SATURDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER 2024

Democrats Taunt Trump for Refusing Second Debate with Kamala Harris

The campaign of Kamala Harris yesterday, stepped up its mockery of “chicken” Donald Trump for ducking out of another presidential debate, with the Democratic nominee telling her Republican rival he owes it to voters to face her again.

The former US president had announced on Thursday “there will be no third debate”, two days after a floundering performance during their testy meeting in Philadelphia in which Harris baited him on a range of subjects, including the crowd size at his rallies.

Trump’s post to his Truth Social network insisted instead that he was the victor, citing imaginary

polls and using a bizarre boxing analogy about a beaten prizefighter demanding a rematch.

According to UK-based The Guardian, it drew a derisive response from the Harris campaign, with chair David Plouffe stating in a tweet: “At long last we discover his spirit animal: The Chicken.”

Yesterday, the Harris team stepped up the pressure. A memo from spokesperson Ian Sams said Trump should be held accountable for his refusal to answer questions during the debate about whether he would veto a national abortion ban or if he wanted Ukraine to win its war against Russia.

“The debate was a mess for

Trump, yes. But these answers are simply toxic. In almost any other circumstance, any one of these answers might drive days of a media crisis for the candidate. Taken together, they are an unmitigated disaster,” Sams wrote.

“Trump should have to answer for these positions.”

Harris, meanwhile, continued to press for the pair to meet again in what would be their second meeting and third debate of the presidential campaign following Joe Biden’s disastrous display in June that led to him dropping his re-election bid.

“The vice-president is clear she

believes there should be another debate and we do not consider this to be the last word from him,”

Brian Fallon, a spokesperson for Harris, told Politico. “[Trump] is just working through his feelings after losing very badly Tuesday night.”

The call was echoed by some senior Republicans following a debate in which Trump passed over an opportunity to talk about immigration, a perceived strong suit, to make unfounded, rambling claims about Haitian immigrants eating residents’ pet cats and dogs in Springfield, Ohio.

Asked by the Associated Press about Trump’s failure to press

Harris on policy issues, John Thune of South Dakota, the number two Senate Republican, said: “Frankly, it could have been done better.”

Another meeting, he said, would be “helpful”, adding: “I don’t think they got enough into the substance of their differences.

I hope there’s another debate.”

Harris was expected to talk more about this week’s debate later on Friday at appearances in Johnstown and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, part of what her campaign called “an aggressive phase of campaigning” in swing states crucial to the outcome of November’s election.

At two raucous rallies in

COUNTDOWN TO EDO 2024: APC CAMPAIGN BLIGHTED AS CONVOY CRUSHES 5 TO DEATH

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

With exactly seven days to the Edo governorship election, all the political parties in the polls have begun final preparations for the encounter that will take place on Saturday, September 21.

The three major political contenders have fixed the grand finale of the rallies for today.

This comes as the convoy of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Monday Okpebholo crushed one Emmanuel Edionwe and four of his friends to death on Warrake Road around Uzebba axis in Owan West Local Government Area in Edo State.

In the final push to woo voters, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has slated its final rally holding today at the Garrick Memorial ground, located along Ekekhuan road and also intensified other forms of campaigns, the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) rally is to take place at the University of Benin playground, Ugbowo campus today.

According to information from one of the leading political parties, the

Labour Party (LP), the three senatorial districts of Benin, Ekpoma and Auchi would serve as venues for its grand finale.

Despite some concerns raised by the PDP, the political parties from all indications are good to go in the election.

Some of the concerns raised by the ruling party in the State include the call for the removal of the Commissioner of Police and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the state because of their alleged strong affiliation to a former governor of Rivers State who according to the party, is an interested party in the Edo election.

The party also drew the attention of the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to the recruitment of the Supervising Presiding Officers (SPOs) for the forthcoming election with alleged intention to compromise the polls.

According to the PDP Chairman, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, "We have it on good authority that in the recruitment process for the SPOs, non-commission

staff members with fake Ministry, Department and Agencies (MDAs) identity cards were given special consideration above actual INEC and MDA staff members.

"The recruitment of these persons with fake ID cards is alleged to have been sponsored by a Governor from one of the States in South-East to disrupt the electoral process and swap election results, thereby undermining the credibility of the polls. The selected leaders of the sponsored impersonators with their cohorts are mainly in classes 1 to 4 and also infiltrated other classes of the INEC training sessions.”

Nevertheless, all the parties' campaigns are in their last lap, trying to tell the electorate why they should favour their own party and not the other.

For instance, in carrying out his message of hope as encapsulated in his manifesto, "The Pathway to Prosperity For All", the PDP candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo and his running mate, Osarodion Ogie, Governor Obaseki, including former governor Lucky Igbinedion and other stakeholders in the party have traversed the entire

nook and cranny of the state beginning from ward units to local government areas and the three senatorial districts, asking the people to come out enmass to vote for the PDP.

In all the areas visited, the party promised to ensure adequate security of lives and properties to enable the people go about their normal daily business and once again, have access to their farms now ravaged by herders which ostensibly is one of the major factors causing hike in food stuffs in the market.

The candidate expressed hope that with the creation of platforms for active participation in the state development, recognising the valuable skills, perspectives and investments, and poised to engender an environment of collaboration and mutual respect that would take the state to higher heights.

Other driven areas in their messages include women and youth development, education using the EdoBest model developed by Governor Godwin Obaseki, to digitalise learning in the state to bring the state at par with other

BORNO FLOODING: FG, WHO PLEDGE CONTINUOUS SUPPORT, DANGOTE ANNOUNCES N2BN DONATION

of N2 billion to assist those affected by the recent devastating flood in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

Dangote explained that while the Presidential Committee on Flood and Disaster, which he chairs, committed N1 billion, the Dangote Foundation would donate an additional N1 billion.

This was as Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, stressed the need for more support to overcome the flooding of Maiduguri and its environs, insisting that recovery from such a disaster cannot be the government's responsibility alone and that it required the collective effort of all stakeholders.

Owing to this, Borno State government has established a dedicated relief fund that can provide urgent assistance to those affected by the incident.

The government aims to mobilise support from citizens, organisations, and international partners to alleviate the suffering of flood victims and facilitate their recovery.

The recent flooding has caused significant destruction, displacement of families and damage to vital infrastructure.

Faced with this humanitarian crisis, the Borno State Government called on all individuals and groups to contribute to the newly created flood relief account.

The account details are as follows: Name: BORNO ST. FLOOD DISASTER RELIEF

Bank: Zenith Bank

Account Number: 1313556361

According to Shettima, both the federal and state governments, alongside the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), are actively working to enhance support for displaced communities.

Speaking yesterday, during an

assessment visit to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Gwada, Shiroro local government area of Niger State, Shettima assured that the administration of President Bola Tinubu remained focused on effective governance and the welfare of all Nigerians beyond political considerations.

He said, "We are here at the instance of President Bola Tinubu to give the commitment of the federal government to supporting the people of Niger State towards addressing the food challenges caused by the flood and the insecurity that has been bedevilling this part of the country.

"We have come to reaffirm the President's irrevocable commitment towards ameliorating the sufferings of our people. This is a symbolic gesture to assure the government and people of Niger State that the President is poised to assist all states of the federation towards addressing these challenges."

The Vice President recalled that the federal government had already disbursed ₦3 billion to each state to address flooding issues.

He, however, emphasised that it was just the beginning of a more comprehensive support plan, saying "this is just a tip of the iceberg as far as some states like Borno, Niger, Sokoto, Bayelsa and Jigawa are concerned."

He explained that states' eligibility to receive additional federal government support will be evidence- driven and based on detailed assessment of needs.

"We will do our assessment and we will be very scientific in our approach. All states that deserve to be supported will be fully supported because governance is about the people," Shettima said.

On the broader scope of the

government's infrastructure plans, the Vice President said, "In the contemporary history of Nigeria, no President has intervened decisively in the area of infrastructure greater than President Bola Tinubu."

He cited ongoing projects such as the East-West Road and the Sokoto-Badagry Road as examples of the administration's commitment to national development.

On the immediate concerns of the IDPs, Shettima assured that returning them to their communities was a priority, just as he disclosed that the federal and state governments, in collaboration with NEMA, were working on additional interventions for the displaced persons.

"We are here and we will support our people. It's not about politics; it's about governance and improving the living conditions of our people," he affirmed.

Earlier, the Governor of Niger State, Mohammed Bago, informed the IDPs that the Vice President had come to offer condolences and deliver some intervention items.

However, WHO promised to assist the Borno State Government to adapt to the impact of the recent flood disaster in Maiduguri which affected many communities and left over 30 persons dead.

Speaking during an assessment tour of the situation yesterday in Maiduguri, WHO Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr. Walter Mulombo lamented the impact of the flood, adding that about 14 health facilities have been cut off by the flood while some laboratories were also affected.

Mulombo said the communities needed help and that WHO would help the state government to manage the unprecedented crisis.

He said, "The Sudden flooding has displaced many communities from their homes. We were shocked about what happened. We came to see first-hand and find out what the needs are to support the state and the federal government to address the sudden challenge. Climate change is real, we are seeing the devastation."

Mulombo commended the state government for showing leadership and the state commissioner for Health for responding very fast to the situation, adding that from his observation, there was a coordinated response.

The state Commissioner for Health, Prof. Baba Mallam Gana, who conducted Mulombo around the city, noted that the flood has never happened at this scale in Borno state.

Governor Zulum stressed the need for support to overcome the recent flooding of the state capital Maiduguri and environs, insisting that recovery from such a disaster cannot be the government's responsibility alone and that it required the collective effort of all stakeholders.

Zulum appealed in a statewide broadcast on the flood disaster that struck Maiduguri and its environs, leaving over half of the ancient city of Maiduguri submerged in water.

Zulum said: “In the past few days, we have witnessed devastating floods in a way that many of us have never experienced before. Streets, homes, offices and businesses have been submerged, and unquantifiable property have been lost. Countless lives have now been turned upside down. The impact of this disaster has been profound, and is a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities that we face in our environment.

developed world.

Ighodalo's message also promised to ensure rural development through the provision of motorable roads to ease evacuation of farm produce, provision of electricity both at the rural and urban areas leveraging on the 55MWT Ossiomo power plant built by Obaseki; expand the capacity to also drive industrialisation, harness the importance of the diaspora for a better working relationship, and respect for traditional and religious institutions.

In all the campaigns he has always left the following message with the people:

"Think about the prices of goods in the country today, rice, beans, yams, talk of petrol and transportation. Look at the exchange rate. So you see that there are challenges and we must find the right people to do the right things. Therefore, we need experienced men and women who have the competence and capacity, and know-how to tackle those problems and get a solution that will better the lives of all of us.

"The September 21 governorship election is, therefore, a thing that is between light and darkness, between good and evil and between going forward into the next century or going back to the 17th century.

"I therefore beg you to go out on September 21 and cast your vote, monitor it and ensure it is counted, and follow it up so that bad people won't shortchange us.”

On his part, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo and his running mate, Mr. Dennis Idahosa with former governor of the state and

North Carolina on Thursday she challenged Trump to face her again. “We owe it to the voters. Because here’s the thing … in this election, what’s at stake could not be more important,” she told a crowd of an estimated 17,000 in Greensboro.

Trump was continuing his campaign on Friday with a press conference in Los Angeles. Three days after the Philadelphia debate, the Republican nominee is still facing backlash for his false claims about immigrants eating pet animals, with some allies blaming the influence of the conspiracy theorist and rightwing extremist Laura Loomer.

now senator, representing Edo North, Comrade Adams Oshiomohle, and others have also been carrying out their campaigns, visiting wards, local government areas and senatorial districts in the state with a promise to accord and uphold respect for the traditional institutions and bring massive development to every sector in the state.

They also said the only meaningful development recorded in the state was during the administration of Senator Adams Oshiomhole as governor and pledged to continue in that feat through massive renovation of schools and recruitment of teachers.

Other promises include: provision of primary healthcare, handling insecurity to ensure farmers access their farms for optimum food production. Also in their kitty is revival of the Ehor Fruit Juice Factory, built by former Governor Lucky Igbinedion and abandoned since 2008, provide manpower and equipment needed to make Ehor Technical College functional, tackle erosion, construction of Agbede-Warreke road within few months and to continue the development of the state where Oshiomohle stopped.

The LP candidate, Olumide Akpata, and his running mate, Yusuf Kadiri, including other party chieftains and faithful, have equally traveled to all the corners of the state to talk to Edo voters on the need to give their mandate to the party in place of PDP and APC, arguing that the two parties have governed the state in the past without any meaningful development.

DANGOTE REFINERY TO BEGIN DISTRIBUTION OF PETROL TOMORROW WITH INITIAL 25M LITRES

The Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Dr. Zacceus Adedeji, who represented the Minister of Finance and Chairman of the Presidential Committee on the Sale of Crude Oil and Refined Products for Domestic Consumption in Naira, Wale Edun, disclosed this during the committee's briefing yesterday in Abuja.

As part of the resolution, Adedeji said the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) would be the sole off-taker of petrol from Dangote Refinery while diesel from the facility would be sold directly to any interested marketer.

While crude supplied to Dangote Refinery would be paid in naira, he added that both petrol and diesel from the $20 billion refinery as well as all costs associated with the transactions would also be paid in the local currency.

Adedeji stated, "Supply of petrol exclusively to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited NNPC while other refined products will be available to all marketers.

This decision follows a briefing of the Presidential Committee on the sales of crude oil and refined

products for domestic consumption in naira.

"I'm glad to announce that all agreements have been put in place and the loading of the first batch of PMS as already announced by NNPC will commence on Sunday, 15th September 2024. And from 1st of October, NNPC will commence the supply of crude oil to Dangote Refinery to be paid for in naira. In return, Dangote Refinery will supply PMS and diesel of equivalent value to the domestic market to be paid for in naira.

"Diesel will be sold in naira by Dangote Refinery to any interested off-taker. PMS will only be sold to NNPC. NNPC will then sell to various marketers for now. All associated regulatory costs -NPA, NIMASA, Federal Inland Revenue and all other Regulatory of fee that are associated with this transaction will be paid in naira.

"The technical committee that worked to flesh out this initiative, I mean this committee will transition to an implementation, Execution and Monitoring Committee that will be working out of the Lagos for the next three to six months."

WE SHARE YOUR GRIEF…

STrATeGIC ALLIANCe TO SANITISe FX MArKeT…

L-R: Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy of Nigeria, Wale Edun; Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede and the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, in a Strategic Alliance to Stimulate the forex market in Abuja…yesterday

Wike: No Governor, NWC Member

Can Declare Me PDP Outsider

Edo APC, State Govt Trade Words over N9bn Fresh Loan Approval

Vows

in Benin City

Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), yesterday, urged Governor Godwin Obaseki to stop securing loans, noting that the N9 billion loan recently approved by the House of Assembly was needless and will plunge the state into financial distress.

captured.

Olawale Ajimotokan, Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Sunday Ehigiator in Lagos

But in a swift reaction, the Edo State Government said it was perplexed to learn of what it termed “laughable and incredibly ridiculous tantrums attributed to the new acting chairman of the Edo State chapter of APC, Jarret Tenebe where he made baseless and spurious allegations on the fiscal management of our dear state by the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led government.”

The Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has rejected insinuation that he is a political mole in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) even as he also declared that neither the PDP state governors nor members of the National Working Committee (NWC) can consider him as an outsider in the party

Wike also vowed not to lend any political endorsement for his estranged protege, the Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, on his political journey. He made the explosive declaration yesterday while he was featured as a guest on one of the national television stations.

Addressing a press conference yesterday, Tenebe had said the state was already suffering under a debt profile of N135 billion and $35.6 billion.

He said, "While it is a monumental disaster that Edo State patrimony

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

His declaration has only further revealed the deep political cleavages within the main opposition party, which has set up a disciplinary committee, headed by Chief Tom Ikimi, to try Wike for anti-party activities and for threatening to stoke up political crisis in the PDP states opposed to his political views.

The Director General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, has announced plans to launch a 37,000 Citizens’ Brigade in primary schools across the country.

"There is no governor today in the PDP, not anybody born of a woman can say I am an outsider. Who?

"I did a lot for the party. I dare anybody in PDP to come out on national television. I dare any governor; l dare any National Working Committee member to come out on national television and say I am a mole. Let anybody come out," Wike said. He added that for peace to return

has been swindled by Obaseki-led administration with an unassailable, humongous debt profile of N135 billion and $35.6 billion, the governor is unyielding and unstoppable in his characteristic design to leave Edo State in ruin, by asking for a facility of N17.5 billion few days ago, which was said to be N9 billion."

September 21.

to PDP again, the leadership must obey the rule of law, justice, equity and fairness.

He said nobody could intimidate him for kicking against impunity.

Wike also accused Fubara of lying against him, vowing not to support the Rivers State governor in his political aspiration again.

He insisted Fubara would not have emerged victorious at the polls if not for the labour of those who supported him and built structures.

Tenebe, said "It is important to state, that it is now in public and political space that the fiscal budget of Edo State was passed few weeks ago before the Edo State House of Assembly proceeded on leave without the commencement of the execution of the budget by the executive.

He accused the governor of abandoning those who worked for him and spreading lies about him demanding money.

In a burst of rage against his erstwhile political godson, Wike declared: “I will never support Fubara in my political life again. Anybody that knows me, knows it’s not about me. People laboured to put up a structure.

It is most disheartening that the Edo State Government now is requesting for a facility of N17.5 billion with no corollary of project attached there to the said facility and also that the facility is not contained as loan to be taken in the 2024 fiscal budget just recently passed. A cursory perusal of the entire budget does not reveal where the project for the facility is ever

“People laboured, you wouldn’t have even taken the 50th position. I sacrificed to talk to the Ogonis, I sacrificed to talk to several other people that let us go this way.

“You turned it that I am asking for N50 billion, N100 billion. You turned up lies against me, I brought you up, put you here. Today, I turned to be over demanding.”

among the youthful population. He said the government is worried that about 72 per cent of the nation’s youthful population have become foreigners through the influence of cartoons and movies which are foreign in contents, values and cultures.

He made the disclosure while speaking with journalists in Ibadan during a working visit to Oyo State. He said 1,000 Citizens’ Brigade would be set up in each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to promote national values as of old, stating that the essence of the Brigade was to revive and rebuild the national values and create positive models

Nume Ekeghe with agency report

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

The naira appreciated on the official foreign exchange window by N103.35 in a single day to close at N1,546.41/$1. In contrast, the currency remained stable in the parallel market, holding steady at N1,650/$1.

Issa-Onilu said as a way out of the malaise, NOA would soon launch a Mobile App containing indigenous cartoons through which local contents, national values and culture would be promoted.

The FCT Minister equally accused his successor of denying that he rose through a platform, describing Fubara’s action as being unfair. Wike also vowed he would not support Asue Ighodalo, the candidate of outgoing Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki of the PDP, in the gubernatorial election slated for

According to him, "These various policies are geared towards changing the narratives and the wrong impression that the outside world is having about the country.

day’s rate of N1,649.76/$1.

However, the parallel market remained stable, with the naira maintaining its value at N1,650/$1, unchanged from the previous day.

"Information at the behest of the members of the Edo State House of Assembly is to the effect that they were recalled from their holiday or leave by the Speaker on the request of the state governor for the immediate approval of the said facility which according to them is said to be N9 billion but as event unfolded, after the mammoth request by the opposition in the House as to the rationale for a facility as

the state Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki across all sectors of the state over the past seven years.”

not to support Fubara in any political capacity again Says ‘nobody born of a woman’ can intimidate Edo REC, Onuoha

He described Obaseki as an ingrate, stressing that he had told the Edo governor that he would not support his candidate, in spite of the subtle move by the former to garner his support.

Wike also reiterated that though he supported the administration of President Bola Tinubu, he was not a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), adding before he

stupendous as N9 billion for fathom projects which only existed in the imagination of the governor, it was discovered that the facility was not even N9 billion but a figure wrapped in secrecy as much as N17.5 billion to which the opposition in the house rejected and or refused to be part of the approval.

accepted to be appointed as minister, he wrote a letter to the PDP in his state, the PDP national at level.

the back?

"The problem we have in this country is that some people think they’re smart. What I want to do I will do, what I don’t want to do I will not do.

But in its reaction, the Edo State Government stated that the Edo APC was “obviously pained by the achievements of

"In 2023, did I not say I won’t support the PDP (Presidential) candidate because it is against equity, it is against fairness? Did I do it at

“Tenebe has been on a frenzy looking for lies to tell since he assumed office as Acting Chairman. Rather than focus on reawakening his completely comatose party, which is unable to provide constructive criticisms expected of a viable opposition, he has resorted to spreading misinformation in a desperate attempt to curry cheap popularity.

“In his infertile rambling, Tenebe made wild and completely off-themark comments suggesting that Edo State is owing $35 billion. Even if that was what was written for him, he should have known that the figure is wrong and can't be true.

“Did the PDP not win the governorship? Did the PDP not win the National Assembly? Did PDP not win the state assembly? I challenge any of them in any of this (PDP) states who won 100 percent as we have. How did we do it? Leadership!”

On the biting economic challenges under the Tinubu administration, Wike urged Nigerians to be patient and go back on memory lane.

He said Tinubu administration met an ailing economy and had refused to reveal the extent of the rot in the economy he inherited.

"In reality, our debt stock is not a secret and in fact, we are ‘under borrowed’. Emperor Tenebe would have known this if he understood the economics of governance, fiscal responsibility and debt-to-GDP ratio.

Furthermore, Wike dismissed allegations of him influencing the appointment of his cousin, Anugbum Onuoha, as the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Edo State, warning propagandists that ‘nobody born of a woman’ can intimidate his cousin.

Mining Development: Nigeria, US Explore Areas of Strategic Partnership

FG Projects N180.8bn Electricity Subsidy in Sept, NERC

Emmanuel

lid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, has described the United States as Nigeria’s longstanding ally and strategic partner for the nation’s mining sector development.

Addeh

in Abuja

Speaking while receiving

The federal government is expected to pay about N180.8 billion as electricity subsidy for power consumers from Bands ‘B’ to ‘E’ that have had their tariffs frozen since December 2022, THISDAY learnt yesterday.

“We are establishing, this year, 37,000 Citizens’ Brigade in Primary School. 1,000 in each state, including FCT, Abuja. These Citizens’ Brigade are going to be like Boys’ Scout and Girls’ Guild of the olden days.

Besides, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has fined the 11 Distribution Companies (Discos) roughly N8.3 billion for overbilling their customers in recent times, with an instruction for them to compensate the impacted electricity consumers.

“Across the world, Nigerians are known to be the smartest people on earth. This is a positive development but some people mischievously tend to portray us in negative light. But this is not who we are as a people.

These were made known in the September 2024 Supplementary Order of the Multi Year Tariff Order of 2024 released by the Sanusi Garba-led power sector regulator yesterday in Abuja.

“To change the negative narratives, we are setting up the Citizens’ Brigade to produce young Nigerians and create positive models to rebuild the national values."

Charge d'Affairs, US Embassy, David Greene, in his office on Thursday, Alake lauded the United States’ commitment to fostering cooperation with Nigeria in diverse sectors of the economy, stating that it underscores the significance of the smooth bilateral relations between both countries.

A THISDAY review of the orders indicated that Abuja Disco had the highest fine with N1.69 billion, followed by Eko Disco with N1.41 billion, while Ikeja Disco was instructed by NERC to pay N1.41 billion for the infraction.

The other Discos that were impacted by the order were: Jos Disco with N1.338 billion; Port Harcourt Disco was fined N1.16 billion; Benin Disco was fined N804 million; Enugu Disco will pay N310m; Ibadan Disco will shed N15 million while Kaduna Disco has N115 million to pay.

