Declares he's working hard to ease pains of Nigerians Widow thanks southern governors, says Sanwo-Olu singlehandedly brought back husband’s remains to Nigeria Afenifere seeks true federalism, implementation of 2014 CONFAB deji Elumoye
Akinyelure, Tinubu was received by
Nigeria gets 60% of AfreximBank’s $30bn investment in oil, gas in Africa FG will define its own terms on energy transition, says Lokpobiri NLNG pushes LPG production to 1.5m metric tons NNPC, OPEC pledge collaboration to attract investments
approved between 2022 and 2023.
EmpOwErmEnt CErEmOny Of 100 phySiCAlly ChAllEngED pErSOnS by thE rEnEwED hOpE initiAtivE...
LP presidential candidate says ‘opposition does not warrant blind, thoughtless criticism’ Falana advises govt to merge two arms of National Assembly, reduce number of ministers, special advisers, others, instead of downsizing civil servants
=Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja and Sunday Ehigiator in LagosThe Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has allayed fears of any form of mass retrenchment in the implementation of the Oronsaye Report, which seeks to streamline government agencies and parastatals.
The assurance by the minister who spoke yesterday, at the fourth edition of the Ministerial Press Briefing Series in Abuja, came just as the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, backed the move by President Bola Tinubu to implement the Oronsaye Report, saying, "being in opposition does not warrant blind and thoughtless criticism"
However, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Femi Falana, yesterday, advised the federal government to merge the two houses of the National Assembly while the number of Ministers, Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants and Special Assistants significantly reduced, instead of downsizing civil servants while implementing the Oronsaye Report.
Continuing, Idris, said government had no intention of retrenching workers or throwing people into the labour market, but to reduce cost and also improve efficiency in
service delivery.
He said the implementation of the report, which had been on the shelf for about 12 years, was a clear demonstration of Tinubu’s unwavering commitment to fiscal prudence and responsible governance by championing a comprehensive review of the government‘s commissions, agencies and parastatals.
He noted that the approval for the implementation of the Orosanye Report, which followed a very careful review, was to ensure that essential services were not compromised and that the needs of the citizens were adequately catered for while putting the interests of the nation first and foremost.
“Through the implementation of the Oronsaye’s Report, President Tinubu aims to achieve significant cost savings by eliminating duplication of functions, streamlining administrative processes and optimising resource allocation.
“This proactive approach will enable the government to operate more efficiently while maintaining the quality and delivery of services to the Nigerian people,” he said.
He stressed that the measures were not undertaken in isolation but as part of a broader strategy to reform and modernise government institutions by leveraging technology, promoting
innovation, and fostering a culture of performance and accountability across all sectors.
The minister, who said the benefits of the reforms spearheaded by the president were already emerging in various sectors, stressed that reports from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) indicated that Nigeria witnessed a GDP growth of 3.46 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2023 as against 2.54 per cent recorded in the third quarter of 2023.
He asserted that the NBS report also stated that capital importation rose to 66 per cent in the fourth
quarter of 2023, reversing a 36 per cent decline in the third quarter.
Idris, stated that petrol importation had been reduced by 50 per cent since the removal of fuel subsidy, while the Nigerian Exchange Limited’s All Share Index crossed the 100,000 mark - its highest ever.
He described the achievements so far recorded in the economy as not merely a stroke of luck, but mainly due to the pragmatic reforms initiated by the President, which inspired investor confidence in the Nigerian economy.
According to the minister, the
President had also given a directive for the design of a Social Security Unemployment Programme to cater for the unemployed graduates as well as the setting up of a Social Consumer Credit Scheme to boost the purchasing power of Nigerians, as they make adjustments in view of the temporary economic hardship.
Meanwhile, Peter Obi, has supported the move by the Tinubu-led administration to implement the Oronsaye Report.
In a statement posted on his X handle yesterday, Obi said he had always been an advocate of the three
critical components of the Oronsaye Report. These he listed to include, “drastically cutting the cost of governance; eliminating the overlapping of responsibilities to ensure that responsibilities are appropriately domiciled; and increasing efficiency and effectiveness, which will increase productivity."
According to him, "I would like to refer everyone to my Manifesto and my response to similar questions during my campaigns.
Dike Onwuamaeze
The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), has urged the federal government and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to make credit available to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) at concessionary rates in order to support their operations and production lines.
It made the demand yesterday,
in a statement on the Monetary Policy Committee Decisions on the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR).
The Director General of LCCI, Dr. Chinyere Almona, stated: “Concessionary rates that are lower than CBN prevailing MPR are hereby advocated for the MSMEs.
“The high lending rates make it challenging for businesses to access credit, especially for MSMEs that are the backbone of the economy.”
Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
The federal government will infuse N50 billion into the primary health care as the first tranche of the basic health care fund, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammed Ali Pate, said yesterday in Abuja.
Speaking at the fourth edition of the Ministerial Press Briefing,
he also disclosed that President Bola Tinubu will soon issue an Executive Order to address the escalating costs of prescription drugs.
The minister noted that the first tranche of money to be released represented an increase from N25 billion allocated in 2022 towards the basic health care fund.
He said the infusion of funds will breathe new life into the
country’s primary healthcare facilities, ensuring that quality care is accessible to all citizens.
“First and foremost, let me underscore the key role of primary healthcare in ensuring the well-being of our citizens. Since assuming office, we have prioritised the revitalisation of primary healthcare facilities across the nation, ensuring they are adequately equipped
and staffed to provide essential services to communities.
“Through sustained investment and strategic partnerships, we have expanded access to vital healthcare services, particularly in rural and underserved areas, improving health outcomes and reducing the burden of preventable diseases,” Pate said.
Almona, added that the increase in production costs due to high lending rate, “could lead to higher prices for goods and services, potentially affecting the competitiveness of Nigerian products in Africa and global markets respectively.”
The chamber also described the recent decision of the CBN to raise the benchmark lending rate by 400 basis points to 22.75 per cent as an aggressive regulatory intervention.
“The move comes at a crucial time for the Nigerian economy, facing challenges such as elevated inflation, commodity price hikes, the FOREX crisis, and rising cost of production.
“While the CBN intends to control inflation, the LCCI notes that the decision, particularly the fifth consecutive hike, raises concerns about its effectiveness in tackling the rising food inflation and the likely impact on businesses and economic growth,” it said. It noted that the CBN’s latest increase in the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) from 18.75 per cent to 22.75 per cent, signaled a significant shift in monetary policy.
The LCCI, however, observed
that “curbing the current rising inflation clearly requires an effective combination of both fiscal and monetary policies to achieve a meaningful result.
“According to the latest data, the headline inflation rate for January 2024 rose to 29.90 per cent, compared to 28.92 per cent in December 2023.
The year-on-year increase is notable, with a rise of 8.08 percentage points from January 2023.
“We cannot say the hikes in rates have had any significant impact on curbing inflation in Nigeria, especially in recent months.”
The chamber stated that its view on the current fight against inflation is that the monetary and fiscal authorities should focus on the factors driving the inflation rates by tackling the supply-side deficiencies instead of focusing too much attention on the demand-side management.
It, therefore, urged, “the CBN to continue with its FOREX market reforms to a conclusive end, as the high exchange rate against the naira is a major culprit in the skyrocketing inflation rates.
Emma Okonji
The Deputy President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Kabir Ado Minjibir, has clarified the relationship between the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
He insisted that the relationship was cordial and that there was no division between the two labour centres.
The clarification came on the heels of the withdrawal of TUC from Tuesday’s national protest organised by the NLC, without the participation of the TUC.
Minjibir, who gave the clarifica-
tion yesterday on ARISE NEWS Channels, the broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspapers, said both the TUC and NLC were independent organisations with different organs and structure, which enable them to operate differently.
However, he pointed out that both labour centres could still agree on a common goal, if there was a joint National Executive Council meeting of both bodies.
Giving reasons why only the NLC was involved in Tuesday’s national protest, without the participation of TUC, Minjibir said the NLC, as an independent body, called its National
Executive Council (NEC) meeting where it resolved to embark on a two-day national protest. He, however, said leaders of TUC thought otherwise and decided to stay out of the protest.
“The NLC and TUC are both labour bodies with the same goals and mission, working together as a team. I am assuring Nigerians that both bodies will organise themselves better, going forward. The protest that NLC embarked upon was in the interest of all Nigerians in order to address the hunger situation in the country.
“There is no division between
the TUC and the NLC and we will definitely work together for the common good of Nigerians,” Minjibir said.
Asked if the NLC carried along the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Minjibir said it was a national protest against hunger in the land and not an industrial action that should warrant the involvement of NANS.
He, however, said some civil societies with like minds joined the national protest in Abuja, and other cities across Nigeria.
He further explained that the non-participation of TUC in the
James Emejo in Abuja
Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) and Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures in Nigeria (CSSLN) yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance sub-national competitiveness through a strong legislative agenda among others.
The agreement was signed by Chairman, NESG, Mr. Olaniyi Yusuf and Chairman, CSSLN, Hon. Edward Ogundoyin, for their respective organisations.
Yusuf said the partnership will provide opportunities for both parties to contribute to the economic growth and development of the 36 states of the federation.
He said both would work together to identify and develop initiatives geared towards promoting the sub-national business environment, achieving sub-national competitiveness, as well as sustainable and inclusive growth across the federation.
The Mou will also facilitate continuous dialogue to foster cooperative actions towards achieving the goals of positioning sub-nationals along the path of economic competitiveness with an effective legislature that is well equipped to deliver on their mandate.
The deal sets the terms of the partnership between the parties and creates a framework of collaboration between them.
While commending the executive members of the conference and all who have played a role in the establishment of SABER, the NESG
chairman said the platform would foster collaborative opportunities between the legislature and the private sector, pointing out that the roundtable will provide technical support, advocacy, stakeholder engagements, capacity building, and in-depth research for the subnational legislature.
He said, “SABER will ensure effective collaboration of all relevant partners. Certainly, there exists a considerable task ahead of us, presenting a significant opportunity for collaboration.
“It is imperative that we unite our efforts and seize this moment to advance the national interest. As our states improve their competitiveness, the private sector will flourish, Nigerians will prosper, and our nation will transform into a resilient and inclusive economy.”
On his part, Ogundoyin, who is also the Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, said the partnership marked a significant milestone in the states’ collective efforts to drive sustainable economic growth and development within their respective geo-political entities and the country in general.
He also said the State Houses of Assembly will support the current efforts to establish state police in view of the current security challenges, and the fact that there cannot be economic growth where security is lacking.
He said the collaboration between legislative bodies and the NESG further signified a commitment to fostering conversations and collaborating on projects that focus
on establishing effective legislative structures to enhance the business climate at the sub- national level and improve sub-national competitiveness.
Ogundoyin said, “By working together, we can harness the power of our collective expertise and resources to create a more prosperous and inclusive future for all our constituents.
“I commend the vision and
dedication of all those involved in this partnership, to have shared their respective worries about the growth of the Nigerian economy and are eager to collaborate on initiatives that align with their goals.
“I am confident that our joint efforts will yield tangible results that will benefit our citizens and contribute to the overall advancement of our nation.”
protest was more of internal issues, which he said, would be resolved very soon.
“TUC and NLC are not working at cross purposes. We will definitely harmonise our differences and forge ahead as two bodies with the same goals and mission, and NLC will not be deterred by the non-participation of TUC in this particular protest that is ongoing, even though NLC has suspended it for two weeks to re-
strategise and to give government some time for implementation of our demands.
“Although national streets protests have been suspended for two weeks, but NLC meetings at the state and national secretariats will be going on across the country during the two weeks period, because we are not resting on our oasis until the hunger in the land is properly addressed by government,” Minjibir further said.
Air Peace Sells Return Economy Ticket for London Flight at N1.2m, Business Class N4m
Chinedu Eze
Air Peace has announced its flight schedules for its London service billed to commence on March 30, 2024, with unbeatable fares
Air Peace stated that the flight schedules for the London route are now available on its website.
According to the airline, a return economy class ticket goes for N1,200,000, while a return business class ticket sells for N4,000,000.
It added that Nigerians studying in the UK could access its special 15 per cent rebate on the
already reduced economy fares.
The airline had earlier announced a special fare for Nigerian students in the UK when it hosted travel agents in Lagos last week preparatory to the launch of the London route.
London would be the airline's seventh international destination since it started operations less than 10 years ago.
Air Peace currently leads Nigeria’s aviation industry with a rapidly expanding network of 21 domestic routes, 10 regional routes and six international destinations with a growing modern fleet of over 30 aircraft.
The Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, has stressed the need for robust local content value chain in the telecoms industry, adding that it would not only create economic opportunities, but also contribute to technological advancement, job creation and skills development within the country.
Maida, who said this on Tuesday, during the NCC’s Special Day at the ongoing Kaduna Trade Fair, with the theme: “Sustaining Economic Recovery through Deepening Local Content Value Chain”, explained that the theme was extremely important, as it resonates deeply with the principles and objectives of the NCC on the promotion of local content development in the
telecoms industry. “In line with our commitment to supporting local content, the NCC has implemented various initiatives to promote indigenous participation in the telecommunications sector. The Nigerian Office for Development of Indigenous Telecommunications Sector (NODITS), a critical unit in our Digital Economy Department and our Research and Development Department, encourages local manufacturing and assembly of telecommunications equipment, promotes local software development, and supports initiatives aimed at enhancing digital skills and entrepreneurship among Nigerian youth,” Maida said. He, however, said while promoting economic growth through development of local content, there would be need to also address the
challenges faced by consumers, as NCC remained committed to protecting their rights while ensuring their satisfaction.
“We therefore encourage businesses and service providers to prioritise customer satisfaction and uphold the highest standards of service delivery.
“With our keen interest and commitment to consumer protection, the NCC has implemented measures to safeguard the interest of consumers and businesses alike. We have established a robust regulatory framework that promotes transparency, quality of service, and fair competition.
“Additionally, we have set up channels for consumer redress, ensuring that consumers can resolve disputes in a timely and efficient manner. We have also established seamless programmes
that will protect, inform and educate telecoms consumers through various consumer-centric initiatives,” Maida said.
He further stressed the need for consumer education, management of consumers’ complaints, development of Do-Not-Disturb (DND) initiative, development of Mobile Number Portability (MNP) initiative, the need for data rollover, and campaign on National Identification Number (NIN) among others, in order to boost customer satisfaction.
In the area of security, Maida said telecoms consumers must link their NIN to their SIM.
“To this end, the commission has directed all telecommunication operators to bar phone lines of subscribers whose lines are not linked to their NINs on or before February 28, 2024,” Maida further said.
Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
As part of measures to curb tobacco consumption and its health hazards, the Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance has urged the federal government adopt effective strategies to check the excesses of manufacturers and distributors of tobacco products in the country.
While commending the federal government for the money allocated for local tobacco control efforts in the 2024 national budget, the coalition said N10 million was low as compared to the huge challenge needed to be addressed.
Chairman, Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA) Akinbode Oluwafemi, who spoke at a press briefing in Abuja, said that there was no evidence to show that all tobacco companies had been fulfilling their obligation of paying for operating licenses after gaining approval to operate in Nigeria.
Speaking on the 2024 budgetary allocation for tobacco control and other tobacco control funding matters, Oluwafemi said the amount voted in the budget this year still fell below expectations.
"As an Alliance, we commend
the N10 million allocation for local tobacco control efforts in the 2024 national budget as a slight improvement compared to the N4.7 million allocated in the 2023 national budget.
"However, it must be emphasised that this amount still falls below expectations, especially because we know that while it looks like the figure has gone up, there is almost no difference from last year’s allocation when Nigeria’s hyper-inflation is considered.
"Time and again, we have stated that limited funding hinders the comprehensive implementation of measures outlined in the National Tobacco Control Act, which are designed to tightly regulate tobacco products and tobacco use in the country, and ultimately reduce the burden of cancer and other non-communicable diseases in Nigeria," he said.
Oluwafemi said with Nigeria’s frail health system and the lean pocket suffered by many Nigerians, the federal government ought to prioritise financing the enforcement of tobacco control measures to ensure that diseases associated with tobacco products are prevented.
He added that another critical concern was whether the monies previously budgeted were released into the fund’s account.
"It is imperative to remind the federal government that the National Tobacco Control Act stipulates that funds allocated for tobacco control in the national budget or from other sources are to be remitted to the Tobacco Control Fund account for utilisation.
"We strongly desire to see that this is complied with, and for this reason
we call on the Federal Ministry of Health to provide an update on the status of the Tobacco Control Fund, specifically detailing the current balance, sources of the monies in the Fund and details of previous spendings from the Fund," he said
Oluwafemi said the concerns of the civil society groups was on why all tobacco companies have not been fulfilling their obligation of paying for operating licenses after gaining approval to operate in Nigeria.
According to him, it was impera-
tive that tobacco companies comply
with this requirement, as it serves as a crucial regulatory measure to monitor their operations and ensure their adherence to established guidelines.
Allowing tobacco companies to operate without licenses not only poses a health hazard due to the harmful nature of their products but also bleeds the country of revenue and undermines the regulatory framework and efforts to control tobacco use in the country. Where
infractions are discovered, appropriate penalties should be applied.
Country Coordinator, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Michael Olaniyan, urged the federal government to consider earmarking tobacco tax as a dedicated source for financing tobacco control enforcement efforts in the country. He also said there was the need to increase the tobacco tax from the current 25 per cent so as to serve as deterring measure to reduce tobacco consumption.
The United States has said it committed $20 billion into various health programmes in Africa, adding that, “In 2023 alone, the United States invested over $600 million in health assistance in Nigeria.”
A released by the United States Embassy in Nigeria stated that with US partnerships on health in Nigeria saved millions of lives, strengthened health systems, and better prepared Nigeria and the region for current
and future health security threats.
“The following are the facts about U.S. government partnership with Nigeria for health now and in the future: Preventing Malaria: Malaria threatens more than half the world’s population and claims the life of a child every minute, and the United States, together with our global partners, has helped save more than 11.7 million lives and prevented two billion malaria infections globally.
“Malaria is a leading cause of death in Nigeria, but malaria
deaths in Nigeria have fallen by 55 percent since 2000. To advance Nigeria’s national strategy to counter malaria, since 2011, the U.S. President's Malaria Initiative (PMI) has taken steps to prevent illness and death by providing: Nearly 83 million insecticide-treated bed nets; 22 million malaria preventive treatments in pregnancy; 164 million fast acting malaria medicines; Insecticide to spray 121,000 homes; Over 102 million rapid diagnostic tests for malaria.
To end open market sale in Lagos, Onitsha, Aba
Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has accused medicine dealers in major markets in Kano State of resisting its fight against substandard and falsified medicines (SFS).
The Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye said the drug outlets numbering about 1,370 refused to relocate their pharmaceutical businesses from the open drug markets in Mai Karami Plaza, Niger Street, Malam Kato and Sabon Gari areas of Kano to the Coordinated Wholesale Centres in Dangwauro area of the State.
She said owners of the outlets were given a Monday, February
19, 2024, deadline to report to the offices of NAFDAC and Pharmacy Council Nigeria, at the Coordinated Wholesale Centre in Dangwauro area of Kano and to arrange for the relocation of their businesses to the Centre.
However, Adeyeye said most of the shop owners failed to comply with the directive. Adeyeye who addressed journalists at NAFDAC's headquarters in Abuja, yesterday, said: "Over the years, the medicine dealers in Kano have resisted all attempts by concerned regulatory authorities to relocate their pharmaceutical businesses from the open drug markets in Mai Karami Plaza, Niger Street, Malam Kato and Sabon Gari areas of Kano to the Coordinated Wholesale
Centres in Dangwauro area of the State."
The NAFDAC boss said the dealers even filed a suit in court seeking to reject relocation to the Coordinated Wholesale Centre but were ordered by the court to relocate their businesses to the Coordinated Wholesale Centre.
As a result, Adeyeye said a landmark judgement was made by Justice Simon Amobeda in Kano Federal High Court on February 16, 2024, ordering the open drug marketers in Kano to relocate their stores to Dangwauro Coordinated Wholesale Center (CWC), Zaria Road, Kano.
"Sequel to this court ruling NAFDAC in conjunction with the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN)
on 17th and 18th of February 2024 embarked on an enforcement action to cause the relocation of the medicine dealers from the open drug markets of Sabon Gari, Malam Kato and Mai Karaimi to the CWC.
"A total of 1,370 wholesale medicine outlets and packing stores were sealed in the three open drug markets," she said.
Adeyeye said open market sale of medicine was responsible for the influx of fake and adulterated drugs and medical devices across the country. She warned that henceforth the enforcement department of the agency will swoop on markets to close down erring shops displaying medicines outside approved centres. She also disclosed that the target
of NAFDAC was to eliminate drug hawkers
The NAFDAC DG said dealers in other large drug markets in Lagos, Onitsha and Aba should be ready to move to the CWC as soon as the centre was constructed in those cities. She urged medicine dealers to see this move to the CWC as a positive move for the survival of public health and as part of efforts to continue the fight against Substandard and Falsified medicines (SF)
"Removing SFs from the circulation will make Nigerians healthier and since only healthy bodies can contribute positively to the economy, it will make Nigerians wealthier and the economy better.
"The chaotic drug distribution system in Nigeria has been a sore
“Ending HIV: About 39 million people live with HIV globally, including an estimated 2 million in Nigeria. The United States and Nigeria are focused on ending HIV as a public health threat by 2030.
“The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has expanded HIV treatment and reduced HIV transmissions, saving more than 25 million lives in more than 50 partner countries over the past two decades and giving over 1.6 million Nigerians access to antiretroviral therapy. In Nigeria, PEPFAR has invested a total of more than $8.3 billion in the national HIV response.
“In 2023, PEPFAR resources supported: Over 12 million people with HIV counseling and testing services; more than two million pregnant women with HIV counseling and testing services to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV; More than 1.8 million people living with HIV with TB/HIV services; More than 1.5 million orphans and vulnerable children with care and support services.
“Delivering Vaccines: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States helped Nigeria vaccinate 70 percent of its eligible populations. The U.S. government supports Nigeria to control, eliminate, and eradicate other vaccine-preventable diseases as well. Through technical expertise and programmatic support, the United States collaborates with international and local partners to strengthen immunization systems and expand routine vaccine delivery.
Presidential candidate of the Social democratic Party in the 2023 poll, Prince adewole Ebenezer adebayo, in this interview with Folalumi Alaran, submits that President Bola Tinubu needs to effect some fundamental changes in
running the government at the centre
electorate to look well enough before leaping in future elections.
You said you could do better than what the President Tinubu administration is presently doing.
What is your view on the present of state of affairs?
I am not surprised at the state of things, but I am disappointed. I am not surprised because we predicted that this would be the outcome. It doesn’t matter whom you put out there. This will be the outcome if you adopt these policies.
We were asking Nigerians to pay attention as we were debating these issues. There were three policies that we needed to deal with. What do we do with the issue of the cost of governance? What do we do with the issue of subsidy? Not only petroleum but subsidy in many other sectors. What do we do with the issue of foreign exchange?
On these three issues, I have fundamental disagreement with President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Governor Peter Obi, and many other people who were on that side that these policies will not work. It has never worked in any country before, in Nigeria, in the past, including when we did SAP, it didn’t work for us. It is not about one person who is good another is bad.
If you drag me to the villa or Eagle Square and force me to announce these policies,you will get the same result. Anyone who adopts these same policies will get the same result. Economists will ask you if there are countries who adopted these policies; are there countries within our hemisphere, countries within our state of development, countries that have our primary production sector like we have who announced these policies and it has worked? I don’t think so.
I am surprised that some personalities were talking about the Argentina model, I am very familiar with the Argentina model. If you ask an average Argentine to choose between President Javier Milei and President Bola Tinubu, they will tell you to bring Tinubu and give you Milei.
You are saying Atiku Abubakar was wrong in the Argentine model recommended to Tinubu.
I can say Vice President Atiku Abubakar may be well intentioned but is misinformed. It is an error. If you look at the situation in Argentina, we may get to that position, I hope we are not, but we are travelling in that direction, but they are ahead of us in terms of misery. They have one month of 512% of inflation. I don’t know if economists can understand the temperature of 512%.
They have lost virtually all their wealth. The person there now is from the Austrian school of thought. The Argentines are complaining every day as they have had the worst economic performance since 1980.
I am not saying we should not criticise a non performance government of President Tinubu of APC but you do not say somebody complaining of too much sun should be put in the oven, that’s not the way to solve the problem.
These policies are not working. Unfortunately, Nigerians have voted these policies. We voted for these policies either because we didn’t pay attention or we didn’t understand the implications of these policies. When you decide to say you vote for a government that says it will remove subsidy day one, which was what President Tinubu said, which was what Vice President Atiku Abubakar, which was what Governor Peter Obi said, and we didn’t listen to them, but people thought they have experience and may be they are more realistic than us.
So, they voted that way. So, any of them that formed the government and adopted any of these policies will have, at the minimum, what we are experiencing now or even worse. These policies are not good, not because of the
and admonishes Nigerian
parties announcing them but because structurally they are not suitable to us.
Of course, they come with some benefits, and you can see the benefits. More income to the government, for example, because they are not subsidising anymore. More income from the foreign exchange differential because they are not defending the Naira in the old way anymore.
You also have the benefits of goods becoming cheaper, that’s why people are saying they are exporting goods from Nigeria to Niger and neighbour-
ing countries because with lower currency, our goods and any other thing we produce become cheaper, those are the advertised benefits, but we are not structurally prepared for them.
You said the policies are bad. But some informed people said the country was already in bad shape, and some of the present policies are what is needed before we can recover.
