Monday, January 30th, 2023 Edition

The Commissioner of Police in charge of the EOD Unit, CP Zannah Shettima, representing the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, at the EOD Annex Office, Bank Anthony Way, Ikeja-Lagos State at the end of the training of its officers attached to the Explosive Ordnance Disposal –

and Nuclear (EOD-CBRN) Unit ahead of the February general elections.

Police rescue 7 kidnapped victims in Niger

From

Yakubu Mustapha, Minna

Niger State Police Command has rescued seven kidnapped victims consisting of six males and one female after a gun battle with the abductors.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO DSP Wasiu Abiodun in a statement issued in Minna, said the tactical teams had a gun battle with the abductors in Gwalo forest in Gurara local government of the state.

The statement further said

that two notorious suspected kidnapers were apprehended and recovered over two million naira ransom paid by their victims.

Abiodun revealed that the police tactical teams with local vigilante members were mobilized to the area and arrested the two hoodlums at the Gwalo forest in

between Lambata and Kafin-Koro areas. Similarly, Niger state police command has foiled kidnapping attempt and arrested a suspect with a locally made gun at Tuntiko in Mokwa local government area of the state.

Obi allays students’ fears on planned educational loans

From: Shehu Abubakar, Maiduguri

The Presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi, has told Nigerian students that he will not be afraid to take loans from his government to finance their education if he is elected in the 2023 elections.

Obi was addressing students and youths at a townhall

meeting, Saturday, January 28 in Maiduguri where he also pledged to pull the 20 million out-of-school Northern children into production to boost the country’s economy.

Responding to questions from students on school fees during the townhall meeting, Obi said jobs would be guaranteed for graduates in the productive society his administration would

ensure to enable them pay their educational loans.

He also reiterated his promise to ensure end to university lecturers strike, saying, “four years of your academic programme will be fours, and five years will be five years.”

At the campaign rally, later, Peter Obi expressed regret at the 20 million Northern children

out of school.

“These 20 million children have learnt the Quran, and are, therefore, educated,” continuing, “is pull them out of the streets and equip them with skills to liberate them from poverty.”

Obi stressed: “With skills, I will launch them into production to boost the economy of the country.”

Group calls for more involvement of women in water sustainability

By Maryam Abeeb

Agroup known as Fem –in-wash, has called on stakeholders UNICEF, World Bank, Water aid to partner with gender focused organizations such as the Network of Female professionals and member organizations to ensure the needed change for women and their children in the water and

environmental sector.

The Convener of the group, Boluwaji Onabolu in a press briefing in Abuja, explained that that the Network of Female Professionals in WASH should be supported to partner with the Project Team of WASHMATA initiatives, to take a preventive management approach to assess other major programs with a gender equity lens to ensure

sustainability and prevent wastage of resources.

According to her, the WASHMATA initiative in partnership with Federal Capital Territory, FCT Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, RUWASSA implemented action research in 2022 to obtain new data not captured in any existing survey.

She disclosed that a study

found that the percentage of non –functionality of water supplies was two times higher when women were absent in the WASH committees.

Onabolu added that 65% nonfunctionality indicated that for every 100 boreholes provided, the projected loss is $517,524, $478,950 (motorized boreholes) and $38, 574(hand pump boreholes).

From L-R: Vice-Chancellor, ABU, Proff. Kabiru Bala decorating the Hajiya. Fatima L. U Kurfi with award of Honorary Degree being assisted by SGF, Boss Mustapha during the ABU, 42nd Convocation Ceremony in Zaria. Photo: BASHIR BELLO

NEC extends PVC collection by one week ...Warns

double/multiple registrants to stay off

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has extended the collection of Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) in all its Local Government Offices nationwide by an additional one week.

The ongoing collection of PVCs nationwide will therefore continue and end on 5th February 2023.

This was confirmed in a statement weekend by Barrister Festus Okoye, a National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee of INEC in Abuja.

The statement explained

Kano Government to give full support to National Park Service

Kano State Government has assured the National Park Service (NPS) of necessary support in the discharge of its operations in Falgore Game Reserve now a national park in the state.

Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje gave the assurance when Dr Ibrahim Goni, the Conservator – General (CG) of NPS and his entourage paid him a courtesy visit in Kano.

Ganduje, who was represented by Dr Ali Hamza, Commissioner for History, Culture and Tourism, apologised for the communication gap between the state and the NPS.

“I’m assuring the CG and his entourage that henceforth any meeting that is going to take place in Abuja with regards to this national assignment on the establishment of national parks, Kano State will be at the forefront.

“Kano is interested, Kano is willing and Kano will be in the forefront,” he assured the service.

Earlier, the CG said that NPS bought 10 vehicles for all the states where new parks have been established with the takeoff grant the Federal Government provided.

“We bought firearms, patrol vehicles and office equipment,” Goni said.

He urged the state government to provide office accomodation for the smooth take-off of the national park in the state.

Goni also requested the state government to liaise with the necessary security agencies like Civil Defence, Immigration, and the Nigerian Army to secure the arms that the park has procured for the new park.

He demanded that relevant stakeholders like the youth, women and traditional rulers should be carried along in the smooth take – off of the national park. (NAN)

that this is the second time the Commission will be extending PVC collection nationwide, stressing that this will be the last extension of the exercise.

Similarly, collection period has further been extended by an additional two hours and will start at 9am and end at 5pm daily including Saturdays and Sundays.

According to the statement by Okoye, “the Commission met today, Saturday, 28th January 2023 a day after its meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) from the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal capital Territory, Abuja and deliberated on a number of issues, including the reports from

RECs on the ongoing collection of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) in its 774 Local Government Offices nationwide.

“It will be recalled that at the meeting with RECs on Friday, 27th January 2023, the Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu indicated that the Commission will not hesitate to consider additional measures to ensure that all citizens have ample opportunity to collect their PVCs ahead of the General Election.

“Having reviewed reports from all the States of the Federation, the Commission is encouraged by the progress made so far as more Nigerians troop out daily to collect their PVCs.

“Arising from reports from the various States and discussions with Resident Electoral Commissioners, the Commission has decided to further extend PVC collection in all its Local Government Offices nationwide by an additional one week.

“The ongoing collection of PVCs nationwide will therefore continue and end on 5th February 2023..

“This is the second time the Commission is extending PVC collection nationwide and this will be the last extension of the exercise.

“Collection period has further been extended by an additional two hours and will start at 9am

and end at 5pm daily including Saturdays and Sundays.

“Those that engaged in double and multiple registration should not bother visiting any of the Commission’s Offices as the Commission did not print their PVCs.

“The Commission will continue to act on all reported cases of sharp practices during the ongoing PVC collection and will ensure that no Nigerian is disadvantaged and all those that carried out valid registration have an opportunity of collecting their PVCs.

“The Commission once again salutes the patience and doggedness of citizens”, it said.

FCT ex-Judge tasks couples on patience, endurance

By Usman Shuaibu

The retired judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court of justice, Hon. Justice Mwada Balami, has tasked the couples Mrs. Deborah Danyaro Balami and Mr. Peter Nuwa Balami to always cultivate the habit of patience as well as endurance in

living with each other.

The wedding ceremony of the couples took place at EYN Church of the Brethren LCC, Gwagwalada on Saturday with many people in attendance.

The ex-judge who spoke to newsmen after the reception, charged the couples not to allow anybody to interfere into the

matrimonial home and said “let them stay clearly from everybody”.

Balami also urged couples to co-operate with each other for the sake of peace to reign in their home, as they love themselves, while advising the married men not to join issues with their wives always.

He, therefore, expressed with

joy the manner at which the important personalities attended the wedding ceremony, and called on the dignitaries to pray for the couples to live in peace.

When asked on the intermarriage, Balami encouraged the people to engage in the intermarriage in order to pave the way for an egalitarian society.

New naira notes: Reps minority caucus hails CBN extension of deadline

Christiana Ekpa

The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives on Sunday applauds the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for listening to Nigerians and extending the deadline for swapping of the old naira notes for new ones by 10 days.

The Caucus in a statement by Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, Minority Leader of the House said the 10 days extension of deadline from

January 31, 2023 to February 10, 2023 is a welcome decision, adding that it will ease the suffering as well as social and economic discomfort being faced by many Nigerians in accessing the new naira notes within the earlier stipulated deadline.

He said “As lawmakers and representatives of the people, our caucus commends the CBN for being considerate towards the wellbeing of Nigerians; which is the

essence of democratic governance all over the world.

“Our Caucus applauds the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar, for his intervention in persuading President Muhammadu Buhari and CBN to extend the earlier deadline in the national interest.

“His Excellency Atiku Abubakar’s patriotic intervention at this time further shows him

as a compassionate leader who is always concerned and committed towards the wellbeing of Nigerians. He has again demonstrated his experience, capacity, and competence to get the system to work in the interest of Nigerians at very critical time.

“Our Caucus calls on Nigerians not to rest on their oars but to take maximum advantage of the 10 days extension to swap their old naira notes for the new ones”.

L-R: Lecturer, Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos, Prof. Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika; Editor Nation’s Capital, THISDAY Newspaper, Dr. Iyobosa Uwugiaren; Coordinator, African Centre for Media and Information Literacy, Dr. Chido Onumah; Director, Broadcast, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Stella Erhunmwunsee and Director, International Press Center (IPC), Lanre Arogundade, during the Stakeholders’ roundtable on monitoring report of media coverage of 2023 elections and revised Nigeria media code of election coverage, held recently in Abuja..

Photo-: Justin Imo-owo

2023: We’re solidly behind you, Kano APC women assures Tinubu, Gawuna

From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

Women of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), under the aegis of Progressive Young Women Forum (PYWF), Kano state Chapter have assured their support to the success of the party at all levels.

PYWF therefore expressed its unflinching support to the presidential candidate of APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the gubernatorial candidate of the party in Kano, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna in the forthcoming elections.

Speaking at a one-day seminar on election planning and monitoring for 5,000 women across the 44 Local Government areas of Kano yesterday, Chairperson/Representative of PYWF in the state, Balaraba Aliyu Madugu said they will be all out to vote for APC in the general elections.

According to her, the seminar was organized in order to inform and enlighten women on how to vote for APC to victory at all levels.

She explained that the 5,000 women were drawn from the 484 wards across the 44 Local Government areas, adding that they would go back to their respective communities to e light other women.

She said certificate would be presented to the participants at the end of the seminar.

She called on all APC women to vote for the party in the coming elections, noting that “voting APC is the consolidation on the party’s performance in terms of development and democracy.”

In his remarks, the Director of Tinubu campaign in Kano, Professor Shehu Garba, urged Nigerians to vote for Tinubu because he is the best candidate to move the country forward.

He also urged the women to vote for Gawuna as he is best candidate to lead Kano to the promise land.

NASENI develops 150 innovative products, says EVC

TheExecutive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Prof. Mohammad Sani Haruna has said that the agency has developed 150 innovative products.

He said the innovations transcend different sectors and geographies of our national economic landscape.

He said a lot of made in Nigeria products will soon be in the market based on the inventions.

Haruna made the disclosures in an interaction with newsmen in Lagos after receiving Public Service Icon Award from The Sun Publishing Limited.

He said NASENI was undergoing developmental transformation because President Muhammadu Buhari has opted for the full activation of the Act of the agency.

He said: “The new NASENI was made possible by the support and commitments of the Governing board, the management and staff of NASENI and all its development institutes/ centres across the country.

“The aggregate of the efforts, activities and results across NASENI system has been acknowledged nationally. The development of over 150 innovative products which are outcomes and outputs of Research for development is worthy of acknowledgement.

I am indeed glad and proud to share this celebration with the entire NASENI family for your contributions thus far.”

Haruna explained how full activation of the law by President Muhammadu Buhari has helped NASENI to come up with rapid and sustainable inventions.

L-R: A former Governor of Ogun State, Aremo Segun Osoba, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Prof. Mohammad Sani Haruna and Sen. Ben Murray-Bruce after the conferment of Public Service Icon Award on NASENI chief by THE SUN Publishing Limited in Lagos on Saturday.

He added: NASENI under my leadership is undergoing developmental transformation through the full activation of the law that establishes the agency under the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR.

“This new NASENI can be chronicled as a model agency of” Rule of law in action”. My sincere appreciation goes to the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed forces of Nigeria who is equally the Chairman of the

NASENI Governing Board for his commitment to ensuring the Rule of law prevails by giving the necessary approvals for a new NASENI to be evolving.

“The development strides of New NASENI under my watch transcend different sectors and geographies of our national economic landscape and we are committed to making NASENI a household name in the design, development, assembly, production , packaging and distribution of made in Nigeria

nationally and internationally. He said he accepted the award as a “catalyst to do more in my pursuits for impacting lives and communities globally. God bless the Sun Newspaper, God bless Federal Republic of Nigeria.” He charged The Sun newspapers to continue in new discoveries of more change makers and unsung heroes who deserve recognitions and celebration as an impetus to do more.”

PVC collection: Labour Party youths advocate date extension ,holiday for students

TheLabour Party Youth chapter on Friday called for one-week holiday for students to collect their Permanent Voters Card(PVC) ahead of the 2023 general elections.

The Acting Youth Leader ,Kennedy Ahanotu ,made the call while addressing newsmen in Abuja.

Ahanotu also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to extend the closure of the PVC collection date for 14 days to the elections .

He said that the gesture would enable the youth in school to travel to the various places they registered to collect their PVCs to participate in the coming elections.

“Today the youth in Nigeria

want to take part in taking back their country by contributing towards the New Nigerian agenda via the ballot, and they must not be disfranchised .

“This because many belief that a better Nigeria is possible with Mr Peter Obi and Sen. Datti BabaAhmed.

“Given the above narratives and the need to have a free, fair, credible and all-inclusive elections in 2023; I hereby categorically state that it will be highly unacceptable for such number of citizens to be denied the opportunity to cast their votes due to academic calendar.”

Ahanotu, therefore ,called on the Federal Government, Academic Staff Unions of Universities (ASUU), Academic Staff Union

of Polytechnics (ASUP), National University Commission (NUC), State Governments and other Private university owners .

The call , he said, was to give one-week holiday for students in higher Institutions to go home and collect their PVCs given the INEC deadline.

He said that the LP youth also called on the Federal Government to give automatic one week holiday for students to travel for the general elections holding on Feb. 25 .

Ahanotu said the LP youth group was also concerned about the numerous targeted violent attacks on the party’s Youth Leaders, Women Leaders and Obidients across the country .

He said that this was especially

in Lagos, Kaduna, Enugu State s among others, adding that it was therefore very vital for his office to address news men .

According to him , it has become highly necessary to passionately demand from the Nigeria Police to arrest and bring to book those individuals who are perpetrating evil on fellow citizens alongside their sponsors.

The youth leader said that recently one of its youth leaders in Lagos was brutally attacked for pasting a campaign poster.

He also recalled that the LP women leader in Kaduna was murdered in cold blood with the injured husband now amputated putting the young children under an uncertain future.

Start preparing to address flood disaster in 2023– NEMA DG tells Nigerians

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

The Director General National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Mustapha

Habib Ahmed has advised stakeholders to brace-up and prepare to mitigate against the likelihood of flood this year.

This was contained in a statement signed and signed by Manzo Ezekiel, NEMA Press Unit Abuja .

He gave the advice against the backdrop of the 2023 Seasonal Climate Prediction released last week by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), which indicated that there will be normal to above

normal rainfall in some states this year.

The NEMA DG who spoke in Abuja at the weekend with the hindsight of last year’s flood that devastated many communities across the states said it was imperative for States Government to support their own Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) to be operationally ready and also establish Local Emergency Committees (LEMCs) for grassroots participation in disaster management.

Addressing the participants at the close of International Disaster Management Executive Seminar for Nigerian Emergency Management

Stakeholders organized by NEMA with facilitators from Bournemouth University Disaster Management Centre (BUDMC), Mustapha Habib Ahmed said the Agency has already begun its preparation as evidenced in the capacity training seminar.

“This year I expect stakeholders including the States Government to ensure early preparation and to match words with action,” he said.

While commending the course participants and resource persons for a robust engagement, he advised the Heads of SEMAs that participated at the seminar to cascade the knowledge gained to their various states.

The NEMA DG said the

seminar was conceived to improve capacity of disaster managers and specifically packaged to address common challenges in Nigeria with world class ideas.

A team member from BUDMC Professor Lee Miles who spoke on behalf of the facilitators said the 5-day intense engagement covered very important and practical areas of disaster management that would benefit the nation.

Also speaking on behalf of the participants, Chairman of Bayelsa State Emergency Management Agency Hon Walaman Sam Igrubia appreciated the DG NEMA for the foresight in organizing the seminar.

He said that the lessons learnt

would immensely benefit that states in their preparation and response to disasters. He also appealed the NEMA to sustain the kind gesture of capacity development for SEMAs.

The Seminar was organized by NEMA with facilitators from Bournemouth University Disaster Management Centre (BUDMC) United Kingdom and participants drawn from Heads of State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs); all Heads of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Zonal, Territorial and Operations offices; selected staff from all departments and representatives of stakeholder agencies.

PHOTO: NASENI

Buhari okays 10-day extension of old naira swap Reps reject policy, says position of law sacrosanct

By Egena Sunday Ode, Christiana Ekpa & Mustapha Adamu, Kano

President Muhammadu

Buhari has approved the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) request for the extension of the deadline for swapping of old Naira notes to the redesigned ones.

This is as the House of Representatives Adhoc Committee on new naira redesign and naira swap policy has rejected the ten days extension granted by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the exchange of old naira notes.

The new deadline is January 31, 2023, to February 10, 2023.

A seven-day grace period, beginning on February 10 to February 17,2023, has also been approved to enable Nigerians to deposit their old notes at the CBN after the February deadline when the old currency would have lost its Legal Tender status.

This followed the President’s meeting with the apex bank’s governor, Godwin Emefiele, in his country home in Daura, Katsina State on Sunday.

Emefiele briefed correspondents after the meeting, revealing that 75 percent of the N2.7 trillion held outside the banking system has been recovered.

He said: “We are happy that so far, the exercise has achieved a success rate of over 75 percent of the N2.7 trillion held outside the banking system. Nigerians in the rural areas, villages, the aged and vulnerable have had the opportunity to swap their old notes; leveraging the Agent Naira Swap initiative as well as the CBN Senior staff nationwide sensitization team exercise.

“Aside from those holding illicit/stolen Naira in their homes for speculative purposes, we do aim to give all Nigerians that have Naira legitimately earned and trapped, the opportunity to deposit their legitimately trapped monies at the CBN for exchange.

“Based on the foregoing, we have sought and obtained Mr

President’s approval for the following:

“10-day extension of the deadline from January 31, 2023, to February 10, 2023; to legitimately held by Nigerians and achieve more success in cash swap in our rural communities after which all old notes outside the CBN losses their Legal tender Status.

“Our CBN staff currently on mass mobilization and monitoring together with officials of the EFCC and ICPC will work together to achieve these objectives.

“A 7-day grace period, beginning on February 10 to February 17,2023, in compliance with Sections 20(3) and 22 of the CBN Act allowing Nigerians to deposit their old notes at the CBN after the February deadline

when the old currency would have lost its Legal Tender status.

“We therefore appeal to all Nigerians to work with the Central Bank of Nigeria to ensure a hitch free the implementation of this very important process for program.”

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives Adhoc Committee on new naira redesign and naira swap policy has rejected the ten days extension granted by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the exchange of old naira notes.

In its swift reaction, the Adhoc Committee, chaired by the leader of the House, Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa, rejected the extension, insisting that the CBN must comply with sections 20 sub 3, 4, and 5 of the CBN act.

The House, had during its sitting on Tuesday, constituted the ad hoc committee to look into the issue,

Doguwa said that; “ The 10day extension for the exchange of the old naira notes is not the solution: We as a legislative committee with a constitutional mandate of the house, would only accept clear compliance with section 20 sub 3, 4, and 5 of the CBN act and nothing more.

“Nigeria as a developing economy and a nascent democracy must respect the principle of the rule of law. And the House would go ahead to sign arrest warrant to compel the CBN Governor to appear before the Adhoc committee.”

He said under his chairmanship, the committee

would continue its work until it gets the demands of Nigerians addressed in accordance with the laws of the land.

Describing the extension as a mere political gimmick to further deceive Nigerians and worsen their economic and social livelihood, Doguwa said the CBN governor must appear before or stand the risk of being arrested on the strength of legislative writs signed by Hon. Speaker on Monday.

He also said the policy is capable of frustrating the forthcoming general elections.

“Security agencies and their operations especially at the states level are generally funded through cash advances and direct table payments of allowances to operatives during elections,” he said.

2023: Police trains EOD personnel, deploys anti bomb equipment

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

The Nigeria Police Force has effectively concluded the training of its officers attached to the Explosive Ordnance Disposal – Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (EODCBRN) Unit.

A statement issued yesterday by Force PRO, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the training which discussed established protocols for safe explosives disposal and preventive measures ahead of the 2023 General Elections was approved by the Inspector-General of Police,

IGP Usman Alkali Baba, as part of his vision to ensure strategic and timely training and retraining of police officers, particularly those with dynamic specializations.

“Upon conclusion of the training and quarterly conference of Commanders and heads of EOD formations across the country, where the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Unit, CP Zannah Shettima, represented the IGP, at the EOD Annex Office, Bank Anthony Way, Ikeja-Lagos State, there was the distribution of some contemporary gadgets donated by the United Nations’ Mine

Action Service (UNMAS), and United States Nuclear Smuggling Detection and Deterrence (US NSDD), and others procured through the Special Intervention Fund of the IGP to bases, sub-bases and other operational formations of EOD. The gadgets include Pack Eye Back Pack Radiation Detectors, Electronic Control Measure Frequency Jammers, Thermo Scientific RIIDEye, Viken Detection Nighthawk, Thermo Scientific FirstDefender, and F3 Mine Lab-Deep Mine detectors.

“The IGP therefore assures that the Nigeria Police Force in

its proactiveness, has emplaced measures to ensure proper sweeping of strategic locations to prevent the import of CBRN and high-yield Explosives into public spaces. Similarly, EOD-CBRN personnel at all entry and exit points of the country have been put on alert to be eagle-eyed in order to prevent the importation of explosive materials illegally.

“While reiterating the leadership and coordinating roles the NPF has been charged to carry out in the internal security architecture and election security management in Nigeria, the

Inspector-General of Police has equally ordered Commissioners of Police and their respective supervisory Assistant InspectorsGeneral of Police in the 17 Zonal Commands, to continually engage with the military and other security agencies that are recognized members of the InterAgency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to solidify the already designed operation order cum deployment strategies emplaced towards the smooth and peaceful conduct of the 2023 General Elections.”

L-R: Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika; Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, Sharon Ikeazor , Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Director General National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mustapha Habib; Director General National Orientation Agency (NOA) Dr Garba Abari and Director General Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET), Prof Mansur Bako Matazu during the 2023 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP), held recently in Abuja . Photo: Justin Imo-owo

CBN, Reps Naria Saga: We stand by CBN’s guidelines-Commercial Banks

...I will sign warrant of arrest on Tuesday - Gbajabiamila ...says dark horse behind agenda

By Christiana Ekpa

Thecommercial banks yesterday told the House of Representatives that they were bound by the guidelines of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, as their regulator in the implementation of the cashless policy.

The banks in a meeting with the adhoc committee of the House set up to interface with them on the withdrawal of old notes said that they are getting allocation of the new naira notes from the CBN and dispensing same to their customers through the Automatic Teller Machines (ATM).

The Banks MDs revealed that the January 31 deadline of the CBN was still sacrosanct.

It will be recalled that the committee chaired by the leader of the House, Hon. Ado Doguwa had invited the various commercial banks to confirm or refute the claims by the CBN that there was sufficient new naira notes in circulation.

Represented by their various staff, the banks took turns to respond to the issues.

They said that due to the cashless policy, they were not expected to collect as much money as deposited with the CBN, stressing that the public should first understand the import of the policy.

We are getting allocation of new notes from CBN -Banks.

They also revealed that the new naira notes can only be accessed through the ATM and not t tbe counters.