“I thank you for your visit. I met the US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources, Geoffrey Pyatt, on the sidelines of the Mines and Money conference in London past year, and we had a fruitful engagement. I did analyse all our issues, and fundamentally, we just want to diversify our economy from oil. Not just for our own economic survival but also to be in tune with global trends for reduction in global warming. We

Besides, Yola Disco was fined N54 million and Kano Disco will pay N20 million for the same offence.

The order which also saw tariffs unchanged for the month of September, was signed by NERC’s Vice Chairman, Musiliu Oseni and

Alex enumah in Abuja

also want to be part of the move to reduce global emissions and put our mining sector on the global map. We have critical minerals that are in commercial demand globally,"Alake said.

Fines Discos N8.3bn for Overbilling

Commissioner for Legal, Licensing, and Compliance, Dafe Akpeneye.

According to the sector regulator, the penalty was a response to the Discos’ non-compliance with previous directives aimed at capping estimated billing for electricity consumers.

The minister welcomed partnership with the US on investments in the mining value chain, expanding access to technology in extracting and processing minerals and securing mining areas.

Throwing light on reforms embarked upon by the federal government, the minister highlighted revised Community Development Agreement (CDA) guidelines geared towards reducing friction in host communities; on-going plans for new security architecture to secure natural resources; efforts to generate big geo-data; the

The power distributors are also expected to publish explanations on their websites within 24 hours if they fail to provide a committed level of service on Band ‘A’ feeders for two consecutive days.

NERC stated that the Discos shall be held accountable for service deliveries per commitments under its Service Based Tariff (SBT) proposals that seek to align enduser tariffs in proportion to the service level enjoyed by customer clusters as measured in average hours of supply per day over one

formalisation of artisanal miners into cooperatives amongst others. "The mining sector provides a veritable avenue for increased trade between Nigeria and the United States, especially in the area of value addition, which implies processing of extracted minerals and setting up factories here. We would also require financing from multilateral institutions for our local operators. We are providing incentives for investments like tax waivers for mining equipment, policy of full repatriation of profits to home countries amongst others," Alake emphasised.

month. The commission said it shall continue to leverage technology to directly obtain data on the hours of supply on each Band A feeder from the head-end system for the Discos for near real-time monitoring of service.

Besides, NERC in the order affirmed that Discos shall maintain a rapid response team to ensure effective service delivery on the committed minimum hours of supply to each service Band commencing with Band 'A' feeders. The team, it said, shall continue to ensure timely response to customers' complaints, fault clearing and alignment with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) regional teams for effective load management and optimised dispatch to respective feeders.

In his remarks, the US Ambassador commended the renewed interest of Nigeria in solid minerals, stressing that the sector has huge potentials to rival the contribution of oil to the nation's economy.

Naira Appreciates by N103 in One Day to N1,546.41/$1 on Official Market

This decline marked a reversal from Wednesday’s 4.8 per cent gain following the government’s successful $900 million domestic dollar bond issuance.

Precisely, on the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEX) window, the naira closed yesterday at N1,546.41/$1, marking a significant gain of N103.35 or 6.68 per cent compared to the previous

The currency had faced significant volatility earlier in the week. On Thursday, the naira hit a record low after domestic dollar liquidity plummeted by nearly 50 percent. The naira had fallen by 5.8 per cent to N1,649.76 per dollar, the steepest daily drop since May 30, according to Bloomberg data.

The Oyo State Government, yesterday, suspended Oba Gbolagade Muritala Babalola, as the Onido of Ido in Ido Local Government Area of the state. The government, in a letter dated 2nd of February, 2024 and signed by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Hon. Olusegun Olayiwola, indicated that Governor Seyi Makinde approved the suspension on 1st of February, 2024. The letter read in part, "I wish to inform you that His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Oyo State of Nigeria, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by Sub-section 1&2 of Section 26 of the Chiefs Law, Cap. 28 Vol I, Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria 2000 and by virtue of all other enabling powers in

Bloomberg noted that analysts had attributed the recent turbulence to a severe shortage of US dollars, with domestic dollar liquidity falling to $114 million.

Head of Africa Strategy at Standard Chartered Bank, Samir Gadio, noted that while the central bank has resumed dollar sales to local bureau

that regard, has approved your suspension as the Onido of Ido in the area of authority of Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State." It directed Oba Babalola to hand over all government properties in his possession to the Chairman of Ido local government. In the meantime, the state government has vowed to hit hard at anyone, no matter how highly placed, who contravenes the law.

Justice Bolaji Olajuwon of a Federal High Court in Abuja, yesterday, dismissed the application by two Rivers State indigenes challenging the jurisdiction of the court to try them over alleged complicity in the burning of the Rivers State House of Assembly complex in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

de change traders, more targeted and substantial interventions may be necessary to stabilise the naira amidst ongoing foreign-exchange flow imbalances.

“There is still naira pressure given the foreign-exchange flow imbalances,” said Samir Gadio, head of Africa strategy at Standard Chartered Bank.

While the central bank resumed selling dollars to local bureau de change traders this week, “larger and more targeted supply may be

Chime Eguma Ezebalike and Prince Lukman Oladele, were among five persons charged with terrorism and murder. The others are Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, Osiga Donald and Ochueja Thankgod. They were last week arraigned on a seven-count criminal charge

needed to stabilise the naira in the absence of portfolio inflows,” he said.

Seasonal factors are also influencing the market, with increased demand for foreign currency among Nigerians travelling abroad or paying for international school fees. Additionally, a decrease in treasury bill yields, which fell to 18.59 per cent on September 11, the lowest since January has impacted market sentiment.

Economist, Omobola Adu of BancTrust & Co. Investment Bank, pointed out that the recent slowdown

bordering on terrorism and murder. Although, they pleaded not guilty to all the charges, the judge however, ordered that they be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Center, pending the hearing of their bail application fixed for February 2, as well as the motion of the 1st and 2nd defendants challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the suit against them. Ezebalike and Oladele had argued that by the provisions of the Terrorism Act, it is only the Attorney General of the Federation that can file any charge of terrorism against them. Their lawyer, Mr. Lukman

in inflation could lead the central bank to pause rate cuts at its upcoming policy meeting, influencing investor behaviour.

Adu anticipates that the naira could strengthen to around N1,500 per dollar by year-end, contingent on effective central bank intervention and the government’s commitment to economic reforms.

“The government must enhance policy credibility and adhere to its promises to reassure investors,” Adu emphasised.

Fagbemi, SAN, submitted that the charge having been filed by the Inspector General of Police, was incompetent and asked the court to strike out counts 1,3,4,5,6, and 7 of the charge or strike strike out the entire suit for been incompetent. Responding, Police lawyer, Mr. Simon Lough, SAN, urged the court to dismiss the application for lacking in merit. According to Lough, besides Sections 4 and 66 of the Police Acts that empower them to bring the charge against the defendants, Section 5 and 99 of the Terrorism Act, shows that the police have powers to also initiate terrorism charges against the defendant.

Adibe emenyonu

L-R: Former Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki; former National Chairman of the PDP, Alh. Kawu Baraje, and Senator Abdul-aziz Yar'Adua, when Saraki paid a condolence visit to the Yar'Adua family on the death of their mother, Hajia Dada Yar'Adua in Katsina…yesterday

LAGOS SUSTAINABILITY SUMMIT…

L-R: Technical Adviser to the General Manager, Lagos State Safety Commission, Mr. Seun Awojobi; Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on SDGs, Dr. Oreoluwa Finnih; Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat; General Manager, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, Dr. Babatunde Ajayi;and Executive Secretary/CEO, Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, Dr. Rabiu Olowo, at the

FG Inaugurates 16-man Committee on Consequential Adjustments in Salaries

Olawale

Seeks support for Tinubu's 8–point agenda

Pleads with Nigerians

over

fuel price

hike

The federal government has inaugurated a 16-man committee on the consequential adjustments in salaries in line with provisions of the National Minimum Wage Act, 2024, of N70,000 approved by President Bola Tinubu.

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack, inaugurated the committee yesterday in Abuja.

Also, yesterday, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, said the objective of stakeholders' engagement was to amongst others; raise awareness level among Labour leaders, employers and civil society organisations, engender unalloyed mobilisation of the organised workforce towards accomplishing the Renewed Hope Agenda for nation building.

government and the Nigerians to lift citizens out of poverty and create an enabling environment for prosperity.

"In this regard, President Bola Tinubu, graciously increased the national minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000 with an assurance that it would be reviewed after three years, instead of the statutory five years through the Minimum Wage Amendment Act.

Walson-Jack, who incidentally is the Chairman of the committee, said that President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda was a covenant between his

"This singular act, is aimed at enhancing the economic well-being of the working populace of Nigeria, in view of current economic realities.

It is expected that this increase, will improve workers commitment to their jobs and in turn, increase productivity," she said.

She noted that the consequential adjustment in salaries was imperative in order to maintain a fair and equitable salary structure for federal civil servants as a result of the minimum wage now fixed at N70,000 representing 133.33 per cent increase from the previous minimum wage.

She said, "Consequently, there is a need to adjust the salaries of

Our Committee Spared Labour Party of Blushes, Nenadi Usman Declares

Alleges INEC was moving to deregister party

The Chairman of Labour Party National Caretaker Committee (LP-NCC), Senator Nenadi Usman, has said that the leaders’ timely intervention at the September 4 stakeholders meeting in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, did so much to spare the party some blushes.

According to the former Minister of Finance, the embarrassment would have been huge with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) moving to de-register the party if prompt action was not taken to save the day.

other categories of staff, taking into consideration the consequential effect of the new minimum wage."

The make up of the 16 members of the tripartite committee comprised eight each, from the federal government and trade unions sides to be chaired by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

Members from federal government side are, Chairman, National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC); permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment; permanent secretary, General Service Office (OSGF); permanent secretary, Service Welfare Office (OHCSF); Director-General, Budget Office of the Federation; Secretary, National Assembly Service Commission and Secretary, Federal Judicial Service Commission.

The terms of reference of the committee, according as Walson-Jack was to negotiate and agree on the consequential adjustments in salaries arising from the provisions of the National Minimum Wage Act, 2024; and to develop the template for ease of implementation of the approved N70,000 minimum wage. She said: "It is crucial for us to recognise the significance of this assignment, and with a focus on maintaining industrial peace and harmony, I am confident that we will execute it in the best interests of the public service and the nation as a whole".

Anthony, who spoke on behalf of the unions, applauded the initiative of the federal government on consequential adjustments in salaries, which described as a 'stepping stone' that will allow discussion on the consequential adjustment to ensure payment of salaries based on the new minimum wage.

Senator Usman told journalists after the committee’s inaugural meeting in Abuja on Thursday, that they would operate an open door policy and carry all members along in the process of rebuilding the popular “Papa, Mama and Pikin” party.

She said: “On September 4 at Umuahia, the capital of Abia State, no team, group or divide of our party’s various episodes of conflict was vanquished. Everyone won. Therefore, no group or divide should feel any sense of shame or defeat.

She said the situation on ground “could have left the electoral commission with no alternative but to deregister our party from their portals and exclude us from all elections. That course of action was successfully averted on September 4 at Umuahia.”

“We won together as one political family by the reality of the law. We escaped together the sword of INEC which would have otherwise taken our beloved party out of its books for having no legally acceptable leadership that meets the requirements of our country’s Electoral Act.

“The legacy I desire to be remembered for is that I met a Labour Party in relative conflict and disunity but left it a united, formidable and indomitable elections winning party nationwide.”

Urging all aggrieved parties to shelve their swords and join hands with her committee to rebuild and move the party forward, Usman said; “Come forward and let us reason together on my committee’s supreme

mandate. This is the mandate to deliver to our party, in about three months, exemplary unifying state congresses nationwide.

“This will climax in a transparent all-inclusive national convention which will produce the next substantive NEC and NWC of our party, and subsequently the next leadership of our great country.”

Also speaking on latest developments within the party, Acting Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Political Commission, Professor Theophilus Ndubuaku, urged all party members to bury their differences and join hands with the Caretaker Committee to move Labour Party forward to the next level.

Kaduna Smart City Project Will Attract

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has disclosed that the Kaduna Smart City project will attract at least $150 million in foreign direct investment and create 100,000 direct jobs. Sani stated this yesterday while speaking to journalists at the State House, Abuja, after a condolence visit to Vice President Kashim Shettima, over the recent flood disaster in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

The governor who said the project has already generated interest from private investors noted that the

with VP over Maiduguri flood incident

project will also create indirect jobs for up to 500,000 people, in addition to direct jobs.

He also highlighted the state's partnership with Google, which has trained 5,000 women in digital economy, and expressed optimism that they will benefit from the Smart City project.

His words: “A lot of other private investors are trying to key into the Smart City MoU. First, it will create about 100,000 jobs, that is direct jobs, indirect jobs could be up to 500,000.

"Before this thing, we signed an agreement with Google, where about

5,000 women have been trained, supported in digital economy between conventional government and Google, so most of them will key into this.

“Because of that, more people will be able to be employed and self employed also, and at the same time, in terms of the volume of the investment, we are thinking it will attract at least $150 million investment to Kaduna.

“Before that, we have attracted over $350 million from Chinese companies in the last seven months in Kaduna in the area of solid resources, in the area of

infrastructural development as well agriculture.”

Sani further stated that his state, during the just concluded state visit by President Bola Tinubu to the People’s Republic of China, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Huawei Technologies Limited for the development of the Kaduna Smart City. According to him, "The Kaduna Smart City project aims to enhance security, improve efficiency and transparency in public service, create smart healthcare and education systems, smart public transportation, and e-government."

On the trade union side are National Chairman JNPSNC (TUS), Benjamin Anthony and National Vice President NLC, Oluwole Adeleye Sunday; National President, NCSU and National Vice President NLC, Roselyn Uba Anarah; National President, NUPSRAW, Kabiru Ado Minjibir; National President, MHWUN, Michael Nnachi; National President, NAMMM; and Acting National Secretary JNPSNC (Trade Union Side), Olowoyo Gbenga.

"For us we believe it is a stepping stone and we are going to work together with the government side to ensure that we bring a fair and a sincere discussion for the Nigerian workers.

"And I believe that this will also consolidate our synergy with the government to continue to work together for the betterment of Nigerian workers," he said.

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The federal government has approved the immediate promotion of a total of 20,867 personnel across various ranks in the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS).

Promotions were also approved for officers of the Federal Fire Service (FFS).

The Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who announced the promotion yesterday, also said the government approved a special promotion for two officers of NCoS, four officers of the NIS, two officers of the NSCDC and one officer of the FFS.

The minister, while giving the breakdown of the promotions, explained that a total of 5,329 officers were promoted in the Correctional Service, 5,112 officers promoted in the Nigeria Immigration Service.

Tunji-Ojo, who was represented at the media briefing by Alhaji Ja’afaru Ahmed, the Secretary of the Board

of the Services, said a total of 9,937 officers were promoted in NSCDC, while 489 officers were promoted in the Federal Fire Service.

He said the promotions were carried out across the ranks of Inspector/Assistant Superintendent, Controllers, Comptrollers, and Commandants in the four Services under the ministry.

He further announced that the Board considered and approved the monitoring, evaluation as well as collaboration with the Services on career development courses organised in the respective four Services.

Tunji-Ojo said the government has considered and approved the implementation of a new training curriculum for use in the Training Institutions of the Federal Fire Service.

He added that the government also considered and approved the implementation of a new Scheme of Service for the Federal Fire Service. The minister said the government would conclude the 2023/24 Federal Fire Service recruitment exercise before the end of this month.

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Ajimotokan and Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

Lagos State Sustainability Summit held in Lagos… recently ETOP UKUTT

In Praise of President Buhari

The Pope and Treatment of Alleged Witches

When President Muhammadu Buhari took over the reins of power on May 29, 2015, Nigeria was sadly a broken state in many respects. As a result of many other factors including bad governance and untold level of corruption, government could not live up to its financial obligations to citizens and service providers at both the federal and state levels.

NAFDAC and DeliveranceMercyland Ministry

TIndeed one of the first official assignments that President Buhari carried out was the approval of billions of Naira in bailout funds to enable state governors pay something as basic as workers’ salaries. Granting those bailout funds was a huge boost to national security because the pressure of arrears of unpaid monthly salaries building dangerously all over the country was a ticking bomb.

demon hunts in churches. The catholic church teaches that demons exist. Catholics believe that the devil can possess humans. Many catholic dioceses have an office of exorcist. And many catholic priests carry out exorcism as a part of their ministry and everyday activity.

by the EFCC, President Buhari by his action has successfully brought back to the public consciousness the need to treat public funds with the highest level of transparency and accountability.

Stop Ritual Attacks and Killings

TAfter keeping treasury looters on their toes and at bay through the EFCC, particularly, President Buhari moved to curb unnecessary spending habits of the nation on what economists call articles of ostentation. Part of the disclosures of the President’s stock taking was how the country frittered away billions in foreign currency by importing goods, which can be produced at home. One of such items was rice, a major staple among Nigerians. By banning rice importation into the country, the President on one hand had saved the nation billions in foreign currency annually.

Priests engage in demon hunts, the expulsion of the devil, and the deliverance of those believed to be possessed by demons. Witch hunt is a form of demon hunt, and demon hunt is a form of witch hunt.

Ask the naysayers and they would readily remind you of how long it took President Buhari to appoint his ministers and how that contributed to collapse of the economy as if, without ministers, governance was frozen. But buying that narrative would amount to what a famous Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Adichie, termed “the danger of a single story”. Yet the whole story was that many of our citizens did not know how decrepit a state President Buhari inherited in 2015.

he Advocacy for Alleged Witches welcomes the condemnation by Pope Francis of sorcery-related violence in Papua New Guinea. During his visit to the country, Francis drew attention to the cases of women who were accused of sorcery and subsequently attacked, abused, and shunned by families. Papua New Guinea is one of the places in the world where witch-hunting persists. Alleged witches or sorcerers have been attacked, or killed, as was the case in early modern Europe. The pope urged the church in Papua New Guinea to treat victims with care and compassion. This statement is encouraging and sends some right signals. But it is not enough because the catholic church in Papua New Guinea and other places like Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, etc., is a part of the problem.

he prophetic hall of fame, Prophet Godwin Ikuru of Jehovah Eye Salvation Ministry, is regarded as the prophet of the nation because I have exhibited unalloyed support for the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by praying for his government and showing unreserved support for his policies.

TI believe that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a loving and kind-hearted father who accords respect and value to different religions and doesn’t meddle in the affairs of other religions or treat them with disrespect; he doesn’t want anything that will bring restiveness and disrupt the peace of his administration.

And, on the other hand, the President has boosted domestic production of rice and in the process had nudged the country into self sufficiency in food production. He also created millions of jobs for young people in the rice value chain.

What is most admirable about President Buhari and his government is its frugal management of scarce national resources to attain optimum goals.

he Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW) urges the Nigerian public to stop ritual attacks and killings because the notion of ritual money and wealth is completely baseless. AfAW is making this call following the reported arrest of suspected ritualists in Oyo State in southern Nigeria. The local media reported that members of the Western Nigeria Security Network, Amotekun, arrested suspected ritualists with the body parts of a 73-year-old man.

I am one of the prophets who has faced several condemnations because of my support for Tinubu’s government as I am always on my knees, praying for the peace and progress of the nation. Prof.Mojisola Adeyeye, Director General of NAFDAC is insulting the body of Christ by claiming that Prophet Jeremiah Omoto Fefeyin is not real, and he’s using the name of NAFDAC to deceive Nigerians.

It was therefore necessary for him to take stock against the background of the fact that the departing government did not, reportedly, cooperate full well with the incoming government in terms of leaving workable handover notes. Although President Goodluck Jonathan was gracious in defeat, many of his appointees were still sulking over what they saw as their personal losses and therefore pulled all the stops to make things difficult for the Buhari government.

Pope Francis’ statement calling for care and compassionate treatment of suspected witches amounts to nothing if the catholic church continues to reinforce witchcraft and other occult beliefs. The Catholic church will not be a force for good in this case or a part of the solution; it cannot treat suspected witches with ‘closeness, compassion and tenderness’ as the pope directed if the church continues to enable demon hunts in Papua New Guinea and other places across the globe.

Recall that since President Buhari stepped in the saddle, oil revenue dropped abysmally as if to sabotage him knowing all the big promises he made to citizens during his campaigns. But with the little resources that trickle in, the President is achieving what governments that received oil windfalls could not dream of.

Leo Igwe directs the Advocacy for Alleged Witches and wrote his doctoral thesis on witchcraft accusations in Northern Ghana

Even with the obvious and unpatriotic obscurantist behaviour of the PDP appointees and their supporters still in government hell-bent on making things difficult for Buhari, the President moved on with his methodical repair of a broken country. The first thing he did was to identify all possible sources of income to the nation and directed that all inflows be paid into one single account in line with the policy of Single Treasury Account (TSA).

Although witch-hunting predates the introduction of the catholic faith to these regions, the teachings and practices of the catholic church have reinforced witchcraft accusations and witch-hunting. The pope’s statement would have had enormous weight and significance if Francis had used this opportunity to apologize for the role of the catholic in witch-hunting in early modern Europe and the contemporary world. Many Catholic churches and priests are at the forefront of accusation, demonization, and persecution of supposed witches in many places across the globe. The pope does not only represent the church in the West. Francis is the head and leader of catholic churches and priests, including those in Africa, Oceania and other places where witch persecution rages.

The TSA policy, interestingly, was mooted by the PDP government but its penchant for imprudence and lack of accountability denied it the courage of implementing the policy. What the President literally did was to gather all the nation’s money into one box and locked it up with a big padlock and watched for any thief to come close.

The pope should have used the opportunity to urge catholic priests and the population against teachings in the Bible that sanction the persecution of alleged witches, like Exodus 22: 18. This verse, which states: “Suffer not a witch to live”, permits Catholics and other Christians to torture and murder suspected witches with impunity. Francis should have faulted other scriptural provisions that sanctify fights against principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, and spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12) because these provisions make the catholic church a legitimizer of witch hunts.

Who can blame the President for almost developing paranoia over the safeguard of the national treasury with revelations and reports of mind-boggling looting that took place in the 16 years of the PDP? With such disclosures of how billions meant for fighting insurgency in the Northeast ended up in the pockets of a few individuals while our gallant soldiers fought with bare hands and on empty stomach, President Buhari was duty bound to bring sanity and accountability back in national spending.

More importantly, the pope should have used the opportunity to announce the abolition of the catholic church’s exorcism ministry and an end to

Thus, under President Buhari, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which had remained comatose for years, was woken up to resume its duties. Apart from the trillions of Naira of looted funds and property recovered from corrupt politicians

Today, the trains are up and running daily from Abuja to Kaduna. And from Lagos to Ibadan a brand new rail track was started and completed; citizens are already commuting daily to and fro these two major cities in the country seamlessly as they reap from the dividends of democracy. And with the way this government is going, before 2023 when the President would leave, the entire country would be linked by rail with all of its economic advantages.

Ainofenokhai Ojeifo, Abuja

THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

EDITOR OBINNA CHIMA

DEPUTY EDITOR AHAMEFULA OGBU

MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO

THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER

DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR ISRAEL IWEGBU

EDITOR YEMI ADEBOWALE

DEPUTY EDITOR AHAMEFULA OGBU

MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO

This is an insult to the body of Christ in Nigeria. There are fake products, drugs, and harmful drinks and food everywhere in the country. NAFDAC has not been effective in discharging their duties by checking and stopping them and I dare say they have failed Nigerians.They should be upright and honest people who will stop Nigerians from dying everyday as a result of consumption of fake drugs and food, but have appeared to have no solution to all the problems.

I hereby reiterate that NAFDAC lacks the power to regulate spiritual materials. Is NAFDAC a spiritual organisation? It’s totally unacceptable.

CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI

DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR ISRAEL IWEGBU

EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN THE OMBUDSMAN KAYODE KOMOLAFE

CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI

EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN

MANAGING EDITOR BOLAJI ADEBIYI

THE OMBUDSMAN KAYODE KOMOLAFE

THISDAY NEWSPAPERS LIMITED

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA

THISDAY NEWSPAPERS LIMITED

Prof.Adeyeye will have to apologise to the body of Christ or I will lead a protest of men of God against her and her organisation across the 36 states of the federation because the attack on Mercyland Deliverance Ministry is an attack on all Christians in Nigeria.

Prophet Godwin Ikuru, Jehovah Eye Salvation Ministry, Lagos

GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, ISRAEL IWEGBU, EMMANUEL EFENI

DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS SHAKA MOMODU, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA

DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI

GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, ISRAEL IWEGBU, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU, EMMANUEL EFENI

SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH

DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS SHAKA MOMODU, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR PATRICK EIMIUHI

DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI

CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI

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DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR PATRICK EIMIUHI

TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com

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More Than Just a Voice

ith the passing of James Earl Jones we lose one of the most recognisable voices to appear in the films with “I am your father”.

The suspects, who were apprehended in the Boluwaji area in Ibadan, said that a Muslim cleric asked them to procure some human body parts for rituals. Ritual attacks are widespread in Nigeria. Irrational conceptions of how to make money or become wealthy and successful undergird these atrocities. Many Nigerians strongly believe in blood money, known in some local languages as Ogun Owo (Yoruba) or Ogwu ego (Igbo). They think that they could become rich, or successful through ritual sacrifice. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Ritual wealth has no basis in reason, science, or reality. Home movies known as Africa magic or Nollywood films have not helped matters. These movies continue to reinforce these mistaken notions and other superstitions. Families, churches, mosques, and other public institutions do not encourage the interrogation of these traditional occult beliefs. There are no robust efforts to criticize or dispel these irrational and paranormal claims in schools, colleges, and universities. So millions of Nigerians grow up blindly believing that they could make money through ritual sacrifice of human body parts. The belief has led many Nigerians to commit crimes and perpetrate atrocities. Many Nigerians have been jailed or are undergoing court trials due to ritualrelated attacks and murder.

Perhaps one of the most important part of his life story is his progress from being a stutterer to playing the President in the 1972 film “The Man” a fiction that became reality when Joe Bidden, a stutterer, became the real President. There is much to praise in his acting career but the greatest achievement was creating that voice.

Not too long ago, the police arrested some young Nigerians for stealing female pants, which they intended to use for ritual sacrifice. AfAW is asking all Nigerians to desist from ritual-related abuses because ritual money beliefs are baseless superstitions. Nigerian media, schools, and colleges should help educate and reorient the public. They should assist in reasoning Nigerians out of this killer-superstitious absurdity and nonsense. Leo Igwe directs the Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW)

Vale James Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia

The rage of flood...

IN SOLIDARITY WITH FLOOD VICTIMS.…

Chinese Embassy Pledges to Ensure Implementation of 13 Newly Signed Agreements with Nigeria

The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, has said he has commenced work to ensure the implementation of the 13 agreements recently signed by Nigerian and Chinese governments during the visit of President Bola Tinubu to China, insisting that works have commenced to ensure that all the agreements see the light of the day. Dunhai, who addressed journalists at the Chinese Embassy in Abuja, on

the importance of Nigeria President's state visit to China and the cooperation agreements signed between the two countries, noted that Tinubu's visit opened a new vista in China and Nigeria bilateral relations. He explained also that with the upgrade of bilateral relations, there would be an increase in activities between both countries, with the impending movement of Chinese investors into Nigeria.

He said: “During President Tinubu’s

visit, the relevant government departments of the two sides signed a total of 13 cooperation documents, covering such areas as high-quality Belt and Road cooperation planning, the implementation of the global development initiative, economic growth, human resources, application of Beidou Satellite Navigation System, export of peanuts to China, and the media exchanges.

“Among them, one of the bilateral cooperation documents covers

around 19 projects that China and Nigeria are cooperating and intend to cooperate with. In addition, multiple cooperation arrangements were signed between relevant departments, state governments, and Chinese companies during the visit.”

The envoy responding on what would be done to ensure that the 13 MoUs signed by China and Nigeria are implemented, said: "That is exactly my mission and task. That is my priorities. From the Chinese

FG Declares Monday Public Holiday to Mark Eid-Ul-Mawlid

Olugbode in Abuja

The federal government has declared next Monday as public holiday to mark the celebration of the Eid-ul-Mawlid, the birth of the

Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him).

The Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who made the declaration on behalf of the federal government, congratulated Muslim

Ummah both at home and in the Diaspora on this occasion.

Tunji-Ojo urged the Muslim Ummah and by extension Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of patience, sacrifice and resilience.

The minister while congratulating the Muslim Ummah on the occasion, implored them to use the opportunity of the period to pray for enduring peace and a more prosperous egalitarian nation.

Report: 586,130 Cyber Threats Launched against Nigeria’s Financial Institutions in Six Months

Cybervergent, a cybersecurity-focused technology company, yesterday released its half year cyber threat report on the activities of hackers that focus their attacks on Nigeria’s financial institutions and telecoms companies, revealing how it detected 586,130 attacks on organisations that it manages in Nigeria.

The attacks mostly external, were monitored from January to June 2024.

Among the 586,130 attacks launched on various arganisations, Cybervergent was able to resolve 226,103 of the attacks by automation, while 19,920 endpoints were protected by Cybervergent.

According to the report, events

Plateau

analysed by Cybervergent’s Security Operations Centre (SOC), reached 304,522, while all potentially malicious events analysed by Cybervergent within the same six months period, reached 42,200.

Analysing the report, the Chief Solutions Officer at Cybervergent, Mr. Gbolabo Awelewa, said with the increasing threat in the cyberspace, organisations must ensure that regular application and systems updates are carried out on existing applications and systems to prevent the attacks at scale.

“As we move forward, our Cyber Operations Centre remains steadfast in its mission to anticipate, detect, and thwart evolving threats that seek to compromise the integrity of digital

Launches First

assets. With a deep understanding of the threat landscape and a relentless pursuit of innovative security solutions, we are poised to continue our unwavering defense of the financial sector and other industries' digital landscape, safeguarding organisations' trust and confidence in the face of everchanging cybersecurity challenges,” Awelewa said.

Highlighting the threat actors that targeted Nigeria in the first half of the year, Awelwewa listed them to include: Gelsemium, Equation Group, Lyceum, Gamaredon, Circus Spider, Mirage, Common Raven, Bronze Highland, Earth Krahang, as well as Insider Threat Syndrome.

According to him, Gelsemium is a sophisticated cyber espionage

group known for its targeted attacks on high-profile organisations across various sectors.

"They use custom malware and advanced techniques to evade detection, and their target is on public administration, educational services and national security," he said.

Awelewa described the different types of insider threats to include: Disgruntled Employees, Accidental Insiders and Negligent Insiders. He explained that motivated by anger, financial gain, or a feeling of being benched, the disgruntled employee could inflict serious damage, while accidental insiders are those that capitalise on mistakes of others to launch an attack on the organisation.

Drugs, Medical Commodities Management Programme in Nigeria

Seriki Adinoyi in Jos

Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has inaugurated the state Drugs and Medical Commodities Management Agency, PS-DMCMA Pharma-Grade warehouse.

It is a partnership between the state and the federal government and other partners to improve the health of Plateau citizens.

Governor Mutfwang also flagged off the Plateau State Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance system and urged citizens to

familiarise themselves with the service and utilise it to enhance their health and well-being.

The state-of-the-art facility equipped with modern technology and designed to global standards, includes a cold room that maintains temperatures below -80°C, a modern forklift capable of reaching heights of 3.5 meters, pallets for efficient movement of supplies, a mini-quality control laboratory for preliminary pharmaceutical assessments, and a drug information centre to monitor adverse drug reactions and combat

counterfeit medicines.

Speaking at the event, Mutfwang reiterated his administration’s commitment to improving the healthcare facilities in the state and stated the warehouse is a beacon of hope, progress, and collective dedication to affordable healthcare.

His words: “It is with immense pleasure and gratitude to God Almighty that we gather here today for two landmark events in the history of our beloved Plateau State: the official commissioning of the Pharma-Grade Warehouse of the

Plateau State Drugs and Medical Commodities Management Agency (PS-DMCMA) and the flagging-off of the Plateau State Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System (PLASEMSAS).

“The vision for these initiatives was conceived in September 2023, exactly one year later, we celebrate their successful execution. This moment is not merely about the unveiling of physical structures, but a testament to our unwavering commitment to improving the health and well-being of all Plateau citizens.

side, the two sides we signed 13 cooperative documents. Actually, I believe it's much more than that because there are other cooperative documents signed not between the department to department, but between department to company.

“So I think the two sides, we are going to follow through with all those side documents. I'm sure that I'm going to be very busy, and the people here in Abuja are going to be very busy, and maybe in Lagos, and in many other states, because there are going to be a lot of incoming visiting delegations from China. And I'm sure that there are going to be a lot of outbound delegations from Nigeria to China. I think the only purpose is to try to materialise to translate the consensus reached by our two presidents the documents that we signed into reality. So I have a lot of work to do, and I think that's also the responsibility of our two sides.

“So as ambassador, I'm certainly looking forward to working with all sectors and to materialise all those cooperative documents.

“So as the new Chinese ambassador, I look forward to working with people from all walks of life to bring ChinaNigeria relations to a new height.”

He also stressed that President Tinubu's visit to China is of great significance to build on the past successes and to further advance China-Nigeria relations and ChinaAfrica relations.

The envoy added that: “China is willing to strengthen coordination and cooperation with Nigeria in multilateral affairs and jointly safeguard the interests of developing countries.

“Going forward, we will work closely with all sectors of Nigeria to implement the important consensus reached by our two countries and ensure that we translate the consensus between our two leaders into concrete actions in order to move forward for upgrading bilateral cooperation.”

On what should be expected from the upgrade of China-Nigeria relations, Dunhai said it means that China and Nigeria are going to be more closely knitted together "to ensure our relations are stronger and we are going to cooperate more in all areas."

He added that: “So that's why I believe that this visit is unique, is historical, and also I personally feel that this is a great success.

"I'm sure that with this visit, it's going to provide us with a huge potential to increase our trade values.”

Navy Urges Nigerians to Capitalise on Unifying Power of Music to Foster Peaceful Society

Victoria Ojiako

The Nigerian Navy has urged Nigerians, especially musical artistes, to capitalise on the unifying power of music to foster a peaceful society.

This appeal was made at the Nigerian Navy Band annual conference themed: 'Fostering a peaceful society in Nigeria through the power of music' held at the Nigerian Navy Music School (NNMS), Ota, Ogun State.

In his welcome address, the acting Director of Music, Captain Simon Ubandoma, said the conference, which brought together musicologists from the Armed Forces, other security agencies and the academia, was designed to leverage the power of music to foster sustainable peace in the community and country.

Setting pace for discussions, the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, urged participants to churn out useful recommendations and suggestions that would enable the NN Directorate of Music do more especially in primary and secondary schools.

He noted the need for the directorate to establish its steel bands in more schools where pupils can develop interest in the tool and from there they can be moulded to become patriotic musical artists

as they grow up.

Ogalla who was represented by the Chief of Administration, Rear Admiral Kennedy Ezete, acknowledged that music can be used to not only tell unifying stories and history but to also keep the young ones busy and out of trouble.

Calling for restraint and selfdiscipline among Nigerians, Ogalla noted that all hands must be on deck for the country to return to its glory days.

He said: "We have to cultivate that habit of self-discipline, which is almost totally absent because the kind of music they play today is totally different from what they used to play in the past.

“This is the Gen Z era. I think there is a disconnect between them and how our society will be better. So, we can still use music to send out the real message of how a society should be in a way that will appeal to them.

“So that means our musicologists need to go back to work because the musicians sing for entertainment and to make their money.

“But the musicologists are more focused on the society and the right morals. They will have to do more to bring forth workable solutions that will help salvage our society from the present decadence.”

Emma Okonji

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

Michael

L-R: Controller General, Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Haliru Nababa; Secretary, Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB), Ja'afaru Ahmed; Emir of Borno, Abubakar Ibn Umar Garba; Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; and Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Kemi Nanna Nandap, during a visit to flood-hit MaidugurI…recently

BUSINESS PROMOTION…

L-R: Senior Lecturer/Consultant Dermatologist, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Dr.

Nigeria Must Solve Poverty, Unemployment Problems to Tackle Insecurity, Says COAS Lagbaja

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja, yesterday, said the country must plan to solve the twin problems of poverty and unemployment to avert long-term insecurity and instability.

He said this while presenting the first strategic personality lecture at the Institute of Peace and Strategic Studies (IPSS), University of Ibadan, titled, 'Combating an Adversary Without Boundaries: The Need to Implement a Whole of Society Approach to Nigeria's National Security'.

The Army boss who was represented by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2-Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Obinna Onubogu, noted that related to the factors of unemployment and poverty is demography and youth bulge with citizens of 35 years below accounting for about 54.1 per cent of the population, estimated at 229,379,082 as of 20 July 2024 with less than 20 per cent of them gainfully employed.

According to him, the twin problems of unemployment and poverty has given impetus to security challenges as the unemployed and poor are

susceptible to recruitment by criminals and violent non-state actors.

He maintained that a whole-ofsociety approach must be implemented by leveraging the strength of every stakeholder to ensure a cohesive and coordinated response to threats, stating that to achieve this, there must be enhanced communication, cooperation, and trust among the different sectors while also ensuring that their efforts are aligned with national interests and other security objectives.

He said the porous and unmanned borders of Nigeria have opened Nigeria to the infiltration of adversaries from the West Africa region, noting that with four West African countries ranked among the 10 most terrorised nations of the world is indicative of the transnational affliations existing among terror groups in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Lieutenant General Lagbaja insisted that no single agency can solve the myriads of insecurity facing the country, adding that the Nigerian Army is deepening synergy with other agencies to achieve the mandates of security of lives and property and keeping the country safe.

“The operating environment has

North-east Governors Urged to Prioritise Child Rights, Women Issues

Gombe govt donates N50m to support victims of Mafa terror attack, flood disaster in Yobe

Segun Awofadeji

Governors of the six states of the North-east subregion have been called upon to place premium attention to issues of women and children in their respective states by way of adequate budgeting for child-sensitive sectors.

This is as Gombe State government has donated N50 million to help victims of the recent terror attack in Mafa, Tarmuwa Local Government Area and the devastating flood disaster in Yobe State.

The call was made by stakeholders in the affairs of budgeting in the six states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe, stressing the importance of adequately capturing issues of child's right in annual allocations.

The stakeholders made the submission on Thursday, during a panel discussion at a two-day NorthEast Nigeria Zonal Policy Dialogue on Social Budgeting for Child Sensitive Sectors in Gombe.

During the panel discussions anchored by the UNICEF, Bauchi Field Office Communications Officer,

Opeyemi Olagunju, the stakeholders from the six states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe as well as specialist from the UNICEF, agreed that the annual allocations for child sensitive sectors will translate to a better future.

They particularly stressed that policies of education, health, nutrition (exclusive breastfeeding, good dieting) and WASH must be adequately provided and implemented for a healthy future.

Each of the discussants who included commissioners and permanent secretaries, are of the opinion that states must go back to domesticate the social protection policy and strengthen it.

They unanimously agreed that with domestication of the social protection policy, the negatives of child abuse most particularly neglect will be reduced to the barest minimum.

The panelists however expressed fear about whole implementation of the social protection policy pleading with the relevant stakeholders in child protection issues to see to its domestication and implementation.

evolved to a point where no single service or agency can effectively and independently tackle the threats to national security. It is therefore crucial that synergy is developed with other security agencies in the implementation of the whole of society approach to the threats. Communication, cooperation, and collaboration amongst MDAs have been major topics of discussion. Although there has been some improvement, much more still needs to be done. Counter-insurgency

operations require synergy amongst agencies, who need to collaborate with each other towards achieving a common goal.

"Collaboration, communication, and cooperation are required for planning, sharing of intelligence, and the practical execution of all operations. Where synergy is lacking among security agencies, there can never be a coordinated approach to the prevailing security challenge. In the North-east for example, the

Nigerian Air Force provides air support, aerial surveillance, casualty evacuation and logistics airlift for troops while the Nigerian Navy has deployed its Special Boat Services and operationalised its Forward Operation Base in Baga as part of the overall operations on the Lake Chad waters. Furthermore, personnel of the Nigeria Police, Department of State Services, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Immigration and Customs are deployed in liberated

towns and villages in Borno and Yobe states to ensure their security and relieve Nigerian Army personnel of policing tasks in such areas, resulting in better synergy and collaboration," he said.

In terms of human rights, the Chief of Army Staff disclosed that the Army is providing an enabling environment for more than 60 humanitarian organisations working in the North-east while upholding the human rights of people.

CNG Initiative Gathers Momentum as 1,000 Conversion Kits Ready for Distribution

Peter Uzoho

About 1,000 Compressed Natural Gas conversion kits under the Presidential CNG Initiative (P-CNGI), yesterday left the Ibafo Warehouse of the initiative for onward delivery to some designated locations in Abuja, Kaduna, Lagos, Oyo and Ogun states.

This batch is part of the 10,000 kits earmarked for distribution to transport associations within the next one week and also part of the one million free CNG conversion kits intended for distribution to commercial vehicles across the 36 states and Abuja within the next 18 months.

The initiative was launched under the directive of President Bola Tinubu in

line with government’s drive towards energy diversification, reduction of energy cost and the general cost of living for Nigerians.

By the gas-based programme, being promoted in partnership with NIPCO Gas, free CNG conversion kits, along with free installation are being rolled out to help the transport sector quickly transition to CNG and take advantage of its significantly lower prices.

Speaking to journalists yesterday, during a media tour of the warehouse at Ibafo, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State, the Warehouse Manager, P-CNGI, Ibadan, Mr. Moses Onate, revealed that about 450 free conversion kits had left the warehouse for Abuja and Kaduna while another 550 would

be leaving for Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states for distribution to transporters in those areas.

"Currently, we are doing cataloging for the 1,000 kits and cylinders we intend to distribute across the country -Lagos, Ogun, Kaduna, Abuja and Oyo. So, as at this morning, 450 have gone out already to Kaduna and Abuja. Then, 550 will be going out today (Friday) to Lagos, Oyo and Ogun states. We have more than 10 kits conversion centres in Lagos," Onate stated.

He noted that the CNG Initiative would significantly help in cutting down the cost of transportation and food items in the country as the cleaner energy source only cost about N230 per litre, far less than the cost of petrol and diesel.

"The price of fuel is now N1,000 and more per litre, whereas CNG is just N230. So if you check the cost effect, the gross margin between what fuel is being sold now and the CNG price, you would discover that CNG will have a lot of impact on everybody. Now, on the long run, everybody will actually live to enjoy this CNG initiative," he added.

Corroborating, the P-CNG Initiative's Store Keeper, Mr. Austine Nwauduh, stated that "CNG is cheaper to run in our vehicles than petrol. The consumption is lower and the price is also lower. It's also environmental friendly. It doesn't emit so much fumes in the atmosphere.

Wanted Drug Baron Behind Four Cocaine Shipments to Saudi Arabia, Qatar Arrested

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have taken into custody a wanted drug baron, Alhaji Suleiman Aremu (a.k.a Barryshine) two years after coming under the radar of the anti-narcotics agency.

Aremu who is the Managing Director/CEO of Barryshine Suleiman Nigeria Ltd, according to a statement yesterday by the spokesman of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, came under the agency’s watchlist over his alleged role in four foiled attempts to export cocaine to Saudi Arabia and Qatar through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, between 2022 and 2024.

Babafemi said the alleged drug baron's name first featured on November 13, 2022, when a female passenger on Qatar airlines flight to Saudi Arabia, Alhaja Ajisegiri Sidika was arrested at the MMIA in possession of 400 grammes of cocaine, which was concealed inside

female footwears.

He said investigations later revealed that one Abdullahi Ramon, who is a brother to Aremu hired the arrested drug courier, with further facts subsequently emerging that the flight tickets and other travel expenses of the suspect were sourced by Alhaji Suleiman Aremu.

Babafemi said a few days after the arrest of Sidika, another drug mule, Lawal Oyenuga was arrested on November 24, 2022, with the same quantity of cocaine, 400 grammes, concealed in male footwears while going to the same destination, Saudi Arabia.

The suspect, Oyenuga on his arrest and interrogation, confessed that one Wasiu Gbolahan (a.k.a Teacher) who was later arrested and convicted by the court, hired him for Aremu. Oyenuga further alleged that Wasiu Gbolahan linked him up with the baron through one Igbono, who was later unveiled through investigation as Oluwafemi Abidoye (a.k.a Igbono, Murphy, Femi

Iwaya, Ade Iwaya, Baba Eje and Ejeoto) Babafemi said while investigation of the two cases subsisted and the manhunt for the baron was ongoing, two drug mules were arrested at the MMIA on June 21, 2024 on their way to Doha, Qatar. One of the suspects who was later identified as Aikhomoun Daniel (a.k.a Oladapo Olanrewaju) digested in observation custody a total of 90 pellets of cocaine, weighing 1.022 kilogrammes, which he ingested, while the second suspect, Ayigoro Omobolaji excreted 60 wraps of cocaine with a total weight of 662 grammes.

He said further investigation later revealed that the two arrested couriers, Daniel and Omobolaji were recruited by the same Igbono who works for the baron and featured in 2022 during the arrest of Sidika and Oyenuga.

He added that financial investigation conducted by the agency also linked the baron Aremu to the arrested suspects and two of his associates who recruit traffickers

for him: Abidoye and Ramon, both currently at large.

The spokesman said as a result, the agency blocked the bank accounts linked to members of the cartel after which Aremu was eventually taken into custody on August 26, 2024 for further investigation.

In his statements, Aremu was said to have claimed he is into property development and hotel management while he lives in Lagos and Paris in France.

He also stated that he runs another business that deals in cloths with his wife at Balogun Market, Lagos Island, adding that his regular visits to Saudi Arabia was to perform lesser Hajj. He said he holds the traditional title of Akeweje of Yaba (Youth Leader of Yaba Land). Already, some properties traced to Aremu include: two houses at 63 and 72 Queens Street, Ebute-Meta and his Barryshine Hotel at 95 Freeman street, Yaba, Lagos.

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

in Bauchi

Ayesha Akinkugbe; Director, Jouf Pharmaceuticals Limited, Joseph N. Udeh; International Training Manager, Topicrem, Celine Roy; Senior Lecturer/Consultant Dermatologist, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Dr. Erere Otrofanowei; Africa Area Manager , Topicrem, Anne-Sophie Cadet and Topicrem Export Director, Aurelie Picard, during a day with

Topicrem Directors with Medical professionals held at Radisson Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos…recently

PHOTO: KUNLE OGUNFUYI

STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIP…

a partnership agreement

The Economist: Why Tinubu Must Allow Market Prices

for Petrol, Invest Subsidy Savings in Nigerians

An article by The Economist magazine has urged President Bola Tinubu to allow market forces to determine the price of petrol and plough savings from the removal of subsidy on petrol into building human capital in the country. According to the global news medium, many wise petrol states now seek to turn oil revenues into human capital by investing in better clinics, schools and other public services. By doing this, it said that Nigeria could nurture healthy, well-educated citizens who would thrive long after the oil runs dry.

Tinubu to scrap the subsidy.

Although a hard step, it noted that the decisions could be made politically easier by the start of petrol production last week at a huge refinery owned by Aliko Dangote, Nigeria’s richest man.

Stressing that nearly half the government’s oil revenues are wasted on petrol subsidies, that is about 2.3 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), or four times the health budget, it urged

“The subsidy has survived for decades, despite several attempts to get rid of it. President Bola Tinubu announced at his inauguration last year that the fuel subsidy ‘is gone’.

