TUESDAY 27TH JUNE 2023

Buhari Delayed Fuel Subsidy Removal for Tinubu to Win, Says Garba Shehu

NNPC's subsidy payment arrears jumped to N3.73tn in May Under-recovery hits N1.82trn in five months Cameroon, Benin, Togo’s black markets crash after removal of petrol subsidy in Nigeria Yuguda alleges national oil company, marketers, others involved in fuel subsidy scam

Deji Elumoye, Chuks Okocha and Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

Former spokesperson to President

Muhammadu Buhari, Garba Shehu, has formally reacted to the removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu, upon his inauguration on

May 29, 2023. Shehu justified Buhari’s refusal to remove the petrol subsidy while his eight-year administration lasted,

just as it emerged that data from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) indicated that the national oil company had a

whopping N3.73 trillion in unpaid petrol subsidy arrears as at May this year. This was just as petrol racketeer- Continued on page 27

ing markets in some West African nations, including Cameroon, Benin

Sierra Leonean Electoral Body Declares ‘Partial Results’, Incumbent Ahead... Page 27

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FG Renames Airports after Political Leaders, Other Prominent Nigerians... Page

Ribadu:

12

It’s Time Nigeria Enjoyed Peace, Takes Over as NSA

Monguno: He's well-equipped for task ahead

Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, yesterday, officially assumed duties as the new National Security Adviser (NSA) with a pledge to restore order, rule

of law, contain insecurity and as well stabilise Nigeria, saying the time had come for Nigeria to enjoy peace and stability.

On his part, the former NSA, Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd), said, "Ribadu is well-equipped, well-qualified, well-educated and

has a very deep understanding of the complexity of the security challenges confronting Nigeria."

Ribadu took over from Monguno,

following his appointment by President Bola Tinubu on June 19, 2023.

According to him, the admin-

istration of President Tinubu has enormous responsibility to secure,

Continued on page 27

After Aborted Rebellion in Russia, Concern Mounts over Wagner in Africa

Paramilitary organisation won’t be withdrawn from Africa, says Lavrov We’ll continue to hold mercenary group accountable, state department spokesman Expert warns mercenary group doesn’t bring stability, but chaos

Recent acts of rebellion by the Wagner mercenary group in Ukraine against Russia, its mother country, has continued to generate concerns in Africa, especially in countries, where its leader had earlier turned to the group to help reinforce their stay in office.

Unfortunately, the aborted rebellion was believed to have brought unease to many parts of Africa, where some of the leaders, who had earlier turned to the Wagner group, now face the possibility that the private paramilitary organisation could be weakened or even dismantled, The Washington Post reported.

United States President, Joe Biden, yesterday, said the U.S. and its allies made clear to Moscow that they were not involved in the Wagner mercenary group's brief uprising in Russia over the weekend, calling it "part of a struggle within the Russian system."

This was as the State Department spokesman, Matthew Miller, who declined to confirm that sanctions were being delayed, said the United

Continued on page 28

DECORATION CEREMONY...

the newly-appointed acting Comptroller

of

Vice President Kashim Shettima (right) decorates

General

Customs, Adewale Bashir Adeniyi, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja... yesterday

HANDING OVER CEREMONY...

Shettima Decorates New Customs CG, Says Appointment Will Boost Officers’ Morale

Adeniyi: We’ll deploy innovation to drive new customs operations

Deji Elumoye and James Emejo in Abuja

Vice President Kashim Shettima, has decorated the Acting Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), describing the appointment of Mr Adewale Adeniyi by President Bola Tinubu as morale booster for officers in the service.

On his part, Adeniyi, who thanked the president fort his appointment, however, claimed that the Customs Service could still live to its full potentials, when it starts bringing in more innovation to drive its operations.

In another development, Shettima has disclosed that the federal government had finalised plans to create one million jobs for young Nigerians.

Speaking yesterday during a brief ceremony witnessed by the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, at the State House, Abuja, the Vice President, stated: “Congratulations for bringing professionalism back to the Nigerian Customs Service.

“Now, every Customs officer can aspire to occupy the pinnacle of his or her profession. I wish you well, on behalf of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Congratulations, once again,” Shettima added.

Adeniyi, on his part, said, “In

the last eight years, the Nigeria Customs Service has gone through a period of transition. In some areas, we recorded progress – we made remarkable progress in e-Customs; we made a lot of breakthroughs in capacity building.

“But the Customs Service can still live to its full potential when we bring in more innovation to drive Customs operations. These are the kind of things we are looking at in the years ahead.

“We are going to be professional in our approach, there are a number of key stakeholders that we are going to be working with, it is a very onerous task but we are going to be working alongside other stakeholders and partners that we have identified.

“We intend to come up with innovations that will carry along all partners and stakeholders. We are going to leverage technology and innovation to break new grounds in Customs operations.”

Meanwhile, Shettima, while playing host to a delegation from the Republic of Korea led by the Special Envoy to the President, H.E. Jang Sungmin, at the State House, Abuja, declared, "We want to create one million jobs in the digital world."

He therefore, canvassed for collaboration with the Republic of Korea towards achieving the goal of digital training of youths, saying,

"75% of Nigerians are below the age of 35, so we are soliciting for your partnership and support in digital skills training for our young people.

"India earned $120 billion last year from global outsourcing and we are in a unique position to take advantage of the opportunities in the sector. We need the skills set, we need the technology to drive the process and yours is a technology

that we can embrace.”

The vice-president reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening relations with Republic of Korea especially in promoting trade, technology transfer and maintaining global peace.

“Nigeria and Korea have a very robust bilateral relationship that is anchored on years of mutual trust and cooperation. A lot of Korean

companies are doing business in Nigeria especially in the area of oil and gas. Six of our LNG trains were constructed by Korean companies. “We are fully committed to a very robust relationship between our nations. We need to learn a lot from Korea especially in the areas of manufacturing and agriculture.

You are a success story worthy of emulation by all developing nations,”

he said.

Earlier, the Special Envoy of the President of the Republic of Korea (H.E. Yoon Suk Yeol), Mr. Jang Sungmin, who congratulated Nigeria for the successful inauguration of the new government, conveyed special invitation from President Yoon to his Nigerian counterpart, Bola Tinubu, to attend the forthcoming Africa-Korea Summit in South Korea.

Tinubu: Don't Stigmatise Drug Use Victims

Addiction not death sentence, says House Speaker Marwa canvasses collaborative efforts in fight against illicit drugs Fight against drug abuse is everyone’s business, says MTN

Deji Elumoye, Michael Olugbode in Abuja, Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City and Ugo Aliogo in Lagos President Bola Tinubu has advised the larger Nigerian society against social and structural stigmatisation of drug use victims, which hinders them from accessing needed care and support.

Speaking yesterday during the annual celebration of the United Nations International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking

at the State House, Abuja, the president, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, endorsed the theme of the celebration, which is “People First: Stop Stigma and Discrimination, Strengthen Prevention.”

According to him, the theme stressed the imperative to prioritise the wellbeing and dignity of individuals affected by drug abuse, recognising their inherent worth and the importance of providing them with

effective prevention and treatment interventions.

“We could not agree less with the importance of this theme now that the most vulnerable population, especially women, young people, people living in marginalised environments, high-risk drug users, people displaced by armed conflicts or natural disasters and people in rural settings, are exposed to stigma, discrimination and exclusion from mainstream opportunities.

“These groups often face barriers in accessing the healthcare and social

Debt Recovery: Court Grants Ecobank's Application to Join Otudeko, Flour Mills

Wale Igbintade

Justice Yellim Bogoro of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, has granted Ecobank's application seeking to join Dr. Oba Otudeko, Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc and Honeywell Group Limited as additional defendants in a counter-claim filed by the bank pursuant to judgement of the Supreme Court delivered on 27th January, 2023.

Justice Bogoro made the order in Suit FHC/L/CS/352/2023 following Ecobank’s application filed by its lawyer, Mr. Kunle Ogunba.

Parties in the suit were Anchorage Leisures Limited, Siloam Global Limited and Honeywell Flour Mills Plc as Plaintiffs/Respondents and

Ecobank as Defendant/Applicant.

Specifically, the judge granted two out of the bank's four prayers as contained in its Motion on Notice.

They were, "An order for extension of time and/or leave of the court for the Defendant/Applicant to file and serve its counter-claim to the suit.

"An order granting leave to the Defendant/Counter-Claimant to join (1) Mr. Oba Otudeko; (2), Honeywell Group Limited and (3) Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc. as additional Defendants to the counter-claim."

The other two prayers which were withdrawn by Ogunba and struck out by the court were: "An order amending the Statement of Defence, Witness Statement on Oath and List of Documents to include

the facts/documents related to the Counter-Claim as contained in the attached Amendment Statement of Defence and Counter-Claim.

"An order deeming the already filed and served counter-claim dated 22nd May, 2023 as having been properly filed and served."

Bode Olanipekun represented Plaintiffs while Prof. Taiwo Osipitan appeared for the Applicant in a motion seeking to strike out some paragraphs of Ecobank’s preliminary objection.

Also, C.I. Umeche, appeared for Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc.

At the commencement of proceedings, Taiwo Osipitan said: "We received a letter from Ecobank indicating its intention to withdraw

some of the paragraphs we're objecting to and prayers 4 and 5 of the applicant's motion dated 5th of April, 2023."

But Ogunba informed the court that his intention to withdraw the paragraphs we're not new.

He said: "We had actually indicated that we would withdraw it at the last adjourned date but we took a formal step by writing to counsel.

"We equally have a motion dated the 22nd of May 2023. It's seeking extension of time to file our counter-claim and also leave to join additional defendants to the counter-claim, Subject to the overriding convenience of the court, I hereby move in terms of the motion."

Olanipekun did not oppose the application.

He said: "I'm not opposed to the application but I have an observation about relief D because the deeming order cannot be granted.”

On his part, counsel for Flour Mills stated that the motion on notice of the counter claimant was grossly incompetent, because the applicant failed to wait for the court to consider the propriety of the application before proceeding to file the counter claim.

Ruling on the arguments, Justice Bogoro granted Ecobank reliefs A and B, but struck out prayers D and C.

The court then adjourned till July 19 for report of service.

services within the society in addressing their drug use problems. Therefore, interventions to address drug use and its associated consequences need to be mindful of the fundamental rights of every individual.

“Stigma both social and structural, which continues to affect people, who use drugs and implicated as one of the most common barriers to access support and services must be removed.”

The President insisted that educating the citizenry on the dangers of drug abuse and the need to stop stigma and discrimination is crucial, calling for support for those affected.

“We must empower our youth with the knowledge and skills they need to make informed decisions about their lives, and provide victims to drug abuse with the resources they need to avoid falling victims of drug abuse. We must also support those who are struggling with drug addiction, and provide them with treatment and necessary support they need to overcome their addiction.

“In the face of these challenges, it is imperative that we adopt a people-centered approach that focuses on prevention and treatment as key pillars of our response.”

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Tajudeen Abbas, while speaking emphasisedthe need for empathy for drug use victims, saying addiction was not a death sentence.

L-R: National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, receiving the handover note from Former National Security Adviser, Maj Gen Babagana Monguno (rtd) in Abuja....yesterday

Vice-president says FG Will create one million jobs for young Nigerians

NIGERIAN-SOUTH

MEETING...

Aggrieved Workers Picket NSITF Headquarters in Abuja Ask management to implement agreements

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

Aggrieved workers of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) yesterday, began work to rule action and the picketing of the headquarters of the Fund in Abuja.

Also members of staff outside the Federal Capital Teritory (FCT) were directed by their union to ensure that they are not active at work

and to ensure full compliance with the directive from the leadership.

As early as 8.30 am yesterday, the protesting staff operating under the umbrella of the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE), stormed the entrance to the office chanting solidarity songs and dancing to music from a sound system mounted in front of the gate.

The action of the workers affected normal operations at the headquarters of the NSITF as members of the public and those who came for transactions at the NSITF were stranded.

The union had earlier petitioned the Head of Service of the Federation accusing the management of the Fund of breach of agreements and violation of rules in carrying out

recruitment and demotion of staff. As a follow up to the petition, the workers had threatened to hold rally on Monday, at the premises of the NSITF in Abuja.

Also, staff of NSITF had earlier staged similar protests at the Fund's offices across the country. Addressing the staff who gathered in front of the NSITF entrance gate of the organisation in Abuja, the

Police Recover 600 Vandalised Railway Sleepers in Kaduna

John Shiklam in Kaduna

About 600 pieces of railway sleep- ers have been recovered from rail vandals by the police in Kaduna state. Spokesman of the State Police Command, Mohammad Jalige,

disclosed this in a statement yesterday.

He said on June 22, 2023, an unspecified number of persons stormed Sanzwan in Zonkwa, Zango Kataf LGA, in an articulated vehicle with registration number: DAL 172

Nasarawa Targets 978,950 Children for Malaria Chemoprevention

Igbawase Ukumba in Lafia

The Nasarawa State government yesterday said it was targeting about 978,950 children of the ages of three months to 59 months for the round three Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) campaign.

The Permanent Secretary of the State Ministry of Health, Dr. Janet Angbazo, disclosed this is Lafia, at a press briefing to flag off the SMC round three campaign in the state.

Angbazo explained that the SMC campaign was a global intervention endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a preventive strategy for the elimination of Malaria, particularly amongst children between the ages of three months to 59 months.

She said: "In the first two years of implementation of the SMC (2021, 2022), in conjunction with other anti-malarial interventions, the burden of Malaria in the state had reduced drastically to 15 per cent.

"In preparation for the successful implementation of this year’s campaign about 11,240 adhoc staff identified from every part of the state have been trained and equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to enable them deliver the intervention."

The permanent secretary added that the staff were categorised into those going from house-to-house

to deliver the drugs known as the Community Drug Distributors (CDD), the Town Announcers, the Lead Mothers, the Supervisors, and the Health Facility Workers.

"As usual, the drug will be distributed every month for a period of five months, from the month of June to October," Angbazo maintained.

YL and vandalised about 600 pieces of railway slippers.

Jalige added that on June 25, two additional trucks, fully loaded with railway sleepers were equally recovered.

According to him, police personnel were mobilised to the scene of the crime following credible intelligence. However, the criminals fled the scene on sighting the police, abandoning their vehicle.

Jalige said no arrest was made, but the vehicle was impounded and exhibits were recovered.

"Following credible intelligence, personnel of the Kaduna State Police Command on the 22nd June, 2023 at about 2230 hours busted a gang of rail line vandals", the statement read.

"An unspecified number of unknown persons came to Sanzwan in Zonkwa, Zango Kataf Local Government Area, in an articulated vehicle (DAF) with reg no DAL 172

YL and vandalized about 600 pieces of railway slippers.

"On receipt of the information, police personnel were quickly mobilised to the scene of the crime.

"And on sighting the police officers, the suspects fled the scene and abandoned the vehicle meant to convey the vandalized items.

"No arrest was made however, the said vehicle was immediately impounded and the exhibits therein recovered.

"And on the 25th June, 2023, two additional trucks fully loaded with railway slippers were equally recovered. Efforts is intensified to arrest the fleeing suspects as investigation is in progress.

"The Commissioner of Police commended the gallant personnel for halting the vandals activities while charging the public to always make credible information available on time".

Second Vice President of NUBIFIE, Obi Success, said the union was worried by the continued violation of the rights of the workers by NSITF management.

He said: "The national leadership of NUBIFIE is in solidarity with you and we want you to know that we will continue to fight for your right. The management of NSITF has taken us for a ride for too long and as such we are saying that as negotiations are going we will continue the picketing.

“There is no going back until the right thing is done. We say to demotion of our members, we insist that the revised salary structure must be implemented and we are also saying that all deductions that are not known to any accounting principles and without any justification should be stopped."

Obi said mental health of the staff of the organisation was being affected by the unjustifiable actions of the NSITF management, adding that what they have did amounted to unfair labour practices.

"What we are saying if that we are going to continue to engage all appropriate authorities on the issues until the right thing is done.

“We are not issuing any threat and we are not saying that we are going burn down NSITF office, we are law abiding citizens but we are saying that if the NSITF management did not do the right thing, we are going mobilize our other affiliates for a proper strike.”

'We want to use this opportunity to call on the President to kindly intervene to put an end to all corrupt practices going on at NSITF so that our people can breathe. They have

families to take care of," he said.

Also the president of ASSIBIFI - NSITF Unit, Ibrahim Tijani, said his leadership was earlier invited for a meeting by the Management on Friday, at the board room in the headquarters but that the issues could not be resolved by both parties, as most of their grievances raised were not addressed.

The union is demanding, " that all statutory deductions, tax, pension and National Housing Fund estimated to be in billions of naira should be immediately remitted to the appropriate authorities and deserving beneficiaries.”

Earlier, the staff under the auspices of the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NSITFDomestic branch) had asked the Head of Service to investigate all the allegations levelled against the management of the Fund.

In the petition jointly signed by the president of the association, Baba Tijani, General Secretary, Abdulkadir and Chairman of NUBIFE, (NSITF - branch), Opeoluwa Ogunfowore, the union urged the Head of Service to order an investigation into the issues and allegations raised in the petition.

"We write to bring to your attention a serious violation of the public service rules of Nigeria committed by management of the NSITF. This violation pertains to the unjust demotion of staff with three years of service - a sharp contrast to Public Service rules as well as the failure to remit deducted pension and National Housing Fund contributions of employees," they said.

NAHCON Faults Saudi Arabia Authorities over Poor Handlings of Facilities for Nigerian Pilgrims

Hammed Shittu in Makkah

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, (NAHCON) has expressed dissatisfaction over the inadequate tents for Nigerian pilgrims at Muna by the Saudi Arabia Company. The company was vested with the responsibility of securing enough tents at the Mashã'ir for Nigerians but failed to live to the expectations of the NAHCON.