For instance, the representative of Access Bank, Hadiza Ambuza said “We are paying put as much as we. We are collecting the money and loading them at the ATM as quickly as we get them. Unfortunately, we are not getting them quickly. We have gotten about 10 percent of the total money. That’s is challenge that we have. We are doing the best we can up until the deadline.”

Also, the representative of Lotus Bank, Mohammed Abdul said “ On the issue, we have been receiving the new notes and returning the old notes. However in the last few weeks, it’s been very insufficient what we are receiving. We received the average of N40 million weekly for our bank in Abuja”.

For Sterling Bank, its representative, Orlando Umoren said “Looking at the issue on the ground, CBN presents allocations to banks, whether or not this allocation is sufficient is a different ballgame.

As I speak with you, all our ATMs are dispensing. Allocations are shared. What we received fluntuates. We received a minimum of N150 million to be shared. In Kaduna, N150 million, in Kano, we received N100 million to be shared amongst the branches in the metropolis. They are being fed in

the ATM only and not to be given to the customers across the counter. In Abuja here, what we are given is about 80 percent. In Kano, it is less than 10. What we get in return is nothing comparable... The reason why the new naira note is not coming. It is in the furtherance of the cashless policy. The banks are still under pressure to ensure that they met the deadline.”

Similar Uzza of Guaranty Trust Bank said “We collect old note and distribute new notes. We have been doing that. In terms of numbers, I can give you. We collected more that 60 percent of what we sent. Accross the country, we collected about 60 percent about two days ago of what we sent. We won’t collect as much as we deposited because of the cashless policy. We have collected more than 60 of the new notes. But it varies from town to town.”

Also the Eco Bank representative, Rita Etomi-Ademola said “What I can say is that 255 branches we have, have been collecting the notes and feeding the ATMs. I may not have the details here because I don’t want to give wrong figures.”

For Wema bank, the Head of Branch Services said “the engagement is ongoing. CBN is giving us allocation. I may not be able to avail the House the figures.”

On his part, the representative of the United Bank for Africa, UBA said “what we are doing right now is to load all the new notes. As regards the allocation, the figure is about 70 percent and I can assure that we collect money from the CBN everyday. As we collect, we load it. We collect the old notes and send to CBN. That is still ongoing.”

Similarly, Femi Bamgboye of Sun Trust Bank said “we collected about 80 percent of the new notes. We get about 100 million of the new notes.”

For First Bank, its representative, Shehu Aliyu said “We have seen an upsurge of people coming to open account and deposit money into those accounts. We have been handling this as much as we can. After this hearing, we will bring details. We have been paying out new notes across the country.”

Also, the Regional Executive for Heritage Bank, Oniko Daniel said the public needed to understand the policy as couched by the CBN.

“If you load a cartridge which is about 8 million, in less than 2 hours that 8 million is finished. It must be understood. People want to deposit N10 million and want to collect N10 million, It is not possible. CBN is doing cash swap in route areas. The public needs to know the guidelines and what the CBN is saying. CBN guideline is more or less a rule to the commercial banks”, he said.

For the Hassan Umar’s Fidelity

Bank, “We do received about 60 percent of what we deposited with the Central Bank in terms of the new notes”.

The responses of the bank’s representative obviously did not meet the expectations of the lawmaker who expressed disappointment that there was no straight figures of the new naira notes to quote, an observation the chairman, Doguwa said was very discouraging.

It’s discouraging banks are not giving us figures-Reps

He also added that the banks needed to interrogate the CBN on some of their guidelines that affected the customers.

“It is very discouraging that you don’t have figures. We need to have the fact and figures when the CBN is insisting we have given you enough.

“When CBN is issuing a guide that is not in the interest of your customers, you don’t ask them? You are shortchanging your customer. You collect the old notes across the country and dispense the new notes only through the ATM”, he said.

Also speaking, Hon. Obinna Chidoka said there was a disconnect between the banks and the CBN as they don’t want their licenses withdrawn.

He said: “You came here not prepared. I see a disconnect. You are

very wary of your license and can’t really talk”.

Similarly, Hon. Ahmed Jaha sought to know if the bank will cease accepting the old note after the deadline.

“In the law, no time was given for the bank to stop collecting the old notes...directive to the bank to stop collecting the old notes after it ceased to be a legal tender?”, He asked.

For Hon. Nkem Abonta, there may be an economic sabotage.

“For every money printed, there is a value for it. If at the end of January, the new notes are not accepted, don’t you think it’s an economic sabotage? Operators should let us know”, he asked.

Don’t put us on the spot-Banks representatives Pressed to see reasons with them to push for extension, the bankers however sidestepped the question for commitment.

One of the representative however said “Mr chairman and members of the committee that is putting us on the spot. Nigeria People have spoken and we gave seen, you are the representatives of the Nigerian people Mr chairman.

You are in a better position to say whether this is fair to the Nigerians otherwise for this exercise to stop on the 31st and you have said it. So our

opinion doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter Mr chairman. Thank you Mr Chairman”, the representative said. Committee to recommend issuance of warrant of arrest

Earlier in his remarks, Doguwa who read section 20 (3) of CBN act and distributed copies amongst the bankers said a dark horse was behind the agenda, stressing that the committee would recommend that the speaker invokes the relevant sections of the law to issue a warrant of arrest on the CBN governor.

“It is our position of this committee and by extension, the position of the house of representatives that the letter they have earlier sent to us is only an action in futility. The House does not count on that letter whatsoever and it holds no water at all.

“I want to rule that the Central Bank of Nigeria through its chief executive, who is the governor of the central bank, has decided to flagrantly disregard and disrespect the institution of the legislature. And on this note, I would want to say that this committee will outrightly inform the house.

Speaking earlier at the plenary, the speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila said he will sign the warrant of arrest on Tuesday.

NGO strengthens policy to curb GBV in Kaduna Polytechnic

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

An NGO, Empowering Women for Excellence Initiative (EWEI), has partnered the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Kaduna Polytechnic branch, to strengthen the implementation of the polytechnic’s policy on the Prohibition of Sexual Harassment.

Ms Jelilat Abioye, EWEI’s Technical Adviser, Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning, stated this at the first seminar on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) for the academic staff of the institution in Kaduna on Saturday.

Abioye explained that the seminar was designed to enlighten the academic staff on vulnerability,

exploitation, and the effects of SGBV.

She said that after that, EWEI would work with the academic staff to work on the school GBV policy, build their capacity on policy review, policy management and policy administration.

According to her, the goal is to ensure that the GBV policy is effectively managed and administered.

Abioye noted that more women are being abused than men, adding that the effect on women is horrific, leading to unwanted pregnancies, mental and psychological breakdown, and severely sexually-transmitted diseases.

“These among other factors, are the reason EWEI keeps advocating to end sexual harassment and abuse in

public places.

“This s to help create a society where women feel safe; where they can be themselves, be themselves and achieve their potential,” she said.

EWEI’s Programme Officer, Gender, Mendie Jerimiah, stressed the need for stakeholders to support the protection of the rights of individuals either at home or in public spaces.

Jeremiah, who takes the participants through fundamental human rights as provided for in the 1999 Constitution, added that the rights of GBV survivors must also be protected.

He identified some of the rights as the right to assistance, to support anyone who has been abused, facing sexual harassment and GBV.

Earlier, Ms Rachel Ogbonna, Senior Programme Officer, Organisational Development and Partnerships, described the seminar as the beginning of a journey towards reducing sexual harassment and abuse in the polytechnic community.

Ogbonna explained that the seminar was under the “We for Them (WFT)” project, being implemented in partnership with Africa Women’s Development Fund.

She explained that the project specifically aims at decreasing the rates of SGBV, with a particular focus on sexual harassment and abuse in public spaces.

She added that EWEI would be working with ASUP, Kaduna Polytechnic, and Kaduna chapter of the National Union of Road Transport

Workers to implement the project in the next two years.

According to her, the project is expected to reach more than 4,500 primary and secondary beneficiaries.

The Chairman of the union, Mr Abubakar Abdullahi commended EWEI for supporting the polytechnic to review and strengthen the implementation of the school GVB policy.

Abdullahi assured that the union would work with the polytechnic management to ensure effective implementation of the policy.

He explained that the policy was designed to ensure the subsistence of a secure, non-sexist, nondiscriminatory and non-exploitative atmosphere for students, staff, agents and visitors.

L – R: Prof. Mohammed Ajiya, President/CEO, Digital Bridge Institute; Mr. Adeleke Adewolu, Executive Commissioner Stakeholder Mgt, Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC; Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, NCC; Prof. Adeolu Akande, Chairman, NCC Governing Board; Mr. Salman Abdulazeez, Member NCC Board, at the Vanguard Personality of the Year Awards where the EVC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta received the award of ‘Regulator of the Year’ on Friday 27th January, 2023 at Eko Hotel, Lagos State.

Gunmen kidnap Chawai traditional ruler in Kaduna State

Gunmen have abducted Chief Joshua Ahmadu, the District Head of Chawai in Kauru Local Government of Kaduna State.

Ahmadu’s abduction was confirmed on Wednesday by Mr Abel Adamu, President, Chawai Development Association (CDA).

Adamu, in a statement signed by Mr Raphael Joshua, Public Relations Officer of CDA, said that the traditional ruler was kidnapped Tuesday night “by unknown gunmen who invaded his house at Zambina”.

“It was reported that the kidnappers stormed the house of the traditional ruler in their numbers around 9:30 p.m. and took him away,” Adamu was quoted as saying.

The CDA President was further quoted as expressing dismay over the situation while assuring residents that CDA was working hard to ensure that the victim was released unhurt.

“Already, relevant authorities and heads of security operatives on special duty in the chiefdom have been duly informed and have already swung into action to rescue the traditional ruler.

“We are calling on all sons and daughters of Tsam land to pray for the safe return of the district head.”

The statement challenged youths of the chiefdom to always take communal security seriously so as to avert such breaches.

“We have to be on our feet to ensure the land is safe.

“It’s unfortunate that at this critical time, the youths, who ought to be the communal force to guarantee security across communities, are not ready to work in collaboration with security personnel to secure the land,” he lamented.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Tsam Chiefdom has suffered lots of abductions and attacks by bandits and kidnappers lately.

Some of the incidences have led to the loss of lives while large sums had also been paid to rescue kidnapped victims.

The CDA boss appealed to government to direct security agencies to ensure that the district head was rescued and released “unconditionally”.

NAN learnt that the personnel of the Police Area Command in Kafanchan had since visited the family of the victim and assured relations of its readiness to “do everything possible” to rescue the traditional ruler. (NAN)

Nigeria ‘ll surmount challenges of terrorism soon – Monguno

The National Security Adviser (NSA), retired Maj.Gen. Babagana Monguno, says Nigeria will surmount the challenges of terrorism in the nearest future given the successes so far recorded by the military.

Monguno said this at the opening of Non-kinetic Coordination Course organised by the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in collaboration with Peace Building Development Consult on Wednesday in Abuja.

He was represented by retired Rear Adm. Yaminu Musa, Coordinator, National Counter-Terrorism Centre, Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA).

He said that aside the kinetic efforts of the military, the Federal Government had put measures in place using all of government approach to tackle the menace of terrorism in the country.

Monguno said that defeating the prevailing security threats required effective coordination or collaborative efforts of the nation’s armed forces and other security agencies.

He said that proffering analytic solution towards enhancing the national responses to emerging security threat to the country had become a key guiding principles with which to ensure national development.

According to him, from our experiences as a nation in combating terrorism, we have come to realise that kinetic means

alone is not sufficient to defeat the threat.

“What this threat therefore demand is synergy of effort involving stakeholders across governments and across the society that includes citizens which is what we refer to as whole-of-government and wholeof-societal approaches to ensure national security.

“The splitting of Boko Haram into Islamist States West Africa Province and the reemergence of Ansaru group created additional challenges for Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin countries.

“Nonetheless the less the comprehensive approach being employed our counterterrorism effort has continued to significantly degrade the threat resulting in the mass surrender of terrorists and sympathisers in the North Eastern part of the country,” he said.

The NSA added that Transnational Organised Crimes such as illicit financial flow, money laundering and proliferation of small arms and light weapons amongst others had continued to create security challenges in the country.

He said that while illicit financial flows had linkages to terrorism and other transnational organised crime, the proliferation of small arms posed a major challenge facilitated by porosity of Nigeria’s borders.

He said that ONSA had taken several measures to tackle the threats of insecurity vis different

approaches and strategies.

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Lucky Irabor, in his lecture titled, “Understanding Non-kinetic Operations and Capabilities for Irregular Warfare”, said the armed forces had achieved a lot through nonkinetic means in combating terrorism.

Irabor, who was represented by the Director of Operations, Defence Headquarters, AVM Bashir Mamman, said that military force alone was not a sufficient panacea to ending violent agitations and extremism.

He added that governments often utilised soft power or nonkinetic approaches amongst other means to resolve conflicts.

According to him, non-kinetic operation, therefore, seeks to counter ideology of violence and relies on utilisation of nonmilitary methods to achieve set objectives and by extension, consolidate peace building and security.

Irabor recommended that a review of the National Counter Terrorism Strategy (NACTEST) was needed to ensure that actions at all levels of operations were in accordance with the information strategy.

He also recommended inclusion of non-kinetic operations doctrine in pre-deployment training as well as emplacement of planned maintenance of Infrastructure and road network in operation areas.

The Director-General of

NIPSS, Prof. Ayo Omotayo, said that the of strategy of kinetic and non-kinetic had to be shuffled and improved upon.

Omotayo said the workshop was organised to find ways towards discussing the ever changing strategies of war and conflicts and the need to apply technology, psychology and communication in the art of warfare.

He said the course emphasised the need for proper capacity for decision makers, both military and civilian to work together towards achieving the national goal.

He said that the workshop was borne out of the fact that the nation had been using the kinetic approach to solving some of the security problems, adding that it was necessary to look at alternative approaches.

“We believe that at the end of this engagement, we will finally be able to come up with the essence of kinetic or non-kinetic approaches, and then sell it to the security agencies as an alternative to kinetic approaches.

“These approaches have been tried as well, and they have worked so we believe that Nigeria should not fail to explore other means of solving national security problems.

“The participants are drawn from all walks of Nigerian life and from all sectors, from the military, the customs, immigration and other agencies that engage with issues of national security,” he said. (NAN)

2023: Youth Council endorses APC governorship candidate in C/River

The Cross River Chapter of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has endorsed the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the state, Sen. Bassey Otu, for the 2023 polls.

Mr Daniel Obo, Chairman of NYCN in the state, said this on Wednesday in Calabar during a town hall engagement with youth leaders in Southern Senatorial District of the state.

He said that the council endorsed the governorship candidate of the APC and adopted the party because of its youth friendly disposition.

“We are not going back in our support for the governorship candidate of Cross River and we will win because we have 70 per cent of the votes.

“We have come here to reaffirm our commitment as an institution. We will stand for the party that

recognises young people.

“We, the youth council in Cross River will support the APC and will mobilise our youths to stand with the party, and God willing, we will win,” he said.

Obo said that governorship position in the state rotates round the three senatorial zones of the state for equity, fairness and justice.

“The position of governor rotates around the three senatorial

districts. It is the turn of Cross River South to produce the next governor.

“About 80 per cent of the youths are with us; and as you know, politics is a game of interest.

“We have one of us as a deputy governorship candidate in APC; we will try our best to see that his ambition sees the light of the day,” he said.

Obo said that the governorship candidate shared with the council

his plans for youth development in the state and his antecedents as a lawmaker in the National Assembly.

“It is no longer time to hijack materials or send youths to fight against themselves, but the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System will speak for itself.”

The chairman, therefore, encouraged the youths to get their Permanent Voter Cards ahead of the polls. (NAN)

Minister of State for FCT, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu (middle) flanked by members of the FCT Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) during the inauguration ceremony of the FCT PCC, held yesterday in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-owo

Malami restates Buhari’s commitment to credible elections

By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja

Attorney General of the Federation(AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami SAN, yesterday, reiterated President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to conduct a credible, free, fair general elections.

Malami expressed this, Thursday, at a conference organized by the National Association of Judiciary Correspondents(NAJUC)Abuja chapter.

Speaking on the theme: 2023 General Elections: Judiciary

Jigawa Government assures National Park Service of adequate assistance

Jigawa State Government on has assured the National Park Service (NPS) of assistance in the smooth transition of the Hadejia Wetland Game Reserve to a national park.

Gov. Mohammed Abubakar of Jigawa gave the assurance when Dr Ibrahim Goni, the Conservator-General (CG) of NPS and his entourage paid him a courtesy visit in Dutse.

Abubakar, who was represented by his deputy, Malam Umar Namadi further assured NPS of all required support for the smooth take-off of operations at the Park.

“We believe that taking over that park will bring a lot of benefit to our people.

“The Hadejia Wetland Game Reserve is a very important National Park because it is historic.

“It has a long history and I’m sure that once it is taken over by the Federal Government, that park will be known internationally,” he said.

The governor further assured that all members at the National Assembly from Jigawa would speed up processes to support the taking-over of the park in the state.

Earlier, Goni urged the state to take the handing-over of the park seriously, to avoid degradation.

The CG implored the state government to provide office accommodation within and around the designated National Park which was also in line with the stakeholders’ resolution.

Goni commended Jigawa State for having Sen. Ibrahim Hadejia as the Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment at the National Assembly.

He expressed optimism that for the service to attain great success in the handing and taking over of the 10 new national parks in the nine states of the federation, the Senator would live up to expectation. (NAN)

and Sustainability of Nigeria’s Democracy” the AGF said, It is important to note that Buhariled administration is committed to fair, credible and violent-free electoral process in the country.

“This is evident in Mr. President’s recent assent to the Electoral Act, 2022 which has been applauded by many patriotic citizens, pundits and international community.”

The AGF said one of the major highlights of the new Electoral Act is the legal backing provided for the Independent National Electoral Commission to deploy technology among many other

commendable initiatives to bequeath posterity, a legacy of viable democratization tool.

Malami pointed out that he sustainability of Nigeria’s democracy is not linear, stressing that citizens have vital roles to play in the democratic process and must shun all vices that are capable of undermining the progresses that have been recorded so far.

“In particular, the media is paramount in voter education so that the Nigerian citizens are enlighten to resist the urge of selling their votes and not to allow themselves to be used to commit

I’ll win Presidential election despite sabotage -Tinubu

From Ibrahim Sidi Muh’d, Gusau

heTAll Progressives Congress (APC)

Presidential candidate, Ahmed Bola Tinubu has assured victory against all opponents vying for same position in the forthcoming presidential election.

Tinubu, who made the assurance today (Saturday) during Presidential rally in Gusau the capital of Zamfara State, said “Though, measures have been taken to interrupt my campaign rallies but, from the fast growing size of my popularity across the nation, I will win”.

It would be recalled, the Presidential candidate during previous rallies, has lamented measures taken by the federal government which comprised naira redesign and acute short of fuel in filling stations across the 36 states of the federation.

He further assured that, no amount of sabotage or hazy games from anywhere which is targeted at discouraging hopes in the teeming supporters of APC and it’s Presidential candidature will reduce the strength of confidence for victory.

“Let me use this opportunity to announce to you that, if elected, I will ensure total exploration of all economic potentials in Zamfara State, especially as it is blessed with high concentration of mineral resources.

“Security and Economic Diversification will be the priority of my administration, in this light, I will pay an alarming but most needed attention towards building mining and agricultural sectors so that more jobs will be created”, Tinubu further assured.

electoral offences or cause violence before, during and after elections” the AGF stated.

Also, the Chief Judge of High Court of the FCT, Justice Hussain Baba Yusuf, admitted that the Judiciary is under pressure due to unprecedented number of pre-election cases, which will definitely skyrocket after the election proper.

Represented by Justice

Olukayode Adeniyi, the CJ assured that Justice will be done to all the cases without fair, favour or ill-will.

Chairman of NAJUC, Kayode Lawal, appealed to politicians to

play politics by the rules and in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022.

Lawal noted that the last primary elections conducted by various political parties to select candidates for the forthcoming general elections was fraught with fraud, deceit, illegality etc.

The NAJUC Chairman noted the upsurge in number of pre election cases pending in various jurisdictions across the country, and called on the judiciary to work hard to dispose all the cases timeously.

L-R: Deputy Chief Observer, EU Election Observer mission, Mr. Thomas Bosefup, Speaker, House of Representatives Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and Chief Observer, EU Election Observer Mission/Member of European Parliament, Mr. Bary Andrews, during the EU delegation visit to the Speaker, at the National Assembly in Abuja yesterday.

With 10MW Solar Energy, President Buhari sets Kano industry on the march UK PM fined, you don’t say!

The United Kingdom Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, recently was fined by the British police for not wearing a seatbelt in the back of a moving car while on a trip to northern England. Sunak was seen turning in his seat without a seatbelt on. The PM’s office at Downing Street said the incident was a “brief error of judgment”, but Lancashire constabulary announced they were fining Sunak for the infraction.

The force said: “You will be aware that a video has been circulating on social media showing an individual failing to wear a seatbelt while a passenger in a moving car in Lancashire. After looking into this matter, we issued a 42-year-old man from London with a conditional offer of fixed penalty.”

Reacting, a spokesperson for Sunak said: “The prime minister fully accepts this was a mistake and has apologised. He will, of course, comply with the fixed penalty.” A fixed penalty means Sunak can pay a fine to avoid a court hearing. The police did not disclose how much they had fined the prime minister, but according to the government’s safety campaign, any driver or passenger not wearing a seatbelt is breaking the law and is liable to be fined up to £500 if the case goes to court, according to The Guardian UK.

Sunak’s transportation habits were already a talking point in the United Kingdom before the incident, a report by AFP says. His political rivals have taken aim at his use of a private jet to make multiple short flights in recent days. This is not the first time Sunak has been slapped with a police fine. He was fined while serving as Chancellor of the Exchequer for attending a Downing Street party in June 2020 that violated the government’s rules on social distancing, according to an AFP report.

The latest fine makes Sunak the second Conservative prime minister to receive a police fine in less than 12 months. The Metropolitan police, in 2020, issued a fixed-penalty notice to Boris Johnson for attending a party during lockdown. Sunak was fined for attending the same event as Chancellor of the Exchequer.

The prime minister of a powerful country fined for not wearing a seatbelt! Points to note. Firstly, the police didn’t identify him by his position. They only said “an individual”, “a 42-year-old man from London”. They were simply reminding everyone that the law is no respecter of position and all are equal before the law. Secondly, the prime minister readily accepted he was at fault and would pay the “fixed penalty” the police had slapped on him. “The prime minister fully accepts this was a mistake and has apologised”, his office said.

Fast track to Nigeria or another Third World nation. It is unheard of that the police have found a prime minister/ President guilty of offence and penalized them. The police, by their training, are taught certain stereotypes, including the law is not meant for the powerful but the weak. This confers on the latter a certain degree of impunity to break the law and damn the consequence. Indeed,there will be no consequence because no crime has been committed as far as the police are concerned.

This is why the British case has fascinated millions of Nigerians. Yes, Muhammadu Buhari refused to drive through the “stop” red light after he was elected president in 2015. He would not begin his presidency with a blatant breach of a traffic law. But he only was/is one in a million that would respect the law. Will the British example ever happen in Nigeria any time sooner. Your guess!

PEOPLE OUR MISSION

• City to transform into nation’s solar state

By Garba Shehu

For an electricity distribution area, Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) that gets between 250-360 Megawatts, on a day by day basis, many will dismiss the commissioning of the 10MW, Challawa Kano Solar Power Project as inconsequential.

Yet, in terms of both significance and consequential impact, this power plant, the first of its kind in Nigeria is a game-changer in many respects.

It is important to note that this is the largest grid-connected solar power plant in the country so far. Not only this, it is a pointer to growth in the power sector and a strong and unambiguous message that large-scale renewable projects can be successfully delivered in the country.

The plant is equally a personal goal achieved by President Muhammadu Buhari, a globally recognized champion of awareness-creation and the mitigation of climate change. He is a recognized promoter of biodiversity and a strong advocate of clean energy sources.

For him, the destruction of the natural environment, especially from uncontrolled carbon emissions is an anathema; the reason for most, if not all of the security and socio-economic challenges, from terrorism to banditry, hunger and poverty that confront us.

The Challawa, Kano plant is built to generate energy that produces no greenhouse emissions from fossil fuels and reduces air pollution.

