Says ruling party plotting one party state Catholic bishops seek urgent action to arrest increasing hardship
Board of Trustees (BoT) of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has bemoaned the widespread
across the country and, particularly, decried the rising
Vows to work hard with purpose, determination, dedication Unlike predecessor, says nation not peopled by lazy citizens Pledges to reverse ugly trend, achieve possibilities
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, promised to permanently change the country’s ugly story of poverty, insecurity, and underdevelopment,
saying Nigeria has no business being in such situations. Tinubu spoke at State House,
Abuja, when he received in audience a 62-man delegation of leaders from Rivers State, who were on a courtesy
visit to him. He vowed to work hard with purpose, determination, and dedication to reverse the current
Continued on page 5 unpleasant socio-economic trend in
Tells CBS: "As an educational institution, we are sometimes asked to provide information related to student records. Federal law known as FERPA (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)
the privacy of student records and limits what an institution can release"
Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
The Chicago State University (CSU), yesterday, confirmed that President Bola Tinubu attended the university and graduated in 1979 with a bachelor's degree.
The university disclosed this in a statement issued to CBS Broadcasting Inc. generally referred to as CBS News, one of America's biggest and most influential news network.
It, however, pointed out that United States’ federal law, prevents it us from providing any further information about Tinubu’s record, without consent or unless allowed to do so via court order.
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, had alleged
L-R: Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun; Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun; the celebrant, Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Micheal Adedotun Gbadebo, his wife, Olori Tokunbo Gbadebo; former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and the former Governor of the State, Chief Olusegun Osoba at the 80th birthday Thanksgiving of the Alake at the Cathedral Church of St. Peters, Ake, Abeokuta..yesterday.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has vowed that going forward, International Money Transfer Operators (IMTOs) that indulge in arbitrary rate quotes outside the permissible range as well as other sharp practices in violation of extant regulations, would face sanctions.
This was just as the naira sustained its depreciation at both the Investors and Exporters’ (I&E) foreign exchange (FX) window and the parallel FX market.
Specifically, at the I&E window, the naira weakened to N780 to a dollar yesterday, lower than the N774.09 to a dollar it closed the previous day.
On the parallel market, the naira also depreciated to N945 to a dollar in Lagos State, from N935 to a dollar it went for the previous day.
The punitive measures according to the CBN could include being compelled to sell their proceeds to the central bank, suspension from operations and loss of operating licence, among others.
The CBN conveyed the warning in a circular dated September 13, signed by CBN Director, Trade an Exchange Department, Dr. W.J. Kanya, which was addressed to all IMTOs.
The apex bank's intervention came against the backdrop of observations in the course of routine checks that some IMTOs were operating and acting in breach of guidelines previously issued
for the IMTOs in August.
The framework enumerated terms and conditions, including payment mode, pricing, and rate quote, that must be complied with while providing international money transfer services in the country.
For the avoidance of doubt, the bank explained that IMTOs were required to quote rate within the allowable limit of -2.5 per cent to +2.5 per cent around the previous day's closing rate of the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market for their transactions.
The CBN however, pointed out that the guideline appeared to be observed in the breach by the IMTOs, prompting the bank's intervention.
Back in August, the central bank unveiled the draft operational rules and regulations for in-country clearing and settlement of foreign currency (FCY) fund transfers among Nigerian banks.
The move seeks to enable faster, cheaper, and more transparent FCY transfers and to create an efficient and safe operation of FCY transfers amongst Nigerian banks, and improve the efficiency of the in-country FCY transfers, leading to greater confidence in the payment system.
The central bank said the settlement of clearing balances shall be accorded the highest priority for settlement under the new regime.
The CBN said the regulation provides measures that would address
CHICAGO STATE UNIVERSITY CONFIRMS TINUBU ATTENDED INSTITUTION, GRADUATED IN 1979
that documents showing that Tinubu graduated from Chicago State in 1979, were not authentic, and had highlighted it as grounds to nullify Tinubu's election victory.
The certificate was issued in 1979, and signed by university President Elnora Daniel. But Daniel didn't arrive at CSU until 1998 and left about ten years later.
Submitting false records to the National Election Commission before the vote should nullify the election, Atiku had claims.
At a hearing in Chicago this week, Atiku's lawyers had asked a federal judge to compel the CSU officials to turn over Tinubu's academic documents and appear for depositions.
Judge Jeffrey Gilbert of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois did not rule on the request.
CSU's lawyer, Michael Hayes, told Gilbert that the university wouldn't be able to certify Tinubu's diploma under oath.
A CSU spokeswoman said the university could confirm the president graduated. However, it cannot authenticate the diploma because it was a ceremonial document and not part of a student's official academic file.
Earlier this month, the Presidential Election Petition Court had dismissed Atiku's claim against Tinubu's February 25 election. But the PDP presidential candidate continues to fight the president’s academic results in Chicago.
But in the statement CSU issued to CBS yesterday, the university explained: “As an educational institution, we are sometimes asked to provide information related to student records. Federal law known as FERPA (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) protects the privacy of student records and limits what an institution can release.
“In August 2023, a request was made to the U.S. federal court for the university to provide information related to educational records concerning Bola Tinubu, the President of Nigeria, and a former CSU student.
“The university has confirmed Tinubu attended CSU and graduated in 1979 with a bachelor's degree. Federal law, however, prevents us
some of the challenges facing the current system for switching FCY transfers among Nigerian banks including high cost associated with correspondent banking services, delay and inefficiencies with processing foreign remittances for third party including IMTOs.
The bank also noted that the move was in exercise of the powers conferred
on it under the Sections 2(d), 33 (1) (b) and 47(2) of the CBN Act 2007, to promote sound financial system in Nigeria, issue guidelines, facilitate the development of an efficient and effective payments system in Nigeria, and prescribe rules and regulations for the efficient operation of the clearing and settlement system.
The CBN, however, warned
participants to adhere strictly to the bank’s policy on dollarisation, as this is mandatory for FCY transfers.
The apex bank further pointed out that the provisions of all existing guidelines, circulars and directives on the operations of domiciliary account and FCY transactions shall apply to in-country FCY switching service.
Under the regulation, if a participant
does not have sufficient fund in its settlement account during the settlement of net clearing position, the CBN shall have recourse to the bank’s collateral to settle the participant’s clearing debit.
Where a participant neither has sufficient funds nor sufficient collateral the CBN shall act as lender of last resort at a fee plus penalty.
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Hon. Zacch Adedeji as the new Acting Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
The president, according to a statement issued yesterday, by his Media Adviser, Ajuri Ngelale, also directed the erstwhile FIRS Chairman, Mr. Muhammad Nami, to proceed on three months pre-retirement leave, as provided for in the Public Service Rule (PSR) 120243, with immediate effect, leading to his eventual retirement
from service on December 8, 2023.
According to the statement, Adedeji, the Special Adviser to the President on Revenue, has been appointed in acting capacity for a 90-day period before his subsequent confirmation as the substantive Executive Chairman of the FIRS for a term of four years in the first instance.
Adedeji is a first-class graduate in accounting from the Obafemi Awolowo University. He had meritorious service terms as the Oyo State Commissioner of Finance and as the Executive Secretary / CEO
of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC).
By the directives of the President, the new appointment takes immediate effect.
Relatedly, Tinubu, yesterday, approved the appointment of Mrs. Delu Bulus Yakubu as the pioneer National Coordinator / Chief Executive Officer of the National Social Investment Programmes Agency (NSIPA), pending Senate confirmation.
The NSIPA (Establishment) Act, 2023, was signed into law on May 22, 2023.
Tinubu, according to a release issued yesterday, by Ngelale, expects the new appointee to convey the highest level of efficiency, transparency, and qualitative service delivery at NSIPA, in his determination to actualise the ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda of his administration. Yakubu, is a recipient of a Masters degree in agronomy from the State University of Bio-Technology in Kharkiv, Ukraine, with over 15 years worth of working experience in Social Investment Programme management.
the country and achieve possibilities.
The president added that Nigerians, unlike the postulation of his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, were not a lazy people. He said he was focused on creating wealth for all Nigerians.
We will achieve the goals and dreams of our forefathers. I am inspired by the nation of people I now lead."
from providing any further information without consent or unless allowed to do so via court order.
“CSU is confident in the veracity and integrity of our records regarding Tinubu's completion of graduation requirements and degree certificate. The university is not a party to the Nigerian legal proceedings that spurred this request, and a U.S. federal judge will determine whether the university will provide further requested information.
“Our response to the request for Tinubu's academic records has been entirely consistent with our practices, policies and federal law. We would respond in exactly the same manner for any request for any student information by a third party.”
Chicago State University Statement to CBS:
As an educational institution, we are sometimes asked to provide information related to student records. Federal law known as FERPA (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) protects the privacy of student records and limits what an institution can release.
In August 2023, a request was made in U.S. federal court for the university to provide information related to educational records concerning Bola Tinubu, the President of Nigeria, and a former CSU student. The university has confirmed Tinubu attended CSU and graduated in 1979 with a bachelor's degree. Federal law, however, prevents us from providing any further information without consent or unless allowed to do so via court order.
CSU is confident in the veracity and integrity of our records regarding Tinubu's completion of graduation requirements and degree certificate. The university is not a party to the Nigerian legal proceedings that spurred this request, and a U.S. federal judge will determine whether the university will provide further requested information.
Our response to the request for Tinubu's academic records has been entirely consistent with our practices, policies and federal law. We would respond in exactly the same manner for any request for any student information by a third party.
The delegation comprised leaders from both All Progressives Congress (APC), which controls the federal government, and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that governs Rivers State.
According to a release by his media adviser, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu told the Rivers delegation, "We are not meant to be in a position to be poor. We will turn the tide! Somewhere, somehow in this storm, there’s a quiet and peaceful place for us. We will locate it.
“We are not lazy people. We are richly endowed. We just need to be our brother’s keeper, and good neighbours to one another. I am not a president that will give excuses. I will work hard for our nation with purpose, determination and dedication to create wealth for all Nigerians. We have no reason to be poor! We will not look back, we will run aggressively forward.
“Today, we may be swimming against the tide. But the waves will soon propel us forward from behind.
Advising the younger generation to be more patient with the processes of government, Tinubu said, “I am the captain and chief salesman of the country. We have to reverse the trend and achieve possibilities within a short period of time. Our people have high expectations for us. I pledge to work hard, and I pray to God to put me on the right path, not to disappoint Nigerians."
Tinubu said after being blessed with enormous human capacity and natural resource wealth, neither Rivers nor Nigeria had any business being associated with poverty, insecurity or under-development. He assured the people that under his leadership, the narrative would be changed permanently and positively.
He pledged the commitment of his administration to the reconstruction of the Eleme axis of the East-West Road, stating that he has heard the cries of prominent Rivers sons and daughters, particularly, with regard to the Eleme Junction-Onne axis of the East-West Road, linking the Port Harcourt Refinery.
The president said Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), an
indigene of Rivers State and immediate past governor of the srare, Nyesom Wike, was a strong adviser, and he would follow up on the East-West Road reconstruction issue for prompt action.
According to Tinubu, “The Honourable Minister, Wike, is not just the Minister of FCT, he is also my adviser and an admirer of mine. He has hit the ground running and he should be encouraged by the state."
The president said Wike had left big shoes for the current Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to fill and Wike, being one of his most trusted allies, Rivers State would always have direct access to him in their joint march toward sustainable development.
Earlier, Fubara told the president that the delegation, which included leaders of political parties and past and present members of the state and national assemblies across party lines, was on a solidarity and thank you visit.
The governor said, "The people of Rivers State voted for you in the last general election based on their belief in fairness, equity and justice. This is the first time that Rivers State is truly feeling the impact of the federal government since the inception of democracy in 1999."
The governor noted that the delegation greatly appreciated the president for appointing capable sons and daughters of the state into highly strategic positions within his administration.
Fubara particularly thanked the president for the appointments of Wike and Ngelale, as well as other sons and daughters of the state into the Boards and Management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and other institutions.
He hailed the president for attracting a $14 billion dollars investment approval for projects nationwide during the G-20 Summit, including the expansion of Indorama Petrochemicals in Eleme, Rivers State. He said the state had just allocated 209 hectares of land in support of the new investment.
Speaking with newsmen after the meeting, a member of the delegation and former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Joseph Okocha, said the team came to thank the president for appointing Rivers indigenes into his government. He said included in their demands "was the state of the East-West Road, leading to the refinery, and we did mention that that will enhance the movement of petroleum products when the Port Harcourt Refinery comes on stream."
and their livelihoods were gradually being wasted and destroyed on account of the rising insecurity. It accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of gradually turning Nigeria into a one party state.
In a similar vein, Catholic bishops in Nigeria asked the federal and state governments to take immediate steps to check growing poverty and suffering in the land.
A communiqué at the opposition party’s BoT meeting, read by the chairman, former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara, said, "The BoT expresses serious concerns over the excruciating hardship, worsening insecurity, and general sense of apprehension and despondency across the country occasioned by the hasty implementation of ill-planned policies of the overtly insensitive APC administration.
"The BoT is seriously worried over the continued fall in the value of the naira arising from the ill-implemented policies of the APC with attendant devastating negative effect on the economy, resulting in agonising high costs and unbearable pressure on families.
"The BoT laments that the APC is
pushing Nigerians to the wall and is worried that the level of poverty and anger in the polity over the suppressive rule of the APC is capable of snowballing into a serious crisis if not urgently addressed."
The BoT observed that the nation was currently in a precarious situation under APC and Nigerians looked to PDP for solution and direction at this time.
It reiterated PDP’s rejection of the judgement of the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC), which upheld the declaration of APC as winner of the February 25 presidential election, in spite of all the evidence clearly pointing to the contrary.
The BoT said it was monitoring and studying the outcome of cases in various election courts with regard to their level of adherence and respect to the rule of law and evidence before such courts.
The PDP BoT said it had resolved to take urgent steps to resist the current manifest desperation by APC to turn Nigeria into a one-party state.
The communiqué stated, "The BoT commended its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, for following due process of the law in his quest to
retrieve the presidential mandate freely given to him at the February 25, 2023 presidential election.
"The BoT is confident in the capacity and courage of the Supreme Court to ultimately and decisively right the wrongs and correct the manifest errors contained in the judgement of the PEPC in the interest of the unity, stability and corporate existence of our country."
It, however, assured Nigerians that despite the challenges, the party remained united, stronger and more determined to continue to lead the charge to rescue the country’s democracy and return it to the path of credible elections, rule of law, national cohesion, and economic prosperity.
Meanwhile, the bishops under the auspices of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) rejected what they described as the ever increasing scandalous comfort and remuneration of elected leaders to the detriment of the poor.
The bishops, who ended their week-long deliberations in Abuja on the state of the nation and the church, yesterday, said in a communiqué that Nigerians were going through
unprecedented difficulties and sufferings.
They also bemoaned continued insecurity and violence across the country, despite assurances by the government to deal with the menace. The bishops stated, "Our nation’s economy and citizens’ increased suffering, our failing and worsening economy have continued to make living difficult and hard for our people.
"Nigerians have been subjected to a life of poverty, hunger, hardship and suffering. The condition has been aggravated by the removal of fuel subsidy, which has led to high cost of food items, transportation and meeting up with other essential needs.
"As if these are not enough, the hike in school fees has made it difficult for the children of the poor to continue their education. Based on past experience, we consider the resort to palliative measures as a treatment of the symptom rather than the cure for the disease. We, therefore, urge government to address the fundamental defective structures that deepened inequality and poverty."
road ‘dualisation’ projects and all zonal directors of the ministry at its headquarters in Abuja.
Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
The World Food Programme (WFP), has pledged to support President Bola Tinubu’s Zero Hunger Programme under the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
The Country Director of WFP, David Stevesson, made this known yesterday, when he led a team of the United Nations agency to visit the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu in her office.
Stevesson, disclosed that 2.1 million Nigerians have already been captured as beneficiaries of the program with the hope to expand working with the minister of humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
He pledged WFP's support to the
federal government's humanitarian and poverty intervention efforts including the food security agenda and the Zero Hunger Programme among others.
"I've been very impressed in such a short time to hear about the Minister's leadership, putting together the strategy for the Ministry.
"We talked about zero hunger, we talked about the humanitarian hubs in every local government area in the country, we talked about the world food programs, the potential to support those hubs through buying food locally and also assisting in the cash transfer and food. These are very impressive.
"Let me announce here that the World Food Programme is committed to spending $2.5Billion
To Fight Hunger in Nigeria in the next five years", the WFP boss said. Responding, Edu commended the WFP Country Director for the visit and the kind comments about her.
The Minister informed Stevesson that there were over 133 million people in Nigeria affected by multidimensional poverty, stressing that WFP's intervention of $2.5 billion for five years, "will go a long way to address some of the biggest challenges the country is facing, which is hunger."
According to the Minister, "Zero Hunger" was one of the projects her Ministry had initiated as part of poverty and humanitarian response efforts, and appealed to the WFP to key into it by working with the Ministry to achieve results.
Edu, explained that Homegrown
School Feeding was one aspect of the Zero Hunger Project, saying the Ministry would be working on different nutritional programs that would target both pregnant women, children under five, school feeding, feeding of persons who are affected by humanitarian crises, aged and the persons of concern, "including refugees that have found themselves within our space."
"We have over 80,000 persons as refugees presently, in Nigeria. The state I come from alone, there are over 40,000 refugees and these are just those who are registered.
"Part of the innovation which we are bringing on board is what we call humanitarian hub because we want to create 774 of these humanitarian hubs in each local government across Nigeria " she added.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has commended the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) for its intervention in the construction of the proposed Centre for Skills Development and Training (CSDT) at the Omagwa, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The project, initiated by the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) to promote acquisition of skills relevant to oil and gas industry operations, has been under construction since 2011. It received a much-needed boost with the entry of the NCDMB as co-financier after due negotiations with the PTDF.
Disciplines earmarked for
the CSDT by the PTDF include automobile works, basic electrical works, basic requirements in Health Safety and Environment (HSE), catering, electronics repairs, masonry, seismic survey technology, welding, and fabrication.
At 85 per cent completion, the scope and quality of work done were impressive to the Minister, who arrived at the project site on facility tour on Wednesday, but he was displeased that project execution had stalled because of wrangling between the PTDF and contractors over variation-related issues and prolonged delays in payment.
The Minister who was accompanied on the tour by the Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Engr.
Simbi Wabote, and the Executive Secretary of PTDF, Alhaji Aminu
Ahmed Galadima, said the project was of great significance and does not have to remain uncompleted any longer.
“We have to move forward,” he stated, adding that “further intervention by the Board is necessary to reap the full benefits of the investments already made.”
After interrogation of some contractors and confirmation by the PTDF boss that funds were now available for payment to one of them, Lokpobiri extracted a commitment from the latter that the outstanding section of work would be completed within six weeks.
Overall, for the Centre to be successful in fulfilling the aims for its establishment, he said, “We have to set up a sustainable management structure that will keep the facility
at a globally acceptable standard.”
Speaking earlier on how the NCDMB became involved in the project, Wabote said it was the determination of the Board to check the proliferation of vocational centres, which were as many as 250 in the three states of Rivers, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom.
Most of them, he noted, were non-functional even though they had been completed and equipped. Equipment in all had been stolen or vandalised, so it became necessary to establish standardised and federal government-backed vocational centres at strategic locations.
The NCDMB, according to him, had signified its preparedness to take over CSDT when it became apparent that the feuding parties, PTDF and its contractors, could not resolve their differences.
“Umahi told the contractors and stakeholders that the current administration has 18,000 kilometre of roads and inherited a contract sum of about N14.1 trillion and out of which N4 trillion is being paid in all those projects,” a statement signed by the Director of Information, Press and Public Relations Unit, Blessing LereAdams, stated.
Stressing that some of the projects had lasted between 10 to 20 years, the minister noted that some contractors had jerked up the contract sums by up to 100 per cent, explaining that it accounts for why some of them had not been paid.