Already, the Commission would hold talks with the Saudi Arabia authorities over the plights of Nigerian pilgrims in Muna.

The Chairman of the Commission, Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, made the disclosure in Muna in Makkah on while speaking with

journalists on the poor handlings of tents and feeding schedules for the Nigerian pilgrims in Muna. He said apart from this, the Commission was not pleased with the feeding arrangement for the pilgrims. He stated that, "NAHCON envisaged that this problem was most likely to occur and therefore suggested that they be involved, but the Saudi authorities concerned insisted they had a mega kitchen, the know-how and about three alternate plans to deliver to the satisfaction of all."

The Chairman added that his Commission had already notified the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah over the Nigerian plight

over tents and feeding.

He also said, "the management of NAHCON is scheduled to meet later to night(Monday) to review situations on ground and chart a cause on how to solve the problems encountered so far and how to move forward."

Hassan, further stated that there had been a standing rule that only satisfactory services provided would be charged and paid for, while refunds were made for those poorly handled, saying however, pilgrims paid not to be refunded, but to have the comfort to worship Allah with ease. He said NAHCON would insist and press for a serious, meaningful and satisfactory improvement

within the shortest possible time, so that Nigerian pilgrims would conclude their Hajj rituals with less stress.

On the condition of the pilgrims generally, the NAHCON boss expressed delight that they were on high spirit inspite of the unexpected challenges they are contending with in the meantime.

Meanwhile, NAHCON yesterday, said it would continue to provide necessary support and additional resources to ensure the comfort and security of every Nigerian pilgrim so as to ensure hitch-free hajji operations in Saudi Arabia.

Over two million pilgrims across the world, including Nigerians, are at Mina, ahead of Arafat day slated

for today.

The development however has brought tent shortages at Mina for the 95,000 Nigerian pilgrims that are currently performing this year hajji exercise in Makkah.

A statement issued in Mina, yesterday, signed by the NAHCON Deputy Director of Information and Publications, Alhaji Mousa Ubandawaki stated that, "the Commission acknowledges the current challenges faced by our pilgrims at the Mina outing.

"The commission is fully aware of the shortage of adequate tent space in Mina, and we consider it our utmost responsibility to address this issue promptly and transparently."

AFRICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BREAKFAST

L-R: Managing Director, Old Mutual General Insurance Company, Olalekan Oyinlade; Group Chief Executive Officer of Old Mutual West Africa, Sam Ogbu; Chairman, Nigerian-South African Chamber of Commerce (NSACC), Osayaba Giwa-Osagie; South African Consul General, Nigeria, Prof. Bobby Monroe; Executive Director, Old Mutual Nigeria Life Assurance Company, Rotimi Ogunleye; and Industrial economist and Member, Nigerian-South African Chamber of Commerce (NSACC), Foluso Phillips, during the Old Mutual Nigeria sponsored June 2023 edition of the Nigerian-South African Chamber of Commerce (NSACC) Breakfast Meeting, held in Lagos…recently.

SUMMIT FOR NEW GLOBAL FINANCING PACT...

R-L: Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer,

and

FG Renames Airports after Political Leaders, Other Prominent Nigerians

Chinedu Eze in Lagos and Kasim Sumaina in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has renamed some airports owned by the federal government after political leaders and other prominent Nigerians. The renaming of the airports was

announced in a memo released by the Federal Ministry of Aviation dated June 1, 2023, and signed by Mrs. Joke Olatunji for the Director of Airport Operations, which was obtained yesterday. The memo stated, “I am directed to refer to a memo with reference

number, FMA/T4464/7090/17B/647

dated1st June, 2023 from the Federal Ministry of Aviation on the naming of some federal airports after notable Nigerian.

“Please, kindly be informed that underlisted airports have been renamed by the President

as part of reforms of the aviation sector as shown.”

The memo indicated that the Maiduguri Airport was renamed after the immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari and the Port Harcourt Airport after the late nationalist, Chief Obafemi

Awolowo, while the Nasarawa Airport immortalised the late founder of the Sokoto Caliphate, Usman Dan Fodio.

Also, the Benin Airport was renamed after the late Oba of Benin, Oba Akenzua II, Ebonyi Airport after the late Senate President Chuba

Enugu Govt Plans $2bn Diaspora Investment Forum

Gideon Arinze in Enugu

The Enugu State government has announced plans to host the first ever Diaspora and Investment Forum that would see the state rake in $2 billion dollars in additional investments in April 2024.

Governor of the state, Peter Mbah, who made this known yesterday, while addressing a press conference, said the forum was part of his administration's resolve to move the state's economy from a public sector to a private sector driven economy and also explore the opportunities in the state's dormant assets.

To achieve this, he said that his administration would host an Investment and Economic Growth Stakeholder Roundtable in September 2023, which would be the precursor to the launch of the Forum in April.

"The roundtable will engage bi-

lateral and multilateral development partners, as well as senior-level executives from commercial banks, public and corporate pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, private equity funds, infrastructure funds, and other domestic financial institutions for a systematic discussion on advancing viable investment opportunities in the state as my administration steers Enugu State on a path to private sector-led economic transformation," he said. He noted that the forum would be multi- stakeholder and fully transactional platform championed by the government to match project sponsors, domestic and international financial institutions; private investors including the diaspora investing community, and development partners to viable investment opportunities in the state that can deliver optimal risk-adjusted returns for the global investing community

whilst also increasing Enugu State's global competitiveness and driving suitable development outcomes in the state.

Mbah explained that his administration has made concerted efforts to identify commercially viable investment and business opportunities that cut across

multiple sectors including energy, agribusiness, tourism, and transport, as well as the data center economy.

"We intend to pursue new investment partnerships with financiers, project sponsors and developers, and technical assistance providers to structure, implement and unlock these value transactions," he said.

"The forum will invite public and private project sponsors, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, private equity funds, infrastructure funds, private investors, the African diaspora, and bilateral and multilateral development financial institutions to co-invest in Enugu State".

Okadigbo, and the Ibadan Airport after the late Premier of the old Western Region, Ladoke Akintola. The list was as follows: Akure Airport – Olumuyiwa Bernard Aliu; Benin Airport – Oba Akenzua II; Dutse Airport – Muhammad Nuhu Sanusi; Ebonyi Airport – Chuba Wilberforce Okadigbo; Ibadan Airport – Samuel Ladoke Akintola and Ilorin Airport – Gen. Tunde Idiagbon.

Others are Kaduna Airport – Hassan Usman Katsina; Maiduguri Airport – Gen. Mumammadu Buhari; Makurdi Airport – Joseph Sarwuan Tarka; Minna Airpor – Mallam Abubakar Imam; Nassarawa Airport – Sheikh Usman Dan Fodio; Osubi Airport – Alfred Diete Spiff; Port Harcourt Airport – Obafemi Jeremiah Awolowo and Yola Airport – Lamido Aliyu Mustapha.

Obaseki Offers Automatic Employment to Edo-born LASU First Class Graduate, Aminat

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has offered automatic employment to the record-setting First Class Law graduate, at the Lagos State University (LASU), Miss. Yusuf Aminat, who hails

from Edo State. Yusuf, had emerged as the best ever graduate at LASU with a 5.0 Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) in the institution’s Law Degree Programme. The governor’s offer was conveyed by the Head of Service,

NCCSALW: We Are Only Govt Body Empowered to Checkmate Proliferation of Illicit Arms, Weapons

Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti

The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) has said it remains the only government body saddled with the responsibility to checkmate the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons in Nigeria.

In a statement made available to newsmen, the Zonal Coordinator, South West Zone of the Centre, Mr. Ben Sola Akinlade, said the Centre observed that unauthorised outfits had sprung up deceitfully, presenting themselves as the local

organisation for the Control of Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons, creating false impressions of legitimacy and authority.

He urged Nigerians to disregard them and report agents of such unauthorized Organisation to security agencies or the centre.

According to him: "The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons was established on 3rd May, 2021 by an Executive directive by the former President of Nigeria, Retired Major General Muhammadu Buhari in line with the Article 24 of ECOWAS

Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons.

"The decision is sequel to the current state of insecurity and wanton destruction of lives and property occasioned by the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons.

"The target of the centre is to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to check incessant access to small weapons by unauthorized persons towards strengthening peace and security in Nigeria,” he added.

Akinlade appealed to Nigerians to eschew illicit circulation of arms

and allow the efforts of government in curbing insecurity created by the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Nigeria to be achieved

He said the country needed a weapon-free society for development and socio-political well-being of citizens to thrive.

Acknowledging the overwhelming challenges posed by the proliferation of illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons in Nigeria, Akinlade noted that any infringement on the duties of the Centre would attract legal sanctions.

Anthony Okungbowa, who stated: “Beyond merely congratulating her, we have offered automatic employment to her. Indeed, we have reached out to her parents and spoken with them. They have accepted our offer of employment.”

The Deputy Governor of the State, Philip Shaibu earlier hosted Aminat and her parents in his office where he said she was a role model to young Nigerians who have demonstrated their desire to take back Nigeria into their hands.

Shaibu said “You have given hope to that child that thinks all is lost. Nigeria is in dire need of role models, role models are lacking in our system and the last elections showed that the young people are ready to take their destiny in their hands, people like you will have to play a role to motivate them.”

The Dean of the Law Faculty in LASU, Prof. Kareem Olatoye, who was represented by Obadan Abudu, a lecturer in the University, said she was very hard working and always in the library.

To her father, Ibrahim Yusuf,

Aminat has always shown the tendencies to be bright and while appreciating the state government for the offer advocated the return of bursary for students.

He added: “In the past, there used to be a policy of bursary for Edo Students studying anywhere in the country, I think this is the time for the government to give that a thought again because I know what we passed through for her to study Law.”

Responding, Amina said she remains a proud Edo person and was always ready to give back to her homeland.

She said “I have always been very passionate about reading law and the fact that women of today now have more opportunities than our mothers had I wanted to also show that to a full extent when given the opportunity we will excel and with God’s support and my parent’s support, I have been able to do that and the goal is excel beyond my imagination and I intend to go as far as my imagination can take me and I am passionate about my state.”

Financial Reporting Council (FRC) of Nigeria, Amb. Shuaibu Adamu Ahmed; Chairman, Heirs Holdings & Founder, Tony Elumelu Foundation, Mr. Tony Elumelu,

former Deputy Governor, the Banque de France, Sylvie Goulard, during the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact held in Paris… recently

Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA

Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com

EDITORIAL

SOUTHEAST AND SIT-AT-HOME MONDAYS

The southeastern states must collaborate to end the ill-conceived lockdowns

Citing the spirit of industry and entrepreneurship which are often associated with the Igbos, newly elected Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, recently asked residents to dump the sit-at-home strike order, and free themselves from the shackles of restrictions to commerce and creativity. Like many people

week, according to Mbah, does so much damage to productivity. “My charge to all of you – market men and women, the corporate world, industries, schools, civil servants, and all strata of workers in Enugu State,” said Mbah, “is to take back our sense of industry, pride of place and re-enact our glorious past.”

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) had in August 2021 introduced a sit-at-home order every Monday across the Southeast to pressure the Nigerian government to release its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who is standing trial for alleged terrorism. The separatist group Southeast states of Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo, Abia and Anambra — are still observing the sit-at-home order, now being enforced mostly by “unknown gunmen,” out of fear. Unfortunately, too, Mbah’s order to residents of Enugu to return to work is being observed in the breach. Even the government’s threat to use all powers at its disposal to ensure residents return to work and businesses has fallen on deaf ears. Meanwhile, provable violations of human and citizen rights have occurred in parts of the Southeast. Indeed, the cost of the protest has been devastatingly high in human lives, many of them taken in the most gruesome manner.

During the lockdowns, every Monday, businesses, are compelled to remain closed. Urban streets, interstate highways and sometimes schools are

KAYODE KOMOLAFE

T H I S D AY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, ISRAEL IWEGBU, EMMANUEL EFENI DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS SHAKA MOMODU, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR PATRICK EIMIUHI CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com

Letters to the Editor

usually deserted. On such days, an eerie silence overcomes the zone and creates an atmosphere of an undeclared emergency resembling a state of war. is now being estimated in trillions of Naira. The extensive economic haemorrhage is multiplied by the fact that most citizens in the Southeast operate in the informal sector as traders, shop owners, artisans, craftsmen, transporters, industrialists, wholesalers, and retailers of motley merchandise. Shutting down the economic space and closing schools in the entire popularising its grievances.

But the sit-at-home order is also indicative of a larger erosion of political authority and serial failure of the states as agents of law, order, and security. To a large extent, therefore, the IPOB sit-athome’ order has become a matter of national security. While we commend Peter Mbah’s recent initiatives, the southeastern states collaborative action is required to end the illconceived lockdowns. Indeed, we expect all the governors in the zone to be as committed and creative in confronting this menace. They should be stout and proactive in ending the bizarre militancy that has become a thriving industry for some unscrupulous people.

However, as we continue to reiterate on this page several times, the federal government must assume a larger premise of its sovereign responsibility. The IPOB phenomenon has been allowed to metastasize into a self-destructive virus. The overriding doctrine ought to be that the nation is unsafe for as long any inch of the nation’s space is unsafe or any citizen is unsafe. The ultimate responsibility therefore lies with President Bola Tinubu. While a combined technique of intelligence and law enforcement may help in containing the resurgence of criminality, it is also perhaps appropriate, like the Southeast governors have suggested, to look beyond the legal to the political in resolving the Nnamdi Kanu conundrum.

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LETTERS

ASARI DOKUBO AND OIL THEFT IN THE DELTA

What Asari Dokubo said about oil theft is not new. Have we forgotten that former Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State openly indicted security operatives ofernor? He told some security operatives to their faces that they can’t do such illegal bunkering activities in his state.

The security operatives are heavily involved.

Who are the people policing Nigerian waters, and creeks? All the oil installations, including pipelines are manned by Nigerian army personnel in the land areas of the South-South while the navy personnel man the creeks and sea where this illegal bunkering is taking place.

The vessels used are big to be noticed by the navy who are the security agency in charge of the waterways in the South-South including the sea. Tankers used are visible visible for the Department of State Services (DSS), Police, Army, and Navy personnel to notice.

Oil companies provide houseboats for the military in the swamps/creeks to guard oil installations. Are they saying they are not aware of the booming illegal bunker-

ing? Are they saying the oil theft is fake? And again what is the role of the DSS who are supposed to provide intelligence to the military and police to act on when crude oil theft is going on unrestrained?

The money used in paying all security operatives comes from the export of crude oil and gas. They can’t be sitting

The multi-billion surveillance contract given to Tompolo is an indictment on the military, Police, DSS, Nigeria Security and the Civil Defence Corps.

If they were doing their work without compromise no person will hire Tompolo’s company to do that surveillance job with such a huge contract sum. What Asari Dokubo has said is a wake-up call to the military and security operatives to do the work they were recruited to do. If there was no oil theft no person will point accusing President Bola Tinubu should match words with action and punish the security agencies charged with securing the assets if they fail. Posting them out is not enough. There should be consequences for those who fail to do

their jobs.

punished for aiding illegal bunkering as well. It is not possible to have that large-scale illegal bunkering without the observation of NNPCL and NUPRC, the security operatives, and the locals. The vessels are too big that the military cannot say they don’t notice them stealing crude oil.

In most cases the security operatives don’t respond if they are informed of hot taps on pipelines by surveillance contractors and security team of oil companies. The top to wait for people who will give them information.

Firing service chiefs is not enough to solve the insecurity and unprotected pipelines in the South-South. If security heads responsible for protecting lives, properties and national oil assets are not punished for their deliberate failures, then illegal bunkering will persist.

Zik Gbemre, Warri

The federal government must assume a larger premise of its sovereign responsibility… The overriding doctrine ought to be that the nation is unsafe for as long any inch of the nation’s space is unsafe or any citizen is unsafe

PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU

PRESIDENT, COURT OF APPEAL, MONICA DONGBAN-MENSEM

Minimum Wage, Untrained Police Prosecutors, et al

Two issues caught my attention last week - the alleged approval of an increase in the salaries of political office holders, which turned out to be false; and the continuous use of Police Prosecutors who are non-Lawyers in the Magistrate Courts.

Can RMAFC be that Insensitive?

Last week, RMAFC (Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission) was accused of approving a 114% increment in the salaries of political office holders. I thought I must have misheard, when there was an outcry that RMAFC had approved a 114% increment in the salaries of not only judicial officers, which I must emphasise, has been very much long overdue, since the dockets of the Nigerian courts are legendary as one of the busiest in the world, but their already poor salaries haven’t been increased since 2007; but also that of political office holders. The Nigerian Bar Association's (NBA) Committee on Remuneration of Judicial Officers and Conditions of Service had recommended a 200% increase in the annual basic salary of judicial officers, and in response, RMAFC has proposed a 114% increase instead. Nigerians were incensed that instead of decreasing the already exorbitant salaries of political office holders, National Assembly members and the like, augmented by their scandalous allowances, severance pays, pensions etc, there was talk that RMAFC had approved even more for them. Fortunately, it turned out to be untrue. It would not only have been the height of insensitivity and cruelty to the Nigerian worker, but another definite step towards making the divide between the fortunate and less fortunate, wider - a sure recipe for more disaster in Nigeria. It is highly unlikely, that the Tinubu administration will make that kind of costly mistake.

Minimum Wage and Judicial Officers’ Poor Remuneration

While I’m obviously concerned about the paltry salaries of critical workers like Doctors, Nurses, Teachers and so on in Nigeria, I am centring this discussion on the remuneration of the lowest paid Nigerian workers who presently earn N30,000 monthly, and of course, that of judicial officers, since the Justice sector is my primary constituency.