The intention is for the project to supply the Challawa Water Works, the backbone of public water supply to the city of between 4-5 million people, and the provision of unbroken power supply to streetlights in the state capital thereby helping with security.

The effect will be to ease pressure on the overstretched power distribution to the Challawa Industrial Estate, the city’s second but largest industrial layout, to help spur industrial production and motivate other companies to invest in additional capacity and allow them to reach full capacity utilization.

We are also informed that the choice of contractors was done in a way that a local contractor must have a foreign partner and viceversa, the reason being to ensure local participation, local job creation, value retention and knowledge (technical) transfer. The goal is for the sector to grow into maturity to such a point where no foreign content is required to undertake similar complex technical projects in the future.

At the construction stage, the project created 300 direct jobs and indirect jobs (transportation, food and beverage, hospitality etc) in excess of 2,000.

The project is a demonstration pilot project, intended to stimulate investment in the Nigerian power sector. Kano wasn’t initially chosen for

it. Another state among the country’s large number of states in the sun solar belt was chosen but its indecision and failure to meet deadlines cost the state this project.

To meet an irrevocable deadline, Kano State Government was challenged by an order of the President to respond to the requirements, and, in time. Could Kano Government respond in time, asked the Presidency? Happily, the Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and his Deputy, Gawuna did not disappoint.

In just one week, the Governor sent a duly registered Certificate of Occupancy covering a 24-hectare parcel of land, valued at N322 million at market value to the President, meeting thereby a strong requirement, for his approval. An agreement was signed with an ownership structure in which the Federal Government has 80%, Kano State Government with 15% and Kumbotso Local Government, 5%.

Power generated will be directly supplied to the distribution system.

On January 4, 2019, following a directive from the President, the Federal Ministry of Finance instructed the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, to transfer the approved sum of N4.71 billion from the Development of Natural Resources Development Account to the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, NSIA.

The President chose the NSIA to be the funds and project manager for the development and construction of this solar project because of the seriousness he attached to it. The President chose NSIA because it has a record of adherence to transparency and known to go with the highest environmental and social standards. The Covid-19 epidemic and consequent lockdown, and the currency fluctuation, impacted negatively on the project’s execution but the good news is that the NSIA has, notwithstanding the delay, done its part by delivering the project.

Kano is home to 15-16 million people and is poised to overtake Lagos as the most populous state. With 60-plus integrated rice mills today in Kano, the city has transformed into the country’s rice processing hub in the seven years of the Buhari administration and with this, a growing and voracious appetite for energy.

With this commissioning, President Buhari will put Kano on the front line of the combat against climate change. It will also mark the President’s big push on renewables to decarbonize the power sector and reduce air pollution starting with Kano on Monday.

All these put together will lead to a huge transformation of Kano from a semi-arid state to a solar state.

Garba Shehu is Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media and Publicity.)

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“To be the market place of ideas and the leading player in the industry by putting the people first, upholding the truth, maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards while delivering value to our stakeholders”

Chief Operating OffiCer /editOr, Hameed m. Bello, PhD Manager, adMinistratiOn Hassan Hammanyaji

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The latest fine makes Sunak the second Conservative prime minister to receive a police fine in less than 12 months

Ajaokuta Steel and Buhari’s renewed pledge

By Michael Jegede

Buhari was also quoted as saying that “The process has cost this Federal Government over 400m US Dollars so far, but I consider it money well spent as we move closer to achieving our objective of transforming Kogi State into Nigeria’s iron and steel powerhouse.”

Like his predecessors in office, the resuscitation of the recklessly abandoned Ajaokuta Steel Company (ASCO), the largest integrated steel complex in the Sub-Saharan Africa, occupying 800 hectares of land on 24,000 hectares of an expansive greenfield area, was one of the promises President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) made to the people of Kogi State to secure their votes in 2015.

During his re-election campaign in 2019, a reassurance was given of his commitment to the completion of the steel project, situated along the West Bank of River Niger in Kogi Central Senatorial District, and envisaged to serve as a pivotal element in the country’s industrial revolution plan almost five decades ago.

Since Buhari’s inauguration for a second term in office, the Federal Government (FG) continued to give Nigerians hope that Ajaokuta Steel would become fully operational before the expiration of his tenure. There were indeed apparent indications pointing to the fact that the Buhari-led administration was making genuine efforts to address the issues impeding the take-off of the steel company.

In demonstration of his commitment towards ensuring a functional Ajaokuta Steel, Buhari, in October 2019, met with Russian President Vladmir Putin at the Russia-Africa Summit in Sochi, where bilateral agreements were reached for the purpose of reviving the comatose steel mill. Buhari was widely commended for that significant move which was followed by the setting up of the Ajaokuta Presidential Project and Implementation Team (APPIT) in 2020. I recall how virtually everyone who called in, poured encomiums on PMB for his strong determination to wake up Nigeria’s sleeping steel giant, when I featured as a guest in Abuja Vision FM’s flagship programme, Brugami, to discuss issues relating to Ajaokuta Steel shortly after the crucial meeting between him and Putin.

However, the Minister of Mines and Steel, Olamilekan Adegbite, on March 31, 2022, said the current administration would no longer be able to deliver a fully revamped Ajaokuta Steel. Adegbite placed the blame on the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war. According to him, Buhari had approved the release of $2m in 2020 for the technical audit of the steel company to ascertain the extent of work to be completed under an arrangement with a Russian firm, TYAZHPROMEXPORT (TPE), the original builder of Ajaokuta Steel, recommended by the Russian government.

The Mines and Steel Minister remarked: “Arrangements were being made to commence the process but COVID-19 came and put a halt to all activities, causing a force majeure.” He said after the COVID-19-related travel restrictions were relaxed, effort made to continue the process was thwarted with the international sanctions imposed on Russia resulting from its war with Ukraine.

Recently, PMB while in Lokoja to commission some laudable legacy projects executed by the Kogi State governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, made a renewed pledge to Kogites and Nigerians that his administration will see to the completion of the process that will bring Ajaokuta Steel to life.

Stressing that Ajaokuta Steel is dear to his heart, the President stated: “Our administration is working to reposition Kogi as an investment hub through the activation of solid minerals in the state. No project is dear in our heart like the Ajaokuta Steel Company in Kogi State, which we inherited in moribund condition from the previous administrations.

“The steel company has disputes both locally and internationally, I am glad to say that through our concerted effort we are able to settle the dispute by paying some money

and the company is now ready for concessioning to competent private investors that will operationalize it for the people of Kogi State and Nigerians at large. We are in talks with a reputable company in the United State of America and by God’s grace, Ajaokuta will come back to serve the people of Nigeria very soon.

“The significance of making Ajaokuta Steel working again is enormous as it will generate over 500, 000 jobs for Nigerian youths and also generate high revenue for the state and the country in the tune of over 1.6 billion dollar annually. Nigerians should be rest assured that my administration will pursue the issue of Ajaokuta Steel Company to logical conclusion before I leave office as president of Nigeria.”

Buhari was also quoted as saying that “The process has cost this Federal Government over 400m US Dollars so far, but I consider it money well spent as we move closer to achieving our objective of transforming Kogi State into Nigeria’s iron and steel powerhouse.”

The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, SAN, had in September 2022, announced that FG has finally resolved the long-standing contractual dispute over the steel complex which had been at the International Court of Arbitration since 2008.

Malami disclosed that FG was able to secure a 91% reduction in the original claim of $5.258 billion by Global Steel Holdings Limited (GSHL), and would have to pay only $496m. GSHL is the Indian firm the then President Olusegun Obasanjo concessioned ASCO and National Iron Ore Mining Company (NIOMCO) Itakpe to in 2004 and 2005 respectively, after a previous concession deal with SOLGAS of the United States of America fell flat.

The AGF explained that the root cause of the disputes was the termination of contracts entered into by the Obasanjo administration (between 1999 and 2007), and terminated by late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, for giving greater advantage to the Global Steel group accused of “asset stripping and other unwholesome practices” believed to be wreaking havoc on ASCO.

About two weeks after Malami gave the cheering news that the legal bottleneck hindering Ajaokuta Steel revival has been successfully removed, his spokesman, Umar Gwandu, disclosed that $250m has been paid to GSHL as part of the first tranche of the $496m arbitration fee, according to The Africa Report. Gwandu was quoted as saying: “The first settlement of $250m was effected on Thursday 15 September 2022 to Global Steel.” The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed just revealed that FG has now paid a total of $446m with a balance of $50m which will be paid in February to clear off the judgement debt on ASCO.

On August 1, 2016, just about one year, two months into Buhari’s first term in office, FG and GSHL signed a renegotiated concession in an out-of-court settlement initiated by the immediate past administration of Goodluck Jonathan. That arrangement, we were told, returned full control of Ajaokuta Steel to the Nigerian government while the Indian firm, GSHL was to run NIOMCO for a period of seven years.

Even though some stakeholders were vehemently against the 2016 modified concession, the Buhari-led administration perhaps felt that it would be a quick way to resolve the lingering issues. Many Nigerians eager to see Ajaokuta Steel come to life hailed the decision and prayed for it to work in the interest of the country.

Months later, while Nigerians were still basking in the euphoria that greeted the said reworked concession, reports emerged indicating that GSHL was making fresh demands from FG. Their unjustifiable demands made outside the modified agreement were not granted by FG. GSHL, ostensibly trying to frustrate the possibility of revivifying ASCO, made good its threat to return to the International Court of Arbitration in 2020.

President Buhari is believed to have charted the right path

How humane are we?

By Olabooye Mariam Olamide

Today, people are more concerned about themselves. The world is filled with greed, cruelty, jealousy etc. Some becomes proud because of the wealth acquired and become obsessed the money and fame. Imagine firing long-term employees just to save a few Naira while making billions yourself, giving out doesn’t really exist anymore.

There is a big difference between human being and being humane; a human being refers to a member of the species “Homo sapiens” that differs from most animals by the high standard of psychological development, power of speaking fluently, way of sitting and standing. Humans are considered as superior to other living beings mainly due to their higher intelligence and are capable of accomplishing so much more. For instance, the creation of societies, culture, both material and non material, such skills and supreme mental capacities can only be witnessed in humans.

What is humane? The word humane refers to showing kindness and concern towards others. Being humane towards others,

both animals and people, is a quality that needs to be developed in the modern world. Humane qualities are compassion, helpful gestures but seems to be disappearing. Although there are billions of humans in the world. It is rare to find a human being who is compassionate, well-meaning and caring by birth. Being humane is a virtue. Acquiring any virtue takes many years of hard work to practice, since the world is highly characterized by constant irrelevant and violent events.

Throughout the time, humans have learned about the environment around them, built empires; expansive business areas. But, has all this work been able to alleviate human suffering and in the world? The immense power acquired by humans has bought envy, destruction to human nature. Lets not forget, kind people are also here but the number of cruel people in the world is more than those of the kind people.

Why is it that the rich people are always in higher positions while the poor are denied the opportunity of being in that position because it is now seen as a norm like that’s where they belong? We can see the success of such rich, famous and ruthless people

for the future of Ajaokuta Steel with the latest resolution of the protracted contractual dispute. Yes, much as it could be seen that PMB has made assiduous efforts to reactivate the steel complex, a national treasure left to lie fallow for over 40 years, what Nigerians would have loved to hear now, is the commissioning of a completed ASCO ready for full operation.

Knowing the great value the operation of a completely revitalized ASCO would add to our economy, one would expect that the steel project should not have been allowed to drag for this long. Nigerians are seemingly tired of hearing promises on ASCO, a project that has over the years become a cesspool of corruption and reportedly consumed over $8 billion, requiring only $652m to complete, as revealed by the last technical audit conducted in 2018. Another election year has come and the presidential candidates have started making the usual promises in their visits to Kogi State for campaigns.

As I have always asked in my previous write-ups on ASCO, how can we still be dwelling on an uncompleted Ajaokuta Steel, after over four decades of its conception, a project originally programmed to be completed in six years and expeditiously taken to over 85% completion by the late Shehu Shagari administration as at 1983 within a space of three years after the foundation stone was laid? Certainly, Shagari would have completed the project if not for the military coup that toppled his government three months into his second term in office.

As at 1994, when the original builder, TPE Russia, finally deserted ASCO, due to the failure of the Nigerian government to fulfil its side of the contract, it had reached about 98% completion. Of the 43 different industrial units in the integrated steel complex, 40 had been fully completed. 476 out of the 482 items said to be in the Ajaokuta Steel Contract had been delivered and put in place before work on the project was stopped. The initial contract for the construction of the steel plant was signed on the 4th of June, 1976 during Obasanjo’s military regime.

In just 35 years (between 1978 and 2013), while Nigeria kept dilly-dallying and foot-dragging on ASCO that was supposed to be the bedrock of its industrialization, China rose rapidly from their pathetic story as a backward and impoverished agrarian society to the world’s largest manufacturing powerhouse, with steelmaking being a key driver. Today, China is top on the world list of countries by steel production, producing 1.0648 billion tons in 2020 and 1.0328 billion tons in 2021, which amounted to over 53% of the global output. For over 15 years now, it has unwaveringly maintained the top position on the global chart for steel manufacturing.

A media report in 2017 indicated that according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Nigeria imported steel products amounting to N23 trillion in a period of 10 years. Another report last year showed that over a trillion naira was spent on iron and steel imports within 9 months. All this money would have remained in the system and helped to considerably boost our economy if we had a completed and fully operational Ajaokuta Steel.

We are richly blessed with all the raw materials required for steel production including Iron Ore which is the major ingredient. With an estimated reserves of over 3 billion tonnes, Nigeria is presumed the 12th largest country in terms of iron ore deposits globally and the second largest on the African continent. Yet, we have not been able to effectively harness the resources to produce steel for the benefit of our nation.

It is hoped that this current settlement, said to have been reached via the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) framework, will, indeed, be the final resolution of the legal brawl over ASCO, which lasted for almost 15 years, blocking the completion of Nigeria’s number-one steel firm designed to actualize the country’s industrialization dream.

Michael Jegede, a journalist writes from FCT, Abuja

at every level of our society due to the exploitation of the poor. Conscience doesn’t work for anyone, even though human beings are the best creatures of creation, there is not the slightest bit of love and affection. People pretend to be kind but cruel and filled with hatred inside.

Today, people are more concerned about themselves. The world is filled with greed, cruelty, jealousy etc. Some becomes proud because of the wealth acquired and become obsessed the money and fame. Imagine firing long-term employees just to save a few Naira while making billions yourself, giving out doesn’t really exist anymore.

Kindness is a sign of greatness. It’s being selfless, compassionate and caring. There is no harm in becoming rich, but if we are kind hearted, we will definitely take others along. The needy and lessprivileged people of the society should be uplifted so that they can enjoy the same standard of living which they deserve. This responsibility is towards the society, nation and family.

Olabooye Mariam Olamide is a Public Policy Analyst.

When the only reason you stay with a drunk is the money

By Bunmi Sofola

“Your guess is as good as mine where the difference would go. You seldom win when your partner is an alcoholic. They often set themselves on a dangerous path and it’s virtually impossible “to steer them off it – until they’re completely destroyed”.

Ola, Dupe’s husband, now rich – beyond their wildest dreams, has alcohol as his albatross. She doesn’t always know what type of rabbit he’ll pull out of his full magic hat of embarrassment when he’s drunk. The last I witnessed was early this year when the family had a belated New Year party.

As the guests left, well-fed and merrily tipsy, Ola asked his house guests and a couple of us to finish things off at a nightclub near the house. I would rather have preferred to go home and sleep off a throbbing headache, but Dupe’s pleading eyes made me shrug and I left with the group. Ola was a bit tanked up by now. His speech was slurred but the problem with him is that he doesn’t know when he’s had enough booze.

At the nightclub, he wasn’t drinking his beer, he just tilted his head and drained the stuff. What was the enjoyment in that except to really get drunk? By the time we left the nightclub, we were all legless and I decided to sleep in one of the children’s rooms. I’d hardly put my head on the welcoming pillows when there were angry raps on my door.

It was Ola. What the heck was going on? “Someone has pinched my wallet,” he bellowed, his eyes blood-shot. Here we go again, I groaned as I meekly followed him to the living room. Martin and Fadeke, his other house guests, looked really fed up in their nighties. They regarded Ola as if they could throttle him, but, over the years, we’ve all learnt to wait out his storms instead of challenging him.

“I paid for our drinks from my wallet,” he yelled, “and now, it’s gone. I’ve checked everywhere and I distinctly remember giving the night guard money for tomorrow’s papers from it. One of you lot must have pinched it and no one is going anywhere until I’ve found the blasted wallet. That wallet is packed with a lot of one thousand naira notes.

He then marched to their rooms and turned the place upside down. When he got to my room, he caught my eyes and the look of pure hatred I gave him made him quickly abandon the search.

“I will continue tomorrow morning”, he warned, staggering to his bedroom. It was almost impossible to have any semblance of a well deserved snooze as I was already fuming. The next “morning”, Dupe came to my room as I got ready to leave. I

was also prepared to do battle if I was as much as stopped to be searched again for a miserable wallet – no matter the amount of money he claimed he stuffed in it.

‘I found the wallet’, Dupe told me resignedly. She looked so sad and embarrassed I didn’t know what to say. “It was wedged between a chair in our bedroom. I knew he paid for the drinks we had with his credit-card but didn’t want to argue with him.

He was spoiling for a fight as he accused me of not believing him and siding with our guests. He even accused me of flirting with Martin. He was already in bed, fully clothed, when he made to take his native trousers off, so he could use the toilet. The more he struggled, the more his trouser got tangled.

“In the end, he just rolled on the bed, wet his trousers and was snoring in seconds! He’s done that before and what I usually do is to dump all soiled materials – including the beddings in the outside bin. Asking the soiled stuffs to be laundered would surely give the domestics more juicy gossipy bones to gnaw at. It was when he was fast asleep that I painstakingly searched the room for the wallet and was hugely relieved to find it.

I then placed it on the freshly made bed. I’d already rolled him off it and took his trousers off to get the stench of urine out of the bedroom. He’s still fast asleep and I’ve apologised to our guests. They looked relieved in spite of their being hurt by Ola’s allegations. They couldn’t get out of the house fast enough.”

The sad fact is that an alcoholic is the worst kind of person to live with – be it male or female. Gbemi is a silver spoon woman who’d learnt to steal alcohol from her unsuspecting well-heeled father’s cellar any “time she felt like entertaining her wild friends. In no time at all, she’d become an alcoholic.

As a manager in a blue chip company, she always had drinks concealed in her desk’s drawers for her ‘guests’. When she met her third husband, Henry, she couldn’t function without alcohol. She’d long lost her job but, had inherited fortunes from her dead father.

“The old man was worth more to me dead than he was alive,” she’d quipped as she told us details of his will. Henry was alarmed at how clever she was at hiding her stash of alcohol. He didn’t know she drank as early as eight o’clock in the morning. She needed help and she needed it badly, he thought.

He belonged to an evangelical church and sought the help of his pastor. He advised Henry to bring Gbemi to the church to stay a week, at least, for constant vigil and prayers so she could be weaned off alcohol. After arguing vehemently she wasn’t an alcoholic, Gbemi agreed to give the treatment a go to save her marriage. “After the one week,” Henry recalled, “she didn’t

seem to be making much progress – she looked disoriented and I put it down to withdrawal symptoms. It was later that one of the church workers confessed she always gave them money to buy alcohol for her.

“When she was in the bathroom, I rummaged through the huge suitcase she brought with her and found a big bottle of vodka at the bottom of it. I felt really deflated. When she came out and saw me with the drink, she was defiant, accusing me of abandoning her in the middle of nowhere with some weirdos. She had had enough and she wanted to leave. I felt really deflated – you couldn’t make a grown woman do what she didn’t fancy doing, could you? So, I took her home.

“She went downhill from there. We lived in the house she inherited from her dad and whenever I criticized her drinking, she always advised I could leave if I couldn’t take her for who she was. In spite of everything, and what most people thought that I married her for her money, I really loved her.

I had a well paid job and I still look after the family I left for her. She was a very elegant woman and booze was now destroying all that. In the end, she got tired of my nagging and threw me out. The last I heard of her, she’d sold the house she inherited on Victoria Island to buy a middle-income flat so she could have ready cash from the difference.

“Your guess is as good as mine where the difference would go. You seldom win when your partner is an alcoholic. They often set themselves on a dangerous path and it’s virtually impossible “to steer them off it – until they’re completely destroyed”.

Vintage Booze? (Humour) A guy walks into a bar and says to the bartender, “I want you to give me 12-year scotch, and don’t try to fool me because I can tell the difference.” The bartender is skeptical and decides to trick the man with a 5-year scotch. The man takes a sip, scowls and says, “Bartender, this crap is 5-year scotch. I told you I want 12-year scotch.” The bartender tries once more with 8-year scotch. The man takes a sip, grimaces and says, “Bartender, I don’t want 8-year scotch like this filth. Give me “12-year scotch!”

Impressed, the bartender gets the 12-year scotch. The man takes a sip and sighs, “Ah, now that’s the real thing:’ A disgusting, grimy, stinking drunk has been watching all this with great interest. He stumbles over and sets a glass down in front of the man and says, “Hah, I think that’s real far out what you can do. Try this one.” The man takes a sip and immediately spits out the liquid and cries; “Yechhh! This stuff tastes like piss!” says the drunk. “Now how old am I”.

Bunmi Sofola

is a

Public Policy Analyst.

By Solomon Unimke

…given Nigeria’s political structure, which is highly polarized, it can be difficult to determine which candidate or party truly aligns with one’s conscience. Additionally, there may be instances of voter intimidation or manipulation, which can make it difficult for some individuals to vote freely and in alliance with their conscience.

“Choose your leaders with wisdom and forethought. To be led by a coward is to be controlled by all that the coward fears. To be led by a fool is to be led by the opportunists who control the fool. To be led by a thief is to offer up your most precious treasures to be stolen. To be led by a liar is to ask to be told lies. To be led by a tyrant is to sell yourself and those you love into slavery” – Octavia Butler.

The 2023 election in Nigeria appears to be one of the nation’s most crucial and defining moments. The election has attracted attention around the world, with many anticipating who will lead the giant of Africa out of its current economic and political disarray. While all of this is ongoing, there is a lot of campaigning by various political parties and advocacy from non-state actors on the need for Permanent Voters Cards (PVC) collection by citizens, as well as discussion about whom the people should vote for and why.

One of the most important rights of Nigerian citizens are the civil and political rights, which includes the right to vote and equally be voted for. ‘Vote with your conscience’ is the cliché that has permeated the socio-political space of well-meaning Nigerians. They frequently persuade other Nigerians to vote according to their conscience rather than conventional considerations like gender, tribe, ethnicity, religion, class, and the sentiments that a candidate do not share the same political identity and ideology as they do if Nigeria must progress from its present political state. However, why this assertion is valid, because people are tired and frustrated and want to give up on the system, the only way out had been seen to be the choice of voting in a credible candidates driven by the plight of the people and with the vision to transform or turn around the country for good regardless of their social status. While it is generally considered to be important for individuals to vote based on their conscience during elections to ensure that their beliefs and values are represented in government principally because it’s a democratic system, where the government is supposed to be a representative of the will of the people. However, it is important to also consider other factors such as candidate’s ability and what

they bring to the table and how they align with the beliefs, values, and society’s needs rather than being swayed by outside influences or personal gain.

This article, therefore, attempts to analyze the catchphrase “vote your conscience” in the context of the Nigeria forthcoming 2023 general election and argues that this is not a sufficient consideration in deciding a choice candidate. Rather, our choices should be guided by their policies and ideas toward development which the candidates present through their manifestos. While, we seem to have lost sight of history and our past as a nation in respect of what has led us to where we are today. Some people will insist voting in the forthcoming election should be on the grounds of ethnicity, partisan sentiment, personal gains, and religious lines not what unites us and will make us prosperous as a nation. The current state of the nationknows no tribe, religion, class, or social status, hence it requires a more pragmatic and innovative policy reform thatwill drastically alter the status quo and turn things around for the populace, making it a difficult task for the incoming President. Therefore, it behooves the electorate to decide their pill and be ready for the consequences that come with it.