I don’t agree with any of your postulations. This is the reason why. There are arguments, but not every argument addresses the core issue. Every decision you make in economics,
Thirdly, they need to restructure the government spending in such a way that they separate the fiscal spending which they are controlling and let the CBN governor run his monetary policy and be banker to the country not the banker to the government alone. Fourthly, they need to find ways to generate employment. They don’t want to spend money on social programmes as stated in chapter two of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which means they will be going to Qatar and other places because the sovereign investment money they need to spend to generate employment, they don’t want to spend it because they are following IMF. Now they will be begging foreign investors to come and put money in our country, money we have even within our country but they will be going out but if they are not efficient in that regard, then, they can’t succeed.
at least you will have two choices, sometimes like 10 choices.
In our case, we have about 55,000 choices. We decide to make a world that does not require better governance that does not require people in the higher echelon losing income because you punish the person with the least contribution to political campaign. We are subsidising so many things in this country, the only one the people have some kind of participation because it is the only product we commonly use and this is where the subsidy removal started from.
Secondly, there was no attempt to do auditing. You will recall that I was shouting during the election that 80% of our crude was being stolen, and I campaigned on months on that, unfortunately voters didn’t realise that whoever was able to tackle the crude oil theft should be the one to lead the country. Our problems are not difficult to solve.
The problems are not insurmountable. It is just that the method to solving them will not be the continuation of what they were doing before.
Do you think we have the right economic team around President Tinubu?
He has the right kind of team for what he wants to do. But what he wants to do isn’t correct. If I say we should repair a leaking house, and my elder brother says no, let us sell the house, if he has the mandate, he will bring auctioneers, valuers and estate agents to sell it when I would have brought plumbers, carpenters for repairs. I can not now say he doesn’t have the right team. He wants to sell the house. So, he has the right team to sell the house, but if I want to fix the house, I will bring a different team to fix the house.
If you were President Tinubu today, what would you be doing differently to stop the bleeding?
If I became president on the day he became president, I would not announce any of these policies. In fact, I will immediately go to the National Assembly to amend the Appropriation Act and the Petroleum Industry Act to remove these statutory mandates to yank off the subsidy.
But if I am becoming president today, the first thing to do is to convince the people of Nigeria and the government that these policies are not right. If you say I should advice a president who believes that the benefits of these policies are down the line, he is not going to listen to me because he is committed to the benefits of the policies that are down the line.
So, the first thing to do is to convince him that the benefits never came to England. England industrialised itself. These benefits didn’t come to Brazil until (President)Lula came and changed them towards social investments. I don’t know where they are getting the policies from. I suspect its from the IMF or the bankers who are contributing to their campaign, insisting on these policies, but if they are ideologically committed to these policies, then the solution they can find will be solution by palliative which is to suspend the full effect of it overtime.
But what they will soon discover by that is such that the social misery will be so much, the inflation and hyper inflation will be so much that the money they saved may not be up to the money they spend on palliative.
So, they need a change of direction even though I cannot guarantee that a well experienced accountant who is a cost cutter like Tinubu who has Wale Edun around him and chosen Cardoso as his preferred Central Bank Governor, I don’t think they are willing to change for now.
For two decades, Bethia Idoko has kept faith with orphans in Little Saints Orphanage in Lagos. Each year, she would show up and show out, sharing as much love as her heart can give. With a proven track record in marketing, real estate, business and even tourism, her love however for philanthropy is heart warming and as genuine as they come. This year, with support from family, friends and some corporate bodies, she feted over 250 kids from the orphanage as well as 50 from the Tarkwa Bay community, while some got university scholarships. Chiemelie Ezeobi reports
Established on June 4, 1994 as one of the first licensed private orphanages in Nigeria, by Mrs. Dele George, Little Saints Orphanage has been a succor and strong support system for kids abandoned, abused or orphaned in the society.
Keying into this noble work done by the orphanage is a Nigerian with heart of gold, Bethia Idoko, who has kept sustained her commitment to the home for two decades.
Each Valentine's Day, Bethia would troop to the Orphanage in Akowonjo, Egbeda with family and friends and host all the children there including those from in three other campuses. Call it an annual love affair and you won't be mistaken.
Bethia Idoko is certainly not your average young lady. With a proven track record in marketing, philanthropy, real estate, business and even tourism, she is definitely not a stranger to hard work.
As Head of Business Development for Giditraffic, her love for travel is unprecedented as she has over 66 countries in her kitty internationally and 22 out of the 36 states of Nigeria. The English Language and Literature graduate from the University of Lagos also has also certificates on Marketing Management, Personal Productivity and Business Plan from the Lagos Business School.
Love for Philanthropy
One of the many things that stand her out is her love for philanthropy. Aside her personal philanthropy, she has been actively involved in many organisations volunteering both time and resources. Personal wise, she has consecutively organised a party every Valentine’s Day for the last 20 years at the Little Saints Orphanage Saints Orphanage.
According to her, it's the least she can do to show some love and spend some really exciting time with the kids at the orphanage.
For Bethia Idoko, her interaction with the home all started as a one off thing sometime in 2004. It was supposed to be a small gathering to herald her birthday but when she stepped foot into the home, she went a giver but by the time the party was over, all she felt was gratitude for the opportunity to give because she also received love in leaps and bounds. That was it. The joy on the faces of the children sealed it for her and for 20 years, she kept coming back and even in her absence kept tabs on the kids, who have now become her kin.
This year, she did something out of the norm- instead of going to the orphanage home, she took the kids out of their comfort zones to Pearl Events Centre in Wole Olateju, Lekki Phase 1. Beyond that,
she also invited 50 kids from that host community to partake in the joy and fun.
The kids were serenaded by party clowns, musicians, numerous games, painting in between the tasty meals and finger foods that they all gobbled down on. Beyond this, they all left with rich party bags containing different essentials.
The party was rounded off with poetry competition and three of the teenage girls from the homes crafted their poems after Bethia's kind heart and how she has become such an inspiration to them. Although two persons were chosen for their craft, all three were unanimous on what Bethia stands for - Hope, Faith and Love.
Speaking on why she does this every year, she said: "First of all, Valentine's Day comes every year and I see it as an opportunity to show love. Even though love should not be restricted to a particular day or only one day for that matter, but since the world picked a day, I decided to make use of the opportunity to do this every year."
On why she has sustained it for this
long, Bethia said: "I have sustained it for this 20 years because not only do the orphans really enjoy it and have a fun time, it makes them feel seen and loved that they are thought about by someone on a day the world set aside to celebrate love. It makes them feel included.
"People celebrate birthdays at the orphanage which I think is amazing and people also reach out on different occasions to them, but as far as I know, not a lot of people celebrate Valentine's Day with the orphans. We do it more with family, partners , spouses and other love relationships which is also great, but who then celebrates with the orphans on a day picked out for love? And this is why I decided to do this with them every year so they know they are thought of, loved, and worthy of being celebrated with.
"This year, I extended it to other orphanages and communities because it is the 20th year I have been doing this and I wanted it to be much
Every little help goes a long way in helping and giving hope to a child, making a child feel seen and loved. These are some of the things that help kids become better adults. The Orphanages do their best in taking great care of these kids, but as a society, we can do better in reaching out whenever we can
bigger and special. I took the party out of the orphanage I hold it at every year and got an event center, a much bigger space where I could accommodate more people. It was an amazing party we had.
"We transported almost 200 kids from the different branches of Little Saints Orphanage. Rev Dele George, who owns the orphanage, was extremely supportive in all the arrangements. We also got 50 kids from the Tarkwa Bay community as well, we got two boats to bring the kids and returned them in good time after the party. I also invited friends to come with their children to party with us all. In all, we had around 300 kids, and they all had the time of their lives."
When she initially started the event, she was funding it almost all alone until about six years ago when the good works started to speak for itself and she began to get more support from family and friends and even corporate sponsorships.
Sharing her thoughts on this she said: "In this economy, everything should be carefully thought about before taking any step, but I'm very blessed to have great family and friends, home and abroad that support me especially this year. So, I did not have to take all the financial responsibility alone. I had help from kind individuals. I guess when you show kindness, it comes back to you a million fold, because people were kind to me and trusted me with finances to do this party.
"Every little help goes a long way in helping and giving hope to a child, making a child feel seen and loved. These are some of the things that help kids become better adults. The orphanages do their best in taking great care of these kids, but as a society, we can do better in reaching out whenever we can.
"Like I mentioned earlier, I had a lot of help from kind people, friends, and family, and this goes a long way. My mother, Rev Deborah Idoko, who was out of the country at the time of the party did not relent in her efforts to help me coordinate in every area that she could remotely as this is the first year she has been absent. I can't do this alone, and I don't. Little drops of water make a mighty ocean.
"This year, two of the kids were given university scholarships by Emttol Consult Limited, and this just warmed my heart. Joe Aisien Ogbebor Foundation also supported me with a donation. In their words, they said "you need all the support you can get because you have done this for 19 years and this is the 20th year. You have earned our support" this made me cry.
"Imagine 10 people gave scholarships to 10 other children? This is how lives are changed and people touched and positively affected, and I think this should be our responsibility as a society. If we don't, who will?"
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The sacking of Babatunde Irukera is unfortunate, contends TUNDE OLUSUNLE
ISSA AREMU pays tribute to Rosemary Oritsemohogbone Wilkey, a Journalist
Hope has been defined as a source of eternal and inexhaustible strength in any or most situation.
To Martin Luther King, Jr. “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” King’s thought rhymes with Desmond Tutu who opined that “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all the darkness. Robert Green Ingersoll romanticized hope in all its nature’s effect when he said, “Hope is the only bee that makes honey without flowers.”
In fact, Paul Tremblay’s own definition is scary as he went financial in his assertion which sees “Hope as a desperate man's currency” and that brings us to the question of whether hope is a currency that is expendable and exhaustible. For the sake of this article, I will answer in the affirmative.
However, I belong to the school of thought that in the developmental journey of any nation hope remains a currency (not one of desperation) especially of the masses who in a democracy will always have the choice of choosing their leaders every four years as practiced in Nigeria but a “desperate “ wake-up call to the leaders on whom “all rises and falls”. (John Maxwell).
With every sense of responsibility thousands and I served with all our strength and might in the “Renewed Hope” campaign team where we took on the very challenging issues of religion, regional bias, et al. No regrets then, no regrets now and for some of us eternally no regrets and this is because a lot of us have for many years been silent students of ‘The Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s School of Democracy’ which is anchored on fast track development, reward system and belief In an egalitarian society. It was just a matter of time for him to someday lead our great country and that moment presented itself.
Everything we marketed during the campaign not just as APC PCC members but as patriotic Nigerians and as defined in the ‘Renewed Hope’ action plan for a better Nigeria document encapsulate the doctrine of that School Of Thought. Of course governance isn’t politics and leadership especially of a multi ethnic, multi interests and highly or as some will say over populated nation like ours can’t be a walk in the park.
In fact some of us teach leaders that your popularity comes to a halt after the campaigns and the win for the next leg which is governance comes with decisions and policies that if not carefully thought through and executed deepens that thin line between love and hate.
Our president came in prepared. His words were deep which can only come from someone who is indeed ready and have a
plan (in fact a strategy) of how to bring the people and nation to a prosperous position. He indeed hit the ground running fully abreast of the burden he had requested, we don’t pity him for a job he has taken on. He has said repeatedly that he hears the people, after all “the ears of a leader must ring with the voices of the people.”
As Nigerians stand today, is the currency of hope still strong? I guess not. Even the propagators of the currency have taken covers; some tired of the trolling, some angry and disappointed, some unsure… but we must encourage ourselves that we can’t renege or give up on the renewed hope mandate we marketed. Our hope as an idea and reality must remain strong and this leads to what is happening to.our currency of hope. We couldn’t have so soon spent it off? Have we? How can?
In another light, a leader is as good as his team, thus the current team must be encouraged to give their upmost bests at not just playing their roles but understanding, supporting and equally marketing the policy thrust of this administration . The team must tell the leader what he needs to know and not what he wants to hear. They owe the president that much, they owe the nation that duty. Many might have to learn fast and learn hard for a team can’t call the people to buy in on a policy or policies they themselves cannot interpret or implement!
Nigerians are a great people: industrious, patient and with a never -say-die spirit! Nigeria as a country is respected and still has the sub region in fact Africa as the focal center of her foreign policy. On these, our President, H.E Bola Ahmed Tinubu is holding the former and latter together and with our heads high.
However for the many people of Nigeria, particularly we the masses what matters
is having a modest lifestyle with food on the table, medicare, security in our homes, schools, our farms and roads. Good infrastructure, an education system that can compete globally, employment that guarantees a decent life and tempting enough to “tempt” all citizens leaving in their droves to come back someday. Truly, good governance can be seen, felt and touched!
The information managers and publicists of the government must do more because communication is the art of governance. The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has been revived which is great. However, we must speak to the people at their levels, in their languages and locations using the very best practices of mass/public communication.
Mr. President recently appealed to the Governors to do more. That appeal should be followed up and followed through for they control the states and local governments and that is where the currency of hope is worst diminished.
Technocrats, bureaucrats, financial experts, economists, publicists, policy analysts, politicians, statesmen and stateswomen, every group, everyone that can keep this currency of hope afloat should see this period in the history of our nationhood as a call to patriotism, in fact a call to duty not for a political party, not for a friend or foe but for Nigeria, a country we dare to call our own.
Currently the entire global space is seemingly challenged with different riots, protests, strike actions, etc.
Nigeria isn’t in isolation. However, every strong nation with hope keeping citizens and leaders that lead with capacity and sincerity of purpose know that rebound is possible.
Policies especially as it affects the people can be smooth sailing at times and sometimes painful, we owe the led continuous engagement and leaders must proactively keep evaluating, re-evaluating policies which can equally be tracked and measured by the citizens. These will also avoid un-necessary policy summersaults . Our currency of hope is strong in form and spirit reaching out to every zone in Nigeria and offering a non-bargaining seat at the table especially in the center. Politicians are quick to show where this particular “currency of hope note “is torn or where the coin is cracked. We need the buy in of majority of the led and urgently too. Bello, Ph.D
The sacking of Babatunde Irukera is unfortunate, contends TUNDE OLUSUNLE
Monday January 8, 2024, Nigerians woke up to the news of the suspension of Betta Edu, who was formerly the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. On the same day, Babatunde Ayokunle Irukera who was for six years Executive Vice Chairman of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, (FCCPC), was relieved of his appointment. Both developments compelled an essay which I titled "On Betta Edu and Tunde Irukera." The article was generously ventilated by the media even as I attempted to draw comparisons between two public offices with different pedigrees and also different
"misdemeanours." Evidence in the public domain attested to blatant disregard for public service rules and mammoth thievery by one of the two people I wrote about. The other public servant was uncharacteristically innovative, transparent and altruistic in his approach to work. He literally excavated a government agency in the throes of asphyxiation and obliteration, to a world class organisation, to local and international aplomb.
Much unlike me, I had, just weeks before, written about Irukera following the recognition of the agency he superintended over as "Government Agency of the Year." This was evidence to how very closely I followed the good works of Irukera. The honour in question came from *Leadership* newspapers one of Nigeria's most reputable tabloids. FCCPC was selected for the acclamation for "promoting fairness, regulatory stability and consumer protection within the marketplace." My piece alluded to the uncommon-ness of Irukera's attitude to public service which is construed by many office holders as licence for the wholesale looting and holistic decimation of departments assigned to them. Haven't we just been told that nine officers in the Nigeria Customs Services, (NCS) were recently fingered in a N12 Billion scam?
In pronouncing the FCCPC under Irukera as an authentic public service exemplar, *Leadership* noted that since his appointment in 2017, the organisation had pursued "a transformative journey reshaping and rebranding the erstwhile Consumer Protection Council, (CPC)." Further, the newspaper noted that the organisation had been refocused as a "proactive and consumer-centric FCCPC." Irukera's oversight of the commission's transformation and operationalisation beginning from January 30, 2019, *Leadership* noted had been a game-changer. Further still, the awarding newspaper said: "Following the enactment of the FCCPC Act, Irukera has demonstrated "unwavering dedication to fostering a dynamic and responsive regulatory environment." The FCCPC under Irukera it was observed "has recorded numerous milestones across diverse sectors including healthcare, digital finance and electricity." According to *Leadership,* "one of the standout
accomplishments of Irukera's FCCPC is the strategic development and implementation of the Patient's Bill of Rights." That initiative establishes a comprehensive framework empowering patients with essential rights such as informed consent, confidentiality and unrestricted access to their medical records." The Patient Bill of Rights, *Leadership* observed, "serves as a charter of principles delineating the rights and responsibilities of patients, healthcare providers and the regulatory body." This is "an approach which fosters a culture of transparency, accountability and patient-centric care."
Irukera's leadership at the FCCPC witnessed other strategic initiatives and impactful interventions in other sectors, notably in digital finance, the power sector and in the nation's bureaucracy. FCCPC was also catalytic in shaping Nigeria's business environment which became more cognisant of the emplacement of fairness, consumer protection and regulatory stability. Local and foreign investors have continued to experience the transformative impact of standardised practices instituted by the FCCPC. This congruence between national and international standards, in combination with rigorous process auditing and the development of guidelines and standard operating procedures, serves as an imprimatur of quality assurance in the Nigerian marketplace. These are identified perspectives about Irukera's exertions in public service as dispassionately enunciated by one of Nigeria's more serious newspapers.
Confident of his transparent governance approach, Irukera was never shy of media engagement. On the eve of the last yuletide therefore, Irukera hosted the media where he noted that the FCCPC under him, had become a wholly self-sustaining department. According to him, the FCCPC made history in 2023 by generating N56 Billion. The feat was achieved by the simple enforcement of compliance to existing laws visa-vis the payment of penalties by defaulting companies. This was a novelty by any standards in a milieu where many government funded establishments overdraw their allocations, expend their internally generated revenues, (IGR) and still prospect for supplementation. Irukera noted at that media interface that the organisation hired new staff in strict adherence to service procedures. This assisted the federal government in taking off young, qualified, unemployed people from the streets.
Perhaps if every ministry, department or agency under the thoroughly dysfunctional Muhammadu Buhari regime had transparently recruited qualified youths across board, the national despondency levels will be mitigated albeit marginally. Much of what we picked up in the media space was hushhush recruitments into "A-grade" MDAs like the Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN), the Federal Inland Revenue Service, (FIRS) and so on. After addressing staff emoluments, overhead costs and capital requirements, the FCCPC, Irukera noted gifted the federal government N22 Billion by way of remittances! This was a most un-envisaged precedence by a government agency which was picked up from the backwoods and transformed into a national model, even bride.
On Wednesday February 28, 2024, the Senate of the Federal Republic under the leadership of Godswill Akpabio, rubber-stamped the request of President Tinubu to sack Irukera. He was deemed inefficient!
Olusunle, PhD, poet, journalist, scholar and author is a Fellow of the Association of Nigerian Authors, (ANA)
ISSA AREMU pays tribute to Rosemary Oritsemohogbone Wilkey, a Journalist
On behalf of our supervisory Minister of Labour and Employment, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, management and staff of Micheal Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS) Ilorin, I convey our heartfelt sympathy to the family of Rosemary Oritsemohogbone Wilkey for the irreparable loss on Thursday, January 25 2024. She was a dependable media friend of MINILS in positive reportage.
For the colleagues, friends and comrades of Rosemary, a part of us is gone, after a reported brief illness. Even for her “brief illness” let’s thank God. Some people are tested with protracted sickness. Some not dead but not alive either. We thank God for making death relatively easy and “brief” for Rosemary. May Almighty God make her grave comfortable. May God grant her mercy and eternal rest in paradise.
Death keeps no calendar. Indeed “all our pomp, the earth eventually covers”. It’s time to learn from the life and times of Rosemary that it’s not how long but how well. It was relatively “long and good” for our dear comrade sister.
Rosemary Commendably left the imprint of work in this world and worship for God’s mercy in hereafter. She was a worker who toiled and lived on her sweat. I recall her proud images of a smart and hardworking journalist with her midget recording interviewing and engaging her guests.
I bear witness that Rosemary Oritsemohogbone Wilkey was one of the best engaging labour reporters to come from Africa. She was indeed the pioneer TV labour reporter. In June 2000, “she joined the AFRICA INDEPENDENT TELEVISION (AIT) in editorial, reportorial and camera operation. She was the pioneer producer of the popular programme on AIT, 'Policy on Tract,' and was the Labour Correspondent until her death on January 25, 2024.” We will support AIT to sustain her legacy signature “AIT, 'Policy on Tract!’.
She worked and lived in good company. Nigeria once paraded a dozen of pioneer print labour reporters that included, Segun Obilana of Punch newspapers, Seyi Adekeye of Concord newspaper, Mr and Mrs Funmi Komolafe of Vanguard, Owei Lakemfa, and yours comradely of Triumph and concord newspapers.
It was Rosemary and Abiola Beckley who started electronic Radio/ TV labour reportage as we know it today. Later Sharon of TVC commendably adds up. In celebrating Rosemary, we must remember Chief Raymond Anthony Aleogho Dokpesi, (25 October 1951
– 29 May 2023), the founder of DAAR Communications for his entrepreneurship that led to the founding of Ray power and AIT that engaged Rosemary. May the soul of Chief Rest In Peace. Chief promoted freedom of expression for organized labour in an unprecedented way.
Rosemary remains are expected to be committed to Mother Earth this week, paradoxically the week organized labour protested over the worsening economic crisis. This was one story that Rosemary could not report.
Blessed are the dead indeed. Blessed is Rosemary because she will no more be suspected of “good” or “bad” coverage of the current economic crisis. She will not even be bothered about almost N1800 exchanging for $1 . Blessed is Rosemary, she is free of renewed petrol shortage. She will not care what the new minimum wage will be against the rising inflation and total collapse of wages. She would not account for scores of smuggling routes goods are carted out of the Federal Republic. Blessed is indeed the dead. It’s we the living that must answer the critical questions about why Nigeria finds itself in the current economic cross road.
It’s the living that will impress on both the government and organized labour to find a common ground for the resolution of the disputes at hand. Certainly the protests/ strikes were preventable and avoidable. Protests are not inevitable but implementing agreements is mandatory on all the parties. Both parties must accelerate the implementation of the historic October 16 point agreement on wage improvement, CNG bus provisioning and revival of the refinery. In any case the Federal government under President Bola Tinubu is already implementing critical wage components of the agreement. I have been paid my N35000 presidential award for four months. I also bear witness that President Bola Tinubu had since 30th January, 2024, inaugurated a 37-Member Committee on the National Minimum Wage Committee to review and come up with an acceptable and sustainable Minimum Wage for Nigerian Workers. The Committee has so far held two meetings and discussions are ongoing. Precisely because I am involved: This is the 6th National Minimum Wage Committee since the inaugural one in 1981.
Of all the past minimum wage improvements, only President Tinubu made “living wage” a campaign and governance issue. His quotable quotes include: “In the Nigeria. I shall have the honour and privilege to lead from May 29, workers will have more than a minimum wage. You will have a living wage to have a decent life and provide for your families.” That was in his 2023 MAY DAY SPEECH as PRESIDENTELECT! in his 2024 new year speech as the President he declared “ We will work diligently to make sure every Nigerian feels the impact of their government. The economic aspirations and the material wellbeing of the poor, the most vulnerable and the working people shall not be neglected.
Aremu mni is Director General, Micheal Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (minils) Ilorin
Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com
ost states in Nigeria are currently experiencing an unprecedented heat wave with a burning sensation that perhaps fits the description of hell. This is fuelled by climate change, according to scientists. Besides, we are in the dry season, which is between October and April, with March being the hottest month. During this season, there are fewer rainfalls and midday temperatures sometimes reach 100F (38C). The highest temperatures are usually seen between February and April during the dry season and are called the hot season. But there is no doubt that there is an abnormality to the heat.
In its Seasonal Climate Prediction document unveiled last week February 2024 which covers January - May 2024, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) warns that the situation may not get better soon. The predicted day and nighttime temperatures are departures from the normal for the five critical months of January, February, March, April, and May. Nighttime temperatures across Nigeria in March 2024 are expected to range from 17°C to 26°C. The lowest nighttime temperature of 17°C is expected over Plateau State, while the highest value of more than 23°C is expected over most parts of the country. Warmer than normal nighttime temperatures are expected in various parts of the country in the northern, as well as southern states. The north-central states are expected to experience normal night-time temperatures, while the FCT and its environs are expected to be cooler than normal in the nighttime.
across the country, except for parts of Jigawa, Bauchi, and Borno States where normal daytime temperatures are expected. Also, below-normal temperature is expected over Yobe State. The 2024 prediction shows that in July there is likelihood of a severe dry spell that may persist for more than 15 days. Moderate (16 days) dry spell in central and mild dry spell in Ogun, Osun, Edo, Enugu, Anambra, and northern Cross River are anticipated during the period.
The heat could cause “dehydration, fainting, chicken pox disease, measles, heat rash, weakness of the body, slight fever, dry lips and heatrelated illnesses
This January was the warmest on record, according to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) in its report on 15 February 2024. “The record-breaking trend seen for much of 2023 has continued in 2024, with January being the hottest January on record,” the report stated. “It is the eighth month in a row that is the warmest on record for the respective time of the year. Sea surface temperatures have been record-high for 10 consecutive months.”
The occurrence of 2024 Little Dry Spell (LDS) is projected to occur between late July and early August, while a longer break in rainfall (LDS) is predicted over Kwara and Lagos States with a duration of more than 27 days. Some parts of Oyo, Ogun, Ekiti, and Lagos are likely to have a low to moderate event with a coverage of about 18-27 days. Ondo, Edo, and some adjoining areas in Kogi State may experience shorter LDS.
The maximum temperature in April 2024, is predicted to be in the range of 31°C to 43°C for all the states of the country. Plateau, Oyo, Osun and the coastal states are anticipated to record the least maximum temperatures of 31°C to 34°C. Warmerthan-normal daytime temperatures are expected
These predictions, according to NiMET, serve as an early warning tool to stakeholders and the general public for timely preparedness and anticipatory action against weather and climate-related hazards down to local and hard-to-reach communities. NiMet said the heat could cause “dehydration, fainting, chicken pox disease, measles, heat rash, weakness of the body, slight fever, dry lips, heat-related illnesses, respiratory issues, and increased vulnerability to chronic conditions.” We hope that health authorities across the country will take the NiMET projections very seriously and begin to plan for how to mitigate the challenges.