Yet it quickly returned.

“In its current form, it is convoluted and opaque. The state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Company swaps locally pumped crude oil for petrol refined abroad and sells that petrol to Nigerian motorists at a below-market price.

“The vast losses it makes on this are deducted from the oil revenues it is supposed to pay to the state. This

N100bn Deal: Gov Mbah Flags-off Revitalisation of Enugu United Palm Products Limited

Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has performed the formal flag-off of the revitalisation of the Enugu United Palm Products Limited, EUPPL.

The flag-off, which took place on Thursday at Ibite-Olo, Ezeagu Local Government Area of the state, was sequel to the N100bn deal between the Enugu State Government and Pragmatic Palms Limited, PPL, in May this year.

At the event during which he equally performed the

groundbreaking for the staff quarters at the plantation, Mbah thanked the people of the state for believing in his vision and determination to revive and convert the state’s moribund assets to productive assets.

“For me, this flag-off is a triumph of vision over cynicism. Recall that a few months ago, when we announced an investment of N100bn in partnership with Pragmatic Palms Limited, the news was greeted with a lot of cynicism and doubt. We had a lot of naysayers and critics, who

ascribed all sorts of things to this humongous investment. But as you have seen, we were absolutely clear as to what we wanted to achieve and accomplish for our people in Enugu State.

“So, what this groundbreaking ceremony represents for us is a new lease of life for Pragmatic Palm Product Limited. It also shows that we are getting closer to our dream to transform Enugu State as a premier destination for investment, industry, tourism, business and living.

“Therefore, I want to use this opportunity to reassure the management and executive of PPL of our commitment to supporting every step of this investment,” he said.

Speaking, the Managing Director/ CEO of Pragmatic Palms Limited (PPL), Prof. George Nwangwu, rolled out a five-year aggressive plan to reposition EUPPL as one of the leading integrated oil palm establishments in Nigeria, playing in the upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors.

Oil Theft: IGP-STFPIB Operatives Burst Illegal Refining Sites, Nab Four Suspects

Linus Aleke in Abuja

The operatives of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Special Task Force on Petroleum and Illegal Bunkering (IGP-STFPIB) have once again made a significant breakthrough in the continuous fight against oil theft, illegal bunkering and economic sabotage.

The Force Public Relations Officer (PRO), Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said that police uncovered and deactivated an illegal refining site and nabbed

four suspected oil thieves behind the economic sabotage.

In a separate statement, Adejobi also said that the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, averred that discipline, dedication, hard work and loyalty remained the cornerstone of a successful career in the Nigeria Police Force, stating that without discipline, no individual can survive the rigours of the Police Force.

"This milestone achievement was marked after the operatives, in collaboration with the department of

operations, Rivers State Command, on 12th September 2024, made discovery of a storage facility in Trans Amadi, Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, used in dealing and processing illegally acquired Crude oil. This operation had led to the arrest of four suspects namely; Emmanuel Nwachi ‘m’ 58 years; Adamu Bala ‘m’ 35years; Nura Musa ‘m’ 22 years; Bashir Abubakar ‘m’ 28 years, and the recovery of 40,000 Litres of petroleum products, stored in 67 white storage tanks," Adejobi said.

The team, he said, destroyed the site and recovered the equipment and machines used in committing these crimes.

"The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, re-emphasised the commitment of the Force to tackling every form of crime, criminality and corruption, extending to those involved in this economic sabotage," he said.

The Force, he said, remained unyielding and will continue to bring these perpetrators to book.

ICPC Urged to Name, Shame Corrupt MDAs

Alex Enumah in Abuja

A cross section of Nigerians have challenged the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) to begin the practice of naming and shaming indicted corrupt government institutions so as to serve as deterrent to others.

Speaking at a roundtable meeting to review the implementation of the National Ethics and Integrity

Policy (NEIP) and the Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard (EICS), the stakeholders which included religious leaders, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), lawyers and representatives of the international community, stressed that until institutions found guilty of corruption are brought before the public for name shaming, the ICPC and other anti-corruption agencies in the country, will only achieve very little in the war against corruption.

Chairman of the ICPC, Dr. Musa Aliyu, SAN, challenged religious bodies, civil groups and Nigerians in general to come up with fresh ideas as well as approaches that would enhance the county's war against corruption. Aliyu recalled that the NEIP and EICS was established in 2020 and 2015 respectively to help create a "moral re-birth and inculcate in Nigerians an anti-corruption mindset."

Represented by the Secretary of the Commission, Mr Clifford Oparaodu, the ICPC's boss, pointed out that it has become imperative for stakeholders to "review, evaluate, restrategise and retool where necessary for increased positive impact. He explained that the objective of the evaluation of MDAs through the ethics and integrity compliance standards are particularly to monitor and evaluate them on the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

dramatically reduces what is available for public services. It is hard to exaggerate how terrible this policy is,” it stated.

The magazine described the policy as inequitable because the benefits flow disproportionately to the car-owning middle class.

“It is dirty, encouraging Nigerians to burn more petrol. It is an open door to graft. Lorry loads of subsidised fuel are smuggled into neighbouring countries. And because it costs a fortune to keep supplying cheap petrol, which the state cannot afford, petrol often runs out.

“In recent days mile-long fuel queues have caused huge traffic jams. Some drivers wait all night to fill their tanks. Worst of all, lavishing more public money on fuel subsidies than on health and education combined makes it hard to improve the dismal quality of either,” it said.

According to the article, this is one reason why Nigeria is home to a sixth of the children who die before the age of five, and why the average Nigerian child absorbs only five years of schooling, against 8.5 in Kenya (measuring what is learned, not how long is spent in class).

It pointed out that the waste of human potential is spectacular, with Nigeria projected to be the world’s third-most populous country by mid-century.

“The World Bank estimates that, with proper food, schooling and health care, Nigerian children would grow up to be 2.8 times more productive,” The Economist magazine stated in the article.

But it admitted that the difficulty in scrapping it, is that the petrol subsidy is popular in Nigeria, although it lopsidedly benefits the better-off, while every Nigerian swiftly feels the pain when it is reduced.

Recalling that a recent sharp increase in the official price of petrol has raised the cost of everything from groceries to electricity, since Nigerians often use petrol-powered generators at home, it noted that people are furious about the government's decision.

“There are two possible ways to persuade voters that scrapping the subsidy will ultimately benefit them more than it hurts. One is to end the fuel shortages by letting Mr Dangote (and anyone else) sell petrol at market prices.

“The transition will not be smooth, owing to bottlenecks in the domestic supply of crude oil. And it will mean higher prices, which people will hate. But Nigerians are sympathetic to the nationalist view that, as an oil producer, their country should refine its own fuel. And the government might find political cover by blaming higher petrol prices on Mr Dangote.

“Last month police fired on crowds protesting against the high cost of living, leaving more than a dozen dead. The government is terrified of provoking further unrest. Yet a failure to reform will only prolong the misery.

L-R: President, Silverbird Group, Guy Murray Bruce; Brand Influencer GOT2B, Paula Ezendu, and Managing Director/Chairman Henkel Nigeria, Rajat Kapur, during signing of

between Henkel Nigeria and Silverbird Group in Lagos...recently

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

REWARDING CUSTOMER LOYALTY…

Edun Meets World Bank Chief Over Power Sector Reforms

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, yesterday, met with the Vice President for Infrastructure at the World Bank, to discuss bold reforms aimed at improving electricity access across the country with the objective of accelerating infrastructure development and economic growth

During the meeting, which focused on addressing ongoing challenges in Nigeria’s power sector, Edun underscored President Bola Tinubu's commitment to the Mission 300 Project, a joint initiative by the World Bank and the African Development Bank (AfDB), aimed at providing electricity access to 300 million people across Africa by 2030.

A statement issued by the Director, Information and Public Relations, Ministry of Finance, Mohammed Manga, noted that both parties highlighted the need for reforms that would improve efficiency, expand access, and ensure sustainable energy solutions for Nigeria’s growing population.

Present at the meeting were World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Ndiame Diop; Director of Infrastructure for West Africa, Franz Drees-Gross; Operations Manager at the World Bank, Taimur Samad, and representatives from

the Office of the Special Adviser on Energy to the President, among others.

Meanwhile, the federal government has called on public servants in the country to embrace digitisation and innovation in their workplaces as key drivers in the promotion of service delivery as well as effective implementation of government policies and programmes

Speaking at a town hall meeting with staff of the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Lydia Shehu Jafiya, emphasised the importance of leveraging technology and adopting modern work ethics to enhance productivity, efficiency, and transparency.

She stated that the world has gone digital, and as such, civil servants must not be left behind in the global transformation.

"Digitisation and innovation are critical to improving our service delivery, and we must all be on board so as to ensure full implementation of the policies and programmes of the Federal Government aimed at boosting socio-economic development of our nation,"Jafiya said

She assured staff that the ministry was determined to provide the necessary training and support as well as a conducive work environment within the limited resources to ensure a seamless transition to digital processes and

innovative work practices for effective realisation of the policy objectives of the government. According to her, the finance minister was committed to creating

a digital economy that works for all Nigerians, adding that "our workers are key to achieving this vision, and we urge them to embrace digitisation and innovation with enthusiasm."

The Permanent Secretary commended the Office of the

in particular, for the

unwavering commitment in driving the digitization of the Federal Public Service for improved service delivery as well as economic growth and development of Nigeria.

Abia Invalidates Non-recertified Land Titles, Withdraws Allocations in Govt Layouts

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

Following the elapsing of the deadline and the grace period for recertification of land title documents, Abia State government has invalidated land and property titles whose owners failed to submit them for recertification.

It has also withdrawn allocations given to allottees in government layouts across the state for failing to develop the allotted plots.

Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Chaka Chukwumerije, announced the new developments while briefing journalists on

the progress made so far in the recertification programme which commenced in May 2024.

“The ministry is now verifying documents that have been submitted so far and activated the invalidation of titles for transactions until they are recertified," he said.

He listed the layouts where allocations "shall be withdrawn for default in the terms and conditions of the offers, to include Valley View Estate, Phases I and II. Other layouts affected are Public Servants’ (Cattle Lairage) Layout at Mgbarakuma, Mgbarakuma Mini-layout, and Mbaisii Layout."

The Lands and Housing

Commissioner stated that the Abia State Estate Development Agency (ABSEDA) under the supervision of his ministry was involved in the recertification exercise in all its estates. These include the Ohobo Afara (Old Timber) Phases 1 and 2, Ohokobe Afara Phases 1 and 2 (Madonna and Ceramics).

The commissioner said that ABSEDA has also suspended all allocations in Umuopara in Umuahia South Local Government and Nkpa in Bende LG.

He issued “a strong warning" to persons encroaching into estates of ABSEDA at Ogo-Nsukwe and Amibo

First Millionaire Emerges in Glo

A staff member of a real estate company in Anambra State, Olieh Somtochukwu, has become the first winner of the sum of N1 million naira in the Glo Jolly Win promo. The promo is organised in conjunction with NCC-licensed Nitroswitch, an aggregator company, and Tetragrammaton, a value-added service provider. Somtochukwu played with just N100 in August and became

an instant millionaire in the promo draw held in line with the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) procedure. He was presented with the prize at a brief ceremony held in Lagos on Wednesday.

A highly elated Somtochukwu, who travelled to Lagos all the way from Onitsha, Anambra State, to receive his prize, could not contain his excitement upon

receiving the credit alert for N1 million on his phone before the event ended. He disclosed that, after playing the lottery game, he forgot about it and was shocked when he was called and told that he had won N1 million. He took the information with a pinch of salt and only believed it when he got to Globacom’s office and saw himself as the focus of attraction.

Ubakala "to desist forthwith or face the law,” adding that anyone engaging in land transactions in the said estates was doing so at their own risks. The land commissioner explained that the recertification exercise was initiated as part of efforts to clean up the mess in the state lands and housing records, adding that the process of transformation had already started. In addition, Chukwumerije stated that the revocation of properties illegally acquired by individuals that served in previous administrations would be completed to pave the way for proper planning and cleaning up of the state’s land records.

“I was very much surprised. Even up to now, I’m still shocked. I am short of words to express how I feel today. I thought it was a scam when I was called, I thought it was one of those random calls you get, but on coming here, I can say I am happy with what has happened here. I’ve received the alert for the N1 million”, Somtochukwu affirmed, adding that the money came in at a time that he needed help to take care of his health challenges.

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has announced the 2024 CANEX Deal Room, a platform designed to connect creatives with financiers and investors.

Through the CANEX Deal Room, Afreximbank will provide entrepreneurs in the creative sector with the opportunity to present bankable projects and opportunities to financiers and investors.

The bank and its sister financial institutions will consider debt and equity financing for transactions in segments such as film and television, music, franchising, fashion, and infrastructure for the creative industry.

This announcement comes ahead of CANEX WKND 2024, Africa's largest gathering of creative industry professionals, taking place from October 16-19, 2024, in Algiers, Algeria. According to organisers, this initiative aims to support the development and growth of the creative and cultural industries in

Africa and the diaspora. The event will build on the success of previous editions, including CANEX at IATF2023 in Cairo, which brought together delegates from across the continent representing various creative sectors.

To be eligible for the CANEX Deal Room, applicants must meet specific criteria, including being Africa-based enterprises with at least 25 per cent African ownership, having an operating history of at least three years, and employing at least 50 per cent African talent. Proposals must be submitted by October 1, 2024, to be considered. Late submissions will be disqualified.

CANEX WKND 2024 is hosted by Afreximbank, in partnership with the African Union Commission, the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat, and the Government of Algeria. The event will build on the success of previous editions, including CANEX at IATF2023 in Cairo, which brought together delegates from across the continent representing various creative sectors.

Agnes Ekebuike

Cavista Technologies, a global technology services company, has announced its commitment to create up to 500 high-skill IT jobs with the opening of its new corporate office in Botswana in the heart of Gaborone's business district.

A statement said this is part of Cavista’s commitment to innovation

and growth across Africa.

President of the Republic of Botswana, Dr. Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi, participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony, and toured the state-of-the-art facility alongside the Vice President, the Minister of Trade and Industry, other senior government officials, and the U.S. Ambassador to Botswana.

Also in attendance were dozens of

business leaders, Cavista Holdings executives, and members of the media.

President Masisi warmly welcomed Cavista’s entry into Botswana, emphasising its significance for the nation’s growth.

The Kano State Independent Electoral Commission(KANSIEC) has reduced by N1 million each for the nomination fees for Chairmanship and Councillorship positions for the forthcoming local government elections in the state.

The Chairman of the commission,Prof.Sani Malumfashi,

who announced the new fees at a news briefing in Kano on Friday, said the body reduced the fees in compliance with the court injunction. He stated that the commission respects the court and the order restricting it from collecting N10 million for the Chairmanship nomination form and N5 million for Councillorship after some political parties went to court to challenge

“The official opening of Cavista in Botswana is not just the beginning of a new chapter for this esteemed company, but also for our own country,” President Masisi said. “This marks the beginning of a partnership built on shared values, collaboration, and a belief in Botswana’s potential as a key player in the global business landscape.”

the initial rates.

According to him, the commission would now charge N9 million for the Chairmanship nomination form and N4 million for councillorship nomination form for the forthcoming polls.

"We are a law-abiding organization and as such,we are complying with the court order and therefore reducing the

He added, “Cavista Holdings' decision to invest in Botswana is a powerful vote of confidence in our country’s stability, business environment, and vision to become Africa’s leading technology hub.”

nomination fees to N9 million for chairmanship and N4 million for councillorship positions." He said the nomination forms bearing the new fees are already in some designated banks and would be on sale from next Monday and advised candidates of the various political parties partaking in the elections to access them.

Agnes Ekebuike

Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja

Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano

Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and the Head of Service, Mrs. Esther Walson-Jack

L-R: Aminu Tolulope of Tetragrammaton Ltd; Head VAS, Globacom, Mojeed Aluko; N1 million prize winner, Olieh Somtochukwu, his friend, Emmanuel Ogbori; CEO, Nitroswitch, Chidi Nnadozie, and VAS, Globacom, Emmanuel Fabeyo, at the presentation of the prize to Somtochukwu in the Glo Jolly Win promo held in Lagos…recently

Okeoma: Government Intervention

Crucial for Businesses to Thrive

A pharmacist and Vice President of Shodan Pharmaceuticals Limited, Mr. Daniel Okeoma, explains to Dike Onwuamaeze what informed the formulation and production of Sitfine toilet seat sanitiser spray and how the product can help tame notorious toilet infections. He also speaks on the need for government intervention for industries to thrive. Excerpts:

Tell us something about Shodan Pharmaceuticals Limited

Shodan Pharmaceuticals Limited started in 2023. We have a vision of providing quality medical services and products to Nigerians. We have some down-line products that we are developing but the one that is out in the market now is Sitfine toilet seat sanitiser spray, which we are the sole distributor. We are coming out with the Sitfine because we noticed its prospects. We are very keen on the Nigerian economy and we believe in Made in Nigeria products and developing the Nigerian economy.

What is Sitfine toilet seat sanitiser spray all about?

Sitfine is a toilet sanitiser spray that comes in an aerosol form and is very easy to apply. It has been found clinically that it can kill germs up to 99.9 percent. Some of the germs we find out that it is very effective on include staphylococcus, candida, which is a fungal infections. These are what the public calls “toilet infections” or sexually transmitted infections that if untreated can affect the reproductive system, especially for women. It can also cause urinary tract infections. But these infections can actually be taken care with the introduction of the Sitfine sanitizer sprayed on toilet seats.

How does it function?

It works by killing the bacteria cell wall. It denatures the bacteria or the microbes that they became very ineffective because our active ingredient is very effective. When Sitfine is sprayed on the toilet seat it will kills the bacteria within five seconds so that a person can sit on it conveniently without fear of getting exposed to infection.

What need did you recognise in the society that informed this product?

There are different needs. My story is taken actually from a life experience. We found out that when most people visit public toilets they do not feel comfortable using them because of the danger or fear of getting germs is just there. Apart from germs, people do not feel relaxed when they enter into a toilet facility to ease themselves. It is trying to meet these needs that warranted the introduction of Sitfine toilet seat sanitiser spray that we are launching into the market.

Who is your target market?

Sitfine is for both males and females. But we know that women because of their anatomical structure are more prone to contracting these infections than men. So, even though we are targeting both men and women, women are more susceptible to these infections.

What are the unique selling points of Sitfine sanitiser that separate it from others in the markets?

Sitfine has several unique selling points. One, it is made here in Nigeria which makes it more affordable than imported products. It also assures consumers that they are getting something that is real and best for them in terms of quality. Moreover, Sitfine is a product that has NAFDAC’s approval and certification that it is safe to be used. It is save and dermatologically proven and certified. As we have said earlier, it is very easy to use. Just spray

Abiodun Mourns Former

Oit on the toilet seat and within five seconds the seat is dry and ready for use.

How do you foresee its market’s acceptance?

I think that Nigeria has grown to the point where we appreciate our products. And in many areas, made in Nigeria is beginning to compete with others favourably. When you make a product for a continent you are thinking about the people in that continent. Many products are made for temperate weather that may cause skin irritation if they are marketed here. Because when they were testing those products, they did not use our skin.

What do you have to say about the product’s availability and affordability?

Sitfine is cheaper than buying a bottle of beer. Anyone who can afford a bottle of beer or soda can afford this. And this will last more than a bottle of beer and it will save your life and the whole family can use one. It is not just that it is affordable, but it makes a lot of sense. Moreover, the aroma of Sitfine is refreshing. It is very healthy and very fresh that I can say that we are bringing two things in one package.

What about the availability of this product in other parts of Nigeria?

I was in Port Harcourt few weeks ago and it is already there. When you give birth to a child you will do a naming ceremony and thanksgiving, which is what we are doing today (Monday, September 9) with the market launch of the product. The product is already out and keeps spreading. As we distribute we create awareness and sensitise consumers about the product.

Is the product portable enough for people to carry it about to wherever they are going?

It is packaged very well. It is packaged like normal body spray that we used every day and fits into any pocket or bag. You do not need to use it only when you are outdoors. You can use it in your homes. If you have a guest toilet, put it there.

How safe is the product?

Let me say this: to get approval from NAFDAC is like a camel passing through the eye of a needle. It has gone through all the NAFDAC’s procedures otherwise we are not going to be here. Did I add that you can spray it on your phone if you share a phone with someone? If you share a phone with someone just spray it and wipe your phone and you are good to go.

What are the measures you have put in place to address product counterfeiting?

The shape is unique. The size is unique. The colour is unique. The components even the plastic itself are very unique. For you to go through all that just to counterfeit it is a waste of time. There are still other futures we are going to introduce to checkmate counterfeiting, which we will not want to share with the public yet. We are watching the market and keep improving and adding to our security measures.

Any plan to launch this product beyond the Nigerian market?

Guardian Correspondent Charles Coffie Gyamfi

gun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun has described the former correspondent of The Guardian in the state, Mr. Charles Coffie Gyamfi, as a thoroughbred professional who positively impacted society.

Gyamfi died in Abeokuta yesterday, September 13. Abiodun, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Lekan Adeniran, described Gyamfi’s death as a great loss to the journalism profession.

He condoled with the family of the deceased as well as the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ogun State chapter, urging them to take solace in the fact that he left an indelible mark as a professional whose name will continue to reverberate

in society.

“His contributions to the field of journalism were both significant and impactful, and his absence will be profoundly felt within the profession.

“He was a journalist who dedicated his life to shedding light on important issues and events, advocating for truth and integrity in reporting.

“His unwavering commitment to journalistic excellence and his passion for the truth marked him out. He demonstrated exceptional professionalism and a keen ability to connect with his audience.

“He reported on a wide range of topics as a state correspondent of The Guardian, traversing the nooks and crannies of our dear state, always approaching his work with a sense of responsibility and a deep understanding of the power of the written word.

“I extend my heartfelt condolences to his family and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), with whom he had a strong affiliation.”

Thank you very much for that question. Yes, there are plans. The principles of growth come in stages. First, we want to be known in the Nigerian market. As we speak now the product is already known in Canada and The United Kingdom. People are already using it as souvenirs and almost a thousand cans of Sitfine were used as souvenirs in the UK just before this launch. Basically, we have the vision to spread it round the globe but we are going to start with Nigeria and then move to other African countries.

What is your online marketing strategy?

We have our online presence. We are on Facebook and Instragram. Moreover, our followers are in thousands on Instragram and keep increasing. We have those who have done skits that show people how to use it.

What can be done to stabilise the prices of pharmaceutical products that are going up and up in the Nigerian market? There is supposed to be direct government involvement in pharmaceutical products as it is done in other places. Some individuals have the capacity to afford pharmaceutical products. But because this involves life there is supposed to be government involvement to reduce the stress on individuals. There should be a way and only the government has the strength to do something about it. And also, we need to encourage Made in Nigeria products because it has an effect of reducing the final cost of products to consumers.

How do you get your raw materials and is there any support from the government?

Government intervention is important for industries to thrive. If we source our raw materials locally and produce them locally there will not be much stress on the Naira at the foreign exchange market. The government should intervene in developing the processing lines of the raw materials we have in the country into end products like chemicals or substances or elements that are going to be used in drug production. For example, there are so many substances that could be made from corn that can be used in various industries in the health sector. But if you do not have the right processing lines you cannot convert the corn to be used in drug manufacturing. These are things that we import even though we have the raw materials locally. We expect the government to help with policies and tax reliefs etc.

How will Sitfine toilet seat sanitiser help in situations people splash urine on toilet seats?

We need an ethical revolution on how to use toilets in a manner that will leave them better than we meet them. We need to start teaching children from school how to use toilets. If you are a man, make sure you open the lead before you pee because a woman will need the lead to sit down to pee.

Can the chemical contents of Sitfine be able to take care of germs deposited on toilet seats?