“We are going back to the original concept of the projects and the necessity of any additional works and also see how we get a fair deal. Expecting an endorsement from the ministry for what is not acceptable to the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) is not possible, “ the minister said.
Umahi also said that President Bola Tinubu understands how road infrastructure works. “ If I come before him with a contract of N44 billion, reviewed to N144 billion contract sum , I must be able to provide details of how the cost came about,“ he maintained.
The minister further announced the ministry’s intention to focus on most of the ‘dualised’ roads across the country. “Why we are here now is to announce our intention
to face most of the dualised roads in the country,” he declared.
He added: “ I want to remind you that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) is funding 50 per cent percent of the contract sums and that funding goes up to 2025.
“We have N431 billion of money that is ready for contractors to clear but there are no certificates for it. If you are doing a job under Phase 1, make effort to make claims.
“If your job involves augmentation, go back to your regional director for understanding before I sign the certificate. Any certificate I sign now , I have to take account for it, even when I have left office, “ he maintained.
The minister tasked the contractors to move to one lane if their job had not gone up to 50 per cent completion, stressing that he had also come up with a performance bond, meaning that all new projects must be guaranteed for 10 years.
He urged all contractors that had built roads that he said cannot last up to 10 years to write to the ministry to either stop work or rebuild the road to last a decade.
He warned contractors that he would not listen to stories of failures on the roads due to overloading, enjoining them to cooperate with him to build roads with concrete technology as it is done in India and Singapore.
Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
The federal government has announced the proposed activities for the 63rd Independence Anniversary celebration.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, announced this yesterday, at the inauguration of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the 63rd Independence Anniversary.
The activities would begin on September 25, with a World Press Briefing, followed by a Symposium/ Public Lecture on September 28 and a Jummat Service on September 29.
In addition, there would be a Church Service on October 1 and a Presidential Broadcast also on
October 1. The activities would climax on October 2 with a parade.
The committee inaugurated has the Minister of Information and Culture, Minister of Interior, Minister of Finance, Minister of FCT, Minister of Foreign Affairs, National Security Adviser, Inspector-General of Police, and DG DSS as members.
Others were the Permanent secretaries GSO, SSO, Ecological Project Office, PEAO and Ministry of Health.
Akume, said the terms of reference of each sub-committee and list of members would be sent by the secretariat while the subcommittee secretaries would present their budgets for consideration and approval as soon as possible.
Following the collapse of the power grid that occured in the early hours of yesterday, which caused nationwide blackout, with adverse impacts on homes and businesses, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has assured Nigerians that efforts were in top gear to restore supply.
It was gathered that TCN engineers had gone to work to restore normalcy when the incident happened, including first restoring about 35mw, and then ramped it up to 193mw and then 273mw before their efforts suffered a setback, resulting in another failure.
The government-owned TCN in a statement signed by its General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, disclosed that the system collapse was caused by a fire incident that occurred on Kanji/ Jebba 330kV line 2, which was being investigated by the agency.
Mbah stated, "The TCN hereby notes that grid restoration nationwide is in progress and has reached advanced stages with power supply now available in the West, North Central, South, East, and a large portion of the Northern parts of the country.
"The power supply restoration is sequel to the total grid collapse, which occurred at about 12.35 am, this morning, causing outage nationwide, after over 421 days of consistent grid stability.
"In the course of the grid restoration, the process initially suffered a setback; this does not amount to another collapse. In the course of any grid restoration process, challenges may be encountered. This happened today while the grid restoration was in progress, but it was promptly addressed."
According to Mbah, the last total system collapse recorded was on 20th July 2022, and 13th September, 2023, which was a 421-days gap.
The 21st Africa Down Under conference held in Perth, Australia, recently, ended on a positive note, with Nigeria's mining roadmap attracting the keen interest of investors.
Addressing attendees at the conference, the Minister of Solid Minerals Mr. Dele Alake, presented a convincing argument for investing in the country’s mining sector.
He stressed the importance of establishing the Nigerian Solid Minerals Corporation as the essential bridge between the global mining industry and Nigeria.
The minister also pointed out the favorable legal framework that allows investors to repatriate their earnings.
Alake, highlighted a significant investment in geoscientific research aimed at conducting a comprehensive assessment of Nigeria's mineral resources, including their quality and quantity.
The endeavor, he explained, aims to empower investors with accurate data, enabling them to project their investments' costs and potential profits more confidently.
Furthermore, the minister revealed the substantial lithium reserves in Nigeria, a crucial element in the
thriving electric vehicle sector.
Alake, highlighted advancements achieved by trailblazing investors such as Basin Limited in their Jupiter project, which focuses on lithium extraction in the North, and the investments made by Lithium King in the south-west.
These achievements he noted served to emphasise Nigeria's exceptional appeal as a highly profitable location for the valuable mineral.
In terms of security, the Minister assured investors of their safety, highlighting the government's ultimatum for illegal miners to join cooperatives within 30 days.
Additionally, plans were unveiled to deploy surveillance task forces and mine police to safeguard mining operations from criminal activities.
"The message is clear: Nigeria is open for business, and with our ongoing solid minerals sector reforms, we guarantee investors a conducive operating environment and attractive returns on their investments," proclaimed the Minister.
Supporting Alake's assertions, Dr. Stevens Davies and Partner, Hugh Morgan of Basin Limited, detailed the accessible nature of lithium deposits in Nigeria, which largely required quarrying for excavation.
She said prior to yesterday's collapse, the system had been stable in spite of the challenges posed by zero spinning reserve and lack of System Control and lack of adequate Data Acquisition (SCADA) essential to a strong and stable grid, among others.
Mbah, added that TCN had been able to maintain 400 days of grid stability because it developed and deployed in-house stop-gap measures and tools that it had continued to use to manage the nations grid and ensuring its stability.
"The incident notwithstanding, TCN is determined to continue to do its best to ensure grid stability.
"Meanwhile, the collapse that occurred after a fire incident on Kanji/Jebba 330kV line 2 is being investigated, with the view to forestalling future occurrence and invariably further strengthen the grid", the TCN spokesperson noted.
The national electricity grid had collapsed in the wee hours of yesterday, the first of such collapse in the administration of President Bola Tinubu, leading to supply disruption by all the distribution companies (Discos) and plunging Nigerian homes and businesses into blackout.
This happened while the nation's Minister of Power, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu was reportedly in Busan, South Korea, where he was participating at the ongoing Korean-
The latest grid collapse also marked the first in one year after September 25, 2022, when power generation on the system crashed from over 3,700MW to as low as 38MW.
Some of the Discos alerted their customers about the development and its implication on supply to them.
THISDAY gathered that as of 7:a.m. on Thursday morning, the TCN failed to transmit power to the 11 Discos as power grid dropped from 4,355.2MW on Wednesday, September 13, 2023, to 0MW on Thursday, September 2023.
As a result of the development, electricity generation from all the generating plants dropped to OMW, including Afam VI (gas/ steam), Dadinkowa G.S (hydro), Delta (gas), Geregu (gas), Geregu NIPP (gas), Ibom Power (gas), Jebba (hydro), Okpai (gas/steam), and Olorunsogo (gas).
Nigeria depends on just between 3,500mw and 4,500mw for its over 200 million population, making it one of the least electrified nations in the world. This is despite the power sector’s partial privatisation in 2013 and trillions of naira sunk into the sector by government.
The national grid system is operated by the TCN from Osogbo in Osun state. Many plants, were affected, including Afam VI, which at some point had just 0.70MW,
Dadinkowa with zero mw, Ibom power had 32.90mw, Jebba was still struggling with 240mw while Olorunsogo also suffered zero generation, before finally shutting down.
The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company Plc (EEDC) was one of the first Discos to notify its customers of the development, telling them it was completely out of supply at the time.
“EEDC wishes to inform her esteemed customers of a total system collapse which occurred at 12:40am today, 14th September, 2023. This has resulted to the loss of supply currently being experienced across the network.
“Due to this development, all our interface TCN stations are out of supply, and we are unable to provide service to our customers in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States.
“We are on standby awaiting detailed information of the collapse and restoration of supply from the National Control Centre (NCC), Osogbo,” a statement signed by the Head, Corporate Communications EEDC, Emeka Ezeh, stated.
Also, Eko Disco told its customers that its feeders were all were all out of supply as a result of the system collapse from the TCN.
“The outage you are currently experiencing on all our feeders is due to system collapse from TCN, while Iganmu feeder is out on a fault. Our customers will be restored
to power supply as soon as the system improves. Fault clearing will commence on Iganmu feeder today,” it stated.
Also explaining the situation on his Twitter/X handle, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, confirmed that the fire led to about 356.63mw generation loss.
“At 00:35 hours this morning, a fire outbreak with an explosion sound was observed on Kainji/Jebba 330kV line 2 (Cct K2J) blue phase CVT & Blue phase line Isolator of Kainji/Jebba 330kV line1 was observed burning.
“This led to sharp drops in frequency from 50.29Hz to 49.67 Hz at 0:35:06Hrs with Jebba generation loss of 356.63mw,” Adelabu said, adding that Kainji then started dropping load from 451.45 mw at 00:35:07 hours to zero.
“At 00:41 hours frequency dropped further from 49.37 Hz to 48.41 Hz resulting in the system collapse of the grid.
“We are on top of the situation and speedy restoration is in progress. The fire has been fully arrested and over half of the connections are now up and the rest will be fully restored in no time.
“My sincere appreciation to those who responded or expressed concern via different channels and the team of engineers for their prompt response to the situation and work done so far. Let’s get the restoration work completed as soon as possible,” he said.
Kasim Sumaina in Abuja
West Africa’s largest carrier, Air Peace, yesterday, finalised negotiations with OEM, a Brazilian manufacturer of Embraer to buy five E175 jets with option to acquire five more.
The airline also announced that an agreement for new MRO facility would be developed in Nigeria to support maintenance on the regional jet types.
The Chairman/CEO of Air Peace, Mr. Allen Onyema, disclosed this to his audience at the 7th Aviation Africa Summit and Exhibition in Abuja.
According to him, the MRO agreement was in line with a new initiative by the new Minister, Festus Keyamo, to ensure fleet growth would be matched by inward investment in service support.
This, according to Onyema, was good for Nigeria, West Africa and the whole of Africa.
Speaking to journalists shortly after the agreement, Onyema hinted that the aircraft deal worth about $300 million would see the airline replacing existing Embraer ERJ145 fleet.
His words: "Already an operator of Embraer’s newest
and largest jet. The E195-E2, the smaller aircraft will complement the airlines’ existing fleet, allowing Air Peace to dynamically match capacity to demand, protecting yields and route viability.
"This is another important step in helping to realise our ambition to connect the whole of Nigeria with the entire African continent, while also feeding passengers into long-haul flights from our Lagos hub.
“The acquisition enables us to continue delivering on our ‘no-city-left-behind’ initiative. Connectivity is what our passengers, and Africa, demand,"
the Air Peace boss concluded.
Similarly, Embraer Commercial Aircraft Head of Africa/ Middle East Region, Stephan Hannemann, explained that, Air Peace’s strategic and innovative approach continues to make them a powerhouse of aviation success in West Africa.
Hannemann added: "Already an E2 operator, it now makes sense to upgrade their ERJ145 fleet, offering passengers more seats and comfort with the E175.
"The commonality of the cockpits between the E1 and E2 fleet also simplifies aircrew costs and management."
Globally recognised playwright and Africa’s first Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, has doubled down on his criticism of the Labour Party (LP) and the tactics deployed in the last presidential election in which its candidate, Peter Obi, was declared to have emerged third by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In a one hour, 44 minutes , 20 seconds recording of a programme he attended in South Africa, the renowned political activist insisted that although Obi had a remarkable run by breaking the mould of a two-party election, he (Obi) did not win the poll.
Soyinka was speaking as a guest speaker at the 2023 ‘Africa in the World’ event, at Stellenbosch, anchored by Okey Ndibe, a novelist and columnist.
According to the organisers of the event, which started on Tuesday and is scheduled to end on Saturday, the festival brings together the world’s
most innovative thinkers and top leaders to the platform to enunciate invigorating ideas for fresh changes and sustainable solutions for African people.
But the Abeokuta, Ogun stateborn octogenarian, also alleged that without the knowledge of many members of the party, LP was being used by reactionary forces, mostly ex-military generals to install an interim government in the country prior to the election.
Soyinka, who maintained that Obi did not even come second in the presidential poll, said he had members of his organisation, also collating the results of the polls while the election was being conducted.
He insinuated that the LP which started out as a national party suddenly became a regional movement, disclosing that for three consecutive times, he sent messages to the ‘leader’ of the party to prevail on his supporters to tone down the threats and abusive language being used.
“Now, this recent election, it's
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has opposed President Ahmed Tinubu’s administration plan to grant autonomy to federal Universities.
It said the government cannot totally withdraw from funding of tertiary education in the country.
ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, who spoke in an interview on Channels Television, yesterday, said the constitution of Nigeria clearly states that the federal government must fund public universities.
“There is no way the federal government of Nigeria would say they would not fund public universities because it is there in the law. It is there in the Constitution, look at section 18 of the Constitution, it says ‘university, primary and secondary are free,” Osodeke said.
Osodeke noted that the union was aware that the government was seeking for new ways to fund universities, but that it cannot completely withdraw its funding.
He said if the government allows universities to truly operate autonomously, in line with the provisions of the constitution, there was doubt that the universities would be able to generate enough funds to run their activities.
However, Osodeke said: "The only problem is that it is not judicable, that’s the only problem so I said I don’t think this government from what we have seen is going to say we are going to hands off from university.
“But the autonomy is here, ignited in year 2003 if we follow that law and allow it to run without interference from the bureaucrats, the university system would be fine.”
The ASUU president noted that the solution was for the government to commit more resources to education, like countries in Europe were doing.
According to him, if the federal government keeps to the commitment, universities would have enough funds to provide quality education to students.
unfortunate that...because two things happened. First of all, but which party isn't, but in any case, in this particular instance, one party took over the labour movement, which is my favourite movement also.
“Then, it became a regional party... whereas it was a marvellous breach into the established two camps. Peter Obi achieved something remarkable there: that he broke that mould. Yes, however, he did not win the election,” he said.
The professor of comparative literature and creative writing maintained that the party leadership knew that LP did not win the election but had continued to take actions based on what he described as a ‘lie’.
He added: “So, I could say categorically that Peter Obi’s party came third, not even second and that the leadership knew it, but they wanted to do what we call in Yoruba ‘Gbajue’. That is, you know you have force of arms, you also have force of lies.”
Soyinka further alleged that the members of the LP were being clandestinely used by some forces, which many of them were not even aware of, wondering why ‘a proprietor’ of a university was calling for an interim government even before the poll took place.
“In addition, and this is the worst part, they didn’t know it, but they were being used. Before the elections ever took place, there was a certain clandestine force– reactionary. It
included some ex-generals who were already calling for an interim government before the elections began.
“Some were well-known figures, including even the proprietor of a university calling for an interim government before elections ever took place. So, the party was playing into their hands. Maybe not consciously – all of them – but some were definitely trying to create a situation to bring back the military,” he argued.
According to him, he sent emissaries three times to the party to curb their public statements, stressing that the party was also bent on sending its young people to the streets to be slaughtered.
“If you lose an election the first time, that doesn’t matter. I said, ‘Tell them to stop threatening, stop intimidating people. So, it wasn’t something new, though I had to stop their getting the youths on the streets to be slaughtered. And for what? For a lie. That for me was unacceptable,” he remarked.
Soyinka contended that the difference between his bold move to forcibly stop the announcement of an election in Ibadan in 1965 was that while his own was based on the truth and a conviction, Obi’s movement was based on falsehood.
“Truth matters to me; our problem is that many people, they look for shortcuts. Well, I do too sometimes, but I do my homework first. The
election you talked about which took place in the Western region, the notorious gunman episode which in fact has been a long time.
“I have insisted on being coy about it, I always said, I’m sorry, I was tried and I was acquitted, which is true. I’d say ‘don’t you believe in the Nigerian judiciary. What more do you want me to say?
“But I want to stress the fact that I was right in the thick of that election. I also collaborated with a radio unit installed in Oke-Ado through which we were announcing the correct results as we obtained them from the various polling booths.
“In other words, we had the facts on our hands. And the deputy prime minister went on air to boast that they had won. It was a fascistic regime. Before the election, he went on air and said, ‘We don’t need anybody to vote for us. Whether you vote for us or not, the angels in heaven have already voted us in.’
“That was his statement on the radio. They were determined and they were a brutal lot. The atrocities which they committed; we witnessed them first-hand ,so I wasn’t relying on third-hand information about the election results. We contested throughout; we did our work solidly,” he insisted.
The playwright, who spoke on other sundry issues, including the lull in student activism, the Russia invasion of Ukraine, his seeming
inability to retire from writing, his struggles during the military era in Nigeria and the apartheid regime in South Africa, stated that he will be the first person to join a protest if founded on the truth.
“I'm always ready to be among the demonstrators, but only on the banner of truth, not of lies, not of deceit. We have had that kind of scenario before. Remember this person, Buhari. He’s a us**less person anyway. In which, the youth corpers were killed.
“You know, the students were recruited as monitoring agents, returning officers and so on. Because of the uniforms they became targets. I was instrumental in working with some of the governors in extricating those youths from where they were hiding. They were brutalised.
“And now this party wanted the same thing to happen and on the basis of a lie. And we found this vice presidential candidate on television boasting and insisting and threatening and menacingly trying to intimidate both the judiciary and the rest. What kind of government would result from that kind of conduct?,” he queried.
Apart from INEC which declared that Obi came third in the election, the presidential election tribunal had also recently dismissed the case brought before it by the LP and other parties, urging it to overturn the poll.
Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi
Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, has announced plans to set up a functional cash flow system that would ensure smooth and efficient remittance of state's taxes.
The governor announced this yesterday, when he granted audience to officials of Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Abuja, on an advocacy visit at the Council Chambers, Government House,
Bauchi.
Mohammed, observed that, the cash flow system would go a long way in paving way for his administration to settle all the tax liabilities inherited from the previous administrations.
He said since coming on board, his administration deemed it necessary to look at the best ways of making meaningful contributions at the federation account through compliance to tax remittance guidelines.
According to him, "We are
privileged to receive you today.
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission has been doing well especially ensuring justice and equity in the disbursement of funds to tiers of government.
“As a Governor heading a subnational, I have the responsibility to ensure adequate remittance of revenue to federation."
The governor therefore reassured of the readiness of the state government to work with the RMAFC to achieve the desired
objectives to enhance revenue generation for execution of developmental projects.
Earlier, the Commissioner representing Gombe state in the commission, Kabiru Usman who led the delegation said the RMAFC was working round the clock to discharge its responsibilities for economic development.
"Bauchi State and in particular, your administration is doing well in tax remittance. We will continue to support you to succeed in that regard," he added.
Kasim Sumaina in Abuja
The federal government through the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, yesterday, disclosed that it was working on the final details on the United Arab Emirates visa issue.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, made the disclosure at the closing ceremony of the 7th African Aviation Summit in Abuja.
Keyamo, while speaking, stressed that it was crucial for airlines operating between Nigeria and the UAE to have reciprocal rights as per Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASA).
He also stressed the importance of balanced and fair treatment between the two countries.
The minister who addressed concerns regarding trapped funds, assured that efforts were being made to ensure that the trapped funds of foreign airlines
were repatriated
"We are working the details out. When two countries agree at the very top level then of course all the government operatives will begin to work out the tiny details.
“So, we are beginning to work out all the tiny details. I met with Emirate before I left UAE, I met with Etihad before I left UAE and we are working out the details.
"The timeframe, we cannot say. Kicking off an airline operation again on a route, it is not that you will go and grab one empty plane sitting in a place. “There is no idle plane sitting anywhere, they have to reschedule their flights, restart their routes again, and all kinds of things.
“All kinds of permission will be taken from local authorities and of course, I made the point in speaking with them and I made it clear that they will have to give our airlines reciprocal rights under our BASA.”