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After all said and done, it appears that coup plotters in Niger Republic, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Mali will get away with only light slaps on their wrists for truncating the constitutional democracies of their countries. According to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), it has decided to lift some of the sanctions placed on the three countries in the spirit of lent and the forthcoming Ramadan period. At a time when many people are observing different religious practices as the times dictate, it is not inconceivable that ECOWAS is being lenient. But at what cost? Plus, is it really leniency, or is courage finally deserting West Africa's preeminent regional organization?
Coup plotters struck in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso Niger Republic and Gabon between 2021 and 2023, all in West Africa. With the success of the coup in Guinea, it quickly spread like a contagion to neighboring West African countries, and ECOWAS soon found itself battling a small-scale epidemic of coups.
Now, the custom when a coup happens is to tread with custom. Usually, region and international organizations which usually intervene when coup plotters topple the democratically elected government of any country know they have to execute
a fine balancing act between preventing the deterioration of peace and order, de-escalating tension with the coup plotters and ultimately, protecting the rights of civilians in the country.
With the coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Guinea, ECOWAS found its hands full of this delicate task. The coup in the Niger Republic was something like the proverbial last straw for ECOWAS for two reasons. First, after the spiral of coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, it was one coup too many. Two, Niger shares borders with Nigeria where President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who was sworn in as Nigeria's 16th president on 29 May 2023 was also sworn in as ECOWAS president shortly before the coup of 26th July 2023. The president, a prominent pro-democracy campaigner who was exiled during Nigeria's brutally oppressive military regimes of the 80s and 90s for his activities with NADECO has a born aversion to military rule.
Tinubu, scathing in his criticism of the coup plotters in Niger, soon moved the ECOWAS machinery against the tiny, landlocked country which also counts among the world's poorest and cowers in the presence of Nigeria, its towering neighbor who has, however, been a benevolent big brother to the country.
ECOWAS even threatened to invade the country, summon-
ing meeting after meeting of its member states' security chiefs to mobilize forces to achieve this aim of forcefully returning the country to constitutional rule.
However, while ECOWAS fine-tuned its strategy to deploy force, the criticism at home in Nigeria and elsewhere was searing. While many argued rather constructively that force ultimately breaching international law could not feasibly bear fruits of democracy in the short- or-long run, many others were destructive with their criticism that Niger was about to be invaded when the coup plotters had saved the country from chaos.
While ECOWAS strategized and aggregated opinions, the coup plotters in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, Guinea and Niger Republic banded, and threatened that an attack on one of them would be considered an attack on all. They also continued to mount pressure, overtly and tacitly. The height of it was when Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso chose to steal the spotlight of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d'Ivoire to announce they were pulling out of ECOWAS.
Kene Obiezu, keneobiezu@gmail.com
At the ongoing Mobile World Congress (MWC24) in Barcelona, Spain, conversations on the responsible deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across globe, as well as the need to tackle inappropriate images and bad actors of AI, took centre stage with no less than six keynote sessions at the opening ceremony, which featured the biggest names from the mobile industry like Microsoft, Google, Orange, Telefonica and Vodafone, among others.
Speaking at the event, Microsoft President and Vice Chair, Brad Smith outlined a series of principles for the responsible deployment
of AI, as well as a multi-year partnership with France-based Mistral AI during a keynote address.
The collaboration with Mistral AI is notable due to Microsoft’s previous investments in rival OpenAI, which is believed to total roughly $13 billion.
Smith stated that the partnership with Mistral AI reflects Microsoft’s commitment to work with a broad range of companies as part of its AI Access Principles announced at MWC24.
According to Smith, Microsoft’s AI principles govern how it operates its data centres and additional AI assets located around the world. While there are a total
of 11 AI principles, he explained they fall within three primary categories.
“The first is the responsibility to enable innovation and competition while the second is meeting AI obligations under the laws and regulations in each country. The last principle is creating a broad array of AI-based partnerships, which includes the joint development of technology stacks. They’re about access. They’re about fairness and they’re about our broader societal responsibilities,” Smith said.
While tackling the inappropriate images and bad actors in AI, Head, Research Division, Google’s DeepMind Technologies, Demis Hassabis, said recent high-profile
problems with pictures generated by the search giant’s Gemini AI, would be resolved in a matter of weeks, as he conceded there were several pitfalls to be negotiated before the true potential of generative AI (GenAI) can be unlocked.
Several news sites have reported how Gemini had produced culturally inappropriate images.
Hassabis said the feature was, “well-intended, designed to reflect the broad user base of Google by delivering results with a degree of universality.”
In the case of historical figures, though, he conceded the feature was applied ‘too bluntly’, in turn highlighting one of the ‘nuances
that comes with advanced AI’ in terms of unexpected outcomes.
He said the feature has been taken offline, with the aim of ironing out the quirks and bringing the service back online in short order.
Hassabis also addressed the potential for ‘bad actors’ to use GenAI for nefarious purposes, adding that all players in the sector must discuss how to deliver the benefits of the technology without possible harmful ends.
Speaking about the positive impact of AI, Hassabis said the AI pioneer had plenty of examples of the good that AI has already done, particularly in the field of medical research.
He pointed to advances in protein research, which could ultimately contribute to a reduction in the time taken to develop lifesaving pharmaceuticals from an average of ten years to discover one drug, down to maybe a matter of months.
On his part, Telstra CEO, Vicki Brady, said the operator’s ambition to become an ‘AI-fuelled’ organisation and leader in Australia, will only be achieved through ongoing collaboration with partners, while investments in talent and cloud-based infrastructure will also play a crucial role.
Raheem Akingbolu
Wemabod, 62-year old Nigerian real estate solutions provider, has concluded arrangements to raise N50 billion bond to finance construction of commercial and residential developments in Lagos. The management and its partners completed the signing last week.
At the signing ceremony in Lagos, it was indicated that the N50 billion which will be raised in series is starting with N4 billion bond issuance to finance the construction of the mixed-use
development of Unity House in Lagos that will include office space and residential apartments. The company created Wemabod Financing SPV Limited (“WFSL”) to execute the earmarked real estate and property development projects. The SPV is composed of independent trustees.
Speaking at the signing ceremony in Lagos, Chief Executive Officer of Wemabod, Yemi Ejidiran, said the first series of the funds would be used to support the development of Unity House at 37 Marina from pure commercial
rental to a mixed-use property.
“The Unity House is a 21 storey building and the new construction according to Ejidiran is one of the kinds in Central Business District anywhere in Nigeria. He said 15 floors of the building will be converted to residential floors and it has been designed by consultants to accommodate onr-bedroom and two- bedroom suits.
“In addition to the redevelopment of the Unity House, the funds will also be used for the development of a mixed development property that will
house a mall and other recreational facilities in Ikorodu and other parts of Lagos, “he said.
He said the idea behind the project and more to come is to promote residential development in the central business district of Lagos State, which will reduce commuting time for workers.
According to him, ”this project is very critical at this point in the nation’s life knowing well the policies of the Federal Government which has affected where people work and live. It is critical for investors to take advantage of the
opportunity that this development will bring. The benefit is that people can stay close to where they work.”
Managing Director of Goldblanc Management Associates, GMA, financial adviser to Wemabod and a leading issuing house, Olu Abayomi Sanya, explained that they are giving a range of between 17.5 per cent and 18.5 per cent to the bond. “This was done because the FG three-year bond is 16.5 per cent. They added 150 basis points above FG bond”.
On the importance of the bond to construction, Sanya said this
is what realtors should be doing because construction financing is always a difficult thing to do.
While commending the initiative of Wemabod to convert some buildings in the Central Business District to mixed-use, he said some people want to live closer to where they work. “The direction Wemabod is going is the direction to go as it is done in major cities. All the dilapidated structures in Marina could be reconstructed and put back to the market for people to live and work,” he said.
CEO, BrandXchange, Akonte Ekine, speaks about the impact of technology on consumers and their choices of selection, since the commencement of the Consumers Value Awards, which is now in its third year running. Emma Okonji presents the excerpts:
The Consumers Value Awards, which is an annual online award programme, organised by BrandXchange is in its third year. What has been the impact on consumers since inception?
The impact can be seen from the fact that consumer rights awareness is on the rise, today the words are common and conversations around consumer rights are increasing, and we can even conclude from the calls and references we are receiving from people about how to reach or engage on issues of poor service experiences.
Let me say that recently we got informed about a vehicle loaded with iced fish parked on the highway in Lagos for days due to a mechanical fault and we tried to reach regulators on it, we got informed about Ikeja Electricity mishandling of a consumer and we referred the consumer to both Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission. So gradually, it’s safe to say that the awareness is on the rise. Brands are also responding to the fact that consumers are validating the claims they are making with a vote or otherwise.
Tell us more about the consumers value awards programme. What informed the initiative and what does it seek to address?
The consumers value awards is an attempt to raise the bar in the market about services and that is our advocacy for ensuring that manufacturers and service providers are doing their best to provide the right quality of service against the backdrop of what they are set out to do in the first place.
By voting for brands, consumers are validating the brands with badge of honours, which can be a symbol or testament of consumer satisfaction on the brand performance in the market. This is also a situation where consumers are guiding fellow consumers in choice making especially when we realise the issue of fake and adulteration in the market.
What informed the initiative is that we had series of market experiences from the airline industry to manufacturers of products and services that were so poor that attempting to reach regulators was also a challenge and there and then we said if we could continue to talk or engage the larger public, we might start
getting the right institutions to be more active in addressing situations.
As at today, we can say that it is looking great as we embark on the journey with an online consumer forum for consumers to start an engaging conversation on market experience daily, which we think will greatly influence and shape brand activities on the subject of satisfaction.
How have you been able to leverage emerging technologies to enhance consumers’ experience in the last two years?
Interestingly, it is all within the technology space. Everything about the Consumers Value Awards is driven by technology. All consumers are expected to be part of the process from nomination to voting. It is happening on the website. It is the power of engaging with technology that we are using to raise the movement for better
value offering. In the last two years of identifying and validating brands with the badge of honours, we have stayed within the technology space from the concept to execution and we have grown in terms of the sample population strictly by driving traffic to the size to over 10,000 respondents.
What we are doing is to expand the conversation channels with the introduction of the social media platform like WhatsApp for nominations and voting when we get to that stage. Let me add that the only physical side to the initiative is the event where we present the badges to the Value-for- Money brands based on consumer votes.
Technology is fast evolving and consumers’ taste and desire are fast changing in line with technology trends. How has BrandXchange been able to blend consumer’s growing needs with
evolving technologies?
So, we are a multi-disciplined organisation with strong bias for technology, hence we are consistently investing in research to understand the market dynamics along the line of the focus of the business of consumer engagement. This enables us to stay with trends and develop products along the line of technology evolution, which is one of the reasons we are also launching the first online consumer forum on the website as a melting pot for consumers interactions
In the last two editions, we have carried out data analysis to see the voting pattern and demographic responses showing the behaviour of consumers and where the market is moving to as well as the expectations of the consumers.
The reactions of regulators to issues in various sectors are also observed, which is the reason for creation of categories that will recognise performances in the area of advocacy and all these are happening through the technology watch.
The entire team of BrandXchange is also committed to consistent review and study of technology for the purpose of staying ahead of the market.
What are some of the new features introduced in this year’s online nomination and how will the features impact positively on brands?
The industry is big and dynamic, and we are seeing responses now with specifics such as ladies’ brands or women gender specific brands request for nomination and up for voting. We have the expansion in the health category from pharmaceuticals to medical equipment and even drugs.
As dynamic as possible, we are evolving due to consumers activities. This is purely the consumers speaking about the values they are enjoying from the brands.
What technology is doing to consumers preference is what we are enjoying on the platform, and brands that are getting the right level of mentions at the nomination stage are enjoying a testament of approvals.
The story continues online on www.thisdaylive.com
The 2024 edition of the bi-ennial continental soccer fiesta, Africa Cup of Nations, must have come and gone but the fallout from some exciting campaigns pushed out by various brands to support their preferred teams will remain evergreen, reports Raheem Akingbolu
In the build-up to the just concluded continental soccer fiesta, which took place between January 13 to February 11, 2024 in Ivory Coast, digital satellite television service provider, DStv, dropped a bombshell when it informed its teeming subscribers that it won’t be doing live transmission of matches of the tournament. The reason given by the continental broadcast giants was that it was not able to secure broadcasting rights for the continental soccer showpiece.
It was one announcement that Nigerians did not take kindly to, especially going by the pricey nature of its packages and subscriptions.
However, DStv was to do a u-turn and announced that it has secured rights. It was a major relief to its subscribers, especially soccer lovers who go beyond live matches and pay attention to pre- and post-match analysis which SuperSport has come to be known for. Even with the little time the sports broadcaster had to prepare, it was still able to provide a memorable coverage of the bi-ennial soccer fiesta.
One area the brand was able to resonate with its customers and share in the emotions during the tournament was the series of campaign copies that were churned out during the tournament. Perhaps, seeing how passionate Nigerians were in their support for the Super Eagles, DStv also decided to identify with this passion and share in the emotions that were at their highest during the competition. The essence of this is that when a brand connects with the consumer’s
passion and also speaks their language, it’s the beginning of a beautiful romance.
ThE CAmpAigNs
Now, let’s look at some of the copies that were churned out during the competition. After the Super Eagles defeated the Bafana Bafana of South Africa, there was a copy showing a big-bellied Eagle with a plate of recently devoured food by its left foot. On the plate was the flag of South Africa. What this copy denoted was that the Super Eagles had just had the Bafana Bafana for a meal. Before the match itself, there was another copy with the caption: BOYS NEED THEIR DAD. Illustrating the copy was a photo of an eagle, holding a book with a Bafana Bafana inside a cot with a pacifier in his mouth.
Ahead of the final showdown between the Super Eagles and the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire, there was another copy with the caption: CHOP BELLEFUL. ENTER GYM. CHOP! Meaning: the Super Eagles had just had the Bafana Bafana of South Africa for dinner and had entered the gym to shape up ahead of another meal waiting for them. This time, the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire. There was also another copy with the caption: AN ELEPHANT NEVER FORGETS. This apparently referred to the defeat the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire suffered in the hands of the Super Eagles on
January 18th during the group stage match between the two countries where Nigeria prevailed thanks to a second half penalty by the Super Eagles’ skipper, Troost Ekong.
But a kicker below the copy also ‘reminded’ the elephants that it would be “deja vu: just as an elephant never forgets, Super Eagles are here to remind the Ivory Coast, it’s cooking season again. And after the Super Eagles were defeated by the Elephants in the final, DStv produced another copy showing an Eagle sipping a wine with the kicker: “A few ruffled feathers, but we sip wine with pride. Offering the elephants a taste of what it means to be three-time champions of Africa.”
An Instagram user, @peterlee_akinadewo opined that the “handler and the creative team of DStv Ng should be specially rewarded.” Such was the effect of the copies on Nigerians that they did not only praise DStv but those behind the creatives that showed that the brand identified with the Super Eagles throughout the tournament.
Also commenting on the various campaign, our own Rita Dominic @-tegadominic wittingly wrote “cooooook for today, tomorrow we drag you guys to tell us why the tariff is so high…for now let’s cook them. Another Instagram user @do2dtun literally ‘killed’ it when he declared “This
handler is the best”. In a similar way, @tomike_a declared, “I thoroughly enjoyed your posts this season!!!!! One carton of Maltina for you! Also calling your boss for you dear handler. Yet another viewer @chichieriobu said, “Welldone. Thank you for giving us memes that compliments the energy. We moveeee”
What happened on Instagram during the tournament turned out to be like icing on the cake compared to what happened on X, formerly twitter. For instance, The Duke of Abagana (Elobest) @ifeora90 succinctly declared, “This handler dey burst my brain. My social media personality of the year. Also, Oduma @Lionheart said, “Whoever this designer is, this eagle needs to have the infinity stones when we win”. Another X user, @Joshman_Ade wrote, “This is an image of a true Super Eagle. An Eagle that’s Super. Just imagine it like Super Man. Comparatively but with all sense of humour, @SchoolsinNaija compared DStv with Hilda Baci by declaring “DStv Nigeria has been the Hilda Baci of the Eagles, cooking from left to right. At one point, scores of commentators recommended salary increase for those behind the creatives, “for instance @notoidleness sent a salvo to Multichoice, “If Dem no increase the salary of @DStvNg handler, make I know why.
By
Emma OkonjiComputer expert and member of Nigeria Computer Society, Mr. Jide Awe, has emphasised the need for Nollywood stakeholders to embrace digital technologies to
promote innovation and growth.
He said in a rapidly evolving landscape, digital transformation would serve as the catalyst propelling Nollywood into a new era of innovation and growth, adding that by embracing
digital technologies, Nollywood stands poised to revolutionise the entertainment industry, harnessing the power of data, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and emerging platforms to reshape storytelling and audience engagement.
Awe who spoke during the recent fireside session of the Nollywood Economic Outlook 5.0 in Lagos, which was hosted by Ijeoma Imo, an actress, said: “The allure of the silver screen meets the prowess of digital ingenuity,
as Nollywood pioneers new horizons in filmmaking. With the advent of digital transformation, opportunities abound to enhance creativity, streamline processes, and captivate audiences on a global scale.”
The Nollywood Mandate in the area of innovation to drive policies.
In the bustling kitchens of homes across Nigeria, something magical is happening. Amidst the sizzle of pans and the aroma of spices, families are coming together in a celebration of love, nourishment, and togetherness. Golden Terra Soya Oil’s “Pour Pure Love” campaign has captured the hearts and taste buds of consumers nationwide.
For Alhassan Sule, an engineer, watching the ad repeatedly reminds him of a time long gone, yet still etched vividly in his memory. As he watches the scene unfold on screen—a mother
stirring a pot of soup, the aroma filling the kitchen—he can’t help but be transported back to his own childhood home.
Suddenly, he was a young boy again, sitting at the kitchen table, watching his mother cook with the same love and care. He could almost taste the flavors of her cooking, and feel the warmth of her embrace as she served him a bowl of steaming hot soup.
But it wasn’t just the sights and smells that brought tears to his eyes; it was the flood of emotions that accompanied them—the love, the warmth,
the sense of belonging. In that moment, he realized how much those simple meals had meant to him, how they had formed the foundation of his most treasured memories.
The “Pour Pure Love” campaign emphasizes the importance of creating an emotional connection with consumers by offering meaningful connections in addition to high-quality products.
Chief Marketing Officer, TGI Group, Probal Bhattacharya stated that the outpouring of positive reviews and engagement from consumers for the “Pour Pure
Love” campaign underscores the enduring connection between Golden Terra Soya Oil and the moments of motherly love and care shared around the dining table.
“Our goal is to be more than just a product on the shelf – we strive to be a trusted companion, a source of inspiration, and a symbol of warmth and love. With the Pour Pure Love campaign, Golden Terra Oil pays tribute to all the world’s Moms for the warm tasty meals that fill our hearts and our souls with all the love that they pour selflessly into our lives.” He stated.
As part of efforts towards advancing Information and Technology (IT) development in Nigeria, Anambra and Lagos states have agreed to a collaborative partnership that will see to the strengthening of their respective IT ecosystems. This no doubt resonates with the federal government’s call, through the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, at the recently concluded meeting of the Nigeria National Council of ICT Heads of Ministries, Departments and
Agencies (MDAs) in Abeokuta, Ogun State, for the digitalisation of MDAs operations.
According to the Minister, there is need for immediate provision of ICT infrastructure that will aid data sharing among government agencies, which in turn, will not only aid proactiveness in the business of governance but will also block fraudulent activities, help improve Nigeria’s economy, and set government priorities right at all times.
The objectives and key highlights of the Anambra/Lagos partnership include cybersecurity,
collaboration, protection of IT assets, cyber protection measures, and expansion of IT service platforms.
Both parties will implement new methods of cybersecurity to fortify IT infrastructure as well as formulate strategies to comprehend and counter the evolving threat landscape in cyberspace.
Lagos State Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Tunbosun Alake, expressed optimism about the collaboration, stating, “This partnership signifies a crucial step
in fortifying our technological capabilities. By combining forces with Anambra State, we aim to create a resilient IT infrastructure that not only addresses current challenges but also anticipates and adapts to future advancements.”
MD/CEO of Anambra State ICT Agency, Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata, believes, “Collaborating with Lagos State is an opportunity to leverage each other’s strengths and elevate our IT services market. Together, we can achieve technological excellence and contribute significantly to Nigeria’s digital transformation.”
The Chairman of Aba Power Limited, Prof. Barth Nnaji, has directed the Aba Power Limited to start commercial operations this weekend, which is a week ahead of its operational schedule.
The company had scheduled to commence supply of power to its commercial customers 13 days after its power plant was inaugurated on Monday, February 26, in line with technical protocols, but, Nnaji who is a former Minister of Power, has directed the utility’s engineers to provide “power to the people without
fail this weekend.” He further directed that, “noncritical technical procedures must be eliminated.” Meanwhile, the Minister of Power, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu, disclosed at the commissioning of the power facilities on Monday that the federal government would be studying the performance of the Geometric Power group, the parent company of Aba Power, closely with a view to making it a business model for the development of the beleaguered Nigerian power sector. The Geometric Power 188 Megawatt thermal plant and the Aba Power company that would
distribute electricity to nine of the 17 local government areas in Abia State, were commissioned last Monday by Vice President Kassim Shettima on behalf of President Bola Tinubu in the Osisioma Industrial Layout in Aba, Abia, State, 24 hours after the first turbine was turned on.
In furtherance of the bid to commence power supply one week earlier than scheduled, the officials of the National Control Centre (NCC) at Oshogbo in Osun State who were billed to inspect the Geometric Power facility next week as one of the technical requirements, would now arrive this week, according to sources who disclosed that “Nnaji,
a globally recognised engineering professor, is pulling all the strings and using his network.”
A Lagos-based power consultant, Mr. Cliff Eneh, who used to be a senior engineer with the National Electricity Power Authority, said when one of Geometric Power’s three turbines built by General Electric of the United States goes into commercial operations this weekend, it will supply 47MW, which is almost double the 25MW the Aba Metropolis and the environs currently receive from the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC).
The Nollywood Economic Outlook, now in its fifth year, is a special economic session for creatives, organised annually by The Nollywood Mandate (TNM).
Commissioner, Tourism, Arts and Culture, Lagos State, Toke Benson-Awoyinka, commended the organisers for sustaining the engagement in the creative sectors and promoting digital transformation to accelerate the growth of the creative industry.
Executive Secretary/CEO, Lagos State Film and Video Censors Board, who represented the commissioner, pledged that the state would continue to partner
Convener of the event, Don Pedro Aganbi, in his welcome address noted that collaboration, innovation and infusion of digital technology was indispensable in the quest to move Nollywood to the next level and ensure it continues to contribute to the nation’s economy.
The event highlighted the importance of embracing global best practices, investing in talent and technology, promoting inclusivity, and fostering collaboration across the industry’s value chain. Speakers emphasised the industry’s potential to drive economic growth, job creation, and cultural diplomacy.
The Nollywood Economic Outlook 5.0 provided a roadmap for reshaping the industry, positioning it as a global cultural and economic force, and driving Nigeria’s economic transformation.
In an effort to offer comprehensive travel insurance packages to Nigerians, Konga Travel and Tours, a travel service provider in Nigeria, has announced a strategic partnership with Coronation Insurance Plc, Africa’s top-tier insurance company. The collaboration aims to enhance the travel experience for Nigerians by providing seamless access to comprehensive travel insurance.
The partnership positions Konga Travels’ as a major reseller of Coronation’s travel insurance packages. The distinction grants Konga Travels’ customers exclusive access to a range of insurance options tailored to meet the diverse needs of modern travellers. With an unwavering commitment to providing unparalleled services, Konga Travels’ ensures that travellers have peace of mind, knowing a trusted and reputable insurance provider covers them. Konga Travels’ customers can now conveniently purchase their travel insurance directly through any of its various channels, including phone calls, WhatsApp platforms, and emails. The strategic move aims to eliminate the hassles associated with insurance procurement and allows customers to select the communication channel that best fits their preferences.
Speaking about the partnership, Senior Vice President at Konga, Okezie Akaniro, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Coronation Insurance to offer our customers convenient and reliable travel insurance solutions. As a trusted name in the travel industry, we recognize the need for innovative solutions that address the evolving needs of today’s travelers. So, with this collaboration, we can fulfill our promise to provide a one-stop shop for all travel-related needs, which ensures our customers embark on their journeys with complete peace of mind.”
Emphasising Konga’s commitment to customer satisfaction and value addition, Business Head for Konga Travels and Tours, Abiola Bakare, said: “This partnership with Coronation is a testament to our dedication to delivering top-notch travel services to our esteemed customers. We understand the importance of providing comprehensive insurance coverage as an integral part of the travel experience. With Coronation’s expertise in financial services, we are confident that our customers will enjoy an elevated and secure travel experience.” By partnering with Coronation, Konga Travels’ demonstrates its dedication to providing Nigerians with a comprehensive travel experience.
Cocoa is a good source of national wealth apart from oil farmers of the crop have said.
They stated that unlike petroleum, the price of cocoa remains stable at the international market.
The farmers stated this at a two-day awareness campaign to eliminate child-labour practices and their negative impact on cocoa farmers in Idanre and Ifedore local government areas of Ondo State.
They, therefore, called on the government at all levels to include cocoa in the plan to diversify the nation’s economy from being solely petroleum-based.
The awareness campaign, a Child Labour Education and Resilience (CLEAR) project, was organised by the Lutheran
World Relief and funded by Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in partnership with the Ondo State Government, Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN), Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and International Labour Organisation (ILO).