The chemical composition of Sitfine will be able to take care of the germs deposit if it is used well as prescribed. But we still need people to also be careful because the fact that I have a seat belt does not mean that I should drive recklessly.

•Okeoma

James Sowole in Abeokuta

Ferdinand Ekechukwu - 08035011394

Email: ferdi_adthisday@yahoo.com

Segilola Ogidan: Of All My Skillsets, Acting Gives Me Most Joy

Segilola Ogidan has played diverse roles as an actor; as Tonye in ‘The Men’s Club,’ Ajike in ‘A Naija Christmas,’ Jumoke in ‘Over The Bridge,’ and her latest, Morenike in the biopic ‘The Man Died,’ showcasing depth and versatility. A Media Arts graduate from Royal Holloway, University of London, Segilola has steadfastly maintained her path as a star in Nollywood. Ferdinand Ekechukwu captures this in a chat with Segilola, who is also a director and writer. Excerpts:

You wear multiple hats as writer, director, and actor, which brings you fulfillment,joy?

I would say acting. It’s not easy walking in someone else’s shoes and making millions of people believe you’re that character. So when I get the opportunity to sink my teeth into complex roles that are far from who I am, and I succeed in execution, it fills me with such fulfillment and joy.

Haveyoualwayswantedtobeanactor?

Oh yes! Since I was a little girl! I used to watch Dorothy Dandridge movies and imagined I was the one playing the roles she played. Another thing I did and still do is I would create scenarios and act them out in front of the mirror. My family members (including my children) find it so odd when they catch me doing it!

Of all the works you have featured in, which one has been the most rewarding foryou,why?

It has to be “Over The Bridge.” I went through some deep life changes during the shoot and I grew a lot as a woman, a creative, a mum, a wife and as an actor. It marks my evolution and ascension into the next level and phase of my life where I find I’m in a much happier and more secure place.

Whichofyourmovieswouldyourecommend to someone who hasn’t seen you to start with?

I would suggest starting with “A Naija Christmas” simply because it’s fun, light-hearted, and Christmassy! I mean, who doesn’t love a good Christmas movie? I know I do.

What’syourtakeonthestateofNollywood with regards to changes in storytelling, productionasafilmmaker?

One thing I would say is that I am happy about the constantly improving production quality and the fact that filmmakers are taking elements like the story and performances more seriously. Also, I’m thoroughly enjoying seeing more female directors killing it. The industry is definitely on an upward trajectory and more people in the international space are taking more of our productions more seriously. So it’s looking positive all around.

What are you engaged with when you are not on set?

I’m a wife and a mum of two wonderful boys who keep me very busy and on my toes! When I’m not actively “Mummying.” which is hardly ever, I’m completely lost in a book! I love to read.

Whatareyouexcitedaboutatthemoment?

I’m super excited for you to see my next film…a hint…it’s the Wole Soyinka biopic.

Reviewing Fiokee’s

Arguably, Nigeria’s leading guitarist and producer, Ifiok Effanga (Fiokee), has officially released his highly anticipated album, ‘Beyond A Guitarist (B.A.G).’ The 11-track album is a masterful blend of Afrobeat, R&B, and Highlife, showcasing Fiokee’s unparalleled talent and versatility as an artist.

B.A.G is a journey through sound, featuring a star-studded lineup of collaborations that highlight Fiokee’s ability to transcend the role of a traditional guitarist. Each track offers a unique sonic experience, combining intricate guitar melodies with powerful vocals and rhythmic beats. Tracks on the album include:

Fine Girl Today: The album opens with this upbeat and vibrant track that immediately sets a celebratory tone. “Fine Girl Today” is a feel-good ode to beauty and confidence, with infectious hooks.

Oma Gbe: “Oma Gbe” brings a smooth blend of traditional Afrobeat and modern soundscapes. It’s a mellow tune that showcases Fiokee’s ability

‘Ti Oluwa Ni Ile’ Promises Phenomenal Stage Experience

Handlers of the stage production ‘Asiyanbi’, an adaptation of the much-celebrated movie ‘Ti Oluwa Ni Ile’, have announced that Dotun Taylor, the producer of the upcoming play, and legendary actor Baba Wande, are collaborating to bring the stage play, promising nothing short of phenomenal.

The play is billed to premiere on October 4th, 2024, at Terra Kulture, Lagos. ‘Asiyanbi’ would feature a stellar cast that will bring the production to live, retelling the classic tale of land, ownership, and divine retribution.

“This production holds a mirror to our society, reflecting the timeless moral values of our culture,” Taylor said.

“We’re bringing to life a story that challenges the status quo and speaks to the essence of justice, destiny, and consequence,” he added. Baba Wande leads a stellar cast, reprising the iconic role that defined his career. “Returning to this role is like reliving a part of history that continues to resonate today,” Baba Wande admitted.

The legendary Baba Wande, real name Kareem Adepoju, is famed for his role that defined him, bringing to life the timeless ‘Ti Oluwa Ni Ile’ on stage. With additional tour stops in Oyo,

Osun, the UK, USA, Maryland, and Trinidad and Tobago, more information on the play has been provided for on Ariya Tickets website.

“‘Asiyanbi’ will leave audiences immersed in its powerful storyline, weaving together the complexity of human conflict, greed, and the inevitable consequences of tampering with fate. This stage adaptation isn’t just a performance; it’s a deeply emotional and cultural experience that showcases the best of Nigerian theatre,” Taylor said.

to create music that is both soothing and deeply rhythmic.

No Way (Remix): This remix featuring Johnny Drille adds a soulful dimension to the original track. The remix brings a fresh, emotional depth, with lyrics that speak to love and vulnerability.

iZ HawT feat. Spyro: “iZ HawT” is a high-energy track that’s tailor-made for the dance floor. Featuring Spyro, The track’s upbeat tempo and catchy lyrics are sure to get listeners moving.

Pozi feat. Raybekah: A melodic blend of Afrobeat and R&B, “Pozi” features the smooth vocals of Raybekah. The lyrics delve into themes of love and attraction.

Bilinda feat. Yago: “Bilinda” is a mid-tempo track that showcases Fiokee’s ability to create immersive musical landscapes. With Yago’s powerful vocals and Fiokee’s guitar leading the melody, the song weaves a tale of love and longing.

Loyal w/ Kemuel & Bruce Africa: “Loyal” is an emotionally charged track that combines powerful vocal performances from Kemuel and Bruce Africa with Fiokee’s intricate guitar work. The song explores

A Guitarist’

themes of loyalty and love, with a sound that is both soulful and stirring.

Ibadi: “Ibadi” is a track that pays homage to Fiokee’s roots with its traditional Highlife-inspired sound. “Ibadi” is a celebration of culture and rhythm, inviting listeners to move and groove.

Soco: “Soco” is a rhythmic banger that stands out with its infectious beats and catchy chorus. The track showcases Fiokee’s flair for creating hit songs that resonate with a wide audience.

No Way: The original version of “No Way” captivated fans with its heartfelt lyrics and smooth production. The song’s emotional resonance makes it a favorite among fans.

The album closes with “Turn It Up,” a track that leaves listeners on a high note. Featuring Raybekah, Kholi, and Vicky Samdave, this song is an energetic anthem with uplifting vibes.

Fiokee is renowned for his work in the Afrobeat and Afropop genres. His unique guitar sound has made him one of the most sought-after Nigerian musicians, with collaborations spanning top artists like Flavour, Davido, Wizkid, and Tiwa Savage.

Black Mail’ Premieres on Prime Video

Action thriller, ‘Black Mail’ has premiered on Amazon Prime Video. Its entry on the American streaming platform followed its release in the United Kingdom cinemas. Written and directed by Obi Emelonye, ‘Black Mail’ first screened across 100 UK cinemas in August 2022.

It tells the story of a struggling actor’s career and family being put in jeopardy when cybercriminals attempt to blackmail him over his internet history. With nowhere left to turn, he decides to play the situation as if it was from one of his movies and goes after the gang behind the scam.

As the clock ticks towards zero hour, he (Chinda) blunders his way through Mighty Igor’s game of cyber cat and mouse. With his back against the wall, he must put everything he loves on the line, close ranks with the most unlikely ally, and confront Mighty Igor; at a very critical time when the Russian criminal empire is beginning to unravel from the inside.

The film’s stellar cast includes award-winning actor, O.C Ukeje, Alessandro Babalola, Nicolay Shulik, Julia Holden, Natalia Nyudyurbegova, Jelena Borovskaya, Tony Richardson and Emma

Fletcher. One noted that with O.C Ukeje as the only Nigerian cast, how audiences engage with the picture is a thing of interest.

The executive producer Olatunbosun Amao, said the feature film “Black Mail addresses pressing concerns around data protection and cyber security. We wanted to create a film that not only entertains but also highlights the vulnerabilities we all face in this digital age as the world becomes more dependent on online interactions”

Segilola Ogidan

Fiokee

Baba wande

Ferdinand ekechukwu

Ferdinand ekechukwu

Boluwaji Apanisile: Redefining Nigeria’s Creative Industry through Innovation, Storytelling

Boluwaji Apanisile is a visionary creative entrepreneur passionate about storytelling through visual media.

Dedicated to elevating the creative industry, blending innovation with artistic expression to capture the essence of human experiences, he has gone ahead to push a drive for the deployment of creativity and harnessing its viable capabilities.

His work spans visual art, photography, cinematography, and motion direction, where he continuously seeks to push the boundaries of what is possible in creativity.

Apanisile believes that the Nigeria creative sector is not only an add-on to the nation’s economic structure but rather a vibrant and essential element that has a significant impact on both cultural identity and economic growth.

He also points out that Nigerian creatives are gaining international acclaim, influencing global trends in visual art, music, fashion, and film which not only enhances Nigeria’s cultural diplomacy but also promotes national pride.

Apanisile believes that the creative industry holds immense potential to impact the Nigerian economy by driving innovation, creating jobs, and promoting cultural exchange.

He adds that “Nigeria is rich in talent, and by investing in the creative sector, we can harness this talent to not only generate revenue but also to position Nigeria as a global cultural hub the industry can contribute to diversifying the economy, reducing dependence on traditional

O’DA Art Debuts

Osectors, and fostering more inclusive economic growth.”

One of the major challenges for creatives in Nigeria is the lack of infrastructure and support systems, the creative entrepreneur further emphasised.

He pointed out that, many creatives struggle with access to funding, mentorship, and professional development opportunities. there

is also the challenge of intellectual property protection, which hinders creatives from fully benefiting from their work. To tackle these issues, there needs to be a concerted effort from both the public and private sectors to build a supportive ecosystem—this includes better access to financial resources, legal protections, and platforms that enable creatives to showcase and monetise their work.”

‘ÀWA’ Exhibition Featuring Ojeaga, Olumide

’DA Art is to present ÀWA, an exhibition showcasing the works of visual artists simon Ojeaga and Daniel Olumide.

This marks the firstever exhibition by artists represented by O’DA Art gallery.

ÀWA, meaning “Us,” offers a rich exploration of youth in contemporary Nigeria, highlighting the individuality and shared experiences of young people.

the exhibition delves into how cultural traditions, particularly those rooted in African

heritage, serve as a thread that connects different customs and lifestyles across the world.

Through figuration and portraiture, the artists depict both personal and communal narratives, offering a nuanced portrayal of life in modern Nigeria.

Olumide’s work focuses on the everyday life of young adults in Lagos, using portraiture to capture growth, empowerment, and introspection.

His piece ‘Hopeful Eyes’ portrays the intense gaze of a young boy, drawing viewers into his contemplative world, while Ambivalence presents a more enigmatic figure, hinting at the complexity of youthful identity.

Henkel Nigeria, Silverbird Group Announce Partnership

Henkel Nigeria, a german multinational company known for its brands such as WAW, Nittol, and got2B, has announced a strategic partnership with silverbird group.

this collaboration, unveiled in Lagos was a celebration of individuality, creativity, and empowerment.

Managing Director of Henkel Nigeria, Rajat Kapur, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, describing it as a strategic collaboration aimed at fostering creativity and self-expression among Nigerians.

“We are thrilled to announce this partnership with silverbird group. this is a strategic collaboration that embodies our shared vision of empowering Nigerians to express their individuality and creativity. We are particularly grateful to the President of silverbird group, guy Murray-Bruce. His insights as a member of Henkel

Nigeria’s Advisory Council have continued to enrich our organisation,” Kapur stated.

As part of the announcement, Henkel Nigeria introduced Paula Ezendu as an inspiring co-creator and influencer for the Got2B brand. Paula’s selection as the face of got2B represents Henkel’s dedication to diversity and the empowerment of Nigerian women.

“The choice of Paula signifies our commitment to celebrating diverse styles and empowering Nigerian women. We are excited to have her represent our vision and inspire others to join the got2B movement,” Kapur added.

silverbird group, one of Africa’s leading media and entertainment companies established in 1980, shares Henkel’s philosophy of celebrating individuality. Known for providing contemporary family entertainment and relaxation through sectors such as radio, television, real estate, and cinemas, silverbird is a staple in the Nigerian media and entertainment landscape.

the partnership with Henkel would further strengthen silverbird’s mission to enrich the lives of Nigerians with innovative and engaging content that reflects creativity and self-expression.

Ojeaga, on the other hand, explores selfdiscovery and generational dialogue through his unique “Fractellations” technique, which creates intricate visual patterns.

His work ‘Wacko, Sleight of Hand’ reflects the fluidity of adolescence, while ‘Warm Hands’ symbolises unity and divine connection through a group of male figures intertwined.

Together, Ojeaga and Olumide offer a thought-provoking dialogue on identity, connection, and the human experience, inviting viewers to reflect on their journeys.

The exhibition kicked off on September 3 and is expected to run through to september 30, 2024, scheduled for tuesday - saturday at 10am - 6pm.

As Apanisile continues his mission of bolstering the creative industry in Nigeria, his company, NAKESTUDiOS held its first iCre8 conference last month.

the conference was an immersive and engaging event that brought together creatives from diverse industries for a powerful and inspirational session. For the convener, the next steps for the icre8 conference involve building on the success of the first edition by expanding its reach and impact.

He adds that, “We plan to introduce more interactive sessions, workshops, and collaboration opportunities that allow participants to not only learn but also apply what they’ve learned in real time.

“subsequent editions will focus on deepening the conversations around creativity and its role in economic development, with an emphasis on actionable insights and solutions. We aim to make icre8 a must-attend event for anyone in the creative industry, both locally and internationally.”

Looking ahead, Boluwaji intends to explore new ways to blend creativity with impact. this could mean venturing into new forms of media, exploring tech-driven creative solutions, or even getting involved in initiatives that drive social change through art he explains.

For Nakestudios, the focus remains on pushing the boundaries of visual storytelling while also expanding into new markets and mediums, saying “We are looking at collaborations that can bring fresh perspectives to our work and exploring opportunities in content creation, immersive experiences, and perhaps even education helping to nurture the next generation of creatives.”

eha Impact Ventures Invests

$150,000

in

Prevention Device

eha Impact Ventures (EIV) has announced an additional investment of $150,000 in Ananya Health, one of its portfolio companies pioneering medical technology advancements across Africa, in this case, an innovative cancer prevention device.

Ananya Health is developing a battery-powered cryoablation device to freeze abnormal cervical cells before they become cancerous, especially as traditional cryoablation procedures are expensive, require specialised doctors, and pose logistical challenges.

A statement issued by EIV explained that Ananya Health’s cutting-edge device eliminates these barriers by making it portable, affordable, and accessible at primary healthcare centres, thus aiming to revolutionise cancer prevention at the grassroots level of healthcare.

Also, this latest funding supports Ananya Health towards securing a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant and pursuing its longterm goal of obtaining u s. Food and Drug

Administration (FDA) 510 (k) clearance. the statement noted that this clearance ensures the safety and efficacy of their medical device, allowing it to be marketed in the united states.

Responding to this, Evelyn Castle, CEO and Co-founder of EIV stated: “We are proud of Ananya Health’s progress in 2023 and 2024. Its key milestones include designing a batteryoperated cooling system that can consistently reach -40 degrees Celsius and establishing partnerships with clinical organisations, advocacy groups, and screening companies to support device adoption in target regions like Kenya, Nigeria, and India.

“We believe this device will be a gamechanger in preventing cervical cancer and are proud to be an early investor and supporter.”

Besides, in recognition of EIV’s commitment to Ananya Health, Castle has joined the Board of Directors as a Board Observer to provide strategic guidance and support to Ananya Health’s leadership team in navigating the subsequent phases of development.

Apanisile

Tosin Clegg

Tosin Clegg

Agnes ekebuike

Agnes ekebuike

Transforming Learning through STEAM Education

The popular saying that anyone who wants to escape poverty should learn STEAM may be more accurate now than ever, given today’s rapidly changing world. STEAM which is defined as an integrated approach to learning, combining Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics transcends its component subject. It encompasses a holistic approach to experiential learning, inquiry-based exploration, and hands-on discovery.

Knowledge in STEAM has proven to be a key driver of economic growth, offering a distinct edge in terms of employment, opportunities, and wealth creation.

Recently, STEAM jobs reportedly accounted for more than 20 percent of the workforce, and they are also projected to grow 10.8 percent between 2022 and 2032, almost four times faster than non-STEAM jobs, according to data by Bureau of Labour Statistics.

The urgency to embrace this innovation is thus unnegotiable, even as experts stress exposure and knowledge of it as early as childhood.

To this end, co-Founders of 9ijakids, an edtech company, Titi Adewusi, stressed the need for prioritising of STEAM education for individuals, government and economies to be able to tap into the far-reaching impacts of this innovation.

Adewusi, who is also one of the brains behind a renowned initiative exposing children to STEAM, ‘STEAM Funfest’, affirmed that this emerging field boasts many benefits, including financial empowerment, by equipping children with the skills needed to deliver in the future.

“For the government, investing in STEAM means creating a future workforce capable of solving national problems, and for the economy, it means having the human capital needed to compete on a global stage. It’s a win-win for everyone,” she stated.

Despite its gains, however, Nigeria is ranked among nations with little or no investment in STEAM education, posing a significant threat to future prosperity and global competitiveness.

“Its key encouragers, including parents, educators, and policymakers still consider it as something niche or “nice to have” rather than essential,” Adewusi remarked.

She added that adoption is further impeded by resource deficit, inexperienced teachers and cost of technology.

The STEAM instructor insisted that the government must find a way around available resources to expand access and reach of quality STEAM education to as far as the underserved population for profound effects.

Similarly, co-founder of STEM Mets Resources, Jadesola Adedeji, corroborated the unattractive status of STEAM in the country.

This, she believed is an opportunity for private entities to complement existing states’

efforts by way of mentorship, funding and partnership, advising them to consider such gestures as investing in their future workforce and productivity.

Adedeji, co-creator of ‘ STEAM Funfest’ alongside Adewusi in 2020, said the concept was borne out of the desire to address the STEAM awareness gap while igniting passion and action among young learners.

She stated that in four years, the initiative has aligned with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) STEAM education framework, asking the Nigerian government to adopt a similar approach to enhance STEAM curriculum and plug other loopholes in areas of policy, teachers’ training and infrastructure development to foster a robust STEAM environment.

On how states can blend, Adedeji said, “You don’t always need a fancy lab or a high-tech computer like I observed that most schools peg STEAM on either coding or robotics.

“It is rather about cultivating the mindset to solve real-world problems using the tools at hand. For example, something as simple as building a paper airplane can be part of a STEAM activity. It won’t just teach about the paper plane but the technology of paper planes integrating all parts as technology engineering, Maths and Art to make the paper plane. Kids are naturally curious, and by integrating STEAM into activities they already enjoy, we make it more accessible. STEAM can also be introduced through low-cost resources, like recyclable materials”

She said the STEAM Funfest with over 12,000 beneficiaries is embracing all range of methods and disciplines to bring learning to life, including coding, robotics, AI, virtual reality, animation, pottery, and science experiments, amongst others.

“Participants as young as age 7-16 were also availed the privilege to directly converse with industry experts. I must say that this has been worthwhile. We have in our little way boosted Nigeria’s STEAM profile and consequently, impact in future economy.

“We’ve recorded testimonies of children deciding on career path after attending the programme, schools have had to establish STEAM clubs following the programme, while parents are more enlightened and increasingly exploring extracurricular STEAM activities for their children. With these legacies, we are motivated to replicate this gesture in other parts of Africa as we target 100,000 children across the continent.

“We are particularly glad that some corporates are rising up to STEAM cause through support of the initiative, we, however, hope others can take up this cause to address more gaps like supporting inter-school STEAM Competition and field trips to organisations as well as organising visits to the school for advocacy and awareness and knowledge transfer.”

PERSONAL FINANCE

Unified Infrastructure Crucial to Africa Digital Leap, Experts Say

The urgency for a robust infrastructure framework to drive digital transformation in Africa has been highlighted at the Hyperscalers Convergence Africa Conference that was held recently in Lagos.

Experts who gathered at the event concurred that Africa’s unique challenges require bespoke solutions, thus tasked authorities to invest in specialised infrastructure to secure the continent’s digital future.

Managing Director of Remita Payment Services Limited (RPSL), Deremi Atanda, during a panel session, themed, ‘Innovating Towards Africa’s Digital Future’ maintained that the quality of

digital infrastructure embraced by African nations will go a long way in determining their depth of prosperity.

He pointed out how connectivity gaps were still affecting intra-African payment, despite numerous breakthroughs in the space.

Consequently, Atanda joined by other industry leaders in the panel stressed collaboration among leaders as well as stakeholders and community engagement to foster a unified digital infrastructure agenda.

Additionally, he suggested creating an African digital infrastructure investment bond, believing it would compel all parties to invest in a digital future.

Stakeholders Assess Impact of PIA, Urge Inclusivity

Stakeholders in the oil sector have expressed concerns about inadequate governance structure and inclusion lapses in the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), citing negative implications.

The stakeholders made their observations during a webinar with the theme, ‘Navigating the Shift – Essential Implementation Insights for Businesses’.

The webinar paved the way for key stakeholders to share insight on how PIA implementation has impacted Nigeria’s oil sector and communities, at the same time charted, solutions.

During the meeting, Executive Secretary of NEITI, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya, joined other panelists to decry the significant governance gap in PIA implementation, despite efforts towards a coordinated approach.

“There is an absence of a coordinated and comprehensive strategy to guide the process. This is a major concern, given the stakeholder-driven nature of the plan, involving civil society, companies, and government.

Ogbonnaya maintained that a clear strategy remained sacrosanct to guarantee transparency and accountability, warning that its absence may cause agencies to shy away from these values.

Unlock Potential to Drive Growth, Marketing Professionals Charged

Marketing experts have been reminded of the need to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and embrace innovative practices at all times, to drive continued growth in the sector.

This is as the industry is set to reward exceptional performance at the Nigerian Marketing Awards in Lagos, themed ‘Ignite’.

Founder of the award initiative, Anthony Agenmonmen, said the industry event was crucial to propel marketers across the country to unleash their potential and drive progress in the marketplace with passion and purpose.

“The theme, “Ignite’ symbolises the spark

of creativity and innovation that propels the marketing industry. It reflects the transformative power of bold ideas and strategies,” he said.

Agenmonmen detailed further on the award programme coming up in November that it would be honoring exceptional achievements in the marketing industry in the presence of key stakeholders across the country.

“The event highlights the efforts of individuals, brands, and organisations that have implemented successful strategies, campaigns, and initiatives that advance marketing in Nigeria”, he added.

New HP Report Says Education Remedy to Economic Crisis

A new report by Global Technology leader, Huawett Packard (HP) has highlighted education as a critical driver of economic resilience and buoyancy across the globe.

The report implemented under HP Futures Initiative underscored the importance of education in navigating economic uncertainty, urging nations to prioritise investment in it.