It might not seem accurate to say that one should never vote based on their conscience in Nigeria, however, it is important to be aware of the political context and potential consequences of voting solely based on personal beliefs. Nigeria is one of the largest democracies with a multi-party system, so one is not oblivious of the complexities and the multi-faceted nature of the forthcoming elections with different candidates coming with different policies and ideas. Voting based solely on conscience may not take into account the practical considerations of who is best suited to govern the country. It can also be risky to vote for a candidate based on personal beliefs without considering their qualifications, plans, and track record. In some cases, voting ‘with your conscience’ may not align with the best interests of the country. For example, if a candidate has a poor track record or lacks the experience and credibility to govern effectively, it may be more responsible to vote for a different candidate regardless of whether or not they align with your personal beliefs. It is important to be aware of the political context and potential consequences before casting your vote and also to educate yourself about the candidates and issues before making a decision. It is also important to consider the nation’s interest, which might be more important than personal views.

Secondly, given Nigeria’s political structure, which is highly

polarized, it can be difficult to determine which candidate or party truly aligns with one’s conscience. Additionally, there may be instances of voter intimidation or manipulation, which can make it difficult for some individuals to vote freely and in alliance with their conscience. Another reason is that, sometimes, the political parties and their candidates are not transparent enough in their manifesto and the way they intend to govern the country. This makes it difficult for individuals to make informed decisions about whom to vote for. Therefore, it is important to be informed about the candidates and their policies, and also to consider the political and social context of the election before casting a vote.

Similar to how the loss aversion theory, advanced by Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman, contends that voters are more inclined to use their votes to counteract the effects of bad policies than to support them. Value references are essential from a psychological standpoint in determining personal preferences. In addition, it may be argued that the fact that loss aversion only occurs in situations with high stakes validates the phenomenon because it demonstrates that bias exists even when people care deeply about the result of their decisions. When it comes to elections and referendums, this is clear since voters base their decisions on a cost-benefit analysis.

As a corollary to the above, bear in mind elections have consequences, whoever leads you impact you directly or indirectly. We need to be critical and no longer be fencist and influenced or swayed by partisan sentiment, religion, ethnicity, emotions, and personal gains over national interest. Thus, the assertion of ‘voting with your conscience’ is no longer trendy, nor practicable, and baseless on the grounds of voting. We must be driven by policies, measuring our level of growth or using global standards of development as a yardstick though considering the African context. Your leaders decide the future of the country, countries with failed leadership are paying heavily for their actions. We can write our wrongs and rewrite our history by electing credible leaders with the foresight and intuition to develop the country not people with questionable characters and personalities. Be driven by ideas and track records. Vote wisely and don’t sell your vote.

Solomon Unimke is a development practitioner and researcher currently researching employment and employability drivers in Nigeria using Innovations hubs as a case study. His interest is in innovation, tech for social good, and youth development.

#NigeriaDecides: What is the meaning of ‘Vote your conscience’?

Downsized Immigration officers send SOS to Buhari

By Usman Shuaibu

The downsized immigration officers have sent save our soul (SOS) to president Muhammadu Buhari for the payment of their wages.

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

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

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

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

Integrity support international drums support for Atiku/Okowa

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

Anon-governmental organization, Integrity Support International Association (ISIA), has thrown it’s weight behind Abubakar

Atiku and Ifeanyi Okowa ticket as they urged Nigerians especially the youth to shun violence during and after elections.

The national coordinator/ chairman board of trustee, Integrity Support International Association, Alhaji Salawu Abdulmalik while addressing Journalists and ISIA coordinators from various states and zones during a press briefing over the weekend in Abuja described Atiku and Okowa as best pair to paddle the seat of power in Nigeria.

According to Alhaji Abdulmalik, every hand must

be on deck to ensure the best for this nation Nigeria. People need to be focused, resilient to ensure credible individuals like Atiku and Okowa are elected not because of party but to make sure we have a better Nigeria tomorrow.

Alhaji Abdulmalik said, “Nigerians particularly the NGOs are strongly behind Atiku and Okowa race in the political arena. Thank God for President Buhari who is resolute in ensuring that this election will be peaceful, fair and free and also for INEC which is headed by Prof. Mahmud Yakubu who promises to do all it takes to make sure Nigerian people have their choice manifest.

“My distinguished coordinators from various states and zones, you are welcome to this wonderful new year some of you have not seen me since the

beginning of this year, so I wish all of you a wonderful year ahead and a success in our ongoing project towards a peaceful election this 2023.

“Dust our PVC and get ready to vote for the right candidate and when voting, you secure your votes are properly counted, this is the basic message you take down to the grass roots, from unit to unit, from ward to ward down to local government and up to the state level so that our long suffering of emancipating Nigerian people towards a better governance will not jeopardized.

“As we continue sensitization for good governance, those who are planning and plotting to do all sorts of maneuvering will fail for the betterment of all Nigerians regardless of our tribes and religion. This time the votes of Nigerian people must count.”

Meanwhile, He admonished Nigerians not to put money and material issues first but to pursue a goal which will bring about comfort, job opportunities, enabling business environment, good health care and education. Vote rightly, do not allow anybody to buy your votes and do not sell your votes for cheap commodity

“Tell our parents in the village to stand up for their right no matter how old they are and go and cast their vote diligently and ensure they secure the vote. Our youth should not be used for violence rather they should tell those politicians to take their children and use them as thugs. According to the former president, no Nigerian blood is worth shedding for anybody’s loot, it is we that want them to manage us, so if we die, who will they manage”.

Igbo Council of elders to hold peace summit

By Usman Shuaibu

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

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

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

during the peace summit.

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

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

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

streets.

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

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

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

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

L-R: Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji; Special Adviser, Infrastructure and Public Utilities, Prof Bolaji Aluko; Head of Service, Barrister Bamidele Agbede; Director of Fire Services, Ekiti State, Chief Olugbenga Omoniyi; and Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, Mr Akintunde Oyebode,during an inspection of facilities at the state Fires Service office yesterday in Ado-Ekiti.

Gbajabiamila asks EU mission, others to objectively assess 2023 electoral exercise

By Christiana Ekpa

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, has urged election observer missions and monitors in Nigeria to get balanced views by speaking to a broad range of stakeholders before making their conclusions on the outcome of the forthcoming general elections.

He noted that being a multiethnic, multi-cultural, and multireligious country, different people would naturally have different biases and push opinions that, though they represented their interests, might not necessarily be correct.

Gbajabiamila, who spoke when a delegation of the European Union Election Observation Mission to Nigeria visited him at the National Assembly in Abuja on Friday, stated that reports on election outcomes

could only reflect what truly transpired when observer missions engaged with multiple stakeholders.

The delegation was led by Mr Barry Andrews.

For instance, the Speaker said there were 18 political parties contesting various elective positions, beginning on February 25.

He added that among the contestants, there were those who, by his assessment, were frontline contenders, others with their areas of strength and so on.

Gbajabiamila advised the mission to speak to not only every political party but also to as many stakeholders as possible, adding that this would help shape the reliability of any report on election outcomes this year.

The Speaker assured the delegation that Nigeria was fully prepared for the elections and had made every possible arrangement

Reps spokesman, Kalu accuses opponent of attacking his Constituency office

By Christiana Ekpa

Unidentified gunmen at the weekend attacked the constituency office of the House of Representatives Spokesperson and a member representing Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, destroying office furniture, billboards and other valuables.

The gunmen, according to an eye witness, came in two vehicles, a Sienna and two motorcycles, shooting sporadically, as the people of the community scampered for safety.

Speaking on the development, the Lawmaker expressed disappointment and sadness over the unwarranted attack, alleging that it is “politically motivated”.

The House Spokesperson said the people of his constituency are not deterred by the attack, and he’s determined to ensure that what belongs to the people gets to them.

While expressing confidence that the culprits will be fished out by security agencies, Kalu who’s seeking second term reelection in the House of Representatives, appealed to his constituents to remain calm and avoid taking the laws into their hands.

According to him, “That constituency office has been there since 2018 till now and it has not been attacked, but only few days to the election. We are really proud of what we have done for the people, many are offended and they are trying to team up to suffocate democracy that is at its best in Bende federal constituency.

“They have destroyed property,

but they have not destroyed the road that we have built, they have destroyed billboards, but they have not broken the bridges that we have built, they have shattered the windows of my office, but they have not shattered the empowerment we have given to the people to be on their feet.”

The DPO in-charge of the area was on ground to ascertain the level of damage and assured that investigation will unmask those behind the attack.

for the process to be successful.

“We are prepared for it, and those saddled with the responsibility, from Mr. President, the National Assembly, INEC, the political parties, to all the other stakeholders along the chain, we are all ready to make the votes count.”

“The electoral law is in place. We have done all we needed to do, and now we have to wait and see how things pan out.

“Election is a process that leads to the final day. It’s very complex, but at the same time it can be very simple, depending on the attitude of the actors”, Gbajabiamila added.

He also told the delegation that the use of technology this time around was an added advantage, which INEC would deploy to fasttrack the process.

“We are hoping there will be no problems in the area of deployment of technology and also security

issues, we hope not to worry about it much”, he said.

The Speaker informed the group that an area of concern remained the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVC), which he said was still not very high, compared to the number of registered voters.

However, he told the visitors that sensitisation was ongoing and “it is our firm belief that the number of PVC collections will be ramped up way before the elections proper.”

On the part of the National Assembly, Gbajabiamila said the Legislature did much to improve the electoral law to expand the opportunities for participation by many Nigerians.

He stated that the Legislature, particularly the House, had hoped that ‘Direct Primaries’ would be captured in the law as the main method of picking political party candidates in order to transfer the

power of decision-making to the majority of party members, but the move suffered a setback.

“Nonetheless, there is no law that is perfect. We have come a long way with the current law and it is work in progress for our electoral system”, the Speaker further said.

Earlier, Andrews, told Gbajabiamila that the EU Mission was happy to be invited to observe the polls, just as it had done on seven previous occasions.

Andrews assured Gbajabiamila that the body had its work cut out and had a reliable data-collection methodology to give a report on the outcome of the polls.

He informed the Speaker that the body would formally unveil its work plan at a news conference on Monday in Abuja, while it would release a preliminary report on the elections two days after the conclusion of voting.

L-R: Former deputy speaker of the house of representatives hon. Lasun Yusuf, Senator Francis Fadahunsi; Osun State Governor Senator Ademola Adeleke and Ag Chairman Osun state PDP Dr. Akindele Adekunle, during the PDP osun state chapter stakeholders meeting yesterday held at the party secretariat, Ikirun road, biket area, osogbo

Naira swap extension: CNPP calls for sanctions against banks for hoarding

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

Conference Of Nigeria

Political Parties (CNPP) has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for approving a 10-day extension of the deadline for the swapping of old currency to the newly redesigned Naira notes.

The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, had during his visit to the President at his Daura country home disclosed that President Buhari had approved the extension of the deadline after their closed door meeting to enable Nigerians, who were yet to exchange their old Naira notes with new ones, have opportunity to do so.

The CNPP, in a statement signed by its Secretary General, Willy Ezugwu, on Sunday, urged the apex bank to ensure

that commercial banks do not hoard the new notes again, calling on all security agencies to immediately swing into action, “as a matter of patriotic duties to ensure that the new notes do not find their way into bullion vans belonging to some politicians and their allies.”

While calling on the people to ensure that they utilise the opportunity provided by the new swap window to immediately get their old notes exchanged, the CNPP hailed President Muhammadu Buhari “for showing the political will to keep to his promise that no politician would be allowed to compromise the ongoing electoral process.

“The CNPP has been observing with keen interest the ongoing currency swap and has a reasonable suspicion that there are anomalies which could be attributed to

some commercial banks and politicians bent on sabotaging the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari on ensuring free, fair and credible elections in 2023.

“For this reason, we call on all security agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigeria Police Force, to carry out already issued presidential orders on ensuring that no money bagpolitician compromises the 2023 electoral process.

“The best legacy of President Buhari administration is the redesigned high denominations of the Naira notes, comprising N200, N500 and N1,000, which have become legal tender since December 15, 2022, after they were unveiled by President Buhari on November 23, 2022, in Abuja.

“We equally call on the House of Representatives to target commercial banks and their collaborators who have been hoarding the new notes, not the CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, who is simply following presidential directives.

“From the continued attack and threats on the CBN Governor, rather than cooperating with President Buhari administration to ensure the success of the ongoing cashless policy of the federal government, federal lawmakers are now making Nigerians believe that they are working to sabotage the President’s good intentions.

“We therefore urge the authorities to ensure that banks and individuals hoarding the new notes are appropriately sanctioned in accordance with the law”, the CNPP stated.

All set for Tinubu’s campaign reception in Anambra

Tuesday - APC Chairman Ejidike

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The Anambra State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday said the party members are ready to receive their presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in the state.

The party said it has made adequate security arrangement to ensure a hitch free rally on Tuesday in Awka, Anambra State capital.

The chairman of the party in the state, Basil Ejidike stated this in a joint press briefing with members of the Presidential Campaign Council in Anambra, led by wife of former Senate Presidential, late Chuba Okadigbo, Senator Margery.

Ejidike said “All arrangements have been made, and of course you can see now that the VIP stand is being decorated, and also the stage is being set up.

“Adequate security arrangements have also been made, and we are looking forward to witnessing the mother of all rallies in the state.

“We have held a meeting with all the ward chairmen of our party in the state, 356 of them, and they have been mobilized to ensure that members from all wards in the state are brought down here on Tuesday.

“We are working hand in hand with the presidential campaign council in Anambra, let by our mummy, Senator Margery Okadigbo, and we hope for up to 100 members of our party from each ward in the state.

“You can see that all of us are around to ensure that everything is going well. We have not had any hitches at all. Anambra is the melting pot of Igbo politics, and we are ready to deliver.”

The chairman also addressed rumours of alleged protest by some youths of the party, over unwillingness to disburse funds for the running of expenses for the forthcoming rally, saying that it was untrue.

“Those people you mentioned are not our members. Funds have been released to all concerned, including to ward chairmen for the mobilisation of our members. So, the rumours of protest as a result of non-disbursement of funds is not true.”

SERAP asks Buhari to probe pelting of stones on Peter Obi at Katsina rally

By Musa Baba Adamu

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba to probe the attack on Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) during his campaign rally in Katsina State.

The rights organisation also called for the investigation of other cases of election-related intimidation, harassment and

violence across the country.

The former Anambra governor was reportedly pelted with stones as he made his way to the airport after a rally in Katsina State.

SERAP said the attack came on the heels of 339 reported incidents of election-related intimidation, harassment and violence recorded in 2022.

SERAP demanded that IGP Baba and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, name and prosecute culpable politicians and other perpetrators

of violence.

An open letter on Sunday by Deputy Director, SERAP, Kolawole Oluwadare also charged Buhari to caution Governors to end reported suppression of campaigns of opposition parties within their states.

The body believes going tough on the issue would stop further violence, facilitate free and fair elections, and encourage Nigerians to freely exercise their right to vote.

Oluwadare said free and fair elections mean polls conducted

under conditions that enable voters to cast their votes as they wish without facing intimidation or violence before, during and after elections.

SERAP threatened to sue the president and compel relevant agencies to comply with its request if he fails to act.

The letter added that government has the responsibility to take concrete actions “to hold governors to account for any infractions of the Constitution, the Electoral Act, and international human rights obligations.”

R-L: APC Vice presidential Candidate His Excellency Kashim Shettima and APC National Working Committee Member Hon Dattuwa Ali Kumo at the APC Campaign Office, Abuja at the Weekend

Private sector critical to any government business - Peter Obi

By Christiana Ekpa

The Labour Party (LP) Presidential candidate, Peter Obi has said the organized private sector is critical to any government business hoping to make an impact in the country.

Speaking in Port Harcourt, Rivers state at the weekend during South South Business Summit, Obi said for any government to succeed it must partner with the organized private sector and must also create an enabling environment for domestic and foreign investors.

Obi told egg heads of the business community in the oil city that he and his Vice, Yusuf Datti

Baba-Ahmad are coming from the private sector and understand clearly what is needed to drive private sector activities.

He noted that previous governments failed in the country because they ignored the components of business in governance and end up in sharing without production.

The former Anambra state Governor who identifies himself as a trader told his audience that the consumption to production mantra of his campaign is real as it’s the only way to drive the economy and attract foreign exchange for the country through exports.

It’s also through production that the people can be pulled

out of poverty as youths in their productive age will be dutifully engaged and this will also impact on the social sector because crimes and criminalities will reduce.

He assured the captains of industry at the summit that if elected he will create a conducive environment for investors to come and help in tapping the country’s rich natural potentials.

Obi also assured that he and his deputy see education as investment and will invest heavily in education and health because these two sectors differentiate the rich and poor countries.

The Presidential candidate did not forget to remind his audience that the coming election

is existential one that requires that people vote for characters they can trust, characters that have antecedents and the verifiable background to rely on. He reiterated that the election is about competence and capacity not on sentiments of tribe or religion.

The highlight of the night was the emotion that engulfed the summit venue when an SS2 Secondary school girl Chizzy Ebube Balogun after listening to the LP Presidential candidate talk about creating a new and better Nigeria donated the sum of N100,000 as her own contribution to him for a better Nigeria.

Ogun 2023: Action Alliance unveils guber candidate Adeyemi

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

TheOgun State chapter of the Action Alliance (AA) has unveiled Samuel Adeyemi as its governorship candidate.

Adeyemi, Ijebu Igbo-born medical doctor, is the first governorship candidate of the party in Ogun State, having emerged through a consensus arrangement.

Speaking at a press conference in Abeokuta, Adeyemi revealed how he was lured by some prominent

political parties with millions of naira to form a merger.

While saying he rejected over N250 million from an undisclosed party, Adeyemi said the AA is the main third force in Ogun politics.

The AA candidate vowed to fight corruption to a standstill if he is elected into office.

To achieve this, he said he would set up the Ogun State-owned anti-graft agency like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

According to him, the antigraft agency would not be set up to probe his predecessors or their appointees, but to rid his administration and the state of corrupt practices going forward.

Adeyemi said he would warn his appointees, civil/public servants and those in the private sector to eschew corrupt practices, or else they will have the Ogun EFCC to deal with.

Addressing newsmen in Abeokuta ahead of the

commencement of the party’s campaign, Adeyemi stated that AA is “committed to the emancipation of the suffering masses” by taking over the state in the 2023 elections.

While boasting that he would be the next governor on May 29, the candidate pledged to abide by the rule of law, respect the fundamental human rights of citizens and ensure the security of lives and properties.

“Our vision is to turn Ogun

State into the most secured state in Nigeria, the best economy and the most productive centre of industrial activity in Africa,” he said.

In his campaign promises, Adeyemi maintained that education shall be free up to first degree with terms and conditions applied.

He also assured that health care shall be free for pregnant mothers and school children up to 18 years while promising to set up small and medium industrial concerns to offer employment.

APC commends Emefiele’s extension of naira swap deadline

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has commended Godwin Emefiele, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for extending the deadline for changing old naira notes to new ones.

The CBN governor had earlier on Sunday announced the deadline extension to enable Nigerians to swap their old notes for new notes.

Recall that the CBN had insisted that it would not extend the deadline for the swapping of old notes for new notes which was supposed to end on January 31, but later bowed to pressure following difficulties experienced by Nigerians from getting the new notes via ATMs and over the counter from banks.

The APC PCC Director, Media and Publicity, Bayo Onanuga in a statement issued on Sunday said the extension would enable Nigerians, especially those in rural and remote areas, to have more time to change their old notes and avert the panic that would have followed.

He said “We want to commend the Central Bank of Nigeria and Governor Godwin Emefiele for listening to the voice of wellmeaning Nigerians on the exigency of extending the deadline for change of old N200, N500 and N1000 notes to the new ones.

“We welcome the 10-day extension of the deadline and the additional seven days of grace.”

The campaign also commended President Muhammadu Buhari for approving the extension and for his leadership and statesmanship.

Ganduje clears coast for Buhari to visit Kano aftermath of old naira note extension

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

Barely a few hours after Kano State Governor, Umar Ganduje advised President Muhammadu Buhari against visiting his state, he has now rescinded his early decision, saying the president was now free to go ahead with his scheduled Monday visit to state.

He changed his mind after he led a delegation from the state to meet with President Buhari in his country home in Daura, Katsina State on Sunday.

According to Ganduje, “We are now ready to receive him and we have a lot for him to commission including federal government projects and state government projects. They are state-of-the-art projects”.

Ganduje, had in an interactive session with some stakeholders including scholars, legislators, political leaders and

business community in the state, revealed that his government had requested the President to postpone the trip, saying that the state was deeply concerned about the hardship principally induced by the ongoing cash swap from old to redesigned notes. He said the decision was taken to avoid any unforeseen circumstance. Consequently, the state government wrote a letter to the President outlining the reasons why the planned visit is no longer auspicious at this time.

In a statement issued on Saturday by Abba Anwar, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, the decision to advise the President against the visit was endorsed by the critical stakeholders of the state.

The statement by the governor’s spokesman reads in parts: “Deeply concerned with the hardship caused by limited

time given for halting use of old Naira notes by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and for security reasons, the Kano State governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, reveals that the state resolved and wrote to Presidency that, the visit of the President to commission some projects be postponed.

“As we are waiting for this important visit, we found ourselves in this situation, which puts citizens into untold hardship. For security purpose we wrote to Presidency that President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to Kano be postponed.

“We got an acknowledgement copy of the letter. People are really suffering because of this policy.

“There are no banks in most of our rural communities. How these people get new Naira notes is of great concern. Just look at what is happening in our urban

areas, people go and spend hours upon hours in banks. And without any assurances of getting the new notes.”

But despite the Governor’s objection, Buhari had made up his mind to go ahead with the Monday visit.

Presidency sources had disclosed that he would go there to commission some projects implemented by the federal government.

But during Sunday’s visit to the President, Ganduje affirmed that he led the delegation to Daura over the issue of the ongoing currency swap and was happy with him.

He said: “Seeing is believing. You can see that I have led a powerful delegation from Kano State on the issue of new naira notes and we have seen Mr. President. We have laid the complaints of the Kano people and we are very happy.”

Kaduna: LP guber candidate, Asake, meets Muslim clerics, assures of fairness

By Christiana Ekpa

The Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Kaduna State in this year’s election, Jonathan Asake, says his administration will operate on the principles of fairness, equity and justice as enshrined in the 1999 constitution if elected.

According to him, it is only when the government is properly guided on the principles as enshrined in the constitution that equity would be observed in dealing with every section of

the state.

Speaking to Muslim Ummah in Zaria, the governorship candidate lamented that majority of them have been affected by the wrong policies of the APC government, stressing that it was imperative to seek their prayers, support and interact on the way forward for the development of the state.

The governorship flag bearer said, “I will defend the rights of every citizen to exercise their sociocultural and religious freedom at all times, inclusiveness will be my watch

word to ensure fairness, justice to every citizen and resident in the state.”

In a press release made available by James Swam, the Media aide to the governorship candidate, quoted Asake as urging the clerics to deeply reflect on the prevailing economic and security situations of the state and preach the truth so that the electorate would understand what choice to make on March 11 for the peaceful coexistence and development of Kaduna state.

He said he came to unveil

himself to them, to seek their prayers and support to succeed in becoming the governor of Kaduna state come March 11 so that together they could secure the state and restore hope to the people.

He lamented that poverty, unemployment, banditry, kidnapping, ethnic and religious conflicts were the result of bad leadership in the state and pledged to reverse the trends within a record time in office for people in the state to fully showcase their potentials in order to earn a living.

He said when leaders do not operate on the basis of inclusiveness and empathy the society was bound to experience decline in all ramifications as it is the case in the state now A cleric, Imam Shugaba Abdulhamid Muhammad, urged the governorship candidate to keep to his promise, adding that it is important “to operate an open door policy” in order to be accessible to the common man.

He lamented a situation where leaders get elected and shut the door behind them, say.

L-R: Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji; his wife, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji; Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye; her spouse, Mr Lawrence Afuye; and Speaker of the state house of Assembly, Rt. Hon Olubunmi Adelugba; at the Special Stakeholders Engagement, commemorating the first 100 days in office of the Governor at Obafemi Awolowo Civic and Convention Centre, AdoEkiti, at the weekend.