According to the President of CFAN, Adeola Adegoke, cocoa production is now an alternative to oil with the current economic hardship Nigerians are facing.
Adegoke said; “the problem we are having today is because we are moving from production to consumption. Our cocoa is the prospect that can guarantee our push from consumption to production in Nigeria. Cocoa still remains what can actually be the backbone of our economy with what we are seeing now in this country.
“For example now, Idanre happens to be the singular local government area that produces the highest cocoa in Nigeria and it shows the potential for our teeming youths to go to sustainable cocoa production in this country.”
The Chief of Party, Lutheran World Relief, Nene Akwetey-Kodjoe said, “We need to eradicate the use of children for labour, what we are saying is that hard-labour is not allowed, we need to do it right.”
Akwetey-Kodjoe, who was represented by Foluso Wilson, the Human Resources Manager, Lutheran World Relief, said, “We want those children out-there to go back to school because education is a general knowledge that will grow our brain.”
In a strategic move to bolster rural economies and foster sustainable growth, the Katsina State Government, under the leadership of His Excellency, Governor Dikko Radda, has thrown its weight behind the Alternative Bank’s innovative financial solutions. This collaboration signals a significant milestone for the Alternative Bank as it launches its inaugural branch in the state, poised to make a meaningful impact on local businesses and communities.
Governor Dikko Radda underscored the imperative of poverty alleviation, particularly in rural areas, urging the Alternative Bank to join forces with the state government in tackling this pressing challenge. Representing the Governor, Malik Anas, Special Adviser on Banking, expressed confidence in the bank’s potential to drive economic development
in the region.
“One of our aims as a government is to enhance the growth of our people, especially those in rural areas. We seek the cooperation of the Alternative Bank in this area. We are ready to give the necessary support to the bank to forge ahead and contribute to the economic development of Nigeria,” stated Anas.
Dr. Abdulmumin Usman, the Emir of Katsina, echoed sentiments of confidence in the Alternative Bank’s initiatives, laying the groundwork for a collaborative partnership between the financial institution and the local Katsina community.
Hajiya Fatimah Radda, the governor’s wife, highlighted the importance of inclusivity in the bank’s corporate social responsibility efforts, particularly emphasizing support for vulnerable groups such as widows and orphans.
“The majority of people in the
local governments of Katsina are largely unbanked, presenting a massive untapped opportunity for the bank to make a difference,” noted Mrs. Radda.
Alhaji Garba Mohammed, the Executive Director of the Alternative Bank, reaffirmed the institution’s dedication to providing financial empowerment for all customers, irrespective of their socio-economic status. He emphasized the bank’s commitment to efficient, technology-driven services aimed at facilitating customer and national growth.
“The Alternative Bank is a bank with a difference. Apart from being a non-interest bank, we promise our customers prompt, loyal, efficient, and technologically driven services. We also promise to promote financial empowerment among our customers, irrespective of their status,” asserted Mohammed.
Stanbic IBTC Bank, in its ongoing Reward4Saving Promo has rewarded 70 additional customers in the January draw, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to 1,424 since the inception of the promo in 2021.
The bank in a statement noted that the Reward4Saving promo is currently in its third season and the promo will
run from September 2023 till August 2024. Stanbic IBTC Bank will continuously reward 70 customers with N100,000 each in the monthly draws; seven customers with N1 million in the quarterly draws; and seven customers will also be rewarded with N2 million in the grand finale within the period.
Head, Middle Market and Youth Segment, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Layo Ilori-Olaogun,
described the Reward4Saving promo as an initiative that teaches Nigerians to build healthy financial habits while rewarding them for staying consistent.
“We are proud to continue rewarding our customers’ dedication and commitment to saving towards their financial goals, especially in these challenging economic times. Their success is our success,” Layo said.
In an effort to expand and digitalise the educational ecosystem in Nigeria, Learn Africa has launched its AI chat enabled mobile app.
This innovation, according to the firm, allows students or learners to use AI chat features to research educational topics based on general knowledge and the
content of Learn Africa which is curriculum-based.
Speaking in Lagos recently at the unveiling of the mobile app, managing director at Learn Africa, Hassan Bala, said they have been at the forefront of educational publishing across the country.
He noted that their commitment to innovation would continue to drive them forward
“as we explore new frontiers in digital content creation, adaptive learning technologies, and datadriven insights to further enhance the educational experience.”
He explained that this innovative app would provide rich Learn Africa content for nursery, primary, and secondary schools and offer students more interactive and exciting ways to learn.
L-R; Chief of staff to the director general/CEO, Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), Uchenna Okafor; Chief executive officer, Bloom Public Health, Chimezie Anyakaora; Director, Membership Services, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Joseph Emoleke; Director General/CEO, Standard Organization of Nigeria {SO), Ifeanyi Chukwunonso; and Director, SON, during the SON inauguration of mobile generators/transformers laboratories in Lagos…. yesterday
The price of OPEC basket of twelve crudes stood at $81.30 a barrel on Tuesday, compared with $79.70 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations. The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Djeno (Congo), Zafiro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basrah Medium (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).
Nestlé Nigeria Plc, yesterday announced N79.47 billion loss in its audited full financial year report for period ended December 31, 2023, from N48.97 billion reported in 2022.
The multinational Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) company in its result and accounts on the floor of the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) also declared N104.03 billion loss before tax
in 2023 from N71.11 billion in 2022 over the devaluation of the Naira that hurt its bottom line.
The company declared a net exchange difference on translation of foreign currency-denominated balances of about N195.07billion in 2023 from N8.45billon in 2022 to bring its finance cost to N233.5billon in 2023, representing an increase of 1005 per cent from N21.14billiion reported in 2022.
The company declared N547.1 billion revenue in 2023, represent-
ing an increase of 22.4 per cent from N446.82 billion reported in 2022.
Gross profit stood at N217.2 billion in 2023, representing a 39.4per cent increase from N155.8 billion in 2022 as operating profit increased by 41.2per cent to N 122.7 billion from N35.8 billion reported in 2022.
The foreign exchange losses also resulted in a wipeout of the company’s shareholder funds which is now a negative N78
billion from N30.2 billion a year earlier.
This means the company’s liabilities now exceed its assets as Nestle will also not be able to pay 2023 financial year dividend to shareholders based on the status of its shareholder’s funds.
Meanwhile, the net cash flow of the company remained positive at N49 billion despite the negative shareholder funds.
Nestle also stated that during the year it invested N61 billion in
the expansion of its lines at the three factories located in Agbara, Sagamu, and Abaji. They also invested in the enhancement of our distribution center (DC) operations at Sagamu, Ogun State. Commenting over the result and accounts, the Managing Director and CEO of Nestlé Nigeria, Mr. Wassim Elhusseini in a statement said, “I thank every member of our team for the unwavering commitment and dedication which
resulted in the strong revenue growth and operating profit vs 2022 despite the challenging economic environment.
“The devaluation of the Nigerian Naira in 2023 which led to a revaluation of our foreign currency obligations undoubtedly impacted our financing cost and consequently the profit after tax. However, we remain optimistic of our capacity to overcome the current economic difficulties and emerge stronger.”
Prof Fola Tayo may mean different things to different people but they are unanimous in celebrating him as an intelligent, efficient, conscientious, economical administrator, cerebral, prolific and critical scholar and mentor. With a stellar career path, he was the Pioneer Head of Department, Pharmacology Department, Ogun State University; Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Governing Council, Caleb University, Imota, Lagos State; President, West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacy, WAPCP; Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos; and Sub-Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ibadan. A Member of the Order of the Niger, MON, Prof Tayo boasts of Fellows of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, FPSN; Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy, FNAPharm; The Academy of Medicine Specialities, FAMedS; and Nigerian Institute of Production Management, FNIPM. With a Lifetime Award Winner for Excellent and Meritorious Services to Healthcare Delivery and Health Systems in Nigeria, he has contributed in no small measure to churning out cerebral individuals who have gone on to excel in their various endeavours across the globe. As he clocks 80 today, it provided an ample opportunity for his family, colleagues and teeming number of past students to celebrate him for shaping their lives. As part of the celebration, amongst other things, a symposium would be held in his honour while he would launch his biography- His Glorious Grace : ‘Fola Tayo’s Sojourn in the Academic Landscape. In this interview with Chiemelie Ezeobi, he talks about his career path, the challenges and life after retirement
What led you to this career path?
Ithink it was Divine Providence. I left Nigeria in July 1963 for the UK to study law, but, somehow, I had a change of direction for reasons best known to God Himself. Why I moved from Law to Pharmacy without a science background in school must have been a miracle of God!!!
How has it been over the years prior your retirement?
Left me be very honest and frank with you, All that has happened to me can never be explained by any man. It is God working and willing in my life. I retired from the University of Lagos about 14 years ago and I have no regrets at all. My personal economics improved and is better than when I was in service. God provides for me all the time. I have no lack.
The peanut that Nigeria pays to her retired professors and others is better described as a national disgrace in a country where little political rascals who have nothing to offer other than to loot our treasury takes home monthly what a university professor can not earn in a life time speaks volume as to the kind of leadership we have in this very unfortunate country! Where excellence is rewarded with scorn and hard work is never remunerated.
Talk of the nation making progress? Hmmm ! It will be a miracle of God not to sow and reap!! Let me stop there, but suffice it to say that the structure we have on ground is a like a house built on sand and not on a solid rock. Matthew 7 : 24 – 27 says, it can not stand and great shall be its fall!. I am not a prophet of doom but I never engage in self-deceit as is presently prevalent in Nigeria.
Unless we go back to basics, that is, the old days, we are doomed because we have nothing to fall back on. Our young brains are outside the country these days, yet, we don’t care as we continue to loot the treasury and borrow what several generations can not repay !!!
You were the Pioneer Head of Department, Pharmacology Department and also Professor and Head of Department, Department of Pharmacology, Ogun State University now Olabisi Onabanjo University. How did you set it on the trajectory that is on today?
I left a juicy position in the USA as an Associate Professor of Pharmacology in the College of Medicine of the University of Vermont, Burlington in 1985 for Ogun State University. It was a great challenge as the system expected those 6 of us Foundation Professors in the new medical school to rinse water from a dry towel!!! We had no money, yet we had to teach and mount practicals.
I was using my personal resources plus some of the departmental staff (Dr. Lanre Adenekan, Olumide Ogundahunsi, now Professor Ogundahunsi and Dr. Mrs. Funmi Ajayi) to teach and conduct practicals. Ogun, as bad as the conditions were, taught me something very useful. What is it ? all human being with a brain has something to work with. In other words, sit down, use your brain which the capital asset that God has given you.
So, we sat down and designed practicals that did not require equipment until we could afford one or two equipment. We didn’t have the luxury of a vehicle, it was my personal car that was the departmental car and we had to make several trips to Ago Iwoye from Sagamu. It was an experience and I thank God for putting me through it. I came out very strong and more determined to make a significant contribution, and The Legacy I remember I left at Ogun was hard work, self reliance and ability to rinse water our of a
dry towel which is resourcefulness coupled with doggedness. We built a strong relationship with our students and till date, we remain friends. Every barrier was broken and we pull their best virtues out of them and helped to develop such. I thank God for those wonderful kids.
In most quarters, you are known as a caring, passionate, creative, and resourceful teacher and mentor. What influenced those choices for you?
All these attributes you refer to are natural attributes which I must have cultivated from my parents and naturally from God. I enjoy teaching and transmitting knowledge. I believe that teaching, like pastoring, is a calling. A teacher should be a mentor. These days, we have teachers that intimidate students. This is very unfortunate indeed. Such teachers are better confined in a neuropsychiatric hospital, yet the system accommodates this because Nigeria has jettisoned character, equity and justice. Gone are the days of integrity. Even the leadership itself has descended into the pit because the nation does not emphasize character in employment. They are a bunch of idiots, complex ones too! How can a man antagonise
his students.
Doesn’t he know that without the students, he has no job? A bad workman quarrels with his instruments. It is the height of irresponsibility. It is a pity that all sorts of people are now employed as lecturers in our universities. Once you have a PhD, it is assumed that you are a decent human beings! Fallacy, I have come across people decorated PhD, MD, LLM that are not better than a tiger in terms of human relationship. I have always advocated that before or while engaged to teach in our institutions, you must be given mandatory training in various aspects of teaching, such as teaching methods, curriculum design, assessment methods, psychology of the learners, etc.
In your days, you supervised and graduated 74 MPharm & MSc holders; 17 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) holders; 35 Fellows of the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacy (WAPCP); and numerous first degree holders at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), University of Lagos, University of Ibadan and
Olabisi Onabanjo University. How fulfilled are you?
When I returned to Nigeria in 1985 (my second return), I realised that pharmacy teachers don’t grow on trees and the existing ones must grow the younger ones. So, getting to Lagos in 1989, my department and School of Pharmacy were terribly short of staff. My first preoccupation was staff development. I realized that gone were the days of overseas sponsorship, so we had to grow staff from within. It is cheaper to train a PhD locally than to send him/her to the UK or USA.
So, with some colleagues, we designed our graduate programmes. It called for personal sacrifice because at one time I was teaching and supervising several masters and PhD students. I jettisoned social life but managed to retain my church activities and today, I am very pleased to say that the LORD has been so good to me.
I have graduated 74 MSc, MPharm in physiology, pharmacology, pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmaceutics and clinical pharmacy; 17 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in pharmacology, biopharmacy and clinical pharmacy and 35 Fellows of the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists (FPCPharm) in clinical pharmacy, public health pharmacy and com-
munity pharmacy over the years. In addition, I have graduated a masters student for the University of Bath, UK from Lagos here.
Let me quickly add just as King David of Israel said, It is the LORD’s doing and it is marvellous in our eyes (Psa. 118 : 23) and I return the glory to Him Who is, Who was and Who is to Come. (Amen). I feel fulfilled as I look around and I say to myself, it has been worth it. I have no financial reward for my labour for this ungrateful nation, but I am proud to have helped in growing good materials that are useful worldwide as my products are shining in Canada, UAE, UK, USA to the praise and glory of our God.
In addition to Holding a BPharm and PhD in Pharmacology from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, you won the prestigious US Public Health Service Forgarty International Fellowship in Vascular Physiology and Pharmacology Research at The Centre for Health Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles (1981 – 1983). How did that happen?
I think awards and prizes were also divine intervention. I was an indigent student in the UK and no support for those of us hen from some parts of Nigeria especially the South West, but it pleased God to raise up help for us and we can look back and say, Thank You Jesus. I was not the best student around. I was only consistent in my work and a tough fighter for my rights, unbendable by any force of oppression, Yes, we were discriminated against but there was a resolve to make it to the top.
Thank God we made it with God on our side and hard work plus a focus. A lesson the younger ones of today should learn is to make up their minds that they are going up and not down, look ahead, work hard, very hard too, and pray. There is no royal route to success. You must go through Hard work, Diligence, Focus and Prayer.
With over 150 research papers in international, peer reviewed journals and 250 conference and keynote addresses nationally and internationally, what are the lessons you want those in the sector to learn.
Lessons from research publications are lacking in this country because there is a gap between gown and town. Our dons are not penetrating the decision makers. The decision makers are probably afraid of the dons. The few dons that are with them have sold their birth rights because of what they would eat. Fools and complex idiots! It is only in Nigeria that you see a professor becoming a technical assistant to an unlettered politician yet he wont tell his boss that his approach to life is wrong!!
In civilised climes, governments make inroads into academia to know what and what can be extracted for national benefits. Even when you serve at their committees here, they have a mind set and departure from it is a crime. All is not lost, I read of mergers yesterday of some of our plethora of research institutes that do not do research. I think we are about to realise how foolish we have been. I was at one of them a few years ago only to find that at 11am, the officer had not reported for work!
There should be a better link between academia and government.In most of our universities, researches are published and you become a professor and that is the end. Nobody benefits from the work! What a waste?
This led me to gather some of our colleagues last year to form an Association for Intellectual Property Protection. We are on and have been registered. We want to turn the table and the response is encouraging. We are already approaching 50 in number.
As a consultant on many pharmaceutical and medical projects for various national and international organisations (WHO, FMOH, NAFDAC, PCN, etc, what actually stood out for you those periods
Many of my clients recognize that I have acquired tremendous experience over the years. I am a consultant with a difference. For example, I will study your organization and identify your gaps and approach you with a solution. It keeps me going and means that I must be think critically always. Mark you, I have found that many people around are mentally lazy. So, you can take over and make your money. That is perfectly legitimate!!
If given another chance, would you still do this over again or would you choose
another career path?
Yes, I will do and even more because there are better facilities now. I will use IT more proficiently and apply artificial intelligence (AI). We have a rich country which greedy and unpatriotic politicians and bankers have sent into bankruptcy. This is the time for people to use their faculty and advance the country. Poverty and scarcity help to sharpen your critical thinking skill and innovation in a country like ours that ordinarily should have no business with poverty.
If yes to the above question, what areas do you think you would change or tweak in your chosen career trajectory?
One of our major enemy is our education and educational system. We inherited foreign education which was designed to propagate and advance British culture. So, you graduate in Nigeria and you don’t fit into our cultural design but you fit readily in the UK….a waste of our resources. Education that is devoid or independent of your culture is an exercise in futility. The Chinese were like us until they left UNO some years back and developed with the culture and education side-by-side coupled with their language.
Today, America is afraid of them. I cant say much here but I am writing a book titled “Culture, Education and Language: The Tripod of Development”. I hope I can complete it this year. In it, I analyze the reason why African countries will remain backward until they can recognize that we need to go back to our own and develop from within first.
Your birthday is today, what are the plans to commemorate it?
My blessed friends (colleagues, past students, etc) have taken over. It’s a big celebration. I am in the UK with my family and we will hold a thanksgiving service and give glory to God.
Can you explain why the theme of planned symposium is Digital Transformation of Education in Nigeria...
I was born pre-analogue, studied preanalogue, worked analogue and now still living digital years. I am intrigued by what can be done and achieved digitally and considering education is changing rapidly, I want Nigerian students to stand at par. You can digitalise education even in Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo. How are the Chinese doing it? I chose the topic for this and the next generation. At 80, I will be a fool if I say I will be around for several years. I want to leave a sustainable legacy.
You also have a book presentation of His Glorious Grace : ‘Fola Tayo’s Sojourn in the Academic Landscape. Can you talk more about that?
My book is an autobiography and an account of my combined journey in academia and spirituality. My main purpose is to let people know that Christianity does not disturb your academic aspiration. It actually sharpens your intellect, humble you and makes you know your limit and that God is Supreme. I have a very humble and indigent beginning and in my days it was difficult to advance, hence, I have put materials together to let the younger ones know that the only enemy you have is your self-limitation.
You can aspire to any height provided you are humble enough to make God the constant in your life equation. I also took the liberty to include the downs in my life so that we shall see that life is not a bed of roses. Thank you.
In the industrial age, fertility rates began to decline worldwide. Between 1870 and 1920, fertility rates fell by 30 to 50 percent in Western Europe and the United States. Orthodox treatments were limited in scope and efficacy; and in many cases spiritual and other alternative means were employed by desperate would-be parents with varying outcomes.
In 1978, Drs. Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards of Oldham General Hospital, in Odham, England, after over two decades of research, performed the world’s first successful IVF (In vitro fertilization) procedure which led to the birth of Baby Louise Brown, the world’s first ‘test tube’ baby on July 25, 1978 in Oldham, England. In vitro fertilization is a medical procedure in which an egg is removed from the woman’s ovaries and fertilized with sperm in a laboratory. The fertilized egg, now called an embryo, is returned to the woman’s womb to develop. This revolutionary feat led to a surge in the establishment of fertility centers as well as the development of more sophisticated techniques such as IUI (inter uterine insemination) and ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection).
In the United States of America, the first IVF baby was born in 1981; in France, 1982; Italy 1984; and Germany,1982. The first successful IVF procedure in Africa was in 1984 in South Africa.
Stringent guidelines and regulations were quickly set up to control the proliferation of sub- standard facilities in most of the developed world, but Africa has lagged behind. In Nigeria, at present, there are no regulations in place to specifically control the activities of fertility clinics.
The first claim to a successful IVF birth in Nigeria was made by Professors Giwa Osagie and Ashiru at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital in 1986. Dr. Ibrahim Wada of Nisa Premier Hospital reported an IVF birth in 1999. Many unverifiable claims of successful IVF procedures have been made since then.
To meet the ever-increasing demand for fertility treatment, many fertility centers have been established in Nigeria. However, the relatively high cost associated with treatments as well as the general lack of awareness in the populace has forced many would-be parents to turn to spiritual and traditional healers in their search for a child. The absence of a regulatory framework has encouraged the proliferation of quacks who often do more harm than good.
Bridge Clinic was set up as the first focused fertility center in Nigeria in 1999 and reported the birth of the first ICSI babies in Nigeria in 2000. This remarkable achievement was followed up by it’s becoming the first fertility clinic in Nigeria, nay West Africa to be awarded the coveted ISO 9001 Quality Management Certification in 2004 by TUV Austria.
As there were no accredited embryologists in the country at the time, Bridge Clinic began operations with technical support from a team from King’s College, London, led by Dr. John Parsons who had been on the pioneering team that performed the world’s
first successful IVF procedure in 1978. This support greatly facilitated the rapid transfer of technology to Nigeria.
Bridge Clinic’s focus on staff training and collaboration with international experts has had a positive multiplier effect on the fertility landscape as many of their alumni hold key positions in fertility clinics, both locally and in the diaspora. It plays a key role in advancing medical education and provides opportunities for healthcare professionals to receive specialized training in the field of reproductive medicine, contributing to the development of a skilled workforce in this critical area of healthcare.
In an interview with Dr Toyin Ajayi, The Medical Director of Bridge Clinic, she revealed that there were several obstacles that had to be overcome in fulfilment of their mission. Infrastructural, financial and technical challenges had to be overcome. Accurate laboratory testing, essential to the operations of a fertility clinic, was also lacking in the country. This led to the formation of Pathcare Ltd, a laboratory and medical logistics firm, as a necessary adjunct to the operations of Bridge Clinic.
As demand for IVF continues to expand, there has been an uncontrolled proliferation of fertility clinics to meet this need. Exploitation of desperate would-be parents is rife as unscrupulous and unethical operators take advantage of their distress. This phenomenon is not restricted to Nigeria but in more developed countries, stringent licensing systems control the deployment and assure the quality of the procedures carried out by fertility clinics.
In the United Kingdom for example, for a fertility center to begin operations, three regulatory licences are required: Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA); Care Quality Commission (CQC); and the Home Office Controlled Drugs licence. Although these regulatory requirements are not yet in place in Nigeria, the Bridge Clinic operates according to these standards to ensure consistent and effective service delivery.
What’s the future? The fertility sector is expected to grow in Nigeria like in other parts of the world due to the global decline in fertility rate. The sector players in Nigeria need to acquire emerging cuttingedge technologies like the use of AI in embryo selection amongst others. According to Dr Toyin Ajayi, one of the values at Bridge Clinic is “Innovation.” The Clinic is always at the forefront in the adoption of new technologies that improve treatment outcomes.
On the part of the government, there is need to set up a legal and regulatory framework to oversee fertility centers. The Lagos State government is already in the forefront of this as some papers are in the works. But the need for an oversight at the federal level cannot be overemphasized. The barrier to entry needs to be raised to avoid the incursion of quacks. Fertility treatment is based on trust and ethics, and that must be upheld all the time.
•Dr. Ajayi is the medical director of Bridge Clinic.
The stock market segment of the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) dropped by N1.49 trillion in two days following the hike in the interest rate.
The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) on Tuesday, increased the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) to 22.75 per cent from 18.75 per cent, which saw the stock market witnessing negative sentiment as investors are now shifting to the fixed income market.
When the MPR hike was announced on Tuesday, the stock market dropped by N773 billion, trigged by investors' sell-off in fundamental stocks.
Also, the stock market yesterday extended its negative sentiment, dropping by N720.57 billion in market capitalisation to N54.317 trillion, bringing investors' total loss in two days to N1.49 trillion.
The MPC members after the two-day meeting in Abuja, had increased the asymmetric corridor to +100 basis points /-700 basis points (Previously: +100 basis points /-300 basis points).
The members also voted to increase the CRR to 45 per cent from 32.5 per cent; and retained liquidity rate at 30 per cent.
The CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso after the MPC meeting stated that the committee’s decisions were centered on the current inflationary and exchange rate pressures, projected inflation, and rising inflation expectations.
“Members were concerned about the persistent rise in the level of inflation and emphasised the Committee’s commitment to reverse the trend as the balance of risk leaned towards rising inflation.
“The Committee, however, acknowledged the trade-off between
achieved in recently streamed fields through accelerated FDPs.
the pursuit of output growth and taming inflation but was convinced that an enduring output expansion is possible only in an environment of low and stable inflation,” he had added.
As the stock market extended its losses, the share prices of the likes of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, (GTCO), Zenith Bank Plc, United Bank for Africa (UBA) among others declined.
For instance, GTCO share price dropped by 8.86 per cent from N39.50 per share it opened for trading this week to N36.00 per share, while Zenith Bank closed trading at N32.45 per share, dropping by 8.07per cent from N35.3 per share it opened for trading this week.
In addition, UBA’s stock price closed trading yesterday at N20.50 per share, a decline of 13.9per cent from N23.80 per share it opened for trading this week.
Reacting over the MPC decision, Prof. Uche Uwaleke of the Department of Banking & Finance, Nasarawa State University, said jerking up the MPR by 400 basis points in one fell swoop was simply an overkill.
According to him, “Why not by 200 basis points since they have another opportunity to meet next month and review impact? They didn't stop at MPR, they also jerked up the CRR to 45 per cent which at the previous level of 32.5per cent was among the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa.”
He noted that the CBN Governor had assured that the policies of the bank would be evidence-based.
He explained further that, “Which empirical results support this aggressive move? I pity the real sectors of the economy.