Fidelity Bank Plc yesterday, disclosed on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) that it has completed the acquisition of the 100 per cent equity in Union Bank UK, a subsidiary of the Union Bank of Nigeria Plc.
The lender had in August 2022, announced the proposed acquisition of the UK subsidiary of Union Bank. According to the 2022 annual reports of Union Bank, the former owners of UBUK, the subsidiary was sold for a cash consideration of N8.3 billion, effective May 31, 2022.
In its latest update on the acquisition, Company Secretary, Fidelity Bank, Ezinwa Unuigboje, in a signed statement posted on the NGX explained, “The bank is pleased to announce the completion of the transaction and receipt of the approval of the Bank of England’s Prudential Regulatory Authority for change of control of UBUK.
“The acquisition of UBUK is in furtherance of Fidelity Bank Plc’s strategic initiatives
on international expansion.”
The bank had earlier received a letter of ‘No Objection’ to the transaction from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
In the corporate notice, the Board of Directors of the bank said they were, “confident that the acquisition will unlock significant value for the Fidelity Bank Group and is taking action to ensure the seamless integration of the operations of both entities.”
Meanwhile, the shareholders of Fidelity Bank Plc would get an interim dividend of 25 kobo per share, amounting to N8 billion for the half-year financial period ended June 30, 2023.
In H1 2023, the lender grew its gross earnings by 59.6 per cent to N247.1billion; driven by 39.4 per cent growth in interest income and 207.2 per cent increase in non-interest income as shown in the audited financial report.
Also, the bank’s total deposits crossed the N3 trillion mark as customer deposits grew by 23.2 per cent year-to-date to N3.2trillion from N2.6triillon in 2022 financial year.
He said further: “That is the point I insisted on, and they did say that any spot we need, they will give us as much as we give them those spots within Nigeria.”
Speaking on the issue of trapped funds he said, “Mr. President is very concerned
about that, in fact, it is one of the issues we went to discuss in the UAE. I spoke with the minister of finance and the coordinating minister of the economy and he has given an indication that within the next few weeks, the Central Bank of Nigeria will be
very clear as to the programme within which these issues will be addressed. “They will be paid off; these are not loans; they are trapped funds. It is only the issue of liquidity that is our problem. The issues of liquidity are being
addressed as I speak right now.
“It is something that the president is very concerned about, and that issue, I said that we have addressed it in the UAE and very soon, you will hear from the financial sector,” the minister concluded.
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
Senator Ireti Kingibe of the Labour Party (LP), representing Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has pledged to work with the Minister overseeing the capital city, Nyesom Wike and other stakeholders, after the National Assembly election petitions tribunal sitting in Abuja, affirmed her election last Tuesday.
Speaking with reporters in Abuja, Kingibe stated that she already has a very long list of issues affecting the FCT to be resolved in collaboration with the minister and other stakeholders, including Senator Philip Aduda.
The Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women Affairs noted that the minister had only been in office for weeks and therefore needed to be given time and properly guided on the salient issues.
She explained that both politicians would need to sit down soon to discuss some of the challenges affecting the people, saying that for instance, the FCT needed a lot of by-laws to be passed. “I have a long list of problems that the minister, I and the National Assembly have to resolve,” she stressed.
Kingibe explained that because she barely knew the minister and Wike had only been in office for a short while, she wouldn’t want to judge him, noting that the minister might have also been waiting for the court case to end to know who to work with.
“We plan to sit and talk and see how we can work together and since my agenda is that of the people (I don’t know what his agenda is), but I would like to think that it is also that of the people, so we will see what happens.
“Our priority is security,
water, infrastructure, nor necessarily massive roads , but graded rural roads will do and agriculture because five of the six area councils are agrarian. Also, women and youth empowerment and those things are easy to do,” she added.
The senator also said she would also leave the matter of whether the FCT deserves a governor until the court gives its final word on cases currently with them.
“So we'll leave that for now, but going to the subject of demolitions because I have been engrossed in my case, and many things and the minister is very new, we have not met.
“We spoke for the first time today (Wednesday) when he called to congratulate me and we assured each other that we will work together. Now, you must remember, the minister and I have different goals. I was elected by the people, therefore answerable to you the people of the FCT, he's not. But working together, I hope that we can merge our interests.
“For one thing, I'm not telling you that there won't be demolitions. There are many problems with FCT. You're looking at the flooding that's taking place everywhere. Why? Because houses have been built on flood channels. Permission has been given for people to build estates on floodplains.
“So many things that we need to fix. In the process of fixing them, I'm not talking of random demolitions that I think that the minister has not been here long enough to have studied everything holistically.
“And I really feel that he needs to take time to look at the whole picture of the FCT, then decide what places and
things, lots of things need demolition. There's no doubt about it. I can tell you several right now.
“When I went to Trademore, you could even see houses being built. They are in the process of being built in the flood channel. You know, that for the good of the whole estate, those houses must go down. But truthfully, I can't tell you about the ones that have been demolished so far. I have not been paying attention.
“I feel that I have the full rights to now speak as the senator representing the FCT, now that I've been reaffirmed. Before, we were in court, and every day as the case concluded, I was pretty occupied with it. So we will address them but what I can assure you is that the interests of the people will be paramount in everything that I do,” she assured.
However, she argued that the recently appointed Mandate Secretaries in the FCT will need to be approved by the National Assembly.
“The mandate secretaries need to be approved by the National Assembly. I'm not aware that they have been. That's number one. Number two, one of the reasons why..., I think I can't talk about previous times, but I would like to say between 2015 and 2019 and why FCT has not thrived.
“You cannot bring mandate secretaries from outside FCT and expect them to excel. Mandate secretaries if they are zoned, they should be found in the FCT. You can find every zone in FCT, people who have lived here for several years, who are politicians or bureaucrats in the FCT. That is necessary.
“I remember I was speaking to the mandate secretary of
agriculture or one of them 2016 or 2017, he didn't even know where Kwali was. It’s like taking me now to Bayelsa and deciding that because somebody asks that I've been given a slot, and then you want to make me a commissioner of anything in Bayelsa. I won’t know.
“By the time I get acquainted with the place, my tenure is finished. So, people live in the FCT and just like everything, you need to know the terrain, you need to know the problems, you need to know to be able to solve them.
“ But the minister is new to the FCT and maybe he wasn't guided right. So we need to look at that again,” she said. She added: “So you have to remember that the senate is on recess. I'm a lawmaker. I haven't been around. The Senate is a recess. So they're not approving anything. You cannot get approval from a House that's not sitting.
“ And also, you also have to remember that the Minister of FCT now and I don't think we've ever really had a governor...we have had one as a minister of the FCT. So some governors may think that as minister, because the minister administers FCT and the senator is the highest elected office in the FCT.
“The minister of FCT does not have executive powers. He works hand in hand with the National Assembly and the president to administer FCT. So I've never met the minister. So if there's a lacuna, it’s completely my fault. The senate is our recess.
“ And remember, the minister has been there two to three weeks. The senate has been inaugurated two months and for most of the two months, we've been in court.”
Says trapped funds not loan, will be repaid Insists airlines must have reciprocal rights under our BASAs
Not many Governors in the current dispensation started on the same pedestal as the Plateau State Governor, Barrister Caleb Mutfwang, who not only inherited a huge debt burden from his predecessor, but also took over a state that was under a siege of mayhem.
With a N307bn debt staring the state in the face, a disabled workforce whose civil servants are on strike because of unpaid wages, a lame economy, and a threatening security challenge where citizens are killed in droves every other night and farmers chased away from their farms, Mutfwang’s seat was not an envious one.
So, when other Governors were recently being rated on the measure of achievements in their first 100 days in office, perhaps Mutfwang should have been excused for obvious reasons. But that he has done reasonably well despite the daunting challenges is to say the least, commendable.
He had probably been watching from the sideline and perhaps eager to get to work.
So, he didn’t procrastinate.
He had said right from the outset on May 29, 2023 while he was being sworn-in that, “We know you are expecting much from us. Today, it is not just my inauguration; it is our inauguration as it marks the beginning of our collective quest for a new Plateau.”
The despondent citizens were indeed waiting for him to do a ‘magic’ as they were already weary of the state of the state.
While waiting to be sworn-in, Mangu Local Government Area came under heavy attacks that claimed over 100 lives. The attacks escalated to neighbouring local governments of Barkin Ladi, Riyom, and Bokkos.
So, it was not a surprise that tackling security challenge was his number one priority.
Thus, only two days after his swearing-in, he visited Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Riyom and Mangu local government areas.
That visit gave hope and confidence to the already despondent women and children some of who had been there from previous crises and had been abandoned for years in the IDP camps. He reassured them of the commitment of his administration to address their plight.
Having studied the nature of the attacks, during his inauguration, the Plateau Governor had put them in proper perspective and outlined the direction his government would take in bringing the attacks to a definite end.
In his inaugural speech, Mutfwang had said, “I wish to assure you that the government under my watch will be committed to peaceful coexistence and will work assiduously to secure the boundaries of Plateau State. Criminal elements/invaders hell bent on destruction will be decisively dealt with.”
That was the first time in the last eight years that government was taking such a tough and decisive stance against such carnage that had almost become a daily routine in parts of the state.
Moreover, it took no small courage for the governor to officially debunk for the first time the familiar narrative that had gained ground during the previous administration that what was happening in the state was a conflict between farmers and Fulani herdsmen.
It was in the light of these that he personally interfaced with President Bola Tinubu who graciously gave him a listening ear and promised to do everything possible to help out.
The governor also had one-on-one interactions with the nation’s security chiefs when he visited the Defence and Army headquarters in Abuja on July 12, 2023.
As a result, he extracted their firm commitment towards stepping up the campaigns, both kinetic and non-kinetic, against the perpetrators of these heinous crimes.
One of the outcomes of such initiatives was the relocation of the GOC, Third Armoured Division of the Nigerian Army, Jos, who also doubles as the Commander, Operation Safe Haven, OPSH, to Mangu. The presence of the other arms of the security apparatus was also beefed up in Mangu, Barkin Ladi, Riyom and Bassa local government areas.
In addition to many other steps taken by his government, citizens can now sleep with their eyes closed, at least in recent times.
On July 12, 2023, Mutfwang visited the national headquarters of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Abuja where he made a strong case for the welfare of the IDPs. Based on the promises made by the DirectorGeneral, Mustapha Habib Ahmed, some relief materials have started trickling into the state, and victims of the attacks are already having some levels of succour and relief pending their
relocation to their ancestral homes.
The Agricultural Services Training Company (ASTC) in the state has been fully mobilized to farming communities in Mangu, Barkin Ladi and Riyom local government areas to assist the farmers continue with the farming season which was abruptly interrupted by these attacks.
Deploying 29 tractors, about 900 hectares of land have already been ploughed. This intervention is fully complemented by the security provided by the agro-rangers of the Nigerian Civil Defence Corps (NCDC).
Measures have also been put in place to increase the quantum of land and extend the exercise into the dry season to enable farmers continue plying their trade even after the rainy season. Subsequently, the Plateau Agricultural Development Project (PADP) and other related government agencies have joined in these efforts.
With the current network of arrangement, Plateau will have enough to eat and export to other states despite the attacks that drove away farmers from the lands.
The governor also undertook an official visit to the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) in Abuja, where he drew the Agency’s attention to the urgent need to fund schools that have been adversely affected by the conflicts in the state. Most of these have been destroyed and others turned into shelters for IDPs.
When the governor assumed office and critically looked at the true state of things on the ground, he realised that the situation was far worse than he and his team had imagined. The rot was so deep and widespread in Plateau civil service that government documents were being typed and photocopied at business centres, not minding their levels of confidentiality.
This was even as civil servants were being owed salaries of five months, amounting to over N11 billion, which was one of the reasons that had forced them to proceed on strike. Worst of all, there was an unwieldy debt profile of over N300 billion and many other outstanding financial obligations hanging on the neck of the state government.
The Plateau State civil service workers had insisted that their February and March, 2023 salary arrears must be paid for them to call off the strike. When government met this demand, they resumed work. As at August 21, about 70% of the June salary backlog had been paid, while pension arrears are also being paid alongside the salaries.
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Governor Muhammad Bago of Niger state has disclosed that the state is ready to host the first subnational Green Economy Summit, scheduled for 24th and 25th October, 2023, said the government plan is to take over all the ungoverned spaces that are occupied by bandits.
Speaking to newsmen in Abuja, the governor said the Summit scheduled to hold from 24th to 25th October, 2023 in Minna, the state capital will be attended by over 500 participants from a broad spectrum of backgrounds to discuss and help proffer solutions to issues of decarbonizing energy systems, circular economy, waste management, green agriculture, food security, eco tourism and community development.
According to him, the Green Economy Summit is expected to unlock the economic potentials of the state.
He listed other issues to be discussed to include: conserving biodiversity for sustainable development, innovative solutions for water management, smart cities, sustainable urbanisation, women and youth engagement.”
Governor Bago, who reiterated his administration’s resolve towards sustainable development of valuable natural resources (green assets) through the use of innovative practices in driving economic growth and prosperity, expressed optimism that the forthcoming Summit will help in achieving the feats.
He said: “Niger state government is hosting the 1st-ever sub-national Green Economy
Summit in response to the global challenges of environmental degradation, climate change impacts, insecurity and the growing need for sustainable solutions where we will be unveiling the Niger State Green Economy Blueprint to guide our developmental choice of actions.
“In view of the above, the Summit will attract experts and participants from around the world to exchange ideas, best practices, and innovations on green economy initiatives for us to learn and adapt in our context.
“This is in alignment with the country’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions, transition to a low-carbon economy. The Summit will help in meeting Nigeria’s pledge under the
Paris Agreement, the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“Subsequently, the summit will also emphasize the role of local communities and their indigenous knowledge systems in sustainable development while empowering them with the necessary knowledge and resources to engage in eco-friendly practices and green initiatives, to achieve the UN SDGs.
“Similarly, through panel discussions, and presentations, the summit shall increase public awareness and knowledge about green technologies, sustainable practices, and environmental issues.
“The theme of this summit shall be “Sustainable Future: Harnessing Green Assets and Innovation for Niger State’s Prosperity”. This encapsulates our central vision and purpose of the Niger State Green Economy initiative. It communicates the state’s commitment to the sustainable development of its valuable natural resources (green assets), and the use of innovative practices in driving economic growth and prosperity.
“The target is to unlock the states’ green economy potential to achieve prosperity for all its residents. By adopting this theme, the Niger State Green Economy Summit aims to inspire collaboration, knowledge sharing, and concrete actions that will lead to a greener, more sustainable, and prosperous future for the state and its people.”
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Despite the many odds he had to face, Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State has shown that he was well-prepared for governance as evident in his first 100 days in office, Seriki Adinoyi reports
Niger State has put arrangement in place for the hosting of the first sub-national Green Economy Summit in Minna, the state capital in October, 2023.
Abubakar Momoh, minister of Niger Delta Development, pledges to make a difference, writes JOHN
MAYAKI
In the past week, Engr Abubakar Momoh, the Minister of Niger Delta Development, embarked on a significant journey into the heart of Rivers and Bayelsa States. His mission? To witness firsthand the progress of projects spearheaded by his ministry and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), an agency under his purview.
The minister himself bore witness to the prevailing situation and was profoundly moved. It was impossible for him to ignore the extent to which our nation had been let down by those entrusted with its development and progress. A stark manifestation of this disappointment lay in the East-West Road project, an enduring endeavor that has painfully stretched over 12 years without completion. The persistent delays in this critical infrastructure project naturally raised
heavy rainfall. Unfortunately, flooding barred his access to the project’s premises. Expressing his disappointment, he vowed that such oversights would not recur under his watch.
The minister’s unwavering dedication to scrutinizing projects under challenging conditions underscores the gravity of these issues and highlights the imperative need to consider environmental factors in project planning.
It is essential to recognize that ministers who neglect project inspections and fail to ensure compliance with specifications significantly contribute to governance malaise and the deterioration in project quality. Another alarming concern lies in ministry or agency staff members who collude with contractors to compromise project standards. Furthermore, there’s a pervasive issue of abandoned government projects, often stemming from poor planning and the absence of oversight by officials who remain confined to their offices, neglecting to verify project execution.
Numerous government projects across the Niger Delta and the entire country find themselves mired in similar issues, leading to squandered funds and incomplete or abandoned projects. It is unmistakably evident that a change in attitude is an urgent requirement to facilitate the effective conduct of government business and propel the nation towards progress.
This account resounds as a call for change, primarily directed at government officials. It advocates for heightened accountability, improved project management, and a transformative approach to governance.
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questions about the underlying issues. For a road project to defy the combined efforts of successive governments, including Presidents and Ministers, both within the Ministry of Works and, at times, within the Ministry of Niger Delta, where ministers from the region have held positions, is undeniably disconcerting.
While the minister visited the East-West Road and aptly characterized it as an “eyesore” and a “disappointment,” it’s imperative to acknowledge that this indictment extends beyond the political sphere to encompass the bureaucratic machinery, including permanent secretaries and directors, some of whom are engineers.
The minister’s journey continued with an inspection of the Okrika-Borokiri Road, a vital infrastructure lifeline comprising three bridges connecting numerous communities to Port Harcourt. This collaborative effort between the NDDC and the State Government demands meticulous supervision and adherence to stringent standards. The project remains a work in progress, with Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State affirming his unwavering commitment to enhance the city’s accessibility upon completion.
Moving forward, Momoh ventured to the canalization of Onopa Canal, a significant 4km project nestled within Yenagoa Local Government Area. However, it was at a housing estate project managed by the ministry that a truly startling revelation awaited him. The requirement for sandfilling at the Housing Estate project in Odi, situated in Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA, was baffling. The project, constructed below water level, defied conventional practices by mandating sand-filling after completion, raising numerous questions and concerns. This apparent misallocation of resources cast a shadow over the project’s execution.
The minister’s frustration mounted as he found himself unable to access the houses due to the waterlogged nature of the area, preventing a comprehensive examination of the project’s details.
Undeterred by adverse weather conditions, the minister pressed on to another project. He insisted on inspecting the integrated Oil Palm Processing Plant in Adagbabiri Community, even amidst
In the same vein, at the heart of every community lie the end users of these projects, the citizens themselves, just as non-governmental organizations, with their commitment to societal welfare, further strengthen the guardianship of development projects.
Citizens and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) must rise to the challenge and serve as vigilant guardians of progress. When it comes to infrastructure endeavors like roads, housing, processing plants, among other government projects, the role of these stakeholders is paramount in ensuring project execution, maintaining quality, and monitoring projects to completion.
For sustainable development, citizens and NGOs are the threads that weave progress into reality. Their collective actions ensure that development projects are not just constructs of brick and mortar but embodiments of accountability, quality, and citizen-centricity. Together, they stand as the guardians of a brighter future, where infrastructure projects are a testament to responsible governance and the aspirations of a nation. I, therefore, urge Nigerians and NGOs to rise to the challenge - the task is not for government alone but collective responsibility.
Undoubtedly, Minister Momoh’s project inspection tour in Rivers and Bayelsa States merits commendation, particularly for his unwavering dedication and proactive stance in addressing the pressing issues plaguing Nigeria’s development projects and governance. His willingness to personally bear witness to these projects, even under adverse weather conditions, underscores his genuine concern for the nation’s progress. His commitment serves as an exemplar of the type of leadership required to effect positive change in the country’s development landscape.
Indeed, the ministry and the commission were established with the crucial mission of driving progress and development in the region. However, over time, they seem to have lost credibility, at least in the perception of the public.
Mayaki writes from Abuja
Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com
Akintola Williams, foremost accountant and statesman, dies at 104
The death, on Monday at age 104, of Mr Akintola Williams has robbed our country of a patriot, a foremost accountant and a statesman. Not surprisingly, there have been an outpouring of tributes from across the country for the man who earned the sobriquet ‘Doyen of Accounting in Nigeria’. But the remarkable life and career of Williams transcended the profession he pioneered in the country. He made far-reaching contributions to the growth and development of several sectors, including arts and music and remained a worthy role model to the very end.
