pattern that interferes with daily life. To understand the mechanisms that drive us to such behavior, we look at the scientific definition of procrastination.

Timothy Pychyl, a professor of psychology at Carleton University in Canada, defines procrastination as the voluntary delay of an intended action, despite the knowledge that this delay may harm the individual in terms of task performance or even simply how the individual feels about the task or himself. The paradox is that procrastinators deliberately postpone a job they have decided to do, even though they know they will face unfortunate consequences.

We are all guilty of procrastination – one way or another. Everybody procrastinates at some point for reasons best known to them. Some of which are unconvincing to anyone, including ourselves. Procrastination is an act that occurs to everyone, regardless of their situation in life. For example, in 2016, the website for registration to vote in the EU referendum crashed minutes before the deadline because of a surge. The registration for a referendum had been on for three years, but people decided to enjoy life until the final minutes of the exercise, causing the website to crash and leaving many unsure of voting. In what was seen in some quarters as a move he hoped would get more youth to register, the then Prime Minister, David Cameron, moved for and got a 48-hour extension of the deadline. Over 400,000 people registered during the extension without the technical issues that occurred with the earlier deadline.

Some years ago in Nigeria, the Nigerian government procrastinated about the abduction of the Chibok girls and the attempt to eradicate the insurgents called Boko Haram. These two issues have become the born of contention in our political life because the then government decided to procrastinate rather than take decisive actions in these two matters of national interest. We are still paying for our mistakes because we have faced the disappearance and kidnapping of over 200 schoolchildren from different parts of Nigeria. Today, we continue to fight several insurgencies in our nation because of these two consequences.

Nigerians procrastinate all the time. It appears procrastination is now more of a social norm. For example, a few months to the end of 2022, the INEC chairman called on every registered voter to go to their local government areas and wards to collect their PVCs if Nigerians want to achieve the change they desire. A series of million-person marches and movements are underway, with many voicing their views on the need for change in Nigeria. But this change will only come if registered voters collect their PVCs and cast their votes on the day of the election. INEC has scheduled the presidential and National Assembly elections for February 23 and March 11 for the governorship and state Assembly elections. For Nigerians to get the right persons into political offices, registered voters must perform their civic duty to collect their PVCs and vote. But Nigerians will wait until the last minute to start the rush to collect their PVCs. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) continued with its nationwide sensitization and public enlightenment exercise on its naira redesign project as the deadline for the retirement of the old N200, N500, and N1,000 draws closer. It also stressed that it has enough new banknotes to go around. It urged Nigerians to return the old currency and report banks that do not dispense new notes on their Automated Teller Machines (ATM). The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, declared that the apex bank would not extend January 31, 2023, deadline fixed to return the old N200, N500, and N1,000 banknotes. Emefiele urged those holding on to the old banknotes to turn them in. He assured them that the anti-graft agency would not harass them. Even at this appeal, Nigerians will not respond to the call until the last minute.

There are many times I have been a victim of procrastination. Repeatedly, I pushed forward with writing an article because I could not have the right word or phrase to start the piece. But once I get the breakthrough, I will begin writing under pressure. The result of

this procrastination is I will have to work late hours to meet the deadline. An American psychologist and author, Professor Adam Grant, emphasized that people should make time to procrastinate as a way to fuel creativity. He argues that creative people tend to procrastinate more. Similarly, a British psychologist, Anna Abramowski, says people who procrastinate display a certain level of self-reliance, autonomy, and self-confidence because they are aware of the risk of subjecting themselves to last-minute pressures and still consciously decide to. That can be a good thing because it stimulates creativity and enables them to engage in multiple tasks at the same time. But it could backfire if this becomes a habit. Many Nigerians procrastinate even without knowing it. Others procrastinate to revolt against a strict system that ensures they do things on time. Yet, others do not want to finish tasks too early to avoid an additional job. We just procrastinate for any reason (laziness, tiredness, lame excuses, peer pressure, and even sickness). The effects of this on individuals and national growth include failure, stagnation, limitation, regrets, and poor lifestyles. The danger is that procrastination becomes a killer of our collective destinies.

Sometimes, when Nigerians behave the way they do, I am tempted to think it is behavior that is peculiar to us. That procrastination may be a good thing after all. A self-published author, Alyce P. Cornyn-Selby, once said: A perfect method for adding drama to life is to wait until the deadline looms. And this idea is how Nigerians do with all deadlines, whether it is voter registration, return of old currency to banks, or PVC collection after registration. Nigerians are very dramatic. Every time any government announces a new policy, a new breed of analysts and critics is born. They never miss an opportunity to show just how. They will have press conferences, interviews, radio, and television talk shows. When it is time for action, they will all relax. They criticize and analyze but take no action until the deadline looms. On December 12, 2022, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced that the collection of PVC would begin at its offices in each of the 774 local government areas across the country. The commission also said they would decentralize the PVC collection to the 8,809 Registration Areas/Wards from January 6, 2023. To ensure it gives out all cards, the commission’s staff will also work Saturdays and Sundays. I am not a prophet of doom, but I foresee a situation where people will get into the Owambe mood and forget to collect their PVCs or return the old currency notes until the last day of the month.

Then when the deadline approached, they would start shouting, accusing INEC and CBN of plotting to strip them of their rights. Some will call for the deadline to be extended and even suggest that people should be allowed to pick up their PVC at polling places and vote on the same day. Others will begin to call on the CBN to extend the deadline to enable the underprivileged and those who live in rural areas where there are no banks to be able to deposit their old notes. So, even if INEC keeps distributing this (PVC) until election eve, Nigerians will still have this (rush attitude) because people always keep things until the last minute. Even if the official position of the CBN is to extend the deadline to July 31, as suggested by some stakeholders, Nigerians will still wait until the last minute. We are chronic last-minute people by birth.

There are several types of procrastinators in Nigeria today. First, the pleasure seeker, also known as the thrill seeker or the novelty seeker. This type of person will deliberately choose to do something that creates fun by meeting an urgent task with a deadline. Pleasure seekers wait until they want to accomplish a particular task (which may or may not happen) before engaging in it. While it is normal to feel lazy occasionally, pleasure seekers can be a source of disapproval from those around them. Second are the dreamers, also known as the optimist (over-Sabi). It is an overconfident sort. They are oblivious to the consequences of procrastination, often believing things will magically happen without intervention. They don’t pay enough attention to detail, so they can have great ideas of what to do, but they hate dealing with all these annoying details. They have thoughts about beautiful things but somehow want somebody else to do them on their behalf. So, their thinking style is uncertain, and they end up procrastinating because of this thinking. Third, the overbooker, also known as the overdoer or the busybody. They use busyness as an excuse for procrastination. This type of person deliberately overstretches to appear productive rather than completing tasks that require immediate or urgent attention. The overdoer thinks they will do everything, but they end up doing nothing rather than doing things for other people. So, what they end up often procrastinating on is what they need to do for themselves. So, they get involved in everybody else’s stuff, and then, Oh my God, my stuff is not done. Fourth, the perfectionist, also known as the indecisive or the performer. Perfectionist pays too much attention to detail so much that they often fail to finish a task. They prioritize perfection over completion. They often fail to start

a project or task for fear that there isn’t enough time to get it done—and meet their high standards. And fifth, the avoider, also known as the warrior or the self-deprecation. A person in this category tells himself that he works best under pressure. So, he waits until the last minute. Often, they pull it off but not as well as they should. While we get away with things, these types of procrastination are thus cementing our reputation as lazy or unreliable people.

As February draws near, there are still thousands of unclaimed PVCs in INEC offices across the country. Likewise, we continue to see the old 200-, 500-, and 1,000-naira notes as January 31 draws near. The question is, who are the owners of the unclaimed voter cards? What will it take to get these people to collect them? Voter registration is only one part of the process. The collection of PVCs is another process. The elections can only be successful when people pick up their voter’s cards after production and use them on election day. Only then would the effort count. When I was a kid, when a new currency came out, it was a common practice for banks to withhold the old money as soon as it reached their bank. That means you will never be able to get it again. But today, banks receive the old naira notes as deposits but deposit them in ATMs. The question is, how are they going to get rid of the old currency if they keep depositing it at the ATM until the last day of January? Procrastination is a deadly silent killer of destiny because when we procrastinate, we cooperate with nature to destroy our lives. Our institutions must work hard to stop this menace by always taking decisive actions when due. We must learn to always say NO! to what urges us to procrastinate. We must learn to disagree with the lazy side of our nature to allow creativity to become a part of our lives. We must resist the menace called laziness because it is the biggest reason we procrastinate. Procrastination is also a habit. We must learn to replace this habit with creativity, innovation, and hard work. Just as some state governments have declared work-free days to enable public servants to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVC), they must also do the same for people to deposit their money in banks. But before the state governments intervene, go and collect your PVCs and return the old currency before it is too late.

Rev. Ma, S.J, is a Jesuit Catholic priest and PhD candidate in public and social policy at St. Louis University in the state of Missouri, USA.

Crypto market – Are NFTs the future English?

By Ololade Razak

Given all these benefits it seems highly likely that NFTs could indeed be part of our economic future if countries decide to adopt friendly regulations towards these types of digital assets – something which has already been done in places like Malta & Gibraltar with great success stories coming out each day!

Crypto markets are one of the most dynamic, innovative, and disruptive markets ever seen. With the emergence of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) in recent years, it is becoming clear that these digital assets have the potential to revolutionize many aspects of finance and commerce. This article will explore whether NFTs are truly a glimpse into

the future or just another passing trend.

Before diving into what NFTs can mean for our future, let’s first examine what they actually are. NFTs are cryptographic tokens that represent a range of digital assets such as artworks, photographs, or videos. What makes them distinct from traditional cryptoassets is their ability to be easily transferred between parties via Ethereum blockchain technology without any intermediaries

involved in the process. They also come with unique ownership details attached to them which cannot be replicated by any other token on the blockchain network –making them truly unique and irreplaceable!

It is difficult to predict whether NFTs will remain popular over time because there are still so many unknown variables related to their usage and regulation within different jurisdictions around the world. However, one thing

“

we do know for sure is that they have already sparked a renewed interest in crypto asset trading by allowing users greater control over their investments through increased transparency & liquidity options when compared with traditional products like stocks & bonds, etc… As more people embrace this new form of decentralized financing it could lead us toward an exciting new era where financial transactions become both easier & faster

Crypto markets are one of the

innovative,

disruptive markets ever seen.

than ever before!

Given all these benefits it seems highly likely that NFTs could indeed be part of our economic future if countries decide to adopt friendly regulations towards these types of digital assets –something which has already been done in places like Malta & Gibraltar with great success stories coming out each day! Ultimately though only time will tell if Nonfungible tokens will become commonplace across all global markets but certainly, right now they look to set up as being one possible way forward that may very well shape how we interact financially going forward.

Lagos State University, PMB 0001, Badagry Expressway, Ojo

By Akeem Barakat Bolanle

In summary, gender equality can be. But then, are we ready to make it equal? Are we ready to mete the same punishment irrespective of gender? Are we also making sure we are not drifting towards centralizing matriarchy while trying to decentralize patriarchy?. We can all strike a balance if we see each other as first, humans before any gender.

It is not a secret that gender war is one of the hot topics in this modern world.

Concepts like gender equality, decentralizing patriarchy among others, are fast becoming the main focus. This has also led to the birth of the the popular movement called Feminism. which according to the Oxford dictionary means “the belief and aim that women should have the same rights and opportunities as

men.” Even though some women refer to themselves as “Feminist”, but actually misconstrue the actual stance of Feminism. We can almost say gender war was not really as it is now in the millennial period. It appears that, this generation is more keen about championing the idea of gender equality. Probably based on the popularity of the expression “it is a man’s world.” But then, if we take a look at the present happenings in our societies, does it.

First of, examining the society from the view of domestic violence, we

often focus on the male gender. “A man should not hit a woman” the world is always ready to pounce on any man charged or accused of domestic violence against a woman. it is also very easy for a woman to accuse a man and everyone believes even without evidence but say a man comes to say same, then the opposite is the case most times. “How can a woman beat a man?” would be the question on every lip. The man might even get mocked in some cases. We promote “teach your sons not to hit a woman” while we forget “teach your daughters not

to throw the first punch”. What then happens when a woman hits a man? Another sensitive gender related issue is ‘rape.’ We all like to thread carefully when this topic is being discussed so we do not appear insensitive. We do not fight against rape on the male gender like we do for the female. The society hardly even believes a man who says he was raped or molested by women. We have lots of cases of young men who experienced molestation in the hands of women either as a child or an adult but we do not place much attention to it. But then,

a woman comes on the internet to call out a man for rape and the whole world is ready to devour him.even in places of work and learning, a man moves to a woman, she feel she is not comfortable, she raises an alarm and the whole organization comes for the man but who does the man reports a woman who sexually harasses him to? And if he does, Do we actually take it like we would if it were a woman?

In sum, gender equality can be. But then, are we ready to make it equal? Are we ready to mete the same punishment irrespective of gender? Are we also making sure we are not drifting towards centralizing matriarchy while trying to decentralize patriarchy?. We can all strike a balance if we see each other as first, humans before any gender.

Another sensitive gender related issue is ‘rape.’ We all like to thread carefully when this topic is being discussed so we do not appear insensitive

“

most dynamic,

and

Akeem Barakat Bolanle writes in from Lagos State University.

“It is a man’s world”: Fact or facade?

NGO urges Buhari to appoint substantive leadership

for Ajaokuta steel company

From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

ANon-governmental Organization, NGO, Buhari Legancies Implementation Initiative, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to effect a speedy and expeditious change of guard at moribund Ajaokuta Steel Rolling Mills for a substantive leader to take its mantle of leadership.