CBN extends deadline for old naira notes to Feb 10

From Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has finally extended the deadline for the swap of old naira notes at commercial banks by 10 days.

In a press statement issued on Sunday, Godwin Emefiele, the CBN governor, said the new deadline is February 10, 2023.

However, Nigerians will still be able to deposit their old notes directly with the CBN until February 17, 2023 described as “grace period”.

Nigerians had been complaining about the inability to swap their old notes for the new designs as the January 31 deadline loomed.

Although banks are working through the weekend to swap the notes, there are widespread complaints about scarcity, with people in the rural areas the most hit.

The CBN previously said it would not extend the deadline.

However, Emefiele said on Sunday that as a result of measures put in place to ease the scarcity, President Muhammadu Buhari has given approval for the extension of deadline.

He said: “Based on the foregoing, we have sought and obtained Mr President’s approval for the following: a 10day extension of the deadline from January 31, 2023, to February 10, 2023; to allow for collection of more old notes legitimately held by Nigerians and achieve more success in cash swap in our rural communities after which all old notes outside the CBN loses their Legal Tender Status. Our CBN staff currently on mass mobilization and monitoring together with officials of the EFCC and ICPC will work together to achieve these objectives.

“A 7-day grace period, beginning on February 10 to February 17, 2023, in compliance with Sections 20(3) and 22 of the CBN Act, allowing Nigerians to deposit their old notes at the CBN after the February deadline when the old currency would have lost its Legal Tender status.”

The naira redesign is believed to be targeted at stopping vote buying in the 2023 general election scheduled for February 25 and March 11.

Emefiele: We’ve collected N1.9trn old Naira notes so far — N500bn more to go

From Abubakar Yunusa, Abuja

Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), says N1.7 trillion worth of naira notes have been returned to banks so far — with N500 billion more to go.

The bank on Sunday extended the deadline for the swap of the old notes for new ones at the commercial banks from January 31, 2023 to February 10.

Those who still have the old notes after February 10 will enjoy a seven-day “grace period” to deposit them directly with the CBN.

After February 17, the old notes will cease to be legal tender, the governor said.

In a press release on Sunday, Emefiele said: “Available data at the Central Bank of Nigeria has shown that in 2015, Currency in Circulation was only N1.4 trillion.

As at October 2022, currency in circulation had risen to N3.23 trillion; out of which only N500 billion was within the Banking Industry and N2.7 trillion held permanently in people’s homes.

“Ordinarily, when CBN releases currency into circulation, it is meant to be used and after effluxion of time, it returns to the CBN thereby keeping the volume of currency in circulation under the firm control of the CBN.

“So far and since the commencement of this program, we have collected about N1.9 trillion; leaving us with about N900 billion (N500b + N1.9trillion).”

He said to achieve effective distribution of the new currency, the CBN has took a number of steps.

“We held several meetings with our Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) arid provided them with Guidance· Notes on processes they must adopt in the collection of old notes and distribution of the New Notes to all Nigerians. These includes specific

directives to DMBs to load new notes into their ATMs nationwide to ensure an equitable/transparent mechanism for the distribution of the new notes to all Nigerians,” he said.

“We commenced a nationwide sensitization through the Print and electronic media to create an awareness on the redesigned notes to Nigerians including collaboration with the National Orientation agency to reach all Nigerians across multiple channels.

“We deployed 30,000 Super Agents nationwide to assist in our Cash Swap initiative in the hinterlands, rural areas, and regions underserved by banks in the Country to ensure that the weak and vulnerable ones amongst us can swap/ exchange their old notes.

“We deployed all our staff, particularly the Assistant Directors, Deputy Directors and Directors· in Abuja to proceed to all CBN branches Nationwide to join the mass mobilization

campaign and monitoring programs, working with the Deposit Money Banks , agents and our Branch controllers across the 36 states of the Federation. This is meant to ensure compliance with all our guidelines already issued for smooth implementation of the program. Although we have received some reports of breaches by some bank branches, we have agreed with Executive Chairmen of the EFCC and ICPC to assist us, by sending their staff to all CBN and DMB branches nationwide to join in monitoring the implementation of these guidelines. The aim is to ensure compliance with the laid down guidelines.

“We are happy that so far, the exercise has achieved a success rate of over 75 percent of the N2.7 trillion held outside the banking system. Nigerians in the rural areas, villages, the aged and vulnerable have had the opportunity to swap their old notes; leveraging the Agent Naira Swap initiative as well as the CBN Senior staff nationwide

sensitization team exercise.

“Aside from those holding illicit/ stolen Naira in their homes for speculative purposes, we do aim to give all Nigerians that have Naira legitimately earned and trapped, the opportunity to deposit their legitimately trapped monies at the CBN for exchange.”

Emefiele thanked President Muhammadu Buhari, who he described as an “incorruptible leader”, for approving the naira redesign programme.

“I’ve just ended a meeting with Mr President. The purpose of the meeting is to provide Mr President with updates about the implementation status of the CBN currency redesign program currently going on across the Federation,” he said.

“First, I’d like to continue to thank Mr President for giving the CBN the approval to embark on this ambitious program because, like I had said in the past, the Central Bank of Nigeria hasn’t had the opportunity to embark on such currency redesign program in last 19 years and indeed, let me emphasize that only an incorruptible leader of the President’s stature can give such approval to the CBN.

“From the on-set (outset) of this currency redesign program, we made it clear that for 19 years, the CBN hasn’t been able to conduct this important aspect of its mandate, whereas this should normally have been be done within a 5-8 years window.

“Our aim is mainly to make our Monetary Policy Decisions more efficacious and like you can see; we’ve started to see inflation trending downwards and exchange rates relatively stable. Secondly, we aim to support the efforts of our Security agencies in combating Banditry and Ransom taking in Nigeria through this program and we can see that the Military are making good progress in this important task in Nigeria.”

SEC urges more investments in commodities sector

From Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

TheSecurities and Exchange Commission has urged the need for more investments especially by the private sector in the commodities trading ecosystem.

Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Mr. Lamido Yuguda stated this during an interview on the recently commissioned 32 metric tonnes per hour Lagos Rice Mill in Imota, Ikorodu, Lagos State.

Yuguda stated that the capital market expects to see more private sector investments in areas that need to support the commodities ecosystem like storage facilities and also increased investment in mechanised farming in commodities like rice, hibiscus flowers and others that are in high demand in other parts of the world.

According to him, “This is a game changing investment in Lagos state

and I hope we will see more of these kinds of investments not only in rice but in other areas of the food chain that we are currently producing. This is the place that produces them as we have the climate for these commodities, if we get the necessary investments, we will be able to make our mark around the world.

“This is a demonstration that Nigeria has what it takes in the agricultural sector to drive investment. This rice mill is already collaborating with one of our commodities exchanges as they are going to be trading the electronic receipts of this rice mill on the floor of the Lagos Commodities and Futures Exchange. This is a very important development in the commodities ecosystem”.

The SEC DG said the Commission expects to see more standards concluded between the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and SEC, adding that the adoption

of these standards by commodities exchanges and other players in the commodities trading ecosystem would greatly boost activities in the sector.

“This is a very significant event, the size of this mill is very large, we are expecting that by the time it is completed and starts production fully, over 250,000 jobs will be created. That’s a massive addition to the job creation in this country and the rice is going to be sourced from local producers. That means a lot of foreign exchange that was previously being expended on importing rice from other countries will be saved.

“We expect this to be replicated in some of the other areas. Rice is very important because it’s a staple food in Nigeria and we have been importing a lot of rice. This is going to make a strong mark in the commodities system and we are making a lot of efforts with

the Standards Organisation of Nigeria to create standards for our commodities so that we can compete in the export market. Nigeria is an exporting country for food. What we are seeing today is that if Nigeria really wants, we can feed ourselves and still export to other countries”.

The SEC as part of its implementation of the 10-year Capital Market Master Plan, constituted a Technical Committee on commodities Trading Ecosystem whose mandate was to identify challenges of the existing framework and develop a Roadmap for a vibrant ecosystem.

A committee comprising of various stakeholders including the SON was set up to drive the implementation of the report. One of the recommendations in the report identified the development of grading and standardisation system in line with international best practice.

L-R:President Muhammadu Buhari has on Sunday received the CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele as President. approves 10 days to exchange old Naira notes for New one in Daura Katsina State.

Buhari reacts to public outcry, says common man not target of cash squeeze

From Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari in Saturday said government will ensure that citizens are unharmed in their businesses and no disruption is caused to the entire supply chain arising from the currency swap due to end shortly.

Reacting to reports of long queues of people waiting for hours for their turn to deposit old notes and get new ones, triggering public anger and opposition’s criticism, Mr Buhari reiterated that the currency changes were aimed at people hoarding illicit funds and not the common man.

The president added it had become necessary to prevent counterfeits, corruption, and terrorist funding as it would stabilize and strengthen the economy.

While taking note that the poorest section of society is facing hardship as they often keep hard cash at home for various expenses, President Buhari gave strong assurances that the government will not leave them to their own fate.

He reiterated that a number of initiatives by the Central Bank and all commercial banks are underway to speed up distribution of the new notes and do all that is necessary to forestall cash squeeze and chaos.

NMDPRA blames marketers, smugglers for lingering petrol scarcity

From Abubakar Yunusa, Abuja

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) says the petrol scarcity in the country is exacerbated by the activity of cross-border smugglers, erring marketers and ongoing road construction.

In a statement on Friday, NMDPRA maintained that there is petrol sufficiency of over 1.6 billion litres — both on “land and marine”.

The regulator said the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited is committed to supplying more petrol in the coming months at governmentregulated prices.

“The current distribution hitch is heightened by activities of crossborder smugglers, who divert PMS meant for Nigerian market to neighbouring countries where PMS prices are significantly higher than Nigeria’s regulated price. We are engaging and collaborating with the Nigeria Customs Service to

address this issue,” the statement reads.

“The price arbitrage between Nigeria and neighbouring countries has continued to grow due to inflation and the regional impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on the global energy value chain including international freight rates and coastal vessels charter rates.

“We wish to bring to public knowledge that the ongoing government effort to rehabilitate strategic Nigerian roads ahead of the rainy season has necessitated rerouting of tanker trucks conveying petroleum products to alternative roads, therefore increasing transit time and associated cost of product transportation.”

NMDPRA said key stakeholders have put various measures in place to address the prevailing issues.

The regulator said one of the measures is a modest adjustment in the cost of product transportation to cater for the impact of high diesel prices on transporters.

Others are the automation of product sales interface, and putting in place a monitoring system — in collaboration with government security agencies — for the distribution of products to retail outlets.

Another approach listed by the regulator is the extension of operating hours at the loading depots and selected filling stations.

“We have reinforced our monitoring teams and appropriate sanctions to checkmate the activities of erring marketers who are distorting our planned product flow to designated outlets in order to profiteer from price arbitrage have been emplaced,” NMDPRA said.

“As a medium to long term measure, cost-efficient means of transportation, including Autogas conversions and pipeline rehabilitation, are being implemented. This will be complemented by end-to-end process automation across the value chain.

“NMDPRA appreciates the collaborative efforts of some patriotic oil marketing companies who, despite the glaring incentives to engage in illegal price arbitrage, have stood steadfast and operated responsibly within the approved pricing limits.

“We would like to reassure all Nigerians that NMDPRA as a responsible regulatory authority would continue to work passionately to ensure energy security and continuous collaboration with all the relevant stakeholders to restore normalcy in the Premium Motor Spirit supply and distribution network within the shortest possible time.”

The Independent Petroleum Marketers of Nigeria (IPMAN) had recently informed TheCable that petrol scarcity may persist till mid2023 when the federal government intends to scrap subsidy.

The FG recently constituted a 14-member steering committee to facilitate adequate petroleum products supply and distribution management.

L-R: Managing Director, Lagos Commodities and Futures Exchange, Mr Akinsola Akeredolu-Ale; Director General, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mr Lamido Yuguda; Commissioner for Agriculture, Lagos State, Ms Ruth Abimbola Olusanya; Commissioner for Finance, Lagos, Dr Rabiu Olowo; and the Special Adviser to Governor Sanwo-Olu on Rice Mill Initiative, Dr Oluwarotimi Omotola Fashola at the official commissioning of the Lagos Rice Mill, Omota Lagos, recently

Pantami: Local, international companies secretly commercialising citizens’ data

From Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

Minister of communications and digital economy, says many companies are illegally trading citizens’ information Isa Pantami.

Pantami said this on Saturday at a media conference organised by the ministry of communications and digital economy, in partnership with the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB), to mark the ‘National Privacy Week’.

Speaking on the need to regulate privacy in the country, the minister said organisations that have breached citizens’ information have been sanctioned.

He added that an absence of a compliance framework and law would compromise national security and have ripple effects globally.

“So far, banks have been sanctioned, operators in our sector have been sanctioned, and many more of them are being investigated to ensure that we improve in level of compliance,”

Pantami said.

“In addition, if you look at it, the quantity of data that is being generated today, if there is no data privacy compliance in place, definitely it will compromise global security.

“If you have a mobile phone, you’ll discover that with some applications, if care is not taken, the information the controllers of these gadgets have about you, you don’t even know it. They know more about you than you know about yourselves.

“For example, in three years, an application could remind you

about all your movements, the images you have captured, who you have been with. Meanwhile, you have forgotten about it.

“Definitely, they know us more than we know ourselves. All your activities are being recorded as long as you have one [mobile device] and carry it about. There is nothing like confidentiality or privacy, that is the reality.

“With our situation today, local and international companies are illegally and secretly commercialising citizens’ data without their knowledge.

“Go to ordinary Google and

search something once or twice. From that day, you’ll begin to have reminders and recommendations about whatever you had searched earlier. They know because they save that information from what you have searched before.

“So, it is because of this, without doubt, that we must ensure that we work together to ensure that whatever they collect about us, they have no power to either commercialise or submit to any place illegally, because if not, definitely our security, our privacy, and everything about us will be open.”

Pantami also expressed concern about the quantity of data being generated in the cyber space

The quantity of data that is being generated is another issue that we should all be worried about,” he said.

“If you look at a research conducted by Google, they said from the dawn of civilisation, up to 2003 — 20 years ago — the entire data collected globally was

only 5 exabytes of data.

“By implication, from dawn of civilisation to 2003, approximately 5,000 years, only 5 exabytes of data was generated. But today, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC), after every 24 hours, 2.5 exabytes of data is generated.

“So by implication, the data being generated today within 48 hours can be equated to the quantity of data generated previously within 5,000 years.

“According to the IDC, by 2025, that is the next two years, with the invention of IOT devices, we could have about 41.6 billion

IOT interconnected devices globally.

“By implication, 46.1 billion is more than four times the world population, and these devices will generate data of 76.4 zettabytes.

“And this is just by 2025. So, what do you think will happen to us if we don’t have an institution

to ensure the compliance to privacy laws?”

January 28 is celebrated annually globally as ‘Data Privacy Day’ to raise awareness about the significance of protecting data, fostering trust, and respecting privacy.

FCT residents decry increasing cost of kerosene at over N1,000 per litre

From Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

Manyresidents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have decried the continuous increase in the price of household Kerosene.

The residents, who spoke yesterday in Abuja, expressed their views on how the increase was affecting them.

The recent data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that the average price per litre of kerosene increased by 136.04 per cent in one year from N467.97 recorded in December 2021 to N1,104.61 in December 2022.

On a month-on-month basis, the price increased by 1.94 per cent from N1,083.57 recorded in November 2022 to N1,104.61 in December 2022.

Similarly, the average retail price of a gallon of kerosene increased on a year-on-year basis by 137.15 per cent from N1,582.73 recorded in December 2021 to N3,753 in December 2022.

Agatha Kalu, a public servant and mother of three, said the incessant increase in kerosene had made her switch to cooking gas as her cooking source.

“Kerosene is N1,100 per litre, while one kg of gas is N950. I use one litre of kerosene just to boil water for bathing which lasts for two days but I use 1 kg of gas to boil water and cook for three days.

“Yes, gas is expensive but it is still cheaper for me to use compared to kerosene as I have explained.”

Esther John, a hairdresser and mother of one, said she switched to cooking gas because she could no longer cope with the increasing price of kerosene.

“I have stopped using kerosene for over six months. I had to close my eye and buy a 12.5kg gas cylinder. I usually buy N5,500 and it serves me for not less than a month plus if I use it every day,” she said.

Jumoke Balogun, a trader, said she had to buy a charcoal stove because she could not keep up with the increasing price of kerosene.

“I used to use a kerosene stove to fry groundnuts, but because of the price I bought a charcoal stove as an alternative to kerosene and it is cheaper.

“You can get charcoal for as low as N200 and it serves me longer than if I buy a litre of kerosene at N1,100,” she said.

Helen Adejoh, a businesswoman, said she had also switched to charcoal as an alternative to kerosene. However, she said charcoal had some disadvantages.

“I use charcoal when I am cooking for a large number of people but one disadvantage is the challenge of lighting it during the rainy season.

“It also brings out fumes slightly and over time it accumulates everywhere, especially if the charcoal you are using is not properly burnt.”

Chioma Nwachukwu, a public servant, said though she still had her kerosene stove, she used more gas to cook because it was cheaper and a neater and healthier source of cooking.

“When you use kerosene you keep washing your pots because the smoke stains them. I only use it once in a while, It is just a standby in case my gas finishes when I am cooking.

“Government should see how they can bring down the price of kerosene because it is what is easily accessible to the masses, therefore, they should make it available and affordable,” she said.

Scarcity: CSO hails Kyari for ‘working 24/7 to ensure petrol supply’

From Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

Agroup under the aegis of Greater Nigeria Professionals (GNP) says Mele Kyari, group chief executive officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, works around the clock to ensure adequate supply of petrol across the country.

In a statement signed by Ahmed Tahir, GNP chairperson, the group said the ongoing petrol scarcity is not enough to judge Kyari’s contributions to the oil sector.

‘‘Because of a poor

understanding of what is going on; or for sheer mischief, Nigerians look for and find a scapegoat in the NNPC Ltd and its leadership under Mele Kyari, if only they know the dynamics that combine to produce these fuel queues, they will be saluting Mr Kyari and the NNPC under his leadership, instead of maligning him,” the group said.

“Kyari works 24/7 to make sure that despite daunting challenges, PMS, or petrol, is available in Nigeria daily.”

The group also commended Kyari for being honoured with the ‘The Sun Man of The Year Award 2022’ for the second consecutive time.

While describing the conferment of the award on Kyari as “well-deserved”, GNP said the award will encourage public office holders and leaders that outstanding performance would be rewarded.

“Kyari was recognised with this particular award, to the admiration of Nigerians and many other stakeholders. His unrelenting efforts at making an indelible mark in national development has continued to encourage the Bornoborn oil czar to keep pushing for a better Nigeria,” GNP said.

‘‘Within three years of his stewardship as GMD NNPC, Kyari led the transformation of NNPC’s

performance, from a loss-making company to a profitable one in the year 2020 when, for the first time in its 44 years of history, NNPC declared a profit after tax of N287bn. This was scaled up to 674bn profit after tax in 2021.

‘‘Mele has successfully renegotiated the AjaokutaKaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline contract. He played an important role in facilitating the passage of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.”

Meanwhile, the group’s comment comes amid criticism over a hike in the price of petrol and long queues at filling stations.

Experts speak on CBN’s monetary policy decision

From Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

Economists

and policy experts have raised concerns over the Central Bank of Nigeria‘s recent decisions regarding the benchmark interest rate and other monetary policy issues in the country.

The Central Bank of Nigeria’s Monetary Policy Committee on Tuesday raised its benchmark lending rate to 17.5 per cent in an aggressive push to contain the nation’s inflationary pressure. The committee in November had raised its rate to 16.5 per cent in a sustained push to control inflation and ease pressure on the naira.

However, some experts have warned the CBN to resist the urge to continually increase the rate in its bid to fight inflation.

A former deputy governor of the CBN, Kingsley Moghalu, and a policy expert, Damian Ude, in a policy brief publication titled, “Inflation and Poverty in Nigeria: Explainer,” for the Institute for Governance and Economic Transformation (IGET) warned against further hike in the rate.

“The CBN should resist the temptation to further increase the Monetary Policy Rate. The

deployment of this monetary tightening tool should be put on pause,” they wrote.

“Prior distortions and contradictions in monetary and foreign exchange, the structural component of inflation in Nigeria, and inflation expectations, have blunted the ability of the MPR to control inflation at this time.

“Tightening the money supply remains important, but this should be pursued through other means of controlling the rate of money creation.”

The experts also advised that the bank reduce its advances to the federal government to curb inflation, with reference to the deficit financing of the national budget through the N22.7 trillion Ways and Means Advances by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to the federal government.

For Tope Fasua, an economist, the rate increase should lead to increase in deposit rates for those who invest their funds short-term with banks.

“They are meant to be encouraged. Idle funds will park more in banks. It will also lead to higher FG bond and Treasury Bills rates so the CBN will mop up funds more easily. It will lead to some

reversal of funds seeking exit from Nigeria.

“However it will lead to higher borrowing rates and negatively affect companies and manufacturers that borrow capital for their survival. If unchecked it could also lead to an economic recession as higher rates slow down productivity and increase unemployment” he said.

Samuel Bamidele, an economist, noted that Nigerians should theoretically expect the deposit interest rate to rise.

“But it is not as straightforward in Nigeria, where the interest rate does not really have the weight of the impact,” he said.

“That is why you see that despite the increased hike last year, inflation still went up. Some will say that they expect CBN to hold the rate or drop it but it is too early to say.”

He said that too much money in the system may have some impact on inflation but it might not be significant enough. There are structural issues that impact the rate of inflation outside of the monetary policy of the CBN, he noted.

“I will say Nigerians should not expect inflation to decelerate

anytime soon given the fact that the pressures are still there, the Ukraine crisis is still there which is affecting food import, and also there is the issue on subsidy which is lingering,” he said.

“Fuel prices may even increase more and that would mean that prices will jack up because petrol is an input factor for most industries.

Electricity bills and tariffs will be up at the same time; all these things are going to be input factors for inflation and also for the food basket.”

Mr Bamidele said one will expect that an increase in interest rate should spur foreign investors to bring in more money into the system, but the reality is different.

“Reason being that election is out there, characteristics of an election year in Nigeria because of the uncertainty, investors who should bring money into the equity market will sit on the fence because they want to be sure of the outcome of the election.

“All these things will come together to kind of affect the kind of capital that comes into nigeria which means that the foreign exchange that we are talking about may not really stabilize anytime soon,” he said.

L-R: National Women leader, Zenith Labour Party Mrs Chinyere Ogekalu; Program Manager, Governance Actionaid Nigeria, Mr Celestine Okwudili Odo; Project Officer- Governance, Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN) Dr. Joseph Ekong; Chairman, InterParty Advisory Council (IPAC), Engr Yabagi Yusuf Sani during the SDN National -level meeting with IPAC hepd recently in Abuja.

Photo: Justin Imo-owo

Health insurance scheme: FCTA orders enrollment of pensioners

By Stanley Onyekwere

The FCT Administration has ordered the Director, in charge of FCT Health Insurance Scheme to enroll its pensioners into the scheme.

It was gathered that the FCTA Permanent Secretary, Adesola Olusade gave the directive during a meeting with the officials of Nigeria Union of Pensioners, FCT chapter.

This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Director FCTA Human Resource Management, Bashir Muhammad, at the weekend.

Muhammad explained that the permanent secretary’s decision was to give the retired staff a sense of belonging as well keep to the promise they had in December 2022, with the Minister of FCT, Malam Muhammad Bello.

“We have directed that all FCTA pensioners should be enrolled in the FCT Health Insurance Scheme, and the registration is in progress, forms have been issued to the retirees to be filled, so that they will be captured”.

However, the statement revealed that FCT Administration only owe its retired staff consequential increment which arouse from the minimum wage implementation.

On the zero balance payment, it explains: “The FCT pension department is also working with the Pensioners to ensure that everybody whose monies were deducted should be paid, they were given one week to complete the process.

“What the FCTA is owing the pensioners is the consequential increment that arouse from the minimum wage implementation, we are on it. The budgetary processes have to be completed”

“FCT administration has been applauded for not owing its pensioners.The only issue is between the bank and the consequential increment that has accrued as the result of the minimum Wage implementation”.