“The implication is that for every deposit in the bank, CRR takes 45per
cent of it while the liquidity ratio takes 30per cent. So, it is only 25 per cent of the deposit that banks can lend.
“This has negative implications for access to credit, cost of capital for firms, cost of debt service by the government, and asset quality of banks.
“Expect banks to quickly reprice their loans with negative consequences for non-performing loans and financial soundness indicators.
“By this overkill on the economy in a bid to crash elevated inflation which by the way has numerous non-monetary factors driving it, output is bound to shrink
“So, expect lower GDP numbers especially from Agric and Industry sectors as well as a surge in unemployment levels. This is not a welcome development,” he added.
On their part, a group of analysts
at Cordros Research said, “Before the meeting, we noticed that the increase in yields in the fixed-income market reduced interest in equities, particularly among domestic institutional investors.
“(We have achieved) a total of 51
attract a total $17.64 billion investment inflow as well as deliver cumulative oil recovery and gas recovery estimated at 2.12 billion barrels and 13.13 trillion cubic feet respectively in the next five years.
“(Also), a total of circa $2.5 billion investment in 175 wells drilling in the year 2022 – 2023. A total of $2.68 billion investment in 842 well workovers and other well intervention activities in the year 2022 – 2023 resulting in increased average oil production.
“ We have further achieved 275 per cent growth in rig count from just eight in 2021 to average of 30 in the past one year,” he added.
He also listed early first oil
Following the crackdown by the federal government, the company yesterday reportedly suspended its operation and barred users from buying the USDT and USDC stablecoins with Naira following fresh investigations by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in collaboration with security agencies.
But the naira experienced an increase in value in both the parallel and official markets, on the back of the recent hike in the MPR rate, crackdown on currency speculators, foreign exchange (FX) allocation to BDCs, as well as crackdown on crypto firms.
The naira, on the parallel market, appreciated to N1, 500 from N1, 620 it exchanged on Tuesday, representing N120 gain.
The official Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM) appreciated yesterday, closing at N1, 609.51, signifying a N6.43 gain compared with N1, 615.94 it closed on Tuesday.
The daily turnover recorded yesterday was $119.14 million, indicating a 22.7 per cent decline from $154.16 million, quoted on Tuesday.
The highest spot rate yesterday was pegged at N1, 660, while the lowest recorded was N1, 401.
A report by Financial Times alleged that security operatives had cracked down and detained two Binance executives, including an American and a British-Pakistani, following an invitation for a meeting with officials from the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA).
Two high-ranking officials of the exchange, who recently arrived in the country, were arrested and subsequently detained while their passports were also seized, according to the UK-based news outlet.
It was further gathered that during their interrogation by the NSA, the Binance executives were requested to provide data their naira operations covering seven years back.
The federal government also
Some of the fields, he said, include: Ikike (Total), Efe field (Newcross), Utapate, (NEPL), Akubo Field (SEEPCo), Oyo (General Hydrocarbon) and several others streamed under Extended Well Tests including Ethiope, Omefejo, Ofa, Olure, Ibom, Apani, Kalaekule, among others.
Komolafe said the commission has also intensified efforts in collaborating with the International Oil Companies (IOCs) to ensure accelerated maturation and development of some high volume deep offshore assets.
He said the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) was being effectively implemented for growth in oil and gas reserves as well as achieving the national average daily production target set at 2.5 million barrels of oil and condensate per day in the near term.
The oil and gas reserves in Nigeria, he said, represents 30 per cent and 34 per cent of the African oil and gas reserves respectively.
demanded that they delete naira information from their platform, a request that the Binance executives reportedly declined.
It was also reported that the federal government might have obtained court warrant to detain both Binance official for at least 12 days to facilitate further probe into their suspected malicious operations in the country as well as uncover their collaborators. The crackdown on Binance fol-
the widow of the late governor, Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu.
The president, who had a closeddoor meeting with Mrs. Akeredolu, also visited the place where the former governor was laid to rest. He said it was honourable to depart the world when the ovation was loudest.
Tinubu stated, “This sentiment should inspire us to live each day with purpose, to pursue our goals with determination, and to leave behind a legacy that will be remembered fondly by those whose lives we have touched.”
He acknowledged the courage and fearless nature of the late governor, especially his passion for good governance.
“He truly embodied courage and fearlessness, especially in his relentless pursuit for good governance,” the president said. “I can only describe him as a fearless fighter, his unwavering commitment to the welfare of his people and his courageous nature will always be remembered,” he added.
In a release by his media adviser, Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu eulogised late Akeredolu as a statesman and a distinguished legal luminary, who served his people with unwavering dedication.
Mrs. Akeredolu, who spoke after the visit, appreciated the president for the condolence visit. She said, “On behalf of my fam-
He explained that a recent study by the commission revealed that growth in gas demand outstrips supply, noting that between 2020 and 2030, demand is expected to grow exponentially at a compound annual growth rate of 16.6 per cent p.a.
“Natural gas production is projected to increase from 8.0 bcfd in 2020 to 12.2 bcfd in 2030 driven by major projects such as NLNG Train 7 & Train 8, Nigeria/Morocco pipeline, Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Natural Gas Pipeline Project, and so many other gas projects,” he added.
The NUPRC chief executive, however, assured operating companies, particular the sellers and buyers in the pending divestment transaction that the regulator will not block divestment deals, but was only making sure that the deals followed due process.
Despite the low emission attributed to Nigeria, he said the commission was effectively
lowed ongoing investigations into the country’s foreign exchange market, which had reportedly endured years of distortions, manipulations, and speculations, leading to the continuous weakening of the naira against major currencies, particularly the US dollar, in recent times.
Speaking at the just concluded meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), CBN Governor, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, justified the bank’s recent clampdown on
ily, I appreciate Mr. President. We understood he couldn’t attend the burial ceremony due to the dictates of Yoruba culture. He couldn’t have attended the burial of his younger brother.
“Coming today is a big deal because we are in a better atmosphere. I also express my profound gratitude to the southern governors for their immense financial contributions to the burial.
“Most especially, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide SanwoOlu, who singlehandedly brought Aketi’s remains back to Nigeria. We appreciate this huge show of love and we are grateful and forever indebted to him.
“I requested that Mr. President see where Aketi has been laid to rest and he followed me. We are deeply grateful to Mr. President for coming. He’s, indeed, Aketi’s brother and friend.
“I told Mr. President, yes, Aketi has left but he lives because he left behind legacies. It is our wish that those legacies continue and are built upon where necessary.”
The president also visited the palace of the Olowo of Owo Kingdom, Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III.
Speaking at the palace of the Olowo of Owo Kingdom, the president said, “We lost an illustrious
spearheading the national drive to achieve zero flare target by year 2030 and netzero carbon emission by year 2060 through several initiatives, including the Gas Commercialisation Programme.
He said, "Let me take time to respond to issues raised by the Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG) in respect of the issue of divestment because it is critical for us as regulator to respond in that respect. We, acting on behalf of the government of Nigeria as the regulator of the upstream, recognise that divestment is the right of licensees or operators.
"It's a business decision clearly, but in doing so, the position of the regulator is that the divestment must follow due process. And for that reason, we have put in place robust divestment processes which we believe that if followed, will be in the interest of the government, the host communities, the seller and the buyer.
"So, what we are doing as
cryptocurrency platforms, particularly Binance, which he said allowed its platform to be used for speculative activities against the naira.
Cardoso explained that unidentified users accessed $26 billion on the platform in 2023 with all the attendant implications for monetary policy, especially the tendency to stoke inflation and make the naira further vulnerable.
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son. Akeredolu was very close to me and an ally. He was a son of the soil, and I have come to pay homage.”
Tinubu prayed for the good health, progress, and prosperity of the traditional ruler and the community and thanked the people of Owo for their support to the bereaved family.
The president, who equally visited the leader of the pan-Yoruba sociopolitical organisation, Afenifere, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, at his residence in Akure, said his government was aware of the challenges confronting Nigerians. He promised that the policies of his administration would bring succour to the people.
Tinubu called on Nigerians to grow and eat home foods, stating that doing so would wean the country off dependence on foods from foreign sources.
Responding, Fasoranti called on the president to restructure the country and move it to true federalism, as it was originally entrenched in the 1960 and 1963 constitutions. He said this would help bring an end to many problems Nigeria was grappling with, including double-digit inflation, foreign currency shortages, a weak naira, and widespread insecurity.
Fasoranti told Tinubu, "You know that since the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, the Yoruba people, led by Afenifere, have been in the forefront of the
regulator is to ensure that both the buyer and seller and of course, the government and the host communities are all on the same page.
"So, please, let the message be taken home that the regulator is in no way trying to be a showstopper in this respect. We are working collaboratively with the parties to the divestment to ensure that robust regulatory process that have been put in place intuitively by the NUPRC is followed," he added.
In his remarks, the President of AfreximBank, Prof. Benedict Oramah, pointed out that Africa’s aspiration in the area of energy security and energy transition will remain aspirations, unless it has access to adequate funding resources that it controls.
With a lot of international banks withholding funding from the oil and gas sector, Oramah, who was represented by an Executive Vice President of the bank, Mr. Haytham El Maayergi, said investment in the industry had become severely limited, with the corresponding impact on exploration and production.
“Afreximbank has intervened in a big way, quickly becoming the largest financier of oil and gas deals on the continent. The support provided to the sector by the bank is in excess of $30 billion. Nigeria has been one of the largest beneficiaries accounting for almost 60 per cent of the total funding of the sector.
“And it’s important to point that AfreximBank has been able to make those modest contribution in the oil and gas sector because the bank is predominantly African in ownership and in control,” he stated.
campaign for the restructuring of Nigeria.
"It is now incumbent on you to address this issue of constitutional reforms with courage, fairness and determination. We know we cannot return to the past, but we have to seek a future where regional competitions would bring out the best in our country as it did during the First Republic.
"We seek, therefore, a true federal republic that would reflect fiscal federalism. If derivation principle is good for oil, why is it not good for Value Added Tax, for example?"
The elder statesman stressed that Afenifere believed that a review of the 2014 national constitutional conference report would help the president in charting the course.
Fasoranti said, "For the people of the South-eest, restructuring also has a more pressing meaning. Today, Nigeria has a population of 200 million, which would double in the next 25 years to 400 million.
“However, the South-west is facing an avalanche of migration from the other zones of the country to the extent that in 25 years’ time, if the current trend continues, the South-west would be home to 50 percent of the population of Nigeria.
"By this time the states of Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo would be home to at least 200
Also, the Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, stated that Nigeria will not be cajoled into jettisoning the production of fossil fuels, insisting that the country will handle the energy transition programme on its own terms.
The minister assured that Nigeria was not against transition but would transit in a more environmentally friendly and sustainable way. "You can never find any better climate for oil businesses than Nigeria", he noted.
Lokpobiri reiterated the resolve of the government to provide support and create the enabling environment for oil companies and businesses to thrive.
In his brief remarks, the Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo restated the adoption of gas by the federal government as its transition fuel.
Besides, the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) disclosed that it had ramped up its LPG production to 1.5 million metric tonnes per annum as of 2023 while it supplied 493,000 tons to the market in the same year.
The General Manager, Finance, NLNG, Mrs Fatima Adanan, announced the company's LPG production rise while speaking during a panel at the NIES summit.
"Now, when we started, we were producing 70,000 metric tons. Today, we're producing upwards of 1.5 million metric tons of LPG and this LPG and our sole designated distribution point is Nigeria. So, part
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million people. We need to plan for this eventuality on a regional scale. We need to be prepared so that our region would not be overwhelmed by imported challenges.
"Mr President, please, also seek institutional reforms that would strengthen our federation and make Nigeria safer and more prosperous. Try and balance the budget and execute capital projects that would create more employments.
“We thank you for welcoming the idea of state policing." The Afenifere leader stated that the group wanted each of the geopolitical zones to have greater responsibilities for security, food production, and infrastructural development.
He stated, "Since the removal of fuel subsidy, which was costing Nigeria $10 billion yearly, the state governments have been receiving hefty allocations from the federation account.
“Mr President should persuade the governors to allow this change of fortune for the states to reflect at the grassroots so that life can be better for our people. They should not just buy rice and yams for the people.”
Fasoranti also told Tinubu, "It is an act of courage and sagacity for you to adopt the Oronsanye Report as the basis to reform the public service. This is a welcome development."
Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has vowed that it may no longer be available for negotiation or meetings with government summoned on the eve of a planned protest of strike
It described the national protest held on Tuesday as peaceful and highly successful.
It also commended the performance of security agencies which he said has opened a new visa of observance of democratic ethos by the law enforcement agencies in Nigeria.
It however, deplored the action of police in escorting opposing group to counter labour protest on that day.
The NLC also accused the federal government of attempting to undermine the labour movement by inviting its affiliates to the last negotiation meeting.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, NLC President, Joe Ajaero, said the Congress had to suspend action on the second day of the protest to allow members observe the 46th anniversary of the formation of NLC.
On the aftermath of the one-day national protest carried out by the labour movement to draw attention to the economic hardship and sufferings of workers and the masses, Ajaero said the protest was successful as it achieved its objective.
When asked if the NLC was ready to attend further talks with government to resolve issues, Ajaero said the doors of labour was always open for dialogue, especially when such talks could lead to meaningful resolution of dispute.
Ajaero said: " if they invite us to a meeting, we will attend because we have our views and we will not say we will not go. However, henceforth NLC will no longer be comfortable attending meetings on the eve of any action because we believe it will amount to mere waste of time and energy as nothing usually comes from such last minute meetings."
He said attending such meetings
make members of the public to think that the leadership went there to discuss other things.
While responding to the parallel stand taken by TUC as against that of NLC, Ajaero said there was nothing binding the two labour centres to adopt a common stance on the issues of industrial dispute.
"What usually happens is that NLC is empowered to act independently but may decide to collaborate with other unions to achieve desired target," he said.
Regarding the agreement on palliatives, he said it was a joint agreement which both labour centres signed with the federal government
Former Director, British Council, Abuja, David Roberts, yesterday gave thumbs up for Nigeria’s current economic reforms, stressing that if properly implemented, the future looks bright for the country.
Speaking with THISDAY yesterday, Roberts said that though he was aware of the general rise in cost of living and recent protests across the country, there has to be some balance at some point.
In a country where there’s massive infrastructure deficit, including bad hospitals, schools and others, the leadership, Roberts emphasised, has got to make very conscious decisions about ‘what’s got to give’.
Although Nigeria is rich in fuel, Roberts argued that it doesn’t make sense that it remains perpetually underdeveloped.
He pointed out that if Nigeria wants investment into the country, it must have strong regulatory environment and the economy must be well managed.
He added: “I lived and worked in Nigeria for many years as a British diplomat, and one of the issues that most disturbed me was the sustenance of the fuel subsidy regime.
“Why would a country with a severe infrastructural deficit invest more money on a wasteful expenditure such as cheap petrol, instead of building schools, hospitals, dams and a national railway system? It is evident that it had to go. We joined the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in saying as
much to the Nigerian government.
“And at long last, it is gone. And everything we said that would happen after it goes is happening. Nigeria's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is growing at 3.46 per cent, while Europe is on the edge of recession. Her stock market just crossed 100,000 basis points, overtaking Argentina's as the world's most profitable stock market. And capital importation is up by 66 per cent.”
According to the former British diplomat, the cherry on the cake is that fuel importation into Nigeria is now down 50 per cent.
This, he said, means that Nigeria's much-depleted federation account will rapidly be resuscitated, more funds will trickle down to the federating states from the federal government, and if well utilised, Nigeria could attain her pre-2015 growth levels.
“The future looks bright for Nigeria if her government can stay the course and resist the pressure to reverse the fuel subsidy removal and the flotation of the Naira.
“Nigeria's economy is not a mess. There is nothing messy about 3.46 per cent growth. If attaining such growth was easy, then we would have that level of GDP development in Europe. But we don't,” he added.
However , he noted that Nigeria must fight sleaze in government and improve its general regulatory framework.
“If Nigeria can fix this, I do not see how the country will not benefit from a high influx of foreign capital. Money is attracted to domiciles with good policies and sound regulations.
“Right now, Nigeria has the policy. All it needs is to take steps to build confidence in its capacity to regulate and renew efforts to identify and stamp out corrupt practices,” he argued.
According to him, President Bola Tinubu must quickly take measures to tackle corruption, reducing it considerably, but admitted that no country can stamp out the menace 100 per cent.
“No country has ever done that. But it’s about actually identifying where there are corrupt practices and taking measures to try and stamp
them out,” he stressed. He stated that Tinubu needs to start building confidence in the public and that people must see that the government is well run and that the government is providing infrastructure and security for them.
“There have to be roads, schools, and people must feel safe and they must feel looked after. Politicians always talk and their messages always get across the news. But there has to be evidence that they are doing things, and that it’s not just talk, but that there’s action, “ he added.
independently, adding that each of the unions reserved the right to take positions on the implementation.
The NLC President said: "We may be collaborating to take actions but instead of us to work together and suffocate and punish our members, we preferred to work alone or separately to achieve our agenda."
According to Ajaero, NLC still maintained its position that the October 23 agreement with the federal government was yet to be substantially implemented.
He challenged anyone with contrary view to come out with empirical evidence of the blow by blow implementation already attained by government.
For instance, Ajaero said on the payment of wage award, the number of federal workers that had so far received four months were not up to 40 per cent of ministries, departments, agencies and parastatals.
Also he said that it was - not - on record that state government or private sector employers have paid the wage award to their workers. He said that government is both an employer and a regulator, it is expected that the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment should try to ensure that it happens in order to nip crisis in the bud.He also said it would be for Nigerians to see if the agreement on tax relief was implemented as agreed.
On the issue of refineries, Ajaero said the inspection visit was supposed to have taken place long before now since government had promised that it would commence operations last December, but that the visit was only carried out last week.
He said the federal government reneged on its undertaken to get
the refineries work by December last year.
According to him, President Bola Tinubu specifically asked the Group Managing Director of the then Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to tell the meeting when the lifting of petrol would commence at the Port-Harcourt refinery and he gave December 2023.
"President Tinubu asked the NNPC Group Managing Director in my presence, when can we expect PMS to be lifted from the refinery and he said that it will start latest by December, 2023," he explained.
Concerning minimum wage, Ajaero said law envisaged that the government ought to kick start negotiation for a new minimum wage six months before the expiration of the existing one to avoid a lacuna. However, he said that the committee on minimum wage was only set up January ending after pressure from labour. He said there was no way the committee could conclude negotiation on the new minimum wage before April this year.
In addition, he wondered what has happened to the promise of delivering thousands of CNG vehicles or converting the existing vehicles to diesel engines.
"Now, how will I come on a national television to claim that the agreement has been substantially implemented.” On the agreement that police should vacate the premises of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), he said that the place has remained under Police occupation as yesterday.
"How will a serving Minister or even a government functionary come to say that they have done well on this, with verifiable facts," he asked.
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
Some stakeholders in the oil and gas industry, including the Ford Foundation-funded Spaces for Change (S4C), the Chairman of the House Committee on Host Communities, Dumnamene Dekor and the King of Ekpetiama Kingdom in Bayelsa, Bubaraye Dakolo, yesterday called on the authorities to expunge section 257 (2) from the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
Essentially, the section deals with conditions under which a host oil community may lose its 3 per cent financial entitlements and shifts the liability for damage, vandalism or
sabotage to the communities, which are expected to repair or replace damaged oil facility, and operating expenditure incurred during production shutdown.
But in a media presentation in Abuja detailing the report of a two-day stakeholders technical session held in Port-Harcourt, the chairman of the House Committee promised to work with his colleagues to see that that part of the law is repealed.
The event also marked the launch of a progress report on host communities fund document titled, "Transitioning from GMOU to HCDT: Wins, Challenges, and Further Actions.”
According to Dumnamene, as a piece of legislation, the lawmakers will continue to look at the grey areas of the PIA, including the part that compels communities to protect pipelines or lose their funds.
He stated that the wellbeing of host communities is essential to Nigeria’s collective desire for a progressive and prosperous nation, since the oil and gas sector constitutes over 65 per cent of total government revenue and about 90 per cent of total export earnings.
Dumnamene argued that the country has failed to effectively deliver benefits of resource exploitation to host communities for nearly seven decades since the discovery of oil in Nigeria,
stressing that this has had enormous consequences on the development of the oil and gas sector.
According to him, there have been some gaps and delays in the implementation of the provisions of the PIA concerning the establishment of the Host Communities Development Trusts (HCDTs), especially by some companies.
The lawmaker further informed that the committee has developed a strategic plan that will guide its programming for the period of the 10th National Assembly from 2023 to 2027.
Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt Rivers State government yesterday, said it was working towards immortalising some of the legacies of its illustrious son, late Herbert Wigwe who died in helicopter crash last month in California, USA.
The State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, who made this known Tuesday evening, during a tribute night organised for the late Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings, said Wigwe lived an impactful life, affecting society positively.
Fubara, said based on Wigwe's contribution to humanity, his administration was determined to immortalise him as a worthy son of the State.
THISDAY gathered that the tribute night was organised by the Port Harcourt City One Love Family, to celebrate and eulogise the life of late banker, who was killed in the crash alongside his wife and son.
Speaking at the event, Fubara described as double loss the death of Herbert Wigwe, first as an in-law, and second as a trail blazing son of the state who exhibited daring spirit known of Rivers people in pursuit of their dreams and became successful in his career with reckonable social impact.
He said: "I have come to understand something about life, those that God has favoured, blessed and truly cherish, he does not like them to stay too long on earth because he doesn't want them to get corrupted.
"But the wicked ones, the cruel, that you are praying to die, will stay and they will not die. So, you should understand that what has happened to our brother and his family, is truly painful to everyone."
The governor said no matter the wealth acquired, in death, nothing would be taken along and advised that people live life of value and be at peace with people they encounter daily.
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
"So, it is for us to appreciate the mystery of life".
Fubara, also enjoined members of the Port Harcourt One Love Family to uphold and continue with those social impact endeavours that late Herbert Wigwe devoted his time to.
In his tribute massage at the event, the Chairman, Platform Petroleum Ltd. and governorship candidate of Accord in the 2023 general elections in the state, Dumo Lulu-Briggs said, "I was always going to be difficult to encapsulate, in a few words who Herbert was and who Herbert is. I choose my words very deliberately because Herbert will always live in our hearts.
"Herbert was a very effective communicator. You left his presence knowing forever that you met him. He makes himself clear with the fewest words and tiniest body language possible.
"He knew what he wanted to do and how he was going to get it done and, of course, in measurable
time. Herbert was set in his way, which was the big and mighty way. Yes, Herbert Wigwe was large and will forever be large in our hearts".
Chairman of the Port Harcourt One Love Family, Amb. Idaere Gogo Ogan, said the death of Wigwe caused him an unbearable and lamentable pain.
He, however, noted that in their grief, God provided strength and they were honouring a man who was a pillar and a potent force in Port Harcourt City and selflessly committed his time and resources to promote the state and offered enduring help to so many persons.
Also in attendance were the former governor of the state, Celestine Omehia and many sons and daughters of Rivers under the auspices of the Port Harcourt City One Love family, who also delivered their tribute massages at the event. For Ken Etete, Wigwe's demise has left profound sadness in those who knew him. He wrote in his glowing and emotional to to him.
Excerpts: "In life’s vast journey, few souls illuminate the paths of others as brilliantly as Herbert Wigwe did. Herbert was not just a figure of success in the banking world; he was the embodiment of what it means to be a genuine mentor and a guiding light for all who were fortunate enough to cross his path. For decades, my relationship with Herbert and his family has been one of deep friendship, respect, and mutual support. From the moment our lives intertwined, Herbert assumed the role of a big brother—far before his name became synonymous with banking excellence. He possessed an innate ability to guide and push me gently yet firmly towards my greatest potential. His insistence on partnering with one of the world's finest accounting firms was not just advice but a directive for growth, showing his unwavering belief in doing what was best for our collective success. His greatness was such that I
consciously maintained a respectful distance, not out of aloofness but to preserve the profound respect and admiration I had for him. The question of "Why now?" weighs heavily on our hearts as we grapple with the void left by Herbert’s departure. His loss is not just personal but a collective bereavement for all who knew him and were touched by his magnanimity. Herbert, alongside his beloved Chizoba and the promising legacy of Chizi, has left an indelible mark on our lives—a legacy of love, leadership, and unwavering support.
Herbert was a mentor, a motivator, a charismatic leader, and above all, a cherished big brother. His legacy is one of inspiration, a blueprint for excellence, and a reminder of the profound impact one individual can have on the lives of many.
Herbert, our beacon, steadfast and true, Beyond acclaim, a brother, our guide through and
through. With wisdom profound, you charted the course,
Nudging us forward, a gentle, unwavering force. "Strive for excellence," your constant advice, A creed by which we soared, crossing skies.
Your affection, not merely words but deeds profound, A narrative of legacy, in our hearts resound. In reverence, I kept a space, your aura to preserve, In quiet moments, your wisdom I'd quietly observe.
Confiding in Emeka when shadows fell, "Seek his counsel," he'd gently tell, with stories to dwell.
Your departure, with your beloved Chizoba And the embodiment of your legacy, Chizi, leaves us grappling with the silence of your light, A void echoing with the depth of night.
In our souls, your essence forever cast, Your spirit, a lighthouse, illuminating our life. Bound since '92, through joy and through strife. Adieu.
Ken EteteThe House of Representatives yesterday resolved to probe the frequent collapse of the national grid as part of moves to proffer lasting solutions to the problem.
The resolution of the House was sequel to the adoption of a motion moved at the plenary by Hon. Billy Osawaru.
Presenting the motion, the lawmaker said sustainable energy is essential to any modern economy, and Nigeria is no exception.
He explained that stable electricity supply ensures that industries remain viable, power homes, and facilitates significant economic growth and industrial progress.