The Secretary General of the NGO, the Abubakar Assaddeeq made the call in a statement he signed in Kano over the weekend.

He said there is nothing that could turn the fortune of the Ajaokuta Steel Company than the appointment of a professional to run its affairs.

According to him, the government seems to be in dire need of reviving the company, advising it to appoint substantive leadership to achieve the desired goals.

According to him, the famous Ajaokuta Steel Company had over the years suffered a serious neglect in the hands of past successive administrations at the expense of national interest pointing out that running the affairs of such a gigantic outfit is not the business of greenhorns.

He said “lack of a substantive leader had been the bone of the company for inexplicable economic progress, reasons and that given a professional and experience with considerable expertise would be the best way forward to prove the efficiency of the organization for greater result stressing that entrusting unit affairs in the hands of mediocres would not be the answers,”

Mr Assaddeeq noted that the reappointment and extension of another two years to the soleadministrator of the company after five years of what he described as mischievous and incompetence in running the affairs of the company had deterred the Buhari administration ‘s resolve to make it functuonal before the president leave office.

“Furthermore, with the recent fire disaster that ravages the steel complex last week Tuesday for twelve hours, razing down some sections of buildings which took fire services six hours the following days before everything was brought under control, it butress my point, over the issue of gross incompetence.

“The damage inflicted by the disaster could have been ratified if concerted efforts were made at the top of the leadership. While calling on the Federal Government to avoid the mistake of planting a neophyte at the centre of the leadership of the company, i further stressed that the issue of incompetence must be taken into cognizance for the much pronounced goal to be achieved,” he said.

Ogun PDP guber: Apex court dismisses Lawal’s appeal, others

By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja

TheSupreme Court, has dismissed four appeals filed by the Ogun state Peoples Democratic Party as regards 2023 governorship election, for no cause of action.

The dismissal of the appeals filed by one of the governorship aspirants, Otunba Jimi Lawal and some ward delegates was following their withdrawal of the matter.

In one of the appeals, filed by Tayo Olabode against the PDP governorship candidate in Ogun state, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, the appeal was dismissed on the ground that the delegates who filed the action lacked locus standi to do so.

The judgement read by Justice Kukere Ekun held that the delegates who claimed to have been disenfranchised in the PDP primary election that produced Oladipupo cannot initiate any court action against the primary election since they were not aspirants in the

election.

According to the court, the law is clear that only an aspirant in a primary election conducted for the purpose of nominating candidates for election, can lawfully challenge the outcome and not any other party member.

Also, the second appeal was dismissed for failure to serve originating summon on the defendant.

The court held that since the aggrieved defendant participated in the matter from the beginning to the end, the issue of service can no longer take the front burner.

The counsel in the appeals marked SC/CS/1601/22 and SC/ CS/1602/22, Mr Deji Eniseyin had made concerted efforts to sway the Justices to the side of the Appellant, but succumbed when he admitted that his clients participated in the trial fully, though in protest.

The Ward delegates, through thier counsel, Tayo Olabode, alleged that they were disenfranchised from

participating in the governorship primary election.

Specifically, he requested the court to quash the primary election that produced Adebutu on the ground that unlawful delegates conducted the primary election.

At Tuesday proceedings, the Justices put various questions to the lawyers in the appeals, which were answered negatively.

It was unanimously agreed in the open court that notwithstanding the anger of the aggrieved ward delegates, they are not legally permitted to challenge a primary election in which they were not aspirants.

Based on the findings, the counsel to the Appellant Chikwudi Enebeli and Deji Eniseyin, said that they were painfully withdrawing the cases of their clients.

Justice kekere-Ekun, consequently dismissed the appeals on the ground that they have no legs to stand upon.

Recall that the apex court had in

a lead judgment by Justice Ibrahim Saulawa ordered speedy hearing of the suit after holding that the Federal High Court has jurisdiction to hear the matter.

In line with the Supreme Court’s order, on December 1, 2022,. a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, dismissed a suit by Otunba Adebisi Lawal, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, seeking to remove Oladipupo Adebutu, as candidate of the 2023 Ogun state PDP governorship election.

Lawal and Adebutu, had both lay claim as the gubernatorial candidate of the party ahead the 2023 general elections.

Justice Inyang Ekwo in a judgment, held that he did not see any concrete documentary evidence by the Plaintiff to support his claim that an unlawful delegate list was used by the PDP to conduct the April 30, Ward Congress in Ogun state.

Justice Ekwo described the plaintiff as a spoiler adding that the suit is a product of an after thought.

R-L: Clerk House of Representatives Dr. Yahaya Danzaria, Chairman Ad-hoc Committee to Interface with Central Bank Nigeria and Commercial Banks on New Currency swap/ Leader of the house, Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa and a member of the Committee, Hon. Sada Soli, during the committees meeting with members, at the National Assembly, yesterday in Abuja

Association demands immediate end to fuel scarcity

TheNational Association of Energy Correspondents (NAEC) have called on government agencies responsible for regulation and supply to immediately arrest the worsening fuel scarcity in the country.

This is to justify huge public expenditure on internal subsidy.

The association’s secretary, Mr John Meze, In a statement issued on Monday in Lagos said the body of energy editors in Nigeria, lamented that the development had brought untold hardship to Nigerians.

The association said the several hours, which ought to have been put into productive ventures, were wasted at filling stations.

The group which hosted writers from online, print and electronic media organisations specifically called for immediate supply liberalisation in the domestic market.

The association also called for joint management of the government sponsored fuel subsidy scheme, visible and transparent supply monitoring dashboard as well as effective regulation and monitoring of the internal fuel market.

The group condemned the prevailing chaos in the fuel market, challenging the regulators in the industry to come alive.

NAEC pointed out that while scarcity led to chaotic fuel queues across the country, marketers had taken advantage of the situation to profiteer by engaging in sharp market practices which currently manifested in

product hoarding.

According to the association, the queues had caused the return of black market operations, diversions and breaking of regulated price ceilings.

The group observed that the sharp market practices cut across all marketing groups, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. (NNPCL) where pump prices had surged from the official N165 per litre to over N300 per litre in some parts of the country despite the uniform pricing regime.

The development, according to the association, has serious implications for the already weakened purchasing power and income of the average Nigerian.

“Already the high cost of petrol is impacting the daily cost of living as seen in transportation costs, energy costs as many homes continue to rely on alternative sources of power due to the poor supply from the grid as well as in high cost of goods and services.

“The traffic situation across the metropolis is also worsening as a result of prolonged fuel queues, causing high loss of man hours that could have been deployed to productive activities,” the group stated.

The NAEC noted that the nation’s “distribution value-chain is broken and worsened by a weak regulatory system.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NNPCL has since the inception of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari hijacked both the national petroleum

subsidy funds and petrol supply responsibility, leading to enthronement of public sector monopoly in the system.

Besides, the national oil company is also the sole manager of the country’s petroleum subsidy funds, with the Group Chief Executive Officer, Mallam Mele Kyari, telling the national legislators: “NNPCL dedcuted subsidy claims at source.”

Thus the role of NNPCL in the market has created linear supply channel that has rendered the domestic fuel market vulnerable to supply chain disruption.

NAEC stated that the nation’s distribution value-chain had been broken.

“It is bad enough that there is no one to hold to account, it is worse that the government has jeopardised the interest of the masses for politics, considering that elections are near,” the association declared.

NAEC described excuses often given by market players including logistics, price regulation and domestic energy subsidy as lame.

The association noted that energy subsidy remained a normal and effective economic growth stimulation strategy still employed by all developed countries of the world to tame the cost of production and guarantee the wellbeing of citizens.

It pointed out that, “the subsidy system in Nigeria has been enmeshed in gross opacity.”

In pushing its recommendations

for healing the market, NAEC called on NNPCL to immediately enthrone a transparent subsidy system that would allow the supply figures and cost templates that would subsidy claims verifiable.

NAEC demands that all stakeholder groups should liaise with regulators to establish unassailable templates for subsidy management until the market is deregulated.

“We, therefore, call on government to immediately liberalise petrol supplies in the country in line with best practices.

“Also NAEC recommends that the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority (NMDRA), which is responsible for operations compliance and resource accountability, needs to rise to its duty by holding market players accountable for open books, fair play and equal opportunity,” said the group.

It also called on the NMDRA not to fail in providing a public dashboard on the supply flow in the domestic fuel market to allow the public demand for accountable practice from players.

“As this will clear the air of suspicion that the prevailing fuel market crisis is not a political undertaking by managers of the system to siphon funds for political objectives.

The media group also challenged players and groups in the domestic fuel market to embark on self regulation by dealing with errant members that encourage sharp practices at their retail outlets. (NAN)

Photo: Mahmud Isa

Ikpeazu orders PDP flags at half-mast, suspends campaign over Ikonne’s death

By Musa Baba Adamu

Abia State Governor, Okezie

Ikpeazu has ordered that all Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flags fly at halfmast, just as all party campaign activities be suspended over the death of party’s governorship candidate, Prof Eleazar Uchenna Ikonne yesterday at the National hospital, Abuja.

A statement personally signed by the Governor, said “It is with a heavy heart but total submission to the will of God that we announce the passing of our Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for the 2023 general elections, Prof Eleazar Uchenna Ikonne, which sad event took place in the early hours of today at the National Hospital, Abuja, after a brief illness.

“While we condole with the family of the late Professor of Optometry, the PDP family and Abians in general, we pray God to have mercy on his soul, grant him eternal rest and give everyone affected by his unfortunate demise the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

“As a mark of honour to our dear departed brother, I hereby direct that all flags in Abia State PDP offices be lowered and flown at half mast while all campaign activities for the party at all levels be suspended until Monday, 30th January, 2023.

“I urge all PDP leaders and members to remain calm as we navigate through this difficult period together.”

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The governorship candidate of the Accord (A) in Zamfara State, Umaru Diddi Maradun has alleged that the state has faced 20 years of suffering due to poor leadership.

He has now assured the

Ex-Gov Bindow confirms defection from APC

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The immediate past Governor of Adamawa State, Senator Jibrilla Bindow, has confirmed his resignation from the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Bindow, the Senator for Adamawa North District from 2011 to 2015, was initially in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), before defecting to the APC.

He was the governor from 2015 to 2019 under the APC. He, however, formally left the party via a letter made public on Tuesday evening.

His resignation was widely viewed with doubt, considering that he had recently been

rumoured on several occasions to have left the APC, only for him to deny it.

He confirmed Wednesday morning that he had, for a fact, finally left the APC.

His formal resignation, made via a letter to the APC chairman in his ward, did not come as a surprise, considering past expectations which fueled rumours and after the way his support organisation, the Bindow Support Group, BSG, has in the last three weeks been hobnobbing with the PDP and Governor of the state, Ahmadu Fintiri.

Bindow said in the letter that unresolved crisis within the party in the state compelled him to resign his membership.

In the letter addressed to the Chairman of APC in his Kolere ward, Mubi North Local Government Area, Bindow said the unfortunate event of the 2019 general election and the 2022 governorship primaries remained the main reasons for his decision to leave the APC.

It may be recalled that Bindow, who was the APC governorship ticket in the 2015 election, lost that election chiefly because of division within the APC, following which many notable members were widely believed to have worked against him.

Also, Bindow is one of at least two governorship aspirants of the APC who have not been known to fully accept the outcome of the

APC primary, which produced Senator Aishatu Ahmed Binani as the candidate.

Bindow said in his resignation letter that the lack of genuine reconciliation with aggrieved stakeholders within the party in Adamawa State since the last governorship primary has made him uncomfortable in the party.

He stated, “While thanking you and the party, I wish to also inform you that my faithful supporters will be joining me across the state in leaving the party to Champion a cause of building a harmonious Adamawa State that will enshrine unity in our diversity towards a collective development as a people.”

electorate that he will reposition Zamfara if voted into power.

He claimed the state has suffered backwardness due to a lack of focus by its leadership.

Maradun, who flagged off his campaign rally in Maru town, Mary Local Government Area of the State said the state needs competent

leadership to pull it out of its current mess.

“Our people have been suffering for the past 20 years due to bad governance due to lack of direction and focus”.

Both the PDP and APC have failed Nigerians, as such, I am calling on the people of this country to vote

for the Accord Party because it is the only party that has the interest of the masses at heart”

Maradun urged residents to embark on fervent prayers to seek the face of Allah for divine intervention to save the state from banditry.

He assured that his first

assignment if elected as a governor would be to fight banditry, hunger, joblessness and injustice.

The campaign flag-off was attended by the party’s Vice Presidential candidate, Bala Bello Maru and the Deputy Governorship aspirants of the party, Bello Suleiman Bungudu, amongst others.

The North untapped jewel - Obi tells voters in Gombe

By Christiana Ekpa

The Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi on Wednesday touched down with his campaign team in the North East state of Gombe, otherwise known as the Jewel of the Savannah with a promise to secure and make the North the Jewel of the country.

Obi told a rally of mammoth crowd, as well as town hall

meetings of Women and youths in the state that he and his running mate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmad have identified the vast arable land in the North as an untapped Jewel that make Nigeria a production country away from the current status of consumption.

The LP Presidential flag bearer told the people that a rebirth of the country is not achievable without turning the vast land in the country into our own gold and oil.

He said that, “the vast arable land of the North is a new vista that must be opened up to serve Nigeria and Africa.

He stated that the agricultural potential in the North is infinite and it’s through it that we can pull people out of poverty, export goods and earn revenue and increase our foreign exchange earnings.

Obi said that he and his Vice, Datti have the vigor, the vitality to do whatever we are promising,

noting that they have clear records of achievements in public and private places.