Section 16(2)(d) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended in 2023) (the Constitution) mandates that workers should be paid a 'reasonable national minimum living wage'.

See Section 3(1) of the National Minimum Wage Act 2019 (NMWA). A minimum wage is the lowest wage permitted by law, as opposed to a living wage which is a wage that is at least enough to maintain a subsistence standard of living - neither of the two, whether minimum or living wage, is attractive or comfortable. In 2017, workers sought an increase from the N18,000 minimum wage to N56,000. They got N30,000, which I submit that, today, along with the meagre salaries of judicial officers, are neither reasonable nor living wages. There should be an immediate upward review of same, especially in light of the recent removal of the fuel subsidy which has resulted in an increase in prices of everything across board. As usual, successive governments have continuously breached the provision of Section 16(2)(d) of the Constitution, which, whether justiciable or not, is binding on all authorities and persons in Nigeria. See Section 1(1) of the Constitution and Jegede & Anor v INEC & Ors (2021) LPELR-55481(SC) per Mary Ukaego Peter-Odili, JSC.

Though a member of the ILO, Nigeria failed to ratify the International Labour Organisation Minimum Wage Fixing Convention 1970 (No. 131), which provides for the establishment of a system of minimum wage that should be adjusted periodically, to reflect the cost of living and economic conditions. However, we have our NMWA, enacted in 1981, which established our own minimum wage system. I submit that today is such a period, when the minimum wage requires adjustment, in line with our present day realities. It would therefore, have been absolutely bizarre, if Government ignored the plight of majority of Nigerian workers, leaving them to suffer the incredible hardship of not being able to live a dignified life contrary to Section 34(1) of the Constitution, as a result of the meagre salaries they earn, while RMAFC goes about increasing the salaries of undeserving political office holders who are already living in a lap of luxury. It more or less amounts to degrading treatment of the average Nigerian

ONIKEPO BRAITHWAITE

onikepo.braithwaite@thisdaylive. com onikepob@yahoo.com

The Advocate

martial. Fiats are also given to private legal practitioners by the AGs, to prosecute on their behalf. Section 106 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 (ACJA) only authorises legal practitioners to prosecute cases in courts. Similarly, Section 66(1) of the Police Act 2020 (PA) provides for a Police Officer who is a legal practitioner to prosecute cases.

By virtue of Section 66(2) of the PA, Police Officers who are non-qualified legal practitioners are permitted to prosecute criminal matters which non-qualified legal practitioners are allowed to prosecute. The question is, which criminal matters are non-qualified legal practitioners allowed to prosecute, and in which courts? Police Orderly Room Trial, perhaps? And, this isn’t considered to be criminal, but the exercise of disciplinary action against an erring Police Officer. If we could have said maybe the Customary or Sharia Courts, the Constitution does not endow them or any other courts with criminal jurisdiction, except Magistrate to the the Supreme Court, and only qualified legal practitioners can appear there. See Sections 233, 241(1), 251, 262, 267, 277 & 282 of the Constitution, on the courts which are endowed with criminal jurisdiction.

worker and compulsory labour, in that a person has no option since he/she has to work to eke out a living, but is however, not paid enough to have a reasonably decent livelihood. This is unconstitutional. The monthly newspaper allowance of the members of the Senate and House of Representatives which is about N300,000 and N280,000 respectively per member (and shouldn’t actually be more than N16,000 monthly, allowing for two newspapers daily) and amounts to over N130 million monthly combined, can pay over 2,000 workers a minimum wage of N64,200 monthly, if they are given a 114% increase in pay.

In the past, successive Nigerian Government administrations have shown their love only for the livelihood of the little percentage of top level employees which they are obviously a part of, leaving the average Nigerian worker high and dry. Yet, some are still wondering why there has been such a drastic increase in corruption and insecurity! Desperation, hunger, unemployment, inequality, inequity are all major contributors to the precarious condition that Nigeria finds herself in. We are therefore hopeful, that President Tinubu’s administration will do the needful in bridging some of these gaps, especially that of the Justice sector, considering his record of a decent performance in the Lagos State Judiciary when he was Governor, pioneering several innovations.

Police Prosecutors that are Non-

Qualified Legal Practitioners

While it is our hope that Government will meet all the recommendations of the NBA Committee on Remuneration of Judicial Officers and Conditions of Service to RMAFC, we also expect that the Tinubu administration will enthrone adherence to the rule of law in the Nigerian society. Just as we expect Government to obey Section 16(2)(d) of the Constitution and ensure that workers are paid decent wages, so also must the Police obey the law, as they are not above it. It is rather unbecoming and embarrassing that those whose constitutional and statutory role is to enforce the law, are among the principal lawbreakers.

I was chatting with a colleague who was telling me about being in a Magistrate Court recently, listening to a Police Prosecutor who isn’t a legal practitioner conduct a case, who was conducting it rather badly too. I responded that I thought that this practice had been abolished. Alas! I was wrong. Police Prosecutors who are not legal practitioners, are still prosecuting cases with gusto and aplomb, despite the fact that the old Section 23 of the Police Act 2004 under which Police Prosecutors were permitted to conduct prosecutions in any court was repealed by the Police Act 2020 (PA).

Sections 174 & 211 of the Constitution provide for the AGs and Law Officers in their Departments to undertake criminal proceedings, other than court

The case my colleague told me about in the Magistrate Court, was one of stealing, public disturbance and false identity/impersonation; certainly not a case that can fall under the extremely shaky Section 66(2) of the PA. To buttress this point, I also refer to Section 66(3) (a) of PA, which provides that every Police Division shall have a Police Officer who is qualified as a legal practitioner. If the Police recognises their need for a Police Lawyer in every Division, why is such an important law enforcement agency doing the wrong thing, by still operating under an abolished law, and why is the Magistrate Court allowing this kind of unlawful conduct, which in effect, renders any judgement given by a court where the prosecution is undertaken by one not legally empowered so to do, null and void?

In Raphael Obijiaku v Chief Joe Obijiaku & 2 Ors (2017) LPELR-43455(CA), the Court of Appeal confirmed the power of a Police Prosecutor to institute and prosecute criminal proceedings in court, by virtue of Section 23 of the Police Act 2004. In that judgement, the Intermediate Court cited the case of FRN v Osahon 2006 5 N.W.L.R. Part 973 Page 36 where, in a majority judgement of 5 to 2, the Supreme Court held that a Police Officer, irrespective of whether he was a qualified legal practitioner could sue not just in the Federal High Court, but any court.

However, with the advent of Section 66(1) of the Police Act 2020 in conjunction with Section 106 of ACJA, the position of the law has changed. And, in the same case, but now at the Supreme Court, that is, Raphael Obijiaku v Chief Joe Obijiaku & 2 Ors 2022 17 N.W.L.R. Part 1859 Page 377 at 400-402, the Supreme Court held inter alia that “prosecution of criminal proceedings can be undertaken by either a law officer in the Ministry or Department of the Attorney-General or a private legal practitioner authorised by the Attorney-General or a Police Officer who is a legal practitioner. These are the persons authorised to prosecute a charge, either at the Magistrate Court or Superior Courts of Record”.

Conclusion

How long will we continue like this? Where Government authorities and agencies, even the Nigeria Police Force, the chief law enforcement agency in the country, observe laws more in their breach than anything else? Why should non-legal practitioners, obviously not trained, already in the employ of the Police, take the job that can be given to young, newly qualified legal practitioners between 1-7 years of qualification? Going forward, we hope that the new Inspector General of Police will prohibit this unlawful practice immediately. Why should workers, life savers like Doctors and Nurses, Teachers without whom majority of us could never have got to where we are today, and Judicial Officers who are literally society’s anchor, be so poorly paid, so much so that these groups earn practically less than a living wage, while political office holders like National Assembly members are overpaid and living not just fine, but flamboyantly? It is high time that our system of remuneration of workers be reviewed, to be fairer and more acceptable.

Nigerian Labour Congress members protesting for Minimum Wage increase

“Why should workers, life savers like Doctors and Nurses, Teachers without whom majority of us could never have got to where we are today, and Judicial Officers who are literally society’s anchor, be so poorly paid, so much so that these groups earn practically less than a living wage, while political office holders like National Assembly members are overpaid…..?”

Judicial Salaries and Allowances: A Needful Upgrade

The issue of the purported increase in salaries and allowances of political office holders, has generated a lot of public discussion over the past week. The overwhelming sentiment of most Nigerians, is against the proposed increase. Many understandably, see any increase as insensitive to current realities, especially given the effect of the removal of petrol subsidy on living conditions. There is certainly an urgent need for a national conversation on the state of wages for all workers in Nigeria, including political office holders. The daily increasing high cost of living, in many ways challenges the Tinubu Administration to find a robust, practical and affordable solution, taking into consideration the unsatisfactory state of our economy. It is however, important to stress that, RMAFC’s proposals for salary increment is what it says it is. It is simply a body of recommendations, for the consideration of the Federal and State Government. It is not true that any approval has been given, either by Mr President or the National Assembly. In the midst of all the hullabaloo, the matter of judicial officers salaries and allowances seems to have been mixed up, especially with that of political office holders. Judicial Officers are not, and should not be placed in the same category as political office holders. It is to avoid this mix up, and in recognition of the independence and uniqueness of the Judiciary, that the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), in its memorandum to RMAFC, recommended that Judicial Officers should be remunerated according to an independent salary scale, to be known as the Judicial Service Pay Scale (JSPS). This will further enable judicial salaries to be subject to regular reviews, that are distinct from those carried out in respect of political and other public office holders. They also proposed a separate legislative scheme for salaries, allowances, conditions of service and retirement benefits for Judicial Officers. Including a ‘Judicial Office Holders Entitlements Bill’ to create a Judicial Office Holders Entitlements Panel, to replace RMAFC as it relates to the determination of salaries and allowances of Judicial Officers. This Day Lawyer has been in the forefront of the campaign, for an urgent review of Judicial Salaries and Allowances. As we have stated on multiple occasions, appointment to the Bench should not be an invitation to penury. It is unacceptable that Judicial Officers in Nigeria, have remained on the same salary for about 15 years. Penny-pinching should have no place, in the way we administer justice in Nigeria. RMAFC’s recommendations on the review of judicial remuneration, are undoubtedly well thought out. It is however, our respectful view that the recommendations fall short of expectations. Having waited for close to two decades for this review, it goes without saying that the recommendations must be groundbreaking in every sense of the word. In this special edition, Olawale Fapohunda, SAN, Alternate Chairman of the NBA Working Committee on Judicial Remuneration and Conditions of Service and This Day Lawyer, re-emphasise the urgent need for the upward review of judicial remuneration. We compare and contrast the RMAFC Recommendations on the reviewed remuneration package for Judicial Officers, with that of the NBA proposals for the review of remuneration of Judicial Officers. We have highlighted additional areas that require further attention. In all, it must be said that the Tinubu administration should avoid being enmeshed in unhelpful debates, on whether or not the time is appropriate for a review of judicial remuneration. The inability of successive governments to make progress on the issue of fair and reasonable judicial remuneration, has dampened the morale of the Judiciary. Judicial Officers across Nigeria are struggling with everyday challenges, brought about by poor conditions of service. This state of affairs is not good for the administration of justice, and the sustainability of our democracy

Judicial Salaries and Allowances: A Needful Upgrade

About Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC)

The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), is one of the 14 Executive bodies established by Section 153(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). The mandate of the Commission as outlined in paragraph 32(d), Part 1 third schedule of the Constitution, among others is to determine the remuneration appropriate for political office holders, including the President, Vice President, Governors, Deputy Governor, Minister, Commissioners, Special Advisers, Legislators and Judiciary. It was in exercise of its powers, that the RMAFC invited Justice Sector Stakeholders to propose recommendations for the review of judicial remuneration.

NBA Recommendations for Review of Judicial Salaries and Allowances

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), a key justice sector stakeholder, presented a memorandum to RMAFC identifying a basket of factors in determining appropriate judicial remuneration. These are –

(a) the need to protect judicial independence;

(b) the current state of judicial remuneration;

(c) the responsibility, working condi tions and workload of Judges;

(d) recruitment into the Judiciary;

(e) retirement benefits of Judges;

(f) benefit and allowances enjoyed by Judges;

(g) overseas remuneration arrangements.

The NBA made the following recommendations on judicial salaries and allowances, for the consideration of RMAFC

Annual Basic Salary

Judicial officers have been on the same salary structure, for more than a decade. Nigeria is lagging behind on the issue of judicial remuneration when compared with a number of African Countries, including Ghana and South Africa. For these reasons and the need to achieve the recruitment of exceptionally qualified persons, and ensure the attractiveness of the Judiciary as a career for potential applicants, an increase of 200% was proposed across the board for all judicial officers.

Allowances and Fringe Benefits

The NBA observed the need to revisit current judicial allowances, recognising that the package of benefits and allowances is an integral part of judicial remuneration. These can help enhance the living conditions of judicial officers.

(a) Medical Allowance: For reasons relating to the workload and complexity of judicial work including its effect on the health of judicial officers, 40% of the basic salary was proposed as Medical Allowance for minor ailments that do not require hospitalisation, while other medical needs including overseas medical treatment and in-patient medical treatment in local medical institutions, should continue to be subject to necessary approvals that obtain currently.

(b) Accommodation Allowance. In view of the nature of judicial work, which among others, places a burden on judicial officers to be selective in their place of abode, and given the high cost of accommodation in highbrow areas, 100% of annual basic salary was proposed across board for all judicial officers.

(c) Leave Allowance: 10% of the basic salary, is currently paid as leave allowance for judicial officers. This amount is however, inadequate for judicial officers going on a short vacation within Nigeria or outside Nigeria. An increase of 100% of annual basic salary paid once a year, was proposed for all judicial officers.

(d) Hardship Allowance: The present allowance is 50% of the basic salary, for all category of judicial officers. We recommended an upward review of the percentage to 100% annual basic salary for judicial officers, in view of the increasingly difficult work environment

New Allowances

The NBA also proposed new allowances in recognition of the peculiar demands of the judicial office that deserve compensation, but are not presently included in allowances available to judicial officers:

(a)Restrictive Lifestyle Allowance. This was

proposed in recognition of the limitations on lifestyle of judicial officers, imposed by the Judicial Code of Conduct. A lifestyle allowance of 100% of annual basic salary, was proposed for all categories of judicial officers.

(b)Dual Responsibility Allowance. This was proposed, in recognition of the peculiar burden inherent in the offices of the heads of courts. 20% of annual basic salary was proposed, as dual responsibility allowance for all heads of court.

(c) Disruptive Burden Allowance. This was proposed specially for Justices of the Court of Appeal, Judges of the Federal High Court and the National Industrial Court, in view of the frequency of their transfers partly to mitigate the financial burden of maintaining two homes - the permanent residence, and the frequently changing work residence. 50% Annual Basic Salary disruptive burden allowance was proposed, for these category of judicial officers. There is the need to recognise this work feature, and provide for appropriate compensation.

(d)Long Service Allowance. This was proposed in recognition of the unfairness of newly appointed judicial officers, earning the same salary and allowances as serving judicial officers. 10% of annual basic salary was proposed to be paid monthly as Long Service Allowance, payable to judicial officers who have served on the Bench for a minimum of 5 years.

(e)Legal Researchers Allowance. This was proposed in appreciation of the increasing workload of judicial officers, specifically with a view to achieving the delivery of well researched decisions. 70% of annual basic salary, to be paid monthly was proposed as legal research allowance for Justices of the Supreme Court, Justices of the Court of Appeal and other head of courts.

Independent Salary Scale for Judicial Officers

The NBA also recommended the separation

of Judicial Remuneration from Public Sector Pay. De-linking judicial remuneration from that of the civil service will not only strengthen the perception of judicial independence, but will also provide the necessary safeguard and reassurance to Judges. In addition, in recognition of the independence and uniqueness of the Judiciary, the NBA recommended that Judges should be remunerated according to an independent salary scale to be known as the Judicial Service Pay Scale (JSPS). This will further enable judicial salaries to be subject to regular reviews, that are distinct from those carried out in respect of the civil service. Furthermore, the NBA proposed a separate legislative scheme for salaries, allowances, conditions of service and retirement benefits for judicial officers. Including a ‘Judicial Office Holders Entitlements Bill’ to create a Judicial Office Holders Entitlements Panel to replace the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission as it relates to the determination of salaries and allowances of Judicial officers.

RMAFC’s Recommendations for Review of Judicial Salaries and Allowances

RMAFC, in its report, stated that the remuneration packages of judicial officers were reviewed last in 2007, despite socio- economic indices in Nigeria. It further stated that its review was intended to ensure that the remuneration packages for judicial officers reflect current economic conditions, and are in alignment with global remuneration practices.

RMAFC was guided by the following principles, in determining the appropriate remuneration for judicial officers:

1/ Equity and Fairness. All judicial officers should receive justifiable and equitable remuneration, in accordance with there respective responsibilities. The Commission applied equal treatment and uniformity of salaries, allowances and benefits for positions adjudged to entail equal input. Also, the remuneration package should not be such that rewards a newly appointed office holder, higher than an older colleague in similar position.

2/ Risk and Responsibility. The remuneration of judicial office holders, should be commensurate with the risk and respective responsibilities attached to each office. It must fit the purpose, responsibilities and powers attached to that position.

3/ National Order of Precedence. The remuneration of public office holders must be properly aligned, to the relative status of the job. It should reflect the hierarchical order, as stipulated in the National Order of Precedence Act. For example, an appointee of the President is not expected to earn more than the President. The remuneration of the President should be the overall anchor, for

the remuneration package of all public office holders in Nigeria.