The Futures initiative being convened by HP in partnership with the Global Learning Council and T4 Education sought to address challenges impeding education and its outcome.

The new report expressed concern about the fact that 70 percent of 10-year-olds are still unable to read a simple sentence despite that the 2030 target for Sustainable Development Goals(SDG) inches closer.

Given this reality, HP in the report which compiled insights from over 100 education and policy experts worldwide, suggested a boost in education investment, arguing that economic constraints should not be a barrier.

The report also recommended that nations including Nigeria redesign education systems to fit for the future, provide early years interventions for young persons in disadvantaged communities, develop national assessment and data collection systems and subsidise EdTech tools, amongst others.

HP disclosed further that the Futures initiative brought together five Councils throughout a six-month period in late 2023 and early 2024, comprising education and policymaking experts.

Conference Addresses Extractives Shift to Green Growth

As Nigeria transitions to a green economy, stakeholders in the extractive industry are convening to explore strategies to navigate the new landscape and redefine their role in driving the transition agenda.

These stakeholders would be sharing their thoughts at the 13th Sustainability in the Extractive Industries (SITEI ) conference in Lagos, themed, “Extractives for Green Growth: The Strategic Role of Extractives in the Just Transition into an Inclusive Green Economy”.

Convener of SITEI/ Chief Executive of CSR-in-Action, Bekeme Olowola, said SITEI is a platform for meaningful discourse between

industry stakeholders, government, civil society, academia, and local communities in addressing critical issues impacting the extractive industries.

On the conference theme, Olowola noted that the global shift towards a low-carbon and inclusive economy presents both opportunities and challenges, thus, a timely and necessary topic for discussion in the conference by October.

“Through SITEI 2024, we aim to explore how extractive industries can adapt their practices and contribute meaningfully to this transition, ensuring that environmental responsibility, social justice, and economic prosperity are achieved in tandem,” she said.

Victor Umeh: Balance of Representation, Empowerment

Pat Onukwuli

In the vast arena of Nigeria’s National Assembly, where power often drowns out purpose, where some are content being mere observers, the role of a Senator in this landscape demands a good knowledge of the law and a deep understanding of the people. It also requires a delicate balance between the duties of legislation, oversight, and advocacy, all while remaining attuned to the pulse of a member’s primary constituency. Senator Victor Umeh has not only grasped this balance; he has mastered it, transforming his role into an inspiration of hope for his people of Anambra Central.

Umeh stands as a litmus test of focused leadership. A ranking member of the Senate, he embodies the essence of Stephen Covey’s wisdom: “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”

His journey in the Senate demonstrates his firm commitment to his primary role, crafting laws and being a staunch voice for his constituents while embracing the broader responsibilities that genuine leadership demands.

In the Senate, where the stakes are high and the consequences profound, Umeh has distinguished himself as a leader who recognises the gravity of his role. He remains resolutely dedicated to his primary function, the awareness that representing means not just occupying a seat but serving as a conduit for channelling constituents’ hopes, fears, and aspirations into action. Like Steve Jobs famously said, “The most important thing is to be true to yourself and your work. Everything else is secondary.” He has remained faithful to his responsibilities, ensuring that his voice in the Senate is a powerful advocate for his constituency.

Umeh’s legislative work is not just about passing laws; it is about championing causes that resonate deeply with the needs of his people. Recently, he boldly called for an overhaul of Nigeria’s petroleum industry, advocating for the dismissal of its managers in light of the hyperinflation of petroleum prices, reflecting his commitment not just to probity but to giving ears to the cries of his people. Through constant media statements and public engagements, he has made it clear that his primary task is to serve as a voice of reason, a sentinel guarding the interests of those who have entrusted him with their mandate.

Yet, in his wisdom, Umeh recognises that authentic leadership goes beyond fulfilling primary duties. He echoes the philosophy of Peter Drucker, who famously said, “First things first, but second things are not second.” For Umeh, secondary tasks are not mere afterthoughts but integral to a holistic approach to leadership. He sees that while the primary duty of a senator is to legislate and represent, the ancillary functions, those secondary tasks, are equally essential in creating a lasting legacy.

This pragmatic approach is evident in his commitment to community empowerment through the Victor Umeh Educa-

tion Foundation (VUMEF). Over 17 years ago, driven by a deep love for education and a keen belief in its transformative power, Umeh founded VUMEF. His vision was clear: to use education as a tool for human capacity development, a means to eradicate poverty, and a strategy for crime control. Since its inception, VUMEF has empowered over 300 individuals, providing scholarships to bright and needy students, enabling them to pursue higher education and achieve their dreams.

The impact of VUMEF is profound. Its beneficiaries are doctors, engineers, lawyers, and other professionals who now contribute meaningfully to society. The Foundation has supported those pursuing advanced degrees, including Master’s Degrees and PhD programmes, as well as clergy members. Umeh’s belief in the unquantifiable gains of sponsoring a child in school reflects his broader vision of human empowerment, an investment in the future that yields dividends far beyond the individual, enriching entire communities and society.

These scholarships are more than just financial aid; they are a lifeline, a bridge across the chasm of inequality that too often denies the most deserving of their rightful place in the sun. For every student who receives one of these scholarships, there is a story of transformation, a story of

potential realised, dreams fulfilled, and futures forever changed. In his wisdom, Umeh knows that education can change the world, one student at a time.

His contributions do not end with education. He is an architect of progress, a leader who knows that development requires more action than words. Umeh has spearheaded numerous constituent projects addressing immediate needs and long-term aspirations. The construction of vital infrastructure marks his tenure in the Senate, the provision of healthcare facilities, and the empowerment of local businesses. Each project is imbued with a sense of purpose and direction, reflecting Umeh’s deep perception that proper development requires more than words; it demands action.

These projects are not mere tokens of goodwill but deliberate efforts to build a foundation for sustainable growth. Umeh’s philosophy of purposeful representation characterises his work, as he measures every action by its potential to create lasting change. He understands that providing infrastructure, healthcare, and business support is about meeting immediate needs and laying the groundwork for a future where prosperity is within reach for all.

Umeh is a leader who has mastered balancing the demands of primary and secondary tasks. He has kept the main thing, remaining faithful to his core duties as a legislator while recognising the importance of community empowerment and development. He blends representation and action harmoniously, crafting laws with the well-being of his constituents in mind and designing projects to uplift and empower.

His leadership style reminds us that true greatness lies not in the grandeur of one’s title but in the impact of one’s actions. He has shown that it is possible to excel in one’s primary role while embracing broader leadership responsibilities. His work in the Senate and his commitment to education through VUMEF testifies to his vision that leadership is about more than holding office; it is about making a difference in the lives of others.

As one reflects on Umeh’s delivery, there is an inherent reminder of his wisdom of balancing first things with second things, staying faithful to his core responsibilities, and embracing the broader tasks that define authentic leadership. He embodies a leader who has kept the main thing the main thing while ensuring that the second things are not left behind. His legacy is one of purpose, empowerment, and inspiration for future generations to lead when they hold power with integrity, vision, and a deep commitment to the well-being of those they will serve.

Finally, what Senator Victor Umeh is accomplishing is not just a series of legislative victories or developmental projects; it is the creation of a new narrative for Anambra Central, a narrative of hope, progress, and possibility. He shows that one can overcome even the most entrenched challenges with vision, dedication, and a genuine commitment to the common good.

.Onukwuli writes from Bolton, UK, via patonukwuli2003@ yahoo.co.uk

Umeh

L-R: Children of the Deceased,: Mr. Oladapo Oduleye; Engr. John Oduleye; , Mrs. Abimbola Ilenpe; (née Oduleye), Mrs. Oluremi Akojenu; (née Oduleye), i Dean, The Cathedral Church of St Jude, Ven. Olusegun Ajayi; the Children of the Deceased, Mr. Abayomi Oduleye; and Mr. Olayinka Oduleye, at the 50th remembrance anniversary for Late Pa John Adebayo Oduleye held in Lagos recently

L-R: AFD Country Director for Nigeria; Xavier Muron; Vice President and Head of NBA Nigeria; Gbemisola Abudu and The Consul General of France in Nigeria; Laurent Favier at the celebration of the concluding Third Season of Jr. NBA & AFD Basketball Experience in Lagos; Nigeria ...recently

L-R Chairman NBA BENIN Branch, Mr.Oladipo Okpeseyi SAN; Mr. Nosa Francis Edo-Osagie and Dr Roland Otaru, SAN, at the Presidents Dinner during the all members of the Law School centennial class of 1986. annual general conference of the Nigerian Bar Association held at Eko Hotel in Lagos…. recently.

L - R: Team Lead; Consumer Banking; Access Bank; Olanrewaju Adetula; DiamondXtra N200; 000 Star Winner; Afamefuna Ozoinyiama; Regional Manager of Branch Banking; Lagos 2; Olukemi Olayinka; and Branch Manager; Ikotun; Omowunmi Omolola Falade at the DiamondXtra Season 16 onsite draw held; in Ikotun; Lagos recently.; SUNDAY ADIGUN

perSpeCTIVe

NNPCL and Challenges in Oil Sector: Banire Misconceived Facts, Promotes Biased Views

In the face of the challenges in the oil sector, particularly the current tightness in the supply of petrol, it has become fashionable to blame the national oil company, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPC Ltd), for everything.

Last week, it was Prof. Pat Utomi who railed and fumed at the NNPC Ltd calling it one of the most opaque and unreliable companies in the world. Before then, The Punch had published an editorial in which it described the NNPC Ltd as a danger to Nigeria. The latest of these vitriolic attacks is by Dr. Muiz Banire, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and former Commissioner of Transport and Environment, Lagos State, who contended in his column in The Sun that NNPC Ltd is the black hole of Nigeria.

Considering all that is going on in the petroleum sector, it would appear justifiable to call out the NNPC Ltd as some people have been doing in recent times. But most of the diatribes have been based on sentiments that are not rooted in facts.

Railing at the NNPC Ltd without a thorough understanding of the issues that threw up the current challenges in the oil sector, as most of the commentators have been doing, will yield no good for the country.

At this critical intersection, the task for all well-meaning Nigerians should be how to find lasting solutions to the mischiefs in the oil sector and not to look for scapegoats, as Banire has done.

According to Banire, Nigeria has been experiencing fuel scarcity since 1973 on the back of fuel subsidy and the NNPC Ltd is responsible for it. The assertion that the NNPC is responsible for this state of affairs is moot. The policy of fuel subsidy is not the preserve of the NNPC. Various administrations over the years have thought it wise to subsidize the cost of petroleum products for citizens. They came up with different methods of doing that.

The role of NNPC Ltd has been to implement the policy as decided by the government. At a point when the various administrations felt that the fuel subsidy policy had become a burden that should be done away with, they made it known. NNPC Ltd, as the national oil company, implemented it. This was the case in 2012 when the nation went up in protest against the decision of the government to remove fuel subsidy. The same scenario repeated itself in 2019 when the then-administration came up with the policy to remove fuel subsidy. NNPC Ltd is neither responsible for the policy of fuel subsidy nor its removal.

Unfortunately, Banire would descend to the level of castigating the NNPC Ltd for the fuel subsidy debacle that has plagued Nigeria and on the basis of that label the Company that has over the years patriotically borne the brunt of the fuel subsidy policy as a black hole. His analysis fails to take into consideration the huge challenges of product

smuggling, pipeline vandalism, and crude oil theft that the company contends with daily, and despite which it manages to keep the nation going with crude oil production and fuel supply.

Barely three months after the federal government announced the removal of fuel subsidy, it became difficult for both major and independent petroleum products marketers to import petrol because of the foreign exchange policy. They could not source forex to continue to bring in petrol. Since then, NNPC Ltd has been importing the product and selling at almost half price in keeping with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) which designates it as the fuel supplier of last resort. Yes, there have been supply hiccups here and there because of the financial constraints imposed by the transaction. Just imagine the hardship the nation would have suffered if NNPC Ltd was not there to play the role of supplier of last resort! NNPC Ltd is the reason Nigerians continue to enjoy lower pump price for petrol than they would ordinarily pay for the product. How then does such a company become a black hole?

For Banire, NNPC Ltd is responsible for everything wrong in the oil sector. He even blames smuggling and the unau-

thorized sale of petroleum products to street urchins who in turn trade it in the black market in jerry cans on the NNPC Ltd. But does he have evidence that the unpatriotic marketers who divert petroleum products meant for local consumption to neighbouring countries are staff members or representatives of the NNPC Ltd? Does he have any shred of evidence that the boys who sell fuel in the black market in jerry cans source their products from NNPC Retail Ltd.’s stations? The least one would expect from a lawyer of Banire’s standing is a fact-based and not speculative commentary.

The NNPC Ltd has turned a corner since 2018 when it began to prepare for the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act, which was eventually passed into law in 2021. Apart from deepening its commitment to accountability and transparency by regularly publishing its audited annual financial statements, it has become a profitable company with undisputable growth trajectory. It recorded an unprecedented N3.29 trillion profit in its recently released 2023 audited financial report. But this fact is conveniently lost on Dr. Banire who insists that he has not seen any difference between NNPC as a corporation and the commercially focused NNPC Ltd that was incorporated in 2021. Fortunately, it does not take Banire to see or believe that NNPC Ltd, as presently constituted, has broken away from its debilitating past for it to be true. He is at home with the legal maxim: “Res Ipsa Loquitur”, meaning the facts speak for themselves.

While one cannot dissuade people like Banire from criticising the NNPC Ltd, they must refrain from standing facts on their heads all because they want to be populist or be in the good books of the public. Besides, the Banires of this world should also not be intentionally mischievous in their assertion that the NNPC Limited is exercising an overbearing influence on the regulators. One expects that given the level of their educational accomplishments, they should have the capacity to research very well into the subject matters of their editorial interventions so that they do not argue, assert and progress in error(s). In the corollary, it is either Banire is mischievous or ignorant about the assertion he made in his write-up that the NNPC influences the NUPRC and the NMDPRA who are the two independent regulators. If he lacks a clear knowledge of the workings of the sector, he should be humble enough to seek clarifications so he could be well informed. NNPC Limited is an operator with some refineries under its purview. The Port Harcourt refinery will soon take off. The refineries under the NNPC are operators and are therefore subject to the regulatory framework and regulations set out by the NMDPRA. The operator(s) cannot, therefore, exercise overbearing influence on the regulators. This is commonsensically impossible. Pure and simple.

Ltd

Carbon Market & Article 6 of Paris Agreement as Africa’s New Black Gold

It has becoming increasing clear to stakeholders that achieving a net-zero future will involve a combination of tradition approaches – commitment to energy efficiency, deployment of renewables and access to mitigation projects outside of their own value chain.

Article 6, of The Paris Agreement, introduce a system for voluntary international cooperation between countries to reduce emissions to meet their nationally determined contributions (NDC or pledges). If implemented appropriately, Article 6 could provide significant incentives for countries to increase their climate ambitions, reduce the cost of curtailing emissions and accelerate the move towards net zero.

In Africa, with abundance of nature-based solutions (NBS) for carbon capture and great uptake of renewable energy projects, this presents economic opportunities for poverty alleviation, foreign direct investments and sustainable development.

Carbon markets: what are they?

Carbon markets are largely categorised into two groups – voluntary and compliance schemes. Although reduction in carbon emission is the widely recognised approach to achieving net-zero future, in certain cases it is impracticable to significantly reduce

carbon emissions – at least in the short term. Strategic energy transition has been postulated as realistic approach for traditional industries such as extractive industries, aviation, maritime and manufacturing sectors.

Voluntary markets

For companies in these sectors and countries that are regarded as the manufactory hubs, supply chain destinations of the world or mining destinations (e.g. China, South Africa, Australia and Vietnam), voluntary carbon markets (VCM) connect the supply of carbon credits with demand from investors and organisations with requirement to reduce their carbon footprints.

VCM refer to the issuance, buying and selling of carbon credits on a voluntary basis. The current supply of voluntary carbon credits comes mostly from private entities that develop carbon projects or governments that develop programs certified by carbon standards that generate emissions reductions and/or removals. Examples include improved forest management and avoided forest conversion activities in the US, renewable projects in India and China to forest conservation and cookstove programs in Brazil, Cambodia, Kenya and Zimbabwe.

VCM is growing rapidly, with India, China and U.S. being the most popular locations for offset buyers. According to Bain & Co, only two African countries - Kenya and Zimbabwe, appear on the list of top 10 countries for

retired carbon credits between 2020-2022, with two percent and three percent of retired credits respectively. These credits are largely from forest conservation and cookstove credits. The top 2 markets on the list – US and India have percentage of retired credits at 22 percent and 19 percent respectively. This statistic highlights enormous opportunity for Africa, with huge potential for credits in renewable energy projects which form the bulk for other markets (such as China and India), in this innovative market. Private individuals (or corporations with sustainability targets) that want to compensate for their carbon footprints transact with sellers or market actors who aim to trade credits at a higher price to make profit.

Compliance/Cap-and-trade schemes Compliance markets are created as a result of any national, regional and/or international policy or regulatory requirement. In capand-trade schemes (or emissions trading systems, ETS), companies trade pollution permits (allowances) which allow them to emit one tonne of CO2e. In principle for every 1t CO2e a company emits, it must return one permit back to the regulator. The European Union’s ETS is a good example, where polluters that exceed their permitted emissions must buy permits from others with permits available for sale. Other examples include the California cap-andtrade and China’s ETS. Many more national and sub-national ETS are now operating or under development.

Opportunities

Global interest in carbon markets have spiked recently, fuelled by Articles 6 of the Paris Agreement which enables the use of such market mechanisms and, in particular, the awareness that 83 percent of NDCs state the intent to make use of international mechanisms to reduce GHG emissions.

African Carbon Market Initiative (ACMI)

ACMI was inaugurated on the 8 November, 2022 at COP 27, with the aim to support the growth of carbon credit production and create jobs in Africa through voluntary carbon markets. ACMI’s ambition is produce 300 million carbon credits annually by 2030, and 1.5 billion credits annually by 2050; unlock 6 billion in revenue by 2030 and over 120 billion by 2050 and support 30 million jobs by 2030 and over 110 million jobs by 2050. Underpinning this wealth creation initiative is the equitable distribution of revenue and transparency in dealings with local communities.

Olufemi Soneye

Soneye

Soneye, is the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the NNPC

Owolabi

Joseph Owolabi

Only Market-determined Petrol Pricing Can Unlock Nigeria’s Potential

In a re-enactment of public reaction every time the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) increases, the Nigerian public space has been thrown into turmoil over the latest hike in price. The new prices range from N850 a litre at Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL)—owned filling stations to N1,200 a litre at stations owned by independent marketers. This public reaction to a new petrol price regime has been the trend since 1988.

As always, the government is the culprit of the new price regime. The price interventionist policy was first conceived and implemented in 1973 to offer cheap petrol to the public due to an oil crisis in the aftermath of the Yom Kippur War.

That was when the Organisation of Arab Oil Exporting Countries, the precursor of the Oil Producing and Exporting Countries (OPEC), collectively embargoed the supply of crude oil to the United States of America and began a series of production cuts.

These cuts nearly quadrupled the oil price from $2.90 a barrel before the embargo to $11.65 in January 1974. The ensuing rise in oil prices sent shock waves worldwide, and the cost of petroleum products, especially the famous petrol brand, skyrocketed.

To lessen the impact of the petrol price increase on Nigerians, the government, under the leadership of Gen. Yakubu Gowon, announced the policy of subsidising petrol. The subsidy is occasioned by fixing the product price, usually below the market price, and paying the difference between the market and the fixed price. Since that 1973 intervention, we have been stuck with the vagaries of subsidies.

Of course, many countries across the world initiated differ- ent subsidy mechanisms to the high petroleum products price increase. At that time, the Nigerian government’s subsidy intervention was rationalised by the enormous earnings from the crude oil price increase of more than 400 percent, which left the country more or less flush with petrol dollars. It was a convenient policy of simply giving a small proportion of the revenue to cushion the impact of the price increase.

General Olusegun Obasanjo, then Military Head of State, formalised the petroleum subsidy regime into law when he numbered it among products for which the government would be responsible for fixing their prices and for which they should not be sold above the fixed prices.

Again, this was a short-term measure to cushion the rising international oil price. It was intended as a temporary fiscal response to an oil price spike instigated by the actions of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

It is, however, instructive to note that under the two principal protagonists of subsidy, the price of petrol recorded increments in response to emerging economic realities. Under Gowon, the price increased by 40 per cent from six kobo a litre to nine kobo a litre, while under Obasanjo, it skyrocketed by 70 per cent from nine kobo a litre to 15.3 kobo a litre.

Our argument is that subsidies were introduced into the Nigerian economic ecosystem as a consequence of the availability of fiscal resources. They were then a mechanism for a fairer redistribution of the country’s wealth among the populace in times of huge revenue earnings. When there is a downturn, the tendency is to halt their implementation because of the distortion inherent in their continued application.

Kyari

But, as it were, the subsidy and we as a people have become economic Siamese twins. Every move by the government to stop its application since 1988 has been received with uproar and outrage despite the material changes in the economic dynamics that informed the policy in the first place. This latest furore over fuel price increase is typical of other times. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has taken its traditional front role and, as always, pointing fingers at the federal government for being responsible for the price increase. However, as a body of analysts, we submit that all this trouble-mongering shouldDespitestop.the common knowledge that fuel subsidies were excluded from the second half of the 2023 budget, about 73 percent of Nigerians interviewed in an opinion poll said they were dissatisfied with the removal.

Nonetheless, this does not detract from the fact that fuel subsidies have become Nigeria’s equivalent of an economic weapon of mass destruction. The narration often shows how subsidies have strangulated the Nigerian nation’s potential and burned up $30 billion that can be funnelled into other uses, such as infrastructure, health, and education.

In 2022, $10 billion was spent on fuel subsidies, representing 40 percent of the country’s revenue. The petrol supply scenario is exacerbated by the annual $28 billion taken from the critical foreign reserve to import fuel. This is in addition to the N1 trillion the country had to borrow to finance fuel subsidies in 2022.

A further examination of the subsidy regime shows that households in the bottom 40 percent of the income distribution account for less than three percent of fuel purchases at the pump. According to a survey, private firms, public transporta- tion services, government agencies, and other businesses consume three-quarters of all fuel sold in Nigeria. Most vehicles used for carrying large numbers of people and goods are diesel-powered and already deregulated. Also, Household Kerosene, which people with low incomes mainly use, is no longer subsidised, meaning that people with low incomes are

already, to a large extent, paying market prices for their fuel. This means the government mainly subsidises those who can afford fuel at the market rate.

So, whose interest is the NLC advancing? We are in a new era, aptly thematised as the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) era. Regarding the subsidy regime, Section 5 (e) of the PIA 2021 empowers the NNPCL with the sole mandate to “Provide pricing and tariff frameworks for natural gas in midstream and downstream gas operations and petroleum products based on the fair market value of the applicable products.” Similarly, section 215 of the PIA also emphatically stated that the dynamics of market forces should determine the price of petroleum products for the NNPCL. These are the letters of the PIA, the law regulating the petroleum industry, not President Tinubu’s oft-referenced summary dismissal of the subsidy regime in his 29 May 2023 inauguration address. We find it surprising that the same people who want full adher- ence to the provisions of the PIA and clamour for it are the same individuals who want the president to subvert the law.

To avoid doubt, it will amount to a breach of the law for the president, government, or even any of its agencies to attempt to determine the price of locally processed fuel even when the Port Harcourt Refinery begins to roll out fuel whenever the first phase of the ongoing rehabilitation is concluded. It would still have to sell the product at a market-determined rate as a commercial entity. Anything other than that will amount to interference from the authorities and a return to subsidy, especially if the price has to be lower than the market rate.