Born in Lagos on 9th August 1919, Williams was the older brother to the late legal luminary, Chief Frederick Rotimi Alade Williams. He attended both Baptist Academy and CMS Grammar School in Lagos before proceeding to Yaba Higher College where he obtained a Diploma in Commerce on a United African Company (UAC) scholarship. His journey to accounting as a profession is an interesting story of its own. As he once recalled, his main interest was in surveying, a course not available in Yaba College of Technology at the time. But a chance meeting with an expatriate named John Selby changed his perspective and he decided to pursue accounting.
During the Second World War in 1944, Williams left for the United Kingdom on a government scholarship to pursue his dream. In London, he articled clerk while studying for his accountancy examinations. At the same period, he completed his degree programme in Commerce at the University of London. And in December 1949, Williams passed Accountants in England and Wales. With his admission into the membership of the Institute Nigerian chartered accountant.
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Williams started his professional career with Nigeria same year to take the post of Inspector of Taxes where he would work with Selby, whose counsel had prompted him to study accountancy. After working for two years, Williams decided it was time to venture out into private practice.
the name of Akintola Williams Deloitte.
Williams lived a disciplined life as attested to by many Nigerians, including President Bola Tinubu in his tribute. Having chosen to stay outside partisan politics, Williams became a mentor to many Nigerians in the profession he pioneered and helped to grow. In December 1960, two months after Nigeria’s independence, Wiliams co-founded and was of the Association of Accountants in Nigeria. It was from that position that he worked with a few others to ensure the incorporation of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) through an Act of Parliament in September 1965 during the First Republic.
Beyond accounting, Williams pursued other interests. He was particularly instrumental to the establishment in September 1960 of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). Until his death on Monday, he remained the last surviving signatory to the original NSE Memorandum and Articles of Association. In his lifetime, Wiliams also received several honours both at home and abroad. In April 1997, the late Queen Elizabeth honoured him with the title of the Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for the promotion of arts, culture, and music through the Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON) which he helped to establish.
Without any doubt, the late Williams impacted our society greatly. May his gentle soul rest in peace.
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Culture is the totality of a people’s way of life. And it is broadly divided into two, viz material aspect and non-material aspect. The cultural heritage of a people, which is handed down to them from past generations, is their identity, too.
Here, in Obosi, an ancient town, we have been preserving our cultural practices for many centuries. have become our identity, have endeared us to people from other neighbouring towns.
One of our cultural practices is the Iwaji festival. Simply put, it means thanking God for bountifulal celebrant the opportunity to pray for more plentiful yam harvests in the succeeding farming season. The Iwaji festival is a grand carnival of events that deepens our unity and oneness.
However, Obosi people who are dispersed to var-
ious parts of the globe are still upholding and celebrating the Iwaji festival in their respective countries.
They celebrate it because it is our cultural heritage that underlines our communal identity. Their celebration of the Iwaji festival in their respective countries of abode fosters the spirit of oneness and unity among them.
That is the chief reason Dr. Chiedu Uyamadu (Odogwu Obosi), who is one of the custodians of our culture, organized the celebration of Iwaji festival in America. Attired in traditional Igbo clothes, they celebrated the Iwaji festival with fanfare. He the festival in America to educate the people on the Again, their celebration of the festival in America is a proof that they are not deracinated - that is, they
are not uprooted from their cultural environment, not minding the fact that a long distance has separated them from their home country. The fact is that they are fully immersed in the cultural practices and ethos of their home town, Obosi.
So, Dr. Chiedu Uyamadu’s example of organizing a colloquium on the Iwaji festival and facilitating the celebration of it in faraway America is a commendable act. It is a robust testament to their immersion in the Obosi cultural practices, among which is the Iwaji Obosi festival.
Finally, it is instructive to note that as a man rooted in the culture and tradition of his people, Odogwu Obosi had since obtained the consent of Igwe Obosi to celebrate Iwaji in America, a practice he has maintained since year 2014.
Chiedu Uche Okoye,
Williams lived a disciplined life as attested to by many Nigerians, including President Bola Tinubu in his tribute. Having chosen to stay outside partisan politics, he became a mentor to many Nigerians in the profession he pioneered and helped to grow
L-R: Lead Strategist, Strategic PRWox, Mr. Dotun Adekanmbi, presenting Best Value-For-Money Insurance and Best Value-For-Money Pension Awards to Head of Brand and Corporate Communications, Leadway Pensure PFA, Moyosoreoluwa Aiyelatan; Head, High Networth Clients, Olugbenga Oriowo; Team Lead, Corporate Services, Leadway Group, Aishat Bello-Garuba; and Convener, Consumers Value Awards, Mr. Akonte Ekine, during the second edition of Consumers’ Value Awards Night 2023 held in Ikeja, Lagos…recently
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Chinedu Eze
Aviation industry stakeholders are worried about the growth of the industry without the presence of profitable airlines in operation, stressing that the industry may not grow if urgent steps are not taken to remedy the situation.
Industry leaders that converged in Abuja on Tuesday for a two-day conference on African Aviation, were of the view that Nigeria airlines must operate profitably and buoy the sector to rapid growth, in order for Nigeria to grow to its potential
in the air transport sector.
The stakeholders said the high interest rate on loans, high and multiple taxation and high airport charges were responsible for the failure of Nigerian airlines to operate profitably.
The Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Musa Nuhu, in an interview, acknowledged the challenges Nigerian airlines face when he excoriated the high interest rate banks charge airlines on loans and regretted that it would be difficult for airlines to borrow
money at that interest rate and be profitable.
He also noted that it would be difficult for the airlines to operate profitably when the nation’s economy is struggling because despite Nigeria’s huge population the number of people that travel by air is relatively low and this has to do with the citizens’ disposable income.
He however noted that many of the challenges leveled at the airlines, especially in the area of cargo were not aeronautical charges and felt exasperated that the service providers have failed to streamline
the charges so that they could be reviewed downwards.
Airlines are the highest employers of labour in the aviation industry and other organisations in the sector exist to provide services to them; so they remain the bulwark of the industry and their failure defines the failure of the aviation sector.
The Regional Vice-President Africa and Middle East, International Air Transport Association (IATA), Kamil Alawadhi, in his speech at the conference, berated Nigeria for making it difficult for Nigerian airlines to operate profitably by
using high airport charges to abort their growth.
He said government had always stifle the airlines with high charges, noting that at least, there are about 27 charges imposed on airlines by the Nigerian government.
According to him, research shows that Nigeria ranks highest in airport charges in Africa and disclosed that Abuja airport is the most expensive airport in Africa, closely followed by Lagos airport.
“In a recent research conducted, web discovered that the most expensive airport in Africa is Abuja
airport, followed by Lagos airport, with all these exorbitant charges, Nigerian airlines can’t compete with their foreign counterparts.
“Africa has put itself in a a place where it cannot help its own, expensive fuel, excessive charges, leasing and insurance through the roof, the airlines need to be financially viable too. The airlines contribute to the country’s GDP but Nigeria needs to decide what to do for them to survive,” he said.
The Managing Director, Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Mohammed Bello-Koko, has stated that the operational license the authority granted to Export Processing Terminals (EPTs) to scale up export is yielding the much expected results with just one terminal recording over 300 containers in nine days.
Bello-Koko who stated this
during a tour of all the EPTs in Lagos, said the feat represents a 60 per cent increase from the 30 per cent recorded in the past.
Reaffirming the authority’s commitment to increasing non-oil export, Bello-Koko added the EPTs would fastrack export of Nigerian agro produce while also give them a competitive edge at the global scene.
According to him, “All of a sudden we have found solutions
on how to quickly process the export into the port to meet a voyage which is the vessel. We have set up the export processing terminals and it has helped tremendously in increasing export of Nigerian commodities especially agro produce. We have seen a tremendous reduction in wastages of agric products that are mostly perishable. Exporters that had been exporting through other countries are beginning to
bring in their cargo, so we are going round to ensure that the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) we put in place is actually working.”
“Where there is need for it to be tweaked, we would do that and we have come up with tariffs that are supposed to be charged by the Export Processing Terminal Zones (EPTZ) which should not be charged by the terminal operators and we are ensuring that exporters
do not pay double charges at any given time and in that way we will be able to reduce the cost of export for our produce making them much more competitive,” he stressed.
He commended the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), saying that the Acting Comptroller General has been supportive in achieving its mandate.
“We are making few amendments going forward as it relates to the
activities of customs in processing exports. We will keep working with the NCS and other government agencies that are involved in processing of export. We are glad to see that Nigeria needs to be able to seamlessly process its export to make them more competitive and also arrive on their destination on time,” he added.
Gilbert Ekugbe
Experts in the Nigerian maritime sector have advised the federal government to copy the Webb Port model of port community system being used in neighbouring Benin Republic.
Speaking at the 2023, Port Industry Town Hall meeting in Lagos, organised by an online medium, JournalNG, the experts agreed that the Webb Port model has proven to enhance national security, improve revenue collection and promote trade at the seaport, airport and land borders.
Speaking, A manager in charge of installation at Webb Fontaine Nigeria Limited, Lanre Balogun said the Port Community System has achieved seamless interactions between systems used by the port authority, customs and terminal operators from data exchange and logistics through billing and payment.
Balogun said all port processes under the Webb Ports regime enjoy
speedy processing from electronic manifest declaration through electronic payment of all duties and fees; space booking for delivery and loading preparation; e- release for cargo exit authorisation and cargo movements management and follow up
He said his company has trained 8,137 persons in Benin from 2018 to 2022 and has 6,624 users of the system that has helped Benin Republic Customs achieve 97 percent increase in customs revenue collection between 2016 and 2022.
On his part, the Customs Area Controller, Kirikiri Lighter Terminal, Comptroller Timinadi Bomodi warned that the nation’s blue economy will not attract FDIs without adequate data to guide investors.
Bomodi said that automated processes and technology could be utilized in addressing the dire need for relevant data on various aspects of the sector, which makes it easier for investors to understand
the terrain.
While stating that the Customs online portal, Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System (NICIS) II, allows for integration of other agencies, he maintained that blue economy should be explored as an ecosystem that leverages technology.
Also speaking at the meeting, a Maritime Lawyer, Abdullai Tony Dania called for due diligence and enactment of laws that will strengthen integration among government agencies.
According to Dania, there is a need for mandatory inter agencies and inter-Ministerial collaboration, supported by statute to give impetus to the required technologically backed integration.
Meanwhile, the Founder of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) and Chairman of the occasion, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam observed that automated processes of port agencies are fragmented.
Flutterwave, Africa’s leading payments technology company, yesterday announced that it has hired nearly 85 per cent of its 200 Graduate Trainees after one years training.
This, the company said in a statement, reaffirms its commitment to nurturing young talent and maintaining its position as an incredible workplace with a conducive environment for individuals seeking clear career growth opportunities in technology.
“Launched in August 2022, the Flutterwave Graduate Trainee Program was a 12-month-long paid traineeship for newly graduated youth with little to no work experience but with big aspirations. The program was designed to build a network of young talent and equip them with technical and soft skills and practical experiences by working at a global organization with over 750 employees worldwide.
This program further highlighted Flutterwave’s responsiveness to the needs of its customers, young talent, and the community as the program was tailored to accommodate the unique needs of recent graduates, including the flexibility to align with their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) obligations, “it stated.
Speaking on the successful end of the program and growth opportunities available for employees at Flutterwave, Flutterwave’s Global Chief People Officer, Mansi Babyloni, said, “We are excited that our aim of giving 200 extremely bright young graduates opportunities to learn on the job and kick start their careers in tech early in life has finally been accomplished. As 170 of them transition from GTs to full time employees after completing 12 months of on-the-job training and shadowing, there are myriad opportunities available for them to explore. I am excited that they get
to grow their career on our newly launched career progress framework which is the definition of endless possibilities. Today they’re Analysts and Engineer 1s; tomorrow they could be VPs and CXOs. Anything is possible at Flutterwave. I wish all our 200 GTs, even those who moved onto other opportunities, only the very best. The world is your oyster!. ”
Chief Operating Officer, Flutterwave, Bode Abifarin, said, “We’re thankful for the successful completion of the Flutterwave Graduate Trainee Program. We thank the People Team and all the Graduate Trainee Managers that helped coach, mentor and train our GTs to propel their growth into Analysts and Engineer 1s. This is in line with our mission to create endless possibilities for all; truly, their careers have taken off and there’s no limit to what they can achieve going forward.”
Chinedu Eze
Nigeria’s major carrier, Air Peace, has announced the commencement of direct flights from Lagos and Kano to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia on October 31, 2023.
The airline disclosed this during an engagement session with travel agents in Kano recently and explained that Lagos- and KanoJeddah service would operate three days every week with a possible connection from Abuja.
The Ground Operations Manager, Air Peace, Ayodeji Adeyemi, who represented the Chief Operating Officer, Oluwatoyin Olajide, stated that the the connectivity would be direct, using the wide-body
luxury Boeing B777.
He thanked the travel agents and restated the airline’s commitment to working with them to ensure the new route is maximised for everyone to enjoy the payoffs.
“In the first half of this year, we launched two major international destinations- Mumbai and Tel Aviv- and now we are gearing up for Jeddah next month. This does not only signal growth and expansion for the airline but it also demonstrates our firm commitment to reducing the burden associated with connecting cities with stopovers. We promise direct connectivity and this is evident in our international route network. We offer direct flights at affordable
fares,” Adeyemi said.
The Vice-president, National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA), Northern Zone, Abdulrazak Ibrahim, commended Air Peace for the planned Jeddah route and reaffirmed their support while also urging the airline to keep blazing the trail in driving route connectivity across domestic and international cities.
Air Peace, which operated a special flight to Antigua and Barbuda in August 2023, with prospects of scheduled operations into the Caribbean nation, has the highest route network among Nigerian carriers with a network of twenty domestic routes, eight regional and five international destinations.
Ibom Tourism Nigeria Ltd is set to hold Cocktail and Grill Festival on November 19, 2023 to mark Uyo, the capital city of Akwa Ibom state, as a leading brand in tourism promotion, According to a statement issued by the project team lead, Allen Effeh at a press conference in Uyo at the weekend, the objective of the festival, which is slated for
Kings & Queens, Ewet Housing Estate, is to bring the entire city together for a fantastic experience filled with mouthwatering food, refreshing drinks, captivating music, lasting friendships, and loads of fun and camaraderie.
“The Cocktail and Grill Festival promises to be the ultimate gathering of food-tertainment enthusiasts in Nigeria, featuring a vibrant celebration of street food culture in Nigeria’s emerging and
exciting city, Uyo,” he said.
The agency said it intends to turn the spotlight on the art of crafting cocktails, as the festival also aims at encouraging healthy drinking habits.
“We’ll also shine the light on the incredible grills created from local recipes, which Uyo is known for, while honouring the individuals and brands who passionately contribute to this craft and hospitality.
Aviation experts have identified fluctuating value of the naira as one of the factors that discourages international financiers and other credit institutions from funding aircraft acquisition for Nigerian airlines.
They have also identified the failure of Nigerian airlines to allow lessors repossess their aircraft at the breach of leasing contract or purchasing agreement as a second factor.
Also, the inability of airlines to pay for leasing due to scarcity of foreign exchange was identified as the third factor.
Airbus Africa and Middle East Marketing Manager, Prajyoth Krishna Mirajkar brought this to the fore on Tuesday, during a media briefing organised by the renowned aircraft manufacturing company.
Mirajkar said in Nigeria, lessors find it difficult to repossess their aircraft easily and this has become a disincentive to leasing aircraft to domestic airlines. This is why lessors, international insurers and others involved in aircraft acquisition business, have described Nigeria as high risk, which means that not many leasing companies will like to do business with airlines in that country, he said.
According to him, they refer to this as jurisdiction risk, adding that those that will be willing to lease aircraft to airlines in Nigeria do so at outrageous price and most often may not lease aircraft on long term, which is known as dry lease, where aircraft is leased to the airline and it operates it with its crew and also maintains the equipment. Lessors rather lease aircraft on short term, known as wet lease, where the lessor also provides the crew and maintenance.
High country risk also means that airlines that operate in that country pay high insurance premium that could be 10 times higher than their counterparts in Europe.
Mirajkar said that solution to this situation is for the Nigerian government to come in and save the airlines by directing the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to make forex available to airlines so that they will be able to pay for their leases.
Also, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) will give guarantee to lessors that they can easily repossess their aircraft without legal restraint, noting that with the collaboration of government and its agencies, Nigeria would be able to break the negative perception that portray the country as high risk environment for aviation business.
It is Nigerian carriers that bear the brunt of this perception, as they pay outrageous lease fees and high insurance premium, which impede their ability to operate profitably.
Globally 60 per cent of aircraft delivery is through leasing and many airlines acquire aircraft through leasing from the lessors, but Nigerian airlines have limited choices in aircraft acquisition, either the acquire through wet leasing, which is costly or they do outright purchase, which is equally costly because Nigerian airlines access credit facility at high interest rate of about 26 per cent.
The Director General of Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Akin Olateru, recently disclosed that import/export banks could extend credit facility to 85 per cent of the cost of an aircraft to an airline. However,
it would require the airline to give guarantee from a local bank, but Nigerian banks would insist on the deposit of that same sum they want to guarantee and in the same foreign currency in their banks before they could give guarantee for the loan. All these make it very difficult for Nigerian airlines to acquire aircraft.
Confirming Mirajkar’s position on aircraft acquisition in Nigeria, the Chief Operating Officer of Ibom Air, George Uriesi, in his presentation at the event, narrated the tortuous experience the airline went through in its efforts to acquire aircraft until it started working with Airbus, which is now helping the airline that has already made firm order for 10 Airbus A220 aircraft.
Recalling how difficult it is to pay lease fees on aircraft due to the dwindling value of the naira and the scarcity of foreign exchange, Uriesi recalled how Ibom Air leased Bombardier CRJ 900 aircraft. Although it did not fail to pay the monthly lease fee but the airline began to find it increasingly difficult to source forex to pay the fees. At a time, it became obvious that if the airline did not take a critical decision it might renege in the lease payment. So, it approached the banks to buy the aircraft outrightly.
“After careful assessment, we selected the Next Generation (Nex Gen) Bombardier CRJ 900s which has 76-90 seats. The aircraft has low usage, high reliability and reduced maintenance costs for the first few years. We had long-term operating lease but sourcing the dollar was very difficult. So, we approached the banks to source funds to buy the aeroplanes. That transaction saved Ibom Air in 2020,” Uriesi said.
Speaking on why it decided to acquire A2020, Uriesi said: “That it is what most suits its operations and the environment it is operating in because there was high demand of the airline’s excellent service, which further increased in the first half of 2021.”
He further said: “The burgeoning strength of the brand based on wide acceptance in the market, created a serious capacity crunch in first half of 2021. It became apparent that an increase in capacity to meet demand had become necessary. We approached aircraft manufacturers seeking for larger capacityaircraft, eventually settling on the Airbus A220.
“However, because it would require a long lead time to make ordersand schedule deliveries, with the help of Airbus, we secured two A220-300s on an initial one year ‘wet-lease’ from Egyptair, which we beganto operate on 30 June, 2021 (bringing our fleet to seven aircraft).This gave us the opportunity to ‘test’ the aircraft and we were delighted that the A220 was very well received and achieved great success for us in the Nigerian market.”
He also explained that based on the immense success of the A220 wet lease, in October 2021, the airline signed an order for 10 new A220300s from Airbus, with deliveries beginning in November 2023.
He said Airbus offered advice on what Ibom Air needed to do to be able to secure the necessary financing. He added that Ibom Air was invited to several aviation financing and economic conferences and meetings, as Airbus organised formal meetings with most key players and introduced Ibom Air.