Osawaru commended the plan of the federal government to increase power capacity to 20,000 megawatts (MW) from 12,522 MW projected within the next three years, adding that the Electricity Act, 2023 was aimed at addressing the persistent challenges in the power sector.
He pointed out that the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) in August 2023 stated that the Nigerian
power grid recorded an unparalleled period of stability in the history of the power sector by operating without major disruptions or systems collapse for over 400 consecutive days.
The lawmaker noted that this was a milestone that indicated an advancement in the nation’s efforts at strengthening its power infrastructure, ensuring a reliable and dependable electricity supply to distribution load centres for onward distribution to electricity customers nationwide.
He, however, expressed worry that in a space of one week in the month of August 2023, Nigeria recorded three
national grid collapses, adding that the national grid collapsed twice within 6 hours and on the 19 August 2023, another system collapse was recorded.
Osawaru decried that frequent grid collapses this year have negatively impacted the economy, reducing industrial output and raising manufacturing expenses, because firms were forced to invest in alternate power sources.
This, he said, raised operational costs and leaving end users with exorbitant prices, which citizens cannot afford, especially with subsidy removal effects. The lawmaker emphasised
that the nation is currently facing its worst form of insecurity, including insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes.
He was of the opinion that the collapse of the national grid would embolden criminal activities and security facilities such as the Vigiscope App, Police Situation room App, all Police Commands control rooms could be compromised during the dark hours, as tracking devices that need power to reach telephone lines can be hampered.
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The Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) , Prof. Tunji Olaopa, yesterday suggested ways to flush out those he described as charlatans, impostors and opportunists in Nigeria’s civil service.
He said there was the need to re-professionalise the service and reverse its diminishing status.
Olaopa spoke during a meeting with the Deputy President, African Association for Public Administration and Management (AAPAM), Mr. Dada Olugbenga, at the commission in Abuja.
He said: “It is professionalism
that will reverse the increasingly diminishing status of this vocation that we have signed up to as our career, profession and calling.
“In this regard, I have been a civil servant all my life, and I am ever so proud to reference and revere such administrative icons of the profession as the Simeon Adebos, the Udojis, Abdul-Aziz Attah, Ayide, Asiodu, Ahmed Joda, etc. as mentors. “I was an insider, and I know the steady but dogged efforts of colleagues over the last decades (including those in the saddle), to redeem the profession that they have dedicated their lives to.
“The issue that remains for the
entire community of practice and service is to confront this loaded question: how far in the reform direction has the service gone or is capable of getting?”
Olaopa lamented that the federal civil service has been degraded to such an extent that if people now apply to join it, they do so for other reasons than the desire for professionalism.
He argued that for some reasons, the civil service jobs are most often the last on any serious professional’s preference list these days.
“So, we need to keep this question in focus until we get a handle on solution framework of
answers to finally reposition the profession beyond the rhetoric of it.
“And we must also keep asking ourselves the added question of what has happened to a vocation that began as an honourable and prestigious calling that prided itself for its professionalism; for it to have reached such a degraded state that it has become the butt of derision for government non-performance”, he said.
According to Olaopa, the redemption of the civil service cannot be left to chance, and to the current corps of service leadership alone.
Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
The Senate yesterday approved President Bola Tinubu’s request for the premature removal of Babatunde Irukera as Chief Executive/Vice-Chairman of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
Tinubu had on Monday, January 9, 2023 sacked both the DirectorGeneral of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Alex Okoh, and the Executive Vice-Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, FCCPC, Irukera with immediate effect.
This decision was sequel to a motion by the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, (APC, Ekiti Central).
Bamidele said: “The Senate do consider the request of Mr. President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the removal of Chief Executive/Vice-Chairman of the Federal Competition and Consumer protection Commission (FCCPC) in accordance with Section 8(1)(bb) & (2) of the Federal Competition and Consumer protection Commission Act, 2018.”
L-R: Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu presenting Oath of Office to Mrs. Lyla Oki as Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) during the swearing in ceremony of Five Permanent Secretaries, at the Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja, .... yesterday
emmanuel addeh in Abuja Renowned banker and Chairman, Anap Jets, Atedo Peterside, has paid glowing tributes to his late friend, Mr Herbert Wigwe, who along with his wife and son recently lost their lives in a helicopter crash in the US.
Describing Wigwe as being more than a banker, Peterside recalled that on AriseTV, recently he described Herbert as "a Giver, Doer, Mentor, Visionary and Philanthropist".
Noting that nothing has changed since then, Peterside pointed out that many lives, including his, had virtually stood still as they grapple to come to terms with the passing
of Herbert, his wife (Chizoba), his son (Chizi) and close friend (Bimbo Ogunbanjo).
“I got to meet Herbert properly during my time as the Pioneer CEO of IBTC (now Stanbic IBTC) and quickly concluded that he would soon become a luminary in the banking sector.
“I was right and he later joined our ranks as a bank entrepreneur. However, any attempt to focus exclusively on Herbert's banking endeavours greatly diminishes this colossus. Herbert was more than a bank entrepreneur,” he stated in the tribute.
At Anap Jets, Peterside said
it is believed that with Herbert's passing, the organisation lost a gem of a client.
“He was a true believer in managerial excellence and challenged us to strive for greater heights in business aviation. Many of us will remember Herbert forever on account of his numerous good works which transcend banking.
“Herbert was a catalyst for positive change in banking, in the arts world where he loomed large, and also, in music, film, sports, education etc. His audacious plans for Wigwe University captured our imagination and may well trigger a revolution in Nigeria's higher
In an unprecedented move, the Harvard Business School, the graduate business school of Harvard University, is set to cast spotlight on the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), recognising the Foundation’s extraordinary philanthropic achievement in a ground-breaking case study.
According to a statement yesterday, the case study, first of its kind on any philanthropic organisation in Africa, would be launched today, before a class of graduate students in Boston, Massachusetts and would explore the Foundation's unique approaches and transformative initiatives, showcasing how strategic philanthropy offered by TEF was driving positive change and elevating countries and communities.
It added: “This move by Harvard underscores the Foundation’s pivotal role in empowering young African entrepreneurs across all 54 African countries and places the Foundation at the forefront of global discussions on transformative and catalytic philanthropy, acknowledging its significant contributions towards fostering entrepreneurship in Africa.
“In addition to delving into the foundation's innovative approaches and the resultant impact it has garnered over the years, the event will also feature an exclusive acknowledgment of the Founder of TEF, Tony Elumelu’s economic philosophy of Africapitalism, which positions the private sector, and most importantly entrepreneurs, as the catalyst for the social and
economic development of the African continent.
“The Tony Elumelu Foundation is the leading philanthropy, empowering a new generation of African entrepreneurs, driving poverty eradication, catalysing job creation across all 54 African countries, and increasing inclusive economic empowerment.
“Since the launch of the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme in 2015, the Foundation has trained over 1.5 million young Africans on its digital hub, TEFConnect, and disbursed over USD$100 million in direct funding to 20,000 young African women and men, who have collectively created over 400,000 direct and indirect jobs.”
According to the statement, the founder of TEF, Tony Elumelu, who spoke on the impact of TEF on the African youth was quoted to have said, “TEF is creating economic hope and opportunity for African Entrepreneurs. We know that entrepreneurship is the antidote to poverty, youth unemployment and insecurity.
“Through the intervention of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, we are encouraging our young people, giving them hope through the seed capital we provide, capacitising them through the training and mentoring we provide and setting them up to create businesses that will succeed and create even more jobs. Collectively we are fixing the challenges that we have on the continent.”
Continuing, he said, “the Tony Elumelu Foundation was set up to create more successful African business leaders. We want to replicate our own success and create entrepreneurs who will build more prosperity on the continent and for the continent. It’s all about transforming our society and making sure that we leave the society better than we met it.
education sector.
“Herbert was the youngest member of a Rivers State focused private group of 7 eminent persons which we called G7. The group has now been reduced to 6 persons. In my opinion, Herbert is irreplaceable and so I will be canvassing that we remain G7 with an honorary place kept for Herbert, because he will forever remain in our hearts.
“It is my sincere hope and prayer that the Wigwe family, Access Holdings, Access Bank, Wigwe University, HOW Foundation and all other endeavours that Herbert supported passionately continue to thrive,” he added.
Peterside urged those impacted by his death to take solace in the fact that they are the custodians of his many good works which should continue to grow because, amongst other things, Herbert chose his associates well.
“Herbert, you will be fondly remembered forever by Capii - the G7 nickname that you gave me. You were the younger brother that I never had and will live forever in my heart. Good bye my friend and brother,” he wrote in the tribute.
See Atedo Peterside full tribute below.
On the Monday morning following that ill-fated helicopter crash in the USA, I decided to honour an AriseTV
Morning Show Invitation to pay tribute to Herbert Wigwe. For me, it was a duty - something that I owed Herbert, the devastation of myself and my family notwithstanding.
On AriseTV, I described Herbert as "a Giver, Doer, Mentor, Visionary and Philanthropist". Nothing has changed since then. Indeed, many lives (including mine) have virtually stood still as we grapple to come to terms with the passing of Herbert, his wife (Chizoba), his son (Chizi) and close friend (Bimbo Ogunbanjo). May their gentle souls rest in perfect peace. I got to meet Herbert properly during my time as the Pioneer CEO of IBTC (now Stanbic IBTC) and quickly concluded that he would soon become a luminary in the banking sector. I was right and he later joined our ranks as a bank entrepreneur. However, any attempt to focus exclusively on Herbert's banking endeavours greatly diminishes this collosus. Herbert was more than a bank entrepreneur.
At Anap Jets, we believe that, with Herbert's passing, we lost a gem of a client. He was a true believer in managerial excellence and challenged us to strive for greater heights in business aviation.
Many of us will remember Herbert forever on account of his numerous good works which transcend banking.
Herbert was a catalyst for positive change in banking, in the arts world where he loomed large, and also, in music, film, sports, education etc. His audacious plans for Wigwe University captured our imagination and may well trigger a revolution in Nigeria's higher education sector. Herbert was the youngest member of a Rivers State focused private group of 7 eminent persons which we called G7. The group has now been reduced to 6 persons. In my opinion, Herbert is irreplaceable and so I will be canvassing that we remain G7 with an honorary place kept for Herbert, because he will forever remain in our hearts.
It is my sincere hope and prayer that the Wigwe family, Access Holdings, Access Bank, Wigwe University, HOW Foundation and all other endeavours that Herbert supported passionately continue to thrive. They should take solace in the fact that they are the custodians of his many good works which should continue to grow because, amongst other things, Herbert chose his associates well.
Herbert, you will be fondly remembered forever by Capii - the G7 nickname that you gave me. You were the younger brother that I never had and will live forever in my heart.
Good bye my friend and brother.
AtedoN A Peterside CON Chairman
Laments low trade volume among member states
*Parliament members should be elected not selected, says Odebiyi
michael olugbode in Abuja
President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, Dr. Alieu Touray, has decried the fact that the current political situations within the subregion had overshadowed the efforts of the regional bloc at addressing the needs of citizens of the community.
He, however, lamented the low trade volume amongst member states, which hovered in the region of 12%.
Touray also said the trade volume within the larger African continent
was not also impressive as it stood under 20%.
Speaking at the maiden briefing on the activities of the sub-regional body yesterday in Abuja, Touray said, “There is so much more that ECOWAS is engaged in, as ECOWAS is present in virtually all facets of human development in the region, planning and providing for the contemporary needs of the community.
"Unfortunately, these laudable strides in the region’s relentless march towards an economic union have been overshadowed by contemporary political develop-
ments."
He said with the strategies and policies in place to encourage trading and movement of goods and people within the subregion, it was disheartening that trade amongst member states was abysmally low.
“At the moment, our intra community trade stands around 12%. On the whole in Africa, intra continental trade is under 20% which is extremely low.
"If you look at developed countries, countries that are sufficiently integrated or regions that are sufficiently reintegrated, intra continental trade alone is around
60 to 70%.
"So we have a long way to go.
Very long way to go and this is why it is important that we open our markets for our own produce, our own manufactured items."
He also stressed the need to have sufficient local content on production within the sub-region.
Meanwhile, former Senator Tolu Odebiyi, from Ogun West, as advised that members of the ECOWAS Parliament should emerge through election conducted directly for such purpose other than being selected from member states Assemblies,
L-R:
Senate opposes move to include Anambra as NDDC member Senators clash over Kogi derivation payment
Adedayo Akinwale and Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
The House of Representatives has rejected a bill that would make it mandatory for presidential and governorship candidates to secure more than 50 per cent of the total votes cast before the winner would be declared.
The bill was aimed at amending
the 1999 constitution by removing the simple majority rule for presidential and governorship candidates.
The bill sponsored by Awajiinombek Abiante sought to amend sections 134 and 179 of the constitution, which provided the conditions to be elected president and governor, respectively.
Abiante’s proposal sought to change the simple majority rule to
Emma Okonji
MTN Nigeria, yesterday, apologised to its numerous customers that experienced some difficulties in making and receiving calls yesterday afternoon.
The telecons company, which blamed the challenge on multiple fibre cuts it experienced on its submarine cable, however said the situation was been handled by its site engineers, assuring that it would be addressed.
Senior Manager, External Relations, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Funso Aina, who tendered the apology in a statement, stated: "Our customers have been experiencing challenges connecting to the network due to a major service outage caused by multiple fibre cuts, affecting voice and data services. Our engineers are working hard to resolve with services gradually being
of
as Nigeria LNG is to make sure that we make Nigeria a better place.
"So, 1.5 million tonnes is our own production for 2023. So, this number is from NLNG. Nigeria requires a lot more. So, importation will be ongoing. But as NLNG also grows, we will also be able to provide more," Adanan said.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and the Organisation of the Oil Exporting Countries (OPEC) have pledged to work closely together to achieve the nation’s aspirations to attract investments and grow production.
The two organisations came to this accord when the Secretary
restored in some areas. We apologise for the inconvenience and ask for your patience and understanding as the team works to restore full service as soon as possible."
Subscribers to MTN, yesterday, experienced difficulties in making calls and receiving calls on the MTN network. Data users were also unable to communicate via data, as the challenge affected both voice calls and data communication.
Some MTN subscribers experienced several drop calls, while others were unable to make successful calls.
Unknown that the challenge was as a result of fibre cut, some MTN subscribers were afraid thinking they may have been disconnected as a result of the ongoing disconnection of SIM cards exercise, ordered by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which commenced nationwide yesterday.
General of OPEC, Haitham al-Ghais, paid a courtesy visit to the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC, Mr. Mele Kyari, at the NNPC Towers yesterday.
Speaking at the event, al-Ghais stated that OPEC was completely aligned with NNPC Ltd.’s vision as captured in its payoff line: “Energy for Today, Energy for Tomorrow” because of its inclusive view of energy as opposed to the view being pushed in some quarters that some sources of energy were bad.
He disclosed that in spite of the pushback on oil and gas, the world would require about $14 trillion investments from now till 2035 to be able to meet global demand, and urged NNPC to do everything to
a majority. In other words, when there are more than two candidates in the race, the winner must secure more than 50 per cent of the total votes cast.
According to the synopsis of the bill, "In the case of a presidential candidate, they are only deemed elected after securing the highest number of votes cast at the election; and they have not less than one-quarter of the votes cast at the election in each of at least two-thirds of all the states in the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja."
Also, a governorship candidate must secure the highest number of votes cast at the election and not less than one-quarter of all the votes cast in each of at least two-thirds of all the local government areas in the state. However, the lawmakers did not
allow Mr. Abiante to lead the debate on the bill, when the Speaker, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, put the question for the bill to be considered for a second reading, the “nays” were louder than the “ayes.”
Also, the Senate, yesterday, rejected a bill proposed to include Anambra State in the membership of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The development, however, led to a verbal clash between the Labour Party member representing Anambra North Senatorial District, who sponsored the bill, Tony Nwoye, and the All Progressives Congress Senator from Kogi East, Jibrin Isah, over the status of Kogi as an oil producing state.
Nwoye, had in his lead debate on the bill, sought amendment of the NDDC Act for the inclusion
of Anambra State, being an oil producing state. He argued that Anambra State deserved membership of NDDC since it had been collecting 13% derivation since 2021 on account of an appreciable volume of oil production on yearly basis. His argument did not go down well with most of his colleagues, who believed that benefitting from the 13 per cent derivation should not qualify a state to be in the Niger Delta region.
They noted that states like Kogi and Lagos States were not covered by the NDDC operations despite being oil producing states.
Nwoye, in an attempt to sell his bill to his colleagues, drew the anger of Isah, when he said Kogi was not receiving the 13 per cent derivation.
Isah pleaded with Nwoye against dragging Kogi to his bill and noted that the NDDC was more of a regional or geographical intervention body and not just for oil producing states . The President of the State, Godswill Akpabio, who presided over the plenary, summoned his deputy, Jibrin Barau and the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele for a discussion over the matter.
After the discussion which lasted about 15 minutes, Akpabio addressed the senators on the issue. He said if the argument of Nwoye on the proposed membership of Anambra State in NDDC, was to be accepted by the Senate, then, Lagos State, which has two oil wells in Badagry, would also clamour for membership of the commission.
John
The
Executive Chairman of the commission, Dr. Aminu Maida, stated this while speaking at the "NCC special day", at the
their NIN.
Represented at the occasion by Reuben Mouka, the Commission's Director of Public Affairs, Maida said, a robust regulatory framework has been established to promote transparency, quality services and fair competition as well as setting up channels for consumers to resolve disputes.
tap into that opportunity to raise its production to continue to be a reliable source of energy to the world.
“We will continue to ensure that the market is stable. The global market has to be stable in order for Nigeria to be able to attract investors. If there’s volatility, if there’s no stability in the market, it will only create havoc for everybody, whether it’s a producer or consumer country.
“ So, we will continue to do that in OPEC. We count on Nigeria’s support”, the OPEC helmsman said.
In his remarks, Kyari said NNPC was working very hard to recover lost production and provide the right fiscal environment to attract investments.
He expressed appreciation to
OPEC for its support to Nigeria, adding that NNPC Ltd will continue to support the organization in whatever way it could.
Other speakers on the third day of the programme yesterday were: The Chairman, IPPG, Mr. Abdurazaq Isa, the Chairman, Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS) and Chairman, Shell, Mr. Osagie Okunbor and Group Managing Director, Gambia National Petroleum Commission, Mr. Baboucarr Njie. Others included: General Manager, Strategy and Investments, Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, Dr. Kwame Baah-Nuakoh; Chief Geoscientist, National Petroleum Corporation of Nambia, Mr. Anthony Chatu, among many others.
According to him, the NCC, as a regulator of the telecom sector in the country, carries out its functions to ensure service availability, accessibabe affordability, and sustainability for all categories of consumers, who are leveraging on ICT/Telecoms to drive personal and business activities.
"It may interest you to know that as of 2023, the telecoms industry's contribution to the nation's GDP stood at 13.5% (Source - Nigerian Gross Domestic Product Report November 2023-A publication of the National Bureau of Statistics).
"Conversely, as we promote economic growth through development of local content, we must also address the challenges faced by consumers and NCC is committed to protecting their rights while ensuring their satisfaction.
"We therefore encourage businesses and service providers to
prioritise customer satisfaction and uphold the highest standards of service delivery," Maida said.
Meanwhile, telecoms subscribers, yesterday, thronged the offices of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and that of telecoms operators nationwide to either register NIN or revalidate their SIM-NIN linkage, following the commencement of total disconnection of SIM cards not properly registered, or linked to NIN.
THISDAY went round some of the offices in Lagos, yesterday and saw a large crowd of telecoms subscribers,who were looking frustrated because their SIM cards hadbeen barred from both receiving calls and making calls.
In a related development, MainOne, an Equinix Company, has announced its pivotal role in the historic landing of the first submarine cable system in Akwa Ibom State, outside of Lagos State, where other submarine cables have landed.
The collaboration marked a significant milestone in enhancing broadband connectivity and driving economic development in the South-south, and South-east and North-central.
Juliet Akoje in Abuja
The House of Representatives, yesterday, rejected the report of its Ad–hoc Committee that investigated the circumstances surrounding the acquisition of OVH Energy by NNPC limited.
The House Ad-Hoc committee was mandated to Investigate the circumstances surrounding the acquisition of OVH Energy by NNPC Limited, the irregularities and alleged corruption in the Nigeria energy security provider, NNPC Retail Limited and the Acquisition of OVH Energy Marketing.
The report was then stepped down and the motion by Hon.
Ibrahim Isiaka to shift the responsibilities of the investigation to the House Committee on Petroleum Downstream was then voted on and adopted.
Chairman of the Committee of the Whole, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, then called on the House committee on Petroleum Downstream while conducting its investigation to be mindful of the the real issues on irregularities, corruption, and integrate due process and report back to the House in 4 weeks.
The Committee when asked if the details of the takeover and management of the company was in relation to NNPCL, the reply was that the committee could not
truly verify.
Kalu further asked if financial manipulations and fraud were truly uncovered by the Ad-Hoc committee, it was then revealed that the report was not signed or contributed to by any other member of the committee except the chairman.
Hon. Awaji Abiante during his remark stated that members did not have the report to consider, only recommendations, adding that they needed to have the report to be able to make informed decisions on the matter.
Isiaka also stated that evidence showed that thorough work was not done by the Ad-Hoc committee as the timeframe was short for it to
A Special Offences Court in Ikeja has sentenced a man, Emeka Ojugbeh, to one year imprisonment for fraudulently representing himself as a White man online and defrauding the members of the public.
Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe, on Wednesday, gave Ojugbeh an option of payment of N500,000 with 50 hours of community service.
The judge sentenced Ojugbeh after he pleaded guilty to a count charge of being in possession of a fraudulent document containing false pretence. The offence is contrary to Section 320 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abubakar Dambuwa, told the court that the defendant had, sometime in August 2023, falsely represented himself as a White man online, an identity he conducted multiple deals with.
Dambuwa told the court that the defendant benefited $2,000 from his victims.
He told the court that operatives of the EFCC received credible intelligence of an account engaged in cybercrime which led operatives to arrest Ojugbeh.
The prosecutor said Ojugbeh had an iPhone 12 Pro Max and an HP EliteBook Laptop in his possession upon his Dambuwaarrest.said: “When the iPhone 12 Pro Max and Laptop that were owned by the defendant, the EFCC discovered several fraudulent documents in Google email addresses named after the White man he represented himself as.”
He said the EFCC printed out
the fraudulent documents found in the email addresses after which the defendant volunteered a confessional statement while in custody.
Dambuwa told the court that the defendant had applied for a plea bargain and ‘restituted’ N500,000 to the EFCC in two tranches of N250,000.
Dambuwa presented the judge with the defendant’s extrajudicial statement, the bundle of fraudulent documents printed from Gmail addresses, two managers cheques, the iPhone 12 Pro max and the HP EliteBook Laptop and asked that they be entered into evidence, which Abike-Fadipe did.
The defence counsel, Bimbo Adebayo-Ogunlaja, did not object to the prosecution counsel’s application to tender the materials in evidence.
The EFCC counsel asked the judge to convict the defendant and order that he forfeit the iPhone 12 Pro Max phone and HP EliteBook Laptop that was recovered from him to the federal government.
The judge, Abike-Fadipe, questioned Ojugbeh on his offence and after she was satisfied that he understood the guilty plea he took, convicted him of possessing documents containing false pretence, contrary to Section 320 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State. She asked the convict what he had to say after his conviction, and he apologised to the court.
The convict, Ojugbeh, said: “I am very sorry that I chose this path. I promise to never go back.”
In the allocutus by the defence counsel, Adebayo-Ogunlaja, she told the court to temper justice with mercy and consider that the convict pleaded guilty without wasting the time of the court.
Abike-Fadipe sentenced the convict to one-year imprisonment with an option of 500, 000 fine plus 50 hours of community service.
She said: “Should the convict choose community service, the correctional services shall report his progress to the court.”
“On any day he misses the hour of community service, he shall serve out the remainder of the time in a custodial centre,” she added.
The judge said the convict would also forfeit his iPhone 12 Pro Max phone and HP EliteBook Laptop which he used to commit the crime to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
be thorough in its investigations. He proposed that the work be transferred to the House committee on Petroleum Resources Downstream for a more thorough job to be done.
Furthermore, Hon. Philip called for caution in adopting the report as it would be akin to the House either acting in ignorance or in coalition to cover up heinous acts and making
the House look as an accomplice to this mega National fraud. He called for thorough investigation and prosecution of the perpetrators of the crime.
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
Vice President Kashim Shettima has inaugurated the newly constituted board of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) with a charge on the board members to introduce innovations in hajj operations in Nigeria.
Speaking during the inauguration of the new board at the State House in Abuja yesterday, the vice president urged members to synergise and bring fresh perspectives to the operations of the commission.
Shettima stressed that serving on the NAHCON board is very important given that “Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam”.
He said: “For you, beyond your appointment, it is a win-win situation because if you serve the pilgrims well, almighty Allah will compensate you in the year after. So, it is more of a religious duty than an administrative function,” he emphasised.
Speaking further about the composition of the new board and the task ahead of them, the vice president said the president deliberately picked people with diverse backgrounds
and untainted by the past.
He stated that this is so that they can bring fresh perspectives and innovations to Hajj operations in Nigeria and also interrogate the management structure of the organisation and bring out the best from the staff.
He added: “As usual, you will encounter a lot of challenges but I will urge you to fuse into a single force and achieve our desired result. I will urge you to wear your thinking caps and come up with robust solutions that will satisfy Nigerian pilgrims.
“It is a very tough assignment; this is the nature of pilgrimage. But I want you to have it at the back of your minds that you are rendering service to God and humanity".
Shettima particularly urged the new management to improve on the Hajj Savings Scheme to boost the number of pilgrims participating in the exercise across the country.
He added: “There are states that have become success stories in the Hajj Savings Scheme, and there is a need for greater advocacy so that this scheme can be replicated across the country.”