We dare to submit that we subscribe to the doctrine and practice of a liberal free-market economy in which private capital and investments compete favourably to drive socio- economic development, as championed by President Tinubu. Surprisingly, the NLC is exhibiting a doomsday disposition in this matter. We therefore call on the NLC and, indeed, all Nigerians to eschew this traditional resistance to market- determined prices.

We assert that this pricing principle is the route to truly developing the country’s midstream and downstream sectors and, thereby, enabling Nigeria’s long-forgotten petrochemical industry, which is a major employer of labour and a veritable source of raw materials, to flourish. This is the larger extension of Nigeria’s growing potential to become the petroleum refining hub of the West African region.

If the NLC must protest, it should be concerned with driving this vision of making Nigeria the dominant refining hub in Africa, driven by the private sector.

The Labour movement should also be focused on compel- ling the Federal Government to speedily roll out the adoption of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), an energy source that has been confirmed to be cleaner, vehicle-friendly, and way cheaper than Meanwhile,petrol.without the NLC agitation, we are witnessing what the government is doing in the health sector with the National Health Workforce Policy to transform Nigeria’s healthcare and reintegrate diaspora professionals into the healthcare sector. We consider this a social revolution by its standing.

In connection with this and to the applause of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), the federal government has already started implementing the Medical Residency Training Fund, which is in full swing. This is enabled by savings made from scrapping fuel subsidies.

Zacch Adedeji: One Year of Great Strides at FIRS

One year can feel like a flash, but in the hands of a leader like the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Dr. Zacch Adedeji, it becomes the foundation for lasting change.

The tax boss has taken Nigeria’s tax administration from business as usual to record-breaking heights. The past 12 months have not only reshaped the agency but also set the stage for a brighter economy for Nigerians.

When Adedeji took over the affairs of FIRS on September 15, 2023, the agency was ready for change, but perhaps not even the most optimistic could have predicted the sweeping reforms the tax boss would implement. His approach was clear from the start: if Nigeria were to compete on a global scale, it needed an efficient, transparent, and people-focused tax administration system. And as expected, he made that happen.

Adedeji’s first major move was the complete restructuring of

the FIRS. His vision wasn’t just about meeting revenue targets; it was about building a system that worked seamlessly for the government and, more importantly, for the people. Under his guidance, the agency has become more cohesive, adaptable, and driven by cuttingedge technology. The move towards a data-driven and customer-centric approach has redefined how tax operations are conducted, bringing in efficiency and transparency that were previously lacking.

Raising the salaries of FIRS staff by 60 percent was another achievement under Dr. Zacch’s leadership. This wasn’t just about rewarding employees. He understood that a thriving workforce is the backbone of any successful organization. By investing in the people behind the scenes, the FIRS boss created an environment where employees felt valued and motivated, leading to improved performance and setting a new standard for efficiency within the agency.

Adedeji’s tax philosophy is reflected in his straightforward phrases like “We tax the fruit, not the seed” and “We tax prosperity, not poverty.” These ideas show his focus on fair taxation and have

made tax processes clearer and more cooperative.

Financially, the results speak volumes. FIRS not only exceeded its 2023 revenue goal of N11.55 trillion by collecting a remarkable N12.36 trillion, but it also set a new record in the first quarter of 2024 with N3.94 trillion. This achievement represented a 56 percent increase from the previous year, showcasing the chairman’s exceptional skill in driving revenue growth and establishing new performance milestones.

But he didn’t stop there. He understood that the future of tax administration lies in innovation, and so he led the integration of nine new modules into the TaxProMax system. This step automated over 80% of previously manual processes, cutting down on inefficiencies and making life easier for taxpayers across the board. Whether you’re a large corporation or a small business owner, FIRS now has a “One Stop Shop” approach, where tax office operations are fast, transparent, and efficient services.

The tax boss made notable strides by launching the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU)

with the backing of the ICPC, aimed at combating corruption and upholding integrity in tax administration. More recently, he is also leading the National Single Window Project (NSWP), which promises to transform Nigeria’s trade sector with a unified digital platform for import and export activities.

These achievements are just the beginning. Adedeji’s Zacch’s first year in office is a clear indication that he is not just a reformer but a leader with the expertise and drive to push Nigeria’s economy forward. He will continue his mission of strengthening the country’s tax administration in line with the renewed hope mandate of President Tinubu.

Adedeji’s highly commendable achievement in just a year has further confirmed the notion about President Bola Tinubu’s ability to identify great, formidable, and talented individuals amongst a multitude of people . As he steps into another year, these accomplishments are just the tip of the iceberg. For Nigeria, this means a future of enhanced transparency, efficiency, and fairness, promising a strong and suitable

economy. One thing is certain: The tax boss is ready to do whatever it takes to keep Nigeria on the path of progress and economic revitalisation.

Aderonke is the technical assistant, broadcast media at the FIRS

Niyi Akinsiju

Arabinrin Aderonke

Adedeji

New BMW M5 Touring Combines Performance, Comfort Over Long Distances

The combination of performance, comfort over long distances and variable-use interior space shapes the exclusive character of the new BMW M5 Touring (petrol and electric power consumption – weighted, combined: 2.0 l/100 km [141.2 mpg imp] and 30.7 kWh/100 km; CO2 emissions – weighted, combined: 46 g/km; fuel consumption with discharged battery: 10.9 l/100 km [25.9 mpg imp] in the WLTP cycle; CO2 classes: weighted, combined B, with discharged battery G). And customers can give the appearance and driving properties of their BMW M5 Touring an even more personalised flavour by dipping into the selection of BMW M Performance Parts, which will be offered for the five-door high-performance sports car from launch.

Like the M Carbon exterior package available ex-factory, the retrofit products from the range of Original BMW Accessories bring heightened visual charisma and further improved aerodynamic balance to the new BMW M5 Touring. Tailored precisely to the car’s geometry and manufactured to the highest standards of quality, the exterior components – which are made from carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) and aramid – give the car a particularly imposing presence on the road and the race track.

Exclusive looks and optimised aerodynamic attributes with M Performance Parts made from high-quality carbon fibre and aramid.

The sculptural front end, prominently flared wheel arches, long roofline, dynamically stretched side window graphic and powerful rear end play a formative role in giving the new BMW M5 Touring its inimitable, motor racing-inspired aura. And the model-specific BMW M Performance Parts for the exterior enrich the car’s athletic appearance with exclusive details that turn heads from every angle.

The two-section M Performance rear diffuser carbon fibre adds a particularly prominent accent. With its strikingly cut bars, it shines an even more intense spotlight on the muscular appearance of the rear end. Paired with the M Performance tailpipe trims for the exhaust system, it has an extremely effective visual impact. These trims are made from a titanium/carbon fibre mix and send

out a crystal clear message of uncompromising performance with their milled titanium end rings and embossed M5 logo. The M Performance rear fins carbon fibre set an understated seal on the aerodynamic overall concept and add another sporting ingredient to the new BMW M5 Touring.

Finely judged enhancements for the design and aerodynamics also feature at the front of the new BMW M5 Touring. The M Performance front splitter carbon fibre, for example, fits neatly into the overall structure and showcases the central air intake to even more eye-catching effect. When viewing the car from the side, the M Performance sill extensions carbon fibre create an attractive visual connection with the stretched roofline of the new BMW M5 Touring. They emphasise the athletic aesthetic of the body’s side frame, which has a model-specific design – especially when

the M Performance side decals Frozen Black are also specified. Additional highlights of the side view are the M exterior mirror caps carbon fibre and the M Performance aerial cover aramid. A high-tech fibre composite material, aramid has similar properties to carbon fibre, while also offering high electromagnetic permeability.

Authentic racing-car aura inside and outside the cockpit.

The M Performance fuel tank cap carbon fibre turns every refuel into a small pit stop. It is made from high-quality carbon fibre and has M Performance badging in brushed aluminium. The interior of the new BMW M5 Touring already majors on sporting appeal as standard, but it too can be given a finishing touch in the form of the M Performance floor mats.

Toyota Professional Introduces All-new Proace Max Heavy-duty Van

The management of a renowned inter-state and ECOWAS regional road transport services provider, Chisco Transport, has said it prioritizes the welfare and health of its workers.

The company stated this while clarifying the circumstances of the incident involving one of its experienced drivers on the Lagos-Accra route.

The company debunked the claim that the driver was involved in a criminal activity in the unfortunate health emergency.

The incident, which was captured in a viral video on social media, showed the driver in question having a health emergency on July 27, 2024 en route Lagos from Ghana, leading to an unscheduled stop during the journey, which resulted in a panic attack.

However, in a press statement, Chisco Transport, described the allegation of criminal act by the driver as false, saying that contrary to circulating rumours, there was no basis for the claims that the driver was capable of any such act.

Signed by the Head of Customer Experience, Rosemary Ohuegbe, the statement noted the concerns the incident had caused among the travelling public and apologised to the customers involved for the distress.

Chisco Transport described the driver as a dedicated and outstanding member of the company’s on-board crews for over 10 years with a record that is commendable, Doing that it has prioritised the health of its staff and safety of its passengers.

Part of the press statement read, “Upon

learning of the situation, we immediately dispatched a replacement driver closest to the scene to ensure the safe continuation of the journey and arranged prompt medical care for our driver, who has since received the necessary treatment and is recovering.

“At Chisco Transport, as part of our standard procedures, we conduct rigorous processes for the selection and regular medical evaluation of our drivers. The safety of our passengers and staff is our top priority.

“We remain committed to maintaining the highest standards of service and integrity.

TIPS OF THE WEEK

10 Ways to Reduce Fuel Consumption

Even though we are aware that engines need fuel to run, that does not mean you can’t make some small changes to help you gain some fuel savings.

Keep tires pumped up

Tires that are underinflated have a higher rolling resistance on the road. This means that with every kilometer traveled, your tires generate more friction and rolling resistance, and hence, will increase fuel consumption. If all your tires are underinflated by 10 psi, this could reduce fuel efficiency by up to 10%.

Lose the weight in your boot

For those with a habit of keeping everything and anything in the boot, in addition to emergency spares, think twice when loading up next time. Every extra 50kg your car puts on increases fuel consumption by 2%.

Drive with AC

Driving with the windows down at speeds faster than 80km/h causes a lot of wind resistance, and costs you a lot more fuel. Contrary to what you may think, in this situation, it’s simply more fuel efficient to drive with the aircon on.

Don’t go too fast or too slow

When cruising down a highway, your engine works hard to overcome wind resistance. You’ll burn up to 15% more fuel at 100 km/h and 25% more at 110 km/h. That might tempt you to drive slow, but if you drive slower than 50 km/h, your engine would drop to a lower gear, thus using up more fuel. In conclusion, a steady 50 – 90 km/h on the highway is best to achieve optimal fuel economy.

Remain steady when accelerating Avoid revving your accelerator to a high revolutions per minute (RPM). It’s better for fuel economy, as your engine uses less fuel when it is revolving slower, at a lower RPM.

Avoid braking aggressively

Slamming on the brakes increases fuel consumption as you need to accelerate again later. This is especially true if you follow too closely behind the vehicle in front of you. Not to mention, tailgating is dangerous and something to avoid.

Cruise in top gear

If you’re driving an automatic car, make use of cruise control to keep your speed constant. And if you’re driving a manual car, maintain a higher gear when appropriate. In each of these instances, your engines go through less revolutions per minute (RPM) and will reduce your fuel consumption.

Practice predictive driving

Look to the road ahead and plan your next move. Instead of slamming on the brakes to a complete stop, try slowing down as you approach the red light. Or when reaching the foot of a hill, start accelerating as you edge closer to it rather than when you approach it. Avoid hard accelerations when moving your car from a complete stop, or climbing a hill as it will increase fuel consumption.

Plan your rush hour route

Feedback and information like this help us to continuously improve our internal processes to deliver.excellence.

“As part of our ongoing commitment, we are reducing the interval of our medical checks for drivers from every six months to every three months, ensuring that we consistently meet our high safety and health standards.

“Our customers’ safety has been paramount to us for the past 45 years and counting. We deeply apologise for any distress this incident may have caused and appreciate the continued support of our valued customers.”

Stop-start traffic puts a lot of pressure on your engine, thus burns more fuel. When possible, plan your commute to and from work carefully to help you avoid the worst of peak traffic.

Don’t stay idle for long

If you are waiting for something or someone for more than three minutes, turn off your engine. You may not be moving but as long as your engine is on, it’s burning precious fuel.

(Source:Mobil)

The new BMw M5 Touring

The all-new Toyota proace Max

GLOBAL SOCCER

Lost at Last Noni Madueke

After several disappointing results by the Super Eagles recently,Nigeria soccer fans had something to cheer for in the last international break after the senior football national team recorded a win for the first time in as manyAFCON qualifier matches.However,there was a heartbreak for the country’s football fraternity in faraway England,after Super Eagles hopeful,Noni Madueke,finally dashed the three-time African champions’hopes by donning theThree Lions’shirt against Finland onTuesday

As a rising star playing in the Dutch Eredivisie for PSV, Noni Madueke did not rule out starring for Nigeria despite having played for England at age-grade level.

Madueke had revealed then that he was open to representing Nigeria at the international level despite being born in England.

When asked about his international future then, he said: “I am only 18, so I have got to be open to everything. If I had a closed mindset, I would not be where I am now. So, for sure, I am open to both. We just have to see in the future what is best.”

On Tuesday, Chelsea’s standout player so far this season, Noni Madueke, ended speculation about his future by playing in a cap-tying game for England. And by appearing in a competitive game for the Three Lions on Tuesday night, the 22-year-old put an end to speculation surrounding his international future.

After a fine start to the 2024-2025season, the Tottenham Hotspur-reared winger received his first call-up to England’s senior national team for the UEFA Nations League matches against Republic of Ireland and Finland.

Born in Barnet, Madueke qualified to represent the Super Eagles through his Nigerian parents but any slim hopes the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, had of persuading him to play

for the three-time Africa champions have now evaporated following his senior debut for the Three Lions.

Nigerian soccer fans would have been pleased that he was a non-playing substitute in England’s 2-0 win over Republic of Ireland on September 7 but that euphoria lasted for just three days.

Twenty minutes into the second half against Finland at Wembley Stadium, Madueke replaced another winger previously targeted by the Nigerian Federation, Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka.

Aged 22 years and 184 days Tuesday, Madueke can no longer represent Nigeria at international level, provided his British citizenship is not revoked.

FIFA’s eligibility rules state that a player can play up to three matches at senior level and switch his international allegiance to another country provided the three games were played before he turned 21.

Madueke has followed in the footsteps of Dele Alli, Bukayo Saka, Ross Barkley and Eberechi Eze who are all cap-tied to England.

The Chelsea player bagged an assist against Finland, setting up Harry Kane for his second goal of the game with 14 minutes left on the clock.

The Chelsea young star has indeed spoken of his delight at making his England debut.

With captain Harry Kane netting twice, Madueke played his part in

getting an assist for the second goal.

“It was great to make my first appearance for the national team and I am really proud of myself,” Madueke told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“It has been a great week, the boys are great and the staff and players have made me feel welcome.

“It tried to go out there and be direct and cause problems. I got an assist for Harry on his 100th appearance –it can’t get much better than that. It is fitting that Harry got both goals – it is his night.

“It is fun to work with Harry because if you give him the ball in the box he is going to get you an assist – Stonesy (John Stones) has been great with me and Dec (Rice), Jack (Grealish) – it is a great group of lads.

“I cannot wait to get back to Chelsea and to keep performing.”

It’s been an up and down start this season for new Blues head coach Enzo Maresca, but Madueke is one of the biggest winners so far since his arrival. The 22-year-old attacker will now return to his club after a successful international break.

Chelsea fans think Madueke has already improved under Maresca, so it’s going to be exciting to see what he does moving forward this season.

Meanwhile, interim England manager, Lee Carsley, has praised Madueke after his impact on Tuesday night in

the Nations League.

Interestingly, he commented that the Blues’ wide man adds something “different” to the side. It must help that the duo know each other well after previously working together in England’s Under-21’s team.

“Noni has carried on where he left off at Chelsea. He is very attacking, very sharp. Different to what we have got, different kind of wide player,” Carsley said, as quoted by talkSPORT.

“When you consider that Bukayo had a run at the full-back for 60-odd minutes, Noni comes on and carries it on. So, you wouldn’t want to be a defender playing against them two.”

Madueke was immensely proud of making his England debut - and even better, directly contributing to a goal minutes after coming onto the pitch. “It was great to make my first appearance for the national team and I am really proud of myself,” the Chelsea winger said.

Madueke was born in England and represented the Three Lions at youth level. However, he also qualifies to play for the Super Eagles through his parents, but he jettisoned the idea of switching allegiance to Nigeria.

Had he decided to switch allegiance, Madueke would have joined the likes of Alex Iwobi, Ola Aina and Joe Aribo, in the list of players who chose Nigeria ahead of England.

Madueke Debuts for england against Finland

Tottenham, Arsenal Divide North London in 210th Derby

Tottenham Hotspur andArsenal did not have the kind of result they both craved for before the international break.While Lillywhites were humbled 2-1 away at Newcastle,Gunners perfect start to the new Premier League season was halted by Brighton.Therefore,nothing short of victory would be the target of the two North London rivals in tomorrow’s derby

This weekend’s Premier League main event comes from a raucous Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, whereAnge Postecoglou’s Spurs and Arsenal clash in the first North London derby of the season tomorrow afternoon.

The Lilywhites entered the international break on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United, while the Gunners lost their perfect start in a controversial 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion.

The St James’ Park curse continues to haunt Tottenham, who have at least managed to reduce their margin of defeat on Newcastle’s turf each season, from 6-1 in 2022-23, 4-0 in 2023-24 to a narrow 2-1 loss in the third gameweek of the 2024-25 campaign.

Strikes from Harvey Barnes and Alexander Isak either side of a Dan Burn own goal condemned Postecoglou’s charges to their first defeat of the Premier League season, one in which a familiar tale in front of goal arose for Tottenham, who were once again punished for not making the most of their dominance.

A 4-0 thumping of Everton had seemingly dusted off the cobwebs from gameweek one, where Tottenham’s wastefulness on the road cost them in their draw with Leicester City, but a lack of ruthlessness is still prevalent in the Spurs ranks if their Newcastle exploits are anything to go by.

Lying smack-bang in the middle of the table in 10th place, Tottenham will also endeavour to end a particular pattern of home results in the Premier League, having followed a win-loss sequence since the beginning of April.

Having crushed Everton in their first home contest of the season, the omens are not exactly promising for Postecoglou’s side if that streak is to continue this weekend, but the Lilywhites could arguably not be facing Arsenal at a more opportune time.

When Brighton defender Joel Veltman took a wild swipe at Declan Rice in Arsenal’s showdown with Brighton, the vast majority of supporters inside the stadium expected the

Dutchman to receive punishment. Instead, the Emirates crowd were left aghast when Chris Kavanagh sent the equally bewildered Rice for an early bath.

Already on a yellow card, Rice lightly tapping the ball away from Veltman as he was lining up a free kick triggered the Englishman’s second yellow, allowing the Seagulls to fight back through Joao Pedro after Kai Havertz’s delicate first-half lob.

As Arsenal and Mikel Arteta were left to lament Rice’s highly controversial sending-off - which came after Pedro escaped a booking for kicking the ball away in the first half - the Brighton faithful were bouncing all the way home after denying the Gunners a third win from three matches in 2024-25.

Saturday’s visitors therefore occupy fourth place in the Premier League table at present, two points worse off than Manchester City and Liverpool ahead of their games today, but Gooners at least received one piece of good news this week with Arteta’s new contract signing.

Solace can also be taken from their last two Premier League wins away to Spurs in 2023 and 2024, but they have never triumphed against the Lilywhites in three straight road matches in the Premier League era and head to their rivals’ home without arguably their first-choice midfield.

Meanwhile, Manchester City will endeavour to preserve their perfect start to the 202425 campaign when they welcome Brentford to the Etihad Stadium this afternoon.

The two teams meet for the first time since February when the Citizens secured a slender 1-0 home victory courtesy of a second-half strike from Erling Haaland.

Man City went into the international break sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League table, after seeing off Chelsea, Ipswich Town and most recently West Ham United in their opening three matches of the 2024-25 campaign.

A 2-0 away victory over Chelsea on the opening weekend was followed by 4-1 and 3-1 wins against Ipswich Town and West Ham

respectively, with goal machine Haaland netting seven times across those matches, including back-to-back hat-tricks, to help the Citizens conclude the month of August with a 100 per cent record.

Pep Guardiola’s men have now won each of their last 12 top-flight games by two or more goals - a Premier League record, and they head into today’s contest seeking to win their first four fixtures of a new top-flight season for a ninth time - doing just that would see them extend their own record.

Man City will fancy their chances of success this weekend as they boast an exceptional 45-game unbeaten run at the Etihad Stadium across all competitions (W38 D7), scoring 133 goals and conceding only 32 in the process.

However, the last team to beat the Citizens on their own turf in 90 minutes was none other than Brentford, who celebrated a surprise 2-1 league triumph in November 2022 courtesy of a brace from the now departed Ivan Toney.

Shortly after finalising his £40m transfer to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli, Toney was in attendance at the Gtech Community Stadium to watch Brentford beat newly-promoted Southampton 3-1 in their most recent Premier League match prior to the international break.

Bryan Mbeumo starred for the Bees with a superb brace, while Yoane Wissa also got his name on the scoresheet to help Thomas Frank’s side claim their third victory in four matches across all competitions at the start of the new season.

Both Mbeumo and Wissa were also on target in Brentford’s opening-weekend win over Crystal Palace, and with six points on the board - one point more than at this stage last season, the Bees sit sixth in the top-flight standings.

Only Liverpool (2-0 at Anfield) have beaten Brentford thus far and Frank’s men are now gearing up for a tricky trip to another title hopeful in Man City with an away record that they are keen to rectify. Indeed, the Bees have lost more Premier League matches on the road (13) than any other team currently in the

Tottenham captain, Son Heung-min watched closely by Arsenal French defender, william Saliba when both sides met last season

Siasia Still Disposed

to S’Eagles Job if NFF Approaches, but Says He Won’t Jump at It

In spite of berating the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, for not showing support during his trying times over corruption charges by FIFA, former senior Nigeria’s football team’s coach, Samson Siasia has revealed that he is open to negotiating with the country’s football governing body if he was approached for the Super Eagles coaching job.

Since Siasia retired from active football in 2000, he has spent a huge chunk of his coaching career with Nigeria. The former Julius Berger man was appointed as the Flying Eagles coach between 2005 and 2007 before getting promoted to the under-23 team.

Siasia was in charge of Nigeria’s under-23 team for three years before getting appointed as the senior team’s coach in 2010. However, he was sacked after his inability

to land the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations ticket.

He got the job again in 2016 on an interim basis, but he barely lasted months before he was let go.

Siasia has been out of job for the past five years after FIFA banned him from all football-related activities due to corruption.

However, the 57-year-old is back from his ban, and he has been touted as a potential option for the Super Eagles job due to their lack of a permanent gaffer.

When queried on if he was willing to take on the Super Eagles job, Siasia revealed that he was open, but he would want to get a proper contract to avoid problems.

“I know the situation we’re in, but you just have to negotiate. I have to sit down and discuss with them. I just don’t

want to jump in if they ask me to come in there because it’s a very difficult situation,” Siasia said.

“Nigerians don’t want to hear anything other than a win. But if you don’t have a team and you don’t plan well, how can you win?

“So it has to be back and forth discussions and compromises to see how we can meet on a common ground.

“I’m not going to throw myself in there. The Super Eagles job is not the only job in the world. I want to win, but I have to do it the right way, they have to do it the right way.”

Augustine Eguavoen is currently the interim coach of the Super Eagles. He was in charge of Nigeria’s last two games against Benin and Rwanda, and claimed one win and a draw.