He told the people they will invest heavily in education and Health because the two are needed to develop and tap the potentials of human capital for growth and development.

Obi told the cheering women that their children must go back to school as he and Datti will do everything to secure the country

and the people will live well again.

“Nigerians want security, we cannot do anything unless we have a secure Nigeria. Nigerian children must not be out of school”.

The Vice Presidential candidate Datti Baba Ahmad and the National Chairman of Labour Party, Bar Julius Abure as well as other party faithfuls underscored the speech of the candidate that LP party team will create a new Nigeria.

L-R, Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen ; Minister of Works and Housing , Babatunde Fashola ; Minister of State for Works and Housing, Umar El- Yakub ; Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo during the Federal Executive Council Meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja yesterday

Accord Party ready to save Zamfara from 20 years of suffering – Maradun

Trading experience required in Nigeria’s bilateral relations with countries -Peter Obi

By Christiana Ekpa

The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi Wednesday told Nigerian youths about his love for trading and how he became a banker by accident.

Obi told the cheering youths that even when he was schooling at the University of Nigeria (UNN), he was trading and was able to build the branch of Savannah Bank in Nsukka as a businessman/student.

He said “everything about governance is trading, the negotiation and all the bilateral talks with and between countries, agencies, contractors or workers are trading and governance requires a good trader who can negotiate well.

“Where we are in this country now requires a leader to negotiate us out of our problems, when I say I will negotiate with agitators, it’s from my background that you must accommodate everybody into your shop whether he is buying or not and decipher who is a customer and a passerby.

“Even in my passport, it is shown that I am a trader, but some said I should be a banker because I was the chairman of a bank, but I became a banker by accident. My love is in trading because in it you are equipped to face any challenges including governance.”

Atiku, Ayu mourn Abia PDP guber candidate, Ikonne

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and the National Chairman of the party, Dr Iyorchia Ayu have mourned the governorship candidate of the party in Abia State, Prof Uchenna Ikonne who passed on yesterday in Abuja.

Atiku, while mourning Prof Ikonne in a statement yesterday describe him (Prof Ikonne) as an erudite scholar of repute with vast experience in administration, whose contributions in advancing knowledge within the academic community will be appreciated by generations unborn.

The former Vice President of Nigeria recalled his last encounter with Prof Ikonne during which he led a delegation of Abia PDP stakeholders to his residence in

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

Apolitical group, Network for Domestic Election Monitors, has raised the alarm over what it described as the use of security agencies and contacts by top politicians in Sokoto to intimidate opponents and influence the electoral processes to achieve a desired end.

In a statement issued yesterday by Prof Sani Abubakar Yar’sakke, alleged that politicians in the State who are in the ruling party and holding key security structures, are deploying these contacts to frustrate democracy in Sokoto.

Abuja.

In the words of Atiku, “He (Pro Ikonne) was at his intellectual best in the robust discussions that I had with his delegation. We shall miss his ever smiling face, wit and sense of humor which stood him out at all times.”

Atiku noted that as a strong member of the PDP, who should have led PDP to victory in the forthcoming general elections in Abia State, his death comes as a rude shock.

The PDP presidential candidate expressed his deepest condolences to his immediate family, all PDP members in Abia State, the government and good people of Abia state, who were working to vote him into power next month.

Atiku prayed for the repose of his soul.

Similarly, the National

world to strengthen and safeguard democratic institutions, processes, norms and values to secure a better quality of life for all.

“As we watch political parties field candidates for various elective offices, we reiterate that such contests should not, in any way preclude adherence to the principles of freedom of choice, through free and fair elections. We believe in the constitutional right of all eligible citizens to vote for leaders of their choice, without let or hindrance.

Chairman of PDP, Dr Ayu described Ikonne as a thoroughbred academic as well as an accomplished administrator.

According to Ayu, “I join millions of sympathetic Nigerians, especially members of the PDP Family, to mourn the passing Prof. Eleazar

Uchenna Ikonne. His death has come to me as a rude shock.

“The professor of Optometry was, until his death in the early hours of today, the PDP Governorship Candidate in Abia state for the 2023 general elections.

“He was a true friend, loving father and devoted husband who valued family over everything else.

“He was a thoroughbred academic as well as an accomplished administrator.

“It is a testimony to his

positions are relevant to defence, national security, law and order.

“The Chairman, Senate Committee on Defence, who is a former Governor of the state, Sen Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko

“The Chairman, Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, Sen Ibrahim Abdullahi Gobir

“The Vice Chairman Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Sen Ibrahim Abdullahi Danbaba

leadership acumen that he was appointed (on rescue mission) as the rector of the state-owned Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, between 2014 and 2015. And in December 2015, he was appointed the 7th Substantive Vice-Chancellor of the Abia State University.

“Upon his retirement from the ivory tower, Ikonne joined the PDP, and was subsequently elected its Gubernatorial Candidate for the March 11 2023 governorship election.

“I extend my heart-felt condolences to his family ,the Government and people of Abia State as well as the PDP Family nationwide, particularly the Abia State Chapter.

“I pray for God Almighty to grant him eternal rest and to give the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss”, he said.

“The Honorable Minister of Police Affairs, Muhammadu Maigari Dingyai

“Many people in the State had hoped that these strategic appointments would translate positively in ensuring proper coordination and providing effective security in the State.

By Musa Baba Adamu

PresidentMuhammadu Buhari and Vice President

Yemi Osinbajo were on Wednesday absent at the presidential campaign rally of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Presidential candidate of the party, Bola Tinubu, had led other leaders of the APC to the MKO Abiola Stadium in Kuto, Abeokuta, to seek the support of Ogun residents.

But, Buhari and Osinbajo were conspicuously absent at the campaign rally.

Recall that the spokesperson of Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo, had earlier disclosed that Buhari would join Tinubu’s campaign in Ogun on January 25.

However, the president was nowhere to be found today when the APC campaign trail finally landed in Ogun.

As for Vice President Osinbajo, Ogun is his home state, being an indigene of Ikenne Local Government Area.

Osinbajo is also a registered party member in Ogun, following the transfer of his APC membership card to Ikenne.

No reason has been given for the absence of the two Nigerian leaders at the APC rally.

“We are a domestic nonpartisan, non-profit, and nongovernmental organization working with both local and international partners around the

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State has expelled Ita Enang, an ex-Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari, over what it termed “anti-party activities”.

The expulsion came after

By Christiana Ekpa

The Congress of Northern Nigeria Christians (CNNC) said Nigerians have an opportunity to put the country on the right path by electing credible leaders in next month’s general elections.

Speaking to newsmen in Kaduna on Wednesday, the group’s spokesman, Dr Iliya Yusuf, stated that it is no longer news that Nigerians in different parts of the country are experiencing various

We recall that at the inception of the current democratic dispensation in 2019, the entire people of Sokoto State had high hopes that the 2023 elections would be most free and peaceful. This optimism was propelled by the number of strategic offices at national level occupied by indigenes of the state. These

recommendations from Enang’s ward in Ibiono Ibom LGA of the state.

In a letter dated January 24, 2023, the state working committee of the APC led by the chairman of the party, Stephen Ntukekpo, ratified the ward’s recommendations expelling him.

types of challenges ranging from killings, kidnapping, cattle rustling, destruction of valuables to other criminal activities that have become the order of the day.

With this year’s general elections around the corner, he called on all Northern Christians, all people of goodwill and those who truly love the unity of Nigeria, to stick together both at the local and National levels and speak with one voice in choosing new credible leaders that will pilot the affairs of the country to the

“The Vice Chairman Senate Committee on Anti Corruption, still Sen Aliyu M. Wamakko

“The Senate Leader now, Sen Ibrahim Abdullahi Gobir, who has vacated his position as Chairman Senate Committee on Intelligence and National Security to Sen Ibrahim Abdullahi Danbaba.

The letter indicated the anti-party activities include his indulgence with the PDP in Akwa Ibom State and his willful but unlawful disobedience of the directives of the APC.

It added that “Consequently, I write on behalf of the state working committee (SWC) to ratify

promised land.

Steven Bangoji, national president of the congress, enjoined Nigerians to ensure they vote credible candidates into elective offices, stressing that the country at the moment requires good leadership that will change the narratives of the present happenings in the country.

According to him: “It is high time that people of goodwill ensured that responsible people take [over] the affairs of the land for Nigerians to experience new

“We are deeply concerned that countdown to the 2023 general elections, the numerous interference in subverting the maintenance of law and order is compelling rational individuals to conclude that these positions being held by the State indigenes at National level, were sought for, to be used for self-serving purposes, and more importantly to enhance their electoral fortunes”.

the decision of the disciplinary committee of the All Progressives Congress; that, Senator Ita Solomon Enang, be and is hereby expelled from the All Progressives Congress.”

This comes a week after an Appeal Court upheld Akanimo Udofia as the authentic APC candidate in Akwa Ibom.

hope of life in a country that is so blessed with both natural and human resources and requires a good leader to ensure the right thing is done for the country to prosper in all ramifications.”

He enjoined Nigerians to see the coming general elections as a time not to allow religion, tribe or sectional interest to becloud their sense of judgement but to ensure that only candidates of goodwill are elected into various political offices for the overall unity, peace and development of the country.

Buhari, Osinbajo absent as Tinubu campaigns in Ogun

Group laments use of security agencies to influence electoral processes in Sokoto

NDIC begins verification of depositors of Unyogba microfinance bank

From Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, NDIC, has called on depositors of Unyogba Microfinance Bank inliquidation to come forward for their verification and payment of their insured deposits.

The corporation on its Twitter handle on Wednesday said the bank was located in Kogi.

The NDIC said the exercise would commence between Jan. 30 and Feb. 10 at the branches of the closed banks in the state or any NDIC office.

The Corporation listed the bank’s branches where the exercise would take place to include Ejule, Anyigba, Ugwolawo, Federal Polytechnic, Idah and Okpo.

The NDIC called on affected depositors to present their passbooks, cheque books, other proof of account ownership together with any valid means of identification during the exercise.

It said that eligible depositors could also visit the Corporation’s website at www.ndic.gov.ng/ claims to download and fill out the claims form.

On December 21, 2020, the NDIC began to liquidate 42 microfinance banks, MFBs, across the country.

The liquidation exercise followed the revocation of their licences by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

In 2018, the CBN revoked the operating licences of about 153 MFBs and six Primary Mortgage Banks, PMBs.

DMO offers N360bn worth of

FGN bonds at N1,000 per unit

From Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

The Debt Management Office, DMO, has offered four Federal Government of Nigeria, FGN, bonds valued at N360 billion for a subscription via auction at N1,000 per unit.

According to a circular by the DMO, the bonds on offer are reopening of a 10-year, Feb. 2028 FGN bond, valued at N90 billion, at interest rate of 13.98 per cent per annum.

There is also re-opening of the 15-year, April 2032 FGN bond,

valued at N90 billion, at 12.50 per cent rate per annum.

The third is re-opening of a 20-year, April 2037 FGN bond, valued at N90 billion, at 16.24 interest rate per annum.

The last offer is re-opening of 30-year, April 2049 FGN bond, also valued at N90 billion, at interest rate of 14.80 per cent per annum.

“They are offered at N1,000 per unit with a minimum subscription of N50 million, and in multiples of N1,000 thereafter.

“For re-openings of previously issued bonds, successful bidders

will pay a price corresponding to the yield-to-maturity bid that clears the volume being auctioned plus any accrued interest rate.

“Interest is payable semiannually while the bullet repayment (principal sum) is made on maturity,” the DMO said.

It added that the FGN bonds qualify as securities in which trustees can invest under the Trustee Investment Act.

“They also qualify as government securities within the meaning of the Company Income Tax Act and Personal Income Tax Act for tax exemption for pension

funds amongst other investors.

“They are listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange Limited and FMDQ OTC Securities Exchange Limited.

“All FGN bonds qualify as liquid assets for liquidity ratio calculation for banks,” it said.

It added that they were backed by the full faith and credit of the Federal Government and charged upon the general assets of Nigeria.

The government securities like FGN bond, FGN savings bond and the Sukuk bond constitute a local components of government borrowings.

Nigeria to net $500m revenues from cashew exports in 2023 —Minister

From Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

Dr Mohammed

Abubakar, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development says cashew nuts export from Nigeria had generated over 250m dollars in 2022 and it is expected to fetch Nigerian farmers about $500million in 2023.

Represented by Dr Ernest Umakhihe, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Abubakar said this during the Nigerian Cashew Day and cashew season commencement with the theme: “Industrialising the Nigeria Cashew Sector

through Inclusive Policies,” on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said: “In Nigeria, cashew is increasing in its importance as an export-oriented cash crop since the 1990’s, it has become an important source of non-oil export earnings.

”It is estimated to represent over 10% of GDP based on export data of 2022 and it is becoming a commercial crop in Nigeria and is cultivated in 27 States including the FCT..

“In realisation of the importance of cashew, the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development listed cashew as a priority crop.

”It is being promoted under the Import Substitution Strategy of the present administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari.”

Mr Abubakar said that the cashew value chain was among the crops being promoted under the Value Chain Programme of the ministry.

“The Ministry had carried out a number of activities over the years to promote the growth of the value chain in the Country including the distribution of improved seeds/seedlings to cashew farmers free of charge.

“Establishment of cashew cottage industries in some

states, distribution of agrochemicals/growth enhancers, carbon-free jute bags and knapsack sprayers.

”Others were the provision of water pumps to cashew farmers, conducting capacity building/training for cashew farmers and having sensitisation exercises,” the minister added.

Ojo Ajanaku, President, National Cashew Association of Nigeria, NCAN, said that Nigeria was steadily becoming an export hub and taking over the country’s foreign exchange trading over the last three years by at least 11 per cent.