Former General Manager, Lagos State Environment Protection Agency, LASEPA, Dr. Dolapo Fasawe was recently appointed as the FCT Mandate Secretary for Health and Environment just weeks after she was confirmed as a Commissioner in Lagos State government. For those in the know, her appointment was facilitated by record of achievements in the delivery of her core mandates and devotion towards building a sustainable environment in Lagos State. Chiemelie Ezeobi, who highlighted her successes at LASEPA, writes that with her doggedness, commitment and seamless delivery of her core mandate at each office she occupied, plus her inclusive style of managing resources, feelers are already out that she will exceed expectations in this federal appointment by setting the standard with every step
The reward for hardwork they often quip is more work. This cliche certainly runs true for former General Manager, Lagos State Environment Protection Agency, (LASEPA), Dr. Dolapo Fasawe, who was recently appointed as the FCT Mandate Secretary for Health and Environment. After her appointment as the FCT Mandate Secretary for Health and Environment, she expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu for giving her the opportunity to serve the good people of Lagos State in the capacity as the General Manager in LASEPA and also giving his blessings and support towards her new role as Mandate Secretary for Health and Environment in the Federal Capital Territory.
She said: “This is a new dawn for me and would bring the learnings and stewardship I have acquired over 19 years in service to Lagos State, to my dual capacity as Mandate Secretary for Health Services and Environment. It is indeed a great privilege and opportunity for improved outcomes in the concern sectors under my supervision.”
She also expressed her appreciation to Minister for the FCT, Barrister Nyesom Wike, for entrusting her with these great responsibilities while pledging to contribute her quota to the success of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.
It is worthy to note that Dr Fasawe was considered for appointment in Lagos as a Commissioner but settled to serve at the national level.
So for those in the know, the appointment was a good fit given that Fasawe remains a signpost for good and excellent leadership. Known for her doggedness, commitment and seamless delivery of her core mandate at each office she occupied, plus her inclusive style of managing resources, feelers are already out that she will exceed expectations in this federal appointment.
As the sixth and first ever female general manager at LASEPA, Dr. Fasawe did not only transform the agency, she deployed creative means to address environmental challenges and also bequeath to the good people of the state, a clean and safe environment regardless of their status.
This is because the agency is saddled with the mandate of protecting and improving the environment, by providing environmental friendly solutions to varied environmental challenges.
Established on the 1st of November, 1996, under LASEPA Edict No9 of 1996, the agency is to assist public and private organisations, industries, businesses and non-governmental organisations to achieve compliance through outlined guidelines and standard. And this Dr. Fasawe followed to the latter.
According to her then Chief Public Affairs Officer, Bola Ajao, the work she did at LASEPA was an all important job given the strategic position of Lagos State as the economic hub of Nigeria and the West Africa region, which confers certain responsibilities on the state that is as emerging smart city.
19,
Fasawe brought her expertise to bear in the management of the agency, by expanding the scope, mode of operation and significantly transformed LASEPA to a reputable regulatory body in the environment being under studies and replicated across the country and beyond.
While at LASEPA, she formed strategic partnerships with several strategic partners including, World Bank, Dangote, African Steel, UNIDO, US Mission, Oando, IHS Towers, the United Nations, Wema Bank and Standard Chartered Bank, amongst others, to secure funding, support, recognition for activities, solutions, and interventions that relevant and adaptable to the city’s unique environmental challenges.
According to Ajao, the Mandate Secretary’s background as a medical practitioner made it possible for her to diagnose the agency’s need and quickly fix them all through systematic positioning of the agency to the path of efficiency and professionalism through periodic capacity building for ranks and files of the agency.
Today, in Lagos State, the fear of LASEPA is the beginning of wisdom, particularly, for the polluters, because Dr. Fasawe dared.
Remarkably, her tenure witnessed several laudable and impactful projects. For instance, the agency, in August 2022 launched a project tagged “Eko Clean Air initiative” at Itedo Community (Eti-Osa) to
address air pollution, promote circular economy and also empower the vulnerable members of the society for a sustainable development.
These initiatives and other new ideas became masterstrokes and attracted holistic partnership with sustainability advocates as well as introduction and distribution of branded ‘Switch to Gas ‘cylinders, eco-friendly materials such as multiple use bottles/ bags and rechargeable lamps (to help in the reduction of air pollution, improve quality of life and further promote friendly lifestyles) to households and communities respectively.
“In all, under her leadership, there was adoption of more strong environmental policies such as
banning of single use plastics/bags/amplifiers at motor parks, open places, free hearing test for the residents as well as the introduction of Trash for Cash ( a waste- to – value incentivised circular economy).
“The locals were encouraged to exchange their single use plastics, oily waste and electrical waste for cash reward, cowry card, health insurance or food produce. The focus is to prevent pollution, reduce indiscriminate dumping of waste in drains, water channels, and mitigate effect of climate change as well as empowering the venerable.
“ Communities like Itedo (Eti-Osa) Ibeshe (Ori- Ade), Ikorodu, Obalende and Elegbata (Lagos-
Island) LCDAs have respectively benefited and to be replicated in all 57 LCDAs”, Ajao added.
Also at LASEPA, she walked the talk by ensuring single use plastics were banned within LASEPA premises, while symbolic presentation of reusable water bottles and multiple use bags were presented to all staff as a sustainable option to plastics and positioning of water dispensers and paper cups at strategic areas within agency facilities.
In order to drastically reduce the bureaucratic huddles of public service and further enhance effectively service delivery, LASEPA Boss increased the zonal offices from four to 20 to conform with the year 2023 vision of the agency to seamlessly reach out to its various publics within the nooks and crannies of the state in other to proffer solutions to myriad of challenges confronting the state.
The newly created zonal offices include Lekki, Mushin, Amuwo Odofin 1 &2, Surulere, Mainland, Ikorodu 1 & 2, others are Ojo, Oshodi-Isolo, Apapa 1 &2, Alimiosho 1, 2 &3, Agege,Badagry,Epe, Kosofe and Orile Igamu.
Ajao further added that to maintain the leadership role as the number one environmental protection agency, the agency in 2020 commissioned three developmental projects which include a mini effluent treatment plant (ETP) that has the capacity of treating wastewater and residual samples from industries that do not have access to effluent treatment plants or unable to meet the state’s acceptable standards. The installation of six air quality control monitoring stations at Alausa, Lagos Island, Akoka, Ikorodu, Abesan Ipaja, and Lekki respectively to attain clean air and minimize pollution by comparing pollution levels to ambient air quality criteria.
As well as the E-library and Resource Centre to facilitate the agency’s activities, detect plagiarism in technical reports and also open to research activities.
Another giant feat recorded under the doctor of the environment was the upgrading and Certification of the seven individual laboratories to become the first ISO – Certified government- Owned Environmental Laboratory in Nigeria (9000:2015). This noble move aims to assist the state government with empirical data to formulate better informed policy for the benefit of the people and environment.
The icing on the cake was the introduction of e payment and provision of point of sale (POS) machines to all zonal offices for ease of payment of environmental fines. This has boosted the revenue of the government and further promote transparency and accountability.
Dr. Fasawe, an award-winning Public Health Physician, has continued to play a very pivotal role in engaging state governments and non-governmental organisations towards improved healthcare service delivery, innovations and initiatives across Nigeria. Among her track record was her coordination of the State Emergency Public Health Information Strategy for the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in Lagos State in 2014.
Prior to her LASEPA appointment, Dr Fasawe served as the Coordinator of the Lagos State Special Health Programs where she pioneered and coordinated the Eko Free Health Mission, serving across all local governments in Lagos State. She was also the pioneer Desk Officer for Mental Health Programs, facilitating the promulgation of the Mental Health Bill for Lagos State, which was passed into law in January 2019.
She is a member of several local and national committee including the National Committee on the Study on Available Sustainable Alternative Materials to Plastic and innovative Packaging and Recycling Technologies Sponsored by United Nations industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).
She is considered one of the foremost experts in Nigeria on exploring the nexus between public health and environment for building resilient urban cities for the 21st Century.
She received her MBBS Degree in Medicine and Surgery from Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-ife on Honours roll. She was also adjudged the House Officer of the year at the end of the housemanship at the same university.
Dr. Fasawe holds a Masters Degree in Public Health from the Lagos State University College of Medicine, in addition to Diplomas in International Health Consultancy from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and Global Mental Health Management from Kings College London.
“This is a new dawn for me and would bring the learnings and stewardship I have acquired over 19 years in service to Lagos State, to my dual capacity as Mandate Secretary for Health Services and Environment. It is indeed a great privilege and opportunity for improved outcomes in the concerned sectors under my supervision “
Nigeria Silent Heroes Award (NSHA), is set to hold the fifth edition of its annual award on Saturday, September 16, 2023, at Abuja Continental Hotel, formerly known as Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Abuja.
To be honoured for their service to humanity are individuals from security forces to captains of industry, clergy, judiciary, lawmakers, civil servants, traditional rulers, technocrats, businessmen and women, and even the media.
NSHA is a non governmental organisation, “which recognises humanity with an award that expresses gratitude of our society for their kindness towards fellow individuals, families, community and environment and their silent heroic service to country..”
Project Coordinator, Mrs. Ozioma Odita-Sunday said:
“Through this award, we look forward to inspiring more persons to become Silent Heroes. This year’s edition is the fifth in the series. We have recognised farmers, artisans, technocrats and uniformed people oiling our nation’s wheel of progress, as well as deliberately and silently shape our nation for our next generation”.
While the occasion would have Oba Adewale Akanbi Telu,
the Paramount Ruler of Iwo land as Royal Father of The Day, the special guests of honour include Heirs Holding CEO, Mr Tony Elumelu (CFR); Mr. Monte Lucky Ehiwuogwu, MD/CEO Monaco Ventures; and Sir Mike Ejiofor (Fsi), former Director DSS.
Others include Acp Muyiwa Adejobi, Force Public Relations Officer; Mr Patrick Agbambu CEO, Security Watch Africa Initiatives; Mr. Dozy Mmobuosi, CEO, Tingo Inc.; Dr. Mabel Magbulu, MD/CEO Eagle Heights Properties and Investment; and Dame Pauline Tallen, immediate past Minister of Women Affairs.
Meanwhile, Dr. Nuhu Solomon Antegwu will be invested as the Patron of the Silent Heroes Award Initiatives.
Among those to be awarded include the Silent Hero in Business and Industry award to Deacon Sunday Chukwumanjo Umeoduagu, CEO GABJANE Global Resources Limited; Chief Kelvin Jombo Onumah, who will bag the Silent Hero in Philanthropy; HM Obi Ezedimbu Emmanuel, Silent Hero in Traditional Leadership; Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, Silent Hero in ICT Development; Mr. Oliver Alawuba; Silent Hero in Transparent Banking Culture; Dr. Solomon Arase, Silent Hero in Integrity and Good Governance; Rev Mercy Ezekiel, Silent Hero
of Faith; CP Idowu Owohunwa, Silent Hero in Policing; Dr. Daniel Olukoya, Silet Hero of Faith; and Cardinal James , Silent Hero in Leadership.
Others include Mayor Bolivia Osigbemhe, Silent Hero in Music Industry; Desmond Utomweh, Silent Hero in Journalism (New Media); Engr. A. Chichi PhilipOrioha, Silent Hero in Education Development; Pastor Jude Chukwunwike, Silent Hero in Local Government Administration; Barr. Samuel Ihensekhien, Silent Hero in Law and Advocacy; Dr. Adebayo Adedokun, Silent Hero in Medicine; and Mr. Frank Oshanugor, Silent Hero in Journalism (Print Media and Book Publishing).
Not left out were Hajia Husnah Nacho, Silent Hero in Business and Enterprise; Austine Adigwe, Silent Hero in Gospel Music; Chief Patrick Eholor, Silent Hero in Tourism, Hospitality Development; RT. Hon. Ahmad Chindo, Silent Political Hero; Hon. Innocent Esewezie, Silent Hero in Integrity and Good Governance; Alhaji Musa Mohammed, Silent Hero in Trade Facilitation; Dibie Charles, Silent Hero in Farming and Food Security; and Haidar Daik, another Silent Hero; and Pastor Nobert Sochukwudinma, Silent Hero in Leadership and Grassroot
Politics.
Also, the organisers intend to launch a compendium on Silent Heroes who are trailblazers but have been unsung.
According to the organisers, “in our larger society, there are men and women who are silently working assiduously behind the scene to oil our nation’s wheel of progress.
“These people are SILENT HEROES in their own right but have largely remained unsung and under-celebrated. Believe it or not, they are the reason our nation has made the modest progress recorded in different spheres in contemporary times.
“The book, “NIGERIA’S SILENT HEROES volume 1” is a documentation of some of the milestones of such hardworking individuals. Their achievements cut across diverse fields like Education, Security, Journalism, Industry, Oil and Gas, Real Estate, Governance etc.
“This compendium provides to the reader some insight into the rich profiles of these quiet Nigerians who have paid their dues to humanity.
“The spotlight on these “great” countrymen and women is intended to inspire upcoming young people to know and believe that hard work, integrity and consistency still have their dividends.”
In a dazzling celebration that radiated elegance and progress, Jand2Gidi marked its remarkable journey of growth and transformation at its 10th anniversary cocktail event last Sunday.
This milestone event was not just a celebration of a decade of success, but it also heralded a new chapter as the firm unveiled its new name, Cargoplug, signifying its evolution and expanded horizons in the world of logistics.
Jand2Gidi is a logistics company founded by two exceptional ladies - Ujama Akpata and Kikelomo Fola-Ogunniya who came together to solve importation delivery issues and have since impacted their industry both at home and abroad.
Over the past ten years, Ujama Akpata and Kikelomo Fola–Ogunniya have been at the forefront of revolutionising the logistics industry. These two ladies founded Jand2Gidi, a firm that quickly gained recognition for its efficiency and customercentric approach to handling UK-to-Nigeria deliveries.
The 10th-anniversary celebration attracted a star-studded lineup of influential personalities. Distinguished business magnates representing diverse industries graced the occasion, making it a gathering of notable
NewYork Learning Hub, a Nigerian US-based educational outreach is providing Nigerians with the opportunity to upgrade their educational prowess by offering them relevant educational opportunities that they need to thrive in their various careers anywhere they find themselves.
Speaking during a recent visit to Nigeria the Business Development Director / Coordinator of New York Learning Hub, Mr. Reginald Ugo Nwamara said what the organisation does is to challenge those practical aspects of studies where people go to school only to get certificates and then start looking for jobs.
“What New York Learning Hub is doing by academic input is for you to have that capacity to finish a course, understand the course, talk about the course and teach someone else the course”, he noted.
Speaking further, he said, “Everybody wants to leverage on us to be able to have academic upgrade. The most important thing is that you don’t need to have educational qualifications to be on the New York Learning Hub platform.”
He noted however t hat this depends on the course one wants to study, adding, “Even if you have never been to school, no matter your age and qualification, something is available for you at New York Learning Hub.”
“And for those who already have either a BSc or HND and want to go for a Masters, at New York Learning Hub we create avenues where they can find scholarships that favour them no matter their present educational status. So those of them coming with Polytechnic certificates will have to work with us to get a postgraduate diploma which will, of course, get them straight Masters programmes instead of going through so much stress and spending so much money to go to the UK to get a Master degree”, the coordinator added.
“We create the opportunities for you to get certifications in your area of interest and when you add these qualifications to your applications in the area of interest of scholarship you desire, you would be able to qualify”, he said further.
attendees par excellence.
The highlight of the evening was the unveiling of the new brand identity, Cargoplug. The Chairman of Cargoplug, Ben Wilcox, took the lead in a remarkable moment as he guided the audience in the unveiling of the new name and a celebratory toast. It was a captivating sight to behold.
This transformation reflects the company’s commitment to adapt and innovate in response to the changing demands of the logistics industry. The new name embodies their dedication to seamless and efficient
cargo handling, as well as their plugged-in approach to modern logistics solutions.
The event kicked off with a captivating speech by the CEOs and Co-founders of the firm, Ujama Akpata and Kikelomo Fola–Ogunniya, who expressed gratitude for the firm’s achievements and extended heartfelt appreciation to clients, partners, and staff members who played pivotal roles in the firm’s success story.
Speaking on the anniversary, Co-Founder, Fola–Ogunniya said, “We appreciate everyone
for joining us tonight as we celebrate a decade of excellence in the world of logistics. When we founded this company ten years ago, we had a vision to transform the way goods were moved, to create a logistics brand that stands for innovation, reliability, and unparalleled customer service. We started with a dream, a proposed solution, and a determination to make a difference. Today, we stand here, a testament to the power of passion, perseverance, and the belief in our brand.”
Dive In, the world-renowned festival dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within the insurance industry has confirmed September 26-28 as the date for the 2023 festival which will focus on the theme, “UnlockingInnovation:The Power Of Inclusion”.
While calling on the industry to create inclusive cultures that value diverse perspectives, the organisers said that after last year’s record-breaking turnout of 34,000 global attendees, Dive In will continue to operate in a hybrid format.
For the first time, the festival will also offer a reverse mentoring programme to promote cross-level diversity, equity, and inclusion engagement following the close of the three-day festival.
In Nigeria, this event is themed “Driving Innovation in Insurance”, inspiringindividualsacrossthecommercial and operational sectors of the insurance industry to catalyze change, fostering greater inclusivity andinnovation. Thismarksthefifth year of Dive In’s dedicated efforts in promoting diversity and inclusion within the Nigerian insurance sector, promising an engaging and
transformative experience for all participants.
Event registration opened on September 5th, through the Dive In festival website. Following the tremendous success of last year’s festival, Dive In 2023 introduced a groundbreaking initiative, “Dive In to Reverse Mentoring”.
This novel programme aims to bridge connections between leaders from diverse segments of the Lloyd’s market and individuals at all organisational levels. It fosters ongoing sharing of experiences, perspectives, and learning well
beyond the three-day festival.
Chief Strategy Officer of AON ReinsuranceSolutions,MaryAlade, emphasized that “The Dive In Festival has made a noticeable impact on the Nigerian insurance sector. Local leaders are not just advocating for change but embodying it. By engaging insurance leaders in critical discussions on cultural diversity and inclusion, we’ve seen tangible improvements year after year. Dive In’s dedication, from research to advocacy campaigns, is evident, and the response from corporate leaders indicates that they are listening.”
Worried about the growing population of unemployed youths in Nigeria, the Managing Director and CEO of M. P. Masterpiece, producers of Kubanah Whisky, Mr Emeka Ike has proffer ways to create employment opportunities for youths.
Speaking recently with journalists, Ike decried the rate of unemployment in Nigeria especially among the youths, describing it as alarming. He, therefore, said that the only way to reduce unemployment, create employment opportunities and promote national, social and economic growth and development was to encourage local production across the different industries, this is another reason we are in business.”
According to him, creating jobs will further reduce corruption and crime rate in the country, adding, “There are so many Nigerian graduates today looking for employment but the challenge is that we don’t have enough industries that will offer them jobs”.
Barely one year after M.P. Master Piece Limited launched one of its brands, Kubanah Whisky into the wine and spirit beverage market in Nigeria, the whisky has successfully penetrated major markets and supermarkets in Nigeria and across the border.
The whisky which is produced locally with international standards has very much captured the interest of Nigerian consumers and its demand continues to grow daily.
While stressing that the motivation behind the introduction of Kubanah Whisky was the need for quality and international standard whiskey in the Nigerian spirit market, he noted, “Kubanah Whisky is introduced to fill that need for a locally produced Whisky that is affordable and of international standard.”
Speaking further on standard, Ike said, “We are happy that our brand, Kubanah Whisky is doing well and competing well with imported whisky in the Nigerian wine and spirit market”.
AFRICAN MUSIC SERVICE, MDUNDO.COM, TO PAY $1.5M TO MUSICIANS IN 12 MONTHS
In a groundbreaking move that is set to transform the music landscape across Africa, Mdundo, the leading African music streaming and download platform, has reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to supporting artists and revolutionising the industry through transparent and fair royalty payment practices. With an impressive projected payout of up to $1.5 million over the next 12 months, Mdundo is championing the financial success of artists and contributing structure, legality, and income to the music sector.