47 “Roadside’ POS operators nabbed, to face Mobile Court

By Stanley Onyekwere

For allegedly hanging around on the streets and other unapproved places within Abuja, the nation’s capital city, a total of 47 Point of Sale (POS) agents may face a Mobile Court, following their arrest by officials of FCT Administration.

Recall that last week, the FCT administration warned that indiscriminate activities of POS operators, especially on the streets and noncommercial areas will no longer be condoned.

It also disclosed that there were intelligence reports and complaints from residents that

strange people were roaming about some neighbourhoods, pretending to be POS operators.

Senior Special Assistant to FCT Minister on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, Ikharo Attah who addressed the apprehended POS agents, explained the Minister has no plan to stop POS business, but concerned about security issues surrounding it.

Attah noted that the violators may face a Mobile Court as they have violated some environmental laws, for operating their businesses in an unapproved places.

He reiterated that POS

business was not illegal, but operating outside commercial zones and indiscriminately on the streets was an offence.

According to him, “ reports on the arrested violators would go to the Minister, to determine and see if the operators comply with the rules of the city which would not give criminals the Shield to disguise as POS operators”.

Also Speaking, the Assistant Director, Enforcement at AEPB, Kaka Bello opined that environmental laws forbid business activities at residential areas and on the streets.

Bello disclosed that AEPB Enforcement team was prepared

to give effect to the restrictions on the POS operations.

He further explained that those who operate at commercial places will have no issue with the team, but violators of the restrictions will be made to face the wrath of the law.

One of the arrested violators, Solomon Wari, a civil servant, said he was arrested while he was in the front of his business centre within a residential area in Wuse zone 6.

While promising to desist from operating on the streets, he noted that he was into the business to support his family.

FCT: Councils, Stakeholders get N3.7Bn as December allocation

By Stanley Onyekwere

The six Area Councils in the Federal Capital Territory and other stakeholders have received the sum of N3,736,184,845.78Billion as their share of statutory allocation for the month of December, 2022.

A breakdown of the figures released during the the 173rd Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) meeting indicate that the sum of N1,437,399,379.33bn was made available for distribution to the six area councils, while the sum of N2,298,785,466.45billion was made available to other stakeholders, bringing the total sum to N3,736,184,845.78billion.

Also, distributions to area

councils shows that the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), received N323,239,942.32million, while Gwagwalada got N221,096,886.83million and Kuje received N254,790,015.02million.

Other area councils include, Bwari Area Council which received N216,913,836.02million, Abaji got N214,107,803.45million while Kwali received N207,250,895.69million, bringing the total sum to N1,437,399.379.33billion disbursed to the six area councils.

However, distribution to other critical stakeholders include: Primary School Teachers which gulped N1,927,095,222.79billion, 15 percent Pension Funds took N226,478,989.57million,

One percent Training Fund gulped N37,361,848.46million, while 10 percent Employer Pension Contribution gulped N107,849,405.63million, bringing the total sum to N2,298,785,466.45billion.

The FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, presided over the JAAC meeting held in her office, according to a statement from her S. A Media, Austine Elemue.

Aliyu expressed satisfaction over the minimal increase in the revenue allocation for the month of December, 2022.

“Those present at the 171st Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) meeting include the FCTA Permanent

Secretary, Mr. Olusade Adesola, Mandate Secretary Area Council Services, Hon. Ibrahim Abubakar Dantsoho, and FCT representative in Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Mallam Abubakar Hussain.

“Others include the chairman Abaji Area Council, Hon. Abubakar Abdullahi, Chairman of Kwali Area Council, Hon. Danladi Chiya, Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council, Hon. Christopher Zaka, Chairman of Bwari Area Council, Hon. John Gabaya, Chairman of Kuje Area Council, Hon. Abdullahi Sabo, Vice Chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council, Hon. Saidu Abdullahi, amongst others”, the statement added.

Senoir Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Youths Affairs/ the President Abuja Original Inhabitants Youth Empowerment Organisation (AOIYEO), Amb. Isaac David (middle) with wheel barrow of Sugar Cane, other members of the Youth body and other stakeholders during their ongoing PVC Campaigns Collections Sensitization Rally at the weekend in Abuja.

Tyre Nichols: Police unit is disbanded after death

The Memphis Police Department has disbanded the so-called Scorpion special unit, whose officers are accused of murdering Tyre Nichols.

Scorpion stands for “Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhoods”.

The unit is a 50-person team tasked with bringing down crime levels in particular areas.

But now it is being abolished after its officers were seen beating Mr Nichols, 29, in the videos from 7 January.

In a statement, the department said “it is in the best interest of all to permanently deactivate” the unit.

“While the heinous actions of a few casts a cloud of dishonour on the title Scorpion, it is imperative that we, the Memphis Police Department, take proactive steps in the healing process for all impacted,” it added.

Mr Nichols’ family welcomed the decision in a statement from their lawyers, calling it “both appropriate and proportional to the tragic death of Tyre Nichols, and also a decent and just decision for all citizens of Memphis”.

The unit was launched in October 2021 with a focus on high-impact crimes, such as car thefts and gang-related offences.

The five officers - Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr, Emmitt Martin III and Justin Smith - were fired last week.

They were taken into custody on Thursday and each faces charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression.

Four of the five posted bail and were released from custody by Friday morning, according to jail records.

Lawyers for Mr Martin and Mr Mills have said their clients will plead not guilty.

Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr said two deputy sheriffs who “appeared on the scene following” the confrontation have also been suspending pending an internal investigation.

“The unit that murdered Tyre has been permanently disbanded,” a protester shouted into a megaphone in Memphis and the crowd erupted into cheers.

Despite the rain, the group of fewer than

Nadhim Zahawi has been sacked as Tory Party chairman after an inquiry by the PM’s ethics adviser found he had failed to disclose that HMRC was investigating his tax affairs.

The PM said Sir Laurie Magnus’s inquiry made clear there had been a “serious breach of the ministerial code”.

Rishi Sunak asked for the investigation after reports Mr Zahawi had paid HMRC a penalty over previously unpaid tax.

Sir Laurie said the MP had missed many chances to be open about his tax.

After receiving the findings, Mr Sunak wrote to Mr Zahawi praising his achievements but saying he had decided to remove him from government.

Mr Zahawi thanked the prime minister and said he took pride in his role in the vaccine rollout and the Queen’s funeral - but did not offer an apology or mention his tax affairs.

He promised to support the prime minister “from the backbenches in the coming years”.

In a critical four-page report to the prime minister, Sir Laurie said Mr Zahawi had not only failed to include the HMRC investigation in his register of interests until July 2022, but also failed to update it once a settlement had been

100 protesters had gathered in the square in front of the Memphis Police headquarters to demand change to a system of policing that they said makes a habit of brutalising black people in Memphis and across the country.

“Memphis is taking a stand,” said Casio Montez, one of the protest organisers. “This means we’re doing something right.”

Mr Montez vowed that he and other community organisers would continue to pressure Memphis Police Chief CJ Davis and city officials until “the community’s demands are met”, including reforming the department’s organised crime unit.

In an interview with BBC News on Friday, Chief Davis said the Scorpion unit was created to be “more responsive” and “more proactive” to gun violence in the city. But she acknowledged that the officers who brutally beat Tyre Nichols “decided to go off the rails”.

“We are doing an individual evaluation of all units,” she said. “This is a necessary step. We want to be fully transparent to the community.”

But for some, the problem of police violence is more deeply rooted than any reform can address.

At the rally Saturday, Memphis native Allie Watkins held a sign that proclaimed, “All cops uphold white supremacy.”

reached.

Taken together these “omissions” constituted a “serious failure to meet the standards set out in the ministerial code”, he said.

Sir Laurie was also critical of Mr Zahawi for describing new stories about his tax affairs as “smears” in July 2022 and failing to correct the record until January 2023.

“I consider that this delay in correcting an untrue public statement is inconsistent with the requirement for openness,” he said.

He concluded that Mr Zahawi had shown “insufficient regard for the general principles of the ministerial code and the requirements in particular to be honest, open and an exemplary leader through his own behaviour”.

He praised Mr Zahawi’s “willingness to assist with my inquiry” and said he appreciated the pressures of being a minister.

However, he added: “These factors, however, cannot mitigate my overall judgement that Mr Zahawi’s conduct as a minister has fallen below the high standards that, as prime minister, you rightly expect from those who serve in your government.”

Nadhim Zahawi’s tax affairs have been a headache for the government for the past 10 days.

The sign is historically accurate, she said, because the history of policing in America began with slave patrols.

“This is not an issue of corruption in the United States, this is an issue of the fact that the system has been built against black bodies,” she said. If the system is broken, she added, the only way to fix it is to start again.

“We need to have national criminal justice reform”, Gloria Browne-Marshall, a professor of constitutional law at John Jay

Rishi Sunak has argued that due process is important. But he’s faced accusations he was weak for not acting earlier to get rid of Mr Zahawi.

The PM got the report from his ethics adviser early this morning. He spoke to Mr Zahawi to tell him he was being sacked, then it was confirmed publicly.

The report from Sir Laurie Magnus left little room for any other conclusion than Mr Zahawi’s departure.

He highlights a number of times Mr Zahawi should have declared more about his tax affairs - and didn’t.

Hence the conclusion that there was a serious failure to follow the ministerial rulebook.

In his letter to Mr Zahawi, Mr Sunak said the MP for Stratford-Upon-Avon could be “extremely proud of your wide-ranging achievements in government over the last five years”.

He specifically cited Mr Zahawi’s work overseeing the Covid vaccine, saying it was “critical to ensuring our country came through this crisis and saved many lives”.

But Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said Mr Zahawi should have been sacked “long ago” and accused the prime minister of being “hopelessly weak”.

College of Criminal Justice, told the BBC. She said units like the Scorpion unit exist “across the country” so piecemeal reform was not going to be a solution.

Police initially said Mr Nichols had been stopped on suspicion of reckless driving, which has not been substantiated. He died in hospital three days later, on 10 January.

Mr Nichols was black, as are all five officers charged in the case.

Memphis Police Department released four graphic videos of the traffic stop and its violent aftermath on Friday, totalling more than an hour of footage.

Peaceful protests took place in Memphis on Friday night after the video was released, with some demonstrators blocking a major highway in the city, while small-scale demonstrations were held elsewhere in the country.

Many protesters held banners demanding justice for Mr Nichols and an end to “police terror”.

Lawyers for Mr Nichols’ family likened the assault to the 1991 police beating of Los Angeles motorist Rodney King.

The Scorpion programme was touted by Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland in a speech a year ago. He said the city used crime data “to determine where the unit will conduct its enforcement activities within the city”.

From October 2021 until January 2022, the unit made 566 arrests, he said. They also seized more than $100,000 in cash, 270 vehicles and 253 weapons.

In the wake of Mr Nichols’ death, one local man, Cornell McKinney, told a Memphis-area TV network that he had a tense encounter with the unit on 3 January, just days before the incident involving Mr Nichols.

Mr McKinney alleges that the officerswho were travelling in unmarked vehicles - threatened to “blow his head off”, pointed a weapon at his head and accused him of carrying drugs.

He complained to the Memphis Police Department after the incident, but says he has not heard anything back.

One of the officers that arrested Mr Nichols had previously been sued by a man who accused him of beating him when he was a prisoner eight years ago.

Ms Rayner and Labour Party chair Anneliese Dodds have now written to the prime minister asking him to “come clean” about when he was made aware of the HMRC investigation into Mr Zahawi.

Downing Street has previously insisted that Mr Sunak “was not informed of these details, informally or otherwise”.

The SNP’s Kirsty Blackman echoed Labour’s concerns saying: “Sunak still has questions to answer over this whole affair about what he knew about the settlement and what advice he received about Zahawi’s tax on his appointment.”

Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper said Mr Zahawi should “do the right thing” and resign as an MP.

Levelling up Secretary Michael Gove told Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that it was important the facts were “investigated fully and properly” and the situation had required “cool forensic analysis”.

Asked whether he should ever have been appointed, Mr Gove said his “understanding” was that there was “no information that was brought to the attention of the prime minister, either Rishi or indeed Liz Truss which would have led them to believe at the time it was inappropriate to have Nadhim on the team”.

Protest organizer Casio Montez, in blue, leads a march in Memphis

Mr Nichols died three days after an encounter with police at a traffic stop

Nadhim Zahawi committed a serious breach of ministerial code, says Sunak

NSE Promises Voluntry Teaching Of Science, Technical Subjects In

Public Schools

The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Kaduna Branch, has promised to voluntrily teach science and technical subjects in public secondary schools in the state.

The newly inaugurated Chairman of the Kaduna Branch, Engr. Abubakar Ishaq Jumare disclosed this at the weekend during his inaugural speech.

According to him, NSE in it quest to professionally impact positively on the immediate communities will embark on career guidance and motivational visits to secondary and tertiary institutions.

Jumare further explained that under his leadership, he will vigorously pursued the completion of the NSE’s secretariat building project initiated by the previous administrations of the Branch.

This is just as he however, said that his leadership will colaborate with Government and Private organisations in the area of community services.

The new Chairman, who explained that leadership tasks are enormous sought the support and cooperation of the members to enable the new excos achieved its outlined programmes.

While charging the new excos on their responsibilities, he also urged members to embrace the culture of togetherness, team work, commitment, and dedication to professional calls.

In his speech, the National President of NSE, Engr. Tasiu Sa’ad Gidari-Wudil who was represented by the outgoing Chairman of the Branch, Engr. Rachel Serumun Ugye urged the members to give their support to the new excos.

2023: Opposition will suffer defeat, Gombe gov

From David Hassan, Gombe

Gombe state governor Muhammadu

Inuwa Yahaya has assured of the defeat of the opposition at the 2023 general elections.

He made the declaration while canvasing for votes at Gona, Pindiga and Kumo in Akko local government area of Gombe state.

While calling on supporters to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to enable them vote candidates of their choice, the governor said all is set to go out for voting.

He assured them of transparent government if elected into office for second term. According to him, you can only find a shadow where you will rest than staying in a sun that will cause your death.

Ganduje recants, says Kano ready for Buhari's visit today

By Egena Sunday Ode

Governor of Kano State, Umar Ganduje, on Sunday made a u-turn, as he announced that the state is now prepared to receive President Muhammadu Buhari tomorrow on his scheduled visit.

Recall that the governor had on Friday, while addressing some elite in the state advised President Buhari to postpone his planned visits owing to alleged rising tension in the state over the ongoing currency swap among others.

Ganduje led a delegation of critical stakeholders from the state to meet President Buhari in his country home in Daura, Katsina State on Sunday after which he revealed the change of position to newsmen..

"We are very much ready to receive him and we have a lot for him to commission including federal government projects and state government projects. They are state-of-the-art projects," he said, when asked whether the state was prepared to host Buhari on Monday.

Ganduje, had in an interactive session with crtical stakeholders including scholars, legislators, political leaders and business community in the state, revealed that the his government had requested the President to postpone the trip, saying that the state was deeply concerned about the hardship principally induced by the ongoing cash swap from old to redesigned notes.

He said the decision was taken to avoid any unforeseen circumstance.

Consequently, the state government wrote a

letter to the president outlining the reasons why the planned visit is no longer auspicious at this time. According to a press statement issued on Saturday by Abba Anwar, the chief press secretary to the governor, the decision to advised the president against the visit was endorsed by the critical stakeholders of the state.

The statement by the governor's spokesman reads in parts: “Deeply concerned with the hardship caused by limited time given for halting use of old Naira notes by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and for security reasons, the Kano State governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, reveals that the state resolved and wrote to Presidency that, the visit of the President to commission some projects be postponed.

“As we are waiting for this important visit, we found ourselves in this situation, which puts citizens into untold hardship. For security purpose we wrote to Presidency that President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to Kano be postponed.

"We got an acknowledgement copy of the letter. People are really suffering because of this policy.

“There are no banks in most of our rural communities. How these people get new Naira notes is of great concern. Just look at what is happening in our urban areas, people go and spend hours upon hours in banks. And without any assurances of getting the new notes.”

Despite Ganduje's objection, President Buhari had, however, insisted on going ahead with the Monday visit.

Presidency sources had disclosed that he would go there to commission some projects implemented by the federal government.

But during Sunday's visit to the President, Ganduje affirmed that he led the delegation to Daura over the issue of the ongoing currency swap and was happy with him.

He said: "Seeing is believing. You can see that I have led a powerful delegation from Kano State on the issue of new naira notes and we have seen Mr. President. We have laid the complaints of the Kano people and we are very happy.

"He explained to us and also he assured us that the time is extended and the quantity of new naira (notes) will increase so that the suffering of the people will be reduced.

"We informed him that Kano is the most populous state in the federation and also the commercial nerve center of the northern part of Nigeria, second to Lagos.

"But in terms of cash transaction, Kano is much higher than Lagos because Lagos has gone far in terms of cashless society, cashless transaction. But Kano State being comparatively a rural state, so to say, still we have 24 local governments without banks. Most of the banks are concentrated within Kano metropolitan.

"So, you can imagine the suffering of the rural areas, rural people in terms of cash transaction. But we are happy that the time has been extended and also the quantum of the naira notes will be increased.

"So, we are so grateful to the President for effort."

Naira swap: CBN deploys over 200 super agents to Jigawa rural communities

From Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse

No fewer than 200 super agents are deployed by Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to various rural communities in Jigawa state for old naira notes swapping.

This was disclosed by the director Human resources and also team leader currency swap of

Central Bank of Nigeria Hajiya Amina Habib while briefing news men on the measures taken by Central Bank for smooth swapping of old naira notes to new naira notes.

She explained that, as part of effort made by CBN to meet the 31st January deadline without pushing Nigerians into hardship situation, super agents are deployed to swap old to new naira notes

with maximum amount of N10,000.

The team leader added that, the super agents will also open an account to those that don’t have bank account for better financial inclusion.

According to her, the team also embarked on 24 hours monitoring of banks operations to ensure that banks comply with new policy of despence new notes and receive of old notes.

NUJ removes NOA staff, LG information officers from its membership

From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has removed the National Orientation Agency staff and Local Governments Information Officers from the list of its members.

The NUJ took the decision at its twoday delegates conference in Kano State on

Thursday.

During the Constitution Review Session, the delegates agreed that NOA staff would no longer be accorded NUJ membership.

The delegates also noted agreed that the elected officials of the NOA Chapel would however be allowed to serve out their term of office as members of the NUJ.

The gathering also passed a new law barring staff of ministries of information adjudged as non-practising journalists from being accorded NUJ membership.

Delegates in session also concurred that Local Government public relations officers should no longer be handed NUJ membership status.

NUJ removes NOA staff, LG information officers from its membership

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

Kaduna State governorship candidate of People’s Redemption Party (PRP), Mal. Hayatuddeen

Lawal Makarfi has promised to make Kaduna an industrial hub that will be envied by the rest of the country and the world.

He asserted this during an interactive

season with Kaduna League of Veterans Journalists in Kaduna yesterday.

According to him, Kaduna has been a destination for industrialization, saying for decades, it has attracted many

industries.

Makarfi vowed to leave a legacy that will serve as a model for any government that means well to the people of the state.

N ews F rom A s IA

Debarment allowance: Irabor urges military retirees for patience

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Lucky Irabor, has urged retired military officers to show understanding with the Federal Government in the effort to pay them the Security Debarment Allowance (SDA).

Irabor made the call at the 42nd Anniversary Dinner of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) 28 Regular Course Welfare Association on Saturday in Abuja.

President Muhammadu Buhari had in 2017 approved the payment to the military retirees who retired before Nov. 9, 2017.

The deceased military retirees who were alive when the Manual of Financial Administration (MAFA) 2017 was signed, and non-pensionable retirees who retired before Nov. 9, 2017 but were only paid gratuities, are also to benefit.

The SDA, according to Military Pensions Board, was calculated as a function of 10 per cent of the retirees’ annual basic salary as at the time of retirement, multiplied by the number of years served in the services.

The CDS cautioned those who had made unpalatable comments about the SDA to desist from

misleading the junior ones, adding that the efforts of the government in that regard should be commended.

According to him, “there are a few toxic commentaries that have been made, which I believe are misrepresented and I think that those of us that are here hearing from me and those who actually know the right thing.

“While appreciating you for changing the orientation of those who have been passing those toxic comments, I need to also encourage that perhaps, they need to go to their creator for forgiveness.

“The reason I say this is, the policy that brought SDA into being was signed on Nov. 9, 2017 and the provisions made therein, caters for those who retired from that day onwards.

“There are issues around policies generally which certainly might not be the best but there will always be room for correction.

“It took the magnanimity of the Commander in Chief, of course a representation that was made to him by the minister, and he was magnanimous enough to look at it again and made the

Col. Bello bags ABU honorary award

From Yakubu Mustapha Minna

Niger State Governor Abubakar Sani Bello has urged graduates in the country to make good use of the knowledge acquired, for the development of the society.

Governor Bello stated this at the forty second Convocation Ceremony of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and award of Honorary Degree to four distinguished Nigerians including the former Governor of old Kano State, Col.Sani Bello by the institution.

He commended the resilience

of the graduands for enduring the academic rigour and appreciated their families as well as all those who contributed to their success academically.

The Governor showered encomium on the awardees for their philanthropic gesture and selfless service to humanity which have earned them recognition, hoping that the award will spur them to do more.

Responding on behalf of the awardees, Colonel Sani Bello appreciated the award and honour done to them, promising to continue to support the institution in their different capacities.

approval that everyone who once served the military should be catered for.

“I think that it is something that I believe is legendary and must be commended rather than having to vilify those who are making effort to ensure that entitlements as enunciated by virtue of that approval is made,” he said.

Irabor further said that the resources disposition of the government should be considered, taking into cognisance the issues of military operations and issues surrounding its Table of Organisation and Equipment (TOE).

“It takes resources to be able to bring our TOE to a reasonable level, to be able to increase the military’s fighting capacity,” he said.

He added that greater attention must be paid to ensure that the tools needed to be able to perform optimally should be given attention.

“And so it was not an easy thing to now muster a total of N132 billion just to pay at once because there are other commitments of government.

“And so approval was given for it to be handled within the period of three to five years, which recently has also been modified for it to be covered in three years.

“So if some of us that should know now go to incite a few others to now to want to take up some kinds of demonstration, that perhaps needs some form of reconsideration

“The first tranche was made early this month, which of course we must continuously appreciate it and of course, the government for this feat.

“So I will like to use this medium to appeal to us, especially on that matter, for it to be put to rest, believing and trusting those who are implementing to faithfully implement it,” he added.

Irabor also commended the retired officers for their invaluable contribution to the peace and stability of the country and urged them to continue to offer their quota even in retirement.

The President, 28 Regular Course Welfare Association, retired Rear Adm. Ndidi Agholor, thanked God for making it possible for them to remain in good health and be able to reunite

to celebrate.

Agholor said the association was at its consolidation stage, having made impact in the society, adding that welfare of its members was its main focus at present.

On the debarment allowance, Agholor commended the Federal Government and the Ministry of Defence for being magnanimous in expanding the scope of SDA to cover all retired military personnel.

He said those of them who retired before 2017, when the SDA policy was formulated, were initially excluded, adding that reasons were advanced as to the use of their competencies and skills in retirement.

The president urged the veteran community to exercise patience while government continued to implement the debarment policy, which according to him, will have positive impact on them.

He assured the military authority of the readiness of the veterans to continue to help to secure the nation, especially in ensuring peaceful 2023 general elections. (NAN)

FG committed to eradicating sea piracy, other crimes – Minister

The Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba, has reiterated the commitment of the Federal Government to rid the nation’s maritime domain of sea piracy and other organised crimes.

Agba, who was represented by Dr Sampson Ebimaro, Director, Bilateral Economic Cooperation, Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, said this at the graduation of participants of Antipiracy Course 4/2023 on Friday, in Abuja.

The course was organised by Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peace Keeping Centre (MLAILPKC) in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with the support of the Government of Japan.

Agba, while stressing that reports had shown that there was significant decline in the incidences of maritime crimes, said that the Federal Government had

continued to support initiatives, projects and programmes that would consolidate measures against sea piracy.