He said: “This implies that the sector has the potential

to drive national revenue generation, increase job creation and diversify the economy.”

Mr Ajanaku said that more than 3 million people in Nigeria, especially women have become cashew producers and were driving the sector among their male counterparts.

”NCAN”s long-term goal is to transform Nigeria from a low-priced commodity producer to a reliable supplier and exporter of high-quality cashew products, adopt indigenous innovations and policies that will drive the sector,” he added.

The Acting Director General of National Youth Service Corps, Mrs Christy Ifeyinwa Uba (2nd left) with some of the newly promoted staff to grade Level 17 (Directors) in NYSC, Abdullahi Yusuf Baba, (left), Ibrahim Abdul Muhammed (2nd right) and Isa Abdulazeez Onimisi during the presentation of their letters of promotion at the NYSC National Directorate Headquarters , yesterday in Abuja . Photo: NYSC

ECOWAS Speaker intensifies call for adoption of single currency

From Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

Dr Sidie Tunis, Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament have called for more political commitment towards the adoption of the ECOWAS common currency, blaming inflation in the region on the use of U.S. dollars in trade.

Mr Tunis made this known in an interview with newsmen at the Parliament’s 2023 First Highlevel Seminar in Bissau, Guinea Bissau, with the theme “ECOWAS Common Currency and the Interbank Payment System as Promoters of Regional Trade”.

”We should be able to trade easily with our currency but that is not happening, trading with USD is naturally increasing prices on our commodities.

It is very important for countries of the region to trade easily using its own single currency, which he says would guarantee more stable economies of Member States.

“As I said in my speech, there have been a lot of commitments from the Authority of Heads of States and there have been a series of meetings specifically about the single Currency.

“Now with the progress in place, I believe every member would want it to be successful, that is the reason why we are all here.

“The most important thing is that there is a commitment from the leaders, the authorities of head of states on single Currency,” Tunis said.

Tunis said that beyond the political commitments to the currency project, the next big issue was how to transition to the next phase of currency adoption and introduction in the region.

He said that at this point, ECOWAS countries should be thinking of how to move from where they are rto the next level.

“How do we also overcome the influence of the people outside the sub-region?

“The good thing is that the Authority of the heads of States are very committed, they have a determination to move it forward, so it is only good for us to be realistic and that is the only way we can come together to agree on the year 2027.

“That is why we bring the 15 countries from West Africa here and experts from Africa monitoring agencies,” he said.

Speaking on the benefits of the ECOWAS common currency, Tunis said that its introduction will drive down inflation.

“The benefits are enormous. Today we are grumbling about prices on commodities everywhere, principally because of the currency, we are all trading with the USD, we are not trading amongst ourselves.”

Airtel enters eSIM market, launches service for subscribers

From Abubakar Yunusa

Airtel Nigeria, a subsidiary of Airtel Africa Plc, has introduced its embedded subscriber identity modules (eSIM) services on its network.

The initiative comes two years after MTN Nigeria began the use of eSIM, the first in West Africa.

An eSIM (embedded-SIM) is a programmable SIM card that is embedded directly into a smartphone or wearable device.

The new technology is useful for frequent travellers and tourists, making it easy

for them to opt for and keep a local subscription when visiting Nigeria.

In a statement , Airtel said customers who wish to switch their current physical SIM cards for eSIM can now do so as the service is now immediately available on its network.

It also said for successful usage, customers must ensure the availability of a compatible device, obtain the required QR code by dialling *#06#, and be guided through a SIM Swap process by Airtel service personnel.

Airtel’s management said it believes that the digital SIM will significantly improve the productivity of Nigerians, helping its stakeholders to achieve personal and professional goals.

Speaking on the development, Femi Oshinlaja, assistant chief commercial officer, Airtel Nigeria, said Airtel Nigeria was always at the forefront in championing technological advancement and creating innovative platforms and opportunities that will make life better, more exciting, and more enjoyable “for all those in

our stakeholder value chain”.

“With eSIM, we are not only bringing the latest technology to the fingertips of our customers, but we are also focusing on our sustainability goals of digital inclusion and environmental best practices as no plastic is involved with eSIM,” Oshinlaja said.

“It is therefore our commitment to continue to create offerings that will expand and deepen our digital footprints in line with our positioning as the network of first choice in Nigeria for everything mobile internet, digital and home broadband.”

Leverage 5G technology in fight against insecurity, Minister tells security agencies

Isa Pantami, minister of communications and digital economy, says the use of 5G technology could help the federal government in its fight against insecurity in the country.

Pantami said this at the official rollout of 5G network service by MAFAB Communications in Abuja on Tuesday.

Mafab Communications alongside MTN emerged winners of the 5G auction in 2021.

However, the telco was issued a five-month extension for its 5G network rollout by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Speaking at the event, Pantami said there are many economic benefits if 5G technology is leveraged.

He added that the government would take advantage of it to help the security agencies in their fight against insecurity.

“There are so many technologies and artificial intelligence to help our security institutions. All of them leverage effectively all 5G. So, this is in addition to economic benefits,” the minister said.

“So, 5G allows real-time communications, and this has so many benefits to our security institutions if they leverage it because there are so many technological facilities in security that they leverage 5G to allow our security institutions to manage our security challenges effectively, like robots.

“The benefits of 5G deployment are beyond just quality of service. There are so many benefits because new

technology comes along with new benefits like low latency, very high-quality broadband, and faster network and it allows realtime communication or almost near real-time communication, 5G can help with that.

“Today, using 5G virtual surgery is being conducted globally. They did this in the United States and also in China. They recently conducted a virtual surgery where the distance between the surgeon and the patient is over 3,000 kilometres, but the surgery was conducted successfully, and in China, they did it also recently.”

Pantami also lauded Mafab’s chairman for showing resilience and determination despite being a “new player”.

“Mafab has joined the queue. I congratulate the chairman of

Mafab for his commitment to the success of Mafab. It is absolutely difficult to have a new player, who joined the sector within a small period of time and also to be competing with some of the active players in the sector,” he added.

On his part, Umar Danbatta, executive vice-chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), said the federal government under, President Muhammed Buhari, had created a pro-investment and pro-innovation environment, which saw the emergence of Mafab Communications.

In his welcome speech, Mushabu Bashir, Mafab chairman, said countries that can provide their citizens with the latest network infrastructure, which the 5G technology represents, will also be the ones that will thrive in the coming years.

From Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

BU$IN€SS

PenCom: Contributory pension scheme reforms have eased challenges faced by employees

By Abubakar Yunus Abuja

The National Pension Commission (PenCom) says reforms under the contributory pension scheme (CPS) have eased challenges encountered by employees.

The commission said this recently in a video message to Nigerians.

The contributory pension scheme (CPS) is an arrangement where both the employer and the employee contribute towards the payment of the worker’s pension at retirement.

In a bid to improve the sector, PenCom said it has implemented several reforms including the recovery of over N10 billion outstanding pension contribution, and the payment of outstanding pension liabilities.

The commission recently approved the increase of monthly pensions for retirees on “programmed withdrawal” under the CPS.

“The online enrollment and verification exercise, multi-fund structure, non-interest fund, retirement savings account transfer system, and data recapture exercise have eased all the challenges that contributors experience,” it said.

PenCom said it has also ensured that all pension fund administrators (PFAs) increase their share capital to at least N5 billion.

“As we speak, the total pension assets in the country has amounted to over N14 trillion and PenCom has launched the new edition of pension enhancement for retirees on programme withdrawal under the contributory pension scheme,” the commission said.

“The most exciting benefit is that [it is] not only public and civil servants will be enjoying pension in our country; private sector, traders, tailors, fashion designers, shoemakers, civil societies — almost all citizens — can enrol in the pension scheme under the micro pension plan.

“This means that everyone can begin to plan for their lives and in the future, and the national security problem will end in our country.”

PenCom further lauded the federal government for revamping the pension scheme, enjoining Nigerians to make wise use of them.

Zainab Ahmed hints at gradual removal of petrol subsidy from April 2023

By Abubakar Yunus Abuja

Zainab Ahmed, minister of finance, budget and national planning, says the federal government may begin the gradual removal petrol subsidy from April 2023.

Ahmed spoke on Tuesday during an interview with journalists on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

After an 18-month extension, the federal government plans to spend N3.35 trillion on petrol subsidy from January till June, 2023.

Speaking during the interview, the minister noted that the petrol subsidy regime must be exited as it is revenue that would have gone into the

government coffers.

“Where there is not enough revenue for government to buy the refined petroleum products, we have had to borrow to buy the petroleum products. So, if we take that out, that is about N3.25 trillion. That is a significant relief, that we do not incur any more than that number that we projected for in 2023,” she said.

Asked if she felt betrayed that the petrol subsidy had not been removed despite her best efforts to ensure removal, she stressed that it was a collective decision to retain the payments.

“Betrayed? No. It was a decision that was taken as a collective, recognising the fact that due to the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and

also heightened inflation, that removal of the fuel subsidy at that time, would have increased more burden on the citizen,” Ahmed said.

She added that President Muhammadu Buhari does not want to take measures that exacerbate economic hardship in the country.

“The president does not want to contemplate a situation where measures are taken that are further going to burden the citizens. So, the decision was to extend the period from June 2022 (sic) to 18 months, beginning from January 2022,” the minister said.

“So, in June 2023, we should be able to exit. The good thing is, we hear a consistent message that everybody is

saying this thing needs to go. It is not serving the majority of Nigerians.

“I listened to some of the new leaders that are campaigning for the next round of leadership in the country that are saying they will get rid of it very quickly.

“What will be safer is for the current administration to maybe at the beginning of the second quarter to start removing the fuel subsidy, because it’s more expedient if you remove it gradually, than to wait and move it all in one big swoop.

“So, the idea for us in the budget, is that the subsidy costs should not exceed that N3.23 trillion. So, whether it’s done completely 100 percent by June or by July, or whatever, it’s a process.”

FAAC accuses NNPC of using lower FX rate for crude oil revenue

By Abubakar Yunus Abuja

The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) has accused the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) of using an exchange rate lower than the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) official rate for the sale of domestic crude oil between 2015 and 2022.

The committee said this in a report signed by Kabir. M. Mashi, chairman of its post mortem subcommittee (PSMC).

The report was presented the sub-committee at FAAC’s monthly plenary meeting held on Tuesday, January 17, 2023.

The FAAC sub-committee said it observed some underpayments

of N185.45 billion to the federation account as a result of the low exchange rate applied by the NNPC.

“On the exchange rate application by NNPC on domestic crude, FIRS PSC crude and NUPRC royalty crude sale values, the sub-committee observed some under payments of N185,458,842,270.76 to the federation account as a result of NNPC using exchange rate lower than the CBN official rate on domestic crude sale for the period 2015 to 2022,” the report reads.

FAAC also said the CBN has confirmed that “NNPC did not use the rate advised” by the bank.

It added that the national oil firm has not yet responded to

the matter after “several months of being given the analysis to review”.

“Despite the concerns of FIRS, NUPRC and other stakeholders, NNPC Limited has continued to use a different exchange rate in remittances to the federation account till date,” the committee.

Consequently, the FAAC subcommittee recommended that the plenary should take a decision on the appropriate exchange rate to be used by NNPC Limited on remittances to the federation account going forward to avoid underpayments to the federation account.

It also said the plenary should engage a third party forensic auditor to validate the established

underpayments to the federation account by NNPC.

Meanwhile, in a related development, the FAAC subcommittee said it also observed that within the post-mandated period, the issue of nonapplication of mandated rates by CBN for the months of March, April, and May 2020 resulted in the underpayment to the forex equalisation account by N67. 1 billion.

The sub-committee said it had earlier submitted its report to FAAC and awaits its investigation with CBN to ascertain why mandated rates were not used in the months under reference.

L-R: GMD/CEO, Access Corporation,Herbert Wigwe; MD/CEO, Access Bank Plc, Roosevelt Ogbonna, and executive director, African Subsidiaries, Access Bank Plc,Seyi Kumapayi, during the presentation of the Access Corporation’s 5-year Corporate Strategy (20232027) in Lagos, yesterday.

METRO

New currency: FCTA takes sensitisation campaign to monarchs in 17 Chiefdoms

By Stanley Onyekwere

Just six days to the expiration of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) January 31st deadline for the old N1,000, N500 and N200 Naira notes to cease to be in circulation, the FCT Administration has stepped up sensitisation of residents especially rural dwellers across the 17 Chiefdoms of Abuja, the nation’s capital territory.

In particular, the FCTA through its Department of Reforms Coordination and Service Improvement (RCSI), yesterday took the awareness campaign targeted at further dissemination of the information about the CBN’s new currency policy to the residents especially those at the grassroots level, to traditional rulers across the 17 Chiefdoms of the FCT.

Explaining the initiative during a visit to the Palaces

Insecurity: AMMC mulls removal of illegal roadside POS outlets

By Stanley Onyekwere

The Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) has intensified effort to curtail the activities of Point of Sales ( POS) operators by roadside and unapproved places on the streets of Abuja.

AMMC Coordinator Umar Shuaibu said the move became necessary to addressing insecurity associated with the activities.

He noted that while the administration was not completely against POS business in Abuja, but indiscriminately operating and creating nuisance violates environmental rules.

Similarly, the Senior Special Assistant to FCT Minister on Monitoring,Inspection and Enforcement, Ikharo Attah explained that FCT Minister particularly frowned at those who unlawfully cite their POS outlets in areas that jeopardise security.

Attah noted that while Enforcement team will not be concerned with operators who limit their activities within commercial places, those who constitute nuisance and a security threat will be removed.

According to him, FCT Minister was not opposed to POS business but kicks against indiscriminate operations that affects adversely residents security.