4/ Motivation. The Remuneration of Judicial office holders should be designed in a manner that it is capable of attracting and retaining the right calibre of manpower, as well as encourage them to lead and live a honest life.

5/ Tenure of Office. The remuneration of public office holders, should take into consideration tenure of office and length of service. For instance, unlike the members of the Executive and the Legislature, judicial officers enjoy longevity of tenure as they are appointed until retirement.

6/ Reasonableness and Ability to Pay. In relation to political, public and judicial office holders at the Federal, State and Local Government levels, different levels of remuneration must be reasonable and affordable, in the context of available State resources and within the means of the government treasury.

In furtherance of these principles, RMAFC made the following proposals:

Annual Basic Salary

RMAFC recommends a 114% increase of current annual basic salary, for all judicial officers.

Allowances and Fringe benefits

RMAFC recommends that the existing allowances be maintained at current levels, since that will translate to higher provisions in actual amounts when applied on the reviewed annual basic salary. Accordingly, the following allowances subsist:

(a)Accommodation. This Allowance should be retained at the maximum of 200% of ABS, minimum of 45% of ABS and maintained according to the following groups (A, B, C, D, E, F, G) as shown in Table 1.

Table 1:

Schedule of Accommodation

Rates for Different Cities/Towns

S/N Group City/Town

Percentage of Basic Salary (%)

A Abuja/AMAC 200

B FCT Area Council 100

C Lagos and Port Harcourt 150

D Benin City, Calabar, Enugu, Ibadan, Kano, Jos, Kaduna, Maiduguri, Makurdi, Owerri, Sokoto, Umuahia and Yola 75

E Abakaliki, Abeokuta, Ado Ekiti, Akure, Asaba, Awka, Bauchi, Birnin-Kebbi, Damaturu, Dutse, Gombe, Gusau, Ilorin, Jalingo, Katsina, Lafia, Lokoja, Minna, Osogbo, Uyo, and Yenagoa 70

“It is however, our respectful view that the recommendations fall short of expectations. Having waited for close to two decades for this review, it goes without saying that the recommendations must be groundbreaking in every sense of the word”

RMAFC

NBA President, YC Maikyau, SAN Olawale Fapohunda, SAN

Judicial Salaries and Allowances: A Needful Upgrade

F Local Governments in State Capitals 65 G Other Local Government Headquarters outside State Capitals 45

This recommendation has taken into consideration the peculiar cases of different areas like Abuja, State Capitals, as well as Local Government Headquarters outside State Capitals.

(b) Motor Vehicle Loan. RMAFC recommends that the motor vehicle loan be retained at 400% of the annual basic salary for judicial office holders, except for the judicial officers to be provided with official vehicles listed in Table 2. Accordingly, all officers provided with official vehicles such as the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Chief Judge of a State, Government may consider selling the vehicles to the users at prices not less than the book value of the vehicles, when they retire from service. This will be done in consideration of the estimated useful life of the vehicles, such that their subsequent maintenance cost shall not constitute a burden to the Government.

(c) Provision of Official Vehicle. RMAFC recommends that official vehicles should be provided to the following Judicial Office holders as shown in Table 2:

Table 2 Schedule of Motor Vehicles for Judicial Officers

S/N Category Number of Cars to be Assigned

Chief Justice of Nigeria As the Judiciary could afford President of the Court of Appeal

Chief Judge of the Federal High Court

Chief Judge of the State

As may be deemed by the Judiciary

As may be deemed by the Judiciary

FCT 2 (Official and back up)

Grand Kadi of the Shari'ah Court of Appeal

of the State/FCT 1 Official President of the Customary Court of Appeal of the State/FCT 1 Official

(d) Motor Vehicle Maintenance. RMAFC recommends that this allowance be retained at 75% of the reviewed annual basic salary.

(e) Medical Allowance. Medical Allowance for all Public, Political and Judicial Office Holders should continue to be provided in kind by Government.

(f) News Papers/Periodicals. This allowance should be retained at 15% of the annual basic salary, which can at least cater for the provision of about three dailies and one weekly periodical.

(g) Special Assistant. One (1) Special Assistant can be appointed from within or outside the civil service, and is expected to exit with the office holder that made the appointment. If within the service, he/ she should be chosen among officers on GL 16. In this case, civil servants who are offered and accept appointment as Special Assistants are required to apply to Head of the Civil Service of the State for leave of absence, if they intend to return to the Service at the end of the assignment.

(h) Personal Assistant. RMAFC recommends that 25% of annual basic salary be retained, as allowance for Personal Assistant.

(i) Furniture Allowance. Furniture Allowance is paid once every four (4) years, and recommended to be retained at the current level of 300% of the annual basic salary for all Judicial Office Holders.

(j) Domestic Staff Allowance. Domestic Staff Allowance is to be retained at 75% of annual basic salary, payable on a monthly basis to affected officers to cater for four domestic staff (namely Cook, Gardener, Housekeeper and Steward). However, for officers occupying government quarters, domestic staff should be provided by the Government.

(k) Entertainment Allowance. The 45% entertainment allowance payable on monthly basis to judicial officers, should be retained. However, for the officers in government quarters, government is to be responsible for their official entertainment expenses.

(l) Utilities Allowance. Utilities Allowance is applicable to Electricity, Water, Gas, Telephone and Refuse Collection charges. The allowance is made payable on a monthly basis to all categories of officers, except those in government quarters. The 30% of the annual salary, should be retained.

(m) Leave/Recess Allowance. The 10% of the annual basic salary payable once in a year should be provided as allowance to all categories of executive officers, at the point of commencement of the annual leave or recess.

(n) Security. This is to be provided to all categories of officers in kind. The relevant government agencies (Police, Department of Security Service, Nigerian Civil Defence and Service Corp), are expected to provide security services to the officers concerned.

(o) Hardship Allowance.This allowance is retained at 50% of annual basic salary, for all category of Judicial Officers in the country.

(p) Severance Allowance. This allowance is to take care of compulsory redundancy that may be brought about, as a result of the expiration of the tenure of office of the office holder. The allowance is enjoyable by all Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders at the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary after the successful completion of each tenure, provided that the affected officers disengaged honourably. In other words, cessation of service must not be due to impeachment, dismissal or termination of appointment due to proven case of impropriety and/or related offences. The 300% of the annual basic salary should be retained for all categories of Office Holders except the President, the Vice President, Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Speaker House of Representatives, Deputy Speaker House of Representatives, Chief Justice of Nigeria, Governors, Deputy Governors, Speaker State House of Assembly, Deputy Speaker State House of Assembly and Chief Judges of the States/FCT, who shall be paid 600% of their annual basic salary. Any officer who has served a minimum of two years of the period of tenure would be deemed due for the payment of severance gratuity, on a pro-rata basis. For the purposes of the provision of this allowance, non-career Ambassadors are hereby included.

(q) Duty Tour Allowance/Estacode Allowance. The provision of this allowance is paid to officers on a field work/assignment,

and clearly stated according to the category of each Judicial Office Holder. The Commission recommends a retention of the rates as revised in June, 2022 and provided in Table 3

Table 3 Schedule of Duty Tour Allowance/ Estacode

(r)Professional Development Assistant. Provision of Professional Development Assistance for the Judicial Officers to enable them engage two Law Clerks for each Hon. Judge, on GL 9 and GL 10, both of whom should be provided with the relevant computer/electronic materials for their official service and remunerated by the NJC.

(s) Long Service Allowance. This allowance is proposed, in recognition of seniority between serving and newly appointed Judicial Officers in the Judiciary. In this regard, 10% of annual basic salary annually as long service allowance, is to be paid to the judicial officers who have served on the Bench for a minimum of 5 years.

(t) Restricted or Forced Lifestyle. 20% of annual basic salary, is to be paid monthly to all Judicial Officers.

Comparative Review of Current Annual Basic Salaries of Judicial Office Holders and Recommendations by RMAFC and NBA

Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola

“The Remuneration of Judicial office holders should be designed in a manner that it is capable of attracting and retaining the right calibre of manpower, as well as encourage them to lead and live a honest life”

Judicial Salaries and Allowances: A Needful Upgrade

cont'd from page VIII

Source: RMAFC and Online Research

Next Steps

The recommendations of NBA and RMAFC, provide an important framework for a better appreciation of the complex nature of judicial remuneration. It is gratifying that extensive consultations were made before the finalisation of both reports. There is therefore, no need for the Tinubu administration to embark on another consultative process, except that which is aimed at harmonising both reports into an actionable, costed and time-bound proposal for the consideration of and implementation by relevant Federal and State institutions, including the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly. We particularly support the NBA recommendations for a separate legislative scheme for salaries, allowances, conditions of service and retirement benefits of judicial officers. It is inappropriate to lump judicial officers and political office holders together, under one remuneration regulatory regime. Furthermore, it is important that deliberate efforts are made to shield the Judiciary from the political debates on judicial remuneration. We should avoid the absurdity of placing the Judiciary in a situation, where it is asked to show cause for a review of its remuneration. In all, we have had too many political speeches on this matter. It is now time to implement.

“It is important that deliberate efforts are made to shield the Judiciary, from the political debates on judicial remuneration. We should avoid the absurdity of placing the Judiciary in a situation, where it is asked to show cause for a review of its remuneration”

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

RATES AS AT JUNE 26,2023

Nigeria’s OPEC Oil Production Shortfall Hits

80m Barrels, 44% in Five Months

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Nigeria’s oil production continued to fall below the target set for it by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in the first five months of 2023, leading to a production of just 56 per cent of total expected output during the period, data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has revealed.

THISDAY analysis of the data revealed that whereas the country

was expected to produce an estimated 261.3 million barrels during the period, given a 1.742 million daily production quota and about 52.26 million barrels every month, Nigeria’s total volume between January and May 2023, was 181.5 million barrels.

The slump in production, which had become more pronounced since 2020, left a deficit of 80 million barrels of crude oil not produced during the period.

In monetary terms, at a conserva-

tive oil price of $70 to a barrel during the period, it means that Nigeria, between January and May, 2023 lost a whopping gross sum of $5.6 billion due to underproduction of its crude oil quota.

In percentages, Nigeria was unable to produce about 44 per cent of its OPEC quota allocation during the period under consideration.

A few weeks ago, the international oil cartel slashed Nigeria’s production baseline to 1.38 million barrels per day for 2024 due to the

prolonged inability of the country to consistently meet its quota for the commodity.

The decision of the Saudi-led coalition, which was accepted by the Nigerian delegation to the OPEC meeting in Vienna, came as a shock to many close watchers of the industry in the country. It is also believed that the decision does not bode well for a country, which gets over 90 per cent of its foreign exchange earnings from the export of the commodity.

This year, Nigeria’s benchmark oil production in the budget is 1.69 million bpd, with a $75 price per barrel. However, while market forces and OPEC’s stabilisation policies have helped to keep prices around the expected benchmark, Nigeria’s production has been lagging behind.

In all, out of the over 52 million barrels expected monthly volume, the country’s output was 39 million barrels in January, 36.5 million barrels in February and

39.3 million barrels in March. April was the most-hit in terms of the low volume of oil drilled, with Nigeria only able to produce 29.95 million barrels out of the over 52.3 million barrels expected cumulative production for the month. In May, the country produced 36.69 million barrels to continue the country’s deficit run.

NOTE: The story continues online on www.thisdaylive.com

NBS: Number of Electricity Customers in Nigeria Grew by 210,000 in Q1

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), in its latest data on the power sector, has stated that the number of electricity customers in Nigeria grew by 210,000 in the first quarter of 2023.

“Total customer numbers in Q1 2023 stood at 11.27 million

from 11.06 million in Q4 2022, showing an increase of 1.89 per cent,” it said.

On a year-on-year basis, the NBS report said that customer numbers in Q1, 2023 rose by 5.99 per cent from 10.63 million reported in Q1 2022.

Similarly, it stated that metered customers stood at 5.31

million in Q1 2023, indicating a growth of 3.61 per cent from 5.13 million recorded in the preceding quarter.

“On a year-on-year basis, this grew by 10.86 per cent from the figure reported in Q1 2022 which was 4.79 million. In addition, estimated customers during the quarter were 5.96 million in Q1

2023, higher by 0.40 per cent from 5.93 million in Q4 2022.

Also, on a year-on-year basis, it stated that estimated customers increased by 1.99 per cent in Q1 2023 from 5.84 million in Q1 2022.

Revenue collected by the Distribution Companies (Discos) during the period, it stated

, was N247.33 billion from N232.32 billion in Q4 2022.

On a year-on-year basis, revenue generated in the reference period rose by 20.81 per cent from N204.74 billion recorded in Q1 2022, NBS stressed.

It added that electricity supply was 5,852 (Gwh) in Q1

2023 from 5,611 (Gwh) in the previous quarter. However, on a year-on-year basis, electricity supply declined by 1.74 per cent compared to 5,956 (Gwh) reported in Q1 2022

NOTE: The story continues online on www.thisdaylive.com

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

NEITI Seeks Stronger Ties with CSOs on Environmental Justice

The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and the Environmental Rights Action (ERA) have announced plans to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deepen civic engagements on environmental justice in the management of oil and gas emissions and gender issues, particularly in the extractive

industries host communities.

The NEITI Executive Secretary, Dr Ogbonnaya Orji, anno unced this in Abuja at a meeting with a delegation from ERA, which is based in the Niger Delta. The Organisation is known for promoting environmental justice in oil producing communities.

Orji welcomed the special interest shown by the organisation to

collaborate with NEITI in addressing the issue, a statem ent signed by the Deputy Director/ Head Communications & Stakeholders Management, Obiageli Onuorah, said.

Orji added that the new focus of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) globally was on environm ental justice, energy transition, climate change and gender equity.

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

Food Security: PCPL Reinforces Commitment Through Cassava Revolution

Gilbert Ekwugbe

Nigeria’s quest to boost its food sufficiency has further been enhanced through the huge contribution of an indigenous outfit, Premium Cassava Products Limited (PCPL), which has consistently anchored its drive on the need to sustainably drive food production in the country. Emerging as a trailblaser, revolutionising cassava operations and spearheading Nigeria’s self-sufficiency goals, PCPL, a subsidiary of Flour Mills of Nigeria (FMN), has made remarkable strides

in improving the quality and sustainability of cassava-based products, while also fostering economic development within Nigeria.

The company’s flagship offerings, including Golden Penny Garri (GPG), GPG Cassava Starch, and GPG High-Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF), have not only set new industry standards but also solidified PCPL’s commitment to excellence. By investing in state-of-the-art infrastructure, PCPL has become Nigeria’s largest industrial processor of locally grown cassava tubers,

processing over 60,000 metric tonnes of cassava annually. Additionally, PCPL’s strategic partnerships with over 2000 farmers throughoutgrower schemes and contract farming arrangements have significantly boosted the country’s agricultural sector as it also provides technical support, highyield seeds, quality cassava stems, and other essential inputs, thereby enabling farmers to increase their yields and improve the overall quality of their produce.

FG Urged to Protect Indigenous Beverage Companies

Nume Ekeghe

Energy drink manufacturers in the country have appealed to the federal government to safeguard recently established industries against foreign competition, thereby preserving the direct employment of over 2,000 Nigerians and their dependents.

They emphasized that they possess the capability to meet the entire country’s demand for drinks.

They urged the federal government to prioritize the

health of Nigerians by ensuring protection against compromised formulations found in imported energy and health drinks.

According to the producers, a significant number of imported energy or health drinks are unable to withstand Nigeria’s storage temperatures, resulting in frequent bursting and posing a hazardous risk in the open market.

In a statement by the Director-General, Africa Brands Group, Mr Ayodele Joseph, they said, “There is a need to prevent the dumping of cheap foreign goods in Nigeria.

Banning the importation of energy or health drinks will lead to more investment in local production, higher capacity utilisation, and a boost for the export drive of the local manufacturers.

“We need to stem the tide of Nigerian companies relocating to neighboring countries due to the seemingly hostile production environment. Nigeria needs to protect the high investment and employment opportunities in all associated companies e.g. Can and corrugated cartons industry.”

Sterling Bank, Leads Charge Against Plastic Pollution

Nume Ekeghe

Sterling Bank in collaboration with other stakeholders has mobilised volunteers to clean and restore Elegushi Beach in Lagos to its pristine state to commemorate World Environment Day.

The annual event, led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and observed globally every June 5th, creates awareness, and evokes action to protect the environment. The 2023 World Environment Day theme is ‘Solutions to Plastic Pollution’ with the hashtag #BeatPlasticPollution.

Speaking at the beach cleaning exercise held in Lagos at the weekend, the Chief Executive

Officer of Sterling Bank, Abubakar Suleiman, said: “Plastic pollution severely threatens our environment, ecosystems, and the well-being of present and future generations.”

According to him, it is up to individuals to make bold, decisive decisions and work towards a sustainable future.

Chief Executive Officer of Sterling One Foundation, Olapeju Ibekwe, added, “We are commemorating both World Environment Day and World Oceans Day because we have realised that plastic has become a menace to our environment, health, and the sustainability of the earth.”

She said reducing plastic

pollution is something that the Foundation has always prioritized. “We prioritise climate action and one of the ways we ensure that is by executing beach adoptions as part of our programming.

The Chief Scientist Officer of the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Bolaji Osinowo, spoke on behalf of the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, saying that the 2023 edition of World Environment Day’s focus on combating plastic pollution is timely, as that type of pollution is a major challenge to the global economy and the environment.

Stanbic IBTC Holdings Gets Fitch’s ‘AAA(nga)’ Rating

Nume Ekeghe

Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, has received a significant affirmation of its creditworthiness as Fitch Ratings reaffirms its National Long-Term Ratings at ‘AAA(nga)’ with a Stable Outlook.