Mdundo takes immense pride in its diverse and extensive roster of over 100,000 content providers, solidifying its position as the go-to platform for music discovery across the African continent. With prominent labels such as Africori, MAD, Mavin, Universal Music Group, Warner Music, and many others on board, Mdundo ensures that its 24.5 million monthly active users can enjoy music from various genres, styles, and regions.
The service works with 156,000 African artists as well as prominent labels such as Africori, MAD, Mavin, Universal Music Group, Warner Music, and many others.
The HOD Music of Mdundo, Wanjiku Koinange, said, “Mdundo’s Artist Royalty Payment is a testament to our mission of empowering artists and driving the growth of African music.” With a strong focus on fair compensation, Mdundo aims to foster a thriving ecosystem where creativity can flourish. The royalties are distributed to African rightsholders based on the artist’s performance on the service, Kenyan rights holders are the biggest beneficiaries of the service with 35%, followed by Tanzania with 19% and Nigeria with 17%.
Ugo Aliogo
The Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Climate Innovation Center (NCIC), Bankole Oloruntoba, has urged the private sector to conduct adequate due diligence on the existing business opportunities in Nigeria and lock into the counterpart funding required for scaling the opportunities.
He said there are multiple ways of how to address electricity challenges, which include; regional IPPs, district related IPPs, even streets related IPPs and clustering data type.
He added that a cluster development model would be the best model that can help players in the sector scale the
different new economies in the country.
Oloruntoba, who disclosed this yesterday in Lagos during the KPMG Breakfast Meeting with theme: “COP 27’s Loss and Damage Fund: Opportunities for Circular Innovation in the Nigeria Economy,” said the National Climate Change Council has also setup a framework of what Nigeria’s position is when it comes to carbon credit.
“So, the carbon credit is a voluntary credit system or carbon market, where everyone will sell and buy. But again, there is the coordination aspect, which allows you know, that there are certain rules and regulations of how it will
happen. So, the conversation for us was around what kind of market is available within the circular economy? What kind of innovation opportunities can we find, and what sort of funding structures are also possible? And what do we need to do to access the bulk of available funds across the world around circularity,” he said.
On his part, the Managing Director, Bank of Industry, (BOI) Microfinance Bank, Azuka Okofu, said the federal government needs to create more awareness, and build capacity, adding that Nigerians are very innovative, creative, and smart people, “so that we can build businesses to meet the needs of Nigeria.”
The Chief Executive Officer of APM Terminals Nigeria, Frederik Klinke has said that implementing technology can increase the capacity and efficiency of the ports.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Nigerian Ports and Trade Investment Forum 2023 held in Lagos, Klinke said that technology can help build collaboration between government agencies and the private sector to find common solutions to the challenges facing supply chain in the country.
He also said that APM Terminals has deployed software solutions that allow customers interact with its staff online, thereby reducing physical interactions at the port.
“We are rolling out customercentric solutions globally at APM Terminals, which allow an increased feasibility between
what happens in Nigeria and other ports. The next frontier for us is to enable the connectivity between our systems, customs, other governmental agencies and customers that need to have visibility on the containers before they come into the country,” Klinke said.
Speaking earlier while moderating a session on “Investments in Maritime Technology for Efficient Service Delivery at Nigerian Ports”, the Chief Financial Officer of APM Terminals Nigeria, Courage Obadagbonyi, advocated synergy between government agencies operating at the port. Also speaking during the session, the Commercial Manager, APM Terminals West Africa Container Terminal (WACT), Ismaila Badjie said Nigeria is an African super power with huge growth opportunities.
He said APM Terminals became a leading container terminal operator because it focuses on meeting the needs of its customers.
“At APM Terminals, we ensure that the customers are at the center of our operations and thought processes.
In West Africa Container Terminal Onne, we invested in a landscape; we are building a new terminal, which is almost completed. We also have online services such as Truck Appointment System which enable customers create, change or cancel their truck appointment time slots and TERMView, which enables customers to raise invoices, make payments, book container examination and download receipts from the comforts of their offices or homes without having to visit the port, ”he said,
CDK Integrated Industries has stressed that time management stands as the core driver of success in construction and infrastructure development.
The company in a statement said the effective time management is the compass guiding projects away from risks, cost overruns, and unexpected hurdles, especially delays.
“With the attention to details involved in the construction and infrastructure sector, instilling effective time and project management skills in industry professionals is paramount. This is precisely the mission embraced by CDK Integrated Industries, manufacturers of premium porcelain tiles. CDK Integrated Industries has chosen the grand stage of the Big 5 Construct Nigeria to applaud industry stakeholders on the vital
importance of time and project management.
“The Big 5 construct Nigeria is a platform that showcases complete solutions across every aspect of the construction cycle. It brings together industry leaders and leading brands, fostering a fertile ground for networking, market insights, idea exchange, and the creation of a robust network.
“As a two-time sponsor of the Big 5 Construct, CDK Industries demonstrates its unwavering support for industry events that create expansive and interactive communities of experts, professionals, and stakeholders from around the world. Such gatherings facilitate the sharing of ideas and tips that can propel industry growth, “it stated.
“We are excited and honored
to be a platinum sponsor at the Big 5 Exhibition. Our new tile collection represents a fusion of cutting-edge technology and timeless design. We believe it will redefine construction aesthetics, “said Managing Director of CDK, Mr. Bernard Longe.
The Product Designer, Maximillian Ugwunna, said, “CDK Industries can design with any customization you have in mind; just reach out to us, and we will turn your dreams into reality.”
As part of its mission to solidify its position as a thought leader in the industry, CDK imparted valuable insights on effective time management during a session titled, ‘Time Management Best Practices: Effective Methods for Managing Project Schedules.’ led by General Manager of Operations at CDK Industries, George Kachouh.
Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board in charge of promoting Irish food and drinks, has officially launched its Spirit of Ireland drinks campaign in Nigeria as part of the Irish government’s 2nd trade mission to West Africa.
The Trade Mission was organized to leverage the success of Irish food and drinks exports to West Africa, of which Nigeria accounts for 36% in Irish dairy, seafood, and drinks.
The 2-day Trade Mission in Lagos, sees the Irish Minister for Agriculture, Food and the
Marine, Charlie McConalogue, engage in a series of high-level meetings with the Min istry for Agriculture and Food Security, the United Nations (UN) World Food Programme and a roundtable discussion with the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation. The visit will also see the Minister and Jim O’Toole, the CEO of Bord Bia, engage in a series of commercial meetings and trade engagements aimed at strengthening Ireland’s food market position and business ties in Nigeria.
At the first African launch of the Spirit of Ireland campaign in Lagos, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D., said: “Given the renaissance Irish spirits is having globally and its growth trajectory in West Africa, launching Spirit of Ireland in Nigeria was the next obvious choice. The programme has been unveiled in seven global markets to date and today’s launch demonstrates Ireland’s commitment to grow the Irish spirits category in the Nigerian market.”
OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT 25 AUGUST, 2023
The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $85.71 a barrel on Thursday, compared with $85.84 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations. The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Djeno (Congo), Zafiro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basrah Medium (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).
The chairman, Red Star Express Plc, Mr. Suleiman Barau, yesterday said the company is resolute in continuously delivering strong and sustainable performance to maximize returns for shareholders.
Speaking at the company’s 30th Annual General Meeting (AGM), in Lagos, he said Red Star Express businesses have
been repositioned to capitalize on key opportunities and remain firmly committed to staying the course in executing its growth plan.
The company had declared a profit before tax of N593million in the financial year ended March 31, 2023, an increase of 43.4 per cent over the preceding year, while profit after tax for the year stood at N313.9milliion, surpassing the previous year’s
results by over 250 per cent.
The shareholders of the company at the AGM approved the dividend of 20kobo per share for financial year ended March 31, 2023 from 7.5kobo per share dividend paid in 2022.
Barau speaking to shareholders said the company has always prioritized the creation of shareholders’ wealth and has maintained a steadfast commitment to rewarding value
investors.
According to him, “As we look ahead to the new financial year, we hold a positive outlook for our company amidst the stabilization of the Nigerian economy. We welcome the market principles being adopted by the new government.
“With the removal of subsidies from petroleum products, improved foreign exchange dynamics, and efforts to control
inflation, we anticipate a more stable and predictable business environment that will facilitate better performance and growth opportunities.
“Nevertheless, we are not oblivious to the challenges that may arise due to the opportunities presented by the ever-changing socio-economic dynamics, both domestically and globally.
“However, the board and
management of our company remain optimistic having strategically invested in various initiatives to strengthen our position in the market.”
The Group Managing Director/CEO, Red Star Express, Mr. Auwalu Babura also speaking at the AGM said the company is poised to take advantage of the opportunities in the logistics and supply chain market going forward.
Deji Elumoye in Abuja and James Sowole in Abeokuta
President Bola Tinubu has described the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Aremu Gbadebo, as a leader whose virtues transcend his community while his support for arts, culture and education ensure the preservation of the Yoruba heritage for generations yet unborn. Tinubu stated this during a thanksgiving service at the Cathedral of St. Peters, Ake, Abeokuta, to mark Alake's 80th birthday.
Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, and his Lagos State counterpart, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, also eulogised the paramount ruler as he celebrated in style.
In a related development, Tinubu rejoiced with former governor of the old Gongola State, and erstwhile
national chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, who turns 88 today.
Speaking at a thanksgiving service to mark Alake's 80th birthday, Tinubu said Oba Gbadebo's eight decades of leadership had been a testimony of unwavering commitment to the welfare of his people and the country at large.
Represented by Abiodun, Tinubu said, "As his Royal Majesty reaches this remarkable milestone, we are reminded not only of his dedication to Nigeria, but also his warmth, humility and generosity.
"He has been a shining example of leadership that extends beyond his community, emphasising the importance of compassion and service to all Nigerians."
The president emphasised that Oba Gbadebo was a symbol of unity
who fostered a sense of belonging among his people. He said the occasion was an opportunity to pay tribute to the enduring legacy of a sovereign whose reign was marked by wisdom, compassion, and service to his people.
Similarly, celebrating Tukur, Tinubu, according to a statement by his media adviser, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, joined the family, friends, business, and political associates of the Tafidan Adamawa and Wakilin Ganye in marking this new age.
The president said it was a new age heralded by years of selfless and sacrificial contributions to the development of Nigeria's private and public sectors with a rich legacy of philanthropy and service to the country across various capacities.
Tinubu further extolled the former chairman of PDP for his visionary
leadership, which was remarkably reflected in his democratic credentials of contesting and winning elections, while consistently advocating good governance nationwide.
As a former General Manager at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Minister of Industry, the president affirmed that Tukur’s wealth of experience and wisdom, accrued through many years of service – most recently as Executive President of the African Business Roundtable and Chairman of NEPAD Business Group – would always serve as an important resource pool for growth in Nigeria, and Africa.
Abiodun, while celebrating Alake, noted that attaining the age of 80 in good health and many noteworthy feats worthy of admiration could be attributed to divine favour. He said the monarch had impacted
Gideon Arinze in Enugu state
The Governor Peter Mbah-led administration in Enugu State has supported the completion and equipping of 15 aggregation and cottage processing centres across the state to boost agricultural production.
The 15 aggregations and processing Centers, spread across 11 locations in the three senatorial zones and according to the value chain belts of cashew, rice and poultry, were constructed by the Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS)
Project, a World Bank Assisted intervention in the agricultural sector in Enugu State.
Addressing newsmen at the end of a tour of the centres yesterday, the Secretary to the State Government, Chidiebere Onyia, said Mbah has demonstrated in his first 100 days in office that agriculture was pivotal to his goal of driving the agro-industrialisation of Enugu state and growing its GDP.
He said agriculture remains the fulcrum of the economic policies of the Mbah’s administration which informed his decision to give priority attention to the APPEALS Project with the provision of the counterpart
funding which has fast-tracked the provision of machinery and tools for processing and aggregating as well as energy intervention.
"The facilities will enhance their productivity, improve value addition and open up vistas of market opportunities both locally and internationally for Enugu farmers, as well as add significantly to the economic growth of the state," he said.
“It will also help to tackle massive unemployment and reduce poverty in the state because the people will not only plant but also process and export their products," he added.
On her part, the acting state
project coordinator of APPEALS, Ihuoma Eze, noted that most farmers in Enugu State had suffered from post-harvest loss due to inadequate bulk storage houses and the nearabsence of processing facilities, hence the decision to provide common-user facilities to farm clusters to enable farmers in cashew, poultry and rice value chains to store their produce and process them up to international standards.
While calling on the communities to take ownership of the facilities and ensure that they are maintained, she thanked the state government for its support throughout the duration of the project.
The MTN Foundation has revealed that it spent about N3 billion on scholarships for science students and students with disabilities across the country in the past 10 years.
A Director with the MTN Foundation, Dr. Reginald Okeya, revealed this yesterday, while speaking with journalists at the scholarship award ceremony for science and technology students and the blind, held in Port Harcourt. Speaking on the project, Okeya,
said the project was geared towards assisting families who could not afford tuition for their wards in schools, adding that it was the telecommunications way of giving back to the society.
On the new beneficiaries, the director of MTN Foundation said over 300 students benefited from project which was splinted in batches.
He said: "What you witnessed today (yesterday) is one of our projects and it has been ongoing for the past 10 years. Is a project that is targeted towards helping
families that cannot afford tuition for their wards.
"It is our own way of giving back to the society; it is part of our corporate social responsibility for the society. So, every year as a foundation we set out certain amount of money for scholarships both for the blind and other students.
"For this one, we have them in batches. This batch is about 300 beneficiaries. It is mainly for science students, for normal and disabled students. They go through a process; we have a consultant that overseas
this project.”
On his part, Regional General Manager for MTN, South, Mr. ThankGod Otorkpa, advised the beneficiaries to be focused on their studies so as not to fall out of the scholarship, stressing that the students must be intentional in achieving success at the end of the project package.
Otorkpa added, "The beneficiaries will outdo themselves and in MTN we believe on outdoing ourselves, be the best version of who you can be.
lives in various ways through his humanitarian services.
The governor stated, "Kabiyesi, I am, indeed, thrilled and sincerely grateful for the unwavering support and guidance that our administration has received from you over the years, especially your open and unequivocal support to our second term in office.
"Without mincing words, it is expedient to state that Egbaland is blessed to have you as an exemplary monarch, and we are delighted to be associated with the successes you have recorded in the last 38 years of your reign on the throne of your ancestors."
Sanwo-Olu, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Gboyega Akosile, said Oba Gbadebo's visionary leadership and quest for Social, economic and political emancipation and elevation of his subjects had fostered an era of unprecedented development in
Egbaland. He said the monarch, who retired voluntarily as Colonel in the Nigerian Army, left the military with impeccable records, exhibiting the true spirit of royalty in him.
Sanwo-Olu said in the statement, "Oba Gbadebo's reign as the Alake has been a beacon of wisdom, benevolence and cultural heritage, enriching the lives of his subjects and the larger Nigeria populace. His leadership has been the cornerstone of peace and progress in Egbaland, and his commitment to the preservation and promotion of our rich cultural heritage is unparalleled.
"His Majesty's commitment to peace, unity and progress is wellknown and deeply respected. His visionary leadership, coupled with his ceaseless quest for the upliftment of his subjects, has fostered an era of unprecedented growth and prosperity in Egbaland.”
Governor Babagana Zulum is currently in Oxford, United Kingdom, where he addressed a group of participants at a fourday working retreat that aims to strengthen Borno’s peace-building efforts through attracting more support from the international community.
A statement explained that the ongoing retreat, which focuses on support for victims of Boko Haram attacks and managing repentant insurgents, commenced at the University of Oxford on September 13th and would end tommorow.
The retreat has the theme: “Strengthening the Borno Model,” of peace-building in terms of improving pathways to the successes recorded in encouraging mass exit of Boko Haram fighters, and addressing shortcomings of the model.
The retreat was organised by UK-based Inter Mediate, a registered charity institution working towards ending armed conflicts around the world.
The charity body is partnering with “international experts on the development of implementation plans on transitional justice and strategic communications, and to set out a vision for the next phase of the Borno Model within the context of Nigeria’s wider peace
strategy.”
The retreat was supported by the UK’s High Commission in Nigeria.
“Zulum arrived the UK on Wednesday evening and on his arrival, he was hosted to a welcome dinner at the first college in the University of Oxford. He was hosted by Baroness Valerie Amos, the master of the college (the first-ever black head of an Oxford college),” it added.
Zulum, yesterday, made a presentation titled, “The Borno Model- a strategic vision for the next phase (results, ambition and challenges).”
The retreat had presentation on, “centering Borno In a Nigerian and Regional Peace strategy (setting the Borno model within Nigeria and LCB’s wider conflict resolution approach and harmonising the model with the dialogue initiative).”
The retreat was expected to produce, “a winning communication strategy,” and “a legal framework for transitional justice” for the Borno Model with 100 days action plan for implementation.
“The retreat has representatives from the Nigerian federal government, the Nigerian military, the UK High Commission and consulting experts,” it added.
BUREAU OF PUBLIC REFORM PRESENTS ASSESSMENT REPORT ON NBRRI...
Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, yesterday, assured the people of adequate security ahead of the off-season gubernatorial elections in Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi States.
This came as he said the crime rate in the country was on the decline following concerted efforts of the security forces, the citizenry and other stakeholders to contain criminalities in the country.
Speaking at a meeting
with Assistant InspectorsGeneral of Police (AIGs) and Commissioners of Police in the 36 States and FCT in Abuja, the IG assured the public that, "adequate deployments and security measures will be emplaced to create an environment where every eligible voter can exercise their civic duty without fear or intimidation." He reiterated his determination to uphold the principles of democracy and ensuring peaceful, free, and
The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Katsina State has expressed joy and hailed Governor Dikko Umaru Radda for recruiting 7,325 teachers into the state civil service.
The Coalition, in a statement jointly signed by its Chairman, Mr. Abdulrahman Abdullahi and Secretary, Tukur Sule-Tama, made available to THISDAY, yesterday, described the gesture as firstof-kind in the state.
Radda, recently absorbed 7,325 teachers on the state government's S-power programme, part-time teachers and volunteers into the state civil service after thorough examinations.
The CSOs explained that the absorption of the S-Power teachers, part-time and volunteers' appointments into permanent positions was a giant stride towards rejuvenating the education sector in the state.
The statement read in parts: "The coalition also appreciates
the free hand His Excellency gave to the committee that conducted the screening and recruitment exercise without undue interference. This made their work credible and generally acceptable without any form of complaint from the public.
"Most important aspect worthy of commendation is the consideration given to all the recommendations made by the Committee in its report, and His Excellency’s foresight in approving induction training for all the recruited teachers to enhance their capacity."
The CSOs, however, called on the state government to regularise the appointments of casual health workers, particularly those working in primary healthcare centres across the state.
“The coalition wishes to appeal to the Governor to consider extending a similar gesture to the casual workers in the health sector, especially those at the primary healthcare level at an appropriate time.", the statement added.
fair elections while urging all stakeholders to work together and support police efforts to maintain the peace and security of these states before, during, and after the election.
He said the meeting was convened "to assess the security situation and discuss pertinent security matters as we approach the ember months, historically characterised by increased
activities and heightened security concerns.”
He commended the dedication and tireless efforts of police officers, as well as the unwavering support of the government and the public, which collectively contributed to the notable decline in crime rates nationwide.
The IG, who decorated a newly promoted senior police
officer, DIG Bello Makwashi, with his new rank as a Deputy Inspector-General of Police, acknowledged the critical role of police officers and relevant stakeholders in maintaining law and order.
He further expressed his heartfelt gratitude for their relentless commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all citizens, noting that the
collaboration and coordination among various stakeholders proved instrumental to achieving positive anti-crime outcomes. While emphasising effective and efficient policing services, he called on the public to continue to collaborate with the force via provision of timely information and vigilance for a peaceful, prosperous, and progressive nation during the ember months.
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has said the major challenge of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state ahead of the November 11 governorship election was that it picked an unsellable candidate that has been rejected by his party members and the people.
Diri, who spoke at a meeting with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders from Nembe Local Government Area in Government House, Yenagoa, yesterday.