He said: “There are complaints by residents that strange people were indiscriminately operating POS within their gates and streets

“We support POS business, but frown at those operations that threaten security of our people “.

of Sarkin Bwari and Esu Bwari, Abuja, RCSI’s Chief Administrative officer, Mr. Fatai Bello, who led the FCTA team, said the FCT Administration under the leadership of the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello was concerned that as the January 31 deadline is fast approaching, new currency policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) might not have gotten to the rural communities of the FCT.

This, he said explains why FCTA decided to assist in engaging traditional rulers and a to ensure that they get to their subjects, and insist that they should take their money to banks before the expiration of the deadline.

He said: “The campaign is being carried out in the 17 Chiefdoms of the FCT across the six Area Councils. We already have the giggles being running on most of the radio stations, so the message is actually going

down to the target group, who are receiving the message quite well.

“It is our responsibility as the Reform Coordination and Service Improvement Department, for which we run 24/7 call centre. And we received daily via calls some of the questions and concerns raised during the visit to the Chiefs. We have a mechanism of which we pass these concerns to the appropriate authorities, and get feedback.

“We are going to review some of the issues raised particularly those that are directly concerned the CBN for us to be able to get feedback from the CBN, and we promised that within 24 hours, we are going to get back to them, having taken the necessary steps”.

At the Sa Bwaya palace in Bwari, the the Esu Bwari, HRH Ibrahim Yaro, who commended the FCT Minister for the sensitisation effort, said they have been trying their best to see that

people having old notes in their houses should take them to the banks on or before the deadline.

He said: “So, we need to still enlighten our people with this message, which we try to send across my chiefdom through the village and district heads, who will speak with people in their respective domains.

“Although the time is short, but we know that nothing good comes easy, because definitely some people will suffer, but after suffering, we will enjoy it. So we the traditional rulers with your support, we will do the necessary thing to ensure that our people comply with the directive”.

On his part, Sarkin Bwari, Alh. Awwal Musa Muhammad Ijakoro, who noted that although that the government doesn’t intend to hurt the common man, but they are the ones most suffering from the implementation of the policy within the stipulated time.

Ijakoro, who was represented by Sarkin Hausawa, Dantani Dantsho, also suggested that the government could consider provision cash collection centres in rural areas, so as to help ameliorate the hardships that the people go through to deposit their old currencies in the banks outside their settlements.

Not left out, a Bwari resident, Vincent Yusuf, community leaders can help coordinate the monies of the people to take to the banks in order to avoid the long queues, adding that POS operators should be given special treatment, because they are closer to the common people.

Highpoint of the event was an interactive session between the administration and the people of Bwari, during which concerns and challenges to be addressed, as well as open air street sensitisation, so as to avoid being trapped with the old notes after the deadline.

Helpline moves to preserve Abuja natives culture

By Stanley Onyekwere

To ensure the strengthening of the preservation of all Abuja indigenous people culture in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), the Helpline Foundation for the Needy has flagged off its local economic development projects for original inhabitants of FCT to strengthen their economy, create jobs and reduce inequalities.

President of the Foundation, Dr Jumai Ahmadu during the presentation of batch B economic empowerment on traditional

skill training, yesterday, said the organisation in conjunction with some stakeholders had selected some natives in each of the Area Council for training in traditional attire and others.

Ahmadu explained that the exercise is aimed at helping the natives language and culture not to go into extinction in the nearest future.

Represented by the project manager, Onoja Arome, Helpline President said the initiative would also assist the original inhabitants of FCT to strengthen their economy, creates jobs and reduce inequalities.

She noted that the presentation

and flag off of the second batch of the program which focused on traditional attire making of original inhabitants was first held in 2022.

The second batch, she said will bring about sensitisation of the people on economic path ways to enhance cultural practices and annex benefits of cultural preservation.

According to her, “Helpline Foundation with support from MacArthur Foundation through centre for Human Right and Civil Education flags off local economic development projects for original inhabitants of FCT to strengthen the economy of

the people, creates jobs and reduce inequalities.

“At the end of this project, our sustainability plans would be to monitor progress, and commitments by the agency responsible and to make our self available to their call anytime for mentorship”.

In his presentation tagged, ‘Local Economic Development’ the project manager, Onoja Arome said the Foundation would train about 100 vulnerable people in the batch B, of its Traditional Skill Transfer.

He said the training of the beneficiaries will commence in February and end in April, 2023.

Esu Bwari, HRH Ibrahim Yaro in a group photograph with FCTA officials during a sensitisation campaign on the awareness campaign on the CBN’s new currency policy to traditional rulers across the 17 Chiefdoms of the FCT, yesterday.

Photo: Stanley Onyekwere

world news

Why Germany delayed sending Leopard 2 tanks to

Ukraine’s argument for wanting battle tanks is clear.

It insists they can make all the difference - helping to push Russia back from Ukrainian territory and handing Kyiv the initiative.

Germany produces the vast majority of modern heavy tanks in Europe - the Leopard 2s. Around 2,000 of them are spread out amongst European allies. And Germany owns all the export licenses for them.

This meant that while it dithered, others like Polanddesperate to deliver tanks to Ukraine as soon as possible - were prevented from doing so. They lacked the green re-export light from Berlin.

Ukrainian soldiers still need to be trained in how to use the vehicles, of course, and it’s unclear how many and how soon they might arrive for use in Ukraine.

But Berlin’s prolonged hesitance, even as Russia committed human rights abuse after human rights abuse in Ukraine, led to huge pressure amongst Western allies who, up until now, had been oh so keen to display a determined sense of unity in the face of Russian aggression.

Chancellor Scholz’s indecision divided his country too, including his governing coalition and even his own Social Democrat Party. “Free the Leopards!” was the slogan shouted at regular demonstrations outside the German parliament, while inside the debate to send, or not to send tanks, raged amongst German MPs.

What was it then, causing Olaf Scholz so much consternation?

Of huge significance is the

weight of history felt by German modern-day leaders. It can’t be over-emphasised.

This Friday is Holocaust Memorial Day. A huge sign proclaiming “We Will Not Forget” hangs at the Reichstag in Berlin.

As the aggressor in two world wars, many Germans are wary of being the main provider of battle tanks in Ukraine.

The “Zeitenwende” or “turning point” in Germany, announced by Chancellor Scholz soon after Russia invaded Ukraine, is hugely significant. For Germany itself but also Europe as a whole.

Berlin promised to massively invest in its depleted, outdated military and to take a far more assertive role in European defence. A real break with Berlin’s post World War Two timidity and preference for allies to lead in

security matters.

This “transformation” has been peppered by setbacks and is by no means complete but it is certainly under way and that is a big change for Germany.

Since World War Two, Berlin has been reluctant to take the lead, but as the Europe’s biggest economy, that’s exactly what allies often look to Germany to do.

Other issues with sending tanks

Returning to the tank debate, another sensitivity for Germany to overcome is that their Leopard 2s would be used against Russian soldiers.

Germany feels deep responsibility for the slaughter of millions of Russians during World War One and Two.

A further, not entirely separate issue, is that large sections of

German society - particularly in the formerly communist east of the country, where many express a disappointment in how western society functions - feel traditionally close to Russia.

NGOs monitoring Russian disinformation in Europe. report that many Germans are fallible.

That said, the overwhelming majority of Germans sympathise with ordinary Ukrainians caught up in the current conflict.

But in a survey shortly before Christmas, 40% of Germans who took part said they understood the Kremlin’s blaming of the West for its invasion of Ukraine - because of the eastward expansion of the Nato military alliance.

Olaf Scholz is an avowed transatlanticist but his SPD party historically - though far from entirely, these days - looks east

to Moscow, with many party members a bit suspicious of the US and its Nato dominance.

For all these reasons - and a few more I’ll illustrate - Chancellor Scholz didn’t want Germany to go it alone, nor be the central facilitator on the battle-tanks-toUkraine front.

Another German concern has been that, while European countries including the UK, Poland and the Netherlands, say it’s clearly the Kremlin that is escalating this conflict, many in Germany say they fear delivering heavy tanks and other offensive weaponry to Ukraine could push Vladimir Putin to even wilder extremes. Even the use of nuclear weapons.

It’s thought one of the reasons Chancellor Scholz has pushed so hard for Washington to also send tanks to Ukraine is so Europe can feel that nuclear power US on board and by its side.

Overall, Olaf Scholz didn’t want Germany to stand out and alone in being the main provider of heavy tanks to Ukraine.

His sudden U-turn could well be because he realised if he continued to hold those tanks back, he could find himself isolated amongst his own allies.

Something else to bear in mind is that, despite the current and previous controversies over foot-dragging by Chancellor Scholz in providing and enabling the delivery of other military equipment, Germany is amongst the top three single donors of military aid and one of the main providers of humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

Yevgeny Prigozhin: UK reviews rules after Wagner head sued journalist

The Treasury is considering changes to the process that allowed the head of Russia’s Wagner group to get around UK sanctions and sue a UK journalist.

Investigative reporter Eliot Higgins faced action by Yevgeny Prigozhin - whose Wagner mercenaries are fighting for Russia in Ukraine - in late 2021.

OpenDemocracy reported the UK issued special licences so he could override sanctions and pay his legal fees.

The case was dropped when he admitted his ties to the notorious private army.

Mr Prigozhin was first sanctioned by the UK in 2020 in a bid to stop anyone doing business with him.

But under a UK law defining the Russian sanction regime, provisions allow sanctioned people to cover their “basic needs”, including the ability to apply for a licence to pay for legal fees.

Decisions are taken by the Office for Financial Sanctions

Implementation, a department in the Treasury which reviews applications by people placed under financial measures.

Mr Prigozhin successfully used this route to enlist the help of Discreet Law, a London-based law firm, in order to take action against Mr Higgins, reported Open Democracy, a UK website that focuses on human rights.

Treasury minister James Cartlidge told MPs on Wednesday that the guidance for these exemptions was “longstanding” - but said the government “is now considering whether this approach is the right one and if changes can be made”.

A Treasury spokesman also said these applications are reviewed by officials with no political involvement - with Mr Cartlidge later telling the Commons “we are not aware of any decision being taken by a minister”.

Shortly before the legal case was brought, Mr Higgins’s website Bellingcat had recently published

a story naming businessman Mr Prigozhin - an ally of Vladimir Putin - as the man behind the Wagner Group.

He denied involvement until after the February 2022 invasion began, despite having already been sanctioned by the UK government over the group’s activities in Libya in October 2020.

The journalist was personally sued in the UK for tweeting articles by his publication and other outlets. He believes the decision to target him rather than Bellingcat was designed to intimidate.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Higgins called for greater transparency about how the rules are applied. He said he was left with £70,000 in legal costs despite the case being dropped.

He said: “For me the question is, ‘What is the process?’ No one seems to fully understand that. Until there has been more transparency we can’t make a judgement about if it was applied

correctly.

“Then the next question is, ‘Do we want this sort of process in place where journalists can be sued?’”

He added: “How do I know some other oligarch isn’t going to do the same thing again to me next week? This time the costs were five figures but it might be six or seven figures next time.”

Discreet Law has been under investigation by the Solicitors Regulation Authority since May 2022 following a formal complaint from Bellingcat.

Mr Prigozhin has been sanctioned by the UK, European Union and US. He has been accused of interfering in foreign elections by Western governments using online “troll farms”.

The 61-year-old rose from an obscure background working as a hot dog street vendor and serving time in prison for robbery before going on to become a key Putin ally.

His lucrative catering contracts with the Kremlin earned

him the nickname “Putin’s chef”.

The Wagner Group has been accused of committing atrocities in Ukraine and was involved in the recent operation to capture the town of Soledar.

The government confirmed it was conducting an internal review of the process after Labour was granted an urgent question in the Commons on Wednesday.

Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said “the government appears to have granted a waiver for a warlord that enabled him to launch a legal attack on a British journalist”.

He described Mr Prigozhin as “one the most dangerous and noxious members of Putin’s inner circle” and said it would be “absolutely unconscionable” if the Treasury played a role in “alleviating pressure” on the Wagner Group.

Mr Lammy also pointed out that Mr Sunak was chancellor at the time the application was granted by the Treasury office.

Decisions on such waivers

A German Leopard tank during exercises

US imposes visa restriction on Nigerians who undermine democratic process

...Family members may be affected too

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

The United States (US) government on Wednesday announced visa restriction on Nigerians who ‘undermined’ the country’s democratic process in a recent election.

The announcement was made in a statement by US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.

Blinken, in the statement, explained that the sanctioned individuals, whose names he did not reveal, would be ineligible for US visas.

He added that some family members

of those barred from the US may also be subjected to the same restriction.

According to the statement by Blinken, ”We are committed to supporting and advancing democracy in Nigeria and around the world.

“Today (yesterday), I am announcing visa restrictions on specific individuals in Nigeria for undermining the democratic process in a recent Nigerian election.

‘’Under Section 212(a)(3)C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, these individuals will be found ineligible for visas to the United States under a policy to restrict visas of those believed to be responsible for,

or complicit in, undermining democracy in Nigeria.

‘’Certain family members of such persons may also be subject to these restrictions.

“Additional persons who undermine the democratic process in Nigeria—including in the lead-up to, during, and following Nigeria’s 2023 elections—may be found ineligible for U.S. visas under this policy”, he disclosed.

The US Secretary of State further clarified that the visa restriction was not targeted at the Nigerian people or the government.

He tagged it as a reflection of the US government’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s aspiration to combat corruption and strengthen democracy and the rule of law.

His words, ‘’The visa restrictions announced today (yesterday) are specific to certain individuals and are not directed at the Nigerian people or the Government of Nigeria.