The rating also extends to its subsidiary, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, highlighting its strong support from its ultimate parent, Standard Bank Group Limited (SBG) of South Africa, and underscores

its resilience in a challenging operating environment.

Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Holdings, Dr. Demola Sogunle, expressed his satisfaction with the rating affirmation, stating, “We are delighted with Fitch Ratings’ affirmation of our ‘AAA(nga)’ ratings, which underscores our financial strength and stability in the Nigerian market. This rating affirms our commitment to maintaining a solid capital base, sound asset quality, and

Money

profitability. It also reinforces our stakeholders’ confidence in our ability to navigate challenging operating conditions.”

Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Mr Wole Adeniyi also added: “Our diversified business model, sustained growth in net fees and commissions, and prudent risk management practices will continue to drive our profitability and solidify our position as a leading financial institution in Nigeria.”

SHELT Global Achieves Additional ISO Certification

Nosa Alekhuogie

SHELT Global Limited has achieved ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification both globally and locally in Nigeria under Cyber Immune Limited.

SHELT Global Limited is a technologically advanced European-based Managed Security Service provider (MSSP), offering range of cybersecurity

services to and through leading institutions in Europe, Middle East and Africa.

The ISO/IEC 27001:2022 is a world-renowned best standard for information security management systems (ISMS) as it defines the requirements an ISMS must meet to establish, implement, maintain, and continually improve an information security manage-

ment system.

The constantly evolving cybercrime landscape is a reminder of daily new threats, and the approach of the ISO/ IEC 27001:2022 includes vetting people, policies, and technology, and ensuring that certified companies are implementing risk management, cyberresilience, and operational excellence, SHELT Global said.

(UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).

The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), 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

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT 16 JUNE, 2023

L-R: Board Members of Accion MfB, Mr. Mark Adogah, Ibukunoluwa Oyedeji, and MD/CEO, Accion MfB, Mr. Taiwo Joda at 17th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos...recently

FRC, ISSB, NGX RegCo Pioneer Two IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards in Nigeria

Kayode Tokede

In a bid to empower investors to make better investment decisions as well as encourage corporates to adopt sustainability at the core of their financial reporting, the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) of Nigeria, International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) and NGX Regulation Limited (NGX RegCo) yesterday, launched the first two

IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards (IFRS S1 and IFRS S2 Standards) . The launch which held at Nigerian Exchange Group House in Lagos makes Nigeria the first African country to adopt the standards, just as they were also launched in six major global financial centers including; New York, London, Frankfurt, Singapore, Santiago and Montreal.

Speaking at the launch,

the Executive Secretary, FRC, Ambassador Shuaibu Adamu, noted that it marks a historic milestone for Nigeria and is a testament to the country’s unwavering commitment to responsible and sustainable business practices. He also said that as Nigeria adopts the standards, it is setting a powerful example for other nations and reaffirming its position as one of the global leaders in sustainability reporting.

“Today, there is a growing global, environmental, social and governance investor base of over $2 trillion in global institutional investor funds under management. No country or institution can attract or accept these private investment capital if you are not seen to be committed to climate and sustainable development. Nigeria must therefore compete with the rest of the world for this private capital.

“Obviously, in Nigeria, NGX provides a veritable platform to attract this capital. Comprehensive, comparable and transparent information about sustainability and climate related risks and opportunities will play an essential role in appropriately pricing these risk and opportunities and unlock the needed private capital flows,” Adamu said. Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer, NGX RegCo, Ms Tinuade

Awe, said that the launch is tremendous for the growth of the capital market as companies in Nigeria will now have a global baseline that it can use. Awe, while calling for focus on the forthcoming standards stated, “NGX RegCo remains committed to promoting a fair, transparent and orderly market that thrives on full and timely information needed for the protection of investors in the Nigerian capital market.”

PRICES FOR SECURITIES TRADED ASOF JUNE/26/23

Sierra Leonean Electoral Body Declares ‘Partial Results’, Incumbent Ahead

Election observation missions express concerns

From Olusegun Adeniyi in Freetown

Citing the powers conferred on him by the country’s constitution and the Public Elections Act, 2022, Chairman of the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL), Mohamed Kenewui Konneh, yesterday, announced what he described as partial results of the presidential election held last Saturday.

By the figures released, the incumbent President, Julius Maada Bio of the ruling Sierra Leonean Peoples Party (SLPP) topped the chart. He was credited as having garnered 1,067,666 votes while his strongest opponent, Dr Samura Kamara of the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC), was said to have polled 793,751 votes.

Mohammed Cherno Bah of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) who came third secured 14,829 votes. The remaining 10 candidates shared between them about 30,000 votes.

Although Konneh made it clear in

Republic and Togo have crashed, following Nigeria’s decision to remove its very costly fuel subsidy on May 29, 2023.

Justifying his refusal to remove the petrol subsidy while his eight-year administration lasted, Shehu stated that if Buhari had implemented the fuel subsidy removal policy, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Tinubu would have lost the last general elections held in February and March, 2023.

In a statement issued yesterday, Shehu declared, "we must be politically honest with ourselves. The Buhari administration in its last days could not have gone the whole way because the APC had an election to win. And that would have been the case with any political party that was seeking election for another term with a new principal at its head."

He, however, commended the steps taken so far by the new administration in implementing the removal of petrol subsidy and attempt to unify the Naira exchange rate.

The statement was in response to persistent queries by some critics who had questioned why it took Tinubu only days to remove the petrol subsidy whereas Buhari didn’t do so for several years.

According to him, successive polls indicated that the ruling party would have lost the 2023 election if the Petroleum Industry Act, containing the petrol subsidy removal, was implemented before then.

"Poll after polls showed that the party would have been thrown out of office if the decision as envisaged by the new Petroleum Industry Act was made".

In the statement entitled, "Buhari Didn’t Fail to Remove Subsidy,” Shehu stated, inter alia: "Why did it take the new Tinubu/ Shettima presidency weeks to remove the petrol subsidy when Buhari didn’t do so for years fails to ask the right question.

"The massive electricity subsidy. The fraudulent fertilizer subsidy. Hajj/Christian Pilgrim subsidies. Remember them?

"The diesel subsidy. The aviation fuel subsidy. LPFO. Kerosene. Cooking gas and the other subsidy policies we found in place, and put them firmly on the ground. Remember them?

"For those with short memories, many of those subsides were all in place when president Buhari was elected to office in 2015: all those in place were gone by May 2023 – including the annual fertilizer subsidy that weighed 60-100 billion Naira (that’s trillion naira in about 10 years – yes you read that right) heavy on the federal budget each year.”

It added: "So no, Buhari didn’t remove the petrol subsidy – but in vitally important stages he removed every other budget-busting,

his statement that the results “do not represent the complete outcome of the presidential election”, questions were being asked as to why the electoral commissioner was in such a hurry to announce an incomplete result for a crucial election that had put the country on edge.

The results announced, according to Konneh, “represent 60 per cent of total polling stations processed” while promising that the “final certified results will be announced within the next 48 hours.”

He added that the ECSL “is the only constitutionally mandated authority responsible to announce election results.”

Going by the figures released yesterday, President Bio was leading with 56 per cent of the votes while Kamara trailed with 42 per cent of the total, in an election in which an outright winner needed 55 per cent of the votes to cross the line. Otherwise, the winner would have to be decided by a runoff poll between the two leading candidates.

egregious, economic-growth-crushing subsidy along the way.

"So far I have refrained from answering these repeated questions on the removal in Nigeria of subsidies on Premium Motor Spirit, PMS and that arising from the dual rates of the naira in the central bank and the parallel market: Why did Buhari 'fail' to do these?

"First of all, my thinking is that instead of the former President answering this question, it is the party, the APC that is best suited to speak and failing to do this, we are forced to say what will follow here.

"Secondly, we are mindful of the fact that with a Tinubu/Shettima presidency now in place and for which there is a 'New Sheriff in Town' we do not want to distract them from the onerous tasks facing them and the nation. Neither is it our wish to take the spotlight away from them in any way.

"In terms of the timings of the decisions to remove fuel subsidy and unify the currency, the Tinubu/ Shettima administration has done overwhelmingly well. Even more importantly, they have been most dexterous in managing the aftermath of the decisions by successfully avoiding any crisis.

"To this extent, our wish and prayers are that fellow countrymen will continue to support the new leadership in these very laudable decisions and, in particular, for the labour leadership and civil society to work with them to ensure that the palliative efforts as promised are successfully implemented.

"The decision to remove subsidies, as in our case - and we believe in all situations - was not for the President to take all by himself.

"That’s why it’s important to remind ourselves – and all those who have conveniently forgotten - that Buhari administration had been on this pathway from the very beginning in 2015.

"Removing subsidies for the naira and PMS was cued and put on hold. Look for example in the Petroleum Industry Act. The important decision was kept for a better time.

"It could not have come at a time when tensions were high in the country and no responsible leader would have added fuel to the fire.

"In the view of many-including those in the security circles- only a new administration with a goodwill that fills a warehouse can attempt this, and here now comes in the wit and grit of the Tinubu government.

"Finally, we must be politically honest with ourselves. The Buhari administration in its last days could not have gone the whole way because the APC had an election to win. And that would have been the case with any political party that was seeking election for another term with a new principal at its head.”

The statement further noted that, "Poll after polls showed that the party would have been thrown out

Meanwhile, foreign election observers have continued to express concerns by developments concerning the elections, especially as they related to the collation of results.

In their statement on last night, the European Union (EU) Election Observation Mission called on the ECSL to provide unhindered access to critical stakeholders.

“Considering the highly polarised political environment and prevailing mistrust, it is imperative that the ECSL provides full transparency during the tabulation of results in order to ensure confidence and trust in the electoral process,” the EU stated.

Also, yesterday, a joint statement by the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Election Observation Missions called on the ECSL “to stand firm and fulfill its duties, without succumbing to pressure”.

The Missions also urged the electoral commission to “uphold

of office if the decision as envisaged by the new Petroleum Industry Act was made.

"With the election now behind us, a capable leader as we now have in place is best positioned to move forward. We have nothing but confidence that the new administration will carry the nation and all its constituents into a stable future in the aftermath of these major economic and financial decisions.

"As they say, there are times when you have to lose in order to win."

NPC's Subsidy Payment Arrears Jumped to N3.73trn in May

Relatedly, data from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has indicated that the national oil company had a whopping N3.73 trillion in unpaid petrol subsidy arrears as at May this year before it was yanked off by President Bola Tinubu.

The information sourced from the NNPC’s monthly presentation to the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) by The Cable, also showed that the amount paid for under-recovery by the federation hit N1.82 trillion in the first five months of 2023.

Besides, the data showed that the national oil company paid N307.408 billion as petrol subsidy in May 2023; N274.769 billion in January 2023; N477.742 billion in February; N415.381 billion in March and N353.130 billion, the total sum of which was 55 per cent higher than the amount paid in the same period in 2022.

“The May 2023 subsidy amounted to N307,408,874,345.82, thus, the outstanding balance carried forward is N3,735,689,387,761.22 as of June 2023 FAAC,” the document stated.

However, the NNPC said it raked in N47.57 billion as domestic Production Sharing Contract (PSC) crude oil and gas revenue in May 2023.

Even before it became a ‘commercial’ entity, the corporation as it was then known, had stopped remitting any amount to the federation account, jointly owned by the federal, state and local governments.

On May 29, Tinubu removed the controversial petrol subsidy which was eating deep into the nation’s revenues, leading to a tripling in some locations of the prices consumers bought the product before the announcement.

This year alone, from January to June, when the subsidy was removed, the sum of N3.6 trillion was budgeted for the purpose.

There has been some kind of back and forth between the federal government and the NNPC as to which of the parties needed to be netted off, considering that even as the government admitted owing the NNPC, it also accused the firm of withholding some payable taxes

the credibility of the institution and be accountable to the people of Sierra Leone.”

Signed by both Hallemariam Desaiegne Boshe for the AU and Mohamed Ibn Chambas for ECOWAS, the statement further expressed “concern at the unofficial results by some political actors, and individuals.”

Chairman of the Commonwealth Observation Group and former Nigerian Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday, highlighted some of the “isolated critical incidents, including reported skirmishes, police arrests, attacks on polling officials and political party agents, and harassment of police officers,” that were observed during the elections last Saturday.

Osinbajo called on the ECSL to publish the results from the polling station level “to allow for cross-verification by party agents of all political parties, their leaders, and supporters."

The former vice-president

and royalties.

Last week, THISDAY reported that the federal government had set up a committee to look into the discrepancies in payments between the two parties.

Cameroon, Benin, Togo’s Black Markets Crash after Removal of Petrol Subsidy in Nigeria

Meanwhile, the petrol racketeering markets in some West African nations, including Cameroon, Benin Republic and Togo have crashed, following Nigeria’s decision to remove its very costly fuel subsidy on May 29, 2023.

Reuters reported yesterday that things have been topsy-turvy lately on the roadsides of the impacted countries where cheap contraband petrol from Nigeria had abruptly doubled in price, upending an informal sector that is central to the region's economic activity.

Since Nigeria scrapped its fuel subsidy, black market fuel vendors and commercial drivers in Cameroon, Benin and Togo who were heavily reliant on petrol smuggled from Nigeria have seen their businesses collapse, it said.

With supplies dwindling, queues have been forming at official petrol stations, where fuel is now competitively priced.

In Garoua, a town in northwest Cameroon about 60 km (37 miles) east of the Nigerian border, a litre of petrol on the black market used to sell for about 300 CFA francs ($0.48). Now the minimum is 600 CFA francs, vendors said.

"Supply has become scarce and customers think we're ripping them off with this high price, yet it's from Nigeria that prices have soared," Perevet Dieudonne, a black market seller, told Reuters

The knock-on effects on motorcycle-taxis, a form of public transport ubiquitous in West Africa, include conflict between riders who often live hand-to-mouth and customers who demand cheap fares no matter what.

Ousmanou Mal Djoulde, a rider in Garoua, said he had been forced to more than double his fares. Many customers were refusing to pay and business was agonisingly slow.

The trade in black market fuel is so central to the local economy that authorities either turn a blind eye or are complicit. A Reuters reporter in Garoua saw a Cameroonian customs officer sitting on a motorcycle-taxi that was being refuelled with smuggled Nigerian petrol. There is no reliable data on the amount of fuel that is smuggled from Nigeria.

The Head of Nigeria's statecontrolled oil firm, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), the sole supplier, said early this month that 66 million litres of petrol left its depots daily but could not say how much

also urged the ECSL "to exercise maximum transparency in the days ahead, as its staff finalised the tabulation of votes and prepared to release final results."

On Sunday night, there was an attack at the APC headquarters, following a press statement by Kamara, where he claimed that, “The people of Sierra Leone have spoken loudly, and the message is very clear in the results coming in”, urging the ECSL to declare him winner “to ensure that the decline of democracy in West Africa does not continue under their watch in Sierra Leone.”

A top government source told THISDAY that the police action at the APC headquarters was a “preemptive move”, alleging an attempt by the main opposition party to do a live press conference “where they would declare Kamara the winner and incite their supporters to violence.”

According to the official, APC leaders and their presidential

was consumed locally, though he admitted smuggling was rampant.

Independent energy experts and Dangote Petroleum Refinery - which expects to start producing petrol from early August to alleviate chronic fuel shortages - put Nigeria's total daily consumption below 40 million litres.

In Benin and Togo, small nations to the west of Nigeria, contraband fuel vendors have lost both supplies and customers while formerly sleepy official petrol stations are suddenly busy.

At Hilacondji, a border crossing between Togo and Benin, some black market fuel stalls were shut, while at others vendors waited among rows of empty plastic jerricans for potential deliveries.

"While we wait for the situation to improve, some have gone into fishing or other small businesses," said Ayi Hilla, who had been making a living from selling contraband fuel for 10 years but was now focusing on running a small roadside bar.

Some informal fuel depots were being demolished, and men who used to work there unloading and carrying petrol were now unemployed.

More than 80 per cent of employment in Africa is informal, according to the United Nations,

candidate were not ready for the election, “so all their efforts were geared towards propaganda. They wanted the election postponed, just as it happened under the former president, who ended up spending 11 years rather than ten in office. But we checkmated all their plans. We were always one step ahead of them.”

Last night, President Bio made a public broadcast to the people of Sierra Leone, following the announcement of partial results that put him ahead.

“This afternoon, the Chief Electoral Commissioner of ECSL, has announced sixty per cent (60%) of the presidential election results. While we all await the announcement of the final results by the Chief Electoral Commissioner, I call on all citizens to keep the peace and continue to respect all public order laws.”

The president urged the people to avoid any action capable of inciting violence.

making the informal sector a key driver of economic activity.

In Cotonou, the commercial capital of Benin which is about 60 km from Nigeria, queues have been building up at official petrol stations and some have been unable to meet the sudden surge in demand, especially from "zemidjan", the local word for motorcycle-taxis.

"Before, we were selling about 2,000 litres per day, but now we're selling up to 7,000 litres per day," said a worker at the JNP fuel station who gave his first name, Janvier. He had just turned away four customers because supplies had run out, the Reuters report stated.

Also, a former Governor of Bauchi State and ex-minister of State for Transport, Isa Yuguda, yesterday alleged that before it was finally withdrawn, the NNPC, marketers and other stakeholders in the oil sector were running a scam using the fuel subsidy as a cover.

Speaking on Channels Television, Yuguda a former bank chief executive, stated that having been privileged to serve as the chairman of a committee that unravelled how the so-called subsidy worked, he was in a position to make the allegation.