According to him, the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has recently launched the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure also known as the Deep blue project.

He said the project also set up the Maritime Security Unit comprising the Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air force, Nigerian Police, and Department of State Services to conduct simulation exercise and surveillances in the region.

“ Deep blue project is the first integrated maritime Security strategy in West and Central Africa which aimed to tackle incidences of piracy, sea robbery and maritime crimes.

“The Nigerian Maritime Administration and safety Agency (NIMASA) in collaboration

with Nigerian navy and other specialised MDAs have equally taken step to mitigate issues of piracy and established rules of engagement for Anti-piracy operations,” he said.

The minister said the antipiracy course was part of government efforts to build skills and capacity on anti-piracy operations with a view to further consolidate towards militating against the incidences of piracy, sea robbery and maritime crimes on sea.

He said that the Ministry of Finance had demonstrated its commitment to ensure sustain collaboration with the MLAILPKC on related initiatives, adding that it would continue to encourage more training of officers and personnel in anti-piracy operations.

According to him, the course which will eventually be applicable to addressing issues of maritime crimes and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.

He commended the support of key international organisations such as UNDP and Government of Japan towards hosting the antipiracy course.

The Commandant of MLALCPK, Maj.-Gen. Parker Undiandeye, said the objective of the course was to enhance the collective understanding of participants on piracy especially in the Gulf of Guinea.

Undiandeye expressed confidence that the participants had received the requisite training and broadened their knowledge on the root causes of piracy and methods of combating it especially in the GoG.

He said the course might have drawn their attention to the complexity and dynamism associated with piracy in particular and other transnational organised crimes.

“It is hoped that what you have learnt here would reflect on your performances and general conduct

in your various organizations as well as places of deployment/work.

“Therefore, as you graduate today, you must always remember that so much has been given to you and as such, so much more would be expected from you.

“I urge you not to see the Course only in terms of certificates acquired but its utility must manifest in contributions you can make,” he said.

The UNDP Team Lead, Governance, Peace and Security, Mr Matthew Alao, commended the centre for the successful organisation and execution of the course.

Alao said the government of Japan had also approved funding for another period of training to be undertaken by MLAILPKC with UNDP.

He, however, tasked the participants on feedback about their assessment of the course with a view to encouraging the donor organisations. (NAN)

L-R: National Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, National Commissioners, Barr. Festus Okoye and Major Gen. A. B. Alkali, during the Chairman’s meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), at the INEC headquarters in Abuja yesterday.

TETFund uncovers new plot to malign leadership

By Maryam Abeeb

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has uncovered new plots by certain individuals and groups to malign the leadership of the Fund and disrupt its activities over the firm determination not to succumb to frivolous requests which are grossly in violation of the Agency’s mandate.

In a statement by the Ag. Director, Public Affairs, Abdulmumin Oniyangi, noted that plots reveal that these individuals and groups who seek all forms of unholy sponsorship, support and patronage from the Fund have in continuation of their campaign of calumny resorted to carrying out demonstrations and writing of frivolous petitions against the Executive Secretary, over his continued stand not to compromise his office.

He explained that while the schemes of these individuals and groups are not unexpected, as they have become almost traditional, it is important to call the attention of our esteemed stakeholders and the general to avoid attendant distractions that may arise.

According to him, the Management of TETFund is cognizant of the increasing confidence being reposed on the Fund by critical stakeholders and indeed the general public, as a result of the impactful reforms introduced in the past year to enhance greater efficiency and quality service delivery; and would not under any circumstance betray public trust.

He said that the Executive Secretary and his team would continue to focus on the needs of the Fund’s Beneficiary Institutions, classified under the TETFund Establishment Act of 2011 as Public Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education, as well as other specific mandate of the Agency.

“We, therefore, use this opportunity to reassure our stakeholders and the general public that TETFund is being run with a deep sense of responsibility. The Executive Secretary remains committed to providing quality, accountable and exemplary leadership and will not be distracted in any way whatsoever, by any mischievous plot,” he said.

NANS to FG: LET schools go on break for us to collect our PVCs

By Maryam Abeeb

The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, has urged the federal government to let higher institutions in the country go on break now for the students who registered last year to collect their permanent voter’s cards, PVCs.

According to the association, the if the step is not taken, over four million students would be disenfranchised and denied the opportunity to cast their votes during the polls.

The NANS Vice President, External, Comrade Akintoye Babatunde Afeez, stated this in a release.

Afeez noted that since the government had agreed to extend the collection of permanent voter’s cards, PVC, by a week, students should not be denied the opportunity to collect their cards.

Subsequent to the extension

of the deadline for the collection of Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) till Sunday, February 5, 2023, and considering the fact that the general elections will commence in few weeks’ time, the Office of the NANS Vice President (External Affairs) calls on the Federal Government of Nigeria to immediately close all tertiary institutions temporarily to afford students the opportunity to collect their PVCs from their Local Government Areas and vote in the forthcoming elections.

“In time past, the lack of flexibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the management of tertiary institutions have made it difficult and almost impossible for students to participate in the electoral process.

“The case is now different for the 2023 Elections. This is because, during the continuous voter registration exercise, students were in their various homes due to the prolonged

Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike and about four million (according to statistics) of us registered newly for our PVCs.

“Now that we have registered for our PVCs and they have been processed and our tertiary institutions are not considering academic breaks for students during the general elections, despite having knowledge that most students registered outside their campuses, to go and collect our PVCs and have the opportunity to vote.

“This is why we are calling on the Federal Government of Nigeria to mandate the National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) through the Federal Ministry of Education to shut down all tertiary institutions temporarily until after the general elections in order to allow the Nigerian students (who

constitute 40.8 per cent of the newly registered voters across the 774 local government areas of Nigeria) have access to their PVCs and vote for the candidates of their choice in fulfilment of their civic responsibility as patriotic citizens of Nigeria.

“As the leadership of NANS, we can not sit and watch our school management disenfranchise us with their unfavourable academic calendars that do not take into consideration timelines and dates for election when we know that we have a stake in the turns of things as they will unfold in preceding weeks.

“We hereby urge the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to make special arrangements for the students to collect their PVCs in the consolidation of the effort of the Federal Government to shut down schools temporarily for students to exercise one of their fundamental human rights – to vote.”

Prof Oloyede has no social media accounts, beware of fraudsters – JAMB warns

By Mariam Sanni

The Joint and Matriculation Board(JAMB) says it Registrar, Prof Is-haq Oloyede, does not own or operate any social media account and neither has he asked anybody to open or manage one on his behalf.

A LinkedIn account purported to be the account of JAMB

Registrar has been sending friend requests to members of the public recently.

Reacting in a statement issued in Abuja, the Head, Public Affairs and Protocols of JAMB, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, said Prof. Oloyede has no LinkedIn account, adding that the ploy was initiated with the sole aim of defrauding gullible members of the public.

He said: “The Board wishes to state that Prof. Is-haq Oloyede does not own or operate any social media account and neither has he asked anybody to open or manage one on his behalf”, he said.

“LinkedIn is a social networking site designed specifically for the business community. As such, it should be noted that the goal of the site is to enable registered users to

connect with people they know and trust professionally. Prof. Oloyede does not belong to this class of individuals nor intend to join”.

“This disclaimer became necessary in view of some unscrupulous elements, who have purportedly opened a LinkedIn account on his behalf to hoodwink unsuspecting members of the public with their bogus claims

of the erudite professor helping to network business enterprises, managing careers, providing jobs, running a research firm or connecting people with business contacts of firms or industry through the account”.

The Board therefore urged the general public to be wary of these criminal elements so as not to fall victims to the scammers.

L-R : Chairman ANCOPSS, Mushin Zone, Principal, Birchfreeman Senior High Mushin,Ogunmefun Mojisola Olabisi ; Principal, Ilupeju Senior School,Masheyi Olushola Abayomi ; Director for Science and Technology, Lagos state Ministry of Education,Akinfoyewa Grace ; CEO, X3M Ideas, Steve Babaeko, and Principal, Ilupeju Junior Secondary School, Oyetade Bosede, at the unveiling of X3M Ideas’ CSR Project - A Reading Hub for students of Ilupeju Senior Secondary School, Lagos, at the weekend.

How tanks from Germany, US and UK could change the Ukraine war

Is this the week when the war dramatically turned in Ukraine’s favour? It was certainly a decisive moment, with a coalition of Western nations confirming they were finally willing to supply modern-made main battle tanks.

Germany said it would send Leopard 2 tanks and the US said it would send M1 Abrams tanks. Both the UK and Poland have already made concrete pledges, and other nations are expected to follow. Some commentators have described the move as a potential “gamechanger”.

But is it really enough to win the war?

Ben Barry, senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (ISS), tells the BBC that Western tanks will make a difference. But the former British Army Brigadier also warns that the pledges made so far are unlikely to prove decisive.

In modern warfare, tanks have been a key element for offensive operations - to punch through enemy lines and retake territory.

Used effectively, they provide mobile firepower, protection, shock and surprise. Concentrated in numbers, they can dislocate an enemy’s defences. But they also need the support of artillery to first weaken those defences and then the support of infantry to hold retaken ground.

History shows tanks alone don’t win battles. The British first used hundreds of tanks at the battle of Cambrai in November 1917 - to end the deadlock of static trench warfare. Initially they made significant advances, but many tanks soon broke down and a German counter offensive turned British gains into losses.

Tanks can also be used in defence. In 1940 they were used by the retreating British and French armies at Arras to stall the Nazi invasion, allowing the subsequent evacuation of British troops from Dunkirk.

But Ukraine has made clear that it wants weapons not just to stall any potential Russian spring offensive, but to retake its own territory - to go on the attack.

How Ukraine might use tanks as attack spearheads

It would make little sense for Ukraine to disperse its additional tanks across a frontline of more than 1,000km (621 miles). To break through Russian defences, Ukraine will need to concentrate its forces - possibly over an area of between five and 20km (between three and 12 miles).

Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a former colonel in the British Army’s Royal Tank Regiment, says numbers do matter for a breakthrough. An armoured brigade for a significant offensive operation would normally include at least 70 tanks. So more than 100 Western battle tanks could make a big difference, he says.

If Ukraine had more it could try

to conduct simultaneous offensive operations in different places, as it did last year in the north and the south.

Then there’s the additional support required for what the military call “combined arms manoeuvre”.

The UK is not just sending Ukraine 14 Challenger tanks, but also 30 artillery self-propelled guns and armoured vehicles to carry and protect troops.

That new package of military support also includes mine breaching and bridge-laying vehicles. In other words, the essential elements needed for any offensive operation.

The US is also providing Ukraine with more than 100 Bradley and Stryker armoured vehicles, and Germany 40 of its Marder infantry fighting vehicleas well as tanks.

Tanks are the tip of the spear, designed to move quickly over open ground. The Challenger 2, Leopard 2 and M1 Abrams are faster than most Russian-made tanks with speeds of more than 25mph (40km per hour) on rough terrain.

To take ground quickly, with any element of surprise, they would likely avoid urban areas where they would be more vulnerable to attack. Russia showed early on in this war, in its failed attempt to surround Kyiv, that a long column of armour on a road is an easy target.

Mr Barry, of ISS, says any spearhead attack would look for an enemy’s weak points. But he also warns that Russia has spent the last few months reinforcing defensive positions with trenches and tank traps.

Western tanks are also about 20 tonnes heavier than their Russian counterparts. The additional armour gives better protection but it also means the tanks may be too heavy to cross some makeshift bridges. Russia and Ukraine have both blown bridges to slow down advances.

Surprise attacks at night

Mr de Bretton Gordon, who commanded a squadron of British Challenger tanks, says one of the big advantages of Western-made tanks is their ability to fight at night.

Night sights and thermal imaging camera are standard. Only Russia’s more advanced tankslike the T-90 - are fitted to fight at night. Attacks under the cover of darkness also add to the element of shock and surprise.

The greatest challenge for Ukraine will be logisticsmaintaining the flow of fuel, ammunition and spare parts. Ukraine is not just having to maintain its old Soviet-era arsenal, it is also having to worry about an increasingly complex inventory of Western supplied weapons.

Britain’s Challenger 2 tanks, for instance, do not use the same Nato standard ammunition as the Leopard and Abrams. The Challenger 2 is no longer in production and even the British Army has had to cannibalise some spare parts from its existing fleet.

Mr Barry says Ukrainian engineers may be familiar with repairing diesel engines - like those in the Leopard and Challenger. But he says the US-made Abrams runs on a more complicated gas turbine engine. It also consumes about twice the amount of fuel as a German-made Leopard.

If Western pledges are firmed, Ukraine’s armed forces could be boosted by more than 100 tanks. That would still fall well short of what Ukraine’s overall military commander asked for.

Last October, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi said Ukraine needed an

additional 300 tanks, 700 infantry fighting vehicles and 500 howitzers for his planned offensive this year. It might end up with just half of that.

The training required on the weapons will take time too - weeks if not months. And it’s still not clear when all this equipment will arrive.

The US has indicated that its 31 M1 Abrams tanks might not be ready for months. Ukraine is also waiting for the West to respond to its repeated request for modern warplanes. An army attacking on the ground will need protection from the air.

Western officials had hoped that Ukraine may be able to mount an offensive as soon as this spring. They believe there is now a window of opportunity while Russia struggles to recruit and rebuild its battered forces, and to replenish its dwindling supplies of ammunition.

Ukraine has managed to prove the doubters wrong in the pastbut it will still need more Western support if it is to achieve its goal of expelling Russian forces.

Source: BBC

US M1 Abrams are faster than most Russian-made tanks

Germany produces the vast majority of modern heavy tanks in Europe - the Leopard 2s

“

Mr de Bretton Gordon, who commanded a squadron of British Challenger tanks, says one of the big advantages of Western-made tanks is their ability to fight at night. Night sights and thermal imaging camera are standard. Only Russia’s more advanced tanks - like the T-90 - are fitted to fight at night. Attacks under the cover of darkness also add to the element of shock and surprise.

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THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1.TO ESTABLISH SOCIAL WELFARE THAT WILL HELP REHABILITATE CHILDREN IN DISTRESS, ESPECIALLY ORPHANS AND THE LESS PRIVILEGED CHILDREN.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : SECRETARY.

PUBLIC NOTICE

UNITED UMUNKA KINDRED

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. ERIOBU ERNEST IKECHUKWU - CHAIRMAN

2. OKOLI EMMANUEL UGOCHUKWUSECRETARY

3. OKEKE ROWLAND CHUKWUDI

4. OKOLI WILSON AKACHUKWU

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1. TO STIMULATE AND ENHANCE THE WELFARE OF UMUNKA INDIGENES.

2. TO PROMOTE PEACE, PROGRESS AND BROTHERLINESS AMONG THE MEMBERS.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : BY - SECRETARY TEL: 08033024552.

PUBLIC NOTICE

FAITH SPRING FIRE AND REVIVAL ASSEMBLY

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. SAMUEL DONALD UGOCHUKWU (CHAIRMAN)

2. SAMUEL CHIDINMA CONSTANCE (SECRETARY)

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1.TO RECONCILE MAN BACK TO GOD THROUGH THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST AND TO ESTABLISH A STRONG CONSISTENT FELLOWSHIP WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

2. TO RAISE A GENERATION OF FIRE BRAND CHRISTIAN WHO WILL STAND THE TEST OF TIME

3. TO RESTORE MEN TO THEIR ORIGINAL POSITION IN CHRIST AND DESTINY THROUGH THE INSTRUMENTALITY OF THE WORD, PRAYER AND THE DEMONSTRATION OF THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

4. TO ENSURE THAT THE EARTH IS FILLED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE GLORY OF GOD AS THE WATERS COVERS THE SEA THROUGH EVANGELISM, DEMONSTRATION OF THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND CHURCH PLANTINGS.

5. TO SERVE AS AN INSTRUMENT FOR POSITIVE CHANGE AND DEVELOPMENT TO HUMANITY AND THE SOCIETY AT LARGE.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : SECRETARY.

PUBLIC NOTICE

FAITH SPRING CHARITY FOUNDATION.

THIS

1. TO PROVIDE MEDICAL AID TO RURAL COMMUNITIES AND TO GIVE LEGAL AID TO THE LESS PRIVILEGE IN THE SOCIETY

2. TO PROVIDE, MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE GENERAL HUMANITARIAN SERVICES, WELFARE, AND PUBLIC AMENITIES, AND UNDERTAKE PROJECTS AIMED AT PROVIDING THE NECESSITIES OF LIFE SUCH AS HEALTHCARE, WATER, SANITATION, FOOD AND SHELTER IN RURAL COMMUNITIES.

3. TO PROVIDE FREE LEGAL SERVICES TO POOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, RAPE, HUMAN RIGHT ABUSE, PERSON INMATES AND INDIGENT PERSONS THAT CANNOT AFFORD THE SERVICES OF A LAWYER.

4. TO CREATE A FORUM WHERE INDIVIDUALS ARE EMPOWERED BY BUILDING THEIR CAPACITY THROUGH ACQUIRING NECCESARY SKILLS AND TO EMPOWER AND GIVE SCHOLARSHIP TO STUDENTS IN THE SOCIETY

5. TO PROVIDE HEALTHCARE SUPPORT TO PERSONS LIVING WITH HEALTH CHALLENGES AND TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ON PREVENTIVE/ MITIGATING MEASURES AGAINST CONTACTING DISEASES

6. TO ASSIST THE LESS PRIVILEGED PERSONS IN THE SOCIETY AND PROVIDE BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE AND BASIC AMENITIES FOR COMMUNITIES AND TO OPERATE ORPHANAGE HOME.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY.

PUBLIC NOTICE

BILLY’S HOPE FOR CHILDREN FOUNDATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. ALLAHYAYI VICTORIA SHEKWOAGA - CHAIRMAN

2. DANJUMA JESSICA DOMINIC - SECRETARY

3. BITRUS JOSEPHINE KABOSHIO

4. ALLAHYAYI PATIENCE BARDE

5. JAPHET JOY

6. BATURE JETHRO IBRAHIM.

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE : ORPHANAGE VISITATION ORGANIZATION OF COMMUNITY SEMINAR TO SENSITIZE TEENAGERS AND CHILDREN TALENT HUNT TO HELP CHILDREN AND TEENAGER DEVELOP THEIR CREATIVITY ORPHANAGE SANITIZATION AND SANITATION ORGANIZATION OF FUNFARE EVENTS FOR CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS AND MAKING OF DONATIONS FOR THEM. RUNNING OF FREE MEDICAL TEST AND CHECKUP.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : SECRETARY.

PUBLIC NOTICE

IGEDE FARMERS ASSOCIATION SHEDA KWALI

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. JOSHUA OMOGA ADE

2. OMOGA ELIZABETH

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1.TO PROMOTE DEVELOPMENT IN AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES TO ENHANCE THE FARMING ACTIVITIES OF ITS MEMBERS

2.TO PROMOTE BETTER ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL WELFARE OF ITS MEMBERS.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : SECRETARY.

PUBLIC NOTICE

ITOHAN LADIES SOCIAL CLUB

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. ISESE MERCY ITOHAN (CHAIRMAN)

2. SUNDAY EDOGHOGHO HAPPINESS (SECRETARY)

3. OSARO BLESSING

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1. TO ASSIST MEMBERS WHO ARE IN NEED.

2. TO BE OF ASSISTANCE TO ONE ANOTHER AS MEMBERS OF THE SOCIAL CLUB.

3. TO PROMOTE UNITY AND ONENESS AMONGST MEMBERS OF THE SOCIAL CLUB.

4. TO ASSIST CIVIL SOCIETY AND OTHER NON GOVERNMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS WITH HUMANITARIAN AIDS.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : STARLION LEGAL 07057663782.

PUBLIC NOTICE

QUINDALINE CHINONYELUM ENEH FOUNDATION

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1.QUINDALINE CHINONYELUM ENEH

2. EZE CHRISTIANA BRENDAN

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1.TO IDENTIFY THE NEEDS OF THE INDIGENTS AND UPLIFT THEM.

2.TO BE THE VOICE OF THE VOICELESS AND AND THE DOWNTRODDEN.

3.TO PROVIDE SUCCOUR TO THE LESS PRIVILEGED

4.TO PURSUE THE GOAL OF RESTORATION OF WORLD PEACE. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : PETER OKEY OBUTE LLM 08035975739.ADVERTISER.

PUBLIC NOTICE

RUACH TRANSFORMATION CHRISTAIN CENTER

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION FOR CHANGE OF NAME AND AMENDMENT/ ADOPTION OF NEW CONSTITUTION, UNDER THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT (CAMA 2020).

TRUSTEES REMAIN THE SAME.

OLD NAME: RUACH TRANSFORMATION CHRISTAIN CENTER

NEW NAME: THE BELIEVERS TRANSFORMATION MISSION NETWORK

ANY OBJECTION TO THE ABOVE CHANGES SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION. PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA ABUJAFCT WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY.

PUBLIC NOTICE

OKUNUGA ADEMOLA FOUNDATION

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ORGANIZATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA, FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT. 2020.

TRUSTEES (1) OKUNUGA OMOGBOLAHAN ADEMOLA

(2) OKUNUGA RASAQ ABIODUN

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES.

1. TO GRANT, PAY, AND GIVE SCHOLARSHIP, STIPENDS, AND OTHER FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO STUDENTS WITH A VIEW TO HELP THEM IN PURSUING THEIR STUDIES IN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.

2. TO RAISE THE REQUIRED HUMAN CAPITAL AND OTHER RESOURCES TO ACHIEVE THE GROUP OBJECTIVES.

3. TO COLLABORATE WITH OTHER NGOS WORKING TOWARDS SIMILAR OBJECTIVES.

4. TO SECURE FUTURE GENERATION BY PROVIDING ACCESS TO QUALITY EDUCATION TO UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN.

5. TO PROVIDE SUPPORT AND RELIEF MATERIALS TO ORPHANAGE HOMES.

6. TO VISIT AND PROVIDE RELIEF MATERIALS TO PATIENTS IN HOSPITALS.

7. TO PROMOTE EDUCATION THROUGH SCHOLARSHIPS AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE REGISTRATIONS SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, PMB 198 GARKI ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED: SECRETARY

ZAIYANA

I FORMERLY KNOWN AS ZAIYANA MAMMAN KANKIA NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND CALLED ZAIYANA MOHAMMED KANKIA. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. AUTHORITIES CONCERNED AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE NOTE.

PUBLIC NOTICE

ASSOCIATION OF ENGINE OIL AND DIESEL TRADERS, GWAGWALADA

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ORGANIZATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA, FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT. 2020.

TRUSTEES

1. MUNSUR LAWAL

2. MOHAMMED ABDULLAHI AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

1. TO CATER FOR THE WELFARE OF MEMBERS WHO ARE IN NEED.

2. TO ENGAGE IN RENDERING HUMANITARIAN AID AND ENGAGE IN PROVISION OF RELIEF MATERIALS TO PERSONS AND COMMUNITIES IN DISTRESS.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE REGISTRATIONS SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, PMB 198 GARKI ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED: SECRETARY

VIRAH

I FORMERLY KNOWN AS GOODNESS INNOCENT NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND CALLED VIRAH INNOCENT. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. AUTHORITIES CONCERNED AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE NOTE.

PUBLIC NOTICE

THE EMERGE MINISTRIES INT’L

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC) ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART C OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT CAP C20, LFN 2020

THE TRUSTEES ARE:

1. BARNABAS OIGOCHO ATUNGWU - CHAIRMAN

2. ENEOCHE EMMANUELLA OBEKPA - TRUSTEE/SECRETARY

THE AIM AND OBJECTIVES ARE:

1. TO PROPAGATE THE GOSPEL AND WIN SOULS FOR OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST

2. TO EQUIP CHRISTIANS BY ENCOURAGING SPIRITUAL GROWTH BY HELPING THEM RECOGNIZE AND DEVELOP THEIR GOD-GIVEN GIFTS THROUGH WORSHIP, THE TEACHING OF THE BIBLE, AND THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED SECRETARY ENEOCHE EMMANUELLA OBEKPA

PUBLIC NOTICE

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. LUCKSLEY INDI IGENEGBAI (CHAIRMAN)

2. KATE MODUPE FALANA (SECRETARY)

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1. TO RESCUE MEN THROUGH THE TEACHING AND PREACHING OF THE WORD OF GOD AND PREVAILING PRAYERS.