He further challenged the board to engage our agents and operations partners to foster a longer-term relationship so that they can make significant capital investment in operations in the Holy Land.
Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the new board, Mallam Jalal Arabi, thanked the president and vice president for finding them worthy of service to the nation through the NAHCON board.
He said given the importance of the task ahead of them, the new board would work as a team to improve Hajj operations in Nigeria, assuring that pilgrims will get value for their money.
The NAHCON boss said his team had already commenced work with a visit to Saudi Arabia to inspect facilities ahead of the forthcoming operations.
The newly constituted board comprises Aliu Abdulrazaq (Commissioner, Policy, Personnel, & Finance), Prince Anofi Elegushi (Commissioner, Operations), and Prof. Abubakar Yagawal
Planning & Research).
Sunday Ehigiator
A professional Nurse with over 20 years of practice, and President, Alumni Association of the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Yale, Mr. Okeke Chinedu, has condemned the Nursing Verification Guidelines recently introduced by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN), saying it goes against all available nursing regulations, including the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) Act of 1979, and the International Council of Nurses Regulations.
The House of Representatives had on Tuesday, halted the implementation of the controversial revised guidelines for verification of certificates of nursing and midwifery
issued by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.
The resolution by the lawmakers was passed as a sequel to the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Hon. Patrick Umoh, who frowned at the circumstances surrounding the revised regulations.
Okeke, while speaking during an interview on a television programme, said regulatory compliance issue was why Nigerian nurses are where they are today.
According to him, “Nursing as a profession is a regulated profession, just like medical practice, physiotherapy, pharmacy, etc. This means that before you can practice in any jurisdiction as a nurse, you must meet the regulatory requirements of that
jurisdiction. So this is a requirement to practice in any jurisdiction as a nurse.
“The definition of nursing by the International Council of Nurses (ICN) is professionalism encompasses the development of a nursing identity; it embraces values and integrity. Altruism, and inclusivity, this is actually according to the ICN.
“The American College of Nurses defined the profession as a body which requires a specialised body of knowledge. That being said, nursing has a well-defined body of theoretical knowledge. But if you go to the Nursing and Midwifery Law of the UK, they said Professionalism is characterised by autonomous evidence-based decision-making.
“But in the 1979 NMC Act, it is
interesting to see that section 2i of the act says that one registered medical practitioner, who shall be a qualified gynecologist, and obstetrician, will serve on that membership sit for 3 years. “That means we have removed the autonomy from nursing and placed medical practitioners into membership of the board.”
According to Okeke, “Based on the definition of the ICN, NMC UK, and given that of the American College of Nurses, we are supposed to be a profession. But the Nigerian constitution and NMCN Act of 1979, have denied us nurses the right to be a profession. So we are not a profession as far as they are concerned in Nigeria.
L-R: Elejigbo of Langbasa Land, His Royal Majesty, Oba Hafeez Olakunle Badiru; Olu of Sangotede Land, Eti-Osa, His Royal Majesty, Oba Saliu Olufumi, Permanent Secretary and Solicitor General, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Titilayo Shitta-Bay-Jeje; Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ministry of Justice, Lawal Pedro,SAN, and Permanent Secretary, Land Bureau, Mr. Kamal Olowoshago, at the stakeholders’ meeting on land grabbers, Eti-Osa Division, in Lagos… recently etOP uKutt
Blessing ibunge in Port harcourt
Operatives of the 6 Division, Nigerian Army Port Harcourt has, again, uncovered over 40 illegal local wells containing crude oil in Rumuekpe community, Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The troops uncovered the illegal dugout wells during a sweep and clear operation on the Trans Niger
Delta Pipeline (TNP) led by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division, Major General Jamal Abdussalam.
THISDAY observed during the operation that the wells, which mostly were 12 by 12 in both width and length sizes, about 40 feet in depth.
Addressing journalists at the illegal site, Major General Abdussalam revealed that oil
Operatives of the Benue State Police Command have arrested and paraded three suspected armed robbers who killed a National Youth Service Corps member, Irene Chioma Emmanuel.
The command also paraded 12 other suspects for various crimes ranging from kidnapping, robbery, and gun manufacturing.
The Benue State Commissioner of Police (CP), Emmanuel Adesina, who briefed reporters yesterday while parading the suspects, said the corps member was slain while attempting to shield her laptop
from being forcefully taken away by the suspects.
He said the suspects admitted to taking part in the robbery and murder of the corps member.
Adesina added that three other suspected bandits killed and buried one Aornen Kpor, a member of the Benue State Volunteer Guard, in a shallow grave after kidnapping him.
He explained that on January 24, reports surfaced of armed bandits who were thought to be led by one Chen and another named Iorpuu Ayangeer who blocked the Tse-Kperse, NaindoZaki-Biam road.
KuniTyessiinabuja
The federal government, through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has disclosed that it would establish over 24 skills and innovation centers across the country to assist Nigerians to boost productivity.
The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, stated this in Abuja on Tuesday, when he paid a visit to Innov8 Hub, along critical stakeholders including the Executive Secretary of TETfund, Mr. Sonny Echono.
Innov8 is a focal point for
Innovation Start-up Incubation, Technology Transfer, Knowledge & Skill Impartation, Prototype Development and Fabrication.
It would be recalled that TETFundi s currently partnering with Innov8 Hub for practical training and mentorship for Nigerian youths and academics with a view to producing employable graduates and boosting research.
Speaking during the visit, Mammam said that the plan to provide 24 skills centers across the country is to give equal opportunities to all Nigerian childrens wherever they are.
Gideon arinzeinenugu
No fewer than 5,104 dry season farmers in Enugu State have benefited from the Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Programme Phase One (ATASP-1) water pumps for irrigation farming.
The 5,104 dry season farmers who fall within 52 farming clusters were selected from the Adani and Omor farming zone.
Presenting the 52 water pumping machines yesterday, Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation in the state, Patrick Ubru, said that the gesture
was the first step of ensuring that Enugu State becomes the hub of food production in the country.
Ubru said that the governor Peter Mbah-led administration had resolved to support farmers and subsidize every effort to ensure food production and quality valuechain addition on farm produce in the state.
“We want you to utilise all you have learnt in terms of good agronomy practices from ATASP for you to increase your yield this season as the state government has a target of one million metric tons of rice,” he said.
thieves in the area had invented a technique of digging deep into the ground until they reached the crude oil, adding that it is another scope to the fight against oil theft.
He explained that the discovery is a new dimension and an eyeopener in the war against oil theft and illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta region.
“If you are not here, you may not believe what we are seeing. In this area, our troops have discovered more than 40 dugouts and these dugouts are not meant
to access pipelines, they are dug out directly into the ground like well and surprisingly have access to crude oil. This is the first time I’ve seen this type of thing.
James sowole in abeokuta
Youth groups under the aegis of Coalition of Ogun Youth Forums (COYF), yesterday, presented 11-point agenda that could mitigate effects of the current economic hardship on residents of the state to Governor Dapo Abiodun.
The COYF asked the Ogun
State Government to initiate a clear cut mechanism that would capture the youth constituency in its various interventions and measures meant to mitigate the effects of the current economic situation in the country.
The coalition, which is made up of over 30 youth groups, presented the proposal at a news conference
held at Iwe Iroyin, Abeokuta, the state’s capital. Addressing journalists, the Coordinator of COYF, Mr. Sodeinde Daniel, who was flanked by the Secretary, Mr. Kazeem Baiyewu and COYF Spokesperson, Mr. Fẹmi Owoeye, said that the average, self-employed and out of school youth is not directly
captured in the initiative. Sodeinde said: “Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun, we commend your leadership and commitment to the welfare of Ogun State residents. Your efforts in prioritising the development of our state have not gone unnoticed, and we recognised the strides made under your administration.
sunday Okobi
The Human Rights Monitoring Agenda (HURMA Global Resource Initiative) has commended the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef O. Fagbemi (SAN), for his exemplary performance in a relatively short period in office.
It noted that Fagbemi’s “unwavering commitment to the rule of law and the constitution since taking office has garnered admiration for Nigeria on the international stage. We at Human Rights Monitoring Agenda (HURMA) express our appreciation for your contributions to the advancement of the rule
of law, justice, and human rights in the best interests of Nigerians. The masses-based human rights and anti-corruption organisation committed to equity and justice in its service to humanity, said in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Buna Olaitan Isiak, that it has closely “observed your dedicated service and ethical
conduct since assuming the role of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice. Your exemplary performance in a relatively short tenure is commendable.
“Your office has demonstrated a sophisticated and responsible approach to upholding the rule of law and justice.”
Bassey inyang in Calabar
About 30,000 former agitators in the Niger Delta region have been economically empowered through the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) established by the federal government to calm down militant agitation by youths in the foremost Nigeria’s oil
producing region. The disclosure was made in Calabar by one of the leaders of the former agitators, and Chairman of the PAP Phase 2, Olutu Wanemi, who said the feat has been achieved under the current tenure of the Interim Administration of the PAP led by Major-General Barry Tariye
Michael Olugbode in abuja
Members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament should emerge through election conducted directly for such purpose other than being selected from member
states Assemblies, a Nigerian lawmaker, Sen. Tolu Odebiyi, has advised.
Odebiyi, who is also a member of ECOWAS Parliament, gave the advice in a chat with journalists in Abuja shortly after return from Freetown, Sierra Leone, where he had attended
Ndiomu (rtd).
Wanemi, who spoke at an interactive session facilitated by the PAP office for leaders of PAP Phase 2, described the empowerment policy as a welcome development.
He said the cooperative programme should be sustained, alongside the PAP scholarship initiative.
Commending Ndiomu for succeeding so far in running the affairs of the PAP, Wanemi said: “None of the leaders had earlier thought of empowering the entire 30,000 beneficiaries. But we were shocked when the interim administrator came on board and introduced the cooperative scheme to accommodate everybody.
the 2024 Extra-Ordinary Session of the Parliament. He said there is an urgent need for ECOWAS Parliament to have its members elected directly through universal adult suffrage, as against the current practice of nominating the members through the existing national
parliaments of member states. He said that direct elections into the Parliament would ensure the autonomy and independence of the regional parliament in line with the provisions of the 2016 Supplementary Act Relating to the Enhancement of the Powers of the ECOWAS Parliament.
Hammed shittu in Ilorin
The Kwara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday berated the Ilorin Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the ongoing travails of the former
Governor of the state, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, and former state Commissioner for Finance, Hon. Demola Banu.
The party noted that: “The charges filed against Governor Ahmed and Banu are virtually the same charges the EFCC had in 2020, declared to be baseless
and unfounded which led to the discharge of Banu in 2020. A statement issued in Ilorin yesterday and signed by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Mr. Olusola Adewara, however, said: “And in our estimation, it is utterly laughable to allege that two individuals diverted
Kwara State resources for merely performing their constitutional responsibilities and duties.”
The statement also accused the EFCC of engaging in blackmail and sensationalism in the agency’s prosecution of Ahmed and Banu.
Kasim sumainainabuja
The Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Dauda Biu, yesterday urged the commanders to go after trailers plying the high ways loaded with human beings and animals, due to the increasing rates of road crashes
involving over loaded trailers and lorries.
Biu gave the order at the first quarter of the strategy session with commanding officers at the headquarters of the FRSC in Abuja.
He said the corps analysis revealed that vehicles carrying animals, goods, and people,
interstate buses, and mass transit systems remain significant contributors to road accidents and fatalities.
According to him, addressing these specific categories of vehicles requires targeted interventions and a multifaceted approach.
He further identified some other
challenges facing the Corps, stating that: “The issue of non-adherence to traffic lights, particularly in the country’s capital, is a cause for concern.
“Such blatant disregard for traffic regulations not only endangers lives but also undermines the credibility of our enforcement efforts.”
L-R: Director General; Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN); Mr. Segun Ajayi-Kadir; President of MAN, Otunba Francis Meshioye; Vice President, Lagos Zone, Prince Felix Oba-Okojie; Chairperson, Corporate Affairs and Strategic Planning Committee (CASPC), Mrs Kofo Akinkugbe, and Director, Corporate Services Division, Mr Ambrose Oruche, at the 8th edition of the MAN Reporter of the Year Award/ Presidential Media luncheon in Lagos…recently SUNDAY ADIGUN
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has assured Nigerians that the seeming hardship in the country will soon be a thing of the past, saying Nigeria is going through a gestation period of economic restructuring and reforms.
Speaking yesterday at the
launch of the Nigeria Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) Seismic Monitoring Station-5, Alake assured Nigerians of the commitment of President Bola Tinubu to revamp the economy and put it on a pedestal for sustainable growth.
Going down memory lane to the experience in Lagos State, the minister stressed that the
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Delta State gubernatorial aspirant, Chief Sunny Onuesoke, has appealed to governors of the states in South-south geo-political zone to revive the moribund
BRACED (Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Delta) Commission for economic development, integration and regional security.
The commission was formed in 2010 after a week-long first SouthSouth Economic Summit held at Tinapa in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, which was attended
by all the governors of the six states of the region in 2009. It was established to foster regional economic cooperation and integration to achieve sustainable development through the development of a strong regional economy for the collective benefit of the people of the South-south, and invigorate the process of regional economic cooperation and integration.
Appealing for the revival of the commission in a statement yesterday, Onuesoke noted that the objectives and importance of the commission could not be overemphasised in view of the present economic reality in Nigeria.
MichaelOlugbodeinabuja
The Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Jamie Christoff, has emphasised the need to partner the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) for a mutually beneficial cxaxaollaboration with regards to migration management between the two countries.
The Canadian envoy stated this during a visit to NiDCOM Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa, in Abuja.
He said: “I understand the impact of large diaspora groups and their contributions in Canada. Nigeria
diaspora is among our top five migrant groups and also a central pillar in Nigeria’s economy. It is important for us to help these Nigerians migrate regularly.”
Christoff added that there is a need for the two to synergise and breach the gap in expectations of Nigerians, especially those going with the best intentions so as to showcase the best of Nigeria.
The envoy said: “This can be achieved through regular engagements with Nigerians, knowledge and information sharing on the right steps to regular migration and what to expect in Canada.”
Ugo Aliogo
The NNPC E&P Limited/ Seplat Energy Joint Venture (JV) has graduated 331 teachers and 27 Chief Inspectors of Education (CIE) at the 2024 edition of the Seplat JV Education Summit and Seplat Teachers Empowerment Programme (STEP) graduation ceremony for Edo and Delta States.
In a statement issued yesterday, it was noted that the events held in Benin-city, Edo State, were hinged on the Joint Venture’s continued quest to contribute towards the improvement of quality education
in the communities and states where Seplat Energy operates, and by extension, Nigeria. Public and private school teachers were beneficiaries of the programme. The statement also noted that STEP was designed to promote teacher’s creative thinking, provide training on teaching applications for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM), provide leadership and selfimprovement training, allow for higher student’s engagement, and offer a well-rounded education for recipients of the programme.
then Governor Bola Tinubu in 1999 met a state that was almost insolvent with a N600milliom monthly Internally Generated
Revenue (IGR) and a wage bill of over N1.1bilion monthly, with little or no resources to cater to infrastructure and other sectors
of the economy. He said: “President Tinubu took similar measures he is taking in Nigeria, in Lagos, to turn the
tide and financially re-engineer the state, and today, the state is the fifth largest economy in Africa, bigger than most African countries.
Sunday Aborisade in abuja
The Senate yesterday summoned the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and the FCT Commissioner of Police, Benneth Igweh, over insecurity.
The Senate said the invitation had become necessary to enable
both Wike and Igweh to brief it in a closed session concerning the spate of security breaches in the FCT and measures being taken to address the menace.
The red chamber also observed a minute silence in honour of those killed in the territory by bandits and kidnappers.
The resolutions of the Senate followed its consideration and adoption of a motion titled: ‘Galadimawa kidnap incident and need to urgently enhance security measures in FCT, Nigeria’.
The motion was sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko (PDP -Delta North).
The Senate, by the motion, also urged the Inspector-General of Police (IG) to see to the installation of CCTV cameras in strategic locations within and around Abuja, highways, and other major capital cities across the country to bolster surveillance and deter criminal activities.
Seriki Adinoyi in Jos Troops of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), a military special task force maintaining peace in Plateau State, have rejected a N1.5 million bribe from suspected cattle rustlers in the state.
Media Officer of the task force,
Capt. James Oya, disclosed this in a statement made available yesterday in Jos.
Oya said the troops attached to its Sector 4 also arrested the two suspected rustlers who offered them bribes.
He explained that the eight personnel, who rejected the bribe were not only commended but
rewarded by the Commander of the operation, Maj-Gen. Abdusalam Abubakar.
Captain Oya said: “OPSH has rewarded eight of its personnel for rejecting a N1.5 million bribe from suspected cattle rustlers in Plateau State.
“The eight personnel deployed in OPSH Sector four intercepted
30 rustled cows at a checkpoint near Bisichi in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of the state.
“The cattle, belonging to one Shehu Umar, were rustled in Mangu and were being transported to an undisclosed location when intercepted by the troops on a stop-and-search operation.
Okon Bassey in uyo
An 84-year-old land tussle between Ikot Itie Idung/ Ikot Edong in Nsit Atai Local Government Area and Ekpene Ukim in Uruan Local Government Area has been resolved by the Akwa Ibom State Government through the State Boundary
Committee. A ceremonial tree planting exercise signaling the end of the dispute, which reportedly began in 1940, was held to demarcate the boundaries between the communities.
Speaking at the event, the state Deputy Governor and Chairman of the State Boundary Committee,
Senator Akon Eyakenyi, lauded stakeholders from the communities for their decision to embrace peace, pointing out that the administration of Governor Umo Eno remains committed to enduring peace in the state.
While describing Nsit Atai and Uruan as key local government areas in the development of the
state, the deputy governor said the peace deal will create room for economic development and youth employment in the two local government areas.
According to him, “Geographical proximity makes it imperative for us to share our lives, inter-marry and share children and grandchildren.”
The Pro-Chancellor of Olivia University, Burundi, Mr. Paul Chukwuma, has paid for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) registration forms for 500 indigent students in Anambra State.
Chukwuma, a philanthropist and businessman, told journalists that the gesture was part of a larger
initiative by him and Olivia University to promote education in Africa. He said he understood how difficult things are for most families, especially with the current economic situation, and decided to assist students desirous of furthering their education but limited.
“I was not born with a silver
spoon. I understand the fact that many students cannot afford to pay for their UTME fees which will ultimately kill their dreams.
“My desire is to help these students to also achieve their dreams and contribute to national development. This is just a part of a larger initiative, which Olivia University, Burundi,
plans to undertake in Africa.
“Education is the most desirous transferable asset any generation needs to succeed. It has been proven that education unlocks innovation and productivity and guarantees generational productivity, and this is my vision for Anambra State, Nigeria and Africa,” he said.
Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri
Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has flagged off the distribution of food items to over 100,000 households in the state capital, Maiduguri, and its environs as well as Jere Local Government Area.
The distribution, according to
a statement issued yesterday, was aimed at mitigating the hardship triggered by the rising costs of food items and other essential commodities.
Zulum performed the symbolic presentation of the palliative yesterday at the Maiduguri Sports Centre, the venue of the distribution exercise.
Each of the 100,000 households received one bag of 25kg rice and another bag of 25kg maize.
Speaking to journalists after flagging off the distribution, Zulum emphasised the need for continued support to the people with a view to tackling the hardship in the country.
The governor reiterated his
administration’s commitment to prioritising the welfare of the people, especially those facing extreme hardship as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency.
He said: “We are here today to flag off the distribution of food items to 100,000 heads of households from Maiduguri metropolitan and its environs.
The family of the late Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc, Herbert Wigwe, has announced his burial arrangements, ostensibly excluding the Redeemed Christian Church Of God (RCCG), City of David Parish, Lagos, from the funeral programme.
Wigwe died alongside his
wife, Chizoba, and son, Chizi, in a helicopter crash in California, the United States on February 9, 2024. The former Group Chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (NGX Group), Abimbola Ogunbanjo, was also aboard the ill-fated helicopter, with all passengers confirmed dead.
The family of the late businessman in the funeral announcement said the burial rites would commence with a celebration of the professional legacy of Wigwe at the Eko Hotel in Lagos on March 4 and will end with an outing service at the Redeemed Christian Church Of
God (RCCG), Lion of Judah Parish, Isiokpo, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State on March 10. The lives of Chizi and Chizoba will be celebrated in separate ceremonies scheduled for March 5 at the Eko Hotel in Lagos, before a night of tribute a day later at the same venue.
Nseobong Okon-Ekong writes that with over 150 leading and reputable companies exhibiting their games, products and services, there are limitless opportunities to win big and surprising prizes in two grand draws-the Modern Lottery Draw and the AGE Lottery Draw at the impending Africa Gaming Expo
It is about 12 days to start the biggest gaming fair ever on the African continent. The organisers of Africa Gaming Expo Limited have given it an ambitious tag as “the largest gathering of stakeholders in the gaming (sports betting, lottery and casino), fintech, banks and investors. Bashir Are, Chief Executive Officer of Lagos State Lottery and Gaming Authority, disclosed in a recent chat with Gaming Week that the event is on the cusp of history.
“We have delegates and speakers from 27 countries. It is bigger than what we envisage,” said Are. “All the largest international companies are exhibiting. BetConstruct, Evolution, Betking, 1Xbet, Betway, Mastercard and FINCRA.”
The expo holds at the Eko Convention Centre in Lagos from March 12 to 15. It aims to facilitate collaboration and exchange of ideas among Industry experts and stakeholders within Africa and the global market. The four-day event, which will run under a wide theme, ‘Exploring the Future of the Africa Gaming Market: Emerging Trends, Prospects and Opportunities’, will feature some of the most illuminating discourses on various subjects.
The expo will start with a keynote address by the chief host, Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu. The
deputy governor of Narok County, Kenya, will also be there, who is expected in his capacity as a special guest.
Other keynote addresses to be delivered at the expo include ‘Entertainment, Gaming and Tourism: A Nexus for Economic Growth’ and ‘Impact of Cryptocurrency, Virtual Reality and Esports on Africa Gaming Market’. This panel gives attendees insight into evolving technologies, their impact, prospects, and efficacy.
The Africa Regulators Forum is a very important highlight of AGE
“It is expected to be a deep-dive presentation on the possibility of unifying gaming standards across several African jurisdictions and what this could mean for reciprocity in enforcement against illegal operators across Africa.”
Lagos 2024. Its discourse will centre on ‘Aggregating Gaming Standards in Africa’. It is expected to be a deepdive presentation on the possibility of unifying gaming standards across several African jurisdictions and what this could mean for reciprocity in enforcement against illegal operators across Africa. Some of the panellists for this session include Are, Beatrice Baiden (head of corporate affairs of the Gaming Commission of Ghana); Paulo Ringote (director-general of Instituto de Supervision de Jougos, Angola); Peter Kasitilwe (CEO of Gambling Authority of Botswana), Caroline Kongwa (Chief Strategic Adviser of the National Gaming Board, South Africa), Denis Ngabirano (CEO of Uganda National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board) and Weldone Koros (Director of Association of Gaming Regulators in Africa).
The Africa Gaming Expo Edition is endorsed by the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority, Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, and the Lagos State Government, in collaboration with the Federation of State Gaming Regulators of Nigeria.
Other discourse attendees are looking forward to will focus on ‘The Adverse Effect of Gaming in Africa: Amplifying Responsible Gambling Advocacy’, ‘Data Protection and AML for Online Gaming: Challenges and Opportunities’ and
‘Africa’s Broadband Expansion: Panacea for Gaming Business Evolution in Africa Panel Discussion’.
Panellists will explore the impact of broadband technology expansion on the gaming landscape in Africa, while the other sessions will facilitate discussions on promoting ways to address the impact of gaming in Africa. Leading gaming industry experts will also discuss salient compliance issues and proffering solutions to the challenges.
With over 150 leading and reputable companies exhibiting their games, products, and services, there are limitless opportunities to win big and surprising prizes in two grand draws: the Modern Lottery Draw and the AGE Lottery Draw.
The organisers promise that AGE Lagos will be quite an experience with loads of leisure activities to feel and touch the sights and vibes of Lagos, Nigeria’s biggest commercial capital. An evening of African music fusion in an upscale lounge, the Maroccaine Bar and Lounge at Akin Ogunlewe Road, Victoria Island, Lagos, is on the cards. Also, there is a tour of the beautiful Megacity of Lagos with visits to the Nike Art Gallery to explore beautiful art pieces by African and International Artists. A visit to Sol Mall – Box Beach and the Good Beach to relax in the tranquil environment.
ADVISORY: +18 PERSONS UNDER 18 MUST NOT PARTICIPATE IN BETTING, GAMING OR LOTTERY ACTIVITY
In the ever-evolving landscape of sports sponsorship, strategic partnerships between major brands and sporting events have become increasingly common. However, one recent deal stands out for its significance and potential impact on the sports betting and football industry: Betano’s sponsorship of Euro 2024, orchestrated in collaboration with UEFA, the governing body of European football. It becomes clear that it represents a strategic move for both parties and the broader sports sponsorship landscape. Davidson Abraham delves into the intricacies of the partnership.
Signed in November 2023, the agreement solidifies Kaizen Gaming, Betano’s parent company, as the exclusive betting partner of Euro 2024. Spanning the entirety of the tournament, scheduled from June 14 to July 14,
2024, across 10 German cities, the partnership offers Betano extensive marketing and branding rights. These include prominent stadium advertising, a robust digital presence, and engaging fan activations, ensuring pervasive visibility throughout the event.
Notably, this venture marks a historic moment as UEFA aligns with a betting company for the Euros for the first time in its history. While this move opens new revenue streams for UEFA and presents Betano with unparalleled exposure to a diverse European audience,
it has not been immune to criticism.