“The decision to impose visa restrictions reflects the commitment of the United States to support Nigerian aspirations to combat corruption and strengthen democracy and the rule of law,’’ the statement said.

Buhari’s support for Tinubu unquestionable -Presidency

• Says Yakassai unknown to APC

By Egena Sunday Ode

The presidency on Wednesday urged Nigerians to disregard claims by an Elder statesman, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, that President Muhammadu Buhari and his close allies are not fully committed to the campaign activities of the All Progressives Congress, APC, flag bearer, Ahmed Bola Tinubu

Affirming that Buhari’s support to the APC cause to retain power at the centre in

the forthcoming general election is not in doubt, the presidency in a statement, urged the public to ignore the politician

The statement issued by the Presidency Spokesman, Garba Shehu read:

“Alhaji Tanko Yakasai is unknown to the All Progressives Congress, APC. Everyone is entitled to their view, but what we do know is that his insight in a recent interview does not come from within the party or the President’s team. His support for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is welcome although it

is difficult to see what value it will add.

“He is right to highlight his experience as a senior citizen, a leader in government and ability to reach out across divides are strong foundations for the highest office.

“But Yakasai’s questioning of the loyalties of President Muhammadu Buhari stands in sharp contrast to the actions of the President. Only on Monday, he was out at a rally in Bauchi supporting the flag bearer of the party. Presidential duties permitting, he is scheduled to

make further appearances at campaign events in the coming weeks.

‘’His support for the party’s candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is unquestioned.

“If this wasn’t on TV, Yakasai’s unwise comment on the issue would have been dismissed as a misquotation. But he was live on TV.

“On this one against President Buhari, no one should take him seriously.

“Perhaps times are hard and the old man needs a bit of help.”

Asia&Middle-East

Beirut blast: Lebanon prosecutor charges judge leading investigation

No-one has yet been held accountable for the explosion, which killed at least 218 people

Lebanon’s top prosecutor has charged the judge leading the inquiry into the 2020 Beirut port blast and ordered the release of suspects in custody.

Ghassan Oweidat summoned Judge Tarek Bitar for questioning, accusing him of “acting without a mandate”.

But the judge insisted that Mr Oweidat had no authority to charge him.

On Monday, he unexpectedly restarted the probe after a 13-month suspension and filed unspecified charges against eight officials, including Mr Oweidat.

No-one has yet been held accountable for the blast on 4 August 2020, which killed at least 218 people and injured more than 6,000 others.

A fire triggered the detonation of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that had been stored unsafely in a port warehouse for almost six years, causing a massive explosion that devastated a large part of the Lebanese capital.

It is widely believed that officials and politicians were aware of the combustible chemical’s existence and the danger it posed but that they failed to secure, remove or destroy it.

Victims’ relatives and activists say the investigation into the disaster is being hampered by the Lebanese political leadership’s efforts to shield those responsible from scrutiny.

The power struggle at the highest levels of the Lebanese judiciary burst into the open on Wednesday when the public prosecutor dramatically announced that all of the 17 suspects being held in pre-trial detention could go free.

Mr Oweidat also accused Judge Bitar of acting beyond his jurisdiction. He told AFP news agency that the judge was “rebelling against the judiciary and usurping power”, and that he had filed charges in order to “prevent sedition”.

But Judge Bitar vowed to continue his investigation “until the indictment is issued”, Lebanon’s state-run National

News Agency cited him as saying. He declared that Mr Oweidat’s decisions were “illegitimate and should not be implemented”, noting that the prosecutor was “a defendant, and as such he cannot take any decision in this case”.

Mr Oweidat had previously recused himself from matters concerning the investigation after his brother-in-law, former public works minister Ghazi Zaiter, was charged.

Two days ago, Judge Bitar unexpectedly said he was able to restart his inquiry, after numerous legal challenges had stalled it.

He also filed charges against Mr Oweidat

and other senior figures. Local media cited judicial sources as saying they included the heads of the General Security and State Security departments, although there was no official confirmation.

Mr Oweidat has denied any wrongdoing, as have all those previously linked to the investigation.

Judge Bitar also ordered the release of five suspects arrested after the explosion, including port officials and maintenance workers.

On Tuesday, Mr Oweidat sent a letter to the judge telling him that the investigation remained suspended.

The inquiry has been dogged with problems since it was set up.

The first lead judge, Fadi Sawan, was removed from the case by a court in 2021 in response to legal complaints about his impartiality from Ghazi Zaiter and another former minister he had charged.

Several of the powerful politicians charged by his successor, Judge Bitar, have brought similar complaints against him.

It has meant that the investigation has been halted each time while a court rules on their veracity, to the frustration of victims’ groups.

Attempts have been made by some groups to remove Judge Bitar from running the investigation entirely, but despite the Higher Judicial Council approving the appointment of yet another new judge to take charge instead, that has not happened.

The Gaza family tending World War graves for 100 years

The neatly regimented lines of white gravestones, trimmed grass and flowering borders conjure up the vast war cemeteries of northern France and Belgium.

But this final resting place for soldiers killed in the two World Wars is in the Gaza Strip. It makes for an unusual green spot in the overcrowded territory, badly hit by the modern-day Israel-Palestinian conflict.

The dedication and expertise of the small team of local workers is clear. Remarkably, all come from families where this job has been passed down through the generations.

“I feel I’m the son of this cemetery,” says Ibrahim Jaradah, the current head gardener for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), who is marking exactly 100 years since his great-grandfather began doing the same role.

Now 32, he was born in the house where he still lives on the site and grew up in the garden among birdsong and butterflies.

“When I was young, it was my dream to work here,” Ibrahim tells me, describing how as a child, he helped his father with office tasks, planting seeds and making compost. “I learned from my family to love our work.”

“We feel it’s very important. These people gave their lives for their countries, and we’re trusted to take care of this historic place.”

The Gaza War Cemetery is one of two belonging to the CWGC in this tiny Palestinian territory. It contains graves for 3,691 dead - 3082 British, 263 Australians, 184 Turkish (Ottoman), 50 Indians, 36 Poles, 23 Canadians and 23 New Zealanders as well as smaller numbers who were South African, Greek, Egyptian, German, French, Yugoslavian or not identifiable.

The cemetery is funded by the UK, Australian, Canadian, Indian, New Zealand and South African governments

The vast majority are burials from the First World War, when many of those killed were men in their 20s and 30s.

In 1917, Gaza saw three decisive battles between the Egyptian Expeditionary Force

- a British Empire military formation - and Ottoman troops, until they finally captured the city.

The simple gravestones typically list the names of the fallen, their rank, regiment, the date they died and their age. There are Christians, Jews, Muslims and Hindus who are each buried with others of their faith.

“When we see the different names, of course we’d like to know who were these people, who were their families? What were they doing in their normal life?” Ibrahim reflects as we walk through row upon row of graves.

Repair and rebuild Ibrahim’s great-grandfather, Rabie Jaradah, started working for the Imperial War Graves Commission (which became the CWGC) in Beersheba in 1923.

His family became refugees during the fighting that followed the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. They fled here to Gaza, where he was soon asked to take responsibility for its cemeteries. Rabie’s son, also called Ibrahim, went on to bring his son, Essam, to help as a gardener when he was still a schoolboy.

Nowadays, tight border controls imposed by Israel and Egypt make it very difficult for foreign visitors - apart from diplomats, charity workers and journalists - to travel to the Palestinian territory. I needed an Israeli press card and a permit from Hamas, the militant group which governs Gaza, to enter.

But Essam Jaradah, who has retired, remembers different times.

“It was safe here, we used to have very big numbers of visitors. We would sit with them or show them around and life was much more beautiful,” he says. “I used to see people’s emotions, the tears in their eyes at their grandfathers’ graves.”

Since the Hamas takeover of Gaza in 2007, there have been rounds of intense, deadly, destructive fighting between armed Palestinian groups and Israel.

The cemetery has been hit three times by missile strikes. On one occasion, nearly 300 headstones were damaged and had to be replaced. The turf and flowers need to be replanted after each serious flare-up when the staff are unable to work.

“Each time we come back, we have to

return things to how they looked in the past,” Ibrahim explains. “We work in a situation that’s full of challenges.”

These include Gaza’s daily power cuts, severe water shortages and import restrictions which make it hard to replace machinery and sometimes to get fuel for lawnmowers.

Ibrahim says he and his staff have learned to be resourceful and draw on their families’ collective knowledge.

I meet Mohammed Atalah, who is 23, weeding between the graves which his father and grandfather also tended. “I love the job, every part of it,” he says. “When I walk out in the morning it gives me energy to see this green place. I feel it’s an honour to work here.”

Respecting the dead

The cemetery is dotted with local visitors. Young mothers with little children chat by an Indian war grave and three friends shelter from the sun under a jacaranda tree.

“It’s a beautiful, magnificent place. I enjoy sitting here. It’s so green, natural and historic,” one of them, Karim, tells me.

Um Iyad, wearing a black niqab or face veil, hints at troubled thoughts as she walks along solemnly with her daughter.

“We’re upset, and in the Quran, it’s said that if you’re upset and have something on your chest, then you should visit the graves,” she says. “I came here to relax my soul.”

Ibrahim exchanges a few quiet words with those spending time in the grounds. Sometimes he shows school groups and university researchers around.

“It’s so important to respect all dead people, whatever their nationalities or the reason they’re here. If the people in Gaza didn’t respect or accept the cemetery you wouldn’t see it like this,” he says, gesturing towards the immaculate gardens.

He believes that everyone, wherever they are from, takes away a powerful lesson.

“We feel they’re affected by the young ages of people buried here,” he says. “We hope that they’ll see that this is the effect of wars and that peace is the best thing in the world.”

Source: BBC

The cemetery contains graves of soldiers killed fighting Ottoman forces, among others

NEMA commences food distribution for Internally Displaced person’s in Borno

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

Following an approval by the Director General National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Mustapha Ahmed Habib and staff of NEMA North East zonal office led by the Zonal coordinator Muhammad Usman Muhammad Aji have commenced the routine distribution of food items for Internally Displaced person’s in camps, host communities and liberated communities in Borno state with Shuwari / Ngwom Host communities.

Aji said each benefitting household is expected to recieve a ration consisting of Rice, Beans,Maize, vegetable oil, salt, Tomato paste and seasoning.

FG inaugurates presidential committee on Nguru ecological intervention

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

Federal government has inaugurated the presidential committee on the implementation of the “Nguru ” ecological intervention programme.

The Minister of Environment Muhammad Abdullahi inaugurated the committee for the project in Abuja, recently.

He said the programmme is a collaborative partnerships of all stakeholders including Royal Fathers as government alone cannot solve and mitigate afforestation.

According to the minister, “You may recall that the Emir of Nguru, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Mustafa Ibn Mai Kyari on behalf of the Forest Farmers (Nguru) Cooperative Society, requested ecological funds for the afforestation of degraded land to mitigate climate change impacts within the Emirate.

“He said the land was cleared in 2017 through the intervention of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to enable implementation of the livelihood project called Rural Agriculture Re-modelled Project Strategies Since this request conforms with the vision and developmental agenda of the present administration especially the attainment of the NDC and global emission reduction.”

He said that President Muhammadu Buhari has directed that an interministerial committee comprising relevant Ministries

and Agencies be set up to consider this lofty request and come up with recommendations that must include but not be limited to the modalities for its implementation and cost implications.

“I am confident that the Committee being inaugurated today is composed of seasoned professionals and bureaucrats that would produce results that would assist not only in the delivery on the assignment at hand but also in the achievement of the far-reaching Government policies” He stated.

He noted that the government is committed to tackling climate change and environmental challenges, food security, as well as other socioeconomic problems across the country while improving the general well-being of the people.

“This is being demonstrated through our various policies,

programmes and initiatives some of which as you are aware, are inter-sectoral”.

He said this has also being demonstrated by Mr. President’s directive to the effect that this committee should be established.

The minister said the committee membership is consists of the Federal Ministry of Environment represented by the Department of Forestry, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, National Agency for the Great Green Wall, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Agricultural and Rural and Management Training Institute Forest Farmers of “Nguru” in Yobe State Northeast Nigeria.

He said on this note, I have the pleasure to inaugurate the Presidential Committee on the Implementation of

Nguru Ecological Intervention Programme as follows while it is expected to submit its report by the 27th January, 2023:

They are Sami Hajara Umar - Director, Forestry (Chairperson),

Aiwuyo Christopher O. - Deputy Director, Forestry (Member) , Bagudo Ahmed Majidadi - Deputy Director, NAGGW (Member) and Mustapha Iyabo - Assistant Director, FMA&RD (Member).

Others are: Engr. Peter Henry Sule - Chief Irrigation Engineer- Federal Ministry of Water Resources (Member)

Bayo David - Head Montane Research Outstation, FRIN (Member), Dr. Olufemi A. Oladunni – ED. ARMTI (Member)

Mm,Representative - Forest Farmers of Nguru (Member)and Dr. Innocent Alenyi - Assistant Director, NGGW (Secretary).

Decorated NPS assured of environment minister’s support

The Minister of Environment, Mr Mohammed Abdullahi, has given assurance of more support from his Ministry to the National Park Service (NPS) for efficient performance in its duties.

Abdullahi gave the assurance at the NPS’s presentation of some international awards won by the Service, to him recently in Abuja.

He assured the officers of the Service of his ministry’s support in the area of better equipment, trainings and orientation.

“I know that the officers are faced with danger and their lives are being threatened in most places due to the hazards of the job,” Abdullahi said.

The Minister commended the NPS for the outstanding awards and performances in spite of the limited resources within their reach.

He added that the awards were certainly testimonies of their hard work.