Continues online

RIBADU: IT’S TIME NIGERIA ENJOYED PEACE, TAKES OVER AS NSA

stabilise and ensure peace in all parts of the country, adding that it’s a collective duty of all Nigerians to secure the nation and "we intend to continue with what has been done.

“We will stabilise this country, we will secure our country and we will make Nigeria peaceful, because we believe time has come for this country to enjoy peace, restore order and rule of law, just like any other country in the world.

“Securing the nation is a continuous process. We will look at what has been done and build on it. We will count on your support in the course of discharging our responsibilities.

“Mr. President has a huge commitment to securing every inch of our country. We will work with all stakeholders to deliver on this vision. This enormous task of securing our country is that of all Nigerians, and all friends of Nigeria,” he said.

Ribadu, however, solicited the full cooperation of all servicemen and women, and by extension all Nigerians, saying there was need to unite to accomplish the present administration’s quest for a more stable, peaceful and prosperous Nigeria.

Monguno, who claimed Ribadu was well heeled for the job said the new NSA had the capacity to tackle whatever challenges he might encounter, having served in the

various positions, saying Ribadu was starting on a good footing.

“I have been able to handover a comprehensive note to him and also brief him extensively. For me, I want to give gratitude to the Almighty God for giving the grace to serve for such a long time and also allowing me to depart in good health and enjoy the rest of my life in an atmosphere that is bereft of the type of pressure that are associated with this all important office.

“I am also wishing in the same vein that Mallam Nuhu Ribadu will have a very successful tenure and depart in good health, when the time comes for him to depart," he said.

Monguno contended that the ever-changing 21st security environment demanded complex approach.

"Today, we are dealing with a situation in which we have terrorists and insurrectionists. The way and manner you will deal with the situation is such that you will have to rely on collection of competent staff," he said.

A statement iby the Special Assistant, Strategic Communication, in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Zu Mijinyawa, said Monguno urged the staff to extend the same support and cooperation he enjoyed to his successor to achieve the desired national objective.

BUHARI DELAYED FUEL SUBSIDY REMOVAL FOR TINUBU TO WIN, SAYS GARBA SHEHU

WORLD SKIN HEALTH DAY SENSITISATION...

IG Raises 40,000 Special Intervention Squad to Tackle Non-State Actors, Criminalities

In his first major official act geared towards containing the activities of non-state actors and other criminalities plaguing the country, Acting Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, yesterday, raised a 40,000 strong special intervention squad.

He said 1,000 of the squad would be deployed to each state of the federation as a standby force while 4,000 would be deployed to volatile areas in the country.

Speaking at a meeting with 79 Mobile Police Force (Mopol) Commanders from across the country in Abuja, the IG said the squad would consist of elite officers. According to him, "First and foremost, modalities for the creation of a new special squad the Special Intervention Squad have been initiated. This special squad shall consist of 40,000 specially trained elite officers. The squad will be

4,000 to volatile areas

Substitutes mopols attached to VIPs with supernumerary police

formed by selecting officers from the pool of existing Police Mobile Force (PMF) personnel and all tactical units in the country.

"These officers will undergo an intensive pre-deployment training to make them combat ready for frontline operational duties in all the states of the federation, with a particular focus on areas plagued with unrest and turmoil.

"By pooling together the expertise and experience of our PMF personnel and other tactical units, we can establish a formidable force that is well-equipped to handle the evolving challenges we face.

"This dedicated force will bolster our capacity to respond swiftly and decisively to security threats, ensuring that our presence is felt and our response is effective in every corner of our country," he said.

Egbetokun explained further

that, "1000 personnel from this new squad will be deployed to every state of the federation for immediate operations as standby intervention units, while more troubled spots or zones will receive the remaining officers out of the 40,000.

"These officers will not perform routine police duties but will be housed and kept combat-ready at all times engaging in daily trainings in readiness for deployments to intercept and neutralise high-profile criminals and those terrorizing our communities. They will be deployed to intervene rapidly and proactively in any situation necessary in their states of assignment."

On the withdrawal of Mopol officers from VIP security and guard duties, he said the intention was to refocus their energy on addressing security challenges bedeviling the country.

"Furthermore, in order to optimise the efficiency of our resources, we shall carry out a re-evaluation of the responsibilities assigned to the PMF. Specifically, we shall effect the withdrawal of PMF personnel from VIP escort/ guard duties. While the protection of dignitaries remains paramount, it is imperative that we realign our priorities to address the escalating security challenges faced by the nation as a whole.

"By relieving the PMF of VIP escort and guard duties, we can redirect their focus and efforts toward addressing critical security concerns that affect our communities at large. To this end, a special committee headed by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Operations) has been set up to assess and advise on how this strategy can be implemented

AFTER ABORTED REBELLION IN RUSSIA, CONCERN MOUNTS OVER WAGNER IN AFRICA

States always timed its sanctions “for maximum impact or maximum effect” and therefore hinted that the US would continue to hold the group “accountable.”

Yet, a senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Cameron Hudson, has warned that the latest development “only reinforces the point that Washington has been making to African governments: ‘Wagner doesn’t bring stability — it only brings chaos.’”

Conversely, the Russian authorities have said they would not be withdrawing operations of the mercenary group from Africa.

Wagner chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, recently led an armed rebellion targeting Russia's military leaders, accusing them of botching the war in Ukraine, and also criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Wagner fighters appeared to seize control of the Russian military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, which oversees fighting in Ukraine, and were advancing toward Moscow until they were ordered back to their field camps when a truce brokered by Belarus was announced between Putin and Prigozhin.

But Biden has said he spoke with U.S. allies over the weekend to coordinate a response to the rebellion and asked his national security team to prepare for a "range of scenarios."

"They agreed with me that we had to make sure we gave Putin no excuse — let me emphasize, we gave Putin no excuse — to blame this on the West, to blame this on NATO. We made clear that we were not involved. We had nothing to do with it. This was part of a struggle within the Russian system," he said.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters that the message was delivered to the Russians through various diplomatic channels.

"We also made clear to all our allies and partners that the United States was not involved and would not get involved in these events, and that we view them as internal Russian matters," Kirby said at the White House press briefing, adding, "We delivered that same message to the Russians themselves through appropriate diplomatic channels."

Biden, however, said the U.S. and its allies would continue to support Ukraine "no matter what happened in Russia."

The president spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday to reaffirm U.S. support for the country and the events in Russia.

"What we're going to stay focused on is making sure that Ukraine can continue to succeed on the battlefield and not speculate about what this might or might not do on the political spectrum inside Russia," Kirby said, later adding that the U.S. was "not taking sides in this internal matter" between Putin and Prigozhin.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in an interview, yesterday, with RT, a Russian state media outlet, said, “Military from Russia” will continue to work with the Central African Republic and Mali, but he didn’t mention Wagner by name, noting only that those countries had “requested a private military company” when they were “abandoned by the French and other Europeans.”

“At their request, several hundred servicemen are working in the CAR

as instructors – this work, of course, will continue … Both the CAR and Mali appealed to the Wagner PMCs with a request to ensure the safety of their leadership,” Lavrov said. “Regarding the reports about who is panicking and about what, I did not see any panic. I did not see any changes in the relations of the relevant African countries with the Russian Federation,” he said.

Lavrov said that he had received several phone calls, including from “African colleagues” and insisted preparations for the Russia-Africa summit, which is due to take place at the end of July in St Petersburg, were “in full swing.”

Global attention has largely focused on the turbulence within Russia, where the aura of President Vladimir Putin, was perceived to have been damaged by the short-lived insurrection of Wagner’s leader, Yevgeniy Prigozhin.

But a Kremlin crackdown on Wagner, is believed, could also have far-reaching consequences in Africa and the Middle East, where Wagner supplied lethal firepower to despots and strongmen while advancing Moscow’s international agenda.

For instance, in the Central African Republic and Mali, where Wagner has its biggest presence on the continent, residents said WhatsApp group chats and weekend conversations in the African nations were dominated by speculation about the fallout in their countries.

“Everyone is scared,” said a political analyst in Bamako, the capital of Mali, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to be candid about the tense situation. “Everyone knows that what happens in Russia

will affect us.”

Officials and experts, according to The Washington Post, said it was too soon to know whether Wagner would retreat from Africa, or whether Prigozhin would be permitted to continue running the organisation’s sprawling operations beyond Russia. For now, the group’s mercenaries were still visible at checkpoints and other security installations in Africa, according to witnesses and media reports.

The Central African Republic’s communications minister, Serge Djorie, did not respond to requests for an interview but sent a statement blaming Western media for causing “unnecessary friction.”

“The Central African Republic needs peace, nothing but peace, with people and countries willing to give their sincere support for the development of its people,” he said.

The government of Mali did not respond to a request for comment.

Many Western officials and regional authorities were skeptical that an oblique truce struck between Prigozhin and the Kremlin can stand for any extended period, potentially threatening Russia’s interests in Africa as well as the stability of its allies.

“The threat analysis of Wagner in Africa will need to be revised,” said J. Peter Pham, a distinguished fellow with the Atlantic Council. “It may be a lowering of the threat assessment in the long term, though in the short term, things could worsen. But that change is coming is fairly clear.”

The stakes were underscored this year by assessments contained in leaked U.S. intelligence files, which raised the alarm about Wagner’s plans to establish a “confederation”

seamlessly.

"The committee is expected to submit its report in two weeks after which further details will be made available. Our goal should be to enforce the law and to be partners in creating safe communities, nurturing an environment where everyone feels protected and valued. This is our commitment to Nigerians.

"To support the foregoing strategic plan and make needed manpower available for frontline duties, the withdrawn PMF officers will be replaced by officers of the Special Protection Unit (SPU) only where necessary," he said.

The IG further maintained that in ensuring the smooth implementation of this policy, "We will, in consultation with the Police Service Commission, invoke the Supernumerary provision of Sections 23, 24 and 25 of the Police Act 2020,

of anti-Western states on the African continent, where the group has struck deals providing paramilitary capabilities in exchange for lucrative concessions giving it control over assets ranging from diamond mines to oil wells.

Researchers and the U.S. military had estimated that there were several thousand Russian mercenaries on the continent.

Western officials and analysts said internal divisions in Russia could provide an opportunity for the Biden administration and other Western powers to claw back influence in countries where Wagner was active and prevent the group from gaining new footholds.

Authorities in Mali had moved further into Russia’s orbit this month when they asked the U.N. peacekeeping force to withdraw, leaving Wagner as their main international military partner. But officials had not commented publicly since news broke of Prigozhin’s rebellion.

Leaders don’t want to be seen as choosing sides between Putin and Wagner, said a political analyst in Bamako, as they know they needed Russian support to fight spiraling Islamist violence.

One of the many unanswered questions surrounding the terms of the truce, which involved an uncertain exile for Prigozhin in Belarus, was whether Putin allowed the Wagner leader to retain control of his overseas operations.

“Is that the price?” asked Bob Seely, a member of the British Parliament, who served on the foreign affairs committee, which has been conducting an investigation of Wagner in Africa for the past two

which allows the police to train supernumerary officers specifically for the personal protection duties of individual Nigerians, who require their services."

While noting that more details would be made available in due course, he explained that, "This will free up regular police officers to focus more on frontline policing duties across the nation. It is important to note that these proposed operational strategies aims to foster a sense of trust, cooperation, and confidence within the Police Force.

"By involving personnel from various tactical units across the country, we emphasise the unity and collective responsibility of our Force. Through this collaborative effort, we can ensure that no area is left unattended, and all states receive the necessary support to combat crime effectively."

years. “Is his continued control over them part of the price of giving up his Wagner formations inside Russia and Ukraine?”

Even if Prigozhin was promised that he could run Wagner’s outposts, officials were skepticalthat the Kremlin would ultimately stick to that bargain, in part because of Africa’s economic and geopolitical importance to Moscow.

One of the benefits of Wagner to Moscow was that it allowed Russia to operate in Africa “both officially and unofficially,” analysts said, with the group — which has been accused of human rights violations — often promoting Kremlin interests but also operating with a level of plausible deniability.

Pham, of the Atlantic Council, said it was not yet clear whether Wagner would ultimately be forced to operate more closely with the Russian state or if it instead might “fracture into half a dozen mini-Wagners” that operate more autonomously, adding that, what seemed evident was that, at least, in coming months, Prigozhin “is not going to be focused on his African ventures.”

However, for Washington, which has been escalating efforts to counter Wagner in Africa in the past year, this moment appeared an opportunity and might cause a reevaluation of policies, according to current and former officials and analysts.

At the moment, the President Joe Biden administration has paused sanctions it had planned to unveil in coming days related to Wagner’s gold business in the Central African Republic, according to a current

L-R: Consultant Dermatologist, Dr Folake Cole; Nigerian Representative for La Roche Posay, Mrs Beatrice Eneh; Consultant Dermatologist, Dr Erere Otrofanowei; HOD Dermatology Department, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Dr Ehiaghe Anaba; with other distinguished dermatologists, during Nigerian Dermatologist Association World Skin Health Day Sensitization in Computer Village Ikeja, Lagos sponsored by La Roche Posay recently

To deploy 1,000 to each state as standby force,

CLOSING GONG CEREMONY TO COMMEMORATE THE ISSB STANDARDS LAUNCH...

L–R: International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), Dianora Aria De Marco , Technical Director, Pan Africa Federation of Accountants (PAFA), Lebogang Senne, ;, Director General, National Council on Climate Change, Dr. Salisu Dahiru; Chair, NGX Regulation Limited, Mrs. Catherine Echeozo ; Board Member, International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), Dr. Ndidi Nnoli-Edozien ; Executive Commissioner, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Dayo Obisan ; Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX), Temi Popoola;, Executive Secretary/CEO - Financing Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN), Amb. Shuaibu Adamu Ahmed; Chief Executive Officer - NGX Regulation Limited, Ms. Tinuade Awe, ; Director, Directorate of Accounting Standards (Public Sector) – Financial Reporting Council, Nigeria, Dr. Iheanyi Anyahara ; Regional Leader & Head, Public Affairs, Africa, Association of Certified Chartered Accountant of Nigeria, Jane Ohadike ; President - Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana, Ms. Sena Dake ; and Secretary, Public Accountants and Auditors Board (PAAB), Zimbabwe, Mr. Admire Ndurunduru, during the Closing Gong Ceremony in Commemorating the ISSB Standards Launch in Lagos... yesterday

Ukraine to Build Grain Terminal in Nigeria

The Ukrainian agricultural sector continues to play an important role in ensuring global food security Owing Ukraine has partnered with the Lagos Free Zone company to build a grain terminal at the Lekki Port in Nigeria, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine reported yesterday.

The signing of a joint memorandum on the matter took place in London on the sidelines of the Ukraine Recovery Conference, according to the Voice of Ukraine.

“The cooperation between the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Lagos Free Zone Company will be aimed at creating the

NUC Boss Resigns Three Years to End of Tenure

Gives operational licence to Kogi State University

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

Prof. Abubakar Rasheed has resigned as the Executive Secretary three years and one month to the end of his second term at the National Universities Commission (NUC).

The NUC boss performed one of his last official functions yesterday, when he presented provisional operational license to newly registered university, Kogi State University, Kabba.

Rasheed reportedly submitted his resignation letter six weeks ago, but kept the news secret until late last week.

A source in the commission noted that his resignation was not connected to corruption allegation or ill health, but his desire to return to the classroom to continue his academic work.

Another source at the Commission said the Executive Secretary resigned before the new government came into power and it was approved by former President Muhammadu Buhari.

He quoted Rasheed to have said it was on personal ground as he wanted to end his career in the university.

Some of the staff were seen

taking photographs with Rasheed yesterday, which may possibly be his last working day in office due to Sallah break that would be announced any moment from now.

Rasheed, was appointed by Buhari, alongside other heads of parastatals in the Federal Ministry of Education, on August, 2016, and reappointed in 2021.

Meanwhile, the new university, Kogi State University, would be located at Kabba, Kogi State, and it’s expected to take off academic and non-academic engagements in September.

The new addition has taken the number of state-owned universities in Nigeria to 62 and 265 universities in Nigeria.

Rasheed who presented the licence to the delegation from the state led by the governor, Yahaya Bello, in Abuja, yesterday, congratulated the Kogi State government for successfully completing the requirements needed for the establishment of the university.

He assured them of maximum support from NUC and encouraged them to always approach the Commission for guidance and advice to avoid mistakes that could result in sanctions.

necessary infrastructure to ensure uninterrupted supply of Ukrainian agricultural products to both Nigeria and the entire African continent,” First Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, Taras

Vysotskyi, said.

“The main goal is to ensure food security in the regions that need it most.”

The Ukrainian agricultural sector continues to play an important role in

ensuring international food security, particularly given global population growth, the minister added.

The Lekki Deep Sea Port in Nigeria is the country’s first fully automated port. It is a joint project

of the Nigerian government, the Lagos State government, the owner of Lagos Free Zone (Tolarams Group) from Singapore, and the China Harbour Engineering Company (CNEC).

THISDAY Features Editor, Ezeobi Wins TPP ‘Woman of the Year 2023’ Award

Sunday Ehigiator

For her exemplary leadership as the Group Features Editor, THISDAY Newspaper, Chiemelie Ezeobi, was over the weekend, awarded The Peak Performing (TPP) ‘Woman of The Year Award 2023’

‘The Peak Performing Woman of The Year’ is a special annual edition which features 100 remarkable women in Africa across multiple industries, multiple generations and multiple countries on the African continent.

This year’s award, like every other, featured strong performing women from various walks of life, from which Ezeobi was also bestowed with the award, upon the heels of maintaining the 10th spot on the list of most powerful women in journalism.