The ramifications of this partnership extend beyond financial gains. From Betano’s perspective, the collaboration presents a golden opportunity to bolster brand recognition and expand its customer
base across the continent. However, concerns regarding the association of gambling with major sporting events have surfaced, sparking debates about responsible gambling practices and potential adverse effects on fans.
To address these concerns, responsible gambling initiatives have been integrated into the agreement, underscoring Betano’s commitment to promoting safe and ethical betting behaviors throughout the tournament. Yet, the broader impact on the sports betting industry remains uncertain, with the potential for increased competition and evolving regulatory landscapes looming large.
While the exact financial details of the Betano and Euro 2024 deal remain undisclosed, industry analysts estimate its worth in the tens of millions of euros, if not more. Leveraging the massive reach and appeal of Euro 2024, Betano stands to gain substantial exposure and potential long-term revenue growth through customer acquisition. Simultaneously, UEFA welcomes a new
revenue stream and expands its audience reach through Betano’s extensive marketing channels.
Drawing parallels with similar partnerships in other sports, such as the NBA’s collaboration with MGM Resorts, underscores the potential magnitude of this deal. Furthermore, Betano’s prior regional partnership with FIFA for the 2022 World Cup, valued at approximately €50 million, provides valuable context for assessing the scale and significance of the Euro 2024 sponsorship.
Betano’s sponsorship of Euro 2024 represents a watershed moment in the intersection of sports and gaming. While the partnership promises substantial benefits for both parties involved, it also prompts critical reflections on the evolving dynamics of sports sponsorship, responsible betting practices, and the broader societal implications of such collaborations. As Euro 2024 approaches, all eyes will be on the pitch but equally on the sidelines, where the impact of this pioneering alliance will undoubtedly be felt.
044 7714
Akeem Lasisi lasaisai@yahoo.com | 08023687884
Vanessa Obioha vaysylver@gmail.com | 08069838305
Davidson Abraham davisiano.adm@gmail.com | +971 56 744 6013
We are today witnessing increasing number of calls for the establishment of State Police forces in Nigeria. These calls have become desperate , because of heightened insecurity made worse by the long history of poor policing in Nigeria. While a decentralized system of policing looks extremely attractive, it is an overly complex process and comes with great risks unless it is well planned, organized, has an oversight system in place, and the reasons for the prevailing poor policing methods addressed before rolling out. The country must be extremely careful not to replicate poor policing in the proposed state police forces.
Before I talk about Policing, I will first consider these two important concepts that relate to the role of the police: security versus public safety. Safety and security are closely interrelated subjects, but they are different. Nigeria has always emphasized security while thinking that safety is less important or that both mean the same. Although safety and security both relate to the protection of lives and assets, a proper understanding of both concepts is important to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of agencies responsible for these functions. I will highlight the basic difference between the two concepts. Safety is the protection against hazards, i.e., accidents that are unexpected and unintentional while security is the state of being protected or protection against threats that are unexpected and intentional. The goal of both security and safety is to create a safe and secure environment for both Nigerians and foreigners. Though the basic underlying idea of both safety and security is to protect the assets (whether a person or an organization) by creating safe, secure, risk-free conditions, security pertains more to protection against criminal activities, and employing a guard, security officers or installing CCTV in your premises are provisions under security. On the other hand, safety is the protection against hazards which are unintentional and includes protection against medical and other hazards. They require employing additional personnel such as fire fighters, and paramedics. Therefore, to ensure the safety and security of human lives and assets, a network or security architecture must be developed to ensure a safe and secure environment conduce for economic and national development. Now that these two concepts have been explained, let us look at the policing function.
The Police as an organization is extremely important because it is responsible for preventing crime, protecting the public and enforcing the law. As a law enforcement agency, the police must ensure criminal justice with other government agencies such as the court system and the corrections/prisons service. To achieve these goals, the structure of the policing system is particularly important. There are two major formations in the police system worldwide and these are centralized and decentralized. These two major police structures are not beyond criticism. Proponents of decentralized policing are quick to point out countries like the United States, but they have failed to pay close attention to critical issues involved such as multiple police jurisdictions, oversight, training, and seamless interagency cooperation and other components of the US decentralized system of policing. Nigeria presently has one tier of policing which is managed by the federal government. This single tier enforces both federal, state, and local laws. The United States has multiple layers which include federal, state, and local levels of policing. State and local police do not enforce federal law while federal agencies enforce federal law. So, it will take a great deal of planning and challenging work by the Federal Ministry of Justice and their state counterparts as well as training to transition to a decentralized system of policing and law enforcement. It cannot be an overnight process and so in the meantime, the federal government can begin by restructuring, and reorganizing federal agencies, and then setting up the framework for the existence of state and local agencies, building public safety and security infrastructure that will support policing. Let us consider an example of a situation that will arise if this decentralization is not carefully planned and organized. Which of the agencies will be responsible for election security during elections? Is election security a federal or state issue? Let us keep in mind that the party that controls the federal government may be different from the party that controls the state police. Election in Nigeria is governed by federal law therefore it seems to me federal law enforcement agencies will be responsible for election security. What happens if a suspect flees and crosses a state’s boundary/state line? A state’s police have jurisdiction only within its
president Bola tinubu
boundaries. When do federal police step in to assist? There are several other scenarios that could come up and so decentralization must be planned and well organized since this is unchartered area for Nigeria to avoid conflicts which could be violent and lead to unpleasant consequences. Establishment of state police forces will eventually lead to the phasing out of the existing national police force. The FG should consider setting up a highly specialized, equipped and trained federal agency like the FBI. While trying to reform policing in Nigeria, we must strive to reduce the vulnerability of police personnel to corruption and do away with existing colonial structures such as the police service commission.
Policing in the USA has evolved from what it used to be from around 1626. Both the public police and private security companies play crucial roles in maintaining safety and security, but I will examine public policing first. Today, Policing in the United States is highly decentralized and specialized, and it is an information-based system that tracks and maps crime patterns and trends and held accountable for dealing with crime problems in their areas of jurisdiction. To better understand a decentralized policing system, I will briefly present and overview of policing in the United States. Policing in the United States is conducted by 18,000 agencies and at various levels. The size of these agencies varies and ranges from one person to 40,000 officers. Every state has its own nomenclature for agencies, and their powers, responsibilities and funding vary from state to state. For example, some states may use the nomenclature “STATE POLICE” for their highway patrol while others may use “ STATE HIGHWAY PATROL” while the personnel are referred to as “STATE
TROOPERS.” At the county level, some counties use the nomenclature COUNTY POLICE and others simply “COUNTY SHERRIF.”
At the federal level, Federal Law Enforcement Agencies have full federal authority and nationwide jurisdiction to enforce federal laws. The Department of Justice (DOJ) is responsible for most law enforcement duties at the federal level. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is under the DOJ and the director reports to the Attorney General of the United States who is also the Chief Law Enforcement Officer.
Interestingly in Nigeria, the Chief Law Enforcement Officer is the Inspector General of Police as Nigeria’s Attorney General is simply the Chief Law Officer. It is interesting to observe that state governors do not have immunity from criminal prosecution in the United States.
Every state in the US has its own set of law enforcement agencies with statewide jurisdiction that are responsible for enforcing state laws. One of such agencies is known as the State Bureau of Investigation(SBI) which is the equivalent of the FBI in the states. The number of law enforcement agencies each state has varies from state to state. The state DOJ works to prevent crime and support law enforcement, to safeguard consumers, and to defend the State, its people, and their constitutional rights. In addition, the state DOJ sets law enforcement training standards and curriculum and as well as the certification of law enforcement officers.
At the county level the county police are responsible for policing rural and unincorporated areas of the over 3000 (three thousand) counties in the United States. On the other hand, municipal police or city policy
departments maintain public safety and respond to various incidents within their jurisdiction, including violent crimes, property crimes, traffic offenses, and public disturbances. These agencies serve as an essential part of community policing and law enforcement efforts. There are other special purpose police departments such as college police, school district police, airport police, hospital police.
Training is also a huge part of policing in the USA from basic law enforcement training academies to other types of police academies. Basic Law Enforcement Training Academies are typically non-residential and prepare their students for board certifications.
The 911 Emergency Communications Centers is considered the backbone of police patrol operations in the United States. Alongside this is the criminal justice information system. These are outside the scope of this article.
Now I will briefly examine the role of private security companies in the United States. Private security companies support their clients to successfully solve security challenges. They provide their clients with strategic services they need to stay safe and informed. Their clients include businesses, individuals, and organizations. Their personnel or officers include both armed and unarmed and their strategic services include body protection bodyguard services. Private security officers are well trained and certified to perform their duties. In addition, they depend on technology to coordinate their operations and response.
Just before decentralization of policing in Nigeria, there are important and immediate steps to be taken to improve police performance and emergency response. The federal government must permit private security companies to carry weapons. Only personnel who have been trained should be licensed to bear firearms. Empowering private security companies will allow the Nigeria Police to withdraw its personnel from private body protection duties immediately.
The abuse of sirens must end, and motorists must yield to emergency vehicles responding to emergencies once these vehicles activate their sirens. This is a key enforcement action that must take place now on Nigeria highways. The Nigerian Communications Communication must facilitate Emergency Communication Centers in the 774 local government areas and urban cities to enable the flow of information from the public to the call centers and to field operations.
The Federal Government should consider sending police trainers to attend train -the -trainer courses overseas for firearms training and marksmanship. These trainers will then return to Nigeria to retrain police men. All police officers must be equipped with police duty gear and the standard firearm issue as well as body protective armor. Police patrol operations management is critical to the success of police patrol operations. A Fleet Fuel Management System is essential for police patrol operations. This will ensure effective police patrol operations in cities and towns.
The Federal Road Safety Commission being responsible for registration of motor vehicles in Nigeria must ensure that the license plates on vehicles readily reveal information of the vehicle owners to patrol officers to enable them to make informed decisions.
To promote community policing, the federal government must begin to phase out police barracks and police officers assisted to rent or purchase their homes. Minimum educational requirements to employ an entry level police officer should not be less a school certificate and a criminal background check. Hiring of former terrorists cannot be supported on any grounds whatsoever. Every state that licenses private security and law enforcement officers must have specific training curriculum and a state electronic registry of these personnel. I have proposed the establishment of the equivalent of the FBI in Nigeria as the first steps towards phasing out the Nigeria Police. This process must include creating an Automated Fingerprint Information System (AFIS) and a training academy for federal law enforcement.
I have discussed some of the immediate actions the federal government must take while planning decentralization. There needs to be a reassessment and rationalization of existing agencies and then a decision taken to retain or scrap those that are unnecessary duplications. One of the major recommendations is to create an agency equivalent to the federal bureau of investigations and then dissolve the federal road safety commission and return the function to the states.
•Emmanuel Obi is a professor of cybersecurity and public affairs analyst and writes from North Carolina.
Nigerian international striker, Victor Osimhen, scored his second hattrick in Italian Serie A to take him goals to double figures this season as Napoli defeated Sassuolo 6-1 in a rescheduled fixture.
Osimhen who has been on scorer’s card since returning to Italy after helping Nigeria to finish as runners up at the AFCON 2023 in
NOC’s Women’s Commission Supports Team Nigeria Ahead African Games
The Nigeria Olympic Committee Women Commission (NOCWC), yesterday donated some items to Team Nigeria athletes in camp preparing for the forthcoming 13th Africa Games in Ghana.
The presentation was made by Ms. Tayo Kuburat Popoola a member of the Commission on behalf of the Chairperson of Women Commission, Prof. Florence Adeyanju at the Lagos camp site inside the Brai Ayonote Boxing Complex, National Stadium Surulere, Lagos. .
According to her, the donation was the Commission's little way of boosting the morale of Team Nigeria athletes ahead of the continental sporting fiesta.
The items donated mainly toiletries, were received by the Lagos Camp Commandant, Mr. Femi Ajao on behalf of the athletes with the support of Mrs. Nkana Mbora, the Federal Ministry of Sports Development official in charge of the Lagos Laison office.
With the athletes scattered in various camps across the country, only five sports are camped in Lagos. They include; Cricket, Handball, Mix Martial Arts, Table Tennis and Triathlon.
Côte d’Ivoire, put Napoli in front at 2-1 in the 31st minute. He scored his brace 10 minutes later, before he made the game safe for his club two minutes after the restart.
Osimhen also provided the assist for Napoli fifth goal. Incidentally, the Nigerian top
striker’s first hat-trick in Italy was against the same Sassuolo last season. Osimhen has now scored 11 goals this season.
He has now netted five goals in three matches since his return from the recent AFCON with the Super Eagles.
Osimhen’s teammate Khvicha
Kvaratskhelia bagged a brace of his own as Napoli come from behind to win their game in hand 6-1 and reignite hopes of European football.
The win lifted Napoli above Lazio in eighth place with 40 points from 26 matches.
However, they remain well outside the six-team bracket for European
11.4, Agboya Peculiar at 12.2, Etim Blessing at 12.4, and Piety Lucky at 14.4).
It took the pair of Salome Sunday and Christabel Chukwuonye to stabilise the team and drive them to the needed five wickets victory. Nigeria finished at 99/5 win, with Shola Adekunle pocketing the N150,000 prize for the Player of
the Match award.
Nigeria’s coach, Leke Oyede, said the team’s bench has taken their learnings from the victories, and also from the loss.
“The event is good for us, and is helping us make tweaks here and there, which I believe is good as we progress and prepare for crucial events ahead.”
Tanzania also picked their second win at the event with a 98-run victory over Sierra Leone on Wednesday, and leaves the West African visiting team as the only team without a win so far.
Matches resume today with Tanzania and Rwanda locking horns at 10:15am while Nigeria takes on Sierra Leone later in the day.
football places.
Elsewhere, Inter Milan continued their march towards the Serie A title with Wednesday's 4-0 thumping of Ademola Lookman’s Atalanta which extended their league lead to 12 points,
Convincing victory in their game in hand at the San Siro took Inter's all-competitions winning streak to 11 matches and left closest rivals Juventus trailing in the distance.
Simone Inzaghi's side were missing key players Francesco Acerbi, Hakan Calhanoglu and Marcus Thuram but it made little difference against one of the division's form teams.
Matteo Darmian got the ball rolling in the 26th minute with his first club goal of the season before Lautaro Martinez scored his 26th on the stroke of halftime with a sensational spin and left-footed hit.
Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions Coach, Song, Fired
Cameroon’s football federation (FECAFOOT) President, Samuel Eto’o Fils, has announced the sacking of Indomitable Lions Coach, Rigobert Song.
The Lions under the watch of Song were knocked out of the AFCON 2023 in Côte d’Ivoire by Super Eagles in the Round of 16 clash.
Eto, a former Cameroon, Barcelona and Inter Milan legend was dissatisfied by the manner the Indomitable Lions were beaten at that stage of the tournament by rival Nigeria.
“We have not achieved our objec-
tives, and our executive committee and I do not see ourselves renewing the contract (with Song),” Eto’o told France 24 on Wednesday morning.
Song, a former international team-mate of Eto’o, was appointed as Cameroon boss in February 2022. He helped the Indomitable Lions to a dramatic play-off victory over Algeria in extra time to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar in 2022. Internal strife that led to number 1 goalkeeper Andre Onana leaving camp prematurely eventually led to Cameroon exiting the mundial earlier than necessary.
The
The second-inning chase for Nigeria started on a good note when Assistant Captain Favour Eseigbe and Esther Sandy soaked the pressure poured out in revenge by Rwanda. Favour and Esther's partnership gave Nigeria 58 runs, before Esther's wicket fell.
Rwanda saw an opportunity to tighten the screw and soon pressure shifted to Nigeria with 4 successive falls of wickets (Esther Sandy at
Casemiro scored an 89th-minute winner as Manchester United beat Nottingham Forest to reach the FA CupThequarter-finals. Brazilian flicked Bruno Fernandes' bouncing free-kick in at the near post to break the deadlock in the closing moments.
Erik ten Hag's side will host Liverpool or Southampton, whose game is currently ongoing, at Old Trafford in the last eight.
Elsewhere, Conor Gallagher scored a last-minute winner as Chelsea snatched a dramatic 3-2 victory over Leeds United to move into the FA Cup quarter-finals. A thrilling fifth-round tie at
Stamford Bridge looked to be heading towards extra time before the England international was free in the penalty area and lifted a finish past Illan Meslier.
The win keeps Chelsea's hopes of winning a trophy alive after they lost 1-0 to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup finalon Sunday.
Mauricio Pochettino's side will return to Wembley for the FA Cup semi-finals if they win at home against Championship leaders Leicester City in the last eight in March.
Chelsea fell behind early on when
a defensive error led to Mateo Joseph scoring his first senior goal as Leeds went ahead after only nine minutes. But the visitors, second in the second tier, were only leaders for six minutes.
Nicolas Jackson made it 1-1 with a low strike from Moises Caicedo's pass before Mykhailo Mudryk gave Chelsea a 37th-minute lead, sweeping Raheem Sterling's pull-back into the bottom corner.
At Anfield, teenager Lewis Koumas scored on his debut and fellow 18-yearold Jayden Danns netted twice off the bench as Liverpool beat Southampton 3-0 to set up an FA Cup quarter-final tie with Manchester United.
“That is confusion. It is not possible. There is division of labour and responsibility in line with the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) standard and recommended practices. They have tried it before, and it failed. Why are people deceiving (President Bola) Tinubu? It is not feasible in aviation”—AssociationofNigerianAviation Professionals(ANAP)GeneralSecretary,onwhyimplementingtheOronsayeReportby mergingregulatorwithoperatorwouldcauseconfusionintheaviationindustry.
With his supporters turning the Kirikiri (Lagos) Maximum Security Prison into a pilgrimage site, authorities of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) were forced to move the condemned Founder/General Overseer, Christian Praying Assembly (CPA) Church Worldwide, ‘Daddy G.O., His Holiness, The Most Honourable Dr Rev King’, to Kuje Prison in Abuja. Not long after, according to sources, the same problem surfaced and King was transferred to Kaduna Prison. Today, ‘God in black skin, the man of the moment, every moment and the final moment, the last preacher of the truthful gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ’ is in Maiduguri Maximum Security Prison in Borno State where, from what I have gathered in recent days, he continues to live large as devotees troop to pay him obeisance. And on Monday, as has been the tradition every year for almost two decades, there were several pages of colour adverts to celebrate his birthday.
The story of King says a lot about criminal justice administration in Nigeria - both positive and negative. While the judiciary has discharged its responsibility creditably, the executive has become a clog, with a growing number of Nigerian death row inmates. Last December, the NCoS spokesman, Abubakar Umar, lamented that there are 3,413 condemned inmates across the country. Part of the constitutional responsibilities of Governors is to sign the death warrants of convicted murderers or commute their sentence to imprisonment. Unfortunately, our governors would rather do nothing. The result is that death row inmates end up spending decades on a roller coaster existence. In his own case, King has spent nine years as a condemned man.
King was arraigned at the Lagos High Court, Ikeja on 26 September 2006 for the murder of one Ann Uzor, a member of his church, and the attempted murder of five others. He allegedly doused the six with petrol before setting them ablaze on grounds that they committed fornication. While Uzoh died from injuries sustained from the burns, others survived, though they may also have died by now since nobody followed up on them. In a judgement delivered on 11 January 2007, Justice Olubunmi Oyewole convicted and sentenced King to death for the murder of Ann Uzor. King appealed the judgement but lost. Not satisfied, he approached the Supreme Court which on 26 February 2015 affirmed the judgements of both the Lagos High Court and Court of Appeal.
The five-man apex court bench that tried the case was led by then Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen. Facts of the case, according to the late Justice Sylvester Ngwuta who read the lead judgement, “could have been lifted from a horror film.” Ngwuta said: “The prosecution’s case was that the appellant accused six of his people of immoral behaviour. He called them together, beat each of them with many hard objects and after the beating, he assembled them downstairs, made them kneel and he caused petrol to be poured on them and a struck match thrown on them. They all sustained various degrees of burns. While five of them escaped, the sixth of them who later died sustained 65 per cent degree burns. You can imagine her last day in the hospital.”
King, according to Justice Ngwuta, “denied this incident, saying though he punished them for immoral behaviour, the punishment was different from the incident that gave birth to this charge. He said they sustained injuries when a generator exploded. But throughout the proceedings, this mysterious generator was never produced.”
There are two issues here. The first has to do with what I once described as ‘faith and fanaticism’ in Nigeria and how that is being exploited by charlatans. But that is not my business for today. The second is on the issue of the death penalty itself. During the 2023 World Day Against the Death Penalty last October, Attorney General of the Federation and Justice Minister, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), stated that many countries, including Nigeria, are being encouraged to consider reforms on capital punishment. “The World Day against the Death Penalty is not merely a day of solemn remembrance, but a call to action,” Fagbemi said. “It is a day when we, as global citizens, come together to emphasise that every life is sacred, and no mistake or crime should ever push us toward actions that we cannot reverse.” Many Western diplomats also used the occasion to campaign for Nigeria to drop the death penalty even when, in some of their countries, they still carry out executions.
I followed the execution drama of Kenneth Smith who was subjected to inhaling pure nitrogen through a mask until he suffocated last month in Alabama, United States. The United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights (UNCHR), Volker Türk, and several others, had urged Alabama State authorities to cancel the execution on 25 January but were ignored. And despite claims that the execution (the first through such method anywhere in the world) would be “swift, painless and humane”, Smith reportedly
shook, convulsed, writhed, and gasped for breath until he was pronounced dead after more than 20 minutes.
The story began on 18 March 1988, when Elizabeth Sennett, wife of a Pastor, was stabbed to death in a contract killing orchestrated by her husband, Charles Sennett, who later committed suicide when he realised his cover had been blown. The Pastor, said to be heavily indebted, was having an affair with another woman, and had taken out a life insurance policy on his wife before hiring Billy Gray Williams who in turn recruited Smith and John Forrest Parker to assist in her murder. Each was paid $1,000. At trial, Williams (the middleman) was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole and died in prison in November 2020. Smith and Parker who carried out the killing were both sentenced to death. Parker was executed via lethal injection in June 2010. Not surprisingly, it took a long time to execute the judgement on Smith because of several lawsuits filed on his behalf.
However, the real drama started on 17 November 2022 after Smith had eaten what was supposed to be his last meal and said the traditional goodbyes to his mother and grandson. With his death warrant already signed, Smith was placed on a gurney inside the execution chamber, his arms and legs strapped down. But for almost four hours prison officials could not find the intravenous line on Smith’s body to administer the lethal injection. By the time the execution was suspended close to midnight, shortly before expiration of the death warrant, Smith’s body was already riddled with puncture holes, according to reports. What followed was predictable. Lawsuits were again filed to stop his execution but they all failed. “After more than 30 years and attempt after attempt to game the system, Mr Smith has answered for his horrendous
On Monday, the federal government announced its preparedness to implement the Steve Oronsaye Report of 2012 and the subsequent 2014 White Paper by the Mohammed Bello Adoke inter-ministerial committee. President Bola Tinubu, we have been told, has given the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) a 12-week implementation timeline.
“Many agencies will be scrapped, and many others will be merged, to pave the way to a leaner government,” according to presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), following Monday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting. The specific agencies to be merged or scrapped have also been highlighted so the weeks ahead are bound to be interesting in that regard.
Considering that I have written several columns on the Oronsaye Report, I crave the indulgence of readers to share a few excerpts from the first one, ‘Public Service in Private interest’, published on 7th February 2013, before I conclude with my take on the current issue.
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.. anybody who has read the report of the Presidential Committee on the Restructuring and Rationalisation of the Federal Government Paratastals, Commissions and Agencies cannot
crimes,” Alabama Governor Kay Ivey who signed the death warrant said in a statement shortly after the execution on 25 January. “I pray that Elizabeth Sennett’s family can receive closure after all these years dealing with that great loss.”
This then brings me back home to Rev. King who has been on death row for the past nine years. Interestingly, birthday congratulatory adverts in his honour this year offer a practical solution to the problems of Nigeria. “Daddy, you are God’s divine solution to the problem of mankind. The problem you cannot solve does not exist. All the prophecies that you gave about Nigeria have come to fulfilment exactly as you prophesied,” wrote Eng. Somitobechukwu King. “If the power brokers of Nigeria would be humble enough to consult you, I know for a fact that you are the only man endowed with the ability to transform Nigeria from the capital of poverty and clandestine activities which it currently is, to one of the wealthiest and adorable nations of planet earth.”
At a period in history when Nigerians are going through harrowing times, this may indeed be the solution we need. But before ‘His Holiness’ can rescue our country; he must first rescue himself from the death sentence for which there is no longer any appeal.
Now to the issue of capital punishment. As much as I understand the argument against the death penalty (‘an eye for an eye makes the world go blind’), I have also wrestled with the question of how to ensure closure for families of those gruesomely murdered, including by killers who show no remorse for their crimes. Don’t such families also deserve justice? That precisely was the question resolved in Alabama with the execution of Smith last month. At some point in Nigeria, the matter of ‘His Holiness, Dr Rev King’ will also have to be resolved. One way or another!
but understand the waste we call government in Nigeria. Chaired by former Head of Service, Mr Steve Oronsaye, the committee, established in August 2011, submitted its report in April 2012. And it has come out with damning revelations. The executive summary highlights some of the salient rot in the identified 541 federal government agencies, 50 of which have no enabling laws! There are also 55 agencies that are in the statutes book yet not under the supervision of any ministry and some of them include: National Agency for Population Programmes and Development; Population Activities Fund; Population Fund Activities Agency and Population Research Fund!
According to the report, one common feature of virtually all the parastatals is the prevalence of high personnel cost as “many of them receive more budgetary allocations for personnel than they require because that component of their budget is usually inflated”. Several of them are also “obvious duplications of existing bodies” which then underscores the fact of “overlaps and enormous wastage of scarce resources”. To compound the situation, “successive administrations have over the years created parastatals which were not necessarily based on requisite need assessment that would drive development agenda”.
NOTE: Concluded online