He told his party members that the APC was not a problem to the PDP in the state but rather the candidate of the opposition
The National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in Benin, Edo State, yesterday, affirmed the election of Senator Neda Imasuen, as the Senator representing Edo South Senatorial District.
Also, the Court of Appeal in Abuja, has reinstated candidate of the Labour Party, Ngozi Okolie, as the authentic winner of the February 25
party, Chief Timipre Sylva, who has been dumped by even his party chieftains due to his poor performance in public office.
Diri noted that the APC candidate failed as governor as well as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources as he made no positive impact while he held sway.
He also stated that the APC joint ticket was equally questionable as Sylva’s running mate had very serious legal issues that border on criminal records.
Diri accused Sylva as the mastermind of the violence unleashed on the people of Bassambiri community, because
election for Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency of Delta State, effectively sacking Hon. Ndudi Elumelu.
In Edo, Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Matthew Iduoriyekemwen and his party (PDP), had through suit no EPT/ ED/SEN/03/2023 approached the tribunal to challenge Imasuen's victory in the February 25 election.
The petitioners approached the tribunal on five grounds and sought the nullification of Imasuen's
the man behind the killings in the area was his ally. He said, “As a sitting governor, the killings that took place during the 2019 election in Nembe would not be allowed to be repeated. Your son, Sylva, is an unsellable candidate. That is why his own close allies are with us. So, we are not fighting APC.
"Instead, we are against the killing of our people in Nembe. Every finger is pointed at Kojo Sam and his boys. And these are the people supporting Sylva because he is shielding them.
"Apart from this, how do you hope to be governor of our state
victory for alleged non qualification, over-voting, corrupt practice, non-compliance with the electoral act by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the nomination of the 1st respondent by the LP
However, the three-member panel led by Justice Yusuf Ubale Mohammed, dismissed the petition for lack of merit and incompetent, saying the petitioners failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Imasuen was not qualified
when you brought someone who allegedly ran away from prison without completing his term to be your running mate? That does not happen even in a Banana republic."
The governor expressed confidence that the PDP would win the election, because the people were happy with the developmental projects embarked on by his administration, and emphasised that the era of obtaining votes through violence was over. Rather, he said candidates and their parties should present their achievements and allow the people to decide.
to participate in the election.
After Justice Mohammed, had read the judgment for over three hours, the tribunal held that the allegations of non-qualification, party nomination or sponsorship for an election were pre-election matters that could only be entertained by a Federal High Court. He added that Iduoriyekemwen and his party PDP also failed to prove that the senator did not score the majority of valid votes in the election.
President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, blamed past leadership in the country for the recurring clashes between herders and farmers across the country.
The president, who received a report from the National Conference on Livestock Reforms and Mitigation of Associated Conflicts in Nigeria, however, approved the setting up of a presidential committee to curb further clashes as well as reform the livestock and dairy industries.
National Chairman of the AlI Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, who led the committee to Tinubu, however, announced that part of there commendations submitted to the president was to establish a ministry of livestock as well as modernising and improving livestock production in the country.
According to the president, "It is not the fault of herders and farmers that this crisis has persisted, it is the fault of the leadership, who failed to find immediate solutions to solve their problems. Leadership is about thinking and doing."
Tinubu, in a release last night by his Media Adviser, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, stated this in Abuja, said the president also approved the establishment of a Presidential Committee for the reform of the livestock industry and the provision of long-term solutions to recurring clashes between herders and farmers in the country.
The president explained that the committee was expected to collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, and propose recommendations aimed at fostering a peaceful co-existence between herders and farmers while ensuring the security and economic wellbeing of all Nigerians.
According to him, "The federal government is fully prepared to cover the cost of acquiring the land. These opportunities will provide gainful employment for our veterinary doctors, while opening doors for the private sector as the provision of new educational opportunities for
herders’ and their children emerge. Medical facilities will be established. This is a life-changing opportunity that we have.
"Imagine us producing enough milk for our school children. Imagine us becoming net exporters of cheese and yoghurt. Imagine us producing the skin massively with a major Nigerian leather industry. Imagine us providing cold storage facilities and employment across the nation. These things are possible in front of us."
Tinubu commended Ganduje for assembling the best minds and experts to find solutions to the perennial issues between pastoralists and farmers, and also praised the committee members for their diligent work in examining the complex issues related to livestock management, land use, and security.
"Out of every tragedy, if you are careful, you will see an opportunity. We have faced this conflict for some time. We know it is a homegrown problem. It is very hard for people to stay away from their traditional, old ways. I tried in 2018 to bring about a solution to this problem, but it proved elusive.
“But I've been told not to ever give up and today I believe the solution is here," the President stated, referring to the committee report, which contained several recommendations.
Earlier, Ganduje recalled that during his tenure as the governor of Kano State, he had hosted a national conference as part of a deliberate effort to promote the modernisation of livestock production, while strengthening the capacity of local authorities to manage relationships and amicably resolve conflicts between herders and farmers.
He noted that Kano was one of the most peaceful states in the country throughout his eight years in office.
"Mr. President, I am convinced that the report submitted here today has the antidote to the problems of the livestock industry. It addresses the key reforms and presents various development options required for
the sustainable development of the sector.
"The implementation of the proposals will enhance productivity, improve livelihoods, promote environmental conservation, address substantial causes of conflicts between farmers and pastoralists, and help in reducing the cost of importation for animal products like milk and beef".
Also, wwhile speaking with newsmen after leading the committee to present its report to the president, he said Tinubu was prepared to act on the recommendations in his determination to solve the problems associated with livestock in the country.
His words: "Let me start with a proverb, they say, “It is easy to declare war, but it’s difficult to
wage it. Meaning that we have made a number of important recommendations, because we studied previous attempts; the failures, the successes, we put them together and made recommendations to Mr President.
"But in order to find the solution, practical solution, that will provide the desired goals, you’ll need strong institution. We recommended the establishment of Ministry of Livestock and subsequent agencies so that various aspects of the recommendations will have appropriate institutions for implementation.
"We also recommended a source of funding, including international organisations, the private sector, the government itself, so many other things. So the answer we get is that
Mr. President is ready to provide solution to these problems, especially pertaining to the economy of the livestock and then the security aspects of the herders-farmers’ conflict."
Ganduje said the report submitted "grew out of the urgent need to reform and develop the livestock industry and to provide solutions to the age-long conflicts between herders and farmers in Nigeria.
"The low productivity of the sector has made Nigeria an import dependent economy draining scarce foreign reserves used for importing dairy, meat and other livestock products. Similarly, the conflicts is resulting in killings of citizens and loss of livelihoods, further affecting peaceful coexistence in the country.
“With increasing populations,
ecological changes such as soil erosion and degradation of grazing areas and changing climates, adopting innovative crops and livestock production practices is no longer luxury but an essential investment that this people centred administration under your leadership needs to vigorously pursue.
"There have been repeated attempts to develop the livestock industry with varying levels of failures and successes. The adoption of improved production practices that will increase productivity and help the cattle owners to permanently settle have been abysmal due to many factors such as inadequate planning and funding of programmes, weak extension services as well as other cultural, economic and technological barriers.
The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) has shortlisted 69 applicants for award of the coveted rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
Following the release of the list, the LPPC is now inviting
the public to raise possible petitions against any of the applicants.
According to LPPC, by this notice, it has announced the shortlisting of applicants who qualified after the Advocates first and second Filtration stages,
Academic pre-qualification, Academic second Filtration Exercise, the Independent Appeals Hearing and Chambers Inspection Exercise.
The final stage of the process will see the LPPC interview the applicants before announcing a
final shortlist of awardees for the 2023 conferment exercise.
“All qualified shortlisted Applicants are graded under two-category systems by the LPPC, namely Advocates and Academic Applicants respectively," it said.
Ahead of the G77+China Leaders’ Summit starting today, Vice President Kashim Shettima, has expressed the desire of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to deepen existing bilateral relations between Nigeria and the Republic of Cuba.
Shettima, who disclosed this yesterday during a courtesy visit to the Vice President of Cuba, Salvador Valdez Mesa, at the Palace De Revolution in Havana, traced the history of
relations between Nigeria, Africa and Cuba especially its support for Southern Africa.
“We hold Cuba in high esteem especially your commitment to us in Africa,” he said.
While commending the existing relationship between the two countries, the vice-president reiterated the need to re-commit to future relations, saying, “Our relationship has been very excellent over the years and this relations needs to be strengthened and upscaled.
“This is why I came with
Ministers of Agriculture and that of Science, Technology and Innovation to explore future areas of partnership.”
Shettima stressed the need to explore opportunities in Science, Technology and Innovation as well as the agriculture sector, and took his time to deliver a special message to the President of Cuba, Miguel Diaz-Canel from President Tinubu, assuring him of the president's commitment to deepening their mutual relations.
In his remarks, Vice President of Cuba was full of praises for
Nigeria’s leadership role in Africa and the world, saying Cuba took its relations with Nigeria very seriously and that the support to Africa in past decades was due to the fact that Cuba considered itself as an African State.
Mesa, however, expressed his country’s readiness to explore new areas of collaboration with Nigeria in such sectors as health, biodiversity and agriculture. He also thanked Nigeria for its participation at the upcoming Summit, saying, “We attach great importance to your presence here.”
may establishL-R: Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo; Regional Vice President of Embraer, Francisco Moraes, and Chief Operating Officer of United Nigeria Airlines, Engr. Osita Okonkwo, after a business meeting on the sidelines of Aviation Africa Summit in Abuja…yesterday
Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto
The Sokoto State Police Command has confirmed a terror attack in Giyawa village, Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State where four persons were confirmed dead with several others injured.
The state Police Public
Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Ahmed Rufai, told THISDAY that 18 persons were initially abducted by the assailants, who also carted away other valuables, including livestock.
He said seven of the abducted victims later escape and returned to their community where many residents have fled for safety
Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano
The Kano State Government has warned that henceforth it will not allow private school proprietors to exploit unsuspecting parents and guardians by increasing and charging students exorbitant school fees.
The Special Adviser to the state Governor on Kano State Private and Voluntary Institution Board, Baba Abubakar Umar, disclosed this during a media briefing held yesterday in Kano.
According to him, “How proprietors of private schools
are charging exorbitant school fees was unbecoming and the government would no longer tolerate such attitude.”
The Special Adviser noted that the state government had embarked on the revalidation of private school ownership certificates to ensure adequate digital data for all private schools in the state. He said: “We shared free validation forms to over 7,000 private schools operating in the state, but only three thousand collected, filled, and returned the forms to the board.
Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
The Transport Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration has arrested five suspects for allegedly vandalising the rail tracks of the Abuja Light Rail project.
The suspects, allegedly specialised in vandalising perimeter fences, communication cables and rail tracks, were arrested by security personnel assigned to safeguard the railway facilities.
Mandate Secretary of the Transportation Secretariat, Uboku Nyah, derided the destruction of the infrastructure as highly condemnable when he visited the various sections of the vandalised rail tracks at Kukwuaba yesterday. He vowed that appropriate
authorities would institute legal action against the suspects to serve as a deterrent to others, as the government had invested heavily on the rail infrastructure to provide cheap and safe transportation for the people.
According to him, “We are sad to see what has happened. We got this report in the office that there had been a lot of vandalisation on our protective fences, tracks and communication cables. We came to see what has been happening, and we can confirm what we have seen. It is sad and very condemnable that our people that we are working for are doing this, because the people didn’t come from outer space to cause this level of vandalisation on the project.
The MoneyMaster Payment Service Bank (MMPSB), established by Globacom, has upped the game for its G-Kala savings accounts’ holders with the announcement of 8.0 per cent annual interest on their savings accounts with the bank.
The novel plan is being put in place by the payment service bank (PSB) to encourage the culture of savings among new and existing customers of the bank and promote financial inclusion in the country.
According to a statement that was issued by the bank in Lagos,
since last Wednesday night when the assailants attacked the community Though other sources from the affected community claimed that over 30 persons were abducted, the police maintained that only
11 persons are still with the attackers.
He said the police are on the trail of the assailants, and are making efforts to ensure normalcy is restored in the affected community and
environment
Also, the state chapter of People Democratic party (PDP) yesterday condemned the attack, saying the incessant attacks on Goronyo communities have become worrisome.
In a statement issued by the party spokesman, Alhaji Hassan Sahabi Sanyiinnawal, on behalf of the state party Chairman, Aliyu Bello Goronyo, PDPcalled on the governments to find lasting solutions to the problem.
Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi
Bauchi State Government has disclosed that plans are under way for the upward review of salary structure and remuneration of members of traditional institutions including Emirs, District and Village
Heads across the state. This is as the Bauchi State Council of Emirs have commended the governor for the infrastructural development and the legacy projects that he is going to bequeath to state while acknowledging the respect he accords the
traditional institutions in the state.
Governor Bala Mohammed, who was speaking while granting audience to members of the State Council of Emirs at Government House Bauchi, yesterday said the move for the upward review of salary
structure and remuneration of members of the traditional institutions was to enhance their royal duties of complementing government’s efforts in addressing security challenges currently resurfacing in some local government areas of the state.
James Sowole in Abeokuta
Councillors of Ijebu East Local Government in Ogun State, yesterday impeached the suspended chairman of the council, Hon. Wale Adedayo, over allegations of financial misappropriation and diversion
of funds.
Leader of the Legislative Council, Hon. Fasheyi Akindele, in a statement, said Adedayo was impeached after he appeared before the councillors, following an invitation extended to him over allegations of fund mismanagement.
According to Akindele, after a series of invitations by the House, which were ignored in the past, Adedayo eventually appeared before the legislative council as the councillors continued their probe of the chairman.
Eleven councillors were said to have participated in the session
during which Adedayo was impeached.
The suspended chairman was also said to have spent the council funds till August 2023, even when the budget was yet to be approved, whereas the laws only allow him to spend till March 2023.
Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori has tasked members of the Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA) to critically examine causes of building collapse in the country to avoid the disturbing development.
The governor, who spoke
in Asaba yesterday at the opening ceremony of a twoday programme: Archi- Delta Expo 2023, organised by the state chapter of NIA, said everything would be done in the state to prevent cases of building collapse and implored architects to rise
to the occasion.
Represented by the Commissioner for Lands, Surveys & Urban Development, Chief Emamusi Obiodeh, the governor said: “Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, from the records, the Archi-Delta Expo is an annual event by the
Nigerian Institute of Architects, Delta State chapter where it presents impactful lectures in the building industry, innovative products exhibition and presentation of awards to deserving individuals, consultants, infrastructural companies and government.”
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has reiterated that it targets 50 listings of Shari’ahcompliant products with a combined market capitalisation of about N5 trillion by 2025.
The Director-General, SEC, Mr. LamidoYuguda, who was represented
“both new and existing G-Kala savings account owners will enjoy 8.0 per cent interest rate per annum for all deposits made into their G-Kala savings account.”
However, the customer “must ensure that not more than three withdrawals are carried out in a month. The interest amount will be calculated and credited monthly,” the statement added.
The bank hoped to use this incentive to drive the adoption of cashless banking among potential customers who could log on to its website for a convenient and seamless account opening experience.
CHANGE OF NAME CHANGE OF NAME
I formerly known and addressed as OKOROCHA VICTORIA CHIKANELE, now wish to be known and addressed as IWUEZE VICTORIA CHIKANELE OKOROCHA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.
I formerly known and addressed as MISS NWOKEOGU JOVITA NDIDIAMAKA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS OKORONDU JOVITA NDIDIAMAKA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.
RECONCILIATION OF NAME
This is to notify the general public that AGBO SUNDAY NEREUS AKOR and AGBO SUNDAY AKOR refers to one and same person and henceforth wish to be known and address as AGBO SUNDAY NEREUS AKOR. All documents remain valid. The general public please take note.
I formerly known and addressed as RASHEEDAT TEMITOPE LADIPO, now wish to be known and addressed as TEMITOPE TEMITAYO OLAWOYIN. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.
I formerly known and addressed as OBIENE OBIENE MAINKARAMO, now wish to be known and addressed as MAINKARAMO OBIENE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.
I formerly known and addressed as ANAYO CHIAMAKA MARTHA, now wish to be known and addressed as ANAYO CHIAMAKA MARTHA CELESTINE. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.
by the Executive Commissioner Operations, Mr. Dayo Obisan, at a capacity building workshop for local Shariah talent for non-interest capital market – level II, in Abuja, said non-interest capital market (NICM) segment of the revised Capital Market Masterplan (2021 – 2025), targets 100 retail Shariah-compliant products and over one million direct investors in
Shariah-compliant products.
He stated that the commission faced with these ambitious targets, has resolved to redouble its developmental efforts, especially in capacity building that nurtures reputable professionals to leverage Sharia best practices in facilitating the sound implementation of Sharia-compliant initiatives with the ultimate aim of deepening the
NICM space. The DG stated that the commission would continue to leverage its subsidiary, the Nigerian Capital Market Institute, especially in developing robust programmes around Non-Interest Finance which are expected to promote capacitybuilding and sharia-compliant products and processes.
The operatives of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) have arrested a 22-year-old suspected rapist and armed robber in Ondo East Local Government Area of Ondo State.
This was announced by yesterday Ondo State Command Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ms.
Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, who said that the arrest was made following a complaint of rape and armed robbery lodged at the station by one of the suspect’s victims.
The PPRO said that the suspect pretended to be a Good Samaritan, who volunteered to help one of his victims before carrying out his evil acts.
She said: “He robbed his victim of the sum of N102, 000, her phone and raped her at gunpoint on the way in an isolated area. He was later arrested by police operatives of the command on routine patrol. During interrogation, he confessed to have robbed many people of their belongings and valuables in the past.
“Four of his victims were contacted
through their recovered phones from the suspect, and they all identified him to have attacked and robbed them of their belongings.”
Odunlami-Omisanya noted that exhibits recovered from the suspect included a black unregistered TVS ladies motorcycle, one cut to size gun with bullets, six mobile phones and a POS machine.
The Aba Diocese of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, has waded into the contentious sacking of workers by the Abia State Government, and urged the state Governor, Alex Otti, to reverse the policy.
Thousands of workers, comprising those employed at the end of last administration
and those considered to be drawing salary as “ghost workers” were “cleaned out” from the government payroll.
But the Church, rising from the Third Session of its 17th Synod, said sacking of civil servants “worsens the hardship in the society and fuels all vices associated with unemployment.”
The stance of the Church on the retrenchment exercise was
contained in the communique signed by the Bishop of Aba Diocese, Anglican Communion, Rev. Christian Ugwuzo, and the Clerical Synod Secretary, Venerable Innocent Ogbonna.
Kemi Olaitan inIbadan
Former Oyo State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Kunmi Mustapha, yesterday described the establishment of College of Agricultural Science and Renewable Natural Resources, Iseyin, a campus of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso; and the reconstruction of Iseyin-Oyo road as age-long prayers of the people of the community that have been answered.
Mustapha in a statement issued yesterday, while commending the state Governor, Seyi Makinde, for making the dream of the people a reality with the projects, said all preparations have been put in place towards the inauguration of the projects today by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
He added that residents of the ancient town are anxious to welcome Chief Obasanjo, the governor and his entourage, as
well as other important dignitaries for the inauguration of the projects.
According to him, “Now that our age-long prayers to have a public higher institution of learning have been answered by God through his messenger, Governor Makinde, we the Iseyin people have nothing to say than to rejoice and appreciate God Almighty for this blessing.
“We know how long we have been pestering successive state administrations and the federal government for the establishment of a public institution of learning; we also know how tedious the road for the establishment has been to the college and the successful approval for the reconstruction of Iseyin-Oyo road, which has been abandoned for many years.
“The Seyi Makinde’s administration is a testimony to the fact that God never abandons His own people, this is why we appreciate God for blessing Oyo State with such a kindhearted leader.”
The stocks of Nigeria and Napoli frontman, Victor Osimhen, have continued to rise following his nomination for the eighth edition of FIFA The Best Men’s Player of the Year award yesterday by the world football governing body.