2. TO RUN AND ESTABLISH VIBRANT CHURCH BRANCHES AND NETWORK WITH OTHER CHRISTIAN BODIES WITHIN AND OUTSIDE NIGERIA.

3. TO ENGAGE IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, WELFARE, AND BENEVOLENCE PROJECTS. ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : SECRETARY.

PUBLIC NOTICE

(

GLORY EWALEFOH

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE ABOVE NAMED ORGANIZATION HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION ABUJA, FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART C OF THE COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT. 2020.

TRUSTEES

1) GLORY EWALEFOH. CHAIRMAN.

(2) ESTHER OKPETE -SECRETARY .

(3). TSOLA OMATSOLA TAWIAH ORITSEJAFO

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

1. TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO QUALITY TERTIARY EDUCATION FOR UNDER PRIVILEGED CHILDREN

2. TO PROVIDE DEPRIVED YOUNG PEOPLE WITH THE POWER TO EARN A REGULAR AND DECENT LIVELIHOOD BY GIVING THEM ACCESS TO TERTIARY EDUCATION

3. TO INTEGRATE CHILDREN WHO ARE MARGINALIZED BY POVERTY AND LACK OF EDUCATION INTO MAINSTREAM SOCIETY THROUGH WORK PLACEMENTS AND OTHER PROGRAMS.

4. TO ASSIST IN THE PROCESS OF SOCIAL INTEGRATION TO UNDERPRIVILEGED

YOUNG PEOPLE INTO THE SOCIETY

5. FACILITATING VOCATIONAL TRAINING TO THE YOUNG ADULTS TO REDUCE THEIR SKILL GAP WHICH WILL HELP THEM IN EITHER GETTING EMPLOYED OR START THEIR OWN ENTERPRISE.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE REGISTRATIONS SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT, OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET, MAITAMA, PMB 198 GARKI ABUJA WITHIN 28 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED: MADUAKOLAM IGWE ESQ.

PATRIOTIC ELITE CLUB OF AMASSOMA

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, CAMA 2020).

THE TRUSTEES ARE

1. YERI, WAIBODEI, PETER (CHAIRMAN)

2. AYOGOI, AYOGOI, SIMON (SECRETARY)

3. AMBAIOWEI,TARI,EBIOWEI (MEMBER)

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1.TO ORGANIZE SEMINARS AND ENLIGHTENMENT CAMPAIGNS TO EDUCATE THE PEOPLE OF AMASSOMA COMMUNITY AND BAYELSANS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION IN NATION BUILDING AND SUCH OTHER LECTURES THAT WILL AFFECT THE SOCIETY POSITIVELY.

2.TO FOSTER UNITY AMONG MEMBERS AND INCULCATE THE ESSENCE OF CITIZENSHIP,MUTUAL CO-OPERATION, PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE AND PROGRESS.

3.TO FIGHT AGAINST ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATIONS AS A RESULT OF POLITICAL, SEX, RELIGIOUS, FAMILY AND EDUCATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND TO PROMOTE PEACE AND UNITY IJAW NATION.

4.TO EFFICIENTLY HARNESS AND DIRECT THE EDUCATIONAL NEEDS OF BAYELSANS ASSISTING DESERVING STUDENTS MORALLY AND FINANCIALLY.

5.TO BE STRONGLY OPPOSED TO ALL FORMS OF CRIMINALITY AND SOCIAL VICES IN SOCIETY.

6.TO ENCOURAGE AND FACILITATE IN ANY DEVELOPMENTAL PROGRAMME IN AMASSOMA COMMUNITY AND OTHER PARTS OF BAYELSA STATE.

7.TO PROMOTE THE OBSERVANCE OF THE TENET OF DEMOCRACY, RULE OF LAW, EQUITY, FAIMESS, RIGHT AND JUSTICE IN AMASSOMA AND BAYELSA AT LARGE.

8.TO ADEQUATELY ADVOCATE FOR POLICIES AND IDEOLOGIES OF GOOD GOVENSANCE

9.TO HONESTLY SEEK FOR THE INTEREST AND PROGRESS OF AMASSOMA COMMUNITY IN PARTICULAR AND BAYELSA STATE IN GENERAL.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRARGENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION. SIGNED : SECRETARY.

PUBLIC NOTICE

THIS IS TO INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ABOVE NAMED HAS APPLIED TO THE CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC), ABUJA FOR REGISTRATION UNDER PART ‘F’ OF COMPANIES AND ALLIED MATTERS ACT, ( CAMA 2020). THE TRUSTEES ARE :

1. KUDIRAT MOSUN ADEYEMO-CHAIRMAN

2. NOJEEMDEEN O.OLADIPO-SECRETARY/MEMBER

3. PHILLP DAMILOLA ABIOLA MEMBER

4. AWE GRACE OLUWAFUNMIKE MEMBER

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE :

1. TO ACHIEVE EXCELLENCE AT ALL LEVELS IN THE COMMUNITY.

2. TO CREATE AWARENESS AMONG THE LESS PRIVILEGED (ORPHANS, WIDOWS AND WIDOWERS)

3. TO SET UP ON A HUMANITARIAN GRAND.

ANY OBJECTION TO THIS REGISTRATION SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL, CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION, PLOT 420, TIGRIS CRESCENT , OFF AGUIYI IRONSI STREET , MAITAMA , ABUJA WITHIN 28DAYS OF THIS PUBLICATION.

SIGNED : SECRETARY.

RAIN OF PRAYER ASSEMBLY

TREASURE MINDS CLUB

Enyimba humbles Kwara United, Akwa United Pip Plateau

Enyimba returned to winning ways following a comprehensive 3-0 win against Kwara United in Aba yesterday.

Emeka Obioma put Enyimba ahead on 11 minutes as he tapped in to beat goalkeeper Abdullateef Ishola from Sadiq Abubakar pass.

Adebambo Ademola added the second seven minutes later.

Obioma got his brace in the 68th minute.

Kwara United are yet to record a win in the NPFL this season.

At the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, James Ajako netted the winner in Akwa United’s 1-0 win against Plateau United.

Akwa United are now unbeaten in their last three league games.

Plateau United have recorded just one win from four games this season.

23 AFCON Qualifier: Guinea bows to outclass Olympic Eagles

The Junior Syli National of Guinea continued its preparation for the final qualifying round of the U23 African Cup of Nations as they sent a warning to Nigeria’s Olympic Eagles with victories in their warmup matches.

The team started their second phase of closed camping exercise with largely home-based players last weekend ahead of the crucial tie against the former champions Nigeria.

They defeated Hafia FC 2-0 in the 3rd friendly game played at the September 28 Stadium on Friday evening.

Mamoudou Saran Kanté opened the scoring in the 51st minute before Fodé Camara added a penalty kick in the 80th.

After their 1-0 victory against SOAR Académie, 2-1 win over AS Kaloum, and therefore 2-0 against Hafia FC.

The Guinean under-23s will close their series of friendly matches by challenging Horoya AC this Sunday 29 January still stage of September 28.

N ews F rom A s IA

Jerusalem shooting: Israel to speed up gun applications after attacks

Israel’s security cabinet has approved measures to make it easier for Israelis to carry guns after two separate attacks by Palestinians in Jerusalem over the past two days.

The attacks took place after an Israeli army raid in the occupied West Bank killed nine people.

The new measures also include depriving an attacker’s family members of residency and social security rights.

The full cabinet is due to consider the measures on Sunday.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had promised a “strong” and “swift” response ahead of the security cabinet meeting.

Israel’s army also said it would be reinforcing troop numbers in the occupied West Bank.

“When civilians have guns, they can defend themselves,” the controversial far-right National Security Minister, Itamar BenGvir, told reporters outside a Jerusalem hospital.

The measures will revoke the rights to social security of “the families of terrorists that support terrorism”, the security cabinet said.

The proposals are in step with proposals from Mr Netanyahu’s far-right political allies, who allowed him to return to power last month.

The announcement came after Israeli police said a 13-yearold Palestinian boy was behind a shooting in Jerusalem’s Silwan neighbourhood on Saturday that left an Israeli father and son seriously wounded.

An Israeli police force spokesperson previously said the assailant ambushed five people as they made their way to prayers, leaving two in a “critical condition”. The 13-year-old was shot and injured by passers-by and is being held in hospital.

In a separate shooting on Friday at a synagogue in East Jerusalem, seven people were killed and at least three more injured as they gathered for prayers at the start of the Jewish Sabbath. The gunman was shot dead at the scene.

The man behind Friday’s synagogue attack was identified by local media as a Palestinian from East Jerusalem.

Police have arrested 42 people

in connection with that attack.

Israeli police commissioner Kobi Shabtai called it “one of the worst attacks we have encountered in recent years”.

Palestinian militant groups praised the attack, but did not say one of their members was responsible.

Mr Netanyahu called for calm and urged citizens to allow security forces to carry out their tasks, while the military said additional troops

would be deployed in the occupied West Bank.

“I call again on all Israelisdon’t take the law into your hands,” Mr Netanyahu said. He thanked several world leaders - including US President Joe Biden - for their support.

Tensions have been high since nine Palestinians - both militants and civilians - were killed during an Israeli military raid in Jenin in the occupied West Bank on Thursday.

This was followed by rocket fire into Israel from Gaza, which Israel responded to with air strikes.

Since the start of January, 30 Palestinians - both militants and civilians - have been killed in the West Bank.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas suspended its security co-operation arrangements with Israel after Thursday’s raid in Jenin.

Friday’s synagogue shooting

happened on Holocaust Memorial Day, which commemorates the six million Jews and other victims who were killed in the Holocaust by the Nazi regime in Germany.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack, saying that one of the victims was a Ukrainian woman.

“Terror must have no place in today’s world - neither in Israel nor Ukraine,” he said in a tweet.

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly wrote on Twitter: “To attack worshippers at a synagogue on Holocaust Memorial Day, and during Shabbat, is horrific. We stand with our Israeli friends.”

President Joe Biden talked to Mr Netanyahu and offered all “appropriate means of support”, the White House said.

Shortly after the incident, Mr Netanyahu visited the site, as did Mr Ben-Gvir.

The controversial national security minister promised to bring safety back to Israel’s streets, but there is rising anger that he has not yet done so, the BBC’s Yolande Knell in Jerusalem said.

United Nations SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres was “deeply worried about the current escalation of violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory”, a spokesperson said.

“This is the moment to exercise utmost restraint,” UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.

On Saturday, the European Union expressed alarm at heightened tensions and urged Israel to use lethal force only as a last resort.

“The European Union fully recognises Israel’s legitimate security concerns - as evidenced by the latest terrorist attacks - but it has to be stressed that lethal force must only be used as a last resort when it is strictly unavoidable in order to protect life,” said the EU’s chief diplomat, Josep Borrell.

Israel has occupied East Jerusalem since the 1967 Middle East war and considers the entire city its capital, though this is not recognised by the vast majority of the international community.

Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the future capital of a hoped-for independent state.

Adani Group: Fortune of Asia’s richest man hit by fraud claims

Indian billionaire Gautam Adani saw more than $20bn (£16bn) wiped off his fortune on Friday, after investors fled his companies for a second day prompted by fraud claims made by a US investment firm.

The Adani Group has dismissed the report as malicious, but the response has failed to stem the uproar.

India’s main opposition party has demanded an investigation.

The firm’s publicly listed companies have lost about $50bn in market value.

Shares in the firm’s flagship Adani Enterprises dropped by nearly 20% on Friday, while some of the group’s other publicly listed firms tumbled even further, triggering automatic halts in

trading in Mumbai. Mr Adani has dropped from the third richest person in the world to the seventh on Forbes’

rich list, maintaining an estimated net worth of more than $96bn, according to the publication.

The fallout comes just days

after Hindenburg Research, a firm that specialises in “short-selling”, or betting against a company’s share price in the expectation that it will fall, published a report accusing the Adani Group of engaging in decades of “brazen” stock manipulation and accounting fraud. Its report came ahead of a planned share sale for Adani Enterprises, which is now seeing little demand.

Mr Adani is a self-made tycoon who has built a fortune with investments in ports, airports, renewable energy and other industries. His wealth has soared in the past three years, as the value of shares in his firms skyrocketed.

His firm said it was considering

legal action against Hindenburg.

An ally of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr Adani has long faced claims from opposition politicians alleging that he has benefited from his political ties, which he denies.

Many Indian banks and stateowned insurance companies have either invested in or loaned billions of dollars to companies linked to the Adani Group.

In interviews with Reuters, some of India’s leading public sector banks said they were not worried about risks stemming from their exposure to the firm.

But the wider stock market has been hit by the episode, helping to send India’s benchmark Nifty 50 stock index down more than 1% on Friday. Source: BBC

Israeli emergency service personnel and security forces attended the scene of Friday’s shooting

Mr Netanyahu visited the scene of the attack on Friday

Indian billionaire Gautam Adani is a self-made tycoon

Jandor’s campaign: PDP, APC trade blames over Surulere attacks

The PDP and APC in Lagos State have disagreed over the alleged attacks on the campaign train of the PDP Governorship Candidate, Dr Abdul-Azeez Adediran (Jandor), in the Surulere Local Government Area of the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Adediran’s campaign train had been reportedly attacked by political thugs in Badagry, Ikorodu, Agege, Kosofe and Surulere, leaving some of his followers wounded and vehicles smashed.

It was also reported that the attack on Friday in Surulere was the third attack in succession where suspected hoodlums were said to have fired guns and destroyed some of the campaign vehicles in Adediran’s convoy.

Subsequently, the Lagos State PDP Publicity Secretary, Mr Hakeem Amode, in statement on Saturday, described the Surulere attack on Adediran’s team as “repugnant to the deepening of democracy in Lagos“.

Amode, who is also the Chairman, Media, and Publicity, JandorFunke 2023 Governorship Campaign, said that the attacks were “clear evidence of APC high-handedness and imperialism rule”.

According to him, the alleged APC sponsored thugs in Surulere LGA unleashed violence on persons and groups of people in the area ahead of the scheduled visitation of the PDP gubernatorial candidate to the ward on Thursday and Friday.

He explained that the visit was in continuation of Adediran’s tour of the 245 wards in the state.

Amode said: “The hoodlums went to the Baale of Ojuoluwa in Empire area of the LGA to threaten him not to receive the entourage who was billed to pay him a courtesy visit.

“The gates leading to the entire Empire area was locked and vehicular movement around the area disrupted.

“In the same vein, the canopy and chairs arranged at Iponri Housing Estate was violently destroyed by APC killer-thugs who were armed with dangerous weapons, including guns, and many of our members who were making the arrangements were wounded in the ensuing fracas.

“The same set of the APC-sponsored thugs mobilised themselves to Soloki Street, Aguda,

where Dr. Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran went to observe Jumat prayers, welding dangerous weapons, destroying vehicles in the entourage and violently smashing one of the campaign vehicles.

“They also vandalised the campaign vehicles of our House of Representatives Candidates, Hon. Soyinka, who is a sitting member of the House of Representatives.

The PDP spokesman added that the political thugs also went ahead to vandalise the PDP Secretariat at No. 2 Shittu Street, Aguda, during which several members of our party sustained various degrees of injury.

He said that a similar incident also occurred on Teniola Street where members of the community, who were waiting to receive the entourage of Adediran’s entourage, were dispersed and many also wounded during the attack.

“We are once again using this opportunity to appeal to the President and Commander-inChief of the Armed Forces, President Muhammad Buhari, to use his good offices to stem the undemocratic practice of APC in Lagos State, against opposition parties.

“This is to ensure that the desire of the president to leave a legacy of credible elections is not truncated on the altar of selfishness and entitlement by the ruling party in the state.

“We are also using this opportunity to call on the Inspector General of Police to rise to the occasion and provide adequate security for all and sundry to enable them to exercise their franchise in the coming elections,” he said.

Amode also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure no intimidation and harassment undermined its efforts towards organising credible elections, especially in Lagos State.

He appealed to all members of party to remain resolute and focused, saying the PDP leadership and candidates would not be cowed by thugs.

“We urge every loyal member to see the violence display as a show of a bad loser party who has nothing to offer the people of the state and would do anything to continue squandering our commonwealth in the state.

“We urge the ruling party to focus on writing their handle-over notes because their time is up in

governing the state.

“Our party PDP and the people of the state will no longer tolerate their misrule beyond 2023,” Amode said.

Meanwhile, in a swift reaction, Mr Seye Oladejo, the Lagos APC Publicity Secretary, said in a statement that Adediran rather unleashed terror on innocent residents and three people reportedly killed in the course of his campaign in Surulere.

“The incident left in its wake several injured victims and three people reportedly died.

“We condemn in strong terms the unwarranted and unprovoked resort to violence on the citizens of the state in the name of electioneering campaign.

“In broad daylight, Jandor’s thugs fired guns at their hapless victims who ran for dear lives,” he said.

According to Oladejo, Lagos cherishes its enviable status as the safest state in the country, a result of long running and painstaking investment in security.

He said that APC viewed the attack as a ploy to instill fear in the hearts of would-be voters as we count down to the elections.

He added: “It’s pathetic to note that a candidate seeking to govern the state could be seen actively promoting violence to disrupt the peace of the citizens.

“The PDP and its candidate have been busy in the past few days, have been crying in the media that their posters were being torn. Unknown to the public, he (Adediran) perfected his evil plans which manifested at his rally.

“While we can imagine the untold misery and frustration that his faltering campaign might have visited on him, it ought not to result in the thirst for the blood of potential voters,“ he said.

The APC spokesman called on the law enforcement agencies to thoroughly investigate the incident, bring the culprits to book and beef security across the state in order to forestall a reoccurrence.

He urged residents to remain calm and law abiding as the state government remained irrevocably committed to its onerous duty of ensuring the safety of lives and property of all and sundry. (NAN)

Ina press statement read by it's director of information, Dr Iliya Yusuf after a meeting held on 25th January, 2023 in kaduna which has in attendance, the national president of the association, Elder Steven Baba Bangoje, national secretary of the association, Pastor Aminu yusuf,

chairman kaduna state chapter Elder Bulus Emishe Dogara and other stakeholders call on all northern Christians to stick together both at local and national level to speak with one voice.

When answering questions from journalists , he reiterated their support on CAN's stand on

muslim - muslim tickets.

The body also advised its members and all northern Christians that their votes should be for peace, development, justice and always have church in mind.

Congress of Northern Nigeria Christians (CNNC) association direct its members on whom to vote

PEOPLES DAILY

Learning from Indians’ political leverage

Why I Join Chelsea –Gusto reveals

It is worthy of note that Indians are breaking grounds across borders, not only in Science, Technology and Medicine, but also in Information and Communication Technology, ICT. And of note also is the inroad that the former British colony for over 200 years is making as a major exporter of political leadership to the most industrialized and advanced countries in Europe and America.

Monday Column

By Hameed M. Bello, PhD

hamdbelo@yahoo.co.uk

Sunak was an excellent finance officer and parliamentarian, and rose to become Prime Minister. Should I say the duo were destined to achieve greatness, or that they worked their ways so hard to greatness. I think the latter seems more reasonable, because hard work is the surest way to greatness.

New Chelsea signing Malo Gusto has revealed that he joined the Blues because they are a great club.

Gusto made this known yesterday after a completing £30m move from Lyon, where he is expected to stay on loan with Lyon for the rest of the season.

Recall that Gusto passed his medical at the Blues training ground yesterday and signed a seven-and-a-half-year deal on Sunday.

Speaking to the Blues’ official website, the right-back said: “I chose Chelsea because it’s a very big club and I very like the big project, very happy to be here – I also like the city.”

He will be a backup for Reece James, who has been struggling with injury this ongoing season.

It is quite inspiring to countries that have similar political and historical experience as India, including Nigeria, that two of the most powerful nations in the world today, the USA and the UK, have individuals with Indian roots as political leaders and heads of government, outside their countries of origin. Specifically, the Vice president of the largest democracy in the world, the United States of America, is an Indian woman in the person of Kamala Harris. And should the current President of the USA, Joe Biden be absent for any strong reason, the Vice President, Kamala Harris will certainly take over leadership as required by the USA laws. This dynamism of the US system explains why the country continues to play a leading role in world political affairs.

Recall that President Joe Biden had tested positive for Covid-19 in July, 2022. Biden, 79, had mild symptoms and went into isolation. He later tested negative and returned to work, after about two weeks of isolation at the White House from where he worked. However, if Biden had been unable to discharge the duties of the office of President, the Vice President Kamala Harris would have succeeded him. The Presidential Succession Act stipulates that the presidential line of succession includes heads of Congress and then the president’s cabinet. The law, first enacted in 1792 and most recently amended in 1947 at the dawn of the nuclear age, is designed to ensure the peaceful transfer of power in all circumstances. Vice President Kamala Harris is the first, among the five people currently in line to take over in place of Biden. The mere imagination that an Indian has a strong and lawful chance to take over the political leadership of the most powerful nation on earth is gratifying

enough. India has demonstrated a palpable capacity to produce men and women of character who are making waves outside their country of origin.

Although former President Barack Obama had set a precedent as the first black President of African descent to have ruled the USA, the example of Kamala Harris is unique, being the first non-native American woman to occupy the office of the Vice president of the USA, with prospects of even becoming president.

Joe Biden had selected Harris as his running mate and their ticket went on to defeat the then incumbent president, Donald Trump, and vice president, Mike Pence, in the 2020 presidential election. Harris became vice president upon being inaugurated on January 20, 2021, alongside President Joe Biden.

Kamala Harris was elected Vice President after a lifetime of public service, having been elected District Attorney of San Francisco, California Attorney General, and United States Senator. Harris was born in Oakland, California to parents who emigrated from India and Jamaica. She graduated from Howard University and the University of California, Hastings College of Law. The story of Harris is an inspiration to other non-native Americans, especially the Afro-American, that with hard work, discipline and dedication to service, they can indeed rise to the very top of

their career.

Similarly, the United Kingdom is currently being headed politically by an Indian, Rishi Sunak. He has been the prime minister of the UK since 25 October 2022. As quoted by CBS News, Rishi Sunak became prime minister of the United Kingdom after meeting with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace. The 42-year-old former treasury chief became the country’s third Prime Minister in under two months, the youngest leader since 1812, and the first person of color to serve in the role. He is of Indian heritage and Hindu faith.Sunak, who used to work in finance, is — alongside his wife, tech heiress Akshata Murty — one of the wealthiest people in the U.K. and served as treasury secretary under Boris Johnson. What a smart way to climb to the top by dint of hard work. As British Prime Minister, Sunak, born 12 May 1980, has been leader of the Conservative Party since October 2022. He previously held two cabinet positions under Boris Johnson, and later as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2020 to 2022. Sunak had been Member of Parliament (MP) for Richmond (Yorks) since 2015.

The story of Harris and Sunak should inspire Nigerians in the diaspora to give a good account of themselves in their various fields of endeavor. When Harris was working as District Attorney of San Francisco, and later as Senator, perhaps she never knew that she would become Vice President someday. Likewise,

There is a popular saying that “Rome wasn’t built in a day”. It is an adage attesting to the need for time to create great things. Nigerians in the diaspora can start small and grow to the top with time. It was a soothing piece of news when reports came in November 2022, that eight Nigerian-American politicians had emerged winners in their respective elective posts in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and the District of Columbia (DC) in the US midterm elections at the time. They are Segun Adeyina, Gabe Okoye, Solomon Adesanya, Tish Naghise, Phil Olaleye, Carol Kazeem, Oye Owolewa and Esther Agbaje who won legislative seats as State Representatives in their respective Districts. President Muhammadu Buhari had accordingly congratulated them for making Nigeria proud and also wished them well in political contributions to the US. The Harris and Sunak examples are worthy of emulation by Nigerians in the diaspora. Already, Alhaji Aliko Dangote has flown the Nigerian flag for up to ten years in a row as the richest man in Africa. We hope to see more of such outstanding distinctions on the world stage of politics.

Taye Taiwo and Oduamadi

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The story of Harris and Sunak should inspire Nigerians in the diaspora to give a good account of themselves in their various fields of endeavor