Rangers Secure Crucial Win over Angola’s Sagrada Esperanca

Enugu Rangers took a significant step towards the CAF Champions League group stage with a 1-0 victory over Angola’s Sagrada Esperanca, thanks to a stunning strike from Kazeem Ogunleye, Soccernet.ng reports.

The first-leg encounter of the final preliminary round took place at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, where Rangers were able to edge out a resilient Sagrada side.

Having already navigated past Comoros’ US Zilimadjou in the previous round, Rangers entered this tie full

of confidence.

The Nigerian champions won 1-0 away in the first leg and followed it up with a 1-1 draw at home to progress.

However, Sagrada Esperanca, the champions of Angola, also arrived in Nigeria in strong form.

They had dominated Seychelles’ St Louis Suns United, winning both legs for an impressive 4-0 aggregate victory in the previous round.

Sagrada proved to be a tough opponent, frustrating Rangers’ attacking efforts

with solid defending throughout the match.

For large periods, the Angolan side looked poised to secure a valuable away draw. But in the 80th minute, Kazeem Ogunleye broke the deadlock with a moment of individual brilliance.

The 18-year-old midfielder, formerly of Plateau United, unleashed a powerful longrange shot from outside the box, leaving the Sagrada goalkeeper with no chance as the ball flew into the net.

The goal is Ogunleye’s first on the continental stage, a milestone in his burgeoning career.

France’s Public Development Institution Concludes Two-day Jr. NBA & AFD Basketball Experience

NBA Africa and Agence Française de Développement (AFD), France’s public development institution, concluded the third season of the Jr. NBA & AFD Basketball Experience by holding a two-day event at the National Stadium in Surelere, Lagos on September 10 and 11.

The celebration was organized around a symposium discussion on the core values of the program and a physical education teachers’ workshop. The stakeholders took this opportunity to discuss mental health, hygiene and gender equality whilst building the capacity of PE teachers and enhancing the learning experience for students in their respective schools.

Speaking at the event,AFD Country Director for Nigeria

Xavier Muron said: “At AFD, we believe that sport is a powerful drive for change, fostering social and economic progress. Therefore, our participation to the Program reflects our dedication in investing in youth, skills development, and the empowerment of communities”

General Consul of France in Nigeria Laurent Favier she steted that, “Over the past two years, with the financial support of the French Embassy, several initiatives have been launched to promote inclusion through sport across Nigeria. These efforts emphasize the transformative power of sport, not only as a tool for personal development but also as a means to foster inclusion, unity, and health across all communities.”

According to the Vice President and Head of NBA

Pistis Foundation Partners Asumah Brothers

to Lift Street Kids through

The Pistis Foundation, in collaboration with the Asumah Brothers, has empowered 70 street children from economically challenged communities through sports and innovation projects.

This initiative, which ran from June to September 2024, aimed to provide valuable skills and engagement through sports and technology training.

Targeting children from the Kids-off-the-Street (KOTS) Shelter, Destiny Trust Home, and Jakande community, the project was designed to offer a productive and engaging holiday experience. It kicked off with an exciting football tournament on June 15 at the Pistis Conference Centre (PCC) football field, with 73 children and 55 adults in attendance at the opening ceremony. The event included a novelty match featuring 36 children, who were awarded medals for their participation.

Sports

For over three months, 70 children participated in weekly football training sessions under the guidance of a dedicated volunteer coach and their hard work culminated in a championship match and awards ceremony on August 16. The Destiny Trust Foundation Boys Football Club (FC) and Girls FC secured the top positions, while Jakande Boys FC and KOTS Boys FC finished second and third, respectively. For the girls’ category, KOTS Girls FC came in second, and Jakande Girls FC was third. Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards were given to outstanding boys and girls, and the winning teams were rewarded for their performances.

In parallel, 23 children from the KOTS shelter engaged in technology training throughout the summer, which included basic computing skills and

proficiency in Microsoft programmes, concluding with group projects.

The Sports and Innovation project is part of the Pistis Foundation’s WINGS Academy-a skills acquisition and talent development programme, and it has proven to be a resounding success. It has provided a meaningful and structured way for street children to channel their energy positively, while also offering them valuable skills and joy through awards and gifts.

“We are thrilled with the success of this year’s Sports and Innovation project,” said Leonard Thomas, Executive Director at Pistis Foundation. “Our collaboration with the Asumah Brothers has made a significant impact, empowering these children with both athletic and technological skills. We are committed to continuing this initiative and expanding its reach in the future.”

Nigeria J’Tigers Beat Uganda to Book FIBA U19 World Cup Place

Nigeria’s U18 Women, J’Tigress have booked a ticket to the FIBA U19 World Cup following their 71-67 pound-for-pound victory over Uganda in a match played in Pretoria, South Africa yesterday. Nigeria will take on Mali in the final match billed for today after the Malians who are also the defending champions of the competi- tion dispatched Cameroon in the first semi-final match yesterday.

Webber

Shares

Nigeria, Gbemisola Abudu, “the Jr. NBA & AFD Basketball Experience has been essential in our commitment to make basketball more accessible to Nigerian youth and focusing on the importance of mental health, hygiene and gender equity.”

Jr. NBA & AFD Basketball Experience is a youth development programme that features weekly basketball and life skills sessions to educate African youth about the importance of physical and mental health and wellbeing. The initiative also aims to use basketball as a platform to promote social inclusion and inspire secondary school children as change-makers in their communities.

Over the past three years, the programme has reached more than 40,000 youth from 54 schools in Lagos through basketball clinics and life-skills sessions.

The J’Tigress match against Uganda was played practi- cally at the clutch with every loose ball aggressively fought for. Little signs of victory showed for Nigeria early in the game as J’Tigress won the first quarter 21- 20. They maintained their grip and led the match at 45-39 through the break. The Nigerian ladies would not give up on their lead and the third quarter ended 61-54 for Nigeria. The push and shove of the last quarter

yielded little or no fruit for the East Africans as Nigeria smiled at the buzzer with the score 71-67.

The semi-final game between J’Tigress and the Ugandan ladies was the second in this competition. They won the last group match against Nigeria 80-64 but the conditions were quite different. In that first match about nine members of the J’Tigress team were down with flu.

Basketball Dreams with Anthony Village Youths in Ballers 3x3 Carnivals

The Chief Executive Officer of Webber Hoops and Courts, Opeyemi Babalola, has pushed his dream of taking the game of basketball to every neighbourhood of Nigeria. The structural engineer, best known in the sports circle as Webber, shared his goals with the youths as the Anthony Village Ballers 3x3 face-off came to an end late on Sunday.

The event, done in partner-

ship with Soopermart and Nike, was one in the series of events organised by the Nigerian basketball equipment manufacturing company.

Webber said, “We are doing this as our own way of taking basketball to every corner of Nigeria. We love communities to bond like this and create fun with the game of basketball. We have started this and we are moving around places to create

fun and keep the youths busy.

“It is our hope that we also have the continent of Africa doing this and this dream has seen us going to places like Morocco, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya and other places.

“And be sure that you guys will not just play and go home empty-handed tonight. There’s always something to go back home and for this event there’s something special.”

The surprise of the day was the gift of brand-new Nike shoes for 12 of the players who won in the Boys U14, Girls U14 and Boys 15 and above. There were no entries for Girls 15 and above category. The canvas shoes were made available in conjunction with the Nike Store at the Ikeja City Mall. The winners and other players went home with various cash prizes.

One of the volunteer coaches gives instruction to the kids during the tournament at the pisti Foundation field in Lagos… recently

Siasia

participants at the event

CAF Ch AMP ion S

Femi Adesina on Wabara

“ONLY family head, principal members can validly dispose off family land (2)”

Law Report: dispose of.

Finally from the advertisement section of THE GUARDIAN under review: “Government College Umuahia Old Boys Association” In honour of Prof. Chinua Achebe (1930-2013): old boys’ association.

“A delegate of the PDP in Ogun State… slumped and died in the early hours of Thursday in an hotel in Abeokuta, the state capital.” This is certainly the old school genre. New class: a hotel.

“…even if it means going extra miles….” I will go the extra mile (note the fixed expression) to ensure that this column appears unfailingly every week.

“And like (as) someone said recently….”

“…in the evacuation of dead bodies to mortuary.” On a clinical note: corpses instead of ‘dead bodies’ and a mortuary or mortuaries, depending on the fact of the matter.

“…as well as condoning the place and evacuating the dead and survivors to nearest health facilities.” Bomb blasts and conflicting figures: cordoning off (take note of the spelling and correct entry) the place.

“There seems (seem) to be stiff competitions among the foreign media and local press as well as….”

“…politicians are also culprits in overheating the system with provocative statements in blaming their opponents over (for) every misdeed.”

“As 2027 looms…the likely antics of masquerades (masqueraders) behind some of those disasters when one juxtaposes

the scenario to the forthcoming general elections.” Additionally: juxtaposes the scenario and/with (not to) the forthcoming general elections. As voter registration begins, let us carry out our civic duty by participating and being our brother’s keeper (not brothers’ keepers, irrespective of the number)!

“Baring few skirmishes which regrettably led to the death of four persons….” An anatomy of the season of linguistic violence: there is a world of distinction between ‘a few’ (which correctly applies here) and ‘few’, which connotatively suggests an expectation of more skirmishes— except if the writer has a weird denotative inclination towards potentialities for more skirmishes! Otherwise, the extract is lexically absurd because of his regret.

“Just imagine a young man that rounded up his apprenticeship as a welder.” This is an indication of the current malaise in scholarship: a situation where a lecturer cannot distinguish between phrasal verbs, ‘round up’ and ‘round off’ (which applies here).

“Will anybody please let us know which country became a super-power by allowing its best brains to roam about the world?”

‘Roam’ encompasses ‘about’.

“News from the universities are no longer about innovation.…” News is news (uncountable).

“The condition, which is said to be due to an abnormality in either the number or structure of the chromosomes, cuts across every races.” Get it right: every race or all races.

“Janet, a twelve-year-old and the third child of her parents’ four offsprings and the only one with the problem…” ‘Offspring’ is non-count.

“Since 1993, funding of oil exploration have (has) been beset by different levels of problems.”

“In answering this question we classify the outcomes into long term and short term implications.” The greatest problem of journalists: unnecessary embellishment (outcome) of words.

“This is clearly a danger signal as the time between discovering an oil field and commercially putting it on stream could be between four to five years.” No analysis: between four and five or from four to five years.

“THISDAY checks reveal that every termination penalties goes from 500,000 US dollars to 2 million US dollars”. Check the discord as already discussed above.

“Lack of funds cripple waste management activities” Another error of attraction: Lack of funds cripples.

“Nevertheless, the donor country is also interested in this decision to ensure that the loan is repaid as at when due with its accrued interest.” Without any periscope: the loan is repaid when due (not as at when due which is pleonastic).

“Government should consider the destructive effect that further delay in the sale of rescued banks would mete out on the banking system”. Stock phrase: mete out to (not on) the banking system.

“If the family cannot truely relish at least a decent meat….” Spelling counts: truly.

“A man does not have to be a money bag (sic) before he can dress well and look charming in his own little way.” Brighten up your English usage: A man does not have to be a moneybags…. Moneybag is a sac!

“…in addition, (sic) to dispensing drugs for immediate relief and giving counsel on the steps necessary to prevent a reoccur-

Pain at the Pump: Letter to Mr. President

Dear President tinubu,

This is an Open Letter to the chief executive officer of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, this sombre month of September. I write to you today with a heavy heart on behalf of countless Nigerians whose daily lives are being crushed under the weight of escalating living costs and an unrelenting fuel crisis. It is no longer a secret that the very fabric of our nation’s economy is stretched thin, and the impact is becoming too unbearable for ordinary citizens.

Your administration’s decision to remove the fuel subsidy, while seemingly a necessary measure to stabilize the economy in the long run, has created a ripple effect that has spiraled into unprecedented hardship. Fuel, the lifeblood of our economy, is now a luxury for many Nigerians. As prices have soared, transportation costs have doubled, even tripled in some areas, making commuting a nightmare for the average Nigerian.

Small business owners who depend on fuel to power their generators, the bread and butter of their livelihoods, are closing up shop. Artisans, traders, and farmers are grappling with the surge in operating costs. Sadly, this wave of hardship does not discriminate - everyone, from urban dwellers to rural farmers, feels the sting of these fuel price hikes. Mr. President, the most worrisome aspect is that there seems to be no end in sight.

In an atmosphere seduced with chants of “Renewed Hope”, escalating costs have started eroding hope…sending your supporters to keep silent in sustained embracement.

In addition to fuel, the cost of virtually every basic commodity has escalated beyond the reach of the average Nigerian. The removal of subsidies and devaluation of the naira has contributed to inflation levels that are historic in their severity.

Food prices have doubled. Rent, healthcare, and school fees are skyrocketing. Nigerians are cutting back on essentials, making impossible choices between feeding their families and other critical needs.

How long can we sustain this burden, Mr. President? How long can ordinary citizens withstand this storm before their resilience breaks? We are witnessing a slow erosion of hope - hope that tomorrow will be better, that life in Nigeria will improve. The social fabric is fraying. The crime rates, fueled by desperation, rise, and civil unrest looms in the hearts of a population stretched too thin.

Any discerning political observer can easily identify a dangerous chasm between Governance and the People. There is an unsettling disconnect between the decisions being made in Aso Rock and the

rence.” Good grammar: recurrence.

“The arsonists usually escape with their loot as the embattled market lays in ashes, leaving many traders terminally ruined financially.” There should be no dilemma: ‘lays’ for ‘lies’?

“If somebody had told me when I met with late Dr. Ernest Ogunade shortly before his death that it was going to be the last encounter with him.…” The first and only time when I met (not with) the (vital article) late Dr. Ogunade he commended this column as published in the heyday of Daily Times profusely. May his cerebral soul continue to rest in peace (not ‘perfect peace’ as abused in Nigeria)!

“I still remember vividly that when it was my turn to speak at the occasion….” I thought we had gone past this stage: on (never at) the occasion.

archival notes

ENTERS Ebere Wabara, renowned journalist and English language therapist. In the past couple of months, he had engaged Abia tackle for tackle, fisticuff for fisticuff, bile for bile. When you have a person like Wabara on your side, you don’t have to lift a finger in self-defence again. There was a time some Abia hirelings took an advertorial against me, where they spewed lies from the pit of hell. They also mentioned Wabara in the publication. Mistake! They stepped on the tail of the cobra. By the time the latter had replied them, I didn’t need to write a single line again. Not even a word. Wabara had pummelled and pulverized them. He sifted them like wheat, and blew them away. (Author: Femi Adesina, DAILY Sun, Back Page, April 4, 2014) .

everyday realities on the streets. When policies that directly affect the livelihoods of millions are rolled out, there is an expectation of mitigating measures - subsidies in other sectors, social safety nets, or clear plans for immediate economic relief. Yet, we have seen little in terms of practical, immediate support for the struggling masses.

The recent distribution of palliatives and ₦5 billion to states, while a well-intended gesture, is like putting a band-aid on a wound that requires urgent surgery. It is grossly insufficient to offset the economic shock that Nigerians are currently facing. The funds may never reach the people who need them most, and we risk fostering a growing sense of disillusionment and mistrust in your administration.

Surely, as it must be clear to you, considering your antecedence and your much vaunted background as a political mastermind, there is a damning cost for inaction. Mr. President, the Nigerian people are resilient, but we are also tired. Tired of being patient, of being told to tighten our belts while we watch an ever-expanding federal cabinet. Tired of hearing promises that tomorrow will be better while today’s struggles remain ignored. This administration must act, and act swiftly, before it is too late.

You campaigned on the promise of renewed hope and change. Many Nigerians believed in that vision, but now, that belief is wavering. We need decisive action. We need clear communication on how your administration plans to ease the burden on ordinary Nigerians in the short term. We need you to demonstrate that you truly understand the magnitude of this crisis and have the political will to address it head-on.

Your administration must focus on policies that cushion the effects of these economic reforms. Reviving the local production of refined petroleum

products should be prioritized to reduce dependence on imports, and by extension, stabilize fuel prices. Investment in public transport, infrastructure, and social safety nets must take precedence to alleviate the burden on citizens. Additionally, targeted tax reliefs for small businesses, price controls on essential goods, and accessible loans for struggling sectors could offer immediate relief, and ignite positive economic stimulation.

More importantly, communication with the public is key. Nigerians need to feel that their leaders are listening, understanding, and actively working to solve their problems. There must be a tangible connection between the government’s policies and the people’s pain.

As the leader of this great nation, you hold the responsibility not just to make tough decisions but also to ensure those decisions do not break the spirit of the people. The escalating cost of living and fuel crisis are national emergencies, and the clock is ticking. We urge you to take bold and decisive actions that show empathy for the plight of ordinary Nigerians. The people need to feel that their President is on their side, fighting for their welfare.

Mr. President, Nigerians are looking to you for solutions, for hope, and for the restoration of a nation that works for everyone. Please, do not let us down.

Yours sincerely,

a Worried nigerian

‘to My

(apologia:

august People’ Would Conclude next time around)

PSC Chairman to Police Officers

“I will never spare thieves wherever I am. We are here to assist the government fight corruption. I come to work before 8am and I am the last person to leave the office. That is leadership. I have not changed and will never change; I know that leadership is everything. My mandate is not to come here to embezzle money. I must ensure transparency and openness and I will fight to the last” – Chairman, Police Service Commission (PSC), Hashimu Argungu, warns Police Officers against corruption and other misdemeanours.

OKEY IKECHUKWU

Iwuanyanwu: A People’s Ijele

Every 42-year-old adult today was not born when the man who left this world while serving Ndigbo as President General of Ohaneze was at the peak of is visibility in business, national politics, the aviation sector, the media, the construction industry, sports and much more. How many today know, or would believe, that he put two million dollars of his hard earned money into the building and development of Imo Airport? Who today remembers Oriental Airlines, the Iwuanyanwu Narionale football team, Hardel and Enic Construction Company and much more? He lived a full life, for himself and for his Igbo people. He left this life serving them as a rallying voice and a rousing pillar of influence. That is why it would make sense to speak of him as one the the people’s Ijele of note inAla Igbo.

But let us note, for the record, that the Ijele is not just a masquerade; no! There is no such thing as the Ijele Masquerade in the real sense of the term. Igbos have big and small masquerades. There are many of them. But the Ijele is not one of the masquerades. It is not a big masquerade. And that is because it is Ijele: and Ijele cannot be anything other than what it is, namely, Ijele.

As was once said here long ago: There are masquerades and then there is the Ijele. The latter does not dance for money because it is sufficient unto itself. It does not try to entertain anyone, because that is beneath its dignity. It does not ask anyone to get out of the way when it is coming, because it cannot contemplate that anything would possible want to stand in its way. It expects, and knows, that people would know what to do.

Yes, the average person considers it an honour to help clear the way when he hears (even before confirming) that the Ijele is approaching. That is why its ‘presence’ always precedes it. Who, or what, will stand in the way when the ijele is afoot? It is just not done!

The Ijele does not ask the big and small masquerades to leave the Village Square when it wants to enter. They have to. They are not the Ijele. They are masquerades and that is the essential difference. The Ijele must take pre-eminence as a matter of course. And, mind you, there is no question of arrogance or preposterous self-inflationsion here. It is the nature of the Ijele to live thus. So do not expect that it would acknowledge the cheer and applause of the crowd, no. Do not also expect that it would genuflect and thank anyone for getting out of the way as it approaches. Absurd! There is no contemptuous air of superiority on display here no. It is just

the natural majesty conferred on the Ijele by its very identity, as well as the triumph of the Aristocratic Principle of Nature.

The Ijele’s majesty is inherent in, and internal to, it. What can you give to Ijele? How would you even approach it in order to bestow anything on it? Who are you to enter the square while it walks the square? Please note this: there are masquerades and then there is the ijele!

In all matters affecting Igboland and Ndigbo everywhere, on questions people of group cohesion, selfless service and the values of community leadership, the late Ahaejiagamba stood head and shoulders above many of his contemporaries. He was a remarkable man in every sense of the word, warts and all. But back to masquerades In Igboland.

Most Igbo masquerades serve many social purposes in the traditional Igbo society and are often the audio-visual aids used by society to embody some core, moral and cultural values. The Agbogho nmanwu, for instance, is the physical embodiment of the most graceful maidenly beauty. Dainty, beautiful, calm and exquisitely womanly in every sense of the word, its form and dance steps may be called a living admonition for any woman who tends towards any form of brashness.

The Ulaga, Oji onu and a few others are the entertainment masquerades; while Agaba, Okwonma, Ike Udo represent uncontrolled manly strength and youthful rascality respectively. Onuku (the fool) represents degenerate manhood and is so degenerate in appearance that every pregnant woman would do anything to avoid sighting, or being reminded of, this masquerade throughout

the period of pregnancy. It is only Onuku that fights with women, or enters the village square from obscure corners and sneaks up to unsuspecting women to take liberties with some parts of their anatomy. Yes masquerades have great moral, epistemological, educational and political values in Igboland.

But the Ijele is royalty embodied! That is why it is laden with choices gem on the few occasions it comes out. A yearly appearance for the Ijele is out of the question, because royalty is never part of the evening and morning market rush.

And it is within this context of the Ijele that we must locate some aspects of the profile, life and times of Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu. The title of “Ahaejiagamba” refers to one whosw name gives Right of Passage when mentioned even in foreign lands. Such a person is an institution in his own right, but not for himself. The title is presumed to speak of one in whom the essence of influence, credibility and social leverage is most meaningfully embodied and who also ‘bodies it forth’ without apologies, without reservations and without being afraid of his own voice!

Can this be said of the late Iwuanyanwu?

The answer is a resounding yes! He represented some of the best, and also even the somewhat questionable attributes of the Igbo man. Industry, courage (even daredevilry), disarming candour and an occasional bluntness that sometimes makes others look for a fire extinguisher.

Ahaejiagamba wanted justice, dignified visibility and relevance for his people. He would not keep quiet when he knew he should

speak out. That is why tributes will pour in, as Ndigbo prepare to bury the remains of their immediate past President General. The ceremomies are bound to come. But Ndigbo must also use the occasion to ask themselves deep and searching questions. How many people do they have in the public space who are living for either a cause, or for others?

I can imagine what Ahaejiagamba would probably have done back in1966, after the Northern offices staged a counter coup against Ironsi’s government. With the anger against people of the South East, and as Ndigbo were killed in all the provincial capitals of Northern Nigeria except one, which is Mubi, he probably would have mobilized everyone he knew within and outside Nigeria to push for nationalization of the Mubi example.

When Ndigbo were being murdered wantonly in other cities of the North, late Alhaji Isa Ahmadu the father of the current Emir, invited all the town elders to a meeting and reminded them that the Igbo people in Mubi were brothers and that no harm should come to them. They were all invited to the palace where their safety was assured. Vehicle owners were made to surrender their vehicles to be used to convey Ndigbo to Bourha Susprefecture of the Republic of Cameroun. Before leaving, they were all made to write out their properties down to the chicken on free range. Selected elders were given custody of such property. After the war, all those who survived and returned to Mubi collected their property with rent accrued and the cost of animals sold. There is no incident of Abandoned property in Mubi. Even those who did not return had their family members traced and given their property.

Today Mubi stands proudly one place in Nigeria where every Nigerian can safely call home. The Igbo and Yoruba populations have representation at the highest decision making bodies of the town. When a Northerner and Engineer Udeogwu contested for the post of Rector Federal Polytechnic Mubi, the townsfolk including prominent traditional title holders backed Engineer Udeogwu. Today, with the full backing of the people of the town, an Igbira Man from Kogi state is the Rector because he was there for some time and considered a son of Mubi in the true tradition of the town. And what Mubi is today is what Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu would have loved to bestow on the Federal Republic of Nigeria as his legacy. He was a people’s Ijele.

Prof Ikechukwu is Chairman of the Publicity Committee for the Burial of Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu.

Iwuanyanwu