”There is an unrelenting commitment to achieving the core objectives for which the National Park Service is set up over the years.

”Therefore, it is no gainsaying that the Service has taken its rightful position in the comity of conservation enclaves across the globe and has successfully written its name in gold in the international arena.

“I also want to use this

occasion to call on spirited individuals and organisations to come to the aid of the National Park Service,” Abdullahi said.

He said aid could be given by donating projects and programmes that would foster conservation and ecotourism in national parks across the country.

The Minister thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for always prioritising the programmes and activities of the Ministry whenever the need arose.

Dr Ibrahim Goni, the Conservator General (CG) of NPS, while presenting the three international Conservation Awards from 2018 to 2022,

commended the Minister for the support given to the Service which enabled it to achieve the feat.

The three awards are the 2018 African Ranger Award, Wildlife Ranger Challenge Award and the Service Management Team award.

Goni said that the Service emerged 2nd runner-up out of the 80 nominations across Africa for the African Ranger Award under the category “Best Conservation Team in Africa”.

“The contest involved 88 teams from 20 African countries in a 21-kilometre marathon race,” the CG said.

The inaugurated presidential committee on the implementation of the “Nguru ” ecological intervention programme and the minister of Environment Muhammad Abdullahi, recently in Abuja .

NEMA officials carrying out post assessments at sagamu market fire incident in Ogun state, recently.

Can humanity’s new giant leap into space succeed?

There is a new order emerging in space - a race between America and China. But with the demands of space exploration, even these great superpowers won’t be able to do it alone.

Hugely technically challenging and costly goals have been touted, not least the aim of people living and working on other worlds, possibly within ten years - but in a divided world where international good will is scarce, are they realistic?

Nasa’s return to the Moon has begun with its Artemis programme. The first of three missions has been successfully launched. This uncrewed flight tested that the rockets and technology worked. The second mission will take humans further in space than they have ever gone before and the third launch will put astronauts on the Moon for a week, where they will carry out experiments. The long-term goal is to use the Moon as a jumping off point to get to Mars.

But the programme is estimated to cost $93bn (£76bn), a heavy price tag for the American taxpayer, who is already feeling the economic squeeze.

In a report to Congress last year, the US Auditor General’s office warned of an “unrealistic development schedule” and likely overruns, adding that Nasa needed to make cost estimates “more reliable and transparent”.

Yet although Nasa will get less overall funding than it asked for in 2023, Congress, at the moment, still supports its human space exploration ventures.

China has achieved its own fully operational space station, Tiangong, in orbit on schedule. The Chinese space programme has launched probes to the Moon and Mars. It plans to establish an unmanned research station on the Moon by 2025 and then land astronauts on its surface by 2030.

Pallab Ghosh and Kate Stephens look at the rapid expansion in space exploration which will lead to people living and working on other worlds.

Putting an astronaut on the Moon has been done before but the next step, to Mars, is much more difficult. It is 250 times further away than the Moon and there is no spacecraft currently capable of sending humans to the red planet.

Even if scientists can find a safe way to launch a fuel-heavy rocket and land it on a planet with such a thin atmosphere, there is the further challenge of returning the astronauts safely home after months in space.

Historically superpowers have jostled for supremacy above the Earth. America and Russia vied for dominance in the 1950s and 1960s. The Russians put the first man in orbit. The Americans

landed a man and planted their flag on the Moon a few years later.

In the 1970s a golden era of cooperation was forged culminating in the construction of the International Space Station (ISS), which began in 1998.

Along with 13 other partner nations, the two superpowers built what is now the largest structure in space. It is not owned by any one nation, and each depends on the other to operate.

It was a symbol of what humanity could achieve if nations put aside their differences and worked together.

But the reality was somewhat different. Notably America prevented China from becoming a partner in the ISS, so the Chinese went their own way.

More recently, within weeks of the invasion of Ukraine, nations stopped working with Russia. Two joint Moon missions between the European Space Agency (ESA) and Russia have been cancelled, as has a joint Mars Rover project to search for signs of life on the red planet.

Yet scratch the surface and collaboration continues on the ISS, where Western countries have to work with Russia to maintain it in orbit. Americans and Europeans even still train in the centre of Moscow at Russia’s Space HQ, Star City.

But what happens once the ISS comes to the end of its lifetime in 2030?

Juliana Suess, a space policy analyst at the Royal United Services Institute think tank in London says Russia has much less to offer partner nations than it once did because its technology is outdated. She raises the possibility that the first nation into space could be the first one out.

“If the Russians haven’t figured out an alternative by the time the ISS is decommissioned or develops its own space station, which given the current circumstances and sanctions is quite unlikely, it might not have any human spaceflight,” she says.

Russia’s plight comes at a time when China’s space programme is advancing rapidly. In the last ten years it has launched more than 200 rockets, even though America’s spending on space still makes China’s look small.

China is mindful that partnerships offer technical know-how and money. It has invited other nations prohibited from access to the ISS to join them and has made a call for proposals for scientific experiments.

Seventy-two countries now have their own space programmes because they can’t afford to be left behind in what has become a new space race.

The billionaire spacefarers

Space is a vital part of our everyday lives. We depend on satellites for weather forecasts, communications, bank transactions, not to mention valuable surveillance tools for nation states. And it’s getting busy out there. In 2021 about 5,000 satellites were launched. Going back 20 years, about 800 were launched annually.

Space is an expensive and technically difficult business. No one country can do it alone. New partnerships are being forged, notably with the new brash billionaires on the block.

Elon Musk’s company, SpaceX, is already taking passengers into orbit. The billionaire entrepreneur is bringing down costs with a reusable rocket. Not to be outdone, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos wants to build a commercial orbiting station, called Orbital Reef.

Helen Sharman, who was the UK’s first astronaut, on a mission to the Soviet Space Station Mir in 1991, believes that current international rivalries could be put in the shade by the pragmatism of the private sector.

“It really is going to be commercialisation that brings companies together worldwide,” she told the BBC. “We don’t care where they are

registered, what matters is what they do for the benefit of the world.”

The prospect of financial gain and scientific discovery drives collaboration. Private companies may help to bring a new cooperation in space but they have to obey the laws of their home country. When nations imposed sanctions on Russia in 2022 firms were obliged to withdraw from contracts with Russia.

Dr Josef Aschbacher, who is head of the European Space Agency, is determined to keep Europe in the new space race. He has recently had a £2bn ($2.4bn) increase in funding, despite the financial squeeze facing governments.

“Space is one of those sectors which is expanding very fast and much faster now than in the last few decades. We cannot lose out,” he told the BBC. “We really need to participate strongly in this sector because I want to create new business opportunities for companies in our member states to participate in.”

It will be nations that lead space exploration of the future. But the challenges will require them coming together as a single group or “bloc” of countries to share information and to compete with other blocs. The European Space Agency has been doing this successfully for years.

New laws for space

But what is potentially going to hold back the next big push to other worlds is the set of international laws governing space. The marvellously named “Outer Space Treaty” has not been updated since it was signed in 1967, when 31 nations, including the US and the Soviet Union, pledged not to have nuclear weapons in space.

According to Juliana Suess of the Royal United Services Institute, it is not fit for purpose.

“It doesn’t talk about companies; it doesn’t talk about billionaires,” she said. “Space is entirely different to what it was like in 1967.”

New rules to regulate the commercial exploitation of the Moon, Mars and beyond were introduced by the UN in 1979 but the US, China and Russia have all refused to sign it.

ESA’s Josef Aschbacher believes the new space race will be hampered until a new outer space treaty is hammered out.

“In space we are using the same orbits for satellites, using the same Moon surface for China, the US, Europe,” he said. “We need a way to work together to establish rules of engagement and establish rules of how we work there.”

Source: BBC

“ Space is a vital part of our everyday lives. We depend on satellites for weather forecasts, communications, bank transactions, not to mention valuable surveillance tools for nation states. And it’s getting busy out there.

In 2021 about 5,000 satellites were launched. Going back 20 years, about 800 were launched annually. Space is an expensive and technically difficult business.

Nasa’s Space Launch System (SLS) Moon rocket lifts off for the uncrewed Artemis I mission

Yuri Gagarin of the Soviet Union was the first man into space

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Saudi Arabia businessman buys VIP Ticket for N1.5 billion to watch Ronaldo vs Messi match

By Amaechi Agbo

ASaudi Arabia businessman Musharraf bin Ahmed Al-Ghamdi, General Manager of the Aqar One group of companies, has paid £2.6 (N1.482 Billion) for VIP ticket to watch Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi exhibition match today.

Al-Ghamdi paid $2.6m (SR10,000,000) for a VIP ticket to watch an all-star team captained by Cristiano Ronaldo take on Lionel Messi’s PSG in Riyadh.

The exhibition game will see an all-star team made up of players from Saudi clubs sides, Al Nassr and Al Hilal take on PSG as part of the French side’s Middle East tour.

It could see Ronaldo and other players from the Saudi pro football league take on PSG stars such as Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.

PSG, owned by Qatar Sports Investments, are on a tour of the Middle East which will see the club earn a reported £8.7m

Turki Al-Sheikh launched the charity bid for a very special match ticket that grants VIP access to the stadium as well as the opportunity to meet the players, go into changing rooms and even be a part of the winning team photo.

It is the most expensive football match ticket ever bought and was part of a fundraising venture launched by Turki Al-Sheikh, the head of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority.

Al Sheikh started the bidding at €250,000 ($268,000) and has been updating Twitter followers throughout the week. The match will see an all-star Saudi Arabia league team made up of players from Al Nassr and Al Hilal take on PSG, with Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and more world stars.

A post on Twitter said: “Real estate businessman Musharraf bin Ahmed AlGhamdi, General Manager of the Aqar One group of companies, has so far made the highest offer on the charity ticket “Beyond Imagination” at 10 million Riyals.”

Proceeds from the sale of the ticket, known as the Beyond Imagination Ticket, will be donated to Saudi Arabia’s Ehsan charity fund. Organisers had more than 1.5m requests for the ticket within hours of it going on sale.

On Saturday the bidding reached $2.6m (SR10,000,000) with a bid from real estate

Al Sheikh confirmed that Al-Ghamdi’s bid was the winner in a Twitter post on Tuesday night deadline day for budding to end.

It means the real estate boss now has a very special match ticket that grants VIP access to the stadium as well as the opportunity to meet the players, go into changing rooms and even be a part of the winning team photo.

Full VIP Ronaldo v Messi matchday

ticket benefits include:

Opportunity to meet Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar, and Mbappé; Attending the opening ceremony

VIP match seats alongside Turki Al Sheikh:

Gala lunch; Exclusive entrance to both teams matchday changing rooms; trophy award access and team photo with winning side

Ronaldo v Messi matches in Saudi Arabia could become a common sight if the Argentine World Cup winner takes up the rumoured offer of a $299m a year contract to follow his old rival to the Middle East.

Ronald signed for Al Nassr shortly after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and Thursday’s highly anticipated clash with Messi will be his debut for the Saudi Arabia Pro League winners.

beIN Media Group has announced that its flagship channel, beIN Sports, has acquired the rights across all its territories (Middle East and North Africa, France, Turkey, Asia, North America, and Australasia) to broadcast the highlyanticipated Riyadh Season Cup.

The match will be played in Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd International Stadium on Thursday, January 19.

NOC mourns Barcelona Olympic handball coach Ephraim Chukwuemeka

By Amaechi Agbo

The Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) will join the Handball family in mourning a top Olympic Coach Ephraim C Chukwuemeka, 82, that led a National Handball team Team to the 1992 Barcelona Games.

A statement signed by Tony Nezianya, the Public Relations Officer of the NOC, said that Coach Chukwuemeka who died on January 2, during a brief ill-health in Isikwuato, Abia State was one the two

coaches that led the first-ever national team sport to the Olympic Games.

He alongside his partner, Late Coach Paulinus Chukwu from their days at the Grasshopper’s Handball club of Owerri led the national team to the Barcelona Games.

They had paired to lead the squad that defeated the then-highly-rated Angolan side at the African Championships in Egypt in 1991 to qualify for the Olympic Games, making handball the first team sport to qualify for the Games.

During his illustrious sporting career

that spanned more than three decades, he doubled as FIFA Badged Soccer Referee.

A well-known patron of the NOC, Dr LanrecGlover was then the National Chairman of the Handball Association of Nigeria (HAN). And Myself, the spokesman of the Association.

According to Glover the coaches had done consistently well with the popular Grasshoppers and thought they deserved the right to be provided with the opportunity to lead the National squad to the Games.

Before then, no Nigerian team sports had ever made it to the Olympic Games.

Dr Toyin Esther Aluko, the Chaperon of the team to the Barcelona Games, remarked that Coach Chukwuemeka lived a good life. He knew how to take care of himself while donning his golden b red hallmark Golden bracelets.

Coach Chukwuemeka will be buried on February 10, at his ancestral home, Amiyi, Obilohia Isikwuato, Abia State according to his son in Law, Christian Ihememegbulam.

businessman Musharraf bin Ahmed AlGhamdi, General Manager of the Aqar One group of companies and it has not been topped.

Photo: Ronaldo and Messi rivalry has electrified the football world.

2023 U-20 AFCON: Flying Eagles battle Zambia in a friendly

Flying Eagles Team

By Amaechi Agbo

Seven-time African champions, Flying Eagles of Nigeria will take on their Zambian counterparts in two friendly games in the Nigerian capital city as part of preparations for this year’s Africa U20 Cup of Nations.

The tour has been consummated following a request letter from the Nigeria Football Federation on 13th

January, and which met with the ready acceptance of the Football Association of Zambia.