Reacting to the award, during the award event held in Lagos State, Ezeobi expressed gratitude to the award organisers for recognising her efforts, especially in a country where women’s effort in leadership easily goes unnoticed.

“I am honoured and thrilled to receive the prestigious Peak Performing Woman of the Year 2023 Award. This recognition serves as a testament to the countless hours of hard work, dedication, and perseverance I have invested in my personal and professional growth.

“Receiving this award is not only

a personal achievement but also a celebration of the amazing women who have inspired and supported me throughout my journey. Their unwavering belief in my abilities has fueled my determination to reach new heights and push beyond perceived limitations.

“I am grateful for the opportunities that have come my way, allowing me to make a positive impact in my field and empower others along the way. This award serves as a reminder that dreams can be turned into reality with the right mindset, passion, and commitment.

“I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the organisers of this award for acknowledging the contributions and achievements of women in various spheres of life. This recognition not only highlights the exceptional accomplishments of women but also serves as an inspiration to countless others who aspire to excel in their chosen fields.”

In another development, Ezeobi was nominated alongside a few others as a Young Innovator to attend the biggest gathering of science and innovation champions in Africa with Bill Gates, with the theme, ‘Advancing Africa: Unleashing the Power of Youth in Science and Innovation.’

In an invitation mail addressed to her, the organisers said the panAfrica Youth Innovation Forum “is an exclusive opportunity for young

Deforestation: Onuesoke Charges Delta Government to Set Up Forestry Commission

Sylvester Idowu in Warri

The Chairman of DAS Energy Services Limited, in Delta State, Chief Sunny Onuesoke, has urged the state government to set up Forestry and Conservation Commission to tackle deforestation, forest degradation and develop forest assets.

Onuesoke, in a statement issued in Warri yesterday, decried the loss and degradation of forests were having on the people, stressing that the Commission, if inaugurated, would reverse the trend, harness the forest wildlife resources,

promote the conservation of the ecosystem and take charge of the ungoverned spaces in the forest.

He expressed worries over the devastating impacts of poachers, illegal logging activities and arsonists, especially herdsmen, who allegedly set fire to the forest to allow for fresh pasturing grasses.

Onuesoke, a Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) declared, “Deforestation and forest degradation are happening at an alarming rate, resulting in many wildlife habitats being destroyed, farmlands opened to flooding, loss of biodiversity, greenhouse gases

accumulation and loss of forest ecosystem, among others."

Noting that Delta State remains a low-lying coastal state that was vulnerable to climate change, the former Governorship aspirant in the state said, "The trees in the forest are very important for the sequestration of carbon, so we need to conserve the forest.

“Through afforestation, there would be more plants or trees to help absorb carbon dioxide and reduce its content in the air or in the atmosphere.

“As carbon dioxide is being reduced through the help of

trees, then the problems of climate change and global warming will be answered, even in the smallest way.

“More than the trees, the soil that is being developed as a forest also absorbs the CO2 from the atmosphere three times more than the trees," he observed.

Onuesoke argued that it was sad that a State like Delta which was blessed with natural forests allows the extinction of peculiar animals and giants African trees enriched with interlocking canopies from the forests, which are potential revenue earners through eco-tourism.

innovators like you to be part of a transformative experience that can shape Africa’s future.”

Reacting to the invite, Ezeobi thanked God and appreciated “all those that keep mentioning my name in rooms and ears that

matter.”

She, therefore, noted that the opportunity, among every other thing, would further shape her innovative skills even in the course of carrying out her official responsibility to her organisation

AFTER ABORTED REBELLION IN RUSSIA, CONCERN MOUNTS OVER WAGNER IN AFRICA

government official and a former one.

U.S. officials wanted to avoid the appearance of siding with either Wagner or the Kremlin, the officials said.

Miller, State Department spokesman, declined to confirm that sanctions were delayed, but said the United States always times its sanctions “for maximum impact or maximum effect” and pledged that the United States would continue to hold the group “accountable.”

On his part, a senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Cameron Hudson, said it would be important to get a “clearer understanding” of the relationship going forward between Wagner and the Kremlin, to ensure that Washington’s policies targeting Wagner — whose head in Mali has already been the subject of U.S. sanctions — do not end up inadvertently helping Putin.

Hudson explained that, there were scenarios that could have deeply negative consequences for African countries and their relations with the West — including if thousands of Wagner’s soldiers move out of Ukraine and onto the continent — the overall situation “only reinforces the point that Washington has been making to African governments: ‘Wagner doesn’t bring stability — it only brings chaos.’”

Efforts by the Biden administration to inoculate struggling African countries from the overtures of Prigozhin and his top aides included an interagency trip this past fall of White House, Defence Department and State Department officials to Mauritania, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.

The administration was considering providing governments in that region with security assistance, which it hoped could lure governments out of Wagner’s obit or prevent them from joining in the first place.

But the endeavor seemed to

have been complicated by recent coups in some Sahelian countries, including Burkina Faso, which a senior State Department official said Wagner was already providing some equipment to.

Authorities in Burkina Faso were seeking security assistance to fend off a powerful Islamist militant insurgency, but U.S. officials were restricted in what they could provide as a result of the coup and had concerns about any assistance being used to commit human rights abuses by Burkina Faso authorities.

Also, in the Central African Republic, the U.S. official characterised President Faustin-Archange Touadéra as having “buyer’s remorse” about his decision to work with Wagner,because of the extent of the group’s control over the country’s resources.

There, conversations were ongoing about what type of support the United States might be able to provide, the official said.

But Hudson and other analysts warned that any such discussions need to take into account the services that Wagner was offering, including direct military support and protection of the incumbent regimes.

The discussion, in some ways, “is sort of apples and oranges,” Hudson said, adding:“Wagner is providing security, and we’re offering textbooks.”

In interviews in Bamako, some Malians said they worried about the fallout. Ben Sangare, a 43-year-old consultant, put it bluntly: “It will be difficult,” he said, “for Russia to deal with its own problems and the Sahel region at the same time.”

Mahamadou Sidibé, 45, said although it seemed unlikely that Mali would take back its request for the U.N. withdrawal, the chaos has eroded trust in Wagner and Russia.

“It exposed Russia’s leadership,” he said, “and it allowed me to see some of Russia’s flaws.”

RIDA UNVEILS UPDATED APP…

L-R: Head of Business Development, Rida, Similoluwa Adewole; Director, Transport Operations, Lagos State Ministry

Police Arrest 13 Fake Job Syndicates, Rescue 60 Victims in Rivers

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Operatives of the Rivers State Police Command have arrested 13 persons suspected to be job fraudsters syndicate and rescued 60 victims of fraud in Port Harcourt, state

capital.

The state Commissioner of Police(CP), Emeka Nwonyi disclosed this yesterday, while parading about 28 suspects arrested from across the state for various criminal acts.

Nwonyi said the suspects defrauded three

NMDPRA Seals Off 50 Filling Stations in Kogi

Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has sealed off over 50 filling stations for operating without NMDPRA storage and sales licence.

The State Coordinator of NMDPRA, Mr. Ogbe Orits Godwin, who disclosed this to journalists in Lokoja yesterday, said this was in line with the federal government’s directives

that marketers must apply online and obtain their stations licence in line with the guidelines as enshrined in the Petroleum Inspectorate Act(PIA)

He explained that five of the filling stations sealed were under dispensing Premium Motor Spirit, (PMS) popularly called petrol to customers in Kogi State.

Godwin noted that the filling stations were shut down after a surveillance exercise was carried out by NMDPRA task force teams yesterday.

Katsina Gov Appoints New Heads of Govt Agencies

FrancisSardaunainKatsina

The Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umar Radda, has appointed new chief executives of some government agencies in the state.

A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Ibrahim Kuala Mohammed, yesterday said the appointments were conveyed by the Secretary to the Government of the State, Mr. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa. According to the statement, Mr.

Kabir Usman Amoga is appointed the Executive Director, Katsina State Environmental Protection Agency; Binta Dangani, Executive Secretary Katsina State Emergency Management Agency.

Others are: Tukur Tinglin, Managing Director, Katsina State Water Board; Abubakar Sulaiman Abukur, Executive Director, Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency and Dr. Nuhu Bala Kankia, Executive Secretary, Katsina State Agency for Control of AIDS.

unsuspecting victims of the sum of N1.65million.

The CP explained that the victims include eight female and 52 male, noting that the suspects were arrested in

their hideouts in Rumuaholu community, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, where they also detained some of the defrauded victims for over one week.

Audi: NSCDC Has Zero Tolerance for Accidental Discharge

The Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, (NSCDC), Dr. Ahmed Audi, yesterday said the corps has zero tolerance for

accidental discharge of riffle by any personnel, insisting that officers must be grounded in arms handling.

Audi, made the statement at the Passing Out Parade of course 10 Basic Arms and Weapon Handling Training in

Abuja.

This is just as NSCDC has approved the deployment of 1,000 tactical personnel drawn from the divisional offices, area commands and the state headquarters for security coverage during the

forthcoming Salah celebration within Ondo State.

Audi said: “Our service does not welcome any accidental discharge and any trigger happy officer that kills a civilian will face the law and will be court marshal.”

Eid-El Kabir: Police Assure Bauchi Residents of Improved Security

Segun

Awofadeji inBauchi

The Bauchi State Police Command will provide adequate security arrangements before, during and after the Eid-El Kabir celebration in the state.

This was contained in a press

release issued yesterday by the Acting Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Command, ASP Aminu Gimba Ahmed on behalf of Commissioner of Police. The command said that it is not unmindful of the activities of miscreants and disgruntled elements

during the celebration, hence it has taken proactive measures to forestall any breakdown of law and order in the state. The Police said that they have ordered massive deployment of conventional police personnel as well as the tactical teams attached to the Command: Rapid Response

Team (RRS), Anti-kidnapping Unit (AKU), Operation Restore Peace (ORS), Police Mobile Force (PMF) and Explosives Ordinance Disposal and Chemical Biological radioactive Nuclear (EOD&CBRN) operatives to various strategic places, especially areas that are susceptible to attack.

Daniel Didn’t Support Tinubu, Abiodun during Election, Says APC

James Sowole in Abeokuta

The All Progressives Congress (APC), Ogun State Chapter, yesterday described former Governor Gbenga Daniel latest interview in the media as “drama of absurdity and cocktails of lies.”

Daniel, who presently represents Ogun East Senatorial District at the

Senate, granted media interview where he alleged that Abiodun is still in dagger drawn with him for supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the APC’s presidential primaries in 2022 among other allegations.

Reacting to Daniel’s interview yesterday, the Assistant Publicity Secretary of APC in the State, Mr.

Olusola Ogunsanya, stressed that the said interview was an embodiment of falsehood and blatant lies.

Ogunsanya said that at no time did Daniel make a definite position to support the president, as it accused him of double standards and pecuniary tendencies.

The statement further alleged

that Daniel supported the PDP and its candidates during the last general election in Ogun State and worked against his APC. It claimed the party and Abiodun rescued Daniel at the point of his political oblivion, saying the former Governor, had displayed an act of ingratitude by his action.

Diri Has Done Enough to Get Second Term, Says Aide

Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa Director, New Media of the Bayelsa State Government, Dr. Kola Oredipe, yesterday asserted that Governor Douye Diri has done much to earn a second term in office.

He made the declaration

at a parley with members of the Federated Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Bayelsa State Council in Yenagoa.

Oredipe emphasised that within the last three years in office, the governor had embarked on key projects and infrastructure

such as roads, education, security and welfare of civil servants and pensioners.

He stated that with over 85 per cent in performance so far, Governor Diri is poised for victory and get a second term in the November 11, 2023 gubernatorial electios in the State.

“I can tell you that if election is conducted today, Governor Douye Diri will win in all the eight local government areas of Bayelsa State regardless of where the other candidates come from. The project Bayelsa is very key to him and he feels very strongly about it.”

Local Producers of Health Drinks Call for Govt’s Protection

Producers of energy drinks in the country have urged the federal government to protect newly established industries from foreign competition, and save direct employment of over 2,000 Nigerians and their numerous dependents.

The local producers said they

have the capacity to produce enough drinks that can serve the entire country.

They urged the federal government to safeguard the health of Nigerian from compromised formulation of imported energy and health drinks.

According to them, most of the

imported energy or health drinks could not withstand Nigeria’s temperature on storage, and they often bursted and constituted hazardous risk in the open market.

In a statement by the DirectorGeneral, Africa Brands Group, Mr Ayodele Joseph, they said:

“There is a need to prevent the

dumping of cheap foreign goods in Nigeria.

“Banning the importation of energy or health drinks will lead to more investment in local production, higher capacity utilisation and a boost for the export drive of the local manufacturers.

Adeleke Denies Alleged Plans to Pardon Dr Adedoyin

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

The government of Osun state has denied rumours on social media that it is plotting to subvert the judgement of death sentence on Dr Rahman Adedoyin, saying that there is no plan to pardon

the proprietor of the Oduduwa University.

Reacting to the growing rumour of possible state pardon for the businessman, Governor Adeleke was quoted as noting that his administration had never and would never intervene in

the judicial process, labeling those behind the fake news as public enemies.

“Those who concocted the fake news are evil minded political operatives who are merely grasping at straws in their desperation to blackmail

the state governor,” he said.

The governor said he would never contemplate exercising the prerogative of mercy or whatever the report calls it, on a matter under adjudication which has generated deep interest among local and global communities.

Michael Olugbode in Abuja and Fidelis David in Akure

of Transportation, Ojowowuro Olasunkanmi; Managing Director, Rida, Osi Oguah; City Lead, Lagos, Rida, Tosin Williams during the unveiling of updated Rida App in Lagos…recently

TINUBU IN PARIS: MATTERS ARISING

made statements on behalf of the developing world about fairness, equity and justice in the proposed new global financial pact. What does anybody expect them to say? The big issue about North-South relations has been exactly about the same issues, the original basis in particular for Africa, demanding “trade, not aid”. I have given this background to lead up to the point that has been raised by some Twitter analysts, those I call the 140-word intellectuals who have been saying that whr5eas some other Presidents from developing countries took the podium and made some noise with regard to striking some deals, President Tinubu only got promises from the Paris Summit and did not make any big statement. What big statement is anyone looking for? Comparing President Tinubu to President William Ruto of Kenya, or the Presidents of Ghana or Zambia is an act of self-abnegation on the part of those who have done so. Every country makes its own sovereign choices and defines its own priorities. Nigeria is not under any obligation to speak at any forum except as it deems fit. The point has been made that President Tinubu did not speak at any major forum. Nigeria as a sovereign state has every right to choose what serves its purpose. In any case, among all the African Presidents at that Paris Summit, Tinubu is the youngest in order of emergence. Protocol and etiquette require that he cannot speak ahead of Presidents that are ahead of him until his proper introduction at the regional and continental level, where he is properly admitted into the body of Heads of States and Governments. Going to Paris was also Tinubu’s first international outing, after his election as President. I disagree with those who claim that his attendance at that Summit was a lost opportunity. There is too much mush on social media.

My view is that the Paris trip was a great outing for Nigeria and for Africa, and especially for President Tinubu. You all must have seen him bouncing, and sprinting like a teenager at the events that he chose to attend and the great photo opportunities that he had. I was so drawn into the atmosphere I had to confess that I would also like to become President of Nigeria someday. There is clearly something magical about that office that purifies the person, and gives your system a little bounce. Can anyone imagine that the same Tinubu that critics used to ridicule is suddenly looking like he can take Anthony Joshua’s place and challenge Dillian Whyte to a fight? It is the magic of that spiritual place called the Nigerian Presidency. I digress. I intend to say that those who claim that Tinubu’s trip to France was a poor outing are factually wrong, unnecessarily sentimental and unfair. He did well. It is also the height of emotionalism to compare or reduce the performance of the President of one’s country to the level of the Presidents of other countries which on a good day look up to Nigeria. In this matter, I think we all need to be reminded that campaigns and elections are over, we are now in the season of governance. Except the courts decide one way or the other, my take is that we are now in the season of governance, and this whole matter cannot be left alone to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its mob.

We have a responsibility to get involved in how this country is run. It is no longer about APC or Tinubu. It is about us. Less than a month ago, everyone talked about Muhammadu Buhari. I have not seen him on the front page of any newspaper since he packed his things out of Aso Rock and relocated to Katsina state. We have all simply moved on with our lives. This I think is the point that can also be taken from Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s statement that “Nigerians should please relax”. Indeed, we all need to relax!

The Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) was accused of not posting her pictures with President Tinubu in Paris whereas she posted on social media pictures with other Presidents that are not her own. She was then accused of making a political statement. The truth that is lost on the complainants is that Tinubu does not need Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s validation. It is not an issue. And she put her finger on it when she pointed out that those complaining have sadly shown “the depth of polarization in our society”. She has told us correctly: “Let’s unite to build our country, not attack.” The censorious mode into which the opposition in Nigeria has plugged itself is unhealthy for us as a country, nor is it of any help to the sub-region. In Sierra Leone where presidential,

ADDRESSING THE FX SHORTAGE

exchange rates is expected to hit fuel stations. Add to this the impact of the likelihood of a supplementary budget, an increase in the minimum wage, relaxation on or reversal of cash reserve requirements, and a possible increase in electricity tariffs on inflation, and the corresponding impact on the disposable income of consumers.

However, it must said that many analysts remain brutally cynical about foreign portfolio investors (FPIs), who though highly liquid, are considered to be fickle and can flee the economy on a whim, causing economic upheavals and leaving financial disruptions in their wake. For such analysts, the government should focus on how to attract foreign direct investments (FDIs) through concerted policies and reforms that will make Nigeria an attractive destination for investors that create value and additional jobs. Whilst they have a point on the merits of FDIs vis-à-vis FPIs, the truth is that at this juncture what Nigeria needs are quick FX injections in the market that can restore the confidence of even existing FDIs that have found it impossible to repatriate their earnings in recent years.