The 24-year-old Super Eagles striker was named in the 12-man shortlist for the award released by FIFA yesterday.
Osimhen who was just couple of days ago similarly named amongst the five players from the continent in the 30-man shortlist for the prestigious Ballon d’Or award, is the only African in the running for the FIFA The Best Men’s Player of the Year.
The former Lille of France player has remained in terrific form since last season when he helped Napoli to their third Italian Scudetto league title after 33 years.
Osimhen’s exploits are not limited to Europe alone. He scored 10 goals for the Super Eagles as Nigeria qualified for the 2023 AFCON effortlessly. His hat-trick against Sao Tome and Principe last Sunday capped his brilliant run in the qualifiers
and is likely to take the form to the 2026 World Cup qualifiers starting in November.
Expectedly, Osimhen is also primed to win the coveted CAF’s Player of the Year award when the ceremony holds later in the year in Morocco.
Also nominated in the FIFA The Best Men’s Player of the Year include; Maverick Argentine forward, Lionel Messi, who has turned around the fortunes of Inter Miami since arriving the MLS club side from PSG in France.
Amongst other front runners for the award are; Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, Rodri, Julian Alvarez, Marcelo Brozovic, Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Declan Rice and Bernardo Silva.
According to FIFA, the 12 nominees were selected by a panel of football experts who reviewed longer list compiled by the world soccer body.
“Voting is now open across the various categories, with the international jury being comprised of National Teams Captains and Coaches, journalists, and fans from all over the world,” concludes the statement from
Edo State has emerged champions of the 2nd edition of the Diamond Superstars Promotion Kickboxing Championship held at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, Edo State.
The state won 7 gold, 8 silver and 8 bronze medals to emerge victorious thereby dethroning Delta State that won the first edition.
Bayelsa State finished second with 5 gold, 6 silver and 3 bronze medals while Oyo State placed third with 3 gold and 3 bronze medals.
Loveth Patra Ekufu, USA-based Nigeria-born former National and World Kickboxing champion who is a former Mixed Martial Arts champion and a renowned International Referee bankrolled
the championship. She gave kudos to all those who contributed in making the programme a success.
Meanwhile, President of the Kickboxing Federation of Nigeria (KBFN), Mr. Wilson Gabriel Okon, while commenting on the championship, praised Loveth Patra Ekufu for remembering her roots and charged other well-meaning Nigerians to emulate her good gestures.
Okon who just returned from Madagascar on continental kickboxing duties, also praised the technical officials led by Mr. Nelson Oluigbo for putting up a good show. Over 70 Kickboxers drawn from various states and clubs from across the country took part in the week-long championship.
A former Director General of the defunct National Sports Commission (NSC), Dr. Patrick Ekeji, has described the composition of the current board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) as truly representative of the critical sectors of the country.
Ekeji, who praised NFF President, Ibrahim Gusau, for ensuring that the current board has men and women capable of fulfilling Nigerians’ desire for a progressive football culture.
The former Green Eagles player said if managed properly, the current board is capable of taking the game to great heights.
Speaking while receiving Chairman of the Nigerian National League(NNL) board,
FIFA yesterday.
Interestingly, half of the candidates for the Men’s award were part of Manchester City FC’s treble-winning squad of last season, with their coach, Pep Guardiola also in the running for the Men’s Coach of the Year
award.
Osimhen’s coach who has taken a break from football, Luciano Spalletti, Barcelona Coach, Xavi; Simone Inzaghi and Ange Postecoglou complete the list of five coaches to battle for the top honour.
Julián Álvarez (Argentina); Marcelo Brozovi (Croatia); Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium); lkay Gündogan (Germany); Erling Haaland (Norway); Rodrigo (Rodri) Hernández
Cascante (Spain); Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia); Kylian Mbappé (France); Lionel Messi (Argentina); Victor Osimhen (Nigeria); Declan Rice (England); Bernardo Silva (Portugal)
George Aluo, in Owerri, yesterday, Ekeji said: “I have gone through the list of people in the current NFF board and I must say that I am pleasantly surprised by the careful selection of the members.
“We have people from all the sectors of the economy on that board and I believe that they can contribute to the real growth of our football economy.”
Ekeji advised Aluo to engage the critical sectors of the economy and relevant stakeholders in his efforts to lift the second tier football league, while advising private sector players to invest in the league and reap from the Federal Government’s incentives for such investments.
Despite the devastating earthquake that wreaked in Morocco, Bendel Insurance’s opponents in tomorrow’s second preliminary round of the CAF Confederation Cup, RB Berkane, arrived in Benin City yesterday to battle for ticket to the next round.
Media Officer of Bendel Insurance FC, Kehinde Osagiede confirmed to THISDAY yesterday evening that the Moroccans arrive the Edo State capital at about midday and were dispatched to their hotel.
“They were given a place to train before being allowed into
the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium pitch to have a feel of the turf on Friday (today) in line with standard practice,”observed the hardworking media officer of the ‘Benin Arsenal’.
The Moroccans defied speculations that they may not be able to honour the tie in Benin because of the earthquake measuring 6.8 magnitude that has claimed well over 3,000 people in the Atlas region of the North African country.
Information from the Edo Sports Commission headed by Olympian Yusuf Alli, hinted yesterday that both teams will wear black arm band to mourn those who have passed away in the worst history of earthquakes in Morocco.
Also, flags of both countries are going to fly at half mast with one minute silence observed in honour of those who have died in the sad incident.
RB Berkane are two-time
champions of the CAF Confederation Cup and have also won the Super Cup once. They are the most successful Moroccan club in the continent.
They will however find in Bendel Insurance tough customers tomorrow when they meet at the famous Ogbemudia Stadium with the reverse fixture taking place in Morocco a week later. Bendel Insurance FC who have remained unbeaten this season, were the champions of the CAF Cup in 1994. They also won the WAFU Cup thrice in 1993, 1994 and 1995.
healthcare. Technology will also help in proving cure to several diseases that plague humanity today.
•Education and E-Learning: The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of e-learning. There is no major learning institution today that does not have an e-learning platform. I took advanced Executive Courses from Harvard Business School and Wharton Business school virtually and even gave a valedictory speech. We need to have an e-learning platform for our universities in Nigeria hence the need to replicate the smart innovation hub across systems and sub-systems.
Why should engineers be at the forefront of embracing the digital future, you may ask? Well, the answer lies in its potential to spur economic growth and development especially in Nigeria today.
•Innovation Ecosystems: Digital innovation hubs like the one we are unveiling today serve as catalysts for innovation ecosystems. They create fertile ground for start-ups, entrepreneurs, and engineers to collaborate and create transformative solutions. The Ministry of Communications, Innovations and Digital Economy under the leadership of Dr Bosun Tijani, should be the next stop for the Society of Engineers with regards forging a partnership that will create the innovative ecosystem that Nigeria needs for economic development.
•Global Competitiveness: In a globalized world, the ability to adapt and thrive in the digital landscape is key to maintaining competitiveness. Countries that invest in digital infrastructure and human capital development are better positioned for economic success. The top five companies in the USA today by market capitalization are technology companies. They export their product globally and this has positively grown the GDP of the USA. Nigeria today has that potential with the
China have never been divided and will never be divided, and Taiwan’s status as part of China’s territory has never changed and will never be allowed to change.
Understanding the basic fact that Taiwan is an integral part of China’s territory, the so-called view of “comparing the Taiwan question with the Ukraine crisis” is debunked. The Taiwan question is completely China’s internal affair, while the Ukraine conflict is a dispute between two sovereign states, and there is no comparison between the two.
Second, in today’s world, the One-China principle has been widely recognized by the international community. The trend of history is irreversible and the will of the people cannot be violated.
At its 26th session in October 1971, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 2758, which undertook “to restore all its rights to the People’s Republic of China and to recognize the representatives of its Government as the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations, and to expel forthwith the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek from the place which they unlawfully occupy at the United Nations and in all the organizations related to it”. It also spelled out that China has one single seat in the UN, so there is no such thing as “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan”.
Resolution 2758 is a political document encapsulating the one-China principle whose legal authority leaves no room for doubt and has been acknowledged worldwide. Taiwan does not have any ground, reason, or right to join the UN, or any other international organization whose membership is confined to sovereign states.
The one-China principle represents the universal consensus of the international community; it is consistent with the basic norms of international relations.To date, 182 countries including Nigeria have established diplomatic relations with the PRC on the basis of the one-China
tech community in Yaba, Lagos State and tech companies like Flutterwave, Future Africa Fund, Max NG, Kuda Bank etc. There should be the national support behind brands like this to launching them into the global market.
•Job Creation: Embracing the digital future can lead to significant job creation. Engineers are needed to design, implement, and maintain the digital infrastructure that underpins industries. One of the agendas of Mr President is ending poverty and to me that means converting Nigeria from a consuming nation to a producing nation. Job creation and productivity will be greatly needed through the infusion of technology in our economy.
Now that we understand why the future is digital, let’s discuss how you engineers can actively participate and contribute to Nigeria’s development in this digital age.
•Education and Lifelong Learning: Engineers must commit to continuous learning. The rapid pace of technological change demands that we adapt, upskill, and stay current with emerging trends and tools. I read every single day not out of boredom but because I need to constantly upskill level and learn new ways of solving the everyday challenge I am faced with. We must drive the need for education to the very foundation of our society.
•Interdisciplinary Collaboration: The digital future is not the sole domain of engineers. Collaboration with professionals from various fields such as data scientists, designers, and policymakers are essential to harness the full potential of digital technology. A farmer in Jigawa state will benefit from your technology on mechanized farming as well as a fisherman in Bayelsa on storage facilities and environmental protection.
•Innovation and Sustainability: Engineers have a unique role in ensuring that digital
innovations are not only cutting-edge but also sustainable and responsible. This involves addressing issues like cybersecurity, data privacy, and ethical AI. As with all things, there are good and there are bad sides., we must always strive to be on the part of good using technology to drive positive change.
Engineering itself is undergoing a profound transformation in the digital age.
•Digital Twin Technology: Engineers are creating digital twins of physical systems, enabling real-time monitoring, simulation, and optimization of complex structures and processes. In Ikeja Electric, our Distribution Company, we deployed an E-billing system eradicating paper trail and providing digital bills to all our customers. It saved us cost and made us more efficient in bill distribution.
•3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing: This technology is revolutionizing product design and manufacturing. Engineers are using 3D printing to create prototypes, custom parts, and even entire buildings. My dear friend, the President of the African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina in a recent speech talked about digital manufacturing and how this is transforming the global manufacturing economy. He emphasised that this needs to be replicated in Nigeria before we miss out as players in a global market, and I couldn’t agree more.
•Blockchain and Smart Contracts: These technologies are enhancing the security and transparency of engineering projects, particularly in areas like supply chain management, construction, healthcare, insurance etc. However, before we go into smart contracts, we need to review our current contract policies and framework and ensure they are set to global best practise before we digitalise them because we cannot build on faulty foundation.
As we embrace the digital future, we must also address the challenges it presents.
•Cybersecurity: With greater connectivity comes increased vulnerability to cyberattacks. Engineers must prioritize cybersecurity in their designs and systems. Cybersecurity should not focus only on software, but security should focus on hardware. I say this because of our peculiar challenge in Nigeria with regards energy theft and infrastructure vandalism.
•Data Privacy: The collection and use of personal data raise ethical questions. Engineers must adhere to strict data privacy principles to protect individuals’ rights.
•Environmental Impact: The digital revolution has an environmental footprint. Engineers should focus on sustainable practices and energy-efficient technologies. The world is currently in an energy transition phase and all systems and processes should align with this.
In conclusion, embracing the digital future is not a choice but a necessity. The Smart Innovation Hub we unveil today stands as a symbol of our commitment to the progress Nigeria. Engineers, both present and future, have a pivotal role to play in shaping this aspiration.
I implore you to take up the challenge, to be at the forefront of innovation, and to actively engage with the digital landscape. By doing so, you contribute not only to your own growth but to the prosperity and development of our country. Remember, the digital future is not just about technology; it’s about using technology to solve the world’s most pressing challenges. Thank you for your attention and let us embark on this exciting journey together towards a brighter, more connected, and digitally empowered future. Together, we can shape a world where innovation knows no bounds and where engineering is at the heart of progress.
secession have always been the common ideals and culture traditions of the Chinese nation.The truth of “united we stand, divided we fall” must be deeply felt by the Nigerian people. The secessionist forces led by the so-called “Republic of Oduduwa” and “Republic of Biafra” are constantly threatening the peace, prosperity and unity of Nigeria. Only by achieving full national reunification can we heal the wounds left by history on our country. As Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the great pioneer of the China’s democratic revolution, said,“Unification is the hope of all Chinese people. If China can be unified, all Chinese will enjoy a happy life; if it cannot, all will suffer.”
The will of the Chinese government and people to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity is unbreakable, and the complete reunification of the motherland is the common aspiration and sacred duty of all sons and daughters of the Chinese nation. China is ready for peaceful coexistence and common development with all countries, but will never allow any country or force to undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Taiwan question, which arose out of national weakness and disorder, will inevitably be resolved with national rejuvenation and is unstoppable. Provoking trouble on the Taiwan question and trying to undermine China’s great cause of reunification and the process of national rejuvenation are completely futile and doomed to failure.
Yuqing
principle. In recent years, more and more countries have chosen to rupture so-called “diplomatic ties” with Taiwan, reflecting that China’s determination to pursue national reunification has been widely recognized by the international community. In today’s world, reunification is in line with the trend of history and the right path, while ‘Taiwan independence’ secessionist
forces is a historical trend against the will of the people and a dead end.
Third, at all times, China will firmly safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, the great cause of reunification will be accomplished, while attempts at secession will surely come to fail.
Throughout China’s 5,000-year history, national reunification and opposition to
Unity is a powerful force to overcome all difficulties and the light of hope for building consensus and promoting human progress. However, when unity comes from the lips of those who wish to divide the country, is a great blasphemy against the word. The wheel of the history of China’s reunification is rolling forward, and no one or any force can stop it.
•Ms. YAN Yuqing, Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Lagos
Friday, September 15, 2023Price: N250
“We appeal to government to drastically cut down the high cost of running its affairs...what an outrage! It is no less outrageous that at a time when millions of Nigerians are not sure of their next meal, N40bn was allocated to the members of NASS for luxury cars, including bullet-proof vehicles for the leadership of the National Assembly and a further N70bn for furniture and repairs of the lawmakers’ offices” –Archbishop of Owerri and President of CBCN, Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, telling Tinubu to reduce the high cost of governance.
Engr Tasiu Sa’ad Gidari-Wudil, President, Nigeria Society of Engineers, my fellow speakers and honourable invited guests, the executives of the Society of Engineers, distinguished engineers here present and online, the press, ladies and gentlemen, all protocols duly observed.
I am deeply honoured to stand before you today on this momentous occasion as we gather to unveil the remarkable Smart Innovation Hub developed by The Nigeria Society of Engineers. This hub signifies a remarkable leap forward in our pursuit of progress and innovation in Nigeria. President Ahmed Bola Tinubu has unveiled his administration’s 8-point agenda and this gathering of great minds have a key role to play in helping Mr President achieve his goal. But beyond the bricks and circuits that constitute this physical structure, we are here to delve into a broader theme - “Embracing the Digital Future.”
THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION
The Digital Revolution has transformed nearly every facet of our lives. From the
Gidari-Wudil
way we communicate to how we work, shop, and even educate ourselves; the digital age has ushered in unprecedented changes. But what does this mean for us especially here in Nigeria:
•The Power of Connectivity: Today, we live in an interconnected world. The Internet of Things (IoT) has woven our physical and digital worlds together, creating opportunities for innovation that were once unimaginable. For example, we can easily transfer money from Lagos to people and businesses in remote areas of the country using technology. News travel faster today than it will decades ago thanks to social media.
•Data, the New Gold: Data is the currency of the digital age. Engineers are not just designing structures and systems; they are now data architects, leveraging information to drive decisionmaking, optimization, and efficiency. In my organization, we use data daily to track the targets we have set and identify ways to meet and surpass those targets.
•Artificial Intelligence and Automation: The rise of artificial intelligence and automation is reshaping industries. Engineers are at the forefront of developing AI-driven solutions that optimize processes, reduce costs, and enhance productivity. In the power sector where I play, one of our Power Plants, Egbin Power Plant, was built in 1985, it is still running fully today because of the investment we have made in technology. Technology is also
driving our expansion plans where Artificial Intelligence and Automation will be the core.
To truly grasp the importance of embracing the digital future, we must consider its impact on society at large and how we use it to solve everyday problems in Nigeria and Africa.
•Digital Inclusion: Engineers play a crucial role in bridging the digital divide. It is our responsibility to ensure that digital technologies are accessible to all, regardless of their socio-economic background. This Smart innovation hub should not stop here, we should see this replicated in schools across the country where government and private sector collaborate to make it a reality.
•Healthcare and Telemedicine: The digital future has revolutionized healthcare through telemedicine and remote patient monitoring. Engineers are designing medical devices and platforms that are transforming healthcare delivery. This means a man in a remote part of the country can have access to quality
Since I assumed my duties as the Consular General of the People’s Republic of China in Lagos for over three months, I have forged a deep friendship with people from all walks of life in Nigeria. Despite our differences in nationality, color, and race, I can feel that our hearts and minds are intertwined. Both Nigerian and Chinese people share the values of optimism, simplicity and kindness, and show similar national pride and identity, especially their strong sense and firm position of safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity and opposing all secessionist forces, which makes me firmly believe that there is a deep soil of mutual understanding and support between the two peoples.
Recently, with the opening of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, the voice of hyping the socalled “Taiwan’s inclusion in the UN” has begun to rise. In view of this, I think it is necessary to take this opportunity to sincerely introduce the historical truth
of the Taiwan question to my Nigerian friends and set the record straight.
First, Taiwan has been an integral part of China’s territory since ancient times, with a clear historical background and sound legal basis.
Taiwan has belonged to China since ancient times. This statement has a sound basis in history and jurisprudence. A large number of historical records and annals document the development of Taiwan by the Chinese people in earlier periods.The State of Wu and Sun in the 3rd century and the royal court of the Sui Dynasty in the 7th century both sent more than 10,000 people to Taiwan.Starting from the Song and Yuan dynasties, the imperial central governments of China all set up administrative bodies to exercise jurisdiction over Penghu and Taiwan.
In 1624, Dutch colonialists invaded and occupied the southern part of Taiwan. In 1662, General Zheng Chenggong, hailed as a national hero, led an expedition and expelled them from the island. Subsequently, the Qing court gradually
set up more administrative bodies in Taiwan. In 1684, a Taiwan prefecture administration was set up under the jurisdiction of Fujian Province. In 1885, Taiwan’s status was upgraded and it became the 20th province of China.
In July 1894, Japan launched a war of aggression against China, and the defeated Qing government was forced to cede Taiwan and the Penghu Islands to Japan next year. In 1943, the Cairo Declaration issued by China, the United States and the United Kingdom stated that all the territories Japan had stolen from China, such as Northeast China, Taiwan and the Penghu Islands, should be restored to China. In 1945, The Potsdam Proclamation reiterate this position. In September of the same year, Japan signed the instrument of surrender, in which it promised that it would faithfully fulfill the obligations laid down in the Potsdam Proclamation. On October 25 the Chinese government announced that it was resuming the exercise of sovereignty over Taiwan. From that point forward,
China had recovered Taiwan de jure and de facto through a host of documents with international legal effect.
On October 1, 1949, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was founded, becoming the successor to the Republic of China (1912-1949), and the Central People’s Government became the only legitimate government of the whole of China. The new government replaced the previous KMT regime in a situation where China, as a subject under international law, did not change and China’s sovereignty and inherent territory did not change. As a natural result, the government of the PRC should enjoy and exercise China’s full sovereignty, which includes its sovereignty over Taiwan.
As a result of the civil war in China in the late 1940s and the interference of external forces, the two sides of the Taiwan Straits have fallen into a state of protracted political confrontation. But the sovereignty and territory of
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