Through a letter dated 14th January 2023, Adrian Kashala, FAZ’s General Secretary, said the Zambia football-ruling body was agreeable to the proposal. The proposal for the tour includes FAZ flying the Junior Chipolopolo to Nigeria while the NFF will bear the cost of accommodation, feeding and other logistics for the Zambia

delegation.

The two matches will take place on Friday, 27th January and Monday, 30th January 2023 respectively.

Free-scoring Flying Eagles have scored a total of 10 goals in two friendly games since resuming camp after the yuletide period – the latest being a 5-1 mauling of Galadima FC in Abuja on Wednesday.

Champions of the WAFU B U20 Championship held in

Niger Republic in May 2022, the Flying Eagles have been drawn to play hosts Egypt, Senegal and Mozambique in Group A of the Africa U20 Cup of Nations taking place 19th February –11th March this year.

Zambia, champions of the 2017 Africa U20 Cup of Nations which they hosted, reached the quarter-finals of the FIFA U20 World Cup in Korea Republic the same year, before losing to Italy after extra time in Suwon.

In Egypt, Zambia will be up against Tunisia, Benin Republic and The Gambia in Group C, while Uganda, Central African Republic, South Sudan and Congo battle things out in Group B.

All four semi-finalists in Egypt will qualify to represent Africa at the 23rd FIFA U20 World Cup finals slated for Indonesia 20th May -11 June this year.

FCT High Court orders fresh election into Handball Federation Players’ rep

By Amaechi Agbo

An FCT High Court, sitting in Nyanya has nullified the Players’ Representative election, for a place on the Board of the Handball Federation of Nigeria, HFN

Ruling on the case filled after the election in September 2021, the trial judge, Justice Alfred Okpe upheld that the then Secretary-General of the HFN, Alhaji Mohammed Maigidansama, had no powers,

or legitimate right, drawn from the electoral code, to by himself draw up guidelines or modalities for the elections of both Players’ and Technical representatives for places on the HFN Board.

Based on this, he ruled that the processes leading to the elections of Joseph Udalle of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) De Defenders, was flawed, defective and void.

The court then gave an ordered for a fresh elections for the election of a new

Players’ representative, in strict compliance with the existing rules and regulations, be held within 30 days.

The court also awarded as damages, the sum of N500,000 in favour Of Sam Abua (the claimant), and against Alhaji Maigidansama, the immediate past Secretary-General of the HFN.

Reacting to the judgement, Mr. Udale called it a miscarriage of justice, that won’t advertently stand, because it lacked substance.

“I am yet to brief the HFN President, but be rest assured that once that is done, we will be heading back to the Courts, to enter our appeal and file for stay of execution,” Udalle said.

According to him, Alh. Maigidansama, acted in line with a circular of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, directing all scribes of sporting federations, to work out modalities for the elections of Players’ and Technical Representatives into all the sports federations, HFN

inclusive.

“How then has he committed an offence, or how fair is it that I am singled out for punishment, when the elections of the other 30 sports federations, heeded the said circular from the ministry” he queried.

Udalle, a former international handball player for Nigeria, noted that if the judgement of the lower court is not challenged and vacated, it may have ripple effect on other elections, held within the same time frame, and guidelines.

NNL lists guidelines for Stadium Approval ahead of new season

Seventeen criteria to be met by the forty-three clubs expected to feature in the 2022/2023 season of the Nigeria NAtional League, have been reeled out by the management of the nation’s second tier domestic football league.

Fresh from the tripartite meeting on Monday with the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation and representatives of the NNL club Presidents, head of Operations Mr. Emmanuel Adesanya said swinging into action is to also ensure the league catch up with the calendar for the season under review.

“We have a road map to navigate and the calendar period to start and end the league, so it is important we begin by ensuring that our stadium facilities that will host our games meet required standard “

Some of the criteria listed are quality playing pitch, standard changing rooms with modern toilets facilities, medical facilities, Safety and crowd control, controlled perimeter fencing amongst others.

In a strong letter to the clubs, the NNL warned that clubs who fall short of the needed items, will be sent to alternative venues to play their homes matches.

VAR decisions to be explained to fans

Decisions made by the Video Assistant Referee are set to be explained to television viewers and those in the stadium at next month’s Club World Cup.

International Football Association Board (IFAB) says if the trial in Morocco is a success then it could be rolled out at other Fifa competitions

That could include this summer’s Women’s World Cup.

Meanwhile, a temporary concussion substitute trial in the Premier League next season has been ruled out.

It was discussed when IFAB met at Wembley on Wednesday following a request from world players’ union Fifpro and the World Leagues Forum to test

the protocol in the English top flight, Ligue 1 in France and Major League Soccer in the United States.

The current concussion protocols, which allow an additional permanent substitutions to be made, have come in for criticism since they were approved in 2020, with campaigners highlighting instances where a player has been allowed to stay on the pitch before later being substituted.

However, Football Association (FA) chief executive Mark Bullingham, who supported the idea of a trial, says no consensus could be reached and instead the current permanent concussion substitute trial will continue

indefinitely.

“Myself and others hold the view it would be worth trialling [temporary concussion substitutes] because we think there are instances of players who have appear to have been concussed and have not been taken off,” Bullingham told BBC

“The argument is that you learn more in 15 mins than three and there is merit in an evaluation away from the pitch.

“However, the decision was taken to strengthen the application of the permanent model through more education, more evidence and more impetus, so that the idea of the right decisions being made becomes reality.

“If permanent substitutes

were done right, that is the safest option because at the point there is any suspicion, the player would come off.”

The Professional Footballers’ Association’s (PFA) Head of Brain Health, Dr Adam White, said it was “extremely disappointing” that a trial of temporary concussion substitutes was not approved.

“There is a fundamental issue if player unions and leagues feel football’s lawmakers are holding them back from doing what they collectively agree is best to protect the safety of players,” said White.

“The next step will be for unions and leagues to discuss what this means and what options are available to them.”

2023 Season: NLO Releases Registration Guidelines For Division One Clubs

The Secretariat of the Nationwide League One (NLO) has released a strict registration guidelines for clubs in Division One, as it prepares to kick start the 2023 season in April.

The development arose after the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) directed the NLO Secretariat to commence registration for the 2023 season

with amendments to registration charges after seven (7) years of maintenance due to current inflation in the prices of materials used for clubs’ registration.

Sequel to the above, the NLO has informed all the clubs in the nation’s third-tier league that preparation for the 2023 season has commenced, and made the registration procedures and guidelines public on Monday.

According to a correspondence issued by the NLO media department, players must be registered on the NLO database at www.nigerianationwideleague. com.

Clubs must make their registration fee payments to (FCMB Bank, Nationwide League One account number3267800014) to enable them to obtain a registration code for

access to the database.

All clubs’ must present their Certificate Of Incorporation as a football club any club, not on FIFA CONNECT will not be registered.

The collection of players’ hard copy licenses will be made available from 13th February.

The NLO has also warned that no club will be registered without payment of registration

fees, as club registration closes on Monday 6th March 20223.

Lastly, the Two Hundred Thousand Naira (200,000) registration fees - Division One includes pre-competition medical assessment, comprehensive insurance cover for players and officials, tamper-proof hologram security seal and other materials ( for 35 players and 7 officials).

West Ham Target Maguire

Politicians, foreigners and Nigeria’s elections

he recent call by President Muhammadu Buhari on foreign ambassador to desist from interfering in Nigeria’s forthcoming election is both timely and imperative. The president spoke while receiving Letters of Credence from the Ambassadors of Switzerland, Sweden, Republic of Ireland, Kingdom of Thailand, Republic of Senegal and Republic of South Sudan. He reiterated his call to foreign government representatives in Nigeria not to interfere in the country’s infernal affairs, especially the electoral process.

“I urge you to be guided by diplomatic practice to ensure that your activities remain within the limits of your profession as you monitor the build-up to the elections and the conduct of the general elections itself,” presidential spokesman Femi Adesina said in a statement.

Guest Columnist

By Paul Ejime

research Centre, the head of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has equally addressed the international audience at the same venue on preparations for the general elections.

account.

The conduct of international relations is about protection of national interests and based on reciprocity. If aspiring leaders of other countries are not coming to Africa to debate their governance issues, especially domestic elections, why are Africans doing so?

An African proverb says that he who fetches ants-infested firewood, will have rodents and lizards to contend with.

his starting place at United.

Maguire has fallen out of favour under Erik ten Hag, starting just two Premier League games since August.

Ten Hag’s decision to play left-back Luke Shaw at the heart of the defence in recent matches has effectively made Maguire a fifth-choice centre-back, and West Ham are hoping to use that lack of game time to tempt the England international into a move to London.

However, sources have told ESPN that United are reluctant to part company this month, and Maguire is thought to be willing to fight for his place and review the situation in the summer unless told otherwise by Ten Hag.

United are still involved in four competitions, and Maguire believes that as things stand there is still a chance he could revive his fortunes in the coming months.

Another relevant factor is Moyes’ uncertain future at West Ham. The 59-year-old is under mounting pressure with his side having lost six of their last seven Premier League games to fall to 18th place in the table, and a change of manager would prompt the club to revise their transfer targets.

Representatives of foreign countries have strict rules of engagement and must therefore, be called to order if they are deemed to be in breach of such guidelines. Some have lately been making statements freely on the elections, as if Nigeria has become an extension of their countries. Others have been receiving aspirants to political offices, again without consideration for international best practices, where such practices, if they hold at all, are done discretely. Just what are they discussing with the politicians?

Of course, it should be said that while he is right to speak to the ambassadors, President Buhari should also be addressing Nigerian political office seekers most of whom now stop at nothing to gain foreign validation, without seeming consideration for the interests of their own country. It might even be said that President Buhari was a beneficiary of such foreign contacts prior to his election in 2015. Yet, it is also probably true that after nearly eight years in office, he is wiser and more knowledgeable about the issue at stake.

A nation’s foreign policy, for example, is considered an extension of its domestic policy architecture and usually the aggregate of its national interests, especially in the strategic socio-political, economic and security/military domains.

But this concept is being stood on its head by politicians, who still inexplicably prefer foreign capitals as venues to market their policies or political programmes.

The presidential candidates of three of Nigeria’s major political parties for the 2023 elections - the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), and opposition Labour Party and the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) - have separately appeared at the London-based British policy research Think-tank, the Chatham House, to unveil their programmes.

Also, at the invitation of the

A few weeks before the 2015 presidential election, President Muhammadu Buhari, as candidate of the then opposition APC, used the same Chatham House as venue to discuss the policy thrust of his government if elected.

Given the level of international attention often generated by elections in Nigeria it might be understandable for any foreign research Centre to seek to learn more about the policy direction of the country’s potential leaders. It might even be argued that under the principle of freedom of speech and association, the presidential candidates are within their rights to speak anywhere. Chatham House could also be said to be doing its job as a policy Think-tank.

However, the concern is not so much with the appearance of Nigerians of political influence at Chatham House, as with what they had to say to the international community outside the shores of their own country. Some of the issues raised by the presidential candidates are news to Nigerians, their primary and principal constituencies, and to whom they owe a Constitutional duty and obligation. Nigerians are entitled to know the plans of those who aspire to govern them, firsthand from the candidates themselves, and not through the filtered lenses of foreign countries, their ambassadors or think-tanks. This will enable the citizens to make informed choices at the polls and hold leaders to

It is also not only problematic but embarrassing to note that some of the candidates have declined to face Nigerian audiences at home in an organized format but are offering the foreigners the same opportunity and much more on a silver platter. They fail to address the Nigerian electorate to debate their policies, as has become customary, but have no inhibitions as they meet with foreign ambassadors, foreign government representatives, the media and sundry foreign personalities, to pour out their thoughts.

To date, only one presidential candidate from Nigeria’s 18 registered political parties has addressed serious policy issues in reputable institutions such as the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) or the Nigerian Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS). Both possess the stature and influence to offer political office seekers or even incumbents the platform for robust discussion of essential thoughts and policy initiatives.

The question, therefore, is why Nigerian leaders and aspirants are quick to seek validation from foreign capitals and not show much enthusiasm to be approved by their own electorates, only to turn around later to blame those foreign countries for interference in the nation’s internal affairs or politics? Is this not further compounding the trust issue between the government and the citizens and hampering good governance?

Of course, Chatham House is not to blame. As a research and policy think-tank it is only being strategic and maximizing opportunities to boost its international profile and for the benefit of its host country.

Information is power, and intelligence is processed information, which forms an integral ingredient of internal, and by extension the foreign policy ecosystem.

By denying their domestic audience quality and adequate information, which is provided to foreign audience gratis, the politicians and political leaders are virtually donating sensitive information and material, which opens their countries to further external interference and vulnerability. More than that, the commitment they make in private meetings with representatives of foreign countries could in the future undermine domestic and foreign policy imperatives.

Politicians and government officials in Africa must learn to treat their citizens with respect and dignity, including providing them with important and adequate information as of right, especially on policies and programmes that will impact the citizens. They cannot treat their fellow citizens with disdain and expect foreigners to treat them differently.

To encourage and consolidate democracy in Nigeria, governance must be based on participation and inclusivity, respect for the citizens’ right to know and interrogation of the policies, programmes and decisions of leaders or political aspirants, as guaranteed by the Constitution.

*Paul Ejime, a Global Affairs Analyst, is a Consultant on Strategic Communication, Media Development, Governance Issues, Peace & Security and Elections

“

Of course, Chatham House is not to blame. As a research and policy think-tank it is only being strategic and maximizing opportunities to boost its international profile and for the benefit of its host country

Manchester United captain, Harry Maguire’s Manchester United career could be coming to an end as the Red Devils have offered to let the defender leave West Ham head coach David Moyes is keen on strengthening his backline this month and views the 29-year-old as an attractive option losing