Interest rates aside, the absence of a de facto central bank governor as well as ministers of finance and petroleum is another area that should interest investors. The persons Tinubu chooses to appoint to occupy these key positions in his government will signpost his readiness to do business and implement reforms that can engender economic growth. After the mindless incompetence of the Buhari administration and its inept economic managers, the Nigeria government needs to show the world that it can select the right persons to drive economic policy.

But for me, the biggest elephant in the room that Tinubu must tackle head on is the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and oil security in the Niger Delta for the country to improve FX earnings in the short to medium term. Instructively, Tinubu has identified oil theft as a major concern, hence his meetings with Mr Government Ekpemupolo, predominantly known by his sobriquet Tompolo, before the presidential election, and more recently with Mr Asari Dokubo at the State House, Abuja. Though both are ex-Niger Delta militants, whom many view as non-state actors that have no business getting involved in Nigeria’s security architecture, yet it must be acknowledged that it was the decision by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua and later former President Goodluck Jonathan to grant amnesty to these militants and their followers and engage them

in securing oil and gas assets in the Niger Delta that enabled Nigeria to increase and maintain crude oil output at more that 2 million barrels per day between 2008 and 2015. Had former President Muhammadu Buhari understood the importance of those security contracts, he would not have dismantled them and embarked on a witch hunt against Tompolo after the then president assumed office in 2015. But due to his myopia, crude oil theft was allowed to go unchecked for several years until oil production was more than halved to about 937,000 barrels per day as of September last year. Of course, by the time Buhari recalled Tompolo to secure oil and gas assets towards the tail end of 2022, the

parliamentary and municipal elections were held last Saturday, it is shocking to see that Sierra Leoneans are beginning to behave almost exactly like Nigerians. The ruling party, the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), claiming victory is already telling the main opposition party, the All People’s Congress (APC): “Go to Court”, Go to Court”. The judiciary is obviously not only in the eyes of the storm in Nigeria as the Nigeria Bar Association-Special Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SWIDEL) resolved at a summit last week, it is embattled everywhere. Again, I digress. I began with Tinubu’s trip to Paris. Now, let me end with that. His first official international outing. Good. Good. For the benefit of those who claim that Tinubu did not secure a deal, I accuse them of ignorance. Deals are not secured by word of mouth. Summits provide an opportunity for interaction and engagements and sound bites. What follows thereafter is more important, the ability of the country involved in diplomatic relations at either bilateral or multinational level to follow through. Zambia may have secured a commitment for debt repayment rescheduling from China but it means nothing if it remains at the level of expectation. It is the same argument for the pledge by the global North to provide up to $100 billion for climate adaptation financing. This

combination of crude theft and underinvestment by oil firms had done incalculable damage to Nigeria’s oil production levels. However, a huge chunk of the blame for Nigeria’s abysmal FX earnings, despite high oil prices for over year, must also be placed squarely on NNPCL and its management led by Mr Mele Kyari. That Kyari and his team have still not been fired by Tinubu continues to beat the imagination. NNPCL under Kyari has been completely mismanaged and has made a mockery of the reforms envisaged for the company under the Petroleum Industry Act. Not only has NNPCL used contrived petrol importation figures, domestic consumption figures, and the subsidy scheme to deprive

What’s My Bank’s Business with My Social Media Handles?

The Central Bank of Nigeria has come again. Pursuant to the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act and the central bank’s Customer Due Diligence Regulations of 2023, it mandated financial institutions in the country to collect and verify customers’ social media handles. For what, many wondered? Banks already have our BVNs, NINs, phone numbers, email addresses (where available), ID details, home addresses, and utility bills. Isn’t that sufficient customer information?

Personally, I would counsel that the CBN reverses its circular which infringes on my constitutional right to freely express myself through whatever channel I deem fit without fear of persecution or a political witch hunt. The circular, as far as I know, and law which gave CBN the temerity to issue the circular, are ultra vires and in conflict with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

It will be recalled that the central bank has already shown a propensity to issue Post-no-Debit (PND) orders on customers’ bank accounts it perceives as opposition elements to the federal government. This was carried out in the aftermath of the EndSARs protest in 2020 when 20 young Nigerians, including some members of the Feminist Coalition who provided logistics support to the protesters, had their bank accounts frozen on the order of the CBN.

It was later discovered that the CBN was selective as to those it chose to harass, as some young protesters who were the children/wards of Nigerian big men, including a major shareholder of a commercial bank, were excluded from the punitive action. Three weeks after issuing the PND order on the 20 account holders, the central bank obtained an ex parte order from a Federal High Court freezing the said accounts for 90 days on the spurious allegation that they were suspected of terrorism financing.

Even after the protesters challenged the order, the judge of the court, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, kept adjourning the case until after the expiration of the 90 days. The court eventually unfroze the bank accounts in what the central bank termed, “in the spirit of reconciliation.” No compensatory damages were awarded to the affected persons for the wrongful acts of the CBN and financial institutions.

In any case, I await to see any financial institution that makes the disclosure of social media handles mandatory for opening or maintaining banks accounts. Many bank customers do not have email addresses. Likewise, banks do not make it mandatory for customers to disclose their email details before an account can be opened. The same should apply to social media handles, including those that have usernames different from their account names.

is at best an aspiration. It may never happen. Didn’t they make similar promises at Glasgow, Scotland (COP 26) and Sharm el-Sheik (COP 27)?

Nigeria’s participation in the Paris Summit is strategic and appropriately so. Nigeria was clear about its purpose: to woo the international community to invest in Nigeria, and to make just enough appearances to show that there is a new Sheriff in charge of Nigeria. The Lagos City Boy who is now President of Nigeria did not disappoint. He was sprinting and hugging and laughing, putting up a good show on the soft diplomacy side. He demonstrated wisdom by not over-pushing himself in people’s faces at his first major outing as a newly-elected President. And it is not true that he went there to take photos. He held strategic meetings, and secured serious commitments. Mr. Dele Alake, Presidential spokesman, my beloved junior in that office, has reported copiously on this: President Tinubu’s meeting with Professor Benedict Oramah of the African Export and Import Bank (AFREXIM) who gave a firm commitment that the development bank will invest more in Nigeria, and the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) who was told pointedly by Tinubu that it would be perilous for the world to ignore Nigeria. The EBRD lady concurred. Tinubu also met with Presidents of other countries. International diplomacy is not simply about making speeches at the podium where everyone says more or less the same things; it is more about commitments secured on the sidelines. Tinubu did very well in the latter regard. The only caveat I attach to that is that there is need for follow-up, and follow-through. Tinubu has to work on that. Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is too busy organizing protocols and ceremonies, nobody in that Ministry pays enough attention to the nexus between diplomacy and statecraft. The golden age of that Ministry ended. Tinubu must revive it.

My only point of criticism about the Paris Summit event would be as follows. President Tinubu met with Nigerians in Diaspora at an event in Paris which is a good thing, Nigerians in Diaspora are major stakeholders in the Nigerian enterprise- many of them are even far more concerned than the Nigerians at home. But Tinubu made the mistake of saying at the forum that the country’s financial system was rotten under Godwin Emefiele as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). He gave his audience more details. That was wrong. Emefiele was arrested on June 8, and has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since then with the claim that he is still being investigated. President Tinubu must refrain from making prejudicial statements. Emefiele has rights under the laws of Nigeria. He should not be crucified through Presidential proclamation. Tinubu’s critics have further objected to his decision to travel from Paris to London. I am amused by the comments. The beauty of democracy is that even persons who cannot buy enough data credit on their phones or who cannot run their own lives believe it is their right to dictate to the “oga on top”. Democracy is not too much of a departure from dictatorship, Only the character is different.

Nigeria of FX inflows that should have been paid into the Federation Account, those who were expecting that subsidy removal would immediately reduce the government’s fiscal deficit and free up money for spending on social and infrastructure projects, would have to wait for several months before government begins to feel the policy impact.

According to a Reuters report last Friday, NNPC owes oil traders and multinationals $3 billion for the fuel-for-crude swaps through which Nigeria has been importing fuel to meet domestic demand. Under the so-called Direct Purchase Direct Sale arrangement, Nigeria is meant to export crude cargoes in exchange for fuel, however, NNPCL is yet to ship the cargoes it still owes for previous imports, and this could take months to settle, said the Reuters report. By implication, much of Nigeria’s crude oil is already encumbered. To make matters worse, no one knows how much crude oil is exchanged for petroleum products. In the past, the quantity was limited to the country’s total refining capacity of 445,000 barrels per day. With the opacity in NNPC, your guess is as good as good as mine as to what that number is today. Meanwhile, if we are to include the crude oil that has also been assigned to oil companies to offset the country’s outstanding cash call obligations, then Nigeria may have to kiss any revenue from crude oil exports goodbye, possibly till the end of this year.

Given the degree of mismanagement and graft at NNPCL, it remains a mystery how any right-thinking government can rely on the state-owned oil company to lead the way in improving crude oil production. But even as it decides on what it wants to do with NNPCL, the government must immediately begin to engage private oil companies, big and small, and incentivise them to bring back the oil rigs to the Niger Delta. Where pipelines meant to convey crude to oil terminals can be fixed, repair programmes should be initiated as quickly as possible in order to reduce the number of barges, which are more susceptible to spills and environmental degradation, that have been introduced in the last one year to move crude to the terminals. Improving the security architecture should include the deployment of technology at the oil wells, along the pipelines and terminals where crude is discharged into waiting oil tankers. This way, not only will Nigeria gradually eliminate theft and vandalism, it will begin to have more accurate records of how much of its oil is loaded and exported.

The president with Nigerian delegates when he arrived Paris... recently

Senator Umeh to Lagosians

“Igbo people didn’t come from a new place outside Nigeria to become Nigerians, rather, they are the aborigines of Nigeria, who have the rights to reside in any part of the country to do their business. Lagosians should allow Ndigbo to do their businesses because they pay their taxes to the Lagos State Government; anybody that is attacking the Igbos is drawing anarchy to themselves and Nigeria at large. Igbo people live everywhere in Nigeria…” ---SenatorVictor Umeh,canvassingunfetteredfreedomfortheIgbostoliveandworkanywhereinNigeria.

TUESDAY WITH REUBEN ABATI

abati1990@gmail.com

Tinubu in Paris: Matters Arising

“See Paris and die!” We used to hear that as young persons. Paris was meant to be the most exotic spot of European civilization, an intellectual capital and the reference point for the Renaissance – Francis !1, Cardinal Richelieu, Loui XIII, Louis XIV, and the ideas-driven salons of Paris. But that was in the past. Nobody goes to Paris to die these days, or to look for big ideas at salons. The history is still there, the legacy is apparent, but there is no big deal anymore about Paris. Most people go there for tourism, lovers travel to Paris to take pictures at some of the most memorable legacies of world heritage: at the la Tour Eiffel, the Louvre Museum, the Seine River, the Versailles, the Mussee d’Orsay and particularly at the Arc de Triomphe where lovers take pictures after, or before visiting the Eiffel Tower to show that they have been to Paris.

It is particularly tragic for France that from being the centre of culture and civilization at a time in history it is now more important as a centre for romance, conferences and tourism, even if France has sustained its status as one of the seven most powerful countries in the world as a member of the G-7. Between June 22 and 23, France was again in the spotlight when it hosted the summit on a “New Global Financial Pact” which as President Emmanuel Macron pointed out was to develop a new architecture for global financing to the advantage of the global South with particular focus on. Climate adaptation, equity, justice and respect for the sovereignty of states. The Summit was attended by more than 50 representatives from countries, that is Heads of States and Governments, the private sector and

BEHIND THE FIGURES

international development/multilateral agencies. It was France’s means of asserting its continuing relevance as a world super power. None of the G-7 countries would ever give up easily in claiming their own space in the

global arena, with regard to diplomacy and influence. President Macron has been particularly determined in carrying the French torchlight in the global space. That said, let me pivot a little. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigeria’s new President and his entourage participated in the New Global Finance Pact Summit in Paris For those who do not understand the context, there has been so much talk about a new global financial architecture in the international space when countries of the global South, that is the developing countries began to ask for a New International Economic Order as far back as 1974. Developing countries were not at the table when the United Nations, the IMF, the World Bank and other multilateral institutions were formed after World War II. Nor were they at the table after World War I and the negotiations that led to the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations. Post-war, the world has been trying to grapple with the challenges of peace, security and stability, but with that has come the challenges of equity, justice and state sovereignty. Article 1 of the UN Charter talks about the sovereignty of states, but we live in an unbalanced world and an inequitable world. The disparity between the Global North and the Global South has therefore led to s a situation whereby the poor developing countries of the world have consistently asked for a seat at the table, either at the UN Security Council, or for trade not aid, and reforms at all levels and a greater commitment of the North to the South. France as we have seen, and other countries of the North – Japan, China, Russia, the United States have tried to seize on this through annal summits at which they announce grants for developing countries,

Much of it is just sheer hypocrisy though. Whether it is Japan, China, the US, the UK or France, these Global North countries are basically looking out for their own interests. In France, the developed countries for example promised a $100 billion fund for climate adaptation. We heard much of that at COP 26 in Glasgow Scotland, and also at COP 27 at Sharm-el-Sheik in Egypt., and again at the African Development Bank Anniversary at the same venue – Sharm el-Sheik most recently. In Paris, the rich nations pledged about $100 billion for climate adaptation to help developing countries, but has progress been made (?), given the fact that an outsized role is given to private investment and multilateral development banks. The truth is that the global North is not yet ready to input fairness, justice and equity into its relationship with the global South – that, sadly, is the extant international economic order. Zambia’s President Hichilema may have been able to secure a debt deal with China with the help of France’s President Macron but that doesn’t really mean much. Zambia, the copper-rich nation was the first Africa country to default on its debt prepayments in 2020. It is indebted to China for up to $4billion out of a debt profile of about $6 billon. The loans may have been taken by Hichilema’s predecessor – Michael Sata and Edward Lungu, but Hichilema succeeded in getting a reprieve on debt repayment from China, with President Macron facilitating the deal. I don’t think that is a lot to crow about. Zambia is in a very bad place economically. It has also been said that the. Presidents of Ghana, Kenya, Barbados reportedly

Continued on page 31

ijeoma.nwogwugwu@thisdaylive.com

Addressing the FX Shortage

After the initial euphoria that followed the Central Bank of Nigeria’s return to a managed currency float, while retaining capital controls on what it qualifies as “43 non-eligible items”, concerns have been raised among market analysts over improved dollar supply to the foreign exchange market to meet pent-up demand, estimated at anywhere between $3 billion and $12 billion. As things stand, since the CBN gave commercial banks and dealers the green light to return to the rate setting mechanism at the Investors and Exporters (I&E) window to one of a willing buyer, willing seller basis, as initially laid out by the central bank in 2017, foreign investors have continued to remain on the sidelines as they await more measures aimed at loosening FX controls.

Dr Kingsley Obiora, Deputy Governor in charge of Economic Policy at the Bank, fortunately, has assured the market of further policy changes from the central bank. For foreign direct and portfolio investors this is most critical as the reinstatement of a managed float, while viewed as a positive development for the market, it remains insufficient in pushing the needle as far as improving dollar liquidity is concerned. This was evident when on June 14, the naira first depreciated by 29% to N664.1 to the dollar at the I&E window but subsequently tumbled to an intra-day

high of N815 to the dollar on July 21, before closing at N763.17 to the dollar by the close of business that day. Expectedly, by the next day, the central bank intervened in the market, selling $29.5 million to nine commercial banks to shore up dollar liquidity on the back of rising demand for the greenback. That the CBN was forced to intervene in the I&E window eight days after it paved the way for a managed currency float did not come as a shock to market analysts, who participated in a no-holds-barred discussion on Nigeria’s new FX policy measures, organised by Nairametrics on Clubhouse, a social media audio app last week. During the dialogue, participants wondered if the CBN had sufficient net external reserves to defend the naira, given the FX backlog that has accumulated over the last three years.

Participants such as Wale Okunrinboye, Chief Investment Officer of Access Pensions were of the view that it would have been ideal if Nigeria had a Standby Arrangement (SBA) with the International Monetary Fund in the form of a short-term loan to shore up its balance of payments position. He pointed to Egypt which was in the same position as Nigeria a couple of years ago when it floated its currency, noting that even though the Egyptian pound depreciated at the time the float was introduced, its decline was not precipitous because the country’s

central bank was able to fall back on its standby facility from the IMF to intervene in the market whenever the need arose.

Well, in the absence of an IMF loan, Nigeria has

no choice than to comprehensively address the chronic shortage of FX through a combination of monetary and fiscal policy adjustments. For one, the issue of the negative rate of return on Nigerian bonds is an issue that the central bank cannot shy away from. Despite President Bola Tinubu’s stated preference – on day of his inauguration – for a low interest rate environment to boost economic growth, the fact still remains that with Nigeria’s inflation rate hovering at over 22% (inflation is expected to rise to 24% to 26% between June and July due to the impact of fuel subsidy removal), the central bank cannot expect to attract investors if yields on fixed income securities are below the rate of inflation.

Besides, if the Tinubu administration is desirous of distancing itself from the unorthodox and interventionist policies endorsed by its predecessor, it will do well to leave the CBN to raise interest rates to address inflationary pressure in the short to medium term. Although several market analysts have argued that goods and services had already been priced at parallel market rates for most imported items, concerns persist that the inflation rate may even rise to north of 30% by August or September this year when the impact of petrol imported at market determined

Continued on page 31

CBN Acting Gov, Folashodun Shonubi

President Bola